The Silence That Surrounds

Harry’s POV:

I watched as the last strap from the bed was secured over the body jacket Sophia adorned. I envied her peaceful slumbering face as much as I detested the idea of training her. She was not strong, her reserve was weakened – everything in her leading up to this moment was officially broken. What was the point? You can’t teach a broken girl how to be a heartless gang member, it just wasn’t done.

With another sigh I walked out of the bedroom her and Dylan would be sharing until the end of next week and went back to the kitchen where Liam and Niall sat around the table, their eyes carefully guarding the boy with the too long hair.

“Progress?” I asked, circling around to sit beside him on the chair that Sophia had occupied, the look of pain on the younger Stone’s face was pained but his hands typed codes and logins faster than I could blink.

“He changed the logins. Him or the cliental, the system is the best system out there and the security – if it’s tripped, will give off the location. I’ve tried at least a thousand logins all with the same results. I can’t go anymore Mr. Styles, I’m hurt too bloody bad.”

I glanced at the thick stream of red that ran down his shoulder to his chest, his one hand going to cover the wound.

I look at Liam and gesture to the hurt captive.

“Get him fixed up, hop him up on some pain pills, we’re obviously not going to get any more out of him toni-“

Dylan cut me off suddenly, his eyes widening. It was as though he suddenly recognized a long lost friend.

“Wait! Wait – I – fuck, Sophia would remember the login. I – we, we did…” He trailed off making no sense but he hit the table a few times with his good side, flinching when he shifted.

Zayn and Louis came back into the room at that moment as Liam and Niall stood up and left to get the supplies needed to fix up the Stone brother.

“Slow down on your words mate, you’re liable to choke on them.” Niall said without a hint of sarcasm.

“Too late.” Liam muttered, Zayn and Louis taking up the chairs the other boys sat in.

I noticed Dylan paused and glared at Louis with a hatred that surpassed even his pain and it was evident Louis noticed.

“What crawled up your ass and died, mate?” Louis smirked, though it was forced. We all looked like we got into a fight with the local street gang and got our asses kicked. The only ones unscathed were Niall, Zayn and Liam. Not one mark. I was somewhat envious.

“You blew my mum sky high to hell and back and you’re asking ME what’s crawled up my arse? Are you daft you bloody blighter!? Dylan yelled, his voice rose every word until he was screaming.

My head felt as though it were going to explode and I swiftly reached across to slap my hand over his mouth, looking at Louis.

“I’d also like to know what that was about, mate.” I interjected, moving to stand when Liam came back with a first aid kit and another medical bag.

Louis shrugged.

“Damien told me to leave a message for Daniel Stone. Something that he couldn’t help but pay attention to. I may have accidently threw a cigarette into the gas line thinking it was the furnace. The two look bloody alike in my defense. Blowing up your mum or her party guests was never my intention, I was only supposed to do something obvious that left an impression.

“Mission accomplished, dick tip.” Dylan glowered when I took my hand off his mouth.

Louis wasn’t at all affected by his words. Instead he shrugged and went to the freezer and started to bring out different items, my guess was to cook brunch since neither of us had eaten much the past few days.

“Enough!” I snapped, bringing an erupt end to any further arguing that would be said.

Liam took the seat I had occupied next to the younger boy while Niall stood on the other side of him, gently reaching to lift up his shirt.

Dylan groaned out in pain, which made Liam hold out a few of the Tylenol 4’s.

“Open.” Liam demanded.

Dylan did as he was told.

Liam stuck them in and snap his fingers to Louis.

Louis opened the fridge and threw a water bottle into Liam’s hands which he quickly uncapped and stuck to the younger boy’s mouth.

Dylan took a quick gulp to clear the pills from his pallet, letting out a pained and surprised cry when Niall began to cut his shirt hurriedly.

I knelt down by Liam and opened the kit, grabbing the alcohol.

“Niall, steady him this is going to sting.” I ordered as the blonde.

He did as he was told and trapped his arm over the boy’s chest, tightening it like a strap while I threw the cap off and poured an excess amount down and across the wound, washing the crimson liquid away like water.

Dylan yelled and balled his hand into fists, bucking his head back against Niall’s firm stomach.

“Almost got it mate, steady still.” I ordered calmly before tossing the alcohol bottle on the table and helping to rip the lad’s shirt off the rest of the way. Liam stepped in then.

“Okay, Harry? I need you to restrain his hands, hold them to his lap, I need to use the stiffer thread to make sure the skin stays together, with any luck the lad only looks to need about four, maybe five stitches.” Liam directed and I grabbed the younger boy’s hands without fail in my own. I noticed they were much smaller compared to mine.

“No! No, please!” Dylan begged, tears springing to his eyes.

We ignored his pleas, Liam threading the thin string into the eye needle and bringing it to the boy’s skin, pausing.

“Don’t tense up, lad. Just relax. Now, while I’m doing this – tell us about the system.” Liam ordered almost kindly, he was engaging our charge into conversation.

Dylan’s mouth opened and shut multiple times, his eyes bugging out of his skull.

“I never had stitches before, please!” He managed to choke out, making me smile slightly. I wish I could say that. With a father like Damien, I had them every other week growing up as a teenager.

I noticed Zayn now stood beside the opening between the chair and knelt down to meet his level, I watched him in confusion. Louis was the only one not surrounding the chair. He choose to hang back and observe.

“Mate, hey, look at me.” Zayn demanded, his voice dark but at the same time a hum of banter hung in the air.

To his delight Dylan followed his order but not without shaking like a leaf.

“We’ve had them countless times, okay? They’re not that bad if you don’t tense. Now, tell me – look directly at me and not the needle, tell me what you remember about what you were trying to tell us before – the system memory or whatever.”

Dylan began to whimper his eyes going toward the needle. Zayn forced his jaw and attention back to him.

“Dylan…I told you not to look.” Zayn warned.

“Why don’t we just bloody knock him the fuck out and save this utter foolery? Seriously, he’s scared shitless, he’s not going to make a lick of sense. Fuck all mates, use your heads!” Louis finally exploded, walking back into the hall to most likely grab a sedative.

“Billy no-mates got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.” Zayn muttered, looking at me.

“Hey, my brain is tired of carry everyone else’s slack. Maybe sedation is easier.” I agreed.

Liam grew tired and Niall’s eyes were going back and forth between speakers.

“N-no!” Dylan yelled, trying to tense against us, making us tighten our grip against the young man. Unfortunately, no one had his feet and his barefoot made harsh contact with crotch – balls and all.

I released his hands and curled up on myself, grabbing my crotch defensively. Honestly, I didn’t even want to kill him. I just wanted to bloody sleep. I wanted this over with so I could get some rest but apparently God has a sense of humor.

“Blimy!” Niall spoke, his voice cringing in sympathy.

“That wasn’t nice mate.” Zayn sighed, grabbing Dylan’s hands, using his knees to hold the young Stone’s feet to the floor. In doing so he pushed Liam to the side and that’s how the younger gent lost his temper and stabbed the threading needle into the opening of the knife wound, making Dylan scream out in pain but with Zayn’s body fully restraining his the only thing he could do was cry out.

The sting to my crotch was unbearable, nearly breath stealing.

“Harry, you alright mate?” Liam asked, stitching the boy as fast as humanly possible without making any mistakes.

“No.” I croaked out, seeing Louis come back into the room, cringing at the screams leaving our young hostage. He stopped short of the chair, seeing my on the floor, my hands sunk between my legs.

“Bloody fucking hell he got a foot on him.” I groaned, my anger slowly replacing the pain. “Stop standing there like a clod, Louis and give me the bloody sedative. NOW!”

Louis rolled his eyes and handed me the syringe.

Once in my hand I took the cap off and slammed it hard into his chest, plunging the medication into him.

He was already screaming his head off, yelling nonsense into the air with now no ears to listen, I could care less if the shot stung, an eye for a bloody eye.

As I was pulling the needle from his chest I noticed the label. This was definitely not a sedative.

“Louis! You cocked up the medications! This is fucking truth serum, not a sedative!” I yelled above Dylan, a hint of a growl etched in my throat.

“Well, at least he’ll be truthful.” Louis shrugged, walking past me and out the front entrance with a slam of the door.

I slowly got up off the floor and followed him, leaving the others three to deal with Dylan. I figured they had it under control.

When I made it outside Louis was sitting on the steps and looking out at the trees. I went and sat beside him silently, letting my eyes travel outward as well.

“You’re not usually this testy, tell me what’s up, Lou.”

The silence lingered heavier, almost threatening to become as loud as the nature outside. Saying nothing often says a lot. Something was bothering him and I had a slight inkling what it could be.

“Why haven’t we killed him yet, Hazz? Why can’t you pull the trigger already, ya know, something we talked about when I was sixteen. What’s your reasoning?” Louis demanded, his bluntness more than a little shocking.

“I don’t know, Lou. I just –I can’t, he’s my father. No matter how much I hate the bloody eejit, I just can’t bring myself to end his life,” I shrugged my shoulders dismissively, knowing there was more to the reason he was upset. “What happened at the Stone’s mansion? Was it an accident or was it on purpose?”

“Accident, Hazz. You know I don’t kill anyone unless I’m ordered to directly. What happened to those people was unfortunate but I can’t afford to dwell in emotions, right? Press on, yeah?”

I nodded unsure, watching him stand up but even in his posture I knew he was bothered and I uttered out the words before I could stop myself.

“Louis, tell me what happened.”

Louis froze again on the steps, the green pine smell of the trees was overbearing and powerful. It added to the ever growing tension that surrounded us.

“I didn’t throw a lit cigarette into the gas line, obviously. I was about half a mile away. I used that assassin’s riffle with the scope to take aim and shoot out a few windows – just as a warning, ya know? I saw the basement opening, figuring it would be a safe place to shoot a few bullets before picking a room that no one was in. I took aim, aimed it at the basement window and shot. Next thing I know – BOOM, CRASH, BAM, BOOM! There goes the bloody neighborhood, literally! The look on Damien’s face was priceless – right before the bastard started to piss himself with tears of laughter. The message was supposed to be subtle! SUBTLE!” Louis yelled angrily, turning sharply and punching his hand against the hard surface of the cabin.

I was up and over to Louis’s side, my hand on his shoulder.

“That was not your fault. Do you hear me, Lou? That could happen to anyone. You needn’t trouble yourself, lad.” I tried to calm but he threw my hand off.

“I don’t know if that girl in there has made you go soft, Hazz but pray that Damien Crow never finds out. She’s been nothing but a distraction since she came to this cabin. Sophia’s dangerous – today has already proven that. She needs to be kept on a short leash and muzzled. For fuck sake, she’s as responsible for my torment as your father. Something needs to be done. So either take care of it before I do.” Louis threatened darkly, finally turning to go inside. I stood out there in shock as the door was slammed shut in my face.

I shook my head and sat down on the steps again with a loud and defeated sigh. What was happening to me? Why did I let my father get away with what he did? How am I even letting myself get away with my own indiscretions? Nothing will excus what I have do –

“Hi!” The familiar voice of Christian greeted, his footsteps muffled against the dried clay pact earth.

“Christian?! What the hell are you doing here?” I demanded, standing up with a darkened scowl. We had no room for another delinquent, hostage or bloody cat.

“Master Styles left me to your training!” He smiled wide with beautiful eyes.

I groaned while he took a seat next to me.

“He said nothing about leaving you.” I growled, worried Christian had heard what Louis and I were discussing.

“He just said to report anything that wasn’t being done to his exact instructions. He said I needed to learn lessons on how things worked. Keep my mouth shut and my eyes open.” Christian giggled, folding his hands together like a good little church boy.

“So you heard what we were discussing then?” I confirmed, watching him nod enthusiastically.

“Yeah but I like you, Harry. Despite the small knife stab, you have been exceedingly kind to me. I wouldn’t tell Master Styles anything about that, I promise.” He crossed his heart.

I raised my eyebrow at him, a small smile slipping from my lips.

“I may have a job for you, if you’re up to it.” I offered, standing up and giving my hand out for him to take.

When he did I pulled him up, released his hand and led him inside. Upon our entry I saw Dylan staring straight ahead, Niall no longer restraining him.

“What’s going on?” I asked, seeing Zayn the only one present, his form now sitting next to Dylan in the same chair.

Zayn turned his head pausing at the sight of Christian, his eyebrow raising.

“Dad left us a temporary house monitor to make sure we’re all good little schoolboys and follow his orders.” I snorted with sarcasm, guiding Christian down the hall and to Sophia and Dylan’s room. “Notify me when Sophia wakes up, okay lad?”

He nods and goes to take a seat on the chair next to the bed she’s lying on without another word, although I think I saw him cringe from the sight of the poor girl. I’d be lying if I didn’t share his slight sentiment – only because I had personally been placed inside the jacket before.

“Come get me or any of the others when she regains consciousness.” I ordered but walked to the one bag and got Dylan out a new shirt to wear. “Can’t have him going around without a shirt.”

“Harry? Can I help take care of her? She’s beautiful…” He trailed off, lost in his own thoughts.

I sighed and walked toward him, stopping at the side of the bed, the only thing separating us.

“You can help but do not touch her, she’s skittish – more so with us considering…” I trailed off with a heavy frown.

“We couldn’t have stopped it, right? We didn’t have a choice – did we?” He asked, his own sadness now etching in his young voice.

I shook my head, confirming his question.

“No. He would have done it sooner than later.”

With that I walked back out, Zayn still in his same spot.

“How’s he doing?” I asked the Bradford born boy, glancing at Dylan – who at this point had been overdosed with truth serum.

“How does he look?” Zayn counteracted, gesturing to his expressionless and unblinking face.

“Like shit that got drug through a grinder. Hey Dylan? Mate, you with us?” I snapped my fingers in front of his face.

Dylan didn’t blink but a slightly gurgled out ‘yes’ left his unmoving mouth.

I nodded and pulled a chair on the other side of him, a white bandage now adorning his frail and beaten chest. He had really fought against Niall’s arms, though I can’t say I blame him.

“Good. I need to know what you were trying to get across before, with the system – what about Sophia? What about the system?” I spoke, keeping my voice emotionless but calm so he wouldn’t go into a panic. The serum could have an adverse effect if he were to get frightened.

“Sophia, me – we were stupid. Created a ghost login –years ago. GhostSibs, passcode 97. Dad never knew bout it – would have beat us if he did. Sophia knew the login, I didn’t…ask Sophia. Login controls everything – controls the main server, get it…get control.” Dylan spoke in broken and short sentences.

I frowned but gently pushed the laptop to me, pulling up the main serve and typing in what Dylan had just told me. It was obvious he was buying time and knew the login – so I guess I should thank Louis mistaking the sedation shot with the truth serum.

I typed in the name and then the passcode, watching as the screen’s display changed and numbers started to pour down the page – thousands of accounts – billions of dollars – all there in front of me. I couldn’t help the smile that came over me, looking at Zayn before raising my voice to make sure the cabin heard me.

“We’re in! Lads get out here, we’re in!” I yelled joyfully and looked at Dylan. “Dylan, tell me how to shut down power to Daniel Stone’s access into the system, something that will give me complete control – control he will not be able to take back. He nor anyone else. I want to be the only one able to access the system, how would I go about it?”

Dylan sighed almost wistfully.

“Kill him, got to kill him to get the power. System lockout is Sophia – Soph Soph knows.” He hummed, chuckling a little. “She always knew – always knew, that’s why we did it. Sophia did it for us in case.”

I frowned, trying to understand him but it just wasn’t working, so I asked again.

“Dylan, is there a way to shut down the system so no one but me can access it?” I tried again, this time speaking gently.

Zayn rolled his eyes and got up to start cooking the forgotten food items left carelessly on the counter by Louis, which, at that moment the other three boys came out from their rooms – all obviously exhausted.

“Control849, enter, passcode: accessgreen, enter, erase, Daniel998, enter, passcode: erase99. Got to leave Sophia as head control. Enter, Sophie21, enter, passcode 33, enter, passcode: Head88. Press enter, create, enter, ST100, enter, Passcode – enter what numbers you want. You can create yourself as a top. Repeat Sophia’s login…then your sign in and passcode, enter, passcode: leader – now in control…now you’ve killed the king.” He spoke robotically, seeing my name and Sophia’s in bright green highlighting.

“Gents? Mission accomplished, we’re in. We now have control of Stone Enterprises!” I announced but when Dylan laughed again, my joy was short lived.

“No. Dad won’t give it up, won’t give it up at all. Kill the king – only way to truly rule the kingdom. He’ll retaliate, he always find a way. Watch yourself, storms coming – storm always rains acid fire in hell.” He cackled but as quick as it started, it stopped; his body finally going slack and slumping down in the chair, completely unconscious.

I scratched my head.

“That was –interesting.” I concluded, taking my cellphone out and dialing Damien’s number. He picked up on the third ring.

“WHAT!? I’m bloody busy.” He snapped in his usually happy manner.

“We’re in. Dylan found a way to render the system over to us and only us. We’re the only ones allowed in, not even the investors can get in. What are your next orders?” I asked kindly, in an oddly and unnaturally good mood.

“Orders are as before. I will have Daniel Stone by the end of next week and he will relinquish the company over legally to us – or else. In the meantime, Ms. Stone is to stay in that jacket until I say otherwise unless she is training and Dylan – he will be your first priority. Have him ready ir it’s your ass I’ll be beating. Goodbye son – oh, and good job.”

With that he hangs up, leaving me to my victory.

I smirk at the blank faces around us – some more injured looking than most.

“Come on guys this is a celebration. We finally did something right!”

Louis frowned, coming forward.

“We do things right, Hazz. It’s just a shame that you have to get that approval from your old man to feel worth. You’re a good leader Harry but Sophia is doing something to your brain – and we should have killed your motherfucker of a father the moment he raped Sophia. I don’t give a fuck about most but bloody hell – he forced you on a woman. He forced a sixteen year old on her! She was gang raped, what happened to no rape, Harry? No matter what? Hm? You’re fucking away your own rules, Styles. He’s having this effect on you and you can’t kill him? I was going by my orders, orders YOU gave and now look at me?! Find out what you want to do, who you are because you going back and forth as a leader and then pig pissing yourself to please daddy is getting daunting on everyone. This was your goal – not ours. Now we have a broken girl, a brother who you have to train, a sixteen year old boy whose mother is dead. Damien told me the boy’s mother died a few hours after dropping him off thanks to an overdose already coursing through her veins and we all know he’s not going to make it in this business. They don’t hand out gold stars for how to use a gun or kill people! This is fucked up! This is blood –“

“My mum’s dead?” The weak voice spoke, tears wavering in his voice as he stood behind Louis, having heard his ranting. I’m surprised the whole of England didn’t hear him with how loud he was.

Louis stopped his rant right where it was and turned to the sixteen year old.

“Yeah, your mum’s dead. She overdosed on the drugs she so desperately tried to clean herself up from – the same ones she traded you for, lad.” Louis spoke coldly, approaching the boy with the freefalling tears, grabbing the back of his head and giving it a rough push forward, making him lose his balance and fall to the floor. His cries echoed in the cabin.

“No! Mum said she was coming back for me, she promised! She promised she would! Liar!” Christian accused, which was just met with Louis’s cold and emotionless laugh.

“You think your mum ever wanted you, lad? Her love was drugs. Her love was cock – you were nothing but a convinence she readily traded off. Nothing but a useless little boy that she had as a bargaining chip to her sick addiction.” He taunted, making the boy’s cries worse. I stepped in, helping the boy off the ground.

“Lou – I’m sorry. You’re right. There needs to be order.” I began but he didn’t want to hear it.

“Save it, Hazz. You’re about as weak as Christian there. Just – fix this group, fix your priorities and get your head out of your bloomin’ arse.” Louis growled, turning on his heels and going back into his room, slamming the door behind him.

I sighed and sat the boy in the chair, pushing him from my body as he desperately clung on. I was angry, no, I was enraged. How dare Louis call me weak! I’ll show him – I’ll show all of them.

With a rough grip I forced the boy’s chin to me.

“Go back to Sophia and watch her. I believe I gave you a direct order the first time.” I snarled, watching his beautiful colored orbs go wide.

“M-mum, m-my mum.” He sobbed, the tears of pain dripping so freely.

“Your mum is dead. She traded you off to us like some useless piece of crap. You say you like me? Well, we’re going to have to change that, won’t we?” I forced a smirk and pulled him up by his shirt, pushing him with force toward the hall.

He tripped as he flew forward but surprisingly kept his balance.

“You’ve too much faith, lad. It’s time to start breaking that down. God isn’t going to save you, mummy was a crack whore slag and you’ve not a prayer in hell.” I bitterly spat, watching him turn around.

“My mum was a good Christian woman!” He yelled with indigence.

That of course made me laugh.

“Crack slags hide behind a belief because they have nothing going for them otherwise. You can have God without the drugs – she just choose drugs over belief and over her own son too. Go watch over Sophia before I change my mind and put you out of my misery. You’re just a lad, a lad that mummy choose to buy drugs from with no regard for her son’s well being, only her drug habit. You’re mum wasn’t a Christian – she was a junkie. Nothing more. Now, GO! Go before I bloody beat you!” I yelled, my voice deep and thick with my England heritage.

Christian stood there shaking in fear and anger but he didn’t move. Only when I stepped forward and grabbed him by his hair, marching him to Sophia’s prison and throwing him in did recognition shine in his eyes.

“Monster.” He whispered.

I snorted and slammed the door, locking it from the outside with the spare key.

“You have no idea, lad. No idea.” I confirmed to him through the door, banging my fist on it and heading back into the kitchen.

When I was out there again, the other three men looked at me with shock and fear – the fear I desperately needed to see. Which for some odd reason, calmed my anger.

“Niall? Liam? Take Dylan to the basement, hang him on the chains, I’ll figure out what to do with him later when he wakes up. When you’re done with him, come back up here and at that point, Liam, you will clean this place up, it’s a mess. Niall? You will help Zayn with the cooking, which none of you will be eating until the cleaning is done. I want it all completed within the next three hours or consequences will be dealt out. Have I made myself clear?”

Niall’s eyes were fearful, Zayn had a slightly worried one and Liam just looked annoyed but they all answered with a faint ‘yes sir’ before jumping to their task.

I had to admit, it felt good to get a second wind – it felt good to be back in control and I had Louis to thank for it.

Notes

Long chapter for you all 5K words for not updating for awhile - let me know what you think of this one! Enjoy ad thank you all for reading!