T Brandon, J Copeland
[The recording arrives at Thomas, Inc., on the device it was recorded on, the kind available at any store for students, and without prints on it. A copy is sent, digitally, to Johnny Copeland at the Seattle Times, because what's a good kidnapping without media?]
[There is an echo in the background throughout the recordings that is hollow, marking the location as completely empty. There is also the sound of water in the background, underfoot, as if in a drain of some sort.]
[Luke's voice wavers halfway through the first recording, and he's obviously trying to bite back tears.] Thomas is the closest thing to a father I have here. We needed each other - not like that, but... it’s hard to explain. He’s a good man, better than most people know. I agreed to the adoption because he spends a lot of his time worrying about everyone else, and I thought it... was about time someone started worrying about him. He deserves to know that people care. I’d do anything for him, but I still failed him. He trusted me to be able to take care of myself and I... failed. It’s my fault, but he’ll blame himself. That’s what you want, right?
[By the second recording, Luke's teeth are chattering so badly that it's hard to tell what he's saying in parts, and the sound of sloshing water becomes more pronounced.] Bunny is the blonde, my... date for Thanksgiving. We’re kind of together, and she... I care about her a lot. I liked her for a while but I never told her because girls like that never like guys like me, and then when I did tell her I found out she felt the same. She’s pretty and smart and amazing but doesn’t see it, and even when I tell her all that she looks like she doesn’t understand why I’d think that. Bunny would be the most upset by what... what happened.
Quinn is the dark-haired one. We haven’t been friends for long, but she’s... different. A lot different from Bunny. We kissed once and I thought... I thought we’d just stay friends after that, and we did, but I think I might have misunderstood her. I care about her too, more than I thought I would. She knows things about me that a lot of other people don’t.
[Generic, untraceable email sent to T Brandon] Shall we talk, darling?