Fandom WWZ - IC

[NanLia]

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Ginny smiled as Jonah went on, hearing about his past with a little more detail. She had known parts of it; bits here and there but now hearing the details pieced together brought more depth and understanding to what she had come to love about him. She laughed softly and nodded as he mentioned never knowing that he could have ended up where he was, working for the army once more just because he had enlisted and served years ago. Ginny bit her lips in the awkward silence that followed his story, still smiling and attempting to keep herself from giggling as she could tell the man was embarrassed but didn't know what for. He cleared his throat and she blinked at the question.

"Ah, no, but I wasn't much for life planning in my youth." She didn't doubt that Jonah had privileged authority to have read her dossier - she had seen what the army's intelligence had on her during her rating and review and it was certainly detailed. She allowed him to go on pretending as though he didn't already know. "I got pregnant with Liza-May when I was in high school. I told Joe and he panicked; said he was too young to deal with it." She paused, recalling the rather bitter time before everything else. "I didn't know what to do so I went to my parents for help, and uh, well they disowned me. Gave me twenty minutes to pack my things and leave."

She sighed, hand holding the pommel of the saddle, her thumb rubbing over it, the sheen long worn off after years of use. "I was living in my car and going to school - what else could I do really? A couple of days later Joe came back, he apologized for what he said, what he'd done. I didn't blame him, still don't: we were kids doing stupid things, I wasn't even ready for it. He didn't know about my parents for three weeks, until Charlie told him. He took me home and we told his parents." She smiled. "His daddy was so angry. Not with him or me but that we didn't tell them straight away, and that I was staying in my car and more that my parents acted like nothing was wrong at church when I hadn't been there. He went over to my parents place and gave them hell."

She glanced to Jonah, still smiling. "Joe's family helped me get through school, gave me my first job and a home." The smile faded slightly. "Just after Liza-May's first birthday we found out Joe had cancer, terminal. His mom and me tried so hard to convince him to go to chemo, take the drugs but he and his daddy had talked about it. It would have meant that his last days with us, with Liza-May and me would be him sick in bed. He told me he wanted to have a baby, wanted to see our son. How on Earth that man knew that we had Jacks I could not tell you; but he did what he wanted. He lived long enough to see Jacks be born, almost made it to his first birthday too."

"The kids don't know their grandparents, my parents that is. The Wallace's helped me raised them, taught me how to run the farm and made me their family. Katie was always there, when she could be, but I made sure she didn't lose them: she needed them too much. Liza-May knows that Katie has parents and that I don't but I'm not sure if she understands or has made up a reason for the difference and Jacks has never asked about them. I had no plan when I was a kid in high school but after Liza-May I knew I was supposed to be their mom and make their world the best that it could be."
Safton

 

[Safton]

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Jonah was relieved by Ginny's candor, not to mention her willingness to treat the conversation subject as if it was his first time hearing of it. Still, her explanation served to fill in plenty of gaps. He had known the basics of her background, of course; he had read most of her file prior to leaving Nashville and on the flight up. It had been easy then, when "Virginia Wallace" was an abstract -- a mission, an objective. But after meeting the woman in person and getting to know her, Jonah couldn't bring himself to touch the dossier again. It felt like a violation, to read up on the cold, analytical facts of a living, breathing person he had come to know and respect.

Jonah listened silently as Ginny gave him the details, trying not to show just how much the knowledge of her being disowned and cast aside by her own parents bothered him. It was ancient history concerning two people he had never met, yet he found himself brooding all the same though he managed to remain silent. He smiled solemnly at the mention of the Wallaces caring for Ginny like their own daughter... more so than the woman's own parents had. However, as the conversation turned toward Joe and his cancer, Jonah averted his eyes. He knew the story, of course: but hearing it from her mouth was different somehow. He felt sympathy for her and the kids, of course... and more than a little guilt. That last emotion was a little harder to explain, but he pushed it to the back of his mind as Ginny finished.

Jonah was silent for several moments, the only sound being the horses as they ambled down the side of the highway. "You've done that, you know," Decker spoke up after a moment. "You've done right by Liza-May and Jacks both. Never doubt that. They're lucky to have you." He frowned slightly, searching for words. "I... I didn't know Joe, but I think he'd be proud of you all. It's been an honor getting to know you and your family, Gin," he said with a small smile.

NanLia ​

 

[NanLia]

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Ginny smiled and flushed as Jonah complimented her on her parenting skill - if only the man had seen her in the early days when she didn't have Joe and two toddlers to wrangle alone. "Thank you, it means a lot to me, and I know Joe would have been glad to have you as a friend through all of this; you're a good man, Jon. Probably too good in some cases."

***
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They rode along getting to know each other better only pausing to listen to the convoy as they made periodic check ins with Nashville and with themselves. It seemed as though they didn't have any further run ins with any locals along the way which man Ginny sigh with relief. Their final check in announced that they had arrived safely in Nashville, the civilians were being treated and checked into quarantine and within the hour the cattle truck would be refueled and on it's way back. It was estimated that it would be another three to four before the convoy met them on the road and by then it would be full dark.

Ginny knew it was too dangerous to push the horses in the dark but they really didn't have much else of a choice. She was elated to know her children had arrived safely in Nashville. Soon after hearing this the pair came to an overpass in the highway, as they ascended the ramp - the only way across without a large detour it soon became evident that someone had been here before them; the bridge was gone, a gaping portion of the overpass was simply gone, crumbled below onto abandoned cars and the roaming dead.

"What does this mean, Jon?" Ginny was already turning back to look over the guard rail below. It was a steep slope that lead to another highway below. Cars still cluttered the road and ditches; it would take a while for them to just get down one side, let alone find a path the horses could get through and up the other side to reconnect with the high way. "The truck can't get to us unless we get up the other side, right?"
Safton

 

[Safton]

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As their ride wound on, Jonah allowed himself to relax. The conversation with Ginny certainly helped; despite the situation they were in and the potential danger over every bend in the highway, he enjoyed their time together getting to know one another. He didn't have to worry about Charlie and his crew watching their every move. He didn't have to concern himself with the well-being of an entire camp -- able to simply listen to their sitreps as they checked in periodically, knowing they were safe. Jonah only needed to worry about one person now: the woman riding next to him... and the herd at their back.

However, as darkness settled, things became inevitably more tense. Jonah found himself frequently scanning the inky black. There were no streetlights or headlights to rely on. Using their flashlights was too dangerous -- it would make them a target to whoever or whatever was out there. He had to save his sole night vision optic (and its limited supply of batteries) for emergencies. So they continued on, using the light of the moon as their guide.

As they crested the ramp to see the overpass -- or what remained of it -- Jonah stopped Kit Kit in her tracks. His brain took a moment to register what they were seeing, his heart dropping into his stomach at the sight. The convoy had passed over this bridge hours ago, he was sure of it. It was the agreed-upon route and nothing in their radio check-ins had indicated anything out of place. Which meant one thing.

"Wait here," Jonah remarked tersely, sliding out of the saddle and to the ground before sliding the rifle slung across his back into his hands. He crept carefully forward toward the edge of where the bridge had seemingly collapsed, kneeling down to examine the damage. Within moments he was returning to Ginny's side. He spoke, but without looking at her, eyes roaming the dark. "You're right. We have to get to the other side somehow... but we need to be careful. That kind of damage? That's not accidental. That was a controlled demolition. Someone dropped this overpass after the convoy had already passed," he said, in little more than a whisper before reaching for his radio to report in to Nashville and inform them of the situation.

NanLia ​

 

[NanLia]

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Ginny nodded as Jonah agreed with her; oddly proud and worried all at once at the revelation. She watched as he returned to the saddle, turning her mount back the way they had come to work their way around the guard rail and down the steep incline of the road when she paused. In the distance she could see lights, head lights, headed down the clear highway their direction. She reached for Jonah's saddle, loosening the leads attached to the other three horses before doing the same to her own. She knew there wouldn't be a chance for them to get down the gravel and loose sheet rock siding soundlessly and quickly. "Get on behind me." She side stepped Moose closer to the man so he could step over the saddle, kicking back the stirrups for his balance.

With the horses freed from the leads they wandered a short distance but not more than a few feet. As Jonah settled she kneed Moose forward, the horse nodding his head, feeling the tension of his riders. He started down the siding, the other horses following. Ginny trusted the beast to find his own footing, keeping an eye out for the others, clicking occasionally as one or another wandered a little too far, the horses always turning back at the command to stay close.

They were halfway down the siding when they heard the engines approach, several vehicles - which Ginny hoped none could navigate the terrain that the horses could. As quiet as they were their luck soon ran out as she watched flashlights start rolling over the landscape, stopping and following the saddled horses before finding herself and Jonah on horseback. Shouts could be heard over head, prompting the horses to quicken their pace but Ginny calmed them, "Whoa. Easy there." The last thing they needed was any of them injuring themselves once they hit the bottom. She spoke softly over her shoulder to Jonah. "At the bottom get back onto Kit Kat and follow me; don't worry about the rest they'll follow."
Safton

 

[Safton]

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Jonah tensed at the first sight of the headlights, his adrenaline going into overdrive. The convoy wasn't due back for hours and in any case they were coming from the wrong direction. Whoever the vehicles belonged to, smart money was on them having something to do with the bridge's sabotage. Jonah didn't question Ginny's sudden order, nodding as he slung his rifle on his shoulder before precariously mounting Moose behind her, just barely managing to keep his balance as he slung his leg over the other side of the saddle.

Decker's eyes scanned their surroundings as Ginny deftly led the horses down the embankment and hopefully out of sight of whoever was coming down the highway. Jonah knew he couldn't afford to fire his weapon unless he had no other choice. A group willing and able to take down an overpass likely had plenty of firepower of their own and no problem using it. They neared the bottom of the escarpment and Ginny laid out the plan and Jonah nodded before realizing she wasn't able to see the gesture. "Got it," he amended quietly.

As soon as Moose's hooves struck dirt at the bottom and the horse steadied, Jonah clumsily dismounted before moving to Kit Kat's side and once again bringing himself up into the saddle. He tossed a quick glance over his shoulder at the beams of flashlights and not-so-distant voices carrying down to them before urging the mare forward behind Ginny.

NanLia​

 

[NanLia]

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Ginny watched the hilltop of lights as Jonah transferred from her saddle to Kit Kat once more; it might have slowed them down but the steep kill was gravel and loose rocks and the descent was precarious. She waited until he gave the signal that he was settled before leading him and the other horses down the side of the packed highway along the guard rail. It was difficult to see but there was no mistaking the telltale scent and noise the dead made as the passed near. More than once she felt a hand grasp at her leg as she passed by smoothly.

Above them the mass of people were speaking, though their voices indistinct at this distance, she couldn't tell what they were saying. She didn't have to wait long before the noise of an engine could be heard; a truck gearing up into all wheel drive to start it's way down the hill side.

Ginny found an opening but couldn't see a path or how wide it was. Glancing briefly up the hill she decided to use her flashlight. With the illumination she could see the opening and away beyond, as well as a massing horde of dead wandering their direction. "We'll need to move fast, run even." She cautioned Jonah as she knee'd Moose forward onto the highway. She picked up the pace, the other horses moving along beside and behind her, side stepping as a trapped ghoul reached for any of them. More than once a panicked whinny broke the near contact moan in the darkness as a horse became startled. Across the four laned highway, weaving through abandoned vehicles and rubble she found the other side and the same gap mirroring the guard rail they had come through. She made a break for it, the other horses picking up pace behind her to match.

Behind a horrendous screech of steel and human voices echoed through the night air. The truck that had been descending had taking the hill on a poor angle; it lost it's grip, skidding down until the front tire hit a large rock where the truck jarred. Already on an extreme angle the back of the truck flipped over sending the men within the bed hurtling towards the ground and growing mass of dead.
Safton

 

[Safton]

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Jonah followed behind Ginny down the narrow corridor she had picked for them and the horses along the edge of the highway, skirting between static vehicles, the guard rail, and a few ghouls that were too close for comfort. Jonah felt a hand grasp clumsily at his boot, resisting the urge to instinctively thrash and kick it away. He was no expert horseman, but even he could tell that Kit Kat was anxious by her body language and the tension in her muscles beneath him. The nervous whinnies of the horses behind them didn't help matters.

Jonah shot a look over his shoulder as he saw a truck attempting to navigate its way down the hillside, muttering a curse under his breath. He didn't want to dwell on the thought of what any group so determined to catch up would do if they managed to capture them. As Ginny informed him of the need for haste for the next leg, he nodded quickly, gently prodding his knee into Kit Kat's side to urge the mare into a near-gallop behind Moose. The moans of the dead filled the night sky -- overpowering even the sound of the truck's engine -- as rotting hands reached out from the windows of abandoned cars to try and grasp at the horses and their riders. Some of the zeds wandering free on the highway staggered determinedly towards them -- shadowy silhouettes in the moonlight -- but luckily none presented an immediate threat.

Jonah turned at the sound of a loud crash, crunching steel, and living shouts. His eyes widened as the truck flipped like a toy, a victim of the steep grade of the embankment. His stomach churned as he saw human figures tossed from the bed amidst the dead, knowing they'd likely be too injured to flee or defend themselves against the growing horde. He shook his head, turning back to Ginny. "Go!" he said, knowing now was their best chance to escape without the notice of the undead or their human pursuers. He continued to follow behind her at the quick pace, crossing through the gap on the opposite side of the highway before slowing out of necessity to climb the embankment -- luckily not quite as steep as the one they had come down.

As they reached the top, the horses clambering up alongside them with labored breaths, he rode up alongside Ginny and held a hand out to her. "Are you all right?" he asked, casting a wary glance down at the scene down on the highway... though not wanting to look too closely for his own sake.

NanLia​

 

[NanLia]

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Ginny let Moose run freely, the other horses keeping up with him easily without riders of their own; she knew sawing on the reigns and holding him back would only be problematic in so many ways, it was just best to let him run out the adrenaline and get some distance between them. As the horses slowed Ginny made certain to keep them in a fast paced canter. She twisted in her saddle to check on Jonah - he seemed to be keeping up well enough despite his injured shoulder. "I'm fine, are you okay?" she reassured him, looking beyond him but seeing no lights following ... not yet at least.

She turned back the way they had been headed, still following along the cleared highway. "We've made some distance." She said quietly, letting the horses find a more comfortable pace. "Hopefully Nashville gets here soon."

Nari wasn't sure how long she spent inside the car as it vibrated its way down the road slowly. More than once she had stopped paying attention, veering left or right only to regain awareness after his nudged a curb. It was off putting, she felt sick to her stomach and like every bone in her body had been broken. It felt as though the assault would never end and then suddenly ... silence.

Her ears rung as she looked, confused, to the controls mounted to the roof of the car; she knew she had set them up correctly: they wouldn't go out for any reason until the convoy was out of the city and a safe distance. Certainly it hadn't been that long, had it? They expected travel time had been four hours before they were clear of the danger of the city. She heard banging on the trunk of the car, a grinding groan accompanying it. She had stopped, or rather just taken her foot off the gas and the car had rolled to a stop on it's own.

The silence was suddenly broken by radio noise, a crackling buzz in her ear followed by screams. It took Nari several seconds to place them before she realized they were coming from her headset. "Boo?" She asked into the mic. "Boo, what the fuck is going on?"

"God damnit Nari! My car is stuck and they're surrounding me. I can't get free and this god damned music just kept bringing more!"

Nari had the car in gear, headed down the route, backtracking to where Boos was supposed to have been headed. It didn't take long for her to find the policewoman; the crowd of dead a solid city block thick and at its core was Boo's car hitched up on something. It kept the nose and windshield clear of the ghouls but the car rocked to one side and another, threatening to pitch itself into the awaiting crowd. Nari stopped at its outer edge, hearing Boo's screams from here - not even through the radio any longer. She pulled open the console she had installed and opened the controls; she needed to separate her car's audio from the central system.

She finally managed to rewire the system before putting her car in gear and turning on the lights and music.

It took hours for Nari to clear the horde around Boo's car; several times nearly getting trapped herself but eventually it was clear enough that Boo could dash out from her car and climb into Nari's.

***​

Nari pulled up to the convoys meeting place four hours behind schedule - The third car was there, abandoned, as it should have been and there was no sign of the rest of the convoy. They'd gone on ahead and as much as it made Nari's heart sink she knew they didn't have any other choice. If they delayed too long they risked dragging the horde from the city once the music had been cut off.

"Fuck." Boo exclaimed next to her, starting Nari out of her thoughts. She glanced over to the otherwise tough exteriored woman to see her starting to cry. "All of that for nothing!" She punched at the dash then opened the door to step out.

Nari followed, closing the door behind her. "It's not over." She said quietly. "We know where they're going and we know the path they'll take." She glanced around herself; there wasn't much there. "Let's get the gas out of-"

"What's the fucking point, Nar?" Boo growled, turning to face the mechanic. "We both know there isn't enough to get us anywhere near where they would be now; that was the whole point - all of the gas is with them to get them as close to Nashville as possible."

Nari frowned, turning circles, searching for anything that would help them with their cause. She paused, facing down the highway where the convoy had gone, seeing a trail of dust headed their direction. "Boo, is that ..."

"Oh. My. God." Boo raised her hands to her face, covering her mouth in disbelief. In the distance, headed their direction, was Henley's modified cruiser. "Jesus Nari. " Boo whispered. "He must really love you."
Safton

 

[Safton]

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Jonah nodded, "Yeah, I'm all right," he murmured. In truth the jarring motion of the gallop had sent jolts of pain radiating out from his shoulder which throbbed now even as they had slowed down. He ignored the discomfort, knowing there was little to be done for it until Nashville in any case. "It shouldn't be long," he remarked, glancing up the road that he could only would soon bring headlights -- friendly ones, this time -- their way. They had been exceptionally lucky back at the highway; he didn't want to gamble with their lives again.

Rolling the kinks out of his shoulder gingerly, he rode up alongside Ginny to speak quietly. "After the blow-outs on the road, the overpass, and then the truck back there... we know we're not alone out here. We've got to be careful. As much as I hate to say it, we can't trust anyone alive we see between here and Nashville. It's best if we don't even make ourselves known," he said with a grimace.

NanLia

 

[NanLia]

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Ginny frowned hearing Jonah's answer to her inquiry; she doubted greatly the man was 'alright' but now wasn't the time or place to press. They were in a very precarious situation; their reinforcements, while on their way, were still a distance away and they had an unknown threat following them closely. "Do you think they knew we were there or just dumb luck?" It made the difference, in her eyes, between the two. If they were lucky, and it was dumb luck the others happened upon them while they were right there, then they had a chance to escape unnoticed now.

She looked around herself and the empty highway as the horses paced on the cement. They needed to keep a low profile and standing on the hill against the horizon was a terrible place. She clicked quietly, turning Moose to head down side of the highway to the marsh and tall grasses. It would make for slower travel but they would remain hidden from a distance and make far less noise.

***​

They traveled on for a time, only Jonah heading up to the highway to check down the road for headlights; ahead for Nashville and behind for anyone in pursuit. Luckily enough on the third time he headed up the siding of the highway he called out to say there were lights headed their direction, from what looked like their convoy. He made her wait in the grasses with the horses until the convoy came to a stop and Miller and Moore both stepped out to greet him.

Ginny sighed with relief when she was called, leading Moose and the other horses up to the cattle cart where they would be loaded. Soon after she and Jonah were tucked into the back seat of an army truck and headed back on their way to Nashville.
Safton

 

[Safton]

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Jonah wasn't sure how to answer Ginny's question. As much as he wanted it to have been sheer dumb luck on the part of their mysterious would-be assailants, the voice in the back of his head insisted that it was anything but. "I'm not sure," he answered quietly, not wanting to worry Ginny needlessly. There was little they could do other than stay safe; he would give Command a detailed report back at Nashville. For now, they had more pressing concerns. He turned to follow Moose into the tall grass, casting a final wary glance over his shoulder.

***
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The marshy grass was slow-going and limited visibility -- requiring constant vigilance for the sound of potential zeds lumbering through the reeds toward them -- but it was a necessary trade-off to ensure their concealment from living eyes. He had insisted on being the one to scout the highway each time in relatively consistent intervals. He felt a proverbial ton lifted from his chest as he emerged to finally see the distinctive headlights of military & civilian vehicles approaching.

The convoy arrived soon after, Jonah flagging them down once he was sure of their identity. He spoke briefly with Moore and Miller, apprising them of the situation up to that point before helping Ginny load the horses up. Minutes later, he sat in the back of the military truck alongside Ginny. His shoulder throbbed still, but seemed to be improving with rest from Kit-Kat's jarring canter. He let himself melt into the seat, turning aside to glance at his companion with a small smile. Glancing to the front of the truck anxiously, his hand slowly slid over to find Ginny's, his fingers moving over hers as the convoy began moving.

NanLia ​

 

[NanLia]

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Ginny felt very close to overwhelmed by the sight of the convoy and the knowledge that she would soon be in Nashville, starting over with her kids. She did her best to keep back her tears; she was exhausted both physically and emotionally and when Miller stepped in to offer her a hug before loading up she couldn't hold back any longer. She knew she was getting odd looks from others on the convoy; people she did not recognize and could only be others from the military that had replaced those that she did know. She didn't care, she was happy to feel some sort of relief after days on the road.

Once loaded into the truck Ginny waited quietly for the rest of the outfit to load up and be on their way. Only once they were on the road did she feel Jonah's hand brush her own. She glanced down to the slight touch before she pulled her hand away to unbuckle her seat belt. She soon scooted across the seat to link her arm with Jonah's and rest her head on his shoulder. She didn't care who saw or knew, she was too tired to care.

***​

Less than two hours later they arrived at the main 'gates' for Nashville, outside was littered with tents and people waiting for entry to the limited space of safety within. Ginny had been sound asleep until the truck came to a full stop, her eyes opening slowly to look around her. At first she was confused as to where they were but soon she knew they had arrived. The door opened and she moved away from Jonah, now having a little more sense, and caution, she didn't want the man to take heat for her actions, professional or otherwise. She smiled to him before taking Miller's hand and stepping out of the truck.

Almost immediately O'Donovan was at her side, taking her upper arm and swiftly escorting her towards the gates.

O'Donovan skirted the line of people awaiting to be seen by their doctors with the hope of being admitted into Nashville, he didn't make eye contact with any of them as he lead the small blond woman forward. He knew better than most that it was unlikely any of them would manage to get in without name dropping. It was a sad truth for Nashville; they were extremely low on resources and even with the addition of Ginny and her cattle she also brought more mouths to feed.

He lead the farmer beyond the first gate to the makeshift infirmary behind where Dr. Singh was located. She looked tired, but then it was to be expected; she had worked a full day shift only to be roused from bed and return to handle the incoming convoy. Much to their surprise their asset hadn't been with the trucks and the convoy's lead had been missing. He gave the doctor strict instructions, and while she certainly didn't need the direction he was compelled to leave it.

With Ginny well in hand starting the process of quarantine he turned to head back out to the convoy as it prepared to head out for a third time, and address his Sergeant.
Safton

 

[Safton]

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Jonah had no interest in slipping away from Ginny's embrace, the warmth in his chest blooming at her proximity as he settled against the side of the truck, squeezing her hand as the convoy began to move. Neither of them spoke during the hours on the road, Jonah dozing off periodically until they arrived at Nashville. He noted Ginny's quick retreat from his side and despite a pang of slight disappointment, he knew the woman was doing it for his own good. The difficulties that their relationship -- if that's even what they had could be called -- would only be compounded here in Nashville, but at the moment he couldn't bring himself to care.

Jonah gave Ginny a reassuring nod as Miller helped her out, O'Donovan quickly approaching to usher her into the gates. Jonah watched her leave, jaw clenched, until the sound of someone clearing their throat pulled his attention away. Looking to his side, he saw a young medic approach, wearing nitrile gloves and wielding a needle. "Sergeant, I'll need to take a blood sample and do a quick physical inspection. Standard procedure for how long you've been outside quarantine."

Jonah nodded, following the man to a nearby outbuilding set up as a crude exam room. The tech took several vials of blood and noted all of his vitals before ordering him to strip down for an almost uncomfortably thorough examination of his body for bites, scratches, or any other signs of infection vectors. Satisfied, the medic told him he could get dressed before leading him back outside. He saw that all of the personnel who had returned for him and Ginny were being given the same treatment, with soldiers and civilians from Nashville coming out to take their places in unloading the live "cargo".

Decker turned to see O'Donovan approaching, the man immediately waving him off with an annoyed grumble as Jonah went to parade rest instinctively. "The medic cleared you?" The heavyset man asked.

Jonah nodded. "Yes, Sergeant."

The Senior NCO held the gaze for a moment before nodding himself. "All right. In that case, follow me. I'll be doing your debrief. I've heard a lot of shit -- good and bad -- since your crew got back. I want to hear it straight from you, now."

 

[NanLia]

O'Donovan lead Jonah to his makeshift office; nothing more than a camping kitchen tent filled with file boxes and his desk at the center. He sat to once side, turning on the lamp and setting aside several file folders before pulling open a fresh one. He let the man speak freely, only pausing him to confirm information as it was provided. The man spoke cautiously; clearly taking strive to reiterate the information as needed without providing too much. O'Donovan knew Decker wasn't misleading but he was certainly protecting himself and Ms. Wallace's privacy.

As Decker concluded O'Donovan nodded, finishing his notes in the file folder. "Damned paperwork." He muttered as he turned over a new page to continue. "There have been some claims made by subordinates and civilians as to the behaviour of our men while on duty; the claims are as follows:

"There have been remarks and petitions filed as to the behaviour of [Charlie] and his men prior to your arrival from Nashville as reinforcements, as part of this claim [Moore] stated in her debriefment that Ms. Wallace was injured due to negligence on his part. Would it be your assessment to agree with this statement?

"There have been remarks made about your own personal conduct while on duty within Ms. Wallace's Range and during the subsequent travel here." He paused, regarding Jonah. "While we can all understand the pressure and trials that we have all been subjected to the only fault I can foresee with this remark was that due process had not been followed.

"Lastly, you have been accused of using the previous remark, your inappropriate relations, to skew your judgement and put not only yourself but our asset at risk with no true gain to our efforts, in fact, it cost us more to return to collect you both.

How do you plead on these two accounts?"
Safton

 

[Safton]

Jonah had done the best he could to give O'Donovan a full accounting of the last several weeks without compromising the more "sensitive" details. It was a tricky balance, one he felt slightly guilty for even going through with despite the fact that none of what he told the Master Sergeant was a lie. Even the omissions were few and far between. As the grizzled NCO set in with an almost robotic tone regarding the allegations made, Decker took a deep breath.

He didn't flinch, listening to every word his superior spoke and maintaining a straightforward gaze. Even when O'Donovan finished, Jonah found his expression inscrutable, unreadable. He gave no hints as to his disposition regarding the claims. Jonah knew there was only one recourse: the truth... as he saw it. "Regarding the first claim, I concur. Specialist Wheeler and his men actively poisoned the well when it came to building rapport with the civilians at the Wallace Ranch. Though we were unable to confirm the accounts firsthand, plenty of refugees reported incidents of looting and dereliction of duty by Wheeler's unit prior to our arrival."

Jonah took another deep breath. "The night we arrived, Gin-- Miss Wallace -- was nowhere to be found. Wheeler had allowed her out of his sight and was unable to report on her whereabouts and refused to send out search parties even after being notified of her extended absence. By the time we tracked her down, she was injured and suffering from exposure."

If Decker was hoping for any sign of approval or skepticism from O'Donovan, he was disappointed. The man simply stared at him, impassive, before nodding for him to continue. Jonah returned the gesture. "As for the second claim, Sergeant, I admit that I also had reservations regarding the risk inherent to staying behind to lead the remainder of the herd toward Nashville on horseback. In hindsight I believe the risk was worth it; not only are the horses invaluable to Ms. Wallace's ability to tend to the livestock, but also to build rapport with her. To be frank, Sergeant, the decision was to either allow the plan to unfold or knock her out and dump her in the back of one of our vehicles and leave the herd behind. Had I done that, we would have lost any trust she and the rest of the civilians had placed in us. I chose to escort her personally in place of a civilian volunteer; Sergeant Moore was more than capable of filling in for me with the convoy and I felt it prudent that Ms. Wallace have a military presence... even a small one."

NanLia ​

 

[NanLia]

O'Donovan nodded as Decker provided his answers, writing them down - they lacked the ability to simply record the audio and transcribe it later - it wasn't a resource they could set aside. He grimaced slightly as Decker agreed to the statements that Wheeler actively purportraited a poor image of Nashville and it's military force while at the Wallace farm. He had hoped some of the claims made where embellished but with the Sergeants additions he knew he didn't have much else of a choice but to act.

Decker went on to explain himself, mostly, when it came to his actions with the Ms. Wallace, once more not openly revealing much of it beyond his decision making and not what had conspired to lead to it. As the other man finished up O'Donovan completed his notes, closed the folio and set it aside. He regarded Decker carefully for a time before speaking. "As that you saw yourself fit enough to trail blaze your, and Ms. Wallace's, way to Nashville on horseback, than I can only assume you are well enough to take up your next assignment." He stood, reaching towards a cabinet draw already open and stuff with areal maps. He returned to the desk and smoothed one out for Decker to view.

"Captain Henley, of the Austin Police Force, had managed to create a safe hold in a recreational building just south of the city. They had been siege by the dead these past months and effectively out of our reach. They recently reported in that they had managed to free themselves and evade the horde. They made their way along this route." O'Donovan drew a line along a two lane highway. "But the passage wasn't clear and they are now low on fuel. Our tanker is refueling and you will be headed out to intercept, refuel and escort them home." He paused, regarding Decker before speaking again. "At that time, after I debrief Ms. Wallace, I will have documents for your to sign and fill out with her - I have no expectations of my men - and women - to be entirely celibate but this is considered active duty and any personal relationships must be documented."

He waited to see if Decker would say anything else but after a moment of quiet he smirked. "Her kids were more than willing to spill on you both," He finally gave Jonah. "You aren't the first and certainly won't be the last of my men that would find themselves partners in this effort. The documents are just a statement of willingness on both your parts - usually they would be used for interpersonal documents; Ms. Wallace, for all intents and purposes, is part of our ranks."
Safton

 

[Safton]

Jonah listened closely as he and O'Donovan pored over the aerial photography depicting the region where the Texan survivors had fled. Decker remembered speaking to them -- very briefly -- on the radio prior to leaving for Montana. That had been several weeks ago, but it felt like a lifetime. He was glad to hear that they were still kicking and Nashville hadn't forgotten about them in turn.

As much as he would have liked a rest (physically and mentally), he didn't even consider for a moment turning the assignment down. Jonah nodded to O'Donovan's instructions, the gears already turning in his head when the older man continued speaking about paperwork -- for him. And Ginny. Together. Jonah froze, muscles tense as he tried to think up some kind of denial, only to have O'Donovan reassure him. Decker was surprised to say the least... shocked, really.

To think he'd believed he had been vsgue with his report enough to keep their relationship -- such as it was -- a secret... He leaned on the desk, rubbing his brow as he shook his head at the news that Ginny's children had ratted them out; Jonah had been ready to blame Charlie. Still, he couldn't shake the feeling of warmth at the idea of not having to tiptoe around anymore... assuming that was what Ginny wanted. It wasn't lost on him that signing those papers would be far more "official" than anything the two of them had said or done to one another.

Jonah sighed, pushing the thoughts away. "Understood, Sergeant," he said, standing up. "I'll get to packing and readying the team."

NanLia

 

[NanLia]

​

O'Donovan nodded as Decker headed out to ready up with his convoy and head out. He stepped out of his tent behind the other Sergeant, watching him head off before turning back towards the quarantine zone to check on Mrs. Wallace. He was dismayed to see Dr. Singh disrobing from a containment suit as he arrived, Ginny no where in sight. As he approached he knew immediately there was cause for worry by the face Dr. Singh was making. "Report." He grumbled, stepping towards the chain link fence that divided the healthy citizens through containment to those that were ill.

Avi sighed heavily, stepping out of the thick rubber suit and letting one of the other assistance take over before turning on her table to read over her notes. "Dehydration, exposure, elevated white cell count, elevated internal temperatures-" She paused as the Sergeant cursed, she glanced at him before continuing. "Physical examination shows no scratch or bite marks - blood draw shows no virus indicators." She heard the large man sigh. "It is likely she has pneumonia; not uncommon for someone in her situation. I've set her up with fluids to re-hydrate and a full course of inoculations once the fever has subsided. I've ordered x-rays to be done on her ankle - I doubt it set correctly as she reported numbness in the bottom of her foot."

O'Donovan nodded once briskly before turning to march off towards the inner portion of the quarantined city: Wheeler had to be dealt with.
Safton

 

[Safton]

​

Jonah left O'Donovan's office, making his way back to the convoy where the TREPE team was still in-processing. He wasted no time in giving them the news that they'd be headed back out -- met with more than a little confusion and in some cases, obvious frustration. Decker gave any who wanted it an out, offering to take fresh troops from Nashville's garrison. Moore, Miller, and several of the others wouldn't hear of it, quickly volunteering. A compromise was reached: Jonah would pull several fresh troops from Nashville to drive the vehicles toward the rendezvous, allowing him and the others to catch at least a little shuteye on the way. After all, only one of them would need to be up to man the radio once they got within range of the Austin survivors.

Satisfied that the preparations were in capable hands, Jonah departed to collect his gear and check on Ginny, who he'd been told was at the Clinic.

NanLia ​