Two Can Keep a Secret if One of Them is - Season 1

Episode Seven - Chapter 31: Against All Odds

Harry’s POV

I took a deep breath as I walked down the stairs and out of the police station with Liam where the paparazzi awaited us in mobs. I nodded at all of the cameras that shined their light over us, some almost blinding me. My shirt was barely buttoned now and my bare skinned chest was exposed to the world. My pants had been slightly ripped down the bottom as well as Liam’s. Paul pushed the two of us through the crowds of reporters and cameramen who were yelling all sorts of questions from every direction possible. “Are you ashamed of the chaos your band has caused today?” “Harry, how could you get back with Caroline?” “Liam, are you still getting over Danielle?” “How did the fire start?” “How do you feel about being imprisoned?” Some of the questions were so irrelevant to the situation we were in that it astonished me. I was tugged, pushed and pulled by strangers, Paul and Liam who was mostly at my side gripping my arm. We finally made it to the van and the door shut with unfamiliar faces being pressed against the window, leaving steamed and oily marks on the glass. The flashes still kept trying to lighten the tint on the windows, but thankfully that was impossible, although after these past few months, hell, these past twenty four hours, I didn’t believe anything was impossible now - the boys and I were against all odds.

“How are we going to get Louis, Niall and Zayn out of there?” Liam finally spoke his first words since we had been escorted out of the cell. I sat there shaking my head at all that had happened in the last twenty four hours. “Liam....I don’t know.”. It was quiet the rest of the way home. The police still had Niall’s keyring, Zayn’s lighter and Louis’ sassy viper tongue, which made him look guilty. Liam and I had been granted bail for now, and it only made me feel bad for my other best friends that were prevented from freedom for something they didn’t do. This was all what ‘A’ wanted, and I didn’t know how one person could manipulate authorities to a precise plan like that. ‘A’ had the band split in half now, well...as half as an odd number could get, and I knew if that sick and twisted person could get hold of one of us, and cut down half one of our bodies with a scalpel, they would do it. Paul handed our phones back to us from the front passenger seat he was sitting in. I couldn’t even begin to imagine what he was thinking right now. He was dead quiet and just did his job now, I don’t think he could even look us in the eye anymore. I took my phone from him and whispered a grateful “thank you!” but got no reply from him. I got out of the van with Liam once we had reached our estate. “Stay out of trouble.” Paul said sternly before leaving with the van and going home to his family after an exhausting day. Liam and I nodded and watched him leave. I felt like we had disappointed him after everything that he had done for us. “Want to stay at mine tonight?” I offered Liam as we walked towards my apartment. He nodded and smiled a little seeming grateful that I had offered. I unlocked my apartment and walked inside, Liam turning the lights on and me turning my phone on, preparing myself for the bombarding messages and missed calls from my family, friends and undisclosed numbers. The time flashed 9:54pm. It had been such a long day and I hadn’t even taken notice of time whatsoever. The it dawned on me. 10pm. Hospital. ‘A’. Gemma! My panic switch had just been flicked on and I couldn’t seem to get any words out of my mouth. Liam turned around frowning, hearing my heavy breathing and mumbled sounds exit my mouth. I stumbled over to my hall table throwing draws open and looking for my car keys. “Harry!” Liam rushed over. “What’s wrong mate?” “G-GEMMA! HOSPITAL! A! NOW!” Was all I could say as I ran out the door for my car. It would take me longer than six minutes to get to the hospital and I certainly did not have time to waste. Before I knew it, I was in my car and Liam was suddenly next to me worried and quiet. He didn’t question a thing, but was there for me, right by my side. 

I sped my way through London, jumping red lights and swerving around corners whilst Liam held onto the side of his seat. He didn’t complain or scold me, just trusted me and kept quiet. I glanced at the clock every thirty seconds or so, but the time ticked on faster and faster. “HARRY WATCH OUT!” Liam yelled as I went through another red light and dodged a two trailer truck heading towards the motorway. “Sorry.” I said softly, apologising with his life, my sister’s life and my own life in my hands right now. It was 9:59pm and we were three blocks away from the hospital by now when my phone buzzed; Liam picking it up and reading the text out loud from the undisclosed number.

**Tick Tock, Haz - A.**

My jaw clenched and I held onto the steering wheel so tight, my hands were beginning to sweat and slip as I turned corners. I pulled into the parking lot at 10:01pm, and all I could do was hope and pray that my clock was at least two minutes too fast. I jumped out the car, running into the reception, up the stairs and through the corridor to the room where one of our best mates had lost his life. Liam rushed, following behind me for backup. My stomach sank as the memories of Josh being in here started flooding back. We used to visit him almost everyday when we could and when we weren’t out of the country. We thought he was going to be able to walk back down this corridor and back out those doors, breathing the fresh air and drumsticks in his hands ready for our next gig. We were wrong. I couldn’t let this happen to my sister now. Liam and I were getting too close for comfort as we approached the room. The door was open and the room was in darkness. Liam and I took a step inside and the atmosphere was sinister. I felt my stomach sink down and my hand brushed against the bed. Josh’s bed. Josh’s death bed. The clock on the bedside table still ticked on, flashing 10:03pm by this time. We were against all odds, especially time, but there was no one here. We looked around the room and my stomach started to settle. Maybe ‘A’ had a humorous side and decided to watch a silly prank play out? Was ‘A’ ever really trying to be funny? “There’s nothing here.” Liam said, not even knowing the full story yet. He was loyal like that, and I was happy that he was willing to put his trust in me, even with his life without question. I frowned and dug the note I had received from ‘A’ from my pocket, reading it over and over again before passing it to Liam. Liam’s eyes bulged out from his skull once he had read the note, but I could tell it wasn’t just the note that had caused the shock within him. He walked over to the window, where the visitors chair was placed beside. He picked up a pink and white cardigan and held it towards me. I rushed over knowing it was Gemma’s. She had worn it on Christmas day last year, brand new and I never forgot almost spilling the gravy on it as I leaned over the table containing the Christmas feast, when she almost bit my head off for potentially ruining it. I unintentionally snatched her cardigan from Liam’s hands before he picked up a note that fell from it’s pocket and onto the ground. 

"She’s up high now. Twelve stories to be exact.

If you’re late, she’ll be splattered on the ground within a millisecond. 

- A"

“Twelve stories up! Let’s hurry!” Liam said rushing out of the room. Somehow in the midst of all of this I managed to say a quick prayer about Josh before I exited the room. Liam and I didn’t have time to stand around and wait for the elevator, we rushed up the stairs, climbing two by two, twelve stories up which had added to twenty four flights of stairs. What ‘A’ had actually directed us to was the roof of the hospital. It was windy and my hair was blowing in my face. Liam and I walked around the roof looking for ‘A’, who had hold of Gemma. I heard a soft cry and ran towards the direction I heard it coming from. There on the corner of the roof was my sister. Her arms tied behind her back, her mouth taped up and was dangling off the edge, only being held onto by another female figure. “LET HER GO!” I shouted as I rushed up. “Come any closer and I will let her go....off the edge.” the other female figured shouted as I saw tears running down Gemma’s face. Her eyes were soft and wet as she stared at me. Liam was right beside me now and his face went white at the sight of my sister being dangled over the edge of the roof. “Allison? What are you doing!!!” He said standing there. He knew the girl threatening my sister’s life? Allison? ‘A’? “I’m not who you think I am!” She said also crying now. “Then what are you doing with Gemma?” He said walking slowly up to her. “Saving myself!” she said wiping the tears from her eyes. I followed Liam slowly, and as soon as she saw me coming closer she pushed Gemma even more. “Stay back!” the girl named Allison said. This time Gemma let out a scream because now she was literally hanging off the edge of the roof, the only thing stopping her from falling to her death was the rope that held her hands tied together.