Harry's POV: Chapter 22

                                    

                                          
When Harry finally returns to consciousness, he opens his eyes to find Maverick standing directly in front of him, knife still in his hands. 
"You know, it's rather annoying when you do that. It ruins the fun, and you never wake up fast." He says, leaning down in front of Harry, who leans away.
"Aww, angel, are you not having fun? I sure am." Maverick asks. Harry tears at the restraints as he moves closer. 
"Stay away from me." Harry says, his voice pleading and quiet. He is getting tired, he knows it's from blood loss. 
Just stay awake. Stay awake until Louis finds you. He chants that to himself, just like he's been for the past few hours. 
"I'm afraid you don't get a choice in that." Maverick says, turning and taking the knife from one of his men. "You heard what I told your boyfriend. You've only paid for 10 of those deaths. You still have 5 more." 
"He's going to kill you." Harry says, gritting his teeth as Maverick runs the knife softly over Harry's chest and down his arm, scraping over the other cuts. 
"He's going to have to find us first." Maverick says, smiling as he presses the knife into Harry's left arm. Tears spill down Harry's cheeks and he grits his teeth harder against the pain. 
Maverick removes the knife from Harry's arm. Harry stares down at the newest cut, blood moving down his arm. 
"Only 4 more to go." Maverick says, but doesn't move from his crouch in front of Harry. Harry holds his breath, and Maverick leans in a little closer. 
"What's so special about you?" Maverick asks, quietly. He stands up and wanders a few steps away, the knife still swinging from his fingers. 
"I've spent years trying to find something, anything, that will get to Tomlinson. He doesn't even give a shit about himself. What makes you so fucking special, huh?" 
Harry stays quiet, flinching away, unable to move, as Maverick lays the knife against his arm again. "Well, I bet you feel really special now, huh?" 
Tears prick at Harry's eyes as the knife runs over his arm softly. He prepares himself for the hurt, but it never comes. Instead, a gunshot echoes somewhere outside the room. 
Maverick stands up quickly, the knife now hanging at his side. "What the hell are you standing there for? Go check it out." He yells at the other men in the room. 
They all leave, their guns cocked and held in front of them. They all file out the door, and turn in both directions. They're gone for a few moments, before one runs back in. He's covered in blood and he seems panicked. 
"It's him. He's found us." The man says. Harry flinches as a gun is fired and the man drops to the floor. As he falls, he reveals Louis standing behind him. Harry sits up at the sight. 
It's Louis. 
He starts to pull at the restraints, but stops as he feels the cold metal of the knife pressed against his throat. He freezes, and he watches as Louis does the same. 
Maverick is now standing behind Harry, holding the knife against his throat. 
"Not one step closer." Maverick growls, and Louis holds up his hands, his finger falling off the trigger of his gun. 
"Give it up Maverick, you have no one left." Louis says, and Harry almost cries at the sound of his voice. 
"I might not have anyone left, but I have the one thing you love at the end of this knife, and I'm prepared to use that to my full advantage." 
Louis takes one step closer, and the knife presses closer to Harry's neck. Harry stiffens against the chair. Every time he breathes, he can feel the knife scrape against his adam's apple. 
Louis and Harry are both thinking the same thing. If Louis shoots Maverick now, the knife is too close to Harry's neck. Maverick's fall will most likely slice Harry's neck open. 
"Stop right there, or I will slit his fucking throat, Tomlinson." Maverick growls and Louis freezes again. 
"Please Maverick. Just let him go. Take me instead, but let him go." Louis pleads and Harry feels tears spill down his cheeks. Maverick just laughs. 
"No can do, Tomlinson. I've rather enjoyed my angel's company. I'd like to keep him a little longer." Maverick says. 
In that moment, he drops the knife slightly further down. It's further down over Harry's collarbones, no longer over his throat. Louis takes the chance and raises the gun, sending a bullet straight through Maverick's forehead. 
The knife is still clutched in Maverick's hand, marking a gash through Harry's left collarbone as Maverick collapses to the floor. Harry grits his teeth against the pain, his tears staining his cheeks again, both at the pain and the sight of the man in front of him. 
Louis drops the gun, rushing forward. He kneels in front of Harry and grabs the knife from Maverick's hand, sawing away at the ropes around Harry's ankles and wrists. 
"Oh my god, Harry, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry I put you in danger like this. This is all my fault. I'm so so sorry." 
As soon as he is free from the restraints, Harry jumps out of the chair and into Louis' arms. He wraps his arms around Louis' neck and buries his face in the crook of his neck and shoulder. 
"It's not your fault Lou. It's not your fault. Never your fault. I'm ok." Louis wraps his arms tight around Louis torso, being careful not to touch the numerous cuts across his body. 
"Harry, you're not ok. Look at you. He did this because of me." Louis tries to push Harry away slightly, but Harry doesn't let go. 
"Harry, I need you to be safe. And to be safe, you need to be away from me." 
Harry freezes at that. He pushes away, so that he is staring at Louis. 
"Lou, I need you to hear me. You saved me." Lou shakes his head, tears streaming down his face. 
"Yes, yes you did." Harry says, cupping his hands around Louis' face. Louis' hands come up to meet Harrys. 
"I thought I lost you, Hazza." Louis whispers, and Harry presses his forehead against Louis', closing his eyes. 
"I'm right here. You saved me." Harry says, and Louis wraps his arms tightly around Harry's torso, standing up and bringing Harry with him. 
Harry's legs shake, and he nearly collapses, Louis' arms the only thing holding him up. "Baby, what's wrong?" Louis asks, holding Harry up, and Harry shakes his head. 
"I...I'm just a little dizzy, that's all, I'm fine." Harry says, but his vision is starting to go blurry. 
"It's blood loss. You have a lot of cuts. It's gonna be fine, Hazza, I promise. I'm gonna get you out of here." 
Louis leans down, hooking one arm under Harry's knees, and the other holds up Harry's back. Louis stands up and Harry wraps his arms around Louis' neck and buries his face in Louis' neck. 
It only takes a moment before Harry nods off, his breathing becoming easy and rhythmic. The last thought that runs through Harry's mind. 
He found me.