Need to take a moment to acknowledge Beaujolais. A few months ago when I was pulling the threads to the story together in my head, I asked her what she thought about it. She sent back a well thought out response based on the sotries of people she knows, memories from that period, and some cursory research. She touched on some things I'd thought about but she brought a different angle to it all. And I have kept her thoughts and suggestions in mind as I've molded the story. So while the words are mine, I must give credit to the ultimate Brassfan, Beaujolais, for some insightful input. Thank you, B!

Back at PD, Jim went to office and closed the door. Chang's lawyer had been called but hadn't shown up yet. Jim was exhausted and as far as he could see, they were no closer to finding the girl. Nick was still at the warehouses going over the scene and Jim knew he'd call if he found anything. Chang was in lock-up, waiting for his lawyer and refusing to say anything to anyone. The doctor had said Chen's surgery could take hours and it would be hours after that before he'd be able to talk, if he even lived that long. And the younger Trang brother wouldn't be back in Vegas until the next day. The ticking of the clock echoed loudly in Jim's ears. He loosened his tie, dimmed the lights, and stretched out on his couch to rest his eyes for a few minutes. Maybe after a power nap he'd be able to think more clearly, he reasoned.

A soft knocking rattled Jim out of his sleep. Sam Vega stood on the other side of his door looking sheepish. "Sorry Jim. But Chang's lawyer is with him now. Thought maybe he'd be ready to interview in a few…"

"Yeah, thanks Sam. I'll um…freshen up a little and check on it. Anything from Nick yet?'

The DB has been identified as Carrie Murphy from L.A. Don't know what her connection to Chen is but I'm following that. Nick said he may have found evidence that the girl, Mai, had been at the warehouse and he and Sanders are going over Chen's car. They found some trace evidence already that is being processed."

"Okay, thanks. I'll find you after I talk to Chang. Oh, and hey…can you try to contact Jimmy Trang's mother? Maybe she knows something. It's a long shot but at this point…"

"Yeah, sure," Sam answered as he walked out.

A few minutes later, Jim sat across the table from the suspect. "Okay, so you got the lawyer," Jim Brass growled at Ronnie Chang while waving his hand across the table at Jared Knowles. "And you and Mr. Knowles have had a chance to talk. So now, talk to me. Mai Trang…where is she?"

Chang slumped in his chair, his head hanging. Knowles sat mute, his hands folded on the table. "Oh come on, she's just a little girl. Your bosses have to know the heat that comes with kidnapping a little girl." Jim paused, frustrated with Chang's lack of response. "Okay, I get it. You don't wanna talk about the operation…your bosses' connections to the Trangs. That's okay; don't talk about that. Let's just talk about the little girl. All I want to know is where the girl is."

Chang glanced nervously at Knowles, who looked at Jim. "What's in it for my client?"

Jim's eyebrow twitched. "Well, I dunno…I'll have to talk to the D.A. But things will go much better for your client if we get the girl back…preferably alive."

Chang's head popped up. "She's alive."

Turning his attention back to the suspect, Jim focused a hard stare at the man. "She is? You're sure?"

"Yes. We did not know she would be there… at Trang's. It was Sammy's idea to take the kid. He thought…" Chang gulped and then continued. "… he thought we could get a ransom but then he was told …. He decided not to do that."

"Okay, good. So where is she?"

Chang looked towards Knowles again. "My client needs assurances…"

"So what are we looking at here?" Jim asked. "Cause I can tell you, the D.A. isn't going to go for any deal that doesn't include jail time."

The attorney thought for a moment. "Manslaughter on Trang and reckless endangerment for the girl," he stated. "Oh, and time to be served in a secure facility….let's just say my client will need some protection."

Jim studied the man intently. What? Is this guy crazy? No way the D.A. will agree…"I can't promise that. I can probably get the secure facility and maybe a lesser charge on Trang's murder, but kidnapping on the girl most likely…maybe conspiracy to kidnap. And that's if we find her alive."

"Why don't you take it to your D.A? " Knowles offered. "It's not like Mr. Chang is going anywhere."

"Yeah, but the clock's ticking on the girl…" Jim emphasized.

Knowles smirked and Chang leaned back in his chair, still mute. Jim stared at the pair, unsure which one disgusted him more. "I'll give the D.A a call…" Then stepping into the hall, Jim pulled out his cell and dialed the number.

After a brief conversation in which Jim reminded the D.A. that the little girl was in danger, the man finally compromised. Closing his phone, Jim headed back into the interview room. "D.A. says that if we find the girl alive, he'll only press conspiracy charges on the kidnapping. As for the murder, all he'll promise is that he won't seek the death penalty. He wants more facts before he decides on that one. And he'll agree to added security for Chang in prison."

Knowles looked at his client and shrugged. "It's better than what you'll get in front of a jury," he said. "And if the girl dies…you'll get the needle."

Chang looked down for a moment and then up at Jim. "She is with Sammy's cousin."

"Okay, okay…that's good," Jim said quickly. "So this cousin….he have a name?"

"She…her name is Lily Chen."

"A woman? Okay. So where do I find this Lily Chen?"

"I…" Chang hesitated. "I'm not sure. Sammy told her to take the girl to Las Angeles, to Mr. Wong."

"Wong… Daniel Wong?" Jim asked. "How they travelling, Ronny? Car? Bus? What?"

"I…I think she took a car. She….she showed up at Trang's apartment just before…. Sammy gave the girl to her then but sh…she didn't leave Vegas until later." Chang was clearly nervous about talking.

"When did she leave? Come on Ronny, this is your chance to help yourself here…"

"I don't know exactly…about twenty, maybe thirty minutes before you came to the warehouse. Lily was going to the hotel to get her things and then head for L.A."

"What hotel, Ronny?"

"The um, the Ho-Jo near the Strip. We all had rooms there."

Sirens blared behind him as Jim drove in the direction of the hotel. Odds were that Lily Chen and the girl were gone, already on the road to L.A. but maybe they'd get lucky. Glancing in his rearview mirror, Jim saw Nick and Greg in the SUV behind him. Maybe they would come with something.

A quick conversation with the desk clerk revealed that Lily had stayed in Room 103 but she'd checked out about an hour ago. Jim took the license number from the hotel registry card, but he knew she might have used a fake number. Still, it was something.

As the uniforms cleared the room for Stokes and Sanders, Jim called in the plates. Then he checked on the rooms for the other two, Chen and Chang. While Lily's room had been cleared out, all personal belongings gone, the other two still had clothes and other signs of the occupants. Satisfied that Nick had things under control at that location, Jim headed back to PD.

"I've already called the FBI," Conrad Ecklie told him as he walked into his office. "The Vegas office is working with the LA office on it. They are taking charge of the case."

Jim looked at the Under-Sheriff and grunted. "It happened here; it's our case. I'll cooperate with the FBI but this is my case," Jim emphasized.

"Look Jim, I know that you're really involved in this one but if the girl was taken to L.A. then it's out of our hands."

"You wanna tell that to the Trangs. 'Cause he doesn't really trust us already. And I can promise you, he's seriously not going to trust the FBI with this."

Ecklie studied Jim closely. "Well since you seem to have established a rapport with him, maybe you should tell him."

Jim put his hand up as a warning. "No way. I'm not delivering that news. The guy already suspects that we aren't giving this case our full attention." Jim glared at his superior, his facial muscles working as he clenched his jaw shut before saying more. Then as he calmed, he shrugged. "Do what you need to do, Conrad, but I'm going to interview Chang again to see where in L.A. they might be headed. And then I'm going to L.A."

"Brass," Ecklie huffed. Jim frowned angrily. "Jim," Ecklie said softer. "Look, I'll….okay, I'll approve you going to L.A. and I'll notify the FBI. Go home; get some sleep while I make the arrangements. But the FBI has the lead. Understood?"

"Yeah, sure," Jim said as he charged out of his office. Conrad Ecklie stood in the doorway wondering what it was about this case that had Brass so wound up. "And just when I thought he was beginning to mellow…" he said quietly to the empty hallway.

Back in the interrogation room, Jim sat across from Chang. "Where would she take the girl?" His tone was sharp and menacing.

"I…I don't know."

"Oh come on, Ronny. You really expect me to believe you don't have any idea?"

"I don't know Lily. I always met Sammy when he wanted me to …help." Jim's hard stare was cowering the younger man. "We…we met at Dragons' Lair. He would c…call me and …I'd meet him. I don't know anything about….who he worked for. He would just call me and then pay me in cash."

"Dragons' Lair…what's that?"

"It's a … like a club or a bar in Los Angeles.

After leaving the interview room, Brass headed back to his office. He slowed up as he approached, seeing two people making themselves comfortable there. Everything about them screamed FBI.

He entered cautiously. "I'm Jim Brass," he informed them. Who the hell are you? He wanted to add but instead, he waited for them to introduce themselves. The man rose but the woman remained seated.

"Captain Brass, I'm Special Agent Eric Hightower; this is my associate Agent Mary Jankowski. We're from the FBI."

"Yeah, I got that. So how can I help you?" Jim already knew but he didn't want them assuming anything… like assuming they could just waltz in and take over his case.

"We're here about Mai Trang, her kidnapping. The murder is clearly your turf but kidnapping, especially over state lines, becomes ours."

"We don't know she's been taken out of the state," Jim said irritably.

"No, we don't but as I understand things, it is a strong possibility."

"Possibility? Yeah, sure. It's possible Jimmy Hoffa is alive and well; but where's the proof?"

"Look, Captain Brass…Jim, the Under Sheriff said you might not welcome our involvement in this investigation, but I'll tell you like I told him. This is our case now. Your lab can still process the evidence and you can be a part of the investigation, but we're taking the lead."

Jim grunted. "And all the credit no doubt, if we find the girl alive."

Hightower bent and picked up his portfolio from the chair. As he lifted the item, Agent Jankowski stood up. "I'm sorry Captain Brass," she said quietly. "This case seems important to you; we just want what you want, to find the girl."

Jim studied the woman before relaxing his stance. "Yeah, you're right; we all want the same thing in the end…"

"I understand you are going to Las Angeles?" she asked.

Nodding, Jim said that he was.

"We'll keep following the leads here then," Hightower told him. "And perhaps our field office there can be of some assistance."

Jim watched them leave and tried to quell the rumble in his gut. Things had just gotten a lot more complicated from his view. On the other hand, if the girl had been taken across state lines, having the FBI involved could make things easier.

As he drove home, Jim's mind began to wander again, back to Vietnam.

"Jimmy, soon you'll be home and this will all be a bad dream," Kerr told him.

"Sure," he answered.

"No, seriously. When I went home last time, I forgot all about this place. Had two wonderful years stateside before they sent me back." Kerr took another drag on his cigarette and blew the smoke out slowly. "It's been different this time around. Before, we actually thought we were accomplishing something, but now… I dunno, they're just playing games."

"Doesn't feel like a game," he said somberly.

"No, when you're a pawn, it never does. Look Jimmy, just concentrate on staying alive. I know you're hung up on that girl, but you ain't gonna do nobody no good if you get killed. Think about your family back home; concentrate on them. You gotta let the girl go…"

"But…"

"Yeah, I know; you love her. But you're young kid; you'll find somebody else to love. First you gotta get the hell out of here though."

He looked off into the distance, watching as a flock of birds landed in one of the fields. Days like this it seemed so peaceful, like there was no war at all…

The next day they lost Hector Ruiz. Out on patrol, they'd come across a small VC unit. The skirmish didn't last long, the enemy retreating into the forest. And when it was over, they turned around in time to see Ruiz go down. He never got up.

Youth is the first victim of war; the first fruit of peace. It takes 20 years or more of peace to make a man; it takes only 20 seconds of war to destroy him."

Baudouin

Okay, I know it is there. Ah, there it is, down there on the left...yeah, the little button. We've reversed the trend, now let's keep it going up;)