When Rook goes missing it's Kim that first realises that the Deputy isn't just laying low or otherwise occupied. Something is wrong, and Kim knows this because since Carmina had been born and Cassidy was named her godmother there was not a day that went by that the junior Deputy didn't check in with them over the radio or come to visit in person. When it had suddenly been a fortnight of zero contact from Carmina's godmother whatsoever, the behaviour was so out of character that Kim knew her friend was in danger - upon raising the alarm to the Resistance at large there was immediate yet subtle pandemonium - everyone was thrown into full-blown panic, yes, but the only thing worse than Rook missing was the prospect of the Seeds knowing that she was missing. So, as hurriedly and inconspicuously as they could manage, various members of the Resistance went looking for her - their saviour - Nick and Adelaide taking the lead in the search from above while the folks down in Fall's End organised search parties on land. Surprisingly, Sharky Boshaw and Hurk Drubman Jr set up routine searches of the water, groups going out in boats in shifts that seemed too good and far too sensible to be true until further inspection of these search boats revealed just how laden with weapons and bombs they were. The cousins were clearly determined to retrieve their friend and prepared to throw as much bombs and firepower at anyone who got in the way as they had to. Kim isn't surprised at the ferocity of Rook's allies, the passion was as obvious as it was understandable - this is a woman who has not only been Hope County's guardian angel since the cult took over but a woman who has somehow found the time to establish lasting friendships and bonds through meaningful acts of kindness and compassion while doing so. For people like Sharky and Hurk, who have never really had any friends to speak of outside of each other, a friend like this is one they are desperate not to lose. They all are. To lose Cassidy Rook is to lose the war.
Not to mention the fallout if Joseph were to lose his soulmate.
Unfortunately, Eden's Gate monitor nobody as closely as they do Cassidy, for obvious reasons, and as subtle and unassuming as the Resistance try to be, the Deputy's absence is quickly noticed. Peggy patrols increase tenfold, active day and night. As the days pass more and more of the cult's resources go towards this search for their "Mother" - any peggies the resistance encounter rarely shoot without provocation - in some ways, there is this unspoken ceasefire and from an outside perspective, the two sides can almost be seen to be working together in the name of their goal. Joseph, of course, is beside himself. Videos and radio announcements are broadcast throughout Hope County by each of the Heralds, John offering rewards and thinly veiled threats while Jacob outright orders and intimidates - Faith flexes her considerable powers of manipulation and goes straight for the heart as she cries, pleads and appeals for the Deputy's safe return. All are on repeat day and night on billboards, TV sets and radios all over their respective regions, the constant campaign for Cassidy's location becoming so all-consuming that most people know the speeches word for word, mouthing along as they look for the Deputy in question. It's difficult to watch or listen, especially with Carmina in Kim's arms - she swears her baby knows something is wrong - more unsettled without her godmother around.
The hardest to watch by far, though, are the videos of Joseph. They aren't long, and there are only about two or three in total but the man is not in a good state and it's so painfully apparent that Kim has a hard time hating him when he's like this. Like all the other videos, Joseph's ones loop in variation but unlike the others, they broadcast throughout all the regions, so there's no escaping them no matter where you go.
My soul is missing, he says - pale and hollow behind the eyes, trembling ever so slightly as he rocks - his gaze roams the room he's in as if looking for her there. My soul is lost to me, beyond my grasp. There is no sign of his yellow glasses, gone so he can drag his hands across his face as often as he needs to. She lives but she is weak, I feel it. Injured. He sobs, raking a shaking hand back through his hair. The Lord cannot protect her for long, so I ask you - I beg you - bring her home to me. Deliver unto me my soul, Joseph closes his eyes now, palms pressing together to shape his words into prayer. He lets the silence hang heavy, brows creasing with the fervour he pours into whatever appeal he makes to his God, and then he opens his eyes once more; a seething, righteous malice directed into the lens of the camera. Retribution for you will not be swift, nor will it be easy. Those who seek to keep Deputy Rook from me, know that you go directly against the will of God. Make amends for this mistake so that you may atone for your sins before it's too late. Time is running out for you, remember that God is watching.
It ends there - the first video, anyway - and the other two are similar though they vary in tone. One is somber, Joseph preaching about "God's Plan" - how God speaks to him of Eden's Gate as his family - he, the Father is nothing without the Mother. We are no family without our Mother, for we are incomplete. God needs us as His children to exemplify His great strength; we must bring our Mother home to us for that is the Lord's will. He chose us for this mission as I have chosen you for His purpose. Save the Mother and she and I will stand side by side before you, our children, at the end of the world as God intended.
The third video is darker, more unhinged than the others. Kim tries to put it out of her mind, avoids it at all costs. Instead, she worries over the knowledge that the cult's reach in the county is so wide and all-encompassing that Rook's continued absence brings with it some scary implications that she would rather not think too much about.
Another two weeks pass until there is any real development. If possible the cult grows even more frantic, Joseph alternating between preaching, threatening and begging over several radio channels all day every day with such dedication that anyone listening can easily track his downward spiral into further instability. Nick, Kim and Carmina happen to be in Fall's End to help with coordinating the ongoing search efforts when Eden's Gate trucks roll up, coming to a stop a little ways away from their group. The Resistance watch in tense silence as John Seed steps out, Joseph trailing behind him. It's hard not to stare at the prophet, pathetic sight that he is. As usual, he hasn't bothered with a shirt but where it's usually vaguely offputting it now only serves to show how thin and pale he's gotten, the lean and sunkissed Joseph Seed who had rallied a cult around him and taken over Hope County in the name of his God belonging to another lifetime, it seems. The Spread Eagle has taken to including Cassidy's divine retribution playlist among their usual music, in her honour, and when Joseph gets close enough to hear that 'Uprising' by Muse is playing, his reaction is visible; eyes shutting against whatever emotion it evokes within him. The pain is so evident on his face that Kim reaches out for Nick's hand, eternally thankful that her own soulmate is safe and healthy beside her with their daughter in his arms.
"It has occurred to us..." John is the one to address them, Joseph looking rather like he hasn't spoken in days except to God. A few Chosen flank them, but their numbers are notably few given the circumstances - they must be putting as many people as they can to work looking for Cassidy. "That perhaps we should combine our efforts, for the sake of the Deputy." Kim wants to laugh in his face, demand to know if her wellbeing was so important to him when he almost drowned her, or when he tortured her and tattooed WRATH across her chest, sending people out to shoot her down in planes as she escaped. The only thing that stops her from doing so, actually, is catching sight of Joseph who has opened his eyes only to focus them on Carmina. He looks so tired and pitiful, lost without the peace of mind that knowledge of Cassidy's whereabouts and wellbeing brings him. Does he know who Carmina is? Kim can't quite decide as she watches him if he actually does or not - maybe he looks at Carmina and finds hope in her existence - or maybe he knows exactly who she is to his soulmate, and finds comfort in the association. Either way the look in his eyes as he gazes upon Carmina is soft, endearing. It leaves Kim wondering if the sudden lack of Peggy activity around the Rye home after the birth was a coincidence after all.
Nick does not take Joseph's attention so well. He hands Carmina off to Kim, puffing out his chest and straightening his back to appear as big as he can when he moves to put himself in the way.
They will not force us, Matt Bellamy sings through the bar's speakers.
"The fuck are you lookin' at, Seed?"
And they will stop degrading us.
Joseph's calm in a way that's incredibly morose, giving off the impression that he lost the will to fight when he lost Rook. "My goddaughter."
And they will not control us.
"Excuse me? Like fuck-" Nick registers that as entirely the wrong thing to say, but Kim puts a hand on the small of his back, soothing her husband.
We will be victorious.
"It's technically true, I guess." She doesn't like that she's saying it, doesn't like the surprise that flitters across Joseph's vacant expression or the look of utter confusion everyone shoots her way. All she can think of, though, is Nick - missing, lost in the great unknown - injured and unable to come home. Kim doesn't know how she could even begin to go on without him, how she could raise Carmina without him; having to look into her daughter's eyes knowing they are an exact copy of her husband's. So, she supposes that the whole experience of Rook going missing, of witnessing the cult's reaction - Joseph's reaction - has maybe humanised the man a little bit. She can admit that - she doesn't like it - but she is mature enough to admit it. "Nick, he's her godmother's soulmate. He's fucking crazy and he's done some fucking awful things but he is kind of our daughter's godfather."
Nick just stares at her like she's gone completely mad, eyes wider than she's ever seen them. All he can say is: "Kim..."
Joseph, for his part, does at least know when to keep his mouth shut. He has this very slight smile on his lips, though, that infuriates her. "Don't make me change my fucking mind, Seed."
He acquiesces and the smile lessens, but Joseph actually looks like a living, breathing human being for the first time in what must now be a whole month. Nick is still tense and prickly, he huffs his disapproval but knows that she ultimately is right. "He's not holding her."
"Absolutely not." She agrees readily and Joseph clearly had not been expecting to even receive acknowledgement of his title so shows no sign of wanting to protest. He's happy with just this, and against her better judgement, Kim begrudgingly hopes it keeps him going while Cassidy's out of his reach.
We will be victorious, the end of the song proclaims, a perfect parallel for Joseph's small win in the face of his torment.
The godfather fiasco actually seems to break a little of the tension because John and Joseph manage to conduct a meeting with them without any blood being spilled and very few arguments breaking out. Kim remarks to Nick later that perhaps the end of the world really is coming.
It's the middle of the night when Nick wakes her up to tell her he thinks someone's trying to break in. They grab weapons and rush to Carmina's room, hearts beating out of their chests and tears forming in their eyes at the prospect of anything happening to their daughter.
Carmina's giggling, though, because her godmother is making funny faces and playing with her. Kim lets the baseball bat slip from her grasp and clatter onto the floor, the sound alerting Rook to their presence in the doorway, and when she turns to look at them Kim's chest heaves with the sheer relief she feels at the sight of her. Cassidy stands from the chair she'd pulled up by Carmina's cot and almost looks sheepish.
"Shit, sorry guys, did I wake you?"
Kim and Nick fall upon her, clutching onto her for dear life, reluctant to let her go in case she disappears again. Eventually Kim withdraws to look her friend over, Nick scooping up Carmina so she doesn't miss out on the reunion. Rook looks like she's been through Hell itself, bruised, bloody and bandaged up so roughly it must have been by her own efforts. Kim's touch on Cassidy's face is gentle as she examines it, using the same care she does for Carmina when she gets a little mucky.
"Where have you been, Cass?" She murmurs, fearing the response.
The Deputy sighs, shrugging off her jacket. There's a first aid box on the little dresser nearby that she must have brought with her and Kim scoots Rook over to the chair so she can tend to her while she speaks.
"Some idiot-" Cass hisses as Kim applies alcohol to the open wounds on her face, but soldiers on as she always does. "Some idiot who didn't know anything about soulmates got a group together of people who also didn't know anything about soulmates and convinced them all that if they could capture me and kill me, they would be killing Joseph."
"You're fucking kidding me."
"I wish I was, Kim. Those fuckers shot me, stabbed me, drowned me, electrified me..." Cassidy shakes her head as the words escape her, emotion bubbling up. "I don't know how it took them so long to realise their plan wasn't working, and, I mean- it's so easy to use Google, Kim. It's so fucking easy! But no, they wanted to try everything they could, so they did anything they could think of that might kill a person. Anything. How do you not realise it's not working?"
Kim has no words for her friend, no answers that can explain why her tormentors did the senseless things they did. She can't fathom it, can't wrap her head around it herself. She can only shake her head and hold her friend's hand, trying not to cry as she listens to the things she went through while she was missing.
After cleaning her up as best they can and feeding her as much as she's willing to eat, they offer her a place to stay for the night but after everything Cassidy just wants to finally get back to Joseph. So, they get in touch with Eden's Gate through the correct channels and persevere until they can talk to someone at Joseph's Compound who will pass the message along to him that his soulmate is alive and on her way. Nick fires up the plane while Kim and Carmina say goodbye to Cassidy, and as the sun begins to rise among a gorgeous mosaic of glimmering colours, Nick flies Deputy Rook to the only place where she can truly be whole.
Joseph's there, at the gates - head locked in the direction of the telltale yellow plane the moment it comes into view - even as he clasps his rosary beads in his hands and mutters his fervent thanks up to the heavens, his gaze remains solidly on the vehicle that transports his soul as it's precious cargo. All around him are crying, sobbing, worshipping members of his flock: kneeling in the dirt or dancing around as they sing and devote their heartfelt thanks to the lord. Nick makes some comments about how ridiculous the whole thing is, and Cassidy is too focused on Joseph to hear him or respond. He's right there as the plane sets down, wrenching the door open despite Nick's objections and hauling her up into his arms the moment she steps out of the plane. Cassidy wraps her legs around his waist, clinging to him with the same ferocity he's clinging to her - like the two of them are trying to absorb each other - become one so they never have to be apart again. They're both crying, covering each other in kisses and affirmations of their love; expressing all the pain and the hardships of their forced separation. Joseph somehow makes it look like he's worshipping at her feet even as he holds her off the ground. Nick averts his eyes, feeling it inappropriate to watch them any further.
After some time, Joseph turns, his soul still held aloft in his arms like a trophy - the greatest prize he could have ever hoped for - and makes his way past all of the faithful who kneel and dance and cry and sing. As they pass the children praise the Lord above for returning the Mother to them, for reuniting her with the Father and making their family whole again. Somehow there is confetti and petals, the sight of Joseph and Cassidy passing through the white lattice archway into the Compound smacks more of a bride and groom who have just been married than an insane leader of a cult and the junior Deputy of the local police department.
She can finally sleep now, God knows she needs it - as does His prophet - a well-earned rest for them both.
We will be victorious.