The Silence That Surrounds: Screams of the Damned

Narrator’s POV:

Sophia used the force of her hip to spin around with her arm up in defense to use against Louis as he simultaneously held his up to block the offensive move from the girl he had been teaching tactical strategy to for the past two hours.

“You’re not putting your full strength behind the hit, Flower. I don’t want you to hold back.” Louis instructed her, turning the girl around so they were facing one another.

When he saw her face, the look could only be described as unsureness.

“You were watching my early performance, yeah? I don’t think full strength is a good idea.” Sophia smiled softly, glancing at her cast.

Louis chuckled and lifted up the deadweight wrist.

“I forbid foot stomping and stomach punching or ball hitting. I believe I’ve covered the allowed and banned material, Ms. Stone. So give me your all and then we can do tactical with weapons again to see how you do.” Louis instructed, backing away from his opponent.

“How is it you were screaming like a girl this morning and freaking out and now you actually want me to have a weapon and use it?” Sophia asked, advancing toward Louis and using her casted wrist to spin around with more force and bring it to his face, groaning when he caught it and twisted it behind her, using his forearm as a restraint to keep it there.

“Darling? You were tense with Harry, yeah? You needed this today and when you’re at ease, I’m at ease,” He gritted his teeth when she forgot the rules and tried to bring her foot back to stomp on his. “Nu-uh.” He taunted, gently kicking the back of her knee and lifting her gently to the ground with the prisoner hold still locked on her securely.

Sophia struggled in his hold, soon giving up however when she realized he was waiting on her to give.

“If I can’t use the punch or kick defense, what does it leave us open to really practice with? This seems limited.” Sophia noted, standing up when Louis broke his hold.

Louis huffed out some air and approached again.

“When you can effectively break my hostage hold, then we’ll talk about other defenses. Until then, it’s building gradually to the maximum level. You will never be as advanced as Harry or myself, but you will be a very close second. There are some moves only we can physically do – not to say I don’t see potential; however, you are in a hurry and I can’t teach you if you want to practice something for five minutes and then skip ten lessons. It doesn’t work like that, petal.” Louis explained in a tone as serious as a heart attack and he was right.

“Harry’s on my arse, he wants me to be a silent ninja and when I move a bell in his picture perfect image, he goes off on reasons why I’m worthless. I can’t deal with that and no one steps in.” Sophia defended herself, making Louis huff again, putting fingers on either side of his nose in an attempt to will away the headache that was slowly making itself known.

“Flower angel? I think he’s only on your ass because you don’t know when to be quiet. I don’t think it’s as much as him wanting you to be a silent ninja as it is with him just wanting you to be quiet and listen. You talk and miss points and that will for sure get you killed. As for his persona? He’s a murdering GANG LEADER. He’s not going to take it easy on you just because. He’s not going to give you a gold star when you do something right. He will nod an acknowledgment and walk away. If you do something wrong, he will tell you.” Louis explained as he looked at her in an almost endearing way. She reminded him so much of himself when he was younger – only a lot less posh.

“To tell someone they’re worthless? Am I? I only stayed because I knew what would happen if I didn’t. I’m not ignorant – not in that way at least, but does Harry really mean it?” Sophia stood in front of Louis with a lost look in her eyes that was similar to a small girl wanting to know where their mother went.

Louis sighs quietly out his nose and takes her good hand to guide over towards a large and dying oak tree.

“Harry is…” Louis trailed off to find the right words. “Curly is at a crossroad in his life where a pretty little redhead showed up in his lap and he has no clue how to handle her. Now, obviously I’m not saying what he’s doing is entirely ethical, but he is trying to prove his father wrong and he tends to go hurricane-tornado – in other words, Dorothy; the house fell on the Witch of the East, the chipmidgets, chipndales or whatever they’re called sung their song and now you’re going down the yellow brick road. Harry is a cross dress, not cross dressing mind you, but a cross dress between Linda the good witch and the wicked witch of the West. The West bitch is showing more in his personality now-a-days, but – “Sophia interrupted him.

“They were called Munchkins and you lost me at the yellow brick road.” Sophia scratched her head with her cast.

Louis chuckled.

“Long rant short? You’re seeing two Harrys with two extreme split personalities. His West bitch side is going to murder you, the Linda in him has been currently knocked out, taken somewhere and firmly tied up and gagged; because as of right now? He’s a demon on a mission to make his father leave us alone and you’re the fighter he believes most in. Hell, you’re the one I believe in,” Louis softened, gently reaching in to hug her frail body. “He does believe in you, even if he says he doesn’t. Just give him some slack, Harry’s just trying to toughen up some reserve in you. Steel won’t show you mercy if you break into tears, he wasn’t made like that and there’s really no time to waste in matters, hun. We have very little to begin with and he’s worried because you don’t have the training.”

Sophia nodded, it would make sense why he gets easily flustered.

“So I should just nod and try harder? Maybe I can show him what I learned today?” Sophia asked, using her good hand to strike towards Louis’s face, groaning when he caught it with a smirk.

“Element of surprise my luv; you don’t have it.” Louis jeered in a light and mocking manner, kissing the tips of her knuckles to complete the taunt.

Sophia groaned again in agitation.

“Alright, so I’m not going to surprise you. That doesn’t mean that Steel would expect it.” She pointed out grimly, making Louis simply smile.

“He will be much more demanding and hard to fool than yours truly. I just sense when you’re about to do something only because of your body language. You tense and give yourself away.” Louis noted, backing away a step and handing Sophia the gun he had brought with him.

Sophia took it and aimed the barrel at the tree.

“Before we get to that, Soph, I do need to go over some stuff. It’s all part of your lesson and I’m afraid that it’s not as light hearted. Put the gun down and face me.” Louis instructed, keeping a friendly face on so he didn’t spike her nerves up.

She did as she was told, the gun hanging slack to her side.

“Sometimes we get ourselves into situations. By situations, I mean there’s been a few times where Harry and I have had to make some difficult decisions and you will too. I just need to go over a few things,” Louis assured, walking over to the tree and leaning his back against it. “Scenario for you, yeah?”

Sophia shrugged and waved her casted hand for him to continue.

Louis nodded and put his hands behind his back.

“Hostage situation, opposition has us surrounded on every side and they take one of us prisoner against them, what do you do?” Louis quizzes her and sees her raise the gun up towards the tree where he’s at hesitantly.

“You cannot hesitate. Try again,” Louis demanded, smiling when she lifted the gun quicker without overthinking it this time. “Good, Flower. Very good, darling. However, you hesitated the first time and that will get you hurt. If someone has just taken me captive, you return the hostility by covering me.”

“I’m pointing the bloody gun right fucking at you though. How is this productive?” Sophia hissed, though kept the gun trained as she was instructed.

Louis’s face fell to a look of solemn contrite.

“It doesn’t need to be productive. What this is, is for you to see exactly what you will someday experience. If that time comes, you take that gun and you aim it at the target. You do so without thinking and if it comes down to it, you pull that trigger.” Louis deadpanned, walking back over and stepping behind her, his eyes a softer blue – almost as if reliving a memory.

“Sophia, when it comes to the opposition of our gang, you will need to make a split second decision to shoot on order. Our job is to protect the King. The King being Harry, because let’s face it, darling, we’re all just his pawns.” Louis finished, his hand gently sliding over hers to keep the gun steady.

“What if you’re still in front of the enemy? You can’t expect me to – “She was cut off when his breath blew the sparse hair away from her ear, the coldness of his soft voice carrying loud and clear, even if it was only just now a whisper.

“I expect you to protect Harry. I expect you to shoot me if it comes down to letting the enemy get away or seeing that he never becomes a threat to anyone else. My life is nil, flower. I am but a chess piece for something much bigger in this world,” Louis calmly explained, his other hand preening the ringlets from the side of Sophia’s face as he paused to figure out how to finish what he wanted to convey. “We don’t choose our fate, fate chooses us. So if there is no hope for me, I want you to do what’s right and shoot to kill – even if it takes me out in the process. No hesitations, no regrets.”

The lesson was straight to the point and bittersweet enough to leave a foul taste in her mouth.

Sophia hoped that she never had to choose between life and death for a fellow human being. It wasn’t her call to make and she was not God. So could she really make that decision for someone that wasn’t deserving of it?

As if hearing her thoughts, Louis answered her unspoken query.

“You do what you have to without hesitation, flower. It’s what all of us are trained to do – even Niall and Liam. It’s the way it is in this world and the way it will always be,” Louis sighed, his fingers gently raking through her newly cut hair in a way to try and be comforting. “It’s what I would want.”

Sophia didn’t understand why one life was more important than another and she knew that she had taken two before this, but it was done to end the prolonged suffering of those people that drove her to do it in the first place.

“Then let us hope that time never comes.” Sophia responded, looking at the tree and aiming her gun towards it.

Louis simply smiled and guided his hands around hers to steady the pistol as she only had one good one.

“Know what you want to shoot at and focus on it.” Louis advised, tightening his hands around hers.

He watched her eyes flash as she tightened her finger on the trigger.

“Good, now take a gentle breath in.” He continued, feeling her chest constrict out and as she released it her finger pulled the trigger – shooting the tree dead center.

“Yes!” Louis exclaimed, hugging her from the back.

Sophia smiled at Louis’s excitement and turned around to hug him back and hand him the gun.

He took it and pocketed it, figuring he could make strong headway back at the cabin for when Harry grounded them – given as he was ninety percent sure that’s what was going to happen.

“We’ve been here for hours and I know a small diner that’s closed today, how about it?” Louis asked, putting the weapon in the hem of his dress pants.

Sophia shrugged, the excitement leaving her face all together.

Louis didn’t miss a beat of the expression.

“You’re going to have to start eating more to keep up strength. Harry isn’t going to force you to eat and neither will the others. If you want energy to fight, because you’re going to have to do that anyhow; then you need to stop punishing your body and all I’ve seen you consume today is fairy floss.” Louis shrugged, grabbing her purse from the ground and handing it to her.

Sophia nodded and took Louis’s hand.

“Lead the way then.” She smiled and said nothing further on it. She would never get him or Harry to understand why she didn’t eat much these days and it would only confuse them further. So why bother if it was wasted breath?

Louis picked her up without Sophia asking and walked her towards the diner on the other side of town. If anyone should be tired, it was Louis. Yet, he seemed to feed off the energy around him without a problem and she had no idea how he did it. It seemed he had a constant flow of stamina to keep him going without exhibiting any loss of vigor and that was the most impressive.

“You’re participating in the races tonight, yeah?” Sophia asked after a long moment of silence and turned so she was meeting his eyes.

“Aye and before you ask again, no. I’m not taking you along for the ride, darling. It’s dangerous and it can get graphic. I’m not taking the chance of you flying off or me crashing.” He told her, knowing he hadn’t answered her question before.

“Oh.” Sophia dropped her stare and sighed in disappointment.

It wasn’t as if she hadn’t ridden a motorcycle before – her brother let her ride with him a few times on his friend’s bike when their father was away, even if it was only around their property. It seemed her blood sibling had all the fun and she got all the work.

“You don’t have experience – “Louis started, but she turned towards his face again.

“My brother had a friend that worked on motorcycles. I may not be able to drive a car, but I’m not exactly ignorant to bikes. I can balance myself well and he even let me steer one. So why can’t I ride with you tonight? Hell, if you planted on the ground I could roll away safely with little to no injury. My sibling occasionally taught me a thing or two of the world.” Sophia pleaded her case, looking Louis dead center to watch his eyebrows furrow.

“You cannot possibly expect me to believe that, flower. Your father barely let you live outside your fancy limousine and swanky apartment and mansion. I’m afraid I’ll need to be convinced.” Louis smirked, giving her a chance to prove herself.

“Set me down.” Sophia demanded, making Louis do as she ordered.

“Alright, we can walk and as we do that my luv, you can convince me why I should let you passenger with me tonight.” Louis responded merrily, humming a small satisfaction when she huffed in annoyance.

“Because I know a few things about motorcycles. I know how to turn one on and ride. If you can steer a bike, you can just as easily control a motorcycle. My brother showed that to me before our fallout,” Sophia explained her history, growing excessively bothered when Louis only hummed out a response as if she just told him the sky was blue and truth be told, that pissed her off. “My brother tried showing me a lot of things and I didn’t get much, but I got motorcycles. When my father found out, he punished me and if you noticed a small line at the base of my brother’s ear – you would know that he had punished him too. More severely and that’s why I think he had a hand in our rivalry. Louis, let me ride; I’ll prove it to you.” Sophia pleaded, her hand going gently to his chest so he would stop walking and actually look at her.

Louis sighed, knowing he wasn’t going to win.

“Fine, you win. I’ll take you with me.” Louis relented, letting out a small gasp of surprise when his knees were knocked out from under him and she used her speed to climb onto his back and dig her knee into the base of his spine.

“Bloody hell! Get off me, you muppet!” Louis exclaimed in shock, hearing Sophia chuckle.

“Weren’t you supposed to be on your guard?” Sophia teased, doing as Louis asked and stood to help pull him back up.

He snorted and picked himself up from the hard concrete.

“So you didn’t tense, big deal. You want a gold star?” Louis sassed, brushing his new clothes off.

“No, I want to get to the diner so we can eat and hit the races.” Sophia smiled, holding her hand out for him to take.

Louis obliged and walked with her down the street.

“I’ll show you how to pick a lock on the door; car ones are twice as hard if you don’t know how to caress em just right. A little hook in their crevasse and they’re either all yours or you’re using your hand that night and by hand, I mean punching it through the window. If you can’t get them to open one way, there’s always option B.” Louis rambled on, guiding the half-lost girl across the street and through another set of alleyways.

*

Zayn flinched and looked at Sal as he held the phone from his ear at Harry’s enraged voice.

“How could you LET them get away? You’re supposed to be more matched with Tomlinson when it comes to tracking! THERE’S NO EXCUSE!” Harry ranted, smashing his phone a few times into the wall, his breath coming out quick and uneven.

“I didn’t LET them get away, they had me down on the ground! Next thing I know, Louis is knocking me in the nob and Sophia has her knee rammed into my knights, who were incidentally crammed up against my prince charming, so don’t go getting sharty at me, mate. I’ve been running around London like a blue-arsed fly! I lost them after Louis knocked me out.” Zayn returned just as hotly, angrily knocking back his second Guinness beer.

“Where are you now?” Harry demanded, kicking something in the background to make it crash onto the floor with a loud bang.

“Sal’s. I’m at Sal’s having a nice, quiet drink.” Zayn responded, unbothered that he might get his ass handed to him later.

“WHY?!” Harry exclaimed, losing his temper again.

“Because my will to go on is at its questioning peak. For starters, I woke up with my shirt on inside out and backwa – “Zayn started tiredly, only for the curly one to interrupt him again.

“What were you doing with your shirt off in the first place?” Harry continued to demand, making Zayn groan.

“Because I felt like stripping naked and running through London screaming; God save the Queen – why do you think, Harry? I got into a confrontation.” Zayn finished lamely, taking another swig and tapping the beer bottle to indicate Sal to keep them coming.

“With Louis?” Harry wanted to clarify.

Zayn rolled his eyes.

“No, with the tooth fairy and father time.” Zayn quipped back sarcastically.

He was unnaturally bitter and he felt like hurting something – well, someone.

“Lose the attitude, Zayn. Your sarcasm is not appreciated.” Harry hit back, picking up whatever he kicked down.

“I dunno, I quite appreciate my sarcasm. Makes things seem more alive,” He furrowed his eyebrows before sighing. “Anyhow, I’m going to knock back another twenty or so of these babies and then go meet Louis and Sophia. They said they’d meet me up by the Hill at two AM. I think that’s where you will need to drive up to.” Zayn said, blinking up to Sal when he snapped his fingers.

“Tell Harry that Louis was here earlier and caused over a hundred a fifty thousand – “Sal was cut off when Harry about busted Zayn’s eardrums from the sheer volume.

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN LOUIS CAUSED DAMAGE?!” Harry decided to kick whatever he had just picked up and swore from the anxiety of the whole day.

“Actually, it was the girl, Goddess – or Flower? I don’t know her name, but do you know Tiny? She broke a pool stick into his shoulder and caused permanent damage to Linda, the biker chick your father has dealings with. Louis didn’t seem to know her and I figured I would give you a heads up in case it came into discussion. In addition, Demurs was also having an issue. I had McMichaelson dispatch ambulances and Demurs evidently had to dispatch an additional four. Lou has a firecracker on his hands.” Sal explained, listening to Harry as it became unnaturally quiet.

“Are you still there, Harry?” Zayn asked, a little concerned that his leader suddenly quit screaming.

There was a heartbeat of silence, before the other line came alive again.

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m here. I’m not sure what Louis is doing, but it would seem he’s – trying to get me to have a coronary. Do you know any additional information for Demurs? That seems a rather posh place; even for Tomlinson’s standards.” Harry questioned, picking up the stuff he had brutally kicked over for the second time.

“McMichaelson told me Louis’s bird hurt some poor sod pretty bad. Says he was taken to hospital with over a thousand cactus splinters in his wobbly bits. I have nothing else to offer on the matter other than; don’t give that lass alcohol. She went Bruce Lee here and my establishment paid the price.”

Zayn would find it hard to believe Sophia could hurt a fly, if he didn’t already experience firsthand of what the girl was capable of.

“I need to call McMichaelson and get some updates to find out what’s going on; because I’m having a hard time making any bloody sense of this whole cock-up. I’ll be at the Hill two AM sharp; in the meantime, Zayn? You have one hour. One hour and then you will go back out there and track them down. Do you understand me?” Harry ordered stealthily.

Zayn grabbed his empty beer bottle and slammed it against the bar table with all his strength to keep from telling Harry where he can shove his order.

“Yes, Master Styles. I hear you loud and clear, sir. Would you require anything else of me this evening? Perhaps wash your car, shine your boots? Oh! I know! How about I – “The familiar sound of objects being kicked over met Zayn and Sal’s ears – along with Liam’s incoherent complaints.

“Find Louis, find Sophia! It’s not that bloody fucking hard!” Harry exploded before the line went dead with a sharp click.

“I think he broke his phone again.” Zayn shrugged, hanging up the landline Sal had let him use to call Harry.

“Are you going to try and find them? Chances are, they’ll be at the huge motorcycle race tonight. All the organized underdogs are scheduled to be there.” Sal slipped, passing him another beer and cleaning the glass up from the previous one.

“Nah, mate. Truthfully? I’m letting them do what they want, because once Harry does get a hold on them, they’re going to wish they had stayed home. Anyhow, I do have someplace to be and unfortunately, it does involve unfinished business from earlier,” Zayn stood up, pausing as he did so. “You wouldn’t happen to know an Eleanor Calder – would you?”

Sal paused, his eyebrows furrowing downward.

“I know her boyfriend, Matt. He comes in at least twice a week,” Sal said in thought, grabbing a piece of paper and writing down the guy’s address. “If you need to get in touch with her, he would be the right person to ask.” Sal replied after to try and collect his thoughts.

“She would be at the races tonight then, yeah?” Zayn prodded, finishing off his fourth beer.

“Eleanor, most definitely. Matt? No. He would just as soon nail his testies to the wall than partake in an interest with the undergrounds. It’s just his propriety, but she is and has always been an underdog. Which is why I don’t get his intention to marry the lass. Bloomin’ crazy if I say so myself, mate.” Sal shook his head, taking a sip of his own beer.

Zayn shrugged.

“They say opposites attract, Sal. Sophia is living proof of that in our cocked-up little gang. Harry, the prince of darkness is smitten with the little cow. If that isn’t opposites from the wrong track, I don’t know what is.” Zayn muttered.

Sal snorted.

“My wife was poor, but the underground dogs are something completely – uncontainable. There’s no fear, mate.”

Zayn nodded in understanding, considering he was also referring to Harry’s gang.

“Yeah, well, what can I say? We’re utterly fearless; especially when you’ve lost everything else. At that point, what more do you truly have left?” Zayn forced a smile, grabbing the piece of paper and heading towards the address he was given. “Later, Sal. Give my best to your old lady.”

Sal waved his hand and looked at the utter mess that was his establishment.

“Yeah, tell Harry to come and see me one of these days, hm? I’d like to discuss some potential business with Damien.”

Zayn waved one of his fingers in the air as a response and walked out the door.

“Everyone wants to do business with the undergrounds, but they don’t understand a bloody fucking thing otherwise. No wonder Damien has so many people killed; after all – can’t get something for nothing and the Devil steals your soul anyhow.” Zayn muttered, walking North-West toward Matt’s house in hopes of following through with orders.

*

Sophia looked around at the few hundred or so people gathered at the edge of the least populated and unfixed street in England; which proved a great racing place for the undergrounds.

“Race starts in twenty, pay and place your bets here! All riders are as follows: Adams, Allens, Papers, Tomlinson! Please come pay your riding fee! Tomlinson, need a word with you beforehand.” Emily all but yelled as she and Aurora were swamped with people placing in their bets on the main riders.

It was a slow night and would only be four riders this week – with the exception of five hundred pounds being a lot to lose to ride a race. Only the wealthier undergrounds could afford it and those were usually sectors of Damien’s other circles.

Louis took Sophia’s hand and led her through the crowd towards Emily and Aurora.

“Tomlinson!” A male voice hollered over the talk of conversation, his arm waving in the air.

Sophia watched a – boy? Young lad? She wasn’t sure what that was, other than her eyes were focused solemnly at the caller’s name and did he look young.

“Papers! What’s the news, bin-lid?” Louis called, meeting him the rest of the way with Sophia following in tow – as Louis was clearly focused on meeting with the boy and forgot he was dragging her along.

“Nothing, old chap. The fuck is you doing out? Your master let you off your lead today or did you break the fence again ya crocked sod?” The boy – Papers, returned the greeting with a crude one of his own.

Louis and Sophia reached the younger lad, his bright smile showing off the tinted yellows of his teeth.

Sophia pulled a disgusted face at the sight.

“Mucky-pup.” Sophia murmured, getting a gander at his getup.

His clothes had two to three inch holes throughout the material, stained in what she could only begin to guess and he reeked of unbathed odor.

“Be nice, flower.” Louis smiled, giving him a high-five with his other hand.

“I am being nice.” Sophia muttered, glancing him up and down.

His clothes were to be desired, but his face was kind and young with dirty brown hair sticking up in a cute mop up top his head and shining brown eyes full of life.

“Who this?” Papers nodded to the older female Goddess.

“Alexander, this is Sophia Stone. Sophia? This is Alex Papers, he’s one of our connected circles in another sector. He takes care of delivery and making sure the supplies get to where they’re going. He and Emily work together a lot.” Louis introduced pleasantly.

Sophia nodded with a small smile.

“A pleasure.” She greeted softly, snapping her head when Emily came over to them, dragging a slightly shorter girl with her.

“Tomlinson, Papers! Are you entering the bloody race or not, mates? Come on! Get the tick out yer’ arses!” Emily yelled, her New York and British vocabulary coming together in a way that made Sophia laugh a little. She sounded like a New Yorker trying to speak British slang to sound threatening.

Louis smiled and winked at Sophia, turning to face Emily and the other woman.

“Aurora – Rory, excuse me. It’s good to see you again.” Louis greeted, not at all concerned with Emily’s annoyed tone.

“Hey Lou. It’s been a tick; Harry let you come out tonight or did you do another hotwire?” Aurora asked softly, blinking up to eye Louis.

Louis beamed, his pearly whites showing the answer he didn’t elaborate on.

Papers snorted.

“His master don’t let him off the chain nearly enough. I swear, if I had to deal with Harry or Damien Styles every day, I’d cut my own balls off and neuter myself. Christ Tomlinson, I don’t know how you put up with them.” Papers shook his head.

“HELLO! Hi, yeah, um, money? Races will be staring soon and I will need the make of your bikes as well.” Emily butted in.

Louis leaned over and kissed Emily’s cheek.

“Relax, luv. Here, I have the racing fee,” Louis handed her his money. “Make of the bike is an RM1.”

Emily’s eyes nearly bugged from her sockets.

“Where did you get that baby? Swiped it no doubt.” She snorted, taking his money and writing absently on a piece of paper.

“We broke into a closed motorcycle shop on the way here.” Sophia confirmed, chuckling when Louis shot her a look.

“You picked the lock.” He counteracted, a sly expression passing over his face.

“You showed me.” Sophia finished with a shrug, turning to look at the quietly smiling female.

“Sophia Stone, I apologize – my manners are a bit rusty today.” She held out her hand towards the one they called Rory.

“Rory Johnson, a pleasure.” She greeted back, taking her hand.

Louis snorted.

“Luv? You’re among neds, spivs and yobs, there really is no manners where we are concerned,” Louis calmed her, clapping Papers on the back. “Isn’t that right, sprog?”

“Up your arse with a punter, Tomlinson.” Papers retorted, slapping him upside the head good naturedly in return.

“Oi! Okay lads, that’s enough roughin’.” Rory spoke up, shaking her head.

Sophia chuckled.

“You should see him give Harry a good run for his money. I don’t think he’s been so flustered before, not even when we were held captive for – “Sophia’s mouth was quickly quieted by Louis’s finger.

“No one wants to hear those details, flower. Now, Rory darling, how’s your book coming about? You got anymore written, got me on a cliff last time and I’ve been dying to hear the conclusion.” Louis switching subjects to wade off of their own misfortune.

Aurora shrugged.

“A bit slow. Diabetes are acting a pain again, been having trouble getting money to pay for the insulin.” She replied carefully.

Sophia’s eyes went a bit wide.

“You don’t look much older than I am.” Sophia noted, studying here more thoroughly.

Aurora had a small bone structure, Sophia would even say sickly thin if she observed a little longer, but her face was young; which meant she wasn’t much older.

“I’m twenty-two,” Rory defended, crossing her arms. “Diabetes doesn’t discriminate. I was diagnosed with type 1 at a fairly young age, but unfortunately, we can’t all be privileged to have servants at our beck and call or daddy’s money to fall back on, right?” She ended with a sneer.

Sophia didn’t say anything, merely looked at the girl.

Her hair was long and curly, brown like chocolate and stopped at the middle of her beck. Her eyes were an ocean blue, much like Sophia’s and she reached about an inch higher than her, so they were currently sizing one another up, both having taken what the other said in the wrong way.

“Ladies? There’s no need for the hostility. Sophia? We do not involve ourselves in other people’s affairs, yeah? Rory? I’ll see what I can do and pay no attention to flower, she’s still new to all of this. I can guarantee she meant no offense.” Louis calmed the situation before a fight broke out and he knew damn well it wouldn’t end well for Sophia.

Rory crossed her arms across her chest.

“Why is she even over on these side of the tracks, Lou? She doesn’t belong here; the hell is wrong with you? Taking miss priss-rich to the poor grounds.”

Sophia spoke up, deciding that Louis didn’t need to speak for her.

“Harry Styles kidnapped me for a debt that was never paid off. I’m not ‘rich’ as you so put it, not anymore. Damien and Harry control the company and that leaves me with them.” Sophia explained, moving closer to Louis when more eyes looked her way – she could literally feel the awkward tension from their glances.

Rory nodded, refusing to look at her.

“I see, so you brought a hostage to the races? Wonderful, Lou. So, who’s going to watch her?” She looked at Emily, who simply rolled her eyes.

“Former hostage. Styles recruited her; there’s some big fight happening next month. Our little rich girl here is evidently the star of it.” Emily mocked, shaking her head and finishing up the paperwork.

“No shit?” Papers asked in disbelief. “You must be some dame; Harry usually just kills everyone who gets sent to his cabin.”

The awe in his voice made Sophia smile sadly. She never had the choice and it seemed so unlikely to people and that made her suspect that she truly was one of the lucky ones – which meant coming with Louis, she had blown her chances with Harry to see her as anything but a pawn.

“No shit.” Sophia confirmed softly, turning to walk towards where the new bike was parked.

Papers arched an eyebrow, glancing at Louis.

“She certainly doesn’t look tough enough to beat anyo – “Papers started, his head snapping at the deep voice speaking next to him.

“You still taking riders?”

Louis could have sworn his bladder let go a little at the person that now resonated to his left.

“Yeah, last name and bike model?” Emily asked, writing another line to add the last second rider.

“Steel, Bike model is a H2.” He replied, his smile pulling back into a sneer when he caught Louis standing beside him. “Tomlinson, does Damien know you’re out past your bedtime? Shouldn’t you be asleep like all the other Bairns?” He taunted.

“That’s my que to take a long walk off a short pier as the yanks say. Excuse me.” Louis ignored him and also walked towards their bike.

Steel followed him, with Papers up the tailpipe.

Emily and Aurora followed with their eyes on the two men.

“So – should we step in?” Aurora asked, making Emily snort.

“Nah, I wouldn’t worry about Tomlinson. After all, he has spitfire to defend him.” Emily mocked, snickering a little.

“So – we watch Steel kick Tomlinson’s arse? He seems determined,” Aurora clarified, jumping when Eleanor threw her arms around the unaware girl. “Christ, you scared me.”

“Sorry I’m late, Matt didn’t want me to go,” Eleanor apologized, smiling. “So, who’re the racers tonight then?” She bounced, smiling wider at her friends.

“Papers, Adams, Allens, Tomlinson and Steel.” Aurora listed off, glancing at Steel; who was being cornered by Papers.

“Come on, mate; let him get ready, race is starting in a couple a minutes.” Papers came to Louis’s defense as Louis was carefully fitting the motorcycle helmet over Sophia’s head with fragile care.

Steel simply pushed Paper’s small frame out of the way and continued on his warpath, grabbing Sophia’s good arm and jerking it towards him and out of Louis’s grip.

“Oi! Let me go you bloody pig testicle.” Sophia growled, not at all putting up with being grabbed.

“Darling? Do you want a repeat of what happened in the basement a few months ago? When your sweet pussy cummed for my hard cock; you remember that sugar-lips? How you screamed – “Steel purred, his eyes going to Louis.

Louis restrained himself with an intense look that was aimed directly towards Sophia.

“I bet you enjoyed it, huh?” Steel went on, pulling her close and slipping his hand under her short dress, the material allowing his hand entrance.

Sophia gasped, pulling away from him with force and glaring knives at the man.

“Louis told me I need to give a warning before doing anything. Consider this your warning.” Sophia growled, her voice distorted by the helmet.

Steel burst out laughing at the innocent threat, looking at Louis fully now.

“Is she bloody serious, mate? You two are out here racing and having a jolly good time while your gang has been burning dead bodies all day and in addition, Harry has a nice bloody nose, bruised stomach and black eyes. Courtesy of yours truly. You wanna know why?” Steel smiled, pearly whites aligning his lips like a shark.

“Because you’re a sadistic asshole? As for Sophia, she gave you a warning and considering her track record tonight – I wouldn’t push your luck.” Louis warned, throwing on a long leather coat to deflect the chilling winds that would occur when they raced – which was also nicked from the motorcycle place as it doubled as a leathers shop.

“Consider the warning unheeded. Wait till Damien gets a load of you two – he’ll shit bricks and then I won’t have to wait a month to fuck your biffer’s brains out, isn’t that wonderful, poppet?” Steel chuckled.

Papers walked a few steps so he was leaning in towards Louis, concern clearly written on his face for the girl who only stood there, her expression hidden beneath the helmet.

“Louis? You need to step in, mate. I smell trouble.” Papers warned, his brown eyes light with concern.

Louis buttoned up the leather coat calmly.

“I think you’re just smelling yourself. As for stepping in, I will; if she lets me.” Louis dismissed, not at all concerned.

“What do you mean if she lets you? Dude, your bird is about to get bloody raped, is that not cause for concern?!” Papers hissed, wanting to go over there and put a stop to it himself.

Damn his luck for being short and young.

Louis chuckled.

“Watch and learn lad, you’re about to see what I’ve been dealing with for the majority of the night.” Louis encouraged, giving a slight nod to the girl in front of him.

Sophia gave one of her own and before Steel knew which way his dick was bent at; it was suddenly smashed against his balls.

The pain didn’t register in his mind at first, but Sophia’s knee was getting good at hitting its target and Steel suddenly found himself on his back with the small girl moving her sharp knee bone into his stomach, her casted hand pressing dangerously hard on his windpipes.

“You won’t be telling Damien anything, Muffins. I will happily crush your fucking pipes like a tin can.” Sophia threatened, gritting her teeth as she pressed down harder.

“Her threats need work.” Louis nodded, smirking at Paper’s expletive.

“Bloody hell, he’s going to be sterile! She should come with a warning label, mate! Christ almighty!” Paper’s exclaimed, noticing Emily, Aurora and Eleanor making their way over to see what the confrontation was about.

“Time for me to make like a tree and split. See you on the roads, man. Good luck.” Papers high-fived Louis and left to go to his motorcycle.

“Louis?” Emily called calmly, noticing they were now beside him and taking up the space that Papers left.

“I’m going to guess you want me to contain the firecracker?” Louis asked nicely, turning toward them. “Hey El, how’s it going?”

Eleanor was focused on Sophia, flinching when her knee met Steel’s little Steels for another painful round of sterilizing men.

“I would appreciate it, yes. I mean, not to tell you what to do or anything, but he paid his fee. Any chance she can continue this after?” Emily asked, noticing Steel was going to pass out.

Louis noticed too and rushed toward her, pulling Sophia off the fading psychopath.

“Fuck you, you bloody blighter! Touch me ever again and you won’t live to regret it, swine!” Sophia ranted, her mouth finally coming unhinged behind the rage she was feeling.

“Come on, Soph.” Louis calmed, carrying her to the bike and setting her down by it, pulling out a smaller leather trench jacket and helping her into it. “You need to calm down, we have a race to focus on and as much as I would love to watch you kill muffins – which is a surprise, because I expected him to put a lot more strength in his struggling…” Louis trailed off, shaking his head. “Anyhow, if you kill him before the fight, Damien will end up killing you without a second thought and there will be nothing any of us can do. So for the love of God and smurf cookies, don’t kill him until it’s time.”

Louis buttoned down her jacket and smiled. It was amazing what a little bit of wax and make up could do for a confidence boost.

“You are truly a beauty, flower. No bullshit.” Louis hummed, turning her around to help her on the bike, climbing on behind Sophia and effectively securing her between the handles and him, so if she fell, he would have ample time to help her avoid injury.

He rested his chin on the bridge of the redhead’s shoulder while he reached on either side of her and grasp the handles to steer the motorcycle.

“As much fun as it would be to display your arse and have the other poor sods fall off their bikes for an easy win, I’m afraid I must insist we keep this a PG race, hm? That’s why you’re sitting here and not behind me.” He said, chuckling at the thought of the other biker’s reactions.

“You’re not wearing a helmet, you sure you don’t want mine? Considering you’re behind me and if the bike tanks, you’re going to be hitting the ground pretty hard.” Sophia warned, her hand going to the helmet.

“Nope, I been riding these things since I was a young lad, I know how to fall off one and land like a cat. Don’t worry about me,” Louis dismissed, taking her good hand and cupping it under his own, doing the same thing with her casted one. “Grip the bars and when I tell you too, gently move the acceleration up and we’ll escalate from there.”

Sophia nodded.

Eleanor watched and heard Louis as he spoke to Sophia. He did it so patient and informatively that it sort of reminded her of when they were teenagers; at their hiding place.

She smiled at the thought, walking up to them.

“Good luck with the race, it’s going to be starting in a minuet.” She told them, watching Louis turn and smile widely at her.

“And here I thought we wouldn’t ever see one another again. Can’t get enough of my charm, El? Come on, you know you can’t get – oof, oi! Don’t elbow me, firecracker, I’ll knock you back to primary private school.” Louis glared at the back of her helmeted head.

Eleanor laughed.

“I’m afraid I need to go home straight after the race. I promised Matt I wouldn’t spend all night out, but you should come by sometime and meet him, he’s not a bad bloke. In fact, I think you two would get along quite splendidly.” She smiled, making his returning one look like Bruce the shark from Finding Nemo…way too big to be good.

“Darling? If I met Matt, I would compare him to myself and in turn, he would annoy me, because simply put? I’m annoying and I can take that because I can’t kill me – I can kill a twin though with very little trouble,” He widened his smile a little more – if that were possible. “I’m Sorry, meeting Matty boy is not happening. Now, I expect a congratulatory hug at the very least when I come across the finishing line first.” He winked, turning his attention to Steel riding up beside them on his new bike.

Louis’s phone started ringing then, distracting him momentarily from Muffins – who quite possible scared him for life after the last encounter, but he was good at ignoring trolls and Sophia was safely perched in front of him, so he wasn’t worried about him trying anything.

Louis sighed, knowing exactly who it was and took the phone out of his pocket, flipping it open.

“Lucky’s happy ending, Lucky’s in the back blowing the butcher, how may I assi –“

“LOUIS DID YOU STEAL A MOTORCYCLE?! MCMICHELSON IS LOSING HIS SH – “Harry started, only for Louis to close the flip phone on him and turn it to vibrate.

“Who was that?” Eleanor asked, hearing the voice screaming from where she was.

“Wrong number, definitely a guy who doesn’t appreciate happy endings.” Louis chuckled, knowing he most certainly was going to be in deep shit when he got back.

“Why not explain it was Steel who robbed the motorcycle place?” Sophia asked, her head looking toward Steel and raising her good hand to give him the finger, allowing Louis to grab the limb again and stick it back over the handle.

“Don’t go starting things you can’t finish, flower. Flipping off other racers is fighting words – now, regarding Harry – do you really think he’s going to believe me? We did technically rob the place.” Louis shrugged, feeling his phone start to vibrate uncontrollably. Harry was sending him texts and if Louis had to guess, he would say that it started with ‘you’re going to regret breathing tomorrow’ but he really could care less right now, he was racing for a reason.

Sophia mimicked his shrug.

“Bloody semantics, mate. It’s any wander that you’d tell him the sky is blue, he would swear it was green and orange. You can’t win logic with Harry. He is illogical and a stubborn fool.” Sophia ranted, making Louis cock his eye brow.

“Don’t hold back now, flower; tell me how you REALLY feel,” Louis sassed, before rolling his eyes. “No more alcohol for you, it turns your mood faster than a bloody mood ring.”

Sophia snorted, watching Louis turn on the ignition through a key and making her hands rev against the handle latch so she was controlling the speed.

Eleanor walked away to head to the front where Emily and Aurora were.

“Once the three head up to the front, they call us all one at a time to line our bikes alongside one another.” Louis explained, keeping his eyes peeled to the front.

“Papers!” Emily shouted over the talkative crowd around them, pulling her foot along the dirt on the ground as she did so to form a line.

Papers already had his helmet on and roared his bike to life, riding it up in front of Emily, stopping his tire on the line.

“Tomlinson!” Aurora called, the hush around the group now quieting – he was the one the majority of the group around had wagered on.

“That’s us, flower. Now, pull forward gently,” Louis instructed, helping her balance the bike as she did as he asked. “That a girl, now try to align the tire with Paper’s.”

Sophia braked about three feet from Paper’s bike, aligning it the best she could with his.

Emily gave a thumbs up when she bent down to measure, assuring the racers that everything was in order.

“Allens!” Eleanor called, smirking at Aurora as she opened her mouth to call him.

Aurora shot her a glare, making Louis chuckle at the girls. During the time he left the undergrounds, nothing had really changed at all. Eleanor was still the same sweet, sassy girl he met and Emily was – well, she was Emily and Aurora was still the same, shy girl he had known. It was like time passed but stayed the same. Nothing really different, except them. Time had aged them all into something Louis didn’t recognize and he wished it would stop for a little while so he could just enjoy the time he had left.

“Good luck, Tomlinson.” Allens called, smirking cockily, his head void of a helmet.

“No luck needed, Tutu. I got my good luck charm right here.” Louis responded, patting Sophia’s good hand with his.

Allens snorted.

“You know what? I think you had something to do with that, Tomlinson.” Allens accused.

“Tutu? I thought his name was Allens?” Sophia piped up, her eyebrow no doubt raised behind the dark plated helmet.

“He got wasted and a couple of his mates put him in some tights and a leotard. Long story short, when he woke up, the clothing was superglued onto him and his trip to the hospital to get the articles of alleged clothing off was a memorable experience for everyone – nurses, doctor and surgeons included.”

“Ah.” Sophia nodded, turning straight when Steel was called.

“You were the only one I went out drinking with and you were nowhere around when I woke up! You’re the only one who could have done it!” Allens yelled, his grip tightening on the bars of his motorcycle and his face slowly gaining an undertone of red.

“I was just as wasted as you were, mate. I left you with some of your pals, they told me they knew you and I told them to make sure to get you home safe. Like I said, I’m still maintaining my innocence in that hodgepodge.” Louis waved him off.

“Liar!” Allens growled, gritting his teeth and grinding them to keep his temper in check.

Louis rolled his eyes.

“Whatever, less talky-talk and more racy-race, huh? I’m so tired of words, they’re meaningless and I will not stay here and be accused of something that you have no proof on.” Louis finished calmly, watching Steel pull up alongside Allens.

“Fine, we’ll settle this on the roads then, Tomlinson.” Allens declared, facing ahead.

“Sounds ace, mate. Try not to kiss the road with your head, yeah? You’ve already got a face like a slapped arse; No need to whack it with an ugly stick on top of it. Seriously dude, where’s your helmet? You tanked out last race I heard.” Louis antagonized, smiling when Allens growled, turning his attention to Steel when he spoke.

“Ignore him. He and his little biffed cunt don’t stand a chance.” Steel calmed, though his voice seemed strained from almost having his windpipe crushed by an erratic redhead.

Sophia turned her head his direction.

“Call me a cunt again, I guarantee you after the race, you will regret it.” Sophia threatened, her voice a mere octave when Steel revved his engine to drown her out.

“Control your skivvy, Tomlinson. A woman such as her has only one place and that’s sucking my cock or in the kitchen with her fucking mouth shut. I wonder if Damien fancies that idea as much as I do.” Steel called over, making Sophia’s grip on the bars tighten.

“Oh boy. Flower? Think straight and keep focused. They’re trying to distract you and we need to concentrate on speed and movement, we have to work as one unit if we’re going to show those assholes anything. Let the end results of the race speak for us, we needn’t fall to their level of insults.” Louis hushed, feeling the rage radiating off her by the way her temperature spiked and he could feel it through her body heat.

“After the race, he’s dead and you’re not going to stop me.” Sophia gritted, her attention to Eleanor when she walked in front of them with a British flag – which would be used to officially send them off.

She tightened her grip on the handles and stared intently ahead.

“I will if I have to, flower. Don’t make me have to do that to you.” Louis pleaded softly, hearing Steel laugh.

“Let her try to kill me, Tomlinson. She can’t, because I am a fucking God and she is my slave. The basement proved that when her sweet pussy was screaming -” He taunted, getting cut off by Eleanor.

“ALRIGHT RACERS, THE COURSE IS AS SET: EIGHT HUNDRED METERS ONTO ELIZABETH, BE CAREFUL OF COPS AND CARS, TAKE LEFT ONTO KATHERINS AND GO DOWN ABOUT SIXTEEN HUNDRED METERS TO MAKE A FULL CIRCLE BACK. THE SET COURSE OF THIS IS A MILE AND A HALF, THE LAPS TO GO AROUND IS FIVE. WE WILL KEEP TRACK OF THE LAPS. FIRST ONE TO COMPLETE THE RACE FIVE TIMES AROUND WINS! ANY QUESTIONS?!” She yelled above the engines so all around could hear.

“What’s your number, sweet tits?” One of the ones from the crowd jeered, earning him a punch from a fellow undergrounder and a warning to learn respect.

Emily and Aurora stood off to the sidelines watching Eleanor take the lead.

Louis shook his head. He knew all the rules and the route better than anyone.

“ALRIGHT, GET READY AND – “ She paused, raising the British flag high in the air, waving it down to her side.

Sophia revved the bike forward like a shot, the back bucking up slightly, making Louis yell in surprise and tighten his grip on Sophia’s to help steer and control the speed.

It wasn’t that he didn’t trust she could ride, it was because – actually, no, it was most definitely a trust issue.

“Very good, flower!” He praised, watching the digital digits on the bike start to climb, the dim lit roads ahead making it hard to see the other racers or objects for that matter.

He heard the first one buzz passed, their middle finger raised in the air.

“Tutu.” Sophia called over the wind to Louis, letting him know who it was.

Steel was nowhere in sight and the dark, abandoned and boarded up buildings seemed to pass in a streak of dark blurs, the souls of the long forgotten watching from their ghostly windows on the living and waiting for the right opportunity to strike – at least that was the feeling Sophia got. She felt as though cold fingers were laying rest to her neck and constricting her breath against the cold chill, despite having a helmet.

Rubbish littered the unpaved road ahead of her, causing them to lose speed to avoid them.

Louis turned on the high beams to light up the road, seeing Allens a few meters ahead.

“Pull ahead!” Louis shouted, guiding her fingers to accelerate towards a nearby streetlamp, turning his head when another bike came up fast.

“Papers!” Sophia exclaimed, seeing the yellow bike and red helmet.

“I know whose who, Soph. Don’t distract him!” Louis yelled back, seeing Papers glance at them for a split second, do a half wave and rev passed. “Bloody hell!”

Sophia picked up the pace and slid close to Paper’s bike, accelerating a little more and tilting the bike a little to the right so it banked around the sharp corner at the end of the deserted block, weary of the next section as that’s where cameras were likely to pick up on the illegal activity.

“Cameras on Katherine Street, Lou! We need – “Her words were cut off like a rope compressing against her vocals, eyes going wide when Papers bike suddenly tanked, his body going over the handlebars of the bike when it’s wheel got stuck in an open man hole. Allens was currently in the lead.

“Stop!” Louis yelled, seeing Adams whiz by, avoiding the tanked motorbike. “Bloody savages.”

Sophia pulled alongside Papers and climbed off the bike, the front of his helmet cracked and blood dripping from someplace on his body.

“Papers?! Mate, you alright? Talk to me man.” Louis panicked, seeing the still boy on the ground unmoving.

Sophia struggled with her helmet, pulling it off her in a vicious yank and throwing it to the ground, kneeling next to the younger lad.

“Should we try to turn him over?” Sophia asked, looking up at Louis who heard a cackle from somewhere to his right, by instinct he turned his head and saw Steel, leaning against a burnt out lamppost in the calmest way possible. He must have shortcut across a cross street – which is against the rules.

“I’ve come here racing every week for a few weeks now, Damien doesn’t like having his investments in things reclining and unfortunately, the races have been on an incline since you quit participating, Tomlinson. Damien doesn’t really give a fuck about that though. He’s concerned you’re slipping back into bad habits, because Harry didn’t let up on anything, even after I beat him senseless and stuck to the story that you were babysitting the hostages and the Wally-cunt there,” He nodded toward Sophia, who stood up and was ready to advance, but Louis was quick to pull her back into his chest and keep her from attacking him. Steel simply smirked wider and continued. “I came out here at Damien’s orders to see if it was true, but you needn’t concern yourself with that. I have a proposition for you, one that you would be a pillock to turn down.”

Louis gritted his teeth.

“You had to hurt someone to get my attention? The fuck is wrong with you, muffins? I know you’re a spongy twat with no consistency, but this is a low play; even for you.” Louis growled, wanting to attack the asshole himself.

Sophia broke away with a grunt and knelt down to Papers, relief flooding through her when she heard a groan.

“Actually, I was trying to tank your bike. Obviously I bet on the wrong horse’s arse on who would be in the lead.” Steel shrugged, winking at Sophia who was glaring death at him.

“On with it then, twat-monkey. I don’t give a damn if you tell Damien, it doesn’t even matter.” Louis muttered, bending down to help Papers sit up when he was sure no serious injuries were made to him.

“It will if I tell him how affectionate you’re being towards his prized cow. He doesn’t like his property being hit on and Sophia is very much his,” Steel shrugged. “I’ve been following you since I spotted you running outside Demurs and if I didn’t know any better, little Tomlinson took Damien’s property on a dinner date and crime spree. He will be most impressed by this – if I report it back to him that is. Either way, Harry has a few reminders what happens when he lies to daddy.”

“Harry isn’t a bad bloke, he protects us, what’s the deal, muffins? You’re boring me and I need to get Papers some medical attention.” Louis dismissed his blatant threat about telling Damien.

“The deal, Tomlinson is, that if I spotted you, I was to report this back to Damien. You say you don’t give a fuck, but what if I told you that you and Sophia would be transferred to our cabin for the remaining of the month? If he catches you out, he will make sure to keep a tighter leash on you and blue eyes? You can say goodbye to that pretty face and the girl, he’s done playing.” Steel explained with glee, walking towards his bike that was hidden in some bushes at a catty corner of another street.

“Then what do you suggest?” Louis asked, watching him walk the motorcycle over to the road and begin to put his helmet back on.

“We race. If you beat me, I saw nothing, you were never in London. If I win, you let me take the girl there for an hour.” He laid on the ultimatum, climbing onto his bike.

“No fucking wa – “Louis started, but Sophia interrupted.

“He accepts.” Sophia spoke out calmly, making Louis jerk his head towards her.

“The fuck I do!” He yelled, watching her carefully take Paper’s helmet off with the gentlest care.

“You have no choice, Lou. Take his offer,” Sophia looked up at him with the most trustworthy eyes he had probably ever seen. Her cat looked at him with less trust, though her words most certainly almost killed him. “I wouldn’t have spoken up if I didn’t believe you could win. Just like you believe in me.” She finished, her good hand reaching across to slide down his cheek in comfort.

“The gormless slag can stay here, watch the stupid git there. If you win, I leave; I win, you give me the whore and let me have a free hour. Those are clear, yeah?” Steel smirked, sticking his hand out for him to shake.

Louis positioned Paper’s body flat, helping Sophia to sit and cradle his head in her lap.

“Yeah,” Louis growled, grabbing the discarded helmet Sophia had worn and put it on, walking to Steel and shaking his hand. “No more cheating.” He finished in warning.

“Wouldn’t dream of it, lad.” Steel replied smugly.

“Yeah right,” Louis muttered, going to his bike and getting on. “Luv? Make sure to keep him laying down, I’ll let Em and Rory know that he’s been hurt.”

Sophia nodded, her hand absently petting over the younger lad’s brown mop on the top of his head.

“Good luck, Lou.” She murmured in a whisper, seeing him throw her a black object – which happened to be his phone…which was also still vibrating uncontrollably.

“Tell Harry I owe him.” Louis muttered, revving his engine and speeding off. Steel was straight on his tailpipe a tick after, the two aggressively racing down the street to catch up to the other drivers.

“I can’t feel my legs.” Papers moaned, trying to sit up again.

Sophia pushed him back down, quieting him with a soft murmur of false promises, looking at the phone in her good hand, flipping the phone open when it began vibrating again.

“Harry? Please don’t scream!” Sophia panicked, hearing him take a breath to start yelling at Louis. “It’s Sophie, I need your help, we’re in trouble…big trouble.”

The line was deathly silent for a long moment, the other end of the line breathing calmly into the receiver.

“Harry?” Sophia called again, dread feeling her heart.

“Yeah, it’s me.” Harry responded, his tone as dark as the night sky above her and like the darkness, it brought little comfort.

“Did you not hear me? We need help. It’s Steel, he tracked us down and now Louis is racing him, he made Louis a deal, he wins, Louis and I don’t – “Sophia began to explain, but Harry quieted her with a sharp response.

“I know. Damien told me if Louis is spotted out, he and you get transferred to his cabin for an indefinite amount of time. I would start praying very hard right now, Nightshade because God fucking help you both.” Harry finished.

Sophia heard Liam trying to calm their leader, but from the way his deep voice only got direr, it was clear he couldn’t be consoled.

“Will you meet me on Katherine Street? Your new car shouldn’t be very far. We didn’t mean for yours to get compacted and Papers, do you know him? Alex Papers? Steel tried to tank our bike, but Papers ended up getting his wheel into the manhole and flipping himself over the motorcycle and now he says he can’t move his legs.” Sophia panicked, watching as Adams and Allens zoomed past. They were both racing a close second to first, each bypassing one another.

Sophia saw Louis and Steel hot on their heels, Louis leading a slight lead by a meter, he seemed determined as the speed they were going at was in the triple digits.

Nothing traveled out of the phone and Sophia became frustrated at the one they call a leader, because to have him not screaming was more frightening than when he was.

“Are you going to help us or not, Harry? I need to know, because if not I’ll figure it out myself. I shouldn’t have expected anything from y –“ Sophia’s rant was cut short.

“I’ll be there in an hour; we were traveling from the Playhouse to London anyhow. In the meantime, dispatch for an ambulance after the race concludes and get as far away from there as you both can. I have an address for you and Louis to go to, I will also be going to that address. I texted it to Louis, though, he should know how to get there already.” An undertone of sadism passed by Harry’s tone as quick as a flash that it went completely unnoticed by Sophia.

“Thank you, Harry.” Sophia murmured, hearing him chuckle.

“Nightshade? The order still stands, nothing has changed and believe me, when I next see you, you will have wished you had left with Andros.” Harry promised.

“I know you will, sir. Believe me, I know and strangely? I’m alright with that, because after all – pain is what reminds us that we’re alive and I get reminded of it frequently nowadays it would seem,” Sophia chuckled without a hint of humor to the action, continuing to speak. “My reason for staying still remains the same and I hope someday I get to again see a glimpse of the bloke I saw when we were held hostage – even if only for a split moment.”

Her ears met silence and she assumed he would say nothing more, so she finished up on her short speech.

“I guess this is goodbye for now, sir. I will see you in a few, yeah?”

Nothing more came out of the phone, so she closed it and sighed, putting it into the pocket of her trench coat to keep safe for Louis.

“It hurts.” Papers moaned, shifting his body to try and see if there was anything broken.

“Enough of that now, hm? We need to wait for Louis and then I will call an ambulance, Emily should be here before that though.” Sophia calmed him, her fingers idly sweeping through his mop-top.

“You’s lucky, you know that right?” Papers grunted out, gritting his teeth against the throbbing pain on his chest. He took his hand to lift his shirt up, seeing his whole front scrapped bloody raw. “Bloody fuck.”

“I don’t know about lucky, mucky-pup. Give me a list of all the things that are good in this situation,” Sophia teased lightly, her fingers collecting a little bit of oil from the unwashed boy. “You need to shower, lad. No offense to you, but you smell like feet that have been dipped in rotting fish.”

Papers managed a small smile.

“Hard to shower in London when homeless, miss. We can’t all be high corporate CEO children’s.” Paper responded, struggling to relax his tense muscles from when he did a flip off his bike.

Sophia nodded in understanding.

“Fair enough. What’s your story?” She asked, trying to distract him from his worries as she could see them spinning through his head.

“Sister was an underdog. She worked for the underground sectors and raced, I lost her when I was nine, but we were abandoned by mum when I was six. My sister was nine years older, she died when she was eighteen in a street race between her and another motorcycle rider. I took over after her death; Louis helped me by introducing me to Harry and Harry gave me a chance as his drug runner. Em and I work a lot, I get the drugs and bring them to her, she delivers them, though I sometimes do too,” Papers explained, his brown eyes looking up to the night full of stars. “The stars are pretty dull tonight, wonder what got them so down.” He wondered aloud as an afterthought.

“I don’t know, maybe they see things happening down here and it makes them sad?” Sophia said, her eyes also glancing up to the nothingness above them.

“Maybe. I reach up sometimes and try to touch them, but I can never catch one. My sister used to tell me when I was little to reach out and touch the stars and all my dreams would come true,” He paused, hearing the motorcycles drawing near, turning his head to see Louis and Steel neck to neck, the other two riders falling a couple meters behind. “The only thing I ever wished to come true was a family and I got one, Emily and Aurora and Eleanor, they help me a lot, but they gots their own problems. Emily’s parents kicked her out and Aurora is barely handling herself and Eleanor – well, Matt’s a Herbert. Completely dull and doesn’t see the good she does around here.”

Sophia frowned, remaining silent – because what could you say to that other than ‘I’m sorry’ and those words seemed heartless in this situation.

“You are lucky, at leasts in the ways that you are still here. Harry is ruthless and he hasn’t any qualms about proving that. Like I said, you must be special; especially since Louis pays such detail to you.” Papers insisted, his deep brown eyes glued upward.

“Harry isn’t so bad, once you get to know him. Unfortunately, I do have a feeling when he comes to meet us tonight; there will be some retribution. I’m used to it though.” Sophia shrugged, not exactly afraid of the pain, but the waiting was what was causing her anxiety to spike.

Papers snorted, groaning a second after and holding his chest.

“Stay still and just look upward, everything is within reach if you can just see it.” Sophia smiled, heeding her own advice and looking up to the only available light to them other than the burning out street light.

“Your outlook remains remarkably unscathed; considering you just gave permission for that big bloke to take you for an hour if Lou loses – I hope you know what you’re doing.” Papers warned, glancing into the hue of her blue eyes, concern written in his expression, just as it had earlier.

“I don’t. I just got to have faith and if Louis does lose, I have a backup plan.” Sophia replied unbothered.

It was actually unnerving, because normally she’d be waiting for the worse possible outcome. Now? It was expect the worst and hope for the best.

“By kicking him in the balls again? Don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re hot and lethal – so if Harry doesn’t want you, can I keep you?” Papers smirked, chuckling a little to try and relieve the slight awkwardness that had settled around them.

Sophia found herself enjoying the mucky-pups company and laughed softly with him, counting the times the racers went by.

“I think they’re on their final lap, mate. I need to call you an ambulance and scram. Louis will deal with Steel and I’ll meet at the spot I was told to.”

Papers blinked slowly.

“Well, that’s very anticlimactic. You tell him you believe in him and then you go and bail o –“ He paused, seeing Steel pass by and Louis behind a few good feet from him, zooming down the road to try and catch up – his bike looking dented from apparently having tanked. “Okay, I see your point. I’ll tell him where you went.”

Sophia nodded, taking the phone out and putting it into Paper’s hands.

“You’re going to be alright, mucky-pup. I’ll come visit more if I can,” Sophia promised, taking one of his hands and holding it for a moment. “Just keep reaching for those stars and if you can’t reach them, watch for a falling one. I heard they bring you better luck.” Sophia winked, gently helping to position him flatly on the neglected road.

“I think I can feel my legs again.” Papers said, opening the cellphone to dial 999.

“When Louis shows up, tell him to go to the address Harry texted him, it’s not too far from here. It’s actually only a kilometer and a half down the road. Tell him to grab Asher’s car as that’s where Harry is picking us up instead of the hill tonight.”

“Alright, miss. I’ll tells him.” Papers promised, hearing the operator pick up. “Hi, I need to dispatch an ambulance to the corner of Elizabeth – I think, if not, I’m at the corner of Katherine – no, I wasn’t giving it much thought to look at the street signs as my motorcycle was tipping over.” Papers rolled his eyes.

Sophia didn’t leave, wanting to make sure they were dispatching emergency and not leaving him to die.

“No I wasn’t attacked, listen – I tanked my motorbike, would you please just dispatch emergency?” Papers pleaded, his hand tightening around the phone. “Lady? I told you my location. If you want more specifics, I’m the bloody fifteen-year-old laying in the middle of the street like a gonk. You can’t miss me and neither will the traffic if you DON’T DISPATCH EMERGENCY!”

Sophia raised her eyebrow, not leaving him as she wanted to make sure he was safe, though she would have to go soon if she didn’t want Steel taking her up against a car and having a roll in the hay.

“What is a homeless fifteen-year-old yob doing out passed curfew? Hm, lemmie see, I was racing my bike; it flipped and I flipped over it. It was followed up by me groaning and swearing. I don’t answer to your laws, woman. I am an underdog and will do whatever the hell I please. Now, you can dispatch emergency or I can talk to your manager, which will delay me in getting the help I need since I CLEARLY JUST HAD AN ACCIDENT AND CAN’T FEEL MY LEGS!” Papers exploded.

Sophia could definitely see a bit of Harry in him.

“Thank you! I’ll be waiting, just tell them not to run me over.” Papers muttered, hanging the phone up, seeing Louis and Emily running down the street in a frantic hurry, no bike in sight.

“We need to go!” Louis hollered, stopping beside Sophia and grabbing her hand.

“Your phone!” Papers shouted, tossing it to the second in command as both Louis and Sophia took off running in a hurry.

“What’s going on?!” Sophia panicked, hearing sirens start to sound.

“Cameras, we been spotted. I also hit Steel full force in the side – he didn’t get up, I won.” Louis summarized.

“Harry told me there’s an address in a text he sent, told me you’d know it and said that he will meet us there. We need to get the car though.” Sophia panted, barely able to keep up with his strides.

“We are, but first we need to get the fuck as far away from here as we can. The bloody pigs are not like Mr. McMichaelson. They will arrest us and I think I’m driving the poor bloke to an early grave anyhow.” Louis said, leading Sophia through more alleyways.

“What did you do with the earnings?” Sophia asked, her lungs burning for adequate air.

“Gave it to Rory and Em. I never take earnings from the Underground, bad karma.” Louis replied, ducking out of the alleyway and rushing across the street and in between another.

Sophia tried to nod, but her head felt like a bobble head the way Louis was pulling her along without a break, the sirens growing direr.

*

A Few Hours Previous:

Zayn’s first stop was the local street dealer – one Harry knew quite well in the neighborhood of London and often times purchased guns per Damien’s request.

To put it simply; Potatoes hated Damien and wasn’t too fond of Harry either. Mostly because every time Harry visited him, one of them always ended up pointing a pistol at the other over an unjust transaction. Potatoes would say the offer was too low and Harry would in no certain terms tell him too bad and to suck his dick.

Needless to say, Harry was not one of Potato’s favorite ingredients in the stew to be mixed up with and if he went a day without seeing one of the gang boys it would be considered a vacation in Bali; warm, sunny and welcoming. So when Zayn showed up, his vacation in Bali was all but ruined in a tsunami.

“Hey Potatoes, I need a gun.” Zayn waved, stepping into his ‘junk’ shop.

Potatoes was out of his chair behind the desk in a flash, a revolver cocking off safety and pointing straight at Zayn.

“Malik! I taught I told ye an’ yur’ bossling to stay ‘way! Be gone from me shop!” Potatoes boomed, walking forward a step, Zayn raising his hands in surrender.

“Easy Taters, I’m here to make a transaction for a gun – with ammunition this time preferably.” Zayn drawled in boredom and took a cautious step towards the irate Irishman.

“I dun care if ye were coming ‘ere for a quick fuck with me parrot, yur treaden’ dangerous territory, lad.” Potatoes warned, also taking a step forward.

Malik looked around the useless junk shop and saw an old rusty knife on one of the upper shelves by where he was at, a potato peeler laid beside it ironically enough.

As much as he didn’t want to hurt Potatoes, he was about to get peeled if he didn’t quit threatening him with that gun.

“Louis is more into the bird thing, mate. I just came here for a gun and would appreciate it if you stopped pointing that piece at me, because if you don’t comply within the next five seconds I’m afraid you’re going to regret it and I have already had the worst luck today by far – so how about it? You put the gun down and I won’t have to hurt you.” Zayn compromised calmly.

“Ye’ can suck me spuds off ye little fooker! I ain’t gunna be doin’ nothin’ to help that clodhopper!” Potatoes glowered, his finger pressing on the trigger ever so slightly.

“Harry is by far the least clumsy person in the gang – being the leader and all. Geez, mate; just because you’re sore at Harry doesn’t mean you need to get sharty at me. I’m just the messenger slave and right now? Harry is on his way here to London and if you don’t give me a gun, he will come in and I don’t think your shop needs anymore damage done to it. So, what do you say?” Zayn reasoned as a last attempt to salvage a peaceful transaction.

“I sey ye can blow me, that’s wha’ I sey.” Potatoes replied, making Zayn sigh.

“Knife or peeler, mate? I gave ya fair enough warning.” Zayn responded.

“Nu, out of me shop ye desert a – “Potatoes couldn’t even finish his sentence before a potato peeler was grabbed and thrown at him – hitting into the center of his chest with accuracy.

“BLOODY FOOK! FOOKEN HELL, ARSE HAT ARESHOLE!” Potatoes screamed, the gun slipping from his hand to grab the offending object.

“I warned you, Tate. Now, can we talk or will his buddy rusty chap follow his example? I got no qualms about killing you, but Harry would be displeased as you’re the only gun arms around here. Let’s talk peace and have a drink, aye?”

“FOOK YOU! ‘Arry can kiss me arse!” Potatoes growled, pulling the potato peeler from his chest and throwing it away from him with a yell, blood beginning to seep through his green shirt.

“Harry is a good ass-kisser, if it’s his own. Anyhow, I REALLY need a gun and I don’t have time to piss around, so how about it? You give me the boom stick and I walk out of here nice and casual.” Zayn smiled insincerity, a clear tone of danger underlining it.

“Get fooked!”

Zayn shrugged and the rusty knife was picked up and thrown into his shoulder.

“Now, I have a few nails in my sights if you feel – “Zayn started, the older man screaming while yanking the small knife from his shoulder.

“NU! Nu, I’ll give ye a gun. Please, nu more!” Potatoes pleaded, crimson tears falling from his wounds.

Zayn nodded.

“Very well. So, how about that drink? It’s the least you could offer me – “Zayn was already catching the beer that had been laying unopened on the table.

“First me guns and now me drink? Yer a cruel bastard, Malik.” Potatoes moaned, sitting down on his chair, gun forgotten on the floor where it dropped.

“Not cruel, I just hate confrontation most days, but you make it a little more challenging and I love a decent challenge and I’m sure Harry won’t mind finding a new arms dealer, given that you’re so unhappy with our company?” Zayn chuckled.

“Tha’ be gud.” Potatoes nodded in agreement to never having to see any of these men again.

Malik copied his notion.

“Alright, so it’s settled? This one last transaction and then you never see any of us again, sound good?” Zayn compromised.

“Yeh, gud. Sounds gud, lad.” Potatoes agreed, standing unsteadily from his chair and bending with his good arm to pick up a duffel bag. “’munition’s in thar’, guns, a mine, a bazooka – keep that ‘way from Tomlinson, he nuh ‘ery gud with em and one grenade to use as ye wish. Thar, all me lot for tah month, now never set foot in me shop again.” The balding middle aged man told Zayn with fact and finality, remembering how the older boy almost blew his shop up one time, because he didn’t know that the ‘big gun’ In question was actually a bazooka.

“Very good, thank you Tater, now, before I leave – I’m going to need to use your phone, you don’t mind, do you?” Zayn asked, taking a swig out of the warm beer and throwing it against the wall with force.

“A’coarse I mind! OUT!” Potatoes yelled in exasperation, losing blood as fast as it was pumping through him due to the spike in blood pressure.

Zayn shrugged and set the bag down, picking a gun and a few bullets of ammunition with it.

“Shame.” He said while loading the gun and clicking it off safety.

“Unseconds thought, ye can use tah’ phone.” Potatoes nodded, throwing him his cellphone to use.

Zayn caught it and pocketed the gun, keeping his eyes trained on the old Irishman while he dialed Harry’s number.

Harry answered after the second ring, sounding out of breath and Liam in the background telling him to keep still.

“Harry? I got an address for Calder, I stopped at Tater’s shop and got a gun, want the address? We can meet there instead. Sal gave it to me, said her boyfriend Matt lives there, but unclear about Calder other than he is set to pop the question.” Zayn reported, his stare deadest in front of him to make sure Potatoes stayed still – he did not trust the Irish as far as he could kick them and that was exception of Niall.

“Yeah, text it to me. I take it you’re using Tatoes’s phone?” Harry asked, growling a swear at Liam over something he was attempting to do.

“Okay, one moment.” Zayn said, pulling the device from his ear and clicking over the screen in a hurry, putting it back to his ear.

“Sent,” Zayn said, before addressing Potatoes. “I wouldn’t, mate. I really wouldn’t.” Zayn finished the warning when he caught movement from his eyes and saw Potatoes with a smaller revolver.

Zayn corked an eyebrow, pretty unconcerned with the danger.

“Harry? Potatoes here isn’t being cooperative right now. He has a gun pointed at me…again,” He tattled, setting it on speaker. “Go on and tell Harry what you told me, I’m sure he’ll be more than understanding.

“Kiss me arse you bossling savage munstar of a human ‘eing! Go ta Hell ye blight’in piece a’ road kill!” Potatoes ranted, gritting his teeth.

“His face is pretty pissed red Harry, but I think that gun he’s pointing is just for show.” Zayn antagonized, knowing Potatoes would just as shoot him without hesitation IF there was ammunition in there to be used.

“Does yours?” Harry asked calmly, his voice an undertone of danger laced with the question.

“It does, loaded the slugs in myself.” Zayn replied with a smirk, eyes aglow of what he knew what was to come next.

“Well, are you sure you’re ready to make that step? Can you live with the consequences – having never done it before?” Harry questioned him, the tone manipulated to foreign a voice of slight concern; but both Harry and Zayn knew the query itself was empty and sarcastic.

“I don’t feel anything right now, could be the fact I just lost my girlfriend OR the alcohol – maybe both, but let me just clarify with Potatoes here.” Zayn smirked, pulling his gun back out and shooting the man square in the heart.

The gun went off with a loud bang, the jerking of the older man’s body was violent as the force of the bullet caused him to hit the back wall with force, his body a useless corpse before it even hit the ground.

“I see loss can do a world of things to a person with an already broken heart. Congrats, Malik. You’ll finally be able to convince Damien of your usefulness. I’ll see you at the address in a few hours, we’ll be leaving here I a few – I’m just getting stitched up.” Harry said, though the strength in his words were gone.

Zayn nodded, kneeling to put his gun in the waistband of his jeans and pull out the grenade from the duffel bag.

“Alright.” Zayn responded, zipping it up then and hoisting it over his shoulder. He didn’t feel the least but bad and Potatoes had become uncooperative for a while now and having a defiant employee just wouldn’t do for good business.

“Grab some stuff to contain any persons you run across in the house, I’ll be there shortly.” Harry promised, the phone going dead a moment later.

Zayn looked around and found a few spools of wire nearby, grabbing them and taking the pin from the lid.

“Later Taters.” Zayn waved once, throwing the grenade inside and running out the door.

He got across the street and into an alleyway before the deafening explosion sounded in the deserted neighborhood the shop had been located in, effectively disposing of any potential witnesses and a few homeless that had a habit of lingering about.

Zayn didn’t turn back, but his heart hammered like a jackhammer as he slipped through the alleyways like a dark and silent shadow, his adrenaline feeling the exhilarated rush of what he had just done. He didn’t feel remorse or sadness. He felt…alive.

With speed equivalent to Superman, he found the house he had been looking for and like at the lodge, he got in quietly and undetected by the home’s occupants. Just as he had with many others before, but he knew this one was different; he felt it in his gut.

“Time to get down to business.” Zayn murmured quietly to himself, starting in the back of the house where the bedrooms were. After all, it was late and that’s where most people would be around at that time.

As he made his way down the short hall, three doors greeted him. It was a small home, no more than a one bedroom, one closet and bathroom sort of setup with a small kitchen area and living room. It was of course smaller than the cabin, but a lot homelier.

When he saw the bedroom open he saw a still figure on the king sized bed, asleep like a rock and unaware of Zayn – well, that is until the slightly younger bloke pounced on him, not giving him a chance to defend himself while he rained down blow after blow until he was able to fully restrain him, luckily Eleanor had not returned yet.

*

Present hour:

Zayn tapped the gun calmly against the sofa he was sitting on, glacing calmly at his victim, their hunched figure sitting directly in front of him on the loveseat, arms restricted behind him with thick wire and mouth taped shut with duct tape Zayn had found in one of the drawers.

The guy, Matt, had dried blood on his chin, a clear split in his eyebrow and a very noticible broken nose. Zayn didn’t care where he punched, he knew he had to subdue the man as Harry had ordered and if a little violence was needed…well, who was Zayn to protest? It wasn’t as if anything mattered anymore. He felt empty and if hurting people fueled his energy, it was arguably better than the blank numbness that paralyzed his soul.

“Sorry about your nose, mate. Might have gone a bit overboard with that. Anyhow, do you live alone?” Zayn asked, watching the man nod his head slightly, fear clearly shining in his orbs as he answered, which meant he was lying and Zayn knew it. So he decided to have some fun with it.

“No girlfriend?” Zayn smirked, leaning forward to place his arms on his knees, the gun lazily held in his right hand unthreateningly.

He shook his head, following it up with a muffled ‘no’.

Zayn nodded, reaching over and tearing the gag from his mouth, considering it had been on there a few hours.

Matt let out an agonizing yeow, wiping his face on the bridge of his shoulder to try and sooth it.

“Who are you? What do you want from me?!” Matt demanded, swallowing hard when Zayn simply leaned in closer.

“So no girlfriend? How about boyfriend or are you going with the unisex excuse because your balls are in a jar on someone’s bedside table?” Zayn continued to prod, completely ignoring his victim’s questions.

“WHO ARE YOU!?” Matt demanded, flinching with the sharp cut of the wires sliced a little further into his wrists, his ankles not fairing much better.

“Does the name Harry Styles ring any bells? Damien Styles perhaps?” Zayn hinted with a long smile, continuing to exchange pretend pleasantries like they were everyday pals having a normal conversation.

“Yes, Eleanor has mentioned them in passing. Emily and Aurora do business with Louis, that’s all she tells me. I don’t fucking know what goes on in the undergrounds and even less so about your mangy mutt underdogs. I know about as much as the races, Eleanor is very closed about what she’s involved in. SO if you’re looking for information, mate; I can’t tell you shit!” Matt yelled and Zayn’s eyes glistened with happiness when he realized his mistake, calling his girl out by complete accident.

“So there is a girl! Mate? Your girlfriend to put it simply; is a whore. She dated Louis and then when he disappeared and broke her heart, she evidently found another sap to make them fall. Unfortunately, your bird knows too much about Louis and what’s going on for us to let her live. Now that you know? Well, Harry will decide your fates, that really isn’t up to me.” Zayn finished with a shrug, enjoying the panic that came across the slightly older bloke’s face.

“I can pay you gents off, disappear with her and move bac – “Zayn forced the tape back over Matt’s lips with a soft, patronizing shush before the man could finish.

“You’re pleading is giving me a headache and It’s not about money, mate. It’s about witnesses and we never leave them alive. Even if they aren’t a witness, the information alone could be spilled, enemies can use it against us – so we tie up all lose ends and your girl and you seem to be the only strands remaining of today.” Zayn explained, sitting back and simply watch the man try to escape from the thick wiring keeping him tied up.

It was at least another half hour later when the door opened unexpectedly, revealing Eleanor running in and slamming the door behind her, unaware of the men a few feet away – until Matt’s muffled yells tried to warn her to run – unfortunately, Zayn was quicker.

*

Present time:

“Lou, slow down.” Sophia pleaded, feeling unnerved as they ran three red lights, two stop signs and nearly ran over a drunk that wasn’t watching where they were going.

“Harry gave me Eleanor’s address, I haven’t bloody seen her since the race and with all this shit happening – it’s gotten all fucked up.” Louis muttered, slamming on the brakes of Asher’s stolen again car when he saw a police officer crossing the street and heading in the same direction the races had been. “I hope Emily and Aurora got out safe, when I rammed Steel, the police sirens were sounding, so my guess is we tripped the cameras on Katherine Street.” Louis rambled to explain, ripping through the intersection when he was sure the officer had passed.

“Do you think – “Sophia started, getting a bad feeling in her stomach.

“Do I think Harry is a little pissed? Yep. Do I think he’s going to hit full on wicked witch of the West mode? Oh abso-fucking-lutely. Do I think he’s capable of hurting an innocent? That Harry I don’t know and I sure as fuck don’t want to meet him” Louis continued with his ranting, forcing the Lamborghinis wheel to the left and slamming on the brakes in front of Eleanor’s small house, the next set of neighbors a little way from theirs to provide some much needed privacy.

He also noticed Harry’s car parked outside along the street.

“Soph? Whatever happens, just do as Harry asks. I find it gives me a little more moving room if I don’t fight and if he’s in a bad mood as I predict he will be – it might do you some good to say little as possible and play dead. With any luck, he’ll sniff you and walk away.” Louis muttered, flipping the door upward and climbing out, leaning back in to guide Sophia out of the driver’s side.

Sophia took his hand with a gentle appreciation of thanks, walking with Louis as he went up the door and knocked.

Sophia furrowed her eyebrow, wondering why Louis would do that, but when the door opened calmly, it was Harry; half his face hidden in shadow, the other half catching the glow of the lamp post outside that was still lit.

“I was wondering when you two would get here, you’re about a half hour late,” Harry muttered, opening the door to reveal a dark and empty house, both Louis and Sophia did not get a good feeling at all about this situation. “Come in.” He finished with command, making Sophia the first to pass through the door.

When she did, Harry slid his arms across her chest, pulling her forcefully to him, trapping her back to his strong chest.

Louis was quick to try and intervine, going on instinct of continually trying to protect her from blatant danger, and Harry’s eyes were way to calm when he answered, but Liam and Niall came from behind the door and took Louis down to the floor, restraining his arms behind his back and keeping him down.

“Take his coat off, remove his weapons and get him tied up. I’ll deal with Nightshade.” Harry growled, forcing Sophia around, his large hands roughly beginning to unbutton the trench coat from her small body.

Sophia’s mind went into panic mode and the voice within her wasn’t fast enough to warn her not to do it before she had done it and that was forcing her hand against Harry’s balls, grabbing and twisting them harshly.

Needless to say, Louis wasn’t the only one who could yell like a girl – although even Harry managed to keep his voice somewhat deep, even with the sheer volume that arose from his throat.

The good news is Harry fell to his knees in agony, the bad news was, Sophia’s mind went back into survival mode, which made her slam her foot upward without any thought at all to finish adding insult to injury.

Niall’s mouth dropped open and Liam flinched, Harry’s mouth was open, screaming silently.

Sophia’s hands closed across her jacket protectively, eyes wide in fear and breath coming out in short gasps.

Louis’s face was too busy being forced into the carpet to see what was going on, but he knew enough just basing it off Harry’s pained exclamation.

“Harry? Are you okay?!” Niall asked, his eyes catching a dark shadow moving across the room in a flash, harshly restraining the panicked girl.

“I’ll handle her, just follow your orders and get Tomlinson tied up, the wire is on the table, I’ll deal with the cow here.” Zayn barked gruffly, dragging Sophia from the group and over to the table, his hands working quickly to forcefully rip the coat from her body and grabbing the wire, throwing her onto the loveseat and advancing, her screams echoing through the air at the pain that erupted through her body and the distant echoes of the other three lads that protested the treatment, Liam’s seemed to be the loudest of them all, but Sophia didn’t have much time to focus before her world grew dark and like before, she welcomed it with open arms.

Unfortunately, Louis wasn’t as lucky.

Notes