AN: So I got an idea from watching a tv show with undercover federal agents, and having already been toying with writing a fanfiction about Gajeel, I decided to go ahead and write one, only he's not one of the good guys, yet. This is an AU and there are two plots here, a Past and a Present. The past is italicized and the present is normal text. They will eventually meet in the middle.
Storyline: Gajeel has tried to separate the past from the present for years, doing his best to protect his family from his previous mistakes. When his daughter is suddenly kidnapped by his old cartel boss, her only hope is to fight her way out with what her father taught her. But Gajeel won't sit by idly and ignore his raging instincts - instincts that scream his past has finally caught up with him. One thing still hasn't changed: no one messes with a Redfox.
Two separate plots - the past and the present - collide as events unfold.
*Rated Mature - There is intense language, violence, drug, and some sexual situations. Reader discretion is strongly advised.
*I do not own any of the pictures.
*I do not own any of Fairy Tail - that's all Hiro Mashima.
AN: "THERE WAS A FIREFIGHT!" - The Boondock Saints.
Two Irish boys willingly to take it into their own hands. I highly suggest watching it. Definitely one of my favorite films of all time. It's early 90s and rated R for gore violence and explicit language, but it's well made! It's got a ton of action and a lot of humor.
*Mature content below: I do Not condone the blatant and extreme violence and use of hard drugs such as the like below. This is strictly for storytelling purposes. Please don't do drugs. It's not just a cliche saying. [My brother was into heroin bad and he almost died from overdosing, and contemplated suicide. By the grace of God he is now a recovering addict, clean for over two years and counting.]
7-25-18: An update on the personal above: my brother died three days before Christmas 2017 from a heroin overdose. He had been clean. He had been fighting the addiction. And unfortunately, he had many demons he could not conquer. If you find yourself presented with a choice between "just trying" and just simply refusing to use a narcotic such as heroin or meth, remember all it takes is ONE use. No matter how much you like/love/look up to/want to impress the person/people offering it or the people present, the smartest decision you will ever make when/if faced with that is to not go there. Trust me when I say although my brother is finally at peace, my family will never be the same. Drug addiction steals, lies, kills, and destroys. Defeat it by refusing to use it and encouraging the continued recovery of the people who see their mistake and are actively trying to recover.
Brian would want you to know that.
Chapter XXXIV
Sting cranked the volume on the stereo sitting in the corner of the large living room. A deep bass of the music thrummed through the room. He returned to his spot on the couch, picking up his pistol to continue cleaning it. Three others occupied the other furniture pieces, all cleaning their own weapons.
Gryder was seated on the edge of a recliner. His Smith & Wesson was apart in separate pieces, a dirty rag with cleaner wiping over the barrel. He casually glanced at Melina. "Hand me that bottle, babe."
She took a bite of her sandwich she had made before she sitting down on the floor by his leg and reached over to her other side, grabbing the cleaner by the blond man. By now, Sting was akin to a father-figure, always making sure she was safe and had the essentials. Beside him and Gryder, she ignored all others as they only gawked at her and poked fun at her and Gryder's expense. Considering her environment, she was accustomed.
She watched contentedly as he finished wiping down the parts. Metallic sounds of the pieces fitting together was heard over the music playing around them. Gryder grinned when he had successfully put the firearm back together. He pulled back the slide with a jerk and pointed it towards the wall.
"I bet it works like new." He commented, happy with himself.
"It better. Those are notorious for hangfires." Sting said, closing one eye to look down the unattached barrel in his hands while he wiped it down.
"It hasn't yet." Gryder replied. He brought the gun back down to release the mag, then slid back the top. A round popped out, which he stuffed back into the mag.
"What's that?" Melina asked. She watched him carefully with the unfired bullet.
"A hangfire? It's when the pistol fails to fire a round."
"It's bad?"
Gryder snorted. "Yea, it could do some damage to the gun. And your hand if it goes off unexpectedly." He noticed her curious expression. Holding the barrel, he offered her the unloaded handle. "You wanna hold it?"
She shook her head with a shy smile.
"It's not going to hurt you. I took the rounds out."
"I know. It's ok. I just want to watch."
He retracted his offer with an exaggerated sigh. "Ohkay fine."
A cell phone starting ringing. Sting put down the rag and went over to turn the music down before answering. He looked out the window as he listened to the voice on the other end. Bright headlights in the night's darkness were approaching the house. He nodded. "Yes sir."
"Was that boss?" One of the others asked. He tossed his dirty rag onto the glass coffee table and holstered his newly polished firearm.
"Yep. He wants us to unload a small shipment."
"Of what?" Gryder turned to him. Melina glanced back and forth between the men.
"A few pounds that he wants someone to test. To make sure it's the quality he paid them to produce."
Melina felt as though she shouldn't be listening in. It incriminated her to be there with them, but she didn't know what else to do other than try to be as quiet as possible. The weaponry around her made her nervous.
Gryder shoved the mag into his pistol and left it on the coffee table in front of her. "Just stay here. We'll be back in a few minutes."
"You're not going to try any of the drugs, please Gryder." Melina's lowered voice threatened to beg.
He gazed at her. "If no one specifically asks me to, I won't. But I can't promise anything."
It seemed to calm her a bit. She bit the inside of her cheek. "I don't want you to be incapacitated all night. You're really the only one I feel ok to be with."
He knew that. He didn't particularly want to do drugs tonight. A night like the one before was what he was hoping. It made something inside him go soft when she worried about him. "I won't, Love. It'll be ok."
She nodded as he kissed the top of her head. He rose and left the room to follow where others went. Alone for the time being, Melina attempted to tidy up, putting all the gun cleaning items together on the coffee table and threw away the used rags.
Her eyes fell on the locked back door. There were no blinds on the windows facing the backyard. She saw her reflection in the glass from the lights. There was nothing physically stopping her from leaving. Just walking out and running into the night. She had no idea where she was, but she would eventually find a road and follow it until she came to a town.
Though something did stop her. She looked over her shoulder at the door through which she saw Gryder leave. She couldn't deny it now. Not after her and Gryder had gotten intimate. There was a deep connection with him she honestly hadn't expected. Hearing the garage door motor run, she knew they were busy. She hoped he wouldn't get high.
After cleaning up the kitchen and the living room where they had been, she looked around, searching for something to do. A loud laugh came from the garage. A chair scraped against the cement. She scratched at her hip right under her shorts waistband and absentmindedly turned to head upstairs. Once on the second floor, she headed for the room her and Gryder shared.
She flipped on the light switch to the hallway and her heart all but stopped. She sucked in a deep gasp when she saw the same German Shepard that kept haunting her. An icy feeling spread from her stomach to her limbs, keeping her frozen.
The dog calmly walked up to her, sniffing along the way. Its ears were relaxed and it seemed unconcerned with her, as if she were just decoration. Its black nose bumped her shaking hand and licked her leg. She yelped, not expecting the wet warmth. The dog gazed up at her, wagging its tail.
"Go away." She said with a shaky voice. "Go. Please."
The black and tan dog sat and barked, raising a paw to her. It inched closer to her and immediately sat back down. Reaching out tentatively, her hand touched the top of the dog's head. It let her, its tongue lolling out the side of its panting mouth and showing teeth. When she took her hand away, it barked.
She tried to walk around it, keeping close to the wall. It turned its head to watch her with a closed mouth. Making it the door, Melina hurriedly entered and slammed the door. She stood shaking. Dogs scared her. She had always objected when her brothers bothered their parents for a puppy. They were cute and all, but they grew up.
A sound caught her attention. A loud, deep pop. It seemed close, though she couldn't know for sure. Rubbing her hand along her bare arm, she very quietly opened the bedroom door to peek her head out. At the top of the stairs, the German Shepherd stood ridged, the hair on his shoulders standing up straight. A deep growl purred from it as it looked down the stairwell.
A gunshot rang out below. The sudden sound cause her to violently jump, a few choice words coming to her lips. And to her surprise, the dog didn't leap forward. It lowered its head to watch the rooms below. Then, it turned and ran towards the bedroom door. The beast didn't seem scared, more alert than anything. It simply sat by the door.
Waiting.
Making sure their weapons were loaded, the three men on a rescue mission watched the vehicle disappear as it came to a stop outside the front of the garage. Gajeel adjusted the black headband on his forehead, then rubbed his face. The action left dirt smears on his skin, the dry material mixing with the sweat present. He sucked in a breath through his nose and spat in front of him. "Every man save the sentries will be in that garage."
"You figure?" Natsu asked a rhetorical, fixing the armband on his bicep. He cocked his rifle and waited until they began their night assault on the property's main building.
"It's the best chance we got. Take out the guards, the security lights. Then pick 'em off one by one. Just stay in the shadows." Gajeel spoke and then swallowed. He tried to keep his breathing normal, but the anticipation of a gunfight electrified him. "But for God sake's, don't hit Melina."
"Ten four. Anything else we need to address before shit hits the fan?" Laxus stuffed a pistol into his jeans.
"Yea. Leave that fuckin' bitch boy to me." Gajeel scowled with a menacing growl as he thought about the earlier scene at the barn. He'd beat that motherfucker to death.
Natsu covered the near empty duffle bag with dirt and leaves and poured gasoline on it at Gajeel's request. He pocketed a black zippo, knowing he'd need it for later. The more evidence they got rid of, the less they'd be tied to Jose and the massacre.
Raising the binoculars once more, Gajeel could just make out the garage door to the house close. "Alright. Laxus, take the back. Natsu, you got the front."
The men split ways. Laxus stalked towards the far side of the house, while Natsu took to the shadows to edge around to the front. Running up the hill, Gajeel spotted one of the basement's windows. He swung the assault rifle around to his back by the shoulder strap as he neared it. He swiftly looked around for signs of the few men that would be out on patrol.
Seeing no one yet, Gajeel carefully positioned himself and with a grunt, kicked in the window. The glass fell to the basement cement floor with a high pitched screech. He cringed, hoping that no one would be close enough to hear it. He used the barrel of the pistol at his side to clear the sharp glass away and slipped inside feet first.
Landing with a thump, he quickly scanned the vicinity, bringing his AR rifle up in case he wasn't alone. Quietly he maneuvered through the various boxes, furniture, and various other objects stored there. He found the steps that led up to the door, but underneath that he was pleased to find the house's large breaker box.
He unhinged the cover to scroll through the labels that belonged with the appropriate switch. "You're all in for one hell of a surprise…" He muttered. Deciding to flip all of them, his hand wedged under and swiftly flipped the switches all at once.
Instantly, the sound of the AC unit whined to a silence. The lights on the floors above would be out, leaving them all in darkness. It was to his advantage; the more of Jose's henchmen that couldn't see shit to make their shots worth a damn would be hindered, giving him and the other two more time to slowly and methodically take them down.
He rounded the stairs, pulling his rifle up as he silently ascended aside from the occasional creaking of the boards beneath his feet. Opening the door, he peeked through the crack. It was pitch black, but he could see the hallway walls on either side of the door. Opening it further with his foot, Gajeel brought the AR-15 up, holding it at the ready with steady aim. His mind tried to bring up the mental blueprints of the house from long ago. Melina could be in a few places.
Outside, there was a gunshot. Gajeel's breath caught. Laxus was none to quiet with his assassinations. The fuck was wrong with him? One of the sentries must have taken him by surprise; he had told him to use brute force to terminate them to keep the surprise.
There was a sound of a door creaking caught his attention. He looked though the scope on the top of the weapon. Several muffled footsteps came to his attention, and he tried to count how many sets there were. At least seven were present, and there could have been more, though he was unsure. Quieted voices whispered to each other, the sounds of furniture turning over for cover.
He very slowly began to creep further up the hall as he listened. Distinct sounds of pistols cocking clicked in the air. Footsteps neared him and he froze, lifting the gun to aim and instinctively holding his breath. The footsteps rushed up the stairs to his left, just on the other side of the wall. He waited, curious as to what was going on.
Letting out the breath, he listened intently. A few minutes ticked by. No one stirred in the darkness. It was silent. Eerie. Any moment someone could open fire and hell would break loose. He was careful not to make a noise as he repositioned. A sudden rhythmic sound came through the wall beside him, and a dog bounded out and beelined for the open garage door.
The sight was so odd, he couldn't help but focus on it for a moment. Gajeel almost missed the footsteps. He heard a deep voice, a young man. "It's us, we're coming down."
Another voice answered with a simple "go".
It sparked a familiar memory that was store in the recesses of his mind. He knew that second voice. Eyes widened at the revelation. Sting was still in business with Jose. Who he had once known as a young adult, the voice was now deeper. It held an authoritative edge. Surprise threatened to cause him loss of focus, but he paid closer attention as the footsteps hit the floor.
Had Sting been the one to kidnap Melina for Jose? Surely the grown up kid would have known Gajeel would be pissed to high heaven.
Gajeel scowled. In anger, he fired off a shot into the darkness, half hoping his bullet would find the blonde. His shot was answered a few moments later. There was a flash of light and an small exploding sound popped off, followed by a few more shots. He ducked. The shade of a decorative lamp sitting atop a small end table near the hallway took the impact of a bullet. It simply fell to the floor with two holes broken through the fabric.
He thought he heard a small scream in the din. A pang of worry and a inner shot of adrenaline coursed through him. He popped off a few more rounds, then called out. "Melina!"
A bullet grazed his upper arm. Hot fire erupted there and began to spread from the cut. He squeezed his eyes tight as a pain he hadn't felt in a very long time overtook his senses for several seconds. "Dammit!"
He gritted his teeth and returned fire, unleashing many rounds into the darkness. He knew Melina was somewhere out there, but he couldn't just let them shower him with hot bullets. If he didn't do some shooting himself, he was as good as dead.
After what seemed like forever, his rifle clicked as the mag contained no more ammunition. Should he bring out his pistol or take the time to reload the rifle? It was an easy decision. He wanted to save his pistol for when he was face to face with the specific bastards he set out to kill. Slumping to the floor, he ignored his bleeding arm and the pain involved in using the muscles and began to reload.
As he had stopped shooting, the others became silent, no doubt doing the same thing or repositioning. Once he was done, he cocked and locked. Glancing up he saw two bodies move across the room. He quickly aimed to fire, but another gun stopped him. He switched his attention to the direction where it had come from and fired.
More gunshots sounded, making him duck down for cover. Whoever it was who successfully managed to get out through the back door, he'd be after. His instincts told him it was imperative that hefollow, but he was pinned down. If he rose, he'd be shot multiple times. If it was Melina who got out, his only hope would be that Laxus would run into her before someone else does.
Gryder stood by the garage steps, reaching up to scratch his head through his shaggy mess of hair. He watched behind Sting as Jose strode through the open garage door, exposing the vehicle outside and the night air. The other guys stood around, waiting for what their boss brought back home. Three other people walked in behind Jose. Surprise was apparent.
Bora, Dyst, and Ivan stopped behind Jose. Dyst took a stance where he could see everyone, an assault rifle in his hands. In Bora's arms were two bricks of product. He set them on the table at the center of the garage. He glanced to where several girls were chained to the floor. He tsked, shaking his head. "What happened to good house manners? Keeping merchandise laying around where anyone could get it?"
"They're fine where they are." Jose grumbled. He pointed to the bricks. "Sting."
The blonde took a deep breath, taking out a pocket knife. He cut a slit in the top of it, then closed the knife. "Who wants dibs."
A few guys walked over and under the boss' scrutiny, sampled the powder. They made it into lines and took sniffs. Gryder shifted his weight. He wondered what Melina was up to in the house. Thoughts turned to her and their bed and-
One of the guys threw back his head and chuckled. "This is some damn good shit."
Another let out a laugh and bumped the other's arm. Bora smiled. He turned to Ivan, who stood silently observing everything. Jose was quietly relaying all of their successful deals and profits. He pulled out to offer an available seat, which he took without a word. Bora stood beside Ivan, Dyst stood behind him.
Ivan nodded as Jose spoke to him. His eyes scanned over the handful of girls in his trafficking ring. They huddled together, each one with their eyes averted. They knew when some got high, they'd be used. And none too gently.
With a flick of his finger, the other drug lord motioned for Bora. The man left for a brief minute and came back carrying another brick, this time much smaller than the previous two.
"What's this?" Someone asked. They all stared intrigued.
"This is a more potent batch, supplied by Ivan's crew." Jose replied, letting himself smile. He produced a tiny box that contained a capped needle and syringe.
Gryder narrowed his eyes. He glanced to Sting, who looked on with unusual focus. Jose had never shown interest in mainlining, or even allowing his crew to do it. It went straight into the bloodstream, intensifying the high, but was also more dangerous than ingesting it the way they had been. It must have been Ivan's idea, as it was his infamous product that was to be tested on new, fresh subjects.
Sting crossed his arms and turned as one of the men use a lighter to heat the underside of a spoon to liquefy Ivan's brand. The man loaded the syringe and stuck the unused needle in his arm. He shook his head and made his way back to Gryder to stand by him.
"This is new." He sounded irritated.
"Yea. I don't know, man." He had never mainlined, and really hadn't thought about the process until just then. It seemed like too much effort to go through just to get a high. It was much easier and just as effective to snort, which is what Gryder prefered. After getting to know Melina, he almost would rather not do it anymore.
Sting nodded to Jose's usual stuff. "Want ours then?"
Gryder glanced at it on the table and made a face, shaking his head once. His arms crossed over his chest. "Nah. I'm good."
"Why not?"
He shrugged. "Just don't want to right now."
Narrowing his eyes, Sting stared at him. This had happened once before, a long time ago. And the outcome hadn't been good for anyone. He kept his voice low. "Mest. You can't."
"Can't what?" He asked in the same low voice, still watching the others with their drug use.
"You can't have Melina."
Gryder's head snapped to him, his eyes hard.
"She's from a different world, kid. It's all fun with her now, but what if she get's pregnant, huh? She's eighteen and you're twenty. It won't work. Even if it did, her father would beat the living daylights outta you, if not kill you first."
"You're so full of shit. How would you know any of this." Gryder hissed. He objected to Sting's obvious disapproval of his and Melina's relationship.
"I've lived it out with her father." Sting murmured.
Gryder's eyes widened. "What?"
The older man quickly explained what had happened in the past between him, Jose, and Gajeel. Melina had been a product of love from an unlikely situation. And Sting's old partner had chosen her and her mother. Gryder's eyes searched the floor as he listened. Everything was making more sense. Why Melina was here, why she wasn't held with the other girls, why Jose kept asking for any news on Gajeel. Everything now added up.
"So Jose is using Melina to get to Gajeel."
Sting gave a small nod.
He felt his heart start to race with the knowledge. "What happens when Jose is successful?"
The blonde was quiet for a while, as if he was thinking. Gryder tried to wait patiently, but ended up shifting his weight again and grunting with anticipation. Sting seemed hesitant to answer.
"He'll torture Melina in front of Gajeel. Then kill him and use Melina up 'til she's broken, or until someone buys her."
Gryder growled, his fists balling up. Anger surfaced on his face. "No. That is not happening." He said through clenched teeth.
And the reply was nothing what the young man was expecting. "Then you better get her out of here."
Before he could reply, the lights cut out and darkness swallowed them. The hostage girls let out startled cries. His open mouth clamped shut. "The fuck was that." He stated flatly. Sting was alert, looking around and waiting for the sound again. Everyone grabbed their firearms, some wielding rifles, others black metal pistols.
Ivan narrowed his eyes, looking back at Bora and Dyst. Both men began to move towards the door. Jose looked towards the garage door that led to the kitchen. He looked at Sting and pointed, turning to the others. "Find out what the hell that was."
The blonde pulled out his pistol and cocked the slide. He looked to Gryder as the followed behind the others. "Shit, I left my gun inside." He cursed as he patted his jeans and his tight fitting t shirt.
"We'll get it."
"I hope Melina's alright." Gryder muttered.
They entered into the kitchen. The lights were off, creating a pitch blackness. Bora tried the switch, but nothing happened. He motioned to Dyst, who turned on the scope on his rifle. Ivan's right hand man quickly brought up his semi automatic rifle to look through the scope, crouching next to the long table beside Dyst.
Lyon quietly and quickly moved to the far wall, holding his pistol out and away from him. He looked out the window. The outside porch light was busted. Glass littered the wooden deck. He whistled low to Sting. "Light's busted."
Sting nodded. Although the others had a vague idea of what was happening, he knew exactly what was about to go down. He grabbed Gryder's shirt and drug him along, crouching as they moved through the kitchen to the living room.
His bright eyes searched the darkness for Melina, but she wasn't there. He barely saw the outline of his Smith & Wesson, still where he left it. He rushed to pick it up, sliding back the slide on top without hesitation. "I'm gonna find Melina." He whispered.
There was no answer. Only alert, silent men waited in the darkness. Sting watched for motion. His eyes adjusted to the minimal light to see Bora lower his gun and gesture with his hand. He then turned to Gryder. "We're clear for the moment. Check your room. If she's there, bring her. I have a feeling I know what's on."
"If she's not?"
"Find her before Jose."
Sting jumped to cover Gryder in case there were unseen eyes watching. Gryder moved, holding his pistol out in front of him with both hands. He put his back to the wall by the stairwell, then held out the gun to check up. He wished he had a flashlight. He couldn't see up the steps, but had to go quickly.
He heard a growl as he neared the stairs. His voice was hushed and light. "Hey buddy. Hey boy, it's me. I'm friendly."
The dog's growl subsided, and he felt a wet nose push up against him. It whined and hurried back to the door. Gryder was there then and swiftly opened the door. There was a scream. Relief flooded through him. She was ok, she was safe. He held the pistol away from him, pointing it to the floor, and reached out to her with his free hand. "Whoa, whoa. Melina, it's me!"
"Gryder! What's going on?!" She immediately rushed and pushed herself against him, feeling completely safe when his arm enclosed around her. They stood in the dark, Melina shaking as Gryder tried to think of what to do next.
He walked towards the windows, feeling Melina still attached to him. Gazing out onto the front grounds, he found that the security lights were all out. Not even the moon was glowing. It was black as black could get. And there was movement. "What the hell."
"What?" Melina asked anxiously.
He didn't answer, only followed the near invisible movement with his eyes. Squinting, he saw it was a person. He almost lost the black shape, but was able to follow it around until the window frame cut him off. Mildly he addressed Melina. "I don't know, baby. Just stay with me."
His free hand dropped to hers and he pulled her with him towards the other side of the room. They couldn't stay there. It would be stupid. If whoever it was came searching the house with more people, they would be trapped. "Come on."
Melina let him lead her to the door. She had never seen him worried. The man was usually stoic. His current demeanor frightened her. She whispered against his chest. "I'm scared."
Although his mind was preoccupied, Gryder did his best to comfort her. His lips touched the top of her head. "I know. Hush so I can think."
The dog wagged its tail and bounded down the stairs. They followed it, stopping short of the bottom. He called out to Sting. "It's us, we're coming down."
"Go," was Sting's short reply.
Gryder positioned Melina between himself and the wall, then proceeded. He saw Sting raise his gun as they came around the stairs to cover them. He pushed Melina to the carpet and crouched there with her. "You ok?"
She nodded, but since it was dark she hummed. "Yes."
He turned to the blonde. "There's at least one bogey outside the front."
"That means he brought help. Shit." Sting murmured.
"Who?" Melina asked automatically. Her worry and confusion was clear. Wisps of her red hair flew from her ponytail to float around her face.
No one answered her simple question. No one really wanted to. How did one explain that someone was coming to rescue her and kill the rest of them? A gunshot rang out then, followed by another. A few more shot out, short flashes of light indicating that the fired weapons were friendly. Melina screamed and clung tighter to Gryder's side.
"What the hell is going on out there?!" He yelled to be heard above the loud shots.
A bullet ricocheted off of something in the darkness and then Sting let of a livid curse as it whirled past. Glass shattered behind them as the stray bullet zoomed into the wall through a picture frame. Melina let out another terrified scream. Gryder pried her hands from him and rose up to crouch beside Sting. He kept one hand on Melina, who huddled close to him. His Smith & Wesson was pointing out at the rest of the house, at the ready.
"Melina!" A voice roared through the stray gunshots. "-dammit!"
The girl behind him tensed. Extreme surprise coated her voice. "Dad?!"
She tried to get up, a sense of excitement and fear rolled into one at the sound of her father's voice. Gryder turned to stuff her back down. "Get down! Are you fuckin' insane? There's bullets whizzing every direction!"
"But-"
He cut her off, getting close. She saw the fear and uncertainty in his eyes. He didn't want to lose her. "Stay down, baby, please!"
It was then that she realized he hadn't been saying 'Love' anymore. He had switched it to 'baby'. What did that mean? Her eyes searched his again before she felt his lips on hers. She kissed him back despite the surrounding gunfire and shouts and the question in her mind on the distinct change in his words. When he pulled away, he asked. "Do you trust me?"
"Yes," she replied without hesitation. "I do. I-"
"Then let me protect you. Stay with me."
A round hit the carpet two feet from them, the sudden impact startling her. She yelped, gripping Gryder's arm even tighter.
"I am with you!"
He reached up from their cover to aim and fire. He swore as a puzzled expression flashed on her face and the sounds of shots firing closed in around them. Her hands covered her ears as the gunfire continued. His face was then right next to hers. "I mean stay with me."
"Gryder, get your ass up here now!" Sting shouted, and then fired his pistol before ducking for cover.
He didn't know what to do. Part of him wanted to help Sting, to shoot back at whoever was trying to kill them. But a larger part wanted to run with Melina. There was no way he wanted to hurt her by killing her father or the people he brought with him. If he didn't fight back on either front, she would end up in the care of Jose to be abused or in the care of her father, and he would never see her again. He pursed his lips as he desperately thought.
"I'm taking her." He called out to Sting. As he looked into her frightened eyes, he thought he could see a future. He wasn't going to let her go. Not any time soon.
"What?" Sting cried not catching his sentence and moving towards the kitchen from behind a downed recliner. He glanced at him. By the way the kid held onto her, Sting understood. "How you getting out?"
"How the fuck should I know?" He called back, then covered Melina's head by his side with his arm when a ricochet buzzed past.
It seemed like forever until there was a break in the gunfight. No one know how many were out there or where. Bora and Dyst broke away and went to search the upstairs. Lyon and Logan went around to the back. The others went off in pairs through the house.
The lull gave them a chance to reload in safety and for Gryder to make an escape. He slid over to Sting, who had presented him with another pistol, which he grabbed as well as a handful of rounds, stuffing them in his pockets. "Be careful out there." Sting warned.
Melina's eyes widened. "Wait, we're leaving?"
"Yes." He said simply. He brought her hand that he held to his lips and kissed. "We're getting the fuck outta Dodge before all hell breaks loose."
"But what about my dad?!"
Gryder ignored her, as he didn't know what to say. He promptly began to quickly reload the handgun's magazine. She pressed again.
"Gryder, I'm serious! What's going on." Her voice was a little shaky, but it held a firm edge.
He huffed as he stuffed the rounds. Might as well just spill the beans since there was a good chance none of them were gonna make it out alive. "Look babe, you stay here with Jose and he'll let the others have their way with you and then he'll sell you for the highest price. The only reason you're here is to get your dad here and kill him."
She gasped. "He's going to- How could you go along with that!"
"Well what else did ya expect from a bunch of druggies?" He asked incredulously glancing at her while he worked. "I didn't know the full story til tonight. I don't want to see you end up like those other girls."
"Then help me get to my father!" She leaned closer on his chest as he slouched behind the furniture.
"Sweetheart," he cringed at her words and wet his lips. "I can't do that."
Melina's eyes watered as she pleaded with him. "Please, Gryder, help me get-"
"You leave with your dad, and I'll never see you again," He stated bluntly, a matter of fact in his seriousness. He looked into her teary eyes, wanting to reach up to drag the tear about to fall onto her cheek, but not being able to for having to ready his only defense. "I don't want that either."
Her heart fluttered. Wet eyes took him in with a new sense of direction. She could tell when he was joking, when he was having fun. She could also tell when he was being earnest. And she saw it, one hundred percent. The raw emotion frightened her to her core. "W-what are you saying?"
"Come on." He replied instead, taking her hand in his. When she didn't pull away or hinder him, he knew she would come with him willingly. She wanted to. A small smile twitched his lips. He raised the hem of his t shirt and placed her hand on his belt loop. The girl he was pretty sure he loved was shaking like a leaf. "Don't let go of me."
It was apparent she was extremely out of it, of course never having gone through something as intense as this firefight would very possibly get. He had to watch her physically nod in agreement before his eyes returned to what was before him. Waiting for Sting to open fire two times, he then rose up and darted through the living room with Melina right behind him.
"Old man, you had better be a good shot-" Gryder grunted and grumbled nervously, hoping Sting would distract the opposing line of fire long enough for him to get Melina to the other side of the far living space.
The gun shots sounded as though they were coming from the hallway on the other side of the stairwell. It was hard to tell in the dark. If he could get to the back door and out, maybe he could get her to the woods and have some cover.
He dropped to the floor in a rush, causing Melina to topple onto him with a grunt. Her hair flew into her face and she sustained rug burns on her knees. He peeked over the top of a leather sectional long enough to see a flash of light in the darkness, fully seeing an outline of a large man now in the room directly ahead.
The gunfire now directed itself to where he was. He quickly ducked, then covered Melina with his body. A short series of rounds hit the wall behind them, one breaking the glass in a window pane. It stopped and Gryder immediately returned fire, rising from her and extending his arm to aim the pistol. Squeezing the trigger, he popped off three rounds in the direct from where the previous fire came.
"No!" Melina grabbed his arm, throwing off his aim. The pistol went off, projecting the last bullet into the ceiling instead. She pressed herself to his chest while she tried to pull on his bicep and forearm.
"Fuck!" Gryder exclaimed in a hiss. "What are you doin'?!"
"You can't shoot my father!" Melina shrilled, panic present and rising.
"Melina?!" Gajeel called out close by. He cursed as a bullet flew by, provided by Sting from the other side of the house.
She was about to call back when Gryder put his hand over her mouth. He hissed into her ear, pressing the back of her head to his shoulder. "SHH, dammit! Do you want him to kill me!?"
Her fingers tried to pry loose his hold on her. She struggled against his unmoving grip, but soon gave up. Her body relaxed into him and she wrapped her arm around his neck. She was very tired and felt as though she was slowly going into shock. When he let go of her mouth, she breathed in a rush against the skin of his neck. "I don't want that."
He tightened his hold on her waist. Her teeth clacked as she did. Her muscles tensed from the excitement. It seemed as thought she might be going into some sort of shock.
"You gotta run, baby. I can't carry you."
She didn't know why she liked when he called her baby. Though maybe she did. In the confusion, it was difficult for Melina to make sense of anything, let alone what she felt. However, she did know that she would follow Gryder anywhere. Her spinning head wasn't cooperating.
The young man with her took her hand and while Sting engaged Gajeel with a quick burst of fire, made a beeline for the back door in the dining room. The hardest part would be opening it swiftly enough go get through before bullets began to shower them. As he made it to the closed entry, more shots rang out from the stairwell. Flashes of light brightened the downstairs like fireworks and it all inadvertently gave Gryder a clear opportunity.
He pulled the handle and stuffed Melina through, then he flung himself out after her. His grip on the pistol tightened. "Go, go to the barn!" He hissed into her ear.
She spun around to meet him, not expecting to be mere centimeters away from his face. She breathed out in a rush, letting her hands run over his chest. Gun fire was heard from within the house. Sounds of an apparent struggle was loud. "No Gryder!"
"Baby-" He took a quick glance over his shoulder. He knew Sting needed his help. If she'd just do what he told her to do, he could focus on the task at hand rather than if she was safe. "Just fuckin' listen-"
Melina shook her head. She knew what he was about to do, she knew his mannerisms. He was fiercely loyal and he'd do whatever he could to assist. "What about you? I'm not going without you!"
"Melina, dammit! Just go! I'll be right behind you!" His voice rose slightly in frustration. He saw her turn around to begin to run, and immediately he reentered the house.