Waking Up Dead

…

Jackson frowned as the pounding of the low-powered shower spray almost, though not quite, covered the sound of Luke’s mutterings. He was angry with her. She thought he would be—the whole protectiveness thing rearing its head again—and because part of her understood the reason for it, she also wondered if she should have been a little bit more diplomatic. But diplomacy had never been her strong point and she sure as hell wasn’t used to explaining her actions to anyone. She just seemed to blurt things out these days and before Luke there’d been no one to care. Tye certainly hadn’t. But Luke is different.

She sighed. Yes, Luke was different, but then everything was different, and right now Sebastian’s offer was the only thing making sense to her. It was exactly what she had dreamed off. What getting south was all about, and even now, after all the things Sebastian had shown her, she could barely believe it was real.

“Luke will get it,” she told herself.

Luke always got her. Even though she knew she was a bit off he’d never once made her feel odd about it. She frowned and finished rubbing Mandy’s tip. The man showering just a few yards away played on her mind. She felt so damn guilty about making him worry about her. It was a mean thing to do, and though it was mainly Sebastian’s crappy fault, she couldn’t blame him completely. She’d wanted to find out everything about Two-h-ee and all the others that had come before it, and what it all meant.

Jackson bent down until she was eye level with her blade and squinted at the tip. She could see a knick on the top and wondered whose skull bone had caused it. There was no way to tell. She’d killed so many. Hundreds and hundreds… She made to smooth the dent out but pulled back just in time. Mandy was wicked sharp now and the blade would break her skin. Still, all in all, she was standing up to the demands Jackson had put her through. There were many more years left in the old gal yet.

The sound of running water ceased and Jackson placed Mandy on the small bed table next to her, the silvery blade glinting in the light. A harbinger of death to any zombie who dared cross her path. An odd image of herself, sitting, gray-haired, shaky hands, polishing the blade, filled her mind and she half smiled. It was a ridiculous idea. She’d probably be dead by then.

“Time to spill, sweetheart.”

Luke stood in the doorway, jeans hanging low on his hips. His chest was sprinkled with water and she couldn’t help but give a little sigh. His hair was mussed and he hadn’t shaved yet. She hoped he didn’t. The rough stubble so worked.

“Of course.”

He sat himself down on the edge of the bed and held his hand out to her. Jackson didn’t hesitate before scooting across, placing her hand within his. His skin was cool to the touch and she paused for just a moment to allow her gaze to drift up his chest, down his arms, and then back up again. Like most people left in the world, Luke was very toned. They had to be. It was all about being able to use a weapon or run like an athlete. If you couldn’t do either of those, you were as good as dead. She too was toned and looking down at herself now it occurred to Jackson that she would have had a runner’s body back in the old days. All sinewy muscles and perfect abs. She’d have had to work herself to death in the gym to even come close but she suspected that the abundance of food back then would have defeated her perfect body plans. It would not be a lie to say she’d once had a lot to love.

“What have they got you doing, Jack?” Luke asked, pulling her thoughts from her old shape.

“They haven’t got me doing anything.”

“Okay,” he said. “I phrased that wrong. Let’s start again. What are you doing? This job you mentioned— what is it?”

He was uncomfortable. She could tell and it made her uncomfortable. She wanted Luke to be happy. Happy with her decisions. Happy with her. It was such a weird feeling, so hard for her to get her head around. For so long, Jackson had counted on and thought of no one but herself, but now Luke was part of those thoughts and she had to consider him when she made a decision. They were together, and that meant something.

“First off, let me just say,” Jackson began, “that I did not complain when you told me you were going to work in the garage. I was happy for you.”

Luke squeezed her hand and frowned. “Now I’m worried, because you wouldn’t be qualifying your answer beforehand if it was something I was going to like.”

She almost laughed. Luke was so on to her. “Well, you thought that anyway. But no, I’m just trying to explain it to you. No, not explain. I don’t need to explain myself. I meant try and make you understand.”

“Shoot then.”

“Have you met Sebastian yet?”

He scowled. “Briefly.”

“You know he’s the doctor?” she asked, deciding to ignore the scowl.

“I do.”

“Well, after you left for work this morning I went out. I was planning to have a look around, scope out the place, like I said. Anywhos I didn’t get far. I ran into Sebastian straightaway. He grabbed me some breakfast and then he asked me for some help.”

The scowl remained. “What kind of help, Jack?”

“He’s not a normal doctor, Luke.”

“That he’s not. The guy’s got some weird vibe going on.”

Jackson tilted her head. Had Luke already heard what Sebastian was up to? She hadn’t even considered that, but he’d been out and about all day, so why the hell not. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Luke shrugged and tickled his fingers along her palm. She shivered. “Nothing. Just that he’s a bit odd.”

And that he was. Jackson had met some weird people in her life, more so since the end of the world—in the early months at least. But there was no doubt that Sebastian took the crown.

“Well yeah,” she agreed. “He is, but then so am I. Hell we’re all a bit odd these days, apart from you, of course. You’re the most normal person I’ve met.”

“Hardly. So come on then, spill.”

How to start? She wished Luke had been there when she’d encountered Sebastian. That it had all been explained to them together. “He’s doing things,” she began. “Amazing things.”

“What sort of things?”

“With the zombies.”

Luke paused in his palm strokage and sucked in a deep breath. “And…”

She paused too before she spoke again. Wondering exactly what Luke was going to think. How best to frame it? Because it would be so much easier if Luke could actually see it, rather than hear it, and then maybe he’d get what Sebastian was doing and why she now had to do what she’d agreed to do.

“It’s complicated and I think you’re going to be shocked.”

“You constantly shock me, Jack.”

“Yes…” And then she frowned, because it suddenly occurred to her that there wasn’t any reason Luke shouldn’t see it. Sebastian was planning to head back out tomorrow morning, but there was absolutely nothing to stop her and Luke from going now. They weren’t prisoners in the camp. They were free to come and go when they chose, and she remembered the route perfectly. “You know,” she said after a moment. “It is better for you to see it. That’ll explain everything in a way I’m not going to be able to. Come on, get dressed, and grab your weapons.”

“Are you serious?”

Jackson tugged his hand, jumped from the bed, and grabbed her jeans. “Aren’t I always?”

“We don’t need weapons in camp, though. It’s safe here, Jack. I mean, yeah, okay admittedly, I’ve been carrying my gun, but there’s no need for the ax.”

She pulled her jeans on, shivering a little from the rough denim on her sore skin. Knowing too that Luke was not going to like her next words. Not one bit.

“Yeah, but we’re not gonna be in camp.”

He sighed and shot her a scowl. “Please tell me you didn’t.”

Jackson picked up her wrinkled vest and pulled it overhead, playing for time more than anything.

“Didn’t what?”