Kyle "Gaz" Garrick x M!Reader

Forty-Eight

Within seconds the room was devoured by a white cloud that irritated lungs and eyes with every single breath.

Not losing a single second Kyle dashed into the room, hidden below the veil of white. His eyes watered but he made it across to the table.

With their little hands pressed to their mouths and noses, Elliot and Matthias looked up. Hope shimmered in their eyes. They wanted to scream and jump into his arms but he told them to calm down with a gesture.

"Hey, boys.", he managed to smile before pulling his mask over his nose. "Wanna play a game? Keep your mouths covered. Just nod."

They both nodded.

"Good...", his eyes jumped up to check on Kimmy, who was still struggling with the irritation of her lungs. "I need you to close your eyes, okay? Let's play hide."

Nodding again, both boys squeezed their eyes shut and grabbed the hand that Kyle offered them. Their small fingers wrapped around his, holding onto it with all their little strength. They were shaking.

Again, Kyle checked if the coast was clear.

Cursing, Kimmy tore her head around. Like a blind predator she took a few steps, stumbled around while trying to feel for something to grab or hold onto.

"What the hell?!", she cursed, a scream of frustration making her lungs vibrate while she coughed at the same time. "What the fuck is going on?! Where are you?! Boys? Come to mama!"

At the word mama Elliot dug his nails into Kyle's hand. He trembled all over. Tears shimmered in the corners of his eyes but it was hard to tell if because of Kimmy or because the pepper spray was getting to him.

Matti's little cheeks puffed while he tried to keep his breath shallow. Kyle pressed a part of his shirt against his nose.

"Take a breath.", he whispered.

But the little boy refused. Tears ran down his cheeks. And yet not a single sound left his lips. He just looked at Kyle, begging him to end this nightmare.

With trembling breath Kyle started to her moving, guided the kids towards the door while the white cloud started to fade. The beating of his heart was up in his throat.

They were already halfway across the room as shiver crawled down his spine. His fight or die instincts kicked in, legs flinched with the urge to run away. Against everything he had learned in training he threw a glance back.

Kimmy had turned around. Her eyes were irritated, watery, while lashes were glued together by some kind of goo. It was more dumb luck than anything else that she didn't catch a glimpse of him and the boys.

And yet, Kyle couldn't help but freeze. His legs refused to move any further out of fear she'd sense his movements and go ballistic.

Her system was clearly full of drugs otherwise she wouldn't have had such a huge reaction to the pepper spray. Obviously it was made to irritate the senses but she struggled like someone with asthma or an allergy.

Hopefully that wasn't the case otherwise him and Soap would be fucked and she'd be able to press charges regarding risking her life. Even though that seemed awfully petty of her.

She didn't deserve anything anymore.

Rubbing her eyes, Kimmy tried to regain vision but failed as she accidentally scratched her cheek with those untrimmed, chipped nails of hers.

Screaming in pain she threw her head back. And in this exact split second of distraction a shadow chased through the room. Brown fabric flashed before Kyle's eyes and before he could even realise, Soap had Kimmy wrapped on an old potato sack, throwing her to the ground.

A quick glance was exchanged between the two teammates. Soap gestured with his chin towards the door which was wide open now. Nodding in thanks, Kyle took the chance, rose from the ground and snatched both boys.

With one kid under each arm he made a run for it. His steps echoed from the walls, his own breathing filled his ears, quick, hasty.

Air burned in his lungs as he made it up the stairs, back into the entrance room that he and Soap had come through.

His gaze jumped around, impatient and in need of a solution. A large chest, probably for decoration, caught his eye.

It wasn't big enough to fit both boys but Matti would be able to hide in it.

"Matti.", Kyle pulled the mask off his face to smile at the boy. "I need you to be grown and strong for me, okay? You're a big boy, aren't you?"

Still struggling to stop crying, Matti nodded softly.

"Good.", Kyle gently lifted him into the chest, which was indeed mostly empty. "Pull your head in. Don't come out until you hear your dad's voice, okay?"

Again a soft nod.

"And don't tell anyone I was here, okay?", he looked at Elliot and smiled. "This is our little secret. Just between the free of us. Just us boys, yeah?"

They both nodded. The heavy wooden lid of the chest lowered but before it could close entirely he pushed a wooden door stopper between a corner. He didn't want Matti to suffocate on accident.

Panic chased up his spine. Again, his eyes jumped around the space. But the options were severely limited, either not spacious enough to hide a boy of Elli's size or too obvious of a hiding spot.

"Bloody hell...", he pressed out between his teeth.

"T-There...", Elliot gently tugged at Kyle's shoulder. "Behind this."

He pointed at a wall that was covered by a carpet. It looked old and hung down so flat that Kyle doubted there would be enough space to hide the boy.

But as he pulled it back a niche appeared, just big enough for him to squeeze in and press his back against the wall. His little hands tried to hold onto his clothes as he lowered him onto the floor.

"You can't move.", Kyle explained, his thumb wiping away trails of salt. "Don't make a sound."

"Don't go...", Elli clenched his teeth, tried his best to be a big boy.

"I'll be back. Everything will be fine in a minute. Just... stay. Okay?"

Elli nodded. The carpet fell back into the place and his small body disappeared. If anyone were to pass in a hurry he'd be invisible.

Not a second too early because all of a sudden steps made him turn on his heel. Hands clenched into fists. He'd fight someone if he had to.

But it was just Soap who chased up the stairs.

"I hope you're done.", he snarled, his voice nothing but a whisper. "Run!"