Submissive • 5sos

Chapter 9

I run to my room in fear, and crouch in the corner, wedged between the wall and the wardrobe. I don't know what I'm hiding from, or who. I know I'm hiding though.
I think through what the man had said. Ashton repetitively calls me the witness, so he must have been talking about me. What who wants me? Who are 'they'? Another gang? Maybe it's One Direction? I thought they didn't take people hostage? Or am I being held hostage here? I feel my anxiety peak as one final question whizzes through my brain.
What do they want with me?
*Luke's p.o.v*
I felt really bad leaving Courtney on her own, considering this was only her second day at our apartment. Also because of Ashton's angriness this morning. His always grumpy in the mornings, but Courtney doesn't know that. I remind myself to tell her that.
"You know I'm sorry, dude. You can have pancakes whenever you want." Ashton says to Calum, laughing. We're in the car on our way back from the meeting with a fellow gang who live on the outskirts of London. Us and them are mutual friends, we both dislike One Direction. Their 'ruler' is quite shifty in my opinion, he frequently asks us about our involvements with One Direction, and what we have against them. We remained silent at that question. We did have something against them. Courtney.
When we arrive at the building we see our spy guy rush out the building, he pretends to be a part of One Direction, but feeds us information from them. There usually isn't anything, but from the crazed look in his eye, I can tell something's up. So can Ashton; he walks past the spy non-conspicuously, but I see a note passed between the too.
"Is she up there?" The spy whisper shouts, I'm close by so I hear their conversation,
"Yeah. At least she should be." Ashton says quietly, I still hear though.
"I may have said whats written on that note through the door. I doubt she heard though." The spy says, before walking in the opposite direction we came from. I watch his figure go, while Ashton stares at the note with no expression, then alarm, then no expression again. He thinks he's good at hiding what he's feeling, but I notice.
"What does it say?" Michael asks. He was close enough to hear the conversation as well.
"I'll tell you all inside." Ashton murmurs, following Calum into the building. We take the elevator, once we've reached the top, Ashton types in the passcode, 1-7-4-6.
When we walk into the room, we all immediately scan the room for Courtney. She's nowhere in sight. The telly is playing to an invisible audience, and there is a half empty packet of strawberries left on the sofa. Michael quickly puts them away, while we all look at each other in confusion.
"I bet she's ran away." Ashton says, his eyes flashing in anger.
"I don't think so." Calum says, I agree with Calum. Ashton had triple checked there was no way of escape, when we remind him of this, he sighs and runs a hand though his disheveled hair. We all walk in separate directions, I go into her room, knocking first, incase she's getting changed or something. I don't hear anything inside, but I open the door anyway, I scan the room, and don't see her, but then, in the space between the wardrobe and the wall, she crouches, staring at me with fear-filled eyes.
"What do you want with me?"
"What do you mean?" I stutters, I feel taken a back, she repeats the question a little more softly his time. I walk towards her and crouch in front of her. I desperately want to tell her the truth, but I just say what Ashton has been saying the whole time.
"You witnessed that crime, and we can't let One Direction get you, I'm sorry." I don't know why I apologise, I expect her to look reassured by this answer, but she looks ten times worse.
"I think they know." She whispers.
"Know what?" I feel confused.
"That I'm here." She whispers again, looking down in defeat. How could they know? How would she know? Then I remember the spy said she may have heard. What does that note say?
*Courtney's p.o.v*
He left the room without another word. After a minute I crawl out of my hiding space, and stand up slowly, not trusting my own legs. I walk towards the door and open it, walk out, then close it as quietly as possible. It sounds like all four boys are in the living room, I wander in, looking at the framed pictures of the boys with other people, family, I think. There's none of Ashton though, strange.
"Hi." I murmur into the room, at first I think they didn't hear, but they turn to me, Ashton stares impassively, Calum looks guilty, Michael doesn't quite meet my eye, and Luke's eyes are tight with worry. Michael looks down at something in Ashton's hands and I follow his gaze.
He is holding an A4 piece of paper, with a lot of writing on it, it is not hand written, but looks printed out from another document. I take a tentative step forward, to try to see it better but Ashton stops me,
"I don't think you should see this." He looks genuinely concerned, I think this is the first bit of emotion I've seen out of him the whole 2 days I've been here. I want to demand to see it, but I'm not sure I want to. So I just nod and take a step back. I shuffle my feet awkwardly, while Ashton folds the paper and puts it in his back pocket.
"How long will I stay here?" I ask nervously. I expect Ashton to answer, as he is the 'boss' as such, but Michael jumps in,
"For as long as we need you for." He doesn't add anymore and he didn't really answer my question, I want to ask what they need me for, but I don't.