Captive - Liam Payne -

Chapter One

My feet carry me confidently off the stage. The applause is slow, but praising. A few dog whistles follow me off the platform.

I enter backstage to see the old guy dressed in a violet suit.

He sends me a weak smile; it grows as I mockingly hold my hand out.

"I'm a girl who doesn't play this for free," I say, swinging my saxophone to the side.

He shrugs a small huff through a smile. He reaches into his suit.

"I forgot my checkbook," he mumbles as he flips through his neatly piled dollar bills. He segregates a smaller pile from his own and hands it to me.

"There's a few extra in there," he says before tucking away his money. "You deserve it."

"Thanks, Felix," I say as I take the money and shove it in my back pocket. I duck my head under my saxophone strap as I raise it off my shoulders.

"Good show tonight," He tells me, pulling up one of our chairs.

"Thanks," I breathe as I take my own chair.

Felix is an older man, mid-sixties. He has a full head of white hair; a well trimmed beard that surrounds his lips, making them appear pinker than they already are. He has pale, icy, blue eyes. His nose is big and round, like a plump vegetable on his face.

Felix and I, we've been through a lot. We've managed this club together for years. My parents kicked me out of their house, so I had to get a job. Felix found me, picked me up, and has had me perform here ever since. We've been through a lot together. It's hard to feel safe when you work in a club; especially as a female as young as I am. Felix is my comfort, now. He's like my crazy uncle, he practically adopted me.

"Say, Kate," he speaks, "Do you have a suitor yet?"

A quick, abrupt laugh leaves my mouth, "Yeah, no. I ain't about that."

"Well, maybe you should be," He says gently. "You're getting older."

"I'm only twenty-three, I've got time," I respond.

"Believe me, that excuse won't do much for you," he responds.

I send him a glare, "Whatever."

He sighs and gently shakes his head, "Children."

"Say, Felix," I lean forward in my chair, resting my elbows on my knees, "Did you have a lover?"

A small smile appears on his wrinkled face, "Yes, actually." His eyes meet mine, "And I wasn't twenty-three, either."

"Tell me about her," I request.

"Her name was Misty," He says.

"Misty," I whisper to myself. "That's a nice name."

"Yes, it is, now hush and listen to the story," he says before sending me a wink.

"She had vibrant red hair, and eyes of emerald. Freckles scattered on her face like stars on a clear night sky. She had this thing for animals, she adored anything with fur. She was the most wonderful person I have ever invested in. I tried every day to give her what she deserved, but I couldn't amount to a mere fraction of the treasure she was worthy of." He explains her with such passion, moving his hands for emphasis.

"She was a work of art," he finishes softly.

"What happened to her?" I ask.

He sighs and looks towards the ground. He opens his mouth to speak.

The door to the backstage bursts open, sending a wave of shouts and broken glass through.

"Felix," the bartender breathes. Sweat covers his face, his breathing is heavy. "There's a fight, it's getting intense. You need to come," He speaks, his voice shaking slightly.

Felix looks at me, "Stay," he says.

He leaves and shuts the door. My mouth is left open slightly. I approach the door and press my ear against it.

I make out the sounds to be screams, and broken glass. I can hear the tables and people being thrown.

I hear a bang. I feel a shake.

My body starts to shake, I hurry to the cabinet. I drag a chair over, the legs rubbing against the floor brings an unpleasant groan. I place the chair by the cabinet and step on top of it. I grab the case, my fingers stumble to unlock it. I grab the pistol, load it, and jump off the chair. I rush towards the door. My hand hesitates towards the handle.

The shouts have increased.

I twist the handle and crack the door open. I peak through to see a crowd surrounding something. People are making phone calls, people are conversing, desperate for answers.

I grab every shoulder and bicep I can and shove them out of the way. I need to see what's happening.

My built is too small to get through there. I grasp the gun tightly, close my eyes, and extend my arm towards the ceiling.

I pull the trigger. Silence.

"What is going on?!" I demand.

Every pair of eyes is on me. The men slowly part, making an aisle towards the scene.

I walk towards the heavy herd of men. They surround around a single person, who's body is disoriented on the floor.

Violet suit, white hair.

Felix.

I step closer to the body. I crouch down and check his pulse.

"Please, Felix," I whisper. I close my eyes and grasp his wrist for anything, a pulse, a movement, a twitch.

I sigh heavily.

"Who did this," I mutter towards the crowd. I only get silence in return.

"Who did this?!" I proclaim, shooting up.

I hear another gunshot. My instinct raises my gun, but the pain following makes it unattainable. I look towards my arm for an instant to see blood pouring down.

My left arm grabs the gun from my right. I point it forward, the crowd moves back. I move from side to side, each man moves back as I point it in their direction.

"Where are you?!" I ask.

Another gunshot.

I turn around abruptly and press the trigger. An older man cries out and falls to his knees. My eyes widen.

What did I just do?

"Everybody down!" The door bursts open. Men in uniform come towards the scene.

Every being in the room is silent, staring at me. I stand in the middle of a circle surrounded by a dead man, there's a gun in my hand, and a dead man no more than fifteen feet of me.

My vision becomes blurry. I look towards my collarbone, where I was penetrated. The blood flows, my breathing becomes heavy, my sight is lost. My knees hit the ground, my arms are pulled behind my back. I'm pushed roughly to the ground.

"We've got a shooting at a club off of one-thirty-six..."

Felix, please...

"Yeah, I've got the shooter."