Alex’s POV

I pace around the room looking down at Ally laying there covered with my jacket, the rest of her clothes chucked around the room. I need to clear my head. I don’t know what’s wrong with me! Dammit. I went there with the intention to shoot her in the head, now I don’t know what’s happening! I said I believed her, but I don’t know. Why would Des lie to me? He has no reason, I’ve been his right hand man for years; his Number One. Alyssa would lie to save her life, I know that cos I would. But why am I thinking about this right now? Last night, I tried to shoot her, then she promised she didn’t do it and I assume that all my emotions just went haywire cos we ended up having a steamy night…

“Morning, Alex!” She smiles at me, and I stop pacing to look at her.

“You alright?” I say bluntly.

“Yeah! What’s wrong?” She says, she obviously noticed me pacing.

“Just thinking… The whole thing with my dad has blown my mind. Why would Des lie and say it’s you?”

“Why would anyone he hired write on the folder?” She asks straight after my question. It’s a good point actually, I never wrote on anything either!

“I just don’t know what’s going on anymore!” I put my hands on my head in frustration. I walk into the kitchen to collect the folder, now I need to tell her Des has put a hit out on her, and hear struggling and stomping around in the other room as I only assume she’s trying to get ready. Hesitating for a second, I pace into the room and chuck the folder at her feet.

“What’s this?” She says as she picks the folder up. I don’t answer, just wait as she opens the folder and sees a picture of herself as the Victim.

“Des text me… Giving me coordinates. No miles in any direction.” I say, she looks confused.

“Wait… So Des isn’t dead? Despite Colin saying he wanted to kill everyone who had anything to do with this firm? Then Des tells you I killed your dad when I didn’t, and then puts a hit out on me? You’re not thinking this is suspicious?” She says to me, making my head spin.

“I don’t know!” I shout at her. “You could be lying!” Her face drops.

“You said you believed me!”

“I don’t know! Ok? I don’t trust anyone!” I say flinging my arms in the air.

“Alex, you need to think about this. Sit down…” She says to me in a calming voice. I shake my head, yet she shoves me to the floor. “Listen, I promised you then, and I will again now I did not do it. I can remember pretty much every person I’ve killed, and he’s not one of them.” Again my head and heart split views. My heart believes her and wants to forget everything and carry on with what it was like last night; the passion and happiness I felt when I was with her. But my head is confused, who is lying? Her or Des?

“I-I…” I couldn’t think of anything to say…

“Alex, after everything you still think I’d lie to you? After last night especially?”

“No… I just don’t get why Des would lie either. I’m so confused…” I barely knew what was real and what wasn’t. It was as if my brain just upped and left me cos it was too much.

“Alex, I-” She paused as a clattering sound was heard outside the house. “What was that?” She whispered. She crept up to the door and looked through the peephole turning on her heels suddenly. “Grab your gun and run!” She whispered with hysteria in her voice. “Assassins!” I grab the gun I left on the side, but that’s the only one we have! The bag Ally had was lost when we got kidnapped by Colin’s lot.

“Come on!” I said to her just as she was knocked backwards as the door was kicked open. She rolled behind the door so she couldn’t be seen by the two guys holding guns that stormed in, immediately noticing me and starting to shoot at the counter I had hidden behind. I leant round the side of the counter and shot, without aim at the two men. A yelp was heard from one of them. I looked back around and I’d shot one in the leg, he was rolling round holding his leg as I notice Ally creep up towards him, grabbing the gun he was holding it and squeezing the trigger at the guy next to him, sending him hurtling to the floor, the gun firing as he went down. Ally and the guy with the leg injury get into a fight over the gun as I run over and shoot him in the head.

“They’re my guns!” She shouts as she grabs the small handgun he holds and the larger machine gun the guy I shot had. “Colin’s group must have my guns!”

“Don’t worry about that, let’s just get the fuck outta here!” I say, grabbing her by the arm and running into the kitchen to open the back door.

“What about the folders?” She whispers. I search through the drawers in the kitchen and find a box of matches, grab them all and swipe them across the side, setting them all alight, before chucking them in the living room. The room went up as quick as I’ve ever seen! The carpet was up in flames pretty much as soon as I threw the matches down. The flames roared as they spread. I kicked the back door down and we ran out as the flames began to spread into the kitchen.

“Jesus!” I pant as I kick the back gate down and we run into the alleyway at the back of the house, then run round the front and jump into the car we’d stolen.

“Sorry, I don’t remember setting fire to houses being on our agenda!” Alyssa blurts out, crossing her arms.

“Sorry I don’t remember caring about houses with no one inside!” I say, smirking. “You’d rather have died?”

“No of course not! But you’re hardly keeping this under the radar!” I could tell she was really annoyed, but was trying not to show it to me.

“Ally, I’m sorry…”

“It’s alright.” She sighed. “Just try not to get us killed, yeah?” Try not to get us killed? What was that meant to mean? Jesus! Seriously, I just need this sorted. I knew where I had to drive… Putting my foot down we headed towards the flat I’d been to only the day before to see Des. Swerving through the traffic we finally arrive, Ally not saying anything through the whole journey, but I notice the fire brigade at the flats. I run up to one of the policeman standing guard around the ‘Police Line Do Not Cross’ tape.

“Hey mate, what’s happened?”

“We’re not really at liberty to say at this time…” The policeman says, adjusting his stance.

“Mate, my friend lived in flat number 7 on the 3rd floor, I only came here yesterday! Please just tell me if he’s alright?” I say, trying to sound like I care. Suddenly Alyssa runs up next to me.

“Oh God! Is he alright? Is your friend alright?” She says looking at me, teary-eyed.

“I dunno, he won’t say.” I say pointing at the Policeman.

“Oh, I know he was complaining of feeling down and saying his flat was making strange cracking noises, do you remember?” She says looking at me.

“Yeah!” I say going along with it.

“Oh please say he isn’t dead! We came up to tell him the good news!” She says, doing puppy-dog eyes at the policeman while holding her stomach.

“I did hear it was an electrical fault that started the fire… Unfortunately I don’t know much more! Sorry…” He said, seeming politer to her. Women and their girlish charms. He waves a Fireman over. “Hey, their mate was living in a flat on the third floor, number 7 I think? How bad is it up there?” The fireman shook his head.

“The electrical fault started in flat 7, everything’s gone, nothing could be salvaged although you may be lucky, we’ve not found a body so he may have been out!” The fireman smiles at Ally, who grins back.

“Ah thank you so much. I’ll give him a ring, see if he has his phone with him!” She gives a cheeky wink at both the men, who blush slightly.

“Come on then, hun.” I emphasise the ‘hun’ and the guys look away. We walk back to the car. Great! This is great!

“I guess we’re gonna have to find him?” Ally says as she puts her seatbelt on.

“We need answers…” I say as I start the car. This. Means. War.