The Silence That Surrounds

Sophia’s POV

I closed my eyes and tried to let my mind wonder. I couldn’t rebuild any sort of connection to London or to my father, that dream was broken beyond repair. I simply remember my flat in the loft of the hills. Coming home to find the sun settling down below and the orange glow disappearing from view.

I wasn’t able to remember the temperature but it was still beautiful. I focused in on that image until I slipped from consciousness completely. The tears drying on my cheeks long after I fell asleep at the window seal.

Another shake. A gentle one this time.

“Ms. Stone? Supper.” Niall murmured quietly.

I opened my eyes and groaned, realizing I had managed to drift off on the window seal. This time though, the sun had set and the only thing I could see was darkness.

“I took your anklet off already, you were in a deep sleep.” Niall informed me, helping me stand and leading me from the room. He didn’t grab my arm or press his palm into my upper or lower back to herd me. He let me walk on my own to the kitchen and sit in my normal seat.

“Good evening, Ms. Stone.” Liam nodded this time while Niall moved past me and into the kitchen to the oven when the loud buzzer sounded from the timer.

“Good evening, Liam. Good evening, everyone.” I greeted tiredly.

“To you as well, Ms. Stone.” Harry responded absently, moving back and forth to set the table, his eyes barely sparing me a glance. Liam, Zayn and Louis were already sitting in their normal seats.

I caught Louis staring at me through the corner of my eye and turned my head to meet his gaze with one of my own.

“I thought you would like to know that your request has been attained. The cat is safely at your brother’s – though, he seems to still be with your father doing –“Louis started to say but Harry cleared his throat loudly, sending a warning look to Louis who went quiet again.

The whole kitchen seemed tense and I thought maybe it would be better to roll with the muteness.

“Apologies, Hazza. I forgot. Anyhow, Ms. Stone. The cat is safe.” Louis seemed to correct himself to keeping his sentence short and to the point.

“Thank you.” I nodded, relief washing through me to know my cat could no longer be used to torture me by these men.

Louis shrugged.

“Your request, I was ace either way.”

Harry sighed and Louis seemed to get the message because he simply asked if Harry required a hand and when he shook his head, the slightly older man did not say anything further.

I looked at the cutlery laid across for me. While the men could use metal, I was stuck with the thick plastic. I don’t blame them much and I didn’t even care. At least they trusted me with a glass plate, which, I felt was an oxymoron as if I had the strength I’d smash it over my own head just to stop myself from going insane. This was exasperating, annoying, aggravating –trifling.

“Ms. Stone? Water, coke, juice or beer?” Niall asked but Harry’s abrupt turn made Niall flinch.

“Nonalcoholic, Niall, the last thing we need around here is a loose slag.” Harry muttered, which made me flinch. He was caught up in some offhanded thoughts if he thought one drink would do the trick. I’d have to of been completely arsehold and even then I’d rather stab myself in the heart with a pointed spoon than to hit on, flirt or do anything other than loathe the monsters in front of me. No matter how shit faced I was.

“Apologies Harry.” Niall sighed, turning back to me.

“Water, coke – doesn’t matter.” I whispered, watching Harry’s look only darken but luckily it wasn’t directed at me this time.

His cheeks were reddening and he took his hand and slapped it on the counter where he stood. The tension in the room snapped and apparently, so did Harry. It was heard loud and clear through the deafening bang of his gravel like palm, which meant order was back in the One Direction cabin.

“When I said that Ms. Stone had earned slight more freedoms, I did not mean for you gents to turn a one eighty fuck all backwards spin and offer her choices of what SHE wants, explain things that did not need to be on the know –and bloody alcohol of all things? She is a bloody hostage -A PRISONER! She does not GET choices. She gets what I say she does. I am in charge of her – I am in charge of everyone in this little group of ours or have you lads forgotten?”

I think the room dropped twenty degrees then. I knew I was pretty cold, despite the wafting heat from the oven. No one moved and no one answered, Harry was pissed.

“For Christ sakes! Are you all bladdered?! I know we haven’t had a gal in here for a few years but you have watched women hostages before and what did I say? Zayn? You and Liam are the only ones not in the shithouse here, what are my rules for hostages?” Harry folded his arms.

Zayn looked at Harry like a deer caught in headlights. He didn’t want to get into shit with the others over Harry’s call out. So he simply shrugged and looked away, which left Liam.

Liam shook his head.

“Relationships with hostages, friendly or otherwise is prohibited. They are to be addressed by their properly labeled surnames only, with exceptions being given by the leader. Captors oversee the care of the captives, with exceptions by the leader. No physical harm will come to said hostage unless the leader says otherwise or if upper management deems it. Member or members caught breaking these rules will result in punishment or otherwise termination depending on what infraction was committed under discretion of the appointed leader.” Liam recited almost robotically. His eyes were bored.

“See? Under the appointed leader. I decide who, what, where, when and why. ME! Not you four. If I should die, Louis will be appointed next in line and after him someone in the next gang sector will take over for him. You three are crap on the bottom of a shoe, you have no say. You have NEVER had a say and you never will have a say.” Harry yelled, the room so hushed now that nobody breathed, not even me.

“Sorry Harry.” Niall, Louis, Zayn and Liam murmured.

The only thing positive to come out of that was my first question about the boys had been answered. Why they were distant, noncommittal and detached. Why they would not call me by my name –why they were only just doing their job –I was their job.

I felt almost sorry for Niall, Zayn and Liam. I could feel the tears prick at my eyes. I quickly but quietly cleared my throat and wiped whatever had formed away leaving them lifeless and dead.

Harry finally turned toward me this time, his eyes stormy but his demeanor now calm.

“Ms. Stone, do forgive my outburst but since the boys seem to have forgotten who’s in charge, you will answer to me and only me. If you need something, you will ask them if I am not around and they will ask me. Louis is the exception but he will be participating in this to refresh his memory of how things work around here. I think a week of this exercise will help build a characteristic pyramid of bottom to top. You are at the very bottom, Ms. Stone. You have certain freedoms but they are limited. Do not be naïve enough to otherwise believe you are significant enough to be asked a question of a choice. Your choices are nonexistent. You are a hostage and that will not change –am I clear or should I go on?”

His voice was so calm as he spoke that if I had told him to go on I might not like what he would be willing to reveal.

“No, I understand.” I assured, my vocals locked in my throat knowing he did another calm before the storm scenario.

“Good. Now, everyone can go ahead and eat. Niall? Get her a water and coke. I believe she’s earned at least that but if you dare offer any of our hostages in present and future a beer or alcoholic drink of ANY kind I will shoot you in the bloody fucking head so fast that you won’t know what happened. If you’re involved emotionally with Ms. Stone in some way, unemotional yourself before you get yourself killed, Horan.” Harry warned, finishing his rounds of setting the rest of the food on the table but at that point, no one seemed the least bit hungry.

“H-Harry?” I swallowed, trying to clear my throat out from the cotton feeling that suddenly bothered my throat.

Harry was silent but he remained staring, which was a good indicator to continue.

“Niall isn’t involved emotionally with me. He has never called me Sophia, much to my pleading for any of them to do so. If you’re worried about loyalty –“ I started but stopped when Harry laughed and Louis smirked, though it seemed a bit forced at that point.

“Ms. Stone? My dogs know who their master is. They are loyal to me because they have to be, not because they want to be. Our little gang has never been by choice and it never will be by choice. That’s all I will say on the matter. Niall knows his orders and he knows if they are disobeyed what will happen. You needn’t concern yourself in such matters. I know they’re loyal. There is no need to reassure me.” Harry warned and I shut my mouth, taking the warning to heart.

Niall walked over, sitting down with a beer, soda and water. He handed me the two drinks wordlessly and set his on the other side of him and away from my own. After witnessing this form of tyranny and belittling, I may have just changed my mind on the beer.

I shook my head, watching his eyes avoid contact with mine in anyway. In fact, none of them were daring to look in my direction.

“Eat.” Harry repeated with a growl when no one moved.

And just like that, the bowls and plates were moving.

I just sat there stunned but gathered the portion size I wanted with what was being handed to me.

Harry came to sit down beside me and I slunk back from him, my own head turned down in my plate.

He didn’t seem to engage me in anything other than a few sparse glances, his green eyes still storm and deep but at least the worst seemed to be over – or so I thought.

It was about twenty minutes later that he spoke again.

“You had questions you wanted answered when we were all here, didn’t you Ms. Stone?”

I jumped, having been so lost in my own thoughts but I looked out across the table and saw that they all were finishing up or just picking their food in general but when Harry spoke, they picked their heads up to listen.

“Y-yes, a few.” A murmured quietly, making him chuckle. His good mood was back.

“Well, don’t keep us in suspense, lass. Ask. Just remember – nothing evasive. Your father is a discussion that is now off limits as that is a conversation I wish nothing but to avoid discussion to right now.” Harry reminded me and I set my plastic fork on the plate and grabbed my napkin, wiping gingerly around my mouth before reaching for the now open can of coke and taking a drink.

“I want to know the men responsible behind my kidnapping. What’s your story? How did everyone come to be here? I Know Niall, Zayn and Liam were kidnapped but I want to know…” I trailed off, unsure how to word it.

“You want to know them? You want to know me?” Harry finished for me.

“Yes.” I responded placidly, looking at each of them, a few still avoided eye contact. Their plates seemed to be fascinating to them.

“I’m afraid my story is quite the disappointment, Ms. Stone. I was raised by my mum from the time I was born to age thirteen. My father had not been present but he got came to pay mum a visit one day – a scream and a few ticks later I found myself in the back of his car boot tied up. Was brought here and he gave me a choice. Learn the family heritage or die. You can only guess my decision, obviously.” Harry chuckled bitterly before continuing. “See, mummy dearest, she met my father outside the street corner she was prostituting at. He offered her a few drugs and walla, instant crack whore. Anyhow, he took a liking to her and used her body like a master to a slave – which is all she really was. Well, nine months later – yours truly shows up but by that time she managed to go into hiding to try to give me the best life possible, cleaned up quite nicely actually from what I can remember. She moved to the other side of the country. Took my father sometime to find her but he found out why she ran and let’s just say he was lividly murderous.”

Harry paused, his eyebrows furrowing as he got more into thought and the story became automatic.

“He waited a week before gabbing me and bringing me back. This gang wasn’t put together yet. There were four others, much older. Youngest, Jaren, was twenty-five, took me in his wing under orders of my father. I liked Jaren, became my best friend. Then my father found out and Jaren became a dead man. Never get attached he told me. My very first lesson. In fact, I was the one to put a bullet in the back of Jaren’s head, my first kill –not a quick one either, unfortunately. Father gave me the choice between my life or his. I suppose I’m a little selfish. Jaren was a good guy but he got attached too easily. He was looking for a friend amongst the coldness of this life and I was looking for someone I could turn to for protection. Blake was the leader at that time and he told my father – which, at sixteen when my father bled me dry of emotion and dumped me into the world of kidnapping and extorting, I was taken in as Blake’s apprentice. He threw me into it head first. My captive at the time was a three year old girl name Evelynn. I cared for her, although can you imagine caring for someone that young? Especially one that can talk and doesn’t understand what’s going on. I was told not to talk to her, just care for her. I couldn’t do it. I felt bad when she cried,” Harry remembered with another laugh, no emotion to accompany his amusement. There was simply nothing in his tone, he was going by memory and memory only. “So I told her that she couldn’t talk to me but she just got more upset. The more time I spent with her though, the more my emotions got in the way and came back. She would do something to make me laugh, I was smiling and falling in adoration of this little girl with the big greyish-blue eyes and long blonde hair.”

He paused again, looking around at the table – all eyes on him, some wide, some with no emotion at all but something was there and they listened without interruption. I already had wiped my eyes with my napkin a few times to clear any from escaping but my eyes were already red. I didn’t bother hiding the sadness. I think I understood now – why he was the way he was. When I saw his lips thin and his eyes become a murky green – I didn’t get such a great feeling then but before I could think on it further, he continued, having caught his breath.

“Blake wasn’t as nice as me. He heard me singing her to sleep the one night – he knew I had been doing it for the past two months but he wanted me to believe he hadn’t. He called my father and he told Blake I was to learn an important lesson about orders – he wanted to make sure I would never disobey another rule again. So he came in, I went silent and pleaded for him to forgive me but he ignored me and whistled for his men. I was held back, once they got me secured in my spot, my mouth covered – Blake proceeded to rape her. She screamed and cried, she reached out to me and I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t do or say a bloody Goddamn thing.” Harry’s tone turn disgusted then and his eyes flashed dangerous with the growl that accompanied his thought.

Was he disgusted at himself? At Blake? I didn’t know but the cold numbness gripped me, imagining so vividly of a young girl’s innocence being taken that young, watching it and being helpless to do anything about it. I let my hand go across my mouth in a quiet gasp, my tears now falling. His memory sending a shiver through me.

“Blake finished with her and his men unhanded me. Pushed me to her small and broken body. I just apologized over and over but she cried for her mum like there was no tomorrow and eventually, she fell silent and didn’t talk at all. She just laid there in that bed unless I bathed or otherwise fed her but she didn’t do anything, say anything. I carried that guilt until her final month where Blake took her out into the clearing and told her she was going home, the other men around her. I knew what home meant, I had been around this situation too many times to count at that point.” Harry’s fingers curled into a fist, the hatred now radiating off him.

“The little girl just stood there and sucked her thumb, I got the order to distract her and I knelt down and tried to get her attention but she was so far gone – she didn’t even hear me but I sang to her, last time I ever sang to anyone and watched as Blake withdrew his gun, loaded it, cocked the trigger and point it at the base of her skull, his black eyes so calculated with focus on the prey that I stopped singing and looked Evelynn in the eyes, telling her I loved her, the rest stuck in my throat as my mentor pulled the trigger, her little body thrown toward me with such force. I caught her and spat the worst insults I could at my master – he laughed and his men got the pleasure of beating the crap from me until I lost consciousness for three days. When I woke up, I was in the coffin for another six. They kept me alive with the minimum care and when they were done with the coffin, they hung me face first to a wall and whipped me back into unconsciousness. It was the last time I ever defied orders – except if you count stabbing Blake in the skull with a hunting knife. I guess you could say, the other four men met the same fate. Father was pissed he lost his best men but he was proud I stood up for myself. It was a few months after that, that I met Louis on a job. He made the mistake of trying to rob me,” Harry released his fist back into a hand, looking at the brunette. “It was funny and lucky I didn’t kill him but I saw someone with potential so after I beat the shit out of him, we went and got a few drinks.”

Louis was smirking wider, breaking off into a laugh.

“Boring? Disappointing? That’s fucking bloody monstrous!” I exclaimed, cutting the men’s moments off with a choked sob.

Harry rolled his eyes, his beautiful orbs becoming his jaded green again.

“My apologies Ms. Stone. We all can’t have a privileged upbringing and fictional characters to come save our arses when we get into trouble.” He remarked sarcastically.

That wasn’t even what I was getting at.

“No! Evelynn! I –“ I quieted when Harry gave me a warning look.

“Lucky for you Ms. Stone, that lesson was not completely lost on me. If any of my men that I am stationed above ever touch the hostages in that fashion I will brutally and strategically castrate them with a cigar bob and shove the piece of useless flesh down their bloody throats!” His teeth gritted together and I truly believed he would.

I swallowed and let the room revert back to tension. Maybe having Harry go was a mistake – Niall had told me the condensed version. Maybe I didn’t want to know after all.

“T-thank you.” I whispered, not able to think of anything else to say.

Harry was bemused but he smiled his same sarcastic smile.

“Perhaps the details were a bit evasive but you did ask. Now I’m betting you wish you didn’t.” Harry smirked a little bigger.

I nodded in agreement. I certainly wish I didn’t because the tears weren’t stopping and all I could picture was Evelynn – all I could concentrate on was Harry and all I could see was the innocence lost for them both.

Notes

Okay - hit or miss, I don't know I tried to be as intense and descriptive and narrative as possible. Too much info? Too little? I don't know I gave this chapter every fiber of energy I had, I threw it all out there guys. Let me know what you thought - no sugar coating it, truthful, need to know.