Just like Jack's Fugitive Task Force, the "Five-O" Task Force maintained a pretty laid-back atmosphere. When there wasn't an active case, everyone did their own thing. There was no requirement to stay in the office—just a simple check-in on whereabouts was enough.
The group had just packed up and was getting ready to head out to introduce the "new nephew" to some of the best shrimp dishes in Hawaii when Danny, standing off to the side listening to a voicemail, suddenly turned pale.
"What happened?" Chin asked, concerned. Kono, too, turned to look at him, worry in her eyes.
Danny didn't respond. He immediately pulled out his phone and made a call. "Rachel, where's Grace? Stay there—I'll be there in five minutes."
He ended the call and rushed toward the door. Just as he reached it, he stopped, turned around, and started to head back in—but Jack had already grabbed the keys from his desk.
Instead of handing them over, Jack walked alongside him. "What happened? I'll drive."
"Rachel and Grace were carjacked," Danny said, lips trembling, clearly shaken to the core.
"Are they okay?" Kono and Chin had caught up by now.
"They're at the Honolulu Police Department," Danny said, his voice tight as he forced himself to stay composed. The relief that they were at a police station and not a hospital was palpable.
"I'll follow you," Chin said, pulling out his keys.
Danny's unmarked police vehicle was a silver Chevrolet Camaro—a "muscle car" and the same model that inspired Bumblebee in Transformers. Like Jack's Firebird, it was a two-door with barely usable back seats, fit only for children or petite women. Chin followed in a Ford F-150 also outfitted with hidden police lights.
HPD was close to the Five-O office, and Jack got them there in just under five minutes. Before the car had even fully stopped, Danny jumped out and sprinted toward the building.
By the time Jack parked and entered with Kono and Chin, Danny was already hugging Grace tightly, tears in his eyes.
"Aloha!" Jack greeted the little girl with a warm smile. Grace was adorable, bright-eyed, and sweet-natured. Seeing the tall, handsome man greet her, she immediately reached out for a hug.
Jack picked her up with one arm and, with a flick of his wrist, conjured a lollipop from between his fingers like a magician. Grace squealed with delight and clapped her hands, the fear from earlier completely gone.
He handed Grace off to Kono and nodded at Danny before walking with him toward the woman giving her statement—a beautiful brunette clearly still shaken.
It was easy to see where Grace got her looks. Danny's ex-wife, Rachel, was stunning. Both her appearance and aura gave off a movie-star vibe—almost reminiscent of Sophie Marceau at first glance.
"They had guns. They forced me to open the doors…" Rachel was explaining what had happened to an officer taking her statement.
"You okay?" Danny asked softly, approaching cautiously—still protective of the mother of his child, despite their past.
Rachel's face still bore traces of panic. She looked at Danny with an expression that was difficult to read—part longing for the former center of her world, part hesitation, as though suddenly remembering she now belonged to someone else.
"Ms. Edwards," Chin said, approaching with a senior Asian officer. "HPD recovered your Mercedes. The designer bag was still inside. Cash and credit cards untouched. Nothing appears to be missing."
"That's… very reassuring. Thank you." Rachel forced a smile and nodded politely to both men.
Danny frowned. "Mercedes? You were driving Stan's car?"
Jack hadn't met Rachel before, let alone her new husband. But he remembered Danny mentioning that Rachel had remarried a wealthy businessman named Stan Edwards.
"Yes. He's in Thailand on business, and I sometimes use his car," Rachel replied, puzzled by the question.
Danny glanced at Jack, and the two exchanged a look. Jack could see the doubt in his eyes. He stepped forward and held out a hand to Rachel. "Hello, Ms. Edwards. I'm Jack Tavoller. I believe Danny may have mentioned me."
"Oh, of course. Please, call me Rachel," she said, shaking his hand, surprise on her face. "Danny showed me some old photos of you, but you look completely different now."
Jack had never sent Danny any recent photos, so she must've seen pictures of his pre-crossover "beanpole" self. He gave an awkward smile before gesturing politely.
"Well then, Rachel… I think Danny and I need to speak with you privately."
While he didn't yet have the full picture, it was obvious that something about this carjacking didn't add up.
Sure, Hawaii's crime rate wasn't perfect. Pickpocketing, petty theft, even robberies targeting tourists weren't unheard of—but violent, armed incidents were significantly less common here than on the mainland.
An armed carjacking was serious business. And for the suspects to abandon the car—completely intact, with all valuables untouched—within an hour of the crime? That didn't make sense.
The three stepped aside. Danny rubbed his temples, carefully choosing his words before speaking.
"First off, Rachel, I want to make sure you understand—armed carjacking is a serious felony. Minimum ten years."
He paused to let that settle. "No one takes that kind of risk lightly. If they were after money, they could've shipped your car to Southeast Asia and sold it for at least $20,000. They wouldn't abandon it, and they sure wouldn't leave behind your luxury handbag, your cash, or your credit cards. Do you get what I'm saying?"
Rachel blinked, clearly confused. She turned to Jack, hoping for clarification. "I don't understand… Is he trying to suggest something?"
Jack wasn't in a position to explain further. He didn't know Rachel, and anything he said wouldn't carry weight. So he gestured for Danny to continue.
Danny hesitated, then finally asked, "Has Stan been acting strange lately?"
"No!" Rachel snapped, her tone instantly defensive. Emotion had overridden logic in a heartbeat.
Danny knew his ex-wife too well, which was why he'd been so cautious. "I just think… it's possible someone was trying to send a message. A threat. A warning—that they have the ability to hurt you."
"Stop!" Rachel cut him off, holding up a hand. "Stan is my husband. He's Grace's stepfather. And he's a businessman. He would never be involved in anything illegal."
Her statement was fueled more by emotion than reason. "I just want to take Grace home."
Jack placed a calming hand on Danny's shoulder, stopping him from arguing further. "How about this—we escort Rachel and Grace home first. Then we come back and do a little digging. Just to be safe. Sound fair?"
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