Assassin's Asylum ✔

19

Harry gritted his teeth. From the corner of his eye he could see Malik texting to someone with his phone behind his back and on the other side of him was Red Machete's mother, biting her lip as she stared at her daughter being held by one of Plague's bloodhounds. Where the rest of them were, Harry didn't know.

"I'm not saying my last words any time soon", Harry said, trying to keep Grimshaw's attention away from Zayn and his phone. Something moved in the shadows behind the men and Harry's eyes widened.

Grimshaw's smug face frowned when he saw the expression on Harry's face and he and Jackson turned just in time to see how Lottie stumbled forward into her mother's arms and the man who had been holding her sunk on the floor, his head rolling few meters away.

Everyone's eyes locked on Red Machete who lowered his machete down and straightened up. Harry's eyes widened because oh, shit. Red Machete flashed a smirk to Harry and then looked at everyone's shocked expressions. "What, you really thought I'd miss the party?"

Jackson raised his gun but before he could pull the trigger, Red Machete stepped over the body lying on the floor and knocked the gun out of Plague's hand and then smacked him in the face with his fist, knocking the man right out.

Harry looked how Lottie and her mother stumbled backward, holding each other and staring at the assassin, Louis Tomlinson, with a shocked expression. The assassin's face was blank, and Harry didn't know whether seeing his mother and sister made him feel something. Was he sorry that they had to see him killing someone cold blood?

Grimshaw stared at Jackson's unconscious body before he narrowed his eyes on Red Machete, pulling a gun out and aiming it towards Louis' sister and mother. "One move and they die."

"You really want to add murder in your criminal record?" asked Malik.

"It's not going to end up on my record if I don't get caught!" Grimshaw exclaimed, aiming the gun at Malik. "When y'all are dead, I just walk away and no one will ever know."

"L-Louis?" Lottie whispered, her arms wrapped around her mother.

Red Machete's eyes turned towards his sister but he didn't say a thing to her, instead turning his eyes back on Grimshaw. "Do you really want to test who's faster?" he said.

Harry pressed his lips together. He was sure the assassin was just playing time. Harry knew from experience that when someone had gun in place and ready, even the assassin didn't dare to do hasty decisions.

"You know, I gave you a simple deal", Grimshaw spat. "Do what I say and your identity and family will be safe. How is it that one fucking journalist was able to fuck everything up, huh?" He turned his attention to Harry. "What's so special about you? Everyone else died so easily, why not you?"

"My hatred for putrid low lives like you is stronger than you can think", Harry practically growled back, slowly moving himself in front of the ladies, making himself as a human shield.

And then they heard the sirens and saw the lights when police cars pulled in front of the house. Grimshaw yelled fuck, and then there was a loud bang, Lottie and her mother screamed and Red Machete dropped on his knees, holding his right shoulder, blood dripping from between his fingers.

"Motherfucker", Plague hissed from the ground, gun still aimed at Red Machete.

"Say goodbye, Styles", Grimshaw hissed and pointed the gun on Harry's head just as the door was kicked open and the polices ran inside.

When he pulled the trigger, Harry was determined to stay in front of Lottie and her mother, as a shield. Everything was like a slow motion. Harry could see how Malik jumped in front of Harry, pushing him back which made Harry, Lottie and her mother fall back, stumble on the table and all the air escaped from Harry's lungs. The polices were yelling at Grimshaw to drop his gun but Plague was on his feet, shooting the polices. They couldn't enter the living room, instead standing behind the corner, yelling. Grimshaw and Plague shared one look and then they ran, and no one could stop them as Plague kept shooting and Grimshaw opened the window, and they were just gone.

Harry tried to catch his breath, tried to realise what was going on. He looked at Lottie and her mother, they were lying on the ground, crying and holding each other. And then he saw how polices took a hold of Red Machete, not caring about his injured shoulder as they handcuffed him.

"Harry..." Zayn's voice made Harry drop back on the earth and he crawled closer to his friend who was lying on the ground, coughing and pale. Blood was coming through his chest.

"No, no, no", Harry whispered, reaching his hands out and pressing them against Malik's chest. "No, no, Zayn! Why would you do that?"

There was so much blood. Harry's hands felt warm and wet and he couldn't stop the bleeding. Malik's body was moving weirdly and all the colours had disappeared from his face. Harry stared at his friend with teary eyes and Malik stared back, desperately trying to catch his breath.

Harry heard distantly how one of the police man's talked on the phone, saying something about catching Red Machete, having two suspects; Grimshaw and Jackson running away and one injured civilian. They needed an ambulance. Harry couldn't concentrate, he couldn't think.

"It's gonna be alright", he said to Malik who just blinked back. "Hang in there, Zayn. You're gonna be fine." More sirens could be heard outside, yelling and talking but Harry only felt Malik's heart beating lightly under his palms.

And it was beating.

And beating.

Until it wasn't.