Nick began to swear. "Fuck fuck fuck. Goddamn it, I knew today was going to be a fucked up day! Look at my fucking hand! You meathead!"

Detective Reston lowered his gun to defuse the high tension. "You fucking bastard Gennery. This will not end well for you."

Jimmy collected Reston's handgun. Then leaned in to whisper to him. "You better hope Lana is still alive."

"Did you just threaten a cop?"

"I have a feeling you are not one of the good ones...from what I hear," Jimmy responded. "Come on in detective. Have a seat."

Jimmy pointed to a chair as he took the detective's handcuffs. 

"Don't use those, Jimmy," Gennery suggested.

"Jimmy? You know this man, Gennery?" Reston questioned.

"Getting there, Robert. And I know the Nine is dirty. Tell me, how dirty?"

"Fuck you, Gennery."

Jimmy leaned in close for only Reston to hear. "At the very least you are an accessory to kidnapping and if my girlfriend is dead. You will never see the light of day again."

"I could care less about your girlfriend. She was likely a slut and found the first guy to celebrate Carnival with." Reston laughed.

Windy knew Lana and slapped Reston across his face. "That is for Lana. Next time I will let Jimmy hit you."

"Ya, well, fuck you too!"

"You know when one person won't talk, ask someone else." Jimmy walked over to Nick and pulled him from the floor. 

"Arghhhhh!" Nick screamed. 

"Jimmy! Bring it down a notch." Gennery tried to wrangle Jimmy in. "Don't turn into something you are trying to fight."

"We need paramedics, Jimmy." Windy pointed to Billy. 

"Gennery, can you take care of that?" Jimmy looked at the detective. "No, wait."

"Why?" Detective Gennery pulled his phone. "Billy needs help"

"You're right. You better call." Jimmy's mind had been piecing together things as an investigative reporter would. "Okay, Nick, whatever you had going here. It's much bigger than you or Reston here."

"You will never know." Nick held his hand up. "This is nothing."

Jimmy stood in front of Reston and Nick. "Windy, what do you think?"

"I think you're right. This goes beyond precinct Nine, beyond Nick. How far?" Windy turned to detective Gennery. 

"He's got nothing." Reston laughed. 

"He's right, I knew nothing, all this time. I am partially to blame."

"Whatever. These two know more. Don't you, Nick?"

Jimmy first looked at Nick's hand. The loan shark held his hand away from Jimmy. "Don't you fucking touch me again!"

"Fuck you, Nick. Time is running out on my girlfriend." Jimmy grabbed Nick's hand and looked into his eyes. "Tell me where she is."

"Arghhhhhhhhhhhhh! You bastard!"

Jimmy did not relent. "I pull a little more and you will never use it again. Tell me!"

"Jimmy!" Gennery did not approve of Jimmy's method. 

"It is life and death now detective. It is too late to play by the rules. You know it!" Jimmy countered the detective. 

"Nick, I am not going to stop him."

"Gennery, you are dead where you stand!" Reston sneered.

"Yeah, well. Shit happens, doesn't it, Robert?" Gennery shrugged.

"Nick?" Jimmy raised an eyebrow. 

"Fuck you, you dick!"

Jimmy pulled gently on Nick's hand giving the loan shark time to give in. 

"Arghhhhh! You know, this isn't helping! You don't want to know. Trust me."

"Try me." Jimmy looked at Nick. "I'm a big boy."

"It's bigger than you think..."

"Nick..." Reston questioned the tone in his accomplice's voice.

Nick just looked to Reston. "What can these guys do?"

"You don't know these guys! They could be federal agents." 

"These guys?"

"We are not agents. I am looking for my girlfriend. Now talk, damn it!" Jimmy reached for Nick's hand.

Nick pulled his hand back. "Stay the fuck away from me!"

"Well...dirty cop? What do you have to say?"

"I say, fuck you!" Reston smiled. 

"Wrong answer!" Jimmy showed no remorse and threw a left cross that knocked Detective Reston out.

"Okay okay! Goddamn it, Okay!" Nick now feared for his life. "I'll talk! Fuck, I'm dead here or dead later."

"Tell me who I should be looking for!"

"Fromanger has a buyer for people."

"A buyer for people? You mean, women?"

"Women. Men. Children. They will take pretty much anyone under twenty-five."

"Wait a minute. Lana is way over twenty-five."

"Yeah, there's this one guy. He always wants a tall blonde whenever he comes to New Orleans. Fromanger puts the word out and the one who delivers...gets the money. As simple as that."

"Fuck me! What happens to the tall blonde after...after?"

"She joins the others."

"Others?"

"They get taken."

"Taken...where?"

"I don't know."

Jimmy reached for Nick's hand.

"I don't know. I don't know!"

"Come on, Win."

"To the docks?"

"Yeah. That's the only place I can think of where Lana could be."

"You are a crazy fucker!" Nick laughed. "Good luck with that!"

"Win?" Jimmy looked at Windy.

"Oh, I'm in, Jimmy." Windy nodded.

Gennery walked to Jimmy. "You are gonna need to be careful. I am going to take care of these idiots. Call me." He gave Jimmy his business card.

"Alex? Coming with us?"

"Hey, Alex. You still owe me a grand!"

"Yeah, well fuck you!" Alex checked Billy then stood. "I'm going with you two."

"Time to go guys. Before the ambulance gets here." Gennery checked the door. "It's all clear. Go! Wait a minute, no guns! Hand them to me."

Windy wiped her fingerprints from Reno's gun and handed it to Detective Gennery. "I wasn't here."

"I've never seen you before in my life." Gennery nodded. 

Jimmy also wiped Reston's handgun before handing it to Detective Gennery. "I'll call you."

Nick began to laugh. "You guys are crazy! No guns? What are you going to do? Sweet talk them? Good luck with that."

Windy smiled at Nick. "We didn't have any guns when we came here." She raised an eyebrow to Nick.

"Still, crazy!"

THE DOCKS 

Jimmy knew every tick of the clock meant Lana was slipping further away from him. Windy and Alex could see the concern on his face.

Windy pulled her laptop from her bag. Alex shook his head. "You will not get a signal on the bus, Windy."

Windy pulled her cellphone out and tethered a signal. "Yeah, really?" Windy found the layout of the docks. "Alex? Jimmy? Any ideas where to begin?"

"Where ever there are guards," Jimmy spoke as he continued to look out the window of the bus.

Windy looked at Jimmy who looked to be hurting. "Hey, Jimmy?" He looked over. "We'll get her."

Jimmy looked out the window again.

"He is really not looking so hot, Windy." Alex looked at the man who became very quiet on the bus ride to the docks.

"I think I may have something." Windy looked up at Jimmy then looked to Alex.

"What do you have, Windy?" Alex looked at the screen. 

"Right here. It looks as though this would be the easiest place to guard."

"They must have cameras. Don't you think?"

"Good call, Alex!" Windy immediately switched to locating the security cameras. "There appear to be several guarded areas."

"We have to narrow it down, Windy. I think we are running out of time. I'm tired. I watched Billy bleed out..."

"There's Fromanger's office." Windy pointed and Alex looked at the screen. 

"Geesus, that's Killer!" Alex pointed to the security camera footage. 

"Let's check more places. I doubt if Lana will be in his offices." Windy suggested. 

Jimmy took his eyes from the window. "Hey, Win. Let's start there. Is there another way into his offices?" Jimmy moved so he could see the laptop screen. 

"Not much at ground level, Jimmy. But hey, the office building next to Fromanger's."

Jimmy shook his head. "I don't want to jump from building to building. I'm going in the front door." He turned to his new friend. "Alex, can you talk us into a meeting with the big man?" 

"Are you kidding?"

"Fromanger doesn't know what Win and I look like. Try to sell us as human traders."

"Jimmy?" Alex questioned him.

"It's the only way to get close. And like I said before, these guys are not at the top of the food chain."

"And you want Fromanger to believe you are higher up on the food chain?"

"You catch on quick, Alex." Jimmy smiled. "Win, any ideas on our identities?"

"We can be transporters. We can provide identification and passports."

"Then hopefully they give us a tour," Jimmy added. "We're running out of time."

"This is a long shot, Jimmy. I don't know how convincing I'll be." Alex looked to shrink in size. "I'd hate to let the two of you down."

"Relax, Alex. It'll work. Just be confident." Windy added.

"Confidence?" Alex scoffed. 

"We're all dead if you aren't." Jimmy elbowed Alex. 

"No pressure there."

"None at all, Alex." Windy looked at Jimmy with a look that was not filled with confidence.

Jimmy just nodded to show his confidence. 

The three arrived at the docks and headed for Fromanger's offices. They boldly stepped through the front door.

Alex stepped up with confidence and introduced himself. "Alex Beaufort and associates to see Mr. Fromanger."

"You have an appointment?" The secretary knew they did not.

"No, we have not made an appointment but they are only here until tomorrow and I believe Mr. Fromanger would be very interested in their connections."

"Wait here." 

The secretary returned from Fromanger's office. "He'll be right out."

The short man walked from his office with a cigar. "Alex Beaufort, the small-time hood. In debt up to your ears to Nick. I remember you."

"I cleared that debt today."

"Is that a fact? After I introduced him to my friends he settled my debt."

"Is that a fact?"

"Yes. He told us to come down to the docks and run an idea by you."

"Sounds interesting. But I just heard Nick went into the hospital. He needs an operation on his hand."

"Yeah, that was my bad. My handshake was just too much for him."

"Handshake, huh? What kind of business are you in?"

"The delivery service," Windy spoke up.

"And you are?" Fromanger looked Windy over.

"Federal Express." Windy deadpanned.

"What is your specialty?"

"Legal documentation of 'travelers' let's just say."

"You have some skill if you can do that."

Windy just nodded.

"Okay, I need good documentation for a group of people we are getting ready for 'traveling'. Want to check them out?"

"They are close?" Jimmy played it conservatively knowing they would be. 

"Louise, tell Carol and Ray I have gone to storage bay two."

Windy looked at Jimmy. Those were the two men that set Jimmy up in the storage shed and will know who he is. Then the gig will be up.

Fromanger greeted his armed guards before entering the secured building. Once inside more guards greeted their boss. One guard unlocked the entry door and watched the four people walkthrough.

A unique smell began to find its way through the building to their senses. "What the hell is that smell?"

"Alex, that is the smell of money." Fromanger then laughed. "Come on." The man drew from his cigar and pushed his way through yet another set of doors. 

"Oh God, what the hell is that smell?" Jimmy covered his nose. 

"Death, urine, feces...fear." Fromanger laughed again. 

The three were not ready for what they were about to witness. Cages of women. Some women were little more than fifteen. Tired, drained, and half-starved they listed against each other too weak to stand. 

Jimmy's eyes darted from woman to woman searching for Lana. He wanted to scream her name but instead turned to Fromanger. "Where are these women's destinations?"

"Hell!"

"They look as though they are already there." Windy snapped. "You don't need travel documents, you need death certificates!"

"We will lose a few. We always do." Fromanger drew from his cigar. "I lose some money but I'll survive."

"How many do you have?"

"Three hundred, give or take. One last one came in earlier today." Fromanger turned to Windy. "We'll likely need a death certificate for her."

Jimmy tried to keep his cool and suggested something bold. "I should take a headcount."

"Yeah, go for it. See one you like, I'll give you a discount."

"I have a phrase...never touch the merchandise."

"Boy, you are no fun."

Jimmy looked at Windy. "I'm fun, ain't I?"

Windy laughed. "Karaoke Tuesdays."

"You two an item?" Fromanger pointed to Jimmy and Windy.

"We're connected." Jimmy chortled. "I'm gonna count. Alex, you take the far side."

"Yeah." Alex coughed then held his shirt over his nose.

Jimmy started down counting aloud.

One of the women stood and staggered to the front of the cage. "Are you another asshole who is going to ignore us? You fucking prick!"

"Hey. We are here to keep you from harm. Give me a little time."

"Time? We are fucking dying."

"Keep your voice down. I am trying to help." Jimmy continued to look for Lana. In a hushed voice, he called out. "Lana. Lana."

A woman came forward. "You are looking for a woman named Lana?"

Jimmy looked over his shoulder towards Fromanger then back to the young woman. "Yes. I am looking for a woman named Lana. She will be older than you."

"She is here."

Jimmy felt hope until he looked into the young woman's eyes. "What?" 

"She is just two cages down where all the sick are held." 

Jimmy's heart sank as he slowly made his way to the other cage. Each step taken was one he did not want to take. But he didn't have the luxury of taking his time. 

When he reached the cage of the sick his heart dropped seeing the sick women. "Lana!" A few heads slowly moved to his voice. 

The starving women's eyes were sunken and ghost-like. Hope slipped from sight replaced with the reality of death closing in on them. One woman pushed herself up from the concrete floor. 

She could not even speak and found it difficult to open her eyes. She could only manage to point to a body covered by a blanket. Jimmy recognized her blue blouse. 

"Fromanger!" Jimmy's voice reverberated through the storage bay two.