The Silence That Surrounds

Harry’s POV:

I woke up around noon, the latest I had ever slept. My waking time was five, dressed, showered, groomed and primped by six, in the kitchen by seven and an hour to fully let the sleep leave my system by eight and ready to take on the world by nine – due to the unexpected order that came in last night after Ms. Stone’s unfortunate reprieve, it wasn’t a wonder I didn’t sleep longer.

A knock at the door forced me to rub the tiredness that still lingered from my face and call out into the empty room to allow them access into my world.

“Enter.”

Louis opened the door, his face washed and well rested was guiding in a less than willing Ms. Stone. From the pure demeanor written across her face, she too seemed almost defeated.

“Ms. Stone, please, have a seat.” I gestured to the space beside me on the edge of the bed.

When she didn’t move Louis grabbed her arm again and guided the unwilling girl in further, pushing her into a sitting position beside me, our knees almost touching. I was the first to shift myself away, my eyes cold as I spoke to her once more.

“Ms. Stone, you are aware that we have your brother, yes?” I questioned, looking into the firey eyes of a less than willing hostage.

“Yes, you seem to have my cat too. I thought he wasn’t apart –“ I cut her off with a hand to her mouth.

“Your cat is not important at the moment but if it soothes your nerves any, I can promise that he will not be harmed. I’m not an animal person by any stretch of the imagination but I took a liking to the puss. He understands the general order around here and does what he’s told – unlike some hostages I’ve had the displeasure of meeting. Hm?”

She didn’t say anything to that and I removed my hand.

“Ms. Stone. Your brother has come here to extract information. He is a code red hostage. What that means is, he is here strictly to be broke for information. When we get the information we require, he will die. I am telling you this now so you can prepare yourself for when that time comes. Code reds are strictly here to break. You will assist me in doing so. You will extract the information from him that is needed. Do so however means is necessary. Do you understand?”

Sophia seemed to harden to a bitter rage. Her once soft broken eyes were the reflections of dark blue glass in a color of dying emotions. I could tell it was a nasty pill she held in her mouth, now all I needed her to do was swallow it.

“I understand I was betrayed. I understand that my family couldn’t even bring themselves to love me enough to give you the basic amount for a return. I understand pain and anger from being traded as if I were a mere thing. I’m beginning to understand your intentions behind a reasoning. So, yes. I understand quite clear, sir.”

She spat the last word at me and I held back my urge to hit her. It served no purpose before and it would serve none now.

“My father is coming two days from now. I have two days to get something useful out of the lad and I need your help in succeeding that. When he gets here, you will be staying under my care. How good it will do I do not know but my father looks for the slightest of mistakes. Should he find any, he will not hesitate to hurt you. I need you kept safe, Ms. Stone. You may become a useful asset for something in the future. My father looks for weakness and he preys on it. Do not give him a reason to –“

She cut me off.

“Why does it matter if you have me under protection? If it has not stopped him then, how will it stop him now? Why am I even an asset in all of this? I’m nobody special, I know the associates and if your goal is to kidnap every member in that building you will have to spread them out in cabins five to ten at a time throughout the whole of England. There are thousands, Mr. Styles. Literally too many to hold. I will get the information you require, my brother has little meaning to the term family. I have no family – they left me, they betrayed me.” She let out a forced laugh as a smile spread across her face. “It’s sort of funny if one thinks about it –“

Her voice trailed off and I waited patiently for her to continue but when she didn’t I gestured for her to do so.

“I fail to find reasoning in your humor, Ms. Stone and I find burning people alive an absolute riot. Do explain how betrayal is so high up on your list of things to chuckle about.”

I stood up and paced in front of her.

“Because the only people who seem to care about my wellbeing are standing in this room. If my life didn’t have even just a small purpose somewhere in your decision to keep me alive – however temporary it maybe, then I wouldn’t be here, would I, Mr. Styles?”

I smiled, stopping my pace and kneeling down so we were eye to eye. My intrusive greens staring down her darkened blues.

“I want you alive because if I don’t get your father’s empire back in a more controlled setting, aka, under our control and out of his, then it’s a matter of how long I live – how long my men live. Father is dangerous and sharing blood with him has little matter. We are only alive now because we have not yet failed. My men, though they do seem distracted by your presence, are one of the most successful. My father let them train beside me because they had skills. You, Ms. Stone, have something that is particularly useful to us and I pray when my father meets you that he too will see it. Otherwise there will be little I can do to save you. No other woman has survived meeting my father but strangely, I am actually more hopeful of you, Ms. Stone – considering if you fail then we fail.”

She stared at me a few moments.

“What do you want me to do? My brother’s allegiance is to my father, actions have already proven that.” She swallowed, glancing to the side at Louis when he sat beside her. I cupped her chin and turned her head back to me.

“We are breaking junior down but we need something from him. We need to know his exact roll in the company. He’s the business aspect but how far does that extend?”

She shook her head.

“I don’t know.” She answered quietly.

I smirked and put my hand to Sophia’s head, my fingers grazing down the strands of her dry and oily hair. She needed a shower.

“Oh baby, you’re so innocent. My dad is going to positively love that – right before he viciously tears the clothes you wear from your pure little body and fucks you senseless. You’re broken Sophia – broken will get you killed. I need you to look at me and with all the energy you have in you, I want you to pull yourself together and listen to me very carefully. Everyone, myself included, have rules we follow when my father comes to visit. His stay times range from one day to a week. He’s never stayed beyond that. Do you think you can remember a few rules?” I ask sarcastically and watched her solemnly nod.

I smiled and pat her head.

“What a good little girl I’ve broken and it only took three months.”

Louis laughed but said nothing else.

“My father traded me for a debt, what else is left to fight for? You won’t ever let me go, right? I’m an asset…useful toward your goal and I will help you. I just need to know what’s waiting for me at the end. What will I get in return? My brother betrayed me, my father abandoned me – now I have a story, now I know how it feels.” She finished tiredly, leaning slightly into my touch.

I removed my hand from her head and gripped her chin roughly, my eyes as stormy as the silent night sky.

“We share nothing but a mutual opposition. You are my captive and I am your captor. That won’t change. That will never change.” I snarled, watching her hand gently place itself on top of my own.

“I know. I know it won’t. I’m just too tired to fight anymore. I don’t want to be punished anymore. Whatever you want, you need only ask, Harry. Just tell me what to do.” She sighed, her strength leaving her.

I was taken aback momentarily by her words, Louis seemed to wear the same expression.

“The rules are simple. You do not talk or utter a word unless my father or I directly ask you something. This rules applies even in the safe confides of a room. If you are alone with any of the other member or myself and it’s the early morning and everyone’s asleep, you will still not speak. My father prefers the silence, it will not just be you but everyone. You will not touch or otherwise seek any comfort. My father is a cruel man and if he sees this, he will use that weakness against you. Plus, it goes against the general rule already in place. Caroline and Niall found that out the hard way.” I shrugged, using my one hand to forcefully remove her touch from my arm.

“The most important rules when in the presence of my father is to never show fear and never scream – begging will only serve to turn him on to more deviant desires. Be polite but do not engage in conversation unless he prompts you to do so. Your brother will be at his full mercy but I will do my best to shield you from him without getting too much in the way of what he feels needs done.” I finish, standing up and pacing again.

“You and Harry will stay in my room since his father is likely to take Harry’s. When not in the kitchen or secluded somewhere that you are required to be, you will be kept bound in the bedroom and food will be brought to you, just as it was when you were at square one the first day we had you.” Louis paused, watching Sophia’s reaction carefully. There seemed to be the same defeated stare as she held earlier. It was indifferent.

“Because you are still considered a hostage status, your hands will be tied behind you at all times unless otherwise ordered and your legs will be cuffed – if needing to go somewhere or to the bathroom, you will be carried. If Harry’s father sees you have not been kept at the appropriate position, you will be punished if not killed and not even we want to witness the cruelty of Senior Styles. He is capable of many things, Ms. Stone. Things you could never possibly hope to dream even in the darkest corners of your own terrors.” Louis finished, his lips a small thinned line.

I confirmed everything he said.

“If I am unable to oversee your full protection then Louis will keep a more watchful eye. I just need to make sure you are aware of the rules and what is required. My men know their place but the problem I’m having a hard time grasping is you. You’re unpredictable. A direction of wind that changes without warning but we are on limited time and I simply cannot keep fighting you on things. If you value your life or the life of those around you, you will start coming to terms with your position. Like you said, Ms. Stone, we all have a history.” I finished bitterly, wiping the mist of tears from her face and harshly bringing my hand back to meet her cheek, making her yell out.

“He will use that weakness against you. You need to shut off your emotions, you need to become the monster you fear the most or you’re going to be dead sooner than later.” Louis growled standing up. “Come on, let’s go get you a shower and then we’ll go see your brother.”

“Why does it even matter? Why does any of it? I’m never getting out of here. I was traded. Whether I die today or tomorrow –death seems almost a mercy. No matter how much I don’t want to die, I don’t want to live with people who see me less than human. I can’t –“I cut her off by pulling her onto her knees on the floor and forcefully holding her there.

“You have no idea what father is capable of and I know it’s a hard concept Ms. Stone but I’m trying to help you out here. Will you die? Maybe. That however, is not for a long time. Will you ever be released? No. A contract is a contract. If we released you, you can turn us in and we can’t risk that but if you just submit and give in without contradicting yourself then things will go smoother! You’re infuriating, Sophia Stone and that is what I truly believe will be your downside.” I breathed heavily, keeping her knelt on the ground, watching her look into my dead green eyes with her now pale blue ones. The air around us was suffocating and I had no idea how she can change emotions so fast. It was nerve racking.

“I hope you like it down here on the floor because this is where your place is until further notice. Today, I will not incorporate you back to square one punishment because you have your task but tomorrow night you are to be tied up again until father gives specific directions to release you. If it were my idea, I would not have bothered just the same as I would not have bothered your brother with a code red. Unfortunately, he, like yourself, Ms. Stone, are leaving me little choice in the matter. Louis? She will shower tonight. Have Niall ungag junior and get that stuff off his face. Make sure he’s given something to drink and properly fed, the same goes for Sophia. I need them both at top strength today.”

Louis nods and picks Ms. Stone up from the floor, helping the defeated girl toward the door before stopping.

“Hazza? You might think about being careful to follow your own rule. If your father even hears you utter Ms. Stone’s name without the formalities attached to it, he will kill her to seek reaction from you. Caroline, if you remember did not escape that unscathed. Be careful, if you are protecting the girl as you claim, then you need to address her as a hostage. I would go over this with the other boys as some of them are forgetting themselves. Ms. Stone is special but she’s dangerous for all of us at the moment. If the others should forget or if Ms. Stone messes up, you know he will kill them and us without hesitation. I say we take the precautions and let Liam and myself take over detail because evidently she’s getting to you too – and you don’t even realize it, mate.”

Louis chuckled and pulled Sophia from the room, leaving me there to seethe.

“What a bunch of bullocks. I’ll murder the bitch myself if she screws this up.” I muttered before standing and taking the lamp from the bedside table, hurling it at the wall and watching in satisfaction as it shattered into a thousand pieces. I walked down the hall and to the room Ms. Stone’s brother was held. I didn’t hesitate to walk into the room and shut the door behind me, approaching the bound and gagged young man.

I figure now was as good as any to introduce myself while Louis was assisting Ms. Stone in the bathroom.

Within a minute I had untied the thick knots from the triple layered gag and his blindfold a second after. His headphones took some time but eventually they were removed with the earplugs, leaving him to take in a fresh breath of air. His throat was dry from the way his wind pipes wheezed.

“Afternoon, junior. I’m Harry Styles, you’ve heard of me, yes?” I smirked, pulling the water bottle from the bedside table, the cap already having been opened but nothing seemed to be touched otherwise.

He didn’t respond but I saw him trying to shift his legs, the rustling of cloth sounding underneath him. His cheeks were a crimson red and his eyes were a mixture of fear and anger.

“Now, you’re going to drink this water because your sister is coming in momentarily and we want to be bright as rain for her, don’t we?” I smirked, enjoying his defiance.

I put my hand under the boy’s head and lifted it, placing the water bottle inside his mouth, teasing him as I did so.

“Helpless as a newborn, uh junior? Get use to this, you won’t be let up anytime soon. You will eat here, piss here – you won’t leave this bed until the day I take you out to the clearing and put a bullet in you like the snake you are. If your father is anything to go by, then the male apple doesn’t fall from the tree, does it little Stone?”

I sneered down, ramming the bottle into his mouth and making sure to hold it securely between his lips, watching Dylan suck to bring the water to cascade down his inevitably dry throat.

When it was half gone I pulled the plastic bottle away and capped it.

“Good boy. Now, your sister should be in –“

I was interrupted with the door opening, Louis coming in with a tray. Two small bowls of pasta up top. Sophia following in after him looking more than a little surprised.

“Speak of the devil. Well, I’ll leave you to it.” I chuckled and saw the tense stance Sophia had before she marched over to her brother and in one swift movement her hand was balled into a fist as she brought it down hard across Dylan’s face. The sharp sound of flesh on flesh.

“YOU GODDAMN SON OF A BITCH! How fucking dare you!” Sophia screamed, all her anger coming to the surface and connecting to its rightful target.

Louis threw the tray on the nightstand and went to pull Sophia away, whistling for Niall in panic.

“Good luck mate.” I laughed, making my way to the door, pushing past Niall and listening to the chaos unfold in the room. If there was one thing I found satisfying, it was those getting what they deserved and as much as Ms. Stone needed punished – a reward now and again never hurt anyone and in this case, her reward was extracting revenge on the ones who put her here in the first place. I could play on her anger. Anger is the one emotion she needed more than anything right now…it may just be the thing that will save her.

Notes

Next chapter will be fun!