The sight of two terrified little girls being thrown into the backseat of my car left me confused. One of Elio's men who rode with me, whose name is Jess, speaks Spanish to the girls.
"Um, I thought I was doing a pickup?" I asked Jess.
"You just did."
I look in the backseat at the girls. They avoid all eye contact with me. "These are kids."
"I'm not blind."
"Then why the fuck are they in my car?"
"Elio's merchandise."
"These are kids."
"And your point is?" Jess asked, irked. "Put on the child locks."
I turn forward. My hands are gripping the steering wheel. "When you say Elio's merchandise what the fuck do you mean by that?"
Jess sighs more aggravated. "Meaning he brought them. Meaning he's going to sell them off."
"What?"
"Now you're deaf?"
I jumped out of my car. The air felt cool and weighed down. The sun hasn't even peaked over the horizon yet. Jess exits my car and walks around to my side. He's a Cuban man of short stature, sporting a goatee and a shiny bald head.
"Everest, get back in the fucking car," he orders.
"I'm not getting back into shit. I'm not delivering some little girls off to Elio's ass."
Jess pinched the bridge of his nose and pulled out his cell phone. He turned his back to me and walked a few feet away. I paced the dirt ground. Jess calls for me as he hands me his cell phone.
"Hello?"
"Mr.Jensen, what seems to be the problem?" Elio's smokey, sleepy voice filled my ear.
"I can't do this...." I looked at the tinted window of the backseat.
Elio grunts. The fleeting sound of a woman's voice echoed through the background of his call before it faded into the ruffling of bed sheets. It wasn't his wife Jane.
"This is trafficking! I ain't getting my hands dirty with this shit. Get somebody else to do it."
I couldn't live with myself knowing these girls would be put into an even worse situation when I delivered them to Elio. He clicks his tongue as he pissed into the toilet.
"I sent you, did I not, Mio Caro? (My dear)."
"Elio." I pushed his name through clenched teeth "I'm not–"
"Give Jess the phone back."
I hand Jess the phone. He nods to whatever Elio is telling him. After about a minute he hangs up. Behind my car was an SUV, Jess motioned to the driver. He hops out fixing his tie.
The man forcefully jerked open the back door and dragged the two girls out. They were putting up a fight against this big dude, but when he had had enough, he resorted to a heavy-handed slap drawing blood.
Jess taps my chest with the knuckle of his index finger. "When Elio sends you to do a job. You do it. No complaints."
"I ain't gotta do shit Elio says." I jerked open my car door to get in. The sun was rising, blinding me. Jess doesn't get in the car with me but in the SUV. They sped off first.
It took me hours to get back home. Elio was blowing up my phone and I shut it off, throwing it on my kitchen table. I make myself a bowl of fruity pebbles using the last drop of milk. I made a mental note to buy another gallon when I woke up. -
