The past two days have been absolute hell. For me, for my Dad, and for Harry too. I've made it a living hell for them. I've had nightmares the past two days, and I've been acting out with no good reason. But finally, today will be the day I've been waiting for. I will see my Mom and brother again.
"The truck is loaded and all set to go, are you ready?" Harry asks me. "Yeah, I think so. I mean it's now or never right?" I ask. "Right. Let's go get your family back." Harry responds. I smile and him and pull him into a tight hug. "I know I've made the last two days have been pretty hellish for you, and I'm really sorry about that. It's just I have nine billion thoughts going throughout my head every second and I can't control them all. This is huge for me. If we don't get them back I don't think I'll be able to survive it." I tell him.
"I know, babe. Which it exactly why we aren't coming home tonight without them." He reassures me. "I love you, so much. I know I haven't been saying it all that much lately, but I just want to remind you." I say. "I love you more." He answers and kisses my nose like the cute asshole he is.
Just then my Dad walks into the room. "Okay, lovebirds, ready to rock and roll?" He asks. "Yeah, Dad. We are if you are." I reply. He winks at me and motions at us to follow him. "Harry, how did you cover up all of the gang stuff for so long?" I ask out of the blue. "Well, most of the time, I wasn't directly involved in any of it. No one knew that my Dad even had a son, so no one ever bothered me. And of course I never said anything because I didn't want to draw attention to myself. Oh by the way, when we get back to school, everyone will know everything. Zayn texted me that one of Julia's friends spilled the beans about all of us, including Julia, and that's she's been missing ever since." Harry tells me.
"Oh my god, my friends are going to be so mad. I mean, they don't really have a right to be, I was keeping them out of all of this shit for their own safety. And do you think Julia's father killed that girl?" I ask him as we walk into the garage.
"It wouldn't be the first time, that's for sure. Back in middle school, this exact scenario happened, meaning one of Julia's best friends caught her Dad doing something out of the ordinary, and told everyone. She was found floating in a river two days later, dead." He explains. "Holy shit." I respond.
"Yeah, he's not really a guy you want to have on your bad side, unless you're us of course and the fear factor is mutual." He says. I smile and hop into the van behind Harry and his Father. "How long will it take us to get there?" I ask my Dad, who's driving the car, and I notice that one of his henchman riding shotgun. "Only about ten minutes, some place even more remote than this one." He answers.
Just breathe. You'll be fine. Just keep breathing. I say in my head. Harry grabs my hand, and rubs my knuckles with his thumb. I smile at him and then turn my head to look out the window. Maybe if I focus on the trees flying past us I can manage not to throw up. My insides begin to twist and turn and my head and heart pound in sync. "I can't do this, Harry, I can't do this." I say, as the sweat shoots down my face and my eyes dart in a million different directions. I being to picture my nightmare again, my Mom and brother being held at gunpoint to their heads and I can't save them. They die every time.
The sound of the hollow gunshot rings in my ears and I can't make it go away. I start to scream and shake my head. I say "No, no, no, no!" repeatedly and I punch the window. I put my head in my lap and place my hands over my ears. I hear Desmond say, "Harry, she's having a panic attack! Do something!" I feel him pry my hands off of my ears and lift my chin up so our eyes meet. My eyes are wild and darting everywhere and his eyes are scared, worried, and unsure. Suddenly they snap into focus. It's like a light bulb goes off in his head.
He crashes his lips onto mine. The kiss consumes me and swallows me whole. It distracts me from everything I was just feeling, and I suppose that was the point. His lips linger on mine for a few seconds, and as he releases he holds my face he looks deeply into my eyes. I immediately calm down. I don't know how that worked, or how he did that, but it worked. "How did you do that?" I ask him breathlessly. "I don't know, I think I read somewhere that kissing someone can stop a panic attack. Which is what you were just having." He tells me.
I nod, slowly, and look up at him. "Thanks. I know, I've been an handful, and I'm just really sorry, you don't deserv-" He cuts me off with his lips once more. "I think you talk too much." He tells me and smiles. I smile back faintly and rest my head on his shoulder, and that's when it hits me. He's the key to surviving all of this. He's my rock. He is my heartbeat, my lifeline. He is the only person that can get me through this.
"Alright, sweetie, we're here." My Dad tells me lightly. My eyes go wide and my breathing becomes irregular again. "It's okay, just breathe, you can do this." Harry whispers in my ear, calming me. "So you're going to stay in the car with Luke while Harry, Desmond and I go and get this done. Okay?" My father asks me. "Um, okay. Be safe, please. I don't want to lose anyone today." I tell him. "You won't." My Dad smiles at me and leans in to kiss me on the cheek. Harry start to slide out of the car but I grab his sleeve. He snaps his head back towards me, his eyes inquisitive.
"What's wrong?" He asks. "Please, please, come back to me." I ask him, begging him. He leans in to kiss me again, this one feeling different than the others. This one feels reassuring and familiar, like home. He pulls away and steps out of the car, leaving the door open for Luke. They don't say anything to each other, and Luke steps in and shuts the door behind him. I smile at him awkwardly and he returns the gesture.
"Look, it would probably be best if we just talked about something other than what's going on, because if I continue to think about this I think I'm going to throw up." I tell him. "Oh, wow. Okay, sounds good, whatever you want to talk about is fine. As long as it distracts you I guess." He replies.
"How long have you been living in that complex?" I ask him. "Only a few days before you got there. Your Dad asked me to move in the same day Rebecca went missing. Also the same day that my mom left for Australia to visit my brothers." He tells me. "Oh, that makes sense. I almost forgot about your mom. I mean I think she would be suspicious by now if she were home." I tell him. "Yeah, I even had the calls that are supposed to go to my house phone go to my cell phone, so she thinks I'm home." He says proudly. "Wow, that's actually pretty impressive." I say. We sit there for a minute, trying to think of something to talk about.
"I'm kind of nervous to go back to school, seeing that everyone knows just about everything now. It will be so weird, you know? And I have no idea what I'm going to say to my friends, I mean they got a taste of this when Julia crashed our sleepover, but I don't think they expected all that is now." I tell him. "Yeah, same for me, Ashton, Michael and Calum have been bothering the hell out me because I've been missing so many rehearsals for our new band. I've been using such crappy excuses, but I guess know this pretty much explains it." He exhales.
"Aw, I miss them. How is your band going anyway? Before you left, I mean. Did you name it?" I ask. "Yeah, Michael just kind of said we should be called 'Five Seconds of Summer', and we all just kind of went with it. And Calum wrote some pretty kick-ass songs, we have our first one down pat. It's called 'Heartbreak Girl'." He tells me. "Well I can't wait to hear it." I smile. He looks at me and smiles back, his eyes excited.
He moves his head not even an inch towards mine, when the first gunshot goes off. "What the fuck.." Luke mumbles and turns his head so he's looking at the back window. I see another van parked across the lot, five men I don't recognize, Harry, my Dad, Desmond, and then I see them. My Mom and brother. They're on the other side of the van, almost behind it, and out of everyone's eyesight, except mine. I grab Luke's collar and point them out. "Holy shit. What do we do?" He asks me. "We have to go get them." I say. "No fucking way. I was given very strict orders to make sure you stay here. You need to be protected, and there is no way I am letting you out of this c-" I cut him off. "Is that a penguin?" I ask, furrowing my eyebrows.
His eyes perk up and turns around. I quietly slip out of the car, before he turns back. "I don't see any penguins... Kris! Ah shit. What the hell?!" He whisper-yells from inside the car. I take a few cautionary steps towards the scene, Everyone in the room holding guns up. "You won't even get your hands on her. As a matter of fact, she's not even here." My Dad says. "Unfortunately, she's part of the deal. If you want your pathetic little family back, you're going to have to give some to get some." One of the kidnappers tells my father while laughing. I grow extremely angry very quickly.
I go to take a step forward, to turn myself in, and someone grabs my elbow. "Fucking hell, Kris! What do you think you're doing?!" Luke whisper-yells again. "If they want me in exchange for my family, well they can fucking have me." I snarl at him and try to step forward once more, only to be pulled back yet again.
"Over my dead body, they'll have you." He mumbles, loud enough so I can hear him. "Don't be so selfish! Think about them!" I say and point to my Mom and Matt. He looks down for a second, and locks our eyes again. "I have an idea. What is we don't have to lose anyone? If we can sneak past their cars, we can grab your mom and Matt before they even notice." He reasons. "I don't know, when they go to accept the ransom, and look for my family, and realize that they're not there, we are going be in deep shit." I tell him.
"Damn it, okay. I guess we just have to wait this out then." He says. I don't want to wait this out. I want my family back, and I want them now. "I'm sorry buddy, but you asked for two million, and we delivered. Now give us who you promised us. It's as simple as that. No one has to get hurt." Harry negotiates.
The five men look at each other, and one steps forwards."No. I'm sorry, but the rules have changed. We need the girl. Or no deal." He says and fires to his gun into the ceiling of the parking garage. I flinch and Luke places his hand on my shoulder. The man motions to one of the other men behind of him, and sends him away. He goes behind the van, over towards my mother and Matt. He grabs my brother by the arm roughly and my mother by the hair. She bites her lip, and my brother holds in his screams.
I decide I've had enough and step into view. But before they get the chance to see me, Luke yanks me backwards, throwing me to the ground. "Who the fuck is that?" I hear one of the men ask. "I'm Luke, I am your peace offering. Take me, instead of her. And give them your hostages. We can all leave here unharmed." He tries to reason. "No! Luke don't do this!" I yell quietly.
"Dude, get back in the car, you're not armed." Harry whispers to him. My mother and Matt look at him with tears in thier eyes. One of the men cocks his gun and hovers his finger over the trigger, pointing it at Luke. Harry does the same with his gun and point at the man aiming at Luke. "Pull that trigger and you're dead you filthy son of a bitch." Harry snaps at him. The man chuckles and puts his finger on the trigger. He audibly starts to pull back on the trigger, and a shot is heard. I look at Harry, but his finger hasn't changed it's position. Harry's father drops his gun from the sudden movement of his finger over the trigger, but quickly picks it up and recovers.
"Are you fucking kidding?! Dan, get the girl and bring her to me." The man, who I assume to be the leader, says. Dan does as he is told and brings my mother towards him and kneels her down. My brother starts to scream and one of the other men slaps his across the face. I bite my tongue until I feel blood and a feel a tear slide down my cheek. I want to intervene, so badly, but I keep reminding myself it would only cause more trouble.
"You want to shoot another one of my men? Try it. She'll die." Their leader says. "Oh for fuck's sake, just take the god damn money, give me my family and get the hell out of here before I shoot all of you." My Dad says. "Oh please, you wouldn't risk th-" My Dad cuts him off with a bullet in his forehead.
I gasp a little too loudly, as does Luke. Thankfully not enough to draw anyone else's attention. I hear Dan talk to his two remaining partners. "What do we do?" He whispers. "Well, you can get the hell out of here before you die, or you can stay, and suffer a painful, somewhat slow death. Your choice." Harry shrugs.
They look at each other, and before any of them speak up, I hear the bomb in the bag of money make a noise. Thirty seconds until detonation. A voice coming from it says. "Shit." My Dad says. The men look at each other confused, then their eyes go wide. My Dad acts quickly, and shoots them all in the leg, immobilizing them. My Dad then runs to get my Mom. "Someone get my son!" He screams. I get up and run towards my brother, and on my way, I hear Dan fire a few shots.
All I know is that they don't hit me. I sprint over to Matt, and lift him off of the ground as quick as I can run back into one of our cars and shut the door. Ten seconds. "Drive! Go! I have Matt! Go!" I yell at my Dad. He switches gears and speeds out of the garage, Harry in the other van following us. Just as we reach the exit, I can hear the bomb go off behind us, and distant screams. I cover my brother's ears protectively.
After we are about two minutes out, I look at my brother, my sweet, innocent, brother for the first time in years. "You did it, Kris, you saved me. I love you." He says in his small, high pitched voice. The same from the last time I saw him. Tears make their way down my face and I can taste the salt. "I love you too, so much. And I missed you." I tell him. I lean over to give him a hug, and he instinctively flinches. "Matty, I'm not going to hurt you, I promise, no one is going to hurt you ever again." I try and comfort him.
He slowly scoots back over to me, and I put my arm around him. "Kris, is Luke okay?" He asks me. "Yeah, I think so, why?" I ask, confused. "The bad man shot him a few times. The boy with the green eyes helped him into the other car. He was passed out." My ten year old brother tells me.
I yank my phone out of my pocket and dial Harry's number. He picks up on the third ring. "Harry, what the hell happened? Is Luke okay?" I ask quickly. "I'll tell you more when we get back." He says.
"But Kris, it doesn't look good." Harry says sadly and hangs up the phone.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Wow this was a looong one. Hope you like it!
LUUUUUUKKKKEEEEEEEE
omg
I
can't
deal
with
this
shit
weeeeeeell keep reading and comment your thoughts/opinions and reactions!
Love y'all.
xxx