Authors:
First one head then a second broke through to the surface of the water. The two men had surfaced on the port side of the ship as close to the hull as they could manage. They needed to work quickly in order to climb through an open porthole before they were spotted, hoping that the ship's crew was focused on the scene on the dock.

Danny treaded water as Ben used the crevices in the hull to climb up to the nearest porthole. After checking that there was no one on the other side, Ben used a tool that Danny couldn't see to open the circular window so he could squeeze inside. Once Ben was in, Danny wasted no time in following him though his movements were slightly hindered by the pack he carried.

Once inside, Danny immediately noticed that Ben had his gun out and silencer on, both having stayed dry thanks to a small waterproof bag. Unfortunately, circumstances dictated that Danny be unarmed and he wasn't going to waste time wishing that it was otherwise.

They were in; let the search begin.

"Arrested!" Steve declared. "Are you sure?"

"Dat's what the guard said."

When Steve had returned from his meeting he had gotten hints from Jenny that something was going on at the airport but when Kono called this was the last thing that he was expecting. "See what else you can find."

"Will do, Boss."

Finished, Steve slammed the phone done hard. He could hardly believe the words that had come out of Kono's mouth. Shaking his head, Steve McGarrett stood and looked over at Chin Ho Kelly who had overheard the whole conversation. "Chin, join Kono at the airport."

"Right, Steve."

When the door closed behind Chin, Steve was unable to stand still. Pacing around the room, the detective's thoughts matched the pace of his hurried footsteps. Arrested! That was unthinkable; he couldn't think of anything that Danny could have done that would have called for him to be arrested. No, he must have been set up but by who, how, and why?

Walking over to the French windows, Steve looked outside and inwardly debated his next step. He wanted to immediately get on the phone and get hold of some of his government contacts to find out what was going on but first he needed confirmation that Danny was indeed the man who was arrested. Steve needed to trust that Kono and Chin would find the information they needed at the airport.

Time passed without Steve being aware of it until he was jolted out of his thoughts by the phone ringing. "McGarrett."

"Steve, Chin. I showed a picture of Danny to the security guard. He's positive that Danny was the man who was arrested."

"I hear you, Chin. Stay on it."

After hanging up, Steve quickly dialed the direct line of the person most likely to be able to find him the answers he needed. For once luck on his side as the phone was picked up on the third ring.

"Jonathan Kaye speaking."

"Jonathan, I have a favor to ask."

Jonathan's voice brightened as he figured out who it was he talking to. "What is it, Steve?"

"One of my men, Dan Williams, was arrested this morning without my knowledge. I need to know who, I need to know why and I need you to use your contacts to find out for me."

"I'm sorry to hear that but I'm only responsible for my own little corner of operations."

Steve forced himself not to snap back as he knew an evasion when he heard one. "You have contacts in all of the agencies. Don't tell me that you can't find what happened if you wanted to."

"Steve, I might not be authorized to tell you if I do discover something,"

"You owe me, Jonathan. You owe Danno. How many times has Five-O dropped everything to help you out on your cases? Dan Williams was an essential part of those operations."

Steve heard Jonathan sigh in resignation. "Alright, I'll see what I can do."

Even though Jonathan agreed to help, Steve was not satisfied as he hung up the phone. While this whole thing screamed setup to him, part of Steve wasn't so sure. What was in Danno's past that caused the one of the government agencies to order his arrest?

Danno has spent the past six weeks at an FBI school so that couldn't be it. He had left for the mainland shortly after the Ralston case and Steve couldn't think of anything particular in that case that would have brought this on. In fact, the only recent case Danny had worked on with international consequences was with Wo Fat but if that was the case then Steve should have been the one arrested as he was the one that Wo Fat set up. Getting nowhere, Steve slammed his right hand against his office wall in frustration.

The wall was saved from further acts of destruction when Jenny poked her head into the office. "Steve, there's a gentlemen out here from the FBI. He says his name is Peter Black and that it's imperative that he meet with you."

Immediately, Steve was professional as he walked back to his chair and sat down. "Send him in."

The agent walked into the office and if Steve wasn't busy holding back his temper he would have let out a snort of derision. Peter Black was a middle-aged men dressed in all black with black hair slicked back and dark eyes making Steve doubt that Black was really his name. As Black took a seat across from him, Steve cut straight to the chase. "I would ask you why you're here but I think I know."

Black smiled as he responded, "Your people work fast."

"My men are good at what they do."

"Including Williams?"

"Including Williams."

"Then perhaps you can explain to me why a good man like Mr. Williams would be involved in a terrorist group plotting to set off an explosive device."

Steve leaned forward, staring straight into Black's eyes. "Putting aside the ridiculous nature of the accusation you just made, my question is why if your agency is convinced of this did they let my detective study explosives at your school?"

"We had our suspicions but we didn't have definitive proof until early this morning."

"You expect me to believe this."

"You don't have a choice. We have financial records and we found pamphlets in his apartments contacting him to this group."

"I would be interested to know who placed those materials there."

Black inclined his head toward Steve. "I suspect you would."

There was something about Black's response that convinced Steve that the agent didn't believe that Danny was any more guilty of what he was accusing him of then Steve did. "Quit the games, Mr. Black. Why are you really here?"

The agent smirked and leaned back is his chair. "Why, McGarrett, it seems like your reputation is well deserved."

It took every ounce of willpower that Steve had to keep him leaping across his desk and strangling the man. "Get to your point."

"We have received word from our agents in Asia that there a new major crime syndicate is forming in Singapore. The word is they are planning to use Honolulu as their main port to smuggle goods into this country."

"I don't see what this has to do with the arrest of my detective."

"We are low on manpower at the moment and would like you to go to Singapore and investigate this new group and we'll take another look at the charges against your detective."

"I don't take very well to being threatened," Steve growled.

"Don't think of it as a threat, Mr. McGarrett. Think of it as mutual exchange of favors. You find the information we need and we'll find the information needed to clear your detective's name."

"You could have just asked," Steve stated through gritted teeth.

"Would have you agreed?"

Would have he? Quickly thinking it over Steve knew what the answer had to be for with Danno gone for so long Five-O was too backed up for him to done anything more than investigate on the local end. "No," he answered truthfully.

"Then you understand why we needed to go to these…unorthodox means."

"You expect me to believe that I am the most qualified man for this task, that you don't have men who are capable of handling this investigation."

"At the moment, yes, you are the best option we have. Besides, working with us will also help out Hawaii. I doubt you would want another crime syndicate moving in."

"And if I say no?" Steve asked even though he already knew the answer.

"We have all the 'proof' we need to convict Williams."

Steve could feel his temper rising with every word that Black said. "I won't let you send Danny to prison."

"Prison? McGarrett, I don't think you fully understand the situation. Federal law allows for stricter penalties than those available in the state of Hawaii."

There were no ways for Steve to respond civilly to that threat. Jumping to his feet, he made it around to the other side of his desk in two seconds flat while screaming, "Get out!"

Black quickly stood up and backed up to the door. "McGarrett…"

"Out!"

Black raced to the entrance of the outer office and then looked back at the raging detective. "You're not doing Williams any good by refusing to cooperate, McGarrett," the agent called out before disappearing from sight.

Chin heard Steve's voice long before he reached the Five-O office. Pausing a moment at the outer door, Chin gestured towards Kono suggesting that he lead the way into the room. "Don't look at me, Bruddah" the Hawaiian detective said.

Sighing, Chin pushed open the door and quickly saw through the open door into Steve's office that the Boss was yelling into a phone and it didn't take much deductive reasoning to figure out why.

"Jonathan, they can't do this. Legally, they have no right to swoop in here and ignore all laws."

As Chin walked toward his boss, he met the concerned eyes of Jenny Sherman and shook his head, signaling to her that he had nothing that would help get Danny back.

Steve was still going strong. "I not going to stand by and let some rogue agent use Danno to force me to respond. I don't make deals with criminals, not even those who hide behind a badge."

Jenny leaned towards Chin and whispered, "He been screaming at the phone for the past ten minutes. Chin winced, knowing that Jonathan Kaye was someone who would support them if he could and, no matter how supportive someone was, Steve was not an easy person to deal with when he was in this mood.

"I don't care whose toes you have to step on or who you have to drag out of bed just get me my detective back." Then slamming down the phone, Steve turned towards the two detectives who entered his office. "What've ya got?"

"Nothin' new, Boss," Kono answered regretfully. "No one could recall the car or give a better description of the men den we already have."

"No word on the street yet," Chin added. "Whoever arrested Danny is going to some lengths to keep it quiet."

"The FBI."

"What?" Chin asked.

"The FBI arrested Danny." Steve clarified and then related the events of his meeting with Peter Black.

"How can they do dis!" Kono exclaimed.

"Because they know they can get away with it, Kono. And unless Jonathan can convince the right people to order Black's team to back off we're going to have a long battle ahead of us."

Shocked, Chin wasn't quite sure what to make of Steve's meeting. "Steve, this doesn't make any sense. They don't need you to go to Singapore."

"You would think so, Chin," Steve stated. "There is definitely something else going on here and I intend to find out what it is."

Kono looked like he was about to respond when Steve's private line starting ringing. Steve hit the speaker button so that they all could listen in. "McGarrett."

"It seems you have friends in high places. The FBI will drop the charges against Williams."

Chin held back a whistle, Jonathan worked faster than he ever could have imagined possible.

Steve, however, wasn't fazed. "When will my detective be released?"

"As soon as you pick him up. You can find him in a house at 402 Manoa Street."

Steve didn't wait for Black to hang up for as soon as the address was spoken the detective sprinted for the door with Chin and Kono right at his heels.

When Danny awoke he found himself lying on a cement floor in the middle of an empty closet, his hands still cuffed together. Slowly memories came back to him as he remembered the arrest and getting into a car. Moving into a sitting position, the detective attempted to gather his thoughts.

But Danny's problem was that too many things didn't make sense. He was arrested by the FBI less then twenty-four hours after leaving their school in Huntsville, Alabama. He was arrested because he had knowledge about explosives, knowledge he had gained at a series of classes run by the FBI. The facts just didn't add up.

Danny couldn't help but wonder if he had fooled by the badge.

A fake badge might explain why he hadn't been booked with proper procedures and was in such an unconventional cell. Shaking his head, Danny tried to tell himself that second guessing his decisions wouldn't have changed the result. The two men had been armed and he hadn't been.

After inspecting his cell and finding it to be crude yet effective, Danny settled down for a long wait. He been arrested before but last time Danny found comfort in the knowledge that Steve, Chin and Kono were doing everything in their power to clear his name. How long would it take for Steve to realize that he was missing? Would the FBI even announce his arrest?

This hadn't been how Danny was planning on spending his first day back in Hawaii.

No sooner than that thought crossed his mind, did Danny hear sounds of movement in the building. Shifting so that he was standing crouched on the balls of his feet, Danny prepared to jump if an opportunity presented itself. However, when the door opened Danny fell back onto his butt in shock.

"Found him," Chin yelled out over his shoulder.

As Steve and Kono rushed to Chin's side, Danny rediscovered his voice. "That was quick."

Steve looked his second-in-command over. "Are you hurt?"

"No," Danny replied as he rose to his feet.

The next several minutes passed by in blur as the cuffs were removed from Danny's wrists and the house where he was held captive was searched. Once Steve was satisfied that the premises was clear he led his newly freed detective to his car. After giving his report, Danny listened quietly as Steve related his encounter with Black.

After thinking the facts over, Danny stated, "Steve, I don't think this was about me."

Steve looked worn. "I'm afraid you're right."

"Why was it so important that you go to Singapore that they threaten you with me to get you to cooperate?"

"I don't know, Danno, but we're going to find out."

Danny had no doubt about that.