Wake of the Dead | One

Chapter three

Harsh, sharp moonlight pierced through Killian's eyelids as he slowly came to consciousness. At first he didn't remember what had happened, but as his eyes peeled open and he tried to sit up the pain hit him again. He had been stabbed. So where was he now? It was alarming to say the least, when he felt like his guts were being ripped open from the inside out as he sat up. A soft groan exited through his parched lips. Killian felt nothing but exhaustion, weighing him down like a net. He just wanted to sleep more. But Killian knew that probably wasn't the best idea. Wherever he was, biters could be lurking around every corner. Those creatures wouldn't care whether you were awake or asleep. If you were still alive, they wouldn't hesitate one bit to take a big chunk out of you.

Killian noticed a figure walking towards him. He could hear a voice, but couldn't quite make out their words yet. He was still light headed and groggy. As he began to gradually came to, Killian's heart slammed against his rib cage. Who was this walking towards him? Fear hit him like a truck, and he lashed out on impulse. His fist collided with their face after he swung, and Killian pushed himself away from them. His back hit a wall, and in his panic his hand patted the ground to grab onto any weapon he could get a hold of. Finally, he could understand what the other person was saying. "Oh hey kid, you're awake." He was dumbfounded by how casual they sounded. As if he hadn't just given them a solid punch across the jaw.

The man in front of him had a strange hair cut. That was the first thing he noticed. It was shaved down a bit at the sides and back, leaving a tuft on the top. His eyes were a pale, light blue. Dark hair, and light stubble on his strong jaw. His shoulders were broad, his build muscular and athletic. "Who are you?" Killian snarled. His voice was sharp and abrasive, much unlike the other man's. Their voice was more calm, but strong and confident.

"The name's Jasper, or Adachi. Whichever you prefer." Jasper said. He stood up, rubbing his jaw. Killian noticed the other man's split lip with a feeling of satisfaction. "You got a good punch on you, kid."

"And you'll get more of it if you don't back the hell up." Killian said threateningly. He narrowed his eyes, his lips tugging down into a deep frown. "Why'd you take me here? Where are we? If you hurt me, we're gonna have a problem!" Killian hated the way Jasper looked down at him, quite obviously trying to hold back a smile. "What's so funny?" Killian snapped, finally closing his hand around his knife and staggering to his feet. Despite the pain, he managed to try and take a slash at the other man. The wind was knocked out of him as a large, strong hand pinned him against the wall. Jasper's free hand grabbed the wrist of the hand that was grasping the knife, holding it still. Killian struggled against the stronger man's grip. "Let me go!"

"Not until you calm down," Jasper said. Instead of playful and amused, now his blue eyes were serious. His dark brows were knit together. "Listen," Killian hated the stern voice the other man used, and tried jerking free again. But Jasper was too big to move easily. "I'm not here to hurt you. If I wanted you dead, I wouldn't have patched up that stab wound you got," The man pointed out. "The more you try to fight me, the more you'll hurt yourself." As Killian began to tire out, Jasper's grip loosened. "There, you done now?"

Killian glared at Jasper as the other man helped him to sit back down without hurting himself even more. "I don't need your help," Killian grimaced and clenched his teeth as another round of sharp pain pierced through his ribs.

"You would be dead without me." Jasper replied calmly. Killian's nose wrinkled into a hostile snarl as Jasper bent down in front of him. "Whether you like it or not kid, I'm here to help you. We can either do that with you being a pain in the ass, or being cooperative." Jasper let out a small and exasperated breath when Killian remained silent, just glaring daggers at him. "Look, you don't have to like me but I didn't save your life just to let you die. You might think you don't need help," He added, "But you do. The sooner you accept that, the easier this whole arrangement will be, yea?"

Killian was silent for a few moments, his gaze searching Jasper's. He saw no malice in the other man's stare, and heard none in Jasper's voice. His head spun, everything was happening too fast for him to fully grasp it. His brows knit together as a headache began to roll through. Could he really trust this other man? No, he knew he couldn't. The last person he had seen before everything went black was the cruel eyes of his attacker. Who knew what this other guy was planning to do with him? But it wasn't like he had a choice. So he just nodded, but kept his glare. Killian was famous for that glare. If looks could kill, his definitely would.

But out of everything Jasper had done, there was definitely one that got on his nerves the most. "My name's Killian, not kid." Killian snapped irritably, a wrinkle of a snarl on his lips. Jasper had stood up and turned his back, looking for something in the kitchen.

"Alright, Killian it is then. Until I come up with a good nickname." Jasper said from the other room.

Ignoring him, Killian decided to observe his surroundings more closely. He needed to make note of where every single exit was in case of an emergency, or if Jasper got hostile for whatever reason. That one man had attacked him. Why wouldn't Jasper? Especially when he'd so easily restrained Killian. As his gaze flitted around the room, Killian could tell he was in a house. Whatever residential area in the city they were in, he didn't know. But it looked like the doors were barricaded with furniture. Was Jasper just as paranoid as he was? Surely not. The living room was small. Killian didn't see any stairs, so it must have been a one-story building. There was a kitchen in front of him, a bathroom to the left, and what looked to be a bedroom to the right. Horizontal to the bedroom was a hallway. Killian didn't know where it went, but he was too tired to get up and see. With a sudden jolt Killian realized, "Where the Hell is my crossbow?"

"It's on the other side of the room, I didn't want you rolling on it and hurting yourself with an arrow while I barricaded the doors." Jasper said from the other room--the kitchen. Killian couldn't see him from around the wall. He could only imagine what Jasper was doing in there. Sharpening knives? Maybe. But there was another question on Killian's mind. Why would Jasper barricade the doors? It wasn't as if a lock wouldn't keep the biters at bay. Was he making it impossible for Killian to escape?

"Why'd you barricade the doors?" Killian demanded. Now he was really on edge. His voice was wary. Killian hated how absolutely exhausted he sounded as well.

"This part of the city is a popular place for the dead to walk at night." Jasper explained. Killian could hear drawers opening and closing. Cabinets too. What was the man up to in there? Killian scanned the room quickly, until he spotted his crossbow. Glancing towards the kitchen, he began to crawl towards it. It was left all the way across the room. He wasn't going to let Jasper get the jump on him. Was the man's name even Jasper? Could it just be a pseudonym? Killian didn't know. He didn't plan to stick around long enough to find out. Clenching his teeth, a hiss of pain escaped between them as soon as Killian began to move. There was hurried footsteps, and Jasper was standing in the doorway of the kitchen.

"You're going to hurt yourself," The man said sharply, and Killian used the wall to try and force himself to his feet. He was bent over a bit, with one arm wrapped around where the wound was hidden beneath the bandage.

"How do I know you're not trying to hurt me?" Killian retorted, glaring the other man in the eyes and staggering a bit in an attempt to keep his balance.

"Because if I wanted you dead, I would I have left you to bleed out and looted your corpse." Jasper said, his tone exasperated and dumbfounded. The man knit his brows together. "You've got a stubborn spirit kid, but you need to relax. I'm not going to kill you."

"How can I trust that?" Killian spat. Every one of his nerves were on edge. He hated Jasper. He hated the man's stupid haircut, his stupid face. His dumb, helpful, stupid personality. Everything about the other man. But most of all, Killian hated how suddenly dependent he was on this stranger, and how much he owed Jasper for saving his life.

Jasper stood there for a few moments, his pale blue eyes meeting Killian's directly. "You can't," Killian's stomach sank at that statement. "I know you can't," Jasper added hastily. "But either way, you're not leaving this house without hurting yourself even more; it's a death sentence for you to leave. So, which option do you think would be the smartest?"

Killian stared at the other man for a few moments in tense, conflicted silence. He could feel the tension in his chest tighten even more as his heart beat faster. His lips parted a bit, not sure what to say, before he finally managed to find his words. "I don't know."