Detective Katsumoto had determined the search pattern, coordinating HPD's efforts with a boat and the efforts of Magnum's friends in the helicopter. Higgins, Rick, and T.C. had just got in the air when Katsumoto called for an update. Higgins answered the phone, somewhat reluctantly.
"HPD found a gun at the scene. It's Magnum's, and it's recently been fired," the detective wasted no time in giving her the details.
"He wouldn't fire it unless he had to," Higgins replied solemnly. "Assuming it was Thomas that fired it."
Rick and T.C. glanced back at Higgins, picking up on what the conversation was likely about.
"Right," Katsumoto agreed. "We also have identified the body at the marina, a local named Mason Kim, and long story short, we think we know who he was working with. We're looking for three other guys, all locals. The four of them have been known to be partners over the past couple years," the detective said. "I'll call as soon as I find anything else."
"I appreciate it. Thank you, Gordon," Higgins replied. "We just got in the air, so we'll stay in touch."
Higgins hung up the phone and explained the newfound information to the two men who were waiting for details. The roaring of the helicopter blades caused her to shout in order for Rick and T.C. to hear her.
"They found Magnum's gun. It's been fired," she said before she cleared her throat. "They also identified the dead man found at the marina as Mason Kim. Katsumoto believes he was working with three others, all locals." Juliet took a breath. "If he's right, that means Magnum could be with the three of them right now."
T.C. looked at his two passengers. Both of them tried to keep brave faces, but their concern was obvious, and T.C. felt the same way. "We'll find him," the pilot said, determined.
His passengers didn't respond, and instead they all kept their eyes on the water, hoping to see any signs of Magnum. After just a few minutes in the air, searching for Thomas, Higgins got another call from Katsumoto.
"You have more news already?" Higgins asked expectantly.
"The Coast Guard received information about a Mayday less than an hour ago. When they tried to contact the vessel, there was no response," Katsumoto said. "We're in route to the coordinates, but you should keep your search pattern just in case it's not related."
"I agree. Anything else?" Juliet asked.
"Not yet," the detective said.
Higgins thanked the detective and spoke to the two men as she hung up the phone. "There was Mayday less than an hour ago." She looked out to the water. "When Coast Guard tried to contact the boat, there was no response. We don't know if it's related to Magnum or not, but it's possible."
"Even if it is, there's still hope for our boy," T.C. encouraged.
"T.C.'s right," Rick said, speaking for the first time since they were in the air, although he sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than anything. "Not only is he a SEAL, but he's basically part fish. If he ended up in the water, he'll survive."
Half an hour passed with no signs of Magnum, and the trio remained in silence until Juliet received yet another call from Katsumoto.
"Gordon," Higgins said immediately after pressing the button on her phone. "What do you have?"
"We picked up a couple guys that were in the water near the Molokai Channel," he said quickly. "They're two of Mason Kim's partners."
"Only two of them?" Higgins questioned.
"Yeah, and we've managed to get them to talk," the detective continued. "They've informed us that their wounded passenger overpowered them and threw them overboard."
"Magnum," Juliet said, not even needing Katsumoto to confirm what she already knew.
"Their description of the man matches Magnum, yes," the detective said. "They said their other partner was at the helm, and the boat continued to drive away after they landed in the water. After some persuasion, they've also given us the description of the boat and the direction they were headed. They were on a stolen boat called the 'Fourth Wave.' It's a large, mainly white, fishing boat and the direction they were going leads to the coordinates of the Mayday the Coast Guard received."
"We'll go to the coordinates and see if anything is there. We can be there soon," Higgins said. "Let us know if they tell you anything else."
"Will do. I hope you find him," Katsumoto said somberly.
"Me too," Juliet almost whispered her reply.
Clearing her throat in order for Rick and T.C. to hear her, Juliet relayed the information. "HPD picked up two of Mason Kim's partners, who were treading water. They had an injured passenger that matches Magnum's description, and he threw them overboard."
"That's our boy," Rick said with a grin on his face.
"The two of them revealed that they were on a large, white fishing boat called the 'Fourth Wave' and they were headed in the same direction of the Mayday the Coast Guard received," Higgins continued.
"Give me the coordinates," T.C. said.
After 15 minutes, the Island Hoppers helicopter was approaching the coordinates and the passengers were getting anxious. While T.C. was busy piloting the aircraft, Juliet and Rick were both scanning the water, looking for any signs of human activity. Suddenly, Higgins spotted a white dot on the water.
"There!" she yelled, pointing to the small white speck on the backdrop of ocean blue.
T.C. guided the helicopter to hover over the boat before lowering the helo, making it easier to assess the scene. Once the white speck transformed into the shape of a boat that was stationary in the water, it was easy to see two people on the boat, both looking like they were lying on the deck, assumingly unconscious or otherwise not well. Upon closer inspection, the small pools of red near the people indicated both were injured, but the extent was unknown.
"Get us lower, T.C.," Rick requested. He unbuckled himself and removed his headset so he could lean out of the helicopter as T.C. got as close as he dared. As soon as Rick could identify one of the men on the boat, he gasped. "It's him. I'm going in."
Neither T.C. nor Higgins had a chance to say anything before Rick jumped feet-first into the ocean. The two remaining people in the helicopter watched as Rick swam to the boat and scrambled to get to Magnum.
Rick knew to expect Thomas to be injured, but he didn't expect anything like what he saw when he reached his friend. As he kneeled next to Magnum, he noted the bullet wound in his left thigh and multiple knife wounds on his arms and abdomen. The pool of blood seemed a lot bigger from the boat deck compared to seeing it from the air. Rick immediately took his shirt off and pressed it against Magnum's bullet wound since it was the most serious-looking wound.
"Tommy, you there buddy?" Rick asked hopefully. He pressed a couple fingers to Magnum's neck, and after a few heart-wrenching seconds, he thankfully found a weak pulse. "Alright, I know you're there somewhere. Come on Thomas, wake up."
Thomas didn't speak, let alone flinch at Rick pressing against his gunshot wound, and this worried the former sniper. As he continued to put all his weight against Thomas's leg, he glanced up and noticed the other man on the floor, with the handle of a knife sticking out from his abdomen. He wasn't going to be a problem.
"You made it this far TM, it should be easy to just open your eyes," Rick pleaded. Still with no response, Rick looked up at the helicopter that was hovering above them and signaled for T.C. to lower the litter.
Knowing exactly what Rick wanted, T.C. instructed Higgins how to attach and help lower the rescue basket. As it was descending, T.C. called Katsumoto as Higgins supervised the rescue attempt below.
"We found him," T.C. said immediately when the detective answered his phone. "It's not good. It looks like he got into it with the other guy on the boat. Higgins already texted you the coordinates to get the boat and the other guy, but we're taking Thomas to the hospital. He doesn't have a lot of time."
Detective Katsumoto didn't like what he was hearing. "I got them, get Magnum out of there. We're 10 minutes out."
"Copy," T.C. replied before hanging up. He turned around to see Higgins pressing Rick's shirt to Magnum's leg and Rick stumbling around in the cabin. "Damn," was all T.C. could say.
Higgins and Rick sat in the back seats and an unconscious Thomas Magnum was sprawled across the back. Higgins continued to press against Thomas's leg and Rick glanced up at the pilot.
"Let's go," Rick said.
What happened next was a complete blur to everyone. T.C. didn't even remember contacting the hospital, flying back to the island, or landing on the hospital's rooftop. Rick never took his eyes off his friend, whose life was hanging in the balance. Higgins continued to press the blood-soaked fabric to Magnum's leg, ignoring the plea from her muscles to stop.
The only thing that stuck in everyone's minds was the sight of seeing the emergency doctors rush Thomas away on a gurney, leaving the three of them on the rooftop, not knowing what was going to happen to Thomas.