"So you have went to absolutely every single location?" you questioned Niall. It was the next day and currently everyone in your group, including Han and a couple of IT engineers were in the technology room.
"Every single one that we've found, yes" he nods, looking back at the screen.
"She surely knows that we're tracking her down, so she must've moved them or set up fake ones" Calum comments.
"Of course she does, but she wouldn't have known that you got a flash, would she?" Han quirks a brow.
"We've searched everything sir" a person from the side says.
"This is absurd, she can't be that good" Sarah rolls her eyes.
"Can we inspect it?" Crystal questions, so Han looks at the engineers for an approval which they give. That's how you've spent an entire week, going over and over all the files you had on her or suspects who were thought she works with. You haven't found anything, no locations, no clues, she must have hired an a excellent hacker working for her. The safe house where you were trapped was also inspected, but turned out she already destroyed everything in it. You got used to living here also, even if you couldn't go out because it was too risky. Your friends could shift freely when they had to inspect them or do some tests, but you couldn't, you'd always come up with an excuse and everyone would chime in and they'd pass you thankfully. Now here you were, past midnight, staring at the blank screen mindlessly in the living room.
"Willow you should go to sleep" Niall yawned since he was the only one awake besides you. You didn't want Calum to worry or anyone so you waited 'till they were asleep and then got to work. You knew there has to be some trick, something that if she sends to the businessmen they'd get the secret message. But how? Niall was sitting across from you, doing the same exact thing, but with more sleepy eyes and dark circles under them anf he had already drank three cups of coffee which he said helps him keep awake.
"No, I swear, if I just look at it a little more..." you tried to persuade him...or maybe more you. Either way you continued looking at the files.
"There's tomorrow for that" he said and in a few seconds your screen was down. He was standing up now, one of his hands on the closed laptop with a serious gaze staring right at you. His light, brown hair was ruffled, he was in shorts and a simple T-Shirt and his ocean eyes were partly concerned, although mostly sleepy. You admired how he cared more for you then himself, what he didn't realise was that werecats especially love night, but aren't nocturnal. Which meant you could last probably an hour or so more, he however, should get some rest.
"Niall you should go too" you say, crossing your arms. Je sighs, slowly retreating his hand and putting it in his pocket.
"I won't be too long, just go. I am the tech guy, right?" he smiles lightly to which you chuckle and a yawn escapes your lips.
"I am only going if you are" you stare him down, so he looks down to the floor, then back to you.
"You are a very stubborn person, anyone ever told you that before?" he shakes his head.
"Not that I recall" you laugh lightly and he joins you.
"I seriously think I'll figure something out tonight" you say, the smile leaving his face.
"Why can't it be tomorrow? Why is tonight so important?" he sits down now, his gaze soft.
"Don't tell the others please, I don't want them to jump to conclusions" you gulp, looking away. You sensed him leaning closer, but then he stopped suddenly.
"Tell me" he whispered. You looked back at him, his full attention on you.
"I spoke to Charlie earlier today... He said that there were people entering the barrier with weapons, he suspects that Tayla sent them" you explained and he looked as if he was thinking, then turned to you.
"What do you think she's going to do?" he asked. You opened your mouth to speak, but were unsure.
"She wants us all, but she can't find the tunnels" you say.
"The barrier is up, how about that?" he quirks a brow, your eyes widened.
"Oh no..." you spoke almost inaudible.
"It'll be fine Willow, we have all these people behind us" Niall tries to reassure you. You put your head in your hands, all kinds of thoughts running through your mind, but suddenly you feel your hands being slowly put down.
"Hey, no reason to be like that" he says so you look at him directly and something's very, very strange.
"I'm going to sleep, thank you Ni" you quickly said, standing up and pulling your hands back from his.
You heard him say "Willow wait-" but you were already in the room.
***
"Morning" you heard Niall's voice behind you. You returned to the IT room, but this time almost everyone was there except Crystal and unlike usual Niall arrived the last. You didn't want to speak to him for some reason, it felt really strange and you just couldn't put your finger on it.
"Hi" you replied as you saw him take a seat on his usual spot. It had been a pretty routinic day, nothing new. Some tests here and there, as previously said, nothing different whatsoever.
-
"You should take a break, babe" Calum said, sitting next to you.
"Hmm?" you asked, not hearing him the first time. You heard him sigh.
"I brought you a croissant" he said happily. You turned to look at him now and smiled as well.
"Thank you" you say, kissing him on the cheek.
"You are really distracted by this, more so than usual" he comments, taking a bite out of his croissant.
"I just keeping look at the file names" you say, taking a bite.
"You know we've looked at them, left, right, horizontal and God knows how else. They don't mean anything" he says. It's true, the fake locations were all sorted out in files with letters and numbers mixed in no order.
"Yeah...I guess" you shrugged. He seemed to be analysing what's wrong, you knew Calum would do anything to make you or anyone happy and that he was terribly disappointed when he couldn't do that.
"We'll figure it out eventually" he smiled lightly.
"It might be too late then" you said to yourself.
***
"Willow" someone's voice echoed throughout your head. You stood up and there was complete darkness, another dream.
"Zaine...?" you questioned since it sounded like him.
"Replay the letters, it might resemble something".
You woke up and immediately glanced around the room. Calum was next to you, the laptop was on the small table in the corner. You got up and instantly turned it on.
"Willow, what in the world are you doing?" you heard Calum groan.
"I've got it" you answered and he seemed to be wokened up a bit by that.
"What?" he asked, standing up and joining you. The screen was finally lit and you instinctively knew where to search.
"Look at them, the letters and numbers. All caps, all written wrong" you said and he nodded his head.
"Well, we already know that" he remarked which made you groan.
"Watch" you said. You wrote down one of the names on a piece of paper before you, then wrote it backwards.
"I don't see anything" he said, narrowing his eyes.
"B-but it can't be" you checked again, but it was just a mess.
"Hey, it's late, it doesn't matter" Calum said softly.
"I can't believe this" you sniffled throwing the papers off the table.
"Willow..." he hugged you as you tried to hold in your anger and disappointment.
"I failed them Calum" you admit.
"No, we still have time, look at where we are now" he said, rubbing small circles on your back to calm you down.
"I have to tell you something" you pulled back, sitting on the bed, so he looked you with both curiousity and worry.
"What is it...?" he questioned sitting next to you. You turned your gaze away and opened your mouth to speak when, something clicked. The paper that was thrown on the floor, it was upsidedown, so when you look at it like that, the numbers are letters and combined with the real ones they make out something written in your ancient language.
"Look" you pointed to the paper. He sat closer to you and looked from that perspective.
"-15,0088047, 128,2997943, those are coordinates" he gasped.
"Written in our language, you figured it out!" he exclaimed happily and you hugged him tightly.
"We have to tell everyone, now" you said.
"It's five in the morning..." you say once the realisation kicks in, which makes Calum chuckle.
"Our world is at stake here" he diverts.
"Right, come on" you laugh. Now it was time for a plan, because Tayla maybe isn't as smart as she thinks she is....