Chapter Eighteen

Ethan

Eight Years Ago

Harry was showing off again. It was usually when George and Freddie were around and today was no exception.

We were in the middle of our daily exercise regime - Harry was slacking off, as per usual. However, once George and Freddie arrived into the gym with mischievous smirks on their faces, Harry jumped into action.

He was such an idiot sometimes - George and Freddie only ever came to the gym outside of their own workout schedules to taunt and tease Harry. They knew that Harry and exercise didn't go well together and they also knew how much he showed off whenever they were around.

I had tried to tell Harry this on numerous occasions but he wouldn't listen. He was convinced that they were threatened by his 'manliness' and that whenever they came to watch him in the gym it was out of jealousy and sheer admiration. He never saw them snickering whenever he misused a machine or when he face went as red as a tomato after lifting weights for more than five minutes.

But even after all of the taunting and teasing, I knew that there was nothing malicious about their friendships. True, I didn't understand them and the way they interacted. But to them, being dicks to each other was their way of showing love.

I had never experienced this with any of my friends from back home. Well, it had been so long since I had a proper friend it wasn't surprising that I didn't understand the meaning of friendship these days. Mine and Harry's relationship wasn't a normal friendship - that much I knew.

It was almost two years to the day that he sat next to me in our entrance exams. And he has been annoying me every day since. I was trying to pinpoint the exact day when I realised that I loved this annoyance.

I never thought I would ever care for anyone else again, which was why I cut ties with my old life and joined the agency. I hadn't counted on Harry. Tom was only dead three years - I had counted on it taking me a lifetime to get over him. I still wasn't over him, don't get me wrong. But Harry had eased the pain. Every morning I used to wake up with Tom's eyes haunting my mind. Now, it was a different set of eyes that sent shivers down my spine.

"Well, well, well, Taylor... What do we have here? You know, the treadmill can go faster than a mild jog - I can show you the buttons if you want?" George and Freddie strolled over to Harry who was already struggling on the easy pace he was going. I didn't know how he stayed in such great shape - he ate terribly on top of his lack of exercise.

"Leave him alone, George! He's doing his best on it, if he can't go any faster let him be," Freddie piped up, leaning against the treadmill Harry was on. I could see Harry's eyes already beginning to narrow.

I stayed silent where I was, lifting weights silently to maintain my upper arm strength. I knew better than to get involved in this - Kim had labelled them 'The Three Knobheads'. I had to agree with this name - anyone would think they were acting like fifteen year olds.

"I'm just warming myself up, actually. Not that it's any of your business!" Harry retorted, increasing the speed of the machine as he spoke.

"God, how long does it take you to warm up, Taylor?" George laughed.

"Not as long as you, Georgie," Harry replied in a huffed tone.

This back-and-forth bickering continued until Harry was nearly on the fastest pace of the machine and looking like he was about to vomit. I couldn't sit back any longer.

"Harry, you're going to end up pulling a muscle. Get off," I ordered, putting the weights back. I had planned on doing some time on the rowing machine but if we stayed here any longer, Harry would end up in the hospital ward.

"No, I-I'm fine," Harry huffed, struggling to breathe as he sprinted. George and Freddie were almost on the ground laughing.

I sighed impatiently and went over to where the machine was plugged in, turning it off. Harry stumbled forward as the machine came to a sudden halt.

"What the fuck Ethan! I was just about to get into my zone," Harry choked out, trying to catch his breath.

Freddie let loose a chuckle he was unable to hold in, resulting in Harry spinning around to glare at him. "What the fuck you laughing at, Freddie?"

"Nothing, nothing you big fucking baby!"

"Oh I'm a baby am I? Cos I seem to remember you crying like a baby the day you burned yourself on the lickle stove in your kitchen - now that's something to laugh about! Right Georgie?" Harry looked to George to back him up.

George started to smile widely and nod in remembrance until something hit him. "What have I told you about calling me Georgie, Taylor?"

"Georgie, Georgie, Georgie... You need to accept that I will be calling you Georgie until we're both gross, smelly old men sitting in a nursing home with hot nurses feeding us porridge five times a day."

George was about to start another bickering match when Kim came running into the gym, her eyes wide.

"Ethan, Harry! The Captain wants to see you."

Everyone's mouths dropped. The Captain never requested to see Level-B agents. Unless you were Level-A, he had no time for you.

"What the fuck?" George looked at Harry, puzzled, "Why would he want to see you two?"

Harry immediately got over his initial shock and squared his shoulders, hobbling off of the treadmill.

"Sorry, Georgie - confidential. Now make room for the big boys," Harry said cockily, making a point of walking in between the two of them, a smug look on his face. Freddie was too shocked to react but George couldn't help but smirk.

We all wanted the best for one another - that was what was different about our group. There was never any jealousy. George, Freddie and Kim had welcomed me into their little posse with Harry. I had guessed that Harry made it clear that we came as a packaged deal.

"Ethan, come on!" Harry shouted impatiently from the gym door where Kim was standing, still looking bemused.

I got up wordlessly, following Harry. He waited until I was beside him and started walking quickly towards Captain Dawson's office. This was the most important moment in my career to date - we had only ever seen the Captain and ceremonies or big meetings where he spoke on a podium. It was crazy.

"What do you think he wants to see us about?" Harry said quietly, looking at me with wide eyes. His expressions were enough to put a smile on my face sometimes.

"I have no idea."

"A man of many words, as per usual," Harry retorted. I was getting better at speaking what was on my mind - I usually only spoke when spoken to and up until the past year or so, I had barely spoken to Harry. It was starting to change, though.

I was beginning to crave his attention and even though I would never admit it, his 'joker of the class' behaviour was the reason for most of my good moods. I was unwillingly falling for him and this scared me.

It scared me to think he would ever find out. It scared me even more that I would lose him - another person I cared about. It scared me that I would never stop worrying about him.

Meeting him was one of the best things to ever happen to me, considering the state I was in when I first joined the agency. But now that he was unknowingly 'fixing' me, caring for him was one of the worst things to happen to me. Especially in this field of work.

There was armed security standing guard outside of Captain Dawson's large office. We stated our names and one of the guards went in to the office, presumably to confirm this with the Captain.

After another ten minutes of waiting, we were eventually escorted inside.

I gulped nervously when I saw the man himself seated behind a grand mahogany table, piles of sheets before him.

Harry gave me a giddy nudge with his elbow, as if to say 'Look! It's him!'

I ignored him and we stood in front of the Captains desk, waiting for him to look away from his computer screen and address us.

Eventually he took off his glasses and eyed us, as if contemplating what he was going to say.

"Agents Moore and... Taylor, is it?"

"Yes sir," I replied automatically. I felt Harry snicker at my tone. I wanted to hit him - we were in front of the fucking Captain! He needed to start showing respect or else he could compromise whatever we were in here for.

"Yes... I've heard good things about you two from your supervisors. Which is why I've called you both in here today - I've decided to send you both on a case in London."

I felt my heartbeat accelerate. We had all heard about this secret case in London. Every Level-A agent wanted it, apparently.

Harry stiffened beside me. I didn't dare break eye-contact with the Captain to look at him. Dawson was one of the most admired people in this field and the fact that he was personally assigning us as a case was dumbfounding.

"You will leave a week from today. The case regards a particularly nasty group of Romanians with too much money and bad intentions. The British authorities have contacted us for help. I will have your supervisor leave your briefings in your apartment whenever they are finalised. Yes?"

"Yes sir," I repeated. I was struggling to keep the proud smile from my face. The Captain had always said that emotions will get you killed in this game. I didn't want him to label me as a naive Level-B who is out of his depth.

Harry was eerily quiet and it seemed I wasn't the only one who noticed.

"Taylor?" Captain Dawson questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Y-Yes sir," Harry stuttered. What was his problem?

"Okay - that's all."

Once we had left the room I raised a questioning eyebrow at Harry. He pretended not to see me and started walking faster back to our apartment.

I decided not to press the issue until we were inside. Once the door closed I grabbed his arm before he could go to his room.

"What's the problem? This is the biggest case of our careers - I thought you'd be happy?"

He looked everywhere but at me. I had never seen him like this before - it was scaring me.

"Yeah, I am happy."

I waited for him to continue but it seemed that he was finished talking. This was a first - I had never actually encouraged Harry to speak before. Normally I was telling him to shut-up.

"Then why don't you look it?" I asked quietly.

"Jeez, I'm not a fucking robot Ethan! I can't be happy 24/7!" he was started to get defensive and he stalked over to the sink, grabbing a glass and filling it with water. His hands were shaking.

My happiness at getting this case was gone. It was replaced with anxiety and worry. What was it about this case that had changed Harry's mood in a matter of seconds?

"I know that. But I would think at a time like this, happiness would be kinda inevitable?" I walked to him slowly, concern in my eyes.

He gulped back the water and once he was done, he returned my stare. It was like a standoff. A tense, tension-riddled standoff.

He opened his mouth to speak before closing it again, seemingly having second thoughts.

"I just don't like London, okay?"

"Why? Isn't that where you grew up?" I was utterly confused. I had never really spoken to Harry about his life in London - we rarely spoke of our lives before the agency. But now, his past was all I wanted to know. What was it about London that made him a nervous wreck?

"Let's just drop this, okay? I'm going to bed - I'm tired. Night."

I didn't try and stop him. I was too confused and had ran out of questions to ask him. I had never thought that he had a particularly bad past. I mean, he was one of the most carefree people I knew - he displayed no signs of someone who had any hidden demons.

He had told us that both his parents were dead and he was an only child - this was probably one of the more boring stories in the agency compared to the true terrors we had heard. Everyone was here because they had a life they wanted to change or forget. I had just assumed Harry got bored with his old life and jumped at the chance to be a spy.

His favourite movies were fucking James Bond, for Christ's sake!

I sunk into the couch in our small kitchen/living room, deep in thought. I would eventually get it out of Harry - he was like an open book. There was nothing he couldn't tell me. We were best friends, right? He was probably being dramatic anyway, as per usual.

I mean, what could have possibly happened to him?

Present Day

"You can't go in that way - there could be agents hiding there, waiting. Try the back entrance," Hugh instructed me. He was keeping his leg elevated and the make-shift bandage Tom had made from his shirt was keeping the wound closed - for now.

I sped towards the alternative entrance into our neighbourhood and parked just before it. I wouldn't risk driving in - it would be too dangerous.

"Hugh, you're going to have to stay here. Get into the driver's seat and if you see anyone come, go. Don't wait for us. If we can't get back here in time with Harry, leave us. Do you understand?" I started loading up my weapons and placing them into my pockets. Tom was doing the same.

"What? No! I'm not leaving without you and Harry!" Hugh cried, "Oh, and of course you too, Tom," he added hastily.

Tom chuckled knowingly. "Don't worry, Hugh. I understand."

I was in no mood for small talk and quickly got out of the car. "Do as I fucking say, Hugh. Okay?" I warned before quietly closing the door. I couldn't be worrying about Hugh, too. Not with Harry in this fucked up situation.

I prayed that Hugh would listen to me as Tom and I crept along the walls, eventually making it into the neighbourhood. We had our eyes peeled for even the slightest movement and we ensured that every parked car was empty before jogging past it.

I couldn't think about what we were doing. I was in agent mode and I had to stay that way. If I truly thought about what I might find at Hugh's house, I would be too distraught to continue. My mind had to remain sealed off and I had to keep my nerve.

The surveillance van was gone from its usual spot. I wondered was it there when Harry came?

We kept on moving until I saw the outline of the Jefferson's house in the near distance. Our house was right next-door to them and then, Hugh's house. We didn't have far to go. Tom tapped my shoulder just as I was about to move off again. I looked at him and he pointed at something further up the road.

There was someone walking. A woman - but who? She seemed to be getting into the passenger side of a parked car. I strained my eyes and caught a glimpse of her face from the streetlights as she sat in.

Kim.

"Oh my God, it's Kim," I whispered.

"Kim? Can we trust her?" Tom asked quietly as we stayed hidden in the shadows.

"I don't know," I murmured. I couldn't see who the driver was and once they started up the car, we had to duck and hide due to the headlights. The car sped past us and I wondered should I have signalled Kim to us.

She was one of our best friends in the agency - I could never see her betraying us.

"Let's move," Tom instructed. We crept along the large, stone walls once again. I was glad of the pretentiousness of this neighbourhood with their tall, grand stone walls and intimidating huge oak trees. It proved to make our job a lot easier.

We moved cautiously closer and closer to the block of houses I had become to know so well. Harvey and Jennifer's house was directly across from mine and Harry's. Kyle and Stephanie's was just above Harvey and Jennifer's.

It was strange being here under these circumstances.

We stayed where we were, on the opposite side of the road, assessing our access routes. The text had said that Harry was surrounded - but I could see no sign of anyone now. Why did everyone leave?

A morbid thought made its way into my head. Because he's already dead.

A shaky breath left my mouth and I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to regain control.

"Okay - I think our best route is -,"

BANG.

The sound of shot being fired from Hugh's house interrupted Tom. I had been hasty with my earlier thought of Harry already being dead, perhaps. Was it that they already had someone in the house with him and didn't want to attract any more attention?

I wasted no more time and ran across the street, throwing caution to the wind.

"Ethan!" Tom hissed from where we were hiding. I didn't care anymore, though. If Harry was hurt, fuck being careful. I had to get to him - that was all I knew now. Once I got to him, it would all be okay.

I got to the front steps of Hugh's house to see the door was obviously locked. I didn't want to draw any more attention by smashing it open so I raced around the side of the house, hopping over the gate. Hugh had a hidden key to his back door.

I heard someone swear behind me and I swung around, gun poised. I lowered it instantly though when I saw Tom, struggling to get over the gate.

I crept to the back door, pulling on the handle. It was open. Tom followed behind me, his gun raised and ready to shoot.

The house was eerily quiet and the darkness made it impossible to see where we were stepping. We had to move slowly to avoid causing noise and alerting any possible enemies that we were here.

I had to hope that it was Harry who pulled the trigger - no other scenario would enter my head. I wouldn't allow it.

Once we were through the kitchen there were two doors - one that led to the dining room and the other led to the sitting room. Tom motioned with his hands that he was going to take the door into the sitting room. I nodded and crept into the dining room, my eyes searching every shadow and corner.

I had searched the entirety of the dining room and was about to turn back when I heard a shout, another shot and glass smashing.

I bolted towards the sitting room where Tom had fallen backwards onto Hugh's glass table, smashing it to pieces. There was another body on the ground. Harry.

I heard noise from the kitchen and I sprinted towards it, seeing a figure in a black hoodie and pants run through the back door. They headed for the side wall of Hugh's garden that led onto the main road.

"Hey!" I roared, racing after them. They kept going. I started firing shots but not one connected.

They pulled themselves onto the tall wall, their hood concealing their face. And then they were gone, jumping off it and landing on the pavement on the other side. I was only seconds behind them and pulled myself up too, just in time to see them jump into a black, unmarked car and speed off.

I fired as many shots as I could at the car, hitting the back window and causing it to shatter. It was futile, though. They swung around the corner at the intersection and headed for the highway.

I searched frantically for any cars I could possible steal but knew it was too late - even if I got one running they would be long gone.

I wasted no more time on getting the shooter and instead ran back to Hugh's house. My breathing was coming out in short gasps and it had nothing to do with me being winded from running.

When I got back to the sitting room, Tom was up and kneeling over Harry.

"No," I whimpered and fell to my knees beside him. He was covered in blood and had numerous gashes to his face, neck and arms. I could see exactly where he had been shot earlier as the blood was seeping through the arm of his shirt through some very shoddy stitching work, making a pool on the ground.

That wasn't his only gun-wound, though. It was obvious he had just been shot again - the wound on his arm wasn't enough on its own to floor him. We had to find where the second bullet was. My eyes were welling with tears, impairing my vision and I shook Harry roughly, trying to wake him up.

"Harry - Harry! Open your eyes. Open your fucking eyes, Harry Taylor," I sobbed, patting his face. Nothing - no response. I patted his face harder, calling his name.

This was it. He was gone - dead. My entire body started shaking and I couldn't breathe.

He was dead. They had taken him from me. He had died alone and in pain. This was the end for me, too. I was going to hunt Dawson and Michael Taylor down and skin them alive. I wouldn't give them the satisfaction of seeing me broken - they would die screaming.

I felt a sting across my left cheek. I blinked away the tears, trying to see where it came from.

"Fucking hell, Moore. How many times do we have to do this? Get a fucking grip - he's not dead!" Tom said impatiently.

I was about to connect my fist with his jaw before the impact of his words hit me. What?

I looked at Harry again, reluctant hope filling me. "He is. He's n-not breathing," I replied hoarsely.

"Jesus Christ, Moore. You call yourself a Level-A agent and you can't even tell when a man is down or not. He is breathing - albeit lightly, he is still breathing."

Tom ripped open Harry's shirt, and I felt my broken soul lift. The vest - he was wearing my vest.

I quickly inspected it, trying to see where the bullet connected with it.

"There - right in between his lungs. No wonder he can barely breathe - he's probably severely winded," Tom mused. We started pulling the vest off of him gently, resting his head on my lap once it was off and the pressure of the bullet wedged in the vest was no longer on his lungs.

It had an immediate effect - he started gulping air into his lungs, his eyes fluttering every couple of seconds. I stroked his hair as he sucked oxygen in, tears still rolling down my cheeks from the shock.

I wasn't even embarrassed in front of Tom to be acting so emotional. It was beyond my control. I thought back to the day when we first officially met and spoke to Dawson. I had been terrified to let a glimmer of emotion cross my face for fear of been seen as weak.

I now knew that emotion wasn't weakness. Yes, it could cloud your judgement in certain situations. But it was where you drew strength from. Bravery wasn't about being fearless. It was about going on, even when you were petrified. And that was me tonight. I was weak at the knees with fear of what might have happened to Harry - but I put one foot in front of the other and told my anxieties to go and fuck themselves.

After ten minutes, the fluttering of Harry's eyes ceased and he slowly opened them fully, searching around the room wildly before his eyes connected with mine.

"Am I dead?" he whispered after a few seconds.

I couldn't help but laugh at his question, the tears impairing my vision again. I blinked them away and leaned in, kissing his forehead. I had believed I would never hear his voice again - it was overwhelming to hear him now.

"No, you're not dead you idiot. My vest saved you - wearing it was the only good decision you made all night." I tried to keep the disapproving tone and anger from my voice at his stupidity, now that I knew he was alright. It wouldn't help the situation if I pointed out every wrong move he made. That could wait until later.

"We need to get out of here - we're like sitting ducks. Anyone could come back and find us here," Tom said. He was right - we needed to move.

"Can you stand?" I asked Harry, my eyes tracing every gash and cut on his body. I felt my throat constrict at the pain he must be in right now. Bullet-proof vests may save your life, but they hurt like a bitch.

"Of course," Harry said, trying to act brave. I could see the pain in his eyes as he sat up and he couldn't hold back the low groan once he was on his two feet.

It was then that he seemed to realise the situation.

"Ethan," he whispered with tears in his eyes, "How did you find me? I thought... I thought..."

I embraced him gently, trying to avoid his chest and wounded arm. "I know. But it's okay. We can talk later. We just have to get out of here right now."

He nodded and stroked my cheek as if I were made of gold.

"Guys, seriously. There's time for that later - we have to move!" Tom said, getting frantic. I took a deep breath and nodded, taking Harry's hand. He had a backpack on and it seemed to be weighing him down.

"Here, give that to me," I instructed, taking the bag gently off of his back and frowning at the weight of it, "What the fuck is in here..."

I swung it over my shoulders and followed behind Harry and Tom. I had so many questions about what had happened during the time we were separated but they would have to wait. We needed to get back to Hugh, assuming he was still there, and drive away as fast as we could. Someone had tried to kill Harry tonight. It hadn't been Dawson or Michael - this person had the speed and movement of a young person. I was ninety-nine percent sure it had been a male. That meant that we had more people after us than we originally thought.

We decided to leave through the back door once again and climb over the gate, staying close to the shadows and concealment the towering walls and trees provided. When we reached Hugh's side-gate we opened it gently, trying to make minimal noise. Harry was too injured to climb over it. I could see he was struggling to walk.

As we neared Hugh's front gate, a voice stopped us in our tracks.

"Where are you three going in such a hurry?"

I spun around slowly, putting Harry and Tom behind me.

"Harvey. What are you doing out so late?" I tried to salvage the situation and instinctively covered the gun in my pocket with my hand. Harry ducked his head so as to hide the scrapes and cuts on his face.

"I should be asking you three the same question. What you're doing back here at all is what's baffling me."

He was speaking frankly and he wasn't the usual carefree, fun-loving Harvey. He was serious with a commanding tone to his voice.

"We live here?" I replied unsurely.

Harvey pursed his lips. Something wasn't right.

"I would have thought that two agents with a death wish from their very own Captain would think wiser than to return to their own home?"

This stumped me and my jaw slacked. How...

"There's no time for explanations. Dawson and that pretty agent will be back soon - they weren't too happy with me interrupting their search party. You're lucky I got there when I did," Harvey pointed his disapproving look to Harry.

"What exactly is going on? How do you know all of this?" Tom suddenly asked brashly, coming to stand beside me. Harry had paled and it seemed that this revelation of Harvey's was about to send him over the edge.

He had been through enough.

"I knew who you were the second I met you. You're not the only ones with a grudge against Michael Taylor, and once we found out that the famous Captain Alaric Dawson was involved heavily in his extremely profitable drug smuggling, we knew that something had to be done. We're on the same team," Harvey spoke simply and began walking towards us.

"Woah, stay right there!" I ordered, pushing Harry backwards, "How do we know we can trust you?"

Harvey rolled his eyes as if the question was an inconvenience. "Who do you think sent you the text message?"

I didn't know how to respond. My mind was boggled.

"We have to get out of here - now," Tom said sternly to us. We had left Hugh for long enough - both him and Harry needed medical attention urgently.

"We have a car waiting for you across the road. Hugh is already on his way to our safe-house. The GPS in the car waiting brings you straight there."

"Who are you?" Harry said suddenly, clearing his throat and stumbling forward. His silence had been short-lived. He was looking for answers.

"I can't tell you that right now. All I can do is give you this address and my guarantee that you have nothing to fear from me."

"I'm afraid guarantees mean nothing to us - not anymore," I said stiffly, my hand still poised over my gun. How were we supposed to just trust what Harvey was saying? What if this was all an elaborate trap to lure us to Dawson - was he paying Harvey off?

"Who shot me in there?" Harry asked.

"I don't know. That's what we need to find out. I came running when I heard the shot but I saw that these two were already inside when I looked in the window. If you trust me and go to this safe-house, there are people who can help you." Harvey held such an authoritative confidence it felt impossible not to be swayed by him.

"If you don't, you'll be running for the rest of your lives. I promise you that. They are both very powerful men with very powerful allies. You wouldn't stand a chance."

Harry looked to me, torn. I had to admit that I was too. I didn't trust anyone apart from Harry - how was I supposed to sit into a car and drive to a safe-house on the premise of our eccentric neighbours guarantee?

Our eccentric neighbour who wasn't who he said he was.

I struggled to think back to our briefing on our neighbours all those months ago - very little had been said about Harvey and Jennifer, only that they were suspected of buying the drugs distributed by Michael.

"We're running out of time, boys. Please, just trust me. You know me. You know us - Jennifer is on her way to the safe-house with Hugh. Things are getting too dangerous to stay around here. It's now or never."

Harvey wasn't exactly pleading but his eyes were widening, signifying the importance of our actions right now.

I looked to Tom and Harry. I was completely stumped. Our brainless neighbours were not so brainless, it seemed.

"Fine. But only if you come with us. Any funny business and I'll blow your head off. I'm sorry Harvey, but we have no other options right now." Harry was deadly serious after a couple of seconds of deliberation.

Tom bit his lip, contemplating. "I guess we really have no other options... We need to make sure Hugh is alright though. Then I'll go."

It was down to me. I pinched the bridge of my nose, sighing. "We need confirmation of Hugh's safety and if we suspect anything out of the ordinary, we will be forced to turn to extreme measures. Okay?"

"Wonderful! The car's just across the street... I call shotgun, if I may!" Harvey clapped his hands together and practically skipped past us out of Hugh's front garden and across the street where a car was parked.

It seemed the time for being serious was over, according to Harvey.

We all got in reluctantly. Tom got into the driver's seat as it seemed Harvey had no intention of taking the wheel.

"My back is killing me - I'll be much better company this way!" he explained when Harry and I sat into the back. I was in the seat behind Harvey and I had my gun ready and poised at him if needed.

Once we had a short yet effective conversation with Hugh on the phone, in which he confirmed he was safe, we hit the road. Hugh had sounded almost joyful where he was. He seemed to be eating something and had said a trained doctor was working on his gun wound. The safe house was heaven on earth, given where we had been the past few days. He trusted Harvey and Jennifer unconditionally.

I couldn't wrap my head around what was happening. Harry reached over and took my hand in his, squeezing it gently. I put an arm around his shoulders and allowed him to rest his head in the crook between my chest and shoulder. He was in stabbing pain it seemed, given the winces every time we hit a bump.

I swallowed back my anger and tried to focus on the road, remembering our route if we needed to make an escape.

The pretentious houses and manicured gardens of The Hamptons slowly but surely turned to wandering clusters of forest and bushes. This was either an extremely well hidden safe-house or an extremely well hidden torture chamber for us.

My gut told me it was the former, though.

After another thirty to forty minutes of driving, Harvey instructed Tom to turn into a narrow, well-hidden side road. We followed it for half a mile until a huge stone mansion unlike anything I had ever seen came into view. What the hell was this place?

There was a fountain that acted as a roundabout outside the front entrance and the place even had a car park. There were acres of manicured grasslands with grazing horses.

This didn't look like an average safe-house.

"Welcome home, boys!" Harvey proclaimed. Harry turned his gaze to me, bewilderment, pain and confusion etched on it.

What had we gotten ourselves in to?

I bet you're all so confused by how I managed to get two chapters up within days of each other, very unlike me!! The answer is that I was completely free all week so it gave me so much time to write, etc! :) Hopefully I will be this consistent from now on haha!

I won't ramble on like I usually do, just enjoy the chapter, comment and vote if you see fit!

Chapter dedicated to jjsreshmi :)

Have a nice day :D

-O.