The Hostage and the Wanted

Isabella was beginning to get use to the sedations. It had only happened twice and for certain reasons she was glad the drug was mild enough to knock her out and wake her up with little to no effect but strong enough to keep the nightmares at bay. She didn’t like having them –she didn’t like what they did.

“Morning.” Harry muttered, catching her attention from the other side, he was laying on the bed, facing her.

Isabella cringed at the deep purple bruises that he sported –his left cheek was bandaged and his eye was patched over. Had she blinded him?

“Good arm, luv,” Was all Harry said as he sat and twisted his back to pop it. Once he succeeded, he stood from the bed and made his way over to her bed and sat down, just staring down at her for a moment before reaching to untie her. “Not going to say anything?”

“What do you want me to say, Harry? I’m sorry for blinding or almost blinding you, that I’ll be a good little hostage and do whatever you say? Tell you everything you want to know and kiss your ass?” Isabella spat out sarcastically, although she flinched back at the sight of his hand. She had a thing with hands in close proximity of her face.

Harry just moved the pieces of hair that had fallen into her face.

“Ass kissing are for those who have nothing else going for them in life, luv. They depend on the success of false praise. I suspect you would never take that path – you seem much more…admirable.” Harry shrugged, untying the bandage that held her captive to the headboard.

“I’m many things but admirable is not one of them. I just know that ass kissing gets you shit. There are better ways to go about being a rat.” Isabella said, going to stand up but completely forgot about the flexi-cuffs on her feet. When she did, she went forward. Luckily Harry’s reflexes were fast and he reached out to grab her against him, holding her body from hitting the ground. She indistinctively wrapped her arm around his neck to secure her hold.

“Stupid lummox, didn’t you know your feet were tied?” Harry sighed softly, setting her on the bed and reaching into his pants pocket, getting out the pocket knife.

“I forgot.” Isabella admitted, really having forgotten. That and she couldn’t even feel her ankles.

“For a hacker, you sure are blonde, luv.” Harry said, kneeling on the floor and cutting the ties from her feet and rubbing where they indented to get some of the circulation back.

Isabella stayed quiet, allowing Harry to help her from the bed and toward the hall, right to the bathroom.

“Your clothes are in there for you already, shampoo, and conditioner. Same as yesterday.” Harry shrugged, guiding her in with a small push before shutting the door. “We also locked the window from the outside so should you have any ideas –“Harry started but stopped and decided to just walk away.

“Ideas? All mine have gotten me zilch, fuck that. Fuck it all.” Isabella muttered, undressing and getting into the shower. Allowing the hot water to wash over her tired and aching muscles.

She lost track of time, she had spaced out and it wasn’t long before another knock sounded. It was also then she realized the hot water had turned a luke warm and no longer seemed to comfort her. Whatever she had been thinking disappeared with the knock.

“Ella, you alright?” Louis asked, opening the door but not coming in.

“Y-yeah. I’m fine. I spaced out. Give me ten, please? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean –“ She dropped her voice from being startled, realizing she must have sounded like she had been caught in the midst of doing something wrong.

“Here, let me get you your towel. Last thing you need is to slip on this tile, trust me I slipped this morning. Not fun.” Louis murmured, walking over and handing Isabella a blue colored one before reaching his hand into the shower, feeling her take it from him.

“Thanks Louis.” Isabella replied to his gesture.

“You’re welcome, love, try not to be too long, yeah? Lunch is almost ready.” Louis said, going to the door but Isabella stopped him.

“Wait, please?” Isabella asked, coming out in just her towel. Louis stared at her but shut the door, facing his hostage, swallowing uncomfortably. She didn’t seem to notice or care.

“Yeah?” Louis asked unsure, swallowing again. He really did not want to be in the bathroom with a naked computer hacker, normally he would eat those words but Isabella was dangerous and in more ways than one.

“Be careful, about how you handle things, what judgments you make. It doesn’t only effect you, Harry or myself. It effects a group. Should you actually want to listen to me, about these guys – I will tell you but stop pretending anything I say doesn’t matter. You’re worried, I can tell you are.” Isabella replied without emotion, going over to pick up another towel, throwing it over her head and rubbing vigorously.

Louis stepped beside her, taking the hair towel from her head and gathering her hair, tying it up into the towel.

“Your words are lost on me, love because when you talk, the only thing I hear are words, nothing helpful or significant, they are simply said for a distraction. You beg us for freedom but your own actions trap you. If you want to tell us how to lose this van – then tell us but don’t just talk.” Louis said, placing his hands on top of her bare shoulders, his body close behind hers, looking into the mirror, noticing she glanced down. “Look up, Ella, tell me what you really see.”

“Don’t ask me to do that. I don’t look into them, I don’t like what stares back at me.” Isabella pleaded, her voice offering only a small bit of unsureness.

“Then you have a distorted image of yourself, love, because you want to know what I see?” Louis smiled, taking the back of his hand, seeing her flinch only slightly as he brought her chin up so their eyes glanced at one another through the mirror. “I see someone who is so haunted that they hide behind the thought of dying. I see a lonely girl who would rather run away from her problems than face them head on. With the skills you have, with all this talk about destroying everything in your path – all I see are words. Quit talking and do something.”

He stepped back away from her and headed toward the door.

“Five minutes, Ella. Don’t want lunch to spoil.”

With that he went out and shut the door, leaving the girl with something to think about. In truth, what she was trying to accomplish was just thrown back at her and it left Isabella a little more than miffed.

“Who are these guys?” She uttered but let the towel drop from her body, revealing the scars she tried long ago to ignore.

It hadn’t been her first time the men in the van had caught up with her. There were many incidents before that almost cost her, her life. She remembered every single story to every single scar she bore. With new ones adding to the tally as the days seem to pass.

“No more fighting.” Isabella sighed, slipping the white off the shoulder top onto her slender figure. It was about two sizes too big but she didn’t mind. It gave room for her breasts to move and not be noticeable since the boys apparently didn’t think underclothing was important. Although she was slightly concerned as she did have some on when she was kidnapped.

“Ella? Come on now.” Harry knocked, coming in, just as she managed to slip the skirt on over her butt, turning around.

“Sorry. I got caught up.” Isabella apologized, tearing the towel from her head and grabbing the pink brush, combing it through her long hair and turning.

“Trying to escape?” Harry asked pointedly with a smirk, making her frown deeper.

“Didn’t touch the window, no. Louis said lunch was ready?” She asked, welcoming a change of subject, stepping from the bathroom and let Harry guide her down the hall.

He led her to the chairs and took one out for her to sit. Isabella obliged, noticing Zayn was at the stove –she also noticed the dry plaster behind the stove had a huge hole in it –at least crawling upward a good sixteen inches.

“Wow, what happened to the wall?” Isabella pointed making Zayn glance at it briefly before he broke out chuckling.

“Harry was cooking when you decided to run off, with all the commotion he forgot. I’m just glad Louis woke up and noticed it burning the flat down – unfortunately the water he tried to put it out with was grease. That is why the hole is bigger. Initially it was only a small one –three inches but you know what they say, tomato and grapes. Doesn’t matter which one you choose, they’re still fruits.”

Isabella noticed Louis was over by the TV, turning it up with a placid look on his face.

“Listen to this, mates.” Louis pointed, Isabella’s stare going to the TV as they all seemed to stop what they were doing and listened in on the television.

Zayn put down a basket of chips on the table having just taken them from the oven, his eyes now focused in the same direction as the three other guys. It was then Isabella noticed Niall was missing.

With a shake of her head she watched the report.

It was about Simon Cowell’s studio, another artist just got kicked from their contract and when asked Simon’s reasoning of letting another artist go –it was answered with a very profession –yet sarcastic response.

The report dragged on and occasionally one of the boys would snort or reply with something equally mocking and sarcastic – well, everyone but Zayn who just shook his head.

“It is disgusting gents but remember, we are luckier than some. Must try and remember that, yeah? Come on, lunch is ready.”

“I can’t believe he gets to vacation in Zealand and we get stuck in England, where’s the justice?” Louis snorted, turning the TV off and sitting down next to Isabella, who was smirking wider then she should have been. Harry took a seat on the other side of her, noticing the same thing.

“I don’t find your amusement very nice, luv, he did to that artist what he did to us and we’re still paying the bloody bastard.” Harry growled, reaching over and taking a handful of chips, popping one in his mouth and chewing dishearteningly.

“I wasn’t smiling at your misfortune. I was just thinking what I could do to his plane if I had a laptop or computer of some kind. Assholes like him, they’re a dime a dozen, gents. A little misfortune –it puts things into perspective.” Isabella chuckled, though somewhat darkly, remembering what she did with the one plane. Trapping signals and rerouting was her specialty. The fun she could have –but what she might be able to do, which did sober her.

The boys took notice.

“What?” Louis asked, not taking his eyes off her.

“If I can get a laptop or to a computer, I could see where the van is. They’re wired so for me, it would be nothing to track their signal and reroute it away from here – two, maybe three thousand miles. It would give you some time to figure out what you’re going to do. At least a few days.” Isabella shrugged, a small smile tugging at her lips. “Then I could send Simon on a trip he’d never forget. If you trust me enough that is but I don’t imagine you would so.” Isabella gestured, reaching over and taking a chip, popping it into her mouth, daring to look at the men who now stared at her.

“We don’t trust you as far as we could probably throw you but –what would you want in return for this little favor?” Harry asked skeptically, expecting her to say her freedom but for once she surprised him.

“Safety, reassurance –satisfaction.” Isabella responded with a shrug. “I want reassurance that if I do this, it is to keep you guys and myself safe and satisfaction because there are a few assholes in this world that really need it. Simon –you have my sympathy if that’s the way he treated you. Although, maybe he was onto something and you guys just really sucked?” Isabella decided to get a shot in, watching their faces contort to annoyance.

“Careful there, luv.” Harry warned but it quieted over the group as Zayn’s voice rose alone, taking up lead, something they hadn’t done since the group disbanded.

It washed over the air like a beautiful melody. Singing the first few cords of a song that Isabella had never heard and realized as each voice joined in the harmony that she herself had been wrong.

She listened, impressed to say the least but her emotions were hidden deep within the questionings of her own gifts.

It only lasted a moment but she gave them credit, their voices carried in a way that could never be considered mundane or hard on the ears. It also surprised her that they had never had the notoriety they had strived for –there had to be an underlying reason.

“I stand corrected.” Isabella smiled, popping another chip into her mouth, her eyes flashing to the door when it opened and slammed shut –Niall standing against it with a troubled expression.

“We are definitely being stalked.” Niall said, his voice shaking.

“We’re you followed?” Isabella asked, her eyes guarded but filled with anxiety.

“Yes but I hid the car and walked back, I couldn’t give them the slip. I tried!” Niall gulped.

Isabella turned to Harry.

“Laptop or computer, if he was tailed we are all in big trouble. I can get them away –just please, trust me.” Isabella begged, her hand on Harry’s arm.

“Get her the lap top.” Louis spoke, standing up as Zayn went to get her his. When he returned fifteen seconds later she opened it and began to make quick work of the keys since it had already been on the desktop.

“I hope you know what you’re doing, dove.” Niall swallowed, locking the door and pulling the blinds beside him.

“If I can reroute a plane, stud, I can reroute these idiots. It’s just finding their proxy, from there I’ll know their signal.” Isabella growled her eyes filled with fire. There was no way she was dying today. Especially not because of Niall’s carelessness.

None of them said anything but they did crowd around her, their eyes watching her movements carefully. Which all went up when they heard a knock at the door a few moments later.

Notes