Harry.
The air had left my lungs as soon as the car door slammed on her pleading face. Paul slammed an arm in front of my chest, stopping me from running up to the fleet of cars already leaving the scrap yard. I knew I wouldn’t be able to stop them, or even catch up with them but I had to at least try, even if it was pointless. I watched in horror as they disappeared back into the city and out of sight.
“Why are we just standing here? Why aren’t we going after them?!” I yelled, spinning around on my heels to look at my fellow South family members. I was raging, the frown lines on my forehead pulsating through my skin. I gritted my teeth together and faced Paul who looked just as furious as I did.
“We’re not having a showdown in the middle of London, in the middle of the day.” He seethed eventually, making my rage even more prominent. I was shaking my head furiously as he spoke.
“No.” I snapped straight back. “It’s happened in broad daylight once before, it can happen again.”
“Harry, we’ll get her back but we need to think about this properly. If we just dive straight in, well who knows what could happen.”
“You think I care?”
“I think you do, you’re just angry and not thinking straight.”
I sighed heavily, Louis was right. I reached my hands around the back of my neck resting my head lazily into my palms. I breathed deeply, looking around at everyone else whom seemed to be prepping to leave again. I stopped looking around when my eyes landed on her mum, she was stood right near me, trembling like a leaf. She resembled Lennon in some aspects, she wasn’t very tall unlike Lennon. They had the same face shape, but not the same features unfortunately.
“C’mon, let’s get you home.” I reassured her, as I approached her shaking figure. She stepped back, away from me. I dreaded to think what the East had put her through, but I could imagine it wasn’t something nice. Which only made me more anxious about Lennon. She stood her ground and it worried me to think it could result in her getting into some serious danger. I mentally prayed she didn’t do anything reckless.
“Home?” The lady whispered, her eyes widening at the prospect of my statement. I looked at her in concern. I stopped walking before I reached her frail frame. She cowered away, trying to make herself as small as possible.
I nodded slowly. “Home. Where you live?” My voice rising slightly as I proposed a question to herself and to myself. She looked even more confused this time. “Where do you live?” I asked softly. Paul had now joined my side, his face was neutral trying to diffuse any fear we might have spread.
She shook her head feverishly, stepping away from the both of us. Paul looked over at me sceptically. I didn’t know what to do next, she clearly wasn’t well, whether this was normal for her or whether this was due to what had happened recently, I didn’t know.
I stepped forward again hesitantly and reached my hand out to her. I waited for her to accept but she looked petrified. “I won’t hurt you, I promise. We’re Lennon’s friends.” I tried to use comforting words but she remained uneasy.
“I don’t know a Lennon.” She replied, slapping my hand away viciously and stepping further back. Louis walked over after witnessing what was happening. He stood several feet behind her in case she tried to runaway. We weren’t going to take her captive, I just wanted to get her home and safe.
“Your daughter?” I asked rhetorically. We all looked taken back by what she said. Was she playing dumb or did she really not know who Lennon was? She continued to shake her head, which only confused us more. I didn’t want to waste any more time in which we could be using to save Lennon on standing here, not getting anywhere. “Tell us where you live, and we’ll take you home.”
