Round Up

Tommaso

I leaned heavily on the drink cart in my office as I poured drinks for everyone who had returned with me. My heart still pounded in my chest, adrenaline and anger from the raid making my movements fast and precise. The women had looked worse than any I’d ever seen. I had been right not to wait.

“They did have a shipment going out in a couple days.” Lyle typed on the computer he’d disappeared with before the cops even showed. “Egypt, five girls.”

I turned with a hungry smile and gave Lyle his gin first. He lifted the drink to me but barely looked up from the screen.

“Name?” I asked as I handed Killian the whiskey he preferred instead of my scotch.

“Mostafa,” Lyle said.

I frowned as I poured scotch for Stan and myself. It could still be Zahur. He could be using a fake name. I knew, deep down, that there had to be other human trash in Egypt, other monsters who would buy women, but I’d seen Paige when she escaped him, and I’d seen the women this afternoon. I couldn’t help seeing t