Patrol turns into something big || Helena

Steve glanced at his watch as he drove near the strip. He was on the night shift for this rotation and for the most part, nothing had really happened. Apart from arresting a guy who was drunk and a shoplifter, it was rather quiet. At the same time, 19 year old Denisa Harxhi walked quickly down the sidewalk while pulling a jacket that was clearly bigger then her 5'7", 160 lbs frame around her. As she walked, the healed shoes she wore made noticeable clicks on the pavement, what could not be seen was the bruising and tears that covered her face. As she walked, Densia bumped into a young couple and flipped out. The man tried to help her, "BACK UP" Densia screamed, which puzzled the man. His wife got her phone out and called 911. Steve got the call and drove over after replying. Upon pulling up and getting out, Steve walked over to the man and talked with him, then looked over at Densia, seeing the bruises on the young woman's cheeks, he could tell that Densia had been abused. Steve managed to talk with her and upon hearing her accent, he had a good idea were Densia was from and that she was not here on her own accord. After talking with her, Steve called in for a female detective.

Sometimes Helena hated to be on call. And she hated it today. Actually she had been hoping to get a little bit of rest today, but unfortunately it wasn't going to be that way. She had worked two double shifts the past few days because the Lab was short on staff because of a flu going around, so Helena had jumped in whenever she could. She was tired, but her phone rang and she had to get working once again. A big cup of coffee to go in her hand she entered the scene and looked around, wondering what had happened and why she was called here.

Steve saw the detective and walked over. "Detective, thank you for coming." he said to her once he was close enough to her. At the same time, Densia was sitting in the back of the ambulance, a blanket draped over her, a stunned look in her eyes at the same time.

"Sure. What do we got?" she asked him, as soon as he greeted her. It was a bit too obvious that she wanted to be at home, sleeping right now, although Helena pushed that aside. But it wasn't that easy anymore.

"Greg and Heather Maroney were walking back to their hotel when the young woman with the EMTs bumped into them, causing her to freak out." Steve said to her. "I tried talking to her, but she's clearly rattled." he added. "I have a feeling that she is not here on her own accord."

Helena looked over at the young woman with the EMTs and sighed a little bit. It took just one look to see that the young woman was scared, rattled and maybe even confused. This wasn't going to be easy, she knew that.
"Oh dear..." Helena said quietly. "Looks like it's gonna be a long one."

Steve watched her as she said that. "I'll talk with the EMTs for you and see what I can find out." he said to Helena before walking over to the front of the ambulance. Densia held a dark blue blanket around her slender frame at the same time. She was still wearing her heals and the fishnet stockings, along with a short black skirt and a red halter top.

Helena looked at the young woman and could tell what she was dealing with here. They might have stumbled across a prostitution organization. Whether it was an organized crime ring or simply a small fish in forced prostitution wasn't obvious at this point, but it was forced prostitution nonetheless.
Taking a deep breath, Helena followed Steve over to the ambulance to talk to the victim.
"Excuse me. I'm detective Coleman." Helena introduced herself in a gentle, warm tone. "Do you think you can answer a few questions for me?"

Densia looked up at Helena when she said that to her, then nodded in reply. "I...can try, what do.....you need to know?" Densia replied, her Bulgarian accent noticeable as she spoke. Steve was talking with the EMTs at this time, finding out that Densia had gone through hell.

"Well... why don't you start with telling me who you are and how you ended up here like this." Helena told her.
She figured it might be easier if the young woman started at the beginning and told her whatever she could remember. She would ask more questions later, if she had some.
"Take your time. Everything you remember helps me."

Densia nodded slowly, then sighed a little. "I was leaving the lab at the university. It was.....dark and I was alone. I was walking through the parking lot when someone grabbed me from behind and....." she started to say before stopping.

Helena listened to the young woman, taking notes in her mind. She would write them down for the case file later, when she got back to the lab.
"It's okay, take your time." Helena said patiently. She knew that pushing wasn't going to help.

Densia sighed a bit, then looked back at Helena. "A cloth was pressed over my nose and mouth, the next thing I know......I'm on a bed and dressed liked this." she said, tears staining her cheeks at the same time.

Helena listened to Densia. She knew all too well how these organizations worked and it made her sick. But at the same time Helena knew that if she was to try and bring these people down, it might get dangerous for herself. Not that she was worried about it, yet. She was used to dangerous situations. Helena just hoped that she could help Densia.
"How long have you been here?" she asked.

"Six years" Densa replied, "I came from Bulgaria as an exchange student when in high school." she added while wiping tears from her face. "Why did this happen to me?" Densa asked as she looked at Helena. At the same time, Steve had finished talking with his boss.

"I can't answer that question and you should stop trying to find an answer to that." Helena said gently, yet seriously. She knew that the moment something bad happened you started to ask why this happened to you, but the answer was nowherer to be found. Unless you began to think it was to make you stronger, or to make you a better person.
It was what she had learned from past experience. Nobody was ever able to really answer a question like that.

Densa nodded in reply when Helena said that. "This might help you" she said while handing over a green covered notebook to Helena. Steve noticed it as he looked over. "I don't know whats in side, but it was important to the two who had me."

Helena took the notebook from Densia, after she put on some gloves. Maybe she could find some fingerprints on it later.
Then Helena took a look into the notebook and then looked back up at Densia, a slight look of concern on her face.
"This is indeed important to them. I they find out that you took this... you might be in real danger." Helena said.

Densia got worried when Helena said that, then sighed a bit. "I don't care.....I just want to see them punished." she replied as she looked at Helena as she said that to her. Steve saw the exchange at the same time, he could tell that Densia didn't care if she got hurt by them again and that she just wanted to have this over with.

Helena nodded a little in reply. "Well... I will not make any promises that I can't keep... but I can promise you this... I'll do my best to get them. It can take a while, though." she explained. "But I suggest that you will be put into witness protection for your own safety."

Densia nodded in reply when Helena said that to her. At the same, another female detective took Densia over to her car and helped in. Steve walked over after she left and looked at Helena. "What did she say?" he asked as he stood there and watched her.

Helena watched as Densia was taken to the car. She gave intructions to the female detective to see to it that the young woman would be placed in protective custody after she was checked out at the hospital. Helena had taken the notebook from Densia and put it into an evidence bag. She had the feeling that this case would turn into something bigger real fast. Maybe bigger than it already was.
When Steve spoke to Helena she turned around and looked at him.
"Well, she came to Las Vegas as an exchange student in High School. She was taken outside a university lab on her way home." Helena told him. "She's been here for six years... Still need more information about her to get this solved, however... I think we stumbled across a sex-slave ring here..."


~ ~ ~ ~ ~
btw... I just thought maybe we should get Danny involved in this topic too... but he'd have to be tagged then, too. What ya think?

Steve listened to her as she said that, it made sense to him. "I hate to say this detective, but this doesn't surprise me." he said to her. "Three major highways coming in and out of Las Vegas, population of 596,424, plenty of real estate.........these guys are able to quickly move the women they have out of the city if they need to and hide them in plain sight." he said, the tone of his voice indicating it angered him.