Escape Route (Decode Sequel)

Chapter Four - Time-Bomb.

Lennon.

“Do you really think one clue, which might not even be a clue is going to lead us to your dad?”

I could hear Harry sigh heavily, even through the thick wooden door separating the two parties. He and Niall had been in the office, by the sounds of it pacing too, for the past half an hour. I knew an Italian dictionary may mean absolutely nothing, but Harry said his dad had never been to Italy and didn’t speak a word of Italian. It had to be there for a reason, even if it wasn’t the reason we wanted. 

“It’s the only lead we have right now.”

“I’m just saying, we could waste days, weeks over in the bloody southern hemisphere and end up losing precious time.”

“What the heck are you talking about? Italy is in Europe you twat.” 

I had to cover my mouth to muffle my laughs. I knew Niall had dropped out of a few classes at school, geography was evidently one of them. Although I presumed it was common sense to know Italy was apart of the European Union. For his sake, I was glad he knew how to aim a gun proficiently. 

“It doesn’t matter where it is, it’s still time we could waste.”

“So we should just stay here and wait for something else to arise?” Harry was close to shouting now, I didn’t have to press my ear to the door to even hear anymore. “He wasn’t a careless man, he was very efficient in everything he did. He left it there for a reason, he knew one day someone would come for him. Presumably me looking for him. He’s expecting us, me.”

“You don’t know that Harry!”

“I’m a Styles, I think like a Styles, I think like him.”

“Just because it’s in your blood doesn’t make you Sherlock Holmes.”

“Traits run through blood, look at Lennon and her father. They’re so similar it’s scary.” 

I shivered at his words, I felt offended by what he had said, even though it wasn’t said directly at me it felt like he had driven a knife straight through my chest. I was no murderer; I hadn’t killed mass amounts of people or threatened anyone. How could he compare me to such a monster? 

“And anyway, not everyone will go. You can stay here if you want and look for something else if you insist.”

“I will then.”

“Fine, whatever.”

I could tell the conversation was coming to a close and scarpered away from the door at lightning speed. I double stepped up the staircase and darted towards the bedroom, my hand still covering my mouth to block out any heavy breathing sounds. I shut the door behind me and breathed a sigh of relief when I heard the click of the lock. I leant back against the door and stood still for a minute, enough to catch my breath for the first time in hours. 

Since we discovered the dictionary everything had been chaotic. Zayn was straight onto his laptop looking at flights to Italy on the specific day Vince left. Apparently when you’re a computer whizz, hacking into confidential airport records is easy. And you don’t even have to be a computer tech to hack the security cameras; I’ve heard stories of teenage girls being capable of that. 

I slid my feet along the floor and slumped down on the window seat on looking the street. There was no traffic, no pedestrians just a stray cat sat on the opposite wall. The whole area looked dead. Except for a car parked ten meters down the street. I’ve never seen it before and the black tinted windows raised alarm bells inside my brain.