Chapter 7: Jack Broadway

Niall, Liam, Louis, and Zayn were held up in their hotel room, especially since all hell broke out over Harry’s disappearance and the incapability of keeping the band safe by the management sworn to protect them. It was a media shit storm and the ¼ of One Direction were directly in its path.

“I told you, I forgot my wallet and told Harry to tell Alan to wait up. I go, I come back and they’ve disappeared. I come to the dressing room where I proceed to get my ass handed to me per request of everyone who seems to think I could have stopped it. The guy would have cut my throat-he even said so himself.” Niall defended, glaring at the cop who insisted on throwing accusations at him for the hundredth time that hour.

“So you say but why would you suddenly go back for your wallet? Why not tell Harry to wait inside while you went and then told Alan to wait up a second?” The cop retorted back, taking notes of everything that was discussed.

“Well sir, if I knew my best friend was about to be kidnapped by a deranged bodyguard then I probably would have but considering we’ve trusted Alan with our lives for many years…why would we do things any different? Alan was a great guy, he helped us sneak out so we could feel for two seconds that we were normal. I saw nothing out of place with that.”

The cop snorted and looked at Niall pointedly.

“If you wanted to be normal then you shouldn’t have gotten famous to begin with if you couldn’t handle it. My daughter is a One Direction fanatic-but me personally, I think you guys suck if I’m being completely honest. Your poor little rock star problems are minimal compared to making sure other families of lower misfortunes are struggling every day.” The cop went on, making Niall’s mouth drop. Instead of reacting with anger he put it behind him as the other three seemed to go quiet at the cop’s blatant dismay for them.

“That may be Officer but right now, Harry’s missing. I’d say that qualifies as a misfortune on not only our end but yours as well. Paperwork and manpower to find him and we lost a friend. No matter our problems right now, I’d say Harry’s is a hundred times fold. He’s human just like we are and I’d appreciate it if you treated us like you would your other missing persons cases. I just want to see my friend brought back to us alive.” Niall finished as the officer’s hand never wavered with the pen and his face never expressed any other emotion other than dislike.

This caused Zayn’s patience to wear down some.

“If this was your daughter wouldn’t you have everyone out there looking and unrested until she was found?” He reasoned as the officer stopped writing and looked at the boys with scrutiny.

“I would. No one would sleep until she was found and the people responsible were brought down. The only difference though is this isn’t my daughter. This is a spoiled little pop star who may of just gotten a reality check by karma.” The officer responded, smirking at the disbelief that crossed the other boys faces.

“That’s someone’s son though, that’s someone’s brother!” Liam exclaimed as Zayn went to grab him before he could deck the officer across the face and get them all charged with assault.

“He’s sure as hell isn’t mine so to be quite frank, I don’t give two flying fucks if he was related to the pope or a welder’s son. He’s not my family so if you’ll excuse me if I don’t play the world’s smallest violin for someone who I could care less about.” The officer continued while Louis stood and folded his arms cross his chest, taking stance against the couch.

“I thought as an officer of the law you were sworn to protect. What happened to protecting its citizens? What happened to compassion?” He challenged as the officer seemed somewhat taken aback.

“It only applies for people born here. Not some British flash in the pan pop boy band.” The officer bit back and closed his notes, standing up as he did so. “Don’t expect the police here to bend over backwards just because you want your friend back. There are millions of people worldwide in captivity at this very second-bound in chains and wishing for freedom. They’re not getting it and no one gives a crap of their existence. So why the fuck should I care if a spoiled brat is somewhere right now in some dark cold lightless place when before this happened you didn’t think about any of the other victims that suffer the same fate every single day when their eyes open and even what some close theirs for the very last time. It’s a cruel world guys, time to start getting use to disappointments.” The officer finished and slammed his note taking closed, seeing as he had moved virtually the whole band to tears. “It’s a cruel world lads and sometimes we never get the ones we love back. Sometimes they’re dead in the water before they even had a chance.”

Niall clapped sarcastically, also standing up.

“What an inspirational speech officer, maybe your job is below you. I think you missed your calling, sir, you’d do so well as a motivational speaker. You could entitle your speeches; How to be a humongous tool!”

Zayn held Niall back and forced him back against his chest.

“Shh, he’s not worth it mate. We’ll find someone who will help us, don’t lose it now Niall. It’s not your fault and we don’t blame you, ok? You’re our best lead if anything.” Zayn reassured softly, rubbing his shoulder and glaring at the officer who rolled his eyes and made his way towards the door, muttering the word ‘fags’ under his breath as he left.

“I thought-what-“Niall stuttered as Liam slammed the door once the pig left.

“There are officers and then there are pigs in uniforms. He would fall under the latter of porker with a badge. Come on mates, let’s think what Alan could have meant by ‘Give my regards to Broadway.’”

Niall pulled out his laptop and powered it on.

“Let’s try the internet maybe that will give us some clue.”

The guys gathered around it as the machine powered on and began their search. If the policemen sworn to uphold the law weren’t going to help then they had to try other places.

“What about the FBI? Maybe they could help us? That’s their specialty after all, helping bring down large operations.” Liam reasoned while Niall shook his head.

“We don’t know how far this organization reaches. It could be small and under the radar or it could be-“He paused and went to google, typing in Broadway+organization.

“Hmm…nice to know there are so many theaters in New York City to go to if one fancies to see a play. Lovely but not what we’re searching for.” Zayn huffed, taking the laptop and trying a search of his own.

“Organization operation and Broadway.” Zayn tried, his face falling with the same results as last time showed across the screen.

“Maybe New York is calling us after we get Harry back, seeing as Broadway and anything to do with organizations keep giving us bloody theaters to check out in New York bloody City.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Zayn. We’re not typing something in to give us the right results.” Niall said as he took his laptop back.

“FBI Broadway, Organization.” Niall tried, his face lighting up when a man appeared across his screen. “There it is, Jack Broadway – FBI negotiator and – investigator.” He frowned skimming through a few old reports.

“Guys, listen to this: Jack Broadway’s attempt at uncovering organization x has been one dead end after another. His son, Jude Broadway was discovered brutally slain outside North Dakota a year prior, Broadway swears he won’t rest until the killers are caught and brought to justice – even if by his own hand but the threat seems mute as Broadway’s slow descend into depression has led to some questionable tactics. We pray for him and his family.”

Zayn sighed.

“Any idea where we can find the sod?”

Niall pressed a few keys and a phone number appeared, he took his phone out, dialing it.

“Let’s just hope he’s more willing to help us then the pig in blue. It’s times like this where I miss home, at least a missing persons report would have been filed at the time of call instead of forty-eight hours later where the victim could potentially be dead in a ditch or sold to West Africa.”

“Once we get Harry back we’re getting out of here.” Zayn promised, his heart skipping a beat when the other line started to ring.

Notes

Enjoy and thanks so much for reading!