Chapter twelve

It was a clear Wednesday afternoon, the weather was great, typically a great Hawaiian sunny day. As usually Danny was complaining about it. Steve's arm was in a caste and his face still hurt from being hit by a rock, but he was lucky to be alive. He could have easily fallen off the cliff.

"Maybe if you take off your tie, you wont feel so hot" Steve offered.

Danny followed him into their building, "I am not giving up my tie. I am the only member of 5.0 who remotely looks like a cop".

"Well then stop complaining".

"I will complain if I want to. Its my way of venting since I can not change the situation I am in".

Steve held the door for him, "How are things with Rachel and step – Stan?"

His partner just shrugged, "As well as things can be expected, I guess. At least she doesn't hassle me about Grace and her safety anymore".

Steve was about to reply when his phone rang. It was an unfamiliar number, but he answered it anyway.

"Hello?"

"Is this Lt. Commander Steven McGarrett?" came the question. It was a woman, but it was an unfamiliar voice.

"Yes. Who is this?" he asked sounding gruff.

There was a slight hesitation before she answered, "I met you the night of Naomi's dinner. My name is Shayla".

Steve jerked hearing Naomi's name, "Hi Shayla. How can I help you?"

"Actually, I am trying to locate Naomi. I was wondering if she was with you? I know you guys broke up but I haven't heard from her since Saturday, so I thought she might be with you. She used to go to your place for extended stays when you guys were together" the woman babbled sounding very worried.

Steve could feel cold sweat beading his forehead, "No Shayla, she's not with me. Did you check with Kat?"

"I called the house but I only got the machine and I don't have Kat's number" she paused, "Steve she was supposed to hand in a paper yesterday and she didn't. I got an email from her address saying she was going to be with her father. But I know she would have at least submitted her work before going. And she wouldn't have emailed me."

Now Steve got really worried, although he didn't show it. He noticed Danny observing his face.

"What's wrong?" he mouthed.

Steve held up his hand, "Shayla stay where you are. I'm going to Naomi's place to check things out".

"Do you want me to come there?" she asked sounding hopeful.

"No you stay put. Are you at work or home?"

"Home".

"Okay stay there and I'll call when I find something. Don't worry, she probably did go home" even though Steve said it to Shayla, he had a feeling he was saying it for his own benefit more than hers.

He disconnected the call and turned to the others. Chin and Kono had joined them by now.

"What's up boss?" asked Kono.

"I think we have a problem" Steve walked checked his gun and started walking to the door from which he had entered, "Naomi's missing. That was her friend Shayla. She said the last she saw her was Saturday and then she got an email saying she was visiting her father".

He stopped and rubbed his eyes, "Kono can you please get me a contact number for Senator Morales?"

"On it boss" and she left.

Looking at Danny he said, "Let's check out her place".

"I'll check her cell phone activity. I'll see if I can get a GPS location. That's if she has it with her" Chin said as he followed Kono.

Steve broke all the speeding laws while driving to her place. He could see Danny hanging on, but he didn't complain and he appreciated that.

Right now he could not think of anything other than finding Naomi.

This could not be happening to her again. And if it was who was behind it? The last time it had happened it was random, it could have been any young girl. But this time, he had a very strange feeling. Could it have something to do with what had happened to Mary? Was Wo Fat involved somehow?

"So what do you think?" Danny asked as they raced down the freeway.

"I don't know" he breathed in, "Danny call her cell phone please?"

Immediately Danny pulled out his phone and called, he put the phone on speaker.

"Hi, you have reached Naomi Morales. I am not available to take your call at the moment, but if you leave a name and number I will call you back as soon as I can. Thank you" her voice rung out from the voicemail.

"Damnit. What could have happened?" he cursed as he realized he didn't have Kat's number either.

"Relax. Kono will get you the senator's number and then you can call him. She probably did go home. Maybe she was not coping well with the breakup" Danny tried to calm him down.

"I fucking should have never broken up with her. I should have moved her into my place instead" he dodged a car, "At least she would have been safe".

"You can't beat yourself up about it. And you have no idea how safe she would have been with you".

They reached her apartment building and Steve didn't bother to park the car properly before jumping out, followed by Danny.

They raced up the stairs, but Steve stopped when he noticed something on the floor. He bent and noticed it was her keys attached to a rubber thong key ring she had bought at the beach once.

"I think that's blood" Danny hunkered down next to him and pointed to a small dried up smear of what looked like a patch of rust, but to their trained eye was most definitely blood.

They got their weapons out, Danny opened the door with the key. They went in quietly, checking each room.

"All clear" said Danny.

"Where is Kat?" Steve wondered. Then he walked into Kat's room and stopped dead.

"What the fuck?" Danny followed him.

The room was completely empty, all the furniture was cleared out. "Danny get Kono and Chin to come and do a forensic check on everything in the house. Kat leaving, her room clean of everything is not something we should take lightly".

"What do you think? She's involved somehow?"

"She may or may not be. I want her checked out" his phone rang, "You got something for me Kono?"

"Boss I have the senator's cell phone number, but when I called all I got was his voice mail. I also called his office and he hasn't been in this week. His staff received an email saying he had an emergency meeting and would be out of the state, no other details. Chin checked the activity on his and Naomi's phone and there has been no calls made from either of them. The GPS from Naomi's cell was inconclusive but we checked all airlines, there was no record of her leaving".

"Okay so that means she may be still on the island".

"I want both of you here to check out the entire apartment. Dust for prints and anything you can find. Don't leave anything out" Steve said as he walked out of the house.

He disconnected the call and then tried Naomi's number again. Nothing.

-X-

Naomi cracked open her eyes, but all she saw was darkness. She felt herself stiffen as she realized her hands were tied together. A sense of déjà vu set in. This had happened before and this was only a nightmare.

She deliberately pinched her finger hard with her nails. This was definitely a nightmare, one she could not wake up from. Her head hurt, but she could not reach up there to assess the damage.

She heard a groan next to her and she stiffened. There was someone else in the room with her.

"Hello?" she couldn't see anyone it was so dark.

"Naomi?" came the familiar voice.

Her eyes filled with tears, "Papa?" she tried to move toward the voice but she then noticed she was tied to a wall. Just like the last time.

"Are you okay, sweetheart?" he asked her.

"Yes, papa. Are you hurt?" she asked because he sounded as if he was in pain.

"I don't think so. Although my head hurts".

"Mine too. I think I was hit on the head. The last thing I remember is a sharp pain in my head and then blackness" they should keep talking that way they wouldn't panic.

"You never called me. This is a nice way to catch up" her father laughed mirthlessly.

"I wanted to call you, but I wasn't sure how it would be. We left on such bad terms".

"I know, mija. But I knew exactly what you were doing. And I have to say I am so proud of you".

For a moment Naomi was startled when he called her 'mija'. It had been years since he had called her that. Then she realized what he had just said, "You had me followed?"

"I don't think now is the time to discuss that is it?"

"No now is not the time, but we need to get to that when we get out of here" she replied.

"That's if we ever get out" he sounded dejected.

"We will, papa. They obviously have us here for a reason".

Just then a door creaked open, flooding the room with bright light, blinding both Naomi and her father. The figure of a man walked into the room, but they could not see his face.

"Good morning Senator and Naomi. I hope you are enjoying your stay" the man's voice was familiar to her, and it brought out a cold sweat on her forehead.

"James" her father muttered.

"It has been a long time Senator" he said politely.

"What do you want? And why have you got my daughter involved in this?"

"Your daughter is a very important pawn in what I have planned" he turned to her, "How is Commander McGarrett these days?"

Naomi had no idea what was happening and was a little confused, "I wouldn't have a clue. We broke up a month ago".

"That is too bad. After the show you two put on, it must have been very painful for things not to have worked out" he mocked her.

She didn't answer him, but her father spoke, "James, what is this all about?"

"Oh, come on senator. How could you imagine, that I would be okay with you reneging on our deal?"

"I am a legitimate businessman, and the minute I found out about your unlawful activities, I could never have been associated with that".

"You see senator, I do not suffer fools lightly. I had a lot invested in the deal, both financially and …" he didn't finish but looked toward Naomi with an expression that she had not seen on his face before.

"Papa what is he talking about?" she asked, feeling a little nervous.

Instead of her father, James replied, "Oh so I see. Didn't your father tell you that you were part of the deal?" Before she could say anything he went on, "You see, as part of the takeover of part of my shipping company, your father would not only pay me a pretty sum of money to help keep me afloat, but he also agreed to an arranged marriage between us. To strengthen ties you see". His voice was conversational, as if he were talking about an interesting novel.

"Is this true?" she asked her father.

Again James answered, "Why do you think he would throw you at me every chance he got?"

"Naomi, don't listen to him, mija" her father tried to convince her, but the seeds of doubt had already been planted by James.

"So you couldn't get me by taking me out and dating me; you definitely could not get me after my father withdrew his offer; now you resort to kidnapping?" she knew she was talking too much and that could never be a good thing.

"Whatever gets the job done" James smiled.

"What's the use of being tied to a person who does not want to be tied to you?" Naomi asked incredulously.

She heard her father sigh, but it was James who answered, "You see, my sweet Naomi. I no longer want to marry you; after all you are, as they say 'damaged goods'".

Naomi could not believe what was happening to her. The thought that her father had planned to tie her to this man for the rest of her life, "Then what do you want from me?"

"You, my sweet, are going to be the proverbial gun to your father's head to go through with the deal" he said as he moved to the door.

"James, this is madness. I am a senator, if I am missing for longer than a couple of days, questions will be raised" her father tried to reason with this mad man.

"Don't worry, Morales. Everything has been taken care of" James adjusted his suit jacket, "If you both will excuse me, I have a date".

"Make sure you mention the ex – fiancé you have locked up in the basement" Naomi muttered under her breath. She had no idea he had heard her until she felt a sharp slap on the side of her face, cutting her lip.

James caught her head by the hair and pulled her face around to meet him making her flinch with pain, "Be careful, my sweet. We don't want to ruin the pretty face. I like to look at beauty". He let go of her head after he brushed a kiss across her bruised mouth, making her want to gag.

When he left them again, she felt tears run down her cheeks and was glad it was dark so her father could not see her.

"Are you alright, mija?" he asked her softly.

She swallowed her terrified tears; she had to be strong. "I am fine, papa".

"I cannot believe I was going to give you to him" he repeated her earlier thoughts.

"He will never get me. Even if I have to die first. I will never let him touch me again" she whispered to herself.

She hoped to God that things did not come down to that. Just the thought of him, touching her again made her skin crawl.

She did not want to go back to the dark place she had retreated to five years ago. It had taken so long for her to get out of it. It had taken Steve to get out of not only the hellhole she had been in physically, but also from the emotional hell she had been in mentally.

"He also broke your heart and behaved like every other man. He betrayed you, like your father betrayed you" a voice said in her head.

Who was she supposed to trust? She could not sit here and wait for someone to come and rescue her. The last time, she had been too naïve and scared to do anything. This time she was still scared, but she also knew she was emotionally stronger. At least she hoped she was.

She had to find a way to get out of here. She had too much to live for.