The Hostage and the Wanted

Louis and Niall remained quiet as they huddled into one of the corners, the boys arms an array of tangled limbs.

“Are you gents ok?” Liam asked softly, his arms protectively around Niall.

“Nothing about this is ok.” Louis whispered, his voice hoarse from not using it but other than that, he and Niall hadn’t said much before reuniting with the others.

“I know but we need to hold it together. No more punching Niall, no more arguing. All of us need to strengthen up because Isabella and Killian just left. Keep your eyes out for anything unusual.” Harry spoke, observing the look the two exchanged before Killian carried her out. He didn’t know what but he had a strange feeling, something not quite unsettling but something not completely right.

“Harry, she can’t walk and Killian barely has enough sense to scratch his ass, mate. I think we’re screwed.” Zayn sighed, although he hated to admit to defeat – they really were trapped without a pot to piss in.

“I think Killian has sense, he barely thinks to let on, which maybe the point. I don’t trust him, not completely – not at all actually but we really are out of options.” Harry muttered, not believing the words left his mouth.

“Killian is trustworthy.” Niall spoke, his first words since being reunited with his friends.

“Oh?” Liam asked, their attention now fully on Niall.

Niall’s blue eyes fought silent tears, glancing at Louis. He nodded and gestured for him to explain.

“Killian snuck down to the lower level to bring us food and water when he could. Isolation prisoners don’t normally get those luxuries but he made sure we were ok, he said it was because Isabella would kill him if he didn’t. He’s different –I can’t explain it but he would wait until Glen and Ethan were busy or asleep, come down and bring us water and other times food. It wasn’t much, a small croissant but he took care of us while we were there. It was horrible, they kept us locked in these box cages, pure metal, three holes on top for breathing but the rest surrounded us. Like a coffin. We couldn’t even sit back or stretch our legs, we were literally in coffins the size of dog kennels.” Niall inhaled sharply, his hand going to his mouth, choking back a sob.

Louis reached over and rubbed Niall’s back, his beautiful blue eyes sparkling with a few tears of his own.

“Before we were shoved in, Ethan turned our collars up to fifteen and told us that if the collars went off, we’d never talk normally again. Killian argued with him but it didn’t do any good. So we were forced in the cages and left. They left us to sit in our own excrement for a week, I think it’s the only time in my life that I have ever felt less than human.” Niall turned away, shamefully.

“Killian would come in and talk to us, just for noise I think but he told us he was trying to find a way to get us out of here. That he was close, he just needed to see what direction Isabella wanted to take. That the rapes were getting bad and he couldn’t just let Saudimere continue to hurt her. I studied his eyes, he lights up every time he mentions her name. He would do anything for her, I truly believe that.” Louis agreed with Niall.

Niall nodded his head, although somewhat bitterly.

“So now what? We wait?” Liam asked, pulling himself gently from the huddled group and stood up, walking to the cell door, his hands gripping the bars.

Harry sighed, he had no idea what they were waiting for but he hoped he would know when it happened.

Just then, almost by magic coincidence, the lights went completely out, encasing the whole room in darkness. A second later the lock to the cell doors could be heard opening automatically.

“Open sesame.” Liam muttered, pushing the door open hard enough for it to slam against the back of the bars, he stepped out and looked around.

Harry followed Liam’s sentiment and the others followed behind Harry, stopping at the main door, still looking a bit confused.

“Do we knock?” Niall asked, wondering if all they were supposed to meet anyone or if they were going to have to play a game of maze to find their own way out. Whatever the situation may be, this escape was not planned very well and it would be helpful if the other prisoners were in on the arrangements but Isabella came through, although he couldn’t see two inches in front of him due to no lights.

“Sure, Niall, go ahead and knock. When they answer you can explain to them what we’re doing out of our cage.” Harry retorted sarcastically.

“Ok, so do we just stand here and wait? It’d be helpful if Isabella and Killian talked us through the gag so we could be let in on it too because I don’t know if we should sit or flee and –“Liam started but Louis interrupted.

“Mate? I don’t think those two knew what they were doing themselves. I think we’re all playing it by ear, which, this escape can go one of two ways; we get out and run for the fucking hills or they’re going to catch us and kill us. Organization not required and we have none right now.” Louis shifted, clearing his throat.

“We could knock and see if anyone answers?” Zayn suggested stepping toward the door, hitting his face against the wall. “Ouch! Christ, I can’t see!”

“That’s the wall.” Niall said helpfully.

“You’re lucky it’s dark.” Zayn muttered, putting his hand up to feel around, his hand landing on the door, keeping it there.

“So, knock or stand here and hope for the best?” Harry asked.

Zayn knocked on the door and waited to see if anything happened.

“Okay, now what? What if someone answers?” Niall asked, hearing a knock on the other side.

Zayn mimicked the knock back and without much warning the door was pulled open and a man – with a long shotgun stood at the ready.

The boys backed away, their eyes wide. The backup lights had come on outside their cell, indicating that the power was out all throughout the building.

Upon careful observation they saw the familiar face of Killian, only a cap and dark sunglasses covering his head.

“Killian, where’s Isabella? Is she alright?” Harry asked, swallowing when Killian pointed the shotgun at him.

“Are you the boys my brother told me about? Harry, Niall, Liam, Louis and Zayn?” The stranger ignored his question with one of his own.

Harry could hear the panic sirens faintly blaring above them.

“Y-yes, what’s going on?” Harry demanded as Killian took his gun from him and gestured.

“My name is Kellie O’Hare, I’m Killian O’Hare’s twin brother and he enlisted me for help. His phone signal went out around thirty minutes ago, it has since been lost. I cannot find him but he gave me specific instructions and I am seeing them through, come, we need to leave.” Kellie gestured, walking away from the door but not before bending down to the guard that still lie on the floor, his arm wrapping around the man’s throat and pulling up swiftly, twisting his neck until a sickening crunch was heard.

Harry almost passed out at the sight, the man in front of them looked back and saw their shocked looks.

“We don’t need these people coming after us, I’m taking care of the problem before it even gets to be a problem, understand?” Kellie asked but didn’t wait for a reply, he simply gestured back again before heading toward the elevator, getting in.

Harry got in but squeezed into the opposite side of it, the boys following his lead. Needless to say it was cramped in one corner, which made Kellie’s lip twitch up into a ghostly smirk as they rode the elevator up in silence before arming his gun, cocking the safety off and pointing it at the door as it stopped.

“W-where –“Niall went silent when Kellie turned toward him.

“I have someplace safe, just get behind me and stay close.” Kellie commanded as the doors opened, alarms blaring.

“You just killed someone! How do we know you aren’t going to pick us off next?” Louis exclaimed, giving Kellie a troubled look.

Kellie merely shrugged and stepped out of the elevator, aiming his gun from side to side.

“Because I would have killed you already if that were my goal. Trust me, redcoat, your life is little of my concern if it were not for my brother. So thank him, otherwise my time would be best suited on something with more challenge.” Kellie responded, this time in boredom.

“Well, we certainly know who the more conceited twin brother is.” Liam muttered, jumping when he heard the sound of the shotgun going off and a scream of agony erupting in the hall, followed by counteracted gunfire, this time from a smaller weapon.

Kellie pushed Harry back suddenly behind him and aimed his gun across the room, shooting it off and hitting one of the guards square in the chest. He dropped dead to the ground.

“Once I get you guys to safety I need to find my brother, he’s not answering.” Kellie murmured, turning to find Harry looking at the dead body on the floor. The guard Kellie shot had been young, no older than twenty-one by the looks.

He took Harry’s chin and forced it up to his face.

“Listen to me, curly top, I need you to stay focused on me and only me, it’s vital for your survival; do you understand?” Kellie asked him before glancing at the other guys. “You need to trust me fully; otherwise this won’t work and you will end up seriously hurt. I cannot have that, I promised my brother.” Kellie explained, leading them down a long stairwell, the same one he used to get in. A few men below with weapons at the ready. Kellie was slightly faster, aiming his gun down and firing off a shot, which erupted in return fire, he threw Harry against the wall as the others quickly followed the Irishman’s example.

He nodded, watching on in shock as Kellie reached behind him to the waistband of his pants and handed Harry the 9MM handgun before reloading the shotgun and took aim, hitting another guard – this time the bullet followed physics and implanted itself in the top of his skull. His head blowing apart and the brain matter splattering a good few feet every which way.

“Oh my God I’m going to throw up.” Niall moaned, holding his mouth from the sickening sight.

“You can do that when we’re outside, just close your eyes, hold onto Harry.” Zayn suggested, grabbing onto Liam’s shirt. They needed to make sure they stayed together.

Liam grabbed onto Louis as he put his hand on Niall’s shoulder. Niall gripped onto Harry who took to grabbing onto Kellie’s shirt so he’d be able to react how the Irishman wanted them to.

Kellie paused and looked at the men behind him who walked in a straight like line, each boy having hold of the other – with him as the leader.

“Great, I feel like I’m leading a bunch of toddlers. You gents want to knock that off? Harry, take lead.” Kellie said, pushing him forward, covering him from behind as they padded over the gray carpet and fancy wallpaper when they exited through one of the doors.

“Why do I have to take lead?!” Harry yelled, focusing around him rapidly.

“I told you, I need you focused.” Kellie shrugged, noticing they came to another white carpeted hallway, another elevator on the side. He pressed the button and waited, taking his phone out.

His hands moved quickly over the keypad, his eyes focusing before a second later the lights came back on throughout the building.

“Wait, are you a –a” Harry couldn’t finish, aiming his gun in panic and shooting, one of the men having attacked from the other side.

“Hacker? Somewhat. I’m ex-military, sniper and special intelligence programmer. Special agent O’Hare at your service.” Kellie greeted, with a slight smirk, aiming his gun and blowing half the opposition’s face off with a clean shot.

Niall kneeled over and threw up onto the now bloody carpet.

Zayn rubbed the poor blonde’s back, guiding him into the elevator when he had calmed down.

“You need to get a thicker stomach, mate.” Kellie chuckled, hitting Niall upside the shoulder good naturedly.

“You need to quit shooting people where their body parts explode.” Niall hit back, holding his mouth at the thought.

“I’ll buy you a blindfold for next time, mate.” Kellie rolled his eyes, a handprint pad lighting up in front of them.

“Access restricted, please place handprint.” The automatic voice requested.

Kellie aimed his gun and shot a shell into the scanner.

A hissing sound started to fill the elevator, followed by green vapor smoke.

“Bloody fuck!” Liam yelled, kneeling down, the rest of the boys following his lead. Kellie just stood there calmly and began to type on his phone again.

“Relax, just don’t breathe it in and you’ll be ok.” Kellie responded, holding his breath and working feverishly on his phone.

“Easier for you to say!” Harry panicked, covering his mouth with his shirt.

“I say a lot. Harry, my lad, we really need to work on your panicking skills. We also need to work on blonde’s gag reflex – speaking of which, is there a reason you’re crying?” He questioned the blonde who looked to be choking back from crying.

“We’re going to die.” Niall replied, seeing the green mist swarm around them. He began to feel his world spin.

“Hold your breath, I’m almost done.” Kellie promised calmly, smiling when the hissing stopped, replaced by a vacuum sound.

The green vapor disappeared instantly and the door opened.

“Welcome Mr. Bright.” The automatic voice responded, giving them a view into a studio room.

Kellie didn’t stop, he walked out from the elevator and down the hall, turning the corner, stopping abruptly, shock registering on his face before his blue eyes caught fire, He went into the room, leaving Harry and the rest of them to catch up.

Harry and the others followed a few moments after, also pausing at the door.

Kellie was throwing a spare white coat around the quietly sobbing girl before trying his best to soothe her, his blue eyes showing an unreadable expression but given the dark look, the boys could only guess it was rage.

Killian laid strapped down on the chair Louis had been earlier, a silence collar around his neck, knocked out cold.

“His voice is gone, they took his voice! They electrocuted –he, I –” Isabella sobbed, feeling the straps on her wrists loosen.

“That’s enough, sapling. We need to get him and you out of here. We’ll worry about damage control later.” Kellie told her sternly, pulling himself together and going toward his brother, a hint of worry in his blue eyes. He pulled it from his thoughts completely and unstrapped his brother from the chair.

Harry saw Isabella reach out for him, her eyes wet and she was still crying but she needed something familiar.

Instead of going toward her through, Niall made his way over.

“I missed you, Dove.”

His voice was soft and he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before her arms found his neck, she hugged him to her as he picked her up bridal style, adjusting the coat so it was covering her.

“Can someone give me a hand?” Kellie asked, lifting his brother by the arms.

Harry ran over and helped balance him on one side while Kellie got the other.

“I got you rookie, I always got you. Let’s go, we need to leave.” Kellie murmured, moving forward but stopped again to adjust his gun.

When they got back out to the hall, everyone paused.

Ethan and Glen stood with about ten other men.

“Hello gentlemen. In the risk of sounding cliché, I’m afraid the only place you’re going is back to is your cell. Although, I would love to know the stranger behind the incognito who has caused me so much grief.” Glen smirked, seeing the dark haired man throw his sunglasses and cap off.

He was the spitting image of Killian, every detail except the blue eyes.

“Kellie O’Hare at your service. I hope you have a will made out because by the time I get through with you all, you will need it. Mark my words.” Kellie growled, his eyes flashing a cold and calculated blue.

Obviously Glen missed the warning and laughed, snapping his fingers.

“Boys? Introduce yourselves.”

Harry motioned Louis over before hurriedly pushing the unconscious Irishman into his arms, reaching for the gun and aiming straight, letting the first shot fire. From there, all hell broke loose.

Notes