Chapter 9: Re-uniting
Note: Death at end of chapter, do not read if you don't want to. The beginning of the next chapter will explain it as well.
A week later...
Lee's POV
I rode shotgun while Barney drove, heading for the safe house to see Toll and Melanie. I'd talked to her a few times over the last week when she wasn't busy researching on the bad guy that was hunting for her.
"Why did you put them in Phoenix?"I asked Barney as I cranked up the a/c some more, it was really hot.
"It's close by and safe." he replied though he was sweating just as bad as I was.
The rest of the team was in the two suvs behind us, I was glad to be healed up enough to go see them. It was hell sitting around for days on end resting with nothing to do but think.
Finally the house came into view and I smiled in a few minutes I'd be with Melanie again.
Melanie's POV
"They're coming!"I yelled to Toll happily seeing the three suvs coming closer to the house.
Toll came over and looked with a smile, "Finally some company."he teased, I punched his shoulder playfully.
Soon they pulled in the driveway and I ran outside to greet them. "Hey guys!"I greeted and ran to Lee hugging him tight.
"Mel, can you ease up a little?"he asked, I loosened my grip.
"Sorry, I've missed you so much."I told him.
"Me too darl."he said and kissed my cheek. I caught sight of Nicole behind him and ran over to her with the same hug. She returned it.
"Hey Mel, it's good to see you."she told me all smiles, "You too, the guys treating you well?"I said looking around at them.
"Of course, you know us Mel."Hale answered and came over to stand beside Nicole, I raised my eyebrows in surprise.
"Let's go inside."Barney ordered, we did so and gathered in the living room.
I sat beside Lee with Nicole on my other side, "We need to find a way to flush this guy out, we can't keep doing this." Barney told us and I couldn't agree with him more.
I nodded, "This is hard on all of us, why not just let me walk around the city back home?" I offered and got confused looks.
"I can't hide here forever and if I was intent on killing someone and I didn't know where they were I would wait at their home for them to return." I explained.
"It would be dangerous Mel." Lee pointed out,
"I know but what else can we do?" I asked.
"We don't really have a choice, you guys can come home with us later on." Barney said.
I smiled, "What have you two been doing all this time?" Gunnar asked.
"The usual; eat, train, sleep, talk and repeat." Toll answered and we all laughed aloud, even me.
Nicole's POV
It was nice to see Melanie smiling and laughing, I was happy to see her and Lee together again.
I was nervous for her though, their plan was basically to let her get caught by a guy who wanted her dead. But I knew the guys were a good team and they wouldn't let her get hurt.
"Well I'm thirsty; do you guys have something to drink around here?" Hale said.
"We have water or lemonade." Mel offered.
"I'll take a water." Hale said.
The guys each told her what they wanted and I got up to help her with the drinks. "Thanks for your help." Mel said as she poured water into five of the glasses and lemonade in the other three.
"It's no problem." I told her taking one tray with four drinks as Mel took the other one. We put them on the coffee table and each of us grabbed a glass.
I drank some of my lemonade, it was good not too sweet and not too sour.
Lee's POV
I motioned for Toll to go to the kitchen with a nod of my head; I had to talk to him about Melanie.
I got up and followed him; Mel was busy talking with Nicole so she wouldn't miss me for a few minutes.
"How was she?" I asked him getting right to business.
Toll took a breath before he spoke, 'This can't be good.' I thought. "She wasn't herself man, she was detached, withdrawn, barely sleeping or eating. Something is wrong with her, but she's buried it deep." he explained, he looked to me. I knew I must have looked shocked and that's because I was, what was going on with Melanie?
"I tried to get her to snap out of it but it didn't help much until I told her I would tell you and Barney. I'm sorry Lee, really sorry." he said hanging his head like he was ashamed of himself for not helping her.
"It's not your fault, you tried to help her the best you could." I told him, Toll didn't look convinced.
"Lee's right Toll, don't beat yourself up over it." Barney said from the doorway.
"How long were you listening?" I asked feeling annoyed, this was private business.
"Long enough, this affects all of us. If a team member is weak-" he said and I cut in.
"Then the whole team is weak." I bit out frustrated.
Toll left the room, Barney took his place at the sink while I stayed at the table. "I won't let her go." I said knowing I really couldn't, if she left the team then I would too.
"I know that, we need to help her." he said easily.
"How are we going to do that?" I asked being skeptical, "Toll already tried." I said.
Barney cracked a smile, "We'll give her a hard, cold dose of reality." he replied.
I wasn't crazy about the idea but I would give it a shot to keep Mel on the team.
Melanie's POV
As Lee drove me home later that day around seven or so I felt good. "Nicole and Hale, who would have guessed?" I said still getting used to the idea.
Lee gave me a smile, "Yeah, they are good together." he commented. He was dropping me at home and then I would meet them at Tool's in a couple hours.
I liked the city a lot better than the safe house, it felt like heaven just to be able to walk wherever you needed to go or just to walk around and get yourself lost in the crowd.
We pulled in the drive and I got out heaving my duffel bag over my shoulder, "I'll see you soon, I love you." I told him and blew a kiss.
"I love you too, see you later Mel." he said and pulled out of the driveway.
I went inside straight to my bedroom to change, once dressed in my running clothes consisting of a black t-shirt and black jogging pants with my white running shoes. I locked up and headed off down the block.
Big Boss's POV
I sat in the passenger seat of my sleek black SUV, 'She's made it so easy for us.' I thought with a smile as I watched her exit the house and start off down the street.
I turned to my men in the back, "Scott, Rick you know what to do?" I asked.
"Yes sir." they answered together, I nodded and then nodded to the driver.
We drove along behind Melanie once beside her I rolled down my window enough to give her a glance of my face. She stopped frozen like I knew she would and the guys went out and grabbed her; Scott knocking her out with the tire iron as instructed.
They got her in the back and headed off for our next location, 'It's been too long, she'll suffer dearly for it.' I thought and grinned.
Barney's POV
"Where's Mel?" I asked aloud, it was nine-thirty. She was half an hour late for meeting with us.
"I'll call her." Lee said, he dialed and listened for a minute before shutting his phone. "It went straight to voicemail." he told me.
"Lets go to her house and check it out." I ordered, Lee headed for the door and so did I; in the back of my mind thinking, 'Please be alright.'
Lee unlocked the door when we arrived, we searched through the house and found nothing out of the ordinary. I called Toll, "Tell the guys to gear up, Melanie is missing." I said.
"You got it." he said quickly and hung up.
We got back in the car,"I'm going to kill this guy nice and slow when we find him." Lee vowed his voice deadly serious.
"You got it buddy." I told him. He parked the car and I got out; he started to drive off, "Hey, what are you doing?" I asked confused.
"I got some unfinished business to take care of, I will be back as soon as I can." he told me and sped off. I nodded to myself and went inside.
Lee's POV
I wanted nothing more than to find Melanie but I had to take care of a couple of loose ends first. I called a friend for a favor and he gave me the location where find Hunter tonight.
I parked outside of Two Barrels, the place was old style the frame of the building out of wood, and upon entering the place I found most of it was made out of wood.
Hunter was sitting with a couple of buddies near the back door, it was too perfect. I went straight to their table and flipped it over spilling their beers all over the floor.
They jumped up angrily, "What the hell man?!" Hunter exclaimed.
"Accident." I told him with a shrug.
"That was no accident pal, lets step outside."he told me, I nodded.
We went out back, they surrounded me as I knew they would it was instinct when you outnumbered your target but their mistake was their cockiness.
Josh Peters swung at me, I ducked and pushed him to the ground. Mark Scotch aimed to rush me but I moved out of the way and gave him a swift kick in the back making him stumble to the ground.
Hunter eyed me warily,"You're not half bad." he said looking to his friends laying on the ground. "You should find out for yourself." I told him, standing ready.
He took out a knife, I figured he would have a weapon of some sort. "You can't fight fair can you?" I said taunting him, he ran at me the knife aimed for my chest. I stepped out of the way and flipped him over, he landed with the knife in his chest.
I went over to stand over him "You'll never hurt anyone ever again." I told him, his eyes widened and closed, he was gone.
His friends were stunned standing behind me, I took my knife from my jacket pocket and whipped around to stab each of them. They were gone quickly and I left disappearing into the night.
One more person had yet to pay for what they had done and they were going to pay with their life...
A dark ending, one more chapter to come for this story and that is it. Review.