2133

2.15 Code

"You can't just say these things. That was not in the plan, Pearl," Mr. Tomlinson said. "Now Ashley knows I lied to her. I do not know which is worse, lying to her, or cheating on her."

"I am sorry, Mr. Tomlinson. I was just trying to get her to see that you were innocent." I did not look him in the eyes, I fixed my skirt. There was actually nothing to fix. I just wanted something to hold on to.

"Whatever, Pearl. You have just set my plan ten steps back. Amazing. Please go to your room now before I go crazy on you," he warned me. Mr. Tomlinson was furious with my disobedience. He would never physically hurt me. By going crazy he meant giving me a ten-hour lecture on 'how-I-would-be-the-worst-spy-ever'.

I rushed to my room and crawled into my bed. I did not want to think about Mr. Tomlinson's reaction, but despite my desperate need to forget what had just happened, Mr. Tomlinson was all I could think of.

When the door to my room opened, I hoped it was him. I wanted to apologise to him... Again.

But it was Theo.

"I saw you running towards your room like your worst nightmare had just come true," he said as he entered. "What happened?"

Theo sat down on the bed.

"I just ruined Mr. Tomlinson's plans that is all," I uttered, holding on to a pillow like a little child. I felt pathetic.

"If you want to talk about it, I am here for you," he offered. Theo had been added to the list of 'people who are nice to me in the Tomlinson house' list. I would never forget that he helped me when Mr. Tomlinson was drunk.

"I just want someone to hold me and tell that it is going to be alright," I said with hope. "I feel so guilty."

Theo opened his arms and offered me a hug. I gladly accepted it and almost started crying in his embrace.

"Do you want to forget about all of this?" he asked me, his hands running over my back.

"I wish I could," I muttered against his shoulder. I was so lost in my world. Mr. Tomlinson's disappointed face could not leave my mind.

"I can make you feel good. You will forget about everything that is going on in a second," he uttered and started kissing my neck. For a second, I did not react. I let him do it. But then I remembered what my purpose on this side of the fence was and it was certainly not sleeping or fooling around with the staff.

"No, no, Theo. No. We can't do that," I told him and distanced myself from him.

"I thought..."

"It will not work. I have feelings for someone else. I can't do that to them," I said in honesty.

"Alright." He left the room without another word.

***

I was on the verge of falling asleep when I heard steps in the hallway. I quickly stood up and followed the sound out of my room. Mr. Tomlinson was a few feet away, walking towards the other direction. What had he been doing near my room so late at night? Did he want to drug me and send me back to the agency?

A voice from out of nowhere shook me out of my thoughts. It came from speakers. "4. 1. 16. 6..."

The unknown voice continued the listing of random numbers. It sounded robotic. I stood there feeling utterly confused.

Then I noticed Mr. Tomlinson had changed his direction and was coming towards me. When he reached me, he led me down the hall.

"What is going on?" I asked him. He shushed me.

Mr. Tomlinson let my hand go when we approached a painting that was near his office. He carefully took it off the wall and put it down.

I wanted to ask him about what he was doing, but I did not want to make him mad.

Mr. Tomlinson placed his hand on the spot where the painting previously hung, and it opened like a door. He jumped into what looked like a void to me.

He motioned to me to follow him. I climbed up there and found myself next to him. Then he grabbed the painting and put it back in its place in one swift move.

"How did you do that?" I asked him in a whisper.

He explained low-voiced, "The painting is hung by magnets not screws. I had someone put magnets in the wall and on the painting."

"Was Theo the one do it?" I asked him curiously.

Mr. Tomlinson looked at me in confusion, "Who the f.uck is Theo?"

I probably turned pale. I felt betrayed and shocked. I put two and two together.

"Louis, why are we in here?" It did not matter that I called him Louis and he seemed unbothered by it as well.

"The code you heard earlier... It was my security system. We are under attack."