The Hostage and the Wanted

Isabella laid silently on the couch her back hunched into the seat. Harry hadn’t left her side since the shower and Louis was pacing back and forth. Liam went to drive to get Zayn since his cellphone still hadn’t been replaced and Niall was out doing what he did best – stealing cars.

Louis saw Isabella had quit crying and laid against the back of the seat solemnly. Her green eyes defeated.

“Can you try to eat, love? We have a whole day of prepping and we need to all be at our top strength.” Louis asked, not giving her a chance to answer before pressing a few buttons on the microwave and heating up the food Zayn had left for her.

“Prep –move. Move, prep. Prep, move. All a bloody fucking joke.” Isabella spat with disgust, glancing up at her captors and moving to get up off the couch, the cold and dampness making her bones ache. “I’m going to get new clothes on, they’re on the bed I’m going to assume?”

Harry got up off the arm and went to the other side, reaching down and handing her the plastic bag that contained her clothes.

“They’re in here, luv. Try not to be too long.” Harry said, handing them to her.

Isabella left the room without a word, going back into the bathroom and closing the door, turning on the shower to finish her normal routine.

Harry just shook his head and got up off the couch and went to the fridge, getting a bottle of orange juice.

“Where are we even going? We run, they give chase. It’s a bloody circus.” Louis sighed, taking the food from the microwave and setting it on the table.

It was about ten minutes later when Isabella stepped from the bathroom. Her hair brushed and the beautiful floral dress hugging her body. It was the only size dress Louis had correctly picked out.

The material was gorgeous, a black background with a string of flowers etching across the chest and following down the dress on either side, stretching all the way around. With the neck being so low cut on both sides she found the dress to be a little more of a challenge to keep things hidden. Although the red dress didn’t fit. It was way too tight in the hips and hugged way too much to her figure.

The boys stared at her for a brief second before Harry pulled a chair out for her and gestured at the table, the smell of food wafting faintly into her nose.

Isabella sat down, her chair moved in and a plastic fork handed to her.

She didn’t care, she simply took it and pushed the food around her plate dejectedly. Hunger had become her life so she really just lived among her lifestyle. Although she wished she had that freeing feeling like yesterday. Where her hands swiped along the keys.

Louis sat next to her and grabbed her fork, stabbing a random piece of stir-fry and bringing it up to the girl’s lips.

“Eat. I’m tired of asking you to do that, Ella. You’re human, love, you need food to survive and walk among the living. Despite being the world’s smartest girl, you make the daftest of decisions.”

Isabella went to grab the fork but he moved it away and put it back to her lips.

“No, now eat.”

Harry sat down with a glass of orange juice, offering a glass to Isabella, setting it beside her plate.

“Thanks.” Isabella muttered, chewing the forkful she was forced to take as Louis went to bring another bite up. She was getting bored with the repetition of the situation in general.

“You’re welcome, luv.” Harry responded in kind, watching Louis before again shaking his head. “Mate? She’s not a tot, give her a chance to eat in her own time, yeah? All we can do right now is pass time.”

Louis handed Isabella the fork and pointed at the plate before standing up and begin to pace again, seeing Isabella go back to playing with her food.

“I give up.” Louis threw his hand up, grabbing the plate and tossing it in the trash.

Isabella just looked at him, setting the fork down.

“Can I borrow the laptop, please? I have to give Ethan back his –“Isabella started but Louis cut her off.

“No. He cannot have those men back. He can have shit. I’m tired of hearing the bloody bastard’s name. No more, Ella. He just broke into this flat, cornered you –“Louis stopped himself, keeping his voice emotionless. He was more upset that the asshat had got in undetected. Louis felt he had failed Isabella and that bothered him –he just didn’t know why.

“I’m sorry.” Isabella apologized, taking a sip of her orange juice.

“Don’t worry about it.” Harry cut in, giving Louis a look before going to the fridge and grabbing out a frozen egg, cheese and sausage croissant. He popped it into the microwave for a minute before taking it out and taking the plastic off, handing it to Isabella. “Try this, luv, you do need to eat something.” He coaxed.

Isabella looked at it before picking it up and biting into it unexcitedly. Luckily it was the portion size she was use to and had no problems finishing it.

“You know, this wasn’t always so complicated.” Isabella said, glancing up at Harry before they went to Louis and back down.

“Nothing ever begins complicated, luv, it just tends to happen overtime. Simplistic is only ever in fairytales, this is real life.” Harry replied.

“What Ethan and I had was real. I first met him as a doctor. He was the youngest in his class – a resident at the time but he quickly surpassed his peers. I was a girl, just going out into the world and the moment he walked into my examination room, his eyes and mine – they sparked. In fact the first thing he said to me – as corny as it had been at the time, he said ‘You’re very sick, I like that in a patient.’” Isabella smiled wistfully at the memory before continuing. “Ethan had seen my exams and x-rays. My head – it has a higher performance function then what you’d find in a regular functioning brain. That’s because of my photogenic memory and the ability to comprehend and store everything and use it at quicker speeds. My reflexes are sharper, my mind is constantly going. He explained this all to me and told me he had only seen one case before mine. I’m one of the less than one percent who can remember everything up to when I was severely young. Unfortunately because the images are photogenic, they’re always there and it overloads the brain. The body tries to compensate for how quickly the signals are moving through the body but it can’t. He came up with an inhalant mixture to stop the signals. The man is an absolute genius and he was kind. What I saw today wasn’t my Ethan, not really.” Isabella frowned, his words playing in her mind like a loop.

“How did you get tied up with Saudimere? How did this all come about? If what you had was so special, then he would have protected you from being used like that.” Louis pointed out but Isabella shook her head and stood, facing away from them and letting the memory replay itself like a movie, rewinding the scenes back to the day she had met Glen.

“Ethan’s practice was at a medical building that Glen was on the board of. He quickly noted Ethan’s promising position and my talent. I never told anyone what I could do but Ethan was introduced to Glen and he made Ethan a deal – one that advanced him in his career at an accelerated rate and because I had been his main medical miracle with the inhalant, he introduced me to Glen and told him what he discovered – nothing about hacking. That came later. Glen was completely smitten with me and would often times voice it rather fondly to Ethan but because Ethan and I held that spark, he beat Saudimere in asking me on a date. This was six months after my initial treatment. As you can imagine Saudimere was pissed and he would go to my job of employment I was working at the time – as a temp secretary. Anyhow, he told me he needed a personal secretary and thought I showed promise. He and I shared coffee every morning in the cafeteria and I helped him with his files.” Isabella shrugged.

“So how exactly did it go from love triangle to wanting to kill you? From wanting to kill you to using you – this story is jumping around so much, luv, it’s really hard to distinguish fact to fiction.” Harry shook his head, going around to face Isabella before guiding her back to the seat, sitting on the other side of her.

“See, the triangle is the thing that wasn’t even noticeable to me. It got complicated when I was doing records and some of them appeared to be false. I dug my research up and found that Glen had his hands in a lot of cookie jars. I presented these facts to him and I showed him how I uncovered it. He hit gold that day – I wasn’t aware of exactly how much. I was angry that he wasn’t honest but all he did was smile, guide me into his office and spill the most elaborate lies you could think to conjure up. That’s what I mean by greedy. I was offered something for my discrepancy. I was offered the world, I was offered the freedom and have any and all control of his company in a push of an eye. I told him I had a very specific set of skills and I showed him. That’s where this whole thing began. I knew too much by the time everything was said and done. I was too far in. I knew everything about Glen, I knew his company…how things ran. I could do things with proxies –with money. Moving it without any trace back to the company. I know what I know and that makes me dangerous. So yeah, if I refuse outright he’s going to kill me. A small mercy for his company. He won’t do it before he gets what he needs though. I’m a simple equation that can be subtracted when my usefulness runs out. All he needs to know is how to do it. He won’t – not possible unless he has the codes and I have them stored safely in my head.”

“What happened to make you run? How did it all come about?” Louis asked, his elbow prompt up, his face resting in his hand.

“Glen was persistent in his pursue. He dazzled me with expensive jewelry – which I never wore. I only wore it on special occasions at the company parties and such. It became apparent that Saudimere had other plans as the months went on, even after I showed him no interest. He got more persistent until one night, he asked me to stay late. Not uncommon for what he had me do but it was different that night. He brought up two glasses of wine and he said he wanted to propose a toast for the success of his company. I didn’t see anything in the glass and so I drank. Asshole had put it in the wine. After an hour I didn’t know what happened or who I was. I didn’t even remember the morning after. I just remember waking up in bed beside Ethan the next morning. I was a bit horny so him and I –“She smiled when Harry went to object.

“Ok, fast forward a few months. I didn’t know what was going on, I was emotional and angry all the time. I went and saw Ethan, since he was my doctor and he knew how to treat anything ailing me. I liked having him as a partner and my own personal physician. It made getting sick a happier time. He was so attentive to detail so the sex was amazing.” She chuckled when both boys gave her an incredulous look.

“I’m curious of the relevance of your sex life with this man? Why exactly is this a need to know thing, luv?” Harry asked cautiously.

“Because he was the most beautiful human being, inside and out. He was gentle, and soft. He spoke to me like I was the only thing in the world that mattered.” Isabella said, a few tears escaping. “I still remember the way his hands held me the day he walked into that examining room. I never saw his blue eyes light up so full of life before but he showed me the reports and announced that we were going to have a baby. Oh man, I was so scared. I thought about how I was like as a kid and freaked. Completely fell apart but not Ethan. Ethan was my rock. He was my star through the clouds…and there were more clouds then sunny days at that point. Saudimere found out about the pregnancy and immediately told me to abort it. Said the distraction would be too much and he would never take responsibility for a mistake that happened in one night. The way he spoke to me – it was so cold. I was going to tell Ethan but Saudimere told me what exactly he would do to him if I opened my mouth. I did convince Glen to let me keep the baby. I told him I’d pass it off as Ethan’s if he so wished and I did. I should have gotten a paternity test to find out which one it was but in my heart I knew it was Glen’s the hair and eyes…” Isabella trailed off, looking up, Harry’s hand on her shoulder comfortingly, his eyes so full of emotion that he could only simply stare.

“I’m sorry.” Harry said softly, looking at Louis who mirrored a similar look.

“You and me both. I was less than a month away from marrying Ethan when shit hit the fan. We had been going together a few years and when Ian was born – Glen stopped by the hospital. The handprint in there –“Her voice broke off and she covered her mouth.

“Ok I think it’s time to stop.” Louis shushed, touching her shoulder in reassurance.

“No. No…” Isabella shook her head, standing up and going to the duffle bag. She unzipped it and found a few of the items she was looking for and returned to the table, laying them down. One was of the picture Harry had saw earlier of her holding the baby. “Ian was born at night but the nurse, she copied his little handprint to readymade plaster. It was unbeknownst to me that when he was born, Glen was there. He never came in to see me but I hacked the security cameras to the nursery so I could keep an eye on my son – make sure the nurses did what they were supposed to. Ethan was there for the delivery but then had to leave because Glen wanted him to work overtime that night – I found out why. My baby never made it out of the hospital alive. I couldn’t even do anything about it. That photo that you see, it was the only picture I have of Ian and the only memory that I’ll ever have is his handprint. Saudimere walked into the maternity ward and I knew in my heart what he was doing. So I tried rushing to my son but the orderlies stopped me and I tried to tell them to go to the maternity ward but they didn’t listen. They ended up getting Ethan to my room and my baby was brought up and everything was fine for an hour but then Ian started to fade. Ethan stayed with me and the baby, right up till the moment he died. Right in my arms. I thought, if I could get to my son, if I could have stopped Saudimere. It was my fault that Ian died because as a mother you’re supposed to protect your children till the last of your dying breath and I couldn’t even get off the floor! I couldn’t even –“Isabella’s hands went to her face and it was at that time Niall walked but into the flat, looking more than a little perturbed, although seeing Isabella in the state she was, it instantly melted off his face.

“Oh dove. What happened now?” He walked over, stopping and glancing down at the small handprint and picture. He smiled. “Aw, sweet babe. Who is he? He’s adorable.”

Harry made a cut motion with his throat, shaking his head. Louis sighed and rubbed his forehead.

“Way to go, mate.” Louis said as Isabella’s silent sobs could be heard in the lingering tension.

Isabella threw her chair back and ran to the room she had called home for a few days and slammed the door, collapsing onto the bed but not before violently knocking a desk lamp onto its side. Remembering the look of satisfaction that touched Glen’s cold eyes and smirking lips. She remembered the cruelty of his words at the funeral and the whisper in her ear of his promise being fulfilled. She remembered it all, right down to the rage that began to boil in her blood again.

The lightening stuck in her head and she realized her time on the land should have been better made keeping her promise. Hunted or not. She had a promise to keep.

With new vigor she returned back out to the kitchen a few moments later, the three of them talking quietly but stopping when she entered back into the room.

“Get me the laptop. I got something I need to finish.” Isabella growled, her eyes completely vibrant.

“Dove? I think you may need to calm –“Niall started but she was already back in her chair and slammed her fist down on the table, her patience completely gone.

“NOW!” Isabella bellowed, which made Harry jump back, his eyes now a little fearful. Louis went back to Zayn’s room to get what she asked and Niall backed off from her. “If Saudimere wants a battle of wits, then he’s going to get it.”

“Uh-oh. Well, I’m going to go and complete the job, I got one more car to –“Niall hurriedly said, backing off.

“Stud?” Isabella spoke calmly, turning to him in the upmost restraint as his voice silenced.

“Yeah, dove?” Niall swallowed

“You steal one more car and I will lose any respect or hope I’ve had for you since I’ve been here. There is a pile of money, right by the side of the couch. You are to take as much as you need, return whatever you stole from that poor owner and buy two vehicles. It would also be good to get throw away cellphones that can’t be traced if you keep in touch with one another. Get those for everyone –“Isabella started to order but Louis spoke up.

“Everyone but you obviously, considering you’re still our –“

Isabella interrupted him right back.

“Get them for your group. I know my place.” Isabella growled bitterly, grabbing the laptop from Louis’s hands as she heard Niall leave.

She opened up the device and started working feverishly at the keys again, up until Ethan’s face popped back on the screen – he looked downright pissed.

“I told you to return those –“

Isabella was having none of it and she managed the angriest look she could muster at the screen, this shut Ethan up but he still looked pissed.

“You know what asshole? You’re so tough? So bad? Come and make me!” Isabella challenged.

“I already am.” Ethan responded calmly, grabbing the small video device from his computer screen and aimed it at a corner of wherever he was. “Recognize him? The doctor, I believe?” Ethan’s voice hinted with amusement.

Isabella squinted, recognizing Zayn’s tied up and unconscious form. He looked to have put up one hell of a struggle and upon looking closer, Ethan’s white shirt looked ripped. Both looked to have been in a fight.

“You have an hour to unblock those vans and send them home or Doctor Zayn here will die. Very slow, very painfully. You know me, Ana, I always keep my promises.” He went to shut the camera off but Isabella stopped him.

“Sure, I’ll send you one home. The rest I’ll drive off a cliff.” Isabella threatened, typing away at the keys.

“No!” Louis and Harry exclaimed, their voices unfrozen as they watched the screen in terror.

“Alright then I’ll leave one of Zayn’s eyes unscarred. He can watch me cut him into little pieces. Don’t challenge me, Anastasia. You will lose.”

With that the screen went black.

Isabella still worked the keys, her eyes never faltering from its task.

“Ella? Please?” Harry begged not able to keep up with how many screens she was opening and closing.

Isabella ignored him and continued with the task at hand, Louis right by Harry’s side, their eyes more than a little worried.

“Ella?” Louis tried, placing his hand gently on her shoulder.

She ignored his touch, continuing to type vigorously against the keys. She knew now that time was running out. For her –and now for Zayn.

Notes

Holy H - that was long but worth it, did you like the chapter? haha I hope so and now you know why Isabella's pissed - she had an ah-ha moment. Ok guys - take a vote. I get the final say but I need you to choose Harry, Niall or Louis. Don't ask why or that will ruin it but everyone who comments I'd love your vote it's important for the story :-)