Chapter 13:

Jess threw her bow on the table and cursed out loud. Everyone else in the room was deadly silent, too afraid to say something that may set Jess off. Nick shifted nervously in his seat. The woman in front of him was angry, but he didn't know why. She had come to their cabin by the Youth Camp and told them to pack up and move. The surprise had caught everyone by surprise and he didn't like surprises. Grace looked over at him and shrugged her shoulders as if to say 'don't look at me, I ain't got a fucking clue.'. Nick looked around the room and saw the looks of confusion and fear on Sharky, Hurk, Adelaide and Grace's face. Jess stood in front of them all and just looked livid. Wanting to break the eerie silence, Nick grunted before saying.

"What just happened Jess?" The woman looked at Nick and scoffed.

"Tyler happened, that's what!" She yelled. Nick was confused. Sure, for the little time he knew Jess he knew that it wasn't hard to rile her up. What did Tyler do to get her this angry?

"But what did he do then?" Nick asked.

"He's been spending time with the Flower Bitch, probably fucking with her for all I know." She started panting to release the heat in her head and release her anger. Nick slowly let his jaw drop. He scanned the room and everyone but Sharky and Hurk had similar looks as he. The two other men looked at each other and Hurk groaned. Sharky then reached into his pocket and pulled out a wad of cash.

"Oh fuck yeah man," Hurk said gleefully as he took the wad of cash. "I told you he'd eat that up Cuz." Sharky rolled his eyes and folded his arms.

"Can't believe I made that bet with you, of course he'd go all stiff around Ms Seed." He laughed and so did Hurk. Nick just sighed and rolled his eyes at their cheap actions. They just learnt that their friend had been collaborating or worse and all they could care about was some stupid bet with each other. Jess threw an empty bottle on the floor over the their heads and within seconds, the laughter disappeared.

"Shut the fuck up you two," she snarled. "I found the two of them at Raptor Peak, both at the watchtower. Tyler said that they were friends, that idiot played right into her hands." Nick didn't buy that, Tyler cared about his friends too much to completely forget about them. Tyler was even was willing to let him rest after John 'cleansed him of sin' when Nick could've easily gotten in his plane to help him take out John Seed. But he was more worried about his safety, he said that he needed to be with his family. Tyler was a smart man and has a reason for every choice he makes, and Nick knows that. He'd only known him a couple of months but both him and Kim were quick to appoint him as godfather of Carmina.

"That's horse shit!" Nick exclaimed. "He has a reason for everything, we really should find out first." Jess laughed and shook her head.

"Well, that ain't gonna happen." She said. "I've already spread the word to the Resistance at the Youth Camp, if they see Tyler, Seb or Flower Bitch they will shoot on sight." Nick felt sick. This woman took no time to pack them out of their cabin and race them away, all the while putting a target on Tyler's head.

"How could you do that?" Grace spoke up. "How do we know that this is true?" Jess glared across at her.

"He was with Faith fucking Seed," she yelled. "In the flesh as well. Of course it's real." Grace relaxed but still had her arms crossed in a defensive manner.

"Well whatever he chooses, he deserves our support right? I mean he's done so much for the whole county." Grace looked around and everyone but Jess nodded their heads.

"Fuck!" She yelled again. "The way it works in this world is once you are connected to the cult you stay that way forever. Ain't no coming back from that." Nick was now angry with what he was hearing.

"You know what, fuck that!" Nick exclaimed. He walked to the door of the building and kicked it open. Before Nick left he turned around and looked at everyone else. "I'm gonna go find him before he makes a big mistake." With that he stormed out of the building and down towards the river where his plane was docked. He had to meet Tyler at the cabin to tell him the news.

The rain just kept coming down harder and harder making each muddy step even more dreadful then the last. Tyler unloaded the clip in his handgun and counted 8 shots. Reaching around to his back ammo pouch he could feel 2 more magazines. He reloaded the clip and holstered his handgun. Looking behind him he saw Faith with her hair plastered on her shoulders, not flowing freely like it usually did. Seb brought up the rear and looked like he was run over by a truck. He carried his rifle in his hands and his backpack was sagging on his shoulders. They had been walking west up the mountain where Joseph's statue stood. Tyler thought they should head deeper into the forest.

"How much further Tyler?" Faith groaned from behind him. She looked tired and Tyler stopped and waited for them both.

"I don't know," Tyler said softly. "I have no idea where we're going." They were still under the trees but had no idea where they were. Tyler lost his map in the fire but luckily kept his journal and compass. Their plan was to head to Eden's Convent and find a place to hide. From memory, it was almost dead north from the old cabin so they should be heading in the right direction. Faith reached Tyler and leant on him to catch her breath. Seb caught up to them and he sat by a tree and sagged with exhaustion.

"We got a plan for when we get there?" Seb asked Tyler.

"I reckon we just go in and see what they say." He responded. Faith was the one to respond next.

"Tyler, you can't take that kind of risk. If you get shot…" she says with obvious worry in her voice.

"I guess you're right. So do we know who holds the Convent as of now?" Tyler asks Faith. She sighs and droops her head.

"The rightful owners." She says. Tyler nodded his head and helped Seb up off the ground.

"So then I guess we need to free up some space for us." Tyler said. Seb unloaded the clip on his rifle and counted the shots left for his gun. He shook his head and reloaded the magazine. Just as quick as they sat down, they continued onwards towards what they hoped was the Convent. About five minutes into the restart, Tyler felt his heart sink a bit when his radio started cracking. It was a different voice, unlike the many resistance radio calls he received.

"Tyler, I know you can hear me." The voice said.

"What do you want?" Tyler asked gruffly after hearing the man speak. "And how'd you get this frequency?"

"I have my ways," the man said. "But I also have my ways of knowing what your friends have done to you." Tyler looked at the radio as if it had just spoken to him itself.

"The hell?" Was all Tyler managed to get out before the voice continued.

"You see, I was right wasn't I. That the world's sin is greed. They took all your will power from you and got you doing errands like a common servant. They used you selfishly and then when you proved yourself to be not the man they thought you were, they cut you out and have now purged you from them." Tyler nodded his head before responding.

"To be honest," he said. "My private life should be of no concern to anyone, and especially someone like you."

"That's not what I'm saying Tyler," Tyler sighed in frustration. "I'm simply saying that you are better off without them and if your soul were true you'd join our cause. I won't judge you until you pass judgment. It's inevitable Tyler, one day you will see our purpose and will March with us through Eden's Gate."

"Well," Tyler said. "I appreciate the offer and your concern but I think I can find my own path Joseph." A deep sigh came from the radio.

"Tis a shame Deputy," Joseph said softly. "With someone like you in our family, our rise into the New World would be so much easier." With that, the line cut and Tyler returned his radio to his waist. He felt something touch his wet hand from behind. He looked behind and Faith was looking trivially at him.

"Why didn't you take his offer?" Faith asked Tyler.

"It's not the right thing to do," Tyler said. "What your family does is wrong and I won't join if it's the last thing I do." Tyler would be mistaken if he didn't think that Faith looked upset. He felt a little upset with himself as he saw her head and shoulders droop ever so slightly.

"I know you have your doubts," she said sadly. "But you should start to look at things our way." She then slowed down and let Tyler walk ahead. Tyler kept thinking about why both Joseph and Faith said, 'look at the picture from another angle'. He felt that ever since he learnt about Eden's Gate he only looked at them from the word of the civilians or from the result of his actions. He was the one that apparently kicked off 'The Reaping' and before that, the cult only were an ideological threat and had a large influence on the lives of the county. Now they controlled it and were brutal in their methods. Tyler had always thought about what would've happened if he just never put the cuffs on Joseph. He even told him that God wouldn't let them take him, but he still took the chance. And now he was either singlehandedly ending the world like the cult said it was or he was doing the right thing. They were the only two possible options and he believed strongly that he was doing the latter. So he naturally did what the Resistance asked of him, it felt right. It didn't feel justified that they would turn on him completely just because he decided that he could be in contact with Faith. Surely he had the chance to rebuild some kind of trust with his allies, but even being in sight of them would result in a gunfight. Tyler was brought out of his thought as he came to the edge of a smallish cliff, below him was what must be the Convent. The sound of the cult radio echoed around the outpost and a prerecorded sermon was being played. Faith and Seb caught up with him and Tyler and Seb both pulled out their binoculars and started scouting.

"Two by the empty pond." Seb said. A cult priestess and a defender were surrounding the pond with one of them dumping bliss into it.

"One on the high rise, one at about 6 o'clock and another by the shed." Tyler said as he continued to scan the area. Faith shuffled next to Tyler and he looked over to check on her. She looked uneasy as she knew what Tyler and Seb were planning on doing.

"Two Angels inside the building." Seb said, but Tyler wasn't listening. He reached up and tugged gently on Faith's hand to take her out of her thoughts.

"Hey you ok?" Tyler asked. Faith nodded slightly.

"I know you have to go in there," she said softly. "But is there a non lethal approach you can take? I've seen you use it before, like with the guy at the Brewery." Tyler holstered his binoculars and nodded his head. But then took Faith's hand firmly. He opened her hand and placed his 1911 in her hand. She looked up at him and had a confused expression on her face.

"I'll go in and do everything non lethally if I have backup." He explained. "Seb's got a killer shot on him with his sniper but I need someone to help me in case shit hits the fan." Faith looked up at him and then to the gun in pure terror. She looked uneasy with the surprising weight of the firearm. Tyler looked over at Seb motioned over to him.

"I am I providing cover fire if needed?" He asked. Tyler nodded and pulled Faith by the hand down the hill towards the stone fence of the Convent. They headed towards the man leaning against the water crate just whistling to himself. Tyler motioned to the fence and Faith reluctantly crept up behind it and remained silent. Tyler crept up behind the man and flipped him over the crate. Instead of smashing his head against the crate, he channeled his Inner-Batman and cut off his airways. He squirmed as he lost oxygen and after about 8 seconds, he stopped moving. Tyler was glad to still feel a pulse when he checked his neck. Tyler then pulled Faith over to the pond and hid them behind a crate. He took the sidearm from her but she quickly grabbed his wrist.

"What are you doing?" She asked nervously. Tyler patted her on the shoulders gently.

"I'm going to have to work quickly to knock these two out," Tyler said quietly. "I'm gonna throw a rock there," he pointed to a spot near the defender. "And then I'll take her out and throw the gun at him." She nodded and let go of his wrist. Tyler grabbed a loose rock from the garden bed to his right and threw it behind the defender. He heard the sound and turned around. Tyler snuck up behind the Priestess and cut off her airways. She took more time to pass out but as soon as she went limp, Tyler threw his gun at the other cultists. It hit him in the back of the head and he grunted slightly as he keeled over. He then gestured to Faith and she came back to him. He gave her the gun again and crept towards the man on the high rise. He got underneath him and pulled his legs outwards. The man fell forewords and hit his head on the way down. He was also knocked out. Inside the building to his left, Tyler could see an Angel just standing around by itself. Tyler guessed it would be harder to take care of Angels. He pulled out his shovel and crept towards one of them. He didn't swing too hard but swung hard enough to knock the Angel to the ground in a huff and grunt. There was one more Angel and Tyler turned around and threw his shovel at the other cultist. The handle hit him in the head and he collapses as well. Tyler was relieved to know that Angels would fall easily to takedowns with shovels or something similar. Tyler crept over to the other Angel and checked it's pulse. It was also unconscious. He grabbed his shovel and dragged the body behind one of the scattered pews to keep it out of sight. He put his shovel away and snuck towards the open doors to the church. A female cultist was standing in the doorway singing to herself. Tyler acted quickly and moved towards the cultist and hit her with his shovel. She staggered a bit before falling to the ground, unconscious. He dragged the body back into the hall and laid eyes on the last remaining cultist. He could see Seb on the hill and Tyler signalled towards the last male cultist. Seb nodded and started making his way down the cliff as Tyler and Faith crouched behind a potted plant. Because there wasn't enough space for them to crouch next to each other, Tyler pulled Faith in closer towards him. She buried her head into Tyler's chest and shut her eyes and let her breath relax a bit. Tyler put a hand on her back and just looked down at her. Her hair was so soft and flowed in the moonlight. The rain had cleared before they got to the Convent and the moonlight appeared for the first time for the night. Tyler let his mind wander for a bit. The thought of being close with Faith Seed would've made Tyler Williams of the Holland Valley or Whitetail Mountains laugh and deny it completely, but here he was, on the run from the people he aligned with. Faith and Seb were the two people he felt he could trust unconditionally now. Seb was a loyal person he was confident in with his life. Faith was loving and cared about people who showed her kindness, and Tyler would be lying if he said that he didn't have some kind of feelings for her. She was, however, not an option as she was on one side of the story and he was on the other. If they met under different circumstances however? Tyler was brought out of his thoughts with the feeling of something soft on his forehead. Faith had leant up and kissed him gently on the forehead.

"Thank you Tyler," she whispered. "It means a lot to me." Tyler smiled and tucked a loose strand of wet hair behind her ear.

"That's ok Faith," he said. "I know what these people mean to you." They just looked at each other and Tyler felt his cheeks heat up slightly.

"Having a lil' moment are we?" Seb said suddenly from behind them. Both Tyler and Faith snapped their heads to him. Seb was leaning over the pot plant and had a smug look on his face. Tyler got up and saw the last cultist sprawled out on the floor.

"Waiting for you to finish the job…" Tyler said, his face still burning with embarrassment. Tyler and Seb collected all the bodies and dragged them towards the cabin with the bunk beds and locked them in the lodging room. Tyler was sure to grab the clothes and supplies in the room to bring back to Faith and their group. Faith had spent time setting up the high balcony inside the church to use as their 'camp'. She had used some of the old cult banners that were in the buildings to act as mattresses. Tyler went to one of the bundled banners in the corner and dumped his stuff on the ground in exhaustion. He lay back into his bundle and within the next few minutes was sound asleep.

Nick pulled up to the Youth Camp and basically leapt out of his truck. He sprinted up the trail until he reached the cabin. The sight caught his breath in his throat. The whole thing had been burnt down. There were dead Resistance members on the ground surrounded by flies and ants. Nick felt his heart sink as he looked at the blood on the ground. It was still wet and the blood had travelled far towards the forest, they would become bear food soon. The footprints were still fresh and hadn't been washed over. There had obviously been a recent gunfight. Nick bent down and picked up one of the bullet cases on the ground. It was a shell designed for an AK-47 or something similar. Nick smiled as he realised it was from Tyler's rifle. He had been here. Three sets of footprints, two large and one slightly smaller headed off in a northerly direction. It must be Tyler and Seb. Nick started following the tracks through the forest. About 5 minutes later, Nick heard the sound of twigs snapping and he turned around suddenly to be met with the barrel of a shotgun. He reeled backwards in terror. The person was hidden behind their weapon so Nick found the courage to ask a question.

"Who the fuck are you?" He said with terror filled in his voice.

"By God," the man said ad he lowered his shotgun. "Nick Rye."

"Holy shit," Nick said with relief. "It's you Jerome." The Pastor walked towards Nick and pulled him off the ground.

"You on the trail of Tyler as well?" Jerome asked.

"Yeah," Nick said. "How do you know about all this?" The Pastor sighed and holstered his shotgun on his back.

"Jess Black spread the word all over," he said. "It's a shame to see her turn on someone like Tyler." Nick nodded and shook his head.

"It ain't right, I need to find him." He said.

"Well then we haven't got time to lose."

Note: Hey y'all. Hope you are all well. After the surprise in the last chapter, this one kinda came easier. Thanks for reading and please don't hesitate to PM me or leave a comment with your thoughts on this work.