Island of Unexpected Shadows

As Director Vance's voice came through the phone, Lucy felt her excitement-filled day take a sharp turn into high gear. "Agent Tara, one of our agents has been injured in a suspicious incident in Kailua, a town just outside of Honolulu. We need your expertise to help investigate." Lucy's mind quickly shifted from relaxation mode to high alert. She could almost picture the file on her agent's injury popping up on her screen at the office, but here she was, on vacation, with no intention of getting pulled back into work. Yet, as a crime scene investigator and an NCIS asset, she couldn't ignore the director's call. "What's the situation?" she asked, mentally preparing herself for the worst. "Agent Malloy was working undercover in Kailua, tracking a potential human trafficking ring. He was supposed to meet a contact at a local beachside bar last night, but something went wrong. He was found this morning with severe injuries, and our local team is stumped. We need someone with your expertise to help analyze the scene and get to the bottom of this." Lucy's grip on her phone tightened as she listened. Human trafficking? That was a case that required every ounce of her expertise. She couldn't just ignore it, no matter how much she had been looking forward to her vacation. "Okay, Director. I'm in. What's the location of the incident?" "The bar is called 'The Wharf.' It's on the waterfront in Kailua. Our team is waiting for you there. Be careful, Lucy. If this is a human trafficking ring, we don't know what kind of people we're dealing with." Lucy nodded, even though the director couldn't see her. She knew the drill. As a CI, she had worked on cases that involved some of the darkest elements of society. This one seemed no different. "I'll be there in 30 minutes," she said, already mentally preparing her gear and herself for what lay ahead. As she hung up the phone, Lucy took a deep breath and scanned her surroundings. The bustling hotel lobby seemed a world away from the darkness she was about to face. She made her way to the taxi stand and called for a cab. The next 30 minutes flew by as she sped through the streets of Honolulu, her mind racing with possibilities. What had happened to Agent Malloy? Who was behind the attack? And what did they have to do with the human trafficking ring? As the taxi pulled up to The Wharf, Lucy could see a group of people in suits and badges gathered outside. They looked like they meant business, and Lucy knew that she was about to get pulled into a case that would challenge everything she thought she knew about the island paradise she was supposed to be enjoying. She paid the driver and stepped out onto the sidewalk, her eyes scanning the scene. This was it. Her vacation was officially over, and her work was just beginning.