Making Our Own Justice (Athene & Razgriz)

Over the years, twenty-eight year old cop Selena Winter had learned the hard ways just how accurate some of the old proverbs could be. One in particular was history really did have a crappy way of threatening to repeat itself, it not succeed in doing exactly just that. But the other - and the main saying that assisted her in choosing which way of life to waltz down - was people often find it easier to see the negative sides of people as opposed to the positive ones.

The day was September 26, 1998, and - thankfully - a lot of the immediate focus revolved around the Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky scandal.

Such an odd country, she mused, allowing her blue eyes to quickly read the headlines of the local newspaper. All courtesy of her phone, as it did have access to the internet like most cellular devices tended to nowadays possess. Freedom is supposed to be a big deal here. And yet, it feels like the worst double-edged blade here; something that can work for you as easily as it can against you.

Then again, it wasn't like she couldn't say the same thought applied to her.

"After all," she muttered, "You're now here instead of home because of your own curse."

Only the closest people, which were thus namely some co-workers plus her boss, knew Selena had been born and moved from Salzburg, Austria. Luckily, many of her comrades didn't care, remember, or both that it had been the home country of one of the worst people to ever be born; Adolf Hitler. A lot of Americans got his heritage mixed up, believing he had been born in Germany instead of Austria.

Those whose memories hadn't failed them, however, made no effort to try to give Selena as much hell as possible once they found out she came from the very same nation. Naturally, "Nazi" was the most common insult hurled over at her. But the word itself wasn't what made being called that very term painful.

It was that they were partially correct.

She herself hadn't been. But her father had been. And if that wasn't bad enough, he willingly joined the Third Reicht rather than being part of the 90% who were threatened or somehow coerced into joining.

For Selena, it was the worst and most shameful part of her past. Something she would never be ever to forget, no matter how hard she tried.

And at the same time, that had been her inspiration. Why she became a cop for the capitol of the United States.

Only during the day, mind you. But no one needed to know or care about her night lifestyle.

"Miss Winter! Are you zoning out again?!"

... Okay. Scratch that; they can notice and sorta care. Just not know, she mentally noted, jumping and blushing as she was called out on.

"Sorry, sir," Selena murmured, hastily pocketing her cell phone away. No explanation on what she had been caught doing was needed; she knew damn well, and she knew much better than to act ten years younger than her actual age. Selena had no one but herself to blame.

"You're really lucky you're one of our best cops, ya know? Now pay attention, because I'm not repeating myself again."

The man in question shot another irked glare at Selena before clearing his throat and proceeding to resume - restart, technically - his lecture. "You all will be split to investigate the numerous missing women who have, as of late, been up and missing. We suspect this is due to a prostitution ring emerging. In order to gain new members, they're probably being dragged into it, blackmailed, something of the like. Do not - I repeat, do not - injure any of these women, should you find them. They must be protected at all costs, especially if they have been manipulated or brainwashed into helping their captors out like we're thinking. Is that clear?!"

A simultaneous cry of "Yes sir!"s rang throughout the air, including from Selena herself.

"Good! The operation begins at 22:00 sharp! I expect to see you all there! Until then, you are dismissed!"

A still slightly flushed Selena offered her superior a salute before hurriedly excusing herself. Her hand lowered, pulling her cell phone out. A quick opening flip revealed she had about four hours; enough time to relax, get showered when it got closer, and eat before the operation began.

Nodding to herself, she took advantage of not only the time, but the fact she was clad in her civilian outfit as opposed to her on-duty uniform, and headed over to a nearby cafe.

Within the span of five minutes, she had reached her destination and just received her caramel cappuccino. Walking to the nearest table, Selena took note of a spare newspaper that had been left by the previous reader. In between sips, she read the various articles.

"Hmm?"

Her head tilted as an especially interesting article caught her blue eyes; it spoke of deeds she definitely hadn't performed during her evening schedule.

But ... someone is, it seems. Hmmm ....

Her boots clicked gently against the floor. She'd never really thought if there may be another like-minded person such as herself, let alone one that resorted to being a night-time vigilante.

This, however, was proof that there definitely was. The main question, therefore, soon changed to a much more vital inquiry.

Would they turn out to be a friend or foe?

Unfortunately, only time and the ability to rendezvous with them would reveal that. For now, she had no idea - as did the people who wrote this article, apparently - who even was responsible for these "self-righteous murders", as they called them.

If there was one profession that really tested the people to use their skills in judgment, it was police work. Granted, it was mostly out in the field where they needed it, but even back at the precinct they needed to exercise caution when they reviewed case facts and evidence.

Of course, everyone tried their best...But even the best officers and detectives had their own prejudices. And the trick was sorting them from the case at hand, especially when one was in the Capitol of the United States.

And with crime on a steady decline, it seemed that the police were going about their business in all the right ways...Or at least, that was what some had said.

And while it was true the detectives and officers patrolling the streets were pulling their weight, a large wave of would-be criminals actually began turning themselves in. A move that surprised the public...And the officers in general.

But when the initial reports came out about some kind of gun-crazed vigilante taking it upon themselves to rid the streets of offenders, no one really knew what was going on. Even worse was that the Special Victims Squad had found some of their prime suspects murdered in cold blood...And on the front page was one such victim, along with reports of several other mass killings.

Jeremy Higgins. White male in his late twenties, dirty blond hair and dull brown eyes. Was out on parole when he got busted trying to kill his ex for ratting him out, and somehow managed to evade capture. And the only reason they even found him at all was because his unwilling friend he had used as a crashpad called the police after waking up from being knocked out.

And the scene they found was not pretty. And while the gorier images never made it to the papers, the unfiltered photos showed the man's crotch blown away...And pieces recovered told them it was buckshot. It was a mess to clean up afterwards, and because it was outside the Special Victims Squad's jurisdiction, no one from that unit had much detail to work on, and most still hadn't heard about it until early this morning.

And if anyone tried to ask? Still ongoing, that familiar stonewall phrase when they didn't want to divulge specifics.

"Hey Winter." Selena would hear a voice come from her left, a somewhat stocky female coming over to sit with her and unlike Selena, dressed in uniform. "Hope you don't mind; the other seats are taken." Looking down at the newspaper Selena had grabbed, she just laughed, "Isn't that crazy? You know what's funny though, I drove right by there on my way to work...You know they still haven't even let people back into that building? Poor bastards still stuck outside their homes while they're processing the scene."

Taking a bite of her scone, she then asked, "So...This operation promises to be pretty big huh? I'll tell you, I'm ready to nail the fuckers responsible for this." Her voice softened a little, clearly feeling for the victims. "I won't lie though...It's cases like this I'm thankful for what I have. To be ripped away like that, I mean...I can't help but wonder what kind of sick fuck does this sort of thing."

Clearing her throat, the woman then asked, "But hey...Enough about that. So what's been going on with you? Been a while since we last got to talk; every time I try to get the girls together to go to a bar or something, you always say you're busy."

So, we got a modern day gunslinger of sorts, huh?

It was an amusing thought. Interesting for sure, more than enough to make Selena smirk as she began carefully reading the details of the crime. The now deceased Jeremy Higgins had made the idiotic mistake of breaking his parole ... which wasn't too unusual. It was something that, unfortunately, most people tended to do even when they were given such a generous blessing. Of course, many ex-inmates were so accustomed to being in prison. Thus, when they were given freedom of any form or fashion, they didn't normally know how to fit back into society. They usually held onto the 'old habits die hard' proverb, proven by how many convicts end up repeating their previous mistakes in the forms of crimes they've already done before.

It truly was one of the saddest things Selena saw and heard about on a daily basis. Then again, she had never been a person fond of actively causing trouble.

No, trouble just loved to find her. That was something she'd discovered in her youth, way before she hit her pre-teen years.

A tired sigh passed her lips as she raised a hand, set the paper down, and moved several blonde strands of hair behind her ears. The straw in her coffee cup was mere inches away from her lips before a familiar voice made the cup pause in midair. Once Selena confirmed who the voice belonged to, a noticeable grin spread over her face. "Hey, Natalie! You do know you don't need to be formal with me, right? Both in and out of uniform."

Of course, she'd be more accepting when she was wearing her blue outfit. It made sense, and it was the logical approach to take.

"Not at all. Company's always welcome ... even if I don't make it overly obvious I like being around people."

Which was ... true. If Selena had to describe it using her own words, it was more like she was picky about whom she spoke with. Which was partly why she didn't always go to the bar with Natalie. As of late, however, the 'excuse' that was brought up was correct, causing Selena's face to burn a bit.

"Well ... yeah. I am usually busy. Hell, you know tonight I definitely will be. It's not always an excuse. Nine out of ten times, it isn't, in fact. I just ... "

Selena casually shrugged, finally taking a careful sip to avoid giving herself brain freeze before resuming. "Words like 'breaks' seldom exist for me. It's kinda always been that way. As far as work and the upcoming operation goes ... the best answers are probably what Mr. Jacobson was saying earlier. People who are manipulative, and in some way really charismatic, be it by using fear or other means. That being said ... I do agree completely with you. I'm as eager to get these pricks for what they've done. But be careful; letting your emotions get too involved is really dangerous. There really is a reason we're constantly reminded about things like that."

Offering Natalie another grin in hopes of silently reassuring her Selena was fine with hearing her rant, she repeated everything her co-worker had asked and said thus far. When she realized there had been a few things Selena almost skipped over, she decided to backtrack a bit.

"Ehh. Same shit, new day. I can't say much has been going on with me, really. No boyfriend yet, if you're trying to ask about things like that. I'm not really expecting that to ever happen, honestly. Too many guys like applying handcuffs to women, not usually vice versa." Her smile mingled in with a smirk as she chuckled softly. "But seriously, I'm just .... scattered, I guess. I'm not really much of a lady as far as mannerisms go. And then, like you pointed out, I'm too busy or .... something. But that's fine. In this line of work, it may be for the best. No one can use anyone against me in things like hostage situations, at least."

Even though Selena had meant to say that in a somewhat teasing manner, she couldn't help but feel a bit lonely after hearing her own confession.

"Well, I'm done with the spotlight so ... your turn. What about you? How are things on your end, hm?"

"Yeah...I know, but it just boils my blood that bastards like this can do whatever they please." Natalie replied heated, her hands clutching her coffee a little too tightly and causing some to spill out from the lip and hit her hand. Making her hiss a bit and withdraw, muttering 'Fuck' as she sucked on the affected area; it didn't last long though, thankfully. Last thing she needed was her gun hand being compromised.

Still, she couldn't help chuckling when Selena made her comment about the handcuffs; it was true, it seemed like most guys loved taking control. But so many more didn't particularly care for giving it up in any capacity, even if it was just play.

Kind of funny, considering a lot of the men she knew and had dated were in fact extremely vocal about being fine with a woman taking the reins from time to time. Only for experience to prove they weren't as accepting of it as they believed themselves to be.

"Well, yeah...But tonight, everyone will. It's all hands on deck, from what I'm told." Natalie replied after taking a sip of her straight-black coffee, adding "But, the effort will be worth it; at the very least, we can give these families some closure and *hopefully* a reunion." This type of thing was something she'd seen before, except usually it was a possessive parent trying to stop a foster family from taking their kid.

This...This was different. This was criminal.

Her own thoughts got distracted, however, when Selena turned her own question back on her. "Oh, nothing much. Just been catching up on some shows when I'm not out and about...My ex and I are still trying to hammer out the finer details of the divorce. Still amicable, thankfully; which means we'll still be able to see each other and little Sam." Unfortunately for Natalie, her numerous undercover assignments were simply too much strain on her and Jack's relationship.

And because of that, their agreement would be to have joint custody of their daughter Samantha; it was more a scheduling issue about who got to see her when, if only because of the abruptness at which Natalie would have to leave. Thankfully, at least, they had family friends who were very supportive and would usually be able to take care of her for a night or two. And as an even bigger plus, both of them had jobs here in the city, which meant they wouldn't need to uproot her and have her start over somewhere else.

"But..." Natalie then said, giving a dismissive wave so as to introduce a new topic change, "That's neither here nor there, but seriously! We'd love to have you along, and one of these days I'm not taking no for an answer." That last bit was followed by a playful smirk, letting Selena know that she was mostly kidding. Though with Natalie's usually brash demeanor on duty, anyone could construe it as a serious statement.

The two would chat for a little while longer, Natalie making playful remarks about she was never going to find someone if she kept her nose to the grindstone like she did...But mostly, they just caught up for a little bit, until Natalie looked at her watch.

"Shit...I guess we should both get moving. I still need to shower and get my shit in order. See you back in the squadroom!" Natalie shouted, waving her friend goodbye before disappearing around the corner.

Selena shrugged and nodded in agreement with Natalie. "Ehh. I mean, yeah. I hear you, loud and clear. Trust me. But ... well .... that's life."

Her own set of chuckles resounded as she watched her friend spill a bit of the hot liquid over her own hand. "And that, my dear, is called being reckless. You know, the thing you should never do on any mission. But tonight definitely feels like one where that rule has to be heeded more than usual." If this assignment were a tad different, Selena wouldn't be half as worried about Natalie. But having known she was a mother and fairly assuming they were about to rescue some still barely legal teens - possibly a few early 20s aged females - was a huge factor that was making Selena inwardly fret about Natalie.

God forbid any are too young, Selena inwardly prayed, taking another long sip from her own cup.

Already, tons of plans and back-up plans were swirling through her head. Of course, she didn't forget any orders that would be given were first and top priority. Still, these were just in case she needed to act more on her own accord.

"... Yeah. Definitely better to have an amicable divorce than the ugly ones. I've heard pretty brutal stories about those. You wonder why I hesitate to find a person? There's one reason right that. I don't know if I could handle separating after committing to them. Financially ... probably. Mentally? Not so much. Especially if it ever got to a point where I did become a mom. That feels like it'd be more complicated and difficult than it already is."

There were many more reasons; they were just the hidden ones that almost no one knew of.

"Try telling me something I don't know, Natalie. I'm twenty-eight. I doubt I'm ever going to find anyone. But ... honestly?" She shrugged once again. "I'm fine with that. I kinda accepted the solo lifestyle once I hit twenty-four and still had yet to find anyone I wanted to settle down with."

As the time ticked away, Selena amused Natalie with her own opinions, advice, and thoughts about various subjects. After several hours ticked away, she stretched, peeking down towards Natalie's wrist to read the time displayed on her watch. "Good. We haven't lost our ability to figure out the perfect time to start and stop these chats, it seems. Yeah. I definitely need to head out and get my own shower in. I'll see you soon!" One hand lowered, grabbing her half-full caramel cappuccino while the other hovered in the air as Selena waved to Natalie.

Had anyone followed her home, they would find out something that would probably be deemed amazing. Despite being a cop in the capitol of the US, Selena didn't live in an overly elegant place. She could have if she wanted to, as money wasn't the issue. Hell, even a house would have been manageable, if only because most had a rent-to-buy option. Instead, she fished a key chain out of her pocket and walked into a small, quaint studio.

It had technically been classified as a one bedroom according to the place she rented from. But in all honesty, the layout and space was more akin to a studio.

But then, that was fine. She didn't need much to begin with. She never viewed herself as the ideal mother. However ....

"Meow!"

The noise made her grin and look down at her beloved pet. It would probably be the closest she'd ever get to having a child.

"Hello, my precious Anubis. I'm assuming you kept the fort manned down while I was away?" Her smile widened as she felt the feline nuzzle against her leg gently. A quick look down revealed the last bits of the cappuccino were now gone. So, she took that as her cue to toss the trash away into a nearby can, proudly grinning as it landed inside with ease. Selena then knelt down and began petting one of the few companions she allowed to get even remotely close to her.

"Hmm ... unfortunately, I'm not off the clock yet."

As if it could understand her, Anubis made a face that was eerily similar to a child pouting.

"Ohhh, none of that. I promise, I'll be done after this, alright? Besides, I wasn't gonna leave without making sure you didn't have everything you needed."

Seeming satisfied with hearing its owner vow that much, Anubis mewed again and lightly jumped up atop one of the many 'trees' located throughout the studio.

"... You do need a sibling, don't you?" Selena mused curiously, chuckling as she stripped out of her civilian outfit and walked into her shower.

---

---

Though it had only taken her ten minutes to get washed off and ready, it had taken some extra time to find her badge. Somehow, Anubis had self-taught himself to remove the damn thing off her uniform. And if that wasn't annoying enough, he always managed to hide it pretty damn well.

"That cat, I swear," she muttered. Because of all the stunts her pet had pulled off, Selena had been forced to take a taxi.

"Thanks!" she quickly replied, hurriedly handing the money as she scurried out of the vehicle and ran to the squad room.

Fortunately, she wasn't late like she'd half-feared. Her entrance, however, was something that easily earned many snickers and raised eyebrows from many of the other officers. Including, naturally, her boss; Ethan Jacobson.

"Catch your breath and take a seat while you can, Miss Winter! Enjoy the last five minutes while you still can!"

"Yes sir," she sheepishly replied, taking the first, empty chair that reflected in her bright, blue eyes.

The hours leading up to the meeting were uneventful; this was going to be one of the largest and riskiest operations, so the officers and detectives in charge were glad to be able to spend their time gathering the information they needed, as well as get their partner assignments.

Something Detective Winter would see as she arrived near breathless, taking a seat as their Captain would begin the debriefing.

"As you all are aware, this operation will have you tracking down different disappearances that have happened all over the city. We've chosen this time to start it because we all know how these rings work: As soon as the girls are caught, they're put to work as soon as possible, helping whatever and whoever's organized this to start the cash flow. And with the sun going down, this is where we'll see the largest number of prostitutes walking the streets."

Letting a pause remain for a moment, he then continued, "Should you happen to find them, let me re-iterate that they are NOT to be harmed in any way. This sting will help us bring the families that have filed missing persons reports some closure and with any luck, will help us get some information as to who organized these kidnappings."

Giving a nod of his head, Captain Jacobson finished with "You're all good people, so I trust you to exercise good judgment and caution when trying to approach these victims. So, find your partners and get a move on!"

And right when he said this, the man to Selena's left just said, "Detective Winter, I'm Detective Goodrich." extending his hand. "It was a while ago, but we worked together helping to build that case against that child molester over in the Palisades. What was his name...Donny Woodner. That was it, yeah."

He then showed her a file, "We're going to be patrolling Wesley Heights; apparently, there have been ten disappearances from that neighborhood alone. This file's got names and photos of all the vics." And with that, he would stand up and straighten out his trench coat. "Give it a read while we drive; with any luck, we'll able to catch a few of them tonight. I just hope those girls haven't been put through too much already."

And when they were both in the car - a 1998 Crown Victoria that had all the decals removed for undercover work - they began their trek to the area they had been assigned.

"So, Winter...What's your take on this? I mean, I'm honestly at a loss why they're kidnapping so many people...Just doesn't seem, right, you know? Not just from a moral standpoint, either." Detective Goodrich then asked her, coming to a stop at a red light. "I'll tell you, I'm glad I had my coffee before I came in; I get the feeling this is going to be a long operation."

The debriefing was, as almost always, quick. Although he was a strict man, Jacobson was also very blunt and to-the-point. It made working with him that much easier for Selena, despite them having a habit of butting heads every now and again. His mannerisms and work ethic were but two of the major things that kept Selena from directly disobeying the man in any overly serious ways. She respected him - as well as the other cops and detectives - far too much to maintain her overly rebellious teenager streak.

Mind you, that didn't mean it was completely gone. Just under much better control compared to her if she were ten years younger.

After hearing the last of the instructions, the time to pair up arrived. This part seemed to have been taken care of already, because Selena didn't have to wait very long at all to figure out whom she'd be working with. It took her a few minutes. But while shaking the hand of the elder detective and hearing the surname, Selena soon remembered why he felt familiar. Simply put, he had been.

"Ahh, Detective Goodrich! It's been a while. Good to see you again."

Her hand gently pulled away as the shake ended, quickly opening as the folder was handed over to her. When a person was given a file like that, there were certain unwritten rules that every detective had to follow. The first one ... was to read the contents. Thus, she was already scanning the photos and beginning to memorize the names and faces of each female. Her gaze only shifted up every few moments to ensure Selena didn't run into a pole and risk looking like a fool in front of her partner; otherwise, her focus remained on the contents of the manila folder in her hands.

"Ten of them, huh? I'm assuming you've got a plan should we find more than two to three of them tonight? Because ... not all of them are gonna fit in this car."

As dumb as that sounded, Selena had been unlucky enough in the past to be put with others who didn't take simple factors like that into consideration. As such, it was a habit and something she carefully checked on. Besides, always better safe than sorry.

"Honestly?" she asked, putting her seat belt on after getting in the Crown, "I'm ... a bit torn. It could have been as easy as a prostitution ring. But at least half of these girls are minors. There'd be no way their captors could get away with selling them to anyone, certainly not without taking a huge risk and causing the operation to become very ugly for them. I think ... that Mr. Jacobson is only partly correct. That could be a small part of why so many women have been taken away from their homes. But ... I feel there's something else going on. Even if, admittedly, some of these teens do look older, I highly doubt their abduction was an accident. They would already be dead or released, though not without having their memories tampered with or something being done to them."

Selena had graduated from college with a minor in Psychology, her major favoring Criminal Justice.

Anyone who didn't know could easily guess or assume her specialties simply from hearing her speak, as well as how she talked on matters like the ones at hand.

"That being said ... you're probably right. This very likely will be a very long night. I'm glad I got some caffeine in my system also."

"That's just it though; not only are a lot of these girls too young, even by most johns' standards, but there's too many. You know what I'm thinking? Someone's abducting these girls for other things besides prostitution...Hell, I'd go so far to say there's a slave ring that we don't even know about." Goodrich replied, glad to see that Selena had a similar viewpoint.

"And that's what's bugging me too...These kidnappings, there's been no ransom demand of any kind. Not one victim's had their family called, and the pattern's too sporadic to be a spree killer." he continued; with his background of having served in the Behavioral Analysis Unit before he joined the DC precinct, he felt confident that these girls weren't being immediately targeted to be killed...Though that could also mean that they were being taken somewhere isolated, killed and dumped in some mass grave.

But there were too many differences between victims to link it to one individual. And the scale was too big for it to be only a couple; this was an organized operation, trying to disguise itself as a series of random disappearances.

"As for my plan, I do...We have units on standby, right? Captain's OK'd them to help with the transport of any recovered individuals, should we find any. Trust me, if we find enough to where they don't all fit...I'll call that a successful night." was his reply; and while it was true that he felt that way...He also had a sinking suspicion that they'd be lucky to find one. A lot of these girls had been missing for nearly two weeks now.

"We're coming up to the start of our patrol route; we'll need to look and see if any of the girls are being put to the streets."

Of course, the first bit of their patrol showed nothing; they would stop at various known intersections and places where prostitutes congregated, as few as there were in this part of the city. And as much as the prostitutes they did see should be arrested, one caveat of the assignment was to leave those not identified as missing alone for now.

"So far...I'm not seeing any of them. Not a lot of workers in this neighboorhood, " he groaned, pulling over on Foxhall Road. "If you have any ideas, I'm definitely open to suggestions."

"Good. Glad to hear we're on the same page and train of thought about this being more than a prostitution ring. So now ... it basically boils down to what else is going on?"

There were very few possibilities coming to her head, and none were overly good. Each made Selena cringe. All she could hope for was whatever the secondary crime going on was, it didn't lead to any deaths. Or ... it led to as few chances of these girls being killed as possible. Yeah. That - sadly - was the more likely option.

"Okay. Good. Glad we have back-up as a possibility, at least."

When Kyle hinted they ha finally arrived at the right route, Selena's head turned as she began looking out her window.

... No such luck, unfortunately.

"Well ... we're probably going to have to start scouting around for some new merchandise to buy."

It was indeed a coded hint, and done on purpose. She wasn't really expecting anyone to hear them while they were still inside the car. But much better to be safe than sorry.

"I suppose the main question - when all is said and done - is do we pose as a couple or does only one of us feel incredibly eager to get a new item to buy?"

Her words honestly made Selena feel a bit sick with herself. But if they were going to interact with these dealers, they'd need to choose their words carefully. So, even though it left a bitter taste in her mouth, that meant being cautious on how she referred to these unfortunate girls.

"Merchandise, huh?"

The disgust in his voice wasn't aimed at Selena; though it was clear that this was how the game had to be played, it never meant Kyle had to like it. Unfortunately, despite whatever delusions these girls had, it was exactly how their pimps viewed them:

Property, to be traded or sold until they couldn't make him/her any more money.

"I won't say I'm eager, no...But if there's one thing that can get us what we want, it's by window-shopping first." he replied, feeling equally sick with himself for having to go through with this. Many of these girls did this for good reason, and it sucked that they were preyed on because of it. A lot of them felt stuck and like they had no other means of an income.

"A couple would be the best bet. This way at least, we can try to help her be assured that nothing's going to happen to her if she helps us."

And with that in mind, they would pull up to a group of girls standing on a corner...And so the trap was laid. There was one girl who seemed more imposing than the others, likely a senior worker. Someone who had more experience and was showing these girls the ropes, and Kyle pointed her out just moments before they arrived at the group.

"Hey, you like what you see?"

That was what a lithe young woman would say, her svelte figure barely clad in any clothing save for the thick jacket that hung over her shoulders. She didn't look half-bad, but she was way too young for this line of work. She couldn't have been any older than sixteen, and based on what Goodrich was seeing, she was of the girls were anyone they were looking for.

"What do you think, honey? This will work for us, don't you think?" Kyle then asked, hinting for his partner to go for the big fish in the pond.

Selena grimly nodded in agreement that it was for the best that she and Kyle should pose as a couple. Originally, either of them could have ambushed the perpetrators from a bit of a distance. This way though, it would be easier to watch one another's backs while simultaneously ensuring the girls they found could be safe in the end. "Yeah," she muttered softly, "Agreed. Alright then. I guess ... we've got a plan figured out. That thus leaves us - well, me anyway - with one more thing to do."

Being a cop and detective had its perks. Combined with a personality like Selena's that went to include thinking ahead.

As such, Kyle would see her undoing her blue top ...

And revealing another one underneath. Apparently, she had prepared put on a more civilian outfit underneath her on-duty outfit. "If we're really going to approach these bastards, let's try to be a bit subtle, shall we?" A sly smirk would appear on her face as Selena laid on her back and began undoing the dress slacks. Sure enough, in place of those were some shorts. Normally, it wasn't her preference. However, with it being September, it was still relatively warm as far as the temperature went. It was also easier to keep herself from overheating this way ... just as a precaution.

"Okay ... " she muttered, setting her outfit down under Kyle's chair, finally sitting back up. She reached down one last time, holding up her firearm and tucking it into the rear pocket of her shorts, concealing it with her shirt.

"Alright, honey. Let's go, shall we?"

Selena had found it much easier to get in any altered moods or fake acts sooner as opposed to later. Offering her faux lover a sincere and rather convincing wink, she stepped out of the car when he silently signaled he was as ready as could be for this operation to officially begin.

"Hmmm. Lemme get a closer look, if you don't mind~"

Slowly, Selena began circling around the figure Kyle pointed out. She was indeed studying her ... just not in the more carnal ways that - hopefully - the pimps were assuming. She was double checking and confirming this was one of the girls they needed to rescue.

"Ohhhh, yes. I'm pretty damn sure we got a winner here, sweetie. Come on, dearie. I don't bite ... not unless you ask. Let's have the men talk business, hm?"

Selena wasn't amazed to see the poor girl hesitate. She did, however, slowly walk beside Selena. Smiling at the teen, the undercover cop pulled her out of range, ensuring she couldn't immediately be grabbed. Or even if she could, she was beside another ally, one who was also armed.

Just because Selena hadn't seen Kyle's gun, that didn't mean shit. She assumed it was on him, hidden much like her own was. So ... here came the hardest part. After Kyle walked forward slightly, Selena turned her head and gently whispered in the young girl's ear, "It's okay. You're gonna head home soon. Just trust me and stay calm, okay?"

The intention was to make it appear as if she were whispering sweet nothing's into what looked like her newly purchased toy's ear. In actuality, she was trying to hint she wouldn't need to fret about having to do anything sexual ever or anything soon. Not without consent, anyway.

While his partner went ahead and selected the girl he had pointed out, he knew it was on him to 'complete the transaction'. He didn't like the fact that he had to let the rest of these girls go...But this mission was about rescuing those that had been reported missing.

And if what they thought about this operation was dead on, they needed a girl that hadn't been taken yet. Hopefully she could think of something that would give them a lead. And judging by how the young woman was responding to his partner, she definitely seemed relieved. No doubt Selena was trying to comfort her, and it was taking eveything Goodrich not to punch this clown in the face...Or worse.

Putting those thoughts aside, he approached the lone Caucasian male: Your typical non-descript pimp. Dressed in a sharp suit no doubt paid for by the money he took from his 'workers', rings adorning his fingers. Ear-length jet black hair combed neatly and looking very presentable even with his eyes hidden by Oakleys, "Your woman's got an eye for quality, my friend; she's one of my better girls." said the pimp, smiling ear to ear at the though of a sale.

"She always is; makes this very easy. Looking for a special someone to help spice up the night" Goodrich replied, making the pimp chuckle. "Hey, so long as you treat my girls right, what you do is your business. Going rate's about 200...But since you picked a top-shelfer, I'm afraid I can do no less than 300. And trust me...She'll do anything you ask her. Anything." Goodrich's mouth twitched a bit in revulsion, but kept calm and stated, "That so? 300 seems reasonable." Fishing out his wallet, he pulled out a nice stack of cash and counted the bills - one $100 bill and a larger stack of twenties - into the pimp's outstretched hand.

"Happy night, sir...Get a move on, girls!" he then shouted after Goodrich left; his hand was resting far too close to the service revolver hidden in his jacket pocket. But he steeled himself to just go back to the car, meeting his partner in the car.

"A-are you guys cops or something? Your friend was telling me to stay calm..." he then heard the girl ask, Goodrich replying "We are...but you're not in trouble. My partner was saying that so we could get you out..." And with that, he pulled off and out; the night so far had been a bust, and finding one girl was better than finding none.

"Wait, why are we going back to the station?! You said I wasn't in trouble!" the girl declared, Goodrich calmly saying "You're not...But we do need your help, and you'll be safer in there." The girl seemed quite surprised, "M-my help? For what?" Goodrich pulled into the spot, turning and giving her a smile, "See, we're looking for others like you. Girls that were reported missing by their family and friends...And so far we haven't found anyone else besides you. And...If you're OK with it, we'd like you to answer some questions for us."

The girl was shocked at this and just asked, "A-and I don't have to go back to him...?" At this Kyle just shook his head, "As long as I can help it, you'll never see that guy again."

Selena forced herself to giggle as the pimp praised her. Failing to respond could mean all the difference between a fight breaking or not. So, even if she didn't actually want or like the praise he gave her, she had to act as if that were the opposite. "As do you. It helps to be a fan of jewels and work in said location. This girl ... oh yes. She's like the rare, flawless diamond that only one in ten-thousand or so have the luck of being able to find. Don't worry though; she'll definitely be treated well. It'd be wrong of us to pay you and mistreat such a lovely present, after all."

... I'm in need of some rosary prayers when I get home. Badly.

Selena wasn't usually religious. But this really was quite the test on her will power, and she felt disgusted with every word she uttered to the bastard.

One last smile and a sincere enough wave farewell would be all the pimp would see ... before Selena turned on her heels, helping the young girl do so. When they were back in the car, Selena made a disgusted face. "Fuck. Ugh. Yo, Kyle? Got something to drink in there by chance? I really need something to get rid of that horrid taste in my mouth."

Sighing softly, Selena leaned back in the seat, buckled herself in, and nodded to the young girl as Kyle began explaining what was really going on. "Shhh. Calm down. We know you didn't ever want to do this. That's why you and the others were reported as abducted and kidnapped. So don't freak out on us, okay? We want to help ... but we can only do that if you cooperate. Here."

Reaching down to the bottom of the rear passenger seat, she pulled the same file her and Kyle had been given and handed it over.

"Tell us your name and confirm if any of those other girls are with him or not, okay? Tell us everything you know ... though keep most of it for when we return to the station. We can get your testimony recorded. From there, we'll keep you in custody or send you home with some guards, depending on what you would rather prefer. That all sound like a deal?"

Once they were at the station, Goodrich just shrugged "Sorry, Detective...Afraid I don't have anything except the last few dregs of my coffee. Probably cold and tastes like ass, but help yourself to it if ya want." Of course, he was feeling the same way; then again, there wasn't one time he remembered where he had to 'purchase merchandise' that sat well with him.

Deciding to change topics for now, watching as the girl took the file. "Can you tell us your name, just so we know?" he then asked her, the young lady replying, "Jacqueline...But I prefer Jackie." Kyle just smiled and stated, "Well alright, Jackie...Just take your time and tell us if you recognize anyone there."

The young lady gave it a few good looks, at first seeing no one...But then she pointed out two girls, a dark-skinned Latina named Maria Chavez and a young Asian-American by the name of Xue Cui. Both seemed non-descript, much like their pimp...But they were around Jackie's age when they were abducted. "I know these two; I ran into them after Mr. Cutter - my, uhm, pimp - met with another man. I'm guessing he was another pimp, but I didn't catch his name...I'm sorry."

Kyle just smiled again, "It's alright; you're doing great, but save the rest for when we take your statement, alright? This will help us out greatly if we get it on paper, you know?"

At the female detective's question, she paused for a moment, but finally replied "Uh..Uhm...C-can I stay here? Please?" Kyle just nodded, "Sure...But can I ask why? Are things not okay at home?"

"It-it's nothing like that! I just...I just don't want my parents to think I'm some kind of cheap whore..." she replied after shaking her head harshly, tears forming in her eyes. Goodrich gave her a consoling smile and patted her on the shoulder, "Jackie...I know for a fact your parents won't think that of you...What happened wasn't your fault at all." Looking at his partner, he just said, "Let's head on in...I'm sure we could use a break and something cool to drink right?"

Selena playfully rolled her eyes. making certain he could see her do so via the rear view mirror. "Look here, Kyle. I may be a blonde, but I'm not a dumb one, okay? If it's that bad, nope. I'll pass for now."

The trio would exit the car and walk inside upon arriving at the station. Everyone who knew about what Kyle and Selena had been sent to do flashed the two cops proud smiles. Others who weren't exactly in the loop looked a bit confused, but said nothing out loud. Jackie already was nervous enough, and they were at least smart enough to see that much. So, in an effort to keep things from getting worse for the ex-captive, they did what seemed like the best choice, even if some could argue it would come off as cold. Nothing was said to her.

After all, if you couldn't say anything nice ... then just don't speak. It was an unspoken proverb that most of the cops followed around here.

As the three entered a room, Selena quietly moved to a water-vending machine and filled three small cups with the cold liquid. They were set down, one at a time in front of everyone. She gave herself the last one, sitting down beside the teenager. "Indeed, paper. I can go get that."

Before she got up, though, poor Jackie confessed her fears on how her parents would view her. Selena lightly moved her head from side to side. "Look at me, Jackie."

Under normal circumstances, she would have simply slid two fingers under a person's jaw and forced them to comply. But ... not like this. Not with a victim of forced prostitution, and likely having suffered through other heinous crimes like rape. The sad part? That was likely not all. So, she would leave it up to Jackie if she would comply or not.

"Your parents - all of them, really - called us. That's why you girls are labeled as kidnapped victims, not prostitutes. They're worried sick about you. If anything, I'm sure they'd love to at least hear from you."

Reaching into her pocket, Selena pulled her personal cell phone out and set it in front of Jackie. "You can use it if you want. I'll leave that up to you. There's no password or anything to use the phone. So just enter the number and dial if you want. Just ... be completely sure whether you want to stay here or not. Know if you do change your mind and go home, we'll keep a few guards with you, okay? You're not alone. Keep hanging in there and being strong for us, alright?"

Offering the young girl a small smile, Selena walked away, returning within a few minutes with a pad of paper and several pens. "Here. Definitely write everything you can recall down. You can wait until after using the phone or doing it now ... the choice is yours."

Kyle just nodded as Selena got the paper, stopping to console the young woman from her trauma. She was right, this wasn't her fault at all. And seeing her give young Jackie her phone to use only affirmed the notion that Selena was one of the truly good ones. Someone who well and truly gave a damn about the people she was sworn to protect.

And as Selena would take her leave, Jackie held the phone in her hands, looking it over. True, she wasn't trying to escape an abusive household or anything like that...It was more the moments before her capture and enslavement that were the most embarrassing. And it was how she left her parents that was the real reason she was so ashamed....

But at the same time, it was also because of him that she ended up that way.

However, she would just smile and asked, "Uh...uhm, can I call my parents first? Y-you're right, I should at least talk to them. Let them know I'm okay." Kyle patted her hand, "Of course...We'll step outside..." It would be best for her to have her privacy, the poor young woman being left alone.

"That was real good of you, partner; I know her parents will be glad to hear from her." he commented, seeing Jackie putting the phone to her head and starting to talk to her parents. Words could be heard intermittently, things like "I'm sorry" and "I missed you too, I'm sorry" coming through. "I still can't believe how young she is; even with all the cases I've worked, I'm still amazed and disgusted they go for girls this young."

However...This would be the end of their celebration, as soon they would be greeted by a familiar face. Their Captain,Ethan Jacobson...And he wasn't looking happu. "You two...Where did you pick up this one?" he asked, seeming a bit perturbed. Goodrich just arched a brow as he looked to his partner before turnin back to the Captain, "Off Cathedral Avenue...Why?"

Ethan let out a sigh, "Because there was a shooting near Battery Kemble park. A girl called and said a man got shot...A man by the name of Harold Cutter." Now this was a surprise; Jackie mentioned a Mr. Cutter. "Selena...You think this is the same Cutter?" he asked, Ethan taking his turn to be surprised "And which Cutter are we talking about?" Kyle coughed a bit, "Well, Jackie - the girl we brought in - told us her pimp was named Mr. Cutter...And Battery Kemble isn't too far from where we found her."

Ethan just nodded, "No doubt it's a coincidence...Winter, I want you to go and help figure out what happened; Detective Hayer will be meeting you down there, as she's on the scene. Goodrich, I need you to stay and finish getting the victim's statement and information. If this is the same Cutter, then we'll need to re-evaluate." Kyle just nodded, "Yes sir..." before the good Captain would take his leave. "Don't worry, I'll make sure to relay whatever Jackie says when you get back alright? Just make sure you get your phone before heading out." he then told his partner, giving her a pat on the shoulder.

Selena nodded, smiling gently at Jackie. "Of course. If I cared too much, I wouldn't have offered my phone to you. Please use it. Take as long or short as you need, alright?"

Turning on her feet, she left the room alongside Kyle, grinning happily as the two made sure to close the door behind the teenager. Deep down, Selena couldn't help but feel a bit irked they had only found one girl. But at least it was one less unwanted victim who never had to worry about being forced into anything they never wanted to do ever again. With the forced acts in question being as serious as prostitution, she could only imagine this was a huge of a deal for Jackie as it was the entire police force.

"Well ... I can only begin to guess how they feel. I know I'd wanna hear if I ever became a mom. Heh. I guess that's one reason I've been too scared to try. I wouldn't want any kids of mine getting dragged into dangerous situations like that or -- "

When Selena realized she was rambling, let alone about a very personal subject, she stopped and abruptly felt her face turn crimson. "Well, you know. This isn't really a place to find people for such things. Making families and whatnot. A-Anyway ... "

Her head lifted in time as Selena watched a very ticked off Ethan start walking forward. She felt her hands prepare to raise beside her head and insist that whatever he was here for, it wasn't her fault. Instead, she calmly gazed at her boss, waiting for him to say whatever it was he had to tell them. Her head tilted as it began with a question; simple in concept, but certainly unexpected. Upon hearing Kyle's answer, she would nod her head, confirming he was being honest about that.

"Why?" she asked, her eyes widening as the answer was given.

"Wait, what?"

There was an almost immediate theory that popped into her head. For now though, she couldn't prove anything about it. Not yet. Thus, when Mr. Jacobson offered for her to rendezvous with Natalie ... Selena found herself oddly content to accept the order. "Sure. Yes, sir. I can go do that now. If this is the same Mr. Cutter ... well, I'll fill you in with my thoughts when I return. See you later, Kyle!"

A quick, rushed ride later, she exited a borrowed car from the station. It wasn't so swift that she forgot to grab her phone, but it was otherwise a ride that would - under more circumstances - have earned her at least one speeding ticket. After putting the vehicle into park and shutting the ignition off, she gave a tired wave to Natalie.

"You were right; this is quite the long night."

"Mmmm, indeed," Natalie concurred, fighting the urge to yawn. "Okay, so ... you'll need these. Body's this way. The coroner is mostly done; enough that we can come over and check out who this man is. Was, rather."

Selena soon felt a pair of latex gloves thrust into her hand. She grimaced, knowing Natalie was correct once again. These would be needed. She wasn't allergic to latex, per se. But the feeling of it had been something that always made her skin feel ... odd. Not akin to breaking out or anything, but it was uncomfortable. "Okay, so ... here goes."

Walking forward with Natalie, Selena made sure the gloves were secured over her hands before pulling back on the sheet. Her eyes blinked before widening slightly. "Well, well. I'll be damned."

"You know him?"

"Enough to identify him. Funny. He was alive maybe ..... thirty to an hour ago. And now he's dead. Remember that vigilante-esque character we spoke of earlier today?"

"W-Wait!" Natalie interrupted, looking incredulously over at Selena, "Are you trying to imply they are behind this?!"

"Maybe. I am saying this for sure; it's feeling less and less like an exaggerated set of coincidences."

"Well...I won't lie, Winter. That's kind of a scary thought if those guys did pull this off. I mean, you said yourself: This guy was alive as you know it at most an hour ago. Can't help but wonder if they were watching the scene..." Detective Hayer muttered; which kind of freaked her out even more. If that was the case, then both Goodrich and Winter were in serious danger.

Crossing past the crime scene tape after both would show their credentials, Natalie and Winter would come across to see multiple CSI operatives working the scene from top to bottom. The medical examiner was already there, waiting for the detectives to arrive. Dr. Carl Fehrenbach, a German doctor from Munich that was highly regarded in his field. His light blonde hair neatly combed, a thick jacket over his figure, he pushed his square-rimmed glasses up as he examined the corpse of the once-living pimp.

A gaggle of girls being talked to by the detail surrounding the crime scene, all of them giving witness statements in the cold of the night. Clearly something was happening with the late Mr. Cutter, for there to be so many street walkers in one place; a deal gone south? An ambush? Thankfully, the only scars they had were mental ones, no doubt the sight of the one they had been calling their 'manager' being gunned a shock, for better or for worse.

"Alright, we have we got?" Hayer asked, Carl replying in his moderately thick German accent as he pointed to the base of the man's skull, "A shot from a high-caliber rifle, I'm afraid. Pierced the cervico-medullary junction, shattered the frontal maxillary bone. As you probably know, he wasn't dead for more than thirty minutes."

Turning the body over from its face-down position after the crime scene photographer, they would both see the carnage as the dead man's head lolled to the left. Natalie let out a clear sound of discontent at the scene, the hole in the front of the man's face more than a little disturbing. "Would that...." Detective Hayer started to ask, but Carl replied, "No...The moment his cervical vertebra was destroyed, his body would have shut down entirely. Whoever did this was clean and precise. Frighteningly so; given his profession, I can only guess he had a long list of clients who might have felt shorted enough to want him dead...Of course, I just examine corpses, hehe."

However, a look around would show that the closest vantage point for a shot like this was easily almost a quarter-mile out; and the spot in the park where he dropped wasn't near enough for a parked car to set up their own without any witnesses.

"Do we have any witnesses?" Hayer then asked, the ME then shaking his head, "I'm afraid I don't know...You might talk with the other officers or the witnesses they're speaking with." Natalie just nodded and said, "Thanks, Doc...Hopefully your table session can give us more info."

Taking a moment to step away from the scene, Detective Hayer just sighed, "Well...I have my own opinions, but I'll keep them to myself. What about your, Selena? Any thoughts?"