OUTBREAK: ZERO is a semi post-apocalyptic pandemic roleplay set in the fictional city of Lethford, USA. Current season: Winter, 20/21.
March 2020. The world is in pandemonium as one month ago, GHNv-20 was confirmed, five months after the beginning of norovirus season. The number of the infected are in the higher hundred thousands, and the death toll is at an estimated 250,000, with about seventy percent of the rest of the population experiencing mild to moderate illnesses connected to the S. pyogenes bacteria.
The fear of the unknown has caused mass hysteria and panic.
In an attempt to provide a semblance of safety and control, military personnel patrol the streets, even here in Lethford City, and the police force is trying to keep up with the rising street violence, assault, and theft.
Welcome to OUTBREAK: zero. Will you survive?
HAYANA
SITE OWNER + HEAD ADMINISTRATOR
Hi! I'm Haya. I'm pretty much your girl for everything! If you have any questions regarding our plot, membergroups, etc. don't hesitate to ask me. I'm also in charge of coding, graphics, anything skin related, and advertising/affiliates.
GENERAL INQUIRIES
CODING
GRAPHICS
ADVERTISING
CHARACTERS
ADDI
ADMINISTRATOR
Hey! I'm Addi. Hit me up if you need help with anything. I'm always for plotting so don't be shy. I like coffee, booze, and working out. I'm back from a long hiatus the dead so if you need anything, best ask the others until I get back into the groove of things!
GENERAL INQUIRIES
APPLICATIONS
THREAD MODERATION
MEDIATOR
CHARACTERS
FINNLEY
GLOBAL MODERATOR
Hi hello! My name is Finnley, or Finn, call whichever and I'll be there for you (yes like the FRIENDS theme song). I am in charge of the claims and helping with miscellaneous things. Let me know if you have any questions!
GENERAL INQUIRIES
CLAIMS
DIRECTORY
CHARACTERS
STAFF NAME
OPEN MODERATOR POSITION
outbreak
/ˈaʊtbreɪk/ zero /ˈzɪərəʊ/
a sudden occurrence of something unwelcome, such as war or disease. number, no quantity or number; nought; the figure 0.
Brynlee's voice drifted over and he found himself glancing over at her. She was smiling the most genuine and honest smile that he had ever seen in his life. The edges of her lips tilting up as she mentioned she was fond of the nickname he had given her. "Well I'm glad because I have no intention of stopping." His smile matched hers as he tried focusing back on the road in front of him. It was a lot harder than he had imagined.
Kane was trained to drive across IED laced roads, to constantly have his head on a swivel and his concentration sharp. He had never had a problem with keeping focus during any of those scenarios. As he sat across from her however, his head was inclining more in her direction than towards anything the road was offering. She was grinning ear to ear and every time he made the tires slide and squeal she elicited a laugh that made him wish the drive would never end. The road was just washed out enough to get the vehicle muddy, the tires leaving deep grooves in the earth's surface but not too messy enough that they might get stuck. As the vehicle bounded along he found the trip over much more quickly than he had wanted. Though, as he had parked it, the butterflies had returned to his chest taking his nerves to a whole other place.
Brynlee slipped her hand into his and he helped her down. As he began rambling on he was a little worried that he was going to bore her to death, but every time his gaze looked over at her, that beautiful smile was thankfully still on her face. He found himself praying that he'd keep up whatever he was doing that she was enjoying so much. When it came to training, he knew he was doing well. He knew he was doing exactly what needed to be done, exactly what was required of him. Taking her out on a date? The boy was swimming in uncharted waters with only his softie romantic heart to guide him. That same heart that had been uncompromising in what it wanted in the past. He could only hope and pray that it was enough and that it hadn't let him down.
As he settled down, her eyes met his after she climbed into the back of the JL and he would have sworn all of time stood still in that moment. There was a look on her face that he couldn't place, couldn't exactly read, but knew it was good. He knew it was good with every fiber of his being and he couldn't help but smile in return. She said she was fine enough with the blankets he had placed and he nodded, the smile still on his lips, "Good."
She spoke again, commenting on his knack of surprising her and he listened quietly with a grin on his face as he grabbed the container pack that had their dinner in it. His hands had just began un-snapping and un-zipping the bag as her voice made him look over at her. Warmth filled his cheeks and he could only hope that it was too dark for her to notice. He would be lying if he said he wasn't proud to have swept her off her feet. That had been the ultimate goal and he was more than a little pleased to note that he was at least on the right path. "Brynn, I've seen a lot. I've seen some of the worst and some of the best that people are capable of and I have never, met anyone as incredible as you." His eyes held hers, sincerity driving home each word that he said before his face softened, "I'm not going to waste our first date at a boring movie theater." He winked at her before putting his attention back to their food.
He slid out the first container and was pleased to find that it was still warm to the touch. "I hope you're in the mood for steak. I guessed on the sear and got the other done a little more in case you liked it better that way." He handed her the container of steak with a side of a baked potato, toppings on the side of course, seared vegetables and all complete with a dinner roll. He had gotten dinner from the nicest steakhouse he could google and yelp, and prayed the reviews were accurate. He took the other container out before grabbing a colder container. "A side salad in case you wanted that and I didn't know what dressing you'd like so I got them all." He grinned briefly before opening up a side zipper that indeed had each dressing that the restaurant offered. The waitress who had taken his order had thought he was kidding. He was not.
Kane reached across her and pulled a hard, flat shelf out from the side of the vehicle. It was a small mobile desk area meant to allow a laptop or GPS unit to sit upon it but it would function tonight for a small table just fine. He placed her salad upon it and moved back to the pack, pulling out wine glasses. "Red or white?" He turned the pack around and unzipped it enough to pull out two chilled wine bottles. He wasn't the best when it came to alcohol pairings, he rarely drank so he wasn't entirely confident in the choices of vino. He had gone into the store and picked the first two that had been on display. He then had asked the cashier if they were any good and the guy had began talking about oaky-ness and flavor profiles so much that his eyes had began to glaze over. He grabbed the corkscrew from another side pocket and waited for her choice.
As Kane drove the large vehicle down the road, Brynlee's form sitting shotgun across from him, her perfume lingering with a smile on her lips, he had to keep reminding himself that he wasn't dreaming. It seemed almost too good to be real, almost too perfect to be true. She was fire to his ice, the one person who had come into his life and refused to be sidelined. The one who saw his career for what it was and met it head on with a career of her own. She didn't need his standing or security, she had her own and didn't let him forget it. She was everything he had been looking for without knowing he was ever even looking.
Kane laughed as she commented about the bar being low, "Touché. I guess that means I need to pull out all the stops tonight. Don't want to end up with a failing grade." He gave her a smirk before putting his attention back to the road. He supposed if the fairy tales did come true this would make one hell of a story to tell their grandkids.
He handled the vehicle easily enough as they moved along, steering it off of the civilian road and heading towards the military gates. As she moved to the rear of the vehicle, aside from the deep scarlet color that was creeping up his neck, he found himself grinning as he watched her get situated. Her eyes were bright, her smile wide and catching his attention from the road ahead. Kane had to force himself to drop the grin as he pulled the JL up to the gate.
When the checkpoint was over, he gave her the word and she moved towards the front of the JL, her body softly bumping into his. She murmured an apology and he shook his head, "You don't ever need to apologize for that ADA, I promise you." He maneuvered the JL around a large ditch in the gravel and glanced over at her briefly to gauge her response. He couldn't promise an entirely smooth ride, but if she was nervous or scared he could decrease speed and make it a little easier on her. As he glanced over though a laugh left her lips as she told him to punch it. He grinned back, "Affirmative." the word coming out before he pressed the gas, the JL powering up the hill. As it crested he let the vehicle come down the other side as fast as gravity would allow, pulling the steering wheel once they were at the bottom so the JL skidded a bit before the next climb.
Kane shook his head, a playful grin on his lips as she mentioned dinner, "Nah. MREs don't need to be tied down." He did another glance to make sure she was alright before gunning it up the last hill, the tires fishtailing to the left before he corrected it and brought them to a clearing at the top. They were out of sight of almost anyone, save for someone passing by aerially.
He stopped the JL and turned the engine off before looking over at her. "Give me three minutes." He gave her a wink before getting out and moving to the back of the JL. He worked quickly, unfastening the straps and buttons to pull off the soft canvas that covered the rear of the vehicle, making the back exposed, similar to a truck. He already had the pillows and as many blankets as he could stuff into the backseat to cushion it, ready to go.
Kane moved back to the passenger side and opened her door, extending his hand out to help her down. As he did, he spoke up, "Aside from showing off my favorite toy…I picked this spot because it's hands-down one of my favorite places in Lethford. I actually found it while on recon a few months ago." He walked her around to the back of the JL and pulled the small ladder down on the back so she could climb up. "If you look to your right…you can see the lights from downtown." He pointed to the spot where the lights below them were just beginning to come to life. He then pointed to the left, "And you can't see it, but over there is the airport and every now and then a plane will fly right above this spot." The landing zone was just close enough for the planes to fly in at the perfect height. Not too loud, not too far. And in between those moments, the clearing in the sky was littered with stars. It was as close to perfect as he could get it, at least in his mind.
Kane climbed up the short ladder after her and sat down across from her. "Are you comfortable? I have more blankets in the backseat if you need them." He waited for her reply, a small part of his chest tight, wondering and hoping she wasn't hating his choice of venues. Most of the women who he had dated wanted the nice restaurants, the expensive jewelry and dates. He didn't mind those things, but they weren't exactly him. He was banking that they weren't exactly her either.
Brynlee turned in a slow circle and Kane was thankful she had medical training because he was certain his heart stopped. A devilish grin spread across his lips and as she stopped to face him, his hand slowly moved to her waist gently settling on her hip. "I think you could wear a pillowcase and you'd still be the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." He wanted very much to softly pull her closer to him, but he had promised a date and he'd be damned if he didn't follow through with it.
Brynlee spoke about setting the bar low and Kane chuckled, forcing himself to step away from her. "Think they'd cast us in a reality show?" He grinned after his little joke. They certain had some crazy situations together. Trouble always seemed to find them. Not tonight though, God willing. He planned on tonight going right. Had made backup after backup in case it didn't. Brynlee was prepared for anything, but tonight Kane wanted smooth sailing.
The pair had exited her home and he gave her his hand to help her into the seat. He chuckled when she asked about the smell. "Bath and Body Works wishes they had a scent this good." He was a little proud of himself for knowing the name of a scent company. The only reason he did was due to a fellow SEAL who always insisted on hanging up air fresheners in their base the minute it was set up. The first time that it had happened, he had made fun of it. But he'd be damned if it wasn't settling to come back from a mission in the armpit of nowhere and walk into a place that smelled like cookies. Now he couldn't smell the scent without thinking about sand.
He joined her in the vehicle and hovered his hand over the ignition. She gave him a million watt grin and moved his hand towards the gears and his smile mimicked hers. "Here we go." He turned the key, the engine roaring to life. The inside wasn't loud, they'd be comfortable to talk, but there was no denying the rocking powerhouse the vehicle was. Her hand squeezed his and he brought the back of her knuckles to his lips, pressing a kiss on them softly before moving his hand from hers and working the gear. "You got it."
Kane backed the beast up and pulled out of her driveway, heading down the road. There weren't too many people out but he kept it at the speed limit. No need to detain their date longer than needed. He motioned with his head towards the backseat. "When I tell you to, I need you to move to the backseat, there's no visibility from the outside there so you'll be completely hidden. You won't have to stay long, just long enough to pass checkpoint." He followed the posted signs, heading towards the East District. It was quarantined, but where they were going was safe. He had no plans to be anywhere near the unsafe contagious areas.
The drive lasted another seven minutes before he spoke to her, a grin on his lips. "Alright ADA, I need you in my backseat." The words came out before he could catch himself and a red blush rose to his cheeks, shaking his head, "Didn't mean for that to sound….ah never mind." He cleared his throat as they pulled up to the checkpoint, his smile instantly gone.
"ID sir." the armed guard held his hand out and Kane handed the papers over, along with his ID. The young man left and moved to the small covered area joining another guard. Normally they'd be required to search the vehicle, but his clearance didn't give them the permission. Kane waited patiently as his papers were scanned and brought back to him. Giving a small nod he tucked his ID back in and pressed the button to secure the window back. One small wave as the guard motioned him in and through the checkpoint they went. He waited until the guards were well behind them before speaking again, "Alright. All clear."
He waited for Brynlee to get back to the front and secured in before he took a gravel road to their left that led to the side of the old mall. The road forked off once more and he took the more rockier of the two paths. Behind the mall and through the gravel road was a hilly area, usually reserved for old logging trucks that had started the process of clearing the area out before the virus hit. Now the path was all but washed out. A car would have no chance of following the two mile path that led to where he was going, but the JL could handle it. "Hold on. It might get bumpy." He spoke, a playful grin on his face before beginning the ascent up a large hill.
Kane laughed lightly when Brynlee asked if she had a uniform that she'd be wearing too. "And rob me of seeing you in those jeans?" He shook his head, "Not a chance." He wouldn't have asked her to put on the uniform, couldn't have technically either. That would have been a worse no-no than what he planned on doing that evening. Sneaking a civilian inside of a restricted zone was a whole lot less of a penalty than willingly posing her as a soldier would have been. Not that he planned on getting caught of course. "Now what kind of gentleman would I be if I stuffed you into a trunk on our first date?" He asked, his head tilting slightly, a grin on his lips as he gave mock offended look. "Setting the bar that low for me ADA?" He grinned, leaning against her kitchen counter, watching her hands move over the glass vase, rinsing it out.
A soft smile was on his lips as he listened to her talk about the PET scan machine. He could do this for the rest of his life and be content. Listening to her talk about her day, about the things that challenged her and made her happy or frustrated. Conversations that didn't involve leaving or orders that he couldn't control. Conversations that seemed to always have an expiration date. He watched her arrange the flowers inside the vase, a smile ghosting on her lips as she spoke about the machine. "You'll figure it out. You always do." There was never truer words spoken. She was a problem solver, a determined fireball with grit in her veins. There was nothing she couldn't do. Roping him in like a lost calf was a testament to that belief.
She turned to him and for a moment they both looked at one another in the silence of her kitchen. He wished he could read her mind, to know if her thoughts were bouncing around as much as his were. To know if she was as nervous and excited as himself. It tonight meant to her as much as it did to him.
Kane resisted the urge to laugh as her eyes widened at his question, breaking the tenstion. It wasn't often that he was the one throwing curveballs. "Well, that's a relief." She moved towards him, her bright eyes asking what he had in store and he motioned with his hand towards the door, "There's only one way to find out…" He waited for her cue before making his way out of her place, back to the JL. He walked to the passenger side and opened the door, holding his hand out to her to help her up if she wanted it. The smell of their dinner had filled up the vehicle's interior and he hoped he had made the right call on his pick.
As she climbed up he began speaking, "Let me present my favorite military ride, the JLTV. Half a million dollars to produce. Armored to the teeth and operates easily in minus 500 feet to upwards of 12,000 feet. Fits a crew of four easily and will provide exactly what we need to get where we're going tonight." He waited for her to get settled securely in her seat before shutting the door carefully and going to the driver's side. Kane climbed in and fired the engine up, the engine purring and ready to go. "Last chance to change your mind Valentine." He looked over at her with a sideways grin, hand hovering above the throttle.
Kane tore his eyes from Brynlee's truck only long enough to glance down at her sister. She hadn't spoken to him, her eyes barely managing a flutter before closing again. Kane's chest tightened as he barely managed a whisper, "I'm sorry." He took off at a run back to Brynlee, leaving Eloise. The paramedic's voice rang out needing help and Kane closed the distance, dropping down to where the medic was, "I'm here. What do you need?"
The medic moved inside the truck window and Kane felt his heart hammering in his chest. He was only vaguely aware of sirens screaming in the distance. Whether it was the police or more paramedics he wasn't sure. He spoke to the other man as he watched him scan over Bryn. "I can support her weight and get her out of there if we can get the door cut." He waited for the medic to finish the assessment and he spoke to Bryn, his voice steady and calm. "Bryn, we need you to stay awake and stay with us okay? Where's the pain?"
The door was warped and bent too much to be able to be opened. He knew they'd probably need the jaws to get the metal cut and opened enough to get her out. The window wasn't large enough, at least not enough to allow him to support her while simultaneously getting her out. While the medic was checking her, Kane moved to the other side of the vehicle. The glass was shattered on that side as well, leaving a smaller entry hole than the other. He couldn't fit through but he moved his arm inside, pushing as much of himself as he could, his body on the glass littering the ground to find her hand. "Brynn, I'm right here okay? I'm not going anywhere."
He planned to hold her hand through the cutting. It wasn't exactly the quietest tool and he wasn't sure where her mind was. The last thing he wanted was for her to be scared from the sound of metal against metal, with no one she knew nearby. His fingers ran over hers, his hand gripping her own. "We're going to get you out of this alright? Just stay with us."
Kane knocked on the door, his stomach feeling jittery as he waited for her to open it. It was silly, he knew that. He had been around Brynlee a hundred times. He had seen her in the most insane of circumstances and situations. She had become a comforting presence, a solid part of his life that he found himself needing to have. Yet today, as he waited, he was a bundle of nerves. He hadn't dated anyone in a very, very long time. And the handful of times that he had, it hadn't gone well. There were too many people who couldn't put up with the life of a soldier. Especially not the kind of soldier that he was. She was different though. She was wholly and completely unlike any other woman he had met before. He didn't know realistically where any of this could go, but he was going to jump in with both feet and see where they landed.
The door was opened and Brynlee appeared, a bright smile on her face. He found himself returning the grin almost instantly. His eyes glanced over her and he felt the air momentarily leave his chest. She was stunning. Most of the time spent with her thus far had been while she was in scrubs. She had been beautiful in those, but in jeans with a bright smile on her face she looked like a goddess. "You look beautiful." He held her gaze a moment before she leaned against the door frame. Brynlee mentioned he was a sight and he chuckled, "I hope you don't mind the uniform. I'll need it where we're going."
Kane held the roses out to her and stepped inside as she held the door open, "Sure." He followed her in, glancing around her place. It was exactly how he would have guessed. A nice place, touches of Brynlee here and there. He followed her path, his eyes scanning over the pictures and books she had around. "So how was work? I heard the hospital was trying to raise funds for a new PET scanner." He had caught word of it as someone read the paper out loud in the breakroom the day before while he was getting coffee. He had instantly thought of her of course. It was yet another thing that he was sure made her job that much more complicated and frustrating. Machines breaking down, low beds, low equipment. He was hoping the military wouldn't have to step in, but if things continued the way they were going, he wasn't sure they'd have much of a choice.
Putting his attention back to her, he watched her a moment before speaking up. "I'm glad we're finally getting to do this." He gave her a half-grin. It felt like they had been planning a date for ages. Almost like the world didn't want them together. "Speaking of tonight...you can swim right?" He asked her, a playful smile on his lips. It was freezing cold and he had no intentions of actually getting her in water, but wanted to keep her on her toes, "All vaccinations up to date?"
The call came in and Kane spoke into the radio, verifying he was on his way. His fingers flipped the switch to turn on the flashing lights and siren, and he pressed the gas pedal down. Calm hands on the steering wheel maneuvered between cars with ease and he calculated how much longer it would take. He was barely a handful of minutes out, but with four cars impacted, every second counted. He heard chatter over the radio, one officer verifying that he and his partner were on the scene. A female officer's voice came over the line that she would be directing traffic. Kane was a minute out.
The first officer on the scene was speaking again. First driver in stable condition, female, a blue Honda, driver shaky but stable. The second was a white Jeep, male driver was unconscious but no apparent injuries. The third a female, critical condition, silver honda. Kane drove his cruiser past the officer directing traffic and parked as the male officer's voice came over the radio again. Light blue, Toyota tacoma, female driver, critical condition, vehicle flipped. Kane stepped out of the cruiser, his eyes immediately scanning the scene to find the truck. No. No. No. No.
Kane took off at a run, his heart pounding in his chest. Please, please don't let it be her, he silently begged God in his mind, repeating it over and over. Not her. Please, not her. He heard the driver screaming, a name he didn't immediately recognize, but what he did know was the voice that the name came from. He dropped down to his hands and knees, lowering his head to the pavement to see her. Brynlee. His Brynlee.
Kane spoke immediately, his training kicking in, voice calm. She was awake, that was a good sign. "Brynlee, it's Kane. Everything is going to be just fine alright?" He took out his penlight and scanned the inside of the vehicle. There was blood dripping down from her face, pooling underneath where she was hanging upside down and he turned his head, well aware that medics were already on the way. "I need a medic here!" He brought his attention back to her, "Can you hear me Brynn? I need you to talk with me okay? Tell me all about your day. Tell me about the niece and nephew." She was meeting her family today, they were having dinner together. Family. Eloise.
The name connected and he felt his heart drop. "I'm going to check on Eloise okay? I'm going to be right back." Kane tore himself from her and made it to Eloise, the girl pinned by the warped metal of the vehicle. She was stable, but he didn't know how long that would last, as another officer ran to get the jaws to cut her out he noticed the blood seeping from her door. "Eloise? My name is Kane. Can you nod your head for me?" He heard an officer shouting about the first ambulance being here and he looked over at Brynlee's truck before turning his attention back to Eloise. He felt his mouth go dry, his heart making the call, steeling his nerves against what that might mean when this was all going to be over. He turned to where the medics were, his hand pointing to Brynlee's truck, "There. We need you there first."
Kane pulled his ride onto Brynlee's street. He had checked the weather…three times. He had grabbed his insulated thermal pack to store their dinner until they could get to where they would be eating. He had brought two kinds of wine and packed enough blankets to keep an army warm. His fingers lightly tapped the steering wheel as he made his way to her home. It had been months of run-ins, work calls, and her saving his rear end, but they were finally going to have their first date.
Kane had gone to the underground base in the early hours of the morning. He had maintained the police officer cover, at least until he had checked in at the gate. As soon as he was cleared, he switched his credentials and met with his covert commander. There had been a handful of things he had needed to brief the man on. There were also a few he had needed to be made aware of. The meeting had been short and brief, but had gotten the job done. As he was making his way out, the date with Brynlee came across his mind and a few signatures and strings-pulled later, he was driving out of the base in one of the JLTVs. He was wearing his military uniform, in case they were pulled over. Though his credentials weren't the actual ones that would be pulled up if his information were scanned. They would show just enough rank to cover his little outing tonight and be scrubbed by tomorrow morning.
Kane parked the JLTV in her driveway and got out, adjusting his cap. He grabbed the dozen red roses from the seat next to him and made his way to her door. Sure the roses might be a little cheesy, but he was a romantic at heart and it didn't seem right to bring anything less to a date than roses. Especially the first one. What he perhaps lacked in experience, he made up for in instinct. He had been a witness to his parent's marriage his entire life. His mom and dad still went on dates and their relationship was 50 years strong and going. He didn't know if that was something realistically obtainable, but he knew he was going to give it his damndest. Kane walked up her steps, knocking lightly at her door.
Kane couldn’t help the cocky grin that came to his lips as she brought up him saving her. He had never considered himself a damsel in distress kind of guy, but hearing her mentioning him saving her gave him a warm, pleased feeling that filled up his chest. He chuckled at her joke before speaking up, "That I do. If I remember correctly, you were the one who saved my ass that day." And boy did she. He had been near an explosive that had gone off a few mere feet from him and shrapnel had all but guaranteed him a one-way ticket to losing his leg but she had taken control and worked her magic. He had been only semi-coherent through a lot of it, but he could remember clear as day the memory of her barking orders and refusing to give in an inch. She had saved him, in quite possibly, more ways than one. "I'm tempted to request that you be carried along with me on all of my trips. My pocket ADA."
He was trying to read her face, to gauge every reaction that came across her features. He currently couldn't help the grin that was on his lips but as soon as she might inflect even the smallest amount of anger at him he doubted the grin would stay there. Miraculously though, she grinned back, which of course made him continue grinning like an idiot. The people around them most likely thought they were both insane but he didn't care.
He asked about the date and he watched as she pulled a napkin from the dispenser, writing on it with a pen. He raised an eyebrow curiously as he watched her write 'date' onto the small napkin, turning it towards him. The edge of his lips quirked up in amusement as she smirked playfully, laying out the terms and conditions of grabbing the note.
He nodded, holding up his hands in mock surrender when she mentioned she had already planned a date once for them. The next one would be on him. He made a show of pretending to think about it, moving his head from side to side in thought before leaning forward and taking the note from the table. "I accept the terms Miss Valentine." He shifted his weight to the side so he could slip the napkin in his pants pocket and grunted with the effort.
The action didn't serve his efforts of convincing her that he was fine. He put a hand on his ribs to ease the pain as she stood up from the table, leaning towards him. His ribs could have been on fire and he wasn't sure he would have noticed after that. Her eyes were unyielding, metaphorically matching her fiery hair that fell over her shoulders, daring him to challenge her. His mind was almost instantly filled with a, less than chivalrous, image in his head of her and him in much different conditions. His smile was wicked as his eyes ran over her pursed lips a fraction of a second before replying, "lead the way."
He knew better than to challenge her of course, but also with the way she was staring at him, he would have done damn near anything she asked of him. Jump off the building? Yes ma'am. Take me away from this place? Yes ma'am. Ignore all of the little voices screaming in your head that this was going to end horribly bad? Yes ma'am.
The van rolled along, down the road quietly and he glanced over at her as she began speaking again. She liked calling him by anything except his actual name. Looking over the fact that she called him cute, he silently shook his head in exasperation. At least they both agreed that it was a good thing that he had caught her and not a civilian.
He was tired of her opinions, tired of hearing her justify murder. He was damn tired of this day. He mentally ran through a list of things he'd need to do once they got to the station. He was going to have a ton of paperwork. He'd need to file reports with not only the PD but the military and Federal agencies as well. Let them know they had someone parading around as a vigilante killer, acting on their behalf. He wasn't looking forward to that call.
Then the van had stilled and she spoke up that her ride was here. Kane felt a chill run over his skin. There was no good that could come from this. His weapon was drawn and he was ready, no matter what was coming. At least he thought he was prepared. Until the agents appeared and told him to release her.
His lips were pressed together, heat rising in his body. He wanted to challenge it all, but while he was undercover there wasn't a chance in hell he'd have any ground to stand on with them. He holstered his weapon and as she asked for her cuffs to be removed he turned his attention away from the men and back to her. "I don't have the keys. Talk to officer Bermudez in the front." He wasn't lying. He didn't have keys. Officers inside the back of the van never carried them. Too much temptation to have the suspect try to grab them. The officer who mentioned had made his way out of the front of the van and was standing beside the two suits. He kept his voice level, his lips still flat, "You have a good day ma'am."
Kane realized, as he was speaking to her, that she was clearly having none of anything he was saying. One thing was certain, and that was the fact that he didn't think she had a career in playing poker. Her lips were slightly pursed, her eyebrows drawn together. She was wearing her emotions on her sleeve, at least to him it seemed that way.
He had gotten her to laugh at the mention of them being married, but the conversation promptly took a tailspin after that. Her brows were further furrowed from either his arrogance or possibly, chauvinistic, thoughts and as she repeated what he said, he knew the plane had officially crashed into no man's land. He wasn't expecting survivors.
She spoke his name, her eyes boring into his and he opened his mouth to speak before promptly shutting it again, letting her finish what was on her mind. And oh did she have a lot to say. As she precisely and thoroughly told him what a girl like her wanted, he felt his throat get dry. When she further explicated his actions and thought process, bringing up the notification on when he got back into town, he felt his cheeks redden. That was a fair point.
She gestured around the room and mentioned that her job was every bit as stressful as his, requiring all of her time and then some, he nodded. "You do and you're right…I didn't consider that." He had honestly never dated a girl like her. A girl who had her own life and career that she was passionate about. He wasn't use to having a woman who could go toe to toe with what he did. Then she called him blondie, while putting it all into non-uncertain terms that she wasn't the kind of girl who let other people make the decisions for her. He resisted the urge to say yes ma'am, complete with a salute and all.
Brynlee leaned back in the hospital chair, her arms crossed in front of herself. He wished he could read her mind, find out what was going on in her head. He was all but certain she was going to tell him to go to hell. She was fiery and fearless. He should have known better than to try and shield her from anything. She was his Ada after all, first to fire and last to leave. He watched her silently, waiting for the words to come out. Then she threw him a curveball and mentioned their shot at a future together.
His eyebrows raised just slightly, one corner of his lips pulling upward. He didn't say anything yet. He wasn't exactly sure what he should or could say. He was, quite frankly, a little shocked, his mind wrapping around the idea that maybe the plane hadn't gone down just yet. That there might be survivors on the ground.
Then she decided to give him the mental equivalent of smacking him over the head with a shovel as she told him she liked him too. Damn it all to hell. He grinned, his head nodding softly, "Understood." His eyes tracked over her beautiful face, her piercing eyes, soft lips. He felt like they were on a cliff, her hand extended to his. No turning back now. He leaned forward, "Is that date still on the table?"
He waited for her reply, having to shift from the pressure in his abdomen. The motion to lean made had him wince and he could see as plain as day as she shifted into her medical side. Her face was serious as she ordered him back to his room. "Is that really necessary? I thought hitting the car from the side might have decreased some of the damage." His ribs and shoulders were telling a different story however. "What if I promise to keep ice on it and follow up with my personal physician?" Which was her obviously. Not that he didn't want to spend time with her, he could just think of a thousand other things he'd rather be doing than causing a disruption to her day.
Kane rubbed the back of his neck as she began talking about more bodies. Of course there were more bodies, he thought dryly. She was making jokes, utterly unconcerned about her situation and he found himself itching to get away from her. Not that she, or herself in particular bothered or scared him. No, he didn't care about that. He was just ready to be alone so he could break cover and call up his command. Spec ops and feds never worked together so he knew he was coming from a dark place when it came to intelligence on their operations, but nothing seemed right about this.
It didn't seem right that the feds would give the green light for someone to come in and massacre a group of people…in ground zero of the pandemic….in the quarantined sector of said ground zero….blatantly…with no regard for human life. Nor precision, coming from a tactical and professional standpoint. He was sent all over the world to do things in the name of his country, but his blackout targets weren't citizens and the ones who did belong to the good ole USA always received a trial. That was the foundation that the country was built upon. Vigilante justice had no place on its grounds, no matter how self-righteous someone presumed themselves to be.
Kane got into the van, ready for the fifteen minute drive back to the station to be over with. He was ready to put her away and start digging into what the hell was actually going on. As she playfully asked about his day he didn't have a hint of humor on his face, "Well I'm sitting across from a sociopathic murderer so I'd say my day off isn't going well. Though I'm alive, unlike the people you dispatched earlier so I guess I shouldn't complain too much."
He vaguely wondered what she would have done if he hadn't of been from law enforcement. What move she might have pulled if a civilian would have come upon her in the middle of murdering someone. That self-righteous nature tended to get violent quick. He was thankful it was him. She told him that her story wasn't changing and he nodded. "Suit Yourself."
He ignored her comment about the card. It did look official, but he didn't have anything on him that could scan it in the system to see what would pull up. He'd have to save it for later.
She spoke about being a patriot and it took all of his training not to roll his eyes. "Oh yeah? Did they forget to teach you about the sixth amendment in your special training?" Kane sat back and focused on the ride, ready to get to the station. That travel was cut short however as the van came to a halt. "What the hell is going on out there?" Kane asked, his hand immediately going for his weapon and training it on her. The sound of voices came muddled from the outside and he found his heartrate picking up. Then the door opened and the pistol was trained on the two men who came into view.
One handed him credentials after thanking him for his service and Kane didn't move an inch. Instead, calling out to the front of the van. "These guys been cleared?" He waited for the driver to respond.
The driver angled his head, calling out, "Yes Sir." Kane pursed his lips for half a second before holstering the pistol. He sat perfectly still, the disdain and anger clearly readable on his face.
Kane watched the corners of her mouth pull up in a tiny smirk, pulling up the anxious feeling in his chest. Then she opened her mouth and it became all too clear that he wasn't getting out of it that easy. He swallowed hard, listening to her speak, one eyebrow raised at the nerve of his comment. He deserved it. Completely and totally. That was the world he lived in: here one day and then gone the next without an explanation. There wasn't an option to leave at another time or take a pass or even make a call sometimes. That was the nature of his job and the part of his brain that knew that was screaming that it wasn't going to change and the quicker he let her go, the easier it would be. It could be easy. He knew he could shrug off her words, act like he didn’t care, act like she was the only one upset at their spontaneous break. She would be pissed off, refuse to see him again, and then they could both move on. It could be so easy. A clean break.
As she sat down though, speaking about duty calling he frowned. She brought up his leg and the memory of her and that day came to mind, bringing a soft smile to his lips, "It's fine." Now that she was so close, he found himself having to talk himself down from putting his arms around her. He couldn't pretend that she didn't mean anything to him. It wasn't fair or right for him to not at least give her the upfront truth about all of it. He had learned pretty quick on that she wasn't the kind of girl who appreciated someone making choices for her. Him breaking things off so she could move on was the right thing to do in his mind, but that didn't mean it was the right thing to do by her and he'd be damned before he did something on his terms and not hers. No matter what the outcome might be.
"Ada, I'm sorry. I was pulled in the middle of the night. No calls. No emails, I didn't even get to pack this time. I can't go into details but if you google South Sudan you'll get a pretty good picture about what I've been dealing with. I wanted to call, and I was looking forward to having our date…"
He cleared his throat, glancing around briefly, mimicking her. He had picked a spot away from the general flow of people, but now he was wishing they were somewhere much more quiet and private. Then again, they never were good at doing things the easy way.
He met her eyes, "I like you Brynlee. A lot. If I was a normal guy we'd probably be married already." He chuckled a little. It was mostly a joke of course, but on some other level he knew he'd never meet another girl like her anywhere in the world. The grin dropped however as he continued on, "I'm not though. This is the job and yeah, it's been nice pretending to be in this role of policeman where I can see you and we can plan dates, but that's not my reality." He wanted to reach across and hold her hand. Hell, he wanted to get down on his knees and tell her he was kidding and ask her for her forgiveness. Instead he shook his head, "I can't give you any of that and that's not the kind of life that a girl like you deserves. There's no future with me." He felt like he had just gutted himself, but he needed her to see the reality of his life. He needed her to see that he wasn't the kind of guy that she needed to spend her time on. She was too incredible to waste her affection on a guy like him who could only offer her heartbreak.
Kane nodded, his tone not holding much interest in the words that were coming out, "Whatever you say." He was ready to have this little expedition done and over with. The last thing he had wanted to do was pull his cover while he was doing extra-curricular work, but life never much cared for what he wanted so he supposed by now he should have expected it.
He was going to have a mountain of paperwork after this was all over with. Then there was the whole having to appear at a trial that would inevitably come up, along with following up on forensics. Complication after complication because some female decided she wanted to play killer batman out in the woods.
Kane was thankful when the calvary arrived. His weapon was holstered and as she agreed to follow his command he let out a breath he had been holding. He hadn't wanted to physically take her down. That would have been another eight pages of work at minimum. He watched her sharply as she obeyed the orders. He knew the rest of the officers were breathing easier as she raised her arms and got on her knees, but it only made him more tense. She was much too comfortable with him taking her in than she should be.
He cuffed her hands, "Oh don't you worry, forensics team is right behind us. They'll find anything you've left behind in a ten mile radius so if I were you, I'd listen real close to Officer Bermudez as she reads you your rights." He pulled her up and handed her off to the officer to begin reading her rights. Another started a pat-down, and Kane shook his head as weapons began piling up on the ground near them.
He picked up the rest of his things and went to the next closest officer, "I'm going to ride in the pen with her back to the station. Have your crew sweep the area, call ahead for me and let them know we're coming in the back."
Kane walked over to the large van that had been brought to contain her. Normally, they'd be fine sticking her in the back of a patrol car, but with what he called in, they had brought something a little more secure. He got in, an officer shutting the doors behind him. Kane nodded to the driver of the van through the glass that they were ready.
He settled in, arms crossed across his chest as he looked over at her. "So. Are you still sticking with the story of being miss untouchable?" Speaking of...he reached into his back pocket, pulling her card out. "Nice piece of cardstock. Didn't know Staples did such a good job." His looked it over briefly before sticking it right back in his pocket.
Kane was happy that at least she warned him about taking off her mask. Her movements were nice and slow, taking the protection off of her face and tossing it on the ground. He didn’t have his mask on. It was tucked inside the pocket of the backpack he had. There was a water bottle, flashlight, first aid kit, knife, and a few granola bars thrown in. He hadn't expected to have company on his little expedition. Hadn't expected that if he did, it would be some vigilante murderer enacting her own version of justice either. Some things hit you out of nowhere, that was for sure.
The woman said they were on the same side and Kane let out a sarcastic laugh. "I guess we'll see about that. When you took your oath did you have to cross your fingers behind your back or something?" He held the pistol as it was. She kept talking, almost like she was trying to convert him. Either she truly believed in what she had done or she was trying to justify her actions to herself.
She spoke about her so-called job and missions and Kane had to agree that though, it was crazy-sounding like she said, it was also very similar to what he did. He just did it better. He was never caught, which was paramount in his line of work. If he had been in her shoes and someone had come upon him taking out a target, he would have immediately immobilized them and disappeared back into the night. Allowing himself to be caught be anyone was grounds for a bullet in his head.
She angled her head to the dead body and he frowned deeper. No remorse. No hesitation. That was never a good sign. She refused to get on the ground, making fun of him for calling for backup and he didn’t care. She was too confident for his liking. People usually weren't casual and calm while waiting to be taking into a cell. He sent up a silent prayer that she wasn't thinking of leveling the place and taking him out with her. Brynlee popped up in his head for a millisecond before he locked the dead-bolt on his mental safe that held her in it. If he thought of her, he was likely to make a mistake and he couldn't afford that today. He kept his gun level on her until the sound of sirens came blaring into their part of the woods. Four patrol cars came to a stop, two officers coming out of each and training their weapons on her.
Kane holstered his weapon, pulling out his other cell and dialing a quick response. Officers around them began shouting orders at her to get on the ground and he put his attention back to her. "Are you going to get on the ground willingly or am I going to have to assist?" He waited for her to make her choice, ready to move forward either way.
