The Mentally Brave

Chapter 41

My dad leads us into this old house. At the entrance there are armed guards, who look down their noses at us studying our every move. I try reading their minds though they are blank.
I don't have time to think about this information since we are rushed into what would have been this house' living room.
"wait here," My dad instructs us.
"Liz," Niall whispers as he inches over to me.
"Did you see that?" He asks
"The guards?" I inquire.
"Did you try to read them?"
"I couldn't," I mumble
"And I couldn't feel any emotion coming from them," His eyes are full of worry. I know he is hoping we have done the right thing by coming here. I am hoping the same thing.
Natalie takes hold of my hand, giving me a slight squeeze of reassurance.
We are all gathered together, arms hugging shoulders, and fingers laced when a boy a little older than me walks in.
"This is an unexpected turn of events," He smirks.
"Yeah well, I like to keep people on their toes," I take a step towards him, feeling the warmth of my friend's bodies wane from my own.
"Haha! Yes, I heard you are the witty one Lizzie, god knows how glad I was to find out your alive," The boy claps his hands.
He is tall and slim, but at the same time he looks strong. His eyes are a piercing blue, and his hair jet black. He is beautiful.
"Who the fuck are you?" Zayn hisses a protecting arm covering Perrie.
"Zayn! I just looked through your sketches what a talent!" The boy turns to him.
"I can tell you're company X, since you lack the ability to answer questions," I raise an eyebrow.
"That is Foster," Louis whispers into my ear, so only I can hear.
"That is correct!" The boy turns to us in marvel. I sneak a peek at Louis, both of us aren't sure what he means is correct.
The boy walks over and offers me his hand, "I am indeed Foster! Nice to meet," He smiles a white straight smile.
I glance once more at Louis, wondering how the hell he heard what he whispered in my ear.
"Didn't daddy ever teach you it is rude not to shake an offered hand?" Foster tiltes his head in question.
"Well daddy over there wasn't around to teach me much, so.. no," I cross my arms over my chest.
"Fair enough, well then friends, welcome! You are my guests so please help yourself to whatever you please," And with that he turns and leaves the room.
"What a freak show," Perrie speaks up first.
"Tell me about it," Luke agrees
"I want to know how the fuck he knew what I told you?!" Louis demands.
"Yeah, me too," I let my arms fall to my sides.
"I hope we did the right thing," Eleanor says quietly.
"Don't worry, we did," Louis promises her.
I look up at Niall and give a slight nod of my head. We both walk out of the room leaving the others behind to talk among themselves.
"Where are we going?" He asks trying to keep up with my fast stride.
"I want answers and he will give them to me or else I am going back to company X," I inform him.
"All right then,"
We hear chatter, and stop at the door it is coming from.
"Simon probably will go mad once he finds out they all have turned on him," We hear Foster say.
"He still has a few with him don't forget, we need to be smart," I hear my father's voice.
"Well if it means we will lose them in the process then be it, it's in the name of good after all," Is Foster's reply.
"Yeah.. I don't think so," I take a step into the room, watching them carefully as they turn to face me.
"Lizzie, sometimes good people die at war, that is how it is won," Foster explains.
"Not when it's my friends and boyfriend," I furrow my brows.
"So you and Styles are still an ongoing thing? Tragic he isn't with us isn't it?" He is not smiling at me. I read his mind- he is trying to see mine- what does that mean?
"What the hell?" I take a step back. I feel Niall's fingers come around mine as he steps in beside me, both of us a human wall in front of Foster.
"Liz, let him explain it to you, I promise you will understand it all," My dad tries.
"I trusted you," I whisper to my dad.
"Yes, and I trust you to listen to Foster and do the right thing," My dad is patient.
"I am your equal," Foster starts.
"What the fuck do you mean by that?" Niall hisses at him.
"Such loyalty, I understand now why Cowell wanted you so badly at the company's compound, other than you being my equal of course," Foster smirks.
"I don't understand," I say, desperate to comprehend what is going on.
"You see, Lizzie, you read minds- like a book- I SEE in to a mind, like telly, do you follow?"
I hear the slight gasp from Niall's mouth.
"That is how I knew Louis whispered in your ear who I was, I saw it when I was looking into Zayn's eyes, he was watching Louis whisper to you, and I put two and two together," He explains.
"So you can only see into someone's mind if you look into their eyes?" I inquire.
"Precisely," He chimes, glad I understood.
"That is not being equal, she is much stronger than you! She just needs to be close enough to read your mind," Niall sneers.
"That is true," Foster agrees.
"And she can do much more than that," He goes on. I squeeze Niall's hand, letting him know this is the time to keep quiet. I still am not sure I have done the right thing by coming here. I don't trust Foster, not one bit.

Harry's POV

I wake up to an empty bed. I reckon Lizzie has gone to sleep in a different room. I rub the sleep from my eyes and stretch. I fucked up, I know that, I didn't need to lose my temper no matter how delusional she is about my dad. I will find her and explain everything. We've been through worse, we will get over this, and we can go back to being happy again.
Knowing Lizzie she must have gone to Niall and Luke, since she hates talking about her feelings and explaining what she is going through, and Niall being Niall knows without her needing to open her mouth. Without changing or washing my face and teeth I run out to Niall's room.
I knock on the door, but there is no answer.
I try to open it, to see if it is locked. The door creaks open. I push it wider and stick my head in. The room is empty. I blink and take a step in. Where are they? The beds are unmade, which means someone has slept in them. Maybe they had an early start or something? I decide to try Natalie, since she always knows where Lizzie is. However halfway there I remember they had a fight and aren't speaking. I decide to ask Perrie.

Perrie is also missing from her room. What is going on? I rush down to the studio where Zayn spends most of his time. The hallway is quiet, so I already know he isn't there, not hearing any music playing. I open the door even though and stand in the empty space.
This makes no sense. I run swiftly back to the room I share with Lizzie, to look for my phone. I'll call her and see where she is at.
I get sent to voice mail, and the mechanical voice of a woman is heard. I hang up and throw the phone across the room in frustration. I decide to go into the bathroom to wash my face so I can calm down and think straight. I bend my head and splash water onto my face. I feel the bristles and know I should shave. I dry myself and look up at my reflection. That is when I notice it.
The note.
How stupid of me not to notice it before, I take the piece of paper off the mirror and read it.

"I'm sorry, but I had to do the right thing. I LOVE YOU!"

I read it over and over again, to make sure I am seeing correctly. I feel my heart pounding, it feels as if my chest is getting smaller and smaller.
"NO! NO! No you did not leave me!" I say scrunching up the paper in my fist. My cheeks are wet, and I realize I am crying. What have I done? Was she that much cross with me she had to leave? But she wrote she loves me! Why would she leave me then? I smooth out the piece of paper and read it over again.
'But I had to do the right thing'- What is the right thing? She is spending all of her time with Niall and Luke, Perrie and Zayn, they must have gone with her! But where did they go to?
It suddenly hits me! They left to find Foster! It has to be that! Lizzie was accusing my dad of being the villain, not believing he wants what is best for us, not buying the story he told about Foster, which means she had to go to Foster!
But Foster is in Ireland, how would they all get there?
I rush to look for Liam and Ed, knowing they cad help me find out the truth. I can't help but notice I had called my dad's state of truth a story. Can it be I just thought that because I was trying to think like Lizzie to find out where she'd gone to? Or maybe deep down inside I believe her, but not wanting to think my dad was the bastard I grew up to believe he was?

I slam on the door of the room Ed and Liam share. I don't wait for an answer. I push through it, thanking god they never lock it.
"Harry, it is fucking 7:30 in the morning," Ed grumbles from bed.
"They left," I say simply, trying to keep my emotions in check.
"Who?" Liam drops a pillow on his head to block the light coming in from the open window.
"Lizzie! That's who! And I think Niall, Perrie and the others left with her!" I shout losing my patience.
They both sit up at once looking gobsmacked. Their hair is sticking out in all directions though they don't look asleep anymore.
"All right Harry, calm down.. you don't know that for sure," Ed holds up his hands to get me to relax.
"You DO NOT TELL ME TO CALM THE FUCK DOWN!!! SHE LEFT ME!!" I boom. I want to break something, I want to smash the chair through the window, but I hold myself together, the only thing keeping me from wrecking the place is the displeased look that would have been on Lizzie's face if she knew.
"Ok, mate you have to keep your voice down or you'll have guards running in," Liam whispers. I take a deep breath, and hand over the piece of paper Lizzie left behind.
"What does this mean?" Liam asks handing it over to Ed.
I fill them in on the latest fights I had with Liz, about her thinking we are fighting on the wrong side, about her thinking Foster has it right, and my dad not telling us everything.
I sit down on the chair, happy I didn't throw it out the window, all my strength leaving me

"There is only one way to find out for sure," Liam speaks after a while of silence.
"I am not confronting my dad, not happening," I dictate.
"No, we need to hack into the computers," A smile is playing on Liam's lips.
I rise to my feet a new burst of energy fills my body. Ed and Liam move a little slower then what I would like, but I hold it together, knowing there is a way to fix this. There has to be.
We rush down to the labs, and I pull them to a stop, holding a finger to my mouth.
My dad is in there, talking to Michael, Calum and Stan.
"They have no idea," Calum says.
"They don't but Silva's on to us," Michael states. I glance at Ed and Liam, their eyes narrow.
"She won't be a problem, she'll keep her mouth shut," My dad answers.
"How can you be so sure?" Calum questions.
"Because, I have made it very clear that if she does something to cross me and the plan, like try to tell my son the truth I will hurt the sister," I can hear the annoyance in his voice, for he is not used to people questioning him.
"That is uncalled for," Stan speaks up, "No reason to hurt the girl, if Lizzie wants to leave just let her,"
"Stan, Stan.. you know very well I cannot do that, not when Foster is on the other team.. and mind you she is much more powerful than he is, I need her here, soon or later she will have to fight, and she will do anything to guaranty her family and friends are safe."
I look at my friends. Shock and fear and anger gleam in their eyes, though no anger of theirs can match the one uprising within me.