by R. A. Neely
"It's over, Jeremy. I don't want to marry you. I don't want to even look at you."
Jeremy smiled. "You're upset, I get that. You need some time to cool down. Why don't you go lay down for a bit? I'm sure that'll help things."
Jackson shook his head. "You're not listening. She's already made her feelings clear."
"It's all your fault!" Jeremy yelled angrily. "You've been poisoning her against me. There's no way she would choose you over me. I have wealth, influence! How do you think she got in here? You think they'd let a newswoman in this place? I made that happen. She's alive because of me!"
Shirley looked at Jeremy in surprise. She knew their relationship wasn't based on love, but did he really think so little of her? To think, she'd almost married this monster. She shivered to think what her life would have been like.
"Jeremy," she said. She held his eyes when he looked at her. "It's over. I will never be with you, understand?"
Jeremy just smiled at her. "It's okay, Shirley. My dad always said it was a man's duty to keep his woman in line. I've clearly been lax with you. Don't worry. We're gonna get rid of your little friend here and we'll set everything right. You just need a little discipline to see the way of things.
Jackson shook his head. "You're wasting your breath. He genuinely thinks you just had a lovers spat." Jackson used his arm to put Shirley behind him.
"Alright, Jeremy," he said with an arrogant smirk, "let's get this over with so we can be on our way.
Jeremy snarled at the look on Jackson's face. "Get over there! Wipe that smirk off his face."
Jeremy's companions moved towards them while Jackson stood their confidently. This seemed to unnerve them a bit. Who just stood there when they were about to get the beating of their life? When they had covered about half the distance between them, Jackson suddenly sprang into action. He swiftly covered the remaining distance and gave the first man several strikes to the abdomen with the knife he had fashioned earlier.
His friend stood in shock at the viciousness of the attack. Before he could recover, Jackson pounced on him as well. He fell to the ground, holding his stomach with blood pouring between his fingers. Jackson looked up from his handiwork and smiled at Jeremy.
"Ready, Jeremy?"
Jeremy made no move to attack. He was furious. That could be seen easily enough. He was also at least slightly insane but not so far gone that he would attack Jackson after how quickly he had put down his friends.
"What's wrong?" Jackson asked. "Where's all that bluster from a moment ago? Can't do anything without your friends. Well think about this," he said.
"Come here, Shirley."
Shirley frowned and move to stand at Jackson's side. As soon as she reached him, Jackson grabbed her around the waist and kissed her fiercely on the mouth. Jackson released her and she stood next to him breathless.
"You see that, Jer? First opportunity I get, I'm gonna take her someplace nice and quiet and well...let's just say I'm gonna run my hands all up and down that silky skin of hers."
Shirley flushed next to Jackson. Why was he talking like this? Is that what he wanted? And that kiss. It had only been for a moment but she was still recovering. No man had ever kissed her like that. She pushed the thought from her mind. Now was not the time to be thinking about Jackson.
Jeremy's face twisted in anger at Jackson's words. With a roar, he rushed forward. Jackson moved to meet him and caught him in a hug. Jeremy groaned in pain and looked down. Jackson had buried his make-shift knife up to the hilt in his stomach. He groaned as the strength left his body. Jackson laid him on the ground.
"So, you're going to die now, Jer." He twisted the knife a bit and Jeremy screamed in agony. He removed the knife and blood immediately started pooling through Jeremy's fingers as he tried to stop the flow.
"I could've made that quick, but you're really a prick. I kinda felt you needed to suffer a bit. So as you're dying, I want you to think about how Shirley will never think about you again." Jeremy moaned again. Jackson was curious as to whether he was in more pain from the wound or the thought of Shirley being with someone else.
Jackson stood. "Alright, we're done here."
Shirley nodded and followed him towards the exit. They knelt behind one of the partitions fashioned for the bathrooms. The guard looked nervous, maybe he was worried about his friends in the common area.
"What do we do?" Shirley whispered quietly.
"I need you to distract him," Jackson whispered back.
"How?"
"Doesn't matter. You can say anything. Just need you to keep him busy long enough for me to get behind him. When you talk to him, stand on either side. That way I can sneak up."
Shirley nodded. She stood and walked towards the guard. The guard looked in her direction at the sound of her footsteps.
"You lost, lady?"
"No," Shirley said shaking her head, "I want to get out of here. Someone just got shot!"
"Sorry, lady. Can't open this door. Can't risk the infected getting inside."
"I'm supposed to stay here with people getting shot?"
"I'm sure everything is under control b-" the guard crumpled to the ground as Jackson delivered a solid blow to his head. Jackson hit him again for good measure and the guard's eyes shut.
"Great job," Jackson said. "Surprised you went with the truth."
Shirley shrugged. "I was too nervous to do anything else."
"Well, it worked. Get the door for me."
Shirley pushed the door open and Jackson dragged the guard's body into the stairwell. He then set about to stripping him of anything useful. He took the guard's rifle and sidearm along with an extra clip of ammunition for each. The guard also had a proper combat knife which Jackson happily took. He then took off the guard's belt so he'd have a way to hold some of his new gear. The guard was also wearing a tactical vest that Jackson removed.
"Here," Jackson said as he handed Shirley the vest, "put this on."
"Shouldn't you wear it?" Shirley asked.
Jackson shook his head. "I'm too big to fit it but it should work for you. It'll be big but it'll give you some protection." Shirley nodded as she put the vest on.
"Take this too," he said handing her the pistol. The safety's on, so you're fine. I'll show you how to use it later."
"Where do I put it?"
"Hold on." Jackson removed the thigh holster from the guard and help Shirley get into it.
"There you go. Don't go using that until I show you some things. I don't want you to shoot your foot or something."
Shirley nodded. She'd never handled a gun before but she liked the idea of being able to protect herself. Jackson then motioned for Shirley to follow and led the way upstairs. The door to the first floor had a wind cut out in it and Jackson used that to make sure the coast was clear. They were in a different part of the building than when they had first entered. Whoever had built the shelter had definitely made some modifications to the basic layout of the building.
Shirley felt this was a good thing. That hopefully meant that they wouldn't run into any guards on their way out. Jackson led her to an exit and waited for her to catch up.
"Ready?" he asked.
Shirley nodded and Jackson opened the door and stepped outside. It was dark out so Shirley stayed close to Jackson as he led the way. He stuck to side streets and alleys for the most part. Shirley's feet quickly grew sore in her shoes, despite the fact that Jackson had broken off the heels. They walked for what seemed like hours when Jackson motioned for her to stop.
They were near a brick wall that was about seven feet high. Shirley wondered why Jackson had stopped here. Was something wrong? She noticed Jackson staring through the wall and moved to get a closer look and saw that a gate was placed in the wall. Inside she saw a town home that had a well-kept backyard. The lights were all off but she didn't see any sign of damage.
"We're gonna stay here for the night," Jackson whispered.
"Is it safe? What if someone's home?"<
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"Then I'll persuade them to let us stay the night," he said. He motioned for her to follow. "Stay close. We'll check things out to make sure it's safe first." He tried the knob on the gate but it refused to open. He tried to reach through the bars to reach the lock but couldn't get his hands through.
"See if you can reach the lock."
Shirley nodded and replaced Jackson at the gate. It was tough, but she just managed to undo the latch. She looked to Jackson with a triumphant smile and he nodded.
"Great work," he said. He led the way inside and motioned for her to close the gate behind them. Heading towards the house they saw a set of glass double doors. Jackson tried them and smiled when they opened at his touch.
He waited for Shirley to enter and locked the door behind her. He fished for his cell phone and used it to light their way. "No lights," he whispered quietly. Don't want anyone to know we're here. If everything checks out, we can cover the windows or something so we don't have to sit in the dark all night."
Shirley nodded and followed Jackson as he explored the house. They didn't see anything on the first floor and headed upstairs. They saw two bedrooms and a bathroom. A quick search showed signs of someone having left in a hurry. Both rooms had clothes strewn over the beds and the closet doors were hanging open.
"Looks like they left in a hurry," Shirley whispered.
"Looks that way," Jackson responded in a normal voice.
"What now?" Shirley asked.
"I'm gonna make sure the front door is locked. Then we can look around for some food. Hopefully they left something."
"Food sounds great right now."
Jackson smiled. "Why don't you look for some sheets or something. I want to cover the windows before we turn on any lights." He handed her his cell phone and headed downstairs.
Shirley used the light to look for a linen closet. She found what she needed in the hallway. Fortunately, the family hadn't taken everything with them. Shirley grabbed several sheets and headed downstairs.
Jackson met her at the stairs and they took some time to cover all the windows. A search of the kitchen turned up some duct tape and they used that to tape a sheet over the glass doors leading to the backyard.
"Alright," Jackson said. "Go ahead and turn on a light."
Shirley used the phone to find the switch in the kitchen and flicked it on. Shirley sighed in relief. She was hoping that wouldn't have to spend the whole night in the dark.
"Let's find some food," Jackson said. Shirley nodded and they looked through all of the cabinets. There wasn't a great deal left but they managed to find several cans of food. A search of the fridge turned up some frozen meat as well as some lettuce and vegetables.
"Let's save the canned stuff," Jackson said, "we'll want that when we leave."
"Okay," Shirley said as she nodded towards the meat Jackson had taken out of the freezer, "I hope you don't expect me to cook that."
"You can't cook?" Jackson asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I'm a famous anchorwoman that makes a great salary. I eat out alot."
Jackson chuckled. "Well famous anchorwoman, we're gonna have to change that."
"That's a terrible idea. I burn popcorn."
Jackson laughed. "Okay so we have a lot of work to do then."
"A lot of work," Shirley emphasized. "You sure you want to take that on?"
"I'm pretty sure I can handle it," Jackson said as he looked her in the eyes.
Shirley flushed. They were still talking about food right? She walked over to the fridge to look inside. She grabbed he lettuce and vegetables and set them on the counter.
"I can make a salad," she announced.
"You sure?" Jackson asked smiling.
Shirley laughed. "Yes, I’m sure. There's no cooking involved. No way for me to mess it up."
"I suppose. Make sure you peel those cucumbers."
"Why wouldn't I? Who eats cucumbers with the skin on?"
"Weirdos as far as I'm concerned,"
They laughed and spent the next few hours making small talk while Jackson cooked the meat on the stove. When it was done they brought everything into the dining room and sat at the table. The next few minutes was filled with the sounds of them eating. Days of just having a single meal had left them ravenous. Each of them had seconds while Jackson helped himself to a third plate.
"I'm so full I'm gonna burst," Shirley said.
"Good feeling isn't it?" Jackson asked.
Shirley smiled. "You're a great cook by the way. Tasted like I was eating something at a restaurant."
"I aim to please," Jackson said with a smile.
"Where did you learn to cook like that?"
"I learned when I got out of prison actually. I was there for ten years you know. So, that's ten years of really crappy food. When I got out I promised myself I wouldn't eat like that if I could help it. I grabbed a cook book and started cooking."
"Why were you at the studio? You should've been a chef or something."
Jackson smiled. "I wanted to do that for a while actually. I actually went to school for it when I got out. No one would hire me with the record though. Not in this city. I only got the job at the studio because my mom knew someone there from her college days."
"Sorry," Shirley said," didn't think about that."
Jackson waved it away. "Nothing to be sorry for. Not your fault. And it's not like it was bad working at the studio. I made enough to have my own place and pay all the bills. So, not bad overall."
"It's not what you wanted to do though."
Jackson shook his head. "I did what I love to do. I cooked all the time. Just didn't make my living doing it."
Shirley nodded. "That's a positive way of looking at it."
Jackson shrugged. "Alright, your turn. What's with Jeremy?
Shirley shrugged. "He seemed harmless when I met him. I've never seen that side of him before. The short version is I knew that I wouldn't be famous forever. If I ever lost ratings, the station would have replaced me in a heartbeat. Jeremy was my insurance that I could keep living the way I was used to."
Jackson nodded. "That makes sense."
"Does that make me sound horrible? I didn't even love him."
Jackson shrugged. "You were doing what you felt you needed to do. Why live poor if you can do something about it? That doesn't make you horrible. It just makes you someone who knew what they wanted and went for it."
To Shirley's surprise, she felt a bit of relief at Jackson's words. It was nice that someone accepted her for who she was. With her normal circle of friends, she felt like she had to put on a high wire act every time she met with them. They were constantly judging one another, looking for any excuse to put you down. When she'd become part of high society as it were, she'd thought she'd finally made it. That she'd be able to relax and enjoy the finer things in life. Her new status had given her access to privileges the regular folk of Emerald Falls could only dream off. But the price, she could never have been herself with any of her high society friends.
She felt safe with Jackson. Not just physically, but emotionally as well. Jackson didn't judge her. Even after knowing why she'd done certain things. Was this what it felt like to have a real friend? She'd had friends before of course. Before she'd made it big at WKJ, she'd had her share of friends. When she entered high society though, she'd left them all behind. There hadn't been a lot, just two or three that she recalled. She'd forgotten what it was like to have someone you could talk to. A relationship that wasn't a performance filled with hidden expectations.
Jackson set his for aside and gave a sigh of contentment. "That hit the spot."
Shirley chuckled. "I think we hit more than just the spot."
"True," Jackson said as he chuckled.
"Should we clean the dishes?"
"No point," Jackson said as he shook his head. "We'll probably move on tomorrow. Our best bet is still to get out of the city."
"Alright. It's really nice here though."
Jackson nodded. "It is. But the city isn't safe. And we'd run out of food eventually."
Shirley nodded. "What's next then?"
"I'll take the rest of the meat out of the freezer and cook it in the morning. After that, maybe we hit a few houses nearby for supplies."
"What about Rick's Sporting Goods. I thought we were going to go there."
"We still can but we won't be getting first pick at this point. We were in the shelter for three days right?
Shirley thought for a moment. "Yeah, today's Thursday and this all started on Monday. So yeah, three days."
"Alright, we've been down there three days. Other people may have already grabbed anything worth taking."
"Alright, that makes sense."
Jackson nodded. "Okay, I'm thinking it's time to get some rest. I'd like to get all that done tomorrow. We also need to find a car."
Shirley nodded as they left the table and headed upstairs. Jackson picked one of the bedrooms and headed inside. Shirley stood outside his door and thought for a moment. She wondered if she should go in there. Jackson was keeping her safe and she wanted to make sure he was motivated to keep doing that. She entered Jackson's room a few minutes later and crept towards his bed.
"What are you doing?" he asked before she'd taken more than a few steps.
"What's it look like I'm doing?" she asked as she struck what she thought was a seductive pose.
Jackson sat up, there was just enough light from outside for him to see her in all her glory. "You're naked."
"Well...yeah, that usually helps facilitate the process."
Jackson chuckled. "Okay, true but that's not what I meant. I meant, why are you naked?"
"Well I was planning on getting in bed with you," Shirley said suddenly uncertain. Was he not attracted to her? Had she been reading all the signs wrong? What about all the flirting? And that kiss? That couldn't have been just to piss Jeremy off could it?
"I'm not Jeremy," Jackson said.
"I know that," Shirley said. "Why would you even say that?"
"Because maybe you seem to think you owe me something. You don't. I’ll keep you safe because I'm a fairly decent human being that protects the people he cares about. You don't have to do anything to earn my protection."
