Krystan has stayed outside patrolling the grounds with Raphael. She still a little jumpy from when they had the battle with the walkers. She has a M16a1 on her back keeping her machete in her hands feeling insecure about the whole place. Krystan came to the gate and Raphael started growling. She stiffened and made her way over to the gate and finding two walkers making Krystan sigh in relief.

" Down Raphie." She says getting her machete spinning it a bit before stabbing both of the walkers in the head."Fuck you both." Krystan says.

Ingrid had been keeping tabs on Krystan out the front window. She knew that the girl could handle herself but she still didn't like her being out there on her own especially now that it was getting dark out. Violet had taken up residence on the couch and Enzo was sitting next to her. Ingrid thought they were cute together. Grace was sleeping on Ethan. Ingrid smiled and looked around for Jack. He seemed to be missing. She heard Nikki's and Matt's voices outside and she breathed a little easier. She was thankful, she was not ready to try to lead this group on her own. Going on her own or in a small group was one thing. Taking on a very pregnant girl and a toddler were entirely different things.

Ingrid opened the door to see Jack leaving and Matt and Nikki stopping him with questions. "Hey what is going on?"

@evolution365

Collaboration with @Evolution365

Jack wasn't expecting Matt back so soon none the less with Nikki by his side. He didn't really want to explain himself but since they caught him red handed he guessed it was time to come clean. At least explain what I got to, just those two would be fine. As this thought ran through his mind Nikki spoke up with her desire to accompany him on this mission. He began where he thought it would be necessary for them to understand the situation, about Carrie the young woman he'd been traveling with and protecting, about meeting the group that had seemed nice yet somewhat overly religious. Ending the story he'd finished with his instincts about something being off being proved right when he stumbled on to what happened to people who disagreed with their leader.

"That's about the cut and dry of it, they had two of their guys take me out on a so called scavenging mission. They tried to take me out but I was able to see right through what they were trying to do. I didn't just happen to be the road the day you were ambushed. I'd been watching your group for at least two or three days waiting for the right time to ask for help. I was never going to leverage bringing you here for your assistance."

Jack spoke faster and faster since he truly believed that time was now of the essence. "Now seeing what you've been through I'm really sorry to say this but you've all lost far too much in the last few days for me to ask any of you to accompany me on this. Especially you Nikki, I know for a fact that you would be the biggest asset in helping me out. But as Matt can tell you because I know he's seen it plenty of times before you're suffering from a severe case of PTSD and as of right now you're a liability."

Nikki listened to Jack and said, "Yes, I've lost a lot and you are not going alone. Killing is helping me. You can take me willingly or you can try to evade me but I'll still follow you."

Matt shook his head, "Sorry, she is stubborn. You aren't likely to get very far without her making herself known. Just take her so you don't have to worry so much. Hopefully when you get back things will be better with everyone here. Besides, Nikki is tough. She will muddle through anything."

Nikki looked up at her brother and gave him an odd look. She grabbed her bag and Matt's and went through them putting some of his stuff into hers.

"Ok, I'm ready. Let's go." Nikki walked back down the stairs and waited.

Matt looked at him. "Make sure you keep her talking about whatever you can. If you let her, she will internalize it all and then when she explodes....all hell will break loose."

Jack looked and Matt and gives him a understanding nod. "I would love nothing more than to take you with us, but we need someone here to protect all of this. Shouldn't take no more than two or three days tops."

This time it was Matts turn to nod in understanding and Jack could see the hesitation in his eyes. "We'll be back I promise."

Jack shook Matts hand and picked up one of the duffel bags handing it to Nikki and grabbed the other one for himself. The two walked in silence for the first few miles before Jack called for a break it wasn't that he really needed one but there was something he really needed to know. He reached into his duffel and pulled out a couple bottles of water and handed one to Nikki before opening his own.

There was no easy way to say what he was about to say so he just began with it. "Before we go any further I need to know a few things and say a few things so that you understand exactly why Carrie is so important to me. First things first I need you to understand with one hundred percent clarity exactly what's going to happen once we get there. We are going to kill people, not walkers, not things that are already dead. Living breathing people and I need to know when it gets down to the nitty gritty are you going to be able to do what needs to be done. Now before you answer that I need you to know a few things which may explain why I'm willing to do the things we're about to do for one girl."

Jack drops his dufel and sat down in the middle of the road and started the part of the story he didn't tell the others. "I'm not from Texas I'm actually from a small town in Ohio. Came out here with my wife and ten year old daughter to visit my brother. I was in the military for most of my marriage and for most of my daughters life. I was deployed here and there Iraq or Afghanistan or whatever other shit hole they decided to send us to. I just thought since I got out they deserved some time with me and then all this shit started. My brother was bitten first while we were out camping at his cabin. He turned and bit my wife she turned and killed my daughter. In the end I had to put all three of them down. I had just finished burying all three of them and was about to put a bullet through the back of my skull when I heard her. She was being chased by a group of walkers, after I had dispatched of them I took her back to the cabin. Bad shape wouldn't even begin to describe the condition she was in, she was filthy, broken mentally, and totally gone inside. It took three months before she even spoke a word and to this day she still won't tell me what happened to her in the time before I met her. As I said before I was in the military a US Army Ranger which means they send us to do some down and dirty work five deployments to Iraq and three to Afghanistan. I've seen and done some of the worst shit humanity has to offer but that is nothing compared to what I've done in the last nine months to keep that girl safe."

Jack takes another sip from the water bottle before screwing the cap back on and putting it back in his bag. "Carrie had something shitty happen to her before this she deserves more than me to have a good life for the rest of her days. I guess maybe I'm just trying to make up for what I've lost."

Jack sighs and looks at Nikki awaiting her response to his story it was the first time since all this started that he'd opened up that much to someone.

Nikki had listened and she had heard what he said but there was something inside of her closing off. She could tell his concern for this girl was real and he had come through some really rough things on his own.

"So you believe she went through something before all of this and because she did you are hell bent on taking care of her. Fine. No worries with me. I can kill the living, the dead...at this point it hardly makes a difference to me. In the end none of us are getting out of this. We are just too stubborn to lay down and die quietly."

Nikki stared off not paying much attention to him. Her senses were picking something up and she wasn't sure what direction it was coming from.
@king tai@wildrose@solace@josephb

Matt looked at Ingrid as Nikki and Jack walked off. He scratched his head and looked at her.
"See, she is ok, she is going on a very deadly mission with Jack. She wants us to take care of Grace and the others." Matt said trying to slide past the small irish woman with the larger than life presence.

"Matthew Hyatt! You didn't just let her go off with a strange man on a deadly mission!"

Matt sorta chuckled. "Well, yeah I guess I did. I probably should have warned him. She is dangerous right now. If he isn't careful Nikki will shut down completely or she will explode like a cannon."

Ingrid punched him in the middle of the chest. "Fuck! Ingrid! That hurt!"

She nodded in anger, "Thas right it did! You STUPID man! You'd better hope nuthin' happens to her."

Holding the spot in his chest with his eyes narrowed he rubbed the spot gingerly. Grace walked haphazardly to Matt and yelled, "FUCK DADDY FUCK FUCK"

Ingrid turned away from him and smiled at Grace's words.

Points of entry were always a difficult choice to make, other than trying the front door itself. Unfortunately, Walter wasn't an idiot, and that wasn't an option; he had scouted out the surroundings of the base's outskirts, and only when he was already crawling up against the wall of a building, did his suspicions ring true.

Just as he had thought, the base was occupied by a group, and it was safe to assume that they were armed if it was military building. Latching the crowbar to his belt, Walter saw that there was no reason to be there any longer. Even after all this time, he refused to steal from the living. Theft wasn't scavenging.

But he was on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion; that is, if starving didn't get him first. Even as Walter turned to leave through his entry point, there was a want to show himself, to bite the bullet and take the risk that he wouldn't be gunned down on sight. His head pounded like a drum, only serving to worsen his indecision.

"Okay, okay.." he mumbled to himself, taking a deep breath. It was worth a shot, Walter figured as he strolled into the clearing where he could see the group clearly. He could not help but think of the brutality that his group had done to one another, all over paranoia... he didn't know if he could place himself in a group after all of that.

Before they would notice him, Walter promptly removed the holster at his belt, tossing the unloaded handgun before his feet and standing behind them. "Hey," there was really no other way of greeting others in this type of world these days, but Walter figured that a casual approach was for the best.

He just hoped that it would all work out.

@Wick @WildRose

Krystan had let the two out wishing them luck. Remaining at guard at the gate for a while longer until it got dark. She was was heading back to the building that her group was in to get some food when Raphael's posture stiffen and he turned. Krystan turned with him and saw a guy standing there weaponless.

He said a simple 'Hey' but Krystan didn't exactly trust it."Raphael sit." She says walking towards the man."Who are you?"

@solace

An immediate sense of relief washed over him when he realized that the canine wasn't instructed to bite his face off on sight. Walter found it odd to be under the eyes of attention; the only interactions with the living he'd allowed himself to take was when someone was in danger, and even afterwards, he made sure to leave no strings attached.

"I've been roaming the state for months," he answered, seeing no point in lying. "Time with my last group didn't end so well. So I left, making do with what I scrap and find since."

The soreness of his throat made it difficult to speak. "Walter," he added almost in urgency, as if he had forgotten his own name. The young man nodded as if to confirm with himself, his thumb grating against his temple. "Walter's my name."

@WildRose

[bolor=brown]"I'm not going to ask what happened to your other group. Thats for Nikki or Matt to discuss with you. All I need to know is if you have another weapon on you."[/color] Krystan asks coming closer to the man."Name's Krystan by the way." She says.

Raphael padded over to the man sniffing his boots and legs for anything unusual. When he didn't smell anything but body oder and mud he huffed before sneezing.

"You seemed clear by Raph's standards. Look I can't let you in I got to go get Matt and Ingrid." Krystan turns to leave." Raphael guard him." Krystan says making her way to the building where the group was. The German shepherd sat in font of the man putting himself between Walter and Krystan. He lets out a low growl daring the man to try something.

Opening the door she steps in looking between the two." Matt, we got a new comer. Want me to bring him in or do you want to meet him out there?"

@wick@solace

@WildRose@solace




Matt stepped outside and followed Krystan to the new guy whom he was sizing up as he got closer. He looked like he could handle himself ok. Matt stared at him and assessed him. "Thanks Krystan." Turning back to the new guy he asked him some questions.

"Where are the people you were last with and what happened to them? Have you killed just walkers or humans too and how many and why? What do you think of babies in the apocalypse?"

Matt figured these were standard questions that would say a lot about the person answering them. Matt watched his eyes and expression intently as he answered him.