"Yeah, I won't be going to far."  Marcus said, looking around as people started to move and chatter among themselves. "Just maybe a mile or two.  We can't keep running blind into these woods. We need a sense of direction."  She would be safe if she stayed with the group, so he hoped she wouldn't argue with him on this.  "Then I'll come right back." 

Tess got to her feet when everyone else did, leaving Marcus and Rin to themselves and heading in the opposite direction of Richard.  That was something she couldn't deal with right now.  Her focus needed to be on getting out of this alive with as many other people as possible.  Emotional gooey messy stuff could wait till later, as could apologies if there needed to be any. 




It was hours later that they finally broke for camp, the dark making it to dangerous to keep going at this march and the cold making it trickier for those dressed for the beach.  Their camp was small and it's occupants huddled closely together for warmth, a fire being to risky at this time.  They were gathered in the shadows of a rock outcropping, The four having agreed it was far more favaroable to sleep with something solid at their backs in place of just more forest.

So here they were, crowded in like penguins against exhausted and trembling civis. Tess was uncomfortable being so close to so many strangers, to so many people who kept looking at her and the others hopefully like they were supposed to 'pow' just turn into super heroes.  It was just so weird, weird enough that she took comfort in sitting near to Richard.  She hadn't spoken with him since their encounter by the stream, doing her best to convey her apologies to him through actions and by staying close to him as best she could while they continued through the trees.  That would have to do for now.  Until she figured out the whole word things.  

Marcus sat apart from the others, having found a convenient tree near the rocks to put his back against while he crouched with a new rifle across his knees.  He had come across a few unfortunate UKD sweepers when he scouted ahead for the others, and had come back with three tac vests, another gun beside the one he had now, and a scope but now sniper.  Better then nothing though.

Quietly he was busying himself with cleaning and examining it, looking for any sign of wear and tear or damage.  It was better then dwelling.  Dwelling had always been his downfall in the field, and had often been able to keep from doing so by relying on his Squadmates.  Cas would drag him into stupid conversations, Chad would chime in just enough to get Cas worked up enough for a fight, then Kyle would take Cas's place while the he and Chad would fight for real.  It was a weird system.  But it worked for all of them, looked to all of their needs for the damaged minds.  But they weren't here now, and Marcus needed to be alert while the other's rested.  So he pushed all thoughts of his Squad aside, struggling also to keep from seeing that empty door way again he had hoped so fervently to see Cas come racing through, and just cleaned his gun.