The Hostage and the Wanted

Glen pulled out of Isabella brutally not long after and stood, beginning to get redressed, leaving a sore and worn Isabella on the ground.

“I look forward to tomorrow’s visit. Rest well sweet Ana, you deserve it.” Glen said, his lips no longer smiling but the pure pleasure set in his cold blues was all Isabella needed to know that he would keep to his vow and return.

“If I’m such a beautiful show dog, why would you want to interbreed me with a bastard like you?” Isabella asked, her voice nothing but a dead wheeze.

Glen smiled then, admiring her strength to still insult him.

“Given my position, Ana, I believe I should ask the same? Truly the question should be; why would I want a bitch when I could have my pick of any litter in the world?” Glen hit back, his eyes starting to blaze again with annoyance.

“Because you can’t let go.” Isabella told him matter of fact, collapsing on the floor completely, her naked body glistening with sweat and blood. The attack had been savage enough to open some of her wounds that she had sustained from previous days.

“Because I don’t want to let go. You are still my Ana, the very one I fell in love with – the very one where when our pictures were taken that it was the best honor in the world to stand next to you.” Glen smiled, a memory surfacing to the surface.

“It was my job to assist you. I’ve only ever done what you’ve asked, what was required and you killed my son –our son.” Isabella rasped, finding a small burst of strength to pull her upper body from the ground to look up.

“You’re still harping on about that, Ana? Darling, it’s been nearly three years, you must let that go. It’s not healthy to harbor such aggressions.” Glen waved off dismissively.

“He was my SON!” Isabella screamed, her voice echoing off the walls.

Glen sneered down at the hazelnut woman and brought his foot against her side, electing a scream from the hurt beauty.

“He was an abomination! A fucking little parasite that should never have come into existence! I warned you what could happen if you had the child and you did it against my wishes, so –“Glen trailed off, shrugging.

“You are not God! Just because you say something does not make it so! You cannot expect everyone to just bow down to your whim because there will always be those who oppose you! I oppose you!” Isabella screamed, feeling her body jolt as another kick was delivered. This time she stayed on the ground.

“You will come to find, Ana, that while I enjoy your company for pleasure, I do not find it much more than that. You know what I want, what I need. You’re the only person who can give me that.” Glen said as he straightened his tie before continuing “The sooner you give me that, the sooner this can all end and I’m sure I can hold out longer than you so –why not make this easier, end the games right now?”

“You’re going to kill me anyhow, what good would my suffering bring to any of this?” Isabella coughed, trying to suck in air from being winded.

“Your suffering could end, all you would do is need to tell me what I needed to know, give me the codes.” Glen responded patiently, kneeling down and picking up Isabella’s tattered clothes from the ground.

“My death is an assurance, nothing more. I will die either way. I see no reason to do what you ask.” Isabella replied, dragging her broken body an inch or two away from him before stilling again.

“A swift death or a drawn out one, your choice all the same. Like I’ve said, Ana, darling, I can and will hold out longer than you. It’s just finding your breaking point and believe me, I will find it.”

He looked up to find Killian standing there silently at the door, Ethan nowhere to be seen.

“Mr. Bright is in your office, he wishes a word with you privately, sir. He ordered me here to assist with the prisoners.” Killian bowed his head respectfully, seeing Glen gesture upward with his hand dismissively.

“Then be on with it. The boys will be assessed first, check to make sure they are still breathing.”

With that he whistled and the three guards that stood inside the other cage stepped out and followed Glen from the room, stepping passed Killian as they did so. When Glen was in front he stopped and looked the young man up and down.

“Your presence deceives you, what you can do is useful –don’t fuck it up, don’t get involved.” Glen warned before completely disappearing.

Killian took a deep breath before walking out and grabbing the medical cart he had been sent to get, although he preferred his own herbs to the medical shit America had.

Without much thought he walked into the first cell, closing the door.

He took the scanner device from the cart – something he grabbed before walking from Ethan’s office and went for the guys who now laid on the floor, the jolts still surging through.

“Let’s try to stop that, yeah?” Killian said gently bending down, turning it on and moving it up and down as they seemed to go still a few minutes later.

“Thank you.” Harry groaned, flinching when Killian pulled the prongs from his chest.

“You really need to quit pissing off Mr. Saudimere, mate. He isn’t pleasant to be around when made upset.” Killian joked lightly, helping the Brit sit up.

“No kidding, lucky charms.” Harry muttered, lifting his shirt to see the deep angry circles, blood seeping from the wounds. “Bloody hell.”

Killian sighed and walked to the cart, taking a tube of Aloe and bandages from them.

“For what it’s worth, Harry, I am sorry for the way you and your friends are being treated.” Killian apologized, his brown eyes a deep hue of sadness. He really did not know what to do to help them.

“So you keep saying, mate. I don’t think you truly are. You would try to find us a way out of –“Harry couldn’t finish before Killian covered his mouth, pointing to the camera that was in the corner.

“My dilemma is finding a way out myself, so, unless you have ideas to share with the class you will have to excuse me for not jumping on board the escape wagon.”

Harry just looked at him like he grew an extra head.

“You can leave anytime you damn well want, mate, bullocks!” Harry replied indignantly.

“Afraid not, Harry. Like I told you when we first met, no one leaves Glen Saudimere unless he wants them to. I have been here two years, two very long years and I’m tired, alright?”

“Come with us then, when we leave, you can come with us.” Isabella replied, her voice barely carrying but despite the softness, the room echoed and carried her angelic voice, straight to Killian’s ears.

He didn’t respond to the girl and began to fix Harry up before moving onto Liam and then finally finishing up with Zayn – who just sat up against the corner.

“Thanks.” Zayn groaned, his body on fire.

“Just stay well, Aye?” Killian said, squeezing his shoulder and taking the cart from the cell, locking it again and going into Isabella’s grimacing at the sight of the girl. He didn’t say anything, he simply grabbed a blanket from the middle of the cart and draped it on the ground, leaning over and picking Isabella up from the door, putting her on the warm material.

“You could you know, could come with us. We –“

Killian shushed her softly, bringing the bandages and aloe to the ground with him, laying them beside Isabella before bringing a small bowl and cloth to the ground, dipping it in and beginning to run it over her bare skin, adjusting her head so it rested in his lap.

“You would, right? If it was possible?” Isabella asked tiredly, her consciousness fading in and out with fatigue. Between her aching body and the abuse she had suffered, she just wanted to give up.

Killian leaned forward, his lips lingering by her ear.

“In a heartbeat, little fawn.”

Isabella smiled despite herself and seemed satisfied with his answer, letting him dress and clean her wounds, the conversation sparse.

“What’s your last name?” She asked after a while, his hands gently wrapping the blanket around her body.

He paused and smiled, cocking his dark eyebrow slightly.

“Why on earth would I tell you that, lass?”

“Who else am I going to tell? I’m down here, I’m never going to escape. I just want to know the man with the heartbeat.” Isabella counteracted, abet a bit weakly.

Killian went about covering up the girl, unresponsive to her but his face still bore a small smile as she waited patiently for him to answer her.

“My last name is O’Hare. Killian O’Hare from Kells Ireland and it is a pleasure to meet you, Isabella. Get some rest.” He told her softly, picking up things and placing them back onto the cart before rolling it out of the cell again.

Isabella was fatigued, she was numb but the only thing she wanted in that moment was some sort of safety net, something that she could free fall into.

“Killian?”

He glanced back, their eyes meeting in an attentive spark.

“Yes, little fawn?” He answered back, closing the cell door slowly and locking it tight.

“In a heartbeat, right?” She wanted him to assure.

“In a heartbeat.” He repeated, his voice even quieter before closing her cage door.

Isabella watched him go, dropping back on the blanket in exhaustion.

Harry watched the Irishman go and stood up slowly, making his way to the bars.

“Ella, don’t get involved with him. He can’t help us, you know he can’t.” Harry insisted, watching Isabella roll over to stare up at him.

“I know but I can’t –“

“Ella, please? We need another way. We need you, you know the system – you know Glen Saudimere and I know that you won’t let us down. I know you’ll get us out of here.” Harry told her truthfully, grasping the bars with his hands and leaning in.

“I feel so powerless, Harry. I feel so helpless and I can’t even do anything and everyone is asking me to give in! If he gets those codes, he’ll kill me and I don’t –I can’t even imagine what he’ll do with you guys. I’m sorry Harry, I am so fucking sorry.” Isabella sobbed, both parties focused in their own misery that they hadn’t even noticed the camera turned on again, Glen and Ethan listening intently.

“Let’s make a deal, Ethan.” Glen smirked, his arms over his chest as Ethan stood broadly at the monitor, watching the two captives on the screen.

“Your word doesn’t seem very promising, if I may say Mr. Saudimere,” Ethan rolled his eyes, hearing Harry trying to calm Isabella down with promising words as Zayn chimed in with Harry with his own calming tone. “Those boys seem smitten with the girl and yet, she got them into this mess. How are they so ready to forgive?”

Glen snorted.

“Human nature but as I was saying, it will be a deal you don’t want to pass up.”

“So was the other one, I get the girl, you release me from my contract. You went back on your word.” Ethan counteracted, his stony and irritated look unchanging.

“Yet, here you are –by my side. What’s keeping you here Ethan? Glen asked calmly, a knowing smile on his face.

“A bullet to the back of my head.” Ethan responded flatly, knowing he didn’t have a choice.

“I knew you were my brightest. So, we have a deal?” Glen put his hand out for Ethan to shake.

Ethan shook it, knowing he really didn’t have much choice.

“Yeah, what’s the deal?” He relented tiredly, turning the monitor off with disgust, quieting the room.

“You play the good cop, get her to open up –get her to trust you. There’s still something there.”

Ethan forced a laugh out through his mouth.

“Like fuck she’ll ever trust me, Glen. I’d have a better chance at playing Killian against –“He stopped mid-sentence, an idea hitting both men at the same time.

“Killian.” They replied in unison before Saudimere ordered him up to his office.

Notes