Zayn swung open the door, looking frantically around until he saw Louis sitting on the couch. He ran over to him to find Louis slumped into the soft cushions, something in his left hand, gun in his right, head hanging low, eyes open and unblinking. Zayn shrugged off his jacket by the couch and took his gun out from his waistband, cocking it and holding it tightly in his grip.

"Lou? What are you doing?"

Louis' head lifted slowly, like it weighed a thousand pounds, to look as Zayn. Once he confirmed who it was he pointed towards the table with his gun. "It's over."

Zayn followed Louis' line of sight to see two Manila folders, the ones they'd been ignoring for weeks, one ripped to pieces and the other perfectly in tact. The third torn to shreds all over the floor. He looked back to Louis. He went over to servey to mess on the floor, nodding in understanding before coming back and sitting on the table between Louis' wide legs. "We're not going to do it. I wouldn't. You know I-"

"I would."

Zayn actually leaned away from Louis with the weight of his statement. "You wouldn't. They can't make us."

Louis waved his gun lazily towards the clean folder. "Open it."

"I don't care what officials they have lined up for us, Louis, we're not-"

"Open it God dammit!" Louis yelled without moving from his docile postition.

Zayn tried not to be terrified by Louis' behavior but he'd never seen him like this; sunken, defeated. He grabbed the folder off the table, fingers feeling something of weight inside. "What's in here. They never put anything but paper-"

"Please, Zayn, just do it."

Zayn had to look up and make sure Louis wasn't fading away in front of him, because that's what it sounded like. He kept a watchful eye as he slid his finger along the seam and tore it open. He turned the folder over and the heavier object slid out. A tape recorder. The fuck? This was new.

He set the recorder on the table beside him and reached his hand in to pull the stack of papers out while keeping his eyes closely of Louis' pale face. Louis watched him with watery eyes, hand convulsively shaking his gun. Zayn briefly hoped the safety was at least on. Then he looked down and saw what Louis had been so urgent to make him see.

A picture of Liam. The picture was dim, in some sort of basement or cell. Liam was tied with rope to a large cement pole, mouth stuffed with fabric and then taped over. His face and bare chest were covered in bruises and shallow scratch marks. His head hung slightly but Zayn could tell he was trying to keep his eyes open and up. Zayn dropped the file like it burned him and stood up so quickly the table screeched back on the wood.

"Want to hear the message?"

Zayn didn't even look at Louis. He couldn't stop looking at the pages fanned out on the floor where he dropped them. Was the picture recently? Is that where Liam is now? Is that why he hadn't heard from him in nearly a week?

"Lou," Zayn stuttered, "What's going on?"

Louis sat up a little straighter and patted the spot next to him on the couch. Zayn sat numbly and wiped the back of his hand that held his gun across his forehead. "I'm so sorry," was all Louis said before setting the tape recorder on the table and pressing play.

Hello Louis, and hopefully Zayn. The mystery voice welcomed them. Please, both of you, listen to this tape first and together so I don't have to repeat myself. As you should now know you both have a Package in your possession, one for each of you. Packages that hold pictures inside of them of people that you've come to have romantic feelings towards, and have therefore broken some of Headquarters very basic, yet necessary, rules. Do not tell your secret. Do not make connections. Do not do anything to blow your cover. Do not keep ties with past missions. All of these rules have been broken by one or both of you. These two men that you've broken our rules for now have a Kill Order on their heads thanks to you. But they are not your Kill Orders as you may suspect. They're ours.

Let me explain. We've known about Harry since you came back from Paris, Louis. When you bought three plane tickets instead of two. We've had all of your phone lines, yes that includes your personal, and your apartment bugged for months. But as long as you were obeying our commands then we would let you keep your boy toy, no matter the disturbing things we've heard you do to him. Louis cringed at the accusation.

But when you chose that child over your job we decided to intervene. Weeks ago we delivered a Package to you, Louis, holding a Kill Order for one Ms. Anne Twist, biological mother to Harry Styles. Louis choked a sob at that. You were meant to kill Ms. Twist since we handed you the Leslie file. They were working in a sting operation to take us down and we couldn't have that now could we? Also, the information you handed us from Albert's computer was invaluable. So thank you for that. A job well done. Then you just so happen to find and fall in love with a target's son, Louis.

We gave you an opportunity to confirm your compliance to the new Mission, but you didn't. Instead you threatened our organization. Refusing to work with us, saying you were out. Not appropriate behavior, Louis. Now it's come to this. By now we've taken Harry into our possession and he is surely in much the same state as Liam is now. You have a Kill Order to complete. If you do not, then we have some to complete.

"Its Anne or Liam and Harry. Your choice, boys," Louis quoted along with the voice. The tape stopped with a click and left a deafening silence to fill the room. Zayn turned his head to see Louis' red eyes spilling more tears down his cheeks. Zayn reached for him, but Louis flinched away and said, "I haven't listened to yours. You should listen to it."

Zayn saw his recorder sitting on the table and leaned up to press play before falling back to the couch.

Zayn, the voice greeted. For the most part I'm sorry that you got dragged into this. But honestly Louis isn't quite the assassin we all know and love without your help. Also, you did break our rules as well. Therefore we were forced to give you the same incentive to fulfill your next Mission. You've seen the Package for Liam's Kill Order by now. I do apologize for the graphic nature of the photo, but I wanted you to be aware of the fragile condition of this situation.

We've know about Liam since you came back from Germany. With bugs in Louis' apartment it wasn't long before we caught you taking nightly phone calls from someone. Louis looked to Zayn with confusion on his face, but Zayn ignored it and focused on the voice. Needless to say, we bugged your line after that. I had no idea Liam's favorite movie was Batman Begins, the voice taunted, That's adorable. Zayn snarled at the low blow as a tear crept down his cheek. He is the first person since Louis that you've had any connection with. Im truly sorry that I may have to take that away from you.

Hopefully it won't come to that. Liam is being held at a secret location with very heavy-handed men keeping eyes on him. The same goes for you, kill Anne Twist and Liam is yours. Refuse and I'll take away the only person you've ever told about how sometimes you still wish you could go back to your old life, warts and all. One life for two. Good luck, boys.

THATS IS!! ALL SHE WROTE MY FRIENDS! SEQUAL WILL COME AT SOME POINT BUT GIVE ME TIME. JUST PATIENTLY WAITING :(

Thanks for finishing it. You rock!

COMMENTS AND VOTES!! MWAH!! Xoxo

...Update! Sequal is done! It's called Backfire :)