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Annals of Fear II	By : DeathNoteFangirl Category: Death Note > Yaoi-Male/Male > Mello/Matt Views: 5803 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note and I do not make any money from these writings

Chapter List
- 35
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- 37
As Fenian drove past, Matt made it back to the door of his Camaro, but Hal was right on his tail.   He stopped, with his hand on the handle, staring at her.   She was going to have to move, if he was to be able to open the door and get inside.   Hal looked right at him, meeting his eyes from barely a foot away.    If it came to it, Matt knew that he'd have to apologise.   Then they could move on.    He shivered with cold, waiting to see if that was going to be necessary.   The deep cuts on his arms stung.   Mello was a mess inside the Camaro.   Hal didn't speak at all.

"Sorry."   Matt whispered and smiled.

Hal nodded and stepped away from the door.    She walked right around him, heading back towards her own car.   Matt gratefully hurried inside his own and touched the key in the ignition.   But Mello was still crying.   Matt didn't turn on the engine.   He watched Mello for a moment, then glanced at the back seat, to see if any of the chocolate bars left there had survived.

"Mail. I'm sorry."   Mello gasped. "I got you into this.   You're cold and you're hurt and it's all my fault.   I'm going to..."

"Have you got any chocolate?"   Matt asked.   Mello's tears were annoying him.   And worrying him.   But mostly annoying him. Mello just looked really upset.   "In a pocket or something?   Chocolate?"   He heard Hal's engine start up behind them and so turned to watch her leave.    She began a three-point turn, obviously wanting to turn around so not to reverse down the lane.   "Mello, čokolada?"

Mello was staring at his arms again.   Matt felt uneasy.   He hadn't meant to cut so deeply.   He knew he was going to have to answer to Mello for this.   "Mail, I'm cracking up again.   I just want to go home."

Matt was already dithering in the night temperature, but this froze him in a different way.   Hal's engine cut out.   Matt glanced through the back window.   The farmyard appeared enclosed within a fence, with an opening at the head of the track road leading into it.    If a gate had ever been fitted upon the empty gateposts, then it wasn't there now.    Nevertheless, Hal had parked lengthways across the entrance, effectively blocking them in.    Matt stared in disbelief.   "Mello, we're in trouble."

"I've seen damnation.   I know what's waiting for me.   I know what..."

"Mello!"   Matt belatedly applied the central locking.   His gaze swept their environment.   Fields, fences, mountain-side, buildings.   If he had had Fenian's Land Rover, then he'd already be driving over the edge of the mountain.   The Camaro wasn't built for that.   It was astounding that they'd survived last time, when Mello had nearly driven them over a Sussex cliff.   The risk of death was too high to attempt.   "Find us an escape route."

Hal tapped on the window.    "Open up, Matt."

There might be something on the other side of those buildings.   Matt turned the ignition and set off at speed.   He was already at 60 and accelerating, when they took the corner between barn and farmhouse.    The tyres slipped on the uneven surface and took them within an inch of hitting the barn.   The Camaro rocked and Mello, without his seatbelt on, was obliged to grab a handhold on the door and dash, as he flew forward.    Matt compensated on the steering and took them through the gap.   He was driving blind, through unlit passages.   An open barn ahead was stacked with bundles of wheat, wrapped up, no exit that way. Matt cut a right turn, the Camaro's tail spinning out again.   Mello plummeted towards him, shrieking, and crashed into Matt's left side.   Matt pushed him away and accelerated again.

"Mail!" Mello yelled. "Stop!"    There was no exit this way either. Only the lane back to where they had started.    They could run Hal over.   They could get out of this.   "¡Mail! ¡Para! ¡Para ya!"

Matt slammed on the brakes.    Mello was tensed for it and only slightly shifted, as the Camaro came to a halt.   "Hal's not on our side."

"Hal is on our side!"   Mello screamed. "Mail! You're breaking my fucking balls!   Give me the keys!"

Matt's vision scanned the road ahead and the mirrors.   Hal was nowhere to be seen.   She was off-road.   Clever girl.    He depressed the accelerator and the Camaro revved.    Mello's hand whipped out and grabbed a handful of Matt's shirt.   The redhead was yanked halfway over the gearstick.   He hit his arm on the steering wheel.   Matt yelled, "She's not on our side! Fuck it, Mello!   Fuck you!"

Matt's face was cupped with a heavily gloved hand and he was forced to meet Mello's blazing glare.    But Mello didn't look right. There were still tears on his cheek.    He didn't wear that trademark smirk, the one that meant that he was a violent motherfucker and was totally in charge of this situation.   Instead, his lips moved, sucked in and tensed, like he was trying not to cry.   He rasped out, "As long as I have breath in my fucking body, you will do what I say.   Is that understood, Jeevas?"

"Not when you're in danger and I'm in danger and..." Matt began, but Mello's arm snaked around his back and pulled him all the way onto him.    The fucker was trying to hug him.    "Mello, why do you think Hal has blocked the exit?"   Matt struggled, but Mello held him fast.    Matt turned to survey the night through their windows, looking for Hal.   But the lack of light and the tint of his goggles rendered that difficult.    She could be anywhere.

"You're so cold."   Mello murmured.   "Did you realise that, Mail?   How cold you are?"

Matt dismissed that without a word.   Of course he was cold.   He was outside, with neither a coat nor a jumper, at the start of winter, in Wales.   Yes, he was cold. Yes, he knew he was cold.   He was the one feeling it.   "Mello. Let me go."   Matt's hand slid down to his boots, seeking his knife.   But he'd thrown one back in Hal's chalet and lost the other in the scuffle in the carpark. He cursed his lack of foresight, in not retrieving it, when Lauren had pulled a gun on Hal.   "¡Joder!"   He fought harder against Mello and actually succeeded in making it halfway back to his seat.   But Mello dived past him and took the car keys from the ignition.   Then he grabbed Matt's collar and pulled him down.   Off-balance and awkwardly sprawled, Matt could only tense every muscle and hope not to fall.     "Mello! You don't fucking understand anything! You've..."

"Stop."   Mello glared.   "You're fighting me, Mail!   Me!"

"Hal tried to stop me getting to you!"

Mello nodded, "When the bottle was out of the tree and we were both mentally fucked? Hal tried to stop you driving then?   Really?   How evil of her!"   He slowly sat up straight.    "Are you ready to calm down, guapo?   Because I've had it.   I've really had it."

Matt wanted to hit him so badly.   Mello was trying to make out that it was his husband who had no grasp of reality.   It wasn't Matt who had been sobbing on his knees.   "Mello. Just let me talk."

"I'm listening, baby."

"You're not thinking straight."

Mello sighed. "And now I've stopped listening."   However, he released his grip on Matt's back and collar.   Matt waited, suspecting a cat and mouse playing here, but Mello didn't move.    Matt gradually inched backwards, until he was sitting in the driver's seat once more.   Only Mello had the car keys.   "Let them do it, Mail. It doesn't matter.    You're cold. You're caked in blood.   We're both overwrought.    Whatever we do, it doesn't matter.   Because it's now been proven, beyond a doubt, that removing the bottle causes us to lose the plot.   And I've seen eternity. I've seen damnation. And I know that what we do right here and now doesn't matter. Because that's waiting and that's really fucking important."    There were tears on his cheeks again. "And I know you want me to be the big, scary, Mafia boss and make it all better for you, but..."

Matt had heard enough.   He opened the Camaro's door and stepped out into the freezing cold night.    It was only once he was out there that he remembered that Hal was here somewhere too.    He waited for the gunshot, which never came.    He looked for any hint of her location, but there was nothing.   He was standing there, literally dithering, like a sitting target and his genius had just left him.   He had no idea what to do.

Behind him, inside the car, Mello checked his communicator, wondering why he was hearing no voices yelling at him from it.   It had been turned off.   He looked puzzled, like he couldn't remember doing it.   Mello sniffed, wiping his tears with his sleeve. He switched the communicator back on.   "Are you out there, Hal?"

"Yes, I am."   Hal's voice responded. "Is it time to calm down and talk?"

It was followed by Deontic's quietly professional tones, "You're on-line M.   This is an open network."

Then Lauren's slightly excitable, "Mello, switch on your 'phone please."

All of this against a background of howling wind and scratching noises.    Matt surrendered and sat back in the car.   He slammed the door shut behind him and lit a cigarette.   Mello was frowning, "Why is there an open network?   If 'Banshee' gets played in that house, then every one of us are fucked.   Parse the fucking signal!   That's why we have a hub!"     Matt uttered an ironic laugh, but the reality was that he suddenly felt really exhausted.   He didn't even want to go back and take over operations in the hub. Beside him, Mello was checking his 'phone.   "No signal on my 'phone.   Parse into channels, Dee, and I need to speak with Hal first."

Matt had a satellite 'phone in the back of the car.   He couldn't be bothered to get it nor to even tell Mello that it was there.   Mello had always said that he'd kill anyone who harmed a hair on Matt's head.   Now Hal had battered him and Mello wanted to speak with her.   It meant shit. All of it.    Matt stared out of the front windscreen, waiting for the bullet to come. It never came. That felt like a betrayal all in itself.   His forearms stung.   It occurred to Matt to wonder if he was so cold because he was bleeding to death.   But no. He'd had the strength to fight Mello.   He was cold because it was October, on a mountain-top, and he was wearing only a long sleeved, polyester shirt.    "Are you going to let Fenian win?"

Before Mello could respond, Deontic spoke again, "M, I can't separate the channels.   The programme to do that is encrypted."

Matt smirked.   "Owned."

Mello rubbed his face.   When he spoke again, he sounded husky.   "It doesn't matter for me and Matt. We're already contaminated.    Be careful out there."   Matt glanced at him.   Mello was crying again.   That really irritated Matt. Mello continued speaking.   "Hal, are we blocked in to allow Fenian escape time?   Only my husband is getting hypothermia here.   I need to get him into the warmth."

"Matt has seriously injured Valerie."   Hal replied.   "Might I suggest that we enter the farmhouse?   It practically belongs to us.   Watari is in the process of buying it from Mrs Roberts.   Century has received a verbal agreement anyway."

Matt froze.   He'd forgotten about Valerie.    He peered sideways at Mello, who was looking aghast at him.   "Hal handcuffed me! And tried to lock me in her chalet!"

Mello cast him a look of pure hatred and got out of the Camaro.   Matt's heart sank.   Mello strode around the back of the car and vaulted the small drystone wall around the farmhouse.   He tried the door, then, a moment later, looked around for something, before alighting on a potted plant.   He lifted it and extracted a key from beneath it.    The farmhouse door swung open.   Matt opened his own door and closed it again.    Mello turned to stare at him.   There was a pregnant moment of indecision, before Mello snapped, "Come on then!"

Matt hurried down the path to where his husband was waiting.   Mello looked so pale, in his motorbike leathers and his tear-stained cheeks.   His blue eyes seemed washed out. Drained.   Barely any emotion there at all.   But this was Mello and he could mood swing on a sixpence.    Matt glanced back to see if Hal was in sight, certain that a gunshot could sound from any direction at any time.   Mello laid a hand on Matt's back and pushed him inside, then closed the door behind him.   Matt had glimpsed the light switch and he slapped it now.   The long, narrow hallway was illuminated.    Mello hurried on, opening doors and peering around them.   Matt just listened at the door.   He was sure that he heard footsteps.

"Hal."   Mello spoke, as he returned to the hallway and marched on into a large kitchen at the back.   "I want you in here with us. If Fenian removes that bottle again, then we're going to need assistance."

Matt stood straight.   "Mello."   He jogged after the Slav.   "Mello, have you fucking heard a word I've said?"

Mello gestured for silence. "And can you bring a first aid box with you?   I'm sure that there's one in your car.   If not, there is one in ours."   He was opening cupboards, checking inside.   The farmhouse was furnished, with many of the Roberts's personal effects still in place.   There was even food, though nothing that was perishable.    He found the thermostat and flicked on the central heating.   Hal hadn't replied.   "Are you reading, Hal?"

"Yes." Hal responded, curtly.

"Ok. Matt, can you talk Deontic through parsing the signals?"

Matt frowned.   He sucked on his cigarette and paced the kitchen floor.   He possibly could.   After all, it wasn't like Deontic was stupid.   Given enough time, like a year, she could well work it out herself.    But he couldn't think of a reason why he should.   Mello obviously wasn't thinking straight and the only advantage that would give was to their rivals.   He heard Mello fill a kettle and looked up.   His husband was close to tears again.   "Mello. Let me lead on this case."

Mello stared at him. "What?"

Matt shivered. His arms were stinging.   There was a rat-a-tat on the front-door knocker.   Matt grit his teeth and stared back down the hallway towards it.   Lauren's voice sounded from Mello's communicator.   "The bottle isn't going to be removed again, Mello.   I'm sitting on it and I am armed."

Mello blinked.    "Thank you, Lauren."   He stepped away from the worktop and rushed down the hallway.   He opened the front door and admitted Hal.    Matt turned away and punched the wall.   It was the next best thing to punching Mello himself.   "Why are you here, Lauren?   And why is Valerie here to get hurt?   I thought I sent you both away, so that you would be safe."   Mello returned to the kitchen.   He had taken Hal's first aid bag from her.    The blonde American walked in his wake, her gun no longer in evidence.    "Mail, sit."

Matt glared at him.   He opened his mouth to speak, but Lauren was answering the question over the communicator and Mello gestured for quiet.   "Deontic called us back. We couldn't find a hire car, so we were in a hotel in Aberystwyth."

"Are you alone?"   Mello asked, gently.

Lauren replied, without emotion, "Yes, I am.   I'm at the base of the yew tree.   Century, Fenian and Kiana are inside the house."

The howling of the foxes was in stereo, both outside their farmhouse and through the speakers.   Mello bit his lip.   "I owe you one, Lauren.   Remind me to double your wages."   He stared at the contents of the first aid bag, looking lost.   "Lauren, if I can find a way of securing the situation here, I'm going to come for you. Ok?"

"Ok." Lauren said, briskly.    "Are you and Matt safe?"

"He's with me."   Mello looked up and his expression was indescribable.   Matt shrank back, realising that Mello was as close to hitting him as he was to hitting Mello.    "And so is Hal.   We're as safe as we can be.   Are the Celts causing you problems?"

"I'm armed."

"You threatened Fenian with a gun?"   Mello smiled.

Lauren hesitated.   "It didn't come to that.   I met them in the manor house's courtyard and said that I wanted the bottle to be put back.   Fenian just did it.   Century looked surprised. I witnessed it, then sat on the root.   Century stood with me.   Fenian ran off down the track to 'phone Kiana, because he couldn't get a signal.   It's a bit hit and miss here."

Mello nodded, though Lauren couldn't see that.   "And did Century say what they found inside the altar?"

"Just that Fenian needed potholing equipment.   Thus I deduced that it was a hole."

Mello frowned.    He glanced at Hal, who shrugged.   The kettle had boiled. She silently got on with finding mugs.   "Hal, it's black instant coffee.   There's nothing much else."   He strode across the room towards Matt.   Matt clenched his fist, fully prepared to break Mello's nose.    But Mello arrived with his hands up in surrender, or in preparation for defence.    He paused just a few feet away and said, sharply, "Are Fenian and Century listening in to this conversation?"

Deontic responded, "It's possible.   Century switched on his communicator a few minutes before entering the house. Fenian activated his audio-visual halfway up the stairs.   As soon as they entered the priest hole, both went blank.   I have GPS signals for both of them in there.   I honestly don't know what they are hearing from us."

"Thank you, Dee." Mello swallowed.   "And is Valerie receiving medical treatment, if that is necessary?"

"Valerie is with me."   Deontic replied, coldly.   "She's got facial cuts and I think there going to be at least two stitches."

Hal interrupted.   "Valerie.   Take a taxi to the hospital.   You don't need to be involved here and I'll come to you as soon as I can."

Mello's gaze burned into Matt.   "They cornered you, didn't they?    They tried to keep you from getting to me."

Hal grit her teeth, "You would have tried to apprehend him too, if you had seen the state of him.   He wasn't safe to drive.   He was obviously in distress."

Mello nodded.   "I can imagine.   I apologise for you getting hurt, Valerie.   This isn't the war for civilians."    He stepped forward suddenly, catching Matt's fist as it rose and capturing the other wrist too.   Both of Matt's arms were slammed against a wooden cupboard door, with the draught from the backdoor chilling them.   Mello pressed himself against Matt's body and held him in a fierce embrace.   Lips bruised against lips, in a possessive, grasping kiss.    Matt wanted to fight him.   He wanted to. But his heart pounded, his skin tingled, his sex hardened and his whole being cleaved towards his husband.   He was surrendering against his own will.    Mello drew away slightly, hissing, with spittle and passion, "I've got you, Mail.   I'll always have you. You're mine, guapo."

Whatever any of the listening women thought, none of them responded.   Hal placed three mugs on the table, steaming black with coffee.   Outside the howling of the foxes suddenly stopped.   The silence was as startling as the sound of them.   But what was worse was Lauren's sudden intake of breath.   She whispered urgently across the network, "Six deer just left the woods.   Four adults and two little ones.   They've taken off up the track."   They all looked to the window, but there was nothing to see but darkness and mountain-side.   Lauren's voice shook very slightly.   "Why would the animals leave the woods?"

Mello broke away from the cupboard door, dragging Matt in an iron grip behind him, towards the table.   "Lauren, I've changed my mind. I want you to go into the house. Into the kitchen.   You'll be able to see from there if anyone goes near to that tree."

"Not if they come down the mountain."

"Go." Mello snapped.   He exchanged glances with Hal.   That irritated Matt.   It was like Hal and Mello were the couple here. He was just the inconvenient third wheel.    Matt began to pull away, but Mello renewed his grasp, then propelled Matt into a chair. "Mail, if I haven't got time to break down, neither have fucking you. So just behave, ok?!"   Mello curled his fingers around Matt's collar and glared.   "Lauren, where are you?"

"I'm in the kitchen."

"Good girl."   Mello cast a quick glance at Hal.   "What's your position, Lidner?"

Hal looked vaguely surprised.   "Lidner?"   She straightened her shoulders and sipped black coffee.   She watched Mello straddle Matt and trap an arm, so he could peel back the sleeve and inspect the damage.   "My position is to secure the safety of all Watari staff and personnel.   A position which has been stretched very thin during the past couple of hours."

"Are you here primarily to safeguard Mail and I; or keep us away from Valerie and Fenian?"

"I'm finding all of the above not incompatible with my current position."

Matt watched Mello nod.   One sleeve had been eased up to reveal the tip of a cut, still bubbling with dark crimson blood.   Matt tried to snatch his arm away.   He didn't want to see this himself and he certainly didn't want Mello nor Hal seeing it.   It was private.   It was shameful and evidence of weakness.   Mello attempted a glare, but his eyes were filmed with tears again and the effect was lost.   Matt felt that he did better with his own glare back.   Mello swallowed.   "I bet you've fucked up your tattoos."

Matt stared. His mouth was dry.   "What?"

"What do you want me to do, Mail?   Because I'm looking at you and all I'm seeing is you needing attention, but you won't let me give it to you."   Mello sounded like he was whining.   He never sounded like that normally.   "Baby, I love you.   If I could get us out of here, I would!   Let them have the fucking case!   I'm past caring!"   Mello rubbed his face.   He left a smear of Matt's blood on his left cheek, over the burn scars there.   "I'm never going to have their respect anyway.   You'd think that someone who had been instrumental in defeating Kira would have auto-respect throughout the Watari world, but no. And if I can't impress them with that, then I never will."   His breathing was short and ragged, like he really was going to start sobbing again.   "I have to work out who I am trying to impress here and if it's worth dying to do that.   But a fucking fucked-up case in the arse end of Britain?   That can't be worth much."   He bowed his head, resting it on Matt's shoulder.   Matt resisted the urge to simply push him off.   "I want you warm and safe.   You're so fucking battered, Mail, and that's my fault.   I'm really trying here."

"Let me lead the case." Matt replied, calmly.

"No!" Mello rasped.   "Let them lead the fucking case.   They'll get the hurt, then come running to us, when they get in over their heads.    Let it happen to them for once."

There was a sudden static over the communicator and Century's voice cut through, excitable and shrill, "Deontic! We're going to need emergency services here!   Crack, there was, and his rope's gone slack!"

Hal's mug slopped coffee, as it was dropped onto the table.   Mello sat back, his eyes meeting Matt's.   Matt smiled, "Our cue?"

Deontic's tones, clipped and professional, rang out, "Which emergency services do you need, Century?"   But there was no reply.   "Century, are you reading me?"   Nothing, not even the static.   "Lauren, have you sight of Century?"   She didn't reply. Deontic audibly sighed.   "Matt, we've lost all signals.   The cameras have just switched off, one by one.   Oh." A pause. "We've just lost the GPS signal for everyone in the house.   I still have those of you in the farmhouse."

Mello closed his eyes.   His gloved fingers raked Matt's hair, burrowing within to clutch a handful.   There he rested, cupping the back of Matt's head, rocking just a touch.    "We're in Britain."   Mello said, at length.   "It's the mainstay of just about every major British battle strategy of the past three hundred years."   He opened his eyes. "You send the Irish in first."   And smiled. "Then the Welsh, the Scots and the English. In that order.   Hopefully, by then, they'll have persuaded the Americans to join in. Not a word in there about the Croats and the Spanish.   We're off the hook."

"What?" Matt frowned.   "Mello, you're fucking doing my head in."

"Go on, Hal.   I promise to keep him away from Valerie and us away from Fenian."    Mello took a deep breath. His hand was against Matt's cheek, a thumb stroking Matt's cheekbone.    "We're out of the race.   I'm not risking him getting any more hurt."

Hal was silent, pacing to the window and staring out.   Deontic spoke up, "Mello, I don't think that Fenian and Century even know what you did in the Kira case.   Neither of them were there when you told us.   Near hardly publicises it. I mean, he mentioned it in Greece.   They must have heard him say how important you were, but..."

"Deploy the emergency services, Dee."   Mello replied, distantly.

"I have!"   Deontic snapped.   "And now I'm seriously contemplating going up there myself.   Have you forgotten that Lauren is there?"

Hal turned from the window, "Mello, Dee would be far more useful maintaining the comms."

Deontic went on, "And Fenian came for you!   When Matt was lost down that cave, Fenian went to fetch him.   Century included you in this gathering.   He could have excluded you completely, but he invited you here."

Mello sniffed, "To gloat."

"When did you become so petty, Mello?" Deontic huffed.   "Well, forget it.   I'm alerting Near and then going up there myself."

Mello stiffened.   His gaze broke from Matt's eyes.   He frowned. "Why are you alerting Near?"     They waited, but the only sound was Hal's restless stirring over by the sink.    "Deontic.   You have no reason to alert Near."

Matt rolled his eyes. "Yeah, she has.   To provoke you into acting."

"Are you just trying to goad me, Deontic?"

Hal sighed, "I wish you'd all just work together."   On the cusp of hearing, they heard the sirens wailing up the mountain.

Deontic finally countered the point, "Because Near could probably work out how to boost the signals and get all of this technology working again."

Matt shifted, "Yeah. Good luck with that."   He didn't get far, because Mello was still sitting on him.   It was a situation that was, admittedly, warming him up.

Mello took Matt's right arm and began inching the sleeve up again.   His body shielded it from Hal's view.   "Hal." Mello commented mildly.   "Could you please ensure that Lauren is directed up here, when she's taken out of the manor house?   I would like to hear her report."     As Matt pulled back his arm, Mello clamped it to the table, with a hand at Matt's elbow.   "Guapo, since when did you have a say over what I did to your body?"

"I will be staying here, Mello." Hal stated, firmly.

"Oh." Mello replied.   "So will we."

Author's Note: This story is being discussed here:   http://mrsjeevas.joharrington.co.uk/forum/viewforum.php?f=11
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Annals of Fear II