Kenneth was once a wayward, unemployed bachelor. After graduating from Hope County High, he had hoped to get out of this nowhere County and go to college down at Missoula. He had plans, big plans, but those plans ended before he could even start. His got scammed and lost everything and was forced to move back with his parents. He bounced from dead-end job to dead-end job, forever in the limbo that was life.
Then he met John Seed. There was a man who had seen it all and done it all and yet was still so unfulfilled. Empty inside. And yet, he found purpose in the Project. A purpose worthy of living for. Here was a community that looked after each other. A community that helped pick you up, dust you off, and put you back on the right path. Project at Eden's Gate was exactly what he was looking for.
He didn't need to worry about an income, feeding himself or his parents, clothing himself or trying to keep himself fit. PEG gave him all of that. Everyone was working together toward a better tomorrow. And when the Collapse came, a better tomorrow could shine over the horizon.
And yet . . .
Kenneth sat in the back of the cult's white pickup truck. They were in a line of vehicles on their way to the Catamount Mines. Kenneth was gripping his rifle nervously. A premature sweat was going down his brow. He tried not looking ahead; instead at his feet, in fear that what was coming would not.
The Project was faltering. At least, in John's chapter. No one wanted to admit it or no one wanted to say it out loud, in fear of John's . . . outbursts.
But it WAS happening. The Resistance had gained strength and were taking everything they were working so hard for. The fools had no idea just how many people they were killing by just stealing from them. And then there was the people they were killing directly.
Kenneth remembered a time when no one dared opposed them. Wearing Joseph's Cross meant that you were special and if anyone tried to hurt you because of that, they were the enemy. It seemed for a while those enemies were very, very few. Now? Somehow the Sinners were multiplying like roaches.
"We're coming up on the mines." His leader said. "Everyone stay sharp."
If Kenneth gripped his gun any tighter he would be afraid of bending the barrel.
"Don't worry, Ken." The young man looked over at the older gentleman sitting next to him. "We have God and the Father on our side."
Jory was his name. He was like a second father to Kenneth. He looked out for the young man when he first joined up with Eden's Gate.
"Right." Was all Kenneth said. Inside though?
'How much did that help the others who fought the Resistance? How much did it help the ones working at the mines?'
The Catamount Mines was a valuable spot to the Project. Not only was it a good place for tools and equipment, but there were rumors that an untapped gold vein was discovered deep in the mine. Enough gold to build another fifty-foot statue of the Father. Of course, those were just rumors. Kenneth had no idea if they were true or not.
What he did know to be true was the fact that the Snake, Deputy Jones, and her foolish Guns for Hire, were attacking it. Last report said they were attempting to blow it up.
"We're entering the Mines. Everyone stay sharp and try to—"
Suddenly the windshield shattered and Kenneth's leader recoiled. Blood spouted out of his forehead and a new hole was added.
"Shit!" Jory shouted.
The line of trucks crashed and piled up on each other. Kenneth jerked back and forth as the truck crunched and rumbled. When it stopped they were still not given a reprieve. Above, they could hear the sound of a plane flying over, followed by the sound of heavy gunfire.
"Shit! OUT! OUT! OUT!" Jory pushed him. They got out just as the Rye family plane strafed the collided cars. Kenneth looked with a mix of shock and horror as his people were mowed down. The trucks themselves were turned into swiss cheese and the followers?
Some got out in time . . . others weren't so lucky.
"Kenneth, don't just lie there! MOVE!" Jory pushed him again. Kenneth was just in a dazed and moved wherever Jory pushed him. Which was further into the Catamount Mines.
As he was being dragged into cover, Kenneth looked around and saw the bodies of the fallen. Fighters that died long before they showed up. Even as they were moving, even more of his people were being shot. A green dot would show up somewhere on their bodies and then they were gone. There wasn't even a gunshot, just a bullet.
"Sniper on the top floor!" Someone shouted. They were quickly dropped after.
"We got to get in there!" Jory shouted, taking charge. "They plan to blow up the whole mine! We gotta get rid of these sinners and their bombs! For John! For the Father! Everything in this mine belongs to them!"
He looked at the remaining group and selected three. "Benny, Ronda, Len, you three charge up while we give you cover fire alright? You take out that sniper, ya hear me?"
They nodded.
"Provide cover fire!"
They followed the order and the three rushed inside. As they got through the door, one was immediately shot down by Grace who drew a pistol.
The two charged in guns ablazing. One of them tried going around Grace to flank her, but they were countered when Boomer lept out of a hiding spot. They were tackled to the ground and were mauled to death. The last cultist was killed when Grace shot a round through their chest.
"Benny? Ronda? Len? Answer me damnit, did you make it in?" Jory called on their radio.
Boomer picked up the radio and brought it to Grace. The hound scampered off to scout and ambush again.
Grace said, "They didn't make it far motherfucker." And followed that up with a headshot to another peggie.
"Fuck! Everyone stay down!" Jory tried to control the situation, but hell would break loose again when the foreboding whistle noise came back.
"Oh no—"
"Everyone SCATTER!"
The bomb dropped and exploded in the middle of them. More cars were destroyed and Kenneth saw two more of Joseph's faithful be obliterated into chunks. The young man couldn't hear anything now except a high-pitched, painful ringing.
As he laid there hopelessly, he watched several more of his people get gunned down by the Armstrong bitch. Jory then entered his view. He was saying something, but Kenneth still couldn't hear. The young follower then blacked out.
Kenneth came to not too long later. The fight at the mines was still going on. Jory was shouting orders at everyone. They were a lot closer to the main building now then last he remembered. They were even in a different position. Somewhere on the east side, on the cliffs.
"Jory?"
"Kenneth!" The big man smiled and hugged him. I'm so glad you're alright.
"What's going on?"
"We managed to gain some ground." He looked over to the bodies of others. "At great sacrifice. But we're pushing! We're nearly inside and we can kill those blasted sinners."
"Jory! The Deputy stopped firing her machine gun. She must be out of ammo. We have an opening!"
"Then push! Push on! For Herald John! For Father Joseph!"
They all zerg rushed in and were prepared for a close quarter fight. But they were all surprised to find no sign of the Deputy or her Sinners.
"Where are they?"
"Jory, we found the bombs!"
"Well, disable them you morons!"
Just as they were starting on that, Zip Kupka came over the radio.
"Hellooo, puppets of the establishment!"
"Who is this?"
"This is the man who fights injustice wherever it may lie. I am the man who speaks the truth when no others will admit it. I am . . . Ziiiiiip Kupka!"
Every single peggie looked at each other, confused as hell.
"I heard about you. A nuisance, like a fly. What are you doing here?" Jory asked.
"I'm the orchestrator of this little operation. I knew what you mindless morons were really doing with this mine. Well now you and your cult can no longer use this place's gold to further the government's corrupt plan." Zip declared.
The cultists were even more confused now.
"The government?"
"Wait, there's still gold here?"
"Shut it!" Jory yelled. "It's over, sinner; your plan failed. Your precious Snake and her hired guns ran off like cowards leaving your bombs unprotected." He sneered. Ken on the other hand, felt a cold shiver down his spine.
"On the contrary, they were just fighting you off until those special bombs of my own personal make were primed and ready. And they are very much primed."
"Oh no." Jory realized. "Run, Everyone, RUN!"
"NOW TIGHTEN YOUR BUTTHOLE AND BEAR WITNESS TO THE SIGHTS AND SOUNDS OF TRUE, UNADULTERATED JUSTICE!"
The cultists barley made for the doors before the bombs finally went off. The explosion blasted them all away. It literally blew the roof off and some of the walls too. Rocks and debris went flying and some of it even killed a few cultists. By the end, most of the remaining fighters were dead, buried or knocked out.
Kenneth remained somewhat conscious for a while. Enough that he could see smoke rise from nearly every orifice of the building, both old and new. His tired eyes looked at the top of a cliff where the Deputy, Grace, Boomer, and Zip were watching from the best seat in the area.
"YOU'RE ALL GODDAMN AMERICAN HEROES! THE GLOBAL ELITIST STRATEGY IS RUINED! THE WAR FOR OUR MINDS HAS BEEN WON! JOSEPH AND HIS DEMONS HAVE BEEN SMACKED IN THE MOUTH BY OUR RED BLOODED AMERICAN TRUE GRIT WARRIORS! THIS IS WHAT WE LOOK LIKE! THIS IS WHAT WE SOUND LIKE! THIS IS WHAT WE ACT LIKE! WE ARE PIONEERS AND WE ARE HERE TO STAY!"
That was the last thing Kenneth and the others heard from the radio before they all passed out.
. . .
John looked on as more and more of his flock stumbled through the Gate's gate. More and more showed up every day, wounded, tired and defeated. Their beaten looks hurt John the most. The Resistance was pushing them out of Holland Valley little by little.
They had no major outposts left. His men were mostly stationing at small, isolated locations, scrounging up whatever they could to take back to the bunker or fighting the ever-growing forces of the heathens. But no matter where they fought, the Resistance came with a vengeance.
Many of the people he talked to said they saw the Snake, Deputy Jones. While the Resistance was fighting them all over, it seemed like the Deputy was nearly everywhere or in the thick of it at major points. And they were hardly ever alone. Always next to them was the prideful sinner, Grace, the greedy "family-man" Nick, and the hellhound, Boomer. The Deputy's sin strengthened theirs.
John saw one group he immediately recognized and quickly made his way over to them. They were a group of twenty when he sent them out, now there were only three. With one so badly injured; missing an eye.
"Kenneth!" John called fretfully. The poor kid was still bleeding and when he looked up, he had a far-away stare. Jory was holding him up, helping him get to the bunker. "What happened?"
"The Mine's gone, John." Kenneth looked down emptily. "I'm sorry, there's nothing left. The heathens blew it to heaven high."
John looked between him and Jory, who was nodding reluctantly. John wanted to curse and stab something near him, but he controlled that wrath. He needed to keep himself together now more than ever.
"If it's gone there's nothing to do about it. Get him inside, Jory. The doctors will take a look at him."
Jory nodded and started taking Kenneth inside.
"I'm sorry, John. Father forgive me."
Before John could say anything more, an explosion was heard from a distance. It was so loud it drew everyone's attention, but it was also quiet enough they could tell it was really far away.
Looking off into the distance everyone could see where the explosion came from and it sent John over the edge.
His sign; his beautiful, magnificent, eloquent sign . . . was gone. In its place, smoke, fire and rubble.
That sign was a testament to his message. A gift to the entire valley, to ALL of Hope County. A single word that was supposed to inspire and enthrall all those who saw it—
'And that bitch reduced it to ash.' John internally growled.
Oh, he knew it was the Deputy. Only she possessed the gall to do something so stupidly foolish and naïve. That sign had been up for years and not a single person in the entire County even dared to go near it. But the Deputy? She had no problems destroying the sacred and the beautiful, all for her misguided sense of justice.
John quickly walked somewhere private and called his most hated enemy.
He restricted his voice with barely contained contempt. "When this little uprising is over, you'll rebuild that piece by piece, Jones. You'll work until your fingers are worn to the bone. And when you're done, I'll bury you beneath it."
"Oh? But that would go against your dear Older Brother's wishes of converting me." Jones shot back mockingly, driving John's rage further up the wall. "And we both know just how much you like sucking his cock."
"YOU DARE—"
"Listen John, we both know you're not going to do anything other than spout bullshit and send your grunts to do your dirty work for you. If you were capable of doing more you would have come and gotten me yourself. Instead you taunt me, threaten me, my county, my people—nothing of substance. You're a blowhard, perfect for someone that sucks cock all day long. So, when you actually decide to be a man and not the little boy you deny yourself to be, I'll be waiting."
And with that, she cut him off.
John just stared at his radio in utter shock. Slowly he gripped the device tighter and tighter until he raised it up and slammed it into the ground. He growled like an animal and stamped on it until it was in pieces. His voice grunted; spittle waved out of clenched teeth. He was in such a blind fury he almost struck the follower that tried to get his attention from behind him.
"J-John . . .?"
John breathed heavily through his mouth. He looked over at his followers, who all had a scared and worried look on their faces.
Realizing his error, John tried correcting himself. "I apologize, brother. I forgot myself for a moment." Everyone seemed to relax, but none dared to lower their guard. This saddened John, but also made him realize his grip was slipping on everything in this valley.
He needed control back or everything would be lost.
"Listen up everyone. It's time we take a more active and . . . direct approach."
"Sir?"
"It's time the people of this Valley accepted the Word of the Father, whether they take him into their hearts willingly . . . or we shove it down their throats until they choke."
Everyone looked around at each other until all eyes returned to John. "What do you have in mind, our Herald?"
"The Deputy's sin has finally taken hold of this entire Valley and it's denizens. I am ashamed to say it's even taking ahold of me. And who knows how long it will be till it comes for the rest of us. The Snake's Wrath has nourished the other sins, letting them fester."
All of his followers grabbed their sins etched on their bodies. His words were speaking directly to their heart of hearts.
"Now is the perfect time, the only time, to strike and wipe this sickness from the earth, before it can spread to everywhere else. We will cut the sin from the Deputy's body. We shall nail each and every man and woman's sin of Fall's End to their blasphemous church, burn it to the ground and drag their screaming, dying carcasses through our gates. And we will teach them, true love and compassion, we will teach them the Word of the Father and his Holy message! And they WILL accept him into their hearts. For that is the Will of the Father."
His people cheered and clapped for him and his mercifulness. John drank up their adoration, before issuing the plan.
'Her wrath is infecting me. A perfect sign that her sin has spread everywhere. It's time to save her. It's time to save them all.'
Fall's End
America was sitting at the Spread Eagle watching Alex and Hannah try and get away from Zip. After their operation on the Mine, the two vloggers tried to interview Zip about the whole story; wanting to know what impact it would have on the peggies and how blowing it up benefitted the Resistance. They were too late in realizing that Zip wasn't entirely there.
The conspiracy nut went on a rant and started spewing nearly every non-existent plot he knew. Of course, he talked about the Mine, he was the one who pointed them to it, but he talked more about how it was part of a major conspiracy that went past the peggies and all the way to the top of the American government. Not the white house though, something about aliens or mole people. Didn't matter; when Zip veered the talking away from the Mine, both Alex and Hannah tried to get away from him.
America just laughed, taking great joy in the moment. The Spread Eagle was a place of reprieve from the war and Eden's Gate. During people's down time, they would come here for good food and good company and atmosphere. You would almost think that there was no war or crazy cult outside the walls. Then you'd step outside, see all the armed men, supped up trucks, and machine gun mounted buildings and you'd be pulled back into the nightmare.
Her thoughts drifted to Cass. The spunky redhead had been gone for three days now. She knew the Henbane River territory was massive, so of course there might be delays, but the Deputy couldn't shake the worries from her mind. So, she went back to her meal, hoping it would help distract her.
"You look terrible, Deputy." The beautiful Mary May said, while she poured her coffee. "Are you getting any sleep?"
'Who can sleep with my nightmares?' America thought, but didn't voice. If she wasn't having nightmares about all the death and monsters around her, she was having that strange dream about being a puma of all things.
"I'm getting enough." She lied through her teeth. Everyone had enough problems; she didn't need to add to them.
Mary May didn't buy her lie, but she didn't push either. America was grateful.
"That was some good work with John's sign by the way. The county looks a lot less ugly."
America smiled as she recalled their trek up through the mountains. She, Boomer, James, and Grace carried a ton on dynamite they got from the mines and used them to blow up the "YES" sign. It was astoundingly underguarded. She guessed the peggies never thought someone would dare to destroy something so sacred.
"I just wish I could have seen John Seed's face when his precious sign went up in smoke."
"Same, Deputy. Same. Though I'm sure when you bring John to justice, he'll make an even better face." Mary then walked off to go serve the other patrons of the bar.
"We can only hope." America smirked and continued to drink her coffee.
The door opened, ringing the bell alerting everyone that someone walked in. Of course, no one cared or paid mind, but then that person tapped America's shoulder, getting her attention.
She turned around and it was one of the civilians that she and Grace saved from peggies on the road. Not everyone was fighting, armed to the teeth or swinging around weapons. Some were just helping out, taking care of the wounded, hunting, fishing, and growing food.
"Hey, Deputy." The girl greeted.
"Hi . . . uh, Marissa?"
"Alyssa." She corrected.
"Sorry."
"Don't worry about it. There's a guy outside, behind the bar, that wants to talk to you." She thumbed behind her.
America raised an eyebrow. 'That's not at all suspicious.'
"Who is it?"
"I don't know. Some weird guy in a suit. He's definitely not from here though. Thinks he's from the government."
America was skeptical again. "You think he's a Peggie?"
Alyssa shrugged. "I don't think so. He's arrogant, but he certainly doesn't act like a Peggie."
America drank the rest of her coffee and scarfed down her meal. "Thanks." She got off her seat and walked outside. She went through the alleyway and as she got closer, she could hear someone talking.
"If you're interested in something, sir, how can it be a conflict of interest? Exactly, if anyone goes against this country, we'll hit them with fire and fury. You know what? Go ahead and use that if you want."
He was some middle-aged white guy dressed very inconspicuously. If you were to pass by him, he wouldn't leave much of an impression. He wore a simple dark blue, buttoned shirt, a pair of tan pants, aviator glasses and a fedora. He had dirty blonde hair and a well-trimmed goatee.
He looked her way and whispered something into his phone before hanging up. He turned back to her and approached with an official attitude.
"Deputy Jones, thank you for coming. My name is Special Agent Willis Huntley."
America again raised an eyebrow. A wariness started growing in the pit of her stomach. "Special agent? What like FBI? DIA? CIA?"
Huntley smirked. "CIA."
She was legit surprised he answered. "What do you want?"
"Straight to the point. Good. I'll be brief. I know what you're trying to do here, Deputy and I can help. The Man in Charge has been monitoring Eden's Gate for some time. I've been sent by the highest authority to handle it."
The Man in Charge? Did he mean . . .
"Wait, so the government is aware of what's happening here?"
"They are AWARE of Eden's Gate. I can neither confirm or deny that they know what's happening now."
And America thought the Seed's bullshit stank.
"But I can certainly inform them. One simple call and I can have the proper authorities come in and clean up this mess." America couldn't help the hope rising in her chest, but just like the government he worked for, Willis was quick to dash them. "But the prepubescent eggheads at Langley tell me this is a "sharing economy" now and before we help you, you need to do something for us."
America could barely hold back from slamming her fist against the man's ugly, white-toothed face. "My people, your people, the American people are being butchered by madmen and you want to play deal or no deal for their lives?!"
Willis didn't even flinch. He crossed his arms and leaned back against the alley wall relaxingly. "Like a fine Turkish sauna: you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours. You can choose to not take this patriotic mission, but it would be very unpatriotic for you to do so. And since you share beautiful name with our beautiful country, you'd be besmirching yourself. This mission comes directly from the Big Man himself and doing a favor for the Big Man can be very rewarding. So, you in?"
What was she supposed to say? No? She didn't trust this Willis Huntley any more then she trusted the Cult. But if this ended the war quickly, even if there was a slight chance . . . she had no choice but to take it.
"I'm in."
"I got a truck around back. Don't bother getting any of your comrades, this mission's just between you and me." He started making his way to his truck. "Also, turn off your radio. I don't want anything distracting you."
America was reluctant to do so, but she needed to play along.
They went through the alley and got in a brown Ram Truck. Inside, it smelled faintly of cigarettes and car fresheners. On the dashboard were a bunch of knickknacks. The kind you would find in giftshops around the country. Snowglobes with various famous cities, replicas of iconic monuments and quite a few too many stickers. Hanging from the rearview mirror was an American flag.
The ride was surprisingly uneventful and quiet. No peggies showed up or anything. It was like they were all gone. Curiosity getting the better of her, America decided to talk to the "secret agent."
"So, what bring an agent of the CIA to a nowhere county like this?"
Huntley sounded more than happy to answer. "I was on vacation, visiting all 50 States in ascending order of patriotism when I got a call. THE Call. I've been sent here on a special mission from the Big Man himself. Jesus tapdancing Christ, just saying that gets me semi-erect. Pardon my French."
America gave him a disgusted look. Wanting to quickly change the topic, she brought up the mission.
"So, what exactly does the Big Man want?"
"He wants me to recover a tape that, if released, could make him look bad to the public. I tracked it here, to a member of Joseph's Happy Family. He's stashed it somewhere and that's where you come in."
"You need me just to fight peggies?" She couldn't believe she was basically this guy's gun. His battering-ram.
"Correct. I'm gonna lure out our man, then you're going to follow him back to his hidey-hole and get the tape back for me. Do this for your country and your country will solve your little cult problem for you."
It sounded way too easy and that was the part that bothered her the most. She knew something wasn't gonna go right on this mission. But again, she couldn't refuse, not if it meant she could save Hope County from Joseph Seed. On the other side of her mind she wondered what the tape was that the Chief wanted so badly.
"We're here. We'll go on foot the rest of the way."
Willis had drove up into the mountains and parked the truck at the bottom of a hill. America followed him through the woods until they stopped at the base of another hill, which had a watchtower on top of it.
"I need access to the equipment in that tower. Get rid of all these doomsday hippies for me." Willis ordered.
America couldn't believe this man didn't have the skills to do this himself. Looking through her binoculars it didn't seem like there were a lot of peggies either. But she bit her tongue and went in.
She crouched and ducked into a pipe that was used for run-on water when the rains were heavy. Thankfully it hadn't rained in days. She took out her bow and an arrow and got ready for her silent takedown.
After getting through the pipe, she hoofed it into the bushes and headed toward the gate, the entrance to the area. She pulled back on her bowstring and fired an arrow right into the peggie's eye. She kept low and retrieved the arrow, then dragged the fresh body into the foliage so she wouldn't be found out.
With the body disposed, she entered the facility. Looks like the place was sued as some kind of communique for the cult. Made sense, the place was high enough and remote enough the cult could gather intelligence on the valley. She wondered if maybe they had anything she could use against them. Regardless, taking them out would still help the Resistance.
America still kept crouched and slowly advanced. Peggies were on the tower and one wrongly timed turn could blow her cover and set the peggies off. One cultist was just standing near a fire, their back turned to her. She easily covered his mouth and stabbed him in the neck with an arrow.
Slowly, lowering the cultist to the ground, America took her bloody arrow and fired it into the neck of another cultist who was standing near the cliff. His buddy got spooked and turned to America. But before he could alert the whole place, the Deputy shot him in the neck.
The force caused him to stumble back as he gasped for air. He fell off the cliff, permanently silenced once he hit rock.
America looked over to her right and saw a set of crates. They were big enough and stacked that she could climb them up to the tower. Taking advantage of the setting, she climbed the tower and surprised the patrolling peggie that passed by with a stab to the gut. Looking over, she saw there was one more peggie in the inner part of the tower.
Climbing up, America kept low under the window. The peggie was none the wiser as he was fiddling with the radio. America snuck inside and grabbed him, slitting his throat easily.
The last peggies were down below, near the steps. Two peggies were exercising; doing pushups, while the third was supervising them. It was too easy.
When the instructor's back was turned from them, she lept down and stabbed the cultist in the head with her knife. The remaining peggies were shocked, but could do nothing when America raised Judgment and blasted both in the head.
America remained still. She waited and listened to see if there would be any shouts or warnings, but none came. When the coast was clear, the Deputy called Willis. The Agent rushed up and ran right passed her without so much as a congratulatory "well done."
Willis went straight for the radio on the inside the tower. He fiddled with the knobs until he had the frequency he was looking for.
"Attention Comrade, the bed has been wet. I repeat, the bed has been wet."
America jerked her head at his direction. 'What?'
Surprisingly, a Russian accent responded back. "Who is this? How did you get on this frequency?"
"I don't have time to explain, but your bunker is compromised. You need to move fast."
"Damnit. I'm at Boyd's house, I'm calling a chopper now. I'll take care of it."
And with that the conversation was over. Willis looked beyond giddy when he turned to her.
"It's tailing time, Deputy. Follow that chopper to Boyd's house, let the target get in, and they'll lead you to the yellow brick road. Remember, as ironic as this may sound, this is not a 'wetworks' mission. Surveillance only. Do not engage, unless instructed."
What the hell was with all the innuendos? She knew she was helping to cover up something embarrassing for a political figure, but what in the actual hell did they do?
"Who exactly am I tailing?" She asked, wanting some kind of clarity in this whole weird-ass situation.
"Our target was a hotel worker. He got a little too nosy with a visitor's private time in a luxury suite and it came back to bite him in the rear. Pardon my French. He fled Kremlandia and wriggled his way into the US of A and wouldn't you know it, Joseph found him and offered him sanctuary. I'm not letting that bearded kumbaya nutcase have any leverage over the Big Boss."
"Well, at least THAT makes sense. So, then what's with all of the golden shower innuendos?"
Suddenly, before she could get her question answered, a peggie helicopter flew by. "No time now. There's the chopper. Time to hightail it, Deputy."
"And how am I supposed to catch that thing?"
Willis looked down. "You can use one of those ATVs. Or use that wingsuit you used to take out the Revelator. You're pretty adept with it, kinda like that SoCal baby-face I took care of a few years ago on the Rook Islands."
America was surprised that he knew about her wingsuit. Yeah, everyone knew what she did to destroy the Revelator, but no one knew that Nick let her keep the suit as both a memento and a precaution. It meant he had gathered quite a lot of information on her. Probably ever since she liberated Fall's End. But she couldn't dwell on that right now. While the copter was still in her sights, America suited up in wingsuit and started soaring.
It was a good thing she was on a mountain; else she wouldn't have gotten far by flying. She veered past trees and kept her speed and height steady. She could still see the copter in her sights and soon she saw it's stop. She pulled up on her wings then activated her chute.
A little rough, but her landing was still perfect. She quickly released her chute and then stuffed her suit in her bag. There was Boyd's house. A decent looking abode, if it weren't for the graffiti on it saying stuff like "Traitor" and "Kinslayer." Whoever Boyd was he was apparently not well liked by the cult.
Outside, the copter landed and out of the house came a single, white man. He had black hair, and a long scraggily beard. He looked just like all the other peggies she fought and killed.
He got into the chopper and it took off.
"Shit!" She forgot about tracking him from the house. Looking around, she saw an ATV and thankfully the dumbass left the keys in the ignition.
America drove after it. This time chasing the copter by wheels. She swerved around trees and jumped hills that made her teeth rattle and bones vibrate. The copter was going over terrain that nearly made her crash several times.
She nearly lost sight of the helicopter a few times, but she ultimately kept up and got to the spot. The new hideout was just another simple house, but this one was new and still had a for sale sign still in the front. The peggies there though seem to have made it quite homey. Some were even lazing around in lawn chairs.
The helicopter landed and the Russian got out of his helicopter and headed around the house. America called Willis.
"Willis, I tracked the target to a house near the lake. Address is 1890 Richard Street."
"Hmph, on my way. It's time for the stick, Deputy. Clear the area and take out the target. The item you're looking for is a hard copy, like an old VHS tape. It has to be hidden somewhere on the premises."
America watched the Russian walk to the backyard and make his way toward the shed. She pulled out a couple grenades and tossed them at the feet of the peggies. The cultists were caught off guard by the explosions and quickly mowed down by America and her lever-action rifle.
The disoriented cultists barely had a chance to fight back before she shot them down. Looking down the iron of her rifle she was at a range where she could get them in the head or in the chest area. It wasn't long before they were all dead.
Heading over to the shed, America found the Russian and kicked him over. He was bleeding from several spots on his torso. He caught a lot of shrapnel from her grenades and bled out.
Looking to the shed, she entered it. It was mostly empty, save for a few tools here and there. But then there was the noticeable hatch. Gripping the handle and giving it a strong tug, it creaked open. Climbing down the ladder, she was now in a simple shotgun bunker. There was a bunkbed, a fridge, a table with a tv and a bathroom. Someone could stay in here safe for a while, but not for a long period of time.
"Now if I was a tape used to blackmail a douchey politician where would I be hidden?" She pondered.
She looked in the beds, but found nothing. She went into the bathroom and examined the cabinet and even the toilet, the latter which she explored thoroughly. Then she looked in and around the couch, but still came up empty. It wasn't a big bunker, the tape had to be somewhere.
She opened the fridge and was met with the smell of rotten food.
"Shit!" She quickly slammed it shut. "Hope someone bought the warranty on that."
It hit her then: the fridge wasn't running. Looking behind it, she pulled open it's frame and . . .
And there it was. The tape. Just like Willis said, it was an old VHS tape.
"Man, how long has it been since I've watched one of these?"
She looked over at an old box-tv set, complete with an inbuilt VHS player. She looked between the tape and the tv for a few short moments. 'Willis is still a bit far behind. I'm sure I've got a little time to watch it.'
"Just a peek." She said.
She turned on the tv and slid the tape through the slot. Pressing play, there was a flash of light and then static. Then the picture became clearer and America was hit with shocking disgust.
"What—"
"That's right girl, right on that."
"The—"
"Yeah, that's right. Mess it up."
"Fuck?"
"Don't miss a single inch. I want to make sure they know who's King now."
The Deputy continued to watch for another minute or so before turning it off. She really didn't need to see the rest. What was there more to see?
A shiver ran down her spine just thinking of the possibilities.
Was this the most disgusting thing she had ever seen? No, not by a long shot. Cops see more shit then anything this video could dish out, literally and figuratively. Hell, she's seen worse in the last few days; this video didn't even make the top 10.
But what this video was, was proof. Evidence that would no doubt hurt the leader of her country if it was in the wrong hands. To the public, this would besmirch the man more than his own words ever could.
Who knows what can of worms this could open if it got out? Rewinding the tape back, America looked between the tv and exit while she waited. She pondered for a moment on the tape. Then on Willis. And then the Big Man. It was almost too easy to come up with the decision she made.
Several minutes later, America climbed out of the shed. Going around to the front, Willis was waiting or her, leaning on his truck, while talking on his phone. From the sound of it, he was talking to the Chief again. America raised waved the tape at him. The agent smiled
"Sir, I'm happy to report I got the tape." Willis' smile quickly vanished. "What's that? Are you kidding me, sir?" Then his smile came back in full force. "Chief of Staff? I'd be honored. I'll be there in twelve hours."
As soon as he turned off the call, he swiped the tape from her hands.
"Alright, Willis, I got your tape. A deal's a deal. Now call in the National Guard to get rid of the peggies."
"Yeah about that . . ."
America's face dropped into a scowl that could burn a man alive. "Don't fuck with me, Willis . . ."
The agent didn't seem intimidated in the least. "Sorry kid, but I've got bigger fish to fry and this bearded uprising just became way below my paygrade."
"We had a deal, Willis. Our people are dying here! Good people! Families!"
"And that is a tragedy, but not totally unexpected. Sorry, Deputy but you're gonna have to solve this conundrum all on by yourself. Teach a man to fish and all that jazz."
"The American way used to mean a deal was a deal, but we live in a new America now. I know you were wishing for a handout, but that's just how it is. Reminds me of something my Grandmother used to say. Wish in one hand, shit in the other and see which one fills up first. Ah . . . I miss her. See ya around kiddo." He was about to head back into his truck, when he heard the distinctive sound of a click.
Willis turned around and saw America raised her gun, pointed at his face. Her scowl had formed into one of pure rage and it took everything she had to not just shoot the bastard right there and then.
"What do you think you're doing Deputy?"
"Do I have to sound cliché?"
. . .
"Justice."
Willis unleashed a boisterous laugh. It felt so degrading to be laughed at by a piece of shit like him, but the Deputy still didn't waive her gun.
"Justice? C'mon, Deputy, we both know you're not going to shoot me."
*BANG*
"AH!" Willis grabbed his arm. It was merely a graze, but it still hurt.
"Hands!" She wasn't gonna let this man have any chance of retaliating. Willis reluctantly did what she asked.
"I am a CIA agent, Deputy! You think killing me will fix this all of this? All it will do is bring down the hammer on you and your precious little nowhere County. You really want to do that?"
"What I want is for my government to do their jobs and do something about Eden's Gate! You clearly have a way out of here, you can warn someone!"
"Heh, heh 'fraid I can't, Deputy. There are bigger things going then you know. All I can say is: a lot is riding on the outcome of Hope County. I'm not exaggerating when I say that our country's future rests in both the Resistance's and the Cult's hands."
"What bullshit are you spewing now?"
Willis just kept grinning. "I'm not at liberty to say."
America started growling. "I am so sick and tired of your cryptic bull. If I kill you, then maybe the CIA will investigate and be forced to send help."
Again, Willis laughed. "Killing me will do nothing but one of two things. If you kill me and succeed in liberating Hope County, I can guarantee you will be tracked down, locked up and never see daylight again. If you don't liberate the county, well you'll be dead. The peggie's will have killed you and you will be blacklisted as a traitor to your country and even all of Hope County will feel the weight of your betrayal."
"I'm not betraying my country! I'm trying to save a little piece of it for God's sake!" She roared.
"That's not how the world will see it. Believe me. Killing me is going against your country."
"Now you listen here, you slimy, shit-eating, weasel. You are not my country. My government is NOT my country. My country is the land, the people and the standards in which it stands for. It ain't perfect, it's done horrible things, and sometimes it's a downright shitty place to live. But I still love it all the same and as a Deputy, and officer of the law, I will perform my solemn oath in protecting the people in it and upholding justice."
"Killing me won't be justice. It'll just be murder."
That almost sounded like a sick joke coming from him.
"It's Old World America justice, Willis. And if this is a new America, then I guess justice will have to be served in a new way too."
. . .
"So, Willis," She brought the barrel closer to his head, "what's in my hand? A wish or shit?"
Once again, the duo was met with silence. Willis did nothing for a while except stare. Then in a flash his hands moved. America nearly pulled the trigger, but it turned out the agent was clapping. No, applauding.
"Congratulations, Deputy, you passed the test!" He said jovially.
"What?"
"Only a real American would use force to get what she wants. That's how real Americans work. That's how real Americans get shit done. You want something done right, you do it yourself. You have learned to fish."
That earned a smack to the head with the handle of her gun.
"Ah! Oh yeah, you've definitely learned. Maybe you and this county will survive the new America. I can't call in the Guard. No outside help will come until a certain point. But I can do second best."
"Which is?"
Slowly he pulled out his phone and dialed someone up. America just watched him silently, ready for any kind of surprise to come from the man.
"Yeah it's me. Yeah, she passed. Drop it." Then he hung up. "Alright, Dep you got your wish. I can't call in the National Guard, but I can give you something to give you an edge. A shit ton of guns and ammo. Plenty to supe-up your little Resistance. This is the best you're gonna get from me and your government. Take it or leave it."
America pondered for a bit. The man was a liar, or at least a backstabber. Untrustworthy was probably the best word for him. As much as it pained her to say it though; for all her bravado a moment ago, he was right. Killing him would do nothing but make another corpse. But she needed to get something out of this excursion!
The roar of a plane went over their heads. Looking up, a plane, higher than any plane in Hope County could go, flew over them. It dropped something big and was carried off by a parachute.
"If you want those supplies, you're gonna have to go get them. I'd hurry too, no doubt the beardos saw it too."
"Damnit." She lowered Judgement. "Fine, Willis. You walk."
"See, Dep. I'm not so bad a guy."
"Just get outta here, coward. I got a war to win."
"That's the spirit, kiddo." He backed away, still facing her. "Keep that way of thinking, it fits your name perfectly." He opened his truck door and got in. "Bon Voyage, Deputy, you've served your country well."
And with that he performed a U-turn and sped off, away from the Deputy and away from all the craziness of Hope County.
When the truck was out of sight, America pulled out her own phone and looked through her video library. She selected the most recent one and watched it. Again, she was met with the unpleasant sight of two prostitutes pissing and shitting on a mattress.
"Sorry, Mr. Trump, but no one fucks with America." Considering the strings being pulled, the Deputy needed insurance in case Willis or someone like him or worse came back. Her job was to protect Hope County and if that meant using a bit of "leverage" against their President, then so be it.
She honestly didn't have anything against the orange idiot, unlike a lot of people in America, but she certainly didn't like him either.
She turned off the video and put her phone away, before heading off for the supplies. Making a mental note to make copies when she had the time.
"Whatever, I didn't vote for him."
. . .
Two peggies had seen the crate fall from the sky and land in the forest. They easily found it thanks to the red signal smoke being sprayed from it. Now they were just wondering what exactly to do.
"Should we call John?"
"Don't you remember? John wanted radio silence for the next couple of hours."
"Well we gotta tell someone about this stuff!"
Their conversation was interrupted though when a bat smashed into one of their heads. The second peggie turned to his friend but was met with a bat straight in the face. America wiped the blood from the Star Spangled Basher on their clothes and approached the large crate.
Opening the crate, she let out a long whistle at the amount of high-grade equipment in there.
America got on the horn and called Grace.
"Hey, Grace, you're not gonna believe what I—
"Deputy where have you been?!"
America was shocked to hear the former soldier so panicked. "Grace what's wrong?"
"What's wrong?! John fucking Seed just took the church in Fall's End and everyone in it, hostage. Including Pastor Jerome, Mary, and Nick. He wanted everyone out of town or else he'd kill them."
America's eyes widened and panic settled in the pit of her stomach.
"Fall's End . . . is captured?"
Suddenly, John's voice overtook every radio in the valley.
"Greeting Fall's Enders, John Seed here. Inquisitor of Holland Valley and Herald to our beloved Prophet the Father. I am here to spread his Word where it is deafened and bring peace of mind to those that are lost. And there are many here that are lost, scared, and confused. I can take you all onto the right path, for that is the Will of the Father. And the first step to allowing him into your hearts and souls is through atonement."
"Atonement is the final step before fully accepting he Word of the Father into your heart. Our sins, having finally being exposed can now be removed. Freeing our souls and opening our hearts. Now, the pain of atonement measured by the severity of the sin and thanks to your Deputy, the sins of this Resistance are indeed ... severe. You will all atone for what the Deputy has done. You will all welcome the Word of the Father into your hearts. You will all say . . . Yes."
I am not Tom Clancy. You have no idea how hard it was to write that final scene with Willis and America. How would someone like her respond and react? What would Willis say? How can I incorporate this whole thing into my story so it doesn't just feel like another filler like the last chapter?
It's HARD. Political and Shadowy intrigue are not my strong suits. It's just easier visiting a nowhere 3rd world country and blowing shit up there.
I hope I at least I got you guys intrigued.