Only people can make a difference.

"Someone must pay you an awful lot of money to do what you do." Jimmy took a step towards the FBI agent.

The agent reacted to Jimmy moving. "Watch it, Mr. Dunn. I will fire on you and your friends. And yes, they pay very well." Kauffman smiled.

Jimmy wanted to keep her talking. "Gennery, ever have contact with Special agent Kauffman? She must be the federal connection that makes this happen."

"I don't recognize her, Jimmy."

"They call me in when the locals can't handle this little operation." Kauffman scoffed. "This is nothing."

"This looks like a pretty big deal to me." Gennery reacted pointing at the cages.

"Don't be so dramatic, Detective." Kauffman laughed. "They're not all from your precious city."

Jimmy watched Kauffman closely. As she fielded questions. "So we are about to get a visit by your friends?" Windy stood in defiance.

"My friends? No. Ex rangers and navy seals." Kauffman continued. "You are only alive by dumbass luck." She turned to Jimmy. "So which are you?"

"Me?" Jimmy gave the 'who me' look.

"Play it stupid if you want. I read the report on you, for what it was worth. There's nothing on you. Were you black ops? Maybe a spy? "

"There is nothing to know. If there were anything, I would not tell you." Jimmy countered.

"Hmmm. Not often does someone escape death as often as you have."

"Doesn't make me anything but lucky."

"Well, Mr. Dunn, you're luck is about to run out." Kauffman smiled. Then someone spoke to the agent through her earpiece. "They are here!"

"Who is here?" Gennery frowned.

Kauffman pointed to the door. "Remove the barricade, Detective."

Gennery attempted to move the piece of furniture. "Jimmy, how the hell did you move this alone?"

Jimmy shrugged then looked to Windy who also moved the same barricade. Jimmy's friend covered her sculpted body. Under the long-sleeved shirt showed a powerful dedicated athlete. 

"Mr. Dunn, help the detective clear the door."

Jimmy looked at Special agent Kauffman and spoke with sarcasm. "You want me to move that piece of crap so they can walk in here and kill me? Are you serious?"

"Do it or your friends die in front of you." The agent raised her gun as if she despised the young girl. "Starting with sweet little Lisa."

"Fuck me!" Jimmy appeared frustrated.

Lisa ran for Jimmy who couldn't believe the woman would do such a thing. Kauffman tracked her with her gun raised. Windy pulled the gun from her jeans and quickly fired. Gennery stumbled back at the sight of what just happened.

"No one shoots a young girl." Windy lowered the handgun. "You survived. Let's call it, dumbass luck." She kicked the gun from the agent to Jimmy. "Pick it up, Jimmy."

Jimmy did as his friend suggested. "Is there another way out of here?"

Gennery composed himself. "I'll make a call."

"To who? The Seventh Precinct didn't come. No ambulances. Who will help us?" Jimmy knew what was happening. The city appeared to believe the hype Precinct Nine spewed believing he was guilty.

"Good point." Gennery conceded.

"I don't want to kill anyone. There's been enough of that." Jimmy dragged the screaming agent to an empty cage. "Doesn't mean I won't hurt anyone."

Jimmy patted down Kauffman, found her backup weapon then handcuffed her to the cage. "Take a look at the girls you helped put here. For what? Money?"

"Fuck you." Kauffman spat at Jimmy.

Jimmy nodded his head. "Classy." He latched the door then locked it.

"Gennery there has to be someone in the city that will believe you. Anyone!" Jimmy tossed the detective the backup weapon the agent had.

"The only one that would never be in on this would be....the mayor!" Gennery quickly called the mayor's office.

The mayor's secretary approached her boss. "Madame Mayor. It is Detective Gennery from precinct Nine."

"Detective Gennery, there is a warrant out for your arrest. Are you coming in without incident?"

"Not a chance, Madame Mayor. I am calling to let you know Precinct Nine is dirty. I have proof. They want Mr. Dunn, his friends, and me dead to cover up their filth."

"Detective. They have shown me evidence that you and you alone are the lone dirty cop at precinct Nine. "

"Then why am I fighting for my life, Madame Mayor? There are about three hundred young women in a warehouse at the docks?"

"That does not prove your innocence, Detective."

Jimmy spoke to his friend. "Win, send the emails to the mayor's office along with photos from here."

"Got it, Jimmy."

"Oh and Win?" The two made eye contact. "Thanks!"

Windy smiled as she took her backpack off. "You must be one lucky guy to have a friend like me."

Jimmy nodded then yelled to the detective. "Gennery, let me talk to the mayor."

The detective handed the cellphone to Jimmy. "Madame Mayor?"

"Who is this?" A frustrated mayor reacted to the new voice.

"You can call me Jimmy. I arrived in your beautiful city for the first time in my life last Friday with my girlfriend, Lana."

"Continue."

"My girlfriend was kidnapped during the parade. Drugged, abused, and died less than an hour ago in a filthy cage here at the docks! Several more young women are about to pass away if they do not get medical attention quickly!"

"How do I believe you...Jimmy?"

"Check your email for the evidence." Jimmy looked to Windy who nodded. "You should be receiving it now."

"You know, Precinct Nine has evidence of you and Detective Gennery conspiring to cover up the Crescent City missing women."

"So you are going to make me defend myself and the young ladies here. I have seen enough death to last me a lifetime."

"What do you suggest...Jimmy?"

"Send your most trusted police and maybe you will get your city back."

"Okay, I will do that and review the email I just received. I promise nothing." The mayor ended the call. "Louise get me precincts one and three on the phone."

Shortly after that call, forty police units with full lights and sirens sped towards the docks. All that witnessed the spectacle knew something big had been set in motion.

News crew vans followed closely behind, anticipating breaking news. Behind the news, crews were ambulances sent in force. The mayor seemed to believe Jimmy and the email sent to her.

Windy, Jimmy, and Gennery barricaded the front doors with more furniture. They left Fromanger and his goons there at the front and moved the young women deeper into the warehouse.

Lisa did not leave Jimmy's side. Though he felt she would be safer with the other girls. Then he heard a loud noise from the huge dock door.

"Win, the loading door!"

Windy ran past Jimmy and got to the power panel to the huge door. She shut the power down and watched as bullets penetrated the heavy door. She yelled to the girls. "Everyone get down!"

Everyone could hear the ricochet of several bullets skipping past. "Fuck me. Win, get against the wall."

Another round of bullets was heard ripping through the heavy metal door.  One skipped twice and hit Windy in the back. She fell to the floor. "Shit!"

Jimmy ran to his ex-girlfriend. "Win!"

She reached up to him. "They got...my laptop!"

Jimmy checked her backpack. "Let's get out of here, Win!"

"No Jimmy, they will not stop. They will get in and they will kill everyone in here. Even Fromanger."

"So what are you suggesting?"

"Get Lisa, protect her like she is your daughter."

Jimmy tilted his head. "What about you? Win?"

"I'll hold them off as long as I can."

"Oh, I don't think so. You are here because of me. You will not play martyr here." Jimmy grabbed her hand.

"I don't need your help, Jimmy. You don't need to be my hero. Go! Get Lisa to a safe place." Windy pointed with conviction. Jimmy got the message. When Windy spoke with a serious tone Jimmy knew she meant business.

"Fuck!" Jimmy wanted both safe. "I'm going. But I will be back!"

Jimmy found Lisa standing at the door of a cage. He picked her up as he ran, pulled her in front of him just in case any bullets skipped further into the warehouse.

Jimmy made it to the utility closet. "Lisa, I need you to stay here."

Tears filled Lisa's eyes. "Noooo! They will kill you!"

"I don't want anything to happen to you!" Jimmy felt it would be the last time he would see her and begged the girl. "You are a brave little lady. Please stay here, Lisa."

She would not release her grip on his shirt. He knelt in front of her. Unexpectedly she hugged him around the neck then pushed Jimmy back. He shut the door more determined than ever to get everyone out alive.

Jimmy began to think. They are after me. If I get out of here, they may follow. I hope they follow me. He rushed to Gennery who tried to peek out a hole in the door.

"Gennery, they want me dead. They need me dead."

"What?"

"Just look at it from their point of view! With me alive, with a name, and with proof I have never been here before they are exposed. They need me dead!"

The detective looked at Jimmy. "So, what are you suggesting?"

"Call the mayor back. Tell her I was killed. Get her to go on TV and say that I had been killed in a shoot-out."

"They ease the pressure here. You and Windy slip out."

"And we find the Captain."

"Jimmy!"

Jimmy looked at the detective. Gennery stood next to the opened door.

"A basement? Check it out!" Jimmy felt a glimmer of hope for everyone.

Gennery returned. "I don't know. There's no way out down there. Anything goes south and they can mow us down."

"You're right. Damn. We need something. The three of us can not hold these guys off." Jimmy felt the hope die a little.

"We don't have much time, Jimmy. I have about twenty rounds and the ankle gun."

Jimmy checked the gun he had. "I have four in this thing. But I have never killed anyone before."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that." Gennery looked at Jimmy but the look did not instill confidence. How could he?

"Win?! Talk to me."

"They are only about a minute from shooting their way in. Anyone been shot?" Windy asked from her hiding spot behind the vertical support.

Jimmy ran down one side then up the middle aisle asking if anyone had been shot. There were very few that responded, they were so weak.

Then it was as if everything outside stopped and there was a loud banging at the front door. Detective Gennery assessed it to be a knock. An unorthodox knock, but a knock rather than someone trying to force their way in.

"Ah, yeah. Who is it?"

"Someone who is going to save your ass. Now open the fucking door!" The mystery guest yelled.

"Jimmy, give me a hand." Gennery looked over his shoulder.

The two removed the barricade, opened the door, and there stood a man in his early seventies. He looked tough as nails and determined to enter the warehouse of horrors.

"Would someone let my wife in the back door?!"

"Your wife?" Jimmy yelled down to his friend. "Win, open the big door. We have a visitor."

Windy shot a look at Jimmy that suggested you better know what you are doing then reluctantly opened the door riddled with holes.

A woman in her late sixties immediately questioned Windy. "Who found this place?"

"Ahhh, we did."

"You and the man named, Jimmy?" She looked Windy over. "Not bad for newbies." The woman holstered both nine-millimeter handguns. "Follow me."

Windy and the anonymous woman walked to the front of the warehouse to meet up with the silver-haired man. Windy kept looking at the woman and appeared to stumble over a body.

"Watch your step, young lady." The older woman caught Windy before she fell. "Honey, how is it that two newbies found this place before we did?"

The older man shrugged. "We are getting old?"