Chapter 9
Jet broke up the fight Barb told him about without too much hassle, they were just a couple of drunk boys who thought they were adults. When someone bigger than them stepped up, they backed down. After that, he just focused on his cover, trying to find a time and place he could take down Barbra Holliday with minimal damage done. That was easier said than done, she had at least two men with her all the times he saw her, and she didn't trust him enough for him to be one of the men that was alone with her. She also didn't seem to have many vices, aside from money. No drugs, and she rarely drank anything alcoholic more than once an hour, if that. Despite her comments on the girls and the men working with her that would seem sexual, he never saw any signs that she actually had relations with them. Her only vice was money and gaining more of it no matter the cost to others.
As he looked around, waiting for the right time to make a move, he thought he spotted one of the bouncers, with Meifa. It looked like she needed help moving. Jet moved to follow him, when one of the bouncers, a younger guy that had thin, defined muscle and a scar across his nose said, "Hey, where you going, Ford?" Jet quickly said, "I'm going to check on Meifa." Scarred Nose stopped him, "No can do, Ford. Not during business hours. You want a piece of that fine ass; you need to wait until you're both off the clock. Though, I think she's a little young for you." Jet snorted, "Then where was she being taken?" Scar Nose shrugged, "Maybe she had a little too much 'party favors', who knows with these girls."
Jet moved to go past him, when two other bouncers started walking over. They were bigger than Scar Nose and more experienced judging by the scars on their knuckles and faces. Jet backed off and silently prayed that the worst wasn't happening. One minute later he said out loud, "God damn it…" He looked around and saw that no one was watching him, so he pulled out a pack of cigarettes and headed out the back door. He lit his cigarette and smoked some, making sure no one was following him. His eyes and ears were wide open as he made his way to a public phone and dialed the number Faye gave him. "This better be good Jet," she answered on the second ring, "Girls need their beauty rest." Jet responded, "I think they took Meifa. And I'm not in much of a position to get her." He looked around and said, "You need to come here and take the tracker and look for her, before we lose her for good." Faye said, "Got it. I'm coming, with a lot of guns. Make sure you're ready to shoot your way out." Jet hung up and cursed his rotten luck.
Jet finished his cigarette and smooshed the butt before going back inside. He had to be careful, he had to come up with a way that no one who was innocent got hurt. The girls in the club were possible victims, and while he didn't think much of the customers he was almost sure they weren't involved in the sex trafficking going on; plus if anyone got killed that would be a lot of Woolong down the toilet. He headed to the back and tried to think about what he was going to say when two hands went on his shoulders. "Barb wants to talk to ya, Ford," one of the more experienced bouncers, Hogan, said. Oh shit… Hurry up Faye, Jet thought, but he only said, "Got it."
Hogan and Scar Nose led him to Barbra Holliday's office where she was sitting down, smoking a fancy cigarette in its filter and sorting through a stack of bills. He took a seat and Barb stopped counting her money before turning her attention to him. "So, Ford, it looks like Meifa's jumped ship. She's heading for greener pastures," she started. He nodded, "Yeah." Barb looked him up and down, "You don't seem too broken up about losing your girlfriend." Jet just shrugged, "There's plenty more fish in the sea. And I prefer more…mature women. They're less of a pain to deal with than the young ones that think they're set up for life."
Barb nodded with a smile, "That's a good answer, Ford. I think you're cut out for this work after all. I had my doubts about you, but a guy that doesn't get broken up over every girl he meets has what I'm looking for. Maybe after your shift we can talk more about your future in my organization." Jet nodded, "Thank you, ma'am." Jet got up and headed out to keep on eye on the Club. He saw Ruby taking the stage and though of a plan. He couldn't do this alone; Meifa trusted Ruby and so did the other girls. Maybe she could help him. He kept on eye on her and waited until she was done on stage before slowly making his way to the back room. He saw her getting into a sexy police-woman uniform and said, "Hey, Ruby, we need to talk."
Ruby finished getting dressed and asked, "What's the deal, Ford? I haven't seen Meifa around." Jet nodded and got closer. Ruby moved a hand behind her and Jet lifted his hands, "This is really serious, Ruby. I'm going to tell you something, and I need you to listen, alright?" Ruby looked skeptical; but nodded anyway. "My name is Jet Black, I'm a bounty hunter. My target is Barb, she's a sex trafficker. I think she's had Meifa kidnapped, and we need to get her back. A...an associate of mine is coming here, and when she does, things will get ugly. You need to get the other girls, and get them someplace they won't get caught in the crossfire, alright?" Ruby looked him up and down and stared directly into his eyes. Hers were the most piercing eyes he'd ever seen on a woman.
The stripper said, "Damn it. You better not be lying this has been one of the best gigs I've had." She then headed further back. Jet turned around and nearly ran into Hogan. "So, I thought I recognized that face. Jet Black, the Black-" Jet cut him off with a hard jab to his face with his real hand and knocked him out with an uppercut from his artificial one. He quickly grabbed Hogan and tossed him into a closet before heading out front.
Barb was waiting for him, with six bouncers waiting. "I knew you were too good to be true. We can do this the easy way, or the hard way, 'Ford' or would you prefer Jet Black?" Jet looked around, and saw that Ruby was leading the other girls out behind Barb and her thugs; he had to buy time. "If you know who I am, then I guess there's no use lying. Yeah, I'm Jet Black. And guess what fellas, this bitch here is worth 450 Million Woolong. Help me take her in, and we'll split it evenly." Some of the bouncers looked at each other and seemed to be considering it. Barb pulled out a gun and shot both of them between the legs.
As the men screamed in agony she said, "If any of you bastards even thinks of turning me in, it'll be your balls next!" She then shot both of them between the eyes. That got the other bouncers into line as they drew their guns and pointed them all at Jet. Jet just kept his eyes on Holliday the entire time. He raised his arms up and said, "I'll see you in Hell, Holliday."
"EVERYONE DROP YOUR GUNS!" Fate Valentine yelled behind the bouncers as she fired off a burst of sub-machine gun fire into the ceiling. Faye pointed her gun at Holliday and her men and gave Jet a chance to draw his own pistol. "It's over Holliday! Surrender now and tell me where Meifa is, or you're eating lead!" Holliday's goons threw down their guns while the woman glared daggers at Jet and Faye. Jet kept his gun on her, she looked like she would try something desperate. But then, she yelled, "Damn it!" and put her gun down. Jet kept his gun on her as he walked over and grabbed her, keeping his gun at her head as he yelled, "Where's Meifa!"
The woman gave Jet an evil smile as she said, "I have no idea. The deliveryman takes whoever he wants and pays me a premium. I learned from my time in Pluto, including keeping as many secrets as I can by not having any. She could be well on her way to Jupiter, or Earth's moon for all I know." She laughed in his face as she said this, "By the time you find those girls, they'll have more experience than stray bitches in heat!" Jet's anger broke as he yelled, "SHUT UP!" and slammed his artificial arm into her face so hard that her nose shattered, and she was knocked out. Faye kept her gun on the bouncers the whole time and said, "Jet! Hurry up and grab that old bitch! We can find Meifa if we hurry!" Jet picked up the unconscious old woman and carried her out with Faye, both of them keeping their guns trained on the bouncers.
Faye led him to her car, where she had a pair of handcuffs and some torn up bandages to gag Holliday with. Jet took out the tracker as he and Faye started driving around town. "Damn it, Meifa, turn on the damn tracer," Jet cursed. They turned a corner when the tracker beeped. Then it stopped. "TURN AROUND!" Jet yelled. Faye made a quick U-Turn that was definitely not legal, and they had the trail again. Jet looked out the window and checked the tracking device the whole time, when he saw that there was a refrigerator truck ahead of them, if anything could hold multiple people and be unnoticed. He checked the device, and it confirmed his suspicions.
"That refrigerated truck! Meifa's inside it! Step on the gas!" Jet yelled, and Faye sped up the car. But it was too far ahead of them, and they couldn't reach it before it turned onto a large meatpacking plant that looked like it had a small army inside. Faye drove past it, and Jet had to stop himself from screaming out loud in fear and frustration. He could only curse his luck and say, "We gotta get her out of there." Faye nodded, "We will; but first, we should deposit our bounty, then we'll think up a plan to save Meifa." Jet looked at Faye and said, "Is money the only thing you care about woman!?"
"No! But I'm not stupid either, Jet! We can't save her and keep an eye on that wrinkled up bitch either! The second she gets a chance to, she'll stab us in the back! At least once we turn her in, we can get her off our hands, and get paid. Plus, we can tell the Police too!" Jet's eyes nearly bulged out of his skull, and Faye smirked, "You forgot that they could save her, didn't you?" Jet sighed and said, "I've been doing this shit for too long." Faye headed for the nearest Police Station to turn in their bounty, and told Jet, "We'll get her back."