Through the Dark (Sequel to Taking Chances)

Chapter Forty-Nine: "All Or Nothing"

Brielle
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I had only a minute to react when I heard the sound of an angry Harry slamming something, and then a crash, and suddenly another voice.

Claire screamed, and in the next moment Niall and I flew down the stairs in a hurry to find out what was going on. I nearly toppled onto him the second we dropped to the floor, and pushed passed him as we ran into the kitchen.

A lamp had been smashed, broken into a million pieces and the lightbulb shattered. Standing above it was Harry, fists clenched and furious eyes switching back and forth between me and someone behind him. Niall grabbed a hold of my arm the second I saw him and pulled me behind his back too quickly for me to protest.

Every memory of Liam rushed back to me as I looked upon the familiar face of Louis Tomlinson, and my heart nearly beat out of my chest. Our conversation of him being on our side, of spying on Judie and feeding us back the information flooded back equally as fast, but stayed no longer than a couple seconds.

I breathed deeply. "Louis."

Harry stood tall, eyeing Louis in his rage, but gently took hold of Claire and kept her close. She looked so unsure, so confused, and I almost forgot that just until recently, she had no idea he even still existed in our lives.

"I'm sorry to barge in like this... I didn't mean to startle anyone," Louis began, keeping his hands up and palms out to reassure his harmless demeanor. "I thought perhaps you might've seen me coming."

"No one was paying any attention to the outside," Harry muttered.

I swallowed, avoided his eyes the best I could, and looked back to Louis. "How did you get here? How do you know this place?"

"Charlotte and Uriah... they told me. They sent me to tell you it's clear now. You can leave."

Claire looked perplexed. "They sent you? But why?"

"I'm the only one who could get in through the system."

"The system?" Niall glanced at me, as if asking for an answer. I didn't have one.

"Charlotte has a specific system programmed into the security system that scans the person trying to enter. You can't get in if you're not in the system," he explained effortlessly, which means he'd probably memorized the answer in case this happened. It made me wonder how long ago Charlotte got him involved after I suggested the idea.

Then it hit me. When we first arrived, we could not find a way in aside from the obvious front door. There was no way in from there, which lead me to the side. I remembered putting my hand on the screen, remembered the call of my name from the system, and the exhilaration I felt when the doors opened. Louis had just described that very system.

"It's the way we got in," I said aloud. "I had to let the system scan me."

"How long have you been programmed into it?" Harry asked.

"Only a couple days. Charlotte said to wait before I came to give you the good news just in case something came up."

Niall let go of me, having forgotten of the dangers Louis could possibly pose. Everyone had more or less calmed since he'd arrived, but we all knew better than to relax. Too much was going on to let our guard down so soon.

Louis dropped his stance and took a deep breath, but when his eyes met mine, he didn't look as relieved. In fact, he looked as if there was grave news to be delivered. My stomach fell to my feet, though I said nothing. Perhaps it was best I put off the bad news until later this time.

"So what's going on out there? What the hell happened that we had to go into hiding?" Claire mumbled bitterly.

"You didn't watch the video?" Louis frowned.