Assassins Of The Earth - Book 1

Chapter Two

I snapped awake in an unfamiliar space, and I heard my pulse begin to race in my ears. Underneath that was the sound of low breathing. I was lying out, flat on my back.

I pushed myself into a seated position and caught sight of Jay just across the room. My head twisted with the pain of a migraine - I'd had them before - but I ignored it, more relieved, in that moment, that he was safe. I half-ran, half-stumbled over, taking Jay's hand carefully in my own. He just looked as if he were sleeping, and I smoothed his hair gently, my hands, I saw, noticeably shaking in my panic. 'Jay, Jay, come on, wake up,' My voice was low and desperate. I had no idea why I was so worried - but it was this vivid feeling of wrongness. Something wasn't right about any of this. 'Come on, Jay, I need you. Come on. Jay?'

I folded his hand between both my own. I was still, I was dimly aware, in my clothes from the other night - in my jeans and Jay's t-shirt, with his hoodie around my waist. They'd take my coat, though, and I couldn't see my backpack.

I cupped Jay's face in my hands. 'Come on.' I urged, quietly. Stroking his hair out of his face, I leant forward gently, pressing a kiss to his forehead. 'Come on. You've got it.' I whispered, smoothing his hair down again.

He stirred under me, and for a moment I thought I might've been imagining things. Then his eyes flickered open, and he gave me a small grin.

'Kari?'

'Oh, Jay!' I whispered, practically gushing with relief. I pressed a kiss to his forehead and ran my fingers through his hair. 'Oh, God.'

'What happened?' He pushed himself up onto his elbows and then straightened up, taking both my hands in his own. He just looked at me, cupped my face in his hand, and traced the underneath of my eye with his thumb. Sighing, he pulled me in close, and I sat on the bench beside him. He stroked my back with the palm of his hand, and I buried my face in his neck, closing my eyes and breathing deeply.

'Jay,' I whispered. 'God, Jay, I was so...you weren't waking up. Jesus Christ.' I gasped. 'God, my heart nearly stopped.

'Now that you've finished with your light blasphemy, what's going on? Where are we?'

'You know as much as I do on that front.' I whispered, glancing around the room.

It was very plain, almost no colour at all in the room aside from us. White walls and door, no windows. The door had no handle, seeming to just be a smooth sheet. The only way I could tell it was a door was the outline of the shape in the wall. What Jay and I were sitting on - what Jay had been lying on a few moments previously - was a metal table. There was a second one across the room that I'd been laying on.

Jay clutched me just a little closer. The room was cold, chill biting into me. Jay pressed a kiss to the crown of my head.

I stood up on the cold floor; they'd taken our shoes and socks, I realised, my bare soles freezing. Giving Jay my hand, I pulled him to his feet. He didn't let go of my hand, just interlocking his fingers with mine and squeezing gently.

'You're alright, too?'

'Yeah, of course, I'm fine.' I answered, quietly. 'Let's just...y'know, figure out what happened and try to get out of here, OK?' Jay nodded, and I walked over to what I could only presume was the door. I released Jay's hand and ran my fingers around the indented edge of the large metal pane. I felt all the way around the edge of what felt like plain, glossy metal. There didn't even seem to be a catch at all.

'Megan Kariamo.' I heard a tinny, slightly discombobulated voice over some sort of loudspeaker, though I had not a clue where it could have come from; all the walls, as well as the ceiling and floor, were completely smooth. 'A representative is entering the room to converse with you and Jacob Harris.'