Part 10, Help
ctrlphreaque
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May 29, 2000 -- Monday
"Friends for Life Help Center, I'm Annie, you can talk to me," Annie answered the phone.
"H-hel-lo?" an almost forgotten voice spoke to her. Annie had not heard that voice in over several months; she wondered what had happened to the young man and his 'friend.'
"Hello, you've called before," she greeted him hoping to keep him on the line while she signaled for a trace. She also looked to Wilma, her supervisor, indicating her to pick up on the piggyback line.
"Y-yeah, I...," he faltered, "I c-call'd 'b-bout m-my fr-frien'."
"Yes, I remember, he was being abused by his brother and his parents did't know or did't care," Annie was rifling through her papers trying to find his file. She just put it on her desk when she heard his reply.
"N-no, th-they d-don' kn-now. Th-they w-would c-care if S-sam w-would l-let 'em s-see," it was almost as if he were speaking to himself on the last part. But it was a slip that Annie jotted down, 'sam must be the brother.'
"But if you can see the injuries can't the parents?" she wondered about the home life. She glanced at Wilma, who was indicating her to continue.
"I t-tol' y-you, he h-hides-s it-t. S-sam c-can m-make p-people s-see w-what he w-wants-s 'em t-to s-see," the young man was getting angry with Annie.
"But how can he do that? I mean, there has to be something your friend can do to let his parent's know what is going on," she was fishing hoping to keep him on edge enough to slip again.
"I c-can't l-- h-he c-can' l-let 'em... he th-thin's h-he's p-prot'ctin' 'em," he sounded so defeated.
"Does the brother also hurt the parents?" she was confused by this new information, the man had not indicated before that is was a family being terrorized.
"N-no, n-not ou'r-right-t, o-only w-when S-sam th-thin's he n-needs-s a l-less-son," the young man seemed exasperated.
"If you could get him to call we could work with him, help him to get out of that situation. Maybe get the family into therapy --" Annie went on with the list.
"S-sam w-will n-ne'r l-let-t th-that-t h-hap'n," he added forcefully, he was panting with effort to control his anger, "He c-con-t-trols-s ev'r-r'thin'. If-f he kn-new I c-call'd h-he'd p-pun-nish m-me," there was a sharp intake of breath, "S-shit-t! F-for-rget-t I s-said an'thin'. I g-got-ta g-go." The fear in that voice seemed to double and there was a sense of dread that was not there before.
"Sir, don't hang up. No one will know you called, no one can find out, the phone number is blocked," Annie tried to keep the frighten man on the phone. She had had the suspicion that he was talking about himself and he just confirmed it. "We have safe houses, place that no one can --"
"Y-you d-don' un'nrs-stan'," the young man sobbed, "S-sam w-will f-fin' out-t, he alw-ways f-fin's out-t. Th-there's n-no pl-lace I c-can g-go tha' he c-can'na f-fin' m-me an' I'll b-be p-pun'sh'd ag-gain-n."
Annie's heart broke as the man cried, he was so scared.
His voice dropped to a gruff whisper, "I-it h-hur's tt-too m-much. I h-hur' s-so m-much, all-l t-time. Y-you c-can'na h-help-p m-me, I sh-shou'na c-call'd," he hiccuped and took a ragged breath, "Y-you s-soun' s-so n-nice... y-you h-hear m-me, An-annie," he finished softly, "n-no one el-lse h-hears-s m-me."
"Please, just stay on the line, I can help you," Annie cried but she knew he was gone again.
"Did we get the damned location?" Annie demanded.
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