Page 56 of Brutal Captivity

“I should go in with Callisto, though. I can have a gun and can keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn't somehow try to escape, or his family doesn't help him. I can even carry the remote for the bomb, that way I can be out of there if we decide to set it off.”

“You make a good point. I was already planning to accompany him, so you coming along for reinforcement is a good idea. This is an important mission. We cannot leave without the money or the art.”

“Completely understandable. We won’t.” I’m not as confident as I sound. I want some control over the situation.

“His father has guards. We can use Callisto to get in, though. I’m sure they will let us in when they realize we have a bomb strapped to his chest and a gun pointed at his head.” Peadar’s form is replaced by a mental image of a scared Callisto in a bomb vest, as I hold a gun to his head. The room is much too small, as if it’s closing in on me.

“When is this taking place?” I ask because I need a timeframe. I need to get as much information about this plan as possible in order to try to change the outcome. I feel so hopeless. Peadar is powerful. More powerful than I will ever be, so I’m taking on a giant.Do I really want to? It would most certainly mean death. What’s the point?

“Tomorrow night. Twenty-two hundred hours. Bring him here,” Peadar orders, and I nod. We could try to get Nico out and tell Peadar we killed him. I could go with Callisto to do the trade off and stay in the organization.

Callisto doesn’t have to die as long as his parents cooperate. I feel like there is more to the plan that Peadar isn’t telling me; I can’t figure out what. I have a bad feeling, though, as if I will be marching Callisto to his death. I usually trust my gut, and it’s telling me to get Callisto the fuck out of dodge, but how without putting myself on the reaper’s list?

“Why so late?” I try to keep my voice from cracking. I cannot allow my inner turmoil to coat the inflection of my words. Peadar cannot know where my thoughts are, even though I desperately want to ask Peadar what his real plan is. Tell him to cut the shit and share the full thing. Peadar is very clearly hiding something. I have been trained to see when someone is lying. Even Peadar has his tells. It’s in his posture.

“From our observations, that’s usually the time of day Mr. Santos returns home,” Peadar explains, his tone all business. I have no idea what he’s going to do.

The realization that I don't have many options shakes me to my core. My vision tunnels, the familiar feeling of hopelessness washing over me. The floor under me moves, an earthquake causing the boards beneath my feet to become fluid, as if I’m trying to stand on water. I can’t seem to find my balance. I’m panicked, as if the floor itself is about to open up and swallow my body, taking it into an even darker abyss.

“Okay. I will have him here at half past nine.” My confirmation somehow forms around the lump in my throat. After that, Peadar moves on to other updates, like any normal meeting between us. He briefly brings upthe events of last night, but I am able to skim over the details. As the seconds tick by, every muscle in my body is as rigid as a statue, but my mind races, trying to think of a way out of this.

When I finally leave Peadar’s office, I can’t help but sag in relief. It’s almost lunch time, my stomach grumbling since I skipped breakfast in favor of a blow job. I don't know if I can eat, though, the anxiety still running rampant in my system.

Once again, I’m a helpless fourteen year old boy who doesn’t have a home. My fate was decided for me then, and it never changed. Peadar gave me the illusion of making my own decisions. Choice is an illusion. I can die trying to save Callisto, risking both our lives in the process, or I can march him straight to the slaughterhouse. Either way, the ending is written. I have to decide if I’m the hero of this tragedy, or thevillain.

twenty-six

“Let me do this, Callisto. I need to keep you safe!”- Leo

Saturday Afternoon…

“Callisto!Daron!Nico!”Ishout, as I walk through my back door. My heart still races from my recent meeting with Peadar, but I managed to grab a few pizzas on my way home. I set the food down on the counter.

I still can’t seem to shake that jittery feeling that has taken over my entire being. The feeling that my shaky life has finally intensified into an earthquake hard enough to turn the seismic scale to ash and dust, threatening my entire existence. I could fall at any moment, and it’ll surely be the death of me.

“Leone?” At the sound of Callisto’s voice, I look up. He stops dead in his tracks the moment he sees me.

“What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Daron says, coming up behind Callisto. His light brown brows are creased together with worry.

It’s not often people see me shaken up, even Daron, so I can’t even imagine how I look. Even though I am out of that office, I still can’t breathe easily. I peek out the window and see guards standing outside. I shake my head, walking further into the house. I grab my phone, picking a playlist and turning it up as loud as it will go.

“Leo. You’re scaring me.” Callisto’s voice is barely loud enough to be heard over the music blaring from the speakers mounted to the walls as he looks at them in dismay.

I swallow, trying to push back the sense of panic and dread. The words 'villain’ and ‘hero’ keep replaying in my head, only now it is keeping beat with whatever song that’s filling the empty spaces of the room.

“What did Peadar say?” Daron asks, but I look at Callisto, his expression a mixture of worry and alarm. Callisto’s story about the monster plays in my head, the way Callisto’s voice was soft and sultry as he told it while he was sitting on my dick. I can almost hear the sentence ‘the beast was human allalong’.

“Leo?” Callisto’s real voice breaks me from my memory. Callisto looks so innocent at this moment, dressed in my clothes with wide green eyes, his hair curling around his face. He’s so beautiful and trusting.

“We need to get you and Nico out of here.” I ignore Daron’s earlier question while looking directly at Callisto, my voice unwavering and sure. I cannot do this anymore. I cannot keep affecting innocent lives and somehow justifying it. I can no longer be a monster. I will not be the villain in Callisto’s story. I will not be the villain in my own story. I am human.

“What? What happened?” Daron asks, his eyes begging me to say something more.

“The conversation with Peadar didn’t go well. He said Callisto’s parents aren’t cooperating.” I can’t say more without my stomach churning unpleasantly. I keep replaying the meeting over and over in my head, trying to figure out what I missed. There was something, maybe words that were unsaid that would give some clarity. I’m missing far too many pieces to see the whole picture yet, and it is driving me crazy.

“I knew they wouldn’t.” Callisto’s voice is small and his eyes are downcast. He looks heartbroken, as if he was hoping his family would respond. He obviously feels abandoned and betrayed, so I know how he feels. Callisto had said from the beginning that his family wouldn’t pay, that they didn’t care about him enough. I want to hug him tightly and tell him that he’s wanted.

“What does he want to do then?” Daron looks at me as if I have all the answers. I know that look so well. I’ve been getting it from Daron since we were kids on the streets, but I don't have all the answers. I didn’t then either. I made it up along the way, but I can’t do that now. One wrong move, and we are all dead. I’m as scared as them, but they need someone to make a decision. They need someone to be strong.