Chapter 17: Fateful Choice
(This chapter is going to be about the night of the statue falling from Joseph's POV followed by what happened with Faith ending at what happened in the last chapter.)
Joseph Seed continued to stare out the window even after watching the symbol of the Eden's Gate tumble to the ground. His fists were clenched, and his head fumed. Such a brazen act of defiance. The Father knew exactly who was behind this outrage. But Joseph briefly wondered why he was so angry. He had not originally wanted to have the statue in the first place. Joseph felt it was too much a thing of pride. The Father was only the messenger and protector of his flock. His followers should be following his messages, not buildings idols in his honor. But his brothers convinced him that his followers needed to be reminded of who led them and Faith enthusiastically volunteered to have her people build it in territory. Joseph was not angry that a statue resembling him was sent crashing to the Earth. No, he was furious that his people's hard work was being rendered meaningless. All because of him…
There was no one else more skilled, more willing to cause his plan no end of headaches. Marcus…..Joseph should have known that he would become trouble. Joseph assumed he was just another part of the authority that tried to keep he and flock down. But clearly Marcus was not anything ordinary. Already he had struck blows at the project that the rest of the sinners had failed for months to achieve. It is why he came up with the plan to have Faith convince him to see where the future lay and join the project. The Father had confidence that Faith would get the job done. She had a proven track record of persuading others to join the project which allowed Joseph to establish a quicker foothold for his flock in Hope County. Everything was going according to plan. Marcus was captured and Faith treated him well, so well in fact that there were whispers that he was taken with her. Faith would then have another meeting and convince Marcus to join her and Joseph to finally end this conflict.
But now everything fell apart both literally and figuratively. Marcus had apparently rejected Faith's offer, and retaliated by bringing down the statue that overlooked the Henbene. Joseph was angry at Faith for failing but also angry at himself for underestimating Marcus yet again. The Father had been too forgiving, too willing to try to give him a chance to join the project. Yet Joseph's only reward had been deaths to his flock as well as humiliation. No more. The Father finally moved away from the window and approached one of his guards.
"Contact Jacob, John, and Faith. Tell them to come to my compound now. We are going to resolve this issue." The guard nodded and went to carry out his task as Joseph returned to the window.
Jacob arrived dutifully half an hour later. John arrived about twenty minutes after him. While waiting for Faith, the guard nervously told Joseph that Faith had said that she was trying to stabilize everything and regretfully could not make the meeting. No matter, Joseph would call her personally after he finished meeting with his brothers.
The Seed brothers all sat at a round table with Jacob looking stoic, John looking pissed off and Joseph looking like he was lost in thought.
"The nerve of that bastard!" John growled. "He is the personification of 'wrath'. All he knows is how to destroy."
Jacob ignored his youngest brother and addressed Joseph. "Where is Faith?"
"She could not make it." Joseph answered, still locked in contemplation. "I will speak to her personally after we are done here."
After a few more moments, he finally looked first at Jacob then at John before returning back to the middle. "As you both are probably well aware, we are here to discuss very recent events and those involve Faith and her plans with Marcus. Jacob, John… you both have done well in your roles. However, this was a task that was only fit for Faith's skills."
The two brothers looked at Joseph with confusion.
"As I'm sure you were both know, Marcus has been a major problem for us. He's done more damage in the past few days than the sinners have done in months. However, I came up with a solution. What better way for us to reverse our fortunes then to turn our greatest enemy into our greatest weapon? Thus I tasked Faith to show Marcus kindness and understanding so that she might persuade him to join our cause."
Jacob leaned in towards Joseph. "Then I'm betting that Marcus didn't actually escape like Faith told me. He was released, because you wanted him to be grateful, right?"
Joseph nodded even though he knew it was a lie. "That's correct. I had confidence that she would succeed as she has done so many times in the past. Unfortunately, it seems like I was mistaken." He sighed.
"You put too much trust in her brother! I know you have given her the Seed name, but you need to remember that she is not of your blood like Jacob and I. We could have eliminated Marcus before he became such a big problem. But you were soft and relied on Faith being able to persuade him! Now look at what's happened!" John raged.
Jacob stood up and glared at John. "John, may I remind you who you are talking to. He may be our brother but he's also the one we agreed to follow! Need I remind you who has failed to take back Falls End and has made no progress whatsoever against the resistance. So I would watch your tongue if I were you!"
Joseph held up a hand. "Its alright Jacob. John has a point. I was much too lenient with Marcus and I did not take him seriously enough. But no more. We must eliminate him at all costs. There will be no more mercy. He must be killed on sight."
John grinned. "He's bound to screw up some time or another. Not only is he full of wrath but he's prideful as well. His arrogance will cause him to fall, and I'll be there when it happens."
"He may not be the only one who's arrogant." Snapped Jacob. "You need to make sure that your people are coordinated John. We can't underestimate Marcus anymore like Joseph said."
Surprisingly, John's smile did not fade. "Yeah, yeah, I know. But he'll get what's coming to him, whether its from my people or yours. Its only a matter of time."
Jacob sighed and turned back to Joseph. "Joseph, we are going to need more bliss from Faith. It will help to stun Marcus and his allies so we can put them down. Also make sure she makes her forces available to us if we need them. I know she's still dealing with the jail but I'm sure she can spare the manpower." The oldest Seed crossed his arms. "She has played her part and she failed. Now she must follow our instructions to the letter."
Joseph nodded. "Faith should know the situation right now. I will tell her to support the both of you by providing bliss and manpower like she has done in the past. I'm confident that she will be able to redeem herself."
The Father stood up. "So now return to your area and prepare our flock. We will not let this demon run amok anymore. We will put him down."
Jacob and John nodded solemnly then left. Joseph waiting until they were gone, then he made sure he had some privacy before he got on the phone with Faith.
"Hello Father." She answered. She was trying to put up a brave front, but he knew she was clearly shaken.
"Faith…I'm disappointed that Marcus did not heed your words. But I'm curious, didn't you have a team ready outside in case he refused our offer?"
"He…he managed to evade them. I think he had some suspicion that there was something waiting outside for him. He managed to create a distraction and slip away before the fireteam found out that he left."
Marcus was more careful this time, thought Joseph. After being captured once, he would be more wary than ever. "I see. As I'm sure you know Faith, it was Marcus who brought down the statue and killed many of our brethren. He has chosen to oppose us, oppose God. Marcus has willingly chosen to be a sinner and not atone. Therefore he will be treated as such but he is to be eliminated on sight. Jacob and John have been given the same instructions as well. Do I make myself clear?"
There was some silence before Faith spoke up again. "I understand Father." She said softly.
"Faith…..I know you are just as disappointed and upset that Marcus did not join us. But now we must move forward. As John and especially Jacob have our most battle hardened warriors, they will be the main ones to hunt down Marcus. You will be support and provide whatever bliss and manpower they need. Your group is also to be given orders to kill Marcus on sight. Understood?"
"Yes Joseph." came the reply.
"Good. One more thing Faith. Make sure that you liquidate the jail at all costs. Marcus is dangerous and even more so when he has allies supporting him. Make sure they do not have the chance to join up with him."
Joseph waited a seconds before saying his final piece. "This failure weighs heavily on you Faith. You must prove yourself worthy of being part of this endeavor. Do not fail me again." Joseph then hung up.
The Father was tempted to go back to the window but he wandered over to his mirror on the wall.
"Is this the right thing to do?"
"Of course it is. Marcus is a threat to the project, a threat to our community!"
"Yes, but what about everything else? All of this conflict, suffering and death. How does this make us any better than the elites and politicians we rail against?
"We are righteous! The collapse is coming and will sweep away all of these sinners! We have tried to save as many as we can but there will always be resistance by those who wish to keep us down."
"We should have tried to create our own community without tearing down others."
"It was this, or be oppressed by the authorities. We will crush this resistance, build our home, wait for the collapse and finally create our own paradise."
"Do you have many regrets?"
"No, do you?"
"Many."
Many thoughts were going through the mind of Faith Seed. After Marcus had stormed off, Faith hastily returned to her bunker. She had barely gotten settled when news by a frantic messenger reached her. The statue of The Father in her region had fallen and crumbled. Additionally, scores of bodies were found at the base of the site. Some had been shot, others were either stabbed or cut. The bunker was full of whispers on how such a thing could have happened. But only Faith and her fireteam knew who was responsible.
Faith was worried that Curtis or someone in his group would let the word out. She was thinking of having a talk with him but he approached her first.
"Lady Faith…." He began. "You and my team both knew who was probably responsible for what happened at the statue. I'm here to tell you that me and my team will not say a word to anyone. I served a few years in the army. During that time, my superiors also made mistakes that the probably regret. So I understand what you're going through. I respect the chain of command Lady Faith. Please let me know if my team or I can be of any assistance in resolving the aftermath."
Faith breathed a major sigh of relief internally. How fortunate she was to have such a loyal individual! She smiled at him. "Thank you, Curtis. Thank you for your loyalty. I will be sure to call on you when the time comes." The stoic man saluted her then left her alone in her office.
Before Faith could try and calm her followers down, she received another messenger, this one from The Father. He was calling a meeting of all the heads, John, Jacob and Faith to discuss what had happened. Faith told the messenger that she wouldn't be able to attend because she needed to address the panic in her region. John and Jacob might get angry but surely The Father would understand her situation.
A few hours passed and Faith was able to make a few calls to settle things down. But then a call came to her from The Father. She should have expected it but Faith was still nervous. He explained to her due to what happened, things were changing. Faith was expected to provide John and Jacob with shipments of bliss and manpower whenever they needed it. She was also told to liquidate the jail for the last reason that made her heart sink. Marcus was to be eliminated at all costs. He was now public enemy #1 and the resistance at the jail needed to be destroyed so they wouldn't be able to help Marcus. The Father ended with ominous words "This failure weighs heavily on you Faith. You must prove yourself worthy of being part of this endeavor. Do not fail me again".
His words weighed heavily upon her. A small part of Faith agreed with what The Father wanted. Marcus had just gone and destroyed the statue that cost considerable resources and time plus murdering a whole bunch of brothers and sisters who were only worshiping there. How could he do something so vile and cruel? But that part of Faith was reminded of why. Marcus had been lured into meeting Faith thinking it was just going to be a friendly meeting. From what it sounded like in the beginning, there may have a chance that both of them would have confessed their growing feelings for each other. But instead Faith presented him with an impossible choice, one that she knew what he would choose. Even worse is that she presented it in such a way where it her feelings for him were perceived as fake and were only a means to lure him to the project. That was far from the truth. Faith knew that her feelings were genuine, but now Marcus did not. The final nail in the coffin was finding out that there was a sniper team outside, ready to take him out if he did not cooperate. It had not been Faith's idea but she should have resisted it more. Now things had fallen apart.
Faith was now the one with the choice. She could do as the Father commands and help hunt down Marcus and eradicate the resistance or…..? Faith sat down at her desk to ponder. Could she dare to oppose Joseph? Would she? The fact that she was even considering it; if she had been asked a week ago about her loyalty to The Father, Faith would have been steadfast in her loyalty. The Father had been a major part of her life for the past 7 years. He had given her a place, a purpose when society and even her own parents cast her out. It had gotten so bad that Faith had gotten hooked on hard drugs to cope. Even that was almost not enough. Without Tracy she would have…..
Tracy…..she had been Faith's best friend, back when she was under a different name. The two had both joined the project together. But where Faith had appreciated Joseph rescuing them, Tracy was a lot more skeptical. She had always had a broody and harsh personality, but she made an exception for Faith. But Eden's Gate proved to be too much. Tracy and Faith had gotten into an argument about Joseph, and it got especially heated when the subject of Joseph giving her the name Faith came up. Tracey had stormed off, convinced that she had lost her best friend. Faith hoped that she would come back like she always did but this time she was gone. Faith was saddened but now she had The Father to watch out for her.
The Father was harsh, but he was fair. He set goals and expectations for Faith and with his encouragement, she was able to meet them and then some. Faith eventually rose to have the honor of being adopted as part of the Seed family. She became the herald of the Henbene region. It was at this point that Faith thought she was on top of the world. She had a family who actually cared for her, and she felt like she was making a difference by getting people to join the project, people who would be saved coming collapse. It overshadowed some of the distasteful things Faith did. But when Faith thought she had everything, Marcus entered the picture and she found herself lacking.
Faith had sensed that Marcus was special in a way that he was above the people she normally dealt with. Her suspicions were confirmed when he managed to escape pursuit after a failed raid to capture The Father. Faith watched as he caused more trouble for the project than they had ever had to deal with. Faith wanted to meet him, and she got a chance to with his capture in her region. It was a meeting that changed her. That was when Faith started to realize that she was starting to grow feeling for Marcus. He was strong, kind, and honest. Even when he could have viewed her as an enemy, he did not hurl insults or curses or plead for his release. He talked to her in a straightforward manner that surprised her. It was that and her growing feelings for him that caused her to release him from the trap.
Which all led to Joseph's plan to have Faith lure Marcus again using those feelings as bait. Its failure drove a wedge between Faith and Marcus but also between Joseph and Faith. The herald of the Henbene desperately wanted to mend things with Marcus despite what The Father had ordered. For the first time in her life, Faith was willing to disobey Joseph's orders no matter the consequences. The fact that it was Marcus that caused his assured Faith that her feelings were genuine and not some fleeting crush.
But even if Faith was choosing Marcus over her years of loyalty to Joseph, she could not oppose The Father openly, at least not yet. So then she would still have to appear to be going along with Joseph's wishes. The wheels in Faith's mind began to turn and she started coming up with a plan. First she called Curtis back into her office.
"The Father wants the resistance at the jail to be dealt with." She told him. "I want you to oversee the assault force. Use whatever you need to get the job done."
The former soldier saluted, and Faith thought she saw signs of a smile. "I'll be sure to get the job done ma'am."
Faith nodded to dismiss him, and Curtis left to go fulfill his new task. Faith felt some guilt. Curtis was efficient and he would most likely get the job done. Marcus would have allies at the jail, but they would probably have to be sacrificed in order for Faith to help Marcus without arousing suspicion. Next was maintaining the running of the Henbene. Faith already made up her mind that she would help Marcus more directly, outside the bunker. Therefore, Faith called Rita, one of her high priestesses into her office.
"Due to recent events, I'm going out onto the front in order to better monitor and guide our activities. I need you to run things while I'm gone." Faith informed her.
"But Lady Faith, its dangerous out there! That sinner,he's killed so many! He could easily kill you too! He's a brute!"
A part of Faith wanted to slap the woman for insulting Marcus but instead she just smiled and put a hand on her shoulder. "I thank you for your concern Rita but I'll be fine. You just need to worry about two things. One, if Curtis asks for any material or personnel, give it to him as long as nothing is left undefended. Two. Jacob and John will be requesting shipments of bliss and manpower as well. Like with Curtis, give them whatever they ask for as long as it does not compromise the safety of our areas. Understood?"
The priestess nodded. "Yes Lady Faith, I understand."
"Wonderful. I'll be having someone come by to check in on you all every so often, so you'll still be able to reach me."
The woman bowed. "When will you be leaving?" She asked.
"I will be leaving shortly. Like I said, I'll have someone come and check on you so no need to worry."
Faith then dismissed Rita so she could make final preparations. If she going to be away from the bunker, she would have to not be so conspicuous. The white dress would have to go. Luckily Faith had a pair of jeans and a plain T-shirt just in case she needed to be more discreet. She changed her clothes and decided to look at herself in the mirror. What she saw was a changing woman. It was not just her outfit that changed but now Faith was going to try and help Marcus, the biggest problem to the man she had been loyal to for years. She was going to betray Eden's Gate.
Faith decided to take a vehicle on her own. She didn't want anyone to know where she would be. The only one who would know would be Lisa, whom Faith was going to stay with. She was glad that she had the foresight to have Lisa already established. The girl would know where to find Marcus to whom Faith's thoughts drifted to. She had created all these plans, all these contingencies, yet everything still depending on Marcus. Would he even forgive her? Faith felt that she wouldn't have the heart to go against him even if he rejected her. She was all in to finally follow what her heart was saying. Hopefully Marcus would see that too.