Gone (n.h.)

s i x

Two weeks had passed and there was no sign of Niall. Crying myself to sleep was the only way to fall asleep. Otherwise, I stay up and chase this case of who kidnapped Niall.

Simon and Modest wanted a meeting with me and the boys. We awaited at a big round table for the team to show up and the boys sat on either side of me. Zayn and Liam on my left and Louis and Harry on my right. They were of comfort to me the past two weeks never leaving my side.

Voice came from the outside of the meeting room soon men and women piled in with suit and pen skirts. The head of the team, Mr. Whiteson, he was near bald from the top of his head a gruff beard and dark eyes. "Hello, Rose, how are we doing?"

"On the rocks." I answer coldly and see Simon enter with his brown eyes exhausted.

"All right, now that we are here. We should tell you the search for Niall is being downscaled." Mr. Whiteson says clearing his voice at the end. My heart tightens and tears began to surface in my eyes. Downscaled? They've already classified a man dead and now they await a body. That is what is being said.

"What?" Louis is the first to speak out, and looks at me his blue eyes raging flicking back to the man. "Downscaled? As they have given up?"

"They will still look for him just it's not at the top of the polices list." A women says next to him in a tight up-do.

"And what will become of the band? There is no One Direction without Niall." Liam speaks up.

A man looks over some paper work, whilst someone cleared their throat. "You will continue to tour and sing his solos." Simon says, he was tired looking and at the same time trying to figure out where was Niall.

"I will not sing without Niall." Louis clenches his fingers in a ball.

"You will have (italic) to, Mr. Tomlinson. You have a contract... You all have contacts to sing no matter what. If one is sick, one will sing for that one. One is gone, sing..." Mr. Whiteson clarifies.

"Do you not have DECENCY? Our mate- our best mate is missing and you are telling us to sing as if he were sick?" Liam yells his veins clear on his forehead.

"We aren't-"

"You think he is dead." I say numbly and look to meet Mr. Whiteson eyes. "Don't you?"

"We think he is somewhere if you want we can hire someone to replace Niall." A women responds avoiding eye contact as I snap my head to her.

"A replacement?" Louis echoes at the same time as Harry.

"Just till we can find Niall-"

"Or till you can ride it out so long that they forget." I say bitterly. "Tell me," I crane my neck slightly to the women who was answering more for Whiteson. "You have a person already picked out for Niall, right?"

There was silence and you could hear multiple throats swallow. "You do!" Zayn says clear disgust in his voice. "Do you have replacements for all of us!"

"You weren't even going to tell us were you? Sneak the whole 'we can hire a replacement' to already have one!" Louis stands up and storms out. "I'm done!"

The up-do women follows him and leaves behind her notes. "Are we done here?" I say and look at Whiteson royally pissed.

"Yes, Rose," Whiteson leave the room speaking with Simon as they leave. I look down angrily at my hands picking at my nails.

"Rose." Zayn a voices is soft and gentle. "You okay?"

"They think Niall is dead." I whisper and wet, hot tears spill down my face.