S08E15 - “Deadly Persuasion” - Plot

Act One

An HPD unit patrols at Kern Industrials as a young man (Kario Salem) makes his way across a crane above the building. Inside, a security guard (Donald Bishop) ensures everything is locked. The young man makes it to the roof and to the ventilation shafts, breaking in and crawling through the vents until he finds the room he wants: 'Special Projects'. Laying in wait in the vent above the room, the young man waits for the guard to leave before making his move into the room. Once on the floor, he breaks into a case holding a specific vial in a rectangular container and swaps it for an empty one. He also leaves a card: 'Aloha. Only the guilty need be afraid'. He then leaves the room via another route!

McGarrett is in the governor's office briefing about security for a visiting royal family. Red carpet treatment will be given at the airport and the area will be roped off for security. The governor's secretary walks in due to a call for McGarrett on line three: it's Chin telling him about a call from Mr. Bowman (Wallace Chappell), "a research director at Kern Corporation". Apparently, Bowman has an emergency situation and will only speak to McGarrett. He tells Chin to pick up Danno because he's "finishing up that seminar at the university pretty soon" and to all meet at Kern Corporation.

Danno talks to several Criminology students about law enforcement in general answering various questions. The instructor (George Playdon) wraps it up but the young man who likes climbing cranes wants to ask something and Professor Davis reluctantly agrees. Mr. Stevens poses his question: "Mr. Williams, what is your opinion of the cases where the accused is convicted solely on the basis of circumstantial evidence?" Danno doesn't know how to answer without any specifics. As Stevens is about to possibly share something, Chin walks in telling Danno what happened and they need to go. Danno makes a hasty but polite exit.

At the Kern building, McGarrett peers into the vent shaft as two men in the laboratory tell him they aren't dealing with just a normal robbery. The second man (Ed Sheehan) tells them the missing item is TZ-40, a nerve gas! Bowman calls is "the ultimate weapon" while the second man says a single drop on the skin can cause death within seconds. Meantime, Stevens is messing with the stuff in his apartment! Wearing gloves, he carefully takes the vial from the container drawing some of the agent into a syringe. Back in the lab, the second man tells them the agent is currently in liquid form but if it were to be vaporized an released into a building, everyone would be killed, "the innocent along with the guilty" referring to the card. Stevens withdraws the syringe and placing the original vial back into its shatterproof container. The second man also tells them the security guard found the theft and had run a complete check only 20 minutes beforehand. McGarrett is impressed with the timing as Stevens puts the withdrawn agent into another smaller vial. Bowman informs McGarrett that Captain Leonaka, in charge of plant security, is to fully cooperate with Five-O on this manner. McGarrett hands things off to Danno because the royal family arrives in less than four hours and a final security check has to be made. Meanwhile, Stevens places the smaller vial into a flare module and into a flare gun! He then puts the gun into another case and looks at a picture of a police officer talking to it, knowing he's pulled off his caper thus far.

Stevens sits in his car still talking to the photo in his wallet watching a hunched over man (George Herman) enter the lowbrow apartments. Stevens puts away his wallet taking the case he has out of the car and walking into the apartments.

McGarrett continues running through his final checks at a highway lookout asking about the coverage at the Valley of the Temples. The HPD officer says the area will be covered as Danno radios McGarrett about what they have found in the nerve gas robbery, which isn't much. Danno walked the building with the security guard and the interior access to the roof was still locked with no access from other buildings. They did find ropes in the shafts and Che is working on the forensics but Danno doesn't have much hope. Due to the security rounds, the thief "had to fly" and knew the place "up and down". McGarrett tells him to stay with it as McGarrett keeps up the final checks. After hanging up, Danno tries to move on but his phone rings: it's Harry and Danno isn't over-enthused about hearing from him, even rolling his eyes. When Harry mentions nerve gas, Danno tenses up but remains calm in his voice not letting on to what he knows. Harry, who was the hunched guy entering the apartments, tells him, "only the guilty need be afraid". Danno asks Harry what he has but Harry wants him to go alone to Kalakaua and Lewis so Harry can call him in a half-hour. Danno tries to get Harry to talk but Harry hangs up because Stevens is holding a gun on him! Harry wants to be let go but Stevens isn't budging, cocking the gun to make his point! For now, they wait.

Act Two

Danno shows up at the corner where the pay phone rings and he answers it assuring Harry he's alone. Harry tells him to meet him at the apartments when Danno can get there: about 20 minutes. Stevens is extremely satisfied things are going as he wants since Danno is on his way there.

Danno arrives at the apartments as Stevens watches him park and walk in. As Danno makes his way inside, Stevens attaches a silencer onto the gun he has. Stevens opens the door to Harry's apartment just enough to see Danno enter the apartment Harry gave him to meet. In his own apartment, Harry calls the phone there telling Danno plans have changed! Danno's patience has run out telling Harry to spill it but Harry says, "these people are crazy. They won't stop at anything. I'm gonna leave the island before it happens". Danno is trying to figure out the gibberish and Harry tells him to meet at the airport, specifically the ramp at Gate 22 and to wait on him. Harry warns if Danno isn't there a lot of people will die. Danno isn't amused, slamming the phone and the door on the way out. Stevens is pleased at the progress. Harry is relieved his part is over as Stevens asks him if he believes people can come back from the dead. He shows Harry the picture in his wallet: Sergeant Stevens was a cop and later committed suicide. Stevens the son blames Danno and Harry for killing his father. However, Stevens isn't done, making sure Harry's through in more ways than one by shooting him dead, blaming Danno for it!

HPD later responds to Harry's apartment with the manager (Galen Kam) telling Chin he found Harry "laying there". Duke (Herman Wedemeyer) listens in as the apartment is processed and the manager tells them Danno was looking for Harry leaving five minutes later! Chin thinks that's kind of fast but the manager is sure saying Danno was in a hurry when he left. The manager also tells them Danno is the only one who has been around looking for Harry. As the manger leaves, Duke says, "something weird's happening here". Duke takes off to find Danno and Chin will get more units out to question for witnesses around the premises.

Stevens arrives at the airport as Danno hangs out at the pay phones by the ramp. Stevens arrives at a place where he can see Danno beside another bank of pay phones. Stevens pulls out a piece of paper with multiple numbers on it and he starts dialing. Danno answers the phone as it rings nearby: it's Stevens saying he's a friend of Harry's and "only the guilty need be afraid". Stevens says Harry will be late but they can talk in the meantime. Stevens then screws with Danno telling him he's the head of the organization Harry told him about and wants Danno to pay attention! Stevens goes on to say they have a target picked out and they have spotters all over the airport, so if he tries to leave or make a phone call, they strike. Stevens shows Danno the target: the visiting royal family deplanes from their flight! McGarrett and the governor greet them, as Danno knows he's in deep trouble!

Act Three

The royal family departs the airport as Danno keeps talking to Stevens on the phone. Stevens holds it together confident in his threat reminding Danno it's a versatile weapon and silent. He also has "the element of surprise" on his side but Danno turns the tables telling Stevens if any harm comes to the royal family, they'll hunt him down until Five-O nails him. Stevens then loses it yelling at Danno about hunting people down even when innocent and sounding like he's yelling at someone else! Stevens pulls it together threatening Danno if he tries to contact any other police officers, the royal family will be taken. He instructs Danno to move away from the phones because Harry will be along to tell him what to do next then hangs up. Danno looks around, casually leaving the phones. Once he moves on, Stevens calls the police!

The royal family arrives at the Ilikai Hotel under heavy police escort and a large crowd at the hotel. Once security is in place, McGarrett gives the okay for the royal family to get out of the limousine. He orders everyone inside briefing the colonel (Hans Strasser) as they enter the hotel. He tells him if there is an itinerary change, they will need a six-hour advanced noticed and the family is allowed to roam around the hotel as long as they have an escort. In case of an emergency, there is a command post down the hall and anyone there can help. McGarrett wishes him luck and leaves the hotel in time to receive a radio call from Chin asking him to return to the office as there is something he needs to show McGarrett.

McGarrett returns to his office and Chin slides the gun across his desk with the silencer still attached. HPD found it behind "the hotel" where Harry was killed but there's a lot of bad news attached to it. "Serial number checks out. It's Danny's old service automatic. And the autopsy report says Oakland was killed with a .45". McGarrett says it could be any .45, not necessarily this one but it gets worse as the only prints on it belong to Danno and they're all over it. McGarrett is not amused and is downright worried. Chin tries to help saying he's certain Danno has an explanation but they have to find him: they haven't heard from him for hours. Duke walks in with a "wild" tip: an anonymous tip to HPD says Harry's killer is at the airport waiting for the 6:00 p.m. flight to Los Angeles and it's Danno!

An HPD unit arrives at the airport to pick up Danno who tries to avoid the two officers sent to pick him up. One officer (Gary Miyakawa) identifies him why the second (Harold Iseke) tells him they have orders to bring him in but they can't tell him why. Danno fights back when they try to take him forcefully! Danno agrees to go but only if they send a message to Five-O warning that the royal family is in danger. Stevens sits in awaiting area watching it all go down, happy at the results.

Danno bursts into McGarrett's office asking what the hell! McGarrett tells him to sit down as they have other, bigger problems. He tells Danno about Harry being murdered at about 11:00 a.m. when Danno went to see him. McGarrett already knows that, handing over the murder weapon: Danny's gun!

Act Four

Danno gives his statement into the tape recorder in McGarrett's office realizing now he was dealing with "an organization of one". McGarrett lays it out: the guy steals the nerve gas, gets to Harry forcing him to call Danno, gets Danno to the airport, calls in a flight reservation and tips the police. What's worse, the thief knows Danno will resist due to the threat against the royal family. McGarrett tells Manicote (Glenn Cannon) that the set up is "neat" but Manicote says the whole story is shaky at best. He wants an explanation for the gun as Danno says it was in a trunk and he only took it out to oil it and clean it. Danno points out that, whoever broke into Kern Corporation without leaving a trace, could do the same in his apartment. Manicote tells them honestly, while the evidence is circumstantial: Danno is facing indictment! McGarrett is floored because he considers the evidence "skimpy" but Manicote needs evidence to break up the frame. Danno admits talking to Harry on the phone but he hasn't seen him face-to-face in about three weeks. Danno remembers the phone conversation at the airport and how the guy sounded "crazy" especially after telling him how they were going to nail him. Danno says the idea was that he hunts down people even when they're innocent and how his conscience should be bothering him more. McGarrett keys in on "conscience" as it's rather odd choice of verbiage. Manicote says it's still not enough as they have a psycho loose, missing nerve gas and asking the jury not to indict: it won't cut it and he can't wait to read it in the papers! This gives McGarrett an idea to suppress the story in order to smoke out the psycho. He wants Danno to go through the case files from the last five to six years where Harry was an informant, maybe something will be familiar. Danno asks if he's under arrest: as long as he doesn't run away!

Stevens listens to the news on the radio waiting for the big news on the arrest as Five-O is too high profile to ignore. He freaks out when the newscaster moves on to the weather without any mention throwing the radio against the wall! He then goes to the newspaper machine to find the article but none exists.

McGarrett returns to his office with coffee for Danno and Chin as they pore over the files. The phone rings as McGarrett hands the extension to Danno and tells Chin to start a trace. McGarrett then goes to his phone and picks up: it's Stevens asking why Danno hasn't been arrested yet. McGarrett tells him he has to do better than circumstantial evidence when Stevens yells about people being convicted on just circumstantial evidence, Danno remembers back to the seminar he took part in and the last question of the day. He realizes they're dealing with Sergeant Stevens' son scribbling a note for McGarrett. McGarrett then changes the conversation telling Stevens they had more than circumstantial evidence against his father including some syndicate muscle men who backed up that Sergeant Stevens was taking bribes to pay off gambling debts in the rackets. Stevens doesn't buy it, telling McGarrett he's going to use the nerve gas against the royal family and he and Danno will be blamed for it. After hanging up, Chin has the location where Stevens called from: a phone booth near the Ilikai Hotel. McGarrett then contacts the command center with a new plan.

Stevens takes his case from his car when he sees the royal family leaving the Ilikai. He decides to follow them to the Valley of the Temples where he hides his car on a back road. Stevens sneaks around back and the royal family enters the Byodo-In Temple with their police escorts. Meanwhile, McGarrett, Danno and Chin arrive at the temple finding Stevens' car with Chin checking it out on foot. As they park, Danno pulls out a sniper rifle and bullhorn from the trunk of the Marquis Brougham. They run to the temple as the sergeant inside says they haven't seen Stevens.

Stevens climbs up the roof of the temple with the flare gun as McGarrett and Danno take cover in some brush finally seeing him. Chin joins them with a set of binoculars with McGarrett trying to figure out Stevens' next move. He radios the sergeant inside saying Stevens in on the roof with the nerve gas in a flare gun cartage and they proceed as planned with everyone staying inside the temple with a pair of officers in hazmat suits to go after Stevens. The sergeant tells them not to shoot unless it is necessary to save lives and sends them out. Turns out, the 'royal family' is a group of fakes as Stevens settles onto the roof. McGarrett calls out to him through the bullhorn and Stevens aims the gun straight out. McGarrett tells him he's surrounded as Stevens realizes he has officers on either side of him. McGarrett tells him to come down and he won't be harmed but Danno has an idea: he wants to try to talk Stevens down without any shooting. McGarrett is wary of this idea considering it too dangerous because Danno could be killed in the process along with the HPD team inside, "so is crossing the street". McGarrett reluctantly agrees as Danno hands off the sniper rifle and moves to try to reach Stevens. McGarrett tells Stevens the real royal family was moved to Maui that morning! Once in position, Danno yells up telling him about his dad and how Danno talked to him that day after court. The one thing Sergeant Stevens couldn't do was face his son Brad knowing he failed him as a father. Somehow, Danno gets through as Brad finally surrenders with one of the officers taking the flare gun. Brad collapses as the ordeal is finally over.