InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "I have an Oedipus complex."

Travis Jennings (confidenceman) wrote in before_haven,
@ 2009-05-02 22:02:00

Entry tags:

noah gentry, travis jennings

Who: Travis Jennings and Noah Gentry
What: Eliminating a threat to the group
When: December 2, 2012
Where: Just outside Evergreen

It worried him slightly just how much thought he'd put into this, figuring out the cover, waiting for the right moment. He and Noah had left when nearly everyone else was busy and distracted, taking Hopkins with them on what was supposedly only going to be a short run to Evergreen for a few key items.

They'd stopped just at the edge of the small town after a tense and quiet drive. Hopkins was always silent and surly, unless he was being loud and threatening people. It was odd for the other two to be quite so subdued though, especially Travis. The Eaters had seen fit to leave them alone so far on this journey as well, which was always a plus, although in this case it might have saved them some trouble.

Travis could feel the weight of the gun beneath his coat. It was always there when he went out, but today somehow it was more noticeable. He was worried about a number of things: getting this done quickly and quietly, covering it up once they got back, and hoping Noah didn't change his mind and try to stop him at the last minute.

He wasn't even remotely religious, but he also worried just a little about that guilt he told Noah he'd be taking. He'd killed people before. Even if you didn't count the Eaters as people, which he didn't, no matter what the preacher said. There had been times in the early chaos when it had been necessary for survival though. Just like this was. It was necessary for not only his survival, but that of the entire community. He'd never planned it though. That was the part that was nagging at him. Or maybe it was just the tension of anticipation.

Their boots crunched over the packed snow. Travis stopped, letting the other men move ahead and giving Noah a significant look when he glanced back at him.

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whobuilttheark
2009-05-03 10:14 pm UTC (link)

And it worried Noah even more that he'd agreed to help out in this well thought out plan. The thought had occurred to him quite a few times in the past three days to approach Travis and tell him that he'd changed his mind, but something had kept him from doing so. That something was the fact that he knew if this didn't get taken care of now, it could later endanger quite a few people. There had already been so much work into making sure these people were safe, who was he to jeopardize it? In an attempt to keep them safe, he found himself becoming an accessory to murder- something he never would have even thought to fathom.

Noah's gaze was on the snowy ground before him, yet again waging that inner battle he'd been losing over the past couple of days. As he'd said that night this had come to fruition, he wasn't a gauge of morality, but what did what he was doing saying about his own personal morals? That was just one part that majorly worried him. Lifting up his shoulders, he buried his nose under that scarf he was wearing and noticed that Travis had stopped. Casting a glance first to Hopkins, who seemed to realize that something was afoot, before looking over his shoulder at the other. He held Travis' gaze for a few moments, before breaking it and shaking his head weakly. Stopping where he was, he cast another glance back at the three trails of footsteps that had ventured this far out in what was more or less barren waste land, noting that only two would be returning.

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confidenceman
2009-05-05 10:16 pm UTC (link)

"The fuck is the hold up?" Hopkins growled. The man was tense, clearly realizing that something wasn't right. "Let's get this over with." Travis stopped short. Did he know what the plan was? No. He couldn't possibly. He was merely referring to the supply run, surely.

"Right." Travis bit his lip, lost in thought for a moment, then nodded sharply. "Let's get this over with."

That was exactly what he had to do. Before he had time to think any more. Travis reached beneath his jacket, pulled out the gun, leveled it, and pulled the trigger. Just like that. No announcement, no judgment, no apology, and no warning. Just three spits of gunfire and a body in the snow.

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whobuilttheark
2009-05-06 10:53 pm UTC (link)

His gaze hesitantly turned back to Hopkins, his eyes darting between the two as he heard Travis speak. They hadn't discussed exactly how they were going to go about this, no plan had been set in place other than the fact that this needed to be done. There was that gut instinct rearing it's head again as the other in this endeavor said they needed to get this over with. Noah couldn't read minds, but he nearly breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Travis surely thinking this through for a moment. Half-hoping that he'd decided against this, he started to raise his hand when that phrase was repeated. "Tr--"

He was cut off by the sound of those three gun shots going off in the otherwise silent landscape. To say that he was surprised that it was over so quickly was an understatement. ~~Talk about anti-climatic!~~ With wide eyes he stared down at the dead male that was bleeding out into the snow, a large crimson flower sprouting around his chest. He watched Hopkins twitch once, twice and then still and he could do nothing but turn to the side as he felt that bile rise up in his throat. Bending down, with his hands on his knees, he emptied the contents of his stomach only a few feet from their ~~murdered~~ fallen companion in this.

Now he wasn't a weak-stomached person by nature, blood itself didn't phase him, but when it was pouring from three fatal bullet wounds... right in front of his face, it was enough to turn his stomach. Bringing a shaky hand to wipe his mouth, he righted himself slowly and looked over at Travis. "Nice shot," he spat out, before bringing that same hand to adjust his boggan. It wasn't meant as a compliment, and he knew the other was smart enough to not take it as such.

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confidenceman
2009-05-06 11:15 pm UTC (link)

Travis just stood there for a moment, frozen in place, arm still extended, gun still raised. He swallowed hard, finally moving. Fortunately his companion was too busy losing his lunch to notice that his hand shook as he lowered the weapon.

He put the gun away, his jaw clenched and his face stony. He didn't feel that guilt, but that was becuase he was focused on not feeling anything at all. He'd gone cold, emotionless, like some part of him had turned off.

He glanced over at the body, red blood still spreading on the ground, such a short distance away. Then he looked back at Noah. "It would have been hard to miss," he replied flatly.

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whobuilttheark
2009-05-06 11:50 pm UTC (link)

That retort caused him to shake his head once more. He wasn't sure if Travis was trying to be humorous or what with this, but it wasn't doing anything to help the situation in his opinion. Even though they'd been through quite a lot as a group since the had claimed this area as their own, Noah still wasn't sure exactly what to make of the other. He seemed like a good enough guy, even if he seemed to thrive with displays of how badass he was... and this just made it even harder to figure him out. To say that he didn't respect the other, on some level, would be a lie. Trust also wasn't an issue, at least not when it came to what had to be done to keep those that had gathered safe, but there was something about Travis that set him off a bit... something he couldn't put his finger on.

"I'm sure you would have figured something out," he replied gruffly, shoving his hands into his pockets and heaving a sigh. Noah started to apologize for the tone he'd taken with that other, knowing that Travis honestly shouldn't have to bear this all on his own, but he stopped just short of opening his mouth to speak. Instead what did come out surprised him. "So what are we going to do with the body?" Looking at people in a subjective manner wasn't how he went about things, but right now it was all he could do to not lose that composed demeanor he was trying so hard to keep up.

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confidenceman
2009-05-07 02:21 am UTC (link)

The thing that got on Travis's nerves the most about Noah was his do-gooder boy scout mentality. Of course, that was exactly the quality that had led him to ask Noah to come along on this misadventure, but it still rubbed him the wrong way. Especially now, with his gruff reply and disapproving look. Who was he to be judging him? Someone had to do it.

He looked back at the corpse dispassionately and shrugged. "Leave it. With all that fresh blood... it won't be here for long." It was no more than the bastard deserved, he was certain. Travis hadn't come out here to have a funeral, and any feelings of charity or empathy had been pushed away along with everything else.

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whobuilttheark
2009-05-08 09:03 pm UTC (link)

As much as Noah claimed to treat everyone equally, he did have a tendency to judge others. It wasn't something he was proud of, but he honestly couldn't help it. He didn't profess to be some shining example of what a person should be, but there were times that he came off with a holier than thou edge to him. Just like any other person, he had faults and flaws ingrained in his personality. You either took him for what it was worth, or you didn't... either way you'd more than likely still get a giant smile in return. But right now he really didn't think he had it in him to do anything but keep his narrowed gaze upon the other male.

But that didn't change the way he honestly felt about what had just happened. Murder was wrong, but it was for the good of the group. Conflicted didn't even begin to explain it. Tidbits of his conversation with Travis days ago popped up, and it was all he could do to simply push them away. That guilt was already beginning to creep up, and he knew he couldn't be the only one feeling it's effects.

He let out a harsh laugh when the other said that they'd be leaving the body here. "This wasn't part of the plan, Jennings," he spoke sternly, fully realizing that there really hadn't been a plan set in the first place. Moving stiffly, he avoided that stained snow to come closer to the other. "What you just did, we agreed that was necessary, but this isn't. He may have had this coming, or however you'd like to word it... but he doesn't deserve to be left out here to be ravaged by Eaters or wild animals." Looking at the male who was only an inch or two shorter than him, he squared his jaw. "While we may not have had the means to do the completely humane thing here today, don't you think that leaving him out here is just a little overkill?"

Was he trying to prove a point here? More importantly, Noah wondered that if Travis was trying to prove a point... just who was he trying to show up here?

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confidenceman
2009-05-09 12:18 am UTC (link)

If Travis was trying to prove anything, he was convince himself that that this didn't bother him at all. In fact, he was trying damn hard to do just that. He'd spent so much of his life as the guy who didn't give a damn, and in the past few months he'd actually started to care about things, something that still freaked him out more than a little. Hell, if he didn't care, he wouldn't have done this. And he certainly wouldn't have done it the way he had, and he wouldn't have needed Noah to come along.

"Oh yeah, and what was the plan?" he practically growled, his voice low and dangerous. He was still looking at the body. "From the look of things, I doubt he cares what we do next. You think doing the right thing now is going to buy our ticket back into heaven?"

Travis looked up at the slightly taller man, now standing much closer. It wasn't fair of him to take things out on Noah, just like it wasn't fair of him to ask him to come along in the first place. Life wasn't fair though. That didn't mean he had to make things any worse. Travis huffed, finally relenting and making a small effort to come back from whatever dark cold mental place he'd gone to. "Fine, but let's make it quick. If I thought we were having a funeral, I would have invited the preacher along."

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whobuilttheark
2009-05-09 10:02 pm UTC (link)

Maybe that was one of the reasons that the two did have some sort of common ground, they did care about the people that had for some reason or another decided to look up to them for guidance. Neither of them asked to be put in this position, and neither of them were really all that qualified to lead these people; they made due. Usually it involved making sure that there was enough food to go around, or that the shelters that weren't falling into disrepair... and at other times it involved killing off those that could be harmful to the good of the masses.

Noah run his tongue over the back of his teeth, trying not to make this situation any worse than it already was. He was good at staying level-headed, but within the confines of this scenario he was quickly losing his cool. "This isn't about looking for absolution, or trying to make it right. We did what we had to, but I'm not about to just turn heel and walk off... there's such a thing as decency. I may not be fit for this undertaking, but I do know a thing or two about that." His eyes narrowed to slits, and he could feel his pulse racing due to the fact that this infuriated him for some reason. Whether it was because of the other's attitude, or the bigger picture... he wasn't sure.

A small snort was all that comment about Father Mark was going to warrant from him. He was already riled up enough, and didn't feel like getting into that. Finally breaking his gaze from Travis, he turned to look at the body. "We can't just leave him here..." It did occur to him that the ground was frozen solid, and there was no way they could simply bring him back to camp. The story was to tell the other's that Eaters had gotten Hopkins, but it might look a little sketch if he had three bullet wounds.

Walking back over to the body, he bent down; a hand coming to rest over his chin and he looked at what had been a living being only minutes before. "We could--" Noah cut himself off suddenly as he heard that noise they'd all come to fear. A low moan came from the woods, that very noise was what made him stop. From what he'd seen Eaters didn't seem to actually be a present danger until they went into attack mode, but the simple sight of living flesh seemed to do so. If they were around here, that meant that this could possibly end up with three dead people, instead of just one. He couldn't figure out how close they were, but that didn't matter.

"We need to go," he said in a calm voice, seconds before that ear-piercing screech was heard. "Now." Without even thinking about what to do with the body at this point, Noah took off running as fast as he could in the direction they had come from.

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confidenceman
2009-05-10 12:50 am UTC (link)

"There was such a thing as decency. It's a luxury we can't afford anymore," he shot back. That was the ugly truth, and Noah needed to accept that. It would save them both a lot of trouble if he did.

Travis stood, hands on his hips, merely watching as bend over the body. There wasn't a whole lot they could do with it. Burying it in the frozen ground would take forever. They could burn it, maybe. He didn't get a chance to come up with any other ideas before they were interrupted by a terrible moan off in the woods.

"Looks like we won't have to lie about the Eaters getting him after all." It wasn't nice, but it was practical. And if they were lucky, the Eaters wouldn't get them, but they had to move now to keep that from happening.

He tore off after Noah, back towards their vehicle. Behind them, Eaters began emerging from the trees, shrieking and screaming.

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whobuilttheark
2009-05-10 01:22 am UTC (link)

Travis always had some sort of zippy retort it seemed. This one simply caused Noah to roll his eyes. He fully realized that things had changed in lieu of the Fury Virus being released, but it didn't change his outlook on life. Simply being they were left to deal with the crap left over from this devastating blow didn't mean that things had changed that much. Maybe he was stupid to think that things such as decency and 'good people' existed, but it wasn't something he'd be easily convinced of.

"Haha," he managed to get out under his breath. To call him a stick in the mud wouldn't be a complete untruth, though he did know how to let go and have a good time. When faced with things such as this, it just didn't really seemed like the time to do so.

Noah was in pretty good shape, and was able to keep up that pace easily enough. Whether it was the fact that certain death lay behind them or not, he couldn't help but look over his shoulder as the small pack of Eaters - at least five or six - reached the still warm body. Three of them descended upon the body and immediately began tearing into it, but the others obviously had it in their heads that a single body wasn't going to be enough to sate their hunger. Pushing himself even harder, he eventually made it to the jeep they'd traveled out here in. Jumping into the driver's seat he realized that he wasn't in possession of the required tools to start the vehicle. "Keys! Keys! Give me the keys!" he shouted to the other, holding out a hand as he couldn't help but notice the Eaters were gaining ground on them quickly.

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confidenceman
2009-05-10 01:33 am UTC (link)

Travis looked back. With the terrible noises coming from the Eaters, how could he not? He had to know what was after them--how many and how fast? Sadly the answers to those questions were several and very fast indeed.

He watched as a few of the creatures stopped at the corpse. Only a few, not all of them. Hopkins couldn't even help them after death by fully distracting the ravening pack after them with his scrawny corpse. Useless son of a bitch.

"Shit!" He panted, following Noah and flinging himself into the passenger side. Travis thrust his hand into his pocket, finding the keys and shoving them into Noah's hand. He looked out the back of the jeep. The Eaters were nearly on them. Holy shit those things were fast. "Go! Go go go go go...."

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whobuilttheark
2009-05-10 01:57 am UTC (link)

His breath was ragged as he waited those few precious seconds for the other to join him in the jeep. The second he felt those keys press against the palm of his hand, he tried to put them in the ignition. Not even the great boy scout had such nerves of steel that he wasn't phased by the impending doom. On the second try, he got them into the ignition and floored it. Out of the rear view mirror, he watched the Eater closest to them take a swing at the jeep, and managed to hit it. Thankfully it wasn't able to latch on, or actually get on board. That would have sucked a bit.

"I am! I am!" he shouted back at the other, not even worrying about buckling up as he sped away as fast as he could. Noah didn't slow down down, even when the Eaters were just specks behind them, and their wails barely reaching his ears. "Fuck," he finally let out quietly as he made a sharp turn onto the main road they'd turned off of to reach their previous destination. "Fuck." That one word was repeated with a bit more conviction, as he peered over at Travis and shook his head softly.

A hand was lifted off the wheel, having slowed down a bit, and run through his short blond hair. Swallowing roughly, he turned his attention to the road ahead of them once more. "Fuck." Yeah, that pretty much about summed it up.

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