Page 53 of Hold Me

“There’s one more thing I need you to do for me,” I say. “I got photos of everyone who works at the station with Lloyd, so if you could take a look and see if you recognize any of them, it would be really helpful.”

“I can do that.”

“Thank you.” I don’t let go of Caleb’s hand as we sit down on the couch. He takes out his phone and starts pulling it apart.

“I just got the memory card,” he says. “Don’t know what’s on it or if it’s any good.”

He hands me the card and I get to my feet, cradling it in my palm while I go fetch my laptop.

“So, what’s your real name?” I ask as I put the laptop on the table and turn it on.

“I’ve always been just Caleb. It’s the only name I know.” He shrugs.

“No last name or anything?”

He shakes his head.

“You told me you’ve been with Raphael for six years. How did you end up with him? Where is your family?”

“Before Raphael... Isaac, Jade, and I lived with an older woman. She called herself Marena. Raphael came for us when we were fifteen. He said that he’d been paying Marena to raise us and that now it was our turn to pay him back.” He stares down at his hands in his lap. “He said that our families never wanted us and that we should be glad he took pity on us and provided for us. Then we had to go with him to undergo training for our new jobs. He trained Jade and me, although he didn’t allow us to see each other. And Isaac was taken to someone else... I thought I was going to die during those two years.”

I swallow past the lump in my throat, pushing back tears that have formed in my eyes. “Do you remember where that woman lived? Maybe we can track her down.”

“Outside the city. It was a small farm.”

“Any neighbors? Anyone else you might know? Did you maybe go to school?” Finding the woman might give us a better clue about Caleb’s true identity and family. I don’t think we can trust Raphael. Maybe Caleb’s family is still searching for him.

“We had visitors. People would come to buy things we produced on the farm. We all worked on it, and Marena taught us everything. She used to be a teacher, so we didn’t have to go to school. She’d take us to some town from time to time, but I don’t remember much of it.”

I focus back on the laptop and insert the memory card in the slot. As I wait for it to load, I glance at Caleb, my head starting to hurt from what he’s just told me. As the video window pops up on the screen, I take a deep breath. “Do you want me to play the video now?”

Caleb comes to stand behind my back. “Yeah.”

“You don’t have to see this if you don’t want to,” I say, but he only smiles.

“I’ve seen and been through worse, believe me.”

“I know, but... doesn’t mean you have to see it this time.”

“Just play it,” he says, and I press the button.

The camera shows Isaac’s face as he turns it on. He adjusts it a little bit, and as he steps away, we can see a bed with dark red covers, a wooden nightstand, and also a part of a closet, but the camera mostly looks to the bed and the floor that is covered with a dark red carpet.

I guess red really is Raphael’s favorite color. Isaac is just standing there, naked, and when something rustles, he immediately sinks to his knees, his head bowed, his hands on his thighs. Raphael comes into view, wearing a black suit. He smiles at Isaac as he takes off his suit jacket and throws it on the bed. Isaac lifts his head and glares at him.

“Keep your head down, boy,” Raphael snaps, but Isaac doesn’t obey. Instead, Isaac climbs to his feet, curling his hands into fists.

“What’s gotten into you?” Raphael sounds bored. “Get down on your knees before I lose my patience and decide to whip Caleb or Jade. How would you like that?”

“You won’t do it,” Isaac says.

“Oh, no?” Raphael comes closer to Isaac so they are only inches apart.

“You need them.”

Raphael’s face turns into a sneer, and he backhands Isaac so hard that he falls to the ground. “You never learn your place, do you, slave?” Before Isaac can get to his feet, Raphael grabs him by the hair and forces his head up.

“Fuck you,” Isaac says through his teeth, a thin trickle of blood seeping out of the corners of his lips.