Chapter 4
“There are more girls at some kind of sex club in Los Angeles.” Kam pushed through the door of the Drunken Pig, a hole-in-the-wall owned by two former San Diego street cops and frequented by law enforcement.
After what she’d seen and heard over the past forty-eight hours, she needed a drink.
Maybe two. Spying two uniforms leaving, she swooped in and grabbed the table.
By the time Jeremy sat down across from her, the waitress was already there picking up the empties and wiping away the sweat rings. “What can I get ya?”
“Two porters. Drafts.” Kam said without looking at the woman.
She and Jeremy had instantly bonded over their love of dark beer when she moved to the San Diego office four months ago.
In a quick sweep of the room, she cataloged everyone, identifying probable rank, police or agency, and possible threats.
Since this well-worn bar had become their favorite after-work pit stop, she knew every exit but double-checked just in case something had changed in the past week.
“There were rumblings that the San Diego Police Department were chomping at the bit to get the story of the bust at Miss Nami’s into the press. Like most PDs, they’re looking for any kind of positive news they can find.” Jeremy’s gaze continued to scan the relatively crowded bar.
“Let ‘em.” Kam had too much work to do to patronize the press. Besides, she hated any kind of attention drawn to her. From the moment she’d arrived, she’d felt the undercurrents of discontent.
She knew when she accepted the job, she’d been chosen over several men who had been with the department for nearly twenty years.
But she’d worked hard her entire career.
“You know the chief isn’t going to let it slide that his new Senior Agent in Charge of Security Investigations for Human Trafficking, one of the first women in the nation to hold such an impressive position, has only been here a few weeks and has already made one of the biggest busts in the entire United States.
” He nodded to her swollen cheek that looked more like a plum as the sun continued to set. “How are the ribs?”
She chuckled. “Better than the knees. When I took that fucking bouncer down in the parking lot, I should have thought about the asphalt and let somebody else do it.”
“Nope.” Jeremy shook his head side to side. “You had to prove to this team that you could hold your own in a fight. He was the perfect choice. Hell, I was even impressed by you. He had to outweigh you by a hundred or more pounds of pure muscle.”
When she grinned back at him her cheek ached. “You need to come take my Brazilian jujitsu class. Back east, it’s all the rage with anyone in law enforcement. I had nearly thirty people at my class the other night.”
“I can’t believe you found someplace to teach so quickly.”
Kam couldn’t either. After driving cross-country for three days, she needed to expend some energy and found martial arts classes being taught at a kung fu studio a few blocks from her new apartment. One mention of her black belt in Brazilian jujitsu and the owner saw dollar signs.
“Thanks, Sally.” Jeremy gave the waitress a small smile as she sat two beer mugs on the table.
He was so damn good at being nice that it sometimes rubbed Kam the wrong way.
Her mother had drilled manners into her and her two brothers, but it seemed as though the more focused she became on her job, the more she forgot the simple words.
She made a promise to herself to do better.
“So, are we eating tonight or just drinking?” The middle-aged woman’s gaze ping-ponged from Kam to Jeremy.
“I’ll be eating when the girls get here.” She lifted her glass and recognized their waitress as the wife of one of the owners, but she couldn’t remember which one. “Until then, my partner and I need to debrief.”
Sally stared at Kam’s shiner for a few seconds. “Debrief, or decompress? I’ll bring some ice for the eye. You’re too pretty, sweetie, to look like a street fighter.”
Jeremy didn’t bother to hold in a chuckle. “The chief will appreciate it when she has to stand in front of the cameras tomorrow.”
“On second thought, maybe you should show the world out there what you have to go through to do your job.” Sally shrugged. “I’ll bring you the ice. It’ll still look like shit tomorrow.”
“Before I forget, remind me tomorrow to call the D.C. office. We need to give them a heads up that we’re working a case connected to a high-class prostitution club in their area that most likely involves trafficked girls.
” Kam took a sip of her beer. Damn, that tasted wonderful.
“When we bust Big Daddy, hopefully, we can give the exact location to our D.C. counterparts.” She rubbed the cold beer mug over her swollen cheek.
“I can also warn them of the highly skilled bouncers.”
Sweat was dripping from the Ziploc bag of ice when two of Kam’s new girlfriends strode in together, both talking at once.
Male and female heads turned, most staring at the gorgeous blonde still in scrubs.
Known to every man and woman in that room as Dr. Audra Lambert, she was one of the city’s medical examiners.
Next to her was Emilee Zarate, still in her navy blue San Diego Police uniform, the shiny new sergeant’s bars reflecting the low light in the bar.
Her jet-black hair pulled into a bun at the base of her neck made her angular face look even fiercer than usual.
The tall thin woman was able to kick ass and take names, then comfort even the most distraught woman, a skill Kam had never mastered.
Before the door was completely closed behind them, Kam’s newest friend slid in.
Her dark business suit with a light blue blouse, pencil skirt, and low-heeled shoes stuck out like a character in an IQ test picture of which of these does not belong ?
Noellyn Chapman looked like the analyst she was for Homeland Security.
She was shrouded in an air of youthful innocence, especially compared to all the testosterone in the room.
But Kam knew better. The woman had an eidetic memory, reflexes faster than her own, and was one of the best shots she’d ever seen.
As the women wove their way through the high-top tables, Kam was thankful she and Jeremy had reviewed the highlights of the interrogations that day. It might take them weeks to sort through everything.
Her partner stood up as the women approached.
“Ladies, enjoy your evening. I’m going home to wrestle with my seven-year-old son, be ignored by my thirteen-year-old daughter, and enjoy whatever my wife has cooked for supper.
” He turned his attention to Kam. “Keep icing that cheek. I guarantee you the public affairs officer will be waiting for you when you arrive in the morning.”
“Fuck,” Kam said on a long sigh. She knew he was right. She was also aware of the grief she’d have to take from the men on her team once she was put in front of the cameras.
Horror struck her. Was this story big enough to make national news? Would it make it all the way back to Miami? Smugly, she wondered if her parents would hear about it…and her ex.
Before Kam could wander down that rabbit hole, Emilee plopped down in the chair right beside her.
“I’m starved. I had a runner today and chased that bastard six blocks, then he had the audacity to take a swing at me.
When I took him down, he started yelling police brutality, and sure as shit, phone cameras came out from everywhere.
By the time I got him booked, I’d missed lunch and already had two conversations with my lieutenant about posted videos. ”
“Noellyn, have a seat.” Kam gestured to the chair on the other side of her. “Emilee, Audra, this is Noellyn Chapman. She works in the head shed at Homeland.” Focusing on the newest arrival, she asked, “Why the fuck are you dressed like an uptight virgin?”
“You.” Noellyn twisted to hang her purse over the back of the chair. “Since you were unavailable all day, and of course last night, I was the one stuck presenting every tiny detail to the big shots upstairs who thought they needed to hear about your bust.”
“If they’re anything like my bosses, they were trying to figure out a way they could insinuate themselves into the reports to make themselves look better.” Audra scanned the bar looking for a waitress and finally flagged down Sally.
“Do we all work for the same assholes?” Emilee asked with a smile. She then glared at Kam. “I’m still a little pissed you couldn’t figure out a way I could be on duty last night and join in the fun. By the way, nice shiner. Please tell me you were in a fight and all of your men saw it.”
“I was in a fight, and all my men saw it.” She managed a half-smile on the good side without too much pain.
“So did your SWAT team and several uniforms. The fight didn’t last long, though.
I had him in cuffs and handed off to your men within just a few minutes.
” She gently rubbed her ribs. “But not before he got in a few good pokes.”
“Well, ladies, I see you ran Jeremy off.” Sally cocked a hip. “Who’s hungry?”
Food order taken, Kam ordered a round of beer for the table. It was only her second and she deserved it.
“So, tell us. And leave out no details,” Audra insisted.
By the time Kam finished recounting the multi-prong takedown of one of the biggest human trafficking rings on the West Coast, the women were finished with their meal and working on their next beer.
“Holy shit,” Noellyn said under her breath. “I had no idea that much was involved.”
“Oh, my naive little friend, we just chopped off the top of the iceberg.” She looked each of her friends in the eye before she continued. “The last interview of the day revealed there are more in a high-end sex club.”
“No.” “Fuck.” “Shit.” The other three swore as they leaned back in their chairs and crossed their arms.