A SHADO on
written by Pamela McCaughey
(2007)
based on UFO (1969-1971)
created by Gerry & Sylvia
and
created by Leonard Freeman
and Magnum, P.I.
created by Donald Bellisario and
Glen A. Larson
Chapter
Lt. Gay
Ellis entered Commander Straker's office. She was
clad in street clothes instead of a SHADO issue uniform and purple wig. She
stood waiting while Straker signed a stack of
documents and orders.
"Lieutenant,
please sit down," Straker told her, gesturing to
the seat in front of his desk, "I presume you've already had your first
briefing........"
"Yes,
I understand I'll be part of an extermination team."
"Good.
I realize this is your first occasion to take part in this type of operation.
We've been trying to facilitate co-operative training between SHADO and Omega.
You'll be met in
"The
nest has been confirmed?"
"Yes,
that's why we're shipping you out today. Time is of the essence. I look forward
to reading your report when you get back!"
------------
Al Leslie
was giving Lt. Ellis a final go-over of the material on their private SHADAir flight to
"Do
you think that the Americans have any idea the nest is there?"
"If
they've seen it, they're not talkin' and they're not doin' anything about it, so that's good for us - the less
hassle we have from the local authorities, the better," Al pulled out some
plastic file folders, "Sensor reports from the last recon team confirmed
the presence of alien type readin's from their
equipment and power source. We've done spy plane sweeps of the area."
"How
many are there going to be in the team and how will we meet with them?"
"There's
gonna be twenty five in the team, includin'
you and me. Colonel Foster is comin' from the
mainland US, and he'll meet us at our Omega operative's safe house. His
code-name is Robin Masters. The rest of the team is gonna
get dropped off by SkyDiver along the coast of
"What
do we do with the nest once we "neutralize" it?"
"Normally,
we'd do a remediation of the site, but this time we can't treat it as an
environmental mess to be cleaned up. It's too close to human habitation for
that. So we've gotta land some containers from the
air, and float 'em out at night, loaded with alien
stuff. There'll be a ship waitin' to stand by for
them - the Miranda, one of our surface ships. It covers as an environmental vessel. The Miranda's crew is gonna
provide some assistance for us and take the others off the island when we're
finished."
""What
happens if we capture prisoners?" Gay asked anxiously. She knew it would
be a feather in the team's cap if they were able to bring home a live alien for
interrogation!
"Don't
count on that happenin'. The greenies never let us
take 'em alive! They prefer ta
off themselves before they let us take 'em
prisoner!"
"Do
you think there will be much resistance from the aliens?"
"They
don't like us gettin' our hands on any of their
technology. I've been on teams when the aliens have blown their own nests up
rather than let us get a gander at their gadgets. It can be damn dangerous!
But, the good part is that so far, they don't seem to know we're on to 'em as yet. And, the big deal with any extermination ops is
to get in and get out without the regular authorities knowin'
or the aliens catchin' wind of it till it's too
late!"
------------
"What's
on for today, Danno?"
"Well,
Steve," Dan Williams paused to take a sip from his own mug, "You're
due in court later this afternoon to testify on that Wo
Fat accomplice case, and there's a stack of HPD reports for you to go
over," he placed the file folder on McGarrett's
desk.
The former
Navy officer, turned police officer extraordinaire, sat down and started to
peruse the contents of the file folder, flipping through each set of stapled
sheets. He looked up at Williams, "This is odd," he indicated one set
of reports, "I'm surprised HPD would handle such a case. You'd think this
would be one for the state rangers."
"Which
one is that?"
"The case here about the missing hikers."
"The
state rangers started out looking at it. They handed it over to HPD because
they found evidence of foul play up there near the foot of the Koolau volcano. I think they felt a little out of their
element. Rangers look for forest fires or environmental problems."
"I
wouldn't think HPD would be prepared to work a case like that alone."
"They're
not - the state rangers have been helping out. Read further."
McGarrett finished the sheets and looked back up at his
fellow officer, "Definitely sounds like something bad went down up
there......," even in 1982, McGarrett
was still using 60's slang. It always amused Williams that his boss thought the
usage of slang like that made him sound hip, "What about the blood and the
organ evidence?"
"I
can get the lab reports if you'd like to take a look at them."
"Yeah,
do that. How remote is that area out there?"
------------
The
dapper, moustachioed British major domo greeted
Leslie, Foster and Ellis at the front door and ushered them inside, "Mr.
Masters is waiting for you."
Led into
an elegant drawing room, the three SHADO-Omega staffers came upon an older man,
massive in height and weight, seated at a huge mahogany desk. He looked up,
"Ah, Higgins, thank you," he gestured for the three to take chairs
facing him, "Please make sure the "Robin 3" is gassed up and
ready for our guests' use, please. Magnum can see to it if you're busy."
He looked back to Leslie, Ellis and Foster, "I know you are on a short
time frame here, so I won't hold you up. Insofar as I can ascertain, there has
been no change in the status of the target in question in the volcano cone.
They are still there, and no other military or police body appears to have
noticed them as yet."
Foster
leaned forward, "We don't expect to take any prisoners, but, if we do get
lucky, can we hide them here for a day or so before taking them off-island? We
may have to effect some medical work and
interrogation, as you know."
"Yes,
you can have the guest wing here in the house. I've arranged for my security
man to keep a watch up, although he doesn't know why I require such tight
security. He's an ex-Navy man, and smart, so do watch your step around him. No
escapes, please. The rest of the world thinks I'm Robin Masters, the famous
author, and I find it a most effective cover story. Please give my best regards
to your Commander Straker."
------------
Returning
to the front door, the three were seen out by Higgins, and found a dark green
Jeep waiting for them. It had been loaded with the backpacks and gear they'd
left at the front door.
"Here
she is, the 'Robin 3'. I checked her over, and she's fully gassed up and ready
to go," the handsome American smiled at them. He too wore a moustache - a
very bushy one, "Higgins tells me you're off to tour the local
sights."
Ellis
smiled up as he eased her into the back seat with a gentlemanly grace,
"I'm sure we'll enjoy seeing everything the island has to offer, Mr......?"
"Magnum,
Thomas Magnum," he grinned back, "Don't forget some sunscreen. Most
Brits aren't used to the Hawaiian sun here. You can get a nasty second degree
burn if you're not careful."
Allan
Leslie, who was at the Jeep's wheel, rolled his eyes and, with a jerk of the
clutch, they were rolling down the broad driveway of Robin Master's estate and
out onto the main highway.
------------
"I
rather think Mr. Magnum had his eye on you, Lieutenant," Foster smiled
back at Ellis, "He must have a thing for British birds, eh wot?" he exaggerated his accent to sound very plummy.
"Get
the map and the GPS out, and we'll navigate our way to the base camp,"
Leslie told Foster, "They should be set up by now and doin'
final recon."
Foster set
the GPS carefully and traced their route on the small map in hand, "Should
only take us a couple of hours or so to get up to the camp......"
-------------
McGarrett had finished reading the lab reports and he didn't
like the evidence. The hikers were still missing, but some clothing possibly
belonging to them had turned up, and something far
more sinister - human remains - a spleen and a woman's female organs. The HPD
labs had determined the organs to be of human origin, not animal, and although
it was clear those human remains had been exposed to the elements for more than
24 hours, they had been removed with surgical precision, not spilled out by
animal attack. Besides, there were no wild animals living in the Koolau area which would pursue human beings or do that kind
of damage. Done safely and carefully, hiking in the Koolau
area was popular with some tourists - the kind who really wanted to get away
from it all and experience the true unspoiled nature of the island.
"Danno, I'd like to have a conversation with the rangers who
found the remains. Think you can arrange that for later on today?"
"Sure,
Steve, I'll put in a call to the rangers' station and ask for them to come down
here to the office. I don't know what else they could say that wasn't in their
report."
"Sometimes
a person's gut instinct about a case doesn't get into the reports, y'know? I'd like to have their take on this. And, do me a favour - check with HPD and see if the island's ever had a
problem with black market organ sales."
------------
Thomas
Magnum took his favourite seat at the King Kamahemaha's bar. He asked if Rick was around. In a couple
of minutes, while he was sipping a club soda, Rick came out of the back office,
"Sorry about that, I had a couple of suppliers on the phone. Geez, you wouldn't think it'd be that hard to score a box
of those little paper umbrellas for drinks, wouldya?
So what's new in your little world?"
"Robin's
in town for a few days. Wanted me to make sure the security on the property was
tight - tighter than usual. He's also got some house guests - Brits. They say
they're here to take in the local nature sights, do some hiking."
"I've
heard that tone of voice before, Thomas Magnum. You don't believe they're here
for the island's scenic beauty, do you?" Rick leaned forward over the bar
and whispered confidentially.
"Whatever
they're here for, they've got some heavy-duty military equipment - some of it
I'm not even sure I can identify!"
"How
do you know this?"
"Higgins
asked me to gas up the 'Robin 3' and stow their gear for them before they left.
I helped myself to a peek in their backpacks. You don't need weapons of that
sort if all you're doing is going hiking! They had a short meeting in Robin's
study and then they took off. I also had Higgins tell me to keep off the
property for the next few days and just make sure the perimeter was secure. Now
you tell me - doesn't that sound suspicious?"
Rick
considered Magnum's comments, "Didn't you tell me once you thought Robin
Masters had been with MI 5 during WWII? Maybe he's been reactivated or
something. Maybe he's doing his old employer a favour
by housing some current agents on a private mission."
"Yeah,
it could be any of the above, or it could be something else. Or it could be
nothing at all. If they are MI 5 agents, what would be so dangerous about going
for a hike in the foothills of a dead volcano? And, Robin doesn't usually
restrict me from the
grounds of the estate."
"He
knows you're ex-Navy. If this is some British government operation, he probably
doesn't want you to get involved."
"Does
that mean this operation, if that's what it is, is something even the American
government doesn't know about?"
"I
thought our secret service and the James Bond types were all buddies. They
shared information and all that."
"Not
necessarily. We're all nominally on the same side, but that doesn't mean we
share everything. After that Brit agent was found to be a doubler
- selling secrets to the Soviets - I understood our guys were pretty careful
about what they passed on to the MI6s."
"Well,
don't get Robin pissed at you over this. You've got a sweet deal over there,
and it isn't worth you snooping around. If he wanted you to know, he'd tell
you. He always does - sooner or later."
------------
McGarrett waited until the two rangers were seated to start
asking questions. They told him how they found the discarded clothing, and the
human body parts. The more he listened, the more McGarrett
just couldn't fit the pieces of the puzzle together. Finally, he said,
"Other than turning in the evidence to HPD, what else have you been doing
on this case?"
"We
figured until we knew more about the missing hikers, or found their bodies, it wasn't safe for other hikers to go up there. No
point in raising the body count. We've posted the area as unsafe for the time
being. In other words, no hiking is allowed up there. We had a few tourist
operators who took hiking groups up there complain, but we didn't tell them why
we said it was off-limits. Didn't want to start a panic or
anything."
"Good,
good," McGarrett intoned, sitting on the edge of
his desk facing the rangers, "What's your gut reaction to this case?"
The two
men shifted uneasily in their chairs. "Well?" McGarrett
asked.
"Look,
Mr. McGarrett, we don't normally end up handling
anything like this. That's why we brought everything to HPD and their labs.
We're really at a loss. No bodies uncovered, just body parts, and no proof that
the organs we found belong to the missing hikers. We don't even know when they
went up there or how long they were there. Their hotel didn't even report them
as missing until at least 2 days after they went up the mountains. When we
handed the case over to HPD, we figured they'd take it from there."
McGarrett nodded, "Thank you, gentlemen, for coming in
today."
When the
two rangers left, Dan Williams came back into the office, "Get anything
useful?"
"I
get the feeling there's more to this than they're telling, but they don't want
to cop to anything except the facts of the case. I think it's time we took a
closer look at this scenario. Let's put together a task force and find out
who's killing the hikers. And, let's get up there for a personal looksee. I want to be ready to roll within the hour."
------------
Chapter
The
SHADO-Omega base camp was off the main road and located in an area accessible
only by GPS. Fortunately the Robin 3 was the perfect vehicle for traversing
such terrain. The Koolau mountains
were made from a dormant basaltic volcano, but the area surrounding much of the
cone had been lost to a giant landslide centuries before.
However,
the terrain leading into the volcanic site was an intoxicating tangle of
tropical forests, sparkling waterfalls that tumbled into gurgling streams,
chattering birds and sweet-scented flowers. Seeing it all on the drive up, Gay
Ellis found it hard to remember that this paradise was in urgent danger - from
an unmentionable alien evil.
The tents
all bore the world famous National Geographic logo, and Gay smiled, thinking
how amusing it was that NG was being represented, bogusly, at a site they would
probably salivate over finding - the entrance to a space alien nest - she could
almost see the front cover of their flagship publication's headlines in her
mind's eye.
Foster and
Ellis were left at the command tent to listen to a briefing, while Allan Leslie
headed out with a final recon party up the volcano. As a specialist geologist,
Leslie might pick up on some details of the area that the others hadn't.
Ellis was
surprised to see Mark Bradley at the briefing, but wisely said nothing. They'd
both been given new postings after the incident at MoonBase,
but that didn't mean their feelings had stopped. She sat down across from Mark
and listened attentively to the latest recon reports and how the extermination
team would run the ops.
"We
plan to start the operation as soon as this latest recon team returns,"
------------
McGarrett and Dan Williams paused from their gruelling hike. They'd been on foot with the two Hawaiian
State Rangers they'd talked to earlier in the day for the last hour. Danno poured a bit of the water from his hip flask over his
head, "How much further till we reach the site where you found the
organs?"
"Another
40 minutes or so," replied Takosama, one of the
Rangers, stopping to take a reading with his compass.
Five-0's
chief had been scanning the horizon with his binoculars, "What's that down
there?" he asked.
"Down
where?" Ranger Ho tried to follow McGarrett's
pointing fingers.
"There,
through the trees........," McGarrett moved
further over and crouched down to move some of the tropical foliage to get a
better look.
Laid out
like a small village was a series of seven tents, put up in a circle, and
bearing a familiar-looking logo on each tent roof. There was movement, a couple
of people milling about. But, these people were dressed in tropical fatigues,
and helmets, along with military style gear.
McGarrett sat down on the ground at a good vantage point and
the others crouched down with him, to remain out of sight, "What the hell
is National Geographic doing up here? I thought you people made this area off
limits to all tourists and hikers?"
"We
did! I don't remember seeing any paper work about the press being up here. I'd
remember something like this. The NG is known all over the world!" Takosama explained.
"They
don't look much like press people, Ranger," McGarrett
told him, "They should be wearing cameras and carrying videotape gear. The
ones I can see look like military commandos!"
All four
of them were by now looking at the encampment through their binocs,
"Geez, Steve, wouldn't they have to have
permission from the state to come up here? Especially since the Rangers just
declared the area off limits?" Dan
ruminated.
"Ok folks, today's nature trip is cancelled, you're comin' with us!"
The four
turned to see a commando unit, pointing high powered rifles at them,
"Let's check 'em for weapons and get 'em outta here," Allan Leslie
told his team, then he took out a communications gadget, "Base Camp, this
is Team Two checkin' the perimeter. We're goin' to be bringin' in some
visitors!"
------------
"Think
the ID is bogus?" Paul asked. He didn't want any complications on this
mission and already they'd uncovered some snoopers.
"I
don't think so. I wired a photo of him back to GHQ and they say he's the real
deal. The others are a pair of state rangers and the blonde man is one of McGarrett's own officers."
"What
do we do now?"
Foster
shook his head, "We take out the head of the state police and the the proverbial shit will hit the fan. They'll be looking
for them, I bet. Someone of his standing doesn't make a move without making
sure everyone else knows where he is. Do we have any idea of why they're even
up here?"
"As
best I can get out of the rangers, they were investigating the deaths of a
couple of hikers several days ago. That's all they'll say."
"It
sounds legitimate, but what if they're up here snooping because of us?"
She shook
her head, "I've given them our cover story. We might be able to give them
a dose of amnesia drug and take them back down to their vehicle and leave them
there to recover. That'll buy us enough time to clean up and get the hell out
of here."
"Well,
we don't want them in the way right now - what do you suggest?"
"Let's
offer them some SHADO issue coffee, appropriately spiked.....and see what kind
of stall tactic works best."
------------
"I
hope we haven't been too remiss in our hospitality, gentlemen," Virginia
smiled, carrying in a tray of SHADO "issue" coffee and some
sandwiches, "We're very busy here covering the volcanic conditions here on
the island for a TV documentary we'll be airing next year....."
"You
can cut the National Geographic crap anytime, lady," McGarrett
told her, "Who ever you are, you're not the
press! Not dressed like commandos and talking about perimeters. I'm ex-Navy,
and I'm well familiarized with military operations."
"Mr. McGarrett, I......."
Steve got
up out of his camp seat, "And, do you really think we're dumb enough to
drink your coffee? It could be drugged.......What's going on out there? Does it
have anything to do with those dead hikers?"
"Oh,
come on! How stupid do you think we are?" he leaned into her face when he
spoke, invading her personal space intentionally. He was quite tall and she had
to look waaay up to stare into his intense blue eyes.
"We
made arrangements for this trip with the appropriate state government
officials. I'm sure someone in your own office just left you out of the loop
accidentally...."
"I
don't think so. My people are more on the ball than that! There's something
going on here that has nothing to do with TV documentaries, and I want to know
what it is!"
"What
terrorists would bother hiding here in
SHADO
point two: use their own knowledge against them. SHADO
HQ had run a quick computer check on Five-O and discovered McGarrett
had come up against some pretty wiley characters in
the past, "Does the name Wo
Fat mean anything to you?"
"Wo Fat? He's in jail. I put him
there - personally!"
"He
may be in jail, but that doesn't mean his.........associates aren't still active.
His spy organization is based on the idea of terrorist cells - each group works
independently and none of them knows anything about the others - who they are,
where they work from, what missions they undertake. The terrorists here are, we
believe, planning to kidnap the Governor."
"Look,
we deal with intelligence agencies all over the world, and nobody has told us
any of this," McGarrett scowled at her.
"If
you'll excuse me, Five-O is a local police force. Our organization has a
more....... international approach. We are in possession of information that
normally never filters down to your level."
"And,
if you're right, and these so-called terrorists of yours are
planning to kidnap the
Governor, what would they hope to gain by this action?"
"They'd
use the Governor as a bargaining chip to negotiate the release of Wo Fat into their custody of
course."
McGarrett pounded his right fist into his left
palm, "Wo Fat is in a top security facility on
the mainland. They'd never touch him there!"
"Exactly
why they need a hostage to use as a negotiating piece,"
"Wo Fat won't be of any use to them anymore."
"It's
not him as a person they really care about at this point. They want to know how
much he's told your people about the organization he belonged to, the
operations they've mounted, you name it. They consider Wo Fat a security leak of the worst kind. They want
him back to counter any efforts by the West to interrupt their own
missions."
McGarrett was silent for a moment as he listened to
"I'm
sorry, Mr. McGarrett, but this mission is not for
civilian peace officers. We can't risk you getting hurt. You'll have to let us
handle this operation in our own way. I hope we can depend on your
co-operation?"
Dan
Williams looked up at her, "Do we have any other choice in the
matter?"
"Not
really. Our people are trained in anti-terrorist action. You're not. It could jeopardize
the whole mission if we permitted untrained personnel to participate."
McGarrett nodded slowly, "We'll co-operate.....for the
moment...." he slumped into one of the camp chairs again.
Exiting
the tent,
"I
told them we're going after a terrorist group associated with Red China. I
think they believed me this time. We shouldn't have any trouble. McGarrett thinks we're going after the associates of an old
nemesis of his and he's keen for us to take them out. Let's get this operation
on the road and get it over with."
------------
"Think
this tent is bugged?" Dan asked McGarrett as
they four of them pulled their camp chairs into a circle.
"I
don't think they've had time for that. They obviously weren't expecting
'company'. I don't believe for one minute that these people are from some under
the radar anti-terrorist group. What terrorist would hide in a volcano cone,
for Christ's sake?"
"What
can we do?" queried Takosama.
"They've
relieved us of our weapons and our compasses, so I don't think they're planning
to let us go right away," Dan replied.
"That
"So
what's our next move?" Ranger Ho questioned.
"We've
got to get out of this camp somehow and bring back enough reinforcements to
foil whatever operation they've got going here!"
------------
Chapter
"Think
you can handle our 'guests' by yourselves?" Foster asked
"I
don't want to hold anyone back from the mission that maybe needed - I think Gay
and I can manage things here. Once the ops is
completed, we can send Mr. McGarrett and his friends
packing."
"That
McGarrett doesn't strike me as a
the kind of bloke who sits idley by, and he's
very suspicious of us and what we're doing here. He didn't buy our covers - either
of them."
Al Leslie
stuck his head inside the tent, "
Foster
nodded and buckled on his helmet - he, and all the other combatants, were outfitted in state of the art flak equipment - as were
the other members of the extermination team. They all carried full body armour, and a plethora of personal gadgets to help them
stay in touch, and fight the aliens.......
------------
The
assault on the alien nest was long and bloody. Several of their own operatives
were killed in action, and a good number of the aliens committed suicide rather
than fall into enemy hands. In the end, the SHADO-Omega teams prevailed, but it
was costly. Al Leslie and his team stayed on site and kept it secured while the
other two teams went back to base camp to regroup and take the dead, both human
and alien, out with them.
Now, all
that was left was to deal with McGarrett and his
companions.
"Ellis!"
Foster saw her legs on the ground inside the tent, and dashed in,
Paul lifted
her up, "The men from Five-O are gone!" they could both see where the
tent had been pulled out of the ground from the back so they were able to slip
away unseen.
"How
could this have happened! Gay came in to feed them
drugged refreshments - I was sure they'd take them after so many
hours....."
"There's
soda pop all over her fatigues,
"We've
got four witnesses on the run - we have to get them back!"
------------
"What?"
Straker bellowed into his phone receiver - he
practically swallowed his cigarillo. Alec could see the scowl on his face,
"How the hell did this happen, Paul?" There was a pause as obviously
Foster was on the other end of the line making excuses. Hell to pay,
Alec thought to himself.
The silver
haired commander slammed the phone back down into its cradle and got up to pace
the office. Alec saw him hug himself as he walked back and forth - another bit
of body language that did not bode well.
"Do I
dare inquire as to what has pissed you off?" Alec smiled grimly.
"This
is no joke, Alec. Four witnesses - four -
two of them police officers - and they let them get away!"
"I'm
sure it wasn't intentional, Ed," Alec tried to smooth over the very
ruffled feathers as best he could. The old Freeman charm could be called upon
to lower Straker's temper from white hot to at least
just code red! Time to accentuate the positive, "But, the mission - they
cleaned out the nest, right?"
"Oh,
yes, they cleaned out the nest - all the aliens ended up dead and we lost one
of our boys in this action, too. Everything for the research guys went out with
the Miranda - it's headed to NYC as we speak."
"So
things may not be as bad as you think....."
"Worse.
One of those escaped witnesses was Steve McGarrett,
head of the state police, Hawaii Five-O - this is a man others will listen to -
and depending on what he's seen and heard - he could blow SHADO's
cover sky high!"
"Well,
get the team mobilized to find these four men and 'neutralize' them as
usual," Alec suggested.
"It's
not that easy! If someone like McGarrett disappears
or dies, there will be too many questions and the island could get sealed off
before our people can get out. We can't risk that. But we have to silence them
somehow!" Straker picked up his phone again,
"Yes, Miss Eland, I need you to place a long distance call for me - Mr.
Robin Masters, in Hawaii. Yes, I said Robin Masters."
Alec stood
up and leaned over the boss' desk, "What are you going to do, Ed? We can't
compromise Masters at this point!"
Straker looked up at his best friend, "I need a place
to stay while I oversee this mission. Alec, the Responsibility Seat will be
yours until I get back!"
------------
Even doing
their best, Straker's connecting SHADAir
flights still took 18 hours to get him from
"Robin
says we can both stay at his place," Paul informed Straker,
who was dressed casually in a pair of slacks and a matching shirt. He'd left
the severe suits behind in
"You've
ID'd all the men with McGarrett?"
"Danny
Williams, McGarrett's second on command with Five-O,
and Takosama and Ho - two
"Where
can we find these gentlemen?"
"Al
Leslie has men staking out the homes of all four, but so far none of them have
shown up. It's been less than 20 hours since they escaped. You'd think they'd
turn up somewhere."
"What
about Hawaii Five-O headquarters?"
"Downtown
"With
a 20 hour lead on us, those four have had plenty of time to rally the troops.
We could be in for big trouble, Paul."
------------
Fifteen
hours earlier....
"Kono, Chin, George.....get in here!" McGarrett barked. As his top officers filed in, they
noticed their boss looking a little the worse for wear, and Danny and two state
Rangers were in attendance as well.
"We've
got big trouble," Steve told them tersely, "Danno
and I and our Ranger friends here just got back off
that volcano - there's a military presence up there, gentlemen and it isn't
American. They claimed first they worked with the National Geographic and then
they said they were an anti-terrorist group - get this - they said they were
after a band of terrorists who were intending to kidnap the Governor to use as
a negotiating chip to get Wo Fat out of his jail on
the mainland!"
"Sounds
like a load of BS, Steve," Kono replied.
"Yeah,
they shovelled it on pretty thick, but it was obvious
there was something else going on for real - they just weren't about to tell
us."
"How
did you get away, boss?" Chin asked.
Danny took
up the story, "One of their people brought us in food and drink - we
figured it was drugged, so we rushed her and forced her to drink one of the
sodas - she passed out quick and we got our butts outta
there."
"What
d'you want us to do
next?" George wanted to know.
"Kono, get over to immigration, the state department, the
military and the FBI offices - find out what, if anything, they might know
about this situation. Chin, get to the Governor's office - if it is true, and
terrorists were planning to take him out, we need to
put 24 hour protection on him immediately. George, we took a weapon off that
girl Danno mentioned - get it to the lab and have it
worked - prints, identification, whatever," Steve handed Gay's SHADO issue
hand gun over, "I've never seen a weapon like this before - I want to know
what it is and which government it belongs to - asap!"
he looked over at the two Rangers, "I need to you to give full statements
about what you saw and heard," he picked up his desk phone, "May, get
a couple unis up here - to take statements," he
looked back at the Rangers, "Just wait out in the outer office - they'll
be here soon." he grabbed the phone again and punched in a number,
"I'd like to speak to General Cardell, please -
tell him it's McGarrett from Five-O." There was
a pause while Steve waited for the General to come on the line, "Yeah,
General I need you to scramble an assault force and send them up to the Koolau volcano asap!
There's been an incursion up there of some sort - not our guys - maybe
terrorists - maybe not - but you need to get in and ambush them before they can
get away......yes, I'm sure about that - I just got out of there myself - it's
something the military has to handle....thank you, General...."
McGarrett sat down
in his seat behind his desk and leaned over to put his head in his hands.
"Anything
you want me to take care of?" Danny said quietly.
"Yeah,
Danno, take my statement while my mind is still
clear...."
------------
It had
been agreed that the two Rangers would remain in protective custody with the
Five-O people until things had been settled. They were permitted to call their
CO and their families and tell them they'd be back
home when they could get there.
"OK, Kono, tell me what you got," McGarrett
sipped his umpteenth cup of coffee.
"Every
avenue came up blank, brudder. I talked to 'em all - the feds, military, the lot - nobody knows
anything."
"Or
they don't want to tell us - but that doesn't make any sense!" McGarrett replied, "I can't remember any time when
those other agencies made a point of stonewalling us on anything this
big."
Chin spoke
up, "I'm afraid I've got some more bad news for you, boss. George just
called me from the lab - they lifted prints from the gun, but couldn't match
them to anything American - they're sending the prints through to Interpol. As
for ID-ing the gun - they can't - it doesn't match
any known weapon configuration we can check - it isn't a NATO nation gun, and
it isn't Soviet, Red Chinese or African."
"That
gun had to be manufactured somewhere, Chin! It wasn't a homemade weapon - I
handled it myself -
it's quality workmanship." Steve shook his head, "You talked to the
Governor?"
"I've
arranged a 24 hour body guard detail for him as of one hour ago. I apprised him
of the threat and what you told us about the terrorists possibly wanting to trade
him for Wo Fat. He was
skeptical of course, but he was willing to go along with the protection to make
life easier for us, too."
Steve got
up to pace the length of his office, "Let's recap: Danno
and I and the Rangers went to the volcano to check on the situation with the
missing tourists and the body parts that were found. That was our reason for
being there. Those people who captured us - they were after bigger fish - but I
don't necessarily believe they told us the truth - why would they? And we bugged
outta there as soon as we could because we honestly
didn't know if they were planning to kill us or not. We couldn't take any
chances! So if they lied to us about why they were
there, what they really there
for?"
"I
called the mainland jail where Wo
Fat is incarcerated," Danny said, "I put them on alert and said they
should put a special watch on him just in case. Maybe those people we escaped
from were the terrorists themselves."
"I
thought of that, Danno," Steve nodded at him,
"But, they were too well organized to be terrorists, and how the hell did
they manage to get onto the island with all that gear and all that firepower
and not get picked up by the military or the Coast Guard?"
The phone
rang and Steve picked it up, "Yeah? You're kidding? Nobody could bug outta there that fast - especially from such a remote
location! They had a major set-up there - a base camp.....alright, General, I
understand.....yes, ok...."
"What
is it, Steve?" Danny asked.
Hanging
up, Steve slumped into his chair, "General says his men didn't find any
base camp at the volcano - some disturbed ground - no
other signs. It's like they were never there, Danno!"
"How
the hell could they get out that fast? They'd need choppers and....."
McGarrett cut him off, "Hell, Danno,
they'd need a frigging army to pull down that camp and amscray
in such a short time! Who's got that kind of drag? Short of
the American military!"
------------
"We
appreciate your assistance in this matter on such short notice," Straker shook hands with Robin Masters.
Waving
them to a couple of seats, Robin spoke in his deep mellifluous voice, "Not
at all, Ed. I understand your situation. There are several very private rooms
here on the estate which might serve you well if you decided to have a confidential
chat with some of the people you're after. However, I do caution you. McGarrett and Williams are fixtures here in
"We
hadn't planned to eliminate McGarrett and Williams in
the usual way for just those reasons. What we need to do is eliminate
or manipulate their memories of whatever they saw at our base camp."
"I
can assure you that they have probably set a full scale investigation into this
matter themselves. They've had the luxury of time you have not. Hawaii Five-O
is a state police force - they have ties to the FBI, the State Department, the
military, the Coast Guard - you name it - they have alot
of resources at hand. You may find yourselves under investigation."
"What
would you suggest, then?"
"McGarrett and Williams and the other two have never seen
you, Ed. You might be able to walk into the lion's den and get back out
again...."
------------
Chapter
Commander
Ed Straker had dressed carefully for his meeting.
Eschewing his severe designer suits he normally wore for his role as Harlington-Straker's executive officer, he put on a black
two piece suit, a black shirt and a red and black power tie. Robin Masters had
instructed Tom Magnum to drop him off a block from the Iolani
Palace, headquarters for Hawaii 5-0's offices. Robin had instructed Magnum not
to question the silver haired Commander about anything and to do whatever he
told him to do. Magnum was to drop Straker, get out of the red Ferrari, give him the keys and
take a cab back to the Masters estate.
Still
watching the building were Al Leslie and one of his men, carefully keeping an
eye on all the comings and goings. They'd managed to plant a small bug once it
was dark, just under the window of McGarrett's office
- not an easy task that - with all the activity there - but the bug was able to
pick up conversation inside the office and they were able to relay what was
being discussed to Straker and Foster, to give them a
heads up. Foster was staying back with Leslie and the other operative, as McGarrett and his men had already seen him. It would be too
dangerous for Paul to be observed and identified.
Just how Straker planned to handle this matter was questionable. He
knew he needed to lure McGarrett out of the building,
and back to Robin's estate, so he could be questioned and given false
information which would seem reasonably realistic. If Straker
could compromise what McGarrett believed he knew
about the incident, he could avert a crisis and bring McGarrett
on their side without ever telling him the truth. McGarrett
was ex-Navy - he would be inclined to understand covert ops, security
considerations and perhaps once convinced, he could be impressed upon to close
down the investigation altogether.
By all
information, McGarrett was a 'hard ass' and Straker was one too, so they'd be evenly matched. McGarrett's fanatical anti-crime stance was as strong as Straker's anti-alien point of view, and the only real
difference was that of resources. Straker had the
upper hand in this area. He had command of resources both on the island and
internationally, that McGarrett could only dream of.
When McGarrett's secretary opened his office door and ushered Straker inside, the blinds were still down from the night
before. 5-0's top cop looked tired, unshaven, but alert and asking for another
cup of java.
"And
you are?" McGarrett asked, gratefully accepting
a steaming mug.
"My
name is Straker. I'm with the National
Geographic."
McGarrett's tired but steely eyes went over Straker intently. He noted the black suit, the crisp tie,
the stylish silver hair, the Cortina watch on his
wrist, "Really? And you're here why?"
"I
thought perhaps I might be able to clear up some misunderstandings with your
and your people about a recent job my people were on."
McGarrett laughed and shook his head, "Whoever those
people were up on the volcano, they were not National Geographic
film-makers!"
Straker looked down and fiddled with his watch for a
moment, "Alright, then, I still might be able to give you
some.........assistance........with your investigation of the matter....."
"Unless
you can tell me who those people were, what they were doing up there, and how
the hell they got away so fast and so cleanly, I don't think we have anything
else to talk about."
"How
much is this investigation worth to you? How much of a risk can you take to get
the information you want?" Straker loved
dangling the carrot.
Taking a
swig of his coffee, McGarrett sat back in his seat
and closed his eyes for a moment, "Who are you?"
"Does
that matter as long as I can help you crack this case?"
"Yes,
it matters, goddamn it!" McGarrett stood up, his
gun holster still buckled over his shoulder, "Because everyone associated
with this case has his or her own agenda! You've come here to me, offering to
give assistance, but what's in it for you? There has to be something in it for
you, or for whoever sent you here, or else you wouldn't be here in the first
place!"
"You
know, you and I aren't that different. We both want this case closed. We both
have something to gain by putting this case out of sight. You're the kind of man
who wants answers - I can give them to you."
"But,
on your terms,
eh?"
"As
it turns out, yes, I'm afraid so."
"And
how much money do you want for this so-called information?"
"Actually,
money is not my concern in this matter. Closing the case is of paramount
importance. Money can't buy that kind of security."
"What
do you want from me, then?"
"I
want you to take a little drive with me. Just you and
me, nobody else. Not Dan Williams, not Kono, nobody."
"Why
would I put myself in the hands of someone I don't know and have no reason to
trust?"
Straker tilted his head to one side, and shrugged, "I
guess that would depend on how badly you want this case taken care of."
McGarrett was silent for a few moments, wrestling mentally
with the issue at hand. As a cop, of course he wanted answers and to find out
just what had been going on up at the volcano. As a man, he was careful and
wary about this stranger who'd just come into his office and offered him the
answers he craved - but with obvious strings attached. He wasn't
"I
could call my men in here and have you arrested for what you've told me
already. You know too much about this case for you not to be involved in it at
some point yourself."
"Yes,
you could do that. You could try to interrogate me. You could try to find out
who I am. But, you'd be no further ahead. You'd learn much less than what I am
willing to give you if you take that drive with me."
McGarrett took the gun out of his holster, opened the pistol
and checked the bullets. He took another cartridge out of his desk drawer and
put it in his pants pocket. Then, he picked up his jacket and put it on,
"No funny stuff. I'm a good shot. And you're a very easy target."
------------
Straker watched McGarrett's eyes
widen as they got into the red Ferrari. The car belonged to Robin Masters, but
he rarely if ever drove it himself. Most of the time it was used by his
security man, Thomas Magnum, who kept the estate's perimeters well cared for.
Robin was a world-famous author, who travelled the
world, and he didn't spend much time in paradise, but between Magnum and
Higgins, his major domo, he could rest assured that all was well at his
Hawaiian home.
Gunning
the Ferrarri into reverse and then into drive, Straker, took the street down to the freeway and then down
the interstate, heading to Masters' estate.
"You
National Geographic people make enough money to buy luxury sports cars?" McGarrett said the words with a sardonic smile on his face.
"Actually,
this is a loaner. My real car is a gull-winged DeLorean,"
Straker smiled too, remembering his own vehicle back
in
"Where
are we headed? I know where we are, we're on the interstate highway."
"Be
patient, McGarrett," Straker
signalled so he could pass another car,
"Patience is obviously not your strong point."
"I
still have that gun in my holster," McGarrett
reminded him, "This drive could be a really short one if I make you pull
over."
"You
won't kill me. I'm too important to you at this moment."
"Sez you. How do I
know this isn't just some wild goose chase, calculated to throw off the
investigation?"
"You
wouldn't have come along if you'd thought that."
"I'm
just curious, brother, and curiosity is one of my strong points. And I
certainly didn't leave the office without telling my staff I was going to check
out something with you. They know I'm with you and they know what you look
like."
"That
wouldn't help them find me. Once you and I have our info session, I'll be out
of here post haste. I won't need to hang around and get caught."
"We
can police even private airfields, you know. There's no way into or out of
these islands we can't check out."
"I'm
not too worried, as I said. I think the information I give you will ensure my
departure."
"I
think we could start that info session right here and now," McGarrett pulled the gun out of his holster and aimed it at
Straker's head, "Like who were those people on
the volcano? Did they have anything to do with the dead people our Rangers
found up there? Was there ever really a threat to the governor's life? Were
they terrorists working for Red China? Why were they so eager to drug us?"
"I
don't intend to tell you anything with a weapon at my head," Straker didn't even take his eyes off the road, "You'll have to wait until we get to our
destination."
"Pull
over." McGarrett's tired eyes were cold, "I
said, pull over to the side of the road! NOW!" his gun was pressed up
against Straker's skull.
Without
flinching, Straker wheeled the Ferrarri
over to the shoulder of the highway, well off the asphalt and out of the way of
traffic. He turned the key off and the car shut down with a soft sigh,
"What now?"
"You're
going to tell me where we're going, who's going to be there, and why. And, I
want to know who you are and why you know so bloody much about this case! You
have to be one of those terrorists or whoever they were!"
Straker looked at McGarrett and
his own blue eyes were steely, "I am not a terrorist, I can assure you.
Those people you encountered on the volcano were not terrorists either. They
are part of an elite squad of anti-terrorists who work internationally."
McGarrett nodded, "They said as much to us when we were
captured, after we told them we didn't buy their stupid National Geographic put
up job."
"You
could have believed them. They meant you no harm. They only wanted you out of
the way so they could carry on with their mission."
"And,
what mission was that? Look, we have enough problems in these islands with
drugs coming into every port, mob activity, you name it. Foreign
interventionists who don't
identify themselves or report in to us about their reasons for
being here are going to be considered suspect. How do we know they aren't
criminals, looking for a place to start more trouble, or to use
"What
I understand, is that you want answers. Are you willing to let me do that? I
have to do this my
way, not your way."
McGarrett stared out the windshield for a second or two,
"Fine. Let's get to where the answers are," he holstered the gun. Straker flipped the key on the car and the Ferrarri purred to life....
------------
Rounding
the tree lined corner, Straker brought the red sports
car flush with the front door of Robin Masters' home. It was a large, well
cared for estate, with tons of exotic flora and fauna, and an
The two
men got out of the car. Straker tossed the keys to
Thomas Magnum, and saw the recognition in his eyes of
Opening
the door, as if their appearance was expected, was Higgins. He ushered them
inside and offered them refreshment. Straker watched McGarrett's eyes taking in the location. What questions
must have been on his mind?"
"You
can use the drawing room, gentlemen. I'll bring in a tray of coffee in a
moment."
Robin
Masters' elaborate drawing room was filled with heavy oak furniture, an immense
native stone fireplace, and an assortment of artworks, both paintings and
sculpture. McGarrett's eyes, ever alert, danced over
the the images of ships and ocean travel. He did not
sit down.
"I
believe you know this house?" Straker asked.
"I'm
aware of who Robin Masters is. I've never met the man."
"He's
a famous writer."
"If
he's supplying his house to you, he is most definitely more than just a famous
writer. How does Robin Masters figure in
this business?"
"Actually,
he doesn't. He's merely a.......friend to the cause, you might say. He permits
us to use his home as a base whenever we have work to
do in your state."
Higgins
returned with a silver tray, a silver coffee service and a tray of sweets. The
china cups and saucers were of the most expensive type. Straker
took a seat on the divan in front of the coffee table and poured two cups, both
black. He held one up to McGarrett.
Reluctantly,
McGarrett took the cup but didn't drink from it. He
was being doubly cautious. He'd already encountered people who'd tried to drug
him. He wasn't about to relax his guard at this point.
"It
isn't drugged," Straker took a sip of his own
brew to prove it to McGarrett.
"No
thanks. I'd rather talk than drink," McGarrett
got up from the seat he'd taken across from Straker
to examine a large painting of an elaborately rigged sailing ship,"So what is this information you've been so eager
to tell me?"
"You
can ask me your questions."
"If
your people really are an anti-terrorist group, what the hell were they doing
up on that volcano?"
"They
discovered that a Red Chinese cell had infiltrated the islands and were
building a small base there. They were stockpiling weapons and explosives.
We're still not really sure what they intended to do here in
"We
were told basically the same story by your people up on the volcano. It sounded
then, and still sounds, pretty crazy."
"In
my business, crazy is often closer to reality than we'd like to admit. We had
to act - just the fact they were here at all justified us going in after
them."
"What
country do your people work for? Some of them spoke with a British accent -
they weren't Americans."
"The
squad is made up of staff from all over. It's a special NATO forces group.
That's why they were able to get in and get out of the islands under the radar.
They had military help."
"I
had General Cardell and his men go up to that site -
he said you couldn't even tell there had been a base camp there."
"Sad
to say," Straker lied glibly, "General Cardell had to misinform you."
"You
mean Cardell was in on this?" McGarrett exclaimed incredulously.
"We
try not to compromise the local people. That's why 5-0 was not given any
details about the mission. It had to be carried out as secretly as possible.
We've been concerned about security leaks. As a former Navy man, you should be
able to appreciate our concerns about such things."
"What
connection does this all have to the mutilated bodies my Rangers found up on
the volcano?"
"We
knew about that, too. It seems the Red Chinese did it to scare people away from
their installation. They probably thought it would slow or halt the amount of
tourist traffic into that area for a time."
"Where
are the Red Chinese agents now?"
"Dead. Our people killed them. We had no choice."
"And,
why should I believe any of this........story of
yours?"
"Because
it's the truth," Straker replied simply.
"If
this squad of yours really does exist, and they really were here to clean out a
nest of Red Chinese agents.........," McGarrett
said out loud.
"Then,
there is no further need for a criminal investigation to be carried on. As
chief of 5-0, you can close the case down and forget it. The people who killed
the tourists are dead. Your governor is safe, and Wo Fat stays in his mainland prison."
"What
about our being held by your people? They were planning to drug us."
"That
was purely for safety's sake. You would have been released unharmed, had you
not taken it upon yourselves to drug one of our people and make your
escape."
"How
can I be sure you're telling me the absolute truth?"
"Oh,
you can't," Straker smiled, "You just have
to take it on faith. Your silence on this matter would be of inestimable
assistance to us."
"My
silence would also be of great assistance to you and your people if you were
all involved in some sort of criminal activity, as well." McGarrett countered.
"Did
I entice you out of your office at gunpoint? Did I make any threats on your
life or the lives of your officers? I
think it was you who waved a gun in my face. Believe me, if I'd wanted you
dead, we wouldn't be standing here talking about it."
McGarrett sat down across from Straker,
"So, if what you're telling me is the truth, what do you want me to do with
this information?"
"Close
the case."
"And
what am I going to tell my officers who are going wonder if I've suddenly lost
my mind?"
"You
can tell them you've had a conference with the military. Tell them you've been
assured that nothing criminal, requiring 5-0's involvement,
went on up there. End of story."
McGarrett's tired eyes swept the room, almost absently. He
drew a hand over his forehead, obviously exhausted from the ordeal on the
volcano and the days without sleep since, "Get me back to my office. Case
closed."
------------
Epilogue
"Steve,
I was able to retrieve that recording bug you placed in Robin Masters' drawing
room. It wasn't easy, but we got one of our undercovers
to pose as a worker steaming rugs."
McGarrett looked up from his paperwork, "Can we listen
to what it recorded?"
"Sure thing. I just picked it up from the lab. They
transposed it to tape."
McGarrett took the proffered tape and slapped it into his
player on the desk. Ed Straker's voice came out loud
and clear, as did McGarrett's own tones, "Fast
forward, Danno, I want to hear what happened in that
room after I left...."
Dan
Williams stopped the player and hit the FF button, then
he snapped it on again and cranked up the volume.
"You
can tell them you've had a conference with the military. Tell them you've been
assured that nothing criminal, requiring 5-0's involvement,
went on up there. End of story."
"Get
me back to my office. Case closed."
"There
- that's where I got outta there......," McGarrett nodded.
The tape continued
with Straker's voice, "Alec? Yes, it's me. I
just finished with McGarrett. Anything new I should
know about? Paul and I will be taking separate flights back to the
Williams
and McGarrett looked at each other.
"Did he
say aliens?" Danno asked quietly.
"And
he said 'transport back in space', didn't he?" McGarrett
returned the question. 5-0's commander was thoughtful, "Y'know, Danno, when I was in the
Navy years ago, there was talk - I thought it was just bullshit - about some
case in '47 on the mainland - something about a spaceship landing in New
Mexico, and the government hushing the whole thing up."
"Yeah,
Steve, I've heard of that -
"That's
the place," Steve was ruminating, "Would exobiologists
be scientists who work with bodies not of earth origin?"
"I
don't know. Why would anyone, human or alien, want lava samples? I mean, lava
flows out of a volcano at incredible temperatures. When it finally cools, it
forms volcanic glass, or obsidian. It's not valuable. It's virtually worthless.
I know some jewellery makers and local artisans use
it to make stuff to sell to the tourists. They pick up the little pieces of
round lava stones called Pele's Tears and sell them
as souvenirs."
"That's
just a money-making scheme, it's not something that has to be kept secret and its certainly not illegal to go up there and get lava
flow."
"What
was that he said about 'those green bastards'?"
"But,
when he says 'aliens' on that tape, does he really mean little green men or
illegal immigrants?" McGarrett pondered,
"Green cards are vital for illegals if they can
get them under the table and stay here in the
"Did
you ever find out who he was, Steve?"
"No,
and the CCTV cameras in the outer office photographed him when he came in.
I had his photo run through the FBI, OSI, the
military, Interpol, everyone who might have some sort of bead on this guy. Came up empty-handed. He's like the man who never
existed."
"So
we got nothing?"
McGarrett popped the tape player and put the tape back in
its plastic case, "Take this Danno, and file it.
We've got lots of real cases to work on right now."
The End