(Author's Note: Yay for new chapter! Diehard Near fans are going to kill me.)
Chapter XXIII: Unclosing, Part II
I apprehensively looked over the brush to see the sandy-colored brick building surround by a rather threatening looking barbed-wire fence. Indeed, the prison was where Matsuda said it would be. Guards were standing at every entry point, armored, and holding large automatic weapons. Even the vent had someone manning it. Even if I got in, there was no chance of me getting out undetected, let alone with a prisoner. Stealth was not an option. I was only armed with a small pistol concealed in my jeans, so I couldn't exactly mow them down. Not to mention I was five months pregnant and a fight would end up with me and my child losing our lives. I began to understand my situation clearly. I could not have everything I wanted. There was only one option; bargaining.
I began to plan on how to get caught. I couldn't try to waltz in through the front gate, because they would just turn me away. I circled the building in the cover of the forest looking for an access point. I saw a large expanse of wall that was unguarded, most likely because I couldn't get into a door from there anyway. I crept quietly forward and kneaded the soil with my hands. It was soft from recent rain. I could dig my way under the fence. I had my plan formulated. I turned around and walked back through the forest for about a mile back to the motorcycle I had concealed under trees. I opened my bag and pulled out a bottle of water and sat down for some rest. As night began to fall, I got back on my feet and headed back to execute my plan.
I approached the fence. I was only slightly nervous. At this point, I was sort of acclimated to danger. I knew there was a chance they'd shoot me on sight, but it was unlikely. From appearances, I was an unarmed civilian trying to sneak in to see a family member jailed. Once they saw that I was pregnant, they definitely would not harm me. If Near was really in charge here, I'd probably be taken to him at his request.
I dug a sizable hole under the fence and began sliding my myself through it. I climbed up onto the soft, wet grass on the prison yard and wiped the mud from my hands. I ran to the wall and moved close to it. I began quietly sneaking to the corner. I peered around the corner and that's when I noticed it; a laundry chute. The guard that was supposed to be watching it was leaning against the wall snoring slightly. I smiled. Maybe my "getting caught" plan should be bumped to plan B. I could get caught rescuing Mihael, couldn't I?
I quietly and quickly dove into the chute. I barely fit, it was quite narrow, but I managed to slide myself through and I descended down a slide and I landed in a large laundry basket. I climbed out into the dark, small underground room. On a rack were several freshly cleaned uniforms. I sifted through them until I found a female guard uniform and slipped it on. I shuddered a bit, remembering how my last undercover mission ended. But this was different. Raito was not yet a threat. I tied back my hair and exited the room. The hallway was well-lit and eerily quiet. I looked across the corridor and saw a bathroom. I ducked inside and inspected myself in the mirror. I still looked like me.
I searched around for anything to hide my traits. I discovered an abandoned flat iron on the counter. I turned it on, and flattened out my hair. I searched around for anything else. I found a purse left on a coat hook. I shuffled through its contents and I found make-up. I took out the foundation. It was slightly darker than my natural skin and it would cover my freckles. I rubbed it over my face and on my arms. I looked quite different now. I placed the purse back to where I found it and proceeded back into the hallway. I walked down to a metal gate separating the corridor from a block of darkened cells. I tried to push it open, but it was locked. I reached into the pocket and withdrew a ring of keys. I tried several before one unlocked the door. I wanted to look into each cell, but it might be suspicious to do so.
I proceeded into a small office and found a book, an index of prisoners and their cells. This was vital information. Now, I knew where to look. I turned pages, looking for Mihael Keehl, Mello, any name that might be his. I spent hours looking, but I found nothing. Frustrated, I turned to the computer. It had an automated index that allowed me to search by name, aliases, crimes, and description. I decided to try my luck with description. I entered "Blonde hair, six feet tall. Athletic build." The search came up with fifteen results. I looked through each name and photo, but none matched him. Finally, I found one last strange entry. It was titled in all cap, bold letters, ORION, located in cell 666. I tried to access the file, but an error message flashed on the screen.
Classified information. Please enter proper security code.
Somehow, I knew that if any of these entries was him, that was it. I didn't know what Orion meant, or the obviously offensive cell choice meant. Maybe it was bait for me. Maybe it meant something more. I exited the room and slowly made my way into the 600 section of the building. Cell 666 looked as ordinary as the rest. I inserted my master key into the lock of the door and opened it. I was met with a wall of darkness. I closed the door behind me. I flipped the switch and the room became dimly lit. My heart began beating quickly as I saw my hunch was correct. I saw Mihael asleep on a mattress in the corner of the room. I hurried over and knelt beside him. I touched his shoulder, and nudged him lightly. He groaned slightly and opened his eyes.
"It's me," I quietly. "I'm here."
"Morgan?" he groaned. "Wow, you're good." he chuckled slightly.
"Not good enough," I said. "I don't know how to get you out of here."
"I was careless," he said. "I went to get some weapons, but I was ambushed. I don't know how you escaped them."
"Escaped who?" I asked.
"The police," he said. "Near sent them after you, right?"
"No," I said. "Someone shot Matsuda - he told me you were here- and..." I broke off. "Well, he tried to put the moves on me. But nothing really happened. Then Ryuk appeared, making all these weird allusions."
"That is strange. How heavily guarded was the outside?" he asked.
"I only got in because of pure luck. There were armed guards everywhere." Something in my mind clicked. "But if he was trying to lure me in, he would leave a way for me to get in, and would have let me proceed almost to the end and then spring his trap."
"It makes no sense," he said.
"I know," I said. "How are we getting out of here?"
"We're not," he said. "It's impossible. You need to talk to Near. Get some information."
"You're probably right," I sighed. "I'm just so close, I don't want to leave. I don't know that I can manage by myself."
"You got this far on your own," he said. "You'll be okay."
"I love you," I said. I said it just for reassurance. Just for extra strength.
"I love you too," he said. "Be careful. Stay strong. Don't let him scare you."
I stood up. "I'll be back," I said.
"Good luck," he said.
-------
I approached the metal door to an office. I couldn't know for sure that Near was there. The only sign was a candle outside the door. I opened the door, and I knew my guess was right as I stepped over a toy truck. I closed the door behind me and I saw him huddled in the corner, looking up at me, not surprised at all.
"I know what you're here for," he said.
"You want me?" I said. "You can have me. Just let Mihael go."
"Tempting offer," he said. "But I'll have to decline. He's not going anywhere."
"I'm offering what you want," I said. "I don't understand what you want with him. Isn't he of no value to you?"
"I won't deny that I do want what you offer," he said. "But my priorities have been rearranged. I need Mello. I have a project in the works."
"What project?" I said. "Is this about ORION or something?"
"How do you know about ORION?" he said.
"It was in the automated index. It was a classified file."
"As you know," he began. "We've lost L already. Neither Mello nor I individually have the same capabilities as L. Each generation, we lose more and more. Just selecting the most gifted children in a motley group at an orphanage is not good enough. I plan to preserve, no, enhance the gene pools from which Mello and I originated, by reproducing them, breeding out the defects, exacerbating the good qualities."
"Clones," I said. "You want to clone him?"
"In simple terms, yes," he said.
"Why do you need to keep him them?" I said. "Take some blood or something. Just let him go."
"I can't do that," he said. "This project requires intense experimentation. I need to compare the new specimen with the old."
"You crazy motherfucker!" I said. "I can't let you do this. You're messing with human lives. He's not an object. I can't let you do this to him."
"Morgan," he said. "I'm going to offer you the opportunity to walk away. Walk out of here, forget what you saw, what you heard. I won't come after you. Just...walk...away."
"No!" I said. "I'm not afraid of you."
"Then you leave me no choice but to alert the guards of your presence," he said. "Unless you leave right now, you're going to die. Don't you understand? You've seen too much. They'll shoot you right here."
"Go ahead," I said. I didn't have a plan. I wasn't thinking at that moment. But all thought stopped suddenly with tremendous light and a wave of heat.
----
I opened my eyes, slowly. I was surrounded by dust. Rubble. Where was I? How did I get here? I stood up, finding that I miraculously uninjured. I stepped over piles of debris until I noticed a splatted of blood on a large chuck of the ceiling. I knew where I was. I frantically dug through the rubble and dust. I uncovered a limp, bleeding, nearly lifeless Near. My heart sank when I saw that he had been impaled with three pieces of reebar through the chest and abdomen.
He looked up at me, breathing shallowly. His ghost white skin was stained with blood. It flowed from his mouth and nose, and it covered the upper half of his body. I honestly never thought that a human being could bleed that much. I knew he wouldn't survive.
"The reebar," he gasped. "I'm dead."
"Save your strength," I said quietly. I pursed my lips. I felt hot tears building in my eyes.
"You're sad?" he gasped again. I said nothing.
"Do me one last favor," he breathed. "Tell me that you love me. Lie if you have to. I don't care. Just let me hear it."
"I.." I said quietly.
"Please," he choked out. "I can't...I can't breathe...I can't hang on..."
"I love you," I said. Tears dripped from my eyelashes onto his forehead.
"Morgan," he choked again. "I...can't..."
"Just let go," I whispered. "You don't have to hold on."
One last breath escaped his lips, as well as two barely audible words...
"..I'm scared..."