Chapter Eighteen

Splitting Up

After Jeremiah's proclamation, the seven survivors were taken aback and remained silent in shock. The only person who said something was Lucas, whose eyes had narrowed down to slits. "What a load of bull."

Jeremiah blinked from under the brim of his hat. "…Excuse me?"

Lucas stood up suddenly, his chair scraping against the floor. He paced towards Jeremiah and got up in front of the older man's face showing no fear nor respect. "What do you want, huh? 'Cause what are the chances you really know what we're talking about? You just happen to knock on the door like that? How long have you been eavesdropping on our conversation?" Lucas' eyes stared daggers at the teacher as he fired off the rapid-fire questions. "You tryin' to somehow blackmail us? Well, we're not doing anything illegal so you can jog right on!"

Seeing Lucas' expression, Jeremiah Jebediah couldn't help but be reminded of a certain young boy who had dreams of being a cowboy. He chuckled and put his hands on his hips. "Those are all the right questions, son." As soon as he said the word he realised his mistake. Something in the boy seemed to crack and he shoved Jeremiah hard, knocking him down onto his rear. Jeremiah's hat went skidding across the floor as he used his hands painfully to stop himself from going head-first into the floor.

Lucas would have likely pounced had it not been for the quick feet of Paige and Zach, both of whom had leaped up from their chairs and grappled Lucas' arm. Ruby and Jeffrey had both stood while Naomi looked on, wary. Lacey looked extremely pale and her eyes darted back-and-forth from Lucas to Jeremiah. Tanzi watched, still not entirely one with the situation.

The events from earlier were still fresh on her mind. Jay's blood seemed bright red on her chest even though it had been thoroughly washed away. She could feel herself losing control of her composure and it was taking all of her strength not to just break down into a blubbering mess. Thank God for Ruby and her support, else this would have been all too much for her. Yet she felt like she needed to be stronger, needed to be able to stand on her own two feet.

"Lucas! Calm down!" Paige said through gritted teeth and she and Zach pulled the boy back. His chest was heaving and his face was red with anger.

"Get… Off!" Lucas wrenched his arms free, sending Zach stumbling and forcing Paige to step back to avoid being thrown to the floor. He stood for a moment, breathing in and out like a wild animal, before he managed to finally stand straight and look down at Jeremiah.

Jeremiah carefully made his way back to his feet, picked up his hat and dusted it off before placing it back onto his head. He looked to Lucas with an extremely knowing look. "I see…" Jeremiah said quietly. "I figured you weren't a student." Jeremiah put out a hand which Lucas looked down at warily. "I apologise… Lucas, was it? I didn't think before I spoke. I often forget my way of speaking sometimes gets misconstrued."

After a silent moment Lucas had the grace to look sheepish and quickly shook Jeremiah's hand. "I-I'm sorry…" He muttered. With his back to everyone else, Jeremiah was the only one who saw the wetness in the corners of Lucas' eyes. "I just need to take a moment…" With that he quickly walked past Jeremiah and through the door, wiping his eyes with his sleeve.

"Ex-Excuse me…" Lacey said in that timid voice of hers as she stood from her own seat and quickly walked past Jeremiah to follow Lucas out the door.

"…That did not go as I would have liked…" Jeremiah said with a frown. He looked back to the table where Zach had sat back down, holding his aching shoulder. Paige still stood but was now leaning against the wall.

"Lucas did have a point," Ruby said after Jeremiah pulled himself a seat from the table and sat down in front of the survivors. "How do we know you're the real thing?"

"Unfortunately I don't have I.D. or anything like that," Jeremiah said. "All you have is my word but my word is golden. For a long time now I have been… investigating… events such as yours. I am a part of a small community who research and try to solve the mystery of the List." Jeremiah looked to each of the survivors in turn. "I don't know how much you guys know but Death and his List is something happening worldwide. It isn't just England and it has been happened for thousands of years."

"Thousands?" Ruby questioned in shock. "I knew it was happening elsewhere but for thousands of years? And you have proof?"

"Proof enough. That was why I wanted to take you to see my companion. I wanted to show you the proof with your own eyes and there is evidence enough at his morgue."

"His morgue?" Zach raised an eyebrow. "I don't know whether to laugh or not."

"I'm serious, Mister Dryer. You think I'm a character?" Jeremiah chuckled.

"I think I'm actually going nuts." Zach ran a hand over his head with a sigh. "After everything I've heard today now a teacher is coming in and is also saying it's all true."

"So which of you is the one who sees the visions?" Jeremiah looked to Ruby and then glanced to Tanzi. "At a guess I would say it is your friend here, who is being rather quiet."

"We've had a rather trying day," Ruby sighed.

"I heard that much. But Tanzi," Jeremiah looked directly at Tanzi now. "You must not think of what has happened but rather on what you can do now. You may not have saved two men but you did save Jeffrey here, correct?"

Jeffrey nodded. "That is the main reason why I am helping them."

"You've gotten the group together. That in itself is an important aspect of survival," Jeremiah continued.

"Not everyone," Tanzi spoke, trying to hide the shakiness in her voice. "We have one more."

"It is Jade Skysong, Mr Jebediah," Naomi said, leaning forward on the table.

"I've finished work today, Miss Collado. Call me Jeremiah. But that hothead, huh? Do you know where to find her?"

"She is holding a concert later this week. So we can assume she is practising." Ruby looked to Paige. "Apparently people try and listen to them when they practice at their drummer's house, is that right, Paige?"

"Yes," Paige nodded. "But Sticks has a state-of-the-art studio in his garage. You can't really make out what is going on within unless they happen to have the doors open but that is very rare."

"We were planning on splitting into two groups," Ruby continued. "One to find Jade and explain to her the situation and the other to keep an eye on Lacey, as she is the next on the list."

"And how do you expect to keep an eye on her?" Jeremiah asked. "You cannot stay in this school overnight. Speaking of which, you better find a new place to group together." Jeremiah looked to Ruby and Tanzi. "The two of you are technically trespassing. Not that I'm going to say anything but if another teacher hears you then there'll be trouble."

With a click the door behind Jeremiah opened and Lucas and Lacey walked back into the room. Lucas' eyes were slightly red but otherwise he was wearing a soft smile. He nodded to Jeremiah in apology as he and Lacey sat back at the table.

"Ruby was just telling me that some of the group will be keeping an eye on you," Jeremiah said as a way to get Lacey and Lucas into the conversation. "Do you know what the plan would be overnight?"

"W-We thought maybe we'd be able to stay at the shelter…" Lacey said. "L-Lucas knows the owner and it sounded like a safe place…"

"A shelter? A homeless shelter?" Jeremiah asked.

"Y-Y-Yes…"

"Then that means there'll be other people and that would be no good," Jeremiah said. "We can't draw other people into this situation. Ruby, did anyone from outside the List get involved during your first time around?"

Ruby shook her head. "No… There wasn't really a chance for anyone from the outside to get involved."

"Then you won't know this aspect of the List. If somebody from the outside saves somebody on the List then they get added on." Jeremiah looked to Lucas. "Do you understand this? That means if you try to save Lacey here then you will be added on."

"I don't care about that. If it saves her life then I'm willing to pay that price," Lucas said firmly. Jeremiah just nodded.

"I figured as much. But you don't want to drag somebody in accidentally. So you can't stay overnight at a shelter. You'll need somewhere that you are familiar with, somewhere that is isolated, and somewhere that is sturdy. These three things will reduce the chance of an unwanted death immensely. Do any of you know of anywhere like that?"

The group looked to each other, unsure. Finally one voice spoke out. "I believe my home would fit those requirements." Naomi spoke out. She looked to Lacey. "If you do not mind, you could stay there. My parents are out on holiday in Spain and will not be back for a few weeks."

"I-I'd have to tell my own parents but-but I think that would be fine…" Lacey nodded nervously.

Naomi looked to Lucas. "I expect you will want to stay with Lacey, correct?"

"Definitely."

"Then that, at least, is settled. Lacey, Lucas, and I will head back to my house and stay there until tomorrow." After a moment Naomi nodded, seemingly to herself. "We could even use it as a place to hold these meetings from now on."

"If you don't mind us intruding… that would be perfect," Ruby said.

"Then that is that."

"Hang on, you'll need someone else there in case something happens," Zach suddenly spoke up. "Just the three of you would be too dangerous."

"We need people to go to Jade as well, though," Ruby said. "As well as go with Jeremiah to meet this friend of his. If we can find out more about the List then that could help us save lives. Zach, I was thinking you, Jeffrey, and Paige could go get Jade while Tanzi and I go with Jeremiah."

"I should go with Jeremiah alone." Tanzi's voice was surprisingly strong and it took Ruby aback.

"…Tanzi?"

"I want to know about these visions. I need to know. And… This may sound strange but I think I need to do it alone. You've been an amazing help, Ruby, but I think having the two with the most knowledge go together would be disadvantageous. You said it yourself, we need to work as a team. Surely your abilities would be better put to use by going after Jade? You'd be able to explain the situation straight away."

"It would be hard to drag Jade away on a pretence," Paige mused. "I think Tanzi is right. I think you should come with me and Jeffrey to get Jade. That way Zach can go with Naomi, Lacey, and Lucas. He is next on the List after all, so it would be more efficient to have them all together so if Lacey's turn comes and go then they'll be ready with Zach."

"Hmm…" Ruby looked displeased but looked to Tanzi. "Are you sure you are okay on your own?"

"I am… Ruby… I need to find out more about this and I'm afraid I just don't have the energy to have another Jay on our hands. If I understand more about my visions then perhaps it will make me strong enough to actually save people. At the end of the day, you were the one who saved Jeffrey. I failed Daniel."

Letting out a long breath, Ruby finally nodded. "Okay. Then we have the plan. Naomi, you will take Zach, Lacey, and Lucas to your house. Paige, Jeffrey and I will find Jade and get her on the team. Tanzi, you will go with Jeremiah and get more information. Now – and this is important – we have to keep in contact with each other. We need to regularly check-in. So everyone: keep your mobiles on and charged. I don't want someone to die because we screwed up in the smallest way."

With the makeshift meeting complete, Naomi stood up and said her goodbyes. As she got into the hallway she quickly pulled aside Zach, who was following behind. "You wanted to come with us to avoid Bobby Yates, correct?" Her voice was so low that only she and Zach could hear it.

"…Got it in one. I really wouldn't rather be kicked the crap out of right now. I know I'm delaying the inevitable but… hey, delaying it is better, right?" Zach cast a glance as Lucas and Lacey came through the door. "But I would also be better coming with you, right? Let's go. Do you drive?"

"No. But I figured since you insisted on coming you would drive."

"…Fair enough, fair enough. 'Least I could do."

The four of them walked away, leaving Paige, Jeffrey, and Tanzi in the corridor.

The only two left in the room now were Jeremiah and Ruby.

"Jeremiah… Can I ask you a question?" Ruby asked, blocking the door with her body. Jeremiah looked bemused.

"Of course you can. How can I help?"

"Are you with the DSI?"

A flash of surprise ran across Jeremiah's face that Ruby didn't fail to miss. Jeremiah let out a quick chuckle. "I'm surprised you know of those three letters. But no, I am not with the DSI."

"So you do know of them." Ruby nodded to herself. "Were you ever a part of the DSI?"

"No."

Ruby watched Jeremiah's face carefully. "And do you know of two men named Eugene Hawk and Harold Kelly?"

"I do not."

Ruby stared at Jeremiah's eyes for a long moment before finally nodding. "Okay. One last thing, Jeremiah. If you let anything happen to Tanzi…" Ruby crossed her arms over her chest. "I will make you wish you'd never walked through this door, got it?"

"Gotcha."

"And what I say, goes. You can't just come in here and think you're some kind of leader. You can't just come up with plans and expect us to follow them. You're a wildcard and I don't like that. So tread carefully, Jeremiah."