Compelled | h.s. AU

four

^^ the song above fits the vibe for this chapter! i recommend listening while reading:)

"This is an announcement from Pernicious"

I slam my finger down on the link again so the video starts over.

"This is an announcement from Pernicious. If you have received this message, you've been targeted. We have taken matter into our own hands. We will not equivocate to take innocent lives including your families if you do not come fourth to the pledge. Pernicious has purloined information from every single one of you and will not hesitate to divulge them to the world. If you proceed to seek us, we will kill you. This is Pernicious and we are the future."

We were now sitting in Nialls van with piles of scribbled paper and devices scattered over the white seating. Luckily Niall renovated this piece of shit so we could accomplish business.

It's nearly three in the morning and all we've attained is what we are going to eat. Meanwhile I have taken notes on small details such as the duration of the message, how many words, uncovering the real message.

I drop my nails from my teeth and toss my notebook on the pull out table.

"Okay, what does everyone got?" I sigh whilst sipping on iced spring water. I'm not in the mood to throw up everywhere.

"A 10 piece nugget—" Niall holds up the food he ordered before dying of laughter. "I'm just playin"

In reflex I smite the back of his head.

And in return Niall jokingly shoves me into the car interior.

"Obviously they were afraid to use their real voice hence the perverted masking." Harry looked up from the glowing laptop on his lap, scanning over our tired faces.

"Scared" I agree.

My perception follows the glowing moon whilst scanning over my notes. "The video was fifty-five seconds. Is that number important to someone?"

"Is this Nancy Drew or some shit?" I hear Harry mumble loud enough for me to hear him across the folding table.

"I'd prefer Criminal Minds." I correct as seeing the tired expression on his face completely fall.

55

I could be stretching but this could be an important number or clue. Maybe a sport jersey or even a birthday? May 5.

"This is getting no where, let's just go." Louis sighs and begins to shut the computers down.

"No!" I end up snapping loudly. "We aren't stopping, I don't care! Why be prey when we can be predator?" Everyone intensely stares at me whilst my frustration pours out at once.

Happiness only lasted a couple minutes

"We need to write down anything we can get. Even if you would think it's idiotic...but what we need could be hidden. They wouldn't make it easy."

"Obviously" Louis mocks my expression and I flip my middle finger up at him. "Oh ha ha."

Pernicious

The evil word meaning having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way.

That specific word has become so exotic and mind sickening. A vocable once being so foreign was now making me dizzy. Their voice well I don't even know the sex of the person, but the speech echos in my head like Godzilla crashing down buildings with extreme force.