Wake of the Dead | One

Chapter nine

This couldn't be happening. Killian was there one second and gone the next. Jasper's heart was beating so hard he thought it would burst. Adrenaline pumped through his veins and a lump had formed in his throat. He had to find Killian immediately. Even if the younger man didn't want to stay with Jasper, he didn't deserve to drown. He could remember every second, every bit of horror and dread when Killian's golden-hazel eyes had looked up at him helplessly. I can't swim.

Jasper immediately tossed the tree branch away and shouldered their bags, along with Killian's crossbow. Stepping away from the riverbank so he didn't make the same mistake Killian did, Jasper began sprinting as fast as his legs would carry him. The current had pulled Killian along so fast that Jasper couldn't see him anymore. The adrenaline was making his chest hurt, and his eyes stung from the rain flying towards him. Wind blew through Jasper's hair, and his eyes shut tight for just a moment. 

Then, there was the thunder. 

The loudest, unimaginable sound Jasper had heard in a storm crashed through the air. It sounded like the sky itself was tearing apart. Was it getting louder because of the tense situation? All Jasper could focus on was his breathing. The feeling of his heavy combat boots hitting the soil, his racing heart. The thunder crashing through the sky. Lighting flashed at the corner of his vision, and he swallowed back the feeling of burning in his lungs. He swore he could smell smoke, see red tints in the flashes of light. The sound of the thunder was getting louder and louder, and Jasper clenched his teeth together. 

Now it wasn't adrenaline forcing him onwards, it was fear. Because now it didn't sound like thunder. Now it sounded like artillery firing off. The rain no longer felt like water, it felt like dirt. The nausea and panic were overbearing, almost making it impossible to focus on following the river. He wanted to run, to get somewhere safe and hide. Cover his ears with his hands and huddle down until all he could do was listen to the sound of his heart beating fast in his chest.  

Jasper closed his eyes for a few split moments, trying to drown out the horrifying echoes of memories past. He needed to focus. Focus on his goal. Killian. He had to save his friend, and he couldn't do that in a panicked state. It isn't real. Killian is. Focus Jasper, focus. Breathe. Keep a level head. You can do this. You can save him. 

You couldn't save the people back in the city. What makes you think you can save him now? 

Jasper shook his head to clear the thought from his mind, gritting his teeth. Maybe I can't save everybody. But I can save him. Jasper hadn't ever realized how attached he'd gotten to Killian until that moment. That moment when he realized that Killian wasn't just somebody he'd saved. Killian was his friend. They'd almost died together in the city, and despite Killian's rough and angry demeanor, he had come back to help Jasper instead of leaving him to die.

Jasper skidded to a halt when the river fell into a tumble of rocks and into a large circle of cliffs. The water fell into a large pool, that rushed away off into a crevice in the rocks. There lay Killian, in a crumpled heap on the ground. There were several biters making their way towards him, one widening its jaws to dig its rancid teeth into his flesh. Jasper immediately dropped their bags of belongings to the ground and took the handgun from the belt around his waist. He quickly shot down the closest biter, and began to slide his way down the rocky slope. About five feet from the ground he jumped and caught his balance. There were three biters left, and he only had two bullets. He aimed for one and pulled the trigger. It dropped dead. Aimed again, and with a twitch of his finger the gun fired a bullet into the other biter's skull. 

As Jasper reached the third biter, he holstered his gun and pulled the crowbar from its resting place. With a single swing, the biter was down. It snapped its jaws towards him, and Jasper slammed the gory end of the crowbar down on its skull. Again. And again. And again. Until it stopped moving. He left the crowbar on the ground, turning his immediate attention to Killian. There was no familiar rise and fall of the younger man's chest. His lips and skin were pale, his body soaked down to the bone in cold water. Dragging Killian away from the falls, Jasper immediately felt for a pulse. He felt one, but it was faint, and growing even fainter by the second. 

"Killian, Killian can you hear me?" Jasper said, although he knew his attempts might be futile. Killian didn't move a lot, but he noticed the younger man's eye twitched. There was still some life left in his friend, and Jasper wasn't going to let it slip by so easily. Jasper quickly and carefully moved his hand to feel around Killian's neck. He couldn't feel a break, or any real injuries. He gently tilted Killian's chin upwards, and felt immediate relief when Killian's eyes peeled open. 

The younger man widened his eyes and coughed, shaking. He struggled to move onto his hands and knees. Killian's stomach heaved, and he vomited up whatever water he'd swallowed and a bit of what they had for breakfast. Jasper gently set a hand on Killian's back to try and soothe him. Killian's hazel eyes were dizzy and unfocused, his body struggling to stay upright. But as he looked up towards Jasper and his gaze cleared, Killian brought in a shaky breath and rasped, "You saved me?"

Jasper could barely register the words that Killian spoke. "Can you breathe alright?" Jasper said. Killian took a few deep and rapid breaths, before nodding. As the realization that Killian was okay slowly made it through his mind, Jasper's muscles began to relax. He let out a loud sigh of relief. "Boy Scout, you scared the shit out of me." Jasper said. He hated how shaky his voice sounded as he said that. Jasper clapped his hands firmly onto Killian's shoulders, but was careful not to hurt him. "Don't you ever, ever do anything like that again. You hear me?" 

Killian narrowed his brows groggily. His golden-hazel eyes had began to grow more tired and annoyed than fearful. Jasper knew if he brought up how scared Killian was later, the younger man would be very, very angry with him. "Don't tell me what to do," Killian mumbled. His voice was raspy and uneven. Jasper couldn't imagine how sore Killian's throat must have been.  

"Killian," Jasper could see Killian's body quivering from both relief and obscenely cold water that soaked through his clothing. "We need to get you warmed up, kid." Jasper said urgently. "Before you get really sick." Killian didn't seem to hear Jasper. Instead, the younger man's muscles had tensed despite the exhaustion and vertigo he was no doubt experiencing. Killian's eyes were first confused, and then hostile. His head ducked low behind Jasper, as if trying to hide. His brows narrowed. At first Jasper was confused; why was Killian being so hostile towards him? But when he followed Killian's gaze, he realized the younger man hadn't been looking at him. He was looking behind Jasper. 

Jasper whipped around to catch a glimpse at whatever Killian was staring at. There were no biters as he'd expected. There was possibly a more harmful, even frightening threat looming above them. On top of the cliffs, a group of three men were watching Killian and Jasper, holding weapons at their sides.