The episode opens at Chin's birthday party, featuring a video tribute. Then Chin gets a call supposedly from Sara and runs off, driving away on his bike. McGarrett chases him down, and Chin tells him Sara's adoptive mom Maria called to say Sara had been kidnapped coming home from school. The team gathers at the office and organizes. DEA Agent Navarro tells them not to get the police involved. The kidnappers' burnt car is recovered with a dead kidnapper's body inside. McGarrett goes to confront local drug-lord Raphael Ramirez. Ramirez isn't involved, but advises McGarrett to do exactly what the kidnappers say. Grover and Danny attempt to bribe the man at the morgue then march him at gunpoint. They have Max help them remotely to raise a tattoo. Chin and Hector Morales argue until the phone rings. The kidnappers ask for $1 million, which the Morales don't have. Hector got robbed by the police a few days before. So Chin decides to steal back the money. Ramirez offers to pay the ransom just to get rid of McGarrett, then gives him a detective's name. They storm the police station, then threaten to throw the detective into a cell with prisoners, then he gives up the money. Chin also gets the tapes of Hector back, which he has Kono review.  Kono discovers it's a trap to lure the team down to Mexico. The team takes out the thugs in a firefight. Maria admits that the kidnappers told her to get Five-0 there. The Diego cartel is behind it. Chin takes off on his own to trade himself for Sara. Chin is taken away by the kidnappers and left his badge behind.