Every Breath You Take

by Taylor Lee

  Jake grinned at his companions.

  “Yeah, Peter. That about sums it up.”

  Chapter 17

  Lexie scrubbed at the stage makeup on her face with the corner of a wet washcloth. She smiled at Tiffany in the vanity mirror.

  “I don’t know about you, Tiff, but I don’t think we’ll look all that bad when we’re seventy. I won’t mind the wrinkles but I will need to do some serious work on this hair.” She whipped off the scraggly gray wig and shook out her long blond mane. “There’s got to be something I can put in my hair to keep it from looking like a mangy rat.”

  She scowled at her reflection.

  “How come when men get gray around the temples, it just looks sexy, distinguished? God, can you imagine Jake looking even sexier? I can’t keep my hands off him now.”

  Tiffany jerked off her wig and gave a heartfelt sigh. She ran her hands through her fiery curls and groaned.

  “Dammit, Lexie. I hate to sound like a vain, whining woman. But my hair is my trademark. I like being a redhead! I love the way men and women gawk at me. What will I do when it fades away? When the fire goes out? Maybe by then they’ll have found the fountain of youth. Instead of propping up my boobs with silicon, I’ll take some magic potion that a genius has created that will keep my hair the color that it is.”

  Lexie grinned at her gorgeous friend in the mirror.

  “We’ve got a few years to go, Tiff. As in forty years or so. Tell me it wasn’t fun tonight, seeing the shocked looks on my sources faces when they realized the hag serving them soup was none other than the Blonde Barracuda. By the way, it will take a lot more than age to dampen the fire in you. Let’s make the most of what we’ve got right now.”

  Dragging tight black jeans and a low cut slinky sweater over her curvy body, Tiffany winked.

  “You’re right, Lexie. And I would wear a thousand ugly disguises if it could net the information we got tonight. I still can hardly believe it. You weren’t kidding when you said you had amazing sources in the District.”

  “You’d be surprised what you can find out if you spread enough money around, Red. Of course it helps that the people who give me information have been working with me for years. They trust me.”

  “They admire you, Lexie. I’ve worked undercover most of my professional life. I know how critical sources are. It takes years and money to create reliable snitches. But the people we met tonight are in awe of you. Then, so am I and I just met you.”

  “Thanks, Tiffany. The people who gave us information are as outraged as we are about what’s happening. Even the longtime whores are horrified at the extent of the violence in the District. They were as shocked as we were about the murders of the three girls.”

  Lexie couldn’t hide her excitement and continued breathlessly.

  “Tiffany, do you realize that we may have found the key to bringing down the leaders of this hideous enterprise? I’ve been working the District for three years now and I have never heard what we heard tonight. This is new information, Tiff. My gut is screaming. I just know we are on to something big—very big! I can hardly wait to tell the guys.”

  ~~~

  The men were sitting at the conference table poring over what looked like financial spreadsheets. Jake jumped to his feet when they entered.

  “Well, well, if it isn’t the little old ladies, the octogenarian stars of the illegal nightlife in the District. Come and join us. I know you well enough, Darlin’ to know that look on your face means you are onto something big. And from the excitement dancing in your eyes, I can tell it ain’t about the noodles you sold.”

  Lexie threw her arms around his neck and grinned up at him.

  “You’re right, Jake. I didn’t know how I was going to keep from running over and telling you what I learned. I still can’t believe it.”

  “Sit down, Darlin’. Let’s hear it. God knows we can use a break. First, if the news is as hot as you think it is, does that mean you can toss out all those slutty disguises you have and only wear ‘old lady clothes’ like you did tonight?”

  Lexie sniffed. “Hardly! Besides, I like my slutty outfits. Especially because of the way you growl when I sashay by you. It’s as though you don’t like all those men gawking at your woman’s hot ass…”

  Lexie ducked and ran around the table giggling when Jake growled and chased after her.

  He caught her and whispered in her ear, “I’ll show you later how I feel about those ‘come hither’ costumes of yours. Especially how much fun it is to tear them off of you…”

  Jake plopped her down in the chair next to his.

  “Okay, Darlin’. Let’s hear it. It better be good. These financial reports we’re dissecting are only clouding the issues. We need a breakthrough, dammit.”

  Tiffany’s eyes gleamed.

  “Then you better sit down, all of you. I’m not familiar with all the angles in the San Francisco sex trade, but I know blockbuster information when I see it. That’s what we got from Lexie’s sources tonight.”

  “Everything I’m about to tell you,” Lexie began, “I confirmed with three sources. I heard it first from one of my less reliable snitches. When a third person gave us the same information, I knew that we were on to something big. Particularly when my best source—Master Wan’s ‘business’ friend—confirmed it.”

  Lexie poured herself a glass of water and took a deep breath.

  “A little background. First we already know from Paul Prentiss and others at ICE that most of the foreign girls are entering this country via airplanes. The oversight has been so lax that the syndicate was brazen. They were loading twenty young Asian women onto commercial flights and didn’t worry about getting through customs. All it required was inside help and a big enough payoff to those working the gates. Remember, these were all Asian girls who didn’t speak English and travelled with ‘chaperones’ who were usually burly men.”

  Lexie took a deep swallow of water and then continued.

  “Apparently the work our enforcement agencies have been doing was beginning to have an effect. According to our sources, the sex trade brokers were complaining. If they were proved guilty of human trafficking, many of them ended up in jail. What was supposed to be an easy lucrative transport was becoming dangerous. Another transportation mode needed to be found.

  Lexie could tell by the hushed silence that the men were eager to hear the news. She knew how they felt. It was at this point in her discussions with her sources that she’d begun to know they were on to something. What came next still surprised her.

  “Rather than create a new form of transportation, a transcontinental blimp that was impossible to detect for instance, the traffickers simply took a step back in time. They copied a time-tested mode of transportation and went the way of the vegetable growers.”

  Jake breathed out one word.

  “Trucks.”

  Lexie nodded, while the other men murmured in agreement.

  Jake continued. “Shit. Of course. Long distance trucking is the lifeblood of our economy. Few people realize how critical it is to virtually every sector. Trucks sometimes seem retrograde, given the ability to fly goods and services across the globe. But, like the shipping industry, trucking continues to be a vital form of transportation. Not to undercut your information, Lexie, but trucks have always served illegal purposes particularly in transporting illegal drugs.”

  “Yes they have, Jake. They’ve also played an important role in the human trafficking arena. The syndicates fly their American-bound ‘cargo’ to Canada or South America and then get it across the border any way they can. Automobiles, pickup trucks, on foot and especially in trucks. What’s new about our information is the extent of it and who’s running it. First, the trucks themselves are different. They’re heavy duty tractor trailers that are virtually impervious to technical surveillance. Damn, they even make drug sniffing dogs obsolete. These trucks have been specially engineered to transport human cargo in what you might call ‘humane’ ways. The bod
ies are stacked in containers that let them breathe and excrete, etc., without triggering surveillance monitors. The containers are buried in crates of fruits and vegetables that on the surface are legal and expected. The paperwork is impeccable and the bribes when necessary are hefty. None of the borders have the manpower to inspect every truck. The ones that look as though they are part of major national food suppliers get the least scrutiny. They cultivate a reputation on the borders as legitimate.”

  Lexie sat up straighter in her chair and leaned her forearms on the table. She tried to contain her excitement, to let the men decide if what she was about to say was important. Jake’s encouraging grin indicated that her excitement was contagious.

  “This is when I knew we were on to something. My snitches who work the brothels all confirmed that their bosses were complaining about a new ‘tax’ they had to pay for their girls. Supposedly the higher cost got them ‘better’ girls. The girls were advertised as younger, fresher, ‘straight off the farms.’ According to my sources the girls did seem in better shape when they arrived—but then they should. They cost the brothel owners twenty-five percent more per ‘load.’

  “The brothel owners all agreed to pay the higher prices because the new program had been instituted by someone they were afraid to antagonize. At first I assumed they were talking about the Jopok and their Kkangpae enforcers. But after the third person mentioned the kingpin by name, I knew in my gut it had to be…Mr. E.”

  Lexie sought Peter’s gaze, her voice was low, vibrating with excitement.

  “They called him, ‘Hayan-sek Rhyong’.”

  Peter startled then nodded to her, confirming her find. Turning to the others, he said, “It means White Dragon.” Acknowledging their gasps, he added, “In Korean culture the dragon is both feared and honored. Specifically, honored more out of fear than respect. Lexie is correct. In the context of the information her sources are conveying, they are unquestionably referring to a white man who is viewed as a fearsome dragon.”

  “What else did they say? Did they know him? Had they seen him?” Brady’s expression was eager, clearly wanting more.

  Both Lexie and Tiffany shook their heads.

  Tiffany spoke first. “No. They just whispered the name as though it was someone to be feared. We asked if they knew who he was. But each of them said that they’d never seen him. But they all confirmed that Hayan-sek Rhyong was in charge of bringing the Korean prostitutes to San Francisco.”

  Lexie continued. “My best source, the one most connected to the brothel owners and the pimps, said that none of the brothel owners dared contest the new ‘tax.’ Apparently one brazen fellow complained to some of the other owners. The next morning he was dead and so was his manager and two of their best prostitutes.”

  Jake looked thoughtful.

  “This is excellent news. It confirms that the head of the operation is a white man. It means that we’re on track.” He waved his hand over the financial documents littering the table. “Now if we can just figure out which of these ‘white dragons’ is the culprit—”

  Lexie jumped up from her chair, fairly dancing to the head of the table.

  “But there’s more, Jake. Here’s the reason the information is so critical. Not only did we confirm that the leader—likely our Mr. E—is a white man, we also learned that he is heading up the initiative using the upgraded trucks.”

  Jake agreed. “You’re right, Lexie. Both of those factors are important breakthroughs. Perhaps somewhere in these financials of our prime suspects we can find a line leading to the trucking industry. Don’t misunderstand, Darlin’; your information is incredible. It could prove to be precisely what we need to identify the kingpin. Now what we need are specifics.”

  Lexie and Tiffany exchanged a triumphant glance. Lexie tossed her head, a smug smile curving her lips.

  “I agree. Specifics would be helpful if we are going to nail the bastard.”

  She tipped up her chin and shrugged.

  “For example. Would it help to know the exact time, date and place where the next shipment of girls will arrive?”

  Chapter 18

  “Say it’s true. Please. Stand there and tell me that you two little old ladies serving soup to a bunch of degenerate bar crawlers broke the case?” Brady was on his feet, a disbelieving grin spreading across his face.

  Jake joined him, and rounding the table in three huge steps, he grabbed Lexie and pulled her up close.

  “Damn, Darlin’! Are you for real? This is remarkable news!”

  “I know, Jake. At first the trucks didn’t mean much to me. Like you, I’ve always known that some of the girls were coming in trucks through South America and making their way to the U.S. via Mexico. But when the first person mentioned Hayan-sek Rhyong, my intuition went into overload. When he said it meant ‘White Dragon’ my stomach turned summersaults. I swear, Jake, at that moment, it was as though I could see him, feel him. Now I know what you meant when you said he was so close you could smell him. Tiff and I could hardly contain ourselves as one after another of my sources confirmed that they too had heard of the White Dragon.”

  Tiffany broke in with an encompassing wave around the table.

  “I know you guys know this, but Lexie is brilliant.” Ignoring Lexie’s embarrassed flush, Tiffany continued. “She understood before I did how important the name was. But she went further. She stared at one guy until he began to squirm. Then she flashed some bills and asked, ‘When?’ I didn’t know what she meant but her stoolie did. The guy’s brows shot up and he held out his hand. Lexie shook her head. She repeated: ‘When?’ When he was still silent, she pulled out a whole wad of cash and added, ‘Where?’”

  Tiffany cried in disbelief, “And then I’ll be damned, but he spit out the date, the time and the location of the next ‘shipment’.”

  Everyone at the table jumped to their feet shouting and clapping in approval. Jake grabbed Lexie under her arms and swung her in a dizzying circle. As Lexie shrieked, Brady grabbed her from Jake and danced around the room. He plopped her on her feet and then fell to his knees before her, his arms stretched out in front of him. He bowed three times, his forehead touching the floor.

  “Oh wise and wonderful one, not only do you have a hot ass but you are brilliant and scary as hell. I pity the evil men who stand in your way. They don’t stand a chance!”

  Lexie reveled in their excitement and praise. She was embarrassed but at the same time, gratified. She chuckled to herself. Maybe being on a team wasn’t so bad after all. She snuggled up to Jake who put his arm around her and held her tight. She turned to the others.

  “Okay, you guys. Thank you. And, yes, dammit, I’m glad you see what two girlie fighters dressed as ugly old women can do.” She added, “Oh, and by the way, I’m glad I’m on your team.”

  Jake waited until the laughter and excitement died down then went into commander-mode.

  “Amazing, simply amazing, both of you. Especially you, Lexie. You’ve created a group of informants who are loyal to you. Sure, you pay them well. But they follow you because they admire and respect you. That’s high praise, Darlin’. And the information you got is going to bring this operation to its knees.”

  He turned to Brady and Peter.

  “At least in my mind, our two prime suspects for Mr. E. are Tom Roberts and Craig Spellman. Just because I can’t stand the guy, I’d prefer it’s Spellman but we need more proof. Both of them have the kind of access that would let them run an enterprise this big. And at least from our preliminary findings they both have the financial wherewithal to support it. While Spellman’s fortune is the largest, it seems to have come from Margaret’s family. That much money could easily buy entry into the elite international financial circles. I’m also intrigued by the uptick in Roberts’s finances. He seems to be doing some savvy, umm, investing.”

  Peter nodded. “You’re right, Jake. What we’ve seen so far make either of them possible suspects. In addition to their finances, their positions open si
gnificant doors. Again, Spellman’s agency with its international connections makes him especially interesting.”

  Jake broadened his gaze to include the group. “Peter and I are going to meet with Spellman and Roberts separately. We’re having breakfast with Spellman and then meeting Roberts in his office. Brady, I want you and Lexie and Tiffany to meet with Dan Rourke. We need to bring him into this now. If we’re going to set up a sting that potentially involves his boss, Dan has a right to know. Once you get him on board, we need to put the op in place. If Lexie’s informants are correct—and why the hell wouldn’t they be—we only have five days before the next shipment of girls is delivered.” Jake mopped his hand across his brow and grimaced. “Damn, just think, at the least, we may be able to prevent those deviants from introducing scores of unsuspecting girls into this hideous enterprise.”

  Jake turned to Lexie.

  “We still need to find out why Cynthia changed the meeting place from her office to the Pickled Parrot. I’m not sure it matters all that much but any information that we can garner that throws the dial to either Roberts or Spellman can help. We were able to confirm how the photographs got to Master Wan’s office. He interviewed the household staff and Ming told him that several of the children brought them to her. They saw the package beside a bush on the patio and didn’t know what to do with it. Ming said she saw my name on the envelope and when she couldn’t find me she put the envelope on the conference table knowing that we had a meeting planned.” He shook his head. “Ming talked to the children and asked if any of them remembered someone putting the package there, but no one saw anything. What we do know is that there was a narrow window for them to arrive. Dak-ho was replacing the tiles on the side of the patio for most of the day. He was there until the children started arriving for the afternoon classes.”

  Taking in the group, Jake signaled they were through for the night.