shift

fifteen

ANONYMOUS POV

The blood red sunset burned within the clouds, the day was coming to an end but for me the day was just beginning. After long hours of searching and talking to numerous people I had finally found Calum's location.

Calum did indeed work for a car dealership, I waited across the street for a little over and hour. Waiting for his shift to be over, I had to talk to him. I wasn't about to give up everything I had worked for now.

Peering out the car window I saw Calum leave the clear glass building that held only a handful of workers. He was dressed in a white button down with black slacks and a black belt to accompany it. His tanned skin and jet black hair contrasting with the pure white button down, I half expected him to look differently. Not so put together like he gave off.

Sprinting out of my car I shouted out his name. Seeing him stop on his path to his car I called out his name again, watching him turn to face my direction.

"Can I help you?" Calum's eyebrows were furrowed on me in confusion.

"Actually you can." I responded just a few inches away from him.

"Who are you?" Calum followed up with a predictable question.

"That's not important, all you need to know is that you need my help as much as I need yours." I hid my identity still not wanting to reveal myself to him quiet yet. Thinking about it my real name would mean nothing to him, he didn't know me but a haunting fear was still present. Now was not the time to give up my identity.

"I will decide what is important and unimportant. Who are you and what do you want?" Calum demanded from me the information I was unwilling to give out. I didn't see how a name would matter much to him but if it was a name he wanted then it was a name he would get.

"It's Alex, are you satisfied?" I asked annoyed that he was so persistent on a damn name of all things.

"No, what do you mean I need your help as much as you need mine?" He continued to pick apart my motives and map out what was actually happening. He had the right to know all of this but we didn't have much time, it was only a matter of time before Zayn found me.

"I know this is out of the blue but I need your help in taking Zayn down. You're the only hope in proving Zayn planned and executed Ashton Irwin." I began to explain the basics of what I needed from him. I read his features like a book, I knew he was hesitant to all of this.

"No. I'm sorry I can't help you, Zayn told me I couldn't speak a word. If I do he will come after me." Calum shook his head beginning to continue his path to his car. Following next to him I quickened my speech to convey as much information as possible. I wasn't going to leave Reno without Calum, one way or another Calum would come with me.

"I have Zayn taken care of, trust me I'm in more danger then you are. If you confess to the police Zayn will be put away for a very long time." I kept my walking pace the same as Calum although he was beginning to walk quicker with each step.

"Guess who else will go to jail for a very long time? Me! I'm the one that killed him!" Calum stopped mid walk and made a stone hard glare at me. His dark chocolate eyes full of intensity that was evident in his stare and body language.

"Not if Zayn threatened your life. If Zayn threatened you to kill Ashton, you can't go to jail. You were trying to protect yourself, you were held against your will to kill him." I brought up a key pint that made Calum think for a moment or two. He sat in thought evaluating what I had just said a few times before I spoke once again.

"Zayn has ruined so many lives, this could help so many others in the future Calum." I searched his features to find fear and anxiety scribbled all over them. I could see the fear in his eyes, he didn't want Zayn to attack him for what was right. He didn't want to end up like Ashton had.

"What does me confessing do for you?" Calum arched a brow wanting to know the motives behind the scheme.

"I owe someone, this would be the start of giving back to them." I shook my head thinking of Harry. I had done so many wrongs in my life I had forgotten what was ever right. I was tired of living my life the way I had been living, I needed to change, to start over. This was the first step to all of that.

"Why do you owe them?" Calum folded his arms across his chest causing his biceps to contract.

"It doesn't matter-" I was cut off by him upon the sentence I was unable to finish.

"You need me, I will decide what is important and unimportant. Give me a good enough explanation and I'll think harder about confessing." Calum was smart. He saw that he could take control of how this all went so he used that to his advantage.

"Look, have you heard of Harry Styles?" I huffed crossing my arms across my chest, annoyed that Calum found the control in all of this.

"He sounds familiar." Calum responded with a concentrated expression pasted on his face.

The sun played part in the heat rising to my cheeks. I suddenly felt uncomfortably hot under Calum's inspection and the blood red sun that radiated on my skin. The outside parking lot was completely empty besides the two of us standing in the thick hot air of Nevada.

"Long story short, he was a talented racer that beat Zayn at his own game and Zayn obviously didn't like that. He then went on to abduct his daughter and drug his girlfriend. They both landed jail time for the illegal activity of racing and Zayn also landed time for child abduction. As you can guess Zayn was bailed out and took custody of Harry's daughter. The only way we can get her back is if Zayn is convicted of murder, that's where I need you to come in." I did my best to summarize the long complicated story, making sure to spare the small details of it all.

Waiting for a response I saw Calum's demeanor change completely after the mention of Harry's daughter. Looking into the sun I took in a breath hoping Calum would consider his option to confess and not only help Harry but himself. Calum wouldn't need to live in fear anymore, there would be no one holding a knife to his throat for his silence.

"How old is the daughter?" Calum finally spoke after nervously biting his lip.

"She's three." I answered his question hoping that her age alone would sway his decision.

"God!" He shook his head cursing a few more times. He knew who Zayn was and the fact that he could make a choice to change everything made him feel unimaginable pressure.

"You won't have to run anymore. You can be free." I used words that sounded relaxing and that of not intense stress and pressure. I had to persuade him to confess, it was the only hope we had to put Zayn away.

"I need to think about this." He paced slowly to his car once again that sat alone in the open parking lot.

"Well think quicker because we don't have much time. Zayn's men are looking for me, we are low on the time factor." I reminded him to indulging with details of why Zayn was on my tail. I knew these questions were to come however, if Calum ruled this factor as important I had no choice but to tell him.