Capture (A Liam AU)

Fifty-Three

"He knew the risks?" Liam questioned.

"When he signed up for this job, yes." Niall answered.

"Job?" Liam snapped angrily. "This wasn't a job, it was a rescue mission."

"I don't like leaving men behind either Liam but I had no choice."

"Yes, you did! You didn't have to leave him behind!" Liam was full on screaming now.

"Hey Payne, you're the one who got us into this mess in the first place!" Niall growled back.

"I wanted to go, but you guys wouldn't let me. If I would've been there then Zayn would still be alive!"

"He was my partner! You think I didn't care about him? Four long years looking after you! Don't act like you were a better friend to him than I was!" Niall shouted. He looked deranged as he shouted with his injuries still fresh and blood literally coming out of his ears.

"Horan." Harry scolded from behind him.

"Four years looking after me? What the fuck does that mean?" Liam spat looking from Harry to Niall and back again.

"Niall." Harry warned again.

"Shut up Harry. He already knows, don't you?" Niall asked of Liam.

"Was any of it truthful?" Liam asked sadly.

"I only lied to you about my job." Niall admitted.

"That's a pretty big lie Niall." Liam argued.

"Zayn too?" Liam asked.

Niall nodded. "Harry is our lead agent."

"For obvious reasons, we couldn't tell you." Harry said matter of factly.

"Are you fucking serious?" I snapped. "Niall I trusted you! And you're not even who you say you are."

"I couldn't tell you I was a secret agent tracking your boyfriend! Besides would you have even believed me?" Niall argued.

"So in the alley, the other day, that wasn't a camera flash was it?" I asked.

"No." he shook his head.

"Unbelievable!" I spoke with clenched teeth.

"Hey, I saved your life!" Niall snapped.

"You almost killed Louis in the process!" I pointed to Louis who sat with Danielle in his arms, his leg still being tended to by Harry.

"It's not my fault he ambushed you in a fucking dark alley."

"Could everyone just take a second to chill out?" Harry piped up. "Yes, Niall, myself and Zayn, God rest his soul, are all Marshals who were assigned to protect Liam after his dad was killed. Now everyone knows, can we all just move on?"

"Like you moved on when Emma dumped you?" Niall grumbled.

"Shut up Niall." Harry and I spoke at the same time.

"No! I've been linked to Liam for four years but in those four years I've become friends with him. You didn't even tell him you were engaged did you? Liam, you think I was the only one who betrayed you? Think again mate."

Liam looked at me, then Harry, then me again. "You were engaged?" he asked me. "To each other?"

"Liam, it was only for a day, half a day even, mere hours." I stumbled trying to explain.

"But you were engaged? Like ring on finger, spend our lives together, fucking have my babies engaged!" he shouted angrily.

"Yes." Harry answered before I could. "She still has my ring in fact. Probably in case you die today."