The Hostage and the Wanted

Niall looked at the girl for a few moments before sitting down on the bed, the weight shifting slightly, she could feel him beside her.

“Let’s get you sat up and then we’ll go from there,” Niall suggested, reaching his hands over and steadying the girl’s back so she was sitting upward before moving her feet so they hung off the bed. “Ok, very good, stay like that and I’ll be right back.”

Isabella heard his soft footsteps padding down the hall a few feet before water could be heard running. As quickly as it came on, it stopped.

She heard his feet again but they stopped short of the door and turned back again, this time further down the hall until she no longer heard them, she did however, hear voices. They were quiet and low so she couldn’t make out what they were saying, no matter how hard she strained her hearing.

It didn’t last long, Niall’s footsteps were heard again and she relaxed, dying to get the tape off her mouth and the blindfold from her eyes. Not being able to talk was bad but her phobia was blindness. She couldn’t think of anything more frightening than not being able to see what was happening. Her guard was so high from running that her sight was one of the senses she needed to keep alert, her hearing a close second. That’s why when the bulky shirt fell from her face, her heart began to race and she looked around frantically.

“Relax, it’s just me and I’m not going to hurt you.” Niall promised, his hands going to the tape.

Isabella flinched back like an abused puppy, shaking her head, one good pull and she knew it would take off more skin.

“Ella? I need to get the tape off. It’s going to hurt, there’s nothing I can do but I brought this –“He held up a purple washcloth. “I’m going to grip the tape and put the cloth to your skin and rub gently. That way it reduces the bleeding and helps the tape come off a little easier. If Zayn had some of that goop they use to get tape and glue off people, I would have done that instead but all we have is water.” Niall sounded apologetic, gripping the tape again and sliding the cloth where the tape began, rubbing at the corners gently.

Isabella let out a muffled yell, tears spilling from her eyes.

“Almost there, shh, please?” Niall coaxed, knowing that if the neighbors heard they’d end up calling the police and that was the last thing they wanted, let alone needed.

Isabella bit back another yell as the tape was nearly off, another ten seconds it finally came free.

She opened her mouth to take in a lung full of air but unfortunately that set off warning bells in Niall’s head and he quickly covered her mouth with his hand.

Isabella looked taken aback, letting the excess air out through her nose and shook her head quietly, her eyes wide and completely beside herself.

Niall released her mouth with caution until it was off completely.

“I wasn’t.” Isabella rasped quietly, flinching at the sound of her own voice.

“Sorry, the way you were breathing in I thought you were going to try to yell for help. Believe me, no one good will come to answer that call.” Niall warned, setting down the cloth and taking a small tube of ointment from his pocket.

“You’re in a bad area then?” Isabella asked, hiding her interest with false boredom.

“Not exactly lass but no offence, I don’t believe that’s for you to know.” Niall said, smiling politely. He uncapped the ointment and rubbed the cream around the irritated parts of her skin before attending to the parts that were bleeding.

“What’s your story? How’d you get mixed up in this cluster fuck of a situation?” Isabella asked after he had finished.

“Strange, we all seem to be wondering the same thing about you, dove. What’s your story? How’d you get mixed up in the shit you got in?” Niall hit back without missing a beat, reaching behind her and unwinding the tape from the flexi-cuffs before bending down and doing the same favor for her feet.

Isabella groaned from the tape leaving her skin.

“I can’t –I…” She trailed off and looked away.

“If you can’t answer my questions, I’m afraid I can’t answer yours.” Niall shrugged, keeping his tone neutral.

He went to leave the room to ask Harry something but her voice stopped him.

“I’m running because it’s the only opinion I have left besides dying. Which, if they catch me, Niall, my death will only be a small mercy to them. I’m not exactly innocent. I’m far from it –what happened, they would make me suffer until my last gasping breath and you know what? I’d deserve it. I run because I fear the consequences, ones that, if you ever knew my past, you’d think I was deserving of too. Maybe you should just hand me over…save this whole game of bad cop, good cop going on. I’m drowning and can barely keep my head above water as it is. I’m tired –I’m just…so tired of it all.” Isabella’s voice died to a quiet sob.

Niall hesitated, his eyes going out to the hall and then back to the girl before making his way back and sitting beside her on the bed, his arm slinking around her shoulders comfortingly.

“Why do you think I’d think you were deserving of such cruelty, love? I hardly think this seems fair.” He gestured to her bindings.

“What I did, this is karma. This is karma telling me I need to face the music for –for.” Her voice was breaking off in different emotion and Niall had to struggle to understand half of it. He ended up shushing her, unable to even grasp what she was getting at.

“You don’t deserve to be hunted down, no matter what you did. You don’t deserve what’s happening to you now,” Niall sympathized. “I was actually going down to go ask Harry if I can remove the cuffs, your wrists are pretty marked up.”

“He’ll say no. He doesn’t trust me. I don’t blame him. A hostage is a valuable thing, especially when it’s the only card you’ve got.” Isabella spat bitterly.

“Hey now, Harry isn’t that bad. Maybe you should hold off on the judgments yourself, dove, until you know his story.” Niall reasoned.

“He’s a criminal, what more is there to know? He robs stores with an equally incompetent accomplice and he wonders where his life’s going?” Isabella snorted.

“He robs stores for a reason. Maybe instead of focusing on who he is, you should look into the mirror and –“Niall started but she cut him off.

“I have and what stares back at me, you’d cringe. I don’t look in the mirror because I see the true monster within. I can change my hair, dye my eyes, wear clothes that I wouldn’t of before and all I see is that same vile, disgusting thing that I was two years ago. Don’t talk to me about judgment, Niall. I know all about them, ‘mate’.” Isabella spate the last word back at him with venom and mockery.

“Cool your fire, dove, Jesus. I’m just saying, he didn’t always do that. Neither of them did. Just like I didn’t think I’d ever be stealing cars and scrapping them for money or illegal guns, which I turn around and sell. It’s the game of life, sweetheart. It sucks and all we have to do is pray the next roll of the dice isn’t our last,” Niall sighed, pressing the girl into him in a hug before unwrapping his arm and standing up. “Just think on that, yeah? I’ll be right back.”

Isabella was captivated by Niall’s turn of words. She didn’t know who they were from Adam and yet – he had just let her have a glimpse into their lives, however small. What had they been before? Who were they?

Niall came back about five minutes later, looking a little worn down and somber.

“Do you have to go to the lavatory? It’s the only way he would agree to –“Niall was cut off by sharp footsteps. Isabella recognized them as Harry’s.

“I told you, he doesn’t trust me. With good reason.” Isabella said, her own voice raspy and worn.

“Your damn right, after what you pulled with the cop! You could have gotten that man hurt or killed! I don’t like being the bad guy here, Ella, God Save the Queen, I really don’t. Please, at least tell me what was going through your head, I’d really like to know, luv. We would have gone to jail, you would have been taken into custody as you’re now being sought after for questioning – you’d be an easy target to get to then. Next time think! I know you’re capable of that to some extent.”

Isabella flinched and brought her feet back up on the bed, curling into herself.

“Oh for the love of –“Harry muttered, walking over to the bed and seeing Isabella flinch back, his figure towering over her smaller one.

He didn’t say anything, his face was stonily set and his lips were in a deep frown. Harry simply took the pocket knife and reached back, cutting the ties from her wrists before doing the same to her ankles.

“Don’t say I’ve no compassion, love, because actions speak louder than words and you’re not my trumped ace, I have more than one card up my sleeve. Unfortunately I don’t know how many but should a backup plan for you fail, then there’s always the next game. You aren’t my priority right now. My priority is getting us through this shit storm you managed to get us into.”

“I begged you two to let me go! When someone is begging to be let go, the worst thing you could fucking do is kidnap them!” Isabella exploded.

Before she could control her emotions, they did what they had wanted to do since the car ride. Isabella didn’t even have enough time to comprehend what was happening, even as it happened. Her hand had a mind of it’s own, it went back as quick as a flash and slammed down with full force on Harry’s cheek, his head and neck snapping violently to the side.

Niall flinched and to make matters worse, Liam and Zayn had walked back to see what was going on, they managed to catch the last of the conversation and the loud slap accompanied shortly after.

The whole group froze, Isabella included.

It was almost twenty seconds later before a small gasp left her mouth, as if she just comprehended what she did.

“Harry I –I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.” Isabella said, swallowing tensely.

Harry’s cheek was reddening by the second but he just stood upright again, staring down with anger. What he did next, surprised even Isabella.

“Go to the loo, clean yourself up, get ahold of whatever emotions you have rampaging and meet me out in the kitchen. Niall has Shepard’s pie baking. You haven’t eaten since before the gas station I’d imagine and I’m sure you’re hungry. We are going to sit down and have a nice long discussion. I want answers and you’re going to give me them. If you don’t, I will make your arrangements here a far cry from comfortable, luv, and that is honest truth. You have ten minutes.”

Harry calmly turned and walked out of the room, leaving everyone to stare after him.

After a few tense moments, Zayn spoke up with a sigh.

“Better do as he suggests, love, if he says ten, he means ten. Come on, we’ll help.” Zayn said as he went forward with Niall.

They both helped Isabella to her feet, keeping her steady on her unused limbs until she got the circulation in her feet going and could balance herself.

Zayn guided her down the hall and into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.

For a few seconds, Isabella stood there in the small bathroom before making use of the facilities she was granted, her body shaking with anxiety.

What had she just done?

Notes