Chapter Text
“I wish I were a girl again, half-savage and hardy, and free…” – Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights
“He’s going to kill you, you know,” Niko says in a droll tone, casually leaning up against the side of the truck, “if you don’t start talking.”
Haden has the man pinned against a tree, his left forearm pressed against the man’s chest and his right hand holding a curved knife to his throat. The man gulps, looking back and forth between Niko and Haden with wide, bloodshot eyes. They hadn’t even asked his name. When he speaks, he looks to Niko with the false hope that he might help him.
“I already told you everything! I don’t know where she is.”
“You’re lying.” Haden’s voice is deep and menacing. He presses the blade harder against the man’s throat, a thin line of blood dripping from the cut.
“ Shit ! I’m not! I swear I’m not.”
“You are. You’re protecting someone, someone who you’re more afraid of than me.” Haden leans in, forcing the man to look into his eyes. “That’s going to be your last mistake.”
“I–I–” the man sputters out. He’s shaking, beads of sweat rolling down his temples. His left eye is already swelling shut and he’s got his arms curled protectively around his stomach, not even trying to fight back. Truly pathetic, really. They hadn’t even hit him that much.
“Spit it out, dude,” Niko sighs, rolling his eyes. “Jesus, do you even want to live?”
“Yes! Yes, I want to live!” the man cries out.
Haden yanks him forward and then slams him back into the tree, the back of his head snapping against the bark, making him yelp. “ Then tell me where the fuck they were taking her. ”
The man’s lower lip wobbles and he breaks. “North. They went north three miles on this road, then were going to head west on 49, past the lake. That’s all I know. I swear that’s all I know.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. They said they’d be back for me. And, uh, well…” The man glances back down at the blade nervously.
“What?” Haden snaps. He hasn’t slept for more than a handful of minutes in the last few days, his patience long worn out and desperation taking over.
“She-she looked like she was in pretty bad shape,” the man says, his voice growing softer with each word, regretting his choice to speak as he watches fury dance in Haden’s eyes. “I don’t know what they were doing to her, but it wasn’t good. It might already be too late.”
Haden’s jaw tightens. Niko lets out a low whistle and turns around, opening the door of the truck and sliding into the passenger seat.
“Hey, hey, I’m just telling the truth,” the man backtracks desperately. “I was honest. I told you everything. I told you–”
Niko slams the door behind him and the man’s voice cuts off. A few seconds later, the driver’s side door opens and Haden jumps in, dropping the curved knife onto his lap and twisting the keys in the ignition. As they peel out, Niko glances down at the bloodstained blade, then up into the rearview. The slumped over body of the man gets smaller and smaller behind them as they race north.
“We’re gonna find her,” Niko says. “You hear me? You’re gonna get her back.”
Haden doesn’t answer, just grips the wheel tighter and presses down harder on the gas.