AN: Guys, here we go! I'm so excited to share these next few chapters with you all! You've been so patient as I've taken my sweet time building to... this. I broke up the epic finale into a few chapters, so this is part one! Thank you all so much for reading. I sincerely hope you enjoy this chapter!
Warning: violence
As it turned out, their plan was relatively simple in execution - though it did require a great deal of luck. And determination. And a rather unhealthy dose of insanity. Good thing Five-0 possessed those things in spades.
Danny always joked that their success was partially good police work on his, Kono's, and Chin's part and partially due to the lucky horseshoe Steve apparently had shoved up his butt. Given all the evidence of the past half-year or so, no one dared dispute the claim. Steve's old man had the same uncanny fortune, Chin knew.
Hopefully, that inherited lucky horseshoe had enough magic for one more miracle.
They skimmed nearly silently over the Pacific under the cover of night, Kono at the wheel of the 'borrowed' untraceable HPD craft while he navigated using the satellite link provided by Catherine. They'd managed to find the cargo ship - the Anax Minos - anchored in enforceable US waters with international waters a mere two klicks away. If they saw danger coming, they could be safe in international waters before anyone could blink.
Anchored nearby was the elegant yacht that Sang Min provided intel on - the Clark Kent. According to the feed, it was a popular place. A helicopter and few smaller boats ferried illustrious guests to its deck, all filthy rich scumbags looking to profit off of the gifts of others.
Chin was really looking forward to giving them a taste of their own medicine and locking them in a cage for the rest of their days.
Despite the seemingly insurmountable odds, they had a few things going for them. Outside of Kingsley's various crafts, no other boats were allowed in the area. It made it far easier to navigate with less eyes focused on the sea. Between the satellite uplink and his own senses, they easily avoided unwanted attention.
Their other distinct advantage rested entirely in one Kono Kalakaua. Sometimes he forgot just how powerful his cousin truly was. And with this operation taking place entirely on her home turf, her presence quickly leveled the playing field.
Behind him, Dr. Sterling looked on in awe as Kono effortlessly manipulated the waves to her will. Clearly, he appreciated her immense power - as any onlooker would. After all, who wouldn't be impressed by a single person propelling their boat across the water with a mere thought while simultaneously creating a fog cover for their vessel?
And judging from the gleam in her eye, she was just getting warmed up.
Easy, cuz, he sent a wry warning across their mental link, don't overdo it too soon.
He didn't know how someone could mentally roll their eyes, but she managed it.
The three of them set out just after the sun had set fully beneath the horizon. Chin carefully got rid of any trackers on the HPD boat that one of his remaining friends in the department 'accidently' dropped the keys by his feet earlier that day. Based on the tracking signal Fong isolated, the trackers lit up once they closed in on the coordinates provided by Catherine. It was sickening to see just how many there were.
Originally, Kono wanted to propel the boat the entire way, but he quickly shut that down. This was bound to be a difficult situation and he didn't want their primary weapon exhausted before the fight even started.
However, as soon as they reached a certain distance from the unmoving mass, Chin allowed her to cut the engine and move forward silently. Focused but entirely at ease, Kono edged them towards their target.
Though he'd seen a few cargo ships in his time, the sheer size of one never failed to floor the veteran detective. Though their commandeered vessel was nothing to sneeze at, it was utterly dwarfed by the massive ship before them. Finding two people on this hulking thing made finding a needle in a haystack seem like child's play.
Well, almost. His grandfather always used to tell him that the secret to finding a needle in a haystack was to bring a magnet. Or, in this case, bring an elite.
As soon as they floated alongside the ship far from prying eyes, Chin set down his tablet and breathed deeply to center himself. With Kono and Sterling keeping watch, he closed his eyes and sank into his Elite Detector Mode.
Instantly, a cacophony of signatures invaded his senses, forcing him to take precious seconds to muffle them before they made his head explode. Sarah hadn't been kidding when she talked about just how many kids Kingsley captured and used for his nefarious deeds. It was absolutely sickening.
Focus, Chin Ho.
He managed to obtain quite a bit of data fairly quickly. Most of the signatures were dulled, meaning they weren't actively using their powers at that precise moment but they had used them recently and/or frequently. Furthermore, the signatures were clumped into small groups all around the ship and they were relatively fixed. Kingsley was keeping them locked up.
With that out of the way, he focused on anomalies - because Danny and Steve caused trouble wherever they went. One cluster of elites shone more brightly than all the others - signaling power usage - but Chin filed that away for later. Danny's unique, unmistakable signature wasn't among them.
In fact, it wasn't anywhere.
Frowning, he broadened his scan, searching for that particular silver and gold bonfire that revealed Danny's location. It wasn't until he focused on the tower that he spotted it.
There. Silver and gold - a signature distinctly Danny's. It fluctuated oddly, fading and surging in an extremely worrisome manner. It was unmoving with no other signatures around it, though a few equally exotic beacons were sprinkled within the same tower as Danny.
"Got one," he breathed, easing his way back to full awareness. "It's Danny and his signature doesn't look great. Pretty sure I know where Steve is too, but I'm not completely certain. Looks like everyone's locked up during the big party."
Though amazement flickered across Sterling's face, he nodded soberly at the info Chin gave. Kono, on the other hand, merely clenched her fists with a fierce look in her eyes.
Biting back futile reminders of their course of action - they'd been over the plan, the backup plan, and the backups to the backup a million times - Chin breathed deeply and met their gazes steadily. All of the things they didn't have time to say weighed the air down past the point of breathability - a brief moment of calm before the storm.
They needed a spur to spring them into action, so Chin decisively provided the perfect sendoff.
"Let's give 'em hell."
With that, Kono grinned feraly and summoned a twisting tendril of water that silently swept them up onto the enemy deck.
Showtime.
~H50~
As it turned out, their plan to escape was relatively simple. Painfully so, in fact. After all, they'd stuffed a bunch of elites - one of which was a freaking Navy SEAL - in a mere shipping container under minimal guard. Granted, the consequences of escaping were severe and these kids were justly terrified. They'd been shocked and beaten for far less than what they were about to attempt.
And perhaps this was going to be the linchpin in Kingsley's downfall. He and his goons had become complacent, lazy due to a lack of uprising on the part of their captives. These were children, low level elites that were practically useless for anything but his sick version of fight club.
They weren't a threat - not like the others he kept locked in the tower. Besides, if one managed to escape, they'd be caught swiftly. Every captive had a taser chip in their neck that also had a tracker, and the boat was in the middle of the ocean. There was nowhere to go.
Not unless you had a helicopter license or knew how to operate a boat of this size…
… which Steve McGarrett did.
In fact, the hardest part of the plan was convincing everyone else in the crate to go along with it. Not that they didn't want to escape, but they were far too wary of Steve to do anything he suggested - and Steve didn't blame them one bit.
After all, every adult they'd interacted with on board this boat had tortured and humilated them with anything ranging from apathy to sadistic glee. Though they recognized that Steve was different from the others, they remained untrusting of him.
Fortunately for Steve - who grew increasingly desperate to find Danny with every passing second - the kids trusted each other completely, especially his new partner Jason. The 23 year old touch telepath from Georgia put on a silent show in the art of negotiation with all of the kids gripping his wrist. It was almost unnerving to watch the silent conversation, heads turning back and forth across the circle with mouths stubbornly shut.
Eventually, Jason nodded and signaled Steve over to join the seated circle. He slowly rested his hand on Jason's shoulder - still conscious of the kids' distrust - and immediately felt the rush of six other presences in his mind. Though they weren't invading his mind, it took a great deal of effort to resist the inbred instinct to raise his shields in self-preservation.
That, he knew, would put them right back at square one.
We're in, came Jason's steady reply. If anyone can get us out of here, it's you and your friend.
Sighing, Steve nodded into the darkness. I'd rather die than fail, he replied, refusing to shirk his words. These kids had seen and been through enough to not need this sugarcoated. I'm gonna do everything in my power to get you all home.
The foul stench of mistrust cleared somewhat, though it still lingered. I believe introductions are in order, Jason took the lead once more. Everyone, this is Commander Steve McGarrett from Hawaii. He's a police officer and a Body enhanced elite.
One by one, the young elites cautiously introduced themselves, names and abilities conveyed through voices echoing in his mind. All were mixed and - although they had some unique abilities - their power ceiling was relatively low, much like his own. Robert, the gangly preteen, had limited telekinetic abilities. The other three teenagers all had varying degrees of Body dominant makeups, making them profound fighters but unable to do much more in Kingsley's eyes.
The most powerful among them was little Anna, a six-year-old metal bender. Her youth made her unable to do much for Kingsley to consider her a threat. That proved to be their ticket out of that shipping container, which was conveniently made of metal.
Still, the hardened SEAL found himself forcing back a wave of sadness as he listened to these brave kids' brief introductions. They were from all over North America, their childhoods stolen by greedy people sworn to protect them. By whatever means necessary, Kingsley had obtained them all.
Swallowing hard, he met the gazes of his new allies - heart aching to protect them. But he couldn't do this alone - he couldn't save everyone by himself.
So? Jason asked, gently pulling Anna onto his lap. What's the plan, Steve?
Like he said, it was painfully simple.
Still cradled in Jason's arms, little Anna raised her tiny hands and ripped a hole in the metal crate. With a screech akin to crumpling tin, the sheet metal gave way and Steve sprang out with fists raised against any potential threats.
None. The one advantage of being trapped on a massive cargo ship in the middle of the ocean was that all kinds of creaks and strange noises were the norm. However, Steve didn't relax, motioning the rest of the kids out.
They immediately fell into an adapted diamond formation, grouping the non-Body enhanced elites in the center for optimal protection. Steve took point given his impressive invulnerability and experience. Kayla - a 16 year-old speedster - guarded the rear while Luke and James - 13 and 15 year olds with extra strength and some enhanced senses - flanked the sides.
Slinking forward on Steve's signal, it wasn't long before they encountered a pair of guards. James' enhanced hearing gave them plenty of warning, allowing them to set up the perfect ambush. When the two guards woke up later with massive headaches, all they'd remember was a massive fist coming towards their face and something too fast to see sweeping them off their feet.
And thanks to Robert's telekinetic powers, they didn't make a sound when they fell.
Immediately kneeling, Jason's free hand rested on the nearest guard's forehead as the telepath easily broke through the unconscious man's shoddy mental defenses. Meanwhile, Steve searched both bodies and took whatever he found before cuffing them with their own restraints. Robert and Luke then quickly shoved the unconscious men in the thin crack between two crates.
"Found the control room," Jason hissed, his real voice in the night sounding strange to Steve's ears. "The main computer is in there."
Now armed with two guns, Steve passed the two tasers to Jason and Robert before motioning the group forward.
Silent and sure, they creeped toward the massive tower that rose above the many colorful crates gleaming in the pale moonlight. Danny was up there somewhere, Steve knew, and the knowledge of that only quickened his already racing heart.
Yes, they had to get the control room to shut down the network of taser chips, send an SOS signal, and gather evidence. That had to be his first priority.
But then he was going to find Danny and get him out of whatever cell Kingsley locked him in. He'd carry him if necessary.
In the distance, he could make out the glittering lights of Kingsley's yacht through a growing cloud of fog. Which reminded him of a very important third priority: ripping Kingsley apart with his bare hands.
With the image of his best friend collapsing on the ground blood pouring from his back, rage simmered into full-fledged bloodlust. Screw the justice system. Evil men like Kingsley were precisely the reason SEALS existed.
Then, James grabbed his elbow, halting the group's movement. "Someone's coming," he murmured, voice barely audible over the faint breeze.
A raised eyebrow was answered by a briefly furrowed brow, then three fingers flashing upward before disappearing once more.
They moved as one, sinking into the shadows of the shipping containers with bated breath. Drawing his gun, Steve edged out to shield the rest, determined that no one would hurt these kids again
He wouldn't allow it.
~H50~
"Someone's coming."
Since arriving on board the ship, Chin had kept part of his attention entirely focused on his tracking abilities. He'd earn a killer headache for it later, he knew, but that hardly mattered in the moment. He'd worry about it later when they had Steve, Danny, and all these kids safe and sound and Kingsley behind bars.
Sterling and Kono both stopped at his low warning. They'd been making their way to the central tower where Danny's signature resided. With any luck, they'd find at least one of their teammates and be able to move on to phase two of their plan. So far, they'd encountered no one.
Unfortunately, good luck was a fickle mistress, laughing merrily as it skirted beyond their reach.
With nowhere to hide, Chin took a split second to consider their options. The movement had stopped just around the bend, though he didn't dive deep enough into his extra sense to tell how many there were or if they were elites. He didn't want to risk a headache this early in the raid.
The smart thing to do would be to fall back, but he was so, so tired of being the reasonable one. This case had hit him hard, targeted his team right where it hurt most. Despite his zen exterior, he was more than ready to let off a little steam.
Forward, he signaled.
Judging from Kono's malicious grin, she agreed with the decision completely.
Already summoning two spheres of water to encase her fists, his cousin led the way towards the unknown party with himself closely on her heels. Wisely, Dr. Sterling remained behind the elites with his hand resting on the butt of his pistol.
Showtime.
His senses warned him before he even rounded the corner, but he still wasn't quick enough to dodge the too-fast-to-see body slam. Still, he rolled and swept his leg to swiftly bring down the attacker. They leapt up and pounced once more, forcing him to regain his feet to dodge the charge.
To his left, he saw a tendril of water yank a tall figure high into the air to slam them down on the deck while two more orange flares ignited in the night. The signatures rushed toward his cousin while the elite who attacked him sped off once more - -
Wait… elite?
"Stop!" he hissed as loudly as he dared. No one obeyed.
But then, the figure in Kono's watery grasp seemed to get the memo.
"Kono?" came the familiar, long-sought voice. "Chin?"
The utter relief in his voice was missed by no one, halting the remainder of unknown assailants in their tracks. Still suspicious, the shadows slowly lowered their fists even as Kono gently plopped their boss on the deck…
… and immediately engulfed him in an enthusiastic embrace.
Breath whooshing from his lungs, Chin felt his shoulders relax for the first time since this whole nightmare began at the sight of Steve McGarrett - alive, unharmed, and causing chaos for the enemy. It was so right, so perfectly in line with all he'd experienced over the months of working with this man.
Clearing his throat to interrupt Kono's furious tirade for Steve 'getting himself kidnapped,' he offered a genuine grin in the SEAL's direction. "I see you decided against waiting for a rescue."
Steve smirked - of course he did - and stepped forward to give a backslapping embrace to the older man. "Patience is overrated. Though, I can honestly say that you guys are a sight for sore eyes."
"Likewise, bruddah."
Breaking free, Steve motioned everyone back into the shadow of the shipping containers. "Guys, these are my friends from Hawaii, Chin and Kono. They're police officers and elites too, and they're here to help."
"What about him?" a little girl asked with far too much suspicion for such a young voice, pointing just behind Chin's shoulder.
Eyes widening, surprise quickly followed by relief flitted across Steve's face. "Dr. Sterling? What the hell are you doing here?"
The doctor's eyes glittered in the darkness. "I'm not entirely sure. See, Chin here said we were going deep-sea fishing, but I'm beginning to think he lied to me."
Kono snorted at the comment and Chin rolled his eyes, but Sterling was already kneeling to address the young elites. "Hi, guys. My name is Dr. Sterling. Chin and Kono asked me to come just in case anyone was hurt. That guy," he pointed at Steve, "tends to fall down a lot and break stuff, so I figured I'd save myself time and fix his boo-boos now instead of later."
The young man holding the little girl snorted, which gave permission to three of the older elites to chuckle as well.
Steve stepped in to end the jokes at his expense with a terse, "We don't have much time. This is Jason, Kayla, Luke, James, Robert, and Anna. We were heading for the control room to try to shut down the taser chips Kingsley stuck in all the kids he kidnapped, but I'm really hoping you have a better plan."
"Gee, boss, what d'you think you pay us for?" Kono shot back. "We're not just shutting down the chips, but we're downloading and deleting his entire network."
"But that's gonna take time," Chin cautioned, "and it'll probably alert him. We need to be ready for an all-out assault, which is why we hoped we'd find you and Danny before we started the process. We're gonna need more hands on deck."
At the mention of his partner's name, Steve's expression twisted into something akin to murderous rage. "Danny's in bad shape. Kingsley bled him dry, and they've been shocking him with one of those chips. There's this doctor… she's been pumping him full of stimulants to keep him going."
Sterling swore extensively at that, clearly angry enough that he forgot to censor for the kids in their midst. None of them seemed particularly phased, not even the six year old. Somehow, that just made him more furious than he was before - a feat he didn't know was possible.
With the odds of discovery only increasing, Chin quickly took over. "Alright, so we split up. Three objectives: control room, free others, and find Danny. Kono, you lead a group to start breaking out the other kids quietly."
"Take Kayla, Anna, and James with you," Steve added.
"Wait, I should go too," said the oldest of the young elites. "They trust me, and I'll be able to communicate on this stealth mission since I'm a touch telepath."
"Fine. Jason, you'll go instead of Kayla. Can you tell Chin where the control room is?"
"I'll do you one better," he interrupted, stepping forward and offering his hand to Jason.
As soon as their hands made contact, Chin was instantly pulled into the well-constructed fortress of the telepath's mind. Jason's presence lightly poked against his own defenses, lighting up when the elite read the surface level info Chin provided.
You're like me?
Sort of, Chin replied warmly, extending a tether to the young man. We'll be able to communicate with this link without needing to touch. Just don't overwhelm me, alright? This stuff will wear me down fast.
Got it.
An image of the layout of the tower flashed in his mind's eye before he emerged back into the real world. Nodding in Steve's direction, he flashed a thumbs up.
"Kayla, do you and Luke want to go with Chin?" At Kayla's resolute nod, Steve flashed a quick smile. "You guys watch his back while he hacks Kingsley's network to kingdom come, alright?"
"Count on it," came Luke's fierce reply.
"The control room is en route to where Danny is, so I'll take you part of the way." There was no question on what Steve's priority was now that the other tasks were delegated to his team. In fact, when Chin passed the man a literal arsenal of Kamekona's untraceable weapons, the man actually grinned.
Lord help whoever stood in the pissed-off Navy SEAL's way.
"Sterling, you and Rob are with me." Steve winked at the gangly teenager. "You ready for some light breaking and entering, kid?"
Shoving his glasses up his nose, Robert flashed a thumbs-up. Meanwhile, Sterling groaned in mock annoyance. "I'm getting too old for this crap," he muttered.
"You volunteered, Doc," Kono shot back cheerfully.
"And I regret it. Immensely."
Ignoring the squabbling adults, Steve quickly outlined a rendezvous point and several defense positions. With Jason and Chin now linked, communication was now less of a problem. But stealth remained critical, especially in these initial stages. Once Chin initiated Toast's sequence, Kingsley would know something was amiss and attack. Now, they'd have to take the bridge to ensure they had full control of the vessel before they attempted to gain access to their system.
Still, things were looking up. Judging from the gleam in these young elites' eyes, they had a score to settle with Kingsley. Between their rage, Steve's experience, and Kono's home field advantage, Kingsley was in for a very nasty surprise.
And as for Chin - well, he'd always dreamed of becoming a pirate. Time to commandeer a vessel.
Gentlemen, he thought gleefully, indulging himself just this once, hoist the colors.
~H50~
No matter how hard he tried, the voice just wouldn't shut up.
Take it, do it. C'mon, it'd be so easy.
Shaking in the darkness, he poured all of his meager energy into ignoring the increasingly persistent call. Meanwhile, his body ripped itself apart as chemical stimulants and electrical impulses systematically and ruthlessly dissected every nerve ending with a burning chainsaw.
Yeah, that metaphor was a tad dramatic, but it honestly made complete sense to his scattered, misfiring brain.
You can fix that, y'know.
Weariness wore away at his defenses, tearing holes in his already failing resolve. He'd lost count of how many people he'd been forced to heal over the past few days - not counting Steve's numerous incidents and the little girl who started it all. Without proper sleep or nutrients, his powers were literally eating away at his own life force.
Hell, he'd never been so exhausted in his entire life.
Hey, hey, listen, pal. That's an easy fix and you know it. You could have as much energy as you want if you only had the guts to take it.
Danny Williams was going to die, and he knew it.
Not if you get off your ass and do somethin' about it.
He involuntarily thrashed against the restraints, igniting the fire in his back once more. His foot still throbbed terribly from Kingsley's slow strokes with that scalpel as he drank in Danny's agony. It was labeled as punishment, but it was truly that sick man's pleasure.
Danny never wanted to kill anyone so badly as Brad Kingsley.
Well, what's stopping you, schmuck? You could end it all right here.
Take it.
It's not like they're innocent.
They deserve it.
You shouldn't have to die.
Cold hands, the touch of which had become uncomfortably familiar in recent days, clasped his forearm clinically. So lost in his private torment was he that he completely missed the door open and shut, as well as the harsh fluorescent light that now bathed the room.
The voices reached an all-time high volume, practically deafening him as those hands undid the restraint on his left wrist. He flinched as the buckle pinched his skin, but the other occupant didn't seem to care.
Do it, you coward! Now's your chance!
Stubbornly waging a futile, silent war, he moaned as the fingers pressed against his pulse point on his wrist. Glass clinked, metal rattled, papers rustled, voices in his head shouted. It was all too much, too much!
Hadn't he suffered enough?
I can't do this anymore! he screamed back at the voices.
When the rubber tourniquet tightened around his free bicep for the thousandth time in a few short days, two things happened simultaneously.
First, his free hand shot out and caught McCallister's thin wrist. Though he was weaker than normal, her small frame didn't possess the strength to shake free of his bruising grip.
Second, someone called his name from beyond the locked metal door - faint, but unmistakable.
He didn't care.
All he cared about was forcefully breaking McCallister's internal resistance and taking everything he could from her soon-to-be lifeless corpse. Though he couldn't heal himself with this particular energy, it dulled his pain, stalled the side effects, and banished the exhaustion for later.
The voices were right. It was so incredibly easy - natural even, like he was born to do it.
And, more importantly, it felt good.
Grinning wolfishly, he took and took until she had nothing left.
~H50~
According to Chin's extraordinary senses, Danny's cell was one floor down from the control room. Some quickly whispered directions, a walkie pressed into Steve's palm, and exchanged 'good luck' wishes were all they got when the teams separated.
Chin would lead his group to take the bridge, then hole up in the nearby control room to hack Kingsley's network. That left Steve free to focus on his partner, who Chin seemed extremely concerned about when they parted.
"His signature is weak… erratic," the Oriental detective had murmured. "Whatever they did to him, I - - I think it's killing him, Steve."
Not gonna happen, he growled internally as he led Dr. Sterling and Robert down the hall.
They dispatched several guards on the way, all but one taken down by Steve singlehandly. After the most-recent bone cracking punch delivered by the SEAL, Dr. Sterling rolled his eyes and sighed.
"I can recommend some good anger management classes if you'd like," he hissed, "or perhaps a therapist or two. You, sir, have issues."
"Old news, Doc. Danny's been telling me that for months."
"Yet here you are paying whack-a-mole with people's skulls. Clearly, the guy was wasting his breath on you."
Ignoring the wiley doctor, Steve carefully rounded a corner before signaling the others forward. "Danny's cell should be at the end of the hall."
They'd nearly reached the door when the walkie crackled quietly in Robert's hand. The teenager immediately passed it off to Steve, who thumbed the talk button. "Go, Chin."
"We took the bridge without a problem, but there's something wrong. Danny's signature just spiked - - I've never seen anything like this before. Are you with him yet?"
Worry choking his words, Steve wordlessly handed the walkie off to Sterling and sprinted the rest of the way to the right door. "Danny!" he risked calling quietly, lightly tapping on the door. "Buddy, answer me!"
Nothing.
"Robbie, can you get this door open quietly?" he hissed, not bothering to hide his franticness from the boy.
Approaching the door, the young elite closed his eyes for a moment before nodding. "I can move the deadbolt from closed to open, no problem."
And with a flick of his hand, he did exactly that.
Not hesitating for another moment, Steve flung open the door and barged inside with fists raised.
Only to find Danny lying partially strapped to a table, baring his teeth as his free hand dropped the corpse of Dr. McCallister to the ground with a thud.
~H50~
"Sir, I'm sorry to bother you, but there's something you need to hear.."
The guard grimaced as Kingsley's false smile harshened to something akin to contempt. With a slight bow, he addressed his wealthy guest. "I apologize. Something requires my attention."
"Of course," came the vaguely threatening polite reply. "An empire such as yours requires a great deal of maintenance, I'm sure. I will see you at the auction."
As soon as the wealthy guest disappeared back into the crowd, Kingsley spun on the bearer of ill-timed news. "This better be important," he growled, steering the man back into a secluded hallway. "I have more important matters to attend to than petty issues tonight."
Swallowing hard, the guard nodded. "I understand, sir, but I thought this was important enough to disturb you."
"Well? Out with it! Every second I spend here is time and money lost."
A deep breath, then, "We lost contact with the ship. All attempts to hail them have failed. The last message we got was from the skeleton crew guarding the crates. Apparently, one of the containers was ripped open from… from the inside."
Lip curling, the trafficker's furious gaze turned toward his distant ship shrouded in fog. "McGarrett."
"We don't know."
With a carefully deep breath, he returned his attention to the guard. "Send a fully armed team. Tell them to subdue and contain those brats by whatever means necessary. They're weak - they can't get far. Check in every fifteen minutes, and I want constant updates."
"Yes sir."
Straightening his coat, Kingsley led the way back to the party. "Should you lose contact, inform me immediately and I'll deal with it myself."
"Understood."
Cue dramatic music! I always loved the idea of this team commandeering a vessel, so I got to make my headcanon a reality. I hope you all enjoyed that chapter, and I can't wait to share the rest of this story with you!