Truth Sets You Free

Chapter 38

The quiet empty hallway in front of us scares the hell out of me. People could be lurking around every corner, not to mention the security cameras that line the ceiling.

I stay close behind Harry, holding the gun that he gave me in my shaky grasp. I wish that having this weapon would give me some kind of security and reassurance, but it doesn't. I'm almost positive that even if I need to, I won't be able to pull the trigger.

Suddenly, Harry stops in front of me, and I catch myself before running into his back.

"We've looked everywhere." An unfamiliar voice says from in front of Harry.

"Well, obviously you haven't because we still haven't found her. No one is allowed out of here, so she has to be around here somewhere." Derek growls angrily. "Is someone checking the security footage?"

"I'm not sure."

"God, what the hell are you good for then?"

Harry turns back around slowly so that he's facing me. "Let's go back that way." He whispers.

I nod as he steps around me and begins leading me down the hallway that we just came through. We only make it a few feet before I hear footsteps behind us. I can tell that Harry hears them too because he looks back over his shoulder at me.

"We don't have time to be quiet." He tells me. "We're gonna have to run."

"What?" I ask, not liking that plan at all. We were supposed to sneak out of here, not cause a major scene by sprinting through the hallways.

"We don't have a choice, Bella." He says, reading my mind. He reaches his arm around me and pushes me forward so that I'm in front of him. "Go, and don't look back."

With that demand, he gives me a gentle shove and my feet start moving quickly. Even though I'm freaking out, the adrenaline kicks in and I begin to feel invincible.

I have no idea where I'm going, but the constant presence of Harry's hand on the back or my shirt both guides me in the right direction and assures me that he's with me. With every step that I take, I become more and more confident that we might actually make it out of here.

But when a loud buzzing sound begins echoing through the hallway, that confidence is shattered.

"What the hell is that?" I call back to Harry, not caring anymore about being loud. The alarm that's currently going off makes so my voice is barely audible.

"It's the security alarm." He yells, pushing me harder than before. "Just keep going."

I do what he says, but it doesn't make a difference. Seconds later, my body comes to a complete stop as I ram into a solid chest. The gun falls from my hand and arms wrap around me, restraining me against this person's body as I start thrashing around. I look over to see that Harry is being held back by two larger men, and more and more people begin to circle around us as the alarm continues to blast.

My eyes land on Harry's, but his aren't on mine. They're slightly above me, locked on whoever has me in their grasp.

I'm about to try to get Harry's attention to see what the plan is even though I know there probably isn't one at this point. We're pretty much screwed. Before I can get him to look at me, the alarm stops and the crowd that formed around us separates slightly, giving Derek enough space to walk through.

As if that weren't enough to ruin any chance of escape, Smith steps in right behind him. He stops walking once he's reached the middle of the circle. Everyone stays quiet as he opens his mouth to speak.

"Mr. Styles." He says with a grin, but I'm confused because he's not looking at Harry. He's looking at me. No, he's looking at the person behind me. Air catches in my throat as I start putting the pieces together. That can only mean one thing. "It must be nice to see your son again."