The Hostage and the Wanted

A week had passed, Killian would go in everyday after Glen left and start the cleanup process on Isabella. It seemed Saudimere was taking his roll of a bad guy a little too seriously and at first, all Killian could do was try to ease Isabella’s troubled thoughts but as the week wore on he found out things about the girl, amazing things. He also found out a lot about the boys in the next cage – well, the three of them that could talk. The other two were still held in isolation and would be released soon.

Amongst learning about Isabella, Killian began to slowly let his guard down and fall for the beautiful and broken girl but as the week came and went, the rapes got more and more savage, he noticed her eyes had slowly started to die with despair and her answers got shorter. This was what Glen was waiting to happen – striking at her most vulnerable.

“Little fawn?” Killian whispered, once again shaking her from a cold nightmare.

Isabella shot up, the lights were still dim so she could only assume it was morning.

“Heartbeat.” She smiled weakly, her frail arms wrapping around his chest as he put her to him in a gentle hug.

Killian chuckled, Isabella’s head laying itself right above his heart, listening as it beat.

“I brought you something.” Killian whispered, holding it up for her to take. It had been a tray from the cafeteria, piled with different things, plus a bottle of apple juice and water.

Her face faltered a little but she took the tray and set it on the ground.

Killian knew that look and took the fork from the plate, handing it to her, his face pleading.

“Ella, I’m sorry but you can’t starve yourself, Glen already had Ethan force feed you through an I.V this week and I know you don’t like that. Please eat? For me?” He pleaded a little as all she did was curl against him. It seemed no matter what they did, the girl just didn’t want to eat and it had the whole lot of them confused – everyone but Killian.

She had told him in private how when she ran, she had to remain thin enough to move through small windows or spaces to escape. She had lived in survival mode for so long that she didn’t know anything else. Unfortunately she grew near emancipated and if the girl didn’t start eating and the rapes kept on as intense as they were, he was afraid Glen would accidently kill her.

With a sigh he reached into his long jacket, pulling out a white paper bag and handed it to her instead, taking the tray.

“We’ll switch then.” Killian shrugged, taking the fork back from her fingers and began to eat what was on the tray, with the exception of the two drinks and watched Isabella slowly open the bag, her face lighting up a little. Which was an improvement to her dying blue orbs.

“A chocolate chip pastry.” Isabella smiled, gently bringing it to her mouth and taking a small bite.

“Enjoy.” Killian mumbled through the bland and disgusting food.

Isabella ate about half before carefully turning herself to face Killian, stopping his hand from taking another forkful of the unidentifiable food on the tray and putting the pastry to his mouth.

“Here.” Isabella smiled but he pulled away slightly.

“It’s yours Ella, eat, please?” Killian pleaded, his brown eyes worried.

“One bite and I promise I’ll eat the rest.” Isabella smiled, watching him roll his eyes but took a small bite from it before she turned back around and finished it off. It hadn’t been very big but she found herself filled beyond capacity.

“You two are nauseating to listen to this early in the morning. Would you mind keeping it down? Some of us are trying to sleep before the torture commences for the day and shoots all our nerves to bloody fucking Neverland.” Harry muttered, having been awake since Killian walked in. He wasn’t happy that Isabella went against his wishes in trusting Killian but Isabella didn’t listen to anyone, so what was the point?

“Good morning, Harry. Charming greeting today, although I suppose it was better than yesterday’s when you told me to shove a sock down my throat and choke.” Killian chuckled, amused by Harry’s interesting insults toward him.

“You’re pushing it lucky charms.” Harry muttered, rolling over on his other side and propping his head on his other arm.

“Oh speaking of push, your friends will be coming back from solitary today.” Killian smiled.

Harry grunted a hurrah before trying to get back to sleep. He was so tired. Between Isabella screaming bloody murder from the nightmares, the stun guns and the very atrocity the turn of events had taken, he didn’t know how much more he could take.

“Heartbeat?” Isabella whispered, noticing the other two were still asleep. She decided that angering her other cellmates wasn’t the best foot to get off on and she needed them for when things really broke tough.

“Yes, little fawn?” Killian responded in kind to his nickname, seeing the girl had turned back to him again, her eyes completely desolate.

“I –I think I’m ready.” She whispered, looking down a little toward the ground.

Killian felt his stomach drop.

“Ready?” He played dumb, his hands gently gliding through her tangled hair, soothing her.

“To die, Killian. I’m ready to die –but only on one condition.” She looked away, which had Harry up from the ground and over at the bars to peer in at her.

“You’re not dying, you’re not giving up.” He growled.

Isabella and Killian both ignored him.

“What’s the condition?” Killian whispered, leaning forward, his lips by her ear, his voice so soft that Harry couldn’t hear.

“When –when Saudimere gets the codes, when he’s ready – I want it to be by your hand, yours alone. We both knew what this was from the start. You were honest with me and I respect you more for it…but I’m ready, heartbeat. I’m –“

His lips traveled from her ear to the corner of mouth, moving in to fully shadow her face within his, placing a kiss on her tender flesh and holding it there for a few moments, silencing her with his touch. The spark igniting again.

“That was a mistake.” Harry said matter of fact, crossing his arms over his chest, clearly upset with Isabella and with Killian – they had gotten so wrapped up in their world that they forgot about the bigger picture. Death was certainly not it.

“Okay.” Killian agreed, his own eyes mirroring a sad hue.

“Bloody fucking hell, have you two lost your damn minds?” Harry yelled, waking both Zayn and Liam up.

“Hazza, come over here, you’re going to wake the neighborhood up.” Liam murmured, his mind not yet awake and he could sense the tension in the air.

“Isabella just asked Killian to kill her!” Harry yelled and pointed.

Killian sighed and stood up, walking toward the other side of the cage, his eyes agitated but controlled.

“Harry, you don’t seem to understand –“Killian started but Harry interrupted.

“Mate? I was awake for the bloody fucking conversation, I think I know what I heard. You agreed to kill her! That would be the worst idea I’ve ever heard anyone suggest! There’s ways to get around them! Fake codes, stalling, deals, extortion – or you could create a fucking distraction and let us escape!” Harry yelled.

“I’m not leaving without him, I’m not leaving at all –Harry I don’t know how much more we can all take. I mean I know I said last week that I’d hold on but I don’t think I can. I don’t think I can take the pain, the dreams…Glen. I fought as hard –“

Harry interrupted her goodbye speech.

“You’re a fucking idiot if you truly believe that, Isabella. You didn’t fight hard enough!” Harry growled, punching the bars before crying out and hold his hand to him.

Zayn groaned, standing up and guiding his friend away from the now perturbed Irishman.

“Harry, calm down. Calm. I think we need to trust their judgment” Zayn catching onto the knowing look Killian was throwing his way.

“Fuck trust! He’s not given us a reason other than he’s completely bat shit honest but this proves nothing. Not a Bloody thing!”

“Ok, let’s all take a time out.” Liam suggested as Zayn all but forced Harry down onto the bench, whispering in his ear, using hand gestures to make his point.

Harry’s eyes dulled again and he didn’t say anything after that, which made Killian go back to Isabella, sitting back beside her.

“I’ll let Glen know. I’m so sorry I can’t stop him from –“She shushed him, the familiar pang of panic rising inside her.

“I have you, I have the boys. That will carry my spirit enough. Just –just let it be you. I want it to be you.” Isabella pleaded, the tears falling from her face like raindrops.

“I’ll be right by your side till the very end, I promise I will, Ella.” Killian calmed, placing his lips on the bridge of her nose and kissing it gently before picking up the white paper bag and standing up, making his way out toward the door. A sadness following him from behind.

Notes