The Hostage

The USB

When Eileen got home she sat on the couch and leaned back. The day had been tough and within minutes she was bawling her eyes out from the stress of the day. Memories started flooding back of the day she herself went to the police officers to report Damon's disappearance. 

Samson, when he heard her cries, rushed to the room. "Eileen! What's wrong? Is it work?" Samson asked as he hugged her tight.

"Yeah. Parts of it." Eileen sobbed as she hugged Samson even tighter. "They went to Angelo's place and...some stuff there is questionable but there is enough evidence to reopen the case."

"That's brilliant! You've always wanted that but why are you crying?" Samson asked curiously. He knew all these years Eileen wanted to reopen her brother's case and always committed herself to one day doing just that. Now it was reopened, Samson had no idea how much it was affecting Eileen's stress levels.

"It's just...bringing back so many memories. I've tried to forget everything and now I don't know if it's what I wanted. I've moved on. Well, I thought I did." Eileen confessed and sighed heavily. "They found women's clothing in Angelo's place."

"Well...maybe Angelo had a woman over?" Samson shrugged and saw the viking hammer shaped usb in Eileen's bag that Eileen dropped on the floor beside her. "What's that?"

"Oh that. Jackson, one of Damon's friends, gave it to me yesterday. He said it held a few memories and it might help. I don't see how though. I don't know if I have the strength to look through it all."

"Tell you what," Samson started before he grabbed a box of tissues and a can of dandelion and burdock soda. "you just calm down for a while and I look through it. You've had a rough day."

Eileen nodded and with this, laid down on the couch for a while and took deep breaths. Samson was right, the day had been tough. When they got to the station after inspecting Angelo Sumile's place the case around her brother's disappearance was reopened citing 'two individuals disappearing without a trace linked by their educational background.'  The whole place was inspected and the information gathering had started at the police station. Eileen was given permission to leave early 'due to mental stress'.

Samson looked at the USB. In a shape of a viking hammer similar to the one in the Thor movies Samson could only guess that Jackson himself, whoever he was, was a fan of Marvel movies. He inserted the USB into the hard drive and waited for the contents to load. 

In the USB were plenty of photos from what appeared to be from functions held on the campus. People were smiling into the camera and also making funny faces. A few videos of Damon and his friends were also saved under the folder 'memories for projects'.  Samson found some of them hilarious but what got him interested was the video that were saved under a folder known as 'codename:confession'.

When Samson checked the folder out there was only one video: The movie that Damon promised to show Eileen called 'Heart Songs'. Curious yet not wanting to ruin it for Eileen, he walked over to her.

"Hey Eileen, the movie your brother wanted to show you, it's on Jackson's USB. Do you want to watch it?" Samson asked Eileen.

"But...how? Okay." Eileen spoke, startled before she walked over to the computer desk where the movie was going to be played.

For the next two hours Samson and Eileen watched the movie. As they did Eileen began to notice something. The main character had an African appearance, like Ruby, whereas the supporting character looked a lot like her brother. Both the characters had adventures together in the movie like in real life excluding the fantasy elements such as the flying ship and the floating hearts that sang like birds. In the end, the two characters kissed and in the credits, it read 'my dear Ruby, be mine.'

"My brother was going to confess his feelings to Ruby?! Where did you find it?" Eileen asked Samson as she looked at the the folder name

"It was saved under a folder called 'codename:confession'. I think, if anything, Damon wanted to show you so he could not only enter it but needed your opinion if it would get Ruby to be his girlfriend." Samson spoke before adding. "It sounds like a romantic way."

"What was it doing on Jackson's USB? Was he keeping a copy? Didn't Damon have a copy on a USB?" Eileen asked Samson.

"Well that I don't know. Jackson might know. Ruby might but if it was meant to be a surprise it might have been unknown to her." Samson spoke before asking "Did you tell the police about the text messages?"

"No. I couldn't. If I did...I don't know what would have happened. I just feel like I am being watched all the time now." Eileen spoke before she heard her phone beep. Twice.

"From them?" Samson asked curiously.  

"I don't know." Eileen replied before she picked up her phone. No new messages had appeared in the time she was at work.

"You know as well as I do that the thief knows something. She is the one stopping you from delivering justice." The message from the captor read.

"Samson..." Eileen spoke as she showed him the message.

Samson ran his hands through his hair. "Next message."

Eileen opened the message and found it to be from Angelo Sumile. "It feels like it's been a while. Everything looks dirty. Why? Make it stop. I need to be in a clean place. I feel out of place."

"It's okay. I will find a way to get you out." Eileen messaged before adding "Did you have a woman at your place?"

"No. I lived on my own. I never had anyone stay at my place. All I remember was being knocked out and waking up here. Please get me out. I feel out of place. I need out!" The reply read before Angelo appeared offline.

"This...is not going to be easy. You're walking a fine line here Eileen. You can't tell police as it might ruin chances of you finding out the truth and if you do they think you're part of the plot. We need a plan." Samson spoke as he looked at Eileen, who hugged him tightly.

"Just a plan or help?" Eileen asked Samson.

"Both. I will see what I can do." Samson replied and with this kissed Eileen's forehead.

That night Eileen couldn't sleep. Eileen could only conclude the clothes were then false evidence used to throw the police off guard, most likely trying to implicate Ruby being there which failed as the clothes were not Ruby's size. Secondly, whoever implicated Ruby's involvement or the involvement of another woman must be desperate to have their trail covered. 

Unfortunately Eileen was already on their trail and pretty soon, step by step, she felt the truth was within her reach