Ambivalence
Chapter 30: Rachel
By: Knowledge Eater
Disclaimer: Ubisoft owns Far Cry 5, I just like to play with their world and characters.
So much for resting, Jess thought as she leaned against the rail on the second floor. She peered down and watched the chaos that ensued on the bottom floor.
After Aiden declared to the sheriff that they would confront the Father the next morning they all retired into their own rooms for some well needed rest. Despite Jess sleeping for most of the day since she was pulled out of the Bliss hell she eagerly welcomed sleep mostly so it would relieve her of her lingering headache. But around the time that the sun began to settle people appeared in droves.
At first it was the sound of vehicles that stirred Jess from her slumber. Weary of another Peggie attack she snuck onto the roof of the hotel from her bedroom window. But it wasn't the Peggies. It was the resistance, the Cougars or whatever the hell they called themselves. But they weren't alone. They arrived in two large white vans, the ones the Peggies used when they stockpiled the people they kidnapped. Inside of the vans weren't backup as she assumed, they were Angels.
Curious, Jess observed everyone as the Angels were led into the hotel. She found it odd that the zombies didn't attack anyone. They obediently followed a man in a cap. She snuck back into the hotel and watched from the second floor with her bow in hand in case any of the Angels became aggressive, but so far there was no hostility.
When the mass of people arrived Aiden and Faith were quick to rush onto the first floor. Jess frowned when she noticed they erupted from the same room. Both carried plastic crates filled with glass bottles with a light blue liquid inside of them.
She continued to observe as Faith overpowered Aiden's usual commanding aura. She was quick to order where to seat the Angels and for the resistance members that stood around idle to gather certain supplies. It was even more surprising to find how easily everyone obeyed her orders. Aiden took the backseat and seemed to sit back and actually smiled as he watched her.
And frankly, it pissed off Jess.
The first few dozen Angels were seated on the couches and Faith began to inject the liquid from the glass bottles into them. Jess quickly forgot her annoyance and found herself enthralled as she observed the Angels convert back to normal.
Once the first handful of Angels became normal again it was like all hell broke loose. It started with some of the newly turned former Angels that were mostly confused and began to panic once they set their eyes on Faith. Then it became all hands-on deck, more and more of the resistance people had to calm the people and ensure them that they were safe. Then they were escorted into the vacant hotel rooms so they could recover.
Speaking from experience, Jess knew the hell it was to be pulled out of the Bliss. It was disorienting to put it lightly, and with the extreme dizziness and the powerful migraine, some people became sick and Jess felt like she was in a chaotic ER room.
Strange to say Faith looked calm and in control of the chaos as she went from person to person and injected the cure into them. When some people were too frantic to be calmed, she would pull aside a Cougar and whisper something to them. Then the Cougar would return to the panicking person and say something that finally seemed to calm them.
Soon enough some of the resistance people looked to offer help in injecting the cure, Faith or Aiden would observe the first few times to make sure it was done correctly. Then the chaos began to dwindle and there were even some sappy moments where people were hugging and crying when friends or family members were cured.
Jess couldn't explain why she felt herself becoming angrier the more she watched it all. The way that Faith just took over and people were actually obeying her angered her. She was the enemy and no one seemed to notice she already had a small following of her own, a man and a woman were always nearby her, protecting her it seemed like.
It angered Jess that she seemed to be the only one weary in placing any kind of trust in Faith. The woman was responsible for turning all these people into zombies in the first place, then she used them as cannon fodder. But just because she created the cure for it and wanted to be the good girl now it was easily accepted.
To Jess it was too little too late.
And it angered her the most to see the subtle ways both Faith and Aiden interacted. Short glances here, small smiles there. There was something going on between them and Jess didn't like it. When she followed the gunshot earlier and found Aiden and Faith with the Peggies she was confused to say the least by seeing the Peggie hold Faith hostage, and her head hurt worse when she tried to comprehend why Aiden looked so terrified by the situation. When she killed the Peggie she did not fail to notice how Faith and Aiden ran towards each other and how Aiden moved himself in front of her protectively.
Everyone was trusting Faith blindly. Sure, she was helping them now, and Faith did save her life and specifically figured out the Angel cure so she could be normal again, but it could all be a ploy. She could still make her move against them when they confronted the Father.
Until they confronted the Father and he had an arrow in his neck, Jess would keep a very close eye on Faith. The moment she looked to even think about betraying Aiden she would not hesitate to introduce an arrow into her own throat.
There were so many people. Faith tried to count how many Angels she cured, but she quickly lost track. She couldn't say she was surprised that some of the people she cured were quick to panic upon seeing her. It was difficult to remember every face and name of the people she converted into an Angel.
Among all the people that were brought in, probably no more than two dozen, which was only a small fraction of the total amount of Angels the Project possessed, she noticed that none of them were Howard's family. She encouraged him to check on every person that was brought in, but in a few minutes, he returned with a saddened expression.
"There will be more that they'll find and bring back," she promised him.
As exhausted as she felt through all of the events that transpired through the day, she carried on and made sure everyone was taken care of. It was the least she could do for these people. She could sense the weariness that people carried themselves around her, she couldn't fault them for that. But she was just glad that none looked to cause her any harm. Not like Aiden, Janna or Howard would allow anyone to. For that she was grateful to them.
A tiny pang of regret slowly built up in her chest as she cured person to person. Most were adults ranging from ages mid-twenties, like her, to mid age. But there were a small handful of people that were much younger or older than all the rest. She couldn't recall converting any teenagers, children still in her eyes, to Angels, yet she cured two of them. Her regret and disappointment in the Project grew.
Even when she witnessed tearful reunions between friends, family and even lovers, it did nothing to ease Faith's guilt. She was so desperate for the Father's approval she hadn't cared about tearing apart other people's happiness.
Things were beginning to calm down, there were no more Angels to cure, and Faith felt she could finally rest when she recognized a new face. Standing nearby the hotel's main entrance was Tracey.
Phantom pain burned Faith's back when she spotted her former friend. But thankfully there was no anger or hate in Tracey's dark eyes, instead they sparkled with genuine curiosity.
Faith didn't have the energy to approach her, let alone get into another argument with her former best friend. She hadn't realized she was teetering ever so slightly until she felt Aiden's warm hand grab her arm gently and steady her. The exhaustion seeped into her bones and Faith felt like she could fall asleep standing. She allowed Aiden to lead her towards a now vacant couch.
With nothing to distract her, Faith felt that ever familiar nausea that's plagued her for the last three days. She leaned back on the couch and swallowed the excess saliva and desperately hoped she wouldn't fall ill in front of everyone. A few minutes passed and her gag reflex was beginning to kick in, her eyes scanned the lobby for the nearest lavatory, but Aiden was suddenly beside her and offered her a small, warm cup.
The scent of the mint tea tickled her nose and she hastily accepted the drink. She didn't even notice Aiden had left. Two sips of the tea eased her stomach and the nausea faded.
"Thank you," she whispered to Aiden as he plopped himself on the couch beside her. She groaned softly when the sudden weight of the couch shifted and jarred her sensitive stomach.
"Sorry," he told her, "you were turning pale."
Standing and walking for what felt like hours left Faith feeling parched. She downed the rest of the tea in a few gulps. If Aiden had noticed Tracey, he made no indication of it. Faith suppressed another groan; Tracey was approaching them. But she wasn't alone. Three others were behind her, all of them clad in sheriff uniforms. She recognized the sheriff, the oldest of the trio, and it took her a moment to recognize the other two, a younger man and woman, the other deputies that Jacob and John took, respectively.
Faith could feel Aiden's attention was on her, but the approaching movement finally caught his eye and he turned. He immediately stood to greet his boss and fellow deputies.
"I wasn't expecting all of you to arrive," Aiden rubbed the back of his neck. Faith knew that was his quirk when he was nervous. "Well any of you really. How did you know to find me here?"
"Sharky told me," the sheriff answered. "And since you were planning on finding Joseph Seed in the morning, I figured it would be best we all finally grouped."
Faith tiredly watched the exchange, she was glad that no one paid her any mind, well other than Tracey. Maybe if she avoided bringing attention to herself, they would continue to not notice her. She hadn't realized she dozed off until Tracey stepped before her and spoke.
"So, it's true then?" Tracey said. "You really figured out the cure for Angels?"
Her question got the attention of the four officers. The two uniformed deputies studied Faith for a moment and then their eyes narrowed once they recognized her.
"It's you," the male said. "The sister."
Faith felt small under their scrutiny, and being the only one seated didn't help.
"We knew you arrested her," the female deputy retorted. "But why isn't she in handcuffs, rook?"
Aiden dropped his hand from his neck and gestured to the lobby and the other people about. "She's been helping us. That's a little hard to do with cuffs on. And we have plenty of eyes watching her should she try to escape."
Not that I would want to, Faith thought. She immediately remembered the way the Chosen treated her. Her hand reached to touch the cheek she was hit on.
"We were attacked earlier," Aiden explained, his cyan eyes focused on the very cheek she touched. "Joseph knows she's been helping us and he tried to take her by force."
The sheriff stepped between Aiden and the other deputies. "It's getting late and I would like for us to come up with a plan." He turned his attention to Faith. "You told us where to find him, and of his last resort should he be cornered. Do you know what other defenses he may have?"
Faith's throat grew dry when everyone's attention returned to her. She had to remind herself that Tracey wouldn't hurt her to get that information, not with Aiden nearby. And the way the other deputies looked at her made her feel uneasy.
Finally, she shook her head. "If he knows I'm helping you all he'll know his backup plan won't work. There's a chance he'll know that Aiden won't be triggered by Jacob's conditioning either."
The sheriff and the other male deputy promptly glanced at Aiden, who returned their gazes with a smirk, his chest puffed out in pride.
"Another thing Faith helped me with," Aiden commented.
The other deputies looked to have deflated and the contempt in their eyes faded.
Faith contemplated what other defenses the Father could use. "If we have any Chosen left with piloting skills, they will be the Father's main defense. We had plenty of fuel for the planes, and only Jacob's militia had the equipment for anti-air. I would think he would call back as many of his remaining followers, with the Bliss he can create Angels himself or even use it to create more judges."
The sheriff studied her for a moment, he probably tried to judge for himself if Faith was lying. But she had nothing to gain by doing so. And she already helped out the resistance so much. Still, she couldn't fault him for being hesitant. Finally, he gave her a small nod before he turned to Aiden.
"Is there anywhere we can have some privacy or something, rook?"
Aiden shrugged. "We can try the dining room. It's usually empty, especially at this hour." He pointed the sheriff and the other deputies on where to go, but he stayed behind.
Good, there was something Faith wanted to ask him. But when she stood, she nearly bumped into Tracey.
"What do you want?" Faith whispered. Even with Aiden next to her, she couldn't squash the unease that built up in her stomach. She was still afraid Tracey would try to do something to her to ensure that she wasn't hiding any more information.
Tracey shrugged nonchalantly. "I just had to come see for myself of all these things that Faith Seed was doing to turn over a new leaf." She looked around the hotel. "Guess we'll see whose side you're really on tomorrow when we find your precious big brother."
With a smirk, Tracey walked away and disappeared among the other people in the lobby.
Faith realized then she was holding her breath and she sighed in relief. She turned towards Aiden and offered a small smile.
"Why don't you get some sleep? It's...a big day tomorrow and you look exhausted." Aiden remarked.
It was now or never. Even though Aiden made his feelings for her clear, she was still nervous about being rejected.
"Would you...stop by my room when you're done with your meeting?" She asked. When Aiden lifted an eyebrow she hastily added, "I have something to ask."
With a smile, Aiden nodded. "Of course."
Faith quickly headed for the stairs, she felt her cheeks burning and she hoped he didn't notice her blushing. Howard was standing nearby and followed her up to her room, and stood outside by the door as he usually did. Faith placed a hand on his upper arm.
"We will find your family. I'll do everything I can to help find them."
The older male smiled at her and nodded.
Faith stepped into her hotel room and leaned against the door. She was so tired and the bed looked so inviting, but she was afraid to fall asleep before Aiden stopped by. So, to help her wake up, and to rid her of feeling dirty from the sweat she worked up earlier, she took a quick shower.
Aiden always seemed to have perfect timing. When she was dressed and brushing her damp hair there was a knock at her door. Her heart thumped so fast she felt each beat in her throat.
"Come in," she called.
The junior deputy stepped inside and shut the door behind him. He looked as exhausted as Faith felt, his eyes were red and he blinked a lot. Maybe it wasn't the best time to ask for her favor and she felt even more nervous.
Despite his obvious exhaustion, Aiden gave her that warm smile of his. He closed the distance between them and sat on the bed next to her, gently this time.
"So, what did you want to ask me?"
Faith steeled herself and prepared for another rejection. She grew up knowing that if she didn't get her hopes up then the disappointment wouldn't hurt as much. When she was nervous, she couldn't bring herself to make eye contact, she kept her focus on her hands that were folded on her lap.
Aiden reached for her chin and lifted it. His eyes were so warm and tender, it finally gave Faith the courage to come out with her request.
"Aiden," she paused and licked her lips. "Obviously tonight is...tomorrow you'll face the Father. And I, well," she took a deep breath. "The next few hours will be my last."
A frown crossed Aiden's face. "You say that like you'll die."
Faith bit her lip. She wasn't saying anything right. "I mean, these next few hours will be the last we have where we can spend time together and we aren't being watched or our time is counting down. We don't know how long I'll be locked up and...we don't know if I'll ever get out."
His thumb brushed along her lower lip to silence her. Faith felt her eyes already swelling with tears. Her chest hurt at the thought of being separated from Aiden for the rest of her life.
"We'll figure it out, okay? I have faith that we'll work things out and it'll all be worth it in the end."
Faith swallowed the lump in her throat. The longer she delayed her question the more she would ramble. "I want you, Aiden. While we have time together, I want to spend the last of my freedom with you."
There, she finally said it. When Aiden looked at her sadly, she knew to brace herself for his rejection. She fought to keep her tears at bay.
"I would want nothing else, Faith."
There it was. That rejection. Her chest swelled painfully.
"It takes just one time. And remember what you said? A child can't be raised in prison. Any child of ours deserves to grow up with you in the picture."
A small smile grew on Faith's face. "Is that what you're worried about?" She pointed to one of the suitcases she brought from her old room. "The guy that packed his bag was well prepared. And maybe a little over confident." She gently slapped Aiden's chest. "I tried to tell you earlier, but you wouldn't let me talk!" Memories of his lips on her skin made her face heat up.
She still expected him to reject her, or at the least just offer to spend a little more time together before he would retreat to his own room. Instead, Aiden crushed his lips against hers and her heart soared. All concept of thoughts escaped her grasp, all she could think about was the warmth of Aiden's lips and the tenderness of his touch despite the raw strength she could feel under his skin.
If there was one thing Aiden was glad to have learned from trashy romance novels, it was the common fantasy most women seemed to harbor when it came to intimacy.
Faith was right about her concern of their future. They would undoubtedly spend time together, as he declared they would, but they would always be under the microscope. Someone would listen in on their phone calls, someone would watch them when he would visit her. With the crimes Faith would be charged with he was almost positive she would be submitted into federal prison, and those prisons didn't have conjugal visits. Even if they were lucky to have said visits, as she said, they would be on borrowed time.
He didn't need much convincing. Once contraceptives were literally on the table, Aiden was all too willing to make the next few hours with Faith something they both would remember.
The logical part of his brain told him it would be best if they get as much rest as possible for tomorrow, but that took the backseat with a woman like Faith beneath him. Their kisses started aggressively, desperate yet passionate. It literally hurt Aiden to keep himself from ripping both of their clothes off. But if they were going to enjoy their intimacy as long as possible, they couldn't be hasty.
He spent a long time slowly exploring Faith's body. A kiss on every inch of skin he exposed as he lifted her shirt, a dip of his tongue in her belly button, which revealed her most ticklish spot, something Aiden planned to exploit in the near future.
It saddened him to see how embarrassed she became when she was fully exposed, she tried to hide her bruises with her arms. But Aiden gently grabbed her wrists and lifted her arms away. There was a moment where he gave into his anger. Even with the moonlight from the window it allowed him to see all of the bruises that littered her torso. The image of her curled up and crying while she received the injuries made his body heat up from anger rather than arousal.
Suddenly Faith wrapped an arm behind his neck and pulled him down for a kiss. The feel of her soft lips instantly washed away all other thoughts and anger, and his full attention returned to her where it belonged.
"You're beautiful, Faith," he muttered against her lips, "all of you."
She pulled on his neck more and whispered something into his ear. It was a request he was all too happy to appease. Fulfilling it was sweeter on his lips than any wine.
He continued with his game of exploring every inch of her, and experimenting with what got the best reactions from her. As painful as it was for him to restrain himself from appeasing his own needs and wants, he was fully committed to making this last as long as possible. And for her to enjoy it. For all of the hell she went through she deserved all the pleasures he could bring her. Then came the opportunity to flex the dexterity of his fingers he acquired from playing the guitar.
If he teased her too much and she grew impatient she would pull on his hair. If he found a spot she was particularly sensitive in her gasps became higher pitched. If he didn't give enough attention to a certain area she would grab his wrist and guide him back. His favorite was when he surprised her with a flick of his tongue, her cry from that alone nearly did him in. For a moment he wondered if anyone could hear them, but he couldn't bring himself to care. All that existed to him at that moment was the two of them.
Aiden was content with being like this, as painful as it was for him. But eventually she needed more, needed him fully. He had never been so happy to oblige a request.
He thought it was only possible in romance novels for both partners to finish together. It was another common thing he read in those types of books, and eventually he saw the beauty in it, but he supposed it was the romantic in him that yearned to experience the same thing. To know that two people could love each other so much that they become one literally in body and in mind. So, when Aiden felt her body shudder at the same time he couldn't hold back any longer he felt a new sense of accomplishment, and he never felt more content and happy.
If he were with any other woman, he would say the emotion that rushed through his veins was simply the high of his climax, he dated a woman that explained it was literally brain chemistry that made people feel like they were in love after intercourse. But this moment felt so different from all of his other experiences. This one felt deeper, purer.
When arms wrapped around Aiden's sweaty neck and he was pulled down for a tender, gentle kiss, he knew what he felt was real. His breath caught in his throat again as he watched her face, the shine of the sweat on her brow, and the white glow the moonlight did with her hair.
He loved her.
For a long moment they laid on the bed together trying to calm their breathing. A warmth spread on his chest, when Aiden peered down, he smiled as he watched her rest her head on his chest, her arm wrapped around his waist. He draped a hand on her back and basked in their comfortable silence.
All too soon his body gave into the exhaustion and the next thing he knew there was darkness. No nightmares, no dreams, only pure, restful sleep.
Faith woke up feeling warm and sore. A faint thump pressed against her ear and her head slowly rose up and down. She tilted her head up and found that she was still sleeping on Aiden's chest. Memories of their intimacy brought a smile to her face.
Being with Aiden was so different than any of the other men she slept with. For one thing he was not a selfish lover at all, his sole focus was on her pleasure alone. All her life she only dealt with selfish people, both in and outside of the bedsheets. But the more important thing was that finally being with Aiden, to know that he was hers even for one night, she never felt so close to someone. All her life, Faith felt like something was missing, like a part of her was incomplete. But then last night she felt like Aiden filled that missing piece perfectly, he made her feel complete.
Happy. Loved. Special.
Despite the short amount of time they've spent together, he taught her what real love was, and she loved him for it.
Faith wanted nothing more but to wake him up with gentle kisses, but then the heat on her back from the sunlight that shone through the window brought her back to reality. It was morning. Which meant they were out of time.
As much as she wanted to steal a few more minutes with Aiden, heavy and rapid footsteps outside the room motivated her to climb out of the bed. She had no idea if Aiden locked the door and she was worried someone would barge in. Not that she would be embarrassed to be caught in this position, quite the opposite in fact, but she was worried for Aiden. Would he get in trouble? He was a deputy sheriff and she was his prisoner.
She nearly laughed at the irony of it all. They were meant to be enemies. She was supposed to hate him for destroying her family. Instead, she loved him and wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.
Faith did her best to slowly climb off of Aiden without waking him, she wanted him to at least rest a little more. But the moment she moved her eyes widened in surprise when she felt his hand grab her and pull her towards him. She looked up, but his eyes were still closed, his breaths came out slow. He was still asleep. And even in sleep his hand grabbed her rear end, of all places.
Okay, I guess I'm not going anywhere, Faith thought, a smile so wide it made her cheeks hurt.
Eventually there were more and more footsteps and voices that carried through the walls. The first thought that came into mind was that if they could hear the bustling activity in the early morning, did that mean everyone heard them last night in the silence of the evening? Faith felt her whole face heat up.
Reluctantly, Faith nudged Aiden awake. There was just something adorable with the way he blinked and looked about in slight confusion. She almost leaned down to kiss him, but then she began to hear the sheriff's voice asking if anyone had seen Aiden.
"Morning," he mumbled, his voice thick and raspy with sleep. He smiled and then his hand on her bottom moved to stroke her back. His mouth opened, but he paused when the sheriff's voice became even louder. He must've been right outside the door.
"Has anyone seen my damn deputy?!"
"You just missed him, sheriff," it was Janna. She, too, sounded like she was right outside the door. "He headed outside a few minutes ago."
"Guess that's our cue to get outta bed," Aiden sighed.
The severity of their approaching confrontation left them silent as they dressed. To Faith she felt similar when she headed to meet Aiden near her gate, only it felt worse. To finally experience true love and knowing that after they dealt with the Father, she would be at the mercy of the justice system, well it felt like she was getting ready for her own funeral. Their first hurdle was to survive whatever the Father would throw at them, then began her legal battle.
Aiden was dressed before she was. A grim expression was plastered on his face, but he still pulled her towards him for a tight embrace. Faith nearly cried, but she kept her composure. She was the one to pull away from him first, but he leaned down for one final kiss.
"We'll get through this," he told her. Then he left the room.
Dread was heavy in her stomach, but Faith finished dressing and finally poked her head out of the room. Janna waited for her by the door. With a knowing wink, which made Faith red in the face, the older woman led her towards the stairs towards the lobby. There were some people that looked like they were ready for a war, though there were still some people that looked to remain behind in the hotel.
Faith hadn't expected one woman to reach towards her suddenly. Janna twitched and nearly unslung her rifle from her shoulder, but the woman didn't reach to strike Faith. She merely touched her shoulder.
"Thank you, for bringing my husband back." The woman said, her eyes shined with unshed tears.
The woman's courage inspired a few others to voice their thanks, others merely nodded at her as she passed them. Of course, there were so many more that looked at her with dark, angry expressions. But being thanked only made Faith feel guilty. She made a mistake. Too many mistakes. If not for her the county may not have had a death toll as high as it did.
Her thoughts ceased when Janna paused outside in front of a white pickup where Aiden, the sheriff and the two other deputies waited. There were a lot of other vehicles in the parking lot, many were already filled with people. Faith even noticed one small car that Jess and Tracey stood beside.
Aiden approached her; his eyebrows pinched together in a slight frown. He reached behind him and then pulled out handcuffs.
She wasn't surprised. She was his prisoner after all. Faith lifted her wrists and offered them to him.
"I'm sorry," he whispered to her while he fastened the cuffs on her. His touch was still gentle and he made sure they weren't too tight.
He led her towards the truck. It was awkward to climb up into it with her hands fastened, but she felt Aiden's hands keeping her steady. Once she was seated in the middle of the backseat the other two deputies sat on either side of her. The sheriff climbed into the passenger seat and Aiden sat behind the wheel. The truck shifted and Faith glanced behind her shoulder, Janna and Howard climbed into the truck's bed.
Then they were off.
The longer they drove the faster Faith's heartbeat. When the Father's island came into view she must've began to panic because she started to feel a little light headed. She squeezed her eyes tight and concentrated on taking slow, deep breaths. It didn't help her growing terror of facing the Father.
All too soon she felt the truck stop. When she opened her eyes, her heart felt like it climbed up her throat. They had arrived at the Father's church. She glanced around; the place appeared deserted. The small buildings that surrounded them looked deserted, but Faith knew they had to hold the Father's remaining followers.
"Let's move," the sheriff commanded.
Everyone in the truck was quick to obey and climbed out. Faith wasn't sure if she was supposed to remain in the truck or follow them so she waited. She watched Aiden as he went around towards the back of the truck and rummaged through a plastic crate. He pulled out a handful of syringes and handed them to everyone. Once everyone injected themselves, most likely with her anti-Bliss solution, he climbed into the backseat.
"You'll have to stay in here where it'll be safe. Janna and Howard will stay with you in case anyone tries to attack you." He explained while he injected the syringes contents into her arm.
Faith swallowed hard. Fear for Aiden's life and the Father's anger made her nauseated.
"Please be careful," she managed to whisper to him.
He looked like he wanted to kiss her, his eyes kept drifting down towards her lips. But they were being watched by the others. So, he reluctantly settled with placing a hand on her shoulder. Before he shut the door, he smirked and winked at her.
Faith was helpless to do anything but watch as more vehicles arrived and dozens of people stepped out. Everyone was equipped with some sort of firearm. She eventually noticed Tracey and Jess among the crowd. She was glad they didn't pay her any attention.
Everyone approached the Church slowly, but nothing happened, the place remained dead of any activity. Faith's ears perked when she thought she heard a faint growl. Suspecting her theory that the Father would use judges was very possible, but before she could shout a warning there was movement at the church.
The doors slammed open and the Father stepped out. It was then that Faith noticed the two barrels of Bliss on either side of him. With a head clear from her paralyzing fear earlier, Faith finally took a good look around and realized just how many boxes and barrels were laid around everywhere. Despite her solution to ward off the Bliss' effects, it was only effective against so much. The amount of Bliss in the area could easily over power her solution.
She was too far away to hear whatever the Father was saying, but then there was a sudden clap of gunfire and it triggered everything to fall into chaos. She didn't see who fired, but suddenly there were people and judges pouring out of the small buildings. And it was like Faith's ears were assaulted by a myriad of thunder claps as people opened fire. Some of the Bliss barrels were caught in the crossfire, and with the Bliss being sensitive to heat, they exploded.
Faith wanted to do something, anything, but she was powerless to do so much as move. She never fired a gun before, her weapon had always been the Bliss and the authority that her title carried, despite how fragile it was to hold. Soon screams joined the claps of gunfire and Faith felt her heart drop as she watched the judges tackle people and bite down until their muzzles became coated with blood.
The truck shook. Looking behind her, Faith watched Janna stand and shoot at two approaching judges. One went down quickly with a high-pitched squeal. The large size of the second judge allowed it to jump up onto the truck with ease and it bit onto the woman's forearm she used to protect her face. She grunted and then she managed to shoot the wolf dead. As fast as the event happened, Faith found it odd that Howard did nothing to help her. Then she noticed the malice that formed on the man's face and he lifted his rifle up.
"Watch out!"
Faith's warning came too late. Janna looked behind her in time for the butt of Howard's rifle to strike down on her temple and she collapsed.
When Howard's gaze turned to her, Faith felt terror latch onto her limbs and keep her frozen on the spot. It wasn't until he opened the truck door and grabbed her that Faith was knocked out of her shock and she kicked at him. One of her kicks struck true and hit him square in the chest. The impact winded him and Faith took advantage and reached for the handle to the other door. Right before she could climb out of the vehicle a powerful grip squeezed at her ankle and pulled.
Faith tried calling for Aiden, but her voice was drowned by the gunfire and screams. Howard had grabbed her good leg, so when she tried kicking him with her free one, her wounded leg, it hurt her more than it hurt him. His strength overpowered hers and he pulled her free from the truck with ease. With her hands cuffed she couldn't use them to do much, her swings were easily dodged or caught.
She was lifted and tossed over his shoulder. Her struggles did nothing to faze him.
"The Father was right," he laughed as he gave the battle a wide berth and headed towards the fence that surrounded the small compound. His hand slapped down onto her rear end hard. "Your heart bleeds for any sob story."
The timing of the Chosen's ambush and the radio placement made sense with someone close to her and Aiden to feed their location and plans.
While it was fruitless, Faith couldn't bring herself to stop struggling. Every movement sent sharp stabs of pain with her still injured ribs pressed against Howard's shoulder. Slamming her hands down onto his back was like hitting a foot-thick wooden plank.
He followed the fence towards the Church, but the fight still bled close to them. Faith tried shouting for Aiden again and her repeated struggle was breaking Howard's patience. He stopped behind one of the buildings and practically threw her against a wall.
"The Father will forgive me for this." He lifted his rifle and brought it down, but Faith was faster and dropped down to the ground. The rifle slammed onto the wall with an audible thunk.
Faith tried to crawl away and climb to her feet, but something kicked at her side and she rolled, her breath knocked out of her lungs. In her panic to get oxygen into her lungs she breathed in some of the dirt that was kicked up and she choked. Her mind scrambled for some plan to escape or a weapon to defend herself against. There were people nearby, but they were all too busy fighting for their own lives.
A pair of hands grabbed her waist and began pulling her. Faith tried to reach for something, anything, but she was only successful at scraping her palms and fingers against the rocky dirt. Howard's grip suddenly slackened and then his entire body weight fell on top of her. She struggled to pull herself out from under him. When she tried pushing his dead weight off of her she noticed the knife that was embedded in his chest.
Hopeful that it was Aiden, she looked up and scanned the battlefield for her savior. But it wasn't Aiden, he was still lost within the chaos. Then she noticed a familiar green hoodie.
Jess was only able to spare her a brief glance. Two bodies laid at her feet and her quiver was empty. The angry scowl was still on her scarred face, but she gave a small nod before she bent over to pick up the dropped rifle from one of the bodies and then she turned and ran back into the fight.
Faith looked back at Howard. He lay motionless and his eyes remained open. Did Jess really save her by throwing her knife at him? The very knife she used to threaten and torture her with? She reached for the knife; she could try to use it to defend herself if she needed to. And she would return it to its owner once everything was done. Repulsion made her skin crawl when she yanked the blade free and wiped it clean on Howard's jacket. She had no sheath for it, so she was quick to cut the sling from Howard's rifle and used it to tie the knife around her calf and covered it with her pants. Taking his rifle would be better to protect herself, but with her hands cuffed together she wouldn't be able to manage using it.
Her repulsion of searching a dead body for a smaller weapon, a handgun would be easier to use, was forgotten. All that mattered to her right now was survival. She debated if she should seek Aiden out or return to the truck and check on Janna.
Her internal debate was interrupted by an even louder nose that threatened to make her eardrums burst. Movement in the sky pulled her attention and she watched as Chosen planes appeared. Her eyes widened in panic. If the planes dropped any explosives on them all of the Bliss barrels that were stacked around the area would be enough to detonate the entire place flat. Then she realized the planes weren't shooting at them, they were shooting at other planes that flew above them. She quickly recognized a pink helicopter; it was the same one she and Aiden rode to the brewery.
It was evident there weren't enough Chosen planes. Between the other planes and the pink helicopter, Faith noticed white lines shooting up from the ground and towards the Chosen. One struck true and a plane exploded into chunks of metal that fell into the lake.
Concern for Aiden overpowered her concern for Janna. Faith remained hidden behind the building and scanned the crowd for him. The battle was slowing, there were far more people in the resistance. A small swell of pride grew in her chest when she recognized a few of the fighters were the Angels she had cured.
As quickly as the battle began, it ended. The resistance won. There were still casualties, there were nearly as many dead resistance people as there were people from the Project. Faith felt dismayed as she scanned the bodies and noticed that there were even dead Angels.
Movement near the Church caught her attention and she snuck closer. Her heart soared when she spotted Aiden. He was covered in dirt and blood, but the blood didn't appear to be his own. He didn't appear to be injured. For that, Faith thanked God a million times over.
Her legs began to move on their own and she was walking towards the Church. As she approached, she noticed the Father crawling on the ground. For a moment she was immobilized and her feet became rooted where she stood.
The sound of footsteps against dirt jarred her out of her fear. Tracey stood next to her. Like Aiden, her face was covered with dirt and sweat and her gray hoodie was soaked with blood. Without a word, her former friend gestured towards the Church. They walked towards the small gathering around the Father in silence, though Tracey remained a pace behind.
The Father was still on the ground, climbing on all four limbs away from Aiden and the sheriff.
"Forgive them Father...they know not what they do," he muttered. Finally, he stopped crawling and he pushed himself up onto his knees and slowly lifted his arms. But his arms weren't up in surrender, Faith noticed. He lifted his arms widely as he usually did when he gave his sermons.
"When the Lamb opened the seventh seal," his gaze drifted towards Faith and his eyes narrowed slightly. As quickly as he noticed her presence, he dismissed her and tilted his head back, "there was silence in Heaven," his arms lowered, but he kept his gaze upwards toward the sky, "and the seven angels before God were given seven trumpets."
Faith felt her heart drop to her stomach and she could feel the hairs on her arms straighten. Seven seals, seven angels and seven trumpets. She knew most of the Father's followers weren't Hope County locals, they stemmed from across the entire country. Once when the Father visited the newly statue, she made of him, she overheard him talking to someone. It wasn't uncommon for him to speak to himself, he often stated he spoke back to God when He spoke to him. But he kept repeating the number seven.
It was then that Faith began to doubt the Project. She knew then that if the Father couldn't be right naturally, he would make sure that the world knew he was right. And when she thought she was going to die that day in the river, she told Aiden that warning.
She briskly walked towards Aiden to warn him. They needed to get away now. But with all of their bunkers in ruins where could they go? The personal bunker Aiden took her to before the jail was much too small to accommodate all of the people here.
But Tracey was faster and grabbed her. "Is this when the flower girl makes her move?" She whispered into her ear.
The Father kept speaking; his voice carried much louder than normal with how eerily quiet everything became so suddenly. Faith couldn't break out of Tracey's hold and she noticed how Aiden watched a massive horde of birds flying away from them. He wasn't the only one to notice that, others glanced up for a moment before they would return their attention towards the Father and approached him with their firearms drawn.
The sheriff was the first to speak. "Joseph Seed, you're under arrest."
But the Father ignored him and he continued to speak even while the sheriff grabbed his arms and handcuffed them behind his back.
"Aiden!" Faith finally shouted. The junior deputy tore his gaze away from Joseph and he looked at her.
The last thing they heard from the Father was when he told them, "the wrath of God upon the Earth."
Faith thought the sudden gunfire that erupted earlier was loud, but she was wrong. A bright white light flashed and the ground literally shook. She stumbled and would have collapsed onto her knees if Tracey hadn't been holding her. When she opened her eyes, the entire sky was no longer blue, it was red. Just over the mountain behind the Church everyone's attention was attracted to the large mushroom cloud.
The Father whispered something to Aiden and everyone was silent as they processed what they were watching. And then the Father began to sing Amazing Grace. Then it was true chaos.
The screaming Faith heard in the earlier battle was nothing compared to the panicked screams and shrills the people around them shouted. And then it came down to the very basic human instinct, survival. The people that once worked together against a common enemy abandoned each other and fought to get away from the approaching shockwave of the nuke. Human speed was nothing, people were still knocked onto their knees from the impact and this time Tracey couldn't keep her on her feet when she too fell onto the ground.
Everyone's panic became worse. Some had the sense to run for the vehicles, others sought the shelter of the nearby buildings, others remained on their knees and screamed.
Aiden was quick to climb to his feet and didn't do so much as look at the Father. His attention returned to her and he was suddenly grabbing her arm and pulling her with him towards the vehicles. But the sheriff and the other deputies were hot on their trail and followed them into the truck that Aiden all but tossed Faith into. She expected to be thrown in the backseat but he placed her into the passenger seat, he could feel his hands shake as he scrambled for the seatbelt and put it on for her.
By the time he got into the driver's seat the others climbed into the back. There was only so much room in the back now that the sheriff dragged a still singing Father along. The Father was placed in the back between the deputies and the sheriff climbed into the bed, he slammed onto the side of the truck and shouted at Aiden to move.
"Forget the seatbelt, rook! Move, move, move!"
Aiden still took the time to put his seatbelt on and he started the truck and slammed on the gas pedal. Faith glanced behind them, but found that Janna was missing. There were still so many people they left behind. Tracey, Jess, and countless other people. She prayed they could escape to safety.
If she weren't so shell shocked, she would have grown agitated by the constant background noise. The male deputy would switch between panicking and praying, the female deputy mostly panicked, the Father continued to sing, and the sheriff could be heard shouting at Aiden on where and how to drive.
Faith felt her heart shatter as she watched their world literally descend into hell. The sky appeared to have gotten darker, trees and even the local wildlife were on fire. It hurt her to hear the animals scream in pain. Aiden remained silent; his face showed the intense concentration that it took to drive among the chaos. He didn't just have to worry about falling trees and planes, other panicking drivers swerved around them as they desperately tried to drive past them.
Her ears perked upon hearing Aiden's radio crackle to life. A man's voice could faintly be heard through the numerous voices that bounced inside the truck. Then there was a spark in Aiden's eyes and he seemed to be driving with more determination, he wasn't just driving for the sake of driving anymore.
Aiden took them into a small island that wasn't too far away. And then Faith knew where he was heading. She had heard that there was a personal bunker on the island, but the man that occupied it kept to himself. He never interfered with the Project so Faith ignored him.
Then a burning tree trunk fell too close in front of the truck. Aiden slammed on the brake and tried to swerve around, but they were going too fast and the trunk was too close. Faith was only able to feel a crushing pain and then her vision dimmed ever so slightly.
She didn't completely black out, but still felt out of it. Her vision swam a bit and her body felt unbelievably heavy. The smell of smoke threatened to choke her. Then the sound of fire crackling and a gentle humming caught her attention. Faith coughed and rubbed her eyes. The first thing she saw was the front of the truck heavily dented inwards and smoke rising from it. Her neck hurt when she turned and found Aiden slumped on the steering wheel.
Her heart sped up and she was desperately reaching for him. She grasped his shoulder and shook him. When he failed to stir, she panicked.
"Aiden!" Her voice came out choked from the growing sob that grew inside of her throat. He couldn't be dead. She shook him again. "Aiden!"
The door next to him opened suddenly, the loud creak of metal grated against her ears. Then she paused when she saw the Father standing beside Aiden. He ignored her and carried on humming while he searched for something in Aiden's pockets and then he pulled his handgun free. It was then that the Father stopped humming and his eyes lifted and finally stared at her. Faith froze and struggled to breathe. She was afraid he would lift Aiden's gun and shoot her. Or worse, shoot Aiden with it.
Instead, the Father resumed his humming and began to walk around the truck towards Faith's side. She managed to free herself from the seatbelt, but her door wouldn't budge. She scanned for an alternate way out, she would have to crawl either over Aiden or through the back. But when she glanced in the backseat she froze when she noticed the two deputies were still breathing. The woman slowly stirred and her eyes began to flutter. Faith felt a bit of hope. The female deputy had her own weapon, she could defend herself from the Father.
But she was still struggling to fully come to consciousness and she groaned which drew the Father's attention. Faith noticed that his slow walk wasn't deliberate. He had a pronounced limp as he made his way towards the female deputy. And then he nonchalantly lifted his handgun and shot the deputy point blank in the face. Her blood splattered onto Faith's face, still warm. Faith panicked and she finally tried to climb over Aiden.
She had more difficulty getting her body to cooperate than the difficulty the Father had in opening her door. And then Faith whimpered in fear when she felt his hands grab her ankles and pull her out of the truck.
Once on her feet, the Father spun her around so they came face to face. He sported a black eye and a split lip, and his eyes were narrowed in obvious anger.
"You lost faith," his soft voice just barely carried over the loud crackles of the fire behind him, "and as a result you've lost sight of yourself."
His words were just as he said them in her dream. It was then that Faith lost her composure and began to cry. Was this when he would strangle her to death?
He didn't strangle her, instead he lifted her wrists and unlocked the cuffs. Was that what he searched for from Aiden's pocket? Then he placed the key and cuffs into his own pocket and stepped away and resumed his humming.
Faith took advantage and ran to Aiden's side of the truck. Being closer to him allowed her to see that he was still breathing. Another sob escaped her from the relief that he was still alive. It was impossible for her to carry him out of the truck so she tried shaking him awake again. She only hoped he wasn't injured and she made them worse by jarring him.
"No! Please!"
The Bliss herald looked up in time to witness the Father shoot the other deputy. The loud gunshot made her jump and Faith fought the urge to run away. She couldn't leave Aiden behind. But she was utterly useless, she couldn't take Aiden away and she had no way to defend him from the Father. She desperately held onto Aiden and allowed the tears to fall.
Then she remembered the sheriff. But he was missing from the bed. She looked around, hopeful that maybe he was standing nearby and ready to attack the Father, until she realized there was something slumped on the trunk of the tree they crashed into. It was the sheriff's body. One look at him and she knew from the odd angle his neck was bent meant that he was dead.
Hopelessness and defeat threatened to make Faith collapse onto her knees. She could do nothing but watch the Father approach her again. It was dumb to stand defiantly between him and Aiden, but she would rather die than witness him murder the man she loved. The Father watched her for a moment with an eyebrow raised and then he stuck the handgun into the waistline of his pants.
"He will not die by my hands," the Father told her. She could hear the anger in his voice and she wondered if he was lying. He moved her aside and grunted when he lifted the unconscious man and slung him over his shoulder. "Despite your betrayal," he struggled to say as he began walking past the fallen tree, "you are still my family. And we will survive the Great Collapse. Come now."
With no other choice, Faith followed him. The Father clearly struggled to carry Aiden with his injured leg, and it was possible he may be sporting other injuries, but they continued walking. Then the humming continued. Faith cried silently to herself and desperately tried to think of a plan, but the hopelessness of everything rendered her mind blank.
The Father seemed to know exactly where to head and soon they came by a hatch. He pulled out the handgun and slammed the butt of the pistol onto the metal. There was a crackle that erupted from Aiden, but the voice that came out of it sounded distorted. It must've gotten damaged from the crash. Still, the Father fished for it and spoke into it. He changed the pitch of his voice and pretended to be one of the other deputies.
Whether or not the man in the bunker was able to understand what was said from his end, the hatch was quick to open. Faith didn't have the chance to get a good look at him because the Father immediately lifted his gun and shot him. There was a loud thump when the body fell down the ladder and landed on the concrete floor.
Faith closed her eyes and struggled not to vomit.
"Inside," the Father ordered.
She obeyed and did her best not to step on the dead body when she reached the bottom.
The first thing Aiden felt as consciousness slowly roused him was the horrible pain. It wasn't just his head that felt like it would crack open if he so much as moved, his entire body burned and was slow to move. As his vision cleared the first thing he saw was his hands cuffed together. Memories of the nuke and the crash flared a burst of adrenaline into his body and drowned out the pain. He scanned his surroundings and found that his right arm was looped around a bed frame.
A distant, slightly distorted voice rang into his head.
This is not a drill. Repeat. This is not a drill.
His vision was still blurry, but the more he blinked the clearer he was able to see. A silhouette quickly caught his attention. His heart sank when he recognized Joseph Seed standing with his bare back to him, the tattoo of the cult's symbol stood out on his pale skin. But he wasn't alone, there was movement beside him and Aiden's vision blurred ever so slightly when he twisted his neck.
She was still alive. She sat on the floor, her back against the wall and her knees pulled tight against her chest. When she noticed him move her eyes widened and she crawled towards him.
"Aiden!" Her face was dark from dirt and smoke. Drops of red and brown decorated her skin and clear lines streaked from her eyes down to her jaw from tears.
The junior deputy breathed easier to see that she was still alive and unharmed. She grasped his hands and he held her fingers tightly. Their moment was short lived, however.
"You know what this means?"
Aiden lifted his gaze and watched as Joseph slowly turned to face him.
"It means the politicians have been silenced. It means the corporations have been erased." He stepped in front of Aiden and lifted his arms high above his head and he peered up at the ceiling. "It means the world has been cleansed by God's righteous fire."
Aiden knew they were in Dutch's bunker. Even though he was in it only once he easily recognized the room, they were in. But where was Dutch? And the sheriff, Joey and Staci? He didn't know exactly how deep the bunker was underground, but he could still hear the sirens, the automated message, and the crackle of fire.
Joseph stepped closer, his arms dropped and he stared into Aiden's eyes. "But most of all it means I was right. The Collapse has come. The world as we know it is over." He turned his head to the side slightly and closed his eyes, a faint smile touched his lips.
"I waited so long." He opened his eyes again. "I waited so long for the prophecy God whispered in my ear to be fulfilled." He touched his right ear a moment before he extended both of his hands towards Aiden. "I prepared my family for this moment." His hands dropped and his eyes narrowed. His voice deepened with barely contained anger. "And you took them from me." His mouth twitched and he bared his teeth. Then he looked down. Aiden felt his heart freeze.
Joseph grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled to force her onto her feet. She yelped and her grip on Aiden's hands vanished.
"I should kill you for what you've done," Joseph continued, his gaze still on the junior deputy. And then he looked back at her. "But you've corrupted my sister with sin," he snarled again and tugged on her hair. Aiden yanked on his restraint when he saw a grimace cross her features. Then Joseph pulled something into his free hand, a handgun.
Aiden didn't know if he meant to shoot him or her. He'd rather he be the one shot. He yanked at the bedframe, but it wouldn't budge.
Joseph finally let go of her hair and grabbed her right hand and forced the gun into her palm. "This will be the way you can cleanse yourself." He kept both hands on her hand to hold the gun steady and lifted it so it was aimed at Aiden. "You're all I have left of my family now. Kill him and you will have atoned for your sin."
"No!" She cried, but she didn't have the strength to pull out of his grip. Joseph must've tightened his hold on her because she winced and whimpered.
"Kill him, Faith."
Aiden was helpless to do anything but watch. There was a shift in her eyes and he recognized the fury in her blue orbs. She swung her free arm and elbowed Joseph in the ribs. The blow caught him off guard, and more importantly it hurt him. He grunted in pain and his hold on her was released. By the time he recovered and looked at the woman he adopted as his sister she held the gun aimed right at him. Her hand shook.
"That's not my name," she told him.
Joseph moved so fast all Aiden could see was a blur. He reached for the gun and in their struggle the gun went off. Then both people in front of him were still. Neither were shot, there was no blood. When it registered that he wasn't shot, Joseph charged at her again.
She screamed as she was sent crashing into the nearby metal shelves that held Dutch's radio. She lifted the gun and tried shooting him again, but the gun clicked empty. Joseph grabbed it and tossed it. Fury was evident on his face and he slowly stepped towards her. With a yelp, she climbed to her feet and retreated inside the bunker.
"Leave her alone!" Aiden shouted. But Joseph ignored him and followed after his sister.
It was torture to hear their struggle. There were more crashes of things falling to the ground and every time he heard her scream Aiden fought against his cuffs. He couldn't pull the bed frame; he saw it was bolted to the wall. Tears streamed down his face as he was forced to listen to them and he was powerless to do anything.
Rachel ran into the nearest room. It was some sort of infirmary. Good, an infirmary meant there could be a scalpel, scissors, anything she could use as a weapon. Despite being injured from the crash, the Father caught up to her quickly and he tried grabbing her. Once he had a hold of her he turned her around and held her shoulders tightly and he shoved her against a table.
He said something to her, but all Rachel could hear was her rapid heartbeat in her ears. Just as she feared from her dream, she panicked when she felt his large hands tighten around her neck. Even though he said they only had each other, and he meant to force her to kill Aiden, she couldn't trust he would stop choking her.
She tried to strike him in his injured ribs like last time, but his grip on her neck remained and got even tighter. She couldn't breathe and she began to panic. Instead of trying to hit him she tried reaching for whatever was on the table behind her, glass shattered as she blindly groped for whatever she could grab. Her fingers wrapped around a small bottle, she didn't know what it was, but it was something she could use. She slammed it on the Father's forehead and whatever liquid was in it quickly dripped down into his eyes.
He howled in fury and he threw her onto the ground. While he rubbed his eyes it finally came to her. She completely forgot about Jess' knife she strapped to her leg. Her hands shook as she pulled on her pant leg. Her fingers grasped the handle of the knife, but the Father was immediately on her again. He straddled her stomach and wrapped his hands on her neck once more. His anger fueled his anger and he tightened his grip. Dark spots danced in her vision.
She nearly hadn't realized the knife was in her hand. Survival instinct kicked in so when she swung the knife, she wasn't aiming to injure the Father. She couldn't see where she was aiming so she hoped to stab him in the armpit. The Father twitched and she felt the side of her hand meet his skin, and then there was warmth on her hand.
Rachel refused to let go of the knife. So, when the Father pulled away from her, she pulled the knife out. Her aim hit true, blood poured out from under his arm and down the side of his torso. The Father was furious with her before, but now there was a different darkness in his gaze. It was murderous.
He charged her again, but Rachel was ready this time. She kicked at his thigh and it was enough to make him stumble and fall on top of her. When he fell, he was still as he glared at her. She looked down and saw that the Father fell onto the knife, it was embedded to the hilt in his chest. His lips moved to say something, but nothing came out except for a trickle of blood. And then he slumped and was still.
Rachel panicked. She struggled to get him off of her and when she succeeded, she fell onto her hands and knees and heaved. She just killed someone. She killed the Father. The shock of it made her sick to her stomach but nothing came out. When the rapid heartbeat in her ears quieted, she could hear someone crying. Then she realized she was the one sobbing. Another voice slowly penetrated through her panic.
"Rachel!"
She cried again, but this time in relief. Aiden was alive. She was alive. And as stupid as she was, she loved hearing him say her name again. She had asked him the previous night to stop calling her by her title and use her real name, and hearing him say it again helped ground her.
She needed to see Aiden. But then she paused and looked back at the Father with dread. He kept the key to the handcuffs in his pocket. It felt worse to search his pockets than when she did it with Howard. And she couldn't shake the fear that he would suddenly burst to life and finish what he started. But he didn't move again and Rachel finally found the key.
Her legs were shaky and weak, but she forced herself to stand and she wobbled back to the room Aiden was bound in. She all but threw herself in front of him and struggled to insert the key correctly, her hands shook so badly.
"Joseph?" Aiden asked.
"Dead," Rachel answered. "He lied."
"What?"
"He told us his purpose was to save as many people from the Great Collapse. But he killed them. They were alive and he killed them!"
He grabbed her hands and held them for a moment. When he let go it was easier to get the key in one of the cuffs and she unlocked it. But Aiden didn't care to get the other one off. With one hand untied he was able to free his arm from the bed frame and he pulled her into a crushing embrace.
All she could do was hold him tightly and she let the rest of her tears free. Everything was so wrong, but she had Aiden. He was all she needed and more.
All throughout the struggle between Joseph and Rachel he screamed himself hoarse. He nearly dislocated his wrists to free himself from the handcuffs, but they were way too tight. When the bunker grew quiet Aiden feared the worst and he felt himself break. But then he heard her and he shouted her name. When she hobbled towards him, he nearly dislocated his wrists again to get to her. He needed to know she was okay. If Joseph wasn't already dead, he would kill him with his hands.
His heart soared when she told him Joseph was dead. Knowing she never killed a person directly, no doubt she was in shock. Her hands were shaking so badly she struggled to unlock the handcuffs.
"He lied," she whispered.
"What?"
It was nearly difficult to understand what she was saying with her sobs. She implied with so many words that the Father murdered the sheriff and his fellow deputies. Their absence made that much obvious. He would mourn for them later. All that mattered now was the woman before him. He could tell that she was on the brink of passing out so he held her hands for a moment to help calm her.
It worked.
The moment one hand was free he was able to rid himself of his bondage and he grabbed Rachel in a bone crushing hug. He had no idea how long they held each other. But it didn't matter, they had all of the time in the world with each other now. Eventually Rachel's sobs ceased. They continued to hold each other. The bunker grew deathly quiet.
Together, they listened to the world above them burn.
End
A/N: Kidding! There WILL be one final chapter. While this was the ending I pictured upon working out the plot bunny for this fanfic, when New Dawn was announced nearly a year later I decided against a sequel (I still have yet to beat New Dawn), but decided to at least write an epilogue. So that will definitely be out soon. The epilogue will also include my very long, sappy and heart felt author note.
