"Please to meet you Danny. I'm sure you and I will get along famously."
"Looking forward to it," he agreed, glancing up at Steve with a wily grin.
Chin stepped forward and extended his arm to shake Frances's hand. "I'm Detective Chin Ho Kelly and this," turning to Kono, "is my cousin, Officer Kono Kalakaua."
"Please to meet you both."
Denning expounded on Frances's background and achievements. "Aside from her Navy training, Lieutenant Commander Nyland has a Masters in criminal psychology. She's a prominent criminal profiler, and was with the Behavioural Science Unit at the FBI Academy of Quantico before transferring to the Criminal Investigative Division in DC. She helped solved the notorious Carlos Antigua case four years ago."
"I heard of that psychopath," Danny recalled with disgust. "He would dispose of his victims by dismembering and burning the body parts. He would then spread the ashes to erase all evidence of his crimes. He was one slippery mongoose because of his sadistic methods of disposing of the bodies."
"He got the chair, didn't he?" Chin surmised.
"Luckily he did," Frances confirmed.
"As a special agent, the lieutenant commander has been looking into the kidnapping of children and the white slave trade for the past five years. She will be a valuable asset on this case."
"Wait a minute, wait a minute," Steve interjected. "Am I to understand that you want us to crack down on the white slavery?" he scoffed, "You do realize it's been operating for centuries and has ties all over the world. It's like the mob or global terrorism," Steve argued, receiving nods of approval from his colleagues. "You can't expect a small unit like Five-0 to stamp it out."
"Commander, we're not aiming at dismantling the entire human trafficking network. You're right, it is unfeasible," Frances clarified. "Worldwide intelligence agencies have tried and failed. We merely want to home in on a reported small active US cell, based right here in Hawaii, presumably somewhere on the island of Kauai. I have some leads that we will follow. I need Five-0 with me because you guys know the islands like the back of your hand and you have a reputation for getting the job done."
"Do you have any questions before I leave you together to discuss the case?" Denning asked as he handed the folders he'd been holding over to Frances.
"Just one," Steve spoke up. "Who's calling the shots on this one?"
"You work it out among yourselves. But before you cross swords for the lead, bear in mind your ultimate goal. So make sure you work together and NOT against each other," Denning stressed, shifting his stern gaze from one face to the other. "Understood?"
"Thank you, Governor."
"Good luck, Commander." Satisfied by the compliant mood in the room, he left.
"Okay, let's get started, shall we?" Frances rallied the team and all four gathered around her at the large table screen. She handed each a folder. "This contains all the information pertaining to this case. First of all, I'm not here to bore you with the history of the white slavery. I think you're all familiar with how it operates and for what purposes?"
All nodded.
"Are you acquainted with how covert cells operate?"
Danny offered to test his knowledge by answering, "Its structure is built in such a way that one cell is clueless as of the existence of the others, nor do its members know of the identity of the other cells' members. They avoid communicating with electronic devices because the signals can be easily traced."
"In other words if one cell is dismantled, the others can survive," Kono summed up.
"Exactly, they're not bound together and usually have different informants and one leader for each. However, there is a flaw. If there's one thing I've learned from my extensive research on dormant and active cells is that if we take out the queen bee of one hive, it will then wither away and the buzz will spred. Other cells will run scared and make costly mistakes and eventually, they will fall like dominos."
"If I may ask, what prompted you to investigate the white slavery?" Danny asked.
"I started five years ago when US Senator Greg Wilber's young daughter was kidnapped in a nightclub in Georgetown. She was there with friends and momentarily stepped out and suddenly disappeared. They requested me to lead the investigation given my close relationship with the family. I began to suspect a kidnapping ring when a second child, this one being the daughter of a congressman, was abducted shortly after. But the absence of phone calls and ransom notes had me baffled. Thereafter other children were reported missing over the course of a few months and they disappeared without a trace. The fact that they were all young girls had me thinking of the white slavery. The kidnapping pattern was oddly similar.
"In parallel, the same epidemic spread to the Hawaiian islands. So in occurrence I began investigating the two simultaneously hoping to find a link between both units. So I dug deep and gathered all the data I could find on this likely Hawaiian-based cell. I slaved over a hot stove of files and combed every bit of information in my possession, trying to unravel the identity of the leaders of each cell and how they manoeuvred."
"So the kidnappings started in Washington and thereafter Hawaii was raided," Steve summed up.
"Exactly. At first I suspected that it was a single cell with two branches but my findings didn't yield any tangible evidence of a connection between the two."
"But you ultimately chose to concentrate on the Hawaiian unit?" Steve implied.
"That's right."
"Any particular reason?" he challenged.
"I'm getting to that, Commander." she replied rudely, suspecting Steve to read something else into her switch. "I was hitting a brick wall until about two months ago when the leader's top aide flew the coop and came to us for protection. He faked his death so that his boss wouldn't track him down. He struck a deal with the US Government to turn state's evidence in exchange for valuable information that could help us make serious headway in the case. He's now in the Federal Witness Program in case his stunt didn't fool the boss. Thanks to him, we now have names, places and have a good knowledge of the basic mechanics of the operation, most of what we need to get ahead to nail this SOB."
She laid an iPad against the panel and opened the stored files. She chose a sketched drawing and swatted it to the wall screen for everyone to see. "Here's the man we're after. He goes by the name of Clive McFadden."
The name instantly drove a stake through Danny's heart. His breath caught down his throat, causing Steve to stare suspiciously at him.
"He runs the Hawaiian unit."
"What...what did you say his name was?" Danny stuttered nervously.
"Clive McFadden. Not many people know who he is for he never meets or speaks with anyone outside his own small circle of henchmen. He has obedient yes-men that execute the dirty jobs and do the recruiting for him."
Puzzled by Danny's reaction to the name, Steve asked, "You know him?"
"No, thought the name sounded familiar but no. Mistaken identity," Danny equivocated but failed to convince his dubious partner.
"Were you able to match the drawing to any criminal mug shots? Chin queried.
"We ran this sketch through various international mainframes, including the FBI's, CIA's and Interpol's. Facial recognizance came up negative. There's no record under that name but it's conceivable the man is using an assumed name or perhaps even had cosmetic surgery to alter his features. We have no picture of McFadden aside from this artist sketch we obtained from the description given from the former member of his organization."
"Could he be a regular citizen with no prior records to his name?" Kono presumed.
"We did a complete background check of all the Clive McFaddens of this world. None whatsoever comes close to being our man."
She swatted another picture of an American white male in his mid thirties, dressed in his official police uniform. "This man is Carl Bayne. Was a former NYPD officer before turning to a life of crime. According to our informant he's rumored to be McFadden's messenger boy, though I doubt he's met the boss in person or knows where his orders are coming from, but he is apparently the middleman between the top dog and the vultures that grab the children. He now moonlights as a real estate agent. He's the first suspect we're going to interrogate. I have his address. Lives in Kahului on the island of Maui.
She chose another picture, one of a twelve-year-old girl. "Her name is Sandra Finney. She disappeared a month ago. However her abductor made a costly mistake." All turned to Frances when she paused. "He grabbed the girl in front of a witness. Her twelve-year-old twin brother, Matthew."
"Did the guy see him?" Steve asked.
"Obviously not or he would have gotten rid of him. McFadden neatly covers his tracks. Doesn't leave any trail behind, certainly not witnesses, regardless of their age. The shock struck him mute. He's been withdrawn and alienated from his friends ever since. His parents say he often cloisters himself in his room. Two psychologists consulted on his case. You have a copy of the sessions I obtained from both of them in those files."
"How do we know he was a witness if he can't talk?" Danny inferred.
"He was playing with his sister. Suffice to say he saw what happened. My guess is that he was out of sight and earshot when she was abducted. He then ran home and curled up in his closet in fear."
"When did you say it happened?" Kono asked as she began perusing the files.
"Roughly four weeks ago. Chief of Police Duke Lukela of HPD is in charge of the investigation. No doubt you know him?"
"I know him very well. He was my superior when I worked at HPD," Chin said.
"Okay now, how do we know it's not the work of your everyday psycho or a family member with designs on the girl for that matter?" Steve queried.
"Glad you asked that question, Commander. HPD worked with the psychiatrists that treated the boy. They showed him dozens of mug shots of branded kidnappers and expanded the list to notorious criminals who dabbled into kidnapping, including some of the most well-known punks on the streets. He was also shown pictures of immediate and extended family members. He didn't flinch at any of them. We also checked into the parents' background. They're clean. She's a housewife and he works as an accountant for a marketing company. No shady deals on record No ransom demand either.
"And then later, we found this." Frances swiped the picture of an insignia on the wall screen. "McFadden's calling card. The insignia of his branch that he's been dropping at the scenes of his crime, including this one. We never noticed it before his former right-hand man mentioned it to us. So we perused some old backlog files on missing children cases and sure enough, we found that tiny crest on many crime-scene forensic shots. "
"He wants us to know he's behind the abductions." Danny surmised.
"Like the mafia. Syndicates wanting their victims' associates to know they're the authors of the crimes," Chin supported.
"But the human trafficking network doesn't operate like the mob. Hardly seems appropriate for them to leave their calling card behind, especially if, as you said, McFadden covers his tracks," Steve argued.
"He covers his track in the sense that he doesn't leave a trail of crumbs that leads to his doorstep. However McFadden is unlike the other unit leaders who prefer to keep low key. He's in a class all by himself. He's the best at what he does but he's proud as a peacock and likes to be recognized for his work. Our informant helped me polish up the character profile I'd built on him. He was a key player in a major crime syndicate with ties to the white slavery before he decided to set up his own little business to cut out the middleman. He's one smug creature which, in the short run, will be his downfall."
"How long has he been operating in Hawaii?" Danny asked.
"Close to six years now."
"If you knew all this time, why didn't you move on him sooner?" Steve asked, his tone bordering on insolence.
"Because we didn't have enough to go on to take him down, that is until this guy came out of the woodwork and provided us with the missing pieces we need to at least, close in on him."
"How do you know this snitch isn't setting you up?" Kono opined. "He could be a mole for ought we know."
"If he is, I can assure he won't stay in the Witness Protection Program very long. And that's where you come in. You're the best team around. You came highly recommend for a job of this caliber."
"How old did you say the girl was?" Danny asked.
"Twelve."
"Shit," Danny cursed underneath his breath as his thoughts went straight to Grace. Kono wrapped a consoling arm around him.
Frances noticed the dejection etched on Danny's face. "I know it's rough but that's why I want to nail this guy. We're hoping that eventually other cells will fall but we must start at the top and so far, this is the best lead we have. Danny, you and I will go see Bayne in Kahului and..."
"No," Steve interjected.
"I beg your pardon?" Frances asked a bit miffed by the interruption.
"You and ME," he put emphasis on the word,"will go pay Bayne a little visit. Danny will team up with Kono to go see the Finneys. Detective Williams here has a twelve-year-old daughter. He's a natural with children and together with Officer Kalakaua, they might succeed in getting through to the boy."
"Good idea, Commander." She turned to Chin, "While we're out Chin, I'd like for you to research all activities out of Port Allen Airport, also known as Burns Field on the Southern coast of Kauai. Surveillance tapes, satellite pictures anything you can get your hands on the traffic of the past year, regardless of how meaningless it may appear. It's a little-known airstrip used mainly to bring tourists for sightseeing tours, but I have it on good authority that it's where McFadden, shall we say, unloads his merchandise and takes it to his hideout where it awaits transit to prospective buyers, and vice-versa. The coordinates are in the file."
"Okay."
"If we can put a face on the creep that kidnapped the Finney girl, then we can follow his trail and see where it takes us."
"I'll get right on it"
"Wasn't your informant able to provide you with a description of that guy?" Danny asked.
"He fled before the Finney kidnapping and besides, he was not acquainted with any of the abductors. Only Bayne could provide us with this information." She turned to Steve. "Commander, how are your pilot skills?"
"Sharp as ever."
"Can you handle a MD500D chopper?"
"Piece of cake."
"Good. You're driving Miss Daisy on this one. I have one on standby at Honolulu airport. Guys, take an hour break to study those files. I'll stay here to answer any question you might have before we get a move on. We'll all meet back here at four to compare notes."
"Danny I'll meet you out front in an hour. We'll take your car," Kono said.
"Okay." Danny made his way out the door with his folder.
"Hey Danny, wait up," Steve hailed, quickening the pace after him.
Once outside, Steve raised the subject of Danny's reaction to McFadden's name. "What's wrong, Danno?"
"Well if you must know, I'm a little unease about this case. I can't help but feel like we're taking on more than we can chew."
"Is that all?"
"Yeah and aside from the fact that children are involved. I hate this."
"We're all disturbed by it," Steve sympathized.
"I keep thinking, what if it were Grace instead of that Finney girl."
"Hey, don't let it get to you," he appeased with a hand on his partner's shoulder.
"Can't help it. The thought of this monster roaming the islands makes my skin crawl."
"Is that all that's bothering you?"
Danny's brows creased in puzzlement at Steve's question and he answered evasively, "Isn't that enough?"
"Come on, man! You blenched in there when she mentioned McFadden's name. Something you're not telling me."
"Just thought I knew the man, that's all."
"You're squinting again." Steve chided, shooting his aneurysm face at Danny who snorted in exasperation, knowing there was no way of concealing his qualms. "Danny, talk to me!"
"It's silly, really."
"Do tell anyway."
"It's a name I keep hearing in a recurrent dream I'm been having since I got the flu. A man accosts you in a public place and..."
"What? What?" Steve insisted.
"He pulls out a gun and...shoots you point blank in the chest."
"Is that the same face?"
"I can't see a face. He always comes up a big blur. It's someone who says that he has a message from McFadden. Other times I hear a loud explosion just before the shot and I jerk out of sleep feeling like I'm on fire." Danny looks down at his hands. "Look at me, I'm shaking like a leaf just thinking about it."
Steve rubbed a soothing hand on his partner's shoulder. "Calm down, Danno. It's only a dream."
"Steve, don't you find it odd that the name McFadden should pop in my dreams weeks prior to being assigned to this case? I never knew the man existed before today."
"What? You think it's some sort of premonition?"
"I hate to think it is."
"Well, what do you want me to do about it?"
"You won't mind if I stick to you like white on rice while we're on this case?"
Steve smiled. "You usually do, partner." He then turned earnest and pondered.
"Something bugging you?"
"To begin with I'm a bit annoyed that the governor teamed us up with an outsider, especially without clearing it with me first. It didn't work with Jenna or Lori. Why should it work with her?"
"Ahhhhhhhhh I see. She's a woman."
"Don't be ridiculous!" Steve resented the insinuation. "And then there's..."
"What?"
"I know she came to Hawaii to try to dismantle McFadden's operation because of the whistle-blower's information but, I can't help get the feeling that there's more to her switch than what she told us."
"You believe she has an ulterior motive?"
"I don't know but," He shook his head. "something's definitely off the beam."
"Perhaps she just wanted to see you after all these years," Danny smirked.
"Yeah, right," Steve scoffed.
"Just let this ride for a while. It might just be your paranoia acting up again."