"It Just Hurts"|| z.m

[45]

45- Liam

Louis walked back to them, gloves on his hands. Liam knew those gloves all too well, and late walks out in the snowy whether with Zayn popped in his mind. Beside Louis was a kid around the age of six or seven, his brown hair tousled and blue eyes wide.

"Everybody meet Daniel," Louis said, nudging his head towards the child who looked worried, looking around. Liam smiled at him half-heartedly.

"He lost his mum," Louis explained. He looked around. "Where's officer Al?"

"He went to talk to his co-officer," Niall said, leaning onto the police car behind him.

Harry wiped his mouth and handed Liam the bottle. "It's hot chocolate."

Liam thanked him and accepted it, taking a few sips. The warm liquid soothed his throat and made him all warm inside. "So, where did you last see your mum?" Louis asked. Daniel looked down at his shoes. "A few days ago."

Liam frowned, giving Niall the bottle. "A few days ago?"

Daniel nodded. "That's when I was captured."

Liam scowled. "Captured by who?"

Daniel puckered his lips up into a pout as he kicked at the snow under his feet. "Bad people. There were many of them, but only one good guy. He's the one who helped me escape, but I don't know if they'll let Zayn escape or not." The child said worriedly.

Liam nodded, turning his head away. The words sank in and he snapped his head back. "W-what?"

Niall choked on his drink, beginning to cough violently. Daniel looked at them worriedly. "What?"

Louis's lips were parted in surprise, and Harry's eyes were wide. "You know Zayn? Zayn Malik, so tall," Louis lifted his hand a little above his head. "Black hair, brown eyes-"

"Yes, that's Zayn!" Daniel said. He nibbled on his bottom lip. "He said we'd meet later."
Daniel looked around. "I need to find my mum." He sniffled. "I miss her."

Liam frowned, not understanding a thing. His heart raced, questions crowding his mind. What in the world?

"Wait wait wait, you know Zayn? Why were you separated from your mum?" Harry asked, patting Niall's back. "Me throat got burned," the Irish lad grumbled.

"I was with my family, we were going to this hotel then I saw Zayn and he told me to tell someone he was stuck, but then the bad guys saw me so he took me with him and I've been with them foreveeeeer. And the bad guy was so mean to me, Zayn promised me that he'd take me back to my mum, and then today they went to do something, but they locked me in and then Zayn told me I could go, but Riley was like okay and then the other guy said no but then he said yes, and they told me to run and find a policeman but I can't find any and I want to go home!"  Daniel wiped his wet cheeks, fresh tears welling up in his eyes. Liam felt like he'd been shot. He stood there, trying to process everything Daniel had just rambled.

"Are they still here?" Louis asked in a small voice. Daniel nodded. "Yeah, they left that way. I can take you there if you promise to show me a policeman! I need to go home, my mum will be worried and I don't want her to give my room to my sister!"

They had already left. Liam swallowed the lump in his throat, so close but still so far. He pulled his phone out and called the number Al had given them.

"Officer Al here. It's Liam, right?"

"Yes, we uh found a child who knows Zayn and was kidnapped by Tom and he's leading us there, his name is Daniel-"