Alpha (Jacob Seed X Deputy OC)

2 - Parlay

My radio had been silent for a week. Not a word from Jacob since stepping into his region. Not a sound as I worked with the Whitetail Militia tearing down beacons and liberating outposts. Even so, it felt like I was being watched at every turn. Some of the cameras were obvious, mounted onto fenceposts or billboards. But even when I was in the deepest darkest depths of the forest I could still feel eyes burning into my back. Jacob was the definition of stealth.

'I don't like you goin' out alone.' Eli shook his head at me, helping Wheaty stack vinyls into a crate.

'It's fine.' I brushed him off, mounting a rifle to my back. 'Someone has to go. The hospital is full of people that need feeding.'

'Hmmm.' The scruffy looking man rolled his eyes, knowing he was losing the battle. 'Alright Rook, just be careful. We're a call away if ya need us.'

I wouldn't need them. As I exited the Wolf's Den, I switched my radio off and traipsed off into the woodland. Birds chirped brightly as they flitted from tree to tree. My footfalls crunched lightly on the pine needle covered ground as I made my way to my favourite deer hunting site. It wasn't too far by car but cutting straight through the woods was just so much faster. Using a well placed rock, I hopped over a small creek. The water babbled along aimlessly and I paused. Reaching for my bottle that hung from my waist, I crouched and dipped the open top beneath the surface. I watched it slowly begin to the fill, the fresh water from the mountainside glittering against the plastic casing.

'Didn't think ya would be able to survive this long on your lonesome.' Rolling my eyes, I turned the dial on my radio to switch it off. The knob didn't move, already locked into the off position. Snapping upright, I spun around to see Jacob leaning against a tree. He was there. He was right there in the flesh. How he looked different to the teenager I once knew. A well kept beard etched across his face and his hair swept across the top of his head. His skin was mottled with scarring and burns, most likely from warfare. And Christ was he tall! Easily just over six foot. He'd always been bigger than me but not that big. The only thing that had stayed the same were his bright blue eyes, though they seemed clouded with uncertainty as he stared me down. Screwing the cap back onto my bottle I felt horrifically intimidated and had to try and still my hands from trembling. Taking a long exhale to calm my nerves, I hooked my bottle to the belt around my waist.

'Learnt from the best.' My fingers twitched instinctively as he pushed away from the trunk. I was ready to grab my gun. 'So what happens now? You kill me?'

'Nah. I'm feeling generous today.' He took calculating steps towards me, watching my index finger waver at my side. 'You wouldn't be fast enough anyway.' Producing a sharp red blade, Jacob turned it in his hands as he approached me. 'I'll give you one chance Deputy. One chance to run away from all of this and never come back.' Driving the tip of the blade into his thumb, I watched a drop of blood swell from the hole. 'Killing my little brother, that was a big mistake. But I'll let it slide. He had a knack for being an annoying brat.' The swell began to cascade down the side of his finger. 'Consider this a warning Deputy. You keep pulling shit in my land, you'll be wishing you'd stuck around in Holland Valley. Shitty tattoos don't even scratch the surface here.'

'Sounds fun.' I joked, my eyes never moving away from the bright red knife.

'It can be.' He shrugged a little, whipping the blade towards me. I dodged it but felt my heart jump a little at the thought of being cut. 'I don't need to slice off skin or use stupid flowers to get my way. People either do as I say or they die.'

'Seems like a waste of life.'

'The weak have to be weeded out. They have to be sacrificed for the good of the pack. Culling the herd is the only way to maintain strength.' Jacob's words were rhythmic, almost rehearsed.

'And I assume you believe I need to be culled?'

'You?' He chuckled lightly, sheathing his knife and grabbing my chin with his bloody thumb and forefinger. 'No. You are too important in all of this. You are the key.' His thumb trailed up my jaw and fondly stroked at my cheek, blood smearing across my skin.

'Can I get on with my day then if it's not to much to ask?' I asked indignantly, jolting my head away from his grip and shuffling past him. 'Fucking around with you was not actually on my agenda today.'

'You're feistier than I remember.' He called after me and I paused.

'Yeah well I had to learn how to be.' My response was cold and icy. He picked up on that immediately.

'You're upset.' Jacob tutted and I ground my molars in annoyance. 'You always were far too emotional for your own good.'

'Fuck off.' Hissing between gritted teeth, I had to flex my hands to stop myself from swinging for him.

'Just because I stopped writing to ya? Get a grip.'

'I thought you'd died.' Brow bent downwards in rage, I almost bit my tongue as I lashed out at him.

'Well I'm not dead.' He shrugged, hands now deep into the pockets of his jeans. His dog tag swung lightly from his neck.

'I can fucking see that Jake.' Growling at him, I felt like an angry dog frothing at the mouth. Jacob seemed to find the whole thing overly amusing.

'John was right about you. Wrath all over.' He stared at me for a second with a stern gaze. 'I ain't gonna go easy on you. Ya know that right?'

'Course. I wouldn't expect you to.' Tugging at my jacket sleeves, they slid down my arms to cover my wrists. We'd always been on the same side. Now we were divided by our loyalties.

'On your way then.' He tilted his head at me as though he was giving me permission to leave. Nodding, I turned my back on him and continued on my trek to the hunting grounds. Hungry mouths needed feeding and I was their provider. Jacob Seed could wait until tomorrow.