Taken by One Direction

Chapter 2: Kidnapped

I was busy organizing the menus, so I didn't see the five figures approach me. I snapped my head up when I heard someone clear their throat.

"Hello, love." Harry Styles greeted me with a flirty grin. I smiled nervously back.

"Hello, can I help you? Was everything ok during your meal?" I asked in a strained voice.

"Oh yes, everything was fine. I was just wondering when you get off work." He leaned forward on the booth. I stepped back, increasing the space between us. Louis looked at me with a weird expression. Zayn was whispering something to Niall, while Liam just stood staring at me, licking his lips.

"Why do you want to know?" I challenged, forgetting that he was a customer. My natural fire was beginning to show. Amusement and interest flickered across all of the boys' faces.

"Just curious." Harry pressed. I stepped back into my position; I was a hostess. I have to be polite.

"Er, seven or eight." I replied politely. That was a lie; I got off at eleven, but I didn't want to tell them that.

"Hmm, maybe we'll be seeing you later, Katie." Harry winked as he strolled out the door. The other boys reluctantly followed him. I felt my breath hitch in my throat; Harry's words sounded like a threat.

The rest of my shift I spent nervously glancing at the clock. I didn't tell Hannah anything of my encounter with the boys. I just let her gush on the over-generous tip. The shift was long and I was getting tired and hungry. It was about ten o'clock when I didn't think I could take it anymore; I was getting cranky and bitchy. I was about to snap, but I tried to keep it cool.

The doors opened revealing a wealthy couple. Who the fuck comes out for dinner at 10pm? Spoiled bitches. I tried to put on a fake smile, but it was too forced, so I let it drop.

"Hello, welcome to Café Fiabella. Do you have a reservation?" I greeted monotonously. The couple looked me over with snobbish expressions.

"No." The man replied rudely. I sighed and looked through our open tables; there were none.

"It will be a ten to fifteen minute wait." I tell them.

"We would like a table with a view, and not a booth." The woman clarified. I rolled my eyes, which did not go unnoticed by the customers.

"That will be a forty-five minute wait." I estimated. The woman let out a frustrated huff and let her husband take over.

"We don't want to wait that long." He informed me. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

"Well, then it will be a fifteen minute wait." I spat through my teeth.

"But we would like a view." He pressed.

"Then it will be forty-five minutes." I hissed. He stepped closer to me.

"We don't want to wait that long." He yelled, repeating his earlier statement. I raised my voice in accordance to his.

"That's too bad!"

"Can't you just do your job and get us the table we want?!" He shouted. I narrowed my eyes and tried to bite back my fury.

"Can't you get off your fucking white horse and realize the world doesn't fucking revolve around YOU!" I shout. He steps back.

"KATIE!" I hear Mr. Bernstein shout behind me. I cringe; had he seen that. He came up to me and the dumbfuck customers.

"I am so sorry. Your meal this evening will be courtesy of the restaurant." He assured them. I rolled my eyes. He turned to me and roughly grabbed my arm and ripped me away from the hostess booth.

"They were being-" he cut me off.

"I don't care anymore Katie. I've given you too many chances. You're fired! Get out of my restaurant!" He shouted. I blinked back the tears and slipped off my apron.

"You know what? Good riddance! FUCK YOU!" I shouted at him. I stormed out of the restaurant, being sure to flip everyone off as I went. I stepped out into the New York air and huffed in and out. I began the short trek back to my hotel room. At least I would be moving into a nice apartment.

I was so caught up in my anger that I didn't notice the five hooded figures coming towards me. I realized what was happening two seconds too late.

One of the figures roughly pushed me into an alley. I opened my mouth to scream, but another figure clamped a wet rag over my mouth. I knew not to bring it in; I had read enough kidnapping novels to know not to breathe in. Instead, I faked it. I made my chest rise up and down and then I made my body go slack.

"Shh, it's okay, baby. Breathe it in." A deep accented voice whispered in my ear.

"I think it worked." A different voice with an accent commented. The rag was removed from my mouth. I pretended to be unconscious as I was tossed over someone's strong shoulder. A hand gripped my thigh and butt while I let my arms dangle loosely on his back. The four other figures followed the one carrying me.

Realization dawned on me; I was taken, kidnapped. I needed to escape.

I allowed the man carry me a few blocks. The group stopped once we neared a parking lot. They all paused while one of them reached for something in their pocket. I took my brief opportunity and caught them off guard.

I kicked the one holding me in the stomach as hard as I could. He doubled over with a grunt while I fell to the ground with a thump. The other boys reacted a second later, but it gave me a head start. I ran like a fucking madwoman back to the road. I looked around me as I ran. We were in an isolated part of the city. The only people around me were not people I would stop and chat to.

I heard the footsteps of my pursuers near me. My heart beat faster and faster as I heard the kidnappers catch up to me.

I saw a slightly populated street a block ahead of me. If I could reach that street, maybe I could yell for help.

My hopes were crushed as soon as someone tackled me to the hard concrete; I scraped up my legs and arms as I fell. The man straddled my waist and clamped a wet rag over my mouth again.

"I got her!" His deep voice shouted. Again, I detected an accent. I worked hard to pretend to breathe in the scent on the rag.

"Don't fall for it again," a familiar voice ordered, "make sure she inhales it. She's a tricky one." The one sitting on top of me plugged my nose. I couldn't breathe. My eyes darted around nervously as the other figures approached us.

"Nice try, babe." The figure over me hissed in my ear. I moaned out an unintelligible response.

"Never try that again, or there WILL be consequences." He threatened. It was the last thing that I heard before I passed out.