Jack and Nikki on the road to Nowhere
Collaboration with
@Evolution365Jack 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
