Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note or any of the characters except for the OCs.

CHAPTER 7

Valerie

Matt took his laptop from the car trunk (seriously, how many laptops he had?) and started working. I perched quietly at the edge of the car hood, watching the goggled redhead connecting Mello's cell phone to the USB port and launching numbers of programs. Hacker or not, this guy was in no doubt a computer whiz, I thought, as Matt's fingers running haphazardly on the keyboard, typing long complicated commands.

Meanwhile, Mello sat back on his motorbike, watching his accomplice working whilst casually eating the chocolate bar clutched to his left hand.

My thoughts wandered as I mused in silence. Mafia.

I had often heard the particular word everywhere: in movies, books, or news. But now I had seen them for real in flesh. These two guys I was dealing with were part of the infamous crime syndicate, if they were telling the truth.

But screw that—whether that was the truth or not, I only knew for a fact that at the very moment I was travelling with two very dangerous strangers; possibly murderers, criminals, fugitives, or whatever, and that didn't make it any better.

I seriously considered running away. I really did, with Matt's attention on the laptop and Mello's on him. But I wasn't an idiot for taking such a big risk just like that. Just then I simply demanded them about what's going on, and it almost cost me my life at the hand of the ex-Mafioso. Who knew what would happen if I dared taking only one step away from the car with him only a few steps away to choke the life out of me?

As sickening as it was, I better out played safe here. What was left now was hoping and waiting for them to let me go and keeping an eye on me for the rest of my life. So much for helping a neighbor out...

"Mello," I called cautiously.

He rolled those steely eyes at my direction. I hesitated for a while there, afraid if I was being nosy and would end up being at the gunpoint once again, but I could see Mello was waiting for me to continue. So I did, "You haven't told me about the person named Jack."

Mello finished his last bite of chocolate. "Jack is the scientist in the Mafia and once my loyal underling," he said."The doctor Matt told you? It's him."

"The one sent you the Vicodin?"

"Yeah." Mello crumpled the chocolate wrapper into a ball and tossed it to the scattering litter, then took a new bar from his jacket pocket. "Never have I ever imagined he would be such lowly traitor," he growled while tearing the wrapper off and bit a large chunk of the chocolate.

So I was right about the illegal drug. I was contemplating, staring down at my fiddling thumbs. I've forgot that I was still wearing my medical gloves, but in such situation I wasn't in the mood to take them off. My thoughts were too busy dwelling among many other things.

I still had a crucial thing disrupting my mind, and I must have it clarified now or never.

"Can I ask you one more thing?" I proposed.

"Only one."

I paused only for a second. Swallowing my pride, I continued, "Would you let me go now?"

The chocolate bar that was moving to Mello's mouth stopped midway and now I had his full attention. His eyes narrowed menacingly. "No."

I knew it... "Why?" My voice was weak.

Mello raised one eyebrow. "I thought I said only one question." But he answered nonetheless, "You have to come along with me to Jack. You figured the heroin after all. Are we clear?"

I gave it a silence thought. "Ok..." I mumbled absently. "After that, can I go home?"

This time it was Mello's turn to stay quiet for several moments, before finally uttering, "We'll decide it later."

I didn't say anything more and gazed back at my lap. Now they would hold me captive for real. Who knows if they would decide to change their minds in the end and still going to kill me? Or plotting a rape in order to traumatize me for the rest of my life? Beating me up and leaving me half-dead? Locking me down and torturing me somewhere dark and cold and out of reach? Targeting my friends and my family and send me their body parts to make sure I learn my place?

Or worse—I winced in horror—all of them?

The more of these gruesome thoughts coming, the wilder they were, the more they sent cold shivers down my spine, and the closer I was for losing my sanity. Instinctively I wrapped my arms around myself, reciting prayers incessantly inside my head while mentally screaming for help. I couldn't trust these guys. Criminals never kept their promises. My heart raced faster and I buried my face deeper.

Great. Just great.

Mello

She's crying.

Other people might not see that, but my eyes had been trained to see what mediocrities couldn't see.

Valerie sat still in the same position: hunched, staring downward, face entirely hidden beneath the curtain mess of long dark strands, arms wrapped around her, and one with perfect observational skill would notice her shoulders shaking.

I knew she was purposefully trying to hide her mental breakdown in front of us strangers, criminals in the second place, but she couldn't fool these exceptionally sharp eyes of mine.

Ok, despite all the harsh attitudes and words I had thrown at her face, deep down inside, I had to admit I owed her an apology. Obviously this wasn't what she expected back when she first stepped into Matt's flat, and not what I expected as well. I mean, how could you expect that? She had almost been shot, been taken by force, been threatened at a gunpoint, and now she couldn't even go home in peace.

All of sudden I felt a lump in my throat. And I had taken part in all of those horrid acts...

That's why I disagree with Matt's decision firsthand. Involving a total stranger into our—no—my business worth too much risk for both parties, no matter what the reason was.

Still, who would have thought that Rod was in New York to the fact that he almost cornered me like that? Even I myself had a hard time to believe the turn of events.

I watched Valerie sneaked her hand to her face that was covered by her hair, possibly wiping away her tears as she made a quiet, almost inaudible sniff. Suddenly I didn't really crave for chocolate anymore.

I was more than aware that at the moment she was scared as hell of both Matt and I. Fuck that—most likely of me since I was the one who kept pushing her over the edge the whole day, but actually she didn't have to worry about anything. I was a man of my word. I had told her that I wouldn't kill her for she had saved me in sort of way, and I meant it. I never planned to kill anybody after all.

But Valerie obviously didn't think the same, and I wasn't in the right place to blame her...

"Bing-Oh!"

Matt's voice disrupted my deep muse—thankfully—and I gave him my attention. Valerie also looked up, making a last swift motion to wipe her cheek and turning to Matt. "It's from an abandoned apartment building, just a few blocks away from this place," Matt said, grinning. "We're lucky. It might only take ten minutes ride. But I wonder how can we be sure he's actually present and not only his cell phone?"

"There's only one way to know," I said drearily as I shifted on the seat and put on my helmet. "Hit the place."

Ten minutes later (actually I made it into seven since I drove like a psycho), we arrived at the building Matt mentioned. Indeed, it was an abandoned building, four storeys apparently. Looking at the rotten condition and the moss spreading over the filthy walls, it seemed like it had been abandoned many years ago.

I stopped my bike at the front door and Matt parked his Camaro next to me. He stepped out of the car, inspecting the scene before us.

"Man, total mess," he commented thoughtfully. "Not to mention spooky."

"I wouldn't be the one talking," I sneered at him after disregarding my helmet and stepped down from my bike, approaching his car. I stopped just before the front door, my eyes were fixated on the silent girl inside. I had made Valerie took the car this time. It was my mere good intention since I thought she needed a decent seat concerning her condition and the weather, but of course, I didn't tell her that.

"You," I knocked the window, "follow me." I had to bring her along when I demand Jack's explanation about the heroin. She could present some arguments in case Jack would retort.

The brunette turned, scrutinizing me with weary eyes. I considered re-aiming my gun at her since there was no response, but she opened the door before I could move a finger. "Ok," she replied. She added a second later, more like a mumbled whisper directed to herself, "No need to use your gun."

She stepped down and closed the door, joining me on the ground. I felt a pang of guilt at her last remark, but quickly shut it down. This is no time to concern modesty. I would give a proper apology later once we had everything settled.

I turned to the goggled redhead who was enjoying his cigarette at the moment. "Matt, stay here. Call me if anything happens."

Matt took the cigarette off his lips and grinned sheepishly. "Roger that, Mels."

Without wasting any second (and without caring for the fact that Matt had once again called me with that fucking dumb nickname), Valerie and I approached the building and I pushed the moldy door open. My gun was readily secured between my fingers. As we entered, my footsteps echoed hauntingly every time they clunked against the stony ground. I swept my gaze across the whole room once we're inside.

This place was totally dim, almost completely dark, if it wasn't the sun ray penetrating through the shattered windows, giving a faint light inside the hall. There were no signs of anybody here though; my sharp predator senses assured me that.

"Should we search every room?" Valerie asked quietly.

"No need to," I said, digging into my pocket and pulled out my cell phone. I dialed Jack's number right away. There was a long silence before the dial tone started ringing. Once... twice... thrice...

A faint cell phone ringtone rang through the air, and it was from the upper floors. But no one answered the call.

I looked at Valerie and she did the same, then we hurriedly rushed through the stairs, following the direction of the ringing sound until we hit the fourth floor. It came from inside one of the closed rooms. Still no one answered as the ringtone kept ringing without a pause, filling the thick aura.

I attempted to open the door but apparently it was locked. "Jack!" I hammered the wooden surface of the door. "I know you're here. Open the fucking door!"

I called for a few more times, only to get nothing for response. Was the idiot sleeping or what? But that couldn't possibly happen in this kind of situation. My brows twitched. Something clearly isn't right.

I turned to Valerie. "Close your ears," I ordered and I suppose she caught the hint; Valerie pressed her palms against her ears and took a few steps back. I aimed my gun at the keyhole. Three shots rang and stopped, leaving a stinging uncomfortable silence. I beckoned Valerie to follow me. Making sure that the lock had broken, I harshly grabbed the handle while at the same time pushed the door open, and we burst in.

The first sight that came after that stunned me.

There on the floor, Jack Neylon was laying on his back, dwelling in pool of dry blood, with dozens of gunshot wounds over his chest.

A/N: Whoa. Look who decides to go on writing spree lol.

And I'm starting to consider changing the category from romance to suspense since I think it would fit the story best (Mello and Val's relationship progression will still continue as planned, so no worries), what do you think?

Anyways, review, please? :) *wink wink*

Coming up next...

"What are you doing?"

I hesitated before I gave him a response. "I just… I want to give this a try. Estimating his time of death, I mean. Maybe it could clarify a few things?"

Maybe Jack had wanted to show me something... But what?

"MELLO, GET OUT OF THERE RIGHT NOW!" Matt's voice screeching out of the phone...

"Listen, I understand if you don't trust me, but look around you! You think you have better options here?!"

"You're just going to let me die down there!"

"Unless you're eager enough to die, missy, I'M NOT!"

I must be out of my mind.