The Viral Chase

Chapter 6: Thirst of Curiosity

Chapter 6

Thirst of Curiosity.

I open my eyes and blink several times as the bright light blinds me. I am covered in soft duvet, lying on a queen-size bed with silken sheets. This does not seem like my bed, this is not my bed at all. "Oh! Miss Sleeping Beauty is awake. Finally!" came a husky and raspy voice that I now know very well. So all that happened last night is not a dream and the proof is standing in front of me, with his 'oh so famous smirk'. His hair seems less curly than last night and he adorns a similar skinny jeans with a plaid shirt, making him look less intimidating. It can be due to the reason that his muscles are hidden under the long sleeves. "Where am I? I hope it's not your home." "You think I will take you to my very own house!" he snorts and leans against the wall. "You are at the SIS HQ. I got this room for you while you were sleeping in my car." "SIS what?" I almost yell with a hint of irritation in my voice. "Are you partially deaf? Why do you have to ask me to repeat everything? Anyways, You are at the Secret Intelligence Service Headquarters, SIS HQ for short." I look at him like he has grown two heads.

"Ah! Miss. Russel, I see you are awake." I see a fatherly figure walking towards me. "I am Mr. Samuel Grayson, chief head of this operation and incharge of Mr. Styles.", he speaks in an elderly voice with a hint of authority in it. He leans forward to shake hands with me. I sit upright and shake his hand awkwardly. "Nice to meet you. Styles get her a cup of coffee, will you." "Yeah yeah. I am her personal servant." Harry mumbles to himself and leaves me alone with the chief.

Nervousness, one simple feeling but conveyed through various actions by different people. Like each one of us had a set of involuntary actions to display our nervousness. And that is exactly what I am doing now. Twiddling with my thumbs while looking down and blinking repeatedly. Mr. Grayson clears his throat after some glances at me and I immediately look up at him. "Miss. Russel, I know this must be a lot to take in within hours but you have done really well. I know you might have a bank of questions, the answers to some of which may make no sense to you yet." He takes a pause and sighs at my shocked expression. "So I suggest you to clear your doubts with Styles. He was on my orders to bring you here without any details. But I have given him the permission to let you know." He ends his business like speech. "Styles will be back soon." He takes one last look at me and smiles. I smile back and he leaves closing the door behind him.

I sit there wondering if all this is true or I am being played by these people. I cannot escape this place. I remember falling asleep in the car but no idea of walking to this room. Maybe Harry bought me here. The door opens gently and Harry steps in with a breakfast tray. "I need to wash my face. Can you tell me where the bathroom is?" I ask him awkwardly. He points to the door at my left while saying. " Thats the one. There is everything available inside that you may need." I mutter a thank you while he takes a seat at the chair near the window and sips on his coffee.

The bathroom seems very spacious with glossy pinkish tiles and lavish looking basin and a bath tub. Wow! I wash my face and find a packed toothbrush. Just what I needed. I brush my teeth and look in the mirror. I am a mess, total mess. Near the basin is a medium sized wooden cupboard. I open it to find new set of clean clothes and towels. Is that meant for me? I decide to first confirm it with Harry. I call out to him and soon he answers back with a hum. "Are these clothes for me?" "I don't think I usually wear silken tops like those. So it surely must be for you." and that makes my cheeks go red. I take a nice warm shower and change into the ivory satin shirt and a pair of jeans. I brush my hair and after my curly hair settle down to a satisfactory level, I leave the bathroom.

I sit in front of Harry and enjoy the tasty breakfast of pancakes and my favourite cappuccino. After I am fully fed and fresh I decide to quench my thirst of curiosity. "Who are you and why are you saving me?" He looks up at me from his newspaper with one eyebrow raised. "I have the right know." He sighs and finally answers reluctantly. "I am Harry Styles, one of the top agent of my age at SIS and saving you is my job. You are my assignment." His assignment. Just an assignment. That hurts even when there is no reason to be. "Why did you bring me here?" "On chief's order and besides, this is one of the safest place I know." He answers lazily with a shrug. "How did I reach here?" "Did you lose your memory, love? Don't you remember our car ride", he replies teasingly. I look away blinking my eyes few times and rephrase my question, "I mean how did I reach this room?" "I carried you. You are not that heavy." I get a weird feeling after knowing that. "Why are you so rude to me?" He almost opened his mouth but no words came out. He is looking everywhere but me and his jaw clenches. I think I hit a nerve. Wrong move. He exhales and stands up abruptly. He starts stalking towards the door harshly when I dare to speak again. "I am sorry", I whisper slowly feeling the need to apologize. He stops just before the door and looks behind his shoulder still not looking completely at me. "I need to take you to your work so that nobody suspects you are missing." And with those words he opens the door waiting for me to accompany him. Should I be missing? The atmosphere around us is suddenly thick with tension, so thick that you can cut it with a knife.

I leave the room with him and step into the corridor outside. It resembles a corridor to a posh hotel, just like the room that has pearly white and ivory furniture with biege walls and curtains. The corridor too was ivory with dark wooden frames to every door. Harry took the staircase after locking the room and I am still taking in the beauty of this place. "Are you coming?" Harry yelled from the last stair. So I rush to follow him as he goes down a series of steps and enters a large hall with a reception area where he drops off the keys.

There are people in black suits, talking on the bluetooth devices as they walk to their destinations. Some are casually dressed like Harry while others are formally dressed and yet there are few in military uniforms. I stumble as I trip on my feet and run into Harry's back. He turns around as I smoothen my shirt and mutter a quick apology. He takes my hand to avoid any other accidents and pull me till we reach his car.

*****

So here comes the end of the chapter. This may seem like a boring chapter but it was necessary to mention the little details here.

Tell me what do you feel about this chapter. Any ideas and suggestions, Comment and vote.

Regards,

A.R.