A/N: I apologize for the delay. Real life is full of more drama than my fanfiction right now, and it's seriously cramping my writing style. Thank you for your patience - it might not hurt to back up and read the previous chapter (again, apologies). Please know that I am *not* going to abandon this story - and finals will be over in a week. :-)
#*#*#*#*#
"You're right, Charlie - I don't like the idea," Steve said. "But I have to admit it's probably the best approach."
"The dark what?" Kono asked, looking between Charlie and Steve in confusion.
"The dark web," Charlie explained. "The internet with no rules, no restrictions, no accountability."
"It's like a Craigslist, actually, for the worst scum of the earth," Danny said. "We busted up a child pornography ring in Jersey thanks to some wanna be hacker slipping up using the dark web, and our guys were able to trace a lead."
"We don't really cover it in the academy," Chin explained, nodding at Kono. "Officers that work their way up through the ranks and have exceptional computer skills are sent for training with the FBI. But HPD is a relatively small force; it's just not something we do much on the local level."
"That's true of most locations," Charlie said. "But Five-O has something HPD doesn't have." He looked at Riley.
"Wait," Steve said, turning to face Charlie, his hands moving to his hips. "Riley? You want Riley to trawl the dark web? Oh , yeah, that part I definitely don't like."
"Steve, do you think I was using Yahoo to create the false identity trail for Joe?" Riley asked. "Sorry to dispel this aura of innocence you seem to see around me, big brother, but I know my way around the dark web already. I'm the absolute logical choice for this. Not that the database isn't going to be useful, but please - let me do something meaningful here."
Steve studied her for a moment, then sighed. "Okay. But I have to get the appropriate clearance from the state district attorney before you start." He shot a glare at Charlie. "I'll let you know when we're cleared."
"Understood," Charlie said.
Riley bounced a little on the balls of her feet. "Thanks," she said cheerfully. "Can I get Jerry to help?"
"No." "No." "No." Steve, Chin, and Danny spoke emphatically in unison while Kono stifled a giggle.
"Not with this one, Riley," Steve said, a hint of a smile playing on his face. "Now, go, back to your lair, before I change my mind."
"It's more like a cave," Riley replied absently, her mind already analyzing the task at hand. She caught up to Charlie as he stepped onto the elevator, and they could hear animated discussion as the doors closed.
Chin clapped Steve on the shoulder. "Look at it this way, brah. At least this way you know what she's up to; you can keep tabs on her. To a point."
"I'm glad she's on our side," Danny observed.
"The women in my family . . . " Steve muttered, as he walked to his office. "Okay, keep at it. I'm going to get clearance for my baby sister to drop into the sewer of the universe and look for the person selling human kidneys."
#*#*#*#*#
Riley spent the afternoon pouring over the finer points of black market organ trafficking with Max. At the end of the day, Steve knocked quietly on the door to Max's office.
"Hey, how's it going?" he asked, leaning in the doorway.
"Things are going well, Commander," Max said. "Riley is a quick study. She's picking up the vocabulary."
"I have to be ready in case I end up in a real time chat with someone," Riley explained, "so I can hold my own until Max can get to me to help me."
"You should consider a course in anatomy and physiology," Max suggested, "as an elective. You seem to have a knack for it."
"Okay," Riley said, shrugging.
"You gonna be able to handle this?" Steve asked, as they climbed in the truck to head for home.
"Yeah, I can," Riley answered. "You know how it works - I have to go in very slowly, and very quietly, or I'll raise suspicion. That will give me time to pick up on phraseology, unspoken rules . . . "
"Sounds like tracking illegal weapons transactions."
"Desperate people buying something that isn't legal to buy," Riley said. "Probably a lot of similarities." She hesitated. "How much trouble will they be in?"
"Who?"
"The people who have the wrong kidneys," she said quietly. "Maybe they don't know where the kidneys came from."
Steve sighed. "Riley, if these kidneys were transplanted into someone, it wasn't done in a hospital. They have to know something."
"Maybe they were told that it was a clinic or something," she insisted. "Maybe their mom, or dad, or sister, or whoever, was told that the kidneys were donated, like, a living donation or something. So, how much trouble will they be int? Will you take the kidneys away?"
"Will I - Riley, no, we are not going to -" Steve stopped. He actually had no idea what the hell the rules were for something like this. "I seriously doubt that anyone is going to be forced to give up an organ. That would be pointless."
"Hmm. Okay."
Steve rubbed his hand over his face. This sort of thing didn't happen when he was in the teams. It just didn't.
#*#*#*#*#
"This smells amazing, Danny," Rebecca said, sighing appreciatively as Danny welcomed her into his apartment. "But, after a twelve hour shift with a nauseated patient, I do not smell amazing. Well, I might. But not in a good way." She held up a small gym bag. "Could I grab a quick shower before dinner? I think I have halfway decent street clothes in here."
Danny tilted his head at her. She looked as beautiful as she always did, but obviously exhausted. He had an idea.
"What else do you have in the gym bag?" he asked, smiling at her.
"Um, yoga pants and a tshirt from a team building exercise at the hospital. Apparently, 'Care Begins with Me'. Why do you ask?" she replied.
"You look exhausted, you should skip the street clothes and go with the yoga pants," Danny said.
"Tempting, but . . . you made such a nice meal, I feel like -"
Danny held up a finger. "We started a new case today, and I'm beat. If it'll make you feel better, I'll gladly swap out for basketball shorts. I promise, the food will taste just as great. We don't need to impress the lasagna."
Rebecca laughed as she headed toward the bathroom. "Maybe it wasn't the lasagna I was hoping to impress," she called back over her shoulder.
Danny grinned. "Why do you think lasagna was on the menu tonight? I don't make this for just anyone. Go. Take your time, the flavor improves as it rests."
He opened a bottle of wine to breathe, and then went to his bedroom to grab shorts and a t-shirt. If he happened to choose the t-shirt that Kono had mentioned made his eyes look the bluest and his biceps look impressive - well. It could be argued that it was on the top of the drawer. He was back in the kitchen, putting the finishing touches on the salad when Rebecca came back in, her hair in damp waves around her face, and smelling deliciously of some sort of exotic shower gel.
"Smells wonderful," she said, inhaling deeply.
"Indeed," Danny said, smiling at her. "Feel better?"
"Like a new person," she declared, sliding into the chair that Danny held for her. "Thank you."
They chatted comfortably through dinner.
"I understand your new case may intersect with my job," Rebecca said. She held up a hand as Danny started to stammer through an explanation. "I know, you can't talk about it, and obviously, I didn't hear it from you. Word travels fast."
"It's . . . disturbing," Danny said carefully.
"It is," she agreed. "And we have been instructed to report anything unusual to Five-O. I assumed that order came from your team?"
Danny nodded. "Most likely Chin placed those class right away. We're . . . working several angles. I hope we catch a lead soon."
"And the case - the one that got you shot, on the docks? Any leads?"
"Ah, clues. Mysterious clues. And leads. Which all led to dead ends. The governor made it clear in no uncertain terms that we were to cease and desist, and focus on the case at hand. There's bad for Five-O, and then there's bad for tourism, and . . ." he shrugged.
"Ouch. Politics," she said.
"Well, I imagine there are times in your job where you have to . . . prioritize. You know, save who you can," Danny said philosophically.
"Triage," Rebecca supplied. "The most seriously injured get treated first, the minor injuries wait, the mortal wounds . . ."
"Yeah. Let's not carry the analogy too far, then, because I hate to think of Steve and Riley's situation as a mortal wound," Danny grimaced.
"Agreed. Bad analogy, what do I know?" Rebecca said. "That case is . . . in hibernation," she declared. "Not triage."
Danny clinked his glass against hers in a toast. "More?" he asked, holding up the bottle.
She hesitated. "I've had a generous glass already, and I should probably be leaving soon . . . "
"Or you could have another glass, and stay," Danny said quietly.
Rebecca stared at him, wide eyed.
Danny smiled at her. "You're exhausted, and, as you said, you've had a generous glass of wine. Isn't that a recipe for falling asleep behind the wheel? I'm offering an opportunity to relax, and crash - safely. Nothing more. If you haven't noticed, sleeping at each other's homes on a moment's notice, at the end of a long day, or when someone's been hurt - it's more the rule than the exception. And, you may not be part of the Five-O team, but you're definitely part of the family. It's an invitation to enjoy the rest of the evening, and sleep here instead of driving. Zero pressure. I can make a fantastic cup of espresso if you'd rather crash at your place."
"Well, I don't have to work tomorrow, so . . . okay. Yeah, I'll take you up on the second glass of wine, and the sofa," Rebecca said, smiling back at Danny. "As long as it won't cause any problems with your ex," she added.
"Rebecca," Danny said, covering her hand with his, "she's remarried. I'm allowed to see people. That is, you know, the normal course of things. Now, the really, really important question remains."
"Yes?" she asked, her heart picking up a beat.
"You've had a long day and I'm still somewhat recovering from a gunshot wound. What's your opinion on watching a movie and eating ice cream out of the carton? Appropriate date night activity, or not?"
"Perfect," Rebecca sighed. "Perfectly appropriate. One condition."
"If you say we have to watch anything with French subtitles, I may weep," Danny warned her.
Rebecca laughed. "No, my one condition is no sappy medical dramas. I ruin it for everyone concerned by critiquing the actors' surgical technique and medical vocabulary."
Danny nodded sagely. "Movies involving police investigations are also off the table, for the same reasons. So, we have action or romantic comedy."
"Chick flicks? No thanks," Rebecca said, wrinkling her nose.
"Action," Danny said decisively, as he put their plates in the sink. "Explosions -" he paused, tilting his head at Rebecca, "but no gore."
She picked up their wine glasses and padded into his cozy living room. "Completely unrealistic action adventure. Probably my favorite genre." She settled into the sofa while he grabbed the remote and a soft throw from the back of the chair.
"This is a relief," he said, sinking into the sofa next to her, and pulling up the movie menu on the TV. "I can't keep up the pace of our real life action and adventure indefinitely. Escaping bunkers, getting shot on the docks, dramatic hospital situations . . . sometimes, people just need to sit on the sofa, you know what I'm saying? Hmmm . . . Jack Reacher or Jason Bourne?"
"Reacher, even though the movies pale in comparison to the books," she said.
Danny started the movie and tossed the remote next to him. He held up an edge of the throw and raised his eyebrows. "For some reason, the combination of AC and fatigue - you chilly?"
"In other words, you're being a gentleman and asking, not assuming, if I'd like to snuggle under a blanket with you?" Rebecca asked.
"Exactly," Danny said, "though I'm cautiously optimistic."
"Oh, Danny," Rebecca laughed. "Your optimism is warranted."
"Yeah?" he asked, his eyes crinkling in a smile as he tossed the fuzzy blanket over their laps. Rebecca handed him his wine glass.
He took a sip as Rebecca snuggled next to him, the opening sequence of the movie just starting. His arm slipped around her shoulders easily, his fingers toying gently with her hair.
"I mean, I've showered here, I'm sleeping here," Rebecca said, matter of factly, her eyes on the screen. "I'm trying to be a lady, and not assume, but I was cautiously optimistic that you'd at least go for first base."
He choked on the wine.
"Careful there, Five-O," Rebecca said, smirking as she took a sip of her own wine. "I can't Heimlich liquids."
#*#*#*#*#
"We should divide chores," Riley said decisively, as she helped Steve clear the table after their simple meal of stir-fry. Steve was amused that tofu was her idea of comfort food, but he had no complaints.
"Chores?" he asked, smiling.
"I'm not going to be a burden," she said. "You've been . . . coddling me. I need to carry my weight. So, what chores do you not like to do? Sweeping, dusting, dishes . . . what?"
"I'm used to just doing it myself," Steve said, shrugging. He thought for a moment, then snapped his fingers. "You can definitely do your own laundry. That's a good start. 'Cause, you probably don't . . . I mean, Mary didn't want me messing with her, you know. Girl clothes. Stuff."
"We could go with the term 'underwear', if you're that squeamish," Riley suggested. "You have a girlfriend."
"I know," Steve said, "but that's different. She's . . . not my sister."
Riley studied him. "I overheard Mary telling Rebecca that you were almost completely clueless about women and that I was practically a nun, and that she was genuinely worried about us on several levels. Is this what she meant?"
"Probably," Steve agreed. "So, you'll do your own laundry?" he added anxiously.
"Sure," Riley said. "You'll have to show me how to operate the American machines."
He stared at her blankly, trying to reconcile her request with what he'd seen of her deftly rolling out a keyboard and disabling the security system of an entire building.
"I wasn't raised by wolves, Steve," she said patiently, "but I was raised in another country. We had different voltage and everything. At the monastery, I washed clothes in the river. I have gaps."
#*#*#*#*#
"Good morning, Danny," Kono said absently, glancing up from the smart table. "Wait."
Danny pretended to ignore her and waved as he headed purposefully toward his office. But her legs were longer, and she was not to be deterred. Sidestepping neatly into his path, she blocked his progress.
"Well, good morning, Danny," she purred. "Spill."
"I - there's - how?" Danny sputtered, looking at Chin for help.
Chin was useless. He shrugged and sipped his tea calmly as he pulled up files. Steve poked a curious head out of his office.
"What's going on with Kono and Danny?" he asked Chin.
"Standing right here," Danny said, incredulous.
"Okay, what's going on with you and Kono?" Steve asked.
"Danny has extra swagger this morning," Kono announced. "He was just about to tell me why."
"I don't have - Kalakaua, you are a menace," Danny protested. "There's nothing to tell."
Kono leaned forward and sniffed.
"You're sniffing me," Danny said. "Why are you sniffing me?"
"Burnt brown sugar body wash and . . . " she sniffed again, "probably lotion, too, or it wouldn't have transferred."
"Oh. Is that what that is?" Danny asked absently. "Burnt brown sugar. Hunh. Is that unusual?"
"No, it's ubiquitous, every drug store and mass market has a version - wait," Kono said, "don't distract me. It's clearly not yours, not that there'd be anything wrong with that."
Steve glanced at Chin again, and got another zen-like shrug. He looked expectantly back to Danny.
"Et tu, Brutus?" Danny sighed. "Okay. Geez. I was with Rebecca this morning. Happy?"
"You were with Rebecca this morning, and you made it to work at -" Kono glanced at the clock, "seven-thirty am, and you smell like her lotion. Well, good morning, Danny. Way to go, stud."
"It's - look. We had dinner plans, she just came off her third twelve hour shift in a row, we had a second glass of wine, she crashed at my place," Danny said. "There was no . . . studding."
"You don't have a guest room. Bed or sofa?" Kono demanded. Steve watched the exchange with shameless curiousity while Chin, bless him, valiantly pretending to ignore it.
"I was going to insist that she take the bed," Danny said, "but she fell so sound asleep on the sofa I didn't have the heart to try to get her to move."
Kono studied him for a moment, then lit up with a brilliant smile, and Danny felt inexplicably relieved. Not that Kono's approval of his courtship mattered to him. Not at all.
"Good move," she said, slapping him on he shoulder. "If I was that tired, I would have punched you in the balls if you'd woken me up."
"Good to know," Danny said, taking a hasty step away from Kono.
"Now that we've established that Rebecca's virtue is safe with Danny, can we please get back to the case?" Steve asked.
"Well, I hope it's not too safe . . ." Kono muttered, sauntering back to the table.
#*#*#*#*#
By the end of the day, they had a few leads to track down, and thankfully, no new victims reported. Steve called the governor with an update and headed down to check on Riley's progress. She was sitting at her low desk, with Max looking inexplicably comfortable next to her.
"Ah, Commander McGarrett," Max said, looking up as Steve stepped into the office. "We are, I believe, making some progress."
"That's great, Max, what have you got?" Steve asked. He folded himself down crosslegged on the floor on the other side of the desk.
"Riley has found a trail of discussion on selling blood and plasma to make extra money," Max said. "There are, of course, many legitimate organizations which provide such service. Those would not deal on the dark web."
"But there are some organizations which are - not legitimate?" Steve asked.
"Indeed," Max said. "Illicit plastic surgery, for example, requires blood transfusion. Underground clinics which treat injuries sustained in illegal behavior."
"They pay much more for blood and plasma," Riley said, her fingers flying over the keys. "I'll have IP addresses and locations in a moment, if you want to take them down, you know. After."
"If someone is getting an organ transplant outside the legitimate medical community, they would need blood," Steve said, rubbing his face. This case was becoming exponentially more complicated. "Good thinking. Really, really good thinking."
"I've dropped a hint that I might need more money than I could get selling blood or plasma," Riley said. "We'll see if I get any offers for a kidney. It could work." She finished a string of commands and then stopped, rubbing her face in a gesture identical to Steve's.
"That's all we can do for today, I think," Max said, in a moment of uncharacteristic perception.
"You do look worn out, Riley," Steve said, concerned.
"I'm okay, it's just . . ." she wrinkled her nose in distaste. "It's . . . slimy. The dark web."
Steve stood up, and then pulled Riley up. He slung an arm around her shoulders and pressed a kiss to her temple. "How about swimming?" he suggested. "You're supposed to be strengthening that knee, and maybe the Pacific Ocean will wash off the slime."
"Sounds great," Riley said. "And maybe . . . could we go visit Jerry? I won't talk to him about the case," she added quickly.
"Yeah, we'll stop and see Jerry on the way home," Steve said. "Thanks, Max, for helping."
"My pleasure, Commander," Max said, trailing happily after them. "And please extend my continued get well wishes to Jerry."
#*#*#*#*#
"Riley!" Jerry exclaimed, delighted, as Riley and Steve came into his tidy room at the rehabilitation hospital.
"Hey, Jerry," Riley said, giving him a careful hug.
Steve settled for a warm handshake. "Jerry, how's it going?"
"Well, I was able to use a walker today," Jerry said. "So that's definite progress. I should be able to go home in a week. My mom is fixing up a room on the first floor for me."
"That's great, Jerry. What can the team do to help? Make sure your mom calls us, okay? We don't need her moving furniture and getting hurt," Steve said.
"Okay, sure," Jerry agreed. "So, what's new?"
"Still working on the database," Riley said, "And a new case, but it's not one I can talk about."
"And you, how are you feeling?" Jerry asked.
"I'm doing great," Riley assured him. "I won't stay too long this evening, because I need to go home and swim. Still trying to get my knee back to normal. But I'll come back as soon as I can. What are we playing?"
Steve absently listened to their animated discussion of the latest multi-player game while he checked messages on his phone. He smiled.
Hey, sailor. Leave this weekend. Visit?
Bless her, she knew that neither of them could really predict what the weekend would hold, but it was a nice thought. A very nice thought. His fingers moved quickly over the phone.
Ongoing case, but plan on it. Dinner? He smirked as he typed out the message. The fact that they rarely made it out to dinner was an ongoing joke between them.
Sure.
He could almost hear the eye-roll and chuckled, then realized, belatedly, that both Jerry and Riley were smiling at him.
"Catherine?" Riley guessed.
He pocketed his phone. "Um, yeah, actually," he said, nodding. "She has leave this weekend."
"Nice," Riley said, grinning at him.
"Brat," Steve said, poking her affectionately. "Jerry, I hate to cut the visit short, but if Riley is going to get some time in the water, we better get going. Take care, and I mean it - whatever Five-O can do to help, you let us know, yeah?"
#*#*#*#*#
Riley was exhausted by the time the sun's rays turned the McGarrett residence into a kaleidoscope of orange and pink.
"You're improving," Steve encouraged her, handing her a towel. "Your stroke is getting stronger, more even."
"You're sure?" she asked.
"Absolutely. How's the knee feel?"
"Like . . . that quivery food they gave me at the hospital."
"Jello?"
"Yeah, like that. But it doesn't hurt," she added.
"That's perfect then. You've worked the muscle to the point of exhaustion, but not to the point of strain. Now, it will heal, and strengthen," Steve said.
"So, you've had to do this before? After an injury?" Riley asked, as she rubbed her hair with the worn towel.
"Yeah. Plenty of times. Not all of us had nanobytes to put us back together," he teased.
"Do you think that's why Shelburne never took me to the doctor?"
Steve was momentarily taken aback by the question and stared at her.
"And Frank and Joe," she continued, musing aloud. "I got plenty hurt during training. Joe patched me up, never seemed too concerned. I guess Shelburne and Joe knew about the nanobytes. And I healed really, really fast. I mean, I didn't know it at the time. But now I know, I healed way faster than normal. So, you think that's why? Or do you think they were afraid someone would figure it out?"
"I would like to think they expected that you'd heal quickly and easily," Steve said. His face darkened, thinking of the possibility of a young, sick or injured Riley, not being taken for medical care.
"Hey," she said, tugging on his hand. "It's okay. I'm okay."
He nodded, and wrapped his long arms around her in a quick hug. "I know," he said, resting his chin on top of her head. "But I still wish . . . I'm sorry. I wish I'd known."
"But you didn't," she said. "You do now. And I have a family, and a job, and a home . . . friends . . . absolutely everything I need. Well, except for one thing."
"Name it," Steve said, earnestly, ready to pull the moon from the sky if he could.
"Dinner," she said, wriggling out of his grasp, laughing. "I'm starving."
#*#*#*#*#
Steve was pouring over the notes from the victim interviews when the call came in the next morning. He grabbed his phone, hoping against hope that it wasn't what he feared.
"Duke, yeah, what have you got?" he asked.
"Steve, sorry to say it, but we have another victim. Found just moments ago outside a coffee shop in Waikiki Village. The owner went in to open up, the victim was literally on the doorstep. They were taken to Queens," Duke said. "Initial EMT report said it looked like surgical trauma to the lower back."
"Right where you'd take out a kidney," Steve sighed. "Thanks, Duke, I'll get people over there right away. Victim male or female?"
"Female," Duke said. "Young, probably late teens, early twenties."
"Okay, thanks," Steve said. "I'll send Kono and Danny."
"Good idea," Duke agreed. "They have a soft touch."
Steve rubbed his face as he ended the call. He was swearing softly as Danny came into his office.
"Hey, what's happening?" Danny asked, propping a hip on Steve's desk.
"You have ESP or something, Danny?" Steve asked, smiling tiredly.
"Nah, just finely tuned McGarrett radar, and you look like you'd like to shoot something. Ergo, it's in my best interest to know what's up," Danny retorted.
"Another victim," Steve said. "Young, female - would you and Kono go to Queens? See if you can get anything."
"Yeah, sure," Danny said. "Why me and Kono?"
Steve shrugged. "You have the dad thing going for you, Kono is also young and female. This poor girl is going to regain consciousness, alone, in a strange place, in pain. I just don't want to traumatize her further."
"Yeah, seeing your mug when I came to would do that," Danny said, smiling. "I'll grab the rookie and head over. Keep you posted."
"Thanks," Steve said, turning back to the files in front of him. He read a little bit more, then stopped, sighing. He picked up his phone again. "Yeah, Charlie? How's it coming with the investigation? We have another victim."
#*#*#*#*#
Steve, Chin, Charlie, and Riley were gathered around the smart table when Danny and Kono returned from the victim interview.
"Hey, guys," Kono said, "what's happening?"
"Well, we think Riley got a nibble," Steve said. "Were you able to talk to the victim?"
"A little," Danny said. "She was pretty groggy. Doctors expect a full recovery, so that's the good news. She did report one unusual thing that we think might be significant. She said that she signed up for a helicopter tour, and on the paperwork, she was required to put down her blood type - in case of a medical emergency. She thought it was odd, because she's done tours in other places, like the Grand Canyon, that didn't ask for the information."
Steve frowned. It wasn't standard protocol, as far as he knew.
"And, when she said that she wasn't sure of her blood type," Kono continued, "they offered to check it for her, on the spot."
"Wait, that can happen?" Chin asked.
"Yeah, it's a simple finger stick, almost instant results with a test strip," Charlie said, nodding. "Like a blood sugar reading."
"But I've never heard of helicopter tours doing that," Chin said.
"No, there really would be no need," Charlie said. "In the event of a medical emergency, the hospital is going to check anyway, even if it's written down. An error could be potentially fatal; they aren't going to count on a piece of paper."
"But a blood type would be a starting point to match a kidney, I'm guessing," Steve said.
"It would," Charlie nodded. "It's the primary criteria."
"Now," Kono said, her fingers flying over the smart table. "I'm assuming that when I search for this helicopter tour, nothing is going to show up, but at least it's a start."
"What did you get, Riley?" Danny asked.
"I've been lurking around on forums for the exchange of information on where to sell your blood and plasma," Riley explained, her fingers also moving over the table. "Not legit places, which usually set up near college campuses, but places where you can get more money. And someone dropped a hint that if I really needed serious cash, they might have another idea for me."
"Good start," Steve said. "So what did they suggest?"
"A meeting," Riley said. "At an internet cafe. I guess they figure anyone computer savvy enough to navigate the dark web would feel at home there."
"I had Riley agree to a meeting," Charlie said. "I got the vibe that if she didn't, this person would disappear. It's set for tomorrow morning."
"No way is Riley going to meet up with some potential organ broker," Steve said immediately. "Her job was intel only."
"I can go," Kono suggested quickly. "They'd be expecting a young female, I'm guessing?"
"Yeah," Riley said. "Beyond that, no description."
"That would work, then," Steve agreed. "But you go in wired, and we'll be in a surveillance van outside."
"I'll need to be able to feed Kono information," Riley said. "This guy is expecting a hacker. If he's suspicious, that's what he's going to ask about."
"I'm good with that," Steve said, nodding. "Charlie, we need a way for Kono to get a picture of this guy, so we can take it back to this most recent victim. If we're on to something, maybe she will recognize a face."
"I have just the idea," Charlie said, grinning broadly. "Riley, want to give me a hand with tech?"
Danny watched them as they headed for the elevator, talking animatedly as the doors closed behind them. He smiled softly.
"No way," Steve groused. "So help me, Danny, if the next words out of your mouth are any variation of 'cute' or 'together', I'm gonna make you swallow your stupid tie."
Danny grinned unrepentantly and rubbed his hands together. "Not a word, then. Okay, let's set this up."
#*#*#*#*#