Chapter fourteen:

Mello dodges to the right causing the man to swing at the air of where Mello had just been. He notices a clear path into the yard. He could leave and not risk it. His mind reminds him of how he had almost killed Near, then he had taken him to that location where he had gotten actually kidnapped. He decides that even if he doesn't like the other the right thing to do would be to try to save him. He dashes for the way in hearing the man chasing after him. He keeps going feeling a rush of determination rush through him. He makes it into the yard grabbing the handle to the gate. He swings it closed and holds it as the man tries to bash his way inside. He braces himself against the ground hoping that he manages to hold it in place. He ducks his head as a knife tries to stab through the small slits between the wood.

After a few moments of fighting the man gives up cursing then running off, most likely to run to wherever the front door is.

Mello lets go of the gate and hurries towards the house. He has a very short amount of time to take a look for where Near is. He also needs to get away from the last spot the man had seen him in. He knows if he stays in one spot then he is as good as dead. He crouches peeking into a basement window where he sees Near tied to one of the metal support beams. He can't gesture to the other since Near's back is to him.

"Mello? Did you get out of there? Are you okay?" Matt's voice reminds Mello that he still has the red head on the phone.

"Stay quiet. I got into the backyard. The guy is running around to the front. I can see Near in the basement tied to a pole. He's not facing me though." Mello whispers then he hears a door creak open. He ducks into a nearby bush where he watches the man storm out into the yard.

The man glances around at not seeing Mello. He mumbles to himself before heading inside.

Mello waits just in case the man is waiting by a window. "I'll try to get in." He whispers to Matt. "But you should send L the location and get him to send cops out. Just try to talk as little as possible to me. I want to try to get to Near before the man perhaps tries to finish the job." He moves back to the window that he saw Near through. He looks for potentially a way to open the window from the outside. He doesn't want to smash it knowing that the man would hear then come running.

"Okay. Go. I believe in you. Retreat if you have to. I don't want you to lose your life over this. I'll contact L." Matt whispers into the phone.

Mello puts the phone down to try to focus on how to get inside of the basement. He presses against the home upon hearing a window above be opened. He sees a hand stick out of a window on the top floor of the two story home. He sees a pistol held in the hand.

The gunman shoots a shot at one of the bushes.

Mello grabs his phone and sneaks towards the backdoor. He opens it when the sound of the gun goes off again at another bush. He knows that there is only four bushes in that backyard and one tree by the fence. He has a very limited time. "I'm inside the house. I'll find a way to the basement." He whispers to Matt.

"I was scared you got shot." Matt admits in a returned whisper. "But I didn't want to give away your position if you were still okay."

"I'm okay. He's shooting the bushes looking for me. Now let me focus." Mello creeps further into the home. He finds that there is a set of upward carpeted stairs to the left not far from the backdoor area.

Straight ahead looks to be the kitchen and to the right there is just a closet.

Mello goes straight ahead into the kitchen where there is a turn to the left leading to the living room. He goes there next and realizes that he doesn't hear anymore gunshots. He bets that the man either is waiting to see if he'll emerge or possibly just giving up. He spots a door with the back of the couch facing it though there is a gap between the door and the couch. He goes over to it having a gut feeling that it is the way down. He reaches for the doorknob when a suddenly flash of darkness goes past his eyes. He hears that voice from before enter his head.

"This is your last chance to go back."

Mello blinks in determination to defy these orders. He doesn't let some creature tell him what to do. He tries the doorknob only to find that it is locked. He hears a sadistic sounding laugh in his head then a darkness zooms off towards the upstairs. He gets up hearing footsteps above him. He knows that the creature must be taking the man to the blonde's location. He slams a kick to the door trying to bust it in. He keeps going as the footsteps hurry down the stairs. He silently pleads for the door to open up. He slams another hard kick to said door which he notices is giving way. He prepares another kick just as footsteps are now hurrying from around the corner. He slams his foot into the door that finally busts inwards. He dashes down the stairs swearing that he hears a bullet fly past just behind him. He gets to the bottom and moves left around the stairs that end facing a wall. He can see that the basement has a few rooms though the part that Near is in has an open concept looking area. He hurries over to the other who turns him.

Near has a cut on his cheek though that is the only injury that Mello sees on him.

That creature must have thought that there was absolutely no way that Near would be found especially so soon. So it must have tried to drag it out in the hopes to make Near suffer a little more before he died.

"Stay quiet." Mello whispers then works on untying the other even as the man's footsteps hurry down the stairs.

"Mello. Get out of here. It's too dangerous." Near tries to protest to the other. "He'll kill you. You shouldn't have to suffer such a horrible fate."

"Shut up." Mello can feel the man's gaze on him and knows that he is raising the gun. He focuses on untying the other. "It is very much too late for me to go back now. Rival or not that doesn't mean I should just leave you to suffer such a fate like this. It wouldn't be right."

"Mello!" Near gasps about to tell him to move out of the way of the gun Mello knows is aimed right at his back.

Mello closes his eyes softly as he pauses in the untying of Near.

The trigger is pulled as indicated by the click of the gun.

No bullets go flying however.

The gun clicks a few more times as if in a desperate attempt to get it to fire anything but just air.

Mello opens his eyes half way smirking smugly then looks over his shoulder at the man who is checking his ammo. "You should have been counting the shots you were firing like I was. You wasted too much on that backyard." He can see that the man had left the knife elsewhere to take the gun. He pulls the last part of the rope holding Near causing the rope to collapse from its hold over the other. His eyes open fully in surprise when he feels Near suddenly hug him.

"I won't tell anyone what happened in my room. I know that it wasn't your fault." Near whispers in a promise in Mello's ear before pulling back from the thank you hug. He looks to the man who tosses the gun away but remains standing to guard the stairs.

Mello shakes his head to recover from the shock of Near's hug. "Right. Well anyways guess we'll have to just get past this guy now."

Near makes a confirmation sound at this as the two face the man ready to take him on as he also seems ready to fight them in order to stop them.