The Bagman's Direction

Chapter 48

Sparrow was close to escorting us out before there was another dire situation slapping us in the face.

A group of men paraded in and slammed the doors shut behind them. They completely ignored us and pushed in front to align before the President's desk. As they marched, two of the men were dragging two women in by their hair. Their fists were full of blistering ponytails attached to the aching faces of the women. Their mouths were gagged, arms bound in front of them, knees scraped the floor and their mascara ran. They were in pain. They had been caught. They were our friends.

"Found these two killing our men" One of the brute's informed.

They threw Tara and Maria ahead of them, treating them like roadkill. I could hear Tara sobbing as she bowed her head in shame.

This couldn't have been 21st century America, surely we had fallen back to medieval England. For who would treat anyone like this? Who puts women in gags and ropes and beats them around? All I could smell was vinegar.

"These yours?" The President asked Harry.

Harry was bubbling with rage. He had pushed passed the men who all raised their guns at him at his successful attempt but the President gestured for them to calm down. Harry raised his own gun to the President's head.

"Let the girls go" He demanded, clicking back the hammer.

"You're no fun, Styles. You knew what you were signing up for when you walked through that door. Call them prisoners of war"

"Do not touch them again. They come with us or there will be hell to pay" Harry demanded, the rebellious leader and protector in him kicking in again.

"No" The President cockily rejected.

There wasn't one of us there who wouldn't die for the girls but I never imagined one of us would.

"Release them you dirty pig, I swear-"

I wasn't good with gun terms but I could tell you everything about the one that fired. A semi-automatic pistol known as an AMT hard baller. Cartridge was .45 ACP, the bullet in particular that was released was the full metal jacket type. Arcadia Machine & Tool was the company that manufactured the gun. They were set up in Irwindale, California producing guns of stainless steel before they went bankrupt and Galena Industries from South Dakota bought the company. The hardballer had five inches of barrel and it weighed around forty six ounces, it was fed by an eight round magazine. It was the first entirely stainless steel 1911 pattern pistol. It was an impressive piece of machinery. If we focus on the bullet the .45 ACP cartridge had a 230 grain bullet that travelled approximately 830 feet per second. The specific cartridge made for moderate recoil and low muzzle blast and flash.

All of that sounded like nonsense but when I heard the gunshot and experienced what followed after, I knew I'd let research devour me. I wanted to know everything. I had to know for Fetch.

Sarah had tried to refute the despicable treatment of two of her friends by a man who was meant to be made out of protection and in doing so got herself shot. Smoke rose from the barrel of the pistol as stayed held in the air by one of the President's men. Sarah's stomach had been penetrated by the spontaneous bullet and she fell backwards by the sheer blow of it. Down she fell, her knees buckled and her head harshly hit the floor. She clutched at her gaping wound, the blood pouring out of her and staining the carpet. Blood crept inside her mouth, peeking out of the corners and smudging her face. I didn't know if she was dead or alive.

I didn't have time to comprehend what had happened before a reaction spurred inside the other One Direction members. Without hesitation Harry turned around and shot at the man who had shot at Sarah. His bullet was caught right between the piece of filth's eyes and I almost yelled timber as he tumbled over. Revenge was sought but it wasn't enough.