Carmina flew overhead. The yellow, shark-faced floatplane was way above in the sky, out of shooting range and hearing range. Its passenger, Deputy Jones opened the passenger door and looked down. They were right above the massive monster rig, infamously called "The Revelator."
'So that's John's pet project to put us back in the dirt.'
She begrudgingly admitted, it was very impressive. The big rig was black, covered in reinforced plate armor all over its body, a spiked plow on the front grill, that already had a couple of dead resistance members stuck to it. Two fifty caliber guns sat on top looking for any reason, large or small to shoot. On the sides, crudely written in white paint was "Rescue me from all my sins, Let me not be derived by fools." Small slots revealed that there were people inside the steel trailer, pointing rifles and LMGs outside.
"One wrong move and I'm fucking dead." She mumbled.
"Are ya sure this is a good idea?!" Nick called from the pilot seat.
"No, but they'll see a plane or a helicopter comin' a mile away. They won't see a woman with wings though." She held up her arms to show off the wingsuit she got from the Rye Homestead. "Did you test out these wingsuits properly?"
"Yeah, they're a lot of fun! But we always landed in open fields, never onto weaponized monster trucks."
"First time for everything. Wish me luck!"
"Good luck and don't die!"
America took a deep breath and jumped off Carmina.
She kept her arms and legs pressed tightly against her sides, her body as straight as an arrow. When she was at a certain distance, she opened the wings and began to soar through the air. The Revelator had yet to notice her. The sentries were still preoccupied with watching the road.
Every second she got closer and closer to the ground, she had to time this just right, else she was dead.
She closed the wingsuit and spun around going feet first. Her feet collided against the back-sentry's head, likely breaking it from the force of the impact, as well as crush his sternum against the barrier around him.
America tumbled on the trailer, grunting with each roll. Her shouts got the attention of the second gunner, but America had already pulled out her M60. The gun fired and turned the goliath into swiss cheese.
A squeak came from behind her and she saw a peggie pop his head out from a hatch.
"What was that noise?!"
America spun her gun around and blasted the peggie in the face. Then she reopened the hatch, tossed a brick of C4 into the trailer, and slammed it shut. Pressing the big red button on the detonator, the enclosed explosion was powerful enough to rock the Revelator. America had to regain her balance else she'd fall off. Fire and smoke escaped from the little cubbies on the sides. Anyone that didn't die from the explosion would likely be permanently deaf now.
America started taking out other blocks of C4 and placed them at certain spots. She placed two on the trailer, one on each main gun, then she made her way to the rig. She must have been spotted by the drivers because the passenger opened his door and tried shooting her with an Uzi.
America ducked, the Revelator swerved. The driver was trying to shake her off. The Deputy managed to get to the rig and plant a couple of bricks. The cultists still tried shooting her but she whipped out Judgement and shot the gun out of his hand.
With the bombs in place, she gave a scout salute to the bleeding peggie and a cocky smirk before jumping off the Revelator and onto the soft grass.
She rolled for a few seconds. Before even shaking off the daze she held the detonator up and pressed the button. The Revelator jackknifed. The trailer and rig separated and performed their own disaster. The trailer turned to the side and began to roll. The rig turned to its side as well, but got hit by the tumbling trailer. It toppled and the screeching, burning pieces of wreckage finally came to a skidding halt by the wayside.
America took her gun and started walking toward the destroyed killing machine. Finding the latches to the back doors, she opened them up and found a bunch of bloody, broken bodies.
*BZZZZZZZZTT!*
She fired the M60 into the confined space. If no one died from broken bones or explosives, then they were dead now.
Walking around the trailer and heading toward the rig, somehow the driver was still alive. Though a bone was plainly sticking out of his arm.
America walked toward him casually. Once she reached him, she used her foot to kick him onto his back. He was bleeding all over and the look of fear was evident on his face. Even more so when the Deputy aimed her LMG at the man's face.
"Wait! Wait!"
He was silenced when his head was turned to ground beef.
Car engines were heard coming down the road. At first America thought they were more peggies, come to help the Revelator, but it was instead an envoy of Resistance fighter. With Pastor Jerome and Mary May leading them.
Spitting on the dead cultist for good measure, the Deputy walked over to her fellow fighters.
Dashing toward her with excited glee was her faithful companion, Boomer. The cattle dog's tail wagged erratically and the Deputy couldn't stop him from licking her face. Not that she minded, it was good to see her Good Boy again.
She was quickly hugged by Cassidy, who wrapped her arms tightly around her. Nearly choking the breath out of her.
"I'm so glad you're alright." Cassidy said.
"We all are." Jerome smiled and shook America's hand.
Mary May also offered her own smile and handshake, then looked past the Deputy at the wreckage.
"Damn Deputy. You are one crazy fucker. No one would have thought to do what you did to take that thing out." Mary said, impressed.
"No one's mad enough like me right now." She said dead serious.
"Are you alright, America." Jerome asked.
"I'm fine, Pastor." America assured, but no one bought it for a second.
"Are you sure because—"
"Look, I know we've taken some hits today, but I've no interest in licking wounds." She walked off toward one of the cars that was brought.
"What do you mean? Aren't we done here?" Cassidy asked.
"Is the sun still in the sky?"
Everyone looked up at the sky quizzically.
"Yes?"
"Then we aren't even close to done."
Green-Busch Fertilizer Co.
"Get that gasoline loaded up! John wants half for the Gate and half for our little surprise for the sinners in Fall's End!"
Joey was the leading supervisor at the Fertilizer Plant. Overseeing all productions of their specialized bliss-infused fertilizer. The project was quick to realize that the stuff was not only good for the bliss-flowers' growth but was also highly volatile.
Lately, that's been proving to be a double-edged sword. They lost a ton of their good fertilizer stored all over the valley. Thanks in no small effort to the patriarch of the Rye family. Since the Deputy's interference of recruiting the Ryes, Nick has been blowing up all their red tanks scattered about the valley.
It was a major set back and would take months they didn't have to produce more.
'But that doesn't mean we're out.' Joey smiled sinisterly at the red gas trucks that were being ready to ship out.
As expected, John had a plan. When the Revelator was finished putting the fear of God into the sinners, they would roll in several of these tankers into Fall's End. Once enough of them were placed, they would be detonated and engulf the town in holy fire. Burning away the Resistance's refuge.
"It will be glorious." Joey said with reverie. The fantasy of all those blasphemers burning alive and losing their homes looked beautiful in his mind's eyes.
Rapid gunfire suddenly brought him out of his imaginings and put the whole outpost on high alert. There were single gunshots over that. Bodies dropped from the roof tops. The lookouts and snipers fell to the dirt with a thud, a single bullet hole to the head showed how they died.
Joey quickly ran for radio to call for reinforcements while his men dealt with the invading force. All the while his thoughts were invaded by nervousness and questions.
'Why are the heathens attacking us so soon?! They should be preoccupied with the Revelator, not leading an assault on us! What the hell happened to the plan?!'
The radio was in sight. Joey smiled and reached out to flip the switch and raise the alarm. But before he could, he felt his chest burst outward and pain took over all his senses. He spun around, out of control, and fell near the radio.
Shakily, he touched his chest and shiny, red blood was what he saw in his palms. He wanted to scream out at the sight, scream at how much pain he was in, but nothing but shallow gasps escaped his mouth.
Once again rapid gunfire brought him out of his thoughts and what he saw astounded him. A woman, with no more then three men behind her was mowing down his brothers and sisters like they were nothing but flies to be swat. Every flash of her LMG almost guaranteed a death.
The light reflecting off her badge, strapped to her belt, told him instantly who the woman was. And his blood ran cold.
'It's her! The Deputy! I thought John had her! What's she doing HERE?!' Joey's thoughts became plagued by fear and dread.
Among the Project, many people had begun to whisper about the rookie deputy. How she had skin made of steel and breathed fire like a dragon. How she was slippery and silent, like a snake. How a single touch from her hand destroyed and killed everything good without mercy.
John had told them to not fear and trust in the Father. To stop with the rumors and focus on the Project. But is wasn't so simple. Eden's Gate was near fruition, until this nobody arrived from nowhere and began tearing apart all they held dear.
All around him Joey saw bodies drop next to his, lifeless eyes stared back at him. Suddenly, he heard growling, a dog. HER dog. It's grey and ragged fur raised threateningly, it maw clench together to show off its sharp, drooling teeth.
Gathering all the strength he still possessed, Joey reached for the radio. He grabbed the walkie and nearly got to the alarm button, but he stopped. He saw the hole in the radio, smoke and sparks spewing out. The sniper round that got him, ripped through the radio as well.
Joey fell back down and could do nothing as the mutt raced toward him. His last sight, before teeth and slobber, was the Snake unleashing hellfire all around her. With the bodies of his people being trampled by her boots.
Copperhead Railyard
Peggies ducked and covered as the Rye family plane dropped another bomb on their outpost. The cult, having just released the Revelator, was very laxed and unworried about the Resistance, thinking they would have their hands full with the monster truck.
They returned to the original plan for the Yard and started gathering leftover scrap to reinforce the bunker. Much to their surprise, their relaxation was put to an end when a shell dropped from the sky and took out several of their own people. The sudden explosion was a signal to the rest of the Resistance to attack in full force.
America whistled and Boomer charged forth ripping into any peggies that were secluded from their fellows. Grace took a position up on the water tower and began sniping any shaggy-haired fanatics she could spot. Her job was to keep an eye on the emergency radios and mounted guns, shooting anyone in the head that tried going for either. Nick came back around and strafed a couple of peggies taken up spots on top of the train cars. He whooped when he landed a direct hit and circled around to do it all over again.
The Deputy mowed down anyone in her way. The LMG she was carrying had so much ammo in it she hardly had to reload. Pulling the trigger, she killed two peggies that tried to surprise attack her from behind a train car. She smirked and licked her lips as she turned to her left and shot another cultist.
Moving through the trainyard, she motioned for her people to toss some smoke grenades into the cars. Doing as ordered, they tossed the smoke grenades, flushing out coughing cultists who were hiding inside. America and her posse shot them down without hesitation.
A peggie somehow got behind the group and aimed his weapon on the Deputy, but Boomer pounced on his back and began shaking his head violently back and forth. The cultist screamed out in pain, but died when Boomer broke his neck.
Cass fired her AR, each burst was a direct hit on a cultist killing them. She tossed a grenade into another train car. It exploded, killing any peggie taking cover inside. She turned around and rejoined America's posse.
She cringed at seeing the hardened look on the Deputy's face. There was nothing but death and vengeance in the Deputy's eyes as she continued to fire her LMG on the peggies. Cass had no love for the cultists, but she did care about America and her new attitude was disconcerting.
Firing her rifle again, now was not the time to be thinking about that. Now was the time for action. They could talk about attitudes and changes when the day was up.
Soon enough the peggies were driven off, only to be finished by arriving cavalry. Jerome hopped out of a truck and started ordering people to start, ridding bodies, setting up defenses and to use the scrap metal leftover to make strong barricades.
He wanted to congratulate America and her team on a job well done, but the Deputy minced words with the Pastor and headed off south to the next target. Jerome shared worried looks with the Deputy's teammates, but he silently nodded giving them the go-ahead to follow her.
Not that that would stop her.
Kellett Cattle Co.
The Kellett Ranch was already a slaughter house before the Resistance arrived. The cult was slaughtering the Kellett's herd, spilling blood practically everywhere as they chopped up the cows and bulls to be transported to John's Gate.
When America arrived with the Resistance, human blood mixed with cattle blood on the muddy ground. The livestock scattered in fear as the peggies and fighters fired off. Everyone took cover wherever they could.
But no matter where the peggies hid, they could not escape from America's LMG. She fired over their cover, keeping them suppressed. A lucky, stray bullet would hit one cultist over the head, ending their life, or punch through their cover and end them there.
Being suppressed also made them vulnerable to the Deputy's other allies. Grace laid on top of a hill and fired at any exposed peggies she could find, ending them in one shot. Boomer would circle around his prey and pounce when least expected. Thinning the herd even more. Some couldn't handle the pressure and ran for the fields, hoping the Deputy would be unlucky and miss. Nick would fly overhead and strafe them or blow them to smithereens with a well-placed aerial bomb.
The VIP of the ranch, a man named Max, a portly fella, wearing a dirty, bloody apron, managed to get to the emergency radio and try calling for help.
"John! John, please answer! It's Max from the Kellett Ranch!"
"Max? What's happening? Why can't I get a hold of the other outposts?!" John answered desperately.
"It's the Deputy, she and her nonbelievers are killing us out here! I've tried reaching out to other outposts, but no one's respondin'! We need the Chosen! We need—"
*BAM!*
Max spun around and fell in the mud. He screamed out in pain and clutched his bleeding abdomen. His screams were silenced when America stomped on his head into the mud. Max tried pushing her off, but the Deputy proved stronger. While she took a break from killing the peggies, she reached for the radio and started talking into it.
"Hello, John."
"Deputy Jones." The mans voice sounded pleasant, but restrained, with a hint of surprise. America smiled at that. "You sure are a busy bee. I can't reach my men at our remaining outposts."
"You wanted wrath, John. So, I'm giving it to all your sheep followers." She looked down casually at Max. Bubbles rose and popped around his head as he continued to struggle for air.
"You destroyed my Revelator?" He already knew the answer when he couldn't get ahold of the driver, but he could hardly believe it was taken down so easily. The whole Resistance was losing to it, but this one woman stopped it dead as soon as she was out?!
"That's right. Then I went after your outposts. You won't find your men. We burn the bodies or feed them to the wild animals. Monsters like them don't deserve a grave. Not like you or your people give the same courtesy."
John was practically seething on the other side. He assumed the woman would be up to her neck in opposition. The Revelator, the planned bombing of Fall's End, so many other plans, up in smoke in one day! She was supposed to lose! Fail! But she was succeeding, becoming more and more of a false hero to the people.
John could barely restrain his anger. America's wrath was spreading to him as well.
"Your soul is poisoned, diseased, riddled with cancer . . . and it must be cut out." Each word sound like he was gargling gravel. "But you refuse my help. You refuse to say "Yes." So, until you do . . . every pain you inflict on this Project will be visited a thousand times on your friends. And I'm not sure how much more Hudson here can take."
America actually scoffed, surprising John yet again.
"That the best threat you have, John? You'll torture the people if I do nothing and you'll torture them if I do something?" She shook her head false-bemusement. "That's the problem with constant torture, John. You can't step it up from that. And good luck inflicting that amount of pain when I've reduced the number your sheep."
"I—I can—"
"I know you won't kill everyone because you need them alive for the end of the world. Send as many of your sheep my way, John. I'll send them all straight to hell and by the time you finally crawl out of that slimy hole of yours, the only remaining peggies will be the weaklings and the cowards . . . and I look forward to killing you in front of all of them."
America fired Judgement on the radio, destroying any chance for John to have the final word. She looked down and saw Max still as a stone. He long since died of suffocation.
Fall's End
"We can stop now, if you want?"
"No. No, I'll be okay."
A sobbing Fall's Ender wiped away her tears and continued her story.
"I called the cult several times that day, demanding that they return my husband. I must have called them over twenty times with no response from any of them. Night time came . . . and so did the peggies." She began to sniffle again. "They came, I remember those big, lumbering fellows, with the red tanks and flamethrowers." Tears started flowing again. "My dog, Betsy, barked at them, but she was restrained to her dog house. They burned her alive before lighting my home on fire."
She covered her face as she couldn't control her sadness. Tears and snot ran down her cheeks and lips.
"I hid in my basement—which was also a bunker. I could hear my house, and all of its memories, crackle and burn away. It must have been an hour before it finally stopped. The peggies went home thinking I was dead. I got out and saw my house . . ."
Now she really couldn't stop and just cried her eyes out, practically screaming out the sobs. Alex and Hannah looked sympathetically at the woman. They had heard stories like hers before, but it was never any easier. So many lives ruined because of the peggies and some of them were because of their interference. Not a day went by when Alex and Hannah felt responsible for pushing the cult into showing their true colors.
Hannah walked around and placed her hands on the woman's shoulders. Comforting her to the best of her abilities.
"I think that's enough right now. Thank you for your time, Penny. I'm sorry for your loss."
Penny just kept crying, even as she exited out the door. Alex and Hannah had bene put up in one fot he abandoned building in Fall's End. The church was getting too crowded, so they had to move other refugees into buildings that weren't being used.
Hannah watched the woman walk off and head toward the church, likely to seek solace from Pastor Jerome. Many looked to the old soldier for guidance and wisdom.
"It never gets easier." Hannah said.
"No, it doesn't." Alex answered, packing up the camera and notebook.
A commotion could be heard on the other side of town. Curious, the two vloggers quickly gathered up their stuff and headed over to see what the hubbub was about.
The sentries watching the entry points of town were shouting to have the gates open and were alerting the town that the Deputy had returned.
A crowd started gathering, people excited to catch a glimpse or even potentially talk to the woman that had made all their fighting possible. As the blockades were removed trucks several trucks drove in, with a unique one leading the way that had a glaring blue eagle on the side.
The trucks stopped by the garage. Out of the Blue Eagle came a dog, a black woman holding a sniper rifle, and the Deputy herself, America Jones. In her arms she held a massive machine gun and a serious look on her face.
The crowd suddenly burst into cheers. Apparently, the woman not only escaped the cult's bunker. But she had also destroyed the cult's pet-project, the Revelator. Then without skipping a beat she spent the rest of the day, hounding the cult and taking back any massive property they controlled.
Alex and Hannah were in awe of the woman that saved them, just like everyone else.
With Boomer and Grace by her side, the Deputy gave the crowd a big wave and a nice smile, before switching back to her serious demeanor. She marched past the people that wanted to talk to her and headed straight for the General Store.
Throwing the door open, the bell above jingled, letting the proprietor know he had a customer. A silver-haired man poked his head over the counter and smiled.
"Deputy! What can I get you today?"
"Yancy." She greeted. She flicked a bullet from her fingers, which Yancy caught. It was a round for her LMG. "I need more of that."
"You're in luck!" He reached under the counter and pulled out several boxes of LMG rounds. "Someone managed to scavenge these off a goliath."
"How much?"
"For you? Five hundred dollars."
America didn't hesitate and tossed several hundred dollars onto the counter.
"Here. Keep the change."
Yancy was surprised to see that amount just be tossed like chump change. When he collected it all to count, he was surprised to find blood on some of the bills. It was blood money from all the peggies she looted.
"Uh, thanks Dep."
America nodded and walked out of the store. She was stopped when Alex and Hannah approached her.
"Hello, uh, Deputy Jones, right?"
"You're those vloggers we saved before I was captured by John's people." America recognized.
"Yes, uh, sorry . . . about what happened to you. If it weren't for us—"
"It's fine. It's my job to protect civilians. It was a bit of a setback, but at least I confirmed that my friend was still alive in John's bunker. As well as several other people. But who knows for how long?"
"That's actually what we wanted to talk to you about. If you don't mind, can we get an interview?" Alex held up his camera and gave it a shake.
The Deputy looked at the camera and gave a confused look. "An interview?"
"Yeah, we've been going around asking people to share their stories with us. Hannah and I figured this would be the best way to convey what happened here when all of this is over. So many people have lost homes and loved ones, the world needs to see just what the cult has done to them." He looked up at her with a face full of hope. "People have been telling me to talk to you. Saying you've been a godsend. A real hero."
"I ain't no hero, Alex. I'm just a Junior Deputy tryin' to survive like everyone else."
"That's not how everyone else sees it. So?"
America opened her mouth to say something, but got interrupted by the Spread Eagle's owner.
"Hey, Deputy!" Mary called. "I see you've met Alex and Hannah. Good! Bring em' over, they got stuff to tell us!"
America looked between Mary and the vloggers. "Can't it wait?! I've got peggies to kill!"
"It's late Dep, and I think you're gonna want to hear what they have to say!"
The Deputy looked at the vloggers and they nodded to confirm the woman's words.
"Yeah. I forgot to mention, we have some news about other Resistance secs in Hope County."
America narrowed her eyes. "Well, why didn't you fucking say so." She started to push them toward the bar. "Let's get movin'."
Spread Eagle
"You've had a busy day, Dep." Mary smirked.
She, Jerome, Nick, Merle, James, Cass, and Grace were all gathered around one of the bar's tables. With Boomer taking a nap under it. A light shined down showing a map of the whole county. Several token objects were set up to represent certain parts of the land.
"You escaped from John's bunker—a feat no one has ever accomplished, destroyed their secret project: The Revelator, and took the remaining peggie strongholds all in one day." Mary listed off.
"As impressive as all that is, how are you America?" Jerome waved away her accomplishments, more concerned about the woman herself.
"I'm fine Jerome." She brushed off tersely. "But the people in those bunkers aren't. Especially Hudson. John's gonna keep torturing her and others if we can't get him to come out. I thought breaking his toys, killing his people, and taking his land would draw the son of a bitch out. But he still wants me to 'become wrath.' Whatever the fuck that means."
"Is that why you've been on such a war path?" Cass asked.
"Yes."
"What makes you think the coward won't just stay in hiding, no matter what you do?" Merle asked.
"He won't. John's loyal to his brother and will do anything he asks. For whatever reason, Joseph wants me converted to his side and has tasked John with this. So, he'll do everything in his power to get at me and make me 'confess.'"
"Even leaving the safety of his hole to get you? Sounds reckless." Grace said.
"Everything these fanatics do is reckless. All in the name of Father Joseph. John's the same."
"And if it doesn't work?" Cass asked.
"Then I'll at least have taken out a good chunk of the cult." She replied darkly, unnerving some of the group.
"Well, the only way into John's bunker is with that key he always wears around his neck." James explained. "So, pissing him off to draw him out likely is your best bet."
"Exactly. So, if we're done with all this exposition, can we get back to what this meeting was for?"
"Right. As most of you know, this is Alex and Hannah. These two were part of a group of vloggers who exposed Eden's Gate to the media. They've been the cult's captives ever since."
"Hey, everyone. Glad to meet you all." Alex said.
"Hey." Hannah said shortly.
"So, spill the beans ya two. What dirt ya got for us?" Merle asked impatiently.
"Well, uh . . ." Alex seemed nervous with all the Hope County bigshots giving him attention. A little nudge from Hannah and a deep, slow breath calmed him down enough to speak.
"Alright," he grabbed the beer bottle that represented Fall's End, "Hannah, I, and our group came here because we heard Fall's End was one of the safest places in Hope County."
"Who told you that?" Jerome asked.
"A man on the radio calling himself Dutch. He's been getting into contact with a lot of survivors. Pointing them to directions where they can be safe. He said, despite John still breathing down your necks, Fall's End has become a stronghold."
"Are there other safe havens?" James asked curiously.
"Yes, but not like this place." Hannah said sadly.
"Here," he pointed to a Cougars button, located on the county prison "here," then a toy boat on top of the marina, "here," a toy truck on the edge of the mountains, "and somewhere here." a plastic wolf set randomly on the mountains.
"All of these locations have survivors that are doing everything in their power to save people and slow down the cult."
"Don't ya mean beat the cult?" Merle asked.
"No, slow down."
"Dutch led us to this place. Said it was safer then other places and from what I've seen. He was right. All these other places are just holding out. At best."
"At worst?" Mary reluctantly asked
"Slowly dying."
"They're gonna be in real bad shape if they don't get aid." Alex said.
"Tell me about this region." America pointed to the Henbane River.
"The Henbane's a mess. Stories of madmen wandering the roads and mists that cause you to hallucinate. There are two safe havens though that the peggies have been unable to touch. The Hope County Jail and the Drubman Marina. Both have been taking in refugees, but the cult and bliss has been making it difficult for them to move around."
"I'm getting' familiar with Bliss. I got baptized by John just a couple days ago." America said confidently.
"We've been baptized too, Deputy. Trust me, what's happenin' at the Henbane is much different . . . it's almost unreal." Alex tried to dissuade the Deputy's arrogance.
"The Marina is being manned by the proprietor, Adelaide Drubman. She's a spitfire that woman, been keeping the peggies away with her helicopter, but the cult's eager to take her Marina. They want to use it as a station for their boats and it's the perfect spot to control the lakes and rivers from."
"Who knows how long they'll last." Hannah said.
"You'll like this Deputy. The Jail's being manned by Sherriff Whitehorse himself."
"Whitehorse is alive?"
"Alive and fighting."
"Yeah. From what I hear he flipped the jail into some kind of fortress the day the cult began their reaping. Their holding out, but Faith ain't making it easy on them."
James let out a happy hoot, knowing his boss was alive.
The news actually softened the Deputy somewhat. The Sherriff was the only one she was unsure of had lived. To know the old man was still alive and fighting caused a smile to spread across her face. The others around her were glad to the Deputy was happy.
"What can you tell us about these other places?" Mary asked, continuing the conversation.
"Right. The mountains are a little different. Jacob is on a fucking crusade up there. You think what John's doing here is bad? Jacob's practically littering the streets and forest with bodies. The Resistance up there can barely hold him back."
Hannah pointed to the ugly scar on her face. "The bastard's training an army up there and he's got beasts called Judges roaming the place. Animals, wolves mainly, that have been . . . altered. They're more vicious then anything you'll find in the wild."
"It was pure luck I was able to get her and the others out of there before Jacob sicked his animals on us." Alex said.
"The Heralds seem to prefer to stay in their own regions. Though just because Jacob didn't chase after us, doesn't mean John wasn't waiting. It was luck again that we got far, but it ran out when they finally caught up."
"That is until you showed up." Alex looked directly at the rookie deputy. "Before you showed up I had nearly lost hope, but it was like a miracle when you and your crew rolled in. I'm just sorry you got caught to save us."
"Like I told you guys already, I'm just doing my job."
Alex shrugged. "Don't really care what you call it. Lives are being saved."
"It's good to know that other places are still holding out." Mary stated hopefully. "Means we all have more of a chance of winning this war."
Jerome nodded, also feeling the sense of hope. "Agreed. We'll need to establish contact with one of these havens as soon as possible."
"Why not right now?" James asked. "I could drive all the way to the prison and meet the Sheriff."
"Bad idea." Alex replied.
"He's right. Reports say that the cult have roadblocks at each entry point in and out of the valley." Mary said.
"Then lets just use the Widowmaker and plow through those sons of bitches." James smacked his fist into an open palm. Mary smiled at the prospect of using her dad's vehicle to hurt the cult again.
"Until John's dealt with, we shouldn't take any unnecessary risks. We're close, once John's gone his people will scatter and we can bring the fight to the rest of the county. It's only a matter of time, the others can hold out a little longer." Jerome said.
America grabbed her LMG and called for Boomer to follow her, before heading towards the exit.
"Where're you goin' Deputy?" Mary called after.
"John's not budging from his bunker and he's made it clear he's just going to keep hurting people until I'm subdued or dead. The longer he's cowering, the longer the other Resistances don't have backup. If I can't get him to come out, then I'll move on to plan B."
"What's plan B?"
"Blow the fucking thing open. I got a tip that some wackjob named Zip Kupcka's got some high-grade explosives. I'm gonna go see if he'll spare some."
"Those bunkers were designed to resist nuclear explosions, Dep. Nothin' Zip's got is gonna bust through that." Merle said.
"Well I got no other choice. Who knows when John'll finally come up for air? At least this way I'm not just twiddling my thumbs." She grunted in anger and frustration. "I'm starting to think I shouldn't have taken his house. He probably would have fallen back there by now instead of his bunker."
"You should rest, Deputy." Jerome suggested. "You've been through a lot—"
"I'll rest when every last peggie is dead!"
Without hearing another word America marched out of the bar, slamming the door shut.
Grace was about to follow her but Cassidy stopped her. "I'll talk to her."
Cassidy rushed out the door and caught up with the Deputy.
"America! Hey, wait, stop!"
The Deputy was half way opening her truck door, before she turned around. Cassidy flinched from seeing the hard stare on the woman's face.
"Come on, girl." Cassidy tried. "You need to take it easy, turn it down a notch."
"Did you not hear me that people are being tortured day in and day out in that godforsaken bunker?!"
"I did hear you!" Cass sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. She needed to be the calm one right now. "I know things are even more dire right now, but you can't be losing your cool about it. You need to be strong and focused."
"I AM COOL."
"I've been watching trample people's heads and turn their faces into hamburger meat . . . with a machinegun! And that look you had whenever you killed someone . . ."
"I'm sorry, I thought I was in a goddamn war! Should I have listened to the cultists feelings, hug them into submission, or direct them to a self-help class, instead of shooting them in the head—a courtesy that they would have gladly given to me!"
"No, but that doesn't mean—"
"Listen Cassidy, I don't give a shit what you think! The peggies, John Seed, Joseph Seed, they want to turn us into slaves or corpses and they aren't picky on how they do it. So, I won't either. John wanted me to embrace wrath, I'll unleash all kinds of pain and suffering on his people until he comes running out of that bunker begging me to stop.
"We need you, America!" Cassidy randomly blurted out.
"What the fu—"
"Despite what you may think everyone here looks up to you. Mary, Jerome, Merle, hell even Grace and James respect you and they have more experience in this line of work. This Resistance would be up in flames if not for you. You have risked everything trying to save us all and everyone here knows that. It's why they admire you, it's why the whole town sees you as a hero."
. . .
"Jerome is our rock, keeping us together. Mary is the spirit, keeping us sane through all this madness. You? You're the heart. You keep us honest and good, everything you do inspires others to do good. Do you know how much kindness and compassion I've seen in this town lately? Surrounded by all of this evil and cruelty? I ask people why they're doing this and you know what they tell me? "Because it's what Deputy Jones would do." It's a miracle."
America still said nothing. She just crossed her arms and kept her face stone-like.
"You said it yourself that you keep order. That is your duty. That is your calling . . . and you're letting John taint that with all this "wrath" horseshit."
. . .
Cassidy reached out to touch America, but the woman turned around to face the interior of the truck. Retracting her hand, Cassidy looked down gloomily. She turned around too but had one more thing to say.
"You're a good woman, America. Don't let the Seeds change that."
No response. Cass left America there with her thoughts.
America gripped the door till her knuckles turned white. Her teeth clenched so tight they creaked under the strain. She thought back to everything she did today, specifically how she fought.
Every memory of a peggie today involved some form of painful death. She remembered stabbing crushing, twisting, breaking, burning, shooting, eviscerating, obliterating, annihilating, all without mercy and any humanity.
'So what?' Her dark thoughts swirled in her mind. 'Why should any of these sheep deserve the courtesy of a clean death?'
'Shouldn't I be better though? I'm the law, I need to set an example.'
'An example? Look at all the maimed corpses and broken families, friends and communities. Those are perfect examples of why you should not care what you do to these bastards. All those horrible things, you are doing it for the people.'
'Maybe . . . but maybe this is something I should do for myself . . .'
She looked down at her faithful companion. The hound was lying flat on the ground, staring up at her with those big, pleading eyes. Conveying the same feelings that Cass and everyone else was feeling. Getting her attention, he finished her off with a little whimper.
"Fuck!" Slamming the car door shut, she picked up her stuff and headed back inside. "You win."
Boomer barked happily and followed after America.
'Rest on it . . . kill peggies tomorrow.'
Sorry this is late everyone. This month was pretty busy, plus this chapter wasn't really up to my liking. This actually could have been done last week, but I wasn't completely satisfied with it so I just sat on it for a while hoping inspiration would strike me. It did here and there, but don't be surprised if you come back to this chapter in the future and find it slightly altered. Lightning may not always strike the same place, but it strikes somewhere.