Hunter and the Hunted (Septiplier)

~~CHAPTER NINE~~

He grabbed his bag and walked with me towards the window again. I climb back through and out onto the narrow branch again looking down at the road bellow. I could see the car and the dead at the door where I had pushed Markus and cry. I look to Mark, standing on the windowsill and I give him a quick grin, before dropping the ten feet from the current branch and fall to the roof of the car, and then seeing the rope mark had thrown down, settle beside me. I stamp on the roof three times, and then Cry pops his head out through the window, where the dead weren't and I gave him a quick look and gestured to the rope and then Mark as fast as I could before Jumping down onto the road and running through the large group of dead, taking them away from the two men in the car, and I turn ever so slightly to see Cry climbing up the rope, and Markus on the car roof waiting his turn. I look back ahead of me, and see someone on the roof of a building. It was Wade and Ken. I run a little faster and grab the top of a fence and jumping over it, rolling when I hit the ground on the other side. I ran a little faster, because after cutting off the group behind me I was graced by and even bigger group that were already in the town.

I run as fast as my legs could possibly carry me, towards the outer edge of town. I know there is a bridge on the other side, although the drop down into the river was vast; and I had no idea how deep it was. Oh well, here goes nothing. I sprint, hearing the shouts of the other men from behind me, mainly Mark. They were shouting to stop, but as I turned around I could see how many were following me, and I can tell you, I wasn't going to be stopping.

"Jack, No!" I hear Mark scream from the window, where I assumed he was. But I kept running and just as I reached the bridge, I jumped up onto the railing and then over I flew. I moved my body into a diving position, hoping that the water was deep enough for me to survive.

As I make contact with the water, I dive down deeper and deeper, the light scarce down where I was. This was a lot deeper than I thought. I slip deeper and deeper into the water, before gaining the power of being able to re-surface again. I was down pretty deep and I don't know how long it would take for me to get back to the surface, but I was running out of air, and fast. I pull at the water as hard as I can and finally, just before I feel myself about to breath in water, I erupt from the water and pull myself to shore.

"Jesus Christ." I puff as I look at the water I had just escaped from. I jumped because I knew the herd wouldn't follow, they would just go straight past and down the next road. I'm not entirely sure what's down there; I mean I've been there, but I just can't really remember.

I pull myself up and start my climb back up the rock face that held the town, now hopefully a little cleaner than before. Getting up there was no problem thank god. I really am happy I learned all of this stuff.

I pulled myself over the edge and lie on my back on the ground, looking up to the sky, cloud covered and angry. Then I stand and walk back into the town. I couldn't believe it; the street was completely empty; I had done my job.

I stroll through the street before I hear a shout from a building and turn my head quickly to hear again.

"Jack!" The voice says again. I see Cry half hanging out the window and then Mark and Wade burst through the door and out into the street straight towards me. I back up a little as they barrel forwards; a smile plastered across Wade's face, and a look of terror present in Mark's eyes. I take another step back, before I am completely engulfed in Mark's arms. God he was warm, warmer than the water anyway. He pulled away and then looked down at his own, now wet, clothes.

"Are you serious?" He half questions half shouts at me as I look from him to Wade, the grin still perched on his lips.

"What else was I supposed to do?" I question back, making Mark's eyes widen as I stare at him.

"Well, hmmm," He says sarcastically, "I dunno Jack, ahh, maybe not, TRY TO KILL YOURSELF!" The sudden change in his tone causes me to shiver a little, and Wade lets out a short chuckle.

I look at Mark in the eyes, with all seriousness I say, "Why would it matter?"

Both men seem to look right back at me, and Markus, who was on his way over, turns around grabbing Cry's shoulder and walking back over to where they were originally. Wade's smile fades as he takes in what I had just said, and Mark looks like he might... Cry?

"I mean, I was close, I guess. But that never bothers me. We are all going to die sooner or later, so why not die for a reason?"

"That wasn't a good enough reason to die Jack." He says after a moment of silence.

"Any reason seems to be a good enough reason to me these days Mark. But I guess," I think about this before I say it, I didn't want to hurt him, but for some reason I felt mad, "That's no real change from when all this started." I finish, he steps back and looks shocked. He knew what I meant, and as quickly as I had said it, I wanted to take it back. Why was I like this? He only cares about me, and I do this. Maybe I am better off dead. It would be better for everyone.

Mark doesn't say anything as he turns and walks back to Markus and Cry, I didn't expect him too. It was his trade-mark move when he was a combination of both angry and sad. I look from Mark's back and then to Wade. He seemed like he wanted to say something, but couldn't.

I was done now though I guess; I could just leave all this behind me. I turn away from wade giving him a small nod and then looking back to Mark, where Ken had joined the little group, and I turned and began to walk down the road.

I didn't expect anyone to follow me, but after about ten minutes into the walk back down the road, and wondering what I was to do now, I feel someone grab my shoulder and spin me around, causing me to gasp. As I focus and throw my arms up at my attacker, I stop when I realise who it was. I wasn't expecting anyone to care anymore, especially Mark. I go to talk but I am cut off by the rhythmic tune of his voice.

"Don't you ever, say that again." He says as he grabs my wrist and pulls up my sleeve, holding it up in front of me and watching my eyes. "These were my fault, I know that much, but for god's sake Jack if I hear you speak that way of yourself again, I might have to kill you, for you." As he finishes his sentence a single tear drops from his chin and I freeze. He really did care about me? But why? Why would anyone care about someone like me? I was a douche both before and during this apocalypse and I feel like the only real person that ever really did care was my mother.

"I care about you way too much to hear you talk about yourself like that." He chokes wiping his face with the back of his free hand, and continues.

"Now, you are going to come back with us, because I am not leaving you out here by yourself. I know you have been alone for this long, and you have been just fine, but if I knew you were alive, I would have done everything in my power to find, and protect you."

His grip softens on my wrist and he slowly lets go, letting it fall back to my side, where I roll my sleeve back down over my scars. He puts his hands on my shoulders and tries to pull me back in the other direction, but I resist.

"Mark, I will be fine." I try to convince him, but he won't have it.

"I know, but I don't want to lose you again, please."

I see the desperation in his eyes, he cared about me, and I was amazed. And to think that before we had come and found him, I was willing to just leave him there to die. That thought made me feel even worse as I looking into his cocoa brown eyes.

I really would have to think about this. I needed a solid answer for both him and myself. If I were to go with him, I feel like I would become weak; like I would start relying on others for support instead of getting the job done myself. In and out, right?

But... Then again, I was so lonely, even with Sheba. I didn't have her to keep me sane anymore, so what was I supposed to do. Ever part of me wanted to continue on by myself, but there was that one small part of me that wanted to stay with Mark and protect him and the others. I needed to protect him and the others.

I watch his eyes and smile a little taking a step closer and letting him pull me along by my hand, back towards the town. I will protect him.