Who We Were Born To Be (Niam) [ON HOLD]

Chapter 21: A fatal mistake

Chapter 21

James' point of view

James stood with Alistair and General Cooper, monitoring the radio chatter coming from the teams in the building.

“That's not helping, Paul,” James commented quietly, his voice loud in the silent room. The band's manager and lead bodyguard, Paul Higgins, was pacing back and forth nervously. His nerves were beginning to infect James.

This building is taking ages, damn it.

All four teams were worked off their feet dealing with the sheer number of guards and workers they were encountering. We could really use a fifth team in there. James was sorely tempted to join them himself, and help. Things would go a lot faster if I was in there. I'd probably be worth about a whole extra team myself. And the power-blocker on the roof is disabled, so as long as I stay near the top of the building it will be all good.

Alistair Wilson seemed to guess what James was thinking, and reached over and held tightly to James' wrist. Damn it.

Harry's point of view

Harry crept quietly down the stairs. After securing the top floor, his team had been ordered to secure the floors below, level by level. From the radio chatter Harry had overheard, it seemed that Louis' team were encountering unexpectedly heavy resistance on some of the floors below. It seems this isn't quite so easy as last time. Not exactly a walk in the park.

“There's someone on this floor,” Zayn warned. His face was scrunched up in concentration. “But something's not quite right.” What?! What's not quite right? Harry thought in confusion.

Oh. Wait... maybe it's Louis' team?

Harry checked for what powers he could sense. No. Louis, Liam and Niall are still several floors below us, with three other people with powers. Only one person on this floor has powers apart from us.

The soldiers had paused beside the door, waiting for Zayn to explain further. “I think there's a portable power-blocking device in this room,” Zayn finally said. “The person is moving around, and other people's thoughts are fading in and out as they move.”

Oh right. That's what he was sensing that was strange.

“They're worried,” Zayn added. “They know something's not right in the building.”

Harry made sure to firm up his compressed-air shields extra carefully, as his team leader reached forward to swing the door open.

Harry felt in his mind several sudden impacts against his shield and his ears brought the sound of gunfire. Crap. They were ready for us.

Harry's team quickly pulled back down the stairs from the now open door, which was blocked by Harry's shielding.

David stepped up to the open door, protected behind Harry's shield, sparks already gathering in his hands.

Harry quickly closed his eyes and put his hands over his ears and turned away from David, shielding his eyes and ears from the lightning strikes.

Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack.

Despite Harry's precautions, the sound was still deafening and echoed in the narrow stairwell. Is he done? Harry wondered.

Crack. Crack. Crack.

Apparently not.

After several seconds of silence. Harry opened his eyes and removed his hands from his ears. He found the rest of his team all doing the same.