The Hostage and the Runaways

As they drove up the dirt path, Kellie had to slam on the brakes and jump from the van, sprinting over toward Killian who now sat on the ground panting – an unconscious guy lying next to him.

“Killian Aedan O’Hare!” Kellie screamed, not knowing the full understanding of the situation. Niall had only filled him on the summary – now he needed to get the full story.

Upon closer look, Kellie calmed when he saw the other party was still breathing.

Harry, Louis, Liam, and Zayn got out from the van and approached the twin brothers, stopping a foot away. Niall was out of the van and helping Isabella from it, carry her over. Her arms around Niall’s neck securely, he returned it with a secure hold of his own.

“I got you, dove.” Niall reassured softly, his eyes now focused on the scene in front of him.

“Killian, what happened? Why did you knock this man unconscious? You’re going to drive me to drink more. You can’t just walk somewhere, cause a scene, knock someone out and expect us to keep under the radar. It’s dark, two in the morning at least – what was he even doing outside?” Kellie bombarded him with questions and at first it was quiet –even Killian hadn’t reacted.

It wasn’t until Isabella’s soft request to move closer was heard did anyone breathe at all. She was barely conscious again but she recognized the figure lying on the ground – she just needed to be sure.

“We need to stay back here, dove.” Niall responded calmly, shifting her in his arms.

“You don’t understand, I think I know him.” Isabella whispered frantically, which caused all eyes to turn on her.

Niall hesitated before Kellie beckoned Niall to them, which allowed Isabella to set sights on the stranger’s face. She gasped quietly.

“His name is Emory Taylor, we grew up together –dated for a while in high school. We were best friends, his wife Kathy and I use to have a lot of classes together.” Isabella explained, her voice broke with emotion. “What in God’s name is he doing out here?”

“He appears to be on the ground, unconscious, luv.” Harry piped up sarcastically, trying to relieve the tension between everyone.

“No! I meant out here in the sticks –he and Katherine moved right after graduation. I was supposed to go with them, we were going to start university together but we had a falling out. Emory and I dated but it was getting rocky towards the end. Katherine and I were best friends, when Em and I broke up, she dated him about a week after. We had a code and she broke it. So I went my own way and they went theirs but he had married her. I know, I got the invitation to their wedding. It was a slap in the face but I’m glad they’re happy.” Isabella finished bitterly.

“If that’s what your happiness is, dove, I’d hate to see your bitterness. Come on, we need to get him and us inside. Liam? Go check and make sure the house is clear.” Niall ordered the older man who stood with his arms crossed.

“Listen, I’m not a dog. You don’t just give me a command and I happily follow it. I’m also tired of fetching things for everyone, you have two feet. Get them yourselves.” Liam responded, having really been sick of being relied on to bring and do things. He was fine with being the shoulder but not the pack mule.

“Liam? Please? We’re all very tired.” Kellie sighed, standing up and pulling a gun from the hem of his pants. “Come on, I’ll cover you.”

Liam growled but followed Kellie into the cabin to scope it out.

Isabella’s eyes hadn’t left Emory since they opened. Of all the people in the world, it had to be the one person besides Glen and Ethan that she never wanted to see again.

“Are you ok, lady dove?” Niall asked, his breath warm on the back of her neck.

“No. Emory and I left off on a terrible note. This –can’t we just tie him up and leave? We need to keep moving anyhow –the distance between the hotel and here isn’t far enough. We have to get further, it’s not safe to stop for too long anywhere. Please? We need to go.” Isabella pleaded, a dark energy growing in her beautiful greens.

“Ella, sweetheart –we can’t run anymore. We’re running on fumes and we’re literally out in the middle of nowhere with nothing to lite the roads. It’s dark and the fuel tank is running low.” Harry explained gently.

“We look for a gas station, I can hack the fuel pump and disable the cameras – it’s the sticks out here, so if they even have cameras at all. I’m begging you guys, please, we need to go! Nighttime is the perfect time, we need to keep hidden during the day! I’ve been doing this long enough, I know what can keep us safe. God please” Isabella sobbed, completely panicking.

“Ella, hun, Harry’s right. We need rest; we’ll spend tomorrow here and figure out what to do in the evening once we’ve gotten sleep. You’re barely keeping yourself together, I think you need this more than anyone.” Zayn calmed her while Niall rocked her slightly back and forth.

Isabella felt beside herself. She was back in full on survival mode but her body was its own prisoner. She couldn’t walk and she had to rely on everyone for everything. She was use to independence and freedom. She was use to running without feeling like a total helpless toddler.

“I just want to walk so I can do things myself. I’m tired of being carried around. Having things brought to me – I want to get them myself, I want to sit outside alone and come in when I want. I want to feel something besides helplessness. I want to run, I need to get out of here before they find us! They always do!” She cried, turning to bury her face in Niall’s shirt.

There was a pause and she felt herself being handed off again. Discarded into another pair of arms, just like she always seemed to be when one didn’t want to deal with her.

She recognized Killian’s touch and wrapped her arms around him tightly, burying her face into his shirt and facing away from the others.

A hand was massaging down her hair.

“You will walk, Ella love. You will be able to run again but right now, you need to accept that you don’t have that opinion and make the best of it. We don’t mind helping you because you need it and I know you want to keep running but sometimes we need to stop and plan out our next step. You’re in survival mode, you’re relying purely on instincts but you’re also neglecting to maintain things needed in order to survive. Love, if you don’t slow down, your body, your heart – they’ll give on you first. I can’t tell you how much discussion has been centered around you lately but you need to start taking care of yourself because we might go to wake you up one night and you might not wake up. Instead of you begging us, I’m begging you, I’m begging you to let go and trust us to take care of you, trust that no matter what we do, it is for your own good. We’re staying here tonight, that is not a decision you get to object to. If you can’t accept that and calm down, Zayn will be happy to give you something but we’re really hoping that you can see our point on this.” Louis tried to both explain and plead to Isabella to understand.

She turned her head from Killian’s chest and glanced at Louis, her eyes a hateful green.

“So it’s the same as it was before? Nothing’s changed? I’m still your hostage to control and you’re still my captor? Give me something to calm me down when I’m trying to plead a point, not my decision to make even if it benefits our safety? Tell me, Louis, what decisions do I get to make? Do I get any?” Isabella challenged, although it didn’t seem so forceful with the hiccups and running tears.

“You do. You get the decision of cooperating or you can continue to act like a spoiled child. Either way, we’re sleeping here and if you were still our captive, believe me my sweet Elly, you would have been gagged way before now so no; you’re not our captive, you’re like our pain in the butt sister whose being a thorn in our side as per usual but we’ve grown to love anyhow. You aren’t thinking clearly, I think after you’ve eaten and taken a shower –“Louis began but Isabella already interjected.

“I’m not hungry.”

The air thickened and Louis’s blue eyes flashed. He opened his mouth to say something but Liam whistled, catching their attention and waving them in before going back into the spacious looking cabin.

Louis looked at Isabella before glancing at Killian.

“Killian? Talk to her, she listens to you better than any of us. Niall? Help me get this Emory bloke inside and get him situated.”

Niall nodded and approached the man’s unconscious body, stopping when Zayn stepped in.

“Lou, mate? I’ve got the bloke, go inside and scout around. Harry? Park the van around back, behind something if possible.”

Everyone followed the orders they gave one another, leaving Killian and Isabella alone.

Killian sighed quietly and went to the cabin’s steps, sitting down on them and adjusted Isabella, her body still bridal style across his lap. He gently positioned her so she was sitting up against his chest, which left his hands free to encircle around her so his hands were easy to see.

“You’re taking their side, aren’t you?” Isabella spat, glancing back at Killian’s face.

Killian held an unreadable expression but it was serious before shrugging.

“I think we need to wait for the heat to die down.” Killian said, his voice was gone but his mouth moved normally without sound and Isabella could read his lips perfectly.

“You know Glen, you know he won’t stop – we’re too close, we need to get further away.” Isabella argued, trying to get him to see her point and he honestly did but it wasn’t his decision.

“I know little fawn but there’s nothing we can do.” His brown eyes sorrowful. He wished he could help Isabella out more. Her eyes were so full of panic and unrest that it honestly scared him.

For a moment she didn’t say anything. Her hand gently going to the bandage on his neck, tracing one of the edges slowly with her finger, Goosebumps forming on her skin from the cold.

“Why do you still love me? Why do you still care about when it’s my fault this happened to you? I deserve every bit of your distain, I deserve to be hated by everyone and for some reason they don’t. Why can’t you hate me when it’s my fault that you’ll never talk again? I caused everyone’s suffering and yet no one hates me. I should be running alone, I should have always been alone. Now you’re all stuck and in constant danger thanks to my pathetic waste of space useless –“

The outside light caught Killian’s beautiful brown eyes, illuminating them and she stopped quickly, his silent tears falling.

“You need to stop, luv.” Harry said gently, coming to sit beside Killian and rubbing the Irishman’s shoulder, handing him his notebook. “Here, mate, you’re going to need this.”

Killian didn’t bother to wipe the tears away. They were angry, he was angry. Isabella had given up well before the rescue and she wasn’t even trying – she didn’t even fight. She was so determined on survival and yet, she didn’t even make the effort to try to see passed their situation. She was so consumed with guilt on what happened that she was missing everything going on around her.

Killian looked at Harry and gently forced Isabella from his lap onto Harry’s, writing furiously on his notepad.

Harry gently positioned her securely on his lap, watching Killian.

Isabella went to wipe away the tears away but Killian grabbed her hand with lightning speed and forced it away from him before throwing the notepad in her lap and stood up, walking away and going in the cabin with the rest of the guys.

“What’s it say, luv?” Harry asked gently, hearing the girl try to choke back a sob.

“It says that love is unconditional and sacrifice is selfless. If I’m not willing to see that or try then his sacrifice had been for nothing and he was now just wasting his time. He says I’ve already given up and if I want to die, he won’t try to stop me but to give him the courtesy of not witnessing it. His heart wouldn’t be able to take the sight.”

Harry flinched but he knew Isabella needed it said.

“Love is unconditional and he risked a lot to save us –to save you. He knew what he was doing before doing it and he made the decision purely by love. He cares about you, he let his emotions do the acting knowing full well that he could die. He lost his ability to ever talk again. I hate to agree but if you’re not willing to try, this has all been a waste of time.” Harry followed Killian’s sentiment, his green eyes staring into Isabella’s.

“Why don’t you hate me? I left you tied to a chair, drugged – I could have gotten you and Louis killed. Fuck, I almost did kill you. Surely you have to harbor some resentment and I’d more than deserve it.” Isabella asked, not fully understanding why they didn’t.

Harry sighed, shifting her weight on his knees and reaching up to kiss her temple lovingly.

“Because we took you hostage even after you warned us but you know something? If we had to do it all over again, I would do the same exact thing because no one can run alone forever and like it or not, you are no longer alone. Open yourself up to that idea and embrace it. You’re loved and cared for, put any of that doubt to bed and let it rest there. We have you, we’ll always have you, luv.” Harry smiled and stood up, feeling her arms encircle his neck, holding on securely.

“I just want to walk, I want to do something in this group besides eat and sleep.” Isabella sighed, not feeling as bad but still not completely comforted, especially by Killian’s words. She knew she didn’t want to lose him, he was her heartbeat –her world.

“You hardly do those, so really – you’re batting a thousand, lass.” Harry chuckled, walking into the cabin and finding everyone in the living room.

He deposited Isabella on the opposite couch next to Killian and Kellie. Zayn was kneeling down next to Emory, a long piece of three inch wide piece of Velcro in his hands, a roll of duct tape beside him.

Isabella watched Zayn strategically put the one piece of Velcro into the buckle and tighten it to his wrists, pulling it taunt and secure before wrapping it around. It took wrapping it around four times but it was put on.

Without hesitation Zayn grabbed the duct tape, placing his hands palm to palm, like you would when praying and at that moment, Emory needed all the help he could get.

When his hands were positioned the way Zayn needed he picked up the duct tape and wrapped his hands, encasing his hands in the silver before picking up the other piece of Velcro and repeating the same process to his feet.

When he tore a piece off to cover Emory’s mouth, Isabella interjected.

“You can’t gag him, not with tape. He has a rare lung disorder that requires an inhaler, he can’t breathe well if his mouth is obstructed. Please don’t and if you absolutely have to; find something that allows him to be able to take in air through his mouth.”

Zayn hesitated, looking at Isabella but nodded and crumpled the tape up.

“Alright, I’ll do a search for something – unless you don’t think he needs gagged but considering he gave Killian a hard time, it wasn’t a risk I wanted to take.”

Isabella looked at Killian but he refused to look at her. Instead he stood up and moved to an unoccupied chair.

“He won’t need it. He reacted appropriately, considering if the news is covering a massacre at Saudimere towers, it’s a ruse to scare the public. Sighting us means Glen can have us followed more easily. With gathering reports by the public he’ll have no difficulty catching up. Emory was just unfortunate enough to spot us. He hasn’t seen me in a few years, I can try to talk to him, try to get him to see reason.” Isabella offered, watching Zayn smooth the duct tape around Emory’s hands and feet to make sure it was securely stuck over the strapping.

“Alright, that’s your job for when he wakes up. If you can’t get through though, we’ll have to take other appropriate measures. For now, I think it’s time we relaxed. I’m going to raid the kitchen and start supper. Killian? There’s a bathroom at the end of the hall there, will you help Isabella shower? She’ll go first because she takes the longest. Niall? Will you see if there’s any clothes around here? With Emory having a wife, there should be.” Zayn responded in thought, unaware of the tension.

“T-that’s ok, Niall can help me.” Isabella insisted weakly, hunching back when Killian stood and approached Isabella, hoisting her bridal style again and walking toward the hall and into the bathroom, shutting the door behind them and leaving an awkward looking room.

“Well, that was odd. I’ve never helped with her showers, Killian and Zayn are the only ones.” Niall noted with a shrug, standing to walk back toward the bedrooms to search for clothes.

Zayn went to the kitchen to cook leaving Kellie, Harry, Louis and Liam to sit around to guard their unconscious prisoner.

“TV?” Louis asked after a moment of uncomfortable silence.

“I claim the remote.” Liam replied without missing a beat.

Kellie stood up and headed to the kitchen to help Zayn with dinner, leaving the other three to fight over what to watch. He had too much on his mind and he needed the peace and quiet. Zayn wasn’t a man of many words and right then, the doctor’s company didn’t seem like such a bad idea.

A sudden scream rang out down the hall from the bathroom, causing him and the other occupants to freeze but when nothing more came out of it they simply went back to what they had been doing.

Notes