Stockholm Syndrome - A Harry Styles Fic

Officer Phillandrias saw red. In fact the color red ran through his vision as he too stood to look at Jack Broadway. He hadn’t seen the man since they had pulled his son from the Yellowstone River. The man had been inconsolable and unpredictable since then, blaming him directly for his son’s death and finding ways to complicate important investigations. While Phillandrias had not done much in the way of trying to find Harry, he had done everything he could to find Jude. All his man power had went into it with zero results. Jude was gone and now he had every teenybopper in the world calling his station demanding answers on Harry – Jack Broadway was an official pain in the ass.

“You put them up to this!” Ed Phillandrias yelled, pointing his finger accusingly at the slightly younger gentleman, who in turn just smirked.

“I needed your help and you were pretty hurtful last time you talked to the boys here. Telling them that Harry was kidnapped because of karma? You’re supposed to be compassionate. A police officer is compassionate towards other people’s plights – not just their own and we both know that your daughter isn’t blow jobbing someone right now or dead in the ditch herself is because of my son. When Jude was grabbed, your daughter was on that list too, in fact she was kidnapped wasn’t she? She only escaped by the grace of God and because of my son and all you can tell these gentlemen about their friend is that he deserves to die in a lightless room, alone-scared? Your daughter that could have been your daughter! My son saved her and you’re not even willing to help bring down the organization by trying to help these men? You Ed, should be ashamed of yourself!” Broadway exploded stepping to the other man and looking him dead in the eyes.

The tension rose quickly in the air to almost a suffocating level, neither men willing to back down.

“All that man power and we couldn’t even find your son! We found him dead in a river, what’s the point? The Organization has a minus one percent chance of anyone coming out alive. No one has been FOUND alive. The sooner they get on with their lives the better! We’re initiating a lost cause!” Ed agued, sticking his finger in Broadway’s chest.

Broadway crossed his arms over his chest stubbornly.

“There’s always a chance. So both you and your men will help me or risk looking like complete assholes in front of the world. I told those men what to say because I knew it would piss you off enough to where you’d help-“Broadway started.

“I have no choice now do I? Every teenybopper from here to Apopka is calling into my station and-do you know how many teenagers I’ve had to console tonight?” Ed challenged, the four boys, Paul and Harry’s mom looking on in absolute shock.

“Console? You mean you didn’t tell them to just get the fuck over it like you told me to do?” Broadway asked sarcastically.

“My daughter has a few friends who are into-listen, what I did to you was wrong. I got my daughter back and you never got your son back, for that Jack I’m sorry but you’ve put me in a position to have it happen again. This time it’s on a much bigger scale…this time the whole world is watching and now we’re going to fail because we don’t have a lead to go on. We have Niall’s testimony. I didn’t take the case because I don’t think I can handle pulling another body from Yellowstone River – I still see your son’s face – don’t tell me I don’t have compassion because it affects me every day. You’re right, I was an asshole for how I treated the boys before but you and I both know there’s no hope to wrap up in this – Harry is as good as dead and you know it. Quit feeding them false hope.” Phillandrias finished, sitting down so the other man was towering over him.

“You don’t know that. My son was a different case, we were close – SO close to uncovering something big last time. We have a chance to try again, you’re right, only a fool would chase a shadow but what have we to lose?” Broadway reasoned, holding his hand out to motion out, hopeful in his mind.

“But you told us not to have that same hope, you said he could wind up dead and not to be surprised.” Niall spoke up, watching the men have their standoff.

“I said could, not would and you need to prepare yourselves for the worst and be happy if something positive comes out from all of this. You can’t give up hope – because without it you don’t have anything.” Broadway said, taking a seat next to Phillandrias. “We have the attention of social media – we have eyes and we have a voice. We didn’t have that last time, please Ed – please consider it.” Broadway finished.

The other man looked around the room, his eyes settling on each of the boys, his manager, Harry’s father who sat guarded, his step father who looked anxious and his mother – the look in her eyes was as desperate as he ever saw a woman. It was the same look Broadway’s wife wore when Jude had first disappeared. It was the look of complete and utter helplessness.

“What was the name of the man we got last time?” Phillandrias asked, taking out his notebook and pen to write down notes.

“Jessie Scott. He won’t be much help though.” Broadway said as the boys took a seat next to Harry’s parents and Paul on the end of the couch.

“Why? Did you lose track of him?” Phillandrias asked, his eyebrows cocked upright in a typical sarcastic fashion.

“Nope, someone got to him. Every see an Italian necktie or a Brazilian knot maker up close?” Broadway asked, reaching into his pocket and producing a few pictures, showing them to Phillandrias.

“Sweet Jesus Christ on a Christmas cracker-holy-“Phillandrias exclaimed, looking away and putting his hand to his mouth. “They-they killed one of their own?” He stuttered but proceeded to take down notes, the other officers watching on.

“They killed him and the other lead we had. I think that’s why most are careful not to get caught up with us or any other fed.” Broadway shrugged.

Niall swallowed, not sure if he should speak – no one else was but he had an idea that might help.

“What-what about the cameras setup around the vicinity? Maybe we can trace them? I know they took off in a plane, which would have had to be near an airport of a private landing station. We could follow it as a lead?” Niall suggested, stuttering slightly at the looks he received from the two older men.

“It’s a start-but we also need to pay attention to details here. With so much heat on the situation outside and news media covering this story, they would send people in to infiltrate and get information on what’s going on. We need to be careful, nothing we discuss must leave this room.” Broadway cautioned, handing the pictures to Niall. “Or this could happen.”

Niall took one look at the one picture and threw them back to Broadway, covering his eyes as he did so.

“You said there was a low percentage of seeing my son alive again but-there is that small chance that we will get to, right? Nothing is impossible, I know this but why does this all seem so impossible?” Anne Cox, Harry’s mother finally spoke, her voice breaking with emotion.

Her husband, Robin, reached over and pulled her into a secure reassuring embrace. Her ex-husband Desmond, reaching over and putting his hand on her shoulder, tenderly massaging it, his own silent worry shining through.

It was an indisputable fact that the situation was well and truly out of their control and they felt every bit powerless to stop it. That was the harsh reality of it.

“I’m sorry.” Niall whispered, watching the display with a pained expression, falling deeper and deeper into a depression. The guilt was constant and there wasn’t a moment that went by he didn’t wish it had been him. If he could trade places with Harry at that moment he would.

“Oh love, it’s not your fault – it isn’t” Anne said, reaching to comfort the boy, frowning deeply when he stood away from her touch.

“I don’t deserve your compassion Mrs. Cox. I let your son down, I let the band down and I’m going to have to live with that. I don’t know how you can sit there and tell me it’s alright when I can’t even do that myself.” Niall cried, turning away from the group and going toward the balcony door so they didn’t see him break down again. He just couldn’t be strong any longer, his strength was gone and so was his hope. All he had left was a prayer and even that was slowly fading.

Once on the balcony he looked up to the evening sky that had slowly started to set in the sky and said a prayer. He didn’t know if God was listening but he figured it was worth a try.

“I know you usually save your miracles for special occasions but I’ll be honest with you, we sure do need one right about now…not even instantly-I know they take time to come true but if you can find it in your power to bring Harry back to us, preferably alive and in one piece – but even if just alive, we would be-I would be most grateful.” Niall said, his eyes tearing up again for what seemed like the hundredth time that day, he just didn’t have any energy left to fight it.

“Amen.” Anne finished softly, having been standing by the balcony door to make sure Niall was ok. She knew he was taking it harder than the rest of the group.

Niall turned to her, tears and all. The very sight of it broke Anne to her core, she only wished she could take away the pain he must be feeling.

“It’s ok Niall, come here.” Anne gestured but walked closer to him when he shook his head.

“I don’t deserve-I don’t-“Niall trailed off weakly as he was scooped into another secure embrace and held tightly, Anne’s soft voice soothingly shushing him.

“It’s not about deserving comfort Niall. It’s about accepting it. Right now, you need it more than anyone…and I need it to be reassured, even if it is hopeless…even if Harry is never-“She too trailed off, her voice breaking to a strangled sob.

Niall embraced her tighter as they both seemed to lose the battle of control but in a strange way they finally found comfort in another knowing that they weren’t alone.

Notes

Chapter 16 goes back to Harry, so next chapter. Enjoy!