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Chapter 5: Louis

"Now before you start raging about your boyfriend's health, let me remind you. This is not a 5 star hotel. I have withheld food from him for two days already, and don't think I won't do it longer. So shut that pretty little mouth of yours for a moment and let me talk." The man sneered, tugging at a scar that ran across the right side of his face. Louis vowed to give him a matching one on his left before this was over. But he held himself back and grinned, gritting his teeth to hold back any cheeky retorts. 

"Go ahead."

"There there Lou! No need to look so upset! Not yet, at least."

His free hand clenched into a fist, the other squeezing the phone so hard it shook, but he kept his mouth shut despite the obvious taunts. The man continued.

"Unfortunately, your delay with the money will not come without consequences." He smiled wickedly at Louis, whose heart sank into his stomach. "Lucky you, I'm giving you a choice." His eyes hardened. "You pay me 4 million, just for the inconvenience of it all."

"Or I shoot dear Harry in the thigh."

Louis' mouth feel open. No...he wouldn't...

There was a gleam as sunlight reflected off of the black plastic body of a gun. The man loaded it, being sure to let Louis see the very real, very dangerous bullets inside. This was no bluff.

"I'll give you an hour to decide." The line went silent and the man's face flickered away, but Louis still stood holding the phone long after he was gone.

He had spent the last two days calling the bank, but he had to take out smaller loans of only a couple thousand at a time. They were already suspicious, but there was nothing he could say. He had ignored countless calls from his own family asking about what was happening. He'd tell them what was going on after it was all over. For now, he just had to live with the guilt every time he let the phone go to voicemail.

He had been so close! With Anne's help they had gathered almost 2 million in cash, and it had barely been two days! He shuddered thinking about what another two days could mean for Harry, and he felt an overwhelming wave of hatred that made him scream in frustration.

He collapsed into a chair, sagging. He remembered Harry, his hair greasy and cut uneven, his face busied and with dark bags under his eyes. The way he had been talking about their tattoos just didn't make sense. They had gotten the ship and compass at the same place, a quiet rebellion to Management. Harry knew that. Then why...

He jumped up, the chair falling with a crash. Was Harry trying to tell him he was on a ship? He closed his eyes and relived his memory of the call, trying to find signs that they were at sea. Had the room been rocking? Were the walls rounded? He didn't know if his brain were making up the details but everything fell into place in his head. That must have been what he meant. There was no other reason for him to lie. And his eyes, begging him to understand. The way he had deflated when they ran out of time. Louis had thought it was because they had to part after such a short conversation, but maybe it was more...

He whipped up his phone from where he had discarded it with disgust on the counter, fumbling to look up the nearest docks. It was only 28 miles away. Far enough to be within range of the kidnapping but not close enough for him to find it easily. It had to be the place.

He grabbed his keys and headed for the door just as it opened and Anne walked in. They collided, but Louis hardly paused to apologize before slipping past her.

"Louis! Where are you going?" She grabbed his arm and he groaned, trying to yank it away unsuccessfully. Her grip was steel.

"I have to go." He pleaded, and her eyes narrowed.