You Can Sleep When You Are Dead

by Gazdav

Version 2: A young inexperienced contract killer sets off to make a name for himself in Japan. Only for the world to end before he could start. With no way home and a swordswoman at his side, will he survive and create a new life for himself. Or will he have to become what he trained to be. this is version 2. AU as i will not be following cannon.

4. Chapter 4

I do not own Highschool of the dead I make no money from this it is a fanfiction and not for profit.

You Can Sleep When You're Dead

Chapter 4: Secrets.

"Just What are you?"

Groaning at the question that I Wished she had not asked and thinking fast. Or so I thought, as I had not taking in to consideration where she was stood. I moved straight into my cover story, as I was not ready to tell her yet if at all. Fuck this girl is still a complete stranger.

"I'm a mechanic and an engineer" trying to explain with a dead pan expression

"Don't lie to me, no mechanic has this sort of stuff"

Growling as I snapped back "I don't have to explain myself to you Busujima-Chan. You have choice ether take my help or there is the fucking door"

Without saying a word she turns her back to me and starts to walk out. As I am standing there and watch her leave, thinking well this was a short friendship. That bloody voice in my head starts up again "fuck it."

"Get back here I'll explain." What is this power she holds on me? I never speak to anyone even my closest friends or the fixers I uses about this shit. Let alone some woman I have just met.

"You curse too much" this brought me out of my thought's I look up at her. she is stood by the door still facing away from me.

"Look… I am not ready to talk about this subject with you but when I am… I will tell you everything you want to know. For the moment let's just say I fix things"

Turning around She looks at me and changes again her expression now has had a look of interest. "Ok. Until then."

0000

He lied to me. Out and out lied I hate liars. I voice my opinion on this to him.

I mean come on a car engineer with guns, what kind of fool dose he takes me for.

Replying to my protests in a tone that was forceful even cursing, telling me to leave. Then as I turn and start out the secret room he calls me back. I don't want to go back but something inside me tells me to go back next thing I know I have stopped and as I listens to a better explanation. If he had only just said this at first, I would have understood and left it at that.

"Ok. Until then" was my answer then turned to lay my eyes on my bokken again?

"Hmmm about that upgrade what did you mean" I ask trying to change the subject and the now developing awkward moment between us.

With a smile, he moves to the left wall and hands me one of the Ninjakens. This surprised me that he would do that, offering me a real blade, now with this I could improve my chances of survival.

"What do you think?"

Removing the sword from its scabbard, I'm greeted by single polished blade, studying my reflection in it. It's a straight sword like most ninjakens "it has a few flaws but it is a nice blade, not quite my stile as I prefer a katana"

"Well it's yours to use now"

"But I can't accept thi…." cutting me off mid-sentence.

"Well I think you misunderstand, it's not a gift it's a lone, until you find a katana or something better. As I cannot break up the pair, I have had for the last 4 years."

"Ok then I accepts your most generous gift, to allow me to defend myself" I say with a heart full of admiration, for this man that has helped me and asked for nothing in return.

"No really it is just a loan" he says with a smile….

"God you know how to ruin a moment I take back the admiration Campbell-san" I say with a slight chuckle.

"It's James you can call me James."

"Only if you call me Saeko."

Moving over to the other side of the room, he hands me a hand gun identical to the one he pointed at me earlier and leg holster "you might need this to."

0000

Nice!, nice!. I think to myself, one of the few friends I have made them for me. Granted he is not the best sword smith out there, but it's far better than that mass produced crap.

It then hits me Wait? What? Does she think that I'm giving it for keeps…. arrr I forgot, the whole Japanese thing and swords, of course she doses. I then explain it is only a loan. And she thanks me. I then say it's a lone again, only for her to have a good laugh at my expense.

Next I hand her one of my five sevens. "Here… you might need this to."

"No I can't I don't know how to use it" looking at the pistol a bit worried.

"There is nothing to it here let me show you quickly." pulling out my own pistol I precede to show her the working s of the pistol. "This is a FN five seven pistol with a silencer and red dot pointer. You pu… why are you laughing?" look at the now blushing Saeko nervously giggles

"You remind me of someone I think he will like you a lot"

"Well ok… but I do need to show you this." I continue to show her the rest of how the gun works from loading a magazine and making ready to reloading but most importantly the safety.

Finally adding" you don't have to be a good shot with this just point the laser dot at the target where ever the dot is the bullet will land, then pull the trigger but because of the recoil aim it about the jaw."

With that done she accepts the gun "That one is for keeps" smiling broadly and takes the gun and a few mags.

"Thank you James-san. I shall use this to help us both."

"Ok now that is done. We better start getting ready to find your friends, it's nearly 12 and by the time we get going it will be dark before we get there, provided we have little or no problems with the zeds."

Cocking her head to one side "zeds?"

"Yes… that's what I call the grabby eat you things… Zeds… as in zombies. What do you call them?"

"Them." She curtly replied.

Not getting it. "Yes the zeds what do you call them."

Putting a hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle. "No we call them THEM so we don't relate to them, separating them from people. THEM"

Starting to laugh myself, at the simplicity and irony moment. "Ah I get it. Well give me a minute and then we can go."

starting to gather what I needed before we left my room and taking note of what I need 1 pistols with 4 extra magazines, a P90 with 6 magazines of 50 rounds, 100 spare boxed 5.7mm rounds and my other sword.

I then start to lay it out to check it all over, that it all works as it should putting it away in its holsters with the 90 in my hands.

After what I was told this morning I don't think I need to worry about concealment to much now. she and her team had not seen a cop in about 3 days.

As I go through my gear, Saeko starts to complain a little, whilst looking at the baggy clothing I have given her. "I wish you did not cut my clothes off, the clothes you have given me are a bit big. I will find it hard to move in them"

"Ah but I still have the skirt it was only your top and stocking I had to cut away besides they were shredded in the fall"

This earns me another fuck you look "the skirt is in the room you were sleeping in"

"You could have told me" was my answer as she walks off to the offices to get changed.

0000

Just who is this man, a spy, a gangster or maybe a killer? But more importantly Why has taken me into his care?

Sitting on the camp bed pondering my new predicament, before I get changed and looking at the sword and gun he has given me. It will be interesting to watch him fight that is for sure, guns and swords yes it would defiantly be interesting.

Also I started to wonder if he will stay with us, or will he just leave after he drops me at Saya's house.

After permitting myself a few minutes of thought, I started Looking for my skirt and boots, only to find then on the chair behind the desk. I also find several photos in his office. Some Photos of him with an older man, on a walk in the mountains and others of a very young James, fishing with a different man. However I did take note the both the older men looked similar possibly brothers.

Stiffly I got changed, wincing at some of my cuts and bruises. Hmm I'm going to need to ask for some pain killers, as this all huts quite a bit. Then a thought hits me and I go a deep red with embarrassment. He has seen me naked or as near as.

Shaking this thought from my head and with a sigh mouthing the words "best not dwell on that." Or I may not be able to keep my calm around him.

After finishing getting dressed, I go out to meet James. He is stood in his gear he looks kind of odd like some sort of vigilante, maybe that's what he is… Yes defiantly watching him may be interesting.

He hears me walking towards him and Turns about to say something, until he stops. Mouth hanging open but and staring at me.

"What?" As I watch his mouth flops about and stammer a little

"y. you l..look good."

"Thank you" I say while thinking what it is with men.

"You sure you fell from the highway and not heaven" he suddenly says with a smile.

"Well aren't you full of cheesy chat up lines."

"Nope just saying it as I see it…. well…" cough "anyway we need to get going"

Turning round with a renewed purpose I head towards the door.

0000

"Not that way" calling out to her and pointing to the ladder "that way."

"Ehh why" coming with a look of pure puzzled.

"Well can you see through the door?"

"No don't be stupid."

"Then how can you tell what is on the other side? this way we can see what we are getting into and choose the best way out."

"You have thought this through haven't you"as she looked at me with dead pan face

"Yes." I smugly answer. "I tend to plan everything I do. The trick is keeping the plan simple, so that it can remain flexible to change, so I don't become to linear."

"So who is going up first?"

"I am that way I'm not looking up your skirt at you" I tell her with a wink.

"You know you could have just said me it would of sounded less perverted."

"Yes but where is the fun in that, besides I have seen you in your underwear already."

"Not funny James-san" Saeko shouts as she punches my arm.

I couldn't help but try and hide the chuckle from her as she turned a shade of red from embarrassment. "come on let's get going."

On the roof it was more of the same as the last few days, death and decay everywhere.

There are herds of them groaning their hungry sounds shuffling from sound to sound trying to find something to satisfy their hunger. The sight really is horrible. But the worst of it was the smells. They are worse if that was possible it was like a burning sewer out here.

We got down into the ally as I proceeded to do the same checks as yesterday. Moving to to the end of the ally I start saying my prayer to myself in a low voice.

"What was that all about?" Came curious question from Saeko

"Just something I do when I think I'm up against it kind of a superstition. It's nothing really." Cursing to myself, should of used the inside voice.

She then surprised me. "It's ok I do things that centre myself as well before a fight" and with a small smile, she turned and started to head off out into the city.

We had a lot of waking to do, almost 3 miles of it. Through the streets of them, every now and then one would get a bit close, but was soon ether shot or cut down by one of us.

It was a pleasure to watch her do what she does, her movements with my sword where fast and graceful, like a ballet dancer only a dam sight more deadly. I truly enjoyed watching her. To the point that I found myself standing back, just to take in the majesty of her movements.

After watching her work on one pair of zeds she came back over to me "are you going to help any time today?"

"Sorry." I embarrassingly reply, while scratching the back of my head. "But you looked as if you were having fun and it was truly joy to watch you fight. I have never seen anything like it"

She looked to me, with some sort of glint of recognition, like I had seen something I shouldn't have.

So quickly changing the subject "We will rest over in that garden for a bit and get some food and water in us"

"Ok" was the only response, as she looked off into the distance.

When we arrived and Closed the gate quietly, checking the rest of the garden for any of the zeds. We sat down and began to chat. "So you got anybody?"

She looks at me confused "No… I thought I did once, I am a girl after all and I do get crushes. I just never done anything about them. What about you?"

"A few girlfriends… but nothing serious." It was true I tended to be a loner, who only went to pick up girls for one thing, then when that itch was scratched; it was a matter of get rid of them, before they got to curious. "Was always too busy with what I was doing and never got close to anyone." Mentally I started kicking myself for that last sentence. Ok. Where did that come from? was my next thought.

"So how old are you? I mean you have got to older than me, I'm only 18 and in my last year of school"

"I'm 23 so not that much older. I only moved here a few weeks back, but now as this is the end of the world looks like I'm staying, it not like I can just grab a jet to Scotland now is it."

She looked to me with some concern "what about your parents"

"I'm an orphan." I then started to explain some of my life, the car crash, my uncle and his wife just life shit. "So just me I'm afraid… What about you?"

Saeko then explained about her mother's death and that her father was away in the US at the moment. "So I am alone as well."

Then the next words out of my trap surprise me. That I ever would say anything like This without thinking first was bazar. "Well you have me."

She looks at me in surprise then looks away. and after an awkward silence Saeko calmly told me "come on we best be going."

"Ok then ladies first."

After some more walking, it was starting to get dark and I was thinking we need a place to hold up for the night. Remembering the area around from my surveillance of the Takagi estate and my escape routes, there is a shrine on the hill in the park maybe 1 hour walk from our final destintanation tonight if I remember it should hold up nicely, with its thick wooden doors to lock ourselves in. Failing that then find an abandoned home.

As we started to make our way through the park, we come across more mobs of them.

I look to Saeko "now or never, meet you on the other side." I pulled out my own sword, as I do not wish to make too much noise and attract more of the zeds. Or lead them to our destination.

Saeko looks to me and smiles. "So now I get to see you and your skill now."

Nodding to her and getting to work. I taking my sword griping the hilt tightly, then with a flash swinging it through the horizontal to decapitating one of them, sending a spray of blood across the small plaza of park. Carrying the momentum and switching the sword though to my other hand starching out the arm so the sword cuts into the next zed, cutting the top of its skull off, watching it drop dead and the brain fall from the now open skull.

Turning and reversing my grip again I trust the blade stabbing the next one in the head, listening to the satisfying crunch that lets me know the skull has been pierced.

I then pull back only to see a flash of black and violet, as Saeko starts her deadly dance with the next of them she looks to me with a twisted smile and states. "You're good but you need some improvement."

This sends a shiver down my back fuck she is deadly. I watch her and help out as best as I could. But I will be the first to admit she was better than me, way better than me with a sword. While I was all about power in the hit she was speed and grace ensuring each cut delivered maximum damage with supreme accuracy.

Suddenly the dance of death stopped. She froze with a look of horror and disgust on her face.

Saeko had stopped near some children that had been turned; running over to her I shouted "Saeko!" She did nothing, it was like the lights where on but nobody was home.

"Not now move." She looked at me with a sadness I could not comprehend. "Fuck come on we need to go now." The group of undead kids were almost on top of us.

Putting away my sword back into its scabbard then pulling out the p90, there were far too many to go on using the sword and I was just not good enough in its uses, but there is one thing I can do well and that is shoot. pulling the gun into my shoulder and turning the disk like safety, to fire on the zombie kids, with a muffled roar as the p90 spat bullets and flames in controlled rapid single shots quickly switching from target to target, I sent them onto the next world.

Grabbing Saeko dragging the girl that had lost her cool. It was bad she was dragging her heals barley moving, it felt as if she had lost her will to live.

"Come on snap out of it." Pleading with her to no avail. "fuck fuck fuck." I'm not getting eaten today.

I grab at her again. Allowing the 90 to hang on its sling, taking her sword from her , then with a heave I throw her up into a fireman's carry and begin Moving quietly and quickly for the stairs to the shrine. Moving up them as fast as I could, leaving the last of the zeds behind us.

Once at the top I hear a weak voice "You can put me down now."

As I put her down I relies it is getting dark. "We need to go before it's too dark, that and clear this building. Before we settle in for the night" all I get is a sort of nod from her.

I go inside, checking out the building with my 90 up in the shoulder, its light and lasers pointer on, to provide illumination. Luckily the shrine is empty of anything living, dead or in between "thank god for that" I sound out.

Pulling Saeko's arm I take her into the shrine closing the door and locking it.

"Right let's get comfortable. We will be here for the night" I look over to her and she nods, somehow she had gotten wet probably from throwing zeds into the fountain in the park or from her sweat and there blood. I go into my bag and pull out a dry top, thenlight some candles that were found when clearing the shrine. Then handing the top to her and indicating that I will wait on the other side of a tapestry that is hung from the roof.

There are some shuffling noises and I'm tempted to sneak a peek not that I had not seen her in her lacy bra and thong but come on she is fucking stunning. Shaking the rather perverted thought from my head I hear her.

"You can come round now I'm finished." moving around the cover, I see her sat on the floor on her heals looking to the ground.

"Hell of a day angel" I say to her.

Looking up from her trance. "Angel?"

"You fell from heaven, not the highway remember."

Laughing a little at this lame joke, Saeko now with her eyes shining in the dim light said."That is true."

"We'll need to have a look at your dressings, just to check you have not ripped the stiches" I asked to change the subject.

Turning her back to me and lifting her top, I start inspecting her wounds from yesterday, as I began the inspection Saeko askes me . "Are you not going to ask what happened in the park?"

I look up at the back of her head "No."

"No… why not?"

"Because you will tell me when you are ready, just like you are about to. I can understand not wanting to kill kids. As it is not something I could do. If it were not for the fact they had been turned, there would have been no way that I could have."

"It's not because they are kids... But if you will… Will you please hear me out?"

She sounds embarrassed and I feel a little shocked at this, then turning her round and holding my best poker face so as not to unsettle her flow, I remember some of my lessons from the past. This life will fuck with your head… "Sure… it's important that you can get out what is on your mind so it won't eat you up inside."

0000

My mind was in pure turmoil I did not want to fall to my demon. James wanted to hear me out. Was I going to do this? Was I going to tell this stranger that I have only known for a day?

Yes I… I am going to tell him about my demon.

The demon that I had been hiding this last 4 years. About my lust for blood and the joy from it I get. Will he accept me? Will he be disgusted? Will he just leave me here for them? It is what I deserve is it not?

He turned me to face him and reassured me, that he would listen to what I have to say. His blue eyes calmed my soul and I began to spill my heart to him.

"You asked me if I had a boyfriend" he still looked at me saying nothing just listening attentively. "But the truth is I do not deserve anything pure like love." he did nothing after that statement, he just sat there so I continued on.

"Four years ago, I was on my way home from school after a Kendo tournament. When I was cornered by a man, who wanted to molest me. I had seen him watching me the last few days but this time he got off and followed me. I was not scared I knew that I had my wooden sword on me, so I had the upper hand but instead of just running, I lured him in so that he thought he would have me allowing him to touch me.

Then after his guard was down, I struck breaking his leg and his shoulder. I wanted to beat him to death his screams and cries only encouraged and his blood flowed his sweet sweet blood as I struck down at him again and AGAIN!"

"But I was stopped by some passers-by. If it was not for them I would have killed him.

But the worse part of it was I enjoyed it. It empowered me to know what I could do, that I had a clear defined enemy. It turned me on and excited me not just in emotionally but sexually."

I stated to become louder as I remember that day almost deranged as I finished my tale "that is me that is the real Saeko Busujima how anyone this tainted can deserve love." I almost cried at the last part.

"As for those children it was because I couldn't… I just…. I just did not want to lose myself to this, this blood lust" he stopped me from talking.

"You are not tainted." proclaiming firmly

"You have had what all warriors at some point have had, the battle high….. We train and we train so we become focused on the moment. So focused, that when we finally have that first battle that first enemy, we are hit by pure adrenalin and endorphins. Everyone acts different, some panic and become scared, others accept it; some crave the high, doing anything to repeat it. You can only learn to live with it and use it."

His words washed over me, calming me. Is he some kind of kindred spirit has this happened to him too.

"I have had this experience as well. It would be two faced of me, not to see it in others." He had a sort of conviction in his tone.

"But you only got this way after them I have….." he cut me off again

"No I have been like this for years;" this stopped me mid thought, as it was now my turn to listen to his secrete.

"I am a Hitman a contract killer not a mechanic that is just my cover. To date I have completed 24 contracts and I remember each and every one of them. From the first kill I had at the age of 20 to the last only 8 weeks ago. What you have described… I have felt but I had people that cared for me, to help me understand it."

As he finally told me what he was, I understood him. He has experienced all of this before, multiple times, I felt for him. I sat there staring at him not knowing what to say, as he told me his darkest secret, as I had told him mine. He was a killer and had killed on lots of occasions and at a young age. But he had something I never did he had others that he could talk to about it. Did I fell disgusted that he was a killer to be honest with you I don't know; only time could tell.

There was still something nagging at me "but what of my blood lu…." again he cut me off with just a genital touch to my hand.

"If you allow me, I will help you."

We sat there staring for a moment. Then it happened he leaned towards me. At first I did not know what to do he stopped mere centimetres from my lips. I accepted his challenge, I leant into him as we embraced in a kiss.