The Runner ➳ Narry (Book One)

Chapter Twenty-Four

"Come on, we need to move fast," Louis said, using a spare towel from Niall's bathroom to dry off his sopping wet hair. "Jeff could be here any minute."

The three of us dashed down the stairs and back into the front hallway, Niall quickly grabbing his wallet off the coffee table in the living room. "Don't you think Niall should pack some clothes?" I asked Louis.

"We won't be gone for long," he replied. He slipped on his shoes, the wetness of them making a sloshing sound. I did the same, as did Niall with his Supras.

I was about to reach for the door handle when Niall spoke up. "Wait," he said. I turned to him. "How is the flat any safer than my home? I have doors that lock."

Louis ran a hand messily through his damp hair, lightning outside flashing. "Do you have non-breakable windows?"

Niall rolled his eyes at Louis. "No."

"Exactly. He can't break into an apartment complex, it's illegal." Louis said.

"So is breaking into a house," Niall shot back. He nervously looked around his front hallway, like this was the last time he was going to see it. "Why do I have to come anyways?"

"Niall, unless you have security cameras, people can break into houses undetected," Louis reached for the doorknob himself, knocking my hand away. "And you're coming because Jeff saw you with Harry."

"What?" Niall and I both asked at the same time. My heart started pumping faster, and the look on Niall's face said that his was as well.

"Something about a cafe. He saw you through the window but you left before he could get you. He was following you guys, but somehow managed to lose you," Louis explained. "Niall, you are a part of this now. If Jeff finds you, he could force you into telling him where Harry is. You don't know what that man is capable of."

Niall stayed silent, and I spoke up. "What the hell does he even want with me anyways?" I asked. "All I did was punch him a few times."

"There's something bigger going on here, Harry. Did he say anything else to you at the house?" Louis asked.

I thought for a moment. "He said I looked familiar."

"Harry, he's-" Louis was cut off by the sound of the doorknob jiggling. He jumped back in surprise as I spun around to face the door.

"Was that you?" I asked.

"No," Louis said. The doorknob jiggled again, this time we knew it was coming from the outside.

"Who is that?" Niall asked from behind me. I slowly started backing away from the door, my arm reaching out to Niall to push him away as well. Louis' eyes were hard as he kept them sealed to the door, following our movements as we backed down the hall. "Is there someone outside?" Niall asked frantically.

The doorknob continued to jiggle, this time getting louder and more forceful. There were voices coming from outside, but the rain against the house and the thunder muffled them. Suddenly, there was a loud thump coming from the door, like someone was throwing themselves against it. Louis head snapped towards me. "They're trying to break in."

"What?" Niall asked loudly. I shushed him by grabbing his hand and squeezing it, trying to reassure him it was alright.

Another loud thump went off, but we were all frozen in our place. Louis was focusing hard on the door, but made no effort to run.

"Louis," I said, nudging him with my arm. "We have to go."

"You guys go. I'll hold him off," Louis shooed Niall and I away with his hand.

"No," I said hardly. "We're in this together, Lou. We all leave at the same time."

There was another loud thump at the door, a cracking noise accompanying it. The door frame was ripped away, pieces of wood flying to the ground. Niall grabbed hold of my hand tightly, pulling at me to get me to go. "Harry!" He cried.

"You guys need to go!" Louis yelled, shoving me backwards into Niall.

"You're coming!" I grabbed his bicep and pulled him back, the three of us turning down the hallway and towards the kitchen.

The door busted open, the heavy wood dangling from only one hinge. I looked back just as lightning flashed, lighting up the dark, cold faces of three huge men. Jeff stood in the middle, pushing his way into the broken door frame. His eyes scanned the hallway, just before they landed on me, Louis grabbed hold of my collar and harshly pulled me into the kitchen. The three of us ran through the living room, our breathing hard. "Niall, where's your back door?" Louis asked frantically, his eyes searching around the dark room.

"I don't have one!" Niall replied. Louis slapped a hand to his face, the voices of the men getting closer.

"The window!" I said, running forward to the nearest window. My hands shakily searched for the latch, but couldn't find one. "It doesn't open!"

"Watch out!" Louis yelled from behind me. I backed out of the way just in time to dodge a large stone bowl from Niall's coffee table hurling towards me. It smashed through the window, glass immediately going everywhere. I shielded my eyes with my hands, feeling little pieces prick my exposed skin. "Let's go," Louis grabbed my arm and shoved me out the window. I jumped the short distance to the ground, turning back to help Niall out after me, then Louis.

Deep, rumbling voices were heard from the living room just as Louis escaped. "It's Styles!" One of them yelled. I cussed loudly as the three of us ran blindly in the dark, rain pelleting down and soaking us to the bone. Thunder rumbled above, lightning flashing like strobe lights in a night club. The men were still at the window, probably too big to fit through. But I didn't want to check.

"We need a car," Louis shouted over the thunder. "Niall, where's your car?"

"Why do you think I steal taxis?! I yelled back, hair falling into my eyes, soaked in a matter of minutes from the rain. "I don't have a car!"

"Where is the taxi?" I asked frantically, my head whipping back to the window, where Jeff had just jumped out.

"Fuck, right! It's around the corner!" Niall said. I grabbed his hand with one of my own and shoved Louis with the other, around the corner to the back of the house where Niall had left the stolen taxi. Rain hit me in the eyes, my hair dripping water down my face, but we didn't stop. 

I heard Jeff yelling behind us, his heavy footsteps sloshing on the wet grass. With the taxi in sight, we ran even faster. A couple times I stumbled, but I had to keep going as fast as I could. I made sure Niall was behind me, keeping a firm grip on his clammy hand. Louis was in front of the both of us, occasionally looking back to make sure we were there.

Once we approached the taxi, I quickly opened the back door and shoved Niall in, slamming it shut behind him before opening the passengers door, Louis jumping into the driver side. "Go!" I yelled.

Louis frantically reached for the keys that were still in the slot, turning it until the taxi's engine roared to life. A melodic beeping noise sounded, followed by a female voice. "Please enter a destination."

"God dammit," Louis said. The voice repeated itself as Louis tried to shift into gear.

"Louis, you need to drive!" Niall yelled from the back.

"I don't know how to drive a fucking taxi!" Louis yelled back. I looked into the rear view mirror and saw the three men directly behind the taxi.

"Louis, go!" I yelled. He quickly pushed the taxi's gear lever and stepped on the gas pedal, the vehicle lurching forward just as Jeff slammed his hands against my window. Niall let out a loud yelp, falling to the right side of the backseat as Louis sped around the corner of the house, ripping up grass in the process. My breathing was fast, chest rising and falling rapidly. My head felt dizzy, and my mouth was dry. I realized at that moment, that there was no going home now.

He found me.