Our story begins five years ago

Clifton was running out of time. Another look at his watch, another second wasted. But the sweat was dripping into his eyes, so he had to take a break, if only for a moment or two.

In that moment he looked up. He was 37 floors up in the sky, held in place by a very unstable window cleaner’s platform. He had been working hard at this job for nearly sixteen years. Washing windows, skyscraper windows, was not as high paying as one would think. But it did pay the bills. But this time the job was for more than money. This time it was to save the life of his child.

For it happened to be that on this day, and for the past seven days before this one, he had been forced to do more than clean windows. This was the new Honolulu Spriten Hotel, and he was ‘supposed’ to be cleaning the windows of Suite 17B. In fact, the windows were being cleaned by him, when he had the time. But, he was also planting a bomb. He knew nothing about bombs, but was given special instruction as how to plant this sleeper bomb so that it would never be detected.

A bogus story here and there to his supervisor, and Clifton was able to spend most of his time on the 37^th story windows. And now, on the eight day of fine-tuning, the bomb was carefully fixed into the super-structure of the building. The special detonator was wired and its very thin antenna was placed just as instructed.

An hour later he arrived home. He had gone bowling after he had finished with the bomb. He had to keep up his regular schedule as to not attract attention. But, at last, it was over.

He entered his home and found his wife waiting impatiently by the phone. Cho-vu, his Chinese wife, was aware of the situation. They had been married for four years, and they had one child. Clifton had always been attracted to Chinese women, and when she approached those many years ago at the dance club, it was a dream come true.

But, now, the dream had turned into a nightmare. Cho-vu was actually an agent of some kind. She had been sent to Hawaii for only one reason, and that was to meet him, and marry him. And, when the time was right, she would bare him a child. A child that would be used to make Clifton do as he was ordered.

He looked at her as he came into the home. He felt disgust for her.

“I’m finished. Where is our daughter?!!” Clifton demanded.

“She is fine Clifton,” Cho-vu replied with a calm voice.

Clifton walked over to her. “You said you would let her go after I did this.”

Cho-vu smiled. She pulled out a gun. “I lied.” She pulled the trigger and Clifton was dead before he hit the ground.

*****

HPD came to the home the next day. They found Clifton, Cho-vu and a little child, all dead. The house had been ransacked, and items stolen. They were the apparent victims of home invasion. Their case was filed, and forgotten. Until…..

FIVE YEARS LATER…THE PRESENT.

Danno dropped a thin file on to Steve McGarrett’s desk. Steve said goodbye to someone on the phone and looked up at Danno.

“Bingo,” Danno said.

Steve picked up the file and read what little info there was on the home invasion at Clifton’s house five years earlier.

“Who is he?” Steve asked.

Chin-Ho Kelly stood beside Danno and spoke. “We did the background check and came across this file.”

Danno took over. “Clifton Thomas cleaned windows at the Spriten for nearly 20 years Steve. He had access to the building for all that time. Then, one day, he and his family are gunned down.”

Chin took over again. “His wife immigrated to Hawaii nearly ten years ago. We did some checking with immigration and with the Chinese embassy. The Chinese can find very little if any information on her past.”

McGarrett flashed them a ‘so what’ look. 

Danno set another file on Steve’s desk. “Clifton Thomas was arrested for DUI sometime back. He was booked and fingerprinted.”

Steve stood up; he knew where this was headed. He walked quickly over to the white chalkboard that contained all the info on the crime they were investigating. The chief clue was the lone fingerprint found on the bomb. Steve pointed at the fingerprint sheet that was at the center of the board.

“They match don’t they?” Steve asked as he snapped his left fingers.

Chin didn’t seem too satisfied though. “Steve, it doesn’t help much. We still have very little to go on.”

Danno nodded in agreement.

Steve smiled back at them. “Perhaps,” he said as he looked at a picture of Clifton and his wife that was in the background file. Then he looked at the headline of the Honolulu Times. The headline was from the early morning paper. 

VICE PRESIDENT AND WIFE KILLED AT SPRITEN

Then he looked back at Danno and Chin-ho. He walked over to his coat jacket, grabbed his suit jacket, and headed toward the door.

“Where are you going Steve?” Danno asked as Steve opened the door. 

Steve looked back at Danno, and said sternly, “The high road to China.”

SCENE FADES TO THE WAVE….HAWAII FIVE-0

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