Cain had always hoped that his family yet lived; it was perhaps the only thing that had kept him from finding some creative way to kill himself inside that suit. Oh, he had toyed with ideas. Biting his own tongue, perhaps. Bashing his skull in against the suit, though he doubted there was enough room for that to work. Other, more creative ends that sprung from a mind left idle for far too long. But he had closed his eyes and imagined his wife, smiling to see him alive, and his son, grown by now, running to greet him, and that had kept him alive.
Only now as they approached the cabin had he truly begun to believe that it was possible, his hope sprung into intoxicating excitement and he rushed forwards. His hopes were crushed by an iron fist around his heart (at least that was how it felt) when he saw a suit to match the one he had spent so long in.
No. He could not imagine his wife or son suffering that same punishment. How long? He wondered as he approached it. How long had they been trapped inside, whichever it was. Months? Weeks? Only days?
His breath caught in his throat as he swung the front open, and then released in a great sigh when he saw that it was empty. He was more relieved than he had ever been in his life to see it empty. His family could not suffer like that, they had suffered far too much already.
That fist around his heart eased, and then came back with even more force than before as he spotted the plank sticking up from the ground not far away. Already he could make out the name on it. Adora, my Adora
Grief twisted in his gut, a raging monster that demanded he do something, anything. All he could do, however, was take off his hat and make his way to the marker. Kneeling in front of it he touched his fingers to the board, reining in his grief as he said his final goodbye. He could not stop a single stray tear that rolled down his cheek as DG approached. Rather than look at her he turned his head to stare into the distance for a moment, letting the pain of loss he had refused to truly acknowledge for so long wash through him.
Turning back he pressed his lips to the board just above her name, it was final, she was gone and he was alone, his hope gone.
No, somewhere inside him there was a spark of hope, however small. Jeb might still live, somewhere out there. Until he found Jeb's grave, saw it with his own eyes, he had a reason to carry on other than revenge. A purer driving force than the need to see Zero's cold, dead body.
He would find his son, and if he didn't he would avenge him, avenge them both.