The Hostage and the Wanted

Isabella followed the coordinates exactly how she had written them, arriving on the outskirts of London, far from civilization – the perfect place that bore little witness.

She saw Niall and Liam were already there and when she stepped out of the car alone, they raised their eye brows questioningly, if not a little bit cautious.

“Where’s Harry and Louis, dove?” Niall asked, coming over and leading her over to the van – neither going near it.

“They’re a little tied up right now, they sent me on ahead and they’ll catch up soon.” Isabella replied casually, making Niall’s eye brow pop upward.

“Strangely, dove, I don’t believe you but we hardly have time to debate that right now, yeah?” Niall let it drop, gesturing out toward the van. “Bloody thing is wired to the hilt – I don’t see how we’re getting into that thing without superman powers, and speed.”

“We need the code, Zayn might be able to help us out with that. I have about 65 percent battery left on his laptop, let me get it and open communications again. If I know Ethan, this is a challenge. He has the code but I’ve also not worked with explosives before either – except one time and they weren’t real.” Isabella explained.

“So, fifty-fifty shot that Zayn is going to be –“Niall didn’t finish as Liam interjected.

“What can you do? If Ethan has the code, what can possibly be done?”

Isabella’s eyes scanned the van and she swiftly climbed up the hood of it and sat on the roof.

“Laptop is in the passenger seat, get it for me and I might be able to figure that out. One thing I know for sure is that Ethan is watching from somewhere. So use extra caution.” Isabella warned, her eyes scanning the barren lands and tree tops that surrounded them.

Liam went and got the laptop, handing it up to Isabella as Niall climbed up the hood and onto the roof, kneeling down beside her as she opened the device and began to open communications.

“Zayn?” Were outside on the roof, do you hear us?” Isabella asked, knocking on the top, seeing his eyes travel upward before groaning.

Niall watched the screen intently, seeing Zayn nod.

“Okay, good. We’re at the right place. Can you move?”

Zayn looked at his feet before tugging at his hands. Whatever Ethan had used on him, they were definitely getting tighter each time he moved – so he shook his head.

“Ok, let me hack his cam, move it see what I can find.” Isabella said in kind, getting to work, windows opening and closing – Niall was watching on, silent for once. He almost looked to be in awe. “Stud? Maybe you should wait down there with Liam, if the van activates, the last thing I want your ass to be is blown up.”

“You called us to this point to help, that’s what I’m doing. I’m looking for something out of the ordinary.” Niall replied, his eyes not leaving the laptop or Zayn.

Liam began to try to get a feel for the entry points, walking around the van. Two front seats, one side door and a backdoor for convenience but if they already knew Ethan – they knew he wouldn’t be as careless.

“Four entry points.” Liam called up, doing his own groundwork.

“Ok, and knowing my ex, he has all of them locked. I don’t suppose anyone brought anything to cut the locks? Maybe even the siding?”

Judging by Niall’s look and Liam’s arms across his chest – it maybe one thing she forgot to instruct them to bring. Then again, she had been a little busy with the situation as a whole.

“Liam? Something sharp, like a chain saw or something that cuts through tin. I also need a box of safety pins and needle nosed pliers.” Isabella instructed.

“Why am I always the fetcher? Why can’t Niall and I both go get them?” Liam asked, really not wanting to leave them alone. He had a bad feeling and it wasn’t Isabella but he did not trust leaving his only other mate with the kind of danger he was feeling.

“You guys could but Niall is currently wanted for stealing vehicles and I think he may have a little trouble purchasing things that would be best assumed to be used to further help in stealing them so – you best go. I can watch and keep an eye on anything out of the normal and it helps having a second pair of eyes.” Isabella shrugged, accessing the camera and beginning to move it from one side of the van to the other.

Liam rolled his eyes but went to his vehicle and drove to find a hardware store.

“I don’t think he trusts you.” Niall said once Liam had gone before watching Isabella type in codes. Some of them made of symbols and letters. None of it making any sense to him.

“Louis doesn’t either, although Harry had come around but I have a feeling if they catch up to me again, I’ll be under lock and key twenty-four seven and I don’t think I’m quite ready to live my life as a prisoner. They’re not going to let me go, Niall, you know they’re not.”

Niall nodded, he couldn’t disagree.

“What did you do with them?” Niall asked, his eyes carefully keeping to the screen, Zayn was curious to know the same thing.

“I got one up on Louis – I had an advantage when Harry was in the bathroom and I stole his gun, used it to gain control, flexi-tied them to kitchen chair, tranquillized them and now I’m here – helping. I always keep my promises…at least I’m starting to” Isabella said, her eyes dropping a few inches to the keyboard.

“Well, I’d say running after this would be the best idea.” Niall suggested, although he did bear a little bit of a smile.

“You’re not going to try and stop me?” Isabella asked, a little bit skeptically.

“Nope. If you want to run, I’m not going to stop you, fair is fair. If you want to come with us you can but I suspect you won’t – given the company that keeps around.”

Isabella agreed, although hesitated.

She reached into one of the pockets her dress had and pulled out Louis’s gun, handing it to Niall.

“Call this an agreement.” Isabella spoke, her tone not quite trusting but more cautious.

Niall took it from the girl’s fingers delicately before storing it in the hem of his pants.

“Alright, what’s the agreement?” Niall asked, but something suddenly caught Isabella’s eye. She suddenly stopped and pointed at it. Up above the side door was one of the sticks – with a code visible.

“Look! Look, look, look!” Isabella pointed excited, trying to zoom in to see the numbers.

Niall saw and smiled.

Isabella started typing away at the keys. She knew everything had a signal – she was good at signals. This should be easy.

After a few moments though she found that the signal she was trying to access was blocked and tha she needed a code – which put her down some as she did not get the technical side of explosives but she knew enough about signals that she tried to bypass the security.

“Ella, dove, you alright?” Niall asked, seeing her eyes falter some.

“Yeah, he’s good with programming, I’ll give Ethan that much. It’s not letting me bypass the security setting.” Isabella replied as Niall slinked his arm around her shoulder and gave her a half hug.

“You’ll figure it out, lass, you’re the smartest girl I know.” Niall smiled, which Isabella mirrored. Zayn groaned miserably from the van from all the conversation he was forced to listen in on. They were lucky he was gagged.

Isabella got the hint.

“Sorry Zayn, we’ll have you out of there in a few. I promise.” Isabella said, tapping Niall’s arm and shrugged his touch from her before a serious look came across her face.

She started typing again, Niall’s eyes going back to the screen – something clicked, although he wasn’t sure if Isabella knew it already or not.

“Dove? Why don’t you try another port sort of speak? You’re not accessing it through the signal you’re trying. Why not try different routes through different signals? Does that make sense?”

Isabella smiled. She liked how clueless her helpful eye was trying to be.

“There’s only one signal, it’s accessing that signal – although if I tried different routes – I don’t know exactly what would happen it goes back to one device – one remote. If I could disable the remote itself and hijack it that might do the trick.” Isabella thought, her brain now on critical.

Niall nodded and let his eyes drop, noticing Isabella didn’t have any shoes on her feet.

“Ella? What happened to your shoes?”

“Same thing that happened to my bra and underwear. They’re somewhere no one knows.” Isabella replied, un-phased by the turn of conversation.

“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry you got dragged into all of this.” Niall apologized.

“So am I Niall. More than you know. If I had managed to escape, Zayn wouldn’t be in the back of a wired van, Liam wouldn’t be driving to help break multitudes of laws, Harry and Louis wouldn’t be tied up to chairs and you wouldn’t be –“She trailed off and looked up into his sparkling blue eyes.

“Here.” He finished for her.

“Yeah.” Isabella nodded, although more sadly now.

“I don’t mind being with you dove, I love your company. Even what you said before –about being a lonely thief. I am that but I promise to try and change. It won’t happen overnight because affairs still need to be in order but I can promise you that I will try.”

Isabella felt a small flush in her cheeks.

“That’s all we can do is try.”

Zayn shook his head in annoyance, wishing they’d just cut the sound off the computer. He really didn’t need let in on their conversation.

“I think I may have found something.” Isabella pointed, the main signal on the screen seemed to pulsate weaker.

“What does that mean?” Niall asked as a small electronic beep was heard.

“It means the remote is moving away which means Ethan – crap, fuck crap – I got to go! he’s going to the flat!” Isabella exclaimed, jumping from the van and toward the car. “Get Zayn out! I cracked the codes, use the backdoor – the door to it shows it’s unlocked!” Isabella yelled as Niall ignored her command and followed her instead, jumping in the passenger side before Isabella could protest.

“Get Zayn out of there! Jesus Niall! Use your bloody head” Isabella exclaimed before getting out of the car and toward the van. Niall followed and they both threw open the door.

Unfortunately they didn’t expect the air around them to fog suddenly. It was one thing Isabella didn’t count on.

“Oh God! What is –“ Niall’s body slumped to the ground like a heavy weight before he could even finish that sentence. Isabella held her breath, trying to drag Niall away to safety, her eyes watering from the surrounding mist as Zayn’s body also seemed to still.

It zapped her strength but she moved Niall away from the van, taking a huge lungful of air only when she was a safe distance.

“Niall?” Isabella shook, trying to get him to wake up but knew whatever Niall had breathed in, it knocked him out in seconds and he wasn’t waking up anytime soon.

So she dug through his pocket and got his phone, standing up again as she did so – routing through the numbers until she came upon Liam.

With no hesitation she dialed his number and waited for him to pick up.

Unfortunately, before that could happen a hand slunk around her chest, pulling her to their toned chest. Isabella knew who it was and went to cry out but their hand was faster, covering her mouth.

“I’ve missed you Ana.” Ethan whispered menacingly, his hand leaving her mouth when he decided she wasn’t going to try to call out again.

Isabella heard his other hand gripping something metallic, which made her tense, pushing forward against his arm but he held her firm.

“Ethan, please.” Isabella begged weakly, the fight just not in her – especially the familiarity of his touch and the way he held her.

“I like when you beg, sunshine – it may actually be the last thing you do.” Ethan chuckled, holding up a small mace type spray bottle and pressing the top.

Isabella felt herself fall against strong arms, the spray burning her lungs and making her dizzy but she had to fight.

Somewhere against her ear, though now barely an echo of a whisper she heard Ethan sigh.

“Stop fighting, it’s time to come home, Ana. It’s time to stop running.” His hand was caressing the top of her head as her body floated down – the softness of whatever was under her head rocked her before another hissing sound was heard.

This time she lost the fight and her consciousness slipped from under her, lulling her into peaceful nothingness.

Notes