Diamond in the Rough

I know her real name but on the job, she preferred “Kim Thunder” so that was what I called her. She was one of a group of six girls lured into 'The Life' by the late Lucas Moneghan, a real piece of work who believed 'health insurance' was “driving his employees to the free clinic and not charging them for gas.” And he took them there a lot - weekly checks for career-ending illnesses and hiding the frequent signs from when he lost his stereotypical Irish temper. Sadly, it was that temper that did him in and not me; he lost it in front of the wrong guy in General Population and did not get to see the next sunrise. Nobody shed a tear at his wake.

After taking leave of my partner for a bit, I snuck Carol out of a back way at the station, rode around to the only still working pay phone in the city, and called Kim’s cell. She agreed to meet at a coffee shop we both knew, and I went there on the most circuitous (bet a lot of my old teachers would be surprised that I know that word) route that I could think of, and forty minutes later the three of us were sharing a table. Kim had some kind of drink that seemed to be cream, sugar and caffeine - maybe there was some coffee or tea in it too, somewhere. Carol had a black coffee with half a packet of chemicals claiming to be a sugar substitute, and I was the wimp of the group, sipping at an iced tea and wishing it were a Long Island one, if you get my meaning.

Kim had once been stunningly gorgeous, possibly Carol’s equal, but after two years of Moneghan’s drugs and abuse, she was merely a good-looking woman with too many lines on her hard face, almost concealed by heavy cosmetics, and a wild mane of curly red hair that fell just below her shoulders. Her hazel eyes looked us over. She was clearly a little disappointed that, when I finally called in the favor she owed me, it did not involve the two of us performing some fairly acrobatic activities behind closed doors.

“So, this is the friend you want me to help, eh?” She said between sips of her drink. “Well, if she is looking to join 'The Profession' she definitely has the body for it…”

Carol’s response impressed me: “uh, thank you, I think, but Jack thinks you can help me lie low for a bit, since I suspect I may be the target of some bad people. I think, uh, 'the Profession' might keep me out where I might be recognized…”

Kim smirked at this, “My girls could probably make you unrecognizable, but I get your point. Yeah, I can get her a room and make sure she gets food and such, can even get one of the boys who have been helping us to watch her for a few days, a week at most, but I cannot do this solely as a favor, as it will cost me time, money, and security. And, given how nice your lady’s clothes are, it will not be the luxury that she is accustomed to, I can guarantee that.”

I exchanged a look with Carol, who just nodded.

“So how much are we talking?” I asked.

“How long does she need to hide out?”

“Honestly, I don't know,” I replied sadly.

“Same answer. How about you give me a hundred now and I’ll get in touch when I need more?”

Carol spoke up at this point: “I managed to grab some cash on the way out. I grew up reading pulp detective novels and have seen enough TV shows like this to know not to use plastic. I can give you two hundred right now, will that be a good start?”

“Beautiful, honey,” Kim said with a sweet smile

“Okay now, you two sit tight. Maybe get to know each other a bit. I'm going across the street to the convenience store to buy two burners, one for me and I’ll put my burner's number and Kim’s in the other for you, Carol. Only use it in an emergency and only answer if it is coming from either my real or my burner phone. If it is not me at the other end, or I do not say something to show I am not being traced, hang up immediately.”

Both women nodded and I left the coffee shop. I had never done this cloak and dagger stuff before. It was kind of fun but a bit too nerve wracking to want to make a habit out of... Guess I would make a lousy spy.

It took about ten minutes to get the phones and set them up. “Now, only tell me where you are if you need an immediate pickup, otherwise it is best that I do not see you until we have resolved this mess somehow, got it?”

She accepted the phone and quietly said: “Got it, Jack. I am scared.”

“No need for that, honey,” Kim said, “I’m good at hiding things. Heck, Lucas only knew of about two thirds of the Tricks I pulled, which is a big reason why I’m now the boss instead of just a worker.”

She was not kidding. Three of Moneghan’s girls stuck with her after he went down, and she’s now, I guess, their Madam; even has a small office she works out of sometimes. One of them left ‘The Life’ altogether, had even considered joining the force before getting involved with a lawyer and dropping out of the Police Academy to raise a family. Even asked me to be godfather for their first kid, when he pops out next month. The other one? Well, that was a sad story and is part of why nobody shed a tear when Lucas passed. I helped Kim cover her funeral and have been back to the gravesite once since then on my own. Dana had been a good kid, and even helped us get Moneghan’s supplier before we got to him, but he found out about her working with us before we could get there, and she never even made it to the hospital…