When Half Spent Was the Night

The 999 call rang into New Scotland Yard's dispatch center at 7:43 PM, Christmas Eve.

"They took my sister!"

While shopping with her sister Erika on Christmas Eve, Katarina Livani, a beautiful 24-year-old Estonian woman, is abducted by Albanian sex traffickers from a bogus boutique in north London. We tend to believe that slavery ended in the mid-19 century. Far from it. Human trafficking is the fourth most lucrative crime worldwide.

Detective Chief Inspector and his partner, Detective Sergeant Elizabeth Chang, are racing against the clock. They must find the Estonian beauty before she is either murdered by her "enforcers" for resisting them, or dies from physical neglect, such as beatings, starvation, or the inevitable STDs.

Mick dispatches his undercover agent and friend, Jamie Geller to Soho, where he poses as an American punter on the prowl. Here he meets up with a resilient sex slave, Olga, who passes on helpful information as to Katarina's whereabouts. Mick feels confident he can save her, but time is running out.

With the help of the Yard's Clubs and Vice division, Mick and Elizabeth gradually get closer to rescuing Katarina. But will they get to her in time?

The over arching question is: Who within the Home Office is on the Albanians payroll, making it easier for the gangs to operate in London?