Step 9.5: Come Back From The Dead And Kill A Friend

"Blake?!"

"Shit," Jack cursed. The gun at his face was lowered but the hand didn't release him. The person moved slightly and Jack couldn't finally seen their face in the minuscule amount of light.

A boy about his age with tan skin, hazel eyes, and black hair down to his shoulders.

"Derek?" Jack asked.

Derek stared at him before a small smile creeped it's way on his face. "Guess I finally beat you then?"

Jack breathed a sigh of relief. "Ha. Ha. Very funny. And this doesn't count, I haven't trained properly in a while," Jack responded. "Mind releasing me?"

Derek seemed to remember his position and moved.

"How did you know it was me?" Jack demanded.

"That was always your favorite disguise. You always said you liked it because it was simple."

Jack opened his mouth to ask another question when the alarm went off. Cursing Jack took off down the hall his bag bouncing against his back. He could hear Derek running beside him but he ignored the other boy in favor of escaping. He was about to run down a hall when he was harshly jerked backwards. He glared at Derek.

"If you want to get out unseen come this way," Derek said.

Jack didn't hesitate as he followed him. The two tore through the building and thanks to Derek they were unseen. They ended up at a back door which led directly out into the woods.

Jack ran and kept running into trees dodging foliage this way and that. He took the lead as he heard shouting and screaming coming closer.

Though he had no choice to stop short when he came to the end of  the trees and a drop to water way far below them.

He cursed and paced back and forth. He didn't want to have to fight anyone. He glanced at Derek who drew a small knife. Jack stepped back a bit remembering his last encounter with a knife, friend, and cliff. Derek paid him no mind as he rolled up his sleeve and made a small precise cut on his upper arm.

Jack stared at him wide eyed as he pulled a tiny piece of metal from the wound. His tracker.

Without a second thought he threw it into the water below. He then let his blood drip into the ground before he rolled his sleeve back down. He then took out his gun and fired once down into the water.

The shouts grew louder and Derek turned to Jack pulling his hair into a ponytail as he did. "We can go around. I'll walk in your footsteps my tracker is down there, and they heard gunfire. So they'll think I'm dead. So, we gonna go or not?"

Jack didn't respond as he launched back off Derek right behind him.

Neither spoke as the ran through the darkness and Jack tried to remember vaguely where he had parked. He finally slowed when he hit the road.

"You sure about this?" Jack asked Derek his chest still rising and falling as he tried to catch his breath. Derek nodded. Jack started off down the road walking quickly. "Well it's too late anyway. You're dead. I killed you in their eyes. There's no going back now."

"Then why did you come back?" Derek questioned. Jack didn't respond as he he started to go a bit faster and Derek struggled to match his pace.

Jack suddenly skidded to a stop and Derek tumbled into him. Jack paid him no mind as he glared ahead at the two girls who hold guns in their faces.

"Don't move," one said moving closer. Jack cursed silently. He didn't want to have to kill them. Briefly he considered using Derek as a hostage and human shield but they would shoot both of them anyway.

Jack stepped forward and he saw the one who had spoken about to pull the trigger. Behind him Derek tapped his back twice.

Jack nodded slowly. He knew the plan. All he needed to do was-

In the blink of an eye the two girls were laying on the pavement groaning. Jack and Derek slowly looked over to see Kai calmly climb out of the silver car. She frowned as she leaned against the hood and looked at the two unconscious girls laid out on the pavement. She looked up at Jack and Derek. "I just don't get how I failed my drivers test."

Neither Jack not Derek questioned her as they hopped in the car and sped off.