Just another day in the Apocalypse

"Just pass on a message to her. I've found some news and I need her here in North Carolina."

"Her, myself, and three others are on our way right now. We'll be there before dusk tomorrow night" Keith said to Joey before looking at Dare.

"Thanks. I'm assuming she spoke of you on the phone earlier. I need her here within a couple of days for some things to take care of. She knows what I'm talking about."

"Alright, I'll tell her when she wakes up" He hung up the phone and kept driving. Keith finally had a moment to take his patch off, crumpling it up and shoving it into his vest pocket. he breathed a sigh of relief, the pain gone and his mind able to wander a bit. Matt and Sasha were on edge, worried about more zombies. Marc felt like a million needles were burrowing into his mind, trying to figure out the zombies, and Keith's patches, and how he would manipulate the other group members was almost too much to think about at once

After a short few hours, Dare moves slightly in pain. Her head is throbbing. "W-wha...?" She shakes her head a bit, trying to lessen the dizziness. She had lost a bit of blood from the open wound.

"Here, eat this" It was a package of jerky that Keith was holding out to her. It was very dark out and they had stopped to make a camp for the night. They had found a very defensible position and set up quickly. Matt, Sasha, and Marc were already in their tents and asleep. Dare was by the small fire with Keith, he figured she needed the warmth

Dare denied the jerky and sat up slightly. "My head feels like it's just throbbing..." She can barely think clearly. "Where are we?"

"You were in an accident, and you hit your head hard. Take it slow for now. Sasha bandaged you up as best she could. We're a few miles from the North Carolina border. A man called Joey called and said he had something you needed to see in North Carolina" Keith explained

Dare sighed and laid back on the ground. "It's hard to believe I'm finally going back home. All the work, all the effort, just to run away from a problem and take it back home."

"Your tent is just behind you if you want some sleep, but I figured you needed the warmth of the fire for now." Keith told her

She laughs under her breath, laying back on the grass, and putting a hand on top of her forehead. She looks up at the sky. "I'd almost rather be cold. I deserve it." Dare's slightly out of it, as the sky is slightly turning on her. She closes her eyes to ease her head. "I've seen a lot of things, Keith. Some things that people shouldn't have to see."

"Well, you haven't done anything wrong to me, so you get warmth" He said matter of fact-ly. Her comment made him think about all the things he did in the war. He shuddered a bit, then shoved the thoughts from his minds. He looked to Dare and then back to the fire

From the inside of Dare's coat she pulled a badge out and tossed it into the fire. She didn't realize that the thing didn't burn. It was fire resistant.

Keith couldn't help to see the badge, and the WOOTU emblem on it. He recognized it instantly, WOOTU made his patches. His brow furrowed.

WOOTU was famous and yet infamous. They were the group blamed on the beginning of the Solanum virus that began the slow apocalypse. Dare closed her eyes, resting somewhat. She hadn't realized that Keith had seen the emblem.

Keith didn't know what to think of it, but he decided not to give it more thought. It was doubtful she knew Higgans, the madman behind Project Alpha. He shoved the thoughts from his mind and got up. "I'm going to do a perimeter check, I'll be back in a bit" He walked off, his footsteps silent as he circled the small camp

Dare decides to wait on his return, though she's still a bit sleepy.

It was about five minutes before he got back. He went and sat back down by the fire. Rubbing his wrist, he hissed a bit in pain. Looking, he found he had a horrible blister from using two patches in the same 24 hour period

Dare hears Keith's hiss in pain. "Did you injure yourself?" she asks.

Keith flinches. "You could say that" he said

She laughs a bit. "I'm always finding myself getting hurt or into trouble these days. By the way, I can't remember if I told you my full name. The name's Dare Tallen."

"Lieutenant commander first class Keith Pyle" He nodded to her. "Nice to meet you Miss Tallen"

"Lieutenant commander? You're a military man, aren't you?" She grins. "I've worked with people like you. Not a bad rank."

"Born and raised to be a spec ops marine. How have you worked with soldiers before?" Keith was curious if she knew about Project Alpha

"I worked in an organization that often worked with government officials and the higher level of military."