Stuck in the Midde

Twenty-Three: Keeping Quiet

The voices pass right by me without hesitation and I let out the breath I had been holding. Harry keeps trying to call me back, but I can't take the chance of getting caught now. I put the phone on silent and slip it into my back pocket. Sorry, Harry.

Carefully, I edge the door open and step out after making sure the coast is clear. I have wasted too much time already. Logan must know that something is up by now.

Faint light spills from the edges of a door I walk by and I take a wild guess and assume that's where Niall is. I press my ear against the door but don't hear anyone talking or moving around. That should be a good thing. Right? Just to be extra careful, I crouch down and look through the crack under the rusty door. I can barely see a pair of shoes that I recognize. Niall.

I hurry back onto my feet and open the door. A small lantern is on the ground nearby, dimly illuminating Niall tied up to a thick metal pipe against the wall. His body is slouched against itself. My heart drops and I quickly crouch in front of him. Dried blood is on the side of his face and hands. It pains me just to lift his head for fear of hurting him.

"Shit, Niall," I whisper. "Niall, wake up. It's me, Y/N."

He groans and his eyes flutter open. They are unfocused. It takes him a while, but he eventually recognizes me. "Y/N? What are- what are you doing here?" he asks.

I move to try to set him free. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm getting you the hell out of here."

He tries to take in a deep breath, but he's having difficulty. "Harry...where is he?"

I bite my lip. "It's just me," I whisper.

"You need...to get out," he rasps.

"Not without you I'm not," I reply. "We're both getting out of here."

"I'm afraid no one will be leaving here tonight," a different voice interrupts.

I spin around at the sound of Logan's voice just as he shuts the door. I swallow hard and stand in front of Niall, as if my body will be able to protect him.

"You didn't honestly believe that I didn't know you had arrived," he tells me. "I told you I had people watching you. I knew the second you pulled up in that bicycle of yours."

I knew this was too easy. "Then why wait for me to find him," I gesture to Niall, who has his eyes closed again.

He cocks his head to the side. "To kill two birds with one stone," a small smile forms, "so to speak."

Realization dawns on me. "You're not really after me. Are you?"

"Don't flatter yourself." He takes a couple steps towards me. "Harry is the real prize in all of this. Actually, you can blame him for this little predicament you're in."

I shake my head. "What are you talking about?"

"All that stuff in the beginning was just for show. I didn't really care to waste any time going after you." He pauses. "But then I saw that Harry did care. For you, that is."

"The party," I say.

His menacing smile confirms my statement. "That's when I knew I had found his Achilles heel. I could use him against you. Unlike those other girls he paraded around with, you were the one he was serious with, which I don't get because obviously you don't know when to stay out of other people's business." He rushes at me so suddenly I don't have time to step away. His hand closes around my throat and I feel cool metal press against it. "It would be a shame to mark this pretty skin of yours," he whispers.

I hold my breath for fear of accidentally cutting myself. Out of the corner of my eye, I see something move. There's a loud commotion and Logan turns to look at the door. I take use this distraction to shove him away from me. He stumbles back, caught off guard, but the knife is still tightly gripped in his hand.

While Logan had been talking, Niall had finished my work in freeing himself and comes up behind Logan, kicking the back of his knee.

He falls to the ground and this time he drops the knife. I lunge towards it just as Logan punches Niall in the face and he's knocked out cold.

My hands close around the knife and I menacingly hold it out in front of me, circling around Logan to Niall. Poor Niall. He needs help. Fast. "Don't even think about coming closer. I'm not afraid to cut you."

"You fucking bitch," Logan spits, trying to stand up. "I knew I should have taught you a lesson when I had the chance."

"Well, that's too bad for you."

Logan pulls out a slightly longer knife from one of his ankles and the blood rushes from my face. "Now that's more fair."

"There's nothing fair about this," I fire back.

He makes a move towards me and I swipe at his face. I cut him right under his cheek and he lets out a sound of pain. The adrenaline is coursing through me so swiftly I'm surprised I haven't dropped the knife out of fear. The shaking in my hands can attest to that. But I can I also feel a soreness in my side.

There's more faint yelling coming from outside and my eyes shift to the door just as someone comes barreling through.

"Harry," I breathe. I just want to wrap my arms around him and cry.

Harry barely has time to take in the scene in front of him before Logan charges at him. He barely misses a swipe at his chest and kicks the knife out of Logan's fist. I don't see where it goes so I can't grab it.

"Get Niall out of here!" Harry yells as he gets kicked in the leg.

Right! I rush over to Niall and begin trying to pull him towards the door. I have never realized just how heavy Niall is. He's just dead weight right now. Actually, scratch the dead part.

I pull up my sleeves and as I'm doing this, I notice that the one on my right is a little damp. I twist my arm and see a cut across my upper portion of it. My eyes widen and then the pain comes. I suppress a freak out session and breathe. Logan must have cut me.

I look over and see Logan kicking Harry in the stomach and I do something stupid.

I go after him.