"Montana… Big Sky Country… The Treasure State…" the voice paused as the cameraman stood from the grass and turned towards a church. "People got a lotta names for it. I just call it home." The image changed to a woman at a bar before a pastor.
"Lived here my whole life. Still amazed by how beautiful it is." It changed once more to a man sitting in front of his plane.
"Maybe that's what blinded us to how ugly the people were gettin'." The video shifted, showing a man walking to a church guarded by armed men.
The image changed back to the pastor as he began to speak once more. "You don't understand. No one took these groups seriously."
The pilot. "They were different. Religious. Militant. It was a goddamn cult." Back to the handheld camera footage.
The door shut behind the man as he entered the church, at the head of the room a man called out. "The collapse is upon us, my children."
"They started buying up every farm for miles. Then the radio station." The woman at the bar appeared once more. "Not long after that they even had the fuckin' cops."
The pastor… "…their own sovereign religious state. Built right here, under our noses."
The pilot leaned forwards shrugging. "Ain't no one coming to help us. Government can't do shit. We're on our own."
The video shifted back to the church as the footage showed a man preaching to the crowd, "… demands we save those lost souls whether they want to be saved or not."
The woman thrust her index finger into the bar, "people don't want to believe groups like this exist."
"People are scared man." The pilot tilted his head looking over the camera.
The image changed to the cult as the leader spoke, "…and some will wish to harm us… Some will wish to destroy all that we have built together here. And some will betray us." The man's eyes locked onto the camera as a voiceover began.
"They don't know what he's capable of…"
"Who?" The pastor looked to the camera.
"Their leader."
The image changed to the pilot as he spoke the name of the man Samantha had come to apprehend. "Joseph Seed."
The woman snorted. "They call him 'The Father.'"
The image changed to a man bound before Joseph as the leader approached him. "And those in the outside world are blind. They do not believe. They have no faith." He shushed the man as he struggled to escape, Joseph placed his hands on the man's cheeks, whatever transpired out of the angle of the camera.. "But I will make them see…" the man screamed before going limp and falling to the ground as Joseph raised blood soaked his hands, with that, the video ended.
Samantha put the phone down looking up to the officers around her. "Hey rookie. Rookie. You're wasting your time, there's no signal out here." She turned looking to the marshal in front of her before looking down at the paper in his hands.
"Crossing over the mountain now."
The pilot groaned looking at a giant marble statue, "oh fuck there he is."
"Crazy motherfucker."
"Jesus."
"We're officially in Peggie country."
"How much longer." The marshal turned impatiently.
"Just long enough for you to change your mind, so we can turn this bird around."
"You want me to ignore a federal warrant, Sheriff?"
"No sir. I want you to understand the reality of this situation: Joseph Seed, he's not a man to be fucked with. We've had run-ins with him before and they haven't always gone our way." He paused looking into the cockpit. "Just sometimes… sometimes it's best to leave well enough alone."
"Yeah well, we have laws for a reason, Sheriff." The sheriff hummed. "And Joseph Seed is gonna learn that."
"Pratt, open a call with dispatch."
"Ten-four."
"Whitehorse to dispatch. Over."
"Go ahead Earl." A feminine voice responded.
"We're approaching the compound. Nancy, over."
"Roger Sherif. Still planning to go through with this?Over."
"We are-unfortunately-still trying to talk some sense into our friend the marshal. Over."
"Alright, he's lucky I'm not there. Get into any trouble you just let me know. Over."
"Ten-four over and out."
"Maybe we should've brought Nancy along with us instead of the Probie. Those Peggie's would fuck with her."
"Pratt."
The Marshall turned. "Why do you keep calling them Peggies?"
"It's Project At Eden's Gate: P-E-G. Peggies, its what the locals call 'em. You know they started off harmless enough a few years back. But now they are armed to the teeth. They're lookin for a fight."
The marshal glanced at the older man. "Are you scared Sheriff?"
Pratt interrupted as the helicopter turned, "we're here. Compounds just below."
Samantha looked down, a town greeted her, large churches covering the nearby area, a chorus of sighs filled the helicopter. "Oh my Jesus."
"This is a bad idea."
"Last chance Marshal…"
The Marshall sighed facing me before saying those three dreadful words. "We're going in."
"Set her down. Pratt."
"Roger that." The helicopter lowered into the ground in front of the compound, armed guards quickly grouping to watch.
"Dispatch. You still there?"
"Yes, go ahead Sheriff."
"You don't hear from us in fifteen minutes, send in everyone. Call the goddamn national guard if you have to. Over." The group quickly unbuckled themselves as Nancy spoke once more.
"Yessir Sheriff. I'll be praying for you."
The Sheriff set his headset down before speaking to us. "Now listen up, three rules: stick together, keep your guns holstered and let me do the talking. Got it?"
The Marshall shouted his affirmative before the Sheriff turned to Sam. "Rookie?"
"Right."
"Alright everyone, stay sharp. Let's go!"
They quickly left the helicopter rushing under the rudders and to the gate, the Peggies and officers speaking over each other, Hudson turned back as Samantha looked back at the helicopter in uncertainty.
The song Amazing Grace rang from the church. The Marshall quickly wrapped his hands around the church door handle before being stopped. "Whoa Marshall, we do this, we do it my way. Quietly. Calmly, got it?"
The man sighed, "fine."
"Hudson on the door. Watch our backs. Don't let any of these people get in. Rookie, on me." He turned to the Marshall, "and you. Just try not to do anything stupid."
"Relax Sheriff. You're about to get your name in the paper."
Hudson turned to Samantha as the two men opened the door. "You'll be fine." And with that the door opened and the group, minus Hudson, stepped in.
"Something is coming. You can feel it, can't you? We are creeping towards the edge… and there will be a reckoning." Joseph's form, hidden by shadow, stepped forwards slightly. "That is why we started The Project. Because we know what happens next. They will come. They will try to take from us. Take our guns. Take our freedom… Take our faith!"
The man's bearded face came into view and Samantha groaned at his words. "But we will not let them."
"Sheriff c'mon."
"Just hold on Marshall."
"We will not let their greed, or their immorality, or depravity hurt us anymore!" The two officers before Sam began to argue as Joseph continued to shout "There will be no more suffering!"
"No fuck this! Joseph Seed! I have a warrant issued for your arrest on the suspicion of kidnapping with intent to harm! Now I want you to step forwards and keep your hands where I can see 'em!"
The crowd around them began to cry out in outrage, "go back to where you came from!"
"Get outta here!"
Joseph raised his hands as people began moving in front of him. "There they are… the locusts in our garden… You see they've come for me. They've come to take me away from you. They've come to destroy all that we've built."
The Marshall reached for his gun as the crowd around them began to shout. "Now hold on, do not touch that service weapon! Hold!" The Sheriff yelled as the crowds screamed out covering all other sounds. "Stand down! Stand down! Everyone calm down."
The crowd parted as the tattooed form of Joseph Seed walked through. "We knew this moment would come. We have prepared for it. Go. Go. God will not let them take me." The crowd spread out walking through the group of officers and to the door.
Samantha turned back as Joseph stood, his family behind him, reaching out to the sky. "I saw when the lamb opened the First Seal. And I heard as it were the noises of thunder, one of the four beasts say, come and see…"
"Step. Forwards." Marshall demanded cruelly.
"…and I saw, and behold it was a white horse… and Hell followed with him." His arms reached forwards to Samantha and she stepped forwards.
"Rookie — cuff this son of a bitch."
"God will not let you take me." The Father smiled.
"Rook! Put the cuffs on him!"
Samantha hesitated, she knew what the cult was capable of, but she also knew they would do a lot worse if their leader was with them. She stepped forwards, slapping the cuffs onto his wrists.
"Sometimes the best thing to do… is to walk away."
Samantha slipped behind him placing her hand on his shoulder as the others moved towards the door, the crowds shouted erratically as Sam guided The Father to the helicopter, rocks flew at the officers and the Marshall fired into the air.
The helicopter powered up as Hudson helped drag The Father into the back, Peggies surrounded them like rabid animals, jumping onto the helicopter. The helicopter left the ground and the Marshall fired a round into one of the men holding on, on the windshield a man struggled before jumping into the rudder. The rudder stuttered before stopping and forcing the helicopter to spin out of control with the remaining Peggies falling.
"Brace for imp-"
"Come in, this is Nancy, is everything ok? Over." Samantha groaned as she awoke upside down, everything around her blurry, her eyes locked onto a headset hanging from the floor and she reached out. A voice singing filled the air.
"Please? Are you there, are you there Sheriff? Deputy Hudson? Brown? Pratt? If you can hear this please pick up." Samantha began to pull the headset to her but a hand stopped her, The Father stared at her as he sang. "Earl, come in. Over."
"That saved a wretch like me…" Nancy spoke as The Father grinned. "I told you God wouldn't let you take me." He reached out pulling the headset over his face keeping eyes locked on Sam. "Dispatch. Everything is just fine here. No need to call anyone."
"Yes. Father. Praise be to you." Samantha's eyes widened, they really did have the cops.
"No one is coming to save you." The man whispered before walking out to his cult. "Everything is unfolding according to God's plan. I am still here with you. The First Seal had been broken. The collapse has begun. And we will take what we need. And we will preserve what we have. And we will kill all those who stand in our way." The others in the helicopter began to awake as the Father pointed to them. "And these, the harbingers of doom will see the truth."
"We gotta get outta here… we gotta get outta here." The Father cried out as the people in the helicopter reached for their belts, Hudson was torn free and the helicopter caught ablaze.
Samantha's belt finally gave way and she ran into the woods, she neared a cliff, sighed, and jumped over landing in what she thought on her way down was a crater but was actually a small pond. She quickly swam to the side and raced downhill to a small house where she picked up a pipe that was sitting on the side of the house.
She noticed a trailer not that far and quickly but quietly made her way over, a Peggie guarded the door but she quickly took him out and took his gun. She searched the trailer finding nothing before following a nearby trail, she passed a large bonfire and looked over the nearby road before finding a barn and a trailer.
She slowly stepped to the trailer's door before kicking the doorknob and forcing the door open. The Marshall threw her against a wall before backing down, he panted as he leaned on a counter.
"Oh Jesus! I had no idea." He noticed a picture of the Seed family on the wall and growled, throwing it to the ground. "Fuck! We're putting this whole family away. All of 'em. Fucking lunatics!" He grabbed a rifle from the wall and looked over. "We're gonna get outta this rookie, first things first, gotta arm ourselves… here." Samantha paused as she realized what she was holding, an assault rifle.
"It's Samantha."
"What?"
"You keep calling me rookie, my name, it's Samantha." The man shrugged, picking up his pistol and loading it before walking to a nearby window.
"Alright, here's what we're gonna do. There's a road out there. We're gonna take it, we're gonna head northeast. It's probably only a few hours back to Missoula." She hesitated wanting to correct him before deciding against it. "And then, we're gonna come back here with the goddamn national guard and we're gonna take out the rest of these.." the man paused hearing Peggie's near the trailer.
"Okay." He shushed her before tilting his head to tell her to get ready.
The pair jumped out the window as they dispatched the first wave of enemies, the Marshall picked up a set of keys racing to the nearby truck as more Peggie's charged in from the forest around them.
"C'mon Samantha! Leave 'em!" She nodded getting into the truck and the vehicle sped off down the road, the fence blocked their path but that didn't matter as they plowed through it down the road. A roadblock greeted them on the other side of the bridge but they went around with a truck giving chase. "Get them off us!"
Sam nodded, waiting for the truck to get closer before firing one round into the driver's window, ending his lease on existence. The truck went off road as more Peggie's began to follow, Samantha groaned pulling her rifle back out and firing again, she lobbed a stick of dynamite she found into the train as they passed and caught a four wheeler in the blast.
One of the trucks following sped up and she fired another burst hitting the driver, the truck reared out of control and flew into a pair of other four wheelers before exploding.
Samantha groaned as more vehicles followed, she got a few lucky shots off and hit the drivers of a four wheeler and a truck however her luck ran out as a plane flew down firing at them.
"They have planes now!" The Marshall looked back before nodding and taking a turn onto highway 93.
"Just keep 'em off us!"
The plane flew by again bringing with it a cloud of dust from the gravel street beside them, one of the trucks behind them got off track and went into a ditch but ahead of them a roadblock shook them around. A truck pulled in front and Samantha groaned as they neared a bridge, "I hate water…"
The plane returned, blowing a portion of the bridge off, the Marshall forced open his window as they fell into the creek below the front of the truck and collapsed and the two inhabitants were stuck in the stream. The Marshall climbed out through his window before swimming to the nearby beach just below the bridge while Samantha got out hers and began to swim downstream. The creek widened and got shallower allowing her to stand and she slowly limped further down before her foot slipped on a rock, the last thing she saw before passing out being an unfamiliar face.
Samantha groaned as she awoke in the stranger's bed, typing caught her attention, she cleared her throat and the man turned. "Hey you, you're finally awake."
He walked over sitting in a chair near the bed, "they've cut the phone lines and blocked off the road. We're pretty securely fucked."
Samantha paused taking a second to look over him, he had greasy brown hair worn in a boyish mess, his green eyes glimmered with mischievous intent and his crooked mouth lay in a scowl. "Who are you?"
"Where's my manners, the names Chris, Christopher Maloney." The man leaned forward, eye locked on something on her shirt, "Deputy, Samantha Brown. Nice to meet you."
"You know, it's more of a sociable thing to ask for people's names after they ask for yours." Chris sighed shrugging.
"Never been good with that bullshit. Look, they've got your friends and have enacted, well, essentially they've enacted Martial Law." He hesitated, "best thing for us all would be if I handed you over."
She reached down for her pistol and he held it up, "luckily for you, I don't care what the best thing is. I just care what would be the most amusing." He held out his free hand and she hesitated before taking it and being pulled up.
"There's a change of clothes in the closet, I'd suggest you get out of that uniform." And with that, the man left.
She quickly made her way over to the closet glancing into the mirror next to it, she held several shirts over her chest before deciding on a denim button down and green cargo pants. She slowly opened the door to the room that the man left through and was surprised to see a girl, no older than sixteen, standing there.
"Wasn't sure those clothes would fit you, looks like they do fine though. He grabbed a hat off the hat rack and tossed it over, she looked at it for a second before pulling it on, it was brown with a white paw and the word "Griz" over it.
"Who's this?"
"My daughter, Catalyst."
"Catalyst?"
He smirked, "she was the catalyst of change in my life. When she was born her mom and I were only juniors in high school, new juniors. While her mom went nuts after she was born, trying every drug in the book, sleeping around, and turning to alcohol, I quit messing around, stopped getting into fights. So, after going a few months calling her daughter, I named her Catalyst."
Samantha nodded her greeting to the other woman before turning to the man as he sat at the nearby table, sliding her gun across towards her. "Take a seat, we've got much to discuss." The two did so and he passed them both a pair of maps.
"This is Missoula County, this is Ravalli County." He set a third larger map in the center, "and this. Is Eden's Gate territory. Or as they call it Hope County." He pointed to the town of Lolo in the northern edge. "We are here, Jacob's territory. Joseph separated your teammates out, each member of his family has one. Jacob has been parading Deputy Pratt around like it's a damn festival.
"So, how do we get him back?" Catalyst snorted. "What's so funny?"
"Easier said than done."
"Look, there's a small resistance out there but they don't exactly trust me, led by an old classmate of mine named Finley, we had a falling out a while ago." He sighed, "best option is to clear the area, best if we knock out their tower, it supplies a good portion of the area with internet connection. Would put half the people out here back to the Stone Age."
"Then we take out the tower." Samantha nodded, "then we get you and Finley back in good graces."
Chris laughed before standing, "take this sat-phone, only the map functions but that's all you need for, radio frequencies are listed on the back. You take out the tower, we'll see about getting a few of the hunters stashes around here."
"Alright, let's move out."
