Nathan Rook was scared. For the first time in months genuine fear coursed through his body. As he hid in an abandoned cabin with Faith Seed, planning their escape, he truly felt hopeless. At the mercy of Hope County and its people.
He half expected the Resistance to barge into the hideout at any moment and shoot both of them. Sure he was a Deputy of Montana, but he had gone behind their backs and kept Faith alive and to them that was unforgivable. The only option they had left was to get the hell out of Hope County as fast as they could. He had confidence that the Resistance could take on what was left of the cult and Joseph Seed by themselves. Not that they'd take him back in anyways.
Faith stared at him with a look that seemed mainly disappointed and a bit angry which only made him feel even guiltier. He had failed the Resistance, Sheriff Whitehorse and many others but he wasn't going to fail her. She was his responsibility and oje of the few people he could truly count on, if not the only one.
"We're gonna start our trail from the Henbane River to the Whitetail Mountains and hopefully make it out of Hope County safely." Nathan told her, unable to meet her gaze. If he was honest with himself they'd probably have to keep living on the run. He deserted his position as Junior Deputy and she was a wanted member of the Seed family, they could never return to Hope County after this. His breaths were shaky and his eyes darted from window to window
His treason and her crimes against the residents had ensured the both of them quick deaths.
"So you risk your life everyday for the people of this county and this is how they repay you? Nathan you need to fight back, don't let them ruin your life. Turn me in if you have to just as long as they don't hurt you." Faith practically begged the man beside her.
"Faith,I'm not turning you in and I need you to realize I'm no longer just going against some random cult members or Chosen. We've got the fucking Resistance breathing down our necks! They have recruited so many members it easily dwarfs the cult now. It's gotten so massively big that I'm still surprised we haven't been found yet." He told her exasperated. He needed her to under the severity of the situation. It didn't matter who he was or what he had done, these people were tired, they wanted their old lives back and they saw both of them as obstacles. Obstacles that were going to be removed no matter what
He had fought tooth and nail to keep others safe here in Hope County and now suddenly he was on the same level of evil as Joseph Seed just for keeping her alive. It angered Faith to no end to see how quickly his allies had turned against him. His own friends were hunting them down with the intent to kill.
"I don't want to be left alone anymore..." She whispered the last part softly as tears began to fall. Nathan was quick to pull her into a tight embrace.
"Don't worry, I won't be going anywhere without you. It's alright" Nathan said softly. He hated seeing her cry, it pained him to see her do so, but what the hell could he do? He was just one man, his guns for hire had either turned against him or weren't willing to go against their allies, and the Resistance encompassed all of Hope County. Even if he tried to fight back he'd only end up getting her killed. He couldn't and wouldn't risk that.
Faith cried harder into his chest. She couldn't believe this was happening to Nathan. The Montana Deputy had started something with the people out here. His actions gave many people in the Resistance the strength and courage to fight against Eden's Gate and had soon become their unofficial leader. He had inspired so many people to pick up a gun and fight against the Joseph and his family to reclaim and rebuild their homes. He saved her life after she tried to kill him, convinced her to leave Joseph and the project behind and not only forgave her, but threw his position as Deputy and broke his trust amongst his allies to keep her safe.
Nathan let her cry into his chest a bit longer till she fell asleep. He looked outside the window of the abandoned cabin they took refuge in to see that it was dark already, he guessed around 9 PM.
He felt his eyelids getting heavier as sleep called him. Knowing that it would take the Resistance at least a few days to even consider searching the cabin, though he was still as vigilant as ever, he allowed himself a few hours of rest. He knew he'd need the rest for their trip.
Nathan was awoken by the blinding light of the early morning sun. Wincing at the intensity of the light he tried standing from the bed only to be pushed back down to the mattress by something, or should he say someone. That someone was Faith. She was sleeping soundly on his chest, her light snores being the only notable sounds in the cabin aside from the radio in the kitchen. He smiled as she, still asleep, muttered something and snuggled deeper into his chest. He was going to keep her safe, even if it killed him
He slipped his way out of her grasp and walked over to the kitchen where he began to make breakfast. The Monkees were playing in the radio as they sang about some pleasant valley. The music coupled with the beauty of mornings in Montana made the everything seem almost peaceful. An ironic contrast to the situation he and Faith were in.
After Faith woke up and they had their breakfast which composed of pancakes, bacon and eggs, and orange juice (Nathan thanked whoever once lived here for leaving the food behind. Though he had to guess it wasn't by choice.), they decided to relax a bit longer before eventually heading out.
"So what's the most embarrassing thing that's ever happened to you? And you can't back out or lie!" Faith asked the deputy as they sat on the living room couch, or more like Nathan sat and she rested on him. They had been playing a questions game for about twenty minutes and it was her turn to ask.
"Well... Let me see, hmmm. Oh I got it! So a couple of weeks ago Hurk and I were hunting near the F.A.N.G Center for some skins to sell. We had been hunting for a while when we came across this bliss dosed skunk looking higher than a giraffe and Hurk decides to pick it up." Nathan began to crack up at the mention of his old friend. He had contemplated asking Hurk for help, knowing he wouldn't turn him in, but Rook ultimately decided not to. He wouldn't risk his friendus safety by asking for his help. Faith smiled brightly seeing Nathan laugh for the first time in days.
"So Drubman, being the genius that he is, starts waving it around, laughing at how docile it was. When the thing sprays and it sprays a lot. All over our clothes, skin and eyes, it got everywhere. I'm not proud to say that we fell to the ground nearly crying our eyes out at the smell and burning sensation in our skin." He told her, turning red as she laughed at his misfortune. He decided to omit the fact that they were both also high after experimenting with some...oregano, courtesy of Sharky. And that the skunk soon proceeded to bite Hurk's genitals and Nathan's fingers.
"Believe me when I say that it got way worse. So Eli and the Whitetail Militia had cameras all over that region and one of them recorded the whole ordeal. They turned the recording into a VHS and it spread like wildfire across the county. Falls End, The Jailhouse, 8-Bit Pizzeria, the Whitetail Bunker, everyone had a copy and everything with a screen played it. Hurk and I were the laughing stock of the Resistance. I didn't dare show my face to any of those places for days after the incident, Hurk didn't seem to care though." He finished his story as red as a beet. Faith however found it completely hilarious, giggling like crazy at the Rookie's mishap.
Nathan would help but smile at her. Like everything else about her, he found her laugh intoxicating. She soon stopped laughing and wiped the tears from her eyes. Sighing happily she laid her head on his shoulder.
"We're leaving in a couple hours right?" She asked
"Yeah, we need to head out early if we want to make any notable progress" He replied.
Nathan couldn't be more grateful for moments like these that took his mind off all their worries. They'd have to leave in a few hours for their safety, but as long as she was with him he'd ensure no harm would come to her...
Nathan decided to recheck their supplies for the trip right before departing, incase they needed anything M1911 and ammo? check, extra clothes? check, food? check, toiletries? check.
Once everything was in order they left the cabin in direction of the road. Nathan hoped better days were to come, though sadly he knew he was asking for much. The road ahead would be nothing but dangerous and they had to be ready or they'd never make it out of Hope County alive