Danielle Marceau looked up as the door of her lab opened and hurried to greet the man she'd been friends with since grade school. "Chin, too much time has passed since I last saw you. I am beginning to think you only call when you want something."
"I'm sorry, Danielle, time just gets away with me sometimes," Chin said.
"I am sorry I did not get to your wedding. How is life with your new bride?"
"Malia is everything a man could want. You will have to come for dinner when she gets back from New York," Chin answered.
"I would like that," Danielle said and looked at the other man. "You must be Steve McGarrett. Chin has told me many good things about you."
"Steve, this is Danielle Marceau."
"Nice to meet you, Steve said and shook her hand.
"That remains to be seen. I am working on a prototype and I am will to test it with you, but what guarantee do I have that I will get it back?"
"There's no guarantee, Danielle, but at least you'll know whether it is capable of sending a signal over the distance you wanted," Chin said.
"Can I ask why you are suddenly in need of such a device?"
"Let's just say a man's life depends on whether or not this works," chin told her.
"Yours?" she asked and stared at Steve. "You don't have to answer that, but you do realize that there's no guarantee that it will work...it hasn't really been tested."
"I understand, but at least there's a chance it will work," McGarrett said.
"It will work, it's the distance part I can't guarantee," Danielle told him.
"I'll take the chance, but will it show up if he checks for tracking devices?" the SEAL asked.
"It's designed to fool the devices...I won't go into details, but the normal machines they sue to detect these things are not strong enough to find the signal embedded in this one. It won't show up at all, plus it will look like a small imperfection in your skin and can be placed anywhere," Danielle answered.
"Can we see it?" Chin asked.
"Of course," Danielle said with a look of pride as she motioned for them to follow her into the lab. "The specifications for this device came from something I played around with in my first year at Yale. I've made a lot of modifications and I'm pretty sure this will work and it should also prove to be waterproof so if it gets wet it shouldn't malfunction."
Steve watched her unlock one of the drawers in her desk and remove a small black case. She inserted a small key and then initiated several numbers until the latch popped open and revealed a simple device inside. It wasn't surprised at how small it was, this type of device had come a long way since the days when his father had first shown him a similar one.
"How do you track it?" Chin asked.
"It sends a signal on a preprogrammed channel, one specifically attuned to my computer," Danielle explained. "Unfortunately it's only been tested in theory."
"Until now," McGarrett observed.
"Are you sure?" Danielle asked.
"If Chin believes in you then so do I."
"Chin's not the one who'll be testing it," Danielle told him.
"Right now I don't have any other options," McGarrett said.
"All right, as long as you're sure," Danielle said and used a strange looking object to remove the device. "Where do we place it?"
"Here." McGarrett answered and pointed to an area above his elbow.
"Okay, you'll feel a pinch because it goes below the skin."
"Like the microchips they use to identify lost animals?" chips asked.
"Exactly, except this one sends a constant signal," Danielle explained. "Are you ready, Steve?"
McGarrett nodded and waited until she placed it where he told her before checking the area and was surprised at how small the mark was. He wiped away the droplet of blood and felt it with his fingers, again surprised that he couldn't feel anything.
"It should be undetectable and it's specifically designed to withstand just about anything," Danielle explained and moved to her desk. She opened her laptop and carefully calibrated the signal so that she could track McGarrett's movements.
"Is it working?" Chin asked.
"Give me a second to make sure," Danielle advised and smiled when a small blip appeared on the screen. She hit several keys and showed them exactly how it worked and where they were in conjunction with the university's layout. "Okay, Steve, just walk around and step out into the hallway. Close the door and walk around and we'll see if this puppy is working as it should."
Steve did as she told him and stepped out of the lab and closed the door behind him. He turned left and walked to the end of the corridor before turning and walking back. He pushed open the door and stepped inside to find Chin and Danielle waiting for his return. "Did it work?"
"Like a charm," Danielle answered. "I just wish we had a way to test the distance, but Chin tells me we only have a few hours."
"Steve, we need to have a game plan in case this doesn't work," Chin said.
"Unless you can come up with a foolproof plan in the next few hours we're out of gas," McGarrett told him and glanced at his watch. It was after midnight and he felt like he'd been awake for days as he thought about his partner and the man who'd kidnapped him. "Chin, I'm going to go back to the office and get some sleep."
"You won't get much sleep there. Why don't you come back to my place? We'll grab a pizza and you can crash in the spare room" Chin offered.
"You don't..."
"I know I don't, but let's just do it and put this behind us for a couple of hours. Danielle, is there any way you can alert me if the signal shows he's moving out of the city?" Chin asked.
"Of course, I'll set it to send a signal to my phone and contact you as soon as that happens," Danielle explained.
"Thanks," Chin said and turned to McGarrett. "Let's go grab that pizza and go home."
Steve nodded, thanked the woman and followed Chin out of the lab. If this worked, maybe they'd have Wo Fat once and for all.
5050505050
Williams was aware of a buzzing nearby and fought to open his eyes, but was afraid his head would explode if he even attempted such and under taking. He felt something crawling on his bare leg, but couldn't find the strength needed to brush it away as the buzzing seemed to grow louder.
Danny silently cursed the irritating sound that had summoned him from his dreams and taken him away from Grace. He forced heavy lids to open and recognized the small cell he'd been imprisoned in since being taken by Wo Fat. He still had no memory of how the man had abducted him, but that was of little consequence from where he now sat.
Williams remembered talking to Steve and warning him not to make the trade, then something had connected with the right side of his head and he knew nothing until he woke up back here. He knew McGarrett and the rest of Five-0 would take care of Grace an keep her safe, but that was his job and he wished he could be there.
Danny shifted his legs, wincing as stiff muscles awakened and sent needles and pins through his lower extremities. He knew he needed to find a way out of this mess before Steve went through with the trade, and there was no doubt in his mind he would do just that. McGarrett would never be able to live with himself if he didn't do just that. The problem was, that went both ways, and he wasn't ready to be Steve McGarrett's price. Danny closed his eyes and listened to the sound of the night and remembered a time when life wasn't so damn complicated...a time before a certain SEAL had entered his life.
5050505050
McGarrett hadn't slept much, and glancing at the clock on the night table told him he might as well give it up as a lost cause. His mind kept conjuring up images of Wo Fat taking out his anger on Danny Williams. Steve slid his legs over the edge of the bed and rubbed at tired eyes. No matter what happened the bastard would pay for what he'd done.
Steve stood up and moved to the window, staring out at the predawn sky as he thought about his first meeting with Wo Fat. The man had been playing golf and Steve had asked him his name before telling him to go home. Thinking back, he realized even then the man seemed to harbor a deep hatred toward him. He just didn't know why, and right now he really didn't care because he was going to get Danny back, no matter what it took.
McGarrett had been through a lot in his life, but his training with the SEALs had made him stronger and shown him he could pretty well deal with anything. The problem was that sometimes that made him his own worst enemy. He could take a lot and his pain threshold was through the roof, yet being able to deal with it did not mean he was super human. He'd come to realize that dealing with pain was one thing, but the injuries themselves was another thing altogether. He bled just like everyone else and if he didn't get help he'd die just like everyone else.
Steve reached for the glass of water he'd placed on the night table and drank it before returning his attention to the brightening sky that heralded the start of another gorgeous day. He turned and looked at his phone when the familiar ring began and knew instinctively who was calling. He reached for it, ignoring the anger that made his hands shake and placed the phone to his ear. "McGarrett."
"Hello, Commander, have you given any thought to my proposal?"
"I want to talk to Danny," McGarrett told him.
"I'm afraid Detective Williams is unavailable at the moment. He is alive, but he is in transit to our scheduled meeting place. I should warn you, Commander that I will not be there to meet you, but I am sending four of my men to collect you. If you try anything Detective Williams will die before you see him."
"I set up the time and place."
"I don't think so, Commander. I have a prearranged meeting place and if you do not show then Detective Williams will die. It's as simple as that."
"Where and when?" McGarrett asked and noticed chin in the doorway.
"Kaunakakai, Molokai. I know there is no point in telling you to come alone, but there are rules, Commander."
"What rules?"
"There will be a small raft tied to the main pier. You and Chin will get into it and take it to the coordinates that are already preprogrammed. Once you reach your destination, Commander, you will get into the water and swim toward the boat anchored there. Detective Williams will be placed in the water at the same time you enter the ocean. He will be tied up, but wearing a life jacket. That should give Chin time to reach him while you are taken onto the boat. Any deviation on these plans and Detective Williams life is forfeit. Understood?"
"Understood," McGarrett answered and wasn't surprised when the line went dead.
"Steve..."
"We don't have a choice, Chin," McGarrett answered the unspoken question.
"I know, but once he has you what's to stop him from killing you?"
"Nothing, but if that's what he wanted he had plenty of time to do that. Something tells me Wo Fat has a game plan and I don't think it has anything to do with Shelburne," McGarrett offered.
"There has to be something, Steve."
"I know, and the only way to find out what it is is to go along with him. As long as he doesn't find the microchip then you'll be able to track me," McGarrett said.
"Danielle hasn't tested it fully, Steve..."
"Then we'd better hope she's as good as you said she is," McGarrett told him. "We need to get moving."
"Steve..."
"Don't, Chin, this is something I have to do. Not just for Danny, but for Grace and the baby," McGarrett explained. "I have to do it for me."
"Let me call Danielle and make sure she's got the signal. I'll let Kono know what's happening," Chin said.
"All right...I'll call ahead and have a chopper waiting," McGarrett told him.
5050505050
Danny awoke to the sensation of rocking and the sound of birds and water. His head pounded, but he forced his eyes open, surprised to find he was sitting on the deck of a boat. *'This is new,'* he thought and struggled with the ropes binding his arms behind his back.
"You won't be able to get free, Williams, so you might as well give it up now. If you make your wrists bleed then you'll attract sharks when you're thrown into the ocean," a man warned and smiled at the captive.
"Where are we?"
"A couple of miles off Molokai," the man said. "We're going to rendezvous with McGarrett and you'll get a little wet, but don't worry, Wo Fat keeps his word and he'll let you live."
"Steve won't be there," Williams snarled.
"You better hope he is because if he doesn't show at the appointed time then I'm going to take great pleasure in making several cuts to your chest before I throw you overboard. Have you ever seen a shark feeding frenzy? I have and it's not a pretty picture...blood and screams and bits and pieces of your flesh being torn from your body. I doubt you would enjoy the experience."
Danny knew Steve would be there, wherever there was, when they arrived at the rendezvous point. McGarrett was loyal to a fault and would do anything if his Ohana was involved. He closed his eyes as the motion of the boat lulled him toward exhausted sleep.
5050505050
Steve and Chin had found the raft exactly where Wo Fat had told him. There was a program already set in motion and it would take them two miles off the coast. Danielle had called to tell Chin she was picking up the signal from the microchip and would continue monitoring it until she heard differently from him.
Chin was at the controls, but there really wasn't much he could do. There was no changing McGarrett's mind and truth be told, he would probably do the same damn thing if the roles were reversed. Hell, the whole team would probably sacrifice themselves for one of their own.
"We're almost at the coordinates," McGarrett said softly.
"Steve..."
"Don't...just don't," McGarrett warned and spotted a boat, more like a sizable yacht in the distance. "That's them."
"It could be tourists," Chin suggested.
"You don't believe that any more than I do," the SEAL said and took a deep breath. "Chin, no matter what happens get Danny out of there."
"I'll get you both out of there," Chin vowed.
"Not until we get Wo Fat."
"I'm not making any promises, Steve. If there's a chance to get you both out of there I'm going to take it," Chin vowed and didn't miss the hint of a smile that flickered across the other man's face.
5050505050
Danny cursed the two men who held him at the side of the boat. They'd forced him into a life jacket before securing his arms behind his back and tying his legs together at the ankles. The sun beating down on him made it feel like his head was ready to explode, yet he knew the dark blip speeding toward the boat was Steve McGarrett.
"Are you ready for a swim, Detective?"
"Go to hell," Williams spat as the raft grew closer and he could make out two men inside.
"Oh, you'll feel like you're in hell in a few minutes. There may not be any sharks in the area yet, but I'm pretty sure they'll be attracted before long," the man said.
Danny didn't say anything as the raft continued toward them. He was forced toward the opening in the rail and sucked in a deep breath as two hands shoved him off the deck. He hit the water and went under, holding his breath until he surfaced a few seconds later. The waves tugged at him, pulling him away from the boat and he turned several times until he spotted the raft coming toward him.
"Bring McGarrett here or I'll kill Williams before you can pick him up!"
"Don't do it, Steve!" Williams tried, but his voice was weak as water splashed into his mouth. The raft continued toward him, until the sound of a gunshot was followed by a fiery burn on his side. Danny choked as water entered his mouth, but managed to get his breathing under control and saw blood in the water.
5050505050
"The next one is to his head, McGarrett!"
"Chin, get me over there and go for Danny!" McGarrett ordered and watched as Williams bobbed up and down in the water. It took less than a minute to reach the boat and Steve hauled himself onto the deck. He turned to see the anger in Chin's eyes and watched as he turned the raft and sped toward Williams.
"Hang on, Danny," McGarrett shouted.
"Welcome aboard, Commander, but I doubt you'll enjoy your stay with us," the man said.
Steve could not take his eyes off the scene as Chin made his way toward the dark shape in the water.
"Hey, Kyle, looks like you were right about the sharks! There's a couple off the port bow and headed straight for Williams!"
Steve's eyes grew wide as he watched Chin reach Williams, and knew there was no point in calling to him, because at this distance he'd just be a distraction.
"Kyle, why don't you put Williams out of his misery before the sharks use him as a chew toy?"
"No!" McGarrett snarled. He turned to see the man raise his gun and dove for him, but something struck his lower back and he dropped to his knees as a shot echoed through his mind. He fought to climb to his knees but a blow to his lower back sent him to the floor. He was held down and a needle was pushed into his shoulder. It wasn't long before whatever was in the syringe took effect and his body felt weighted down.
"Say goodnight, Commander!" Kyle McClellan said with a grin.
TBC
Author's Note-Thanks to everyone for the wonderful reviews, alerts, and favorites. You guy are great.