“Why?”
“He sometimes bring drugs for girls. I no take drugs. Other girls say it help you forget. I never forget. I say drugs ... it help you die.”
“Does Dúc sell drugs?”
“No. Giang do that with other men. Mister Dúc just sell girls.”
“Who is Dúc's boss?”
“Mister Dúc no have boss. Mister Dúc is boss.”
Jack brought out a picture from his jacket pocket. It was of Moustache Pete and the Fat Man. “Do you know these guys?”
Jade looked at the picture, and asked, “How you know these two men? They in Hanoi!”
“They're both from Russia, but now they live in Vancouver. How do you know them?”
“They come and look at me and girls before we leave Hanoi on boat. I not know their names. They just look and then we go to boat. I never see them again.”
Jack felt a rush of adrenalin. Solid lead ... but what good is it if Jade can't testify? Even if we protect her, we still can't protect her family .... “Was Dúc in Hanoi, too?” he asked.
“No. Many other men in Vietnam do work there. Mister Dúc stay in Canada.”
“Dúc lets you send money home?”
“Yes. It is good. Maybe good thing I make much money. My family very poor. Soon they buy house because of me.”
Jack sighed and looked directly into her eyes. “Does your family really believe you are a maid in a hotel?” he asked, skeptically.
Jade's face darkened. She replied, “Other girls send money home. Some peoples talks. Maybe my family
say
they think I in hotel ...” She stopped talking and burst out crying. Between gasps of air she said, “They no believe thatâbut they still take money I send.”
The sound of her crying brought hurried footsteps down the hall. A fist pounded on the door and a Cuóng yelled in Vietnamese.
Jack put his hand behind his back and rested it on the 9mm tucked in his belt.
Jade yelled something in Vietnamese and Jack heard Cuóng laugh and walk away.
“What did you just say?” he asked.
“I tell Cuóng you want me pretend to cry because you are too big inside me. Okay?”
Jack took a moment to take a deep breath and said, “Okay.”
“My family ... know,” continued Jade. “They know I am whore. They never take me backâbut they buy house ... so that is good for me to give to brothers and sisters.”
“I'll figure out a way to get you out of here,” said Jack. “Just give me a little time.”
“No. I need send more money home,” said Jade.
“Jade, you are smart. Think about it. You need to get out of here.”
“No. Too late. I am already a whore. If I go nowâI am still a whore. Only a whore with no money and my family die.”
“You're not ...” Jack paused when he saw that Jade had made up her mind. “Damn it ... do you have access to a phone?”
Jade nodded and said, “Sometimes I pick up lunch for people and bring here. Sometimes I go get laundry for beds.”
“I'll give you my cellphone and home phone numbers. If you need help, call me. There are other ways to make money.”
“Not so much as this,” said Jade.
“
This
is costing you too much,” said Jack.
“Fruit now rotten,” said Jade. “Can never fix now.”
“You're wrong. Think about my offer. If you want out, I will do it in such a manner that nobody will know.”
“How?”
“Do you want out now?”
Jade paused, and shook her head.
“When you do, I'll figure out a way. You work for me and soon Dúc and the two men in the picture will be arrested. Then for sure I will get you out of here safely. Is it a deal?”
Jade sighed and said, “Yes ... I deal.”
“In the meantime, if something happens, or if the Russians show up, let me know.”
“Okay.” Jade looked at the clock on the wall and said,
“Only five minute more. You pay for me ... you want?” she asked hesitantly.
“No!” exclaimed Jack in frustration. “I'm here to help you, not to fuck you.”
Jade threw her arms around Jack's neck and kissed him on the cheek. He was startled and grabbed her arms to fling her off.
Damn it! Doesn't she understand why I'm here?
He heard her sob and knew that she did. He felt guilty that he had misinterpreted.
It was dark and Linh and her fellow passengers were allowed on deck for a chance to walk and breathe in some fresh air. Linh felt the ship shudder and a sense of dread overtook everyone as the ship's engines slowed. The sound of worried voices arose from different clusters of women around the deck.
Dread was soon replaced by excitement as the message spread like the ripples from a rock being tossed in a pond.
We are slowing down on purpose so that tomorrow night it will be dark when we enter Canadian water!
“How did it go?” asked Laura as soon as Jack returned to the car.
“You were gone long enough,” said Pasquali. “Hope you didn't get cold feet and stiffen up in there.”
Jack ignored the comment and said, “I met one of the working girls. She talked.”
Jack relayed everything Jade had told him, including the Russians being in Hanoi.
“Where to from here?” asked Laura, her mind still sickened by what she had just heard.
“I'm going after Giang,” said Jack, bitterly.
“How?” asked Pasquali.
“UC. First, I'll gain his trust on a coke deal. Then play it up that Laura and I are opening a massage parlour. Not here, Dúc wouldn't want the competition. I'll tell him it's in Edmonton and we're looking for Asian girls because they're popular. I'll ask him if he knows anyone or someone who
would want girls to work the circuit for a little variety.”
“Hoping he will lead you to Dúc,” said Pasquali.
“Who might introduce us to the Russians,” finished Laura. “It might work.”
Jack looked at Pasquali and asked, “You once told me that Giang hangs out at either Lucky Lucy's Bar and Grill, Billiard Bill's, or what was that restaurant?”
“The Mekong Palace,” said Pasquali, “But it's closed now. I have to tell you ... Giang isn't too susceptible to a UC. We just tried. Giang wouldn't even talk to our operators.”
“A couple of weeks ago you told me Giang wasn't all that important,” said Jack. “Not worth the price of a bottle of olives for my martinis. What's changed?”
“The assholes, Giang's boys, put the Mekong Palace out of business. The owner was a nice old guy. Worked hard all his life to get his own business, now it's gone.”
“What happened?” asked Jack.
“Xuân, being the sweet fourteen-year-old kid that he is, went in there a couple of weeks ago with some of his buddies. He demanded two hundred and fifty dollars of protection money. The owner refused so the gang terrorized the place and threatened to kill everyone inside.”
“These are kids?” asked Laura.
Pasquali nodded and said, “Xuân, at fourteen, led the bunch. They held a filleting knife to an employee's throat while they robbed the cash register. Xuân shouted,
you play with God; from now on you have to pay five hundred!
He made a waitress kneel on the floor and fired a round from a semi-auto handgun into the floor beside her. The floor was concrete so the bullet fragmented and went everywhere. When they left, they told the owner that if he called the police they would return and kill everyone.”
“What happened?” asked Laura.
“The owner called us. We scooped up Xuân and he's being held. I searched his bedroom myself. The walls were covered with cut-out pictures of guns. Unfortunately for the Mekong Palace, most of the employees quit and customers are now afraid to go there. The owner is trying to sell, but the word is out and nobody is even looking at the place.”
“Was Giang involved?” asked Jack.
“The protection money thing would be right up his alley, but nothing we could prove.”
“I want Giang,” said Jack angrily.
“So do we. As a result of the Mekong Palace we had the narcs do a UC and try to buy coke from him. No luck. Since Xuân got busted Giang is even more paranoid, and if you think Xuân is bad, Giang is even scarier. Wild mood swings. He'll be laughing one second and then go into a rage and slash your throat the next. You know what he did to your CI. He's not the type you can just approach on your own. Our guys had a snitch do an intro and he still wouldn't deal with them.”
“Then I'll get him to approach me,” said Jack. “Do you know what Giang drives?”
“A new Pontiac GTO sports car. Red. Why?”
“Let's take a drive and see if we can find him,” said Jack.
“You got the money on you to buy a kilo of coke?” asked Pasquali. “Giang doesn't deal in the small stuff.”
Jack shook his head and said, “Our boss doesn't want us to work on him so we don't have any budget.”
“Our department can't afford this. Sorry. How the hell can you even approach him?”
“As I said, I'll get him to approach me,” replied Jack. He looked at Laura and asked, “Do you mind giving our narcs a call? See if any operators are working tonight that could spare half an hour to help me?”
“You need an operator?” asked Laura. “What am I?
Chopped liver?”
“Far from it,” replied Jack. “If this works, you'll be needed in Act Three.”
Jack explained his plan as they drove over to Billiard Bill's. The red GTO was not around so they drove back to Vancouver and headed past The Asian Touch and arrived at Lucky Lucy's Bar and Grill farther down the street. They saw the red GTO parked nearby.
Laura learned that a trained undercover operative from Drug Section by the name of Sammy was available.
“Jack, don't do this,” pleaded Pasquali. “They're violent. Knives guaranteed and someone is always packing a piece. They'll slice and dice your ass and feed your body to the rats. I mean that.”
“I'll be in and out before you know it,” said Jack, while taking off his gun and holster and passing it to Laura. He next gave her his police identification.
“Think about this!” snapped Pasquali. “Nailing a pair of Russians for bringing in hookers isn't worth the risk. We'd be lucky if they each got two years in jail.”
“I just met one of the hookers,” said Jack. “It's worth it to me.”
Jack carried a small backpack in one hand as he shoved the door open into Lucky Lucy's. He dropped the backpack on the floor and stumbled as he picked it up before gawking around as his eyes adjusted to the dimly lit room.
Giang, along with about twenty of his cronies, sat at tables near the only pool table. There were no other customers and everyone except Jack was Asian. The only woman in the place worked behind the bar.
The silence that descended and the glares he received
would normally have caused any sober man to turn around and head back out the door.
“Hooray!” yelled Jack, looking at them. “Men! Not lying, forgetful broads who don't remember to treat a guy like how he should be treated!”
Jack turned to the barmaid and yelled, “It's my birthday today! I'm buying a drink for every
man
in this place! Make mine a gin martini.” He paused to regain his balance and said, “Aw, okay sweetie. You're doing the work ... you can have a drink, too.”
Jack tossed a wad of cash on the bar and said, “If it ain't enough, let me know. If it's too much, keep the change.”
He turned to the group of men and shouted, “Sorry guys, I'm not cheap, but I can only stay for one.” He paused and said, “What the hell, I bet you guys don't even speak English.” He made a motion to drink and said, “Birthday!” and gestured with his thumb at his chest.
By a few of the amused looks and a couple of smiles from the men, Jack knew that he was at least temporarily welcome. He sat in a chair at a table that was one table away from where Giang sat and placed the backpack at his feet.
Act One, successfully completed, mused Jack.
Giang's suspicions were aroused seconds later when he heard Jack use his cellphone.
“Sammy! I'm at a place called Lucky Lucy's. Twelve-hundred block on Kingsway. You have twenty minutes or I'm gone. No more jerking around. Now or never!”
Giang studied Jack carefully. He only appeared to be drunk when he came in. He forgot to sound drunk when he made the call.
Out of the corner of his eye, Jack saw Giang whisper to a couple of the men. Their smiles disappeared and one of them reached inside his jacket, but Giang shook his head
and whispered to him again.
Twenty minutes went by and Giang watched as the newcomer slurred his voice and carried on a one-sided friendly banter with those who were enjoying their free drinks. Then the next newcomer strode in.
“Hey, Sammy, over here!” commanded Jack.
To Giang, it was obvious that the man playing the drunken fool was not drunk.
Perhaps a fool, though?
Sammy approached and stood squinting down at Jack as his eyes focused. “You got it?” he asked.
Jack picked up the backpack from off the floor and it landed with a thud as he dropped it on the table in front of him. “You seen it before. It's all here. Now where's the stuff?”
Sammy gave a pertinent little grin and unzipped his jacket.
“You're looking a little thin these days,” said Jack. “I'd say you're down about a kilo from what you should be.”
“You got that right,” snarled Sammy, pulling his jacket back slightly to expose the handle of a pistol shoved in his belt. “Hand it over and keep your hands where I can see 'em!”
The reaction from the men sitting at the tables was instant. Several reached inside their own jackets and in other men's hands, knife blades appeared and were held ready under the tables.
“Sammy, take a look around,” said Jack coolly. “Have you met my friends?”