The End of Tomorrow by Tara Brown

Servario. One man stayed standing, waiting, as Servario stood and they embraced. They hugged and smiled like they were old school friends. I started to feel a little nauseated. I had to chant that he loved me and wouldn't do that to me again. He wouldn't leave me to be killed or worse.
    The man’s eyes darted to me but Servario brushed him off in Arabic.
    They talked for another second and the man embraced Servario again. I started to glance about the bar, looking for any sign that I wasn't alone—that Coop and Luce had come to be with me.
    But all I saw were businessmen and dancing whores.
    Finally they sat, Servario again next to me. The man nodded at me. “I understand you have twenty girls.”
    I smiled wide, bringing out my best American accent from the South. It wasn't great, but there was no way they could tell. “Yes, sir. I do have twenty girls. I have more than twenty but some are spoken for.”
    He gave me a weak smile. I wouldn't have called it that though; it was more of a grimace. “You are a woman who sells women—not something we see very often.”
    I smiled wider, hating myself. “Well, everyone has to be good at something, and I happen to be very good at spotting a virgin.”
    His dark eyes widened. “Virgins—you have some of those for sale?”
    I sucked my breath through my teeth. “Not really. I have several but they are spoken for, like I said. I have other buyers.” My heart was aching in a big way.
    He nodded. “That is good to hear. We get a lot of demand here for virgin Americans. Very hard to find. Your country doesn't savor their virginity very well.”
    “Too true.” I laughed, hating myself and Servario equally for a change. “Well, you know those girls in the North, they are loose. But the girls in the South have been raised right. Real wholesome girls. You just have to convince them of the modeling contracts and jobs as nannies. It’s easy when they come from real small towns.”
    “And because you are friendly and a pretty American woman, they trust your lies.”
    “Yes, sir.” I smiled so wide my cheeks hurt. “They sure do.”
    His dark eyes darted back to Servario. “She is a—how do you say?—piece of work.”
    Servario snorted, coughing a little. “I think you mean keeper.” Their accents made the mistake slightly less painful.
    The man shook his head. “No, I believe I know this word. Piece of work. Like rare, like art.”
    Servario chuckled again. “Do we have a bargain then? You will give us the guns and money, and we will give you the girls.”
    “How many virgins?” He looked at me again. “I will pay more for virgins.”
    I wanted to kick his fucking teeth in, but I pretended to be coming up with a price. Servario leaned in, whispering something to the man. Whatever he had said made the man’s eyes light up. He nodded and wrapped an arm around Servario. “Do you wish to stay for the evening?”
    Servario glanced at me. “No, we have more business to attend to. I will meet you at the drop spot to get acquainted with the area.”
    “How will you bring them in the country?”
    Servario glanced back at me, realizing he hadn’t told me that. I answered. “Au pairs. Nannies. It works real well. We just need fake families to do the sponsoring and hiring.”
    He nodded. “Let me take care of that paperwork. I will have it sent to Gustavo.”
    He called him by his first name. Even I rarely did that.

 
 
 
 

Chapter Six

 
    The porn basket

 
 
    The driver and I sat perfectly still, waiting outside the second building where Servario would be met to exchange cash and guns with the worst people in the world. They truly were the monsters your mother warned you about when you were a child. The worst of men that laughed in the faces of victims as they took everything they wanted. The sort of men who respected no one and feared nothing.
    They made my blood boil.
    I sat there, tapping my perfectly sculpted nail against the rim of the window, waiting