Reintegration program - Elmax

Chapter 47 : Under the bridge

The night was dark, cold and foggy, barely letting the street lamps lighting the poor drivers. The woman was lost, not recognizing this part of the town. The streets were deserted, like if they were hiding, not wanting to be seen by an unwanted witness. She didn't know how she finished in the South, where someone could stab you just for breathing. She didn't like to think like that, but it was just not rumors, it was true, it wasn't a sane place to grow up. Joyce was in her car, locked, driving slowly in this abandoned road, looking around to know where she was or to find any information to tell her where to go. She was desperate, it was useless, she could just pray to know where to go! She arrived under a bridge where two cars were there, parked in the side of the road. There were two men with a table and a box with bills inside and many groups of people behind him, under the bridge. She thought it was homeless and certainly some prostitutes. She slowly approached, and recognized a face in those groups. She quickly opened her window to look better. The group watched at her, waiting for her to say something.

- JANE! called the woman with an angry tone.

The young girl, -wearing old white shoes, blue holed jeans, a gray sport vest with a black down jacket with no sleeves and her khaki backpack-, approached the car with a cigarette in her mouth and leaned at the window.

- Tell me you're not doing what I think you're doing!

- Dunno, what do you think I do? replied Jane with a calm tone.

- Are you prostituting yourself!?

- I...give pleasure to some lost souls to have some bucks.

- Jane! You're sixteen! This is not acceptable!

- Yeah!? Why are you here then!?

- I'm lost and I saw you! You shouldn't be here!

- But we are! If you don't pay, I don't stay, keep straight then turn left at the second road and at the traffic light you take the right turn and then you'll have signs.

- Jane! I'm not leaving without you!

- I'm not leaving without bucks!

- How many?

- It depend of what you ask.

- I'm not asking you this, Jane! I just want you to follow me! told firmly Joyce.

- I don't care, I'm working, I need to be paid!

Joyce noticed that Jane was giving a lot of looks on her left at the two men. She was sure it was them who forced them to do this, it was awful!

- Look, if you have trouble, I can help you!

- I'm fine, just...don't stay here, told Jane.

- You're not fine! Nothing of this fine! Why do you even do this? Are they forcing you? said Joyce.

- No! No one is forcing me! They are the only one who gave me a job! If you don't pay, I can't stay! Just go away before having problems!

- Listen, just because you had to do this in jail doesn't mean you have to do it here! There are people ready to help you, to give you a chance, you don't have to handle everything alone anymore! Get in the car!

- No! You don't understand! If you don't pay, there, I will be in trouble and you too! Now, go back to your home, take care of your normal family and let the garbage live with the garbage, everyone in their own shit!

Jane straightened and walked away while Joyce was still calling her.

- What was that!? asked the man from his table.

- She was lost, she asked for the road! answered Jane.

- It was long!

- She was cute!

Joyce knew it was useless, Jane knew more than anyone what kind of trouble they could both have. A car arrived behind her and the woman inside pointed at the group. Jane stepped back and went in the car which drove away quickly. What kind of adults could do this with teenagers!? She couldn't let that happen, she drove away before one of the men decided she was there for too long, and followed the road that Jane indicated her. At least Jane was honest, she rapidly found her road. But she was so mad now, mad at this stupid program, it had to happen! No one was going to give them a chance except people like that! That was disgusting! And the worst was that people were paying for this! It was pedophilia! She drove very fast and arrived at the police station. She didn't stop and burst in the Chief's office.

- Jane is prostituting herself! What are you gonna do!?

- What!? frowned Hopper.

- You heard me! I told you it wasn't a good idea to let them go after just a few months with no psychological and social support! Now look at it! Jane is prostituting herself and I don't wanna know what else she does! There is no patrols in the South!?

- No, too many of our men had been assaulted.

- So you agree with that!

- Of course not!

- But no one is stopping them! Allowing them to do those disgusting things! They are using teenagers to have bills! I hope you're going to do something! replied Joyce.

- The South is not in our jurisdiction!

- Then call someone in this jurisdiction! Do something! Do your goddamn job for once!

- I DO my job! answered angrily Hopper, hitting his desk with the palm of his hands. You really think Jane is my priority!? She is free now, there is nothing I can do for this! Even if I arrest her right now, she won't admit that she is a prostitute! I'll have no proofs to make a file!

- So, that's it!? You abandon her just because you can't make a file!? What about telling her it's totally wrong and helping her!? And what about following her one night to catch them!? Or you prefer her to get killed, like that you'll have her dead body to make a file!

Hopper and Joyce stared angrily at each other a moment. Joyce was sure he wouldn't do anything, he was annoyed by her and her desire to save this young girl! The man sighed loudly with his nose and rubbed his face, he really didn't know what to do.

- I can send a car, where you saw them, to have proofs, said hardly Hopper.

- Thank you! told Joyce, upset and relieved at the same time.

- Where was it?

- In the South, under the bridge.

- You know how many bridges are in the South? Ten.

- It's not above water and...there was a shop, for Chinese food and...a strip club called...The Dirty Men at two streets of it!

- Ok, well, I'll see what I can do with this information.

Joyce nodded.

- Now go away.

She didn't insist. She left the police station and went to her car. She stayed a moment, to think and to realize what just happened. Jane really admitted that she was prostituting herself, and told that like if it was normal! Was it for them!? For all the teens in her case!? Those who didn't have a proper chance!? They were a lot under that bridge, all there for sexual service for adults! That was...insane! The mother drove back to her home, still not believing it.