Prologue
Late at night in downtown LA, a young girl waits all alone at the bus stop. No one is around. She is nervous about being there all by herself. It is not exactly the most favorable of neighborhoods. From the shadows emerge two men who are in the business of recruiting girls for the local prostitution ring. The girl feels them approaching. She turns around and sees them. One of them has a knife in his hand. She starts to run. She runs down several streets with the men in hot pursuit. They close in on her and catch up to her. She starts to scream. One of them claps a hand over her mouth and threatens her with the knife. They drag her back to their car and shove her in. It drives off into the night.
One sunny afternoon in San Francisco, Sal Munroe was dropped off at the airport by her grandparents. She was en route to visit her sisters Kris and Jill in Los Angeles. She had been living with her grandparents since the death of her parents in a drunk driving accident several years before. Sal was very excited about the visit and was having a hard time containing her exuberance.
"Sal, calm down," her grandma told her. "You will be there soon enough."
"I just can't help it," said Sal. "I can't wait to see Kris and Jill. I haven't seen them since Christmas. Jill came home so she could spend my vacation with me. We're going to go to the beach, the museums, the movies, the movie studios, hang out for girl talk, and just have a wonderful time."
"Yes, your sisters usually show you a good time. It must be kind of dull to come back to a couple of old folks," her grandpa smiled at her. He looked at her fondly. "You look so much like your mother, it's amazing." He touched her blonde hair.
"Thank you. I love you both and you know it, " Sal gave her grandpa and then her grandma a hug. "Sometimes I would like to stay in LA, but I know I need to stay here until I turn 18." Sal's grandparents had been named legal guardians for the Munroe sisters at the time of their parents' deaths. At the time, Jill was 21 and going to the police academy. Kris was 17 and stayed with them until she went to college. Only Sal was left, and she missed her sisters.
"We've loved having you be with us," Grandma said, returning the hug. "You bring some sunshine into our lives."
Sal hugged both of her grandparents. "We need to go pick up my ticket. Kris said she had it left at the desk for me."
The group proceeded to the ticket counter and got Sal's ticket. Her bags were checked. They proceeded to the terminal. A voice came over the loudspeaker announcing that Sal's flight was ready for boarding. "Bye, Grandma, 'Bye Grandpa. I'll see you next week."
"Bye, Sal."
A final hug and a wave, and Sal went to the departure gate. She gave her ticket to the flight attendant and boarded the plane. Smiling fondly, Grandma and Grandpa watched her go. "She's growing up," remarked Grandma.
"Yes, she is," Grandpa agreed.
"Sometimes I wonder if we can give her everything she needs. She needs to be with young people and have fun. I know she thinks we're too strict sometimes," Grandma said.
"There are worse things in life than having some rules. She'll be fine. Now, we have some time to ourselves, so let's enjoy it. Let's go out to dinner, and then a romantic evening alone." Grandpa extended his arm to Grandma, who smiled and took it. They went to their car and drove off.
On the plane, Sal eagerly looked out the window. "Come on, come on," she muttered under her breath. She was anxious to get to LA. Her seatmate, a business type, noticed her enthusiasm.
"Is this your first time flying?" He asked.
"Oh, no," said Sal. "I fly quite often."
She pulled out a book she had brought with her and started to read to discourage any further conversation. Soon the pilot's voice came over the speaker and he gave the take off speech. The "Fasten Seatbelts" sign flashed. Sal made sure hers was fastened and went back to her book.
The flight attendants passed out the drinks and snacks. Sal took hers with a "thank you" and went back to reading. After awhile, the flight attendants came around to collect the cups and snack trays. Sal put her book away. "Finally!"
"You're pretty excited to be here, aren't you?" Her seatmate asked. "Is this your first time in LA?"
'"Yes, I'm excited, and no this isn't my first time in LA. I come here often. I'm visiting my sisters." Sal put her book away and made sure she had everything. The plane landed and the "Fasten Seat Belts" sign went off. Sal collected her carry on luggage and waited her turn to disembark. Finally, her turn came. She got off the plane and went into the terminal. Kris had told her that she might be working late, and that Sal should call when she got in. Since there was no sign of Kris, she headed for the pay phones. They were all in use, so Sal decided that she would take the bus out to the beach house. She collected her bag and went outside to the bus stop.
At the bus stop, a couple of goons started to eyeball her. Hank was tall with a slightly dark complexion and curly sandy colored hair. He was the uglier of the two. Joe was shorter with a stocky build. He had dark hair. Hank nudged Joe. "What do you think about her?" Joe looked at Sal and a slow smile crossed his face. They both looked at her blond hair, slender build, and recently developed body.
Joe nodded. " Just what we're looking for. I think she will do just fine." They both approached Sal. Hank stood in front of her to block her way, and Joe stood right behind her. Hank put out his hand to touch Sal's face.
"Hey, sweet thing. Are you new in town?" Hank leered at her. Sal felt her skin crawl. She tried to back away, but found her way blocked by Joe.
"Um, I'm here visiting my sisters."
"Come with us and get acquainted. We'll show you around the city " Joe moved in closer.
"No, thank you. I really need to get going. " Sal desperately looked around for a means of escape. She couldn't find one, and willed herself to think hard. "What would Jill and Kris do?" she thought.
" Why don't you let us buy you a cup of coffee?" Hank's manner was a little insistent.
"No, thank you. I don't drink coffee."
"Oh, but we insist." Hank opened his jacket to show Sal the knife hidden inside. "If you scream or try to get away, we will kill you. Understand?"
Sal swallowed hard and nodded.
With that, the two goons took Sal to their car with a warning to be silent. The knife was there, close enough for Sal to feel. Hank drove through the streets with Sal wondering where they were taking her. Finally, he pulled up to a seedy motel called the Colonial Arms and parked. They got out of the car. Sal began to struggle. Hank grabbed her hair and held the knife to her neck. "I told you to be quiet!" he said angrily. He pushed her into the motel. At one time, it was a fairly nice hotel. Now it was rather shabby. The furniture was worn and the carpet threadbare in spots. Most of the customers who went there were not interested decor. Inside the motel, Sal was introduced to the pimp, Eddie. "Hey, Eddie! We've got a new one for you!" yelled Hank.
"Well, well, well, what have we here?" Eddie was of a medium sized build with dark hair and eyes. He walked around Sal and looked her over. She began to feel very uncomfortable under his gaze. She pulled the collar of her shirt tighter around her neck. "This one is quite the looker, " he said. "She ought to bring in a good price."
"What are you going to do with me?" she asked.
"Quiet!" Eddie ordered. "You're going to come to work for me." Sal began to tremble. "What's your name, honey?"
Sal refused to answer. Eddie slapped her in the face. "Look, when I ask you a question, you answer. Now, what's your name?"
Sal still didn't answer. Eddie slapped her again. "Ok, since you won't give me your name, I will give you one. It's Juliet. Now, one of my girls will fix you up, and we will put you to work tonight." He snapped his fingers and a teenage prostitute appeared at his side. "Rosie, take Juliet here upstairs and get her ready to work tonight. When she's ready, bring her back down here so we can go over the rules."
"Yes, Eddie." Rosie led Sal out of the room and up the stairs. Sal could not believe the way Rosie was dressed nor the amount of makeup she wore. Rosie had on a very tight bright red, low cut dress. Her makeup was rather heavy. Her hair style was a punk one. Sal didn't think Rosie could be much older than she was.
"What kind of place is this?" Sal whispered.
"It's a working establishment. We entertain gentlemen callers," Rosie answered.
Sal's eyes widened as she understood what Rosie meant. "No!" she whispered. "Why do you do it? Why do you put up with it?"
"Because if we don't, Eddie will beat us up. If we try to escape, he will kill us." Rosie shrugged. "It's a living, and it beats living on the street."
"Not a good situation either way," said Sal. "I don't live on the street. I was coming into town to visit my sisters, and those two ugly goons grabbed me at the airport." The two girls entered a room. It was filled with hooker type clothes, jewelry, make up, perfumes, and different types of grooming items.
"They find girls any way they can. Runaways, homeless, out of towners visiting relatives....It's all the same to them. Let's find you a dress," said Rosie. She pulled a low cut blue number out of the closet and held it out to Sal.
"Are you kidding? I've never worn anything like that in my life!" Sal exclaimed.
"Well, you're going to now."
"What if I refuse?"
"Then I'll tell Eddie and he will make sure you put it on. You can change in there." Rosie pointed to the bathroom.
Sal thought fast. "What if I'm having my period? It wouldn't be a good time for me to .....you know.."
Rosie took Sal's purse and dumped out the contents. It had the usual items of a teenage girl's purse--make up, wallet, gum, etc. No feminine hygiene items. "You don't have anything for it in here. Get in the bathroom."
Defeated, Sal took the dress and went in. Once inside, she looked around for a means of escape. She went to the window. It was locked and nailed shut. She hoped desperately that Kris and Jill would start looking for her soon. She began to change into the blue dress.
At the Townsend Agency, the Angels (Jill, Kelly, Sabrina, Kris) were gathered in the office with Bosley. They were finishing up some last minute details before going home. Kris and Jill were exicited about Sal's visit. Kris looked at her watch. "That's strange."
"What's strange?" asked Sabrina.
"Sal's flight was supposed to get in over an hour ago, and she hasn't called yet." Kris responded.
"Maybe your sister's flight is late," Kelly suggested.
Jill lifted the phone reciever and started to dial. "I'll call the beach house" She waited while the phone rang and rang. "No answer." Worried, she put down the phone.
Kris picked up the phone."I'll try the airline" She dialed and waited a minute. "Yes, I am calling about flight 903. Did it come in on time today? It did? Thank you."
Kris hung up the phone. "Guys, something is wrong. Sal's flight was on time. She hasn't called, and she doesn't answer at the beach house."
"Well, let's go find her, " said Jill.
Sabrina tapped her pen on the bar. "We need a starting point. The flight came in on time, but was Sal on it?"
"I talked to her just before she was supposed to leave. She said Grandma and Grandpa were taking her to the airport." Kris responded
"Do you think we should call them?" asked Jill.
"Not yet," Kris shook her head.. "I don't want to worry them if we don't have to."
"The logical place to start looking then is the airline," said Bosley as he pulled out the yellow pages. "What we need to do is to call the airline and see if Sal checked in." He started to dial. "Hello. I am John Bosley from Townsend Investigations. I am enquiring about a person who may have been a passenger on flight 903 this afternoon. Her name is Sal Munroe."
"Try Sarah," Kris told him.
"It's her real name," added Jill.
Bosley nodded understanding and continued his conversation. "Yes, please try Sarah Munroe. She did? Thank you." He hung up. "The airline shows that she checked in."
Sabrina became thoughtful. "So, Sal managed to disappear somewhere between getting off of the plane and going to your house. The question is, HOW and WHERE? How does she usually get to your house?"
"Sometimes we'll pick her up. She usually takes the bus. If she's in a big hurry and she has enough money, she'll take a cab." Jill answered.
"We'll need to call the city bus office and possibly the cab companies to see if anyone matching Sal's description rode them today," Sabrina was thinking aloud.
"But thousands of people ride the bus every day. It would be hard to narrow down someone of Sal's description on any particular bus." Kris noted.
"Do either of you have a recent picture of Sal?" asked Kelly.
"I do." Kris and Jill both answered. They pulled out their wallets and found a picture of all three sisters together. Jill pulled hers out of her wallet. "Here ya go." She handed the picture to Kelly.
"May I borrow it?" asked Kelly. "I'll make copies and we can flash them around the airport."
"Good idea," Bosley concurred.
"Ok, then let's get to the airport and start nosing around," said Sabrina as she started to lead the way out of the room.
"I'll meet you there," Kelly put the picture in her purse.
"Let's go," said Kris. The girls and Bosley left the office.
The Angels and Bosley showed Sal's picture around the airport. Most of the people who had been in the airport while Sal was there had left. The Angels started to question employees. Kris had some luck with a security guard.
"Excuse me, sir, but have you seen this girl?" She showed him Sal's picture. He looked at it for a moment and thought.
"Yes, I did see a girl like that this afternoon."
"Did you see where she went?" Kris was starting to get more worried by the moment.
"The last I saw of her, she was heading for the bus stop. I don't know if she got on or not."
"About when was that?"
The guard puckered his forehead up in thought. "Let's see....somewhere between 4:00 and 5:00"
"Was she alone? Did she talk to anyone that you know of?"
The guard thought some more. "I think I saw her talking to some men by the bus stop."
"How many? What did they look like?"
"There were two of them. One had a slightly dark complexion, and sandy colored hair. The other was kind of stocky and short with dark hair."
"And you can't be sure if she got on the bus or not?"
"No, I'm afraid I can't."
"Thank you for your help. Here's my card if you think of anything else. She may be in trouble, so please call me if you do." Kris handed him a business card and then signaled to the other Angels and Bosley. They gathered in a huddle around her. "The security guard says he saw her. The last he saw of her, she was heading for the bus stop. He also saw her talking to two men."
"I think it's time to call Charlie," said Sabrina in a thoughtful tone. "Sal could be involved in something dangerous, and we need to find her. Charlie might just have the leads and contacts necessary."
Jill and Kris were already on their way to the phones. Jill got there first and was already dialing when Kris caught up to her. "Hi, Charlie. It's Jill."
"Well, hello, Angel. I didn't know you were in town."
"I came in yesterday so I could spend some time with my sisters. That's why I'm calling, Charlie. My little sister Sal is missing. She was supposed to fly in from San Francisco this afternoon. She got on the plane, and then disappeared soon after landing. A security guard saw her head for the bus and that was the last he saw of her. He also saw her talking to two men."
"That sounds serious, Angel. Do you think she took the bus out to your house?"
"More than likely, " said Jill. "There is a stop directly across the street. "
"You don't think she left with the men, do you?"
"I hope not. If she did, I'm sure it wasn't willingly."
"Let's head out to the house and see if she got there. She may have fallen asleep or gone down to the beach." Kris was chewing her lip in deep thought.
"Yeah, let's go," said Jill. "We'll talk to you later, Charlie."
"In the meantime, I will be looking into illegal activities that might involve teenage girls."
"Charlie, you don't mean........?" Kris gasped.
"Yes, I do, Kris," Charlie answered with concern in his voice. "Especially if she left with those men."
"What if there is some kind of prostitution ring going on? And Sal somehow got into it? We have to find her!"
"It is a possibility. I'll look into it."
"Thanks, Charlie. We'll keep in touch."
"Good luck, Angels."
Jill and Kris reported back to the group. "There may be some teenage prostitution or drug rings around here." Jill informed them. "Charlie is going to look into it. Sal may have been kidnapped by those two men she was seen talking to ."
"Maybe it's time to call the police," said Kelly. The others agreed.
*******************
The Angels and Bosley pulled up in front of Jill and Kris' beach house. They got out of the cars and looked around. There was no sign of Sal.
"Let's spread out and ask around on the beach," Sabrina said.
"Wait a minute...." Kelly held up her hand, "Let's check and see if she's inside first."
Kris opened the door and let everyone in. Bosley headed for the phone while the girls looked around. No Sal. They looked in all of the rooms. No suitcases, nothing.
"I'll call the police while you girls go down to the beach," said Bosley.
"Thanks, Boz," Kris and Jill both said as they went outside. The Angels went down to the beach and started interviewing late afternoon sunbathers. They showed Sal's picture to everyone they came in contact with. No one had seen her. The Angels were starting to get discouraged.
Bosley hung up the phone after talking to the cops. It immediately rang again. Since neither Kris nor Jill were available at the moment, he answered it. "Hello?"
"Hello, Bosley," answered Charlie's familiar voice. "Are the girls having any luck?"
"There is no sign of her, Charlie. The girls are down on the beach now, asking around if anyone has seen Sal."
"I've been talking to the police department. Sal hasn't been missing for 24 hours yet, so we can't file a missing persons report . I asked them about drug and prostitution rings. There are a number of them in the city. Some of them may involve teenage girls."
At that moment, the Angels came into the house. Kris and Jill were visibly upset. "No one has seen her," said Kelly.
Sabrina noticed Bosley was on the phone. "Is that Charlie?" At Bosley's nod, Kris and Jill went into the bedroom to listen in on the extension. Sabrina and Kelly put their heads next to Bosley's.
"We're all here now, Charlie," Bosley told him.
"Angels, I was just telling Bosley that there are a number of drug and prostitution rings in the city, some of which may involve teenagers. "
"How do we go about finding her, Charlie?" Jill asked.
"We will start interviewing at the various brothels and massage parlors around the city. There is one down on Water Street that sounds especially interesting. It is run by a gentleman named Eddie Barone. He's been known to deal in drugs and prostitution. He's also been known to recruit teenage runaways to work for him."
"But Sal's not a runaway! " Kris cried "She was coming with permission over a school break."
"Eddie may have also used kidnap as a method of recruitment. You mentioned two men. He has a couple of henchmen who do his dirty work for him. Sal may have run into them."
" I want to talk to this Eddie," Kris was adamant. "And his thugs."
"So do I, " Jill agreed. "If he has Sal, he's going to pay."
Kelly, Sabrina and Bosley visited several massage parlors in the hopes of finding Sal. They showed her picture to everyone, but didn't have any luck. Kris and Jill headed for the Colonial Arms on Water Street. Charlie called the police and set up a raid on the establishment. A while later, the phone rang in Jill and Kris' car. Kris answered. "Hello?"
"Kris, I've been doing some checking. There is a prostitution ring in the Colonial Arms. A friend of mine may have seen Sal talking to Eddie's henchmen. There was a girl fitting Sal's description. " Kris gasped. "The men's names are Hank Jones and Joe DeFazio." Charlie told her.
"What's wrong?" Jill asked. Kris held up her index finger in the classic "wait a minute" sign.
""Charlie, we're heading to the Colonial Arms right now. We'll need police backup."
"They're on their way, Angel."
Kris put down the phone. "Charlie said a friend of his noticed a girl answering Sal's description talking to two men at the airport. We're looking for some men named Hank Jones and Joe DeFazio. I only wish we had time to look up their mug shots. ...The police are on their way to the Colonial Arms right now."
Jill floored the gas. Kris picked up the phone and dialed again. "Bree?...Kris. The police are on their way to the Colonial Arms right now. We're on our way there too. I hope we're in time. Eddie's henchmen could be responsible for Sal's disappearance."
Jill drove faster. As she rounded the corner, she saw Bosley's car with Kelly and Sabrina in it right behind her. "We'll make it, Kris, don't worry."
"I hope you're right."
At the Colonial Arms, Sal was brought to Eddie for inspection. Once again, he walked around her and made her skin crawl. Sal shuddered in revulsion. "Now, sweet pea, we're going to go over the rules. I must say Rosie did an excellent job fixing you up. First, you will do whatever I say. No arguments. Next, you will give the customer anything he wants, no matter what it is. Understand?" Sal didn't answer. Eddie slapped her again. "I asked you a question!"
"Does it make you feel big to slap girls around?" Sal asked.
"Another rule is, you don't talk back to me." He grabbed her roughly and started to slap her again. At that moment Hank and Joe entered.
"Eddie, Eddie, don't rough her up. She won't bring in a good price if she's all black and blue." Eddie threw Sal down on a couch. Sal silently started to cry. Eddie looked at her in contempt.
"Get back upstairs and clean yourself up. I want you ready for the next customer." Sal left. She ran upstairs to the dressing room, almost knocking Rosie over in her haste to get away from Eddie.
"Hey!" Rosie yelled. She ran after Sal. "See what happens when you talk back to Eddie? Next time it will be worse."
"I've got to get out of here!" Sal responded.
"The last girl who tried ended up dead. You want to risk it?"
"It'd be better than being here."
Eddie called up the stairs. "Rosie! Get Juliet ready for the next customer. And keep your eye on her!"
"Yes, Eddie." Rosie called back down the stairs.
Sal shook her head. "Rosie, I can't believe you put up with this. I can't believe anyone would put up with this."
"Like I told you, it beats living on the streets.
"My sisters know people who can help you get out of it if you really want to."
""But how are you going to contact them?" Rosie's look was defiant.
"i'm hoping they will find me. Then they'll shut this place down."
"You're not a cop, are you?"
"No, I told you I'm just in town visiting my sisters."
"You'd better be telling me the truth, because if you're a cop, Eddie's not going to like it!"
"He's really got you under his thumb, doesn't he?"
"Yeah, I guess he does."
"Rosie, you don't have to do this. No one should have to."
"I don't know how to do anything else."
"How old are you?"
"17."
"Wow.. I'm 16. I'm planning on finishing school and going to college. Rosie, it's not too late. You can finish school."
"But if I leave, Eddie will kill me."
"We'll get out of this, don't worry. I just have to think of a plan. Please don't tell Eddie." The two girls went to the dressing room.
*****************
A man entered the lobby of the hotel. "Hey, Eddie! What do you have for me tonight?" He asked. He was slightly drunk and looking for action.
Eddie laughed and answered, "Hey, Marco! I got a new one just today. You'll be her first customer. " He snapped his fingers. Rosie appeared. "Rosie, go get Juliet. I want her to entertain Marco."
Rosie nodded and went to fetch Sal, who had been cleaned up and had her makeup fixed. "Come on, kid. You're about to have your first customer."
"I'd rather die."
"if you don't obey Eddie, that will be arranged. Now come on!"
The girls went downstairs. "Here ya go, Marco. This is Juliet. She will take good care of you." Eddie said. To Sal he said, "Now remember, you give the customer EVERYTHING he wants, understand?" Sal nodded. "Please take Marco up to room 201 and make him happy." Sal and Marco left. With every step, Sal tried to think of a way out.
Once inside the room, Marco closed and locked the door. "Please, mister, don't make me do this. " Sal begged.
"Look, sweetheart, I paid good money for you, and I'm going to get what I paid for!"
"Uh, how about a drink?" Sal asked, stalling for time.
"That will be fine."
Sal went to the mini bar and opened it. She proceeded to mix a scotch and soda from its contents. She presented it to Marco. He took a sip. "Hey, this is great! How did you learn to mix drinks like that?"
"My father taught me. Would you like another?"
Marco finished his drink and held out the empty glass. Sal took it and proceeded to mix another drink. "Here ya go."
Marco polished off his drink. "Now let's get down to business."
Sal wracked her brain for a way out of her predicament. "How about a massage?" She asked. "I know how to give great ones."
"That sounds real nice." Marco slipped out of his jacket and lay face down on the bed. Sal proceeded to give Marco a massage. She was hoping that between the booze and the massage, he would fall asleep. Marco became more and more relaxed. When he started to snore, Sal tiptoed out of the room. She closed the door silently behind her. As she was turning around, she saw Rosie.
"Did you satisfy him?" Rosie asked.
"I think so." Sal proceeded down the hall to the dressing room.
Eddie's voice came up the stairs. "Rosie! We have another customer! Bring whoever is available down here!"
"Come on!" Rosie said to Sal. "That's you."
"Not again," groaned Sal. They went downstairs to find Eddie and his thugs waiting for them, along with another customer.
"Aaaaaah, Juliet. Are you finished with Marco already?" Sal nodded. She was more than finished with Marco, and the whole business. "This is Mr. Smith. I want you to take him to Room 203 and make him happy. Understand?" Sal nodded again and led Mr. Smith up the stairs. They entered Room 203. Mr. Smith closed and locked the door.
"Please, mister...." Sal began.
Mr. Smith put his finger to his lips. "Sh, honey. I'm a cop, and I'm going to get you out of here. Just trust me, OK?" Sal nodded. Mr. Smith went into the bathroom and turned on the water. He pulled a walkie talkie out of his jacket. "Ok, everything is ready, " he said into it.
"Now what?" whispered Sal.
"Pretend we are getting down to business." Sal looked at him, horrified. "It will be ok." They went back into the bedroom.
"How about something to drink and then a massage? I know how to give good ones." Sal was still nervous, but the hopes of rescue were starting to build up her spirits.
"Why yes, that would be fine," answered Mr. Smith. "I'll pass on the drink. I'm on duty." Sal started to give him a massage.
Mr. Smith whispered, "There is goiing to be a raid soon. We are going to wait here until it starts. Then I will get you out of here safely. Just do what I tell you and everything will be OK."
"I hope you're right," Sal whispered.
Jill and Kris entered the hotel. They looked around. Eddie approached them. "What can I do for you two fine ladies?"
"We're looking for someone," Kris replied.
Jill flashed Sal's picture. "Have you seen her?" she asked.
Eddie looked at the picture and shook his head. "Nope. Sorry."
"I don't believe you," Kris said angrily, and took a swing at him.
"Hey, what was that for?" Eddie lunged for her, only to be stopped by Jill twisting his arm up his back and holding her gun on him. Kris had hers out by this time. Hank and Joe came in from outside and rushed to Eddie's aid. Kris trained her gun on them.
"HOLD IT!!!" She ordered. The thugs raised their arms and were silent.
"Eddie, we're only going to ask you one more time. Have you seen the girl in the picture?" Jill twisted his arm a little harder.
"Yes," Eddie gasped. "She's upstairs entertaining a client."
Jill wrenched his arm harder. "So help me, if anyone has so much as laid a finger on her, they will be very sorry. " Kris nodded.
At that moment, In the distance, sirens sounded. Sabrina, Kelly, and Bosley burst in, followed by the cops.
"Can you guys take care of these creeps? Sal's upstairs." With that, Kris and Jill headed up the stairs with their guns as the other Angels and Bosley held the Eddie and his helpers at bay.
In Room 203, Sal and Mr. Smith silently waited. A loud commotion came up from downstairs. There was shouting and running feet. Sal heard "Everybody out! It's a raid!!"
"Stay behind me, " Mr. Smith told her.
He led Sal out into the hallway. She could see police entering the building and ushering girls and clients from the rooms. Then she saw two familiar faces . "JILL! KRIS!" They saw Sal at the same time. "SAL!!" Brandishing guns, the two Angel sisters made their way to their younger sister.
Once they reached her, they had a tearful reunion.
"I was so scared, you guys!" Sal tearfully said. "Mr. Smith saved me." She got a closer look at him. "Wait a minute! You were the guy on the plane!"
"Yes, I was. I saw you talking to those men and thought there would be trouble, but you had left with them before I could get to you. So I helped set this sting operation up. Your friend Charlie called me and told me you needed help. It's not the first time they've done something like this."
"Thank you, Mr. Smith." Jill and Kris echoed their thanks.
"Come on, " Kris put her arm around Sal. "You've got to meet our friends." Arm in arm the three sisters went downstairs. to where Kelly, Sabrina, and Bosley were waiting.
"Everyone," said Jill, "This is our little sister Sal. Sal, these are our good friends Sabrina Duncan, Kelly Garrett, and John Bosley."
"Nice to meet you, Sal," they all said and shook her hand.
"Nice to meet you too. I've heard so much about all of you. Sorry I'm such a mess," Sal indicated her disheveled appearance.
"Wait a minute! " Kris exclaimed. She looked more closely at Sal. "Did someone hurt you? It looks like you've been slapped."
"Just that Eddie creep. He just slapped me a couple of times, but I'll be ok."
"With the charges he has against him, he will be going away for a long, long, time and hopefully will not be able to hurt anyone ever again." Jill said.
''Drugs, soliciting minors for prostitution, accessory to rape, child endagerment.....Yeah, he'll be locked up for a while." Kris answered.
"And possibly murder. One of the girls told me that a girl who tried to escape ended up dead. What about those two who kidnapped me?" Sal wondered.
Bosley answered her. "They're facing the same charges as Eddie. They won't hurt you either."
Kris put her hands on her little sister's shoulders. "Sal, did anyone.....hurt.....you?"
Sal shook her head. "No, you guys were just in time. If Mr. Smith hadn't been a cop, I don't know what I would've done."
The Angels turned to Mr. Smith and chorused their thanks.
"I have a daughter, and I shudder to think something like this could happen to her. I do what I can to prevent this from happening to anyone else's daughters."
"Good night, Mr. Smith, and thanks again. " Sal shook his hand. They started to leave. "Wait a minute," said Sal. She spied Rosie over in a corner in a huddle with some of the other girls. "Rosie!" She called.
Rosie came over to the group. "Guys, this is Rosie. Rosie, these are my sisters and their friends. They can help you."
"That would be nice," Rosie said. "I really don't like doing this for a living."
"Here's our card," Kelly handed her a business card. "Call our office in the morning and we will put you in touch with some people."
Rosie took the card. "Thanks. Ya know, I didn't think anyone cared about me. That's why I ran away. I'll try to call my parents in the morning. Maybe I'll even go back to school. "
"That would be great, Rosie. I hope you do it." Sal smiled at her friend. Rosie smiled back, then rejoined the group of girls who were being questioned by the police.
"Why don't we move this party over to the beach house?" said Kris.
Everyone nodded assent. "We don't have to tell Grandma and Grandpa about this, do we?" asked Sal as the group left. Jill and Kris shook their heads. "No."
At the beach house, there was much merriment and rejoicing. Refreshments were served. Sal was getting tired of the hooker clothes. "Uh, do one of you have something I can wear? I seem to have lost my bag."
"Never mind, we'll go shopping tomorrow."Jill said.
"And we'll go out to lunch too, " said Kris
"YEAH!!"
"Bree and Kelly, do you want to come along?" Jill asked.
"That sounds like fun, but you guys need some sister time," Sabrina said and Kelly agreed.
"We'll have plenty of other chances to get to know Sal," remarked Kelly.
"I'll be here all week. I'm sure we can get together." Sal excused herself and went into the bedroom to change.
"I'll find something for you to wear, " Kris said as she followed Sal to the bedroom.
The phone rang. Jill answered. "Hello?...Oh, hi, Charlie!" The others crowded around her. "Yes, we found her. She was at the Colonial Arms and we got to her just in time."
"Good work, Angels!"
The Angels and Bosley were getting ready to take their leave. "It's getting late," said Bosley. "I will be thinking of you girls enjoying yourselves while I slave away at the office tomorrow."
"The sacrifices you make for us, Bosley." said Sabrina. "Actually, I need to go too. Kelly, do you need a ride?"
"Yes, please," said Kelly. "I really need to get home and hit the sack."
"I think we're all going to do that in a bit," said Kris. "It's been a hell of a way for Sal to start her vacation."
Sal came out in her borrowed Pj's. "Goodnight, everyone. Thanks for everything."
"Good night," they chorused as they left.
"So, Sal, Kris and I have been talking. What would you think of moving down here and giving Grandma and Grandpa a break?" Jill asked.
"I'd love it!" said Sal. "Can we do that?"
"I think so," said Jill. "We'd have to get guardianship transferred to us, but Kris would mainly be responsible for you since you'd be with her most of the time. I'll come home in between races and you can come visit me in Europe sometimes."
"Wow!" said Sal. "I'd love to, but I don't want to hurt Grandma and Grandpa's feelings."
"I don't think they'd mind," said Kris. "They've had you for four years. Now it's our turn."
"But what about when you have to go somewhere on a case or you're gone all night?"
"We'll work something out. Now, how about it? We can make arrangements for you to come down as soon as school's out for the summer," Jill said, putting her arm around her sister.
"Ok by me if Grandma and Grandpa won't mind," said Sal.
"We'll call them in the morning."
"Now about that shopping trip tomorrow, first, we'll hit the malls, then Rodeo Drive, then we'll got to lunch........."
Sal had to duck from the pillows flying her way. She put one arm around Jill and held the other out to Kris for a three way hug.
"Glad to have you home, little sister" said Kris.
The end