tiny & vicious || h.s ✔️

~ 11 ~

Song- Don't Judge Me by Chris Brown

Aria's POV

I paced the gigantic office room from corner to corner as I barked suggestions at the gang. I could tell I was being annoying and only adding to the frustration but I was as tense as everyone else. The pressure weighed down my shoulders and I just wanted to scrunch it up like a piece of paper and throw it out. There was too much to figure out in this moment and it only added to the turmoil.

The boys and I were all trying to agree on a theory of what those mysterious numbers meant. Liam was so close to bashing his laptop keyboard as he researched the numbers, sticking to his theory of a mysterious bank account. Niall and Lou quietly dwindled their thumbs while they rested against the frame of the couch trying to make sense of it all. But the person in the worst state of mind was definitely Harry. His body melted into the large rocking chair beside the windowsill as he sipped scotch out of a glass cup. His fingers shook with trauma when he lifted the glass to his parched lips. I could see the self-hate and guilt swirl in his chest and the gears in his mind shifting hastily as he let his thoughts run wild. The sight of him made my anxiety peek and a bad feeling to slash through my stomach. Harry reeked of pain and anguish, letting me know he thought this whole ordeal was his fault. He would be broken to no end until our family was safe, but we didn't know how long it would be until they were in our arms again.

Jordyn and Zayn were the calmest out of the rest of us. They enjoyed mind games with Blair on the sofa and I was slightly envious of them for a second when I realised they had the most beautiful distraction, my angel. But even then, you could see Jordyn's hands gripping the edge of her seat and her feet uncontrollably tap against the floor in a tantalizing beat.

My head tilted back as it suddenly became hard to breathe. I just needed oxygen and my oxygen was the safety of my family. Throwing my hands over my face and then dragging them down painfully slow didn't help and it only made the feeling of clawing my own eyes out frustratingly worse. My eyes scanned the room as I searched for ways to calm myself down and get grounded...and that's when it hit me.

"Co-ordinates" I whispered. I had my eyes fixated on the ceiling as I spoke. The resolution was so clear when I finally looked at the bigger image which was the room's wallpaper. Brown and tattered maps stretched across the wide surfaces of everything we saw. It was imprinted on the floors, the ceiling and the walls, but I wasn't sure if it was just my imagination or if we had all been so blind to what was in front of us.

"Co-ordinates" I said louder as my head flicked back to the group and their own eyes widened.

I stalked towards Liam and yelled, "Liam search; 51-dot-52370-dot-1056"

His fingers danced on the keyboard quickly and I closed my eyes, silently praying for my theory to be true.

"yes. YES" Liam screamed joyfully. We all paraded towards the computer to take a look at the discovery, "It's an old cinema in London which has been closed down for 12 years" he revealed, with his eyes glued to the screen.

Pictures surfaced of the cinema. It was fenced off with tall, large, prison-like wire. The cinema was massive and was recognized as a perfect place to hold someone hostage.

"Ok. Ok! We gotta go guys come on" I grabbed my leather jacket from the chair while ushering everyone out the door. However, I noticed something or rather someone missing. Harry was trapped in a daze as he perched himself beside the window sill. His glass cup was empty and his face was stained with salty, dry tears. My eyes lowered in sympathy for my husband as I approached him slowly. My fingers entered the nape of his neck softly and I kissed his cheek, revealing my presence beside him.

"I failed them"

The sound of Harry's voice was bone-chilling and crushed like someone just stood on his windpipe, forcing the soul out of him.

I sighed, thinking of ways to comfort him. But there was nothing I could do. I lifted his chin so his eyes could meet mine. The light in his beautiful orbs was diminished, snatched away by those who continued to torture him. I shook my head slowly and then put on a hard front, knowing someone had to be his rock until he found his old one.

"If you don't get your ass in the car and we are too late to save them then only then, will you have failed them"

------

The cars swerved into a nearby street. I sat in front with Liam as he parked the car. My fingers clutched my machine gun as several clicks and whistles sounded from the rest of the gang loading their weapons. I snagged some daggers from Jackson's collection and stuffed them into my boots and waistline. My expression held a frown as I listened to Blair chat away in the back seat. You could've spotted the rage I felt from a mile away at her presence. She wasn't supposed to be here. She was supposed to be at the house, safe and sound with thirty guards watching her every movement and worshipping the ground her feet walked on. But I couldn't be without her. I had been in enough hostage situations to know leaving leverage unattended was too risky. So, I opted to bringing her along, no matter how much danger we were about to walk into.

I glanced at her small, black-covered frame in the mirror. She had a blank expression as she stuck small knives in her socks and loaded her small gun. It wasn't much armour for safety but I knew my daughter would utilise her weapons to the utmost full ability. She was taught that way. To be extremely calculated and conquer even if she had no bullets in her gun.

I let out a breath at the sight in slight awe. She must've noticed I was staring at her because her cold hazel eyes met mine in the mirror and it was only then that I had noticed what I had created. 14 years old and she was sitting in the backseat, ready for her first blood mission. Among, the rest of the gang she looked physically small but her mentality was what made her stand out. I saw a dangerous red flicker in her orbs as she stared at me. It was enough to make a grown man shake in his boots. The way she tilted her head threateningly was terrifying. I gave her a stern nod, treating her like another member of our gang instead of my daughter, because there was nothing else I could do. This wasn't the time for emotion or a mummy-daughter hug. We were in real shit now and my heart panged a little at the thought of Blair not even accepting my arms because of how grown she was in this moment.

Blair sat ready as she gazed out the window, seeming childish for a second before sitting up rigid and storming out the door. My eyes flickered with emotion at my little girl growing up and I stalked after her. We met her father on the other side of the car door. He adjusted the mic in his ear before bumping fists with his daughter, just like he would do to the rest of our gang.

She wasn't a kid anymore, she was strong enough to hold her own.