by Don Easton
“Tommy eyed us going by,” warned Laura.
“We’ll make it look like you dropped me off,” replied Jack.
Laura switched places with Jack and slowly drove past the house again. She caught a glimpse of several Asian women being ushered inside the garage.
“You can get your head out of my lap now,” she said.
“I don’t know,” replied Jack. “Feels sort of comfortable. Think I’ll take a nap.”
A second later, Jack yelped as Laura twisted his ear and sat up.
“Now what?” she asked.
“Find a good spot to watch with the binos and hope that our Russian friends show up. If they do, I think we should call in the troops and make arrests.”
“And if they don’t?”
“Let’s see what happens,” replied Jack, tersely. “We need the evidence on them, not these peons.”
“You heard what they do to break these women in.”
“I know.”
“Brutally gang raped by Giang and his bunch.”
“Damn it, Laura! Don’t you think I’ve been thinking of that?” said Jack angrily. “Pull over here, it’s a good place to watch,” he added, as he picked up the binoculars.
“We can’t just sit back and let that happen,” she said, letting her own anger boil over as she parked the car.
“What are we supposed to do about it? If we arrest these peons and don’t connect the Russians, they’ll continue to get away with it. They’ll pick other people besides the Trans. There are lots around the globe who are more than willing to deal in human flesh.”
“As long as men support it, there will always be women being victimized,” said Laura. “Jade can identify the Russians as being in Hanoi. If she testified, that should count ...”
“For nothing,” said Jack. “She can’t risk testifying now. Even if she could—so what? Two guys looked at a bunch of pretty woman. There’s nothing to tie them into the business end of this. We need hard evidence. Boats, documents ... maybe someone with the courage to step forward and do what is right ... instead of keeping secrets!”
Laura knew that the rage Jack felt wasn’t directed at her. He’s got the same look on his face as that night in Cuba, when he told me about his family.
“Believe me,” said Jack. “I am not done with Dúc and Giang. But it’s the Russians who are at the top of my list.”
“So you’re going to sacrifice these women, if need be, to catch the Russians.”
Jack sighed and said, “Yes, because in the end, it will save more women.”
“Providing we catch them. Otherwise this sacrifice is for nothing.”
“We will catch them,” said Jack, with determination.
“I don’t like it,” said Laura. “The whole idea sickens me.”
“If it didn’t sicken you, I wouldn’t want you as a partner,” replied Jack. He handed the binoculars to Laura and said, “Cuóng and Tommy are just leaving, but take a look at who just arrived.”
Laura adjusted the binoculars and saw that two mini-vans had arrived. The drivers were walking toward the house.
“We’ve got two of the Tran brothers,” she said. “Thao and Húu.”
Jack swallowed a surge of bile. Where are the Russians ... and where is Dúc?
Jack and Laura watched as the two brothers disappeared inside the house. Thao reappeared by himself and the overhead garage door opened briefly to allow him to back his van inside.
Minutes later, the overhead door opened and he drove away as Húu repeated the process and also drove away shortly after.
“Dividing up the girls,” said Jack. “Maybe Dúc is just late. He’ll probably show up with a van soon. Maybe the Russians will be with him.” Maybe, but not likely ...
Dúc did arrive soon—alone in his car.
Laura looked at Jack and said, “Guess there are no girls left.”
Jack nodded silently, watching as Dúc walked up and knocked on the door.
“Figure he’s here to pay for their storage?” asked Laura.
“Probably. No Russians,” said Jack, feeling depressed. “I bet he already paid them.”
“Maybe we can get a warrant for bank records,” suggested Laura. “See if we can link them and the Russians. Quaile will think a warrant like that is for Commercial Crime.”
“You can try, but I think by the way the Russians throw cash around, you’re not going to find much in the way of a paper trail. This isn’t a Commercial Crime type file.”
“Speaking of that,” said Laura, “it’s eight-thirty. Maybe we should head over to Commercial Crime.”
“Yeah, let’s give it a minute. If Dúc leaves right away, I’d like to follow and see if he does meet with the Russians.”
Dúc spoke briefly with someone at the door before returning to his car. Seconds later, he drove it inside the garage.”
“What’s he doing?” said Jack. “This isn’t his house.”
“Maybe a mistress,” suggested Laura.
Seconds later, the overhead garage door opened again and Dúc drove away.
“We’re following him,” said Jack, as his hopes returned. “Mistress, my ass. There’s nobody with him in the car. He drove inside because he didn’t want anyone to see what he was picking up.”
“Had to be,” said Laura. “He wasn’t in there long enough to be doing anything else.”
Jack smiled and looked at Laura and asked, “What else would a boat bring in from Vietnam?”
“Heroin,” she said.
Jack gave her the thumbs up sign and said, “With Giang now being my new buddy, I could push the dope angle and get him to introduce me to Dúc for that. He might even get more time than he would for being a pimp.”
“I thought Dúc didn’t deal drugs.”
“Everyone says he doesn’t deal coke. My money is riding on heroin.”
The tires squealed as Laura turned a corner and manoeuvred the car through traffic to catch up. Dúc was driving a block ahead of them and was obeying all the traffic regulations.
“He doesn’t want to get stopped,” commented Laura.
“Corporal Taggart, from Commercial Crime,” blared a feminine voice over the police radio.
“Go ahead,” answered Laura, while grabbing the microphone that dangled from the steering column. “He’s listening.”
“Taggart! Where are you!” yelled Quaile into the radio as he nudged the secretary aside.
“Damn it,” said Jack, glancing at Laura. “The asshole decided to drop in on Commercial Crime this morning. He knows we’re not there. Give me the mike.”
“Taggart! Where are you?” asked Quaile, again.
“Sorry, Staff,” answered Jack. “I picked up Laura this morning and then we had car troubles. The engine keeps cutting in and out on us.”
“Park and tell me where you are exactly. I’ll send a tow truck.”
“Shit,” whispered Jack, before thumbing the transmit button again, “We’re just about at the office. It appears to have corrected itself. Probably just condensation in the gas. We’ll be there in fifteen.”
Jack sighed as he met Laura’s gaze. “Yeah, we’ll get to the dope through Giang. Go ahead, better step on it.”
Laura quickly turned the car around and they sped off in the opposite direction.
“Up ahead, Linh!” yelled Dúc. “Look! See it!”
Linh stuck her head out of the trunk into the back seat compartment and looked up at the sign that Dúc pointed at.
Canada–U.S. Border! “I see it! I see it!” she said.
“Pull the seat closed! Quickly!” yelled Dúc.
chapter twenty
Quaile did not wait for Jack and Laura at the Commercial Crime office. He requested—and was granted—an immediate meeting with Isaac.
“Sir, it’s about Taggart,” said Quaile. “He refuses orders and shows a total disregard for others. I just came from a meeting that was to have started an hour ago at Commercial Crime. Taggart was to be there at eight and
as far as I know, he still hasn’t arrived. It’s embarrassing. I radioed him and he said he was having car problems. I’m sure he was lying.”
“He’s late for a meeting and you feel you need to speak to me about it?” asked Isaac.
“There’s more to it than that, sir. I took a call from the Vancouver City Police this morning. They were looking for one of their detectives and believed he might be at our office. It turns out that Taggart has been working on a project that I ordered him to drop weeks ago.”
“That investigation where he went to Costa Rica?” asked Isaac.
“Yes, sir.” Quaile leaned back in the chair, shaking his head. “What a fiasco that was. Taggart now says those two Russians may only be smuggling prostitutes into Canada to work in a couple of Vietnamese massage parlours. I told him to either turn it over to Immigration or City Vice. It is certainly not of the quality of file that I expect our office to engage in.”
“Maybe Corporal Taggart is burnt-out,” said Isaac.
“He seems clueless about what he should be doing. On top of that, he is a bad influence on the people under him. Morale in the office has deteriorated considerably. I respectfully suggest that his time has come.”
Isaac nodded thoughtfully and said, “I agree,” and reached for the telephone. He paused and said, “It’s funny. This isn’t how I thought Corporal Taggart would leave the section.”
“Sir?”
Isaac shook his head and said, “With his history, I expected he would either end up in jail or dead.”
Quaile listened patiently as Isaac talked on the phone. When Isaac hung up he turned to Quaile and said, “It’s done. Have Corporal Taggart report to Inspector Schaff in Staffing immediately.”
Jack and Laura arrived at Commercial Crime just as the meeting ended, so they returned to their own office.
“Got a call from Elaine at Travel King,” said Jack, as he listened to his voice mail. He quickly dialled her number and spoke with her.
“Well?” asked Laura when Jack hung up the phone.
“Moustache Pete and the Fat Man just booked a trip to Vietnam,” he said. “They reserved a room at a place called the Hotel Happy Holiday in Hanoi next Wednesday.”
“Only six days from now,” said Laura.
“They fly out of Vancouver at noon the day before. Takes over twenty hours to get there.”
“They’re arranging another boatload,” said Laura, excitedly.
“For sure. Maybe we can get the Vietnamese police to nail them. I’d rather serve two years in a jail in Canada than one month in a Vietnamese prison. This could turn out really great. I’ll make some calls and see who we can liaise with ...”
“Corporal Taggart,” said Quaile, announcing his arrival into their office.
“Staff, sorry about missing the meeting this morning. We just came from there. I’ve got the minutes of the meeting so ...”
“So can it, Taggart! You’re to report to Inspector Schaff in Staffing immediately. After which, you are to return and empty your desk!”
Jack sat in a stunned silence as his brain flashed random thoughts and images like a remote control changing channels at hyperspeed. The Russians ... not too late ... Laura can do it ... Jade ... the others ... someone has to get them out ... I’ve been caught at something ... what?
“Cat got your tongue, Taggart?”
Jack stood and walked toward the exit, feeling like he was still in a trance. He looked back at his desk and the rows of filing cabinets that he had invested much of his life into filling. Laura looks like she is going to cry ... hope she doesn’t quit. Don’t let the bad guys or the assholes win ...
“By the way,” said Quaile, “did you really believe that I fell for that fake call from Ottawa? For your information, I just played along to see what you were really involved in.” Quaile glanced at his watch and said, “You’d better hurry. I bet the longer you keep Inspector Schaff waiting, the farther north you’ll be sent.”
Jack heard Quaile’s voice behind him as he headed down the corridor. “As for you, Secord, consider yourself on notice! You’re only here still because I know Taggart was a bad influence on you, but ...”
Linh felt the car come to a stop and she heard the overhead garage door close. She clasped her hands in anticipation, waiting for the lid to open.
Will the first face I see be Hang? I think so!
The trunk opened and she saw only Mister Dúc and a big man standing beside him. She smiled politely and tried to hide her disappointment.
“Hello, Linh. I’m Pops,” the big man said, while reaching down to help her out of the trunk.
Linh was too excited to accept help and scrambled out on her own.
“Hello, Mister Pops,” she said, extending her hand.
Pops smiled and shook her hand.
“I am happy to meet you,” she said, pleased that she had memorized the phrase correctly. “Where is Hang?” she asked, breathlessly.
“We’ll talk about that in a moment,” replied Pops. “Come inside.”
Linh followed Pops to the door leading into the house, pausing only to smile politely and wave to Mister Dúc as he left.
“We’ll put your stuff in your bedroom,” said Pops. “Then we will sit in the living room and talk.”
Linh was awed by the sight of her bedroom. She picked the stuffed bear up off the bed and on impulse, gave it a hug before resting it back down with its head on the pillow.
“Are you hungry?” asked Pops. “It is almost lunchtime.”
Linh smiled and said, “Hang is in school!”
Pops stared at her a moment before taking her by the hand and leading her to the living room where they sat on the sofa. “I have some terrible news,” he said.
Linh felt the dread in her heart. “Hang?” she whispered.
“Yes. It is about Hang. She died in an accident. She stepped out from behind a truck parked on the street and was hit by a car. I am so very sorry.”
Linh burst into tears and felt Pops’s arm around her shoulders. She turned and clung to his sweater, burying her face into his chest.
“It happened six weeks ago,” said Pops. “We called your dad to tell him, but you had already left to come here. I feel so bad having to tell you the news. My wife wanted to be here when you arrived, but her mother is in hospital and is very sick.”
Linh continued to cry softly for an hour, before a combination of stress and fatigue allowed her to doze off as she snuggled close to Pops.
“What happened?” asked Laura, as soon as Jack returned.
Jack tried to smile and said, “It’s not all that bad. Lower Mainland Traffic Services in Burnaby. I’m supposed to start Monday.”
“Highway Patrol! This is already Thursday—how can Quaile do that?”
“He couldn’t, which means the big guy wants me out.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I think I’ll take a couple of days’ leave. I’m lucky. It’s not a physical move so it won’t interfere with Natasha’s work.”
“Jack ... I’m sorry. Oh, man,” she said in frustration. “I meant what I said before. I’m giving Staffing a call right now. There’s no way I can work for someone like this. I’d end up putting on coveralls and calling you in the night to bring a shovel.”
“Laura, no,” said Jack. “Please don’t, at least not yet. We’ve come too far on this thing with the Russians to let it drop now. We’re close.”
“You’re the one who is already in with Giang. What can I do by myself? I need—”
“I’ll still be handy to help out when I’m not writing tickets. I could still do the UC on Giang and introduce you, or maybe someone from VPD. The important thing to me is that we finish what we started. I also plan to get our friend in the massage parlour out of there when things do go down.”
“How do you do that without jeopardizing her family? You heard her. If they think she ran away or came to us ... people will die.”
“I figured out a way, but�
��”
“Exactly!” said Laura. “You’re good at this stuff. I can’t do it on my own!”
“You won’t be on your own all the time. I told you I’d help. Promise me you’ll stay on and fight this battle.”
Laura was quiet for a moment, staring down at her desk. When she looked up, she said, “Okay, but then I’m out of here as soon as Moustache Pete and the Fat Man are in jail ... or dead.”
Jack chuckled in spite of how he felt. “Maybe I have been a bad influence on you. You know, there was a time, before I met Natasha, when I would have gladly arranged for these two guys to die. But now I feel like my own life is worth something. I don’t want to lose what I have. I’ve been doing my best to do the right thing. You should, too. Promise me you won’t take any unnecessary risks. Catch these guys by the book. If you were to screw up, I would always blame myself for having started you down that path.”
Laura sighed and reached across and put her hand on top of Jack’s. “I feel awful about all this, but don’t worry about me. I love my husband and I want to be a mom someday. I’ll leave the shovel in the trunk.”
“Good, it’s settled. I’m going to call Natasha,” he added, reaching for his telephone.
“Honey, I’m sorry,” said Natasha, after Jack relayed the news to her. “You were afraid this was going to happen. I guess you were right.”
“It’s okay,” said Jack. “Really. Sure, I’m not exactly ecstatic about it, but just think ... regular shifts. No informants calling in the middle of the night—or when we’re ... you know. I’ve been doing this for seven years. The change may do us both good. Also won’t have to figure out what to wear each day. Hope you love a guy in uniform.”
“I don’t care what you wear,” said Natasha, “as long as you’re the same man underneath.”
“Ah ... you love me naked. That part won’t change.”
“I meant you. What’s in your heart. Which will change if you’re not happy.”
“You’re in my heart. It’s you that makes me happy.”
Natasha remained silent.
“We’ll talk over dinner,” said Jack. “I’ll cook something special, maybe chicken cordon bleu. I’ll pick up a bottle of wine as well. We’ll look at this as a celebration of a more stress-free lifestyle.”
