Chapter four:
The two orphans look out the window as they arrive to what looks to be a large home that must have cost plenty of money; With it looking like a really decent home one might use in a lottery commercial. They step out with their escort once the ride parks. They are lead inside, making sure to take off their shoes before going past the entryway of this place, where they are taken to a large living room.
The living room has dark red carpet which can't be a coincidence, a black wooden coffee table with a shelf under it that has a few magazines on the top then two wooden boxes on the ends of the shelf underneath, a large black corner sofa that looks to be attached to another couch to increase its length, a large TV is mounted on the wall, and there is large windows letting in plenty of natural light as well as glass balcony doors that can be pulled open to move like those automatic doors that part to allow store customers inside.
On the couch is a few men, about three on either side, who look to be lower rank as they just watch with slight snickering smirks on their faces however there is a spark of kindness in their eyes. Also on the couch in the middle is a tall and strong looking man with short black hair that is too short to be styled though doesn't look like a buzzcut sipping on a glass of red wine, and beside him sitting on the back of the couch with her feet on the couch cushions to the right of the tall man is Rai herself.
Rai looks basically like how her picture looked like as she stares at the two with her hands on either side of her helping to support her by resting n the back of the couch. Her gaze looks like Near's usual gaze though with a hint of judgemental coldness to them. "So." Her voice is actually kind of melodic and soft which could easily show how she could seduce men with it. She sounds more like a very attractive woman trying to score a date rather than a high ranking member of a gang. "You two are the ones that contacted me." She shifts her hands so she can place her elbows on her knees as she leans forward. "Explain. This is your chance."
Mello takes a step forward as he knows that Matt is a bit too worried about them being shot to step forward. He explains to Rai about how he had found what he thought was Near dead only to realize that it wasn't Near at all. He explains how he and Matt had started their investigation finding out about Near's siblings and Mello confirming that the corpse is Near's twin brother. "So. That is how we got here. We don't have all the pieces and you are the only one who might be able to shed some light on all of this. We have many questions and it might help us be able to find Near faster."
Rai glances down even slightly tilting her head down as she takes all of this in. She lets out a rather quiet breath. "I suppose we knew that it would catch up to us at some point." She mentions which confuses the two orphans. She turns to look to the tall and strong man next to her.
The man turns to each side gesturing for the lower ranking members to leave which they do without a fuss. He remains however as he turns to the two orphans as Matt relaxes that they are less likely to be shot now.
Rai turns back to the two orphans still leaning forward. "There was a reason that we had to separate." She begins the tale as Mello and Matt sit on the carpet to listen. Her hands linking together as if helping to hide her nerves about the memories. "We were the only survivors of a small town far from here. A place that was taken over by illness however we managed to not catch it. A man from outside of the town took care of us since our mother was too sick to. He got wind that our home was going to be destroyed to contain the virus there. So he took us into an off-road car hurrying us away as outside government came to take information of the illness then to destroy it. As we drove away we turned and watched as a bomb was dropped onto the place we called home." She takes a breath.
The man next to her decides to take over clearly being able to tell how much the memories hurt her. His amber eyes basically looking right into the two males souls despite how his leaning back posture says that he is calm and relaxed. "They were spotted and chased. The man that helped them managed to evade them long enough to hide the three in some bushes. He had prepared them for if they had to be separated from him and get to somewhere safe. He drove off with no one seeing the three as they continued to chase him. That man was blown up as the three saw the explosion that killed him. They trekked through the wilderness towards the town that the man was going to take them to. A healthy place untouched by the illness. There Near called the number given to them. That man that saved them was a former orphan at the orphanage you all attend. The number he gave was a way to contact L himself given to those that help out who came from the orphanage. They never learned his real name only knowing him by F."
Mello and Matt feel some sadness for how Near and his siblings were orphaned.
"They were flown in a plane to here. However things weren't safe. On that plane was someone who put the illness in that town in the first place. He was upset that the three had survived having seen them from visiting it to sneak the illness amongst the population there. He planned to crash the plane to finally take them out himself. It wasn't known why he hated that town specifically. The three grabbed parachutes and secretly jumped out with no choice in order to survive. The man that was driving the plane didn't notice so he died thinking that he had taken them with him. The three became lost in a new place. Some of my men ran into them one day and brought them to me when they realized that they had no one to care about them right then. They told me the story and I accepted them in with my group. They are great learners. Silver loved crafting his own weapons and having a treasured scythe. Near was more of the type to study information and figure out the best way to react to things. A better advisor than a leader. Rai here really got the spirit of our group as she got good with guns and picked up other things good for higher ups of the gang." His gaze only slightly trembles as if saddened by the next part. "It wasn't over for them. While out learning the ropes with some of our members they were attacked by a small group who claimed to be there to kill them for surviving. While the highest leader of their group died for nothing. They got away without the group finding out that they were a part of us." He glances to Rai who takes over again.
"We decided it was best to separate and try to keep them off of our tails. I enjoyed this life more than my brothers and with me being the youngest it was decided that I stay here where it is safe. Near called the number again and went to the orphanage only letting what needs to be known was known. Silver on the other hand took up a wandering life originally planning to find his own place to settle. He came to love going from place to place and stuck to it instead. We kept in secret contact in a secret chat room one of the members of the Shadows made us… Until we lost contact with Silver as he stopped replying. We worried and I sent out search parties for him hoping that he was just out there somewhere. Only his scythe was found which was something he would never abandon. Other than us as his siblings it was his most treasured possession. We worked on finding him… Then I lost contact with Near suddenly." She gets off of the couch and stands before the two sitting on the carpet. She seems to have regained her composer. "I suppose we now know why I also lost contact with him."
"I don't understand something." Mello admits and Rai seems to already know what he is going to say.
"Why kidnap Near instead of just killing him?" Rai mentions to which Mello nods his head. "Well I believe that it is because they still had to find me. Granted I wasn't the most hidden. However they don't know the location of any of this group's hideouts including this one. So it was likely so they could find out where I am. Near can fight however Silver was always the best fighter out of the three of us. So Near would have been a better target to get information out of based on that. How they found Near I cannot say."
"So will you help us to find him?" Mello already has a feeling that he knows the answer to his question.
"Yes." Rai confirms and Mello feels some relief that she is going to help instead of telling them to leave it to them. "You will have not only my support in this but also all of The Shadows. We all not only want to save my brother, we also want revenge for Silver having to die." Her words gets an approving nod from the man beside her.