TCLA: So this arc is soon coming to an end! I have no idea if it does end or not in this chapter because I haven't written it yet.

Near: Poor planning on your part.

TCLA: Says the sheep whom Mello beat for once

Near: You act as if that matters to me. TCLA-san owns nothing, and will not amount to anything due to this.

TCLA: Harsh.

Chapter 31 Rescue

Water was being pressed against my lips. I drank it gratefully, aware that my body was close to being dehydrated. The flow of water stopped and my eyes flickered opened, hoping for more. Kinoshita was standing above me, his face impassive. I immediately understood I wasn't to speak.

"Is she awake?" Kinoshita's gaze drifted to the floor.

"Yes," his voice was low and submissive.

"Then go set the camera up," Minagawa ordered. "We need to contact L fast." Kinoshita quickly moved away from me, fear appearing briefly on his face. "So Kira," my lips twisted into a frown at the name, "I have decided to be very generous and give you a chance to confess to someone other than myself."

"L." The word escaped me unthinkingly.

"That's right," he said mockingly. "And whether you confess to him or not, this will be your last day here." I caught the undertone. This was my last chance to confess alive.

"We better get started then," I answered, my voice much calmer than I actually was. He glared at me before whirling on Kinoshita.

"Is it ready?"

"Ah…y-yes," Kinoshita stammered.

"Then start it!" Kinoshita's hands shook as he started the connection.

We waited in silence. Kinoshita tremblingly pushed forward a speaker and retreated behind the camera. Obviously Minagawa didn't want Kinoshita to be seen.

I held my breath. Waiting.

Rei.

The word came through, soft shock detectable on his end despite the voice filter.

"Good L, I wasn't sure if you would answer our little call," Minagawa said with a grin.

Why have you contacted me?

L sounded calm, disinterested almost.

"You have been getting our messages haven't you?"

If you're referring to the recorded images of you torturing Rei under the pretense it would force her to admit to being Kira, then yes. We have received them.

"Then I should let you know that this is Kira's final ultimatum." I felt a sharp pressure against my head. "You see, while it's difficult for civilians to obtain guns, it's quite easy to purchase a nail gun. It's a perfectly good substitute, and works much better when you intend to leave the victim alive." The pressure was removed. "I'm curious as to how many times one can be shot throughout the body with nails before breaking down."

That still does not explain why you have chosen now to contact me.

"Patience. I'm giving Kira the opportunity to confess to you. If she refuses, I give her six more hours to think about her answer. Then," Minagawa laughed, "well, then I get to test my little experiment." Minagawa roughly shook the chair. "You better get started Kira."

I stayed silent, my eyes shifting to Kinoshita, hiding behind the camera. I needed L to get the message and understand it wasn't a trap or some sort of distraction. That someone here was helping me. Someone like Tai. Tai. My eyes went back to the camera.

"Tai. Tai's here L. He's here L!" My voice went up, my tone wild, trying to convey what I truly meant. A sharp pain across my face. I had been slapped. Minagawa looked enraged.

Rei. You misunderstand. Tai is dead. You attended his funeral.

There was nothing in his voice that said he understood, but his flat tone comforted me. He wouldn't risk showing emotion.

Minagawa relaxed. He was attributing my outburst to a leftover reaction from the drugs. "Well then, L. I believe we're done."

The video was cut and Kinoshita sagged to the floor, relief on his face. He made eye contact with me, along with a sharp nod. It had been sent.

~L's POV~

Tai. I felt a smile grow on my face. I understood immediately when she had said those words.

"Ryuzaki, why are you smiling?" Light demanded. "And who's Tai?"

"Tai is our way to Rei. I believe if we wait a few moments, then we will be able to discern Rei's location."

"But," I cut Light off with a gesture, my eyes focusing on the address that had just appeared on the monitors.

"Light, please cross reference this address with the general area we determined Rei to be." Light's fingers flew across the keyboard. "Light?"

"It fits," Light breathed. "We know where Rei is."

"Watari," I called over the intercom. "We have located Rei. I presume you already have the supplies needed. Please bring them."

"Ryuzaki, what's the plan?" The teen turned towards me, determination on his face.

"The plan, Light. Is that you and your father will remain here, while the remainder of the team will retrieve Rei."

"What? You expect us to stay here?" I frowned, was he really going to argue now?

"Light, I believe I had already explained this. I cannot allow you to become involved. Your emotional attachment to Rei will cloud your judgment."

"What about the handcuffs?" Light said, grasping at straws. "I have to come with you."

"I was going to remove the handcuffs, if only for a brief period. They would inhibit my performance."

Watari entered the room, wheeling various weapons and ammunition on what had previously been a desert cart. I delicately picked up a gun, and loaded it gingerly. My expression turned sour. I detested guns.

"Performance?" Light asked, skeptically.

"Pick a target Light." He paled.

"What? You can't be serio-"

"Pick a target Light," I said firmly.

"The center of the wall," he said quietly. He had barely finished speaking when I fired. Light flinched, visibly shaking. I had forgotten he hated guns as much as I did.

"I apologize Light. That was insensitive me, especially after your father pretended to murder you. But as you can see," I gestured to the hole, "my aim is impeccable." Light swallowed heavily.

"You're right," he muttered, "I won't be able to do anything to help."

"Then you're understanding what I am requiring on your part," I prompted. Realization dawned on Light's face.

"You want me unconscious. If you're unable to monitor me in person, you want me unable to act or think." I nodded.

"Ryuzaki," Light's father started to protest, "this is unesse-"

"Alright," Light agreed. "Do you have a sedative prepared or anything?"

"Something like that," I muttered, letting my fist fly towards his face. My kicks were much stronger than my punches, but I felt Light deserved this small kindness at the very least. The hit was solid. Light's eyes rolled back into his head and he collapsed, his head hitting the floor again.

"Light!" I ignored the cries coming from the previously silent task force and tugged Light's body to the couch and handcuffing him to the coffee table; nailed to the ground for extra precaution.

"Yagami-san if he begins to regain consciousness before we return, I'm asking that you put him back under." Light's father stared at me in horror.

"Isn't there a sedative or something I could give him?"

"I suppose if you can find an alternative method, then that would be acceptable as long as he remains unconscious."

I turned to the other members of the task force, struggling into the Kevlar Watari provided. Watari of course was already prepared, true to form. His sniper rifle was already loaded. I gave them a nod, my eyes moving from Matsuda, nervously holding his gun away from anything to Mogi stoically standing apart from the group to Aizawa, frowning as per usual.

"Let's go."

The building was old and grimy. It fit every cliché created for situations such as these. Perhaps I would have laughed if my purpose here had been different.

I approached slowly. Alone, I had insisted upon that. The other officers were simply there to provide back up and prevent escape. Watari was currently perched on the fire escape of one of the surrounding buildings.

I slinked to the side of the building, an alley. This was my best chance at entering undetected. A fire escape clung precariously to the worn out bricks. There was a door, as I had known there would be, and it opened easily. I didn't know if this was ignorance or confidence on Minagawa's part, or if the person helping Rei had been behind it. I didn't dwell too much on the fact.

It was dark inside, despite the daylight. The few grimy windows stopped light from fully entering. I was looking for some sort of a basement. I had managed to gather that much from the videos. It had been darker than this in the video, hinting it had been underground along with the background sounds such as a generator.

My eyes found stairs in the gloom, leading downward. I didn't hesitate to take them. The room they led to was empty, save for a camera. I was close then. There was another door in the room, it was ajar and I could hear a voice on the other side.

"Kinoshita's gone. He told didn't he?" There was a dry laugh. "It's a good thing I've got you then. Isn't it Kira?"

I pushed the door open.

~Rei's POV~

The nail gun was pressed firmly against my head. I kept silent, knowing one wrong word would leave me with a nail in my skull.

The door swung open. Minagawa tensed, pressing the gun even harder. A familiar slouched figure emerged, his white shirt reflecting the little light in the room.

"Ryuzaki."

"Rei."

There was a painful twist of the gun.

"So you're Ryuzaki, eh? Can't say you look like much."

He was here. He was here. He was here. I was incapable of thinking anything else.

"So what's your plan? How are you going to make me release her? You're unarmed, and even if you were, if you tried anything she would be dead."

"I was going to propose an exchange. Me for her. I assure you, L would be quite willing to negotiate with you in order for my safety." God his voice. I had missed that voice. "L is already reexamining Rei's involvement with the Kira case, so there is no probability of her escaping the blame." I stayed still, reason finally returning to me. L was going to talk our way out of this.

L approached slowly, holding his hands up in a submissive gesture. I felt the grip on the gun slacken. Minagawa's finger pulled back. And I saw L's foot before Minagawa did. But what L didn't see, and I did, was Minagawa's finger move back to the trigger.

I screamed, a stabbing pain assaulting me. Blood dripped from the wound, sliding across my skin. My shoulder, I realized in a haze of red. He had gotten my shoulder. Where was L? Where was L?

"Ryuzaki?" I asked. My eyes focused on him. He was still standing, I noticed with relief. Minagawa was on the floor; knocked out, I presumed. He turned towards me upon hearing the alias.

"Are you alright?"

"He…got my shoulder." L hissed at seeing the nail that somehow hadn't completely penetrated though the muscle

"Here, take this while I untie you." He pressed something metallic into my hand. My fingers curled around it, taking in the shape.

"A gun," I said blankly. The ropes slackened around me. "Civilians can't have them."

"You can argue about this later, for now we need to return to headquarters." L pulled me to my feet, careful to avoid contact with my shoulder. He took the gun back, replacing it with his hand.

"We're leaving him?"

"For now, yes. I will summon the proper authorities later," he explained distractedly. I must look bad if L was worried. Comforting.

A flight of stairs. A dark room, though brighter than where I had been before. L went to a door and turned the handle. He cursed under his breath in what sounded like English.

"It's locked." He paused for a moment. "The fire escape." We went up another flight of stairs and to a window, which L threw open. "Rusted through," he muttered. Another flight of stairs, The other side of the building. A window. L sighed in relief and went through.

"We can get through here." L offered me his hand, helping me onto the rickety metal. My head spun. I was getting light-headed from blood loss. L climbed down the first ladder helping me down after him. We got to the ground shortly afterwards. "Only a little more Rei." I nodded, mostly focusing on stopping myself from collapsing.

Things started to blur. Walking. The sound of a far off gunshot. A body hitting the ground. Voices. The starting of a car.

"Matsuda, you'll have to drive us back to headquarters. I need Watari to attend to Rei."

"What about the hosp-"

"Matsuda. Drive. Watari?"

"I need to remove the nail. Please restrain her."

I screamed. My shoulder was burning. I thrashed wildly, though I didn't move much. Someone was holding me down.

"…Rei."

I blacked out.

~Author's Note~

And so the torture arc concludes! Yay! Some of the vagueness of certain things will be cleared up next chapter. Because you all stuck with me through this, you'll get some well deserved fluff before we return to the plot of Death Note. Lucky you!

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