Stockholm Syndrome

Chapter 10 - A Unified Front

(Maya's POV)

William leads me to a car, a nice one at that, and opens the passenger side door for me. I roll my eyes. What a gentleman.

The car ride is majorly awkward, as I am only here because he claims to know something about where Emma is, and he knows that full well. When we get to his house, he lets me in and I take a seat at the dining room table. He stands there awkwardly, not speaking for several minutes.

"Would you like something to drink?" He finally asked. I shake my head.

"Can we just get to talking about Emma?" I ask. William nods And takes a seat at his table.

"Well I really don't know much more than you. But I do know that Niall had her phone. And so now I do." William reached across the table and handed me a phone that was indeed Emma's. Her distinctive lock screen of an actor who had been dead for years was unmistakable. Though I'm not sure how William had known it was hers. He had barely met her.

"I managed to get past the lock. I didn't mean to pry, I just wanted to know whose phone Niall was carrying around." William said by way of explanation. I unlocked Emma's phone and scrolled through it. There were several pictures of me and her family, but Emma had never been one for selfies and her picture wasn't in the device. How had William known it was hers?

"At first I wasn't sure who it belonged to, but I recognized your name in the contacts, and I saw her on TV with the all the news about Niall, so I thought it would only make sense for it to be hers. And from the look on your face, I'm right." He explains without prompting.

I set Emma's phone back down on the table, looking up at William. "So where are they?" I finally ask.

William bites his lip. "That's just it. I don't know. Since Nialls little incident on stage, they've all gone silent. They're letting things simmer down, waiting until its safe to come out."

"And you think Emma's with them?" I ask. I still think it's unlikely. Emma wouldn't push Niall over. Nor would she willingly stay with the people in one direction. Something bigger must be gone.

William nods. "I'm pretty sure. I think something bigger is going on here, but I can't be certain just yet. It may just be that she went leave them alone, or she saw who tackled Niall and knew why or something."

"But you don't think so?" I ask. William shrugs.

"I think I need to figure some more stuff out before I jump to conclusions." He decides.

"Do you think Emma pushed Niall over?" I need to now if William is only doing this out of pity for me, or if he actually cares what happens to Emma.

William takes a deep breath. "I just don't know how that would make sense. If she's the one who tackled him, why did he have her phone?"

I nod. "Alright." On the inside, I'm relieved that William thinks the same way I do.

"I can give you a lift back to your hotel now if you want. Or you can stay here until we get this whole thing figured out. Heaven knows we have more than enough guest rooms." William offers. I want to tell him to take me back to my hotel, but it's a long drive, and I'm exhausted. I've been awake since yesterday morning, and most of that time was spent in crowds of screaming people. I can feel a headache beginning to throb in the back of my skull, and I know I'm dehydrated. I am really not in the mood to deal with people in the hotel, and right now, I'm by sure I even remember which hotel I'm staying at let alone the room number.

"If your sure it's okay, I'll stay here." I tell him and he nods.

"Of course. Ilk show you to a guest room. If you don't like the one I give you, I van always move you to one of the other ones." He says, leading me up the stairs. He leads me into a room So clean I swear it's sterile. I lie down on the bed, not even waiting for William to leave, and am asleep in seconds.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Emma's POV)

They wrap their arms around my shoulders, and I have to admit it's comforting to have Niall holding me on me side and Zayn on the other. It makes me feel somewhat less alone, like these guys are on my side, despite this entire situation being my fault. They seem strangely more...human...than they ever do on TV, laughing and joking with each other, even as they walk towards a room full of men who hate them. Even with Nialls head wrapped in bandages, even with a girl who could ruin their public image right next to them, they're smiling. It makes me wonder what they've gone through that's so bad that this situation is almost natural to them.

"You guys ready for this?" Liam asks, and there are nods all around. We are all as ready as we'll ever be. Zayn squeezes my shoulder gently and I smile at the encouraging gesture. Liam leans over and opens a door. Inside there are several men in suits, but not near as many as there were the other day.

"Come in, have a seat, all of you." The man's voice is cold and unwelcoming. I move to pull away from Niall and Zayn, but they both tighten their grips on my shoulders. So we stand there, and Louis is the one to speak.

"No offense, but I would really prefer to stay right here." Louis says, and though none of the rest of us say a word, it's obvious that we aren't about to move. They way we are all linked together sent the perfect message. We are all in this together,  and Louis speaks for all of us.

"At least shut the door"  the man requests, seemingly unfazed by the front we are putting up. Liam complies, kicking the door shut behind us.

"So as you all know, we have a bit of a situation on our hands." The man stated. I feel Zayns  grip tighten a bit in anger a the man's word choice, but he doesn't lash out.

"That we do." Louis admits.

"And I'm sure you realize that this has been a very hard job for us and that we only want the best for all of you." This time it's Nialls grip that tightens.

"We actually don't recognize either of those things as facts, but feel free to continue with your speech," Louis interrupts. The man rolls his eyes.

"We've decided that its best if Niall and Emma lay low for the next few weeks." The man states.

"How the heck do do you know her name?" And suddenly me and Louis are holding Niall back from the man.

"Calm down Niall." I beg, and he stops struggling against Louis and I.

"This is my point exactly.Niall used to be so calm, and now he can't control his temper. He needs some alone time." The man justify.

I can feel Niall shaking beside me and tighten my grip on his sholder.

"Are you suggesting the Basement?" Zayn asks cryptlocally. The man nods.

"Its the best plan for now." The man confirms. "Safe from the press and no chance to make stupid decisions."

"You can't do that!" Louis protests. "The girl did nothing wrong. And even if she did, this is kidnapping."

"Another word Louis, and you'll join them."the man thretens . This shuts Louis up immediately. "Take them downstairs." He commands. The next thing I feel is fabric being pressed to my mouth as rough hands grab me. And all I can think is. "Again?"