Under The Blade {Sequel to 'In Time'}

Chapter 8; The Cat and The Mouse

A/N: now I know some of you were confused as to who was in the apartment- let me put it this way- you'll find out right now!

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Your body didn't move, you didn't even dare so much as breathe because you knew who was waiting for you at the top of the stairs.

Jacob's feet began to ghost a step as you held onto him.

"Jacob? What are you doing?" You hissed wildly, barely able to believe he was going to confront the Ripper. Jacob ignored your pleas and headed up to the door, which looked as if it had been kicked in.

"Why don't you join us?" The voice snarled, and by the tone you could full well tell that it was not an offer to be refused- this was an order. Bones shaking, you managed to make it up the stairs with a quaking breath and through the doorway with your eyes down- you didn't want to look at the Killer present before you.

"What are you doing here?" Jacob snapped without hesitation, and you rather regrettably found yourself looking upwards, and another feeling of dread swallowed you whole.

The Ripper was stood just a way opposite across the room, wearing a dark leather coat, and a shoddy linen bag to masquerade his features; a ragged looking top hat fixed over the top.

In his hand you could see with your own (eye colour) eyes he was toying a blade between his fingers like a plaything, silent and unresponsive to Jacob at first.

"I just thought I'd drop in and say hello," he added in that gravelly voice that just reminded you of a dark alleyway in the middle of the night. "I thought I'd come and see you for once Jacob old friend, instead of you constantly stalking me like some coward!" He growled, and suddenly your head lifted slightly. How did the Ripper know Jacob's name.

You could see that Jacob had picked up on you noticing this, and he cleared his throat accordingly, standing his ground.

"You need to stop this Jack; stop this killing and running." He pressed, raising his hand slightly, "you're sick." Jacob's voice was almost tenderly broken, indicating he had perhaps known the Ripper previous to the murders and slights.

"What? So I can sit in the shadows and do nothing like you would!?" Jack replied harshly, the shouts of his voice making you jump as you tried your best just to remain passive; you didn't want this to be your final night.

"Look at you!" Jack called, the anger boiling, "you've always been that way- so self righteous when deep down you know just as well as I do what a snivelling boy you are!" He growled, slamming his knife back loudly into the wood doorframe as you audibly squeaked in fear- but still, Jacob hadn't moved a muscle.

"We could've had this city together, you and me." Jack added in a softer tone, his temper evidently like the weather, forever changing, "but you and your lies stopped me from doing such a stupid thing! To think I ever trusted you, I ever looked up to you-!"

"Enough!" Jacob shouted loudly, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he began to shook his head, "you cannot blame me for this- any of this! This has all been your undoing Jack, no one else's!" Jacob snapped in return, and the rising tension and anger in the room made you feel terrified. You were scared what Jack was going to do.

"My undoing?" Jack answered in a soft and curious tone, before a little maniacal chuckle escaped his lips, "I'd rather say it was my revolution. I've seen for the first time in my life that everything you ever did for me was not really for me at all- it was for you and this stupid brotherhood." His voice had grown cold and frosted like an early winters morning again, making you shudder. Jack paced idly around the pair of you, like a lion sizing up its prey.

"Clearly the lying doesn't just cease there, does it Jacob?" Jack growled, stopping at you and pressing the tip of the bloody and distained knife into your jaw as all breath in your body became lodged in your throat. "Who's this little whore?"

Jacob's eyes swivelled coldly between you and Jack, but you got the underlying feeling the assassin wasn't as composed as his gaze entailed.

"Jack- leave her alone." Jacob pressed coolly, as you dared not to move a muscle, your eyes wide like saucers in pure terror of what would be next.

"What? Something to hide?" He snapped with a leery chuckle, tutting at Jacob. "Deary me Jacob! What's old Esther going to say?" He taunted, twisting the tip of the blade so it grazed your skin, your eyes widening at the feel of the cold metal.

Jacob's hazel eyes shot downwards, and you noted he was finally somewhat defeated- what else could he say.

"See, he's nothing but a scared liar." Jack growled into your ear, his voice muffled by the linen sack covering his face. You shuddered at the gravelly octaves of his voice, scrunching your eyes shut in hopes that it would go away- that this would turn out to be some horrible nightmare.

"He'll use you to cover feelings for an old flame- some silly cow long ago. All these years he's been trying to hide away from the fact the whore is probably long gone, and doesn't care about him."

You bravely felt the need to correct the killer, struggling a little in his hold.

"What if the silly cow is right in front of you." You snarled, your eyes filled with tears as you managed to break through the ever towering wall of fear that hung over you due to the presence of Jack.

You felt the knife move slowly away from the heat of your skin.

From the silence came an ever growing dark chuckle, like the flames of a fire kindling.

"So this is the famous Miss Bell!" He laughed with a snarl, stepping backwards with his arms wide in a mocking manner, like he was finally bowing to someone who had been forcefully idolised to him- and it made you uncomfortable.

"I've heard so very very much about you," he added, his tone turning to that of a stormy and dark one, "in fact too bloody much. This stupid idiot made you into some sort of deity- forever mumbling to himself about one day going back for you." Jack snapped, "how pathetic."

You quickly spared a glance over to Jacob, your eyes saying all he needed to know- and his gaze shot to the floor. What kind of an influence had Jacob had in this Killer's life.

"It was so very boring- listening to him day in, day out. I think you're the reason he went so very insane." Jack growled at you, and suddenly you felt like the prey of a wolf, being stalked, "he had to turn to the stupid Brotherhood- push me to my limits-! To be able to cope with you cutting him out of your life!"

"I did nothing of the sort." You defied, standing your ground rather courageously in the eyes of death.

Inhaling loudly, Jack straightened, and he shook his head a moment later with a small laugh.

"You know deep down you made no effort- you just expected to be rescued by your knight in shining armour." Jack spat, making your blood boil. You thought nothing of that; you were imprisoned by your own mother and father.

"Jack, that's it." Jacob piped up for the first time in a few minutes as a breath ragged from his chest, his eyes filled with nothing but a certain cold.

"I can't keep doing this. I can't keep protecting you." Jacob enforced, as you listened with a shocked curiosity.

"But you have to- don't you Jacob, old friend?" Jack cackled in a controlling fashion, clearly having the upper hand. "You hand me to the police- and suddenly the secret gets out- you've been harbouring a killer all of this time- one of your own-!"

"What is he talking about Jacob?!" You asked, a stern gaze in your eyes as you looked to Jacob, who suddenly looked mildly sheepish when held in your gaze.

Jack's laughter rung like a church bell in the room, loud and attention gathering, as he turned his head your way.

"Jacob created this. Created what I am." He snarled, and you could almost see the venomous smile through the opaque linen mask.

"I am an assassin."

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A/N: CLIFFHANGER ASF WOAHHHH !!! What's going to happen next? Guess you won't know until I update ahahaha ;) thank you for reading!!! Love you guys! X