S08E10 - “How To Steal A Submarine” - Plot

Act One

A boat is in the middle of the ocean not too far from a large freighter. The boat's captain (Nephi Hannemann) keeps a look out until he sees an expected diver approaching. The captain tells Scott (Darby Hinton) to give the diver a hand. They take the bundle the diver is carrying to open it on deck. As Scott helps the dive up, the captain takes matters into his own hands by shooting the diver three times! Scott tries to stop him but is too late. The captain goes back to the bag revealing canned hams. When a helicopter flies close by, one of the crewmen yells at Orduno, the captain. The helicopter is from the Coast Guard with Orduno telling his crewman who's steering the boat to take a fix and turn it to port when he says. Orduno puts the gun into the bag and ties a red shirt to it: he dumps it overboard out of sight of the helicopter! However, the Coast Guard isn't done: they're going to escort the boat into Kewalo Basin without leaving her.

A Coast Guard cutter shows up to complete the escort mission. McGarrett and Danno are on board the cutter where McGarrett orders them to "heave to". McGarrett and Danno board with McGarrett wanting all their IDs. McGarrett is acting on a tip that there is enough heroin aboard that is worth millions of dollars. Orduno demands a search warrant, which McGarrett gladly hands over. Orduno says he's been clean for two years and they won't find anything but McGarrett is skeptical because Orduno was "just playing footsies" with a freighter. McGarrett suspects the junk "changed hands midstream" because Orduno is a known drug trafficker. However, Danno's search uncovers nothing leaving McGarrett bemused: it doesn't make sense to toss it overboard. An officer hands over the identification of James Scott who McGarrett talks to. He's nervous but says it is just seasickness. McGarrett gives up going back to the cutter after asking Orduno point blank if he tossed the drugs overboard.

An older man (Jack Cassidy) referees a basketball game among some youths. A kid named Wallace tells Mr. Morwood, the older man, he has a phone call. Morwood answers the phone with Orduno calling: Orduno tells him he had to dump the stuff but he knows where it is because they took a fix before dumping it. Morwood isn't pleased but Orduno assures him it will be easy to spot. Orduno brings up another issue: Scott, someone Orduno didn't want to take along. He explains McGarrett boarded the 'Irene Kay' and questioned Scott but dropped it. Orduno needs to study the charts to figure out exactly where he dumped the heroin. Morwood tells him to make the time and that he'll talk to Scott.

Orduno returns to the boat after the call to Morwood threatening Scott if he says one word about him wasting the diver, Scott will be shark bait! Orduno tells Scott not to make them regret taking him aboard this specific run.

In McGarrett's office, he writes points on a map where Orduno's boat was seen by the Coast Guard helicopter and intercepted by the cutter. McGarrett draws a box around the two points covering about six square miles of ocean: somewhere in there the heroin was dropped. "Like finding a needle in a haystack". Danno wonders if it isn't a wild goose chase because the Matusu's captain got a "clean bill of health" from Interpol and even helped them search his ship. McGarrett counters Orduno has a long rap sheet of narcotics busts and charges: he's certain Orduno dumped the drugs overboard. The phone rings: it's Chin reporting a dead diver near the Makai Pier. He's Asian, about 40 with diving suit and tank plus two bullet holes in his back! McGarrett and Danno are on their way.

Act Two

McGarrett and Danno arrive at Makai Pier as the body is being loaded into the ambulance under Doc's (Al Eben) supervision. Chin briefs McGarrett, "Sing Yen. Out of Singapore". Danno notices his papers are in a waterproof bag as McGarrett tells Chin to radio the captain of the Matusu to confirm Sing Yen was a crewmember. He then walks over to Doc who tells him time of death was 14 to 18 hours ago but because he's been in the water, it's hard to pinpoint. McGarrett then goes to Danno and Duke (Herman Wedemeyer) showing him all the gear Sing Yen was wearing when he was pulled from the water. The tank is strange: serial number has filed off, looks brand new and is American-made. McGarrett wants Che (Harry Endo) to try to raise the serial number with acid. He tells Duke to take it to Che and find out who bought it.

Scott returns to his apartment where his roommate (Francis Kamahele) is strumming a guitar. As Scott makes a sandwich, his roommate asks why he doesn't take the job at the cannery but it's not his thing. The roommate also says Nani (Lei Kayahara) left a message to pick her up from work if Scott gets back in time. Scott tosses the sandwich to his roommate and leaves. The phone rings: Morwood is looking for Scott who just walked out on his way to Maui Divers. The roommate offers to take a message but Morwood says he'll call back later.

Che walks into McGarrett's office briefing the slugs taken out of the diver were .45 caliber automatic. He also has something on the tank: serial number "DF Two Seven" with five digits missing. However, "DF" narrows it to one distributor and 15 retailers on Oahu. McGarrett wants Chin to pick up Duke and follow up on the serial numbers.

Scott goes to see his girlfriend Nani where they smooch on the balcony after he tells he's had a lousy day. In the distance, he notices a mini-sub being lowered into the water owned by Maui Divers. Nani explains how it works it's used to pick up coral at the bottom of the ocean. Scott gets excited and leaves telling Nani he has to go talk to Morwood. Nani is confused saying he's not making sense.

Danno finds a .32 caliber revolver aboard Orduno's boat. He says it belongs to one of his men who has a permit for it. McGarrett asks him what he did with the .45 but Orduno denies having a .45. McGarrett also notices there's a missing crewmember asking where he is. Orduno doesn't know but gives his name as Scott.

Scott excitedly tells Morwood about the submarine but Morwood doesn't share his enthusiasm. He talks to Scott about panicking on board Orduno's boat and explains the diver's death was necessary to their plans. Morwood wonders if he misjudged Scott, thinking he really wanted to get ahead. Scott tells him he does want to get ahead using the mini-sub he found as proof. Morwood admits the mini-sub is appealing but gives Scott a ticket for Hilo telling him to be on the plane. It leaves in two hours and he'll let their friend Frank Brannen know he's on the way. Morwood ushers Scott out of the office.

McGarrett and Danno drive through a residential area when Dispatch passes on Scott's address. McGarrett wants him run through the computer and Danno passes on the request before they arrive at the apartment meeting his roommate. Scott arrives at the apartment in time to see McGarrett and Danno standing outside the door and makes a run for it! When climbs down the railing and runs through a yard, there's no way they'll catch him. McGarrett radios an APB for him to be picked up and held for questioning.

Scott returns to the boat harbor and Orduno's boat where Scott begs to be hid. Orduno is extremely unhappy when Scott says the cops are after him and orders to go below deck. Orduno then calls Morwood telling about Scott showing up scared out of his mind. Orduno warned Morwood this would happen with Scott and Five-O will soon be back looking for him at the boat. Orduno tells Morwood only one thing can happen now because he won't take a murder one charge alone. Morwood agrees to "terminate young James' employment with you. Permanently".

Act Three

At Five-O, McGarrett reads over Scott's computer readout: two arrests for possession of narcotics, one while still in high school. Chin catches up saying there's nothing on Scott's APB and Orduno's boat left this morning, about hour ago. The phone rings: it's a commander reporting they haven't found anything. McGarrett tells Chin to bring in Scott's roommate, Pete Akulu, in for questioning.

The phone rings in Morwood's office: it's Nani looking for Scott. Morwood claims he's been out most of the day and probably missed him. She tells him she even tried Orduno's boat but the boat is gone. Morwood tells her not to worry since he's probably on a fishing charter with Orduno. Nani isn't convinced as she hangs up the phone.

In McGarrett's office, Pete tells them Scott talked about Orduno all the time but he never met Orduno personally. Pete goes on saying he's been working for Orduno for about a year and before that he was a cashier at a high school cafeteria. However, school is out and it was Morwood who found the job for Scott with Orduno. McGarrett wants to know more about Morwood, the vice principal of Scott's high school. Pete explains Morwood is like a father to Scott since his parents died and he tells McGarrett about Nani, Scott's girlfriend. Pete is curious about all the questions but McGarrett will let him now once they find Scott.

A group of beach-goers find Scott on the beach but it's too late, he's dead! Later, McGarrett breaks the bad news to Nani. He wants to know who would want to hurt Scott. Danno is there too asking if Scott mentioned Orduno, which Nani says he did sometimes and he didn't like him very much. She tells them she called Morwood when Scott stood her up and he told her Scott was on the boat. McGarrett and Danno find this last bit interesting.

The mini-sub surfaces as Morwood watches as McGarrett and Danno visit Orduno again. They want to know where he was when Scott went "off the cliff". Orduno claims he was out on the water with his two crewmembers able to verify. Danno asks if he was anywhere near Mokulua Cove, which Orduno denies. McGarrett then asks about Morwood shocking Orduno who says he doesn't know Morwood that well, only he comes down looking for jobs for the kids he works with. McGarrett and Danno are skeptical but disembark. Walking to the car, a pattern emerges: everyone involved knows Morwood. McGarrett wants a check on him before paying him a visit.

McGarrett and Danno cut off Morwood as he leaves a grocery store for his apartment. He claims Scott's death has hit him hard and he can't believe Scott would commit suicide, which McGarrett finds strange: suicide hasn't been determined to be cause of death. Morwood backpedals saying he was reading between the lines. Danno hits Morwood where it counts, his salary of $14,000 a year. How is it possible to make multiple trips to the Far East, namely Hong Kong and Singapore, including a pair of occasions where he only spent the night. Morwood claims he was acting as an agent for "several of the garment companies here in the islands" and becomes very defensive. He demands to know why he's being investigated but McGarrett says, "I wasn't under the impression that you were being investigated, Mr. Morwood".

Morwood calls Orduno telling him about his visit from Five-O and they need to make their move now. He tells Orduno to meet him at Maui Divers in a half-hour because they're "going to steal a submarine".

Act Four

McGarrett becomes antsy with no one making any effort to retrieve the junk. Danno muses it's because they know the area is being watched. The phone rings: Duke has a break as they have discovered Sammy Kulu (Allen Okawa) is the one who bought the scuba tank and he's one of Orduno's crewmen. McGarrett tells Duke to dog him. Danno asks if they should pick up Orduno but McGarrett wants to talk to Nani again to figure out who set the whole thing up.

McGarrett and Danno got Nani's apartment where they find Nani nearly overdosed on pills! Walking her around and shoving coffee down her throat, McGarrett is able to revive her enough to answer some questions. They discover Scott was the campus pusher getting his drugs from Morwood. Nani says Morwood was like a father to Scott but McGarrett doesn't care about that. She says Scott wanted to please Morwood and that's what he was talking about when she last saw him and how he had to tell Morwood about the mini-sub.

At the pier, Morwood greets the sub operator (Don Pomes) while standing with Orduno who asks how far down the sub will go: 1200 feet. Orduno is invited down and forces the operator out at gunpoint.

The radio beeps as McGarrett and Danno drive through Honolulu: it's Duke at Oduno's boat but he's not around but the other crewmen are. McGarrett wants them picked up and held for questioning. Meanwhile, Morwood and Orduno take the submarine out as McGarrett and Danno arrive at the pier. They find the operator tied up and gagged and he tells them they stole the sub. McGarrett gets on the radio: he wants a patch to Commander Miller (Robert Harker) at Coast Guard Search and Rescue. The mini-sub makes its way to the drop.

On the surface, three boats and a helicopter drive to the area. Commander Miller tells McGarrett if they're anywhere near the drop zone, sonar will pick up the sub. Morwood and Orduno find the stash he tossed overboard using a robotic arm to pick it up. Orduno places it in the front basket as the Coast Guard picks up their echo. The course appears to be returning to the pier, which tells McGarrett they've made the pick up. He wants percussion charges used to bring the sub up because the water is too shallow in the area the sub is heading along with too many reefs.

The Coast Guard ships circle above tossing percussion charges in the area of the sub. Morwood demands Orduno surface because he refuses to die underwater! Orduno tells him to relax but it's no use as more explosions take place. Morwood pulls a gun on Orduno telling him to surface. Orduno surfaces with the helicopter finding it first. From the cutter, McGarrett tells them to put a line on her. Multiple divers surround the sub as Danno holds a rifle at the ready. The divers find the package in the basket and McGarrett brings on board. When he empties it, the canned hams fall out along with the .45 caliber automatic! He forces Morwood and Orduno to vacate the sub and board the cutter as Danno makes his way from the boat he's on to the cutter. When it's all said and done, Danno holds them as McGarrett opens one of the cans: junk. He shows Morwood the evidence of the junk and .45 saying they're both looking at murder one.