Jack's conspicuous mammoth-size SUV actually worked as perfect camouflage at a tourist hotspot like this—everyone was dressed in flashy Hawaiian shirts and beach shorts, looking like bored rich folks fishing for fun or flirting.
"What exactly is the 'standard procedure'?" Danny asked, staring through the windshield at the RV parked not far away.
Jack recalled his FBI training. "Since we can't confirm whether they've obtained the virus, the standard protocol would be to wait until sunset, after the crowd disperses. Then we'd seal off the area and bring in a professional hazmat response team."
"Sounds good to me. Let the experts handle it," Danny shrugged.
"But the problem is—waiting is a risk in itself. These guys are already paranoid stragglers. The moment they sense something's wrong—or if they see someone in a hazmat suit—they'll probably reach for their weapons without hesitation. I wouldn't be surprised if their armory's stashed inside that RV," Karen pointed out, clearly leaning toward a more aggressive approach.
Hanna's phone pinged with an incoming message. He checked it and frowned. "HQ just sent word—four weeks ago, Gabriel Marshall wired $200,000 to a bank account in Honolulu. That confirms 'ELE' was using Dr. Rachel Horton as a middlewoman to buy the smallpox virus from Brodman. And there's a good chance they've already received it."
"Trying to quietly subdue them now would also be risky," Chen Hao added, scanning the scene. "If the virus is in that RV, and even one of them is bold enough, it'd take nothing more than a homemade explosive to turn it into a disaster. All these tourists nearby—casualties would be unavoidable."
Just then, a deep diesel rumble reached Jack's ears. He looked out through the windshield and spotted a large front-loader doing beach maintenance nearby, shoveling sand from a large mound to spread across the crowded shoreline.
Even natural beaches needed upkeep—removing debris, replenishing clean sand. That loader was in the middle of such a task.
"I think... maybe we don't need to sneak around. Maybe making a big scene would be even more effective," Jack said thoughtfully.
The others followed his gaze, caught sight of the loader, and broke into knowing smiles.
—
That afternoon, beachgoers at Torrance Beach witnessed one of the most bizarre and rare law enforcement operations ever conducted. A massive front-loader, spewing thick black smoke, roared to life and charged at an RV parked near the shore, flipping it over with laughable ease.
Before anyone could even react, several plainclothes federal agents swarmed in with weapons drawn, taking down the suspects inside and outside the vehicle with precision.
Within seconds, patrol cars from the waiting state troopers rolled in, throwing up a perimeter and keeping the gawking tourists at bay.
The entire takedown lasted less than five minutes. But the subsequent search of the RV took nearly two hours.
The hazmat team tore the RV apart—literally turning it inside out. But aside from a cache of firearms and a pile of trash, they found nothing.
—
BAM! BAM! BAM!
"Ah! F**k! You federal dogs!"
BAM! BAM! BAM!
"Stop! Jesus, stop hitting me! F**k!"
BAM! BAM! BAM!
"What the hell do you want from me?! Ask me!"
Hearing the repeated sound of fists pounding flesh and the screams that followed, Danny stared at Jack, wide-eyed. "Are they even allowed to do that?"
Jack, still typing on his laptop without even looking up, replied casually, "Of course not. But who's gonna find out? Hundreds of people just saw that RV flipped like a pancake. A couple broken bones wouldn't be surprising."
He continued scanning data. "Besides, the military has its own prisons. Two months in there, and you heal up real nice."
"You think we could convince the governor to let us build a private prison for Five-O in Hawaii?" Danny asked, half-joking.
Instead of scoffing, Chen Hao actually considered it. "The governor probably wouldn't go for it... but maybe Steve could find a remote bunker on another island."
Jack had always known the Five-O team were a bit... extra. But listening to them now, even he was surprised by just how wild they could get.
NCIS could get away with this because they were technically military. Five-O, on the other hand? Probably just "too far from D.C. to care."
Before long, the interrogation room door swung open. Hanna walked out, rubbing his wrist, still radiating a hint of violence.
"Gabriel Marshall says he never received the virus from Dr. Horton. The handoff was scheduled for tomorrow night. So... we might still have a chance."
"I'm not so sure," Jack said, swiveling his laptop to face them. "Rachel Horton booked a flight to San José, Costa Rica—departure is tomorrow afternoon."
"You're saying... she never planned to hand over the virus to 'ELE' at all?" Danny looked baffled. "What the hell is she trying to do?"
"She scams the militia out of a $200,000 deposit, uses it to pay Brodman, covers the remaining $300,000 herself... then skips town with the virus? Is she trying to reinvent herself as an international bioweapons arms dealer or what?"
"She's not getting out of the country with it," Hanna said firmly. "LAX has already ramped up security."
Jack was about to reply when Karen pushed through the door. "Deeks and Bly just searched Horton's office at the Malibu Cancer Research Center. She's on leave, and the office was completely cleaned out. We also checked her financials—no credit card activity in weeks. She's sold her house, her car... Everything. She's either going into hiding or leaving the country for good."
Hanna led her over to Jack's laptop, his voice low and serious. "Whatever she plans to do with that virus, we've got less than 24 hours to stop her. She's going to act before she tries to leave."
As the room fell silent, Jack cleared his throat, shut the current window, and pulled up a series of scientific journal sites.
"Karen reminded me earlier to try profiling Dr. Horton, so I've been digging into her published work. Based on some of her more... disturbing recent writings, I think I might have figured out what she's after."
Everyone turned to look at him.
Jack held off for just a second longer. "You guys ever heard of the Gaia Hypothesis?"
______
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