The Footage.

Chapter six: The Footage. 

     Julian's wrist was still sore from last night, he wakes up in Caesar's bed, his heart pounding as he remembers their passion of the night before. Caesar wasn't in bed with him, and must have left a lot earlier. 

On the nightstand, the flash drive he found in Caesar's office but was taken away was in a box with a note, “You should watch this to hate me or not”. 

He grabs it and runs down to Caesar's office hoping a laptop would be on his table. 

“Thank God”, he said as he opened the door and a laptop sat on the table. His hands tremble as he inserts the flash drive. 

The footage starts grainy like it was recorded from a camcorder, it was a video of Patrick and Caesar. Patrick was laughing, he had never seen his brother smile so much. Caesar was softer than Julian has ever seen, Patrick made him soft. 

“Caesar, promise me if anything happens to me. You'd find my little brother, Julian and protect him.”, Patrick said. 

“Babe, nothing is happening to you. If anything wrong just tell me, anyone bothering you put me on”

“Look, just promise me. You would do what I said”

“Okay, I promise. I would keep my word, you know I always do”

“I want to always protect him, even if it means giving up myself. I need him to have a decent life”

The screen suddenly goes blank. 

Julian is left scared and confused. Did his brother somehow sacrifice himself for him? 

The text and calls from “Patrick” claiming to be alive,were they fake ?. 

While Julian is thinking, his phone buzzes. 

“You think he is the good guy?. Don't you believe me?”

Julian's head felt foggy, he needed air. He needs to get out of this suffocating mansion. 

A buzz. 

An unknown number. 

“It's me, Patrick.  I'm still alive, if you want to see me. You just have to come out and I would find you”

Was this real??. It could be a trap. He tried calling a couple of times but it wasn't going through. 

He considers calling Caesar but he knows he would never even allow him step a foot out of here. 

The security here was heavy. The guards were at almost every door. 

Coincidentally, Caesar was out on a “meeting” according to one of the maids. This was a great opportunity. 

Julian stumbles to his room, changing his clothes. It could get cold at night so he picks a coat. He was going out no matter what. 

He manages to sneak past many guards. But there were two at the very front door he couldn't sneak through. 

He walks to the door confidently hoping that was enough for him to pass the door without questioning. 

“Sir, you are not allowed to leave sir.”, said one of the guards. 

“What!?, why not?”, he puts up an act of being surprised. 

“It's an order for the boss”

“Look guys. Please, I just want to get something special for Caesar to thank him. Fifteen minutes and I would be back”

“Still can't allow you sir”.

“Come on.”, he was about to turn back inside when an idea clicked. 

“See you don't know how much Caesar listens to me. If you pull this favour for me, I would put in good words concerning you two and you would most likely get a promotion. He wouldn't know I was out, I would just lie about you guys going out to get it for me and how yall are”

The guards turned to look at each other. 

“What do you think, huh?”

“Alright, sir. Fifteen minutes”

“Thank you so much. You guys are good guys”, Julian smiles cutely at them. 

He ran to the gate but they were locked. He goes over them instead. 

He was going anywhere or somewhere far from here. 

__

     It was evening already, the temperature was getting colder. 

Julian was heading to the nearest bus station. He wishes to go back to his dorm but he knows Caesar could easily find him there. 

If he could take a bus to the next city and probably stay at a motel, it could buy him some time for Patrick if it was true to find him. 

A buzz. 

He grabs his phone from his pocket hoping it's a text from the number that has been claiming to be his last brother. 

Suddenly, a black SUV screeches up. Masked men suddenly grabbed him. 

“Let me go now!”, he screams as he struggles. 

His phone fell, screen cracked. Displaying a new message. 

“I'm home, pet. Where are you?” From Caesar. 

____

     Caesar returns to the mansion. He walked in and the atmosphere felt different. He was expecting to see Julian come down and the fact he hasn't seen him all day, he badly missed him. 

He sends a text. No response. 

He signalled one of the maids. “Go get me, Julian”

She returns, “He isn't in his room sir”

“You are kidding, right?”He runs to Julian's room, opening the door. 

No sign of him. 

“Julian! Julian”, he yelled. 

“Everyone gather now. Where is he???. Did he just disappear into thin air?”

“FIND HIM OR Y'ALL ARE UNDER SIX FEET ALREADY!”

Every guard at the mansion assembled. Caesar was raging. 

 

“The CCTV footage shows two incompetent guards let him through the front door. Step out now or I find you both and take your life”

The two  guards stepped out. 

“H-He just stepped out, he said_”

A smash. 

The guard was bleeding, from Caesar using the glass cup he had in hand to smash his head. Turns around and punches the other one. 

“You let him leave, against my orders. You f*ucking idiots. Anything happens to him, I won't spare y'all”

He paces, tensed. No one dared move. 

“Hello, needing your service”, he calls his tech guy. 

Five minutes later, the tech guy was around. 

“The tracker you secretly sew his inner coat is very much active. If you don't mind, I could track it down for you”

“Hurry up with that. We don't have time”

“His location is outside the city, an abandoned warehouse district”, said the tech man. 

Caesar's eyes darken, he was going to tear down whoever took Julian and tear them down to pieces. 

“Get the cars and the guns. We are going for war, anyone on that side don't hesitate to shoot them down immediately”. 

____

     Julien is tied to a chair, a dark hood over his head. He could only hear voices but couldn't see who they were. 

The hood suddenly gets ripped off, facing bright lights. 

A man in a suit was standing in front of him. He wasn't young, but ugly looking and stinks of spirits. 

“A pretty one we have here, huh.”, the other men laughed as they agreed. 

“Your lover took something from us and we're taking you instead”

“We could auction you off to those men that like pretty boys.”, he says. 

“If Caesar finds you, he's not gonna spare any of you”, Julian replied. 

This man hits him across the face. 

The man places a call. 

“Hello, Caesar. I got your pet with me. You should actually have the privilege to hear him scream while I break him to pieces”.....