Sammy's ANs: Mari and Ilna-you guys are the best. Thanks for all the love and support McRollers

Mari's ANs: Sammy and Ilna, love you to the moon. REAL McRollers and Readers, thanks doesn't seem like enough, but thank you always.

Forgive my nod to one of my favorite musicals.

No One Mourns the Wicked

Danny grimaced at the sight on the ground in front of him. "Somebody isn't having a very happy new year."

Smoke still curled upward as Steve knelt to survey the charred remains of a body.

"In this neck of the woods, it's gotta be a trafficker," Danny said. "You think a rival toasted him like a marshmallow?"

HPD had been trying their best to stamp out human trafficking on the island but it seemed as though every time they managed to block one entrance and exit point another one sprung up. The area they were in now was rumored to be the new current hotspot. There was no telling if this was a disagreement between partners or one trafficker trying to muscle in on another's territory.

Lea was determined to crack down and had offered both the task force and HPD any additional resources needed to deal with the issue.

"Could be," Steve replied, his eyes narrowing as he examined the area. The smell of burnt flesh was acrid, but as his best friend often said, he had an immunity to the grotesque. "Judging by the small circle of burned grass they used a pretty weak accelerant. Death would have been slow and painful."

"Another day in paradise," Danny muttered, lifting a piece of debris out of the way. "I'll save my sympathy for the victims. Speaking of …if this is actually a trafficker moving people off the mainland, where are his latest victims? HPD has checked out every structure within a mile and found nothing."

Chin joined them, his expression calm, as always. "Max is ready to take the body," he nodded towards the coroner's vehicle that had just moved closer to remove the remains.

"Tell him to go ahead," Steve said as Kono joined the group. "We can't close our minds to any possibility but considering the location of the killing, and the brutality of the death, I think we can safely assume this has something to do with trafficking. This feels like somebody was trying to send a message."

"I'll check for increased phone activity among known traffickers," Kono said. "If this guy was transporting people from the mainland he had to have been in contact with his clients here on the island. I doubt they'll be too happy about losing their …" She frowned. "Investment."

Danny cringed at the thought. So many trafficking victims were so young, which always ate at him.

Kono gave him an understanding look. "I'm on it. We can't save them 'til we find them."

"Let us know if you find anything," Steve said. "Chin, interview the dockmaster." He turned back to the smoldering remains. "We need to figure out who this guy was before we can even start to track down any victims."

He glanced at his partner.

It was one thing to have a charred body, another to know somewhere out there, people could be locked away and trapped.

Steve felt his stomach clench at the thought of someone else's child in danger.

"We need a break on this one fast."

"Please tell me you have something for us," Chin said as he entered Max's lab.

"As a matter of fact, I do," Max replied. "The victim had a titanium rod in his shoulder that survived the inferno. I was able to use the serial number on it to trace his identity."

"You're a star, Max," Chin said. "Who is he?"

"Actually, I'm just doing my job," Max responded. "His name is Milo Raines. I don't have any other details except that he had a shoulder replacement six years ago at Cedars Hospital in Los Angeles."

"Great work," Chin said. "I'll see what I can dig up on him. Let us know when the autopsy results are in."

Max nodded. "I always do."

Back at HQ, the team spread out the evidence they had so far. Photos of the body, notes from Max's initial examination of the remains, and a map of known trafficking routes were sprawled across the table.

"Okay, so we know his name," Chin began, pointing at a picture of the dead man. "Milo Raines. Record for trafficking back in California and in and out of lock up like it was a revolving door."

"Not too bright, then," Danny said. "Any known associates on the island? He wasn't working alone."

"Nothing yet but I did come across something strange when I tried to get information on him from LAPD," Chin said.

Danny furrowed his brow. "Strange how?"

"I was able to get plenty of information on his record going back a few years." Chin swiped the rap sheet up onto the overhead screens. "But I hit a stone wall when I started asking about his most recent associates. I got passed around to about five different departments before getting told someone would get back to me."

"That does seem odd," Steve agreed. "Could be he's the target of an ongoing investigation."

"That's a possibility," Danny said. "But in that case it would be better for them to share info so we don't end up tripping over each other."

Steve nodded.

If there were victims out there, every minute counted.

Just then, the door swung open, and Catherine walked into the bullpen. "I saw the update," she said. "Lea's very concerned about potential victims."

"Tell her we all are," Danny said.

"She knows that," Catherine assured him. "She wanted to reiterate that if there's anything you need from her you only have to ask. I reached out to Glen Barlett from NI. He's FBI now, so I figured he might be able to find someone who knows something." She pulled a flash drive from her pocket. "Here's what he sent on recent LA trafficking stings."

"Thanks," Steve said with a small smile. "There is one other thing you can do."

"Name it."

"Chin ran into a bunch of roadblocks trying to get information on what Raines has been up to recently," Steve said. "The kind of roadblocks that make me think he might be involved in an ongoing investigation. Any chance Lea can make a few calls and get LAPD to share what they know with us?"

"Consider it done. Also, I'll cover practice with Dad tonight," she told him and Danny. "Nick is coming, so he'll bring the sports drinks and water. Mom's already making snacks." She checked her watch. "I better go or I'll be late."

With a wave, she moved towards the doors, and Steve watched her leave for a heartbeat before he turned back to the smart table, the urgency of the case focusing his mind. "Danny, you and I will hit the street. Chin, Kono, keep digging to find out what Raines has been up to. Somebody on the island has to know."

As they began to disperse, Danny caught Steve's eye. "What?"

"You good?" Steve replied. He knew more than anyone how cases that could involve kids and young adults affected his best friend.

"I can't shake the feeling that we're running out of time. That there're kids out there somewhere."

Steve clapped him on the back. "Then let's find them."

To be continued…

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