Chapter six: Trail of crumbs. Matt's P.O.V.
I rush to the nurse. "Did you see Near or anyone come in to take him?" I demand.
The nurse looks up. "He said he was just going to the washroom about five minutes ago and he didn't want to wake you." She explains.
I relax a little glad that he wasn't taken while I snoozed. "Oh ok thanks." I leave heading to find him but there is no sign of him in the washrooms. I head back to the nurses office but he didn't return. I wonder if he's in the play room when I spot something outside. I look out the window to get a closer look only to see Mello and the panther attacking a kid ready to kill him. I spot movement from the bottom of my vision and looking down I see Near moving towards the two getting ready to kill the kid. "No!" I rush down and run into Rodger before I could get to the back door.
"Matt what are you doing?" Rodger questions.
"Near!" I say slightly panting. "Outside… Mello and panther attacking a kid…. Near is going towards them!"
Rodger's eyes widen and we race outside only to find Near is standing at the other two.
"I know why you're here and I… surrender." Near says.
Mello is in cat form and the panther is in human form holding the kid ready to kill him.
The panther throws the kid away and the kid scrambles to get away running.
Mello and the panther flank Near keeping one on each side as they lead him into the bushes.
I rush after them with Rodger but they are moving quickly and are already a good distance ahead of us. I am about to enter the bushes when I notice something. I look down and sure enough there is a trail of dirt like a trail of crumbs leading into the bushes. I realize what this is. "Near has a bag of dirt with a hole and it is leaving a trail so we know where to go." I smile. "Smart boy. Let's go."
Rodger grabs my arm. "Wait Matt." He says stopping me. "We won't be able to do anything if it's just the two of us." He says.
I turn to him. "But Rodger. The dirt trail won't last long enough to come up with a plan or to wait for backup. We can follow it and find out where it is then we can come up with a plan from there."
Rodger looks thoughtful a moment only to end up sighing. "You're right Matt. We need to get going but we are right now only finding out where they are taking him." He says.
I nod and I take the lead as we follow the trail.
No one's P.O.V.
The three have slowed for now then Mello in human form suddenly moves to stand in front of Near causing them all to stop walking.
Near looks to Mello then Mello slaps Near but had his claws out so he scratched Near's cheek.
Mello gives a good hard glare to Near. "You disgust me. You are like some whore." He hisses folding his ears back in rage. "I will punish you if master doesn't do that for me."
Near looks to Mello. "I am sorry for whatever I did to upset you." He says a little softly.
Mello hisses and scratches Near's arm ripping the fabric of the shirt. "I don't want you're fucking heartless apologises! You are nothing but a suck up and a whore!" He is about to attack Near again when panther grips his arm. He looks to panther angered.
"We can let this continue later. Right now we need to get to master." Panther says.
Mello hisses ripping his arm out of panthers grip. He turns away. "Yeah yeah. Let's just get going. I bet there'll be more torture waiting back with master."
So the three get moving again going to give Near to the sick bastard they call master.
As Matt and Rodger come up to the point where Near was a attacked a few minutes later they find a few drops of blood.
Matt crouches by some of the drops of blood on the ground and growls knowing that one of the two had hurt Near. He looks up in determination and rage. "They hurt Near." He snarls.
"Calm down Matt." Rodger says a little fearful since he's never seen Matt angry because Matt has always been more of a laid back guy who doesn't get angry. "It won't help in any way to get upset over this." He tells the other. "We need to continue to follow the trail right now."
Matt doesn't look to Rodger and he nods getting up following the trail with Rodger behind him but Rodger isn't being given even a glance at the moment by the red head.
Rodger looks up ahead and sees a building coming up. "Matt. I think that's it." He says.
Matt looks up from the trail to look to the building.
It looks like an old warehouse that is abandoned due to all the boarding up on the windows not to mention the doors looking so old they might be ready to fall off their hinges.
"Only one way to find out." Matt responds.
The two pick up the pace following the trial of dirt up to one of the doors that is open a small bit.
"This is the place." Matt confirms then turns to Rodger. "We need to sneak in and find where they are holding Near and the others."
"Hold on one second. I need to call Watari and inform him of everything. I can give him our position and we can have back up to help us take down this operation for these sick experiments they are forcing onto abducted people." He says. "It won't take long." He moves away from the door pulling out his cell phone.
Matt crouches by the door and peers inside seeing the trail of dirt continuing on but starting to run out as it moves down the dim hall showing that the inside of the building was remodeled for the illegal acts committed here.
Rodger comes back to join Matt after a moment. "We need to wait for back up to arrive." He says.
"I need to go in." Matt says still staring down the hall.
"No. Matt it's too dangerous." Rodger says. "Back up will arrive and everyone will be free from this nightmare."
Matt turns to Rodger. "We need to at least sneak in and make sure that Near will be alright. Please Rodger. If people just storm in there's a possibility that they'll kill everyone there or just the ones that won't obey as they escape. If we can do a sneak attack then we have a better chance of rescuing them alive."
Rodger looks thoughtful a moment and even glances into the hall.
"Please Rodger." Matt says pleadingly. "We need to save them!"
Rodger looks to Matt's pleading eyes and sighs giving in. "Alright. We'll do it. But only to take a closer look to know for sure where we are going then we move out and wait for backup."
Matt smiles and nods. "You've got it Rodger." He says and takes the lead into the building as they move as silently as possible while following the trail of dirt.