Two - The Party

The balcony

"This way! You have to see the view!" Hannah yelled over the trance music while she pulled Shailene to the balcony railing. "My God, couldn't you just die living here?!"

Shailene loved the view but hated heights and this balcony was thirty feet above the ground. "Yeahhh, I love it Hannah." She studdered as she stepped back so she could not see down to the ground.

"What's wrong?" Hannah pulled her back to the railing. "I mean just look at the sand! The ocean!" She tried to excite her new friend.

"I...I love it. Really! Just not thrilled about heights, Hannah." Shailene stepped back again to lose that uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. Then she notice another new friend call out to her as she made her way through the crowd.

"Hey Shay! Here you are!" Jordan was enthusiastic. "Whoa! What a freaking view!" She rushed to the railing leaning well over before returning to safety.

"Hey Jordan, be careful!" Shailene cried out. "That's dangerous!" She almost died of embarrassment right there saying those words.

"Come on Shay, it's not that dangerous! There's a pool right down there!" Jordan pointed as she looked to Hannah. "Oh hey!" Up close and personal with the trader.

"Jordan this is Hannah. Hannah, Jordan." Shailene got the feeling she wasn't unadventurous enough as the other two women had a look in their eyes. A look that said, 'I'm into you', leaving the young student feeling awkward.

"Hey Hannah!" Jordan smiled as she snugged into Shailene to keep her hanging around.

"Jordan?" Hannah studied the young woman in front of her. "Where are you from?" Hannah knew she did not invite Jordan to the party.

"Jacksonville. Why?" Jordan smiled.

"Do you go to college?" Hannah wanted to know how she got her invite.

"Nope. I guess I was never smart enough." Jordan smiled. "But I feel smarter just being here!" She raised her hands and spun around. "Whoa, I can't do that!" Her feet got tangled.

Shailene caught her as she stumbled close to the railing. "Watch out!" The girl was surprised by Jordan's muscular body but hesitated to say anything.

Hannah had more questions for Jordan. "Hey, who invited you to the party?"

"What? Why would that matter?" Jordan smiled.

"Everyone was invited. I was invited by the rich dude that rented the place. I invited Shailene." Hannah approached Jordan with suspicion.

"Oh." Jordan blew a raspberry. "Connor, that nut, invited me! Do you know Connor?"

"Yeah, I know Connor. Cute, but nothing up here!" Hannah pointed to her head.

"That's, Connor. I think he invited a ton of girls so he could get lucky at least once!" Jordan just laughed.

"Really? He did that just to get lucky?" Shailene frowned.

"You'd be surprised at what guys would do to get lucky, Shay!" Jordan shook her head. "It's all in the numbers, girl!"

"Yeah, it's all a numbers game." Hannah agreed with Jordan but not for the same reasons as she looked up to the HD security camera. "If you will excuse me, I have to check on some friends."

"See ya, Hannah!" Shailene enthusiastically waved.

"Hey, Hannah?" Jordan quipped, Hannah turned back. "Wanna jump into the pool later?" She tilted her head. "From here." She grabbed the railing.

"You are as crazy as Connor!" Hannah laughed. "I might just take you up on that! Later, Ladies!" She disappeared into the crowd leaving Jordan and Shailene with thirty others on the balcony.

Shailene pulled on Jordan's arm. "There's no way you are gonna jump into the pool from up here! Are you on a suicide mission, Jordan?"

"The odds are pretty good I would survive the jump. Though I am not sure you will survive the night, Shay." Jordan looked seriously at the college student.

"Survive what? The party?" Shailene knew she was not a partier but thought she could make it through this party.

Jordan leaned against the railing while she continued the serious look. "This is not your typical spring break party, Shay. And Hannah is not your friend."

"Hannah invited me. I've known Hannah longer than I've known you." Shailene fought back.

"And the only thing she has ever talked to you about was this damn party. Am I right?" Jordan gave a chagrined look and continued. "You never had a class with her. Ever have coffee at a Starbucks together?"

Shailene folded her arms against her body in a defensive posture. "I have known her for six weeks and I only met you today!"

"Yes, there was a reason for both. Want to know why, Shay?" Jordan looked at the young girl with a loneliness in her eyes.

Shailene looked away knowing she was naive in most respects of life. She really has not experienced life outside the dorm for the year. Extra study groups, the physics club and the lack of a social life has brought her to this party. She looked back, "why?"

The two young woman stood facing one another three feet apart. "First, Hannah. She is not who she appears to be. She is not a friend and she has never said she was. She lures young people to parties like these. Both guys and girls but mostly girls. Scared yet?"

Shailene was silent though she was beginning to look a little frightened. "Go on." She felt the need to grow up. A need to face the world. Jordan hesitated but she urged her to continue. "Go on, Jordan."

"She is the new predator and do not feel guilty about falling for her little ploys to get you here." Jordan turned Shailene to the crowd. "She lured the most students to the party. What she does is fulfills contracts for human traffickers."

Shailene almost fainted right there. Her legs were weak and Jordan steadied her. "Human trafficking? In the USA? Like, right here?"

"I guess you didn't read the other email we sent you and every other young person in every college across the country, the continent, worldwide." Jordan made her point.

"I get it, Jordan. I deleted that one. I thought is was over the top at the time." Shailene admitted to not heeding the warning. "I mean human trafficking in the USA! I didn't even bother."

"Really? Windy's gonna have to work on that email." Jordan bit her lip.

"Okay, that's Hannah. Now, who the hell are you? CIA, FBI...homeland..."
Shailene was interrupted by the young leader.

"Homeland security? The same branch that separates families at the border? Those people?" Jordan rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, well your arms feel like steel! I thought you had to be government." Shailene poked Jordan's shoulder. "I hurt myself just poking you!" She shook her finger.

"Ah, okay. Not government. I am actually the leader of a group of people who hunt human traders." Jordan was interupted again.

"Wait a minute! You are no older than I am and you lead a group of people." Shailene scoffed at Jordan. "Yeah, okay! Hah!"

"Okay, good luck tonight." Jordan raised her eyebrows. "Call your parents and tell them you love them. You will not get that chance after this party is over!" She knew she was overly dramatic but it was intended to wake her new friend up to the reality in front of her.

"Hannah was right, you are nutty, girl!" Shailene tried to dismiss Jordan's revelations.

"See ya, Shay. Just a word of advice though. When you are invited into an out of the way room...run!" Jordan was not being overly dramatic now. She was dead serious!

Shailene watched as the only other person she knew at the party disappeared into the growing crowd. She looked at the railing and the sinking feeling set in again forcing her into the crowd.

Trance music played louder now and the partiers used the huge balcony of the beach house as a dance floor. Shailene fought her way through the party goers and into the house. She passed through the huge sliding doors and into the relative safety of the house as her pulse rate dropped again.

With every step taken the young woman's mind was churning. Mulling over what Jordan just unloaded on her. Was this party a huge auction house for the human traffickers? Is Hannah a human trader? She's too gorgeous for that!

Shailene continued to think about Hannah and the way they met. That initial email was so innocent at the time. Hannah said she had very few friends in the city. Her photos were sexy and the parties looked exciting to her.

She continued to think about Hannah and they never did meet for coffee. Their meetings were always quick, either in the cafeteria or the parking lot. Like she was always on the go. And looking back it seemed everyone wanted to talk with her. She never needed a friend.

"Hey, Shailene!" A hand reached through the other bodies to grasp her arm.

"Oh, hey, Hannah!" Shailene closed her eyes and hoped Jordan was truly the crazy one.