Chapter 34 - Plans

It's amazing how much she didn't have. How much she didn't need…

They hadn't come with much stuff to begin with. A suitcase with clothes in, boxes with pictures inside – which never did make it on to the wall; books her father hadn't been able to leave behind, some cutlery her mum were convinced they had to bring with them, and then, some nic-naks that were supposed to mean something. Nik-naks even her parents had left strewn across the floor after they'd been back.

Laurie picked up her phone, which had been dead for longer than she ever thought possible. It had sat in the bottom of the drawer next to her bunk since she'd came here. At one time, she would have been on it every day, texting, socialising, making calls. She was surprised she let it go so easily, surprised she hadn't made such of a fuss of it. But then, it wasn't this place had done that, wasn't the Seeds or the cult, it was the knowing that her father would have jabbed at her for it, would have snuck in a more snide comments that she didn't want to hear.

Placing the phone back in to the drawer, leaving it for whoever decided to look through it. It wasn't something she needed anymore.

Her stuff now. It consisted of some plaid shirts, jeans, a grey jacket that had the edens gate symbol dyed in to the back of it, Josephs little black book, a crossword book Randy had given her once – that she still hadn't looked in yet and, a little Edens Gate pendant that she'd found down by the boat house one morning.

None of it was actually hers. Not really. Most of the clothes were Ems and the other stuff never felt like hers. Although, it didn't bother her as much as she thought it would. Guess the end of the world did that to you.

Although, she hoped she could take her pillow. If anything, it's the one thing she didn't share with anyone.

Then she wondered if someone would replace her. Then wondered if there'd be any point considering she didn't actually do that much. Then, she started to wonder what the bunker was like. Wondered if it was really that wise that she was going at all.

Laurie sat on her bunk for a moment, about to lie back and have one last look up, at the old intricate details wrapped around the small lights in the ceiling when Dom came in, holding a scroll of blue paper,

"Laurie, I need to show you something, come on" he gestured with the scroll for her to follow before he turned around. Leaving her bag of meagre belongings on her bed, Laurie eventually followed him. He was leaning on one of the crates just outside, the paper rolled out in front of him,

"This here is your next stash" Dom said, he pointed at what Laurie decided must be a hatch of some sort, "This is the way in" his finger trailed across the paper to the end of it "This is the lever you have to pull to get in to here" he moved his finger to what she assumed was a door,

"And I have to, why" Laurie asked, she tilted her head, trying to make heads and tails of all the lines. It seemed like a simple task. No traversing burning buildings or broken windows.

Dom shrugged, "Because everyone else has their thing, and this, is yours",

"It's my purpose" Laurie air-quoted as she leaned back on the crate, still looking down at the plans,

"It doesn't seem like a lot, but your supplying us with things we need. Guns, ammo, food, reading material, hell, that Elliot house you traversed, that bunker, it had a whole heap of supplies hiding in there. That Armstrong bunker, damn, it had some sweet stuff in there too"

"Huh",

"We appreciate it Laurie. John does too. It's why he's decided to take you" Dom didn't sound so convinced, "Decided that whatever loot you find in the stashes would be better quipped going straight back to the bunker than here or one of the outposts".

Outposts they'd steadily been losing, but Dom didn't mention that part. They'd almost lost another that very day after a group of rebels – minus the Deputy – decided they were going to try and take a stand of their own. They'd failed miserably, most had been caught and were now enjoying Johns hospitality at the bunker. Still, it meant that the resistance was growing a bigger pair of balls than before, and that didn't boad well for anyone.

"Still" Laurie said, "John could do that",

"Have any of your stashes been without risk",

"What could possibly go wrong from here to there" Laurie asked, she turned back around so she was facing it properly, pulling it over a little so it was in front of her instead,

"This bunker is a DIY build, no safety certificates, no nothing. Whole thing could blow up as soon as you pull the lever" Dom crossed his arms,

"Uh huh" Laurie doubted they valued her life that little, but then she looked at him, just to make sure. The smirk told her they didn't,

"No, won't blow up, but, might just be a little unstable, some wires might be a little crossed",

"Where is it" Laurie asked,

"On the way to the bunker" Dom said, "John decided he could kill a few birds with one stone",

"He doesn't need any stones for that".

Ads was stood with John as he held his vans passenger door open, about to get in. Laurie watched them for a moment, deciding that she was going to go and sit in the rear garden, just one last time, just in case she didn't get to do it again but then, John caught her eye and gestured her over with his hand. She considered not going, then decided it wasn't worth it. Ads turned away from them both as she reached them, walking towards the hangar.

She had no idea if it was because of John or because of what had happened the night before, but she felt like she'd fucked up with both of them and only one was seeming to take the hump with her. And the worst thing was – it was the wrong one. Completely. John distancing himself, the big-ass broody mess that he was most days was nothing that new, but it was the last thing she wanted with Ads.

"I won't be long" John said, Laurie nodded, but she was still watching Ads walk away from them. "Go talk to him. It's a long way to the mountains and I do not think I can stand you sulking like children the whole way",

"No, that's your job" Laurie asked, looking to him, the hints of a smile on his face as he got in the van and closed the door over. The window rolled down and he put his arm out,

"I won't be long" John repeated, but this time, it was more for his own benefit.

Randy, who was in the drivers seat started the engine, and they backed out, driving down the driveway.

John leaned his head back and let out a long breath.

Ever since the Deputy had escaped, Joseph had been knuckling down on him. He didn't mind, he knew what had to be done, but if he was being honest with himself... That last night, John had almost convinced himself that Laurie was right – that they should have just kept flying – but, in that world; the world that had beat him down, made him do terrible things, made him in to what he was now, he didn't want anything to do with it.

John believed in Joseph, in his words, in what he was trying to achieve, John wanted a family, wanted something that wasn't materialistic or false, and he believed that's what he'd get. He just had to prove himself. Had to prove that he was doing everything he could – for the project, for its people, for Joseph.

But, most of all, he had to prove that Laurie going to the bunker was for her sake. That she was valuable enough, useful and, at the bunker, she'd be safe. From the Deputy's wrath, from Jacob who was convinced she'd be better use to him, from the bliss her brother had told him she belonged in.

Hell, his path wasn't exactly painless, but once you walked it, you were treated well. Faith may have created her angels, but they were mindless, labourers, completely lost to the world – and Jacob, well… the thought of what he'd done to Ads already made him shudder. And, if anything, that wasn't what he wanted for her, especially as she was doing so well, minus the few hiccups, which he was sure they could get over. They had to. Joseph had to see that.

Laurie was sat out the back of the house, on the deck chairs overlooking the valley.

Her bag was sat on her lap now, the blueprints of the bunker sticking out the top of it. She'd attempted to look for Ads but, after going through to the hangar and finding nothing but the two planes, she decided to go sit for a little while.

If the collapse did come soon, it would most likely be the last time she'd see the view in all it's glory. Maybe it'd be the last she'd ever sit and be able to admire the view at all.

"Can I sit" Ads asked as he came up behind her, she turned her head to him. As well as his red hoody, which he'd arrived in the night before, he was wearing a leather trench coat thing and a red balaclava that covered the top of his head, but which he'd pulled down so she could still see his face. Laurie was sure she'd seen something similar once, when they'd been at that outpost that the Deputy had attacked, that white wolf had been near to a man with a red balaclava on, some sort of leather vest and high fitted boots.

Laurie decided not to pry, that was Ads world.

"Sure" she said. Ads sat, hands on his knees as he looked down at the ground,

"Are we okay" he said quietly,

"Yeah", Ads nodded and sat back.

"I miss this place sometimes" he said quietly, looking at the view with her,

"Do much fishing up in the mountains",

"No, just training" Ads tilted his head, he didn't mind it. It had been tough, Jacob wasn't an easy man to get on with, he wasn't a people's kind of person but, he had this routine that Ads wanted to follow, had this purpose that he could reach, this strength he never thought he had. Although, he didn't really want to talk about it, "Have you done many stashes" Ads asked,

"Ahh, you know, traversing burning buildings, jumping in to bunkers" Laurie shrugged a shoulder, still looking to the view, "Mostly just sat around here though" Laurie pulled out the scrolled blueprint from the opening in her bag, "Actually have one to do today", she twiddled it in her fingers,

"There's a few up in the mountains that we can't get in to" Ads said, he sat up again, "We got sent out to a house, heard some rumour about a yeti, about the guy with the key getting eaten… by a yeti",

"A yeti" Laurie asked,

"Yeah",

"Well, just gotta look out for some majorly big shits with shiny stuff inside" Laurie saw Ads smile, holding back a small chuckle as he let out a long breath, he closed his eyes. Laurie stood up, "Come on, let's have one last walk around this place".

They'd come around to the front when Ads said, "Randy said you went flying last night",

"I did" Laurie said, she also did a many lot of other things, but Ads was seemingly oblivious to it, which was fine with her,

"What was it like" and there it was, the Ads she'd known, the curious one, the willing to know one,

"It was really nice" Laurie said, "So much different from being on the ground" she nudged him softly, "Has Jacob not taught you how to fly a plane yet". Ads crossed his arms and Laurie nudged him again, saw him smile as he let his arms fall to his side, he looked like he was finally starting to relax,

"I've still not finished my training just yet" Ads said quietly, he slowed a little, "I just… I have one last thing to do" and it was the worst kind of thing, the thing that would separate the strongest from the weakest,

"What's that" Laurie asked.

There was a whoosh then, a silent whoosh, but it flew past her ear, popping them, making her duck away from it. She turned around to Ads, almost thinking that he'd tried to slap her or something, but he was only stood there. His brown eyes wide and looking up towards his forehead. A bullet was planted right between his eyes.

Whether she screamed or not, Laurie couldn't remember, but she spun back around, her mouth open and looking to the spot where a sniper lay on the roof.

Laurie must have screamed, the alarm went off seconds later, more shouting, screaming as more bullets flew. And then, a pain, a real sharp pain that seemed to push her over. She fell on to Ads who was now laying on the floor, she called to him, pulled at his balaclava, but then the pain got too much and she fainted.

Thanks for reading guys! Hope you're still enjoying it! This chapter marks the end of Act 2!