The Hostage and the Wanted

“Liam? Give it to me, he’ll be on my side. It will be easier to take him down.” Zayn whispered, keeping his voice low as the officer got out of his compact checkered police car and slowly, with caution, approached the minivan.

“Niall? Please shut Ella up, she’s making too much noise.” Harry huffed, the girl’s cries never faltering –in fact they only increased in pitch since they got pulled over.

Niall looked at the blindfolded girl and yanked the black material from her eyes granting Isabella a small mercy by allowing her to see. In doing so Isabella’s voice quieted almost abruptly, her eyes looking around frantically. They finally landed on the blonde beside her in the next seat. He put a finger to his lips.

She froze, the spark in his blue eyes captivated her. Unlike Harry’s jaded greens and Louis’s cold blue’s –his was lighter, kinder.

“That’s it love, quiet.” He soothed, breaking his trance to look at what was about to happen upfront.

“Hey there officer.” Zayn greeted kindly, his fingers already around the trigger.

“Evening, where you blokes off to this late in the morning? It’s nearly after two.” The officer chastised, struggling to see inside at the rest of them but couldn’t.

“Just got back from having a pint at the pub. I’m medical staff, you know how it gets, mate.” Zayn chuckled, reaching into his glove box and handing him his registration card.

“Ay, I understand all too well.” The officer agreed, checking it and giving it back to him. “Go on then, off you get but try to keep the vehicle under for –“

Isabella yelled out as loud as she could through the tape, making the whole van stop breathing.

“You stupid bitch.” Harry growled softly as Niall managed to get his hand over her mouth at the same second, unfortunately the damage had already been done and the curious office became even more curious.

Zayn wasted no time revealing the gun he had stashed away, clocking the officer over the head with it before he could think to react or question the noise in the back.

The officer went down and that’s when Zayn opened the door and stepped out, his shadow towering over the officer.

“W-what? Please no.” The officer begged weakly, Zayn kneeling down toward him –their faces inches apart.

“Give me a good reason and I might consider it.” Zayn reasoned, his voice harsh but remorseful. He didn’t like unnecessary violence and that was unnecessary.

“I have a family, I won’t report what I saw here tonight. Please? You have my word.” The officer begged, having technically only heard and could only assume.

“Fine, but I need to bide time.” Zayn said, revealing the plastic flexi-tie. He helped the officer to his feet with the gun still trained on him over to a tree.

Once they were over to the side of the road, Zayn spotted a small pencil tree. He walked the officer there and helped him sit against it, tying his hands to it with the plastic tie before taking out his small examination flashlight, shining it to the cut he had accidentally made when he clocked him across the head.

“Sorry about your head,” Zayn said, reaching into his other pocket for some antibacterial ointment and a small bandage. He set to work on cleaning the wound and bandaging it. “There, you should be alright. This road is pretty popular, people going to work and such, yeah? So you shouldn’t be out here long, mate.”

The officer just looked at him and didn’t say anything.

“Well, later. Just remember what you promised.” Zayn finished, pointing at him and walking away, hopping into the van and driving away, back to their flat.

Niall took his hand off Isabella’s tapped mouth and looked at her.

“Now that was unnecessary, love.” He sighed but his eyes still kept that same sparkling kindness. He wasn’t mad –he was probably the only one.
“Niall? Be a kind gent and switch spots with me, I’d like to have a word with Isabella.” Harry lowly growled, taking his gun back from Zayn.

“Nu-uh, give me the gun first, mate.” Niall counteracted, grabbing for the piece and getting it from Harry’s hold.

Harry gritted his teeth but sat down in the spot Niall had occupied as the blue eyed stranger did as the brunette asked.

“You put that police officer’s life in danger by calling out for attention like that –gagged or not, your intentions were all the same. What if he decided to get bold? What if Zayn had to shoot him? Would that even weigh down your conscious or is that too far gone down the pipe too? You’re a selfish person Isabella –no, excuse me. Anastasia.”

Isabella flinched at that name and moaned lowly, turning away from Harry’s judging eyes. She much preferred Niall’s. At least his were warm and welcoming. Harry’s were guarded, dark even. There was no remorse in them.

“Harry? I think that’s going a little too far, mate. We don’t know her story –not really. We need to keep patient until she’s ready.” Liam coaxed, which only earned him a snort from Louis.

“Trust me, we’ve tried. Her lips are sealed, she won’t tell –she’ll never tell. Lost cause.” Louis shrugged but ended up crying out from the sudden movement.

“Bloody idiot,” Zayn muttered, shaking his head. “Lay back down before you hurt yourself! I did all that work and if you fuck something up, mate, I’m going to be pissed.” He gave Louis a warning, watching him listen, although not without muttering something under his breath.

Harry reached forward and puled the folded up shirt from her neck, re-wrapping it and tying it back around her eyes. He made sure to knot it securely in place before leaning over beside her ear, whispering something.

Isabella moaned but nodded in understanding.

“Good, then you and I have an accord. You play nice and I won’t shoot you.” Harry growled, sitting back in his seat and buckling up.

Zayn kept checking around but once they were sure that the van had given up its chase, they sped home as fast as they could. The journey took them well over an hour but the wait was worth it.

When the pulled up to a quaint flat, it was nice and kept –not the broken down and boarded up one they had been at before.

“Finally –somewhere with electricity and running water.” Harry sighed, opening the van door and stepping out, turning to the other door to help Louis to his unsteady feet.

“Here mate, let me help, it’s going to take two people.” Liam offered and grabbed hold of Louis gently, helping Harry toward the flat.

Niall sighed and looked at Zayn.

“Any thoughts? I don’t think taking a bound, gagged and blindfolded girl through the courtyard is going to bode well with the local neighbors, ya know? There may be questions in ties with that and like the cornfield -“Niall ranted on but Zayn put a stop to it.

“The hall closet, there’s a blanket. We can cover her with that. Go get it,” Zayn shooed, shutting all the doors and himself inside the van with Isabella, the air around them thick and silent. Whatever Harry had said, it was enough to quiet Isabella into submission. “Hey Ella, do you mind if I call you Ella? Seems everyone does.”

Isabella hesitated but nodded her head.

Zayn smiled.

“Ok. Thank you. Now, we’re going to wrap you in a blanket and carry you in since we do have neighbors. After we get you inside, there’s a guestroom you all will share. It has two beds, both twin. Harry and Louis will get you settled how they want. I have no control of that, if I did I’d say you could have a bed but they’re your guardians for the time being, not me.”

Isabella moaned, her head dropping. She had no idea what Harry and Louis would do but she was sure if they had their way, she’d be tossed in the closet and forgot about.

“We’ll get that off your mouth once we get you and Louis settled. It looks raw, bleeding a little too. Niall or myself will get that patched up.” Zayn promised, swooping a piece of hair from the girl’s face before unbuckling her seat belt.

She didn’t reply, just looked onward blindly into the blindfold.

There was a sudden knock, making Zayn jump and look at the side of the tinted window. Niall was there holding a dark comforter.
He hurriedly opened the door and motioned the blonde in.

Niall obliged and shut the door again.

“So how are we doing this?” Niall asked, watching Zayn take the blanket and unroll it between the seats, making a sort of hammock before gently putting his one arm under Isabella’s knees and securing her back against his other arm and lifting her gently to the blanket.

Niall steadied her head with his hand, letting go only when she was put to the ground safely and wouldn’t bump her head on the seats.

She moaned, her weight on her hands.

“I know it hurts, we’ll be as quick as we can, love, but you need to be quiet. If you cause any problems were going to have to figure out an alternative and we don’t want to do that to you. So just be good, okay?” Zayn warned, keeping his tone nonthreatening.

Isabella nodded, feeling them start to wrap the blanket around her body, almost like a cocoon.

“Left, Niall. I go right, you go left.” Zayn instructed, as they made quick work of the girl, making sure not to wrap her face too tight as the air restriction was already high with the tape on her mouth.

When Niall and Zayn were done they climbed out of the van and gently lifted the girl, one taking her front body and one taking her feet, balancing her as comfortably as they could.

They walked quickly from the van to the flat, shutting the door quickly and making their way into the guestroom, setting her gently on one of the beds and unwrapping her from the blanket.

Harry came in before they could do much more.

“Leave her as she is for right now, you need to check on Louis and give him something for pain if you have it. He’s not stopped complaining since we set him down.” Harry seemed desperate.

Zayn nodded and followed him out, leaving Isabella with Niall.

Notes