Chapter 8 Background Checks

Jason groused from the sting he felt when Mona swabbed his wound with the alcohol.
"How bad is it?" I looked closer while Mona stitched his wound. It seemed she knew what she was doing because her hands expertly worked on Jayson's injury, putting it together like his skin was only some kind of fabric.
I couldn't imagine the pain as the needle punctured his skin and the feeling when Mona yanked the thread to close the lesion on his skin. I assessed it again and it was ten stitches long.
Jason grunted. His face was in a total grimace. He was sweating terribly although it was cold. It must be really painful for him but he didn't complain. After the wound was cleaned and bandaged, Mona gave him some painkillers and a bottle of water.
"You're amazing." I complimented her and she smiled at me and did a hand sign.
"She said thank you." Li translated it for me while he was tuning his radio.
I smiled back at her and she went into the tent again and continued skimming a book. It must be a medical book or something. We were so fortunate that Mona and Li came with us because we could use their expertise.
Sighing with helplessness, I wished I was that kind of useful too. But reckoning about what had happened since yesterday, I had mostly just relied on Jason and even put them into grim danger when a zombie assaulted me because I couldn't keep up with them. Recalling those memories still gave me a chill on my spine and it made me hate myself for being a burden to them. I shouldn't stay this way. Father had taught me about basic life survival and I am good with a gun.
Talking about a gun, I stashed it inside my bag just for precaution. I didn't want Timothy to be in charge because it seemed he couldn't handle the tension when the situation became too dire and dangerous.
I sat across Jason; the bonfire in the middle was large enough to keep us all warm. The red flame danced where the wind whistled to it as it crackled and gradually burned the woods into ashes.
I could see him glancing at me from my viewpoint, apparently noticing that there was something I wanted to ask him. I couldn't stop myself from fidgeting my fingers, hesitating if I might offend him or I might ask something too personal for him.
"Go ahead," Jason spoke, looking curious about it.
I exhaled. "I was just wondering..." I looked at him and stopped my fidgeting because I felt like I was starting to look silly. "I mean how could you do those things? You moved like it was all simple to you being in a situation like that."
Jason smirked as if what I had implored was funny to him. I felt embarrassed. Did my question sound foolish?
"What do you mean? That time when I smacked the zombie on the head?"
"No. The whole thing." It made me a little annoyed that he was too flippant of what I was trying to implore. "How could you keep your composure while those monsters were chasing us?"
"If I didn't then maybe we're all dead now." He answered simply that made me look more stupid in front of the others.
My brows furrowed and I couldn't believe how insensitive his answers were. I looked at him sharply, as if challenging him to speak the truth. I knew he saved us yesterday but what about tomorrow and the other day that will come? We can't just trust each other. There would be a situation that one of them might betray the group just to save their *ss.
But I didn't believe him. There was something more in him that he was hiding from us.
"Look. If you want us to trust you, then tell us where you came from." I fumed and his smirk suddenly vanished into reluctance. He exhaled and shifted his position, trying not to make his newly stitched wound bleed. I looked at him sternly.
"Fine. You don't have to be so furious like that." He muttered, looking defeated. Timothy and Li were gawking at us too, both were curious to know what Jason was going to reveal.
"I used to work in one of the miserable parts of Aisea, called Shallow Shores. I was born and my mother raised me alone. I got into this kind of confidential organization, a group of Mafia that takes people in exchange for a large sum of money to enter the borders of Arcania. I was one of my boss's best bodyguards and also an occasional assassin if the situation wanted me to." Jayson confessed while his hands clasped with each other. His eyes were staring at the fire as he spoke, remembering a disturbing memory of his past.
Li widened his eyes at me and we both felt uneasy.
"I left because I grew weary of that boring, messed-up life." Jason continued and he smiled at us, making an effort to lighten the mood. "Everyone deserves redemption, right?"
As much as I wanted to be skeptical if he was telling us the truth, the seams in his forehead made it appear that he was sincere in what he confessed. He looked like the memory was painful to him. And I could sense regret and guilt in his phrases.
I just lowered my head. I didn't know what to say. I had no right to judge his past since I'm one of those privileged citizens of this country that took everything for granted. I feel ashamed that people from the other part of this world suffered like Jayson while I enjoyed the luxury of life for nineteen years.
"You must have trained hard," Timothy remarked on Jayson while eating a bar of oats and hugging himself underneath a thick blanket.
"Yeah, I trained since I was ten," Jayson replied. "How about you, Harriet? What made you come here?"
I was startled by his question but since he was brave enough to tell us where he came from, maybe I should also tell them my reason. I cleared my throat. "My father, brother and I thought of getting residency here in Basil. My mom died and my dad wants to start a new life here. I-I'm sorry if—"
"It's fine. You're right. We must know each other to avoid trust issues." Jason rationalized my rude question. "Besides, we need every skill of each other to survive this catastrophe. What can you do Timothy?"
"What about me?!" Timothy blurted, his face looking apprehensive. "I don't know."
Li rolled his eyes and Jayson face-palmed. They must be thinking that Timothy might only be a burden to this group.
"I can teach you how to use a gun." I proposed and Timothy's face lightened.
How old is this guy? He seemed a little older than me but he acted more immaturely than his age.
"Yes. We need weapons." Jayson suggested. "We could improvise anything that could turn into weapons. Harriet, you still have Timothy's gun, right?"
"I have it hidden," I replied to him and Timothy narrowed his eyes on me.
"I'm older than you, you know?" Timothy snapped at me and stood, intimidating me with his size. I was only five feet flat while he was around five feet, nine or ten inches tall.
"Your height won't matter if a zombie lunges on you without you knowing what to do," Li spoke to Timothy, a little annoyed. Besides, we still have no idea where we would go next. We have to move before we deplete our supplies here."
"Okay. What else could I do? I have lived with bodyguards all my life. I only went to this place because my father sent me here to work with a client who wanted to buy a share in the company. Do you think a businessman like me would think about killing anyone?" Timothy grumbled and exhaled in exasperation, feeling very disappointed. Whether it's the circumstance or himself, I don't know.
I watched him walk towards his side of the tent and lay on the couch, his back towards us. I felt sad for him because I understood that he didn't ask to be placed in a situation like this. It was only a miracle that we all survived.
"Get some rest, Harriet. Your anxiety is enough for this day." Jayson gently told me and took more wood to stoke the fire.
"You also need some rest," I said and smiled at him.
The night was getting deep and I was grateful that no rain had poured down on us. It would be a disaster if we all got wet in this kind of cold weather. We also couldn't stay in any rooms of the facility because the rooftop was the only spot where a fire won't be visible from anyone beneath the building.
I chose to lie near the bonfire. It was warm and comfortable inside my sleeping bag as I watched the crackling fire dance in the wind.