walk_away

"Hey, Rook. You alright?"

The Deputy could feel it. Jacob's goddamned programming was kicking in as the song played on the radio. Did he really have to ruin a perfectly good classic for them on top of all the shit and madness?

No.

For fuck's sake.

Eli was killed because of this brainwashing bullshit. The Deputy was not going to let this happen again.

With all the might and willpower they could muster, The Deputy trembled as they fought back the urge to strangle Whitehorse and quickly turned off the radio, with them hyperventilating while slumping down the seat afterwards.

"Oh. Oh shit. I'm so sorry I turned on the radio, Rook," Whitehorse said as he realized what happened.

"I...I didn't know they were going to play that song...damn peggies...we're gonna find a way to get all that shit Jacob put in your head out. I swear to God..."

The Deputy felt a hand on their shoulder. They weakly turned their head to the left to see Hudson.

"We'll make those bastards pay, Rookie. Every. Single. One."

Several weeks later...

Joseph Seed walked out of his church, entering a helicopter headed for Fall's Creek. He was accompanied by his new Heralds: Brother Jerome, Brother Nicholas and the newest Faith Seed, Mary.

Seed knew that letting The Deputy and their allies go was too good to be true. Marshal Burke's attempt to arrest him was only the sign for a far worse event.

Nancy had told him that Whitehorse and the others had reported the events of what happened to the County Sheriff's Office before she was dishonorably discharged and incarcerated for collaborating with him. This was all he needed to know, because he knew what was coming for Hope County,

The entirety of the Montana National Guard.

Ever since he lost his leverage against the government, Seed risked having the outside world know about the chaos that was going on as he tried to "save" everyone. He already managed to convert almost everyone in the Resistance and the county into the Project (With help from brainwashing and a massive amount of Bliss) in the time after they left. Brother Jerome, his old friend, proved to be much more charismatic than John, Brother Nick managed to assemble what could amount to Seed's very own air wing of dedicated attack pilots, and Sister Mary, oh Sister Mary...her father would be proud of what she did with all the Bliss Faith had left behind.

"Father..." Sister Mary said as the chopper neared the town.

"We're almost there."

The square and the streets were all filled with devoted, who all cleared out as Brother Nick set the chopper on the grass. Seed, Jerome and Mary stepped out as Nick brought the heli away.

Seed made his way to the stage set up in front of the town hall, decorated with the symbols and flags of Eden's Gate, while laying his hands on devotees who treated it as being held by Jesus himself before parting to let the three through.

As Joseph walked to the podium, the crowd fell silent. He arranged his suit and cleaned his glasses with a handkerchief before speaking.

"Good afternoon, my brothers and sisters."

"We are all gathered here, on this day of our Lord, as part of his plan. Why? Because something is coming. You all felt it, didn't you? We were all creeping toward the edge…and there was a start of a reckoning. That was why my family started The Project. Because we knew that it would happen. They are coming. They will try again to take from us. Take our guns, take our freedom. Take our faith. We shall not let them. We did not let their greed, or their immorality, or their depravity hurt us anymore! There will be no more suffering!"

Humvees, trucks, APCs and helicopters all headed to Hope County. The Montana National Guard, after weeks of planning and preparation with assistance from Sheriff Whitehorse, were all prepared for a level of combat equal to Syria or Iraq. The troops were outfitted with gas masks to protect from Bliss intoxication and brought along anti-aircraft weaponry. The situation regarding The Project at Eden's Gate had become an international sensation rivaling the ISIS-affiliated Chechnyan rebels' bombing of Moscow, although news agencies were restricted from entering Hope County for their own safety. Many were reminded of the Waco raid with the ATF versus the Branch Davidians. It didn't help that the pictures they could scrounge up of Joseph reminded them too much of David Koresh.

"The Locusts in our garden… You see, they're coming for me, for us. They're coming again to take me away from you. They're coming again to destroy all that we've built! We all knew this moment would come. We have prepared for it."

"I saw when the Lamb opened the First Seal, and I heard as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts say, come and see…and I saw, and behold it was a white horse…and Hell followed with him. But God did not let them take me."

"You see? I am still here with you. When the First Seal was broken, and when the Collapse had begun, we took what we needed, we preserved what we have, we killed all the evil ones who stood in our way. The harbingers of doom have seen the truth..."

As Seed spoke, the military convoys broke through the barricades his devotees had erected. Fighting started breaking out as the APCs and the soldiers inside the other vehicles opened fire.

"Remember, men! Our primary objectives are to get Seed and wipe out all resistance!"

"...when the Lamb opened the seventh seal… there was silence in Heaven… and the seven angels before God were given seven trumpets..."

Several helicopters approached Fall's Creek, causing the crowd to look up at the noise.

"Attention, citizens of Fall's Creek! This is the National Guard! Joseph Seed! You are wanted for multiple charges including terrorism and mass murder! Surrender now!"

Seed continued preaching.

"...and there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake…and I heard a great voice from the temple say to the angels…go your ways…and pour from the vials, the wrath of God upon the Earth..."

A whole squadron of armed crop dusters and seaplanes led by Nick flew out of nowhere over the town and shot down the helicopters.

"FUCK! THEY'VE GOT PLANES! WE'RE GOING DOWN!" one of the pilots screamed into his radio before his chopper started spiraling to the ground.

"This is God's will. This is their punishment. You are all I have left now. You all are my family."

"God is watching us…and He will judge you on what you choose to do in this moment…"

As the convoys proceeded towards Fall's Creek, the resistance was getting heavier and heavier. They lost a few vehicles due to RPG fire, and the soldiers who were forced to go on foot had to deal with the rabid, Bliss-addicted animals and the "Angels".

"WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING?!"

"There! In the forest!"

"Where are they? Where the fuck are they shooting from?"

"RPG! RPG!"

"Jeezus! How did they get all this weaponry?!"

"Technical! Over there!"

"PLANE! PLAAAAANEEE!"

"Fuck! They took out the gunner!"

"Sniper! In the building!"

"Give me some covering fire!"

"It's like Baghdad all over again..."

"MEDIIIIIIIC!"

"That truck's coming back! Where's that AT4?!"

"PUSH! FORWARD!"

Seed stood on the stage as his followers started fortifying the town.

"...but he will not let them take me."