Traffic

Part 4

Metal makes for the worst mattress. Barley being able to tell if it was night or day, I just went with the fact that I was tired to get me a good eight hours of rest. Waking me up was no other than the sun shinning through one of the open holes perfectly onto my face. My eyes opened, but I laid there just gathering in as much as I possibly could, maybe even get my cheeks a little red. Meg was sitting along the wall carving another notch in her boot for her twenty second day of being someones pet lion. I still wondered how she could possibly remain in the slightest form of a human being after that long. 

"Toss me some bread." Sitting up and still keeping some of my body in the sunlight, I grabbed each of us a piece before tossing her the miniature loaf. "Here, take a bottle. You'll need it." 

Meg stood and stretched put her legs and her back that were probably destroyed from sleeping in here for so long. She walked over looking at the beam of light I was sitting in, but she didn't seem jealous; she looked as if she didn't need to remember what the sun felt light because she will never see it again. Longing for something, wanting something, needing something, was completely useless. 

I started to stand to stretch out my legs when she grabbed hold of my thigh and cuffed her hand over my mouth. Each time I tried to talk it didn't even make sense to me as meg pulled me out of the light and onto one of the dark outskirt walls. "Would you just be quiet." 

I obeyed. 

"Wisconsin, Michigan, and Ohio leave today." It was muffled, but we could still understand it. It was the sound of the older mans voice when banging came at the crates door and i jumped, but Megs grip on my mouth got tighter. Like I was being gagged again.

Metal screeched with the latch opening as Megs distraction gave me room to talk and ask her questions. "I thought you said they come every three days."

"They do."

"Good morning, Ms. Kale and Ms. Guidry. Good nights sleep, I hope?" 

We were both to scared to answer. He smiled at us with his crooked teeth as the other guy appeared by his side. He wasn't smiling. With his expression, I'd say he was almost sorry.

"Thomas, you got yourself a good one with Ms. Guidry. Hasn't killed herself or tried to fight back." He didn't turn to Thomas, but rather looked straight at me. My heart was on the edge of pounding out of my chest as Meg just watched and listened behind me. "You sure you don't want to take her on a test run. Cause if you don't, I might as well."

Thomas came back into view holding a couple more sacks of bread throwing them, and then followed with numerous packages of bottled water. "No, Sir."

"Nolan! Mason!" He called as Thomas just watched us not smiling and showing off his perfectly white teeth. "We got two, and they are starting to stink up the joint."

Two men, Nolan and Mason, walk in and see the two corpses handing by their jackets, and walk in cutting the noose and then dragging them out. 

"Light load to Ohio."

"A good load, too. Those there are pure American. None of that Middle eastern or illegal immigrant crap." The older man said who seemed also to be the head of the operation. "I expect 100 grand for each of these. Maybe 150 for the southern one; They tend to ride a little wilder."

Three men laughed. Thomas didn't. And then the crate closed again. 

With out hesitation, I stole some bottles of water and chugged them down since they were room temperature and warmer than the ones from earlier. At this point, I needed anything to get warmer. I ran and checked every single bag of bread for anything fresh from the bakery, but it was all stale.

"I could really use a nice shot of whiskey right now." I turned to see her laughing and smiling like she was delusional and had not even the slightest idea how stupid of a want that is at this point. "If i could just get drunk, I won't have to worry about all this crap and shit. I would just have to worry about the hang over the next day."

With them, all you get is a hangover. 

"How did you even get in here? You don't exactly look like a prostitute."

"I'm a bartender." I answered quickly since I was offended by her even thinking I could be a prostitute. With out having to ask, I could tell that she got herself into this trouble by that line of work. "In the Bronx. It's not exactly the nicest part of town, but i need to get paid somehow."

"I only did it for my brother. My parents left all the money to some charity, and I can barley keep enough food in the fridge for me with the two full time jobs I have. i'd rather me drop out of college in order for him to get in it." Meg said sorrowful, but truthfully. There were quivers in her voice telling me that she meant what she said without the slightest bit of regret. 

"What university?" i had to get her off the topic of her brother, but frankly, i suck at changing topics.

"I went to Brown. When it became to expensive, i moved to the community college in Hoboken." 

Am I not suppose to sound impressed? She didn't seam to happy about it. The fact that she had to drop her dream university that she worked her entire life at to move to a community college and grow up to fast to be a parent to a younger brother. Yes, she resulted in prostitution which lead her here, but It was for one cause. 

Something latched to the top of the crate making a it sound like a jumbo jet was landing on top when I could feel the ground tipping under me. "What the hell?" 

Meg smiled. "We're getting out of here soon."

"How soon?"

Her eyes were still glowing and happy as the entire crate shook with the wind telling me we were air born until it crashed back down on. "Two days. We will be in Ohio in two days."

Truth be told, I was terrified of Ohio. "They are going to sell us--"

"But it gives us better chance of an escape. You can stay with your master and be a god little dog like your mama raised you to be, but the second i get an opportunity, I'm running."