Capture

Footprints

"He's alive," Liam said quietly, rubbing slow circles on my back, his voice a mix of relief and dread.

"If we don't do something soon, he won't be," Danielle choked out, swiping tears from her cheeks. "They'll kill him, Liam. You know they will."

"Okay," I said, clapping my hands once to center the chaos. "Then what's the plan?"

"Plan?" Liam echoed, staring at me like I'd lost my mind. "Emma, we can't just charge into this. Trey's not some street punk—he's calculated, he's violent, and if he even sniffs that we're making moves behind his back, we're all dead. Not just us—everyone."

"I'm with Liam on this," Niall said, arms folded tight across his chest. "Maybe it's time to involve the authorities." He looked at Zayn, who was quietly watching from beside Danielle.

"You can't be serious," I snapped, spinning to face both of them. "If it were me out there—if it were me being held by Trey—what would you do?"

"It's not," Liam said sharply, but his eyes betrayed him.

"But if it was?" I asked again, softer this time.

He looked away, jaw clenched. "He killed my father," he whispered, like the words tasted like poison. "I'm not giving him the chance to take you from me, too."

I stepped closer, pressing my forehead to his and holding his gaze. "I'm not going anywhere, Liam. I'm safe. Right now, Louis isn't. He needs you. You know it."

Liam exhaled hard, his hands settling on my waist as his resolve crumbled. Behind us, the room was silent, everyone waiting for his word.

Finally, he nodded. "We do this smart. We do it together. And we don't leave anyone behind."

"Fuck it. I'm in," Zayn said, his voice cool and certain from his perch on the window ledge.

"Are you serious?" Niall shot back, eyebrows raised, tone sharp. "This guy's already committed murder, Zayn. What's to stop him from doing it again—to any of us?"

"Then we don't give him the chance," Liam said, voice low and edged with steel. "Zayn's right. If we wait too long, Louis won't have anyone left to save him."

"Louis is getting rescued," Danielle cut in firmly, wiping the last of the tears from her cheeks. Her tone left no room for argument.

I leaned over to Liam, brushing a soft kiss to his lips before whispering, "Thank you."

"Love you," he murmured back without hesitation.

The four of us moved to the coffee table, huddling over a notepad as we sketched out the bare bones of a plan. Niall didn't join—he stayed off to the side, arms crossed, watching. Not just observing. Studying.

After a while, Danielle sat back and looked around. "So we're all in agreement?"

"That this plan is suicidal?" Niall muttered from his seat, his eyes flicking briefly to Zayn before looking away.

"Niall," Liam warned, clearly at the edge of his patience.

"Liam and I will head to the cabin. Zayn, Niall, and I will get Louis and meet you there," Danielle continued, ignoring the tension completely.

"I don't see why I can't go with them," Liam argued. "Trey and Harrison already know what I look like."

"That's exactly why," I said quickly. "You going is a risk we don't need to take."

"But Louis doesn't know he can trust Zayn or Niall," Liam pressed.

"That's why I'm going," Danielle replied, standing her ground.