Miami, Florida
July 13, 2003

Tia blinked open heavy feeling eyelids, wincing as sunlight sliced across her vision. Her head was pounding and her mouth felt dry, as if it had been stuffed full of cotton balls. She struggled to remember what had happened the night before, eyelids closing in an attempt to block out the harsh light that made her eyes burn. She remembered going into Dark Magic for a shift the night before, dancing until her feet ached and her skin was coated in sweat, and talking to Holly. As far as she could recall, it had been just an average night. She'd gone through her shift without a hitch, changed clothes, and waited outside for her friend to come out and take her home. How, then, had she ended up here? It didn't make any sense.

She tried to stretch, her arms aching from where they were pulled awkwardly behind her back, but only succeeded in rubbing coarse rope against her wrists. Tia winced and cautiously blinked open her eyes again, relieved when the sunlight hurt just a little bit less. The wall directly across from her was stained looking concrete and had a narrow, rectangular window near the ceiling of it, which was what was allowing beams of sunlight to hit her face. She lowered her gaze to a darkened spot of concrete further down the wall, trying to focus her fuzzy brain. Something had happened last night, after she'd stepped outside, and she needed to know what so that she could figure out what was going on.

"Hey hot stuff!" a voice crowed in her mind and Tia twitched with annoyance in her chair. Some guy off the street had been catcalling her last night. The memories were hazy, but still there, buried under whatever had left a sour taste in her mouth. She frowned, trying to force the images of the night before that were swirling around in her brain to coalesce into something that actually made sense. Her head began to pound as she slumped against the folding chair someone had left her in. Her head dropped towards her chest and she caught sight of rope binding each of her legs to the chair. Whoever had brought her down here hadn't wanted her to just get up and walk away.

A particularly vicious throb of her head had her groaning. Had she been drinking last night? She didn't think so. The last time Tia had gotten well and truly drunk was when she'd found her stupid boyfriend, ex-boyfriend now, sleeping with one of the other dancers at her job in one of the Las Vegas shows. She'd blacked out in her own apartment after getting thoroughly smashed at a local dive bar and somehow stumbling her way into a cab, then up four flights of stairs. Her key had been broken in the lock and there had been a message from her boss asking her if she really wanted to quit. Tia had decided she was never getting that drunk again, and Holly had been good about helping her keep that promise the few nights the two of them had went out to have some fun. No, this wasn't a bad hangover. This was something else.

Footsteps thudded casually on stairs somewhere behind her, not doing anything to help her headache. Tia let her head loll casually to one side and glanced at the approaching figure through her eyelashes. He was a tall skinny guy and she doubted he had much muscle to him. What he lacked in frame size though, he made up for in the casual way he cradled a twelve gauge shotgun in his arms. Even if Tia could get free from the ropes attaching her to the chair, her chest would be shredded before she could escape. Just one more factor that helped this day keep getting better and better.

A rough hand smacked her cheek hard enough to make it sting. The man circled around to stand in front of her, saying, "Time to open those pretty eyes, sweetheart. 'Cause we need to establish some ground rules here."

Tia reluctantly opened her eyes and lifted her head, heart thrumming rapidly in her chest. The man smiled at her, showing off straight, white teeth that belonged on a toothpaste commercial. Up close, he was nice to look at. While his frame was a bit on the skinny side, she could see hints of muscle in his arms. His dark hair was neatly combed, revealing curls where strands fell over his forehead, and the light from the window behind him gave him the impression of having a halo. Considering that she was pretty sure she'd been kidnapped some time last night, Tia found the impression of the halo to be extremely misleading.

"I don't think we've been properly introduced," the man said, a hint of a southern drawl coloring his words. "My name's Michael, but you can call me Mike." He waited for a moment, as if expecting Tia to offering her name in return. When it became obvious that she wasn't going to do so, he sighed and shifted the shotgun to one arm, reaching into the pocket of his bluejeans with the other. After a moment he pulled out what looked like a driver's license, and Tia had a bad feeling that it was hers. Her suspicions were confirmed when he started reading the information off the front. "Tianna Holloway, age twenty-five. Blonde hair, green eyes. Height, five feet, ten inches. Weight, one hundred thirty-six pounds. A little bit on the skinny side, aren't you sweetheart?"

Tia tried to ignore the growing whisper of fear in the back of her mind as Mike looked up from the license to stare at her expectantly. "I work for a living," she said, keeping her voice as level as possible. "A girl who does what I do has to stay in good shape or she's out of a job."

"Of course," Mike replied casually. "For someone of your profession, looks are incredibly important." He paused a moment, letting the room fall silent, and then asked, "How long have you been working in this profession?"

"Five years now, going on six," she said, trying to keep the casual conversation going. She desperately wanted to know what this man wanted from her, but she suspected that the longer she kept things civil between herself and her captor, the better things would go for her. "I started a couple days before my twentieth birthday."

"Were you going to college?"

"No. I took a gap year after high school because I wasn't sure what I wanted to do."

"And it became a career?" Mike questioned, seeming genuinely curious about the answer.

"Yeah," Tia replied, a hint of a wry smile sipping on to her face. "I liked what I was doing and I was good at it. I was getting ready to apply for college in the spring when my boss offered me a raise and a full time position." She shrugged as best she could and said, "I took it."

"That wasn't in Miami, was it? A few of my friends frequented Dark Magic, before and after the Pearl closed, and they said you haven't been around for too long," Mike said.

"I started in Las Vegas," she responded. "Doing shows at a casino. I came to Miami after I found my, at the time, boyfriend cheating on me with one of the other girls I worked with. I wanted a fresh start."

"Understandable," Mike replied, tone sympathetic. Tia found that, if she focused on his face, she could almost forget that she was tied to a chair and speaking to a man that could shoot her at any time. "How'd you get the position at Dark Magic?"

"My boss at Las Vegas, Monique, knows one of the costume designers at Dark Magic. That helped me get the interview, and Mr. DeWade was eager to hire someone with my qualifications." She hesitated a moment before deciding to take a chance, adding, "I hope I still have a job when this is over with."

To her relief, Mike tilted back his head and laughed. "I'm sure you'll still have a job, since this is completely out of control." The his expression turned serious. "We don't want to hurt you, Miss Holloway. Mr. DeWade has withheld some supplies that he promised us, so we've taken something of his in return. Once he hands over our supplies, you'll be free to go." Tia smiled, feeling a wave of relief wash over her at his words. "The reason you're tied up here instead of resting comfortably in a safe house is because our plan took an unexpected turn last night. Be reassured that this situation is, by no means, your permanent accommodations while you stay with us. We'll be moving you to somewhere more comfortable tonight. Now, is there anything I can get you? Water? Food?"

"Oh yeah! How do you like me now boys?"

Dark Magic, Miami, Florida
July 16, 2003

Brian and Rome were overwhelmed by the pounding base of the music the instant they stepped inside Dark Magic. Suki had rung them twenty minutes ago, still celebrating her victory over the guys who constantly condescended her every time she stepped forward to race. Anyone who hadn't gone against her before underestimated her, thinking that she was nothing more than a pretty face. The truth was that, once Suki put her foot on the gas and pulled forward, it was nearly impossible to catch her. The only reason that Brian consistently beat her was through a combination of luck and skill. Sooner or later something would go wrong for the former cop and Suki would get her victory over Miami's famous Bullitt.

The two friends scanned the club, Rome searching for their friends and looking over prospective one night stands while Brian searched for any sign of trouble. He'd been a cop in LA for several years, and those instincts weren't something he could just shut off, especially not after putting someone like Carter Verone behind bars. At two in the morning the club was hopping, but Brian noted the sheer amount of bouncers standing around. It looked like the owner was extremely concerned over something happening in his club, and no one was allowed to get too close to the stage. "Hey man, I found 'em," Rome called over the music, nudging Brian's shoulder to catch his attention and then motioning towards their right. Suki was standing next to the the bar, lifting her drink in a toast with her girls, Jimmy, and Tej. She smiled when she noticed Brian and Rome, she motioned them over with a wide grin.

"Hey boys," she called cheerfully when they approached, allowing Brian to lean over and kiss her cheek before returning the gesture. "Grab a drink. We're celebrating victory tonight."

Rome leaned across the bar to order his drink, flirting outrageously with the pretty bottle blonde bartender who took his order. She smiled, laughed, and leaned over towards him to show off her cleavage while Brian rolled his eyes in exasperation. Rome had rarely been a one woman kind of man, only making the exception for a couple notable females, as long as Brian had known him. It seemed that his friend hadn't grown out of that habit. While Rome and one bartender flirted, a curly haired brunette approached with an apologetic smile. "What can I get for you?" she asked.

Brian considered for a moment, opening his mouth to ask for a Corona before thinking the better of it. He was trying to move away from what had happened in LA, not cling to it. "Whatever she's having," he replied, gesturing with a hand towards Suki.

The brunette glanced at Suki's brightly colored drink and then turned back to him, raising a skeptical eyebrow. "Are you sure about that?"

"I'm confidant enough in my masculinity to drink whatever you hand me," Brian told her with a grin and she grinned back.

"Alright. Whatever you say." She turned away for a minute to prepare his drink before turning back around and handing it over. "One Malibu Cocktail for you." Brian lifted the drink in toast to her before taking a sip, wrinkling his nose a bit at the taste. She laughed and shook her head at him before turning away to take another order.

Brian sipped at his drink and watched the flow of people dancing and smiling as most of his friends stepped onto the dance floor. Two of Suki's friends, a brunette with pink streaks named Lindy and a dark haired beauty named Jasmine, stuck around the bar, flirting with the only male bartender and gossiping, but otherwise he was alone. As the current crowd around the bar cleared out to dance or settled in with their drinks, the brunette bartender walked back over to him. "Ready for something better?" she asked, gesturing with her head towards his drink.

"What would you recommend?" Brian asked, having spent enough time in bars during his life to know that the bartenders often knew what the best drinks in a club were.

"Hmmm," the brunette hummed thoughtfully. Then she grinned, grabbed a bottle of something and poured, sliding it over. "Jack Daniels, on the rocks," she said. "Probably a little more your speed." Brian nodded and tipped the drink back, taking a speculative swallow. She waited patiently for his verdict, posture confidant.

"Not too bad," he admitted after a moment and set the glass back down. She rolled her eyes in exasperation and settled her arms against the bar.

"So what do you normally drink?"

"Coronas," Brian admitted.

"That trash," came the reply. "Why?"

"Some friends I'm trying to forget got me hooked," Brian replied and she nodded, expression knowing.

"Got it. Well why don't we see if I can find you something you like by the end of the night?" she suggested.

"Sounds good to me." He hesitated a moment before saying, "I'm Brian O'Conner."

"Tiffany Boswell," came the friendly reply.

"Nice to meet you, Tiffany," Brian said.

"The pleasure's all mine," she said with an easy smile. "After all, it isn't every day I get to make a guy a girly drink and he doesn't whine about it afterwords."

"I asked for it," Brian told her with a shrug. "So it's my own fault if I don't like it."

"So you take responsibility for your own crap. Nice." Tiffany was called away by a customer, likely a regular from the easy way they chatted with one another, but returned a couple minutes later. "Ready for something new?" she asked but Brian shook his head, taking another sip of his drink. "Alright. Let me know when you are."

"Hey, I have a question for you," Brian said, just as she turned away from him to go back to work. "Is there a reason why there's extra bouncers hanging around here?"

"Are you a cop or something?" Tiffany asked, eyebrows arching to her hairline. "Cause we've had extra bouncers for a few days now and nobody else has noticed."

"Former cop," Brian admitted and was glad that she didn't push for more information. "So what happened?"

"One of the full time dancers got grabbed from behind here a few nights ago," Tiffany told him, leaning close and keeping her voice low. "The big boss put the security on high alert, but he refuses to call the police and have them check the situation out."

"Any reason why he wouldn't want to cops involved?"

"No idea," Tiffany replied. "I've only worked here a couple months. The only reason I know he won't call the police is because I overheard him arguing with one of the other dancers about it when I came into work today."

Brian frowned as the bartender turned away to clean some glasses. That was strange. Even if a club owner was involved in some shady business, he wasn't likely to ignore the fact that one of his full time dancers had been kidnapped. Did the owner have something to do with the kidnapping or was he being blackmailed over something he didn't want the police to discover? Either one was a possibility. Still, Brian wasn't a cop anymore. If he kept poking around to discover what was going on, he could land himself and his friends in some serious trouble. Pushing the mystery aside, Brian finished his drink as Suki pushed her way through the club to him. "Come on," she yelled over the beat of a new song as Tej stepped up to the bar and ordered a drink. "Dance with me!" Brian grinned and allowed her to tug him onto the dance floor, determined to have some fun.

Four songs later, Brian handed Suki back to Tej and made his way back towards the bar. Rome had left ten minutes ago with a busty, dark haired woman. Brian hoped they were going back to her place instead of the houseboat he lived on with Rome because he didn't want to find a different place to stay tonight. Tiffany crossed over when she saw him, wiping off a glass. "Ready to try something new?" she asked and he nodded at her. "Let me see what I can do for you." After a minute of consideration, she slid a green Heineken bottle across the counter after popping the top. Brian took a sip and then lifted the bottle in toast to her, making her grin. The drink wasn't exactly what he wanted, but it was good enough that he could tolerate it.

He lingered by the bar for another hour, taking his time going through his drink, and then paid his tab, taking the time to say goodbye to Tiffany. The club was slowly beginning to clear out as the clock headed closer and closer towards morning, so he wasn't the only one taking his leave. Tej and Suki were still on the floor, but Jimmy had left a half an hour ago and most of Suki's friends had cleared out in the past forty minutes, leaving in groups of twos or threes. The air outside was still warm, a light breeze slipping through his short hair as he made his way to the parking garage to the left of the club to pick up his car. He and Rome had drove separately since they both knew that Rome would probably try to pick up a girl and Brian didn't want to be left without a ride.

Inside the vehicle, Brian sat for a moment, hands resting on the steering wheel. What Tiffany had told him in the club was still swirling around in his head. Something strange was going on behind the scenes in Dark Magic, and while he knew he should stay out of it, he couldn't just let it go. Somebody's life was at steak, and Brian knew what it felt like to be left high and dry when things took a turn for the worst. It had happened to him in LA, when he'd thrown away his entire career for people who'd become family to him, and a girl he'd fallen in love with. He didn't intend to let that happen to anyone else if he could prevent it.

Mind made up, Brian pulled his wallet out of his back pocket, searching for the card he'd tucked in there earlier. When Jimmy had done his official sweep of Brian's precious Skyline, he'd found a business card with Bilkins' name and a phone number printed in black ink on it. Brian wasn't sure why the man had left some way that he could be contacted, but he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. He pulled the card free and unlocked his phone, dialing the correct number. It rang twice and then Bilkins picked up, saying, "It's awful early in the morning for a telemarketer."

"It's not early if you're a street racer," Brian replied, grinning a little at the FBI agent's sense of humor.

"Brian O'Conner," Bilkins mused, sounding a little surprised. "I have to admit, when I left that card I didn't think you'd ever use it. Have you managed to get yourself in trouble already?"

Brian wanted to resent that assumption, but considering what Bilkins knew about him, it was a fair one. "No," he replied. "But I found some trouble for you."

"I'm listening," was the reply.

"There's a new It Club in town since Verone got busted and the Pearl closed its doors. It's called Dark Magic."

"I've heard of it."

"I was in there tonight and it was crawling with bouncers. One of the bartenders told me that one of the dancers was grabbed from behind the club a few nights ago."

"That sounds like a matter for the local police," Bilkins said.

"Not if the owner isn't letting anyone report it," Brian replied quickly, hoping to keep the other man from hanging up on him.

There was a pause and then Bilkins said, "Get to the point, O'Conner."

"The bartender told me that she overheard one of the dancers and the owner of the club arguing when she came into work tonight. She said that the owner wasn't letting the dancer report the incident, and we both know that there's no good reason for him to do so."

"Do we?" Bilkins challenged. "From what I understand, this is all from second-hand sources and assumptions you've made. There's nothing here to warrant and investigation."

"Verone left a power vacuum behind when we grabbed him," Brian snapped back, frustrated. "Someone has to fill it, and what's going on behind the scenes at the club might have something to do with that. At the very least here, you'd be saving a girl's life." He paused and leaned his head against the steering wheel. "You have to know that I'm not trying to lead you on a wild goose chase here."

"I'm not sure what I know, O'Conner," Bilkins replied and Brian let out a defeat sigh. "Look, I'm tired and I had a long day yesterday. Let me get my much needed rest and I'll do some checks on the club this afternoon, discretely, and get back to you. Until then, try to stay out of trouble."

"Okay," Brian agreed and hung up the phone, tossing it into the passenger seat and starting up the car. He needed to get back to the houseboat and get some rest so he'd be awake enough to help Jimmy open up Tej's garage in the morning. Hopefully Rome hadn't taken his latest one night stand back to the houseboat, because if he had, Brian was going to be stuck sleeping in his car.