Chapter three:
It's been five months since Rebecca turned one.
Currently it's only Near, Rebecca and Linda in the house.
Linda dropped by for a visit as Matt is off at work.
They are all in Rebecca's room.
Rebecca is playing with some toys.
Linda is sketching Rebecca.
Near is more or less supervising Rebecca so she doesn't hurt herself as well as joining a little.
A truly peaceful setting.
But then the unexpected happens.
There is a crash of the door being forcibly open comes from downstairs.
Both Near and Linda whip their heads to the door of Rebecca's room.
"Close the door." Near tells Linda as he gets up rushing to the baby monitor to make sure it is off.
Linda abandons her sketch book and hurries to shut the door as quietly as she can.
Near grabs his cell phone from his pocket.
There is footsteps racing up the stairs.
Linda rushes over to Rebecca glad for carpeted flooring. She puts Rebecca in the crib as Mello and Near had been planning to move Rebecca out of a crib soon but right now it's her bed.
Near starts to dial the nine one one number but just before he can hit the call button the door is burst open.
There stands a man in a hood.
Near, in a motherly instinct, drops his phone rushing to protect Rebecca.
Linda quickly looks for anything to defend them with. Her eyes rest on her sketch book as it has a solid cover and she quickly picks it up raising it. "Leave now." She demands in warning to the intruder.
The intruder chuckles and races forward pushing Linda to the side.
Linda manages to hit his shoulder with the sketch book.
The man turns and shoots three times at her.
Linda collapses to the ground not getting back up.
Rebecca starts to cry.
Near gets ready to fight as the intruder turns to him.
"My my what a pretty thing you are." The intruder hums.
"The cops are on their way." Near says. "Leave now."
The intruder chuckles. "Oh I don't think so. I came here for something and I'm not leaving without it."
Near raises his fists showing that he is ready to fight.
The intruder raises the gun and tries to shoot but seems out of bullets or the gun is jammed.
Surprisingly he doesn't seem surprised.
He puts the gun away as Near makes his move to try to take down the intruder.
But then the intruder leaps about to go one way enough to make Near dodge the other way but then spins around and at a fast speed before Near can land to try to dodge again he lunges.
The intruder slams into Near then slices him with a knife then delivers a stab.
Near cries out in pain and falls to the floor on his back.
The intruder grunts then starts moving towards Rebecca.
"No." Near protests weakly and forces his body to move despite both the blackness swarming the edges of his vision as well as the pain. He manages to roll onto his stomach flinching as more pain goes through him and tries to reach for Rebecca as the intruder starts moving a hand towards her.
Next thing he knows is darkness.
…
Mello is driving home on his motorcycle.
It's been a long day and he can't wait to get home to Near and Rebecca.
He pulls up to the house parking his motorcycle then turning to front door. He becomes on slight alert seeing that the outside door is loose and is rocking back and forth in the slight breeze as well as the inside door wide open. He tries to rationalize that Near only took Rebecca outside and maybe didn't close the outside door properly. He heads inside taking off his helmet but freezes when he sees the small table they have kind of by the door to put things like their keys on is tipped over. He drops his helmet and in a worried panic begins rushing around the house. "Near!" He calls through the silent house as he desperately searches. "Near!" He keeps calling the others name over and over. He heads upstairs and heads to Rebecca's room only to freeze at the sight.
Linda's sketch book is laying on the ground with a little blood splatter from Linda who was obviously shot and doesn't appear to be moving.
Near is laying on his stomach by the corner of Rebecca's crib that is not against any wall. He has one arm reaching out in the general direction of in front of the side of the crib that can be seen in the doorway and he has some blood around him too.
Rebecca nowhere to be seen.
"Near!" He rushes to Near sliding to his knees and gently shifts Near to roll over then pulls him into his arms. "Near!" He calls again to his lover as he spots the slash and stab. He shifts one arm letting Near lean against him as he checks for a pulse relaxing when he feels one there. He looks around the room and notices Near's cell probably where he dropped it about to try to call nine one one, to protect Rebecca. He turns back to Near and he carefully shifts Near only to pull off his own work shirt using it to try to stop the bleeding of Near's wounds. "Come on Near. Hang on." He begs. "Please."
After a few minutes he hears a soft noise making him look to Near's face.
Near's head shifts softly.
Mello turns back to pressing the shirt to Near's wounds. "Come on." He mummers to himself.
After a few more minutes Near speaks very softly and weakly.
"Mello?"
Mello turns to Near. "It's ok." He tries to assure Near who can barely open his eyes. "It'll be ok."
"Mello…." Near continues still weakly.
"Save your strength." Mello hushes Near.
"He has Rebecca."
Mello's eyes widen as what he feared has been confirmed. "We'll save her." He tries to comfort Near. "I promise. Whoever took her and hurt you will not get away with it." He turns back to trying to help Near.
But he realizes that if he continues like this he will only lose Near.
He uses his free hand to pull out his cell and calls nine one one.
In what feels like no time Mello is sitting in the living room as Near is being rushed to the hospital but as much as Mello protested the police want to keep him with them.
He is now sitting in the living room holding one of Near's shirts close as he so badly desires to just be with his love and for everything to be alright.
The paramedics confirmed that Linda is dead and predicted she died about a second after being shot.
Mello hangs his head as tears fall from his eyes.
Then suddenly a gentle hand comes to rest on his shoulder.
He looks teary eyed to a female police officer.
"Is it ok if I speak to you about what happened now?" She asks.
Mello had a feeling that the police were giving him a few moments to himself to try to recollect his thoughts. He nods softly with a sniffle.
The female police officer sits across from Mello.
Mellos eyes drop to Near's shirt.
"Can you explain everything that happened?" The female police officer asks.
"I came home from work." Mello begins in a slightly broken voice. "I say that the inside door was wide open and the outside door was loose. I thought it had just been my lover taking our child outside to play but didn't close the door properly." He tells her. "I went inside and as soon as I saw the table had been turned over I dropped my helmet and ran around calling my lover's name." He sniffles again. "I eventually found him and Linda in Rebecca's room. He was on his stomach reaching to in front of the side of Rebecca's crib that faces the door. I rushed over to him shifting him on his back, noticed the wounds and looked for a pulse. It helped that he has one and I noticed his cell on the ground. I believe he dropped it just before being able to call you guys in order to rush to protect Rebecca." He continues. "I used my work shirt to try to stop the blood. Eventually he woke up and told me that he had taken Rebecca. I had feared that she was taken but was just hoping that my lover just put her in a safe place or something… I didn't want to believe she was kidnapped. I knew I wasn't going to save Near on my own so I called you guys." He explains the story still staring at Near's shirt.
The female officer nods as she finishes taking notes. "I see. Do you know who he is?" She asks.
Mello shakes his head. "I don't think Near knew. He didn't tell me or he was too weak to. He could barely even open his eyes after all."
The female officer nods again and jots down another note. "Alright then."
"That's all I know." Mello brings Near's shirt to his chest holding it close.
"Alright." The female officer says.
"Can I go now?" Mello asks.
The female officer hums in question.
"To my lover." Mello looks to her. "Please. I at least want to know that he is alright."
The female officer gives a sympathetic look. "I just need to talk to the lead investigator and I'm sure that I can take you to the hospital."
Mello looks grateful. "Thank you."
The female officer gets up and heads away.
Mello is left to clutch Near's shirt and stare at it longing for everything to just be alright again.
…
"Did you get what I asked you to?" A cloaked figure asks.
"Right here." Another figure holds up what was asked for.
The cloaked figure smirks. "Perfect."
