"Hello, Reagan."

The voice from behind him shattered his thoughts and he turned awkwardly, stumbling against a wall.

"Careful, Reagan, you could hurt yourself like that."

"Trench? Tre- what the hell are you- "

"Following you. I saw your little meeting with the customs men."

"Following- what has that to do with you?"

Harlan stepped right up to Reagan and held up a badge." This is what it has to do with me, Reagan; I'm a U.S. Customs Agent investigating the illegal trafficking of immigrants. The same immigrants you and your crooked agents are selling into slavery."

Reagan straightened his jacket and began a bluff but Harlan shoved him back against the wall and brought them almost nose to nose.

"Don't even think of lying your way out of this. I've got all the evidence I need."

"What evidence, there is no evidence? Those men you saw me with won't back you up; they won't even- "

"Captain Stanislaus."

"Huh, wha- ?"

"He preferred to keep his papers and his ship, Reagan. A trade for telling us about your operation. Of course he can't come into this port anymore but he felt it was worth it rather than the alternative."

Hubble saw his earlier dream dissolving fast and he chose a common escape . . . he blamed someone else.

"This was all Gerrard's idea, he's the one behind the whole thing."

"We know about Gerrard. It was the rotten customs agents we were after . . . and the man that recruited them - Reagan."

"But they were his! I just- "

The shot and the cry that followed echoed loudly in the narrow street. Harlan dropped to the road, clutching at Hubble who was sliding down the wall, staring at his shirt. He rolled onto his side and fumbled for Reagan's pistol as more shots rang out only this time from another source.

Another shot and then silence. Harlan lay still, his breathing coming in short gasps as he strained to hear something that would improve his chances. He reached back and felt Hubble's hand; it was cool and didn't move when he squeezed it.

"You okay?" The voice startled him and he raised the gun only to have it kicked away. "It's me, Harlan. Link. "You hit?"

"Link! Uh- no- not me . . ." Harlan struggled to his feet and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, assuring himself Link was real and he was safe. "Wha- who was that? What happened?"

"Gerrard's men. I've been watching for whoever shot that captain and as luck would have it, they were watching you.

"So they were after Hubble way down here too?"

"Looks like they got him too." Link bent down and poked at Hubble. "He's a goner."

"Did you get any?"

"There's a fella lying in the alley back there I don't think will make it and I heard another shout but I ain't sure."

"How many?"

"Maybe half a dozen. Hard to tell." Link took Harlan's arm and steered him down the street. "We need to get scarce quick."

"I live a couple of streets over we can head there."

******

Link sat on the mat, legs crossed and a cup of tea cradled in his large hands.

"So a room with a maid service, Harlan?"

"Chg- chan- aw to hell with it. Dawn is not my maid."

He had stripped off his shirt because of the blood from Hubble on the sleeve and Dawn had taken it and placed it in a tub for washing.

"Okay."

"She works in the eatery downstairs; that's where we met."

"Okay."

"Look, I walked her home one night and lucky I did I had to rescue-" He saw her head come up and a trace of amusement appeared on her face. "Well, a couple of bad guys started up and there was a tussle . . ."

"That where the scratch on the shoulder came?" Link asked, with a grin.

"As a matter of fact."

Chenguang gave some tea to the men and then sat opposite Link on the mat. The three sipped in silence but Harlan felt teasing vibrations from his friend right through the floor.

"So how does this work, she live with you now?"

"No! No . . . Dawn comes up sometimes after work and we talk." Link closed his eyes and an amused expression bloomed. "C'mon, Link . . . I uh- I've talked to Dawn about the Chinese girls that get shipped into- into here," he lifted a hand indicating their surroundings. "She told me she was lucky in that she was helped by the owner of the eatery here. He knew her folks back home. She got very lucky."

"You too, I'm thinkin'"

"Don't pay him no never mind, Dawn. He isn't used to folks, been livin' with cows too long."

Surprise lit her face. "You live with cows!"

"I have a cattle ranch; I don't actually live with them."

"I don't understand, you friends?"

Harlan and Link grinned at one another. "Yes, we are, Dawn. Old, good friends."

"I don't understand . . ."

"Link, I want to look into helping Dawn's friends if I can. They all got pushed into--"

"Hold it. You have a job already and what do you think you could do anyway? You mess with these Tong boys and you are asking for a lot more than you think." Link caught the ghost of fear cross Dawn's face.

"Hear me out. There were seven girls including Dawn. The youngest was fifteen and the oldest nineteen same age as Dawn. Two were auctioned off to private buyers and the rest were bought by a brothel right here in this neighbourhood. Dawn knows where they are."

"Harlan, this is such a bad idea. You will only--"

"They're just girls, Link! How can you simply turn your back on- on- something as ugly as this?"

Harlan pushed his tea away and stood up, his expression defiant. "Well you do what you want, I'm gonna help those girls."

"Harlan--"

"You got all we need to round up those customs men. That's what Lantern asked for. Let him take it from here."

Link flashed a worried look at Dawn over the mention of the code name. He could see his friend was going to be mulish about the girls but he had to be careful of what he said as well. "Okay, look. Let's just see what we're up against in this and have a calm conversation about any action."

"You'll help?"

"I said let's look into it first."

Harlan helped Dawn to her feet and explained what he intended to do. If she would show him where the brothel was he would help her friends.

"Not safe, Harlan! Tong very bad. Very bad. They will kill girls if they try to escape."

"That ain't gonna happen. No sir."

Harlan finally gave in to Dawn's pleading and sat down while she told him the facts of life in San Francisco's Chinatown. He learned about the various gangs that terrorized the town; The Hounds and the Sydney Ducks, using the terms Regulators or Vigilance Committee. While they cracked down on the gambling and the brothels, even hanging some people and driving others out, they also extorted protection money from the area.

"They bad men too, Harlan. They burn and rob and nobody stop them."

"Okay, all the more reason you and your friends should be out of here."