Stockholm Syndrome - A Harry Styles Fic

After Niall ate and hid his phone in the pocket of his pants Kohl approached him again and sat at the end of the bed facing the singer, a gun held carefully in his hands.

“Niall, I’m going to entrust this to you-please don’t make me regret doing that, alright?” Kohl asked, waiting for the singer to nod.

Niall’s face contorted, almost like forcing away a bad memory-his hands starting to shake. Kohl noticed this and sighed quietly, keeping patient with the younger boy.

“Niall, Phillandrias is dangerous, he will kill you if given the chance-his games are as sick as Jason’s and-you need to be prepared to defend yourself. Like it or not our lives depend on it.”

Niall nodded and held his hand out.

“Alright, you won’t regret it-I promise.” Niall agreed, feeling the cold steel being set gently in his hand with a great deal of care.

“Hide it in your pocket and lay back down, I need to restrain you again, Phillandrias must not know I unstrapped you, fed you, talked to you…associated with you in any way so do not look to me for help, do not give away anything or he will kill us both. I got my orders and you just stick to being the devastated victim who just lost his friends in a plane explosion. When everything plays out how I pray it will, we’ll be on the next plane out of here and off the radar. You can call your friends once this is finished but you will not be allowed to bring your phone with you as the Organization CAN track the signal. Understand?” Kohl continued.

Niall looked like he wanted to argue, the troubled expression on his face told Kohl it wasn’t but he would make due.

“My whole world is on that phone-“Niall started as he put the gun in the waistband of his pants and laid back on the cot to let Kohl tie him down again.

I will get you an untraceable phone and transfer everything from that phone to the untraceable. You can keep in contact with your family but extra security measures will be taken to assure me that nothing changes in our agreement. You need to be off the radar and so do the others. That’s why when they arrive in England it will not be at an airport. It will be safely delivered to an undisclosed location. They need to be thought dead and you-you’ll remain an escaped convict until we can get my sister back and your friend. Then with any luck I will bring an end to Jason and Christian and take over the Organization, from there I can clear your name…after that’s done, I’m bringing it down. No one will know what hit them and the other slaves will be rescued. The police, feds-they’ll all have their hands full. My sister and I will be out of dodge and you guys will be reunited and do whatever you were doing before all this bullshit started.” Kohl reassured as he strapped his chest and stomach down but when it came to his wrists, he left them loose enough to slip out of when the time came.

“I thought you said my friends were going home to their families?” Niall asked, feeling dread fill his stomach.

“They are Niall, they will. Just not right now, when we get my sister, when we end this. It’s just not safe for them right now.” Kohl calmed, reaching over to where the gag had been placed and picked it up. “Sorry about this man but-needs to look authentic.”

Niall nodded in understanding, allowing Kohl to slip the fabric into his mouth and reach behind his head to tie it. Kohl tied it securely but loose enough so that if the singer had to warn him he’d be properly able to move his lips to do it.

“Comfortable?” He made sure before standing up.

“Yes.” Niall answered, his voice a little garbled but he would make due.

“Good, just remember-we’re not friendly, I’ve left you tied you, yada, yada-you hate me, I’m indifferent…but the minute that jet explodes on the TV you need to struggle, yell out-play it to the hilt. Got it? Your life and mine depend on it. I’ll take care of the rest and if I can’t-you know what you have to do.” Kohl told him with a dead serious tone, pacing the floor.

“I thought you said you hated murder?” Niall asked as Kohl stopped and reached back over behind Niall’s head and tightened the cloth a little more.

“Your voice needs to come out a little more muffled, it won’t be believable if I can understand you that clearly-try talking to me now, I need to make sure.” Kohl ordered lightly.

Niall tried to repeat the question but he found the gag had restricted his speech more effectively. He didn’t like the feeling of the knot or the material in his mouth, it dried his saliva and made his throat dry. Thankfully He could still warn Kohl as it hadn’t been tied as tightly as it had in the van but complete sentences were out.

“Ok, sounds good and I said I hated coldblooded murder. Killing Phillandrias isn’t coldblooded. It’s a mercy killing. He’s a rabid animal that needs to be put down.” Kohl replied honestly, turning from him and started on his pacing again.

It was only ten minutes later before Phillandrias and Kohl’s partner, effectively nicknamed brown eyes, came walking through the warehouse towards Niall and Kohl.

Kohl had decided to lite up a cigarette while he waited and was in the middle of a drag when the other two approached.

“You shouldn’t smoke, those things will kill ya.” Brown eyes smirked, taking it from Kohl’s fingers and taking a long hit off of it himself.

Kohl chuckled and went to turn the television up, knowing that it was nearly time.

“Not as much as this job will, am I right Chase?”

Chase smirked and eyed Niall.

“You are indeed. What’s with blonde there? Was he giving you mouth or something?” Chase asked, which caused Niall’s eyes to widen. “Oh relax blue eyes, I’m not gonna do nothing to you. Phill here though is who I’d be more worried about.”

“Oh shut up, Chase. Goddamn your voice makes me want to shoot my eardrums out just for the peace and quiet.”

Kohl let out a laugh and stood by Phillandrias as Chase took a seat on the edge of Niall’s cot, taking another long drag of the cancer stick.

“You smoke kid?” Chase asked.

Niall shook his head slightly, swallowing hard.

“Yeah, probably not a good habit to start.” Chase agreed, glancing down wayward to his wrists before catching Niall’s eyes again, taking another drag before stomping the butt on the ground. “Well look at that…the kid slipped his cuffs-you sly dog, almost had us fooled. If you didn’t look so nervous you may have went unnoticed.”

Kohl took a step forward coolly, glancing down on Niall and pretended to examine the straps on his wrists, knowing Chase just spoiled the backup plan he had.

“So he did. I knew I should have buckled them tighter. Kid had to use the bathroom this morning and wouldn’t shut up until I took him.” Kohl explained, his voice light and carefree as he pulled out another cigarette. He was getting nervous, this was not the plan he was going for.

“I’ll take one.” Chase said, holding his hand out.

Kohl handed him one before offering Phillandrias the pack which he took wordlessly, looking at the TV screen, any minute now, it would be the end of One Direction, and they would again be in the clear.

“Get him secured.” Phillandrias ordered, not very happy about the carelessness but he could care less about that right now, the news was almost ready to switch to the reporting site.

Chase smiled and took a rough hold of the singer’s wrist as he started to struggle in panic.

“Nm! Stahm!” Niall pleaded, looking at Kohl who put a hand on Chase’s shoulder, trying to calm the situation.

“Let me, no sense in traumatizing him anymore then he already is.” Kohl shrugged, which made Chase roll his eyes.

“You did a pretty shitty job if he slipped from them last time, relax, I ain’t going to hurt your precious little charge. I’m doing what you failed to.” Chase growled, grasped the strap and pulled it as hard as he could against Niall’s wrist, making the singer cry out in pain as it was buckled.

“You have to stop being so soft on them, Kohl. They are not your friends, they are your prisoners. They have feelings that do not pertain to you, your job is simply to transport them, watch them and if asked, care for them minimally. You were not asked to care for him, you were asked to watch him. If he had to piss, that was not your problem, that’s why we have a tarp below the cot. Next time I have to remind you how to do your job, Jason will remind Sorrow on how to do hers-with a crash course. Understood?” Phillandrias threatened as Niall cried out again when the other wrist was secured.

“Yes sir.” Kohl nodded with a swallow, sucking another drag from his cig and watching Chase readjusting the restraints, feeling sorry for the poor musician but not enough to break character. “You might want to be careful on the chest and stomach straps, they cut in too tight they won’t be able to breathe.”

Chase rolled his eyes again but adjusted it tightly enough for the straps to serve their purpose, but not enough to restrict breathing.

“Don’t tell me how to do my job.” Chase said, going to Niall’s ankles and pulling them as tight as his strength allowed, which was tight enough for them to be buckled to the last buckle.

Niall was in agony, his hands already going red from circulation loss and he knew his feet would suffer the same fate soon enough, he looked at Kohl desperately but already knew the man wouldn’t help him, he would just have to lay there and see how things played out.

The last thing Chase adjusted was the gag, making Niall flinch as the knot was once again tightened to the back of his mouth.

“He won’t be going anywhere now.” Chase announced proudly, taking a hit of his own cigarette and blowing the smoke in Niall’s face, making him cough and gag at the same time.

Kohl nodded toward Niall’s hands.

“Yeah I can see that, you cut off circulation to his extremities, leave him like that too long and he won’t be going anywhere permanently.”

“Let it go Kohl.” Phillandrias ordered.

“He’s going to end up hurting-“Kohl faltered, getting slightly impatient.

“What Chase does, does not concern you. Worry about yourself.” Phillandrias ordered sternly which caused Kohl to grow but say nothing further. He knew he was on thin ice already and the last thing he wanted was for something to happen to Sorrow.

It was then his attention went to the screen, a loud explosion grabbing all their attentions as the female news caster went for cover and the debris fell before she even had a chance to start reporting – but it was fairly obvious she was expecting something due to the fact that she flinched just seconds before the explosion.

“Oh my god! A jet just blew up!” She could be heard screaming off camera, followed by panic from the other news casters before the feed transferred back into the studio, the casters behind the desk seemed stunned into absolute shock and silence. The middle anchor finally breaking the quiet.

Ladies and gentlemen, we have no idea what happened…it…it would appear the air jet caring band One Direction has…exploded. We’ll have more news as we find out the details-for right now we need to take a short recess to make sure our anchors are ok and assess what happened. We’ll be right back.

All Niall could do was lay there. He knew he was supposed to struggle, yell, play it to the hilt but his energy was gone. He just did not have the strength to do anything but lay there, look at the now dark screen and let a few tears fall.

“Now we move. Niall?” Phillandrias called sweetly, getting the boy’s attention.

“Do you want to join your friends-or do you want to join us? You’ll be trained under my rule until you can be completely trusted but I see potential-wasted potential if you pass up on this offer, after all, you’re a wanted criminal with no hope a future, your friends are dead and your family-well, it would just be so easy to call in a favor. I have men stationed in England and they could easily knock on your brother’s door and-“Phillandrias spoke as Niall started to struggle for what he was worth and scream at him, gagging on the knot but fully listening and fully panicked.

“I believe he’s agreeing.” Chase laughed, reaching behind and unknotting the gag, pulling it from his mouth.

“No! No, please leave him alone! I’ll do whatever you want!” Niall sobbed, slamming his head back against the pillow.

Kohl knew he could shoot Phillandrias but getting a second shot out before Chase shot him was the tricky part. He knew he could poison them but that was always so messy. Whatever he did, he’d have to do it quick because the plane he acquired to come and get him and Niall would be arriving momentarily and with him stuck between a rock and a hard place-it was time to get creative.

He went to the cooler, opening it and taking out four beers, already prefilled with cyanide. It was an odorless and tasteless poison but highly effective. It could take up to ten minutes for the person to die but the effects happen almost right away.

“I propose a toast, yeah?” Kohl announced, handing a beer to Phillandrias and Chase before tossing the unopened one to Niall’s side. “To…Phillandrias, Jason and Christian. May the Organization flourish and the ones opposed die a slow and painful-“He stopped short, hearing the hum of a nearby approaching plane.

Phillandrias heard it too-

Ut-oh. Kohl thought, his eyes panicking.

“What’s that?” Phillandrias demanded, looking at Chase, who had begun coughing violently and clutching his throat from the gulp he had just taken from the beer bottle. He was never one to wait until the end of the toasts-which was lucky for Kohl because it made his job easier with Chase incapacitated.

Without much time to think, he took his gun from the waistband of his jeans, already loaded and un-cocked. He moved with speed, forcing the nozzle upward below Phillandrias’s jaw and pulling the trigger.

Watching as the bullet worked easily up through his jaw and into his brain, lodging itself there but only after severing the main control center-which made the organ completely useless. The lights went out upstairs, there was now nobody home.

“See you in hell Phillandrias.” Kohl growled, watching the body of his former boss drop like a sack of potatoes. He then turned to Chase who was on the floor still grasping his throat but at the same time had begun to still.

Taking a little bit of mercy on his now former partner Kohl cocked the gun again and put a bullet dead center of Chase’s forehead. It was at that second the man’s bladder gave way.

“Not a pleasant way to go at all,” Kohl muttered, making a face at the smell that was now coming from his partner before adding insult to injury. “Good thing there’s a tarp down-I fret of the cleanup otherwise.”

Kohl seemed to get himself centered again before turning toward Niall and leaning down to unstrap him from the cot. He then ran for the front door, opening it and giving a thumbs up to the pilot before rushing back in to help Niall get completely untied.

“We have to go.” Kohl told him urgently, grabbing the hood that had also been tossed on the cot and helping Niall away.

Niall leaned on Kohl as he guided him out. He had to admit, the turn of events weren’t one that he expected.

They made it into the plane in record time, sitting down in the first two seats with the other two left blank.

“Oh God-oh my God, what-“Niall panicked, his eyes wide in fear.

“Don’t worry about it.” Kohl soothed, reaching behind him and pulling his gun out, tossing it away from them before looking at Niall and giving him a nod.

Niall copied Kohl’s movement without thought but didn’t like the look of the hood in Kohl’s hand. Knowing now what he meant by extra measures.

“You have a choice-hood or sedation, I thought you’d prefer the hood to a shot in the arm though.” Kohl told him, tossing it to him.

“Can I call my friends first? You said-since I won’t be able to bring my phone with me?” Niall swallowed, looking desperately at Kohl.

Kohl nodded.

“Yeah go for it. I’ll get the untraceable programmed after and destroy that one.” Kohl told him, watching Niall pull his phone out and dial Louis’s number.

It rang a few times but there was an answer.

“Niall!? Bloody hell mate, what the fuck is going on?” Louis demanded, the faint roar of an engine sounding from the other end. “Everyone thinks we’re dead and there’s a man in front of us with a pistol pointed dead center-they told us you planned this! What the fuck! Niall I swear to God the next time I see you I’m gonna-“ His voice dropped out as the phone seemed to be grabbed, Liam’s voice could be over Louis’s threats.

“Niall! Thank God, are you ok?” Liam yelled over Louis.

Niall’s hand flew to his mouth and the tears started again.

“Oh thank you, oh God thank you.” Niall gasped, letting out the choked sob he had been holding since he heard Louise’s voice

“You’re asking if HE’S ok? What about us? Bloody fucking hell. He probably don’t have a gun trained on him!” Louis swore.

“Shut up Louis!” Zayn snapped, taking the phone and putting it on speaker phone.

“I’m fine, I’m with…I’m with someone, someone who can help get Harry back, help end this nightmare.” Niall promised, his voice cracking with emotion as Kohl took the phone from him and put it on speaker phone, handing it back to him.

“Jessie?” Kohl asked, his voice emotionless but filled with authority.

“Yeah Kohl? How goes it?” Jessie replied, his tone light, he appeared to be in a good mood, which was a positive sign.

“No too shabby, listen, the guys you have aren’t your normal transports, they’re not going to attack you, put the gun away.” Kohl said, smiling a little as the three other guys all let out a small sigh of relief. “The place you’re taking them, it’s pretty far from civilization, save for a store about twenty miles away. If you were planning on keeping them tied up, locked up, there’s no need. They will stay put and if they don’t then you have my permission to take necessary precautions but as far as right now goes, let them have free reign of the cabin and the grounds.”

“Anything you say man, will do. What’s the plan on Organization X?”

Kohl sighed, thinking over the question.

“Speak of this transport to no one. We’re dropping off the grid. I learned from another source that a lot of transporters are going to be killed-Jason’s orders, he’s in charge now.”

“Won’t have to worry about us saying anything, thanks for the heads up, Kohl. You were always one of my favorites…one of the human ones anyhow. Later man, let these three get the steam out of their collars because they’re dying to say something.” Jessie finished, going silent.

“You too man, over and out.” Kohl chuckled and gave Niall the ok.

“Everything will be alright, I know it will.” Niall promised, his eyes on the phone intently.

It was quiet for a few moments before Zayn spoke up.

“We know. We believe in you Niall, just bring Harry back safe-get us the hell out of this mess if you can. I know you’ll try your best, you always do.”

“Thanks Zayn, I will.” Niall closed his eyes, savoring the sound of his friend’s voice and committing it to memory-just in case it was the last time they ever spoke to each other.

“Speak for yourself,” Louis muttered but decided he would beat the shit out of Niall later when they were all reunited. “Bring Harry back, bring yourself back-just be careful.”

“I will, I’ll try.” Niall promised, his relief sinking with his depression. He thought this call would bring him joy-but all he felt was relief and sadness.

“We’ll see you soon, right?” Liam asked, the last one to speak, his voice remaining light and hopeful but Niall could tell his heart just wasn’t up to it.

“I sure hope so Liam-I truly do,” Niall sighed and looked at Kohl who motioned for him to wrap it up. He didn’t want to but he knew the longer he stayed on, the harder it would be to let go. “I have to go now guys but I’ll see you all soon. Love you, stay safe.”

“Love you to.” Liam said, the other two repeating the same before the call was disconnected.

“Thank you, Kohl.” Niall whispered, looking to his captor.

Kohl’s face was emotionless now, he seemed more somber.

“Don’t thank me, Niall. I didn’t do anything, just- put the hood on, huh?”

Niall nodded and didn’t argue, if it made Kohl feel better he’d wear the hood but even without it he wouldn’t be able to tell where they were going.

“Are you ok? You seem a little troubled.” Niall thought to ask as he fitted the thick sack over him, looking in the direction Kohl sat.

“I will be once this is over, I just hope it’s over quick,” Kohl replied tiredly, laying his head back against the seat. “I’m going to catch a few hours, you might want to do the same.”

“Alright.” Niall agreed, putting his seat back and closing his eyes. Although his mind was far too wired to sleep, so he took to just lying there and listening to the even sounds of Kohl’s breathing.

Notes

long chapter, enjoy if anyone's reading :-)