S08E11 - “The Waterfront Steal” - Plot

Act One

A security guard named Charlie (Vince Priore) makes his rounds checked on by an HPD officer. A pair of guys sneaks in via the water as the row up to the dock. They climb onto the dock after the HPD car disappears; the first guy (Ric Marlow) knocks out Charlie stealing his keys. He opens a gate to allow a cargo truck inside the warehouse area. The second guy (Alan Naluai) drags Charlie to a hiding spot as the truck pulls in. The driver of the truck (Richard Hatch) tells his girlfriend (Kathy Beller) to stay put as the three load a bunch of boxes onto the truck.

McGarrett is in the middle of a match with another boxer (Chuck Couch) at a police gym as Danno walks out of a locker room with a friend (Tommy Fujiwara). An officer passes a message to Danno who tells McGarrett the governor is looking for him.

A man named Mendoza (Simon Oakland) rants in the governor's office demanding protection even going so far as pounding the governor's desk! McGarrett enters as the governor tells Mendoza he empathizes with him and the situation. Mendoza doesn't give McGarrett the time of day, rather saying he's glad the governor has called in "professional help". There have been six robberies in the last two months with over $2 million taken. The governor tells McGarrett he's been getting a lot of pressure and Mendoza is gaining a voice that carries all the way to the mainland. The governor wants McGarrett and Five-O to help out HPD, which McGarrett agrees.

At a beach, the couple from the truck enjoy some sun and surf talking about spending the rest of their lives hanging out on the beach. Tommy tells Elena it won't happen because her father has her set up to marry someone with "all money and class". Elena says her father won't run her life but Tommy isn't sure because her father is "too big, too important". They kiss but are interrupted by the first guy from the latest warehouse theft. He tells Tommy to be ready for another hit and to leave Elena at home this time. Elena argues with Tommy about going but he doesn't want to take based on what Harry said. However, Elena wins out with her charm and they go back into the surf.

McGarrett has a pile of HPD files on his desk: the robberies have the gamut of stuff taken and none of it has been recovered. McGarrett assign Chin and Duke (Herman Wedemeyer) to check if the merchandise isn't being shipped out. He puts Danno on going over the case with Luis Kimura who is a friend of his, to see if there are any holes to be filled in.

Tommy and Elena drive to her house: a mansion with a gate. After she calls in, Tommy drives to the house where her father, the man ranting in the governor's office, stands outside seeming to be looking for a fight. Elena tries to introduce them but her father isn't having it, instead asking her where she's been. He demands she stay in the house but she says Tommy and her have a date later. Mendoza makes Tommy leave as he tries to talk to Elena who tells her father he was rude. When she tries to walk into the house, he stops her berating her for staying out at all hours. Mendoza is all about image: "we have a name. We have money. We have something to live up to". Elena sees right through him running into the house while Mendoza gets in his car and drives off.

Danno and Luis, his buddy from the gym, drive down the street going over the case. Luis suggests they stop for a bite to eat but pulls over to a pawnshop first. They enter H. Kaneho Loans where Luis explains his grandfather or great-grandfather left him a ring. Kaneho (David 'Lippy' Espinda) greets Luis, as he was being to worry: Luis is late! As they haggle over the ring, Danno stands back trying not to laugh as Luis tells Kaneho the ring comes from Burma and doesn't want to take less than $50 for it. As Kaneho fills out a redemption slip, Danno looks over a calculator. After the friendly transaction, Luis tells Kaneho he'll be back on payday with Kaneho saying the ring will be waiting. On their way out, Luis says it's always $25 with Kaneho. Tommy walks in as they walk out but becomes nervous recognizing Luis as a cop. Tommy finally asks why he was there with Kaneho explaining Luis is a regular customer.

In McGarrett's office, he's on the phone with Duke as Danno walks in. McGarrett says Duke is striking out and Danno's news isn't better: Luis didn't miss anything. However, Danno would like to look over the HPD files again and McGarrett wonders if he's not onto something, but it's not specific.

A meeting takes place in the governor's office including Mendoza and several other individuals. McGarrett passes out copies of his report concerning the crime rate. The governor is ready to close the meeting but Mendoza makes a big deal of the warehouse robberies and Five-O's involvement in the case. McGarrett explains things aren't settled until the case is closed. Mendoza doesn't want to hear it because several warehouse owners have had to sell to a mainland outfit. McGarrett and the governor try to reel him in but Mendoza goes off about the "general breakdown of law and order" among other things.

At Phoebe's, Tommy tells the second guy it's too soon to hit another warehouse while the second guy retorts it's only a "maybe" and the final call is up to the boss. Outside of Phoebe's, Harry gets out of a car and Mendoza is driving and Tommy recognizes him!

Act Two

Harry sits at the table counting money at Phoebe's as Tommy re-enters the present. When the second guy comments they're hitting awfully fast, Harry says the boss wants it that way in order to make Five-O look foolish. Harry says they hit and 5:30 p.m. and tells them a carton from a steal a few weeks ago was opened and some calculators were missing. He tells them the boss wants those calculators back because they can be traced. This is when Harry notices Tommy hasn't really been paying attention. When Tommy says something about the man in the car Harry warns Tommy he didn't see him and he doesn't know him. Tommy is freaked out but agrees.

Later, Tommy and Elena are making out in his car when he messes up her hair. She asks for a brush, finding one in the glove compartment along with the same type of calculator Danno found in the pawnshop. Tommy tells her it's time to get back but it's early. He finally asks her what her father does but she really doesn't know. She makes him promise to take her along on the next hit and he reluctantly agrees to pick her up at the end of the driveway.

Luis patrols the warehouses on the waterfront as Tommy, Elena and the guys make their hit. Luis stumbles into it but doesn't know it radioing Central he's checking things out at West Island Transfer Company, Warehouse Three begging off backup. Luis walks to the open doors and watches as boxes are loaded onto the truck. Luis yells for them to freeze and Tommy runs for the cab, gut shot in the process. Elena runs to Tommy, the second guy and Luis shoot it out with a front tire being shot out on the truck. Luis makes the second guy walk to a certain position but Harry shoots Luis for inside the warehouse! Running to Tommy, Harry tells them to load Tommy into the other truck on the premises as they split in a hurry. Central radios to Luis but it's too late.

Danno arrives on the scene of the warehouse meeting Chin who briefs it was an HPD officer trying to take the gang alone. He hands Danno the badge as he says Luis' name putting Danno into shock. Chin offers to see what Duke has come up with to snap Danno out of it. They look at the tire with the slug in it and notice a big blood trail, so Luis hit somebody. Meantime, the watchman (Nat Coleman) is brought out but he can't help, as he's still unconscious. McGarrett asks Danno if he wants him to calls Luis' wife but Danno says he'll take care of it. McGarrett also wants Danno to contact Mendoza and get him down to the warehouse.

Harry drives the truck along a dirt road as Tommy barely hangs on in the back. Elena tears a shirt to make a dressing for his wound. Tommy asks where they're going with Elena telling him they're heading for a hospital. Meanwhile, her father shows up at the warehouse being all blustery toward McGarrett who is in no mood to put up with Mendoza's crap. "Look, Mr. Mendoza, you've only lost money. We've lost a policeman's life". It matter not to Mendoza who threatens to go to the governor, which McGarrett dares him to do because he needs information "without any speeches". McGarrett explains they know there was another vehicle on the premises and he wants to know all about it. Mendoza has no idea but tries to look up the logs: he finds it was one of their "rented vans" that was supposed to carry chemicals but the loading was abruptly stopped after six drums were loaded and the truck sat overnight. McGarrett wants a license number and a description.

Harry keeps driving, parking the truck in some high grass. He opens the back with help of the second guy to tell Tommy they're going to grab a car and they'll be back. Tommy tries to get up but it's no use as the door is closed with Harry and the second guy taking off.

In McGarrett's office, he asks if there have been any reports on the guy who was shot but nothing so far. Danno says negative results for the van too. Duke briefs the other truck had a set of plates from another truck that was abandoned a few months ago with lots of prints, but unfortunately they're mostly partials. Duke adds Che Fong (Harry Endo) is working on them. McGarrett tells the team they were stealing medical supplies this time, not something that's easily fenced. He also tells Duke to check out Interpacific Loading and Storage, an outfit Luis came across that bought out the warehouses forced to sell; McGarrett wants to know more about them. The phone rings: the night watchman is well enough to talk.

Harry and the second guy run to a parking lot where Harry tells the second guy to keep the guard busy while he tries "to get to that car" and call Mendoza to tell him they're in trouble. The second guy runs for the guard shack.

The watchman tells McGarrett what he can: his hands and feet were tied and he was blindfolded. He heard voices, shots and a woman scream. Meanwhile at the park, the second guy runs to the phone placing the call as Harry hotwires a car. The second guy tells Mendoza what happened: Tommy's been shot and he'll bleed out. Mendoza tells him to go someplace to hide out so he can make arrangements to get them off the island. The second guy then mentions the girl but before he can give any other details, Harry is speeding around in the stolen car! The second guy jumps in and they take off breaking down the guard arm in the process!

Act Three

Mendoza hangs up the phone when it's obvious he won't get an answer. The maid (Ethel Azama) steps out as Mendoza asks her where Elena is. The maid doesn't know because she hasn't seen her at all that day. Mendoza goes to her bedroom looking for an address book but finds a picture of her and Tommy on the beach instead.

Danno returns to the pawnshop to redeem the ticket for the ring. When he tells Kaneho that Luis won't be in any more, he gives the ring back at no charge. On the way out, Danno notices the calculators again and asks where they came from. Kaneho finally tells him his nephew Tommy brought them in but he doesn't live at home and he doesn't know where Tommy is. Meantime, he and Elena are stuck in the trailer.

At the park, the guard can't help them with the driver but tells the HPD officer about the second guy asking for change to make a phone call. However, the guard can give a description of the car: a 1967 tan Ford.

In McGarrett's office, he runs down that they know Tommy is tied to the robberies and wants Danno to find him. Danno walks out, Duke walks in with information on Interpacific and the person holding controlling interest: Mendoza! McGarrett finds it "curious" that Mendoza has been screaming the loudest yet when his competitors sell out, he's buying them out without any one the wiser. McGarrett wants to know what's in the Interpacific warehouse telling Duke to get a warrant if necessary. The phone buzzes: Jenny (Peggy Ryan) informs McGarrett that Mr. Dorrow (Herb Armstrong) is there to see him. Dorrow is from the Federal Bureau of Standards and he just completed the inspection of chemicals at Mendoza's warehouse. Based on what he found, he's impounding the entire shipment of methylene parathyrite that while diluted is pretty safe but the drums are carrying a concentrate and "12 of them could level a city block" especially if overheated or agitated. Meanwhile in the trailer, Tommy gets worse as the temperature goes up and the six drums begin to leak!

Act Four

Harry and the second guy keep taking off as a motorcycle cop finds them giving chase. They wind up on a beach trying to outrun the motorcycle but wind up crashing on some lava rocks. The car bursts into flames as the motorcycle cop looks on.

In McGarrett's office, he talks to Manicote (Glenn Cannon) about a warrant before looking over a file. Danno walks in some information on Tommy: only a few misdemeanors and he's been spotted with a new girlfriend who is none other than Elena Mendoza! Danno reports she's missing as well as Tommy. McGarrett wonders if it was her that the watchman heard scream rather than a woman. Chin walks in with news of the prints: they "belong to two ex-cons named Harry Opala and Zeno Kahana". Danno says that's the gang but McGarrett wants to know the brains behind it, as the others are the muscle. Chin puts it out that Mendoza is the brains with McGarrett arriving to the same conclusion. Chin says it's possible because Mendoza is calling all over town trying to find Harry and Zeno. McGarrett takes Chin as he tells Danno to follow up with Duke on the warehouse.

McGarrett and Chin arrive at Mendoza's where the maid leads McGarrett to Mendoza as he tries to track down his guys. McGarrett asks him why he's trying to track them down with Mendoza saying they work for him. McGarrett gives him the bad news: Harry and Zeno were involved in the last robbery on Mendoza's warehouse! It gets worse for Mendoza as McGarrett tells him they know about Interpacific and his plan to control the waterfront by swallowing up all the competition and being the mastermind behind the robberies. He included his own warehouses to "avoid suspicion". Chin walks in with more bad news: Harry and Zeno are dead after wrecking a stolen car but Tommy wasn't with them. McGarrett says this would indicate Tommy's the one who was shot and he's probably in the missing van. He then asks where Elena is with Mendoza saying she hasn't been home all night. McGarrett gives Mendoza a dire warning: he helps them or he won't see Elena alive again because the drums in the missing van could blow them to bits.

In the trailer, Tommy struggles to breathe as Elena tries to keep him still as the drums continue to leak and the temperature climbs. McGarrett, Chin and Mendoza are on the road trying to figure out where the missing truck is. McGarrett tells all units to start at Sea Life Park and fan out from there including the helicopter unit that carries Danno. Danno radios McGarrett reporting Duke found all the stolen merchandise in the Interpacific warehouse, which does not surprise McGarrett. Mendoza knows he's been caught. Meanwhile, the helicopter has located the truck but no sign of Tommy or Elena, so they must be inside. An ambulance is en route as Danno gives the location of the truck to McGarrett who tells everyone they need to get them out before the trailer blows up. McGarrett finds the truck telling Chin to keep Mendoza at the car while he runs to the trailer to get Tommy and Elena out. Just in time, McGarrett and Chin rescue the kids as the barrels begin to explode. The ambulance arrives with Danno right behind it. Mendoza tries to hang on to Elena as Tommy is loaded but she breaks free going to the ambulance. McGarrett tells Chin to go with them as they're both under arrest but Mendoza tries to plead due to Elena's age but it doesn't work. McGarrett says, "book 'em, Danno" as Mendoza is arrested as well. As Danno leads him away, McGarrett asks for a patch to the governor's office.