Chapter 32
H50 task team met early. After congratulations and a few jokes about getting 'hitched', the team went to work. The complicated case they were facing provided the kind of enigma that motivates.
Jerry worked on tracing Timothy's every move. Local police spoke to Timothy's friend Berry who said that Tim winning the lottery was a great surprise since he didn't play, in fact, he made a point of being against participating in such a blatant scam. However, no one doubted that he did win due to the way he paid for things and helped others. His plastic surgery was also a big surprise but Berry said that they joked how it went wrong. Apparently Timothy wanted to look more masculine, but decided to settle with what he got.
The whole team laughed except for Danny.
"Thanks guys. That's great." Danny said.
"Anyway, his financial records show that he spent most of his money on donations. Sure, he had a luxury expense here and there like a helicopter ride, but he donate over 700,000 dollars to various organisations." Jerry said. "And then, two weeks ago, he stopped spending. Berry said he changed, that Tim became silent, worried, he went for walks a lot. When Tim said he's coming to Hawaii to 'get away', Berry thought that was a great idea even though he had no idea what was Tim escaping. In short, no one knows why Tim had the operation or why he was really here."
"Any news on the surgeon?" Steve asked.
"Nothing yet. Chances are we'll never know who did the surgery. Apparently, according to Berry, Tim went to New York for the surgery." Jerry shrugged.
"I've looked into other law enforcement groups." Chin began. "It does not seem like anyone else is facing strange events we are currently facing."
"Anything new on the scribble?" Kono asked.
"No, I haven't really looked at it much more." Jerry replied.
"And I take it there is nothing new on the mystery victim slash murderer?" Danny asked.
"Except that they, in the examiner's office are calling him Jason Bourn, no." Jerry said.
"We have reasons to assume that this case is connected to Steve's and Lou's case, but it is still just an assumption." Chin said.
"Assumptions are all we've got right now." Lou said. "And while we're at it, how does this situation look if we assume that this is an alert not a destruction?"
"It changes everything." Kono said. "If it's an alert, then each case must be a clue. If it's a destruction, each case might be the opposite of a clue."
"We have to operate under the assumption that it is one and the other." Steve said.
Lou's phone rang. 'Dad! They took her! Dad! Sofia! They took her!' was audible to everyone.
"Sam, darling, calm down." Lou said in a failed attempt to calm her down.
Steve tried to check Sofia's location, but her phones were no longer operational.
"Where is she?" Steve said pulling Lou's arm.
"Sam, we're on our way. Hang on darling. We are coming!" He said and checked his phone for Sam's exact location.
Jerry stayed behind to pull up the CCTV footage from the area. He was charged to keep Steve informed of what happened and particularly where they went. Steve was certain he'll catch them even though he'd need 15-20 minutes to reach Sam's current location.
Danny was no stranger to Steve's insane driving, but this was too much even for him. Jerry had information before they reached Sam, so Steve carried on driving while Lou stopped to console and question his daughter.
"They've gone into the car park." Jerry said to Steve.
"Jerry, run all the cameras in the park." Steve ordered.
It didn't take long to find the abandoned van that took Sofia even though the car park had five floors and numerous blind spots. Steve spotted Sofia's broken phones as soon as he peeped in through the window.
"Jerry, do you have anything for me?" Steve said.
"In the last twenty minutes 23 vehicles have left the car park. I can exclude at least six of them already…"
"Do you have vans, SUVs, anything like that?" Steve asked observing the space next to the abandoned van. Tire tracks, though faint, were clearly of a larger, heavier vehicle.
"I have a red van, identical to the one they took her in…"
"Where is it going?" Steve said impatiently.
Steve and Danny were already back in the car by the time Chin and Kono arrived with the HPD. It seemed like half the force was on the case. The idea of following every car that left the park in the last half an hour seemed perfectly plausible.
The van that Steve and Danny were following was at the port.
"Oh my God!" Jerry whispered.
"What is it Jerry?" Steve asked.
"The port is full. Oh no! There's a music festival in LA in two days…"
Jerry didn't need to say any more. Steve and Danny looked ahead at the port to find it swarming with all kinds of vans and people pulling big black boxes used for transportation of musical instruments and other similar equipment. Steve got out of the car as if he was looking at hell itself. Hundreds of people were carrying boxes that could be hiding his daughter.
Steve pulled a passer "What is that?" He said pointing at a black box the man was dragging along.
"A speaker, dude. What's wrong with you?" The passer answered before pulling back and getting on his way.
Steve remembered reading about this. It was one day in a year where anyone who had ambitions of becoming a musician, or being heard, or just getting to know other musicians, went to LA.
"I have a reg plate." Jerry said.
"Send it." Danny replied perfectly aware that the chances of finding that particular red van were slim to none.
"Danny, did I just make the biggest mistake of my life? Maybe they took her in some other car?" Steve said.
"Are you kidding? This is the place. HPD will check other cars that left the car park, but this is it. Buddy, you called it right." He said feeling Steve's desperation.
Steve thought if this is the right place, then he still has a chance, no matter how small, to find her. So he went through the crowd, looking at everyone, trying to spot someone nervous or twitchy.
Gradually the port became quitter, though there were still many people around, but this time, mostly police officers. It got dark and there was no sign of Sofia or the van that took her from the car park.
Danny had no idea what to say as he watched Steve observe the numerous boats heading into the horizon.
"Oh my God!" Steve grabbed his head with both his hands. Fresh evening air felt like flames as he tried to inhale.
"Steve! Steve!" Malina shouted looking for him. A police officer pointed in Steve's direction.
Steve turned to her unable to speak "I didn't catch them." He said as she caught up to him.
"McGarrett, get it together." She whispered. "Listen to me. She's gone and we have to find her." Malina took out a pen, pulled Steve's arm and wrote 29 digits, including 3 letters on it. "You know she keeps something in her bra…" Malina said.
Steve remembered the flip phone Sofia took out when they escaped the island.
"It has a tracking devise, an old fashioned GPS. It's not as good as this new stuff, but it is safer. That's the code you'll need. Jerry will know what to do."
He kissed her. As he held her tears slid down her cheeks.
"I'll get her back." He said.
She smiled "I know you will." She said nodding. "Now go and don't worry about me. I'll be fine."
As she watched them leave she mentally went through her own plan. She was certain that Steve will bring Sofia back, but for her, that wasn't good enough.