The Hostage and the Wanted

The first thing Harry was aware of was the constant beeping of machines. He could hardly open his eyes but he certainly remembered the events leading up to his unconsciousness. A stun gun making contact with his throat and the only thing he knew after was darkness.

“God.” He croaked, still remembering the jolts that went through his body. Although he didn’t feel nearly as sick but he still felt like crap given everything else that happened.

“You’re awake!” A cheerful voice exclaimed.

Harry turned his head at the sound of the voice, groaning at the over happy tone.

“Barely, where am I?” Harry demanded but it didn’t come out as a forceful as he would have liked.

“The infirmary. I’ve been waiting for you and Zayn to wake up but he’s more in critical care. I don’t expect him up for a while, he sure got the rough welcome,” The voice chuckled, seeming to shift in his chair. “You thirsty?”

Harry opened his eyes and saw a guy in his late twenties, short brown hair and warm brown eyes. He wasn’t tall, maybe only six foot. The one thing he did notice was the muscular build of the guy’s arms and chest.

“I-I.” Harry stuttered, trying to sit up, realizing he couldn’t.

“Sorry man, Ethan ordered you in four points,” The guy replied, tossing his magazine of weekly fashion on the hospital bed table and picked up a red cup with a straw inside and put it to Harry’s mouth. “Drink?”

Harry’s mouth found the straw and he sucked a fair amount of well needed liquid down his severely dry throat.

“My name’s Killian, I’d say it was nice to make your acquaintance but given the situation – I’m guessing not so much?”

Harry’s green eyes were still sensitive and he didn’t really mind Killian but he knew the man wasn’t about to do him any favors.

“Not so much, mate.” Harry agreed, glancing at his wrists and found they were encased in soft leather cuffs. Each holding his wrist to his side, his feet also adorning the same fate. He also realized that his shoes and socks had been taken.

Groaning again he turned his head up toward the ceiling forcing his hands into fists, seeing if there was any slack in them.

“Ethan’s orders were quite clear, you won’t be getting out of them until they move you to your cell, which will probably be tomorrow. You’re much better than when you first came in.” Killian continued, glancing down at the younger boy before smiling. “Between you and me, Ethan looks like a deranged raccoon. Zayn got him good. Both eyes are black and his nose had to be re-broken.”

Harry had no idea why this man was sharing that information with him but he was glad Zayn got the bastard.

“Where is everyone?” Harry asked, noticing the other bed with an occupied, he could tell already from the black hair that it was Zayn, which made him stiffen against his cuffs.

“Zayn’s here, your other three friends are in their holding cell and Anastasia is in Ethan’s infirmary, he’s looking after her. She got quite the welcome home beating. Glen was there to personally deliver it.” Killian shook his head, sitting back in the wooden chair again.

“Are they okay? Is Zayn ok?” Harry asked, his voice growing upset.

“Liam, Niall and Louis are fine, they’re in their cells and have everything they need. You’ll be moved tomorrow with them. Zayn here is heavily sedated, he needed a bit of fixing up but he’s fine and Anastasia – I don’t know. She’s Ethan’s project but she too will most likely be moved to the cells tomorrow.” Killian shrugged.

Harry didn’t reply to the older man but he still wondered what was going through his head. He seemed willfully ready with information.

“Why are you telling me this?” Harry asked, seeing Killian shrug again.

“You asked. That and I hate this fucking job. Got to find entertainment from somewhere.”

Harry sighed and looked at Zayn again before closing his eyes, his energy was spent and he could do nothing tonight anyway. The best thing was wait and reserve his strength.

“If you hate your job, mate, then leave.” Harry murmured, not really in the conversational mood.

Killian snorted.

“Saudimere doesn’t take kindly to resignation, something you’ll figure out soon enough.” Killian responded, picking his magazine up again and going back to his article on shiny hair.

*

Niall’s eyes had adjusted to the dark cell long ago but he couldn’t get comfortable no matter how hard he tried.

The cell he and his friends were housed in was big enough for at least twenty people but with just the three of them in one, there was plenty of room to move around. The back walls were concrete with a long metal bench running through it, the left side was half walled but the other side was connected to bars that stretched to another prison cell and up the front, allowing them to look out into a dank holding tank, the walls reinforced with titanium steel, painted over in a dark grey and a reinforced locked door.

A prison within a prison. If they managed to slip from their cell, it was a fact that they wouldn’t get passed the steel door that could only be opened on the outside and a guard standing beside it at all times.

Since it was night, the lights had been shut off but despite how tired they were, neither Liam, Louis or Niall were lucky enough to have anything given to them to sleep on. All they had was a long metal bench that ran along the wall, which is where they were all currently huddled due to how cold it was.

“You lads alright?” Liam asked when it grew quiet, although he knew one of them was crying – he had a sneaking suspicion who. “Niall? What’s wrong, are you ok?”

Niall shook his head.

“How is any of this situation ok? Harry and Zayn are gone, we have no idea where, Ella too. Where are they?” His voice cracked before a hand found his shoulder and attempted to comfort him. He turned to see it belonged to Louis.

“They’ll be alright, mate. Just keep your head up, yeah? All we can do until we know what’s going on.” Louis reassured, although his confidence had long faltered. He was never as upset with someone as he was right at that second. Isabella went stupid and got them all in trouble.

“We don’t even know why we’re here.” Niall said, glancing in the direction of Louis before glancing at Liam.

“We’re here because Isabella decided she didn’t want to put us in danger and that ended up being a bloody mess. She overdosed Harry, Zayn got himself hurt because he risked his neck for the slag and now –“Louis was cut off mid rant.

“Ella’s not a slag, Lou. She was trying to help.” Niall defended, dropping his head guiltily.

“Maybe not a slag but she caused this, she didn’t use her head and now we’re all paying the consequences.” Louis recanted with a sigh.

“We’ll get out of this, mates. Just keep faith.” Liam told them, reaching an arm across Niall and using the end of his hand to rub Louis’s shoulder.

“I don’t think I have any faith left in me,” Louis muttered, standing up and flinching as the cold from the hard ground seeped into his exposed flesh. “And why would they take out shoes and socks?”

“I’ve been wondering the same thing.” Niall frowned, wiping away the tears that had fallen. He was trying desperately to get ahold of his emotions.

“I don’t know, maybe it’s to stop us from climbing up. There’s a pole in the center there I noticed about an hour after they threw us in here.” Liam thought, pointing at it through the dark.

“Like that makes any sense, we’re completely caged. If we somehow by miracle got out of here, there’s no way we’d get out of the outer room, it’s completely encased.” Louis gestured, pacing back and forth.

“Lou? Save your strength mate, I know you’re anxious but wasting strength pacing won’t do you any good. Let’s try to get comfortable and get a few hours –it’s all we can do.” Liam advised, making his way to the ground and backing into one of the corners.

Niall followed Liam’s lead and gently lifted himself to the ground, semi crawling to the corner Liam occupied and rested his body against the older boy, his blue eyes watching Louis continue to pace.

“Lou, mate? Please? Come join us, we need to stick together.” Niall pleaded, reaching his hand out toward the darkness he knew he friend was at.

Louis swore but made his way toward Niall and Liam, kneeling down on the other side of Liam and grasping Niall’s hand reassuringly, letting it go after a few moments.

“I still don’t think we’ll get any sleep. There’s nothing but the ground in here.” Louis muttered bitterly.

“My shoulders are right here, mates, use them.” Liam offered, noticing they both hesitated.

“You need sleep too, Liam.” Niall said, not wanting to cause his friend discomfort.

“I’m comfortable, Niall. I promise. Try to sleep, you gents need it. We don’t know what is going to happen tomorrow and we need to save strength.” Liam replied, feeling Niall’s head fall onto his shoulder and tried to lighten the mood. “Just don’t cry on me, I only have this shirt.”

Niall smiled, smacking him lightly, Louis chuckled.

“Always find the humor, even in the darkest of hours. Goodnight mates.” Liam said, feeling Louis’s head hit his other shoulder.

“Goodnight, Liam.” Louis responded, Niall giving the same reply to both his friends.

Liam leaned his head against the corner and closed his eyes. He didn’t know if they’d get to sleep but he hoped for a few hours, just to replenish the energy he had lost.

*

“I want it done, Ethan. I won’t it done tonight! If you want released from your contract then you’ll do best to follow orders.” Glen hissed, keeping his voice hushed.

“All ten? She can barely move now with all the sedatives I have pumping into her! Breaking her toes seems drastic –don’t you think?” Ethan defended, standing with his arms crossed, watching Glen pace in front of her bed.

“I don’t want her to escape again. I don’t even know what she fucking accessed! My team is still looking for things out of the ordinary from when she hacked my system and I want to know what it is. Anastasia is dangerous, Ethan. You of all people should know.” Glen chastised, his lip curling up in distaste.

Ethan sighed, not bothering to fight Glen on the details. He knew what was expected of him and he would do as asked.

“Alright,” Ethan agreed, going over to the side of Isabella’s bed and pulling the blanket he had draped over her, exposing her feet.

“Her fingernails too. I want them removed.” Glen waved, figuring the less Isabella had to hurt him with the better.

Ethan outwardly flinched this time.

“She needs her fingernails, sir. Without them, she can’t –“ Ethan was cut off.

“She can’t claw my face off. Make it happen, Bright; or I will find someone else who can.” With that Glen was crossing the room and leaving but not before turning back one more time. “Don’t over think things, Ethan. Just do what you’re told, you will find it goes a lot smoother.”

With that Glen was gone and Ethan was left with the unfortunate task of breaking a poor girl’s toes. His stomach clenched a little when he thought of the fingernails.

It was his was weak spot, something that he couldn’t even watch on TV without turning his head. He hated eye gouging and nail removal scenerios – although breaking someone’s toes wasn’t nearly as painful to watch but his stomach was weak when it came to nail removals.

With a sigh he decided to do the cuticles first.

So he got a pair of pliers from a nearby drawer and took a chair, sitting at the side of Isabella’s side, grasping her hand within his.

“Don’t, please?” Isabella pleaded, her voice barely conscious but it was enough for Ethan to hesitate. His blue eyes burning a hole to the side of her bruised and busted face.

“You brought this on yourself Anastasia. I can’t help you. No one can.” Ethan replied, the pliers gripping one of her beautifully long nails within its vice grip.

“You’re a mon –“She felt the sudden pull of her nail ripping painfully from her flesh, making her scream into the tense air.

“I know.” Ethan responded, although Isabella could swear that she detected a little bit of regret in his tone but as he proceeded down to her second one, she knew that words were futile and all she had left to comfort her was the hope of passing out again.

Notes