In the Light of Darkness

[Jesimae Lawson]

"You're being paranoid, Jesimae," she said aloud to herself.

She had paused in the middle of the dark and abandoned lot, looking around in every direction, sure she had
heard movement behind her a second before.

Her building was only a few yards away. She shivered and crossed her arms and headed toward home at a healthy pace.

The second she turned the corner to see her building a few paces away, relief washed over
her. She smiled as she jogged safely ahead, the door mere inches from her hands. And then she felt something behind her.

Nothing touched her.

There was no sound.

She just felt, knew.

No, she thought. There was nothing there but her imagination.
That was all. She grabbed the door and
then after gathering a little extra courage, she turned a little and
looked over her shoulder, sure there would be nothing, ready
to laugh at herself.

Instead, her breath caught, her heart skipped a beat, and a
shiver raced over her body.

The man stood only feet behind her, stone still, his face nothing
but a shadow in the moonlight. The nearest man-made light
too far away to cast anything more than a memory of yellow.

[Jiro Lawson]

Jiro wasn't aware of any other beings around him. Only the wind, the sounds, and the cold that slipped down his shirt and washed over his chest and shoulders.

He had not been walking long, only a few moments or so, and he hadn't really been paying attention to where he was going. He found himself in an unfamiliar territory.

His senses flared up again, revved to go, at the mere hint that he was somewhere he did not know like the back of his hand. Jiro looked around, turning slightly. He turned all the way around before noticing someone advancing towards a buidling in front of them. It looked like a woman, but it was difficult to tell, for they were hunched in the cold, and the darknees all but swallowed them.

The person paused with thier hand on the door of the building. Jiro wondered why. Slowly, as if afraid, they turned thier head to looked over thier shoulder. It was indeed a woman, for the moonlight caught her hair and danced on her face.

But her face was pale with fright. Was she afraid of him? No, not him. But someone standing in front of him, standing in front of her building and just out from behind the building Jiro had hidden himself behind.

But why did that man frighten her so?

[Jesimae Lawson]

Jesimae watched with horror as the man shrouded by his brown cloak walked towards her, eyes red and beady, evil surrounding him in a way the Jesimae had never seen before.

"I thought you were dead?" She asked softly, afraid that someone would hear her. The man had a deep laugh that rumbled her insides and sent a dagger of fear through her body.

"Apparently not." He replied in a remark that made her feel less and less capable of protecting herself.

"What do you want?" She questioned as she looked around paranoia setting in before the fact that was about to be killed. The man didn't stop advancing towards her and it was easy to see he was armed and ready to kill her.

"To finish what I started." Jesimae was immobile, paralyzed by the eyes that shined brilliantly in the night, his ability to cause someone such fright they couldn't even move was always the best way to kill someone. Jesimae could only shrink against his shadow, pressing her body against the building waiting for that fatal strike when her life would be no more.

[Jiro Lawson]

Jiro watched with increasing horror as the strange man bore down on the woman. He was quite obviousyl someone the woman was not prepared to fight against.

In a split second Jiro weighed his options:

One, he pull out the knife he used in his thefts to at least attempt to run the man off. Two, he watch to make sure the man had vile intentions. Or, three, he turn tail and run while he still could.

It was doubtful that Jiro would be able to hold his own against the stronger man for long. But he would be able to fend him off long enough for the woman to get to safety and he to use the long legs he'd been given to get out of there.

So, Jiro dug in his shoulder sack, grabbed the ivory handled knife and stepped into the faint moonlight.

"Hey!" he called, knowing he would surely regret this. "Why don't you pick on somebody your own size!"

[Jesimae Lawson]

The man's voice shocked her an she swore for a split second that her heart had stopped and she was dead but when she opened her eyes she saw her worst enemy glancing over his shoulder.

His grip eased off her right shoulder and he let his hand down so he could turn around to see the man who willingly stopped the fate Jesimae was sure she deserved.

Sweat beaded on her forehead and for a moment she thought she was safe but he grabbed her arm and pulled her in front of his muscular and tall body. Jesimae looked into the darkness to see something moving towards them.

"Why don't you mind your own business?" He retorted in the deep and frightening voice that would send a chill down anyones spine.

Jesimae felt like a dog who had ran for miles and miles, air not being able to enter her body quick enough as she would have hoped.

"Leave us alone!" Jesimae called out, praying the man would for he had no idea what dangers he faced. "Please!" It made her sound desperate, but she was praying that he wouldn't leave that he'd help her because she knew she wouldn't live another second if he left.

Please, don't leave me to die! That was what she was thinking, please don't leave.

The man who hovered above her was waiting to see the mans face, ready to see his next victim to fall dead under his wrath of fury.

[Jiro Lawson]

Jiro heard the woman tell him to go away. Yeah, right, THAT'S gonna happen, Jiro thought. He moved forward, but not enough to be seen fully. He didn't know what kind of weapon the man had, and he didn't want to make himself fully seen yet.

"Look man, normally I would mind my own business. But, you don't treat ladies like that, and it gets on my nerves when I see guys acting like animals," Jiro stepped forward again, hiding his knife so as not to get the guy up in arms. "If you just leave her alone, I'll be cool."

[Jesimae Lawson]

Jesimae drew in a sharp breath and closed her eyes the man letting out a growl of anger and not liking the fact that a man of such secrecy was trying to tell him what to do.

"Please," he said with a roar of laughter "this little lady has caused me more trouble than God Himself. I'm here on business and I plan to finish what I started with you watching or you dead on the ground, either way works for me."

Jesimae could feel the sharp knife by her throat, he wanted her to know that she could very well die at any given second his hand pushed down and slit her throat. He even made her cringe at the thought by slightly chaffing her skin.

Jesimae felt the object scratch but it wasn't anything hard enough to draw blood but when she felt the sharp point touch her she screamed and moved too fast. A small trickle of blood beginning to fall and she swore her life had just been taken away but the pain was far too great.

The man in the shadows moved at her fright but he didn't let it take his mind off of the mountain of a man behind her, prepared to kill her if he moved one more step.

"Aw, what are you afraid of? Can't a man fight the battles he chooses? Stop hiding! If you want to try and save this rat then by all means, try your best!" His voice echoed throughout the night and Jesimae wondered if in fact a complete stranger would help her live.

[Jiro Lawson]

Jiro cringed at the man's laughter. If there was anything he hated more, it was being laughed at. He'd spent years being laughed at, and he wasn't about to let some guy cowardly enough to protect himself with a woman laugh at him now.

"I don't think even God would touch you," Jiro said smiling. He stepped forward so that he was easily seen by the man. The woman was obviousyl quite frightened and as Jiro moved a little more forward, he could see a knife pressed to her neck. He did not know if it had broken skin yet or not, but he wasn't going to take any risks. His knife was slid into his belt on his back. He held his hands up to show that at the moment he wasn't armed.

He continued to advance forward, his eyes flicking from the huge man to the smaller woman behind him. She looked mortified.

"I don't want much trouble. Just leave her be, okay?"

[Jesimae Lawson]

The man laughed and Jesimae cringed in his strong hold. He glanced down at her and smiled.

"Are we frightened?" Jesimae turned her head to the right, trying her best to stop the pain in her neck from his large and sharp knife that dug into her flesh at every passing moment. He glanced away, proud that she was shaking and that she was actually scared of what he was trying to do.

He saw the man hold his hands up and he could only give a low chuckle that vibrated on Jesimae's back. She bit her lower lip and opened her eyes after a moment and saw the man glance at her one moment then the enemy the next. What was he trying to do?

"Isn't that sweet," The man leaned his head down to her left ear, speaking in a tone that was laced with a tone of sexual desire and a tone that meant he was going to enjoy murdering the both of them.

"We have a martyr on our hands, a man who will gladly die for a stranger. I'm going to like watching him die and I'm going to love watching you." Gooesbumps formed on her arms his voice so deep and so horrific. She had to hold back the vomit that was crawling up her neck from the stench of his breath.

"Please," Jesimae stated again with fear "go away." Her voice was barely audible but hopefully her lie was so awful the man wouldn't leave, but yet she didn't want him to die.

"Let him go," She was able to say after a moment of silence between the two. The young man closeby continuously looked at them but she wasn't sure if he was at least planning to harm him in some way. "Let him go, Deacallion." Jesimae knew it was wrong to say his name, nobody ever knew of his name.

With furious anger Deacallion clenched his jaw and pushed the knife against her, in a single second he was going to slit her throat and let her young vibrant life spill onto the ground. Jesimae hoped the man would help her, even if it would be in vain.

[Jiro Lawson]

Jiro could see that talking wasn't going to save the woman. He looked around him with his eyes and then back at the man as Deacallion squirmed with delight at the thought of torturing both Jiro and the woman.

Jiro wasn't much of a fighter, never had been. But he'd never backed out of a fight, or lost one he set his mind to. So he hoped those years with his sharp shooting brother had taught him a little bit.

With one swift motion, Jiro pulled his kife from his belt and flipped it forward, his wrist twisting slightly to give the blade a spin. He'd aimed right for the man's heart, but he knew his knife was slightly heavier in its handle, it would drift slightly upwards, and probably hit the top of his heart. Either way was good for him.

Immediately after throwing the knife, he sprinted forward, blinking and being almost right in the man's face. He grabbed for the hand that held the knife, and got it, but his grip was not tight enough to hold it for long. He had no idea if his blade had hit. All he could see was the woman's terrified eyes.

"Go now!" he yelled, hoping his knife had rung true.

[Jesimae Lawson]

Jesimae watched the man grab the object and toss it at Deacallion, but if it had hit him she wouldn't be able to tell due to his unrelenting strength.

The man had helped her this much but if she were to flee as he had asked there would be no hope for him, he'd never see the light of day again. Jesimae was pushed out of the way and she tripped to fall on her knees. She looked over her shoulder to see the two suddenly in a struggle, the passerby looking as if he were the one struggling.

Jesimae watched in fear, immoble for a moment. The young man watched the knife fall to the ground but having diverted his eyes for such a second Deacallion had taken it to his advantage. He laughed and with his free left hand palmed the mans chest his grip on his hand lost as he fell to the ground, gasping for air.

Jesimae felt the stinging on her knees but she was quick to crawl to the injured mans side, grabbing his right arm that held the place where Deacallion had hit him, a slight pain coursing through the strangers body.

"Get up!" Jesimae said to him in a low voice as she glanced away for a moment to see that Deacallion was grabbing the heavy knife sticking out of his chest, the blood trickling slowly towards the end of the handle and dripping to the ground, steam rising from its warmth against the cold wet ground.

She tugged on his arm as he coughed, his left hand enabling him to sit up aside from the womans attempt to pull him up.

Deacallion was laughing as he slowly pulled it out of his chest. He couldn't help but think how good of a shot he was but to his dismay he didn't know that it wouldn't hurt him a bit, only he knew what could truly kill him.

Jesimae knew that the man was wanting her to leave but she couldn't just let him try to fight the ghastly man only to know how it would turn out. She was going to return the favor, she had to return the favor.

As she listened to the man cough and try to breathe she saw the dagger on the ground. She let go of the mans arm and nearly jumped onto it, the cold handle sending a shiver down her spine. Before Deacallion could stop her she picked it up and, with all her might, jabbed the sharp end into his right leg, twisting it with both her hands. He let out a scream of pain and kicked her off, she only being thrown so far. She let out a cry of pain but didn't want to linger on the ground too long, let alone linger around there. Jesimae rolled to her right and saw the stranger slowly standing, the pain from the forceful blow subsiding quickly.

Jesimae watched him peer over at her and she quickly got up off the ground as Deacallion struggled to pull out the dagger. She grabbed her back where she felt a jab of pain from her fall but she didn't let it stop her from getting the man out of Deacallion's sight, hopefully he'd go without any questions, but she knew that if they were to rush away from Deacallion he'd come looking for them but she was eager to have him search rather than to kill them dead at any given moment.

"Come on, we must hurry!" Jesimae jogged to his side and prayed that he'd follow, ask questions later, and save their lives now.

[Jiro Lawson]

Jiro coughed forcefully from the blow in his chest. The woman was desperately grabbing at his sleeve. Jiro realized that, for the moment at least, Deacallion was imobolized. Jiro grabbed the woman's hand and started running in the direction he'd come. He was sprinting, ignoring the pain in his chest, and had the woman in tow.

They ran for a few moments before Jiro felt air enough to speak. He glanced over his shoulder at the ground behind them. The man was not there, running in the shadows, but Jiro figured it would not take long. He glanced at the woman, as they continued running.

"You okay?"

[Jesimae Lawson]

She hadn't really thought about how long they had ran but at the pace they were going she swore they had made some good distance. She wanted to stop for a moment if only to catch her breath, but she knew it could only end in a way she dared not to think.

Luckily they were slowing down and the man had turned a sharp left into a dark and damp alley where they could at least hide in the shadows for a moment, God knew he had a million questions he needed to ask.

Jesimae heard their footsteps bounce off the walls as they slowly came to a halt, hidden pretty well against anyone who'd walk by, but she knew that would be impossible since people never liked the nightlife for all the crime below the florescent skies.

"Are you okay?" The man asked again, his breathing steadying after a good moment. Jesimae felt the man let go of her hand and allowed her to lean on her knees for a moment. She nodded in reply but she had a question of her own.

"Why did you do that?" The question came as a shock to her savior. What did she mean? He had just risked his life on her and she was looking at him as if her were insane. "Tossing a knife at him will only provoke him to find us more." Jesimae leaned up realizing her choice of words weren't the best way to thank him.

"I'm sorry," She said shaking her head, her legs feeling so shaky she barely could stand. "Deacallion is someone you just don't need to mess with but I guess it is inevitable now."

[Jiro Lawson]

Jiro laughed slightly, leaning on one of the walls for support. She had just asked him why he had saved her life. He figured it was a valid question since she didn't know him, he didn't know her and he certainly didn't owe her anything. Jiro shurgged a little taking a deep breath and looking out at the street beyond thier small hideaway.

"Well," he said. "Becasue I've been in places like that and no one ever helped me. Besides, no respectable man ever picks on a woman." Jiro winked at her, then looked at the wall that made the alley a dead end. Jumping up and grabbing the edge he pulled himself up to sit on the edge and look over. Sure enough there was a short alley leading to another street. They'd probably be able to lose Deacallion there. He reached down to her and nodded over his shoulder.

"Come on. There are sure to be places over here where we can regroup. The name's Jiro."

[Jesimae Lawson]

Jesimae scratched her head as she watched the agile man jump and offer more asylum, she was positive the moment they stopped he'd say his goodbye's and get the hell out of dodge which sounded like a great idea, as did his name.

Jesimae let out a sigh knowing not to stick around in such a vulnerable place and nodded, hoping he wasn't going to ditch her just yet, at least let her find someplace warm to stay and to get something warm to wear her wet bloody clothes that were torn at the knees didn't let anyone think kindly of her then again she couldn't say anything kind about anyone daring to step into the night, save one, the one who was glaring down at her waiting for her to take his hand, yet again.

She glanced up at him and grinned, something inside of her finding his kindness to be taken for all its worth God knew she hadn't met someone as daring and heroic as this man. She reached her right hand up and took his hand and began to help herself up the wall but when his devilish glance turned to sheer excitement she knew something was wrong.

"Hurry!" He said reaching for her other hand. "Come on!" Jesimae was confused and had to glance over her right shoulder. Her worst fears had been confirmed in that single moment when she watched the man rushing towards the end of the alley.

"No!" Jesimae said lowly as she quickly looked up and used every ounce of energy she had left. He grabbed the waist of her pants when he was in reach and before Deacallion could grab her leg the two fell off the wall onto the hard ground a few feet below. They both grunted in pain but Jiro knew they had to leave as well as Jesimae.

"You okay?" He asked after a moment when they had managed to move and struggle to stand. She nodded and was quick to follow when he burst into a run.

"He can't jump!" Jesimae said to him as they ran faster than they had the first time. "He's too big!" But as Jiro looked behind her he saw the wall shaking where he was trying to bust through.

"But he certainly is strong enough to get to the other side. Pick up your feet!" He didn't want to sound pushy but if they were to stay alive a little longer her limping wasn't going to help and he knew he didn't have to look at her to see the fear in her eyes for her shaking voice told him.

"Where are we going?"

[Jiro Lawson]

Jiro could hear the pounding that Deacallion was giving the wall fade behind them as they turned a corner. Now he was in his element. He had picked these streets before, and had found many-a-vulnerable passerby. But now, it was quiet and mostly empty. Thier footsteps were the only ones that were hurried. Everyone was either asleep, or drowning thier sorrows in some bar.

Jiro's mind was racing at all the escape route possibilities. They could duck into a bar he knew. One of his best friends ran it. His hideouts were always good. And there were plenty of them, so they would never be at a loss as to where to go. But they were fairly easy to navigate once anyone found one of them. There was only one place he knew of that would be as secret as you could get.

Taking a sharp turn left down another alley, he glanced over his shoulder at the woman and smiled.

"Care to meet my brother?"

[Jesimae Lawson]

Jesimae didn't want to reply as a matter of fact she didn't need to meet anyone knew but with her great fortune she knew it meant nothing now, she'd rather be rotting away in a holding cell rather than rotting in Deacallion's favorite dumping spot.

Jesimae followed Jiro as best as she could, trying to remember which sharp corners they were taking where they were going and how to get back out if she needed it. She had no idea who Jiro was but one thing was for certain, if he found out that she is wanted by a group of bounty hunters with a price so large on he forehead she didn't need to be worried about Deacallion anymore, she'd be worried about who she could trust.

"Just some place safe." Jesimae responded trying to catch a breath from all this running, her heart was beating so quickly deep within her chest she swore it was going to fly out if this were to continue any longer.

Deacallion's attempt to kill her twice brought back bad memories and she had hoped all was taken care of but to have him sneal up on her like that seh swore he didn't crush her with his bare hands. Hopefully Jiro wouldn't ask what she had done to him or why he was after her for God knew that if her secret got out she'd be dead with or without Deacallion's help.

[Jiro Lawson]

Jiro skidded to a stop next to a decrepit wall along the alley. He began running his hands over it, his brow furrowed, in an attempt to find that one seam. His brother had shown it to him long ago, and if he couldn't remember it he was out of luck. But he was pretty sure it was the third one down...to the right...below the big crack...aha! There it was!

Jiro pressed on a small place near the ground that seemed insignificant. But as soon as he pressed, a small crawl space opened. He looked over at the woman and winked.

"Come on. My brother lives here," he said, taking her hand and pulling her to her hands and knees and waving her into the crawl space. She went in, though reluctantly, and Jiro followed closely, glancing around to make sure no one had seen and closing the space behind them.

It was pitch black in the crawl space. Water and grime slipped under his fingers and palms and squished through his pant legs. He talked up to the woman as they continued through the passage.

"Just go straight until you get to a fork and take the left," he said. "That'll take us to his 'apartment'." Jiro was silent for a moment, then added, "My brother's a bit of a womanizer. But don't worry, if he bothers you, just sock him one."

[Jesimae Lawson]

Jesimae couldn't see a thing and she had no idea where the hell they were but with Jrio's instructions she was sure she'd have no problem, if only there were a light to guide them.

She licked her bottom lip, the soft and slippery liquid squishing between her fingers the unidentifiable mass causing her knees to sting more and more at every passing moment, which she swore they were on fire. For the first time she was happy there was no light for she didn't want to know what she was crawling on.

She sighed when she felt the fork he had been talking about and just as he had instructed she turned left. "How much farther?" She asked, the sweat on her brow falling by her eye. Before she gave him time to reply she glanced back over her shoulder, despite not seeing his face.

"In case you were wondering, my name is Jesimae." She was sure he was glad to finally know who she was she figured she should let him know who she was that way he wouldn't have to ask in front of his brother.

"I guess this would be an awful time to tell you," Jesimae added with a smile "but I'm claustrophobic."

[Jiro Lawson]

Jiro smiled as Jesimae sighed when she found the fork. He always had that reaction. He spoke up to her again.

"Nice to meet you, Jesimae," he said. "And to answer your other question, you should be hitting the door any minute now."

And just as he said this he heard her clunk against door to his brother's home. He watched her puch it open and they both spilled out onto a hard concrete floor. Jiro took several thankful gulps of fresh air before rolling over and surveying the damage.

They were both covered in a grimy, muddy goop that clung to whatever it touched. Jiro sneered and got to his feet, holding out his hand to Jesimae.

"Come on," he said. "We'd better find my brother, and then we can get cleaned up a little."

But before Jesimae could take his hand, a voice rang out from above them somewhere. It sounded like Jiro's, but deeper and more mocking.

"So, baby brother! You've turned back to me after all. And you brought your girlfreind!"