Toxic (Harry Styles)

Chapter 43

PLEASE BE CAUTIOUS IF YOU'RE EASILY TRIGGERED BY DEATH. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

Chapter 43

The final wisdom of life requires not the annulment of incongruity but the achievement of serenity within and above it.

HARRY'S POV

Anyone would think by now that I’ve pulled the trigger of my pistol on someone. The simple fact is I haven’t. I’ve never had to, and so far, I’ve never planned to.

But the feeling of unease that I had as we left the organization has returned after the two hour drive that I spent catching up on sleep. Lucas and Emily, on the other hand, have been wide awake, watching surroundings and making sure we haven’t missed something. William, who sits beside me, has his head still against the window, and it bounces with the movement of the car.

No one has noticed my conscious state, which quietly left me to my own thoughts. I can’t tell if that’s good or bad.

I don’t want to kill anyone, I think rationally.

But you will have to if the time comes, to protect the ones you love, the more realistic part of me, the trained member, retorts.

That side of me is right, though. I know that some people are caught in the moment as their finger rest on the small trigger that can end lives, I’ve seen it. The same can apply to me today, but I just hope it won’t.

By now, Lucas has glanced in the rear view mirror enough times to insure I’m awake, and gives me a discreet nod. He knows I’m still tormenting myself about not telling Shay. But he was right, there’s no time as the building comes closer and closer to contact her. There are just too many consequences to using a phone right now. Evan is probably tracking us like we’re tracking him, and by using technology it’ll be easier on him.

“Harry,” Lucas says, pulling me from thinking. “Wake William up, will you?” He asks, and then adds almost apprehensively, “We’re almost there.”  

The air seems to shift as the order was given. Emily still doesn't look back to me, staying faced front and attentive. I sit my hand on William's shoulder and light shake him. He doesn't move except for the slight slouch in his posture and a grunt. I do it again, a little harder this time and his head lulls forward and he jolts awake.

"We're almost there," I inform him before he tells me off for disturbing him.

It's odd, the city we're in. Evan has chosen a spot where everyone can see. It's an old, foreclosed apartment building. The structure is still in good shape, but the setting looks too cheerful for its use now. The places surrounding it don't help either; a coffee shop and a children clothes shop.

It's too public. Evan's never been one for an open confrontation.

He's planned this one out. He knows that if they get caught, we'll get caught too, and that'll be a win-lose situation for the both of us. Though, I'm sure whatever verdict we would get isn't worse than the one Evan and his men would receive.

Either way, I couldn't go to jail. I have Shay to think about, and she'd be devastated.

We park on the opposite side of the road and some drive to the back entrance, all separated around the front and back of the building so no one could escape. Some of our offensive people will be coming inside with Lucas, Emily, Kylie, William, Ty, and me, as Luke and Sid stay outside. They'll try to get the people off the streets and keep them away. It's too dangerous for them to be around; we don't even know what will happen.

So when the doors to all the cars on the front side and people file out, we aren't surprised but the civilians are. They move back instantly, afraid of the guns we carry and why we're there without warning. They don't know that they're not our targets. Our targets are the people who have walked among them in the streets.