Wake of the Dead | One

Chapter twenty-one

Taking his crowbar from his hip, Jasper immediately took the lead in front of the group.

Keagan said sharply, "What are you doing? We can't just walk into a town without knowing-!"

Jasper whipped around to look at Keagan. The man didn't want to be overly aggressive with her, especially after pointing a gun to her head. He could see his own fear reflected in her eyes, only he did a better job at hiding it. If he was going to lead this patrol, he needed to look confident enough to keep them brave. Fear was something that could kill you faster than a stab with a knife. "It's our job to see what's going on in this town," Jasper reminded Keagan. "For the group, to make sure this place is safe enough to raid."

Swallowing back his own fear to keep his voice even and strong Jasper continued, "I know you're scared. We're all scared." Darren and Aubrey nodded in agreement with his words, "But think of everybody back at the motel. They're counting on us."

Keagan stared at Jasper for a long few seconds, her brown eyes fixed firmly on his blue ones. She seemed almost desperate now, begging to turn back. But when she finally realized Jasper wasn't going to budge in his decision, she gulped back tears and nodded. Speaking shakily she said, "I'm gonna live, right? You won't let me die," Her voice shook even more as she continued, "I'm going to see the others again."

Hearing another scream from inside the town, Jasper's heart began beating hard and fast as adrenaline coursed through his veins. It took every bit of willpower and self control to keep his voice stern and confident, "Of course you are, Keagan. I promise." Jasper could only hope his promise wasn't and empty one, and his stomach churned uncomfortably. Forcing himself to continue Jasper said, "I'll take the lead. Darren will be at the back. Keagan, stay close to me. Aubrey, you're with Darren. Stick together, and if we get separated stay with your buddy."

"A buddy system?" Aubrey snarled. "That's your grand plan, Jasper?"

Jasper could have cut the tension in the air with a knife as his muscles coiled together. He was ready for action, for anything they might encounter. "You have a better idea, Ginger?" He demanded. "If you do, I'm open to suggestions."

Aubrey clenched her jaw as Jasper began to lead them past the billboard and into the town. She said sharply, "You know, for a reluctant leader you sure know how to give out orders."

Clenching his fists, Jasper could feel an angry bile rising to the back of his throat. Was Aubrey really going to argue with him now? There was a venom in his voice that he hated when he snapped back, "Look Ginger, this isn't a democracy. It's a Jasper-ocracy. I'm the leader, I make the decisions. You follow my orders. Are we clear on that?" Turning to her, Jasper managed to calm his tone as he whispered quietly, "I can't have you acting out of line and endangering all of us, Aubrey."

The red-headed girl was taken aback, her eyes widened ever-so-slightly. Stunned for a few split seconds, it took her a few moments. Shaking her head to clear it Aubrey nodded and said, "Yea. Yea, okay."

Jasper wasn't exactly sure if he could trust Aubrey's reply, but it would have to do for the moment. Especially when a low snarl snapped him to attention. The sun had completely disappeared, dipping below the horizon. The moon was high in the sky, the night cold and menacing. The snarl had come from the shadow of an abandoned mechanics shop, where a biter was ripping into the arm of a young woman who was trying to pry out of its jaws. It had bitten her right at the top of her lower arm, right below her elbow. She must have caused the scream from earlier.

Jumping into action immediately, Jasper swung his crowbar and slammed it into the side of the biter's head. It was in mechanic's uniform, and looked to be a very fresh victim. It moved lightning fast, snapping its jaws at his leg. Taking a quick step back, Jasper dropped the crowbar and pulled out a knife from his belt. Grabbed the biter by the throat and shoving it against the side of an abandoned car, he drove the knife down on its skull. At first it didn't get all the way through. He narrowly avoided a bite to the arm and stabbed down again. When that didn't work he muttered, "Damnit," Dropping the knife and grabbing onto either side of the biters head, he barely moved his arm out of the way as it snapped its jaws again. With a quick jerk of his arms, the biter's neck broke.

With the brain stem broken from its spine, Jasper grabbed his knife and stabbed it one more time through the bottom of the jaw, just to make sure. When it dropped dead, he panted softly and pushed away from it. When he turned to look at Aubrey and Keagan, their jaws were dropped with shock. Huffing with frustration Jasper said sharply, "Stop gandering and keep watch." Ripping a piece of cloth from the biter's corpse, Jasper swiped the knife of his blade clean and dropped the fabric. Walking over to the woman, he knelt down in front of her. Darren was trying to calm her down, holding her close and stroking her hair. The woman was young, only about eighteen or nineteen from the looks of it.

Shaking, she stared at Jasper's knife with wide eyes. "Are you going to kill me?" She said shakily. "I've been bitten. Are you gonna kill me?" This young girl was near hysterics, until Jasper sheathed his knife at his hip. Although she didn't know Darren, she seemed to at least be comforted by any kind of human touch.

"We're not going to kill you," Darren said, shooting a quick glimpse at Jasper. Jasper's chest tightened, and he swallowed back a sharp retort. Of course they had to kill her. But Darren shook his head, and nodded to her arm. One of the veins had been ripped open, and she was bleeding profusely. There would be no hope saving her either way, and letting her bleed out seemed to be a lot more comforting than killing her.

Jasper forced himself to put on a soft smile. This wasn't the first time he'd done this, but it was still a stab to the heart every time. "No, we're not going to kill you." He nodded to her, "You got a long way, didn't you? Six whole months. Are you on your own?" There was no use lying to her. She knew she was going to die, they all knew it. But the least they could do was be here.

She nodded shakily, "Yea." Already, Jasper could see her eyes growing dull. She said, "Don't let me be one of them. Please."

Jasper barely held back the heat behind he eyes as he replied, "I won't."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

Sitting down next to the young woman, Jasper and Darren sat there in silence. There were no more words exchanged between the three, with the young woman's eyes gradually getting duller and duller. When her breath hitched in her throat and the light left her eyes, her body went limp. A scarlet puddle of thick blood covered the pavement, looking like black ink in the shadow cast by the abandoned car. The stench of death eventually hit Jasper, and he unsheathed the knife at his belt one more time.

Stabbing through the back of the woman's skull, Jasper bit his tongue to hold back the soft cry building up in chest. He would not cry, not in front of others. Biting his tongue hard, he ripped his knife away and stood up.

Aubrey slowly walked over, setting a hand hesitantly on his shoulder. Jasper's nose wrinkled into a snarl. "I'm fine. Get ready to move on." Her lips parted, but Jasper couldn't hear what she was saying. He felt numb, absolutely nothing as he stared at the young woman's corpse.

Finally, Darren brought Jasper out of his stupor. By saying, "We did what we could."

Jasper's reply was uncharacteristically cold and venomous as he said softly, "And it still wasn't enough."