"What the hell happened?" Danny panted as he ran up to Steve.

"Don't know," was Steve's clipped response. "Somebody grabbed both Alyssa and Mary. I don't know who and I don't know why and I don't even know who the target was," Steve ground out in frustration. He saw Kono approach. "I got the license plate, lets get a BOLO out there for the car. I want answers and I want them now."

Alyssa opened her eyes and immediately closed them against the searing pain in her head. Everything came back to her - Mary struggling with the two thugs, the gun and then being hit. She now understood her headache. She reached out to gingerly touch the spot that hurt the most. Her fingers came away sticky with blood, but she did not think she had a fracture. She risked opening her eyes again and realized that the pain was bearable.

Alyssa risked turning her head. She was in some type of large sedan. The radio was on as was the air conditioning, and she was fairly sure that the two goons in front could not hear her. Mary was sitting to her right starring at her with fear in her eyes. "Mary," Alyssa whispered. "Are you OK?"

The other woman nodded. "What's going on?"

"I don't know yet, "Alyssa hissed, "but until I do, let me do the talking. Follow my lead."

It was clear that Mary wanted to argue. "Why?" The tone was combative.

"Because," Alyssa hissed. "I'm a cop. I think I am probably the best chance we have to get out of this alive." Mary opened her mouth to argue, closed it again, and nodded.

"Kono, what do you have?" barked Steve the moment the team was assembled at Five-O headquarters.

"The car is a rental. It was picked up last night by this guy," Kono put an image of a driver's license on the main screen. "Joe Parelli. He's from New Jersey. I went through NJPD records and he is most often associated with one John Ambrosio." Kono put up another license photo of the other man that Steve saw. "These two seem to be small time crooks - B and E, Car Theft, and Assault. They both did a couple of short stints in various jails, but nothing like kidnapping."

Steve's phone rang. He looked at it and realized it was actually a request for a Skype. He accepted the call and saw an image of Alyssa, her face badly bruised and covered with dried blood. A few buttons, and her image was on the main screen.

"Hi Steve," the image said. "Its me, Aly," that was obvious, but she was trying to tell them something, so Steve and the team listened intently. "Your cousin, Mary, is here with me too."

"Good girl," Steve thought. She is protecting Mary, by distancing her from him.

"We are OK, for now." Steve's jaw twitched at the caveat. Looking at Alyssa, he would not say, that she was OK. "The," Alyssa paused looking for the right words, "the people who have us, want something..." she was roughly pushed out of the way and the image of Joe Parelli appeared on the screen as he grabbed the phone from Alyssa.

"Steve McGarrett?" Mcgarrett nodded curtly. "We are looking for a very simple transaction. We have something you want. You have something we want."

"I'm listening," Steve growled.

"You know who Leonard Cassano was? He was my client's attorney. He took something valuable from my client. My client wants it back and we believe that you know where it is. You have two hours. I will call back and tell you where to meet for the exchange. If you do not have it by then...," Parelli smiled nastily, "...but I am sure you will have it." The screen went blank as the connection was cut.

Steve was staring at the screen, his jaw working. Danny was staring at Steve. The two of them knew exactly what Parelli wanted in exchange for Alyssa and Mary.

"Oh God," Steve grated. "The safety deposit box. Leonard's safety deposit box."

The phone was switched off and the young women were locked in the back office of what seemed to be some type of warehouse.

"Now what?" asked Mary.

"For now, we wait and try to figure out how to get out of here."

"What is going on? Won't Steve come for us?"

"He sure as hell going to try," Alyssa was adamant. "But we need to do what we can. Are you with me?"

Mary nodded. "About before...I am...,"

Alyssa cut her off. "Save it for later."

The door to the room opened and the one named Ambrosio came in. He approached Mary and stroked her hair even as she tried to pull away from him.

"Okay little girl," the thug purred ,"While we wait for your cousin, you and I can have some fun."

"Seriously," Alyssa taunted him. "This is what your boss hired you to do? Your sense of 'fun' leaves something to be desired."

Ambrosio looked at her and snarled. He seemed to forget about Mary as he walked toward Alyssa, He reached out and grabbed her by the back of the hair. "I don't like girls with smart mouths," he said. Alyssa tried to block the blow that she knew was coming. This is what she had been trained to do through all her years in Karate, but her reactions were slowed by what she was beginning to believe was a concussion and Ambrosio landed a back handed blow across Alyssa's face. The force knocked her down and while Alyssa was trying to lift herself up, he kicked her. He continued kicking her until Parelli came in and yelled at him to stop.

"Are you crazy? We need them alive, at least for now. You can entertain yourself after we get the box."

The thug grunted, kicked Alyssa one more time and left the room, locking the door behind him.

Mary ran over to help Alyssa up. Alyssa grunted in pain as she cradled what she was pretty sure were broken ribs as Mary helped her sit against the wall trying to catch her breath.

"Why did you do that?" Mary asked.

"That guy. He's a textbook bully. He went for the easier victim." Mary did not argue this point. " I needed to challenge him so he would need to prove himself to me and that would mean he would focus on me and leave you alone. Unfortunately, people like him tend to prove things with their fists." Mary was looking at Alyssa intently. Alyssa tried her best reassuring smile, "I did it because its what I get paid to do." Alyssa tried shifting over and sucked in her breath in pain. "Remind me to ask the governor for a raise next time I see him," she said ruefully.

"Thank you," Mary said.

"It really is my job," Alyssa responded. For some reason being thanked by Mary made her very uncomfortable.

Something Parelli said was bothering her, "We need them alive, at least for now." That sounded ominous and then she gasped less with pain, but more with realization.

"Oh no. We saw their faces, Mary - they were not hiding their faces from us. They don't mean to let us go. Ever."

Steve was pacing around the office. "I handed that damned safety deposit box over to the New York District Attorney's Office, yesterday. I had promised Leonard that I would hold on to it until after both he and Aunt Deb passed. Yesterday I 'found it' going through their belongings and sent it to the DA. They should have it by now which means an indictment is coming at any moment. As soon as the papers are served, Parelli and Ambrosio are going to know that I don't have it any longer and that Alyssa and Mary are useless to them."

"Steve," Danny spoke up softly. "I hate to say this, but its actually worse then that."

Steve looked at his partner, not sure that it could be worse. "Didn't you notice? Parelli and Ambrosio were not wearing masks. Alyssa and Mary saw their faces." Danny's voice became quieter still as the full import of his words became clear to Steve."

"Oh my God. They plan to kill them both, regardless." Steve looked bleak. Two of the people closest to him were in danger and he was at a loss as to what to do. But giving up, was not Steve's style. He took a deep (if slightly shuddering breath). "OK people. We have two hours. I need options."

Please read and review. I hope you are enjoying the story and I hope that Mary is, at least on her way, to redeeming herself.