"It Just Hurts"|| z.m

[37]

37- Zayn

Zayn jammed his cold hands in his pockets, leaning on the nearest tree as he breathed heavily. Riley rummaged in her bag and pulled out a bottle of water which he grabbed gratefully. The water was cold to his throat and he grimaced, but nevertheless water was water. They were standing in the middle of a forest, having have to go on foot after parking the car on a path. Butch insisted they were close to the factory, but Zayn didn't think he could go any longer. His back ached like crazy and every step he took made him wince. Even though the weather was cold, the December air showing itself clearly in the grey puffs escaping in mouth and in the numbness of his hands, his back was sweating which was not good. He could literally feel droplets form and slide icily down under his bandages, turning colder and making him shiver every minute or so. He was wearing a t-shirt under his sweater and coat, but it was soaked from the back.

"You think you can make it?" Riley asked worriedly, and Daniel looked up at him with puffy eyes, their hands cuffed together. Yesterday he'd been a total mess, crying and sobbing. Butch yelled at him a few times midnight, making him cry harder. Zayn had tried his best to reassure the boy or at least cease his hiccups and blubbering, but it was hard while he lay on the sofa himself, eyes heavy from sleep. He wasn't sure how Daniel had fallen asleep, but the sobbing had subdued slowly.
"It's just a few meters away, of course he can make it." Butch sighed in annoyance. "Come on, we're not stopping here. Besides, it's warm inside."
Zayn's brows knitted in confusion. Warm? He was expecting the factory to have cracked windows and wind howling, water droplets falling from cracked seams in the roof. That's how the warehouse had been.

Locking his jaw, Zayn stood up and wiped his forehead with his coat sleeve.
They walked for anther ten minutes straight before they neared their destination, a brown building rising tall through the woods. The windows were covered with frost and it was hard to look inside. It didn't seem as huge as Zayn had actually expected, so it was quite considerable in size. His back was freezing and he did his best to keep standing in his wobbly knees. Riley noticed the strain on his face, but before she could do or say anything, Butch chuckled and said, "we're here", clapping Zayn's back in the process. Zayn lost his balance and fell face first in the snow, teeth gritted hard. The action sent Daniel falling down too, but Zayn was too cold and in too much pain to think about anything else. He groaned, rolling over on his back. Bad move. He bit down on his tongue and recoiled, the taste of blood entering in his mouth and he rolled back to his stomach.

"You're an idiot, you know," Riley whispered as she kneeled down, Butch walking forward and knocking on the double doors.
"And why's that?" Zayn mumbled, his cheek growing numb from the feeling of the cold snow.
"You just had to show defiance," Riley sighed, shaking her head as she grabbed his arms and helped him up. Zayn pursed his lips from letting another groan escape and sucked it up, walking forward, shoulders hunched. The door opened a bit and Brian gave Butch a little handshake. Zayn wasn't exactly sure how he felt about the whole idea with going back to Tom. He felt like he was a prize that they were quarreling over, which was actually the case. In their eyes, he was only a prize. You're human? Oh we don't care. Feelings? Oh we don't care.

Zayn stumbled forward and Brian looked up, brows knitted. He didn't know much about Brian, but the guy had in kind of been nice and not let Joey beat him up, but he was also working for Tom. Riley's working for Butch, but you trust her.
Did he, though?  Did he trust Riley who might have helped him but was working and was adamant on still working with the enemy?
Brian clapped his back, giving him a small smile but Zayn just let out a groan, knees shaking. He grabbed the man's arm hard to steady himself, shooting Brian a dirty look. Brian's face however, showed only confusion.
"Whipped." Riley explained from behind him.
Brian raised his eyebrows and nudged his head towards Butch who was looking around. Zayn nodded, his tongue stinging from biting it earlier.
Brian sent him a sheepish smile, but Zayn brushed it off, making his way forward. He couldn't trust anyone, and he didn't. Not even Riley.

"And who's this?" Brian asked, looking down at the boy quizzically. Daniel hid behind Zayn's legs, hand gripping Zayn's jeans tightly.
"Daniel. Was about to tell everything and Butch captured him," Riley said, shaking her head. Zayn felt a pang of guilt every time Daniel being captured was mentioned. He'd literally dragged the boy in this mess.
He fisted his cold hands in his pockets, surprised over that Butch had been right. It was warm inside and the lights were on, unlike that abandoned warehouse where there were no light bulbs.
In front of him stretched different machines on one side, tables and benches stacked upon each other. A set of steel stairs led up to hallway where boards were hanging, two green doors closed. On his left however, someone had swept the dusty floor and four tables had been set together to make a large table where papers and maps were clustered. The sight reminded Zayn of the empty cardboard boxes in the warehouse, the first time he met Butch and when they were planning the jewelry store. It seemed so long ago when in reality it was about two weeks back.

Footsteps were heard and he looked up to see Tom and Joey approaching them, walking down the steps quickly. Tom smirked at Butch's black eye, and Zayn couldn't help but crack a small smile at the irritation on Butch's face. He'd placed some ice on that last night, mumbling curse words and promising them that if it wasn't for all the money they would be stealing, he'd hit him back. It was hard for Zayn to imagine Butch not fighting back, considering he had the anger of a bull. A selfish and crazy one. Literally.
Tom turned his attention to Riley and hugged her tightly, while Riley looked like she was on the verge of crying. Zayn knitted his brows in confusion and Butch had the same look on his face. "What happened?" he asked so softly that Zayn had to assure himself whether he'd listened correctly.

Riley pulled back and wiped her eyes, shaking her head. "Nothing."
"Family problems down in Australia." Tom shrugged it off and Riley shot him a look.
Zayn didn't understand what was going on, but this time he didn't even try to. He was tired and cold and had a sore, icy back. As if reading his mind, Tom turned his attention towards him. He raised an eyebrow. "How many?"
"Ten," Butch said and Tom looked surprised. "You went easy."
"I was hungry and we do need him whole and alive," Butch shot at him.
Zayn's stomach had been rumbling all the way, but now that he was in the presence of the two horrible men and their three helpers with only a kid on his side, his appetite was long gone.
"He still needs to rest, it's only been a day," Riley piped up, her hands jammed in her pockets.
"Technically it's been 36 hours, one day and two nights," Butch grinned at her and she rolled her eyes. "Idiot."
She looked around. "Is this abandoned?"

"Nah not really, out of commotion for a few weeks. It doesn't really matter though, we'll be out of here in the spam of three days," Tom replied.
Zayn's head began to feel heavy and he felt queasy, having to lean on the wall for support.
Riley swallowed. "And the bombs?"
His head shot up at that, brows furrowed.
Tom pointed to the machines. "Some inserted, other's taped to. They'll go off on command though."
"Are they unstable?" Riley asked worriedly.
Tom scratched his hair. "Yeah, kind of are."
"But at least we got some." Butch stepped in.
"Right, your contacts." Tom rolled his eyes.
Zayn wanted to ask about the bombs, he wanted to ask abut Butch's contacts, he wanted to know what they were planning, but he felt like utter shit as he stood there, feeling bilious.
Someone grabbed his shoulder and Zayn just let out a groan, his head swarming as he fell in the person's arms, the voices fading around him and the brightness getting enclosed in the darkness of his closed eyelids.

>>>>A/N<<<<
Sorry for my inactivity lately, just been busy with school and been quite sick lately. I feel a lot better now, and actually feel energized to write considering the past lethargic days.
Hope you guys are enjoying the story, and thank you to everyone who comments, votes and a massive thanks to all of my followers :)

xx