The Hostage and the Wanted

Isabella had no idea what happened. One moment she was in the tree, the next she was waking up on the bed, her hands ace wrapped behind her back, her ankles barring the same familiar feeling of the flexi-ties and she had been gagged with what a could be long folded shirt.

At first all she could see was darkness but as her eyes adjusted, Isabella realized she had been left alone in the room, laughter coming down the hall from the kitchen. Whatever was so funny, she had no doubt they wouldn’t be laughing when the van found them. Hell, they had practically wrapped her up for the taking.

She laid there for about an hour, trying to struggle from the stretchy fabric bound to her wrists. As usual, no luck.

Just as she had stilled again, she heard footsteps.

They were soft, barely even making a sound except a slight rustle, she heard them stop at the door before hearing his quiet sigh.

Zayn.

He opened the door and turned on the light, carrying a tray with him.

“Hey love, you just wake up?” Zayn smiled pleasantly, coming over and sitting down at the edge of the bed, setting the tray on the side nightstand.

Isabella just stared at him before her eyes went to the tray, cringing what was on it.

“Not in the talking mood, sweetheart? No matter. I’m just here to patch you up, you fell out of the tree pretty hard.” Zayn continued conversationally before reaching over and untying the shirt gag from her mouth, pulling it away.

“Of course your battle scars are nothing compared to Harry’s. What the fuck did you pelt him with besides acorns? Rocks? In one day you single handedly managed to piss off three of five people in one flat. You have talent, Ella. I’ll give you that. Harry’s face is busted up, Niall has little dent marks in his cranium, Liam won’t go near you, Louis –he’s reciting the ten commandments each time he passes this door, mostly ‘thou shalt not kill’ and me – I really couldn’t be more disappointed.” Zayn finished, grabbing a water bottle from the tray and popping the cap and helping Isabella to sit up, putting it to her lips.

“Niall? You didn’t mention him. You said three of five – I did all I could to make it a lucky strike.” Isabella replied sarcastically with a smirk, earning her a stern look.

“Other than denting his skull with little hard nuts? You hurt his feelings love and from the way you’re acting, I can already tell you don’t give a damn so why don’t we move on, yeah?” Zayn suggested, putting the water bottle back to her lips so she could get a more adequate drink.

When he pulled it away again, it was half gone. He capped it for the time being.

“Are you hungry? We ordered out a little while ago and you were still asleep. There’s still some left if you want any.” Zayn asked, getting some alcohol pads and wiping the dried blood from the corner of her lip and above her eye.

“Will you stop being nice to me? You’re supposed to hate me.” Isabella muttered, moving her wrists around to try and get some feeling back into them.

“You’re still our guest. I’m being hospitable.” Zayn shrugged, cleaning the rest of her face up, before bandaging the areas that needed to be patched.

“So that means you hate me then?” Isabella asked, her voice neutral.

“I don’t hate anyone, love. I’m a doctor.” Zayn smiled, cleaning the tray up but leaving the water bottle on the nightstand. “You still didn’t answer my question, are you hungry? There’s a plate out there for you.”

“No.” Isabella sighed, going to lay back on her side but Zayn stopped her, his face softening.

“Ella, what happened today I’m sorry it even had to happen. You gave us no choice and it’s not something I want to repeat. All I want to know, with what you told Niall –was it all bullshit or was any of it true?”

Isabella shrugged.

“I’m a hacker, that part was true.” She didn’t elaborate on the answer, just carried on indifferently. Nothing else was working so Isabella didn’t bother.

“What’s your top skill?” Zayn asked conversationally, smiling, trying to put Isabella at least into a tolerable mood.

“Proxy hijacks, rerouting signals. If I wanted, I could take a signal –like an airplane signal, reroute the plane from England to Paris. I did that for fun once.” She chuckled at the memory. “You should have heard the pilots trying to explain to the Paris operatives –who only spoke French and they didn’t.

Zayn let out a loud laugh.

“Oh you are something, love.” Zayn sighed, shaking his head.

Isabella’s head dropped, as well as her smile.

“I’ve done things with my skill that would make your mouth drop, Zayn. I’m someone dangerous–if you think about that, then why would Glen Saudimere keep me alive? Knowing that any point in time I could destroy his business, destroy his illegal tactics – everything. It would make sense to get rid of that person. So really, my story doesn’t matter. What matters is what I know – what I can do. I’m a witness, I’m a threat –I’m the storm in his nightmare brewing closer that he can’t wake up from. I’m all of that and more, yet, why am I waiting?” Isabella chuckled.

Zayn sort of froze, he did not know what to make of the girl in front of him. Was she bipolar or just plain nuts?

“I don’t know, why are you waiting?” Zayn asked carefully, standing up.

“Because I want to know if my fiancé is still alive. Because when I finally destroy the man I called a boss, I want to stare at him face to face. I plan on robbing him of his money, his company – everything. The same as he robbed me of my son! My family, integrity – innocence!” Isabella spat but wouldn’t allow the tears to fall.

“I don’t understand?” Zayn said cautiously, sitting back down again.

“He raped me, got my pregnant, almost cost me my marriage. Threatened my fiancé. I couldn’t leave –so I didn’t. I stuck it out because he promised me the skies and the only thing I got in return was false security. So you will have to excuse me if I don’t take to someone who makes me a promise so easily. I haven’t had the best of luck with that. So there you go. My story in a nutshell.” Isabella relented, although that was only the tip of the iceberg. There was so much more but she wasn’t giving Zayn any more than a glimpse – what he and his friends allowed her.

“That doesn’t tell me much but I believe I understand now, thank you Ella.” Zayn nodded his thanks going to the door. “I’ll be back with your food in a moment.”

“I’m not –“Isabella started but he was gone before she could even protest. “Forget it, why even bother fighting? Doesn’t seem to get me anywhere.”

Isabella flinched, a sharp pain shooting up her left ankle.

Isabella waited a few minutes before she heard footsteps again, this time she recognized them as Niall’s. When he opened the door she could tell he tried hard to keep emotionless but she could see in his eyes that this room was the last place he wanted to be.

“Hey dove.” He greeted, keeping his voice light.

“Hi.” Isabella greeted, watching him come in with a plate of food and sit it on the nightstand before taking the same spot Zayn had moments before at the edge of the bed.

“Zayn got sidetracked by Harry.” Niall shrugged, reaching for the plate but stopped and looked back at Isabella.

She sensed his hesitation and sighed.

“Go get Louis or Harry then. I know you don’t want to be here, I’m not going to force you blue eyes. So go.” Isabella dismissed, watching him stand up to leave the room, her voice stopping him a final time. “For what it’s worth Niall, when I called you a no good loser with no future. I meant every single word –but at least you aren’t an utter disgrace like I am and there’s still a chance for you. Call it a half apology if you will, though I still see the same thing when I look at you as I did when I looked at my fiancé.”

“Oh yeah, dove? What’s that?” Niall scoffed, keeping his voice from cracking.

“I see a beautiful person that lost their way. Just like when I look into your eyes, I see that same beautiful person with the kind heart. Get your act cleaned up Niall because if you keep going your path –it’s a dead end to nowhere.” Isabella said, her voice dropping again.

“Says the person running from monsters?” Niall hit back, his head jerking toward her.

“Sometimes stud, we get into things that pull us in further. What I told you –about being a hacker, that’s true but the choices that lead me to there weren’t ones I would have chosen on my own –not without force and just believe me when I tell you, it was not under my control. What I did after – that was and that is something I alone take responsibility for.” Isabella admitted, watching Niall shake his head and walk out, slamming the door behind him.

Isabella flinched and dropped her head again, not even bothering to look up again when the door opened.

“So, Niall’s upset. What did you say now?” Louis asked, shutting the door and coming to sit down beside her.

“The truth.” Isabella replied, looking up to Louis’s face, his face emotionless and more than a little agitated.

“Really? So you insulted Niall so he’d leave and requested me and Harry? Are you sure you want to risk your health so readily?” Louis smirked but reached over and took the tray from the nightstand, reaching for the fork already in the pineapple and coconut chicken and putting it to her mouth wordlessly.

Isabella ate slow, not really bothered about being fed – although it seemed a little awkward since every time the fork was put to her mouth she wanted to use her hand to grab it.

“I was thinking about this earlier, about the cop that was shot. The warning before they chased and shot at Zayn.” Isabella started conversationally, catching Louis’s eyes, his hand putting the half eaten plate back on the tray.

“Yeah? What about it?” Louis asked.

“They were playing a game. Messing with him. If they were full out chasing them, the van of idiots wouldn’t have stopped – even if Zayn said he did lose them on the underpass – they let him. They’re toying – it’s another warning. You need to use caution, they might already have this location and are just bidding their time.” Isabella warned, already knowing how they played. It wasn’t very fair but as a cat toys with a mouse before the kill, it was all just a waiting game.

“I think for right now you need to worry about yourself and how you’re going to apologize to Niall, Zayn and Liam. Harry and I don’t expect so much from you but we’re staying at their flat, they’ve pulled all the strings they have to keep us safe –you especially. I don’t know why but they like you. I personally find you to be a pain in the ass. Bloody desert viper.” Louis said but let a small smirk fall over his lips. A bit bemused but he was trying hard for Isabella’s sake.

“You’re right and I’m sorry I can’t show more gratitude – I didn’t ask for this.” Isabella sighed, her eyes reflecting her bleak outlook. She really did half suspect she wouldn’t make it through the week alive.

“Think of it this way, Ella. Neither did we.” Louis replied, taking the folded up shirt from the bed holding it out.

Isabella shook her head.

“I won’t need it. I promise. You won’t hear anything from me for the rest of the night unless you speak directly to me.”

Louis nodded and tossed the shirt on the nightstand and grabbing the water bottle, opening it up and letting Isabella drink the other half down.

When it was completely gone she unlatched her lips from the hard plastic.

“Thank you.” Isabella replied to his kindness earnestly before going to lay back down – Louis’s voice stopping her.

“Your son, Ian – what was your fiancé’s name?” Louis asked curiously.

“Ethan.” Isabella smiled before laying down, only then aware of the purple towel that still covered her body. She sat up again.

“I’m sorry. I hope you find him, if you do.” Louis shrugged, not really sharing her sentiments but they were getting pieces of her past and could hopefully piece together the mystery that was Anastasia Bright.

“Do I have to sleep like this or do I get clothes?” Isabella asked, although she thought the towel would make an appropriate punishment if they were going to do that to her.

“Oh, Niall washed your pajamas when you were asleep. They should be in the dryer now. Be right back.” Louis said, leaving Isabella on the bed, her eyes watching after him.

“Well this should be interesting.” Isabella muttered.

She didn’t have to wait long before Liam and Zayn walked in. Although Liam looked more than a little uncomfortable.

“Same thing as last night.” Zayn said, showing her the sedative and putting her pajamas on the side of the bed until they were needed.

Isabella didn’t say anything, she was tied up in the securest way possible. Instead she positioned herself for an easier injection point.

“Do what you have to then. If you find me so dangerous.” Isabella offered.

“Not dangerous, love, just untrustworthy.” Zayn replied, uncapping the syringe and injecting it into her arm.

Isabella didn’t fight the drug. In fact, she found it made the dressing process a little more bearable. She simply didn’t care as her body felt it was drifting. By the time they finished she knew nothing more.

Notes