Caged

by E. M. Leya

  "You don't have to buy me things." He really didn't want Marshall doing all this, but the truth was, he didn't have a choice. He didn't have money or any way of getting any. He made it through second grade. Who would hire him?

  "Let me help you get on your feet and figure things out. I have the money. It's not a hardship, I promise. You can repay me by helping me paint and finish the basement while you're here." Marshall took a large bite of his burger.

  "I guess I could do that if you show me what to do." His stomach tightened at all the things that he was going to have to figure out. It was becoming very clear how much he'd missed out on in life. He was completely out of his element and that wasn't going to change any time soon.

  "I do need to at least go get your prescriptions filled. You're going to want to take your antibiotics and get the cream for your…" Marshall shrugged and shoved a fry in his mouth.

  "Yeah." Heat worked its way up Danny's neck. "I'm sorry you had to see that."

  "I didn't see it on you. Just heard what it caused." Marshall frowned. "How long did he have you wearing that?"

  "I don't know really. I thought I was keeping track of time, but I was gone twelve years when I thought it was ten. The cage didn't happen until a while after the boys got there. Maybe a year after. So I guess I'd been in it a year."

  Marshall set his food down and stared at him. "You had that on for a year? Shit, that had to be hell. How did you pee? What if you got hard?"

  "I'd pee easy enough after some practice, and I didn't get hard except in my sleep. That only happened a couple of times before my body learned it was painful and it stopped happening. The first few weeks were bad, but after that, it just became a part of me." He hoped he wasn't being too blunt with Marshall, but it wasn't as if he could hide what had happened. If Marshall had questions, he'd answer them.

  It was strange being able to have a conversation with someone. For twelve years he had to watch what he said, be careful not to speak out of line. Now, he had so many questions he wanted to ask. So many things he was curious about. And, in a way, he wanted to tell someone everything that happened to him. He wasn't ready to do that just yet, but somehow, he needed someone to know what had gone on in that house next door. Was that person Marshall? He wasn't sure, but when the time came to talk, he'd know.

  "So you haven't had a hard-on in a year?"

  "I'm not sure I can get them anymore. I never got them easily anyway. There were a few years where I got them often, but then they just slowed down. I'm guessing that was when I was going through puberty when I was about twelve or thirteen."

  "Yeah, that would make sense. Damn. I can't imagine how tough that must have been. When I start to think about it, I realize all the things you missed out on. All that you had to face alone. You had to be terrified."

  "At times, but most of it I didn't know better. It wasn't until I moved upstairs and started hearing the TV and reading the books he'd leave me that I was able to start to put things together. Most of my education came from those sources, and I'm not sure how correct they are."

  "Probably a mix of truth and fiction, but it won't take long for you to figure it all out."

  Danny sighed. "I hope so."

  They fell into a comfortable silence as they ate, and he savored the food. He'd dreamed of McDonald's often, remembering it more than almost any other food. He patted his stomach, fuller than he'd been in years. He closed his eyes enjoying the feeling, but suddenly so tired he could hardly stay awake.

  "Was it as good as you remember?"

  "Better, but I think it's putting me to sleep."

  "Fast food does that. Let me show you to your room. You can take a nap if you want. I'm just going to relax and play around on my computer for a bit." Marshall gathered the garbage and threw it away. "I can give you a full tour or just show you your room for now. Seriously, make yourself at home. The whole house. Not just your room."

  "Thanks. I think for now I'll just see my room." He was so full he could hardly move. Maybe he'd overdone it. His stomach grumbled and cramped. "Maybe the bathroom too."

  "Yep, follow me." Marshall led him down a short hallway. "The bathroom is all yours unless we have company. I have my own attached to my room. You can pick either guest room." He gestured to two doors. "My room is the last door at the end of the hallway, your bathroom is this door across the hall from the bedrooms."

  "I'll take this one." He walked into the bedroom closest to Marshall's. If anything went wrong, if Larry came back, he wanted Marshall close. He reminded himself about the alarm and guns, but he still didn't feel like Larry was gone from his life. Maybe he never would be.

  "There are towels and everything in the closet in the hall, clean sheets for your bed too when you need them. I'll grab your bag from the hospital so you have your stuff, then I'll let you relax. Don't hesitate to come find me if you can't sleep."

  "Thanks." He looked around the room, taking in the large bed, the newer looking dresser, and nightstand. He was probably the first to stay here since Marshall bought the place. He ran his hand over the bed, wondering if he'd be able to sleep on such a comfortable looking bed.

  "Here ya go." Marshall set the bag on the foot of the bed. "Let me know if you need anything." He turned to go then stopped. Turning around he smiled. "I'm glad you're here."

  Danny grinned. "Me too. Thanks for offering."

  "Rest well." Marshall left, shutting the door behind him.

  Alone in the room, Danny released a long breath. He could do this. He had to. There was no other choice. Despite his fears, he needed to figure life out and find a way to survive. How fucked up was it that at the moment he missed the structure of Larry's house where he knew what was expected of him? Determined to get past that, he picked up the bag and took out what he needed. After a quick trip to the bathroom, he forced himself to get into bed, closing his eyes and hoping that sleep would come, because thinking was starting to get to be too much.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Marshall sighed, not surprised to see a ton of articles about Danny online. What bothered him was the misinformation that was out there. There were stories about him being held by a disgruntled father, to him being a captive for a BDSM group. He wondered how people got their information or if they simply made it up, trying to draw in readers.

  There were a few articles that just gave the basic facts. Things that were true. They were short as not much information had been released. It was clear that there was a demand for more information. Marshall wondered how long he could keep Danny hidden in his house without the media knocking on their door.

  He reached for his phone, needing to check in with the team. He quickly dialed Jeremy's number. It rang three times before he answered.

  "Hey, what's up?" Jeremy asked.

  "Just wanted to catch you up on events." Marshall continued to click through internet pages as he spoke. "I ended up inviting Danny to stay with me. They wanted to send him to some half-way house. I couldn't let him end up there. He's been captive long enough and those places aren't much better."

  "You able to handle things with him there?"

  "Sure, why wouldn't I? It's just a roommate."

  "One with a hell of a lot of issues that are going to start making themselves obvious very soon," Jeremy warned.

  "Yeah, I'm aware. Finding a good therapist is first on my list. He's going to need someone. You got any suggestions?"

  "I'll ask D. I know he's been looking for someone he can trust with the team, but so far, he hasn't found anyone. Still, he might have a suggestion for this. How's he doing?"

  "Good. Too good maybe. I think he's struggling but hiding it. I mean, how can he not be having a hard time? He's been thrust into an adult world after being away since he was a child. It can't be easy. I'm watching him closely and waiting for the breakdown to come."

  "You need us?" Jeremy asked.

  "I might, but not yet. I don't want to overwhelm him, but I think some social interaction will be good for him.
The team would be perfect as they understand better than anyone what he's gone through and they won't judge. He's resting now, then we have to run to the store. I'm going to just play it by ear and see what he wants to do. Let him set the pace on everything." Marshall sighed as he came across a website that claimed Danny was just a disgruntled lover and Larry was innocent. "Have you heard or found anything new?"

  "Nothing. The police have no leads on Larry, and I haven't been able to link him to anyone else. He really looks to be a recluse. I've got things set up to alert me if there is any activity on his credit cards, but other than that I've hit a wall for now."

  "I want this guy, Jer. I need to know he won't hurt anyone else." Marshall ran his fingers through his hair, praying it wasn't already too late. How long did they have before Larry was comfortable enough wherever he was to take another child?

  "I know. Me too. Gently push Danny for more information. Find out if Larry had a kink or if he said anything that might hint a link to others. Hell, even a website or something he talked about. Ask him if Larry talked about his past at all. Where did he live? Who were his friends growing up? I've got his birth certificate. He was born in Nebraska but looks like he moved around third grade. I can't find any record of him after that until he got his driver's license and bought his house nearly twenty years ago. Since then, there's been nothing out of the ordinary. He licenses his car on time, pays his bills, and from the outside appears to be a normal citizen. There has to be something that will give us a lead."

  "I'll talk to him soon. I just don't want to push too hard. I was hoping I'd get something from his interview with the police, but there was nothing. I didn't get the feeling the cops are pushing hard enough. The interview was pretty casual. He's supposed to go in for a formal interview later this week and I'm hoping they'd dig a little deeper then, but I'm not sure I can be there for that one. I've got to find him an attorney to deal with all this. He shouldn't face them alone."

  "Clark Gavinston is good. He might even work pro-bono for this one. Give him a call and tell him I sent you. I met him a few months ago at the gym. Like you, I doubt there will be a big need for counsel, but I'd rather Danny have someone beside him through questioning and possibly a trial later on." Jeremy sighed. "When trouble comes to your door, it's not small, is it?"

  Marshall smiled. "Nope, but then out of everyone around here Danny could have found, it makes sense it was me. Can't help feeling like fate led him to my door. No one else is going to hunt Larry the way we will, and I'm not sure anyone else would have been there for Danny the way I have. You should have seen how they treated him at the hospital. It's as if they forget he's a grown man and able to make his own choices. Sadly, he's been confined for so long, he doesn't know what is right or wrong and would have probably just followed along with whatever plan they threw his way. He needs guidance, but even more, he needs to finally feel like his life is his own and he's making his own decisions."

  "I agree. You've got the team backing you both up if you need anything. We've got a break in that trafficking ring in Fort Collins. We've been working on that, but D's thinking we turn this one over to the police. It's big, too big for our small team to handle. Best get the kids out and hope the system doesn't go easy on the ones running the ring. We also have a new batch of images released. These are coming up as local. I'm digging, but with so much going on, it's slow going."

  "I can come in."

  "No, not yet. So far, you've been lucky, but I'm sure the media is going to track you down for interviews. Hopefully, they won't realize Danny's there too. Give it a few days. We'll reevaluate then."

  Marshall sighed. He wanted to work, but he had to agree it was too soon. He had to keep the team safe. It was best if he sat back and waited. He stared at the computer in front of him, wondering how much he dared do from home. He was good at hiding his activity, but the risk of bringing any problems to his doorstep wasn't worth it. He needed to play the role of simple computer tech for a while and let things calm down. He'd be back to work soon enough, rested, and motivated. "Well, yell if there is anything I can do from here."

  "I will. You take care and try and enjoy the time off. The break will do you good. Let us know if you or Danny need anything. I know Rani was planning on dropping by tomorrow when he gets off work. Give him a call if that's not okay."

  "No, I think Rani coming by is good. He's mellow enough for Danny to face, and having a doctor around right now can't hurt. We've got appointments in a week for more follow-up work, but I like having Rani watching over things too. I trust him."

  "So do I," Jeremy said. "Okay, keep us posted."

  "Will do." Marshall hung up.

  He eased up from his computer chair and made his way to the kitchen. Danny had been asleep or at least quiet in his room for nearly three hours. He'd wanted to check on him, but feared waking him. He needed the sleep. It was going to take time getting used to having someone here with him, and he needed to get over the protective feeling of needing to take care of Danny. He really wanted him to feel as if he was free to do what he wanted without someone watching over him all of the time.

  Pulling out what he would need to make spaghetti for dinner, he mentally made a list of groceries they would need when they finally hit the store. He had no idea what Danny liked, but did Danny even know what he liked. From the sounds of it, he hadn't eaten well over the years. God, how had he survived for so long like that? The guy had amazing strength.

  He almost had dinner done when Danny walked into the kitchen looking sleepy.

  "Hey, did you nap?"

  "I slept really good. I didn't think I could, but I hit the pillow and was out. That bed is so comfortable."

  "Good, I'm glad. I had no clue what I was buying when I got it, so I'm glad it works. Want a drink?"

  "Water is good." Danny took a seat at the counter. "That smells good."

  "My famous Spaghetti." Marshall handed him a bottle of water. "You can let me know if it's famously good or bad once you try it."

  "I'm still full from lunch." Danny pat his belly.

  "Got to love that fast food." Marshall laughed. "This will hold for later if you're not hungry now." He slid a notebook and paper toward Danny. "I thought you might want to make a list of things you need or want to buy later tonight. I'm not sure what you like."

  "I don't know. Most things I think I like are because of memories of them when I was little. There was a cereal with a frog on the box. I loved those."

  "I think that's Sugar Smacks. I think it's still around. We'll walk the aisles and see what we can find. Is there anything you don't like?"

  Danny didn't even hesitate. "Oatmeal."

  "Then we don't get that." He dumped the pasta into the water to boil. "Your stomach will probably take time to adapt to different foods, but we'll figure out what you like and don't. Think about clothes too. While I did get you sweats, you could use some jeans or slacks for when we have to go meet with the police."

  "I don't need much." Danny played with the cap of his water bottle. "I'd like to maybe get a job so I can buy my own things."

  "In time, I think that's a great idea, but take it slow. Get used to being free for a while. Don't rush into trying to make up for twelve years. You have time. I'm in no hurry for you to work. You're welcome here as long as you want." Marshall opened his own bottle of water and took a long drink.

  "When I do look for a job, how do I know what I'm good at?"

  "You first figure out what you enjoy doing. I love computers so it made sense for me to work with them. My friend Rani is a doctor. You might like cooking, construction, computers, automotive repair, hell, you can go to school and do anything you want. You're only nineteen. You'd just be starting college if you hadn't been kidnapped. You're not that far behind. Figure out what you like, then go from there." Marshall smiled. "The great thing about the internet is you can do a lot of learning on there. They offer all kinds of classes. We'll look around and see what interests you."

&nb
sp; "What else did I miss besides school? What do boys do from seven to nineteen that I didn't get to do?"

  Marshall's heart tightened at the fact the question even had to be asked. "Well, at seven I was playing baseball and soccer with friends. Trying out stupid things like flying off a roof. Mostly, at that age I was riding my bike with friends, feeling as if we had the best life ever. Then about twelve things started to change. I was more focused on video games, hanging out in the park by my house with friends, and slowly I started to think about sex. By fourteen all I was thinking about was sex and I was masturbating several times a day."

  "When did you start dating girls?" Danny asked.

  Marshall grinned. "I've never dated girls. I knew pretty young that I like the guys more. I did go out with Jenny Vega once to an eighth-grade school dance, but we just danced and talked really. I kissed her once but that just confirmed that I like kissing boys much better than I liked kissing girls. At that point, I'd already done some stuff with Jeff Spencer one day while we were hanging out in his bedroom."

  "Really? You were that young?" Danny's eyes were wide.

  "At fourteen, I was just learning to like sexual stuff. Jeff and I talked about how good it felt to beat off, but we wondered if it felt better if someone else did it for you, so we tried. I jacked him off while he did me. We even kissed a little then."

  "Well, did it?"

  "Did it what?"

  "Feel better when someone else did it?"

  "Oh yeah." Marshall nodded. "Much better."

  "I never did any of those things. I seldom got hard back then, and when I did, it scared me. I couldn't control it and I was always afraid Larry would see it. He used to make me get him hard and I hated doing that. I think I hated it when I'd get hard because it made me feel like him."

  Marshall shook his head. "You are nothing like him. You never could be. Getting hard is natural, and it should be pleasurable. I don't blame you for seeing it as a bad thing back then, but I hope you don't feel that way now. Someday, you might want a relationship with someone special."