Chapter 15: Truth and Resolve

Kyle stood outside the whitetail bunker with Jess as his side. The day had gone by remarkably quickly. The sun was just about to disappear beyond the horizon. The duo were standing guard outside the base while the whitetails were escorting the prisoners they had captured into the bunker. The prisoners had coverings over their head so they couldn't see where they were. It made a bit of a challenge to lead them to where they needed to go as they would sometimes stumble down the stairs are into a wall. Kyle didn't mind the delay though, better to use a might time outside before going back into the stuffy bunker.

"You know I think you…we… really impressed the whitetails out there." Jess claimed.

"Oh yeah? How do you figure that?"

"Well for one thing, they let us do everything. Didn't you notice we were the only ones who actually used our weapons? They basically just stood by and watched until it was time to clean up everything."

Kyle cracked a sly smile. "You think we were messy? I think we did pretty well all things considered."

Jess couldn't help but smile back. "Oh your plan was unique. I would have done things differently but your idea had a certain charm to it."

"I would hope so! This wouldn't be my first time doing this sort of thing. You remember who you're talking to right?"

"Oh I forget, I'm talking to the badass mercenary." She said mockingly and bowed to him with a smile on her face. "But seriously though, I caught a few glimpses of their faces, I've never seen them so shocked. You probably made Eli take real notice of you."

"I sure hope I did. I had to live up to the lofty expectations the huntress set for me. I sure as hell don't want to disappoint her."

That comment earned a playful punch from Jess. "Man, I don't know why Parker was so hunched over. I barely felt that punch."

Jess was enjoying Kyle's surprise humor, it made them both lighten up. "Oh if I wanted to hurt you like that moron, you would definitely feel it."

They both laughed and Kyle noticed that the whitetails had finished with the prisoners and one of them was motioning them to come in.

"Looks like its time to head in. After you, Miss Jess."

"For the sake of my sanity and rep don't be pulling that shit inside with everyone around ok?"

"Yes, boss."

Kyle allowed Jess to go first as he followed her into the bunker. They made their way to the command center where Eli was waiting for them. Next to him was a woman Kyle had learned was his second in command Tammy.

"Now I have to say, what you did out there was impressive. Your idea to create random explosions to make the patrols swerve and then shoot out their tires to make them crash was very methodical. I probably would have just shot the driver and hope the rest of them survived the ensuing crash. We probably would have taken more prisoners had some of them not tried to resist and try to pull out their weapon."

"How many did we get in total?"

"We got about a dozen which is amazing. Normally we'd only get three or so on really good days. Twelve is a lot for such a tight bunker but I think we'll manage. It'll give us a better chance at finding out about this peggie of yours."

"So who's gonna handle the interrogation?"

Tammy stepped slightly forward. "I'm in charge of that. Usually, my methods are enough to get what we want out of those peggies and if not, it'll put them out of their misery." She eyes Kyle suspiciously. "I still don't know why Eli let you in considering our protocols and such but considering what you've done today, I think we'll let it slide."

Jess clinched her fists in anger and probably would have confronted Tammy had Kyle not silently stopped her. Eli managed to defuse the situation. "Well Tammy, you better get on with it huh? The sooner you get going the sooner we can be rid of these peggies."

"Yeah, okay. I'll let you know what I learn Eli, if I find anything at all." She then left to go carry out her duty.

Eli breathed a short sigh of relief. "You'll have to forgive her. She takes our rules and procedures very seriously. Anyways, why don't you two spend the night here? We have the room and these interrogations could take a while."

They suddenly heard a scream in the direction that Tammy had gone to. "Do you have any rooms that are soundproof?" Jess asked.

"We might have something that close, follow me." Eli led them to a room that had two beds across from each other and a metal door. "This should work for now. Get some sleep and let me know if you need anything." He then left, closing the metal door.

Jess waited for a few moments until she was sure he was gone. "That fucking bitch. I knew that Eli would be impressed but I guess nothing fazes Miss rules and procedures. She wouldn't fucking last long out there."

"Its alright Jess. We're not going to be staying that long anyways. We should just get some sleep. As soon as we get our info tomorrow, we'll be off."

They both got in their respective beds. "So we're going after the bastard as soon as we find out where he is right?"

"We're going to have to make a stop first."

Jess knew instantly what he was talking about and rolled over to face away from him "Wonderful….."

Faith woke up groggily. Most of the room was still dark due to there being no windows. The only light came from the cracks beneath the door that led to the church. Faith slowly sat up, trying to shake off her sleepiness. She did not sleep well, mostly due to the fact that this the first time in a long time that we not sleeping in her quarters. With a bit more effort, she finally stood up from the bed and felt her way to the bathroom where she fumbled to find the light switch. After finding it, the lights momentarily blinded her but at least more light spilled into the main room for her to see better. Taking a shower allowed her to think and wake herself up. Faith thought about the stories that she heard yesterday. Her mind then wandered to Kyle. How long would he be gone? There was also the chance that he might not come back. As good as he was, there was always that chance that he could get killed. If that happened, Faith would have a hard choice. Without Kyle, she would be alone. He was the only one outside the project that didn't hate her let alone care about her well-being. She could try going back to the Henbene, explain that she had been taken against her will. That would be a lie but she wouldn't have any other choice. But there was also the possibility of that bridge already being burned. If that were the case and Kyle was gone, Faith would be truly alone and that was the absolute worst outcome.

After showering, she changed into some clothes that Jerome had left for her last night with her dinner. He had come and gone without saying a word not that Faith held it against him. Based on what she had heard previously, the crimes of the project made everyone who was associated with guilty in the eyes of the Hope County residents. Faith felt strange in being dressed in something besides her white dress but at least Jerome had gotten her clothes that fit. As she passed by the door to turn on the lights, she heard voices. Curiosity getting the best of her again, she knelt down and put her ear to the door.

"So why are you telling he's a mercenary. Why does it even matter?"

"Because it makes me wonder about his motivations. He seemed friendly enough but I always assumed he was just in it for the money. Now instead of trying to get out as quickly as possible, he's going out of his way for people. He went out of his way for me, he seems attached to that Jess but he also seems to be going out of his way for 'her'."

"Who are you talking about?"

"Faith Seed. It seems he convinced her to leave the cult and come here. I just don't know why."

"There's no one else here but me and some of the folks who come to me for help."

"There's no need to hide it Jerome. Kyle told me himself that she was staying here. He even asked if I could help watch out for her. I'm surprised that I agreed to it. Its probably because he saved my life."

"Then what's the purpose of your visit Hudson?"

"I just wanted to make sure everything is alright. I intend to hold up what I said I'd do. It also just makes me wonder why he's doing all this, especially for her. Why are you going along with this Jerome?"

"Because I'm a man of God. I cannot turn away people who come for help, even those who might have committed crimes against us. If they are willing to repent, we must be willing to forgive. Plus, there's the fact that Kyle also saved our lives as well and I always pay my debts."

"I see. We have something in common. Anyways, I won't take up any more your time. See ya Jerome."

Faith heard her footsteps get fainter while she heard Jerome walking towards her door. She quickly sat up and headed to her bed to avoid being caught eavesdropping. A few moments later Pastor Jerome came through the door carrying a plate of food.

"Here's breakfast." He said putting the tray on the dresser.

"Thank you." Faith replied.

She expected him to leave the room right away but he hung around like he was waiting for Faith to tell him something. "Yes? Did you need something?" She asked and she went to go grab the plate.

"I was hoping we would be able to talk if that was alright with you."

She looked at him slightly confused but she knew in her mind that this was probably coming. "We can talk." She said simply as she started eating her food while sitting on the bed. Jerome cautiously made his way over and sat on the other edge of the bed.

"I was wondering if you knew anything about Kyle. I'm not sure if he told you anything or if you guys tried to do research on him."

Faith was fortunate that she was eating. It gave her a cover to think. Kyle had told her a few things and she had learned more through listening to Jerome but she didn't want to reveal that. So she resorted to what she was apparently known for, lying. "I'm afraid he didn't tell me much. He just told me that he kind of got dragged into this whole mess and the only reason he was fighting is we wouldn't let him leave."

Jerome smiled. "I see. Unfortunately, based on what I know, I can't trust that you're telling the truth. Are you sure that's all you know?"

Faith then gambled on the fact that Kyle had kept secret about their interactions, their first meeting and chats over the radio. "That is all I know. I haven't really gotten the chance to talk to him. He was just transferred to me from John's area and I only spoke to him for a brief time while he was my prisoner."

"Ah ok. Then how did he get free? Also why did you come with him?"

Faith was about done with her food and she was getting nervous. She didn't want to keep lying especially since it was now going to put Kyle in a bad light, but it was almost habit for her. "Well he kinda forced me to go with him. He overpowered the guard and took me hostage when I was visiting him. He wanted to make it look like I had converted him to our side. Then he had me walk him out of the bunker."

Jerome did not betray any expressions on his face. "That makes sense. It was why Jess didn't kill you. Kyle wanted to hold you hostage and use you to exchange a way to leave this place."

"That does makes sense." Faith felt both a sense of relief that Jerome had taken the lie but also guilt for making Kyle look like a villain. He had never intended to hold her hostage. If anything, he did his best to protect her.

"But…" Faith perked up at that. "I have not known Kyle that long but he gives me the impression that he's a man of honor. I do not seem him as someone who take hostages, he seems very willing to embrace the danger himself."

"Well he…" Faith was having trouble finding the words.

Jerome sighed. "I was hoping we could have an honest conversation. Perhaps I misjudged…"

He got up to leave. "Wait!"

Jerome turned around to find Faith staring at the floor. "The truth is that ever since our first meeting a short while after the raid, we've kept open contact. He let me know when he was in the Henbene, when and where he was going to attack so I could get my people out of harm's way. When I found out that he was in John's possession, I pulled some strings to bring him to me to avoid John's 'methods.' We talked some and he convinced me to go with him and leave the cult. I left with him of my own free will. That is the truth."

Jerome watched her for a few moments. Her voice had been different when she had spoken to him. He could tell from the change that this time she was telling the truth and also the fact that she went into more detail about things. He crossed his arms.

"I can tell that what you just said with the truth. But why lie to me in the first place? I'm sure that most people around here would react with hostility if they saw you. I admit that when I saw you with Kyle; I was a bit surprised too. But I'm of the mindset that forgiveness is possible for anyone, even those who have hurt us."

Faith sighed. She didn't like the fact that Jerome was lumping her with those who did wrong. Faith thought that throughout her time in the cult, all she had ever done was good. She had followed the idealism of The Father's vision, to save people from what was inevitably coming. But Kyle had made her rethink. Perhaps she had to do more than that though. She had to change her actions as well as her mindset.

"I don't know why I lied. Its my defense mechanism. Perhaps I was bit embarrassed that I'm here, that I was swayed to the other side. If people hate me for being part of the cult, then they'll despise me for being a traitor. In their eyes, I ran only because I was afraid, that I'm only out to save my own skin."

Jerome uncrossed his arms and smiled. "Well you can rest assured I'm not one of those people. In fact, I think its really brave, what you did. Not many people would open their mind to the other side and cross over, willingly." Faith noticed he emphasized the last word. "But I'm still curious what he said that made you come with him. I was hoping that perhaps we could use that same message to convince others to leave the cult."

Faith looked away. A part of her wanted to lie again and provide some fake story of how Kyle convinced her. But what had convinced her was specific for her. He had taken the time to learn about her past and those of her predecessors. That was half the reason why she came with Kyle. It was the fear of what Joseph would do if she could not subdue him, something she was extremely reluctant to do. So she resolved to tell Jerome the other half of why she came.

"Kyle told me that I would be able to create my own life away from the project. I wouldn't be subject to the requests, the responsibilities, the stress of being in the position I was. I had trouble fitting into society in the past which is part of the reason I ended up following Joseph. But Kyle assured me that things would be different. He was so sure of it. He had this look that was like The Father's yet it was different. He spoke of hope from the coming doom. Kyle spoke of freedom from such doom." Faith felt that she had said a bit too much but she hoped that Jerome would be satisfied by it.

Just then Faith heard a faint sound of a door opening. Jerome apparently heard it too as he turned his head in the direction of the sound.

"It looks like someone's come into the church. Stay here, I'll be back."

He hurried over to the door and went through it into the main church. Faith wanted to follow and overhear who it was but she decided to stay put. She didn't want to be caught eavesdropping especially if it was someone random. Thus, she decided to bring her plate to the dresser by the door for Jerome to collect whenever he had time. She then went back to the bed and waited for Jerome to get back. He came back sooner than she expected. He had a wide smile on his face.

"It looks like you have a visitor." He then stepped aside. Faith eyes widened as Kyle stepped into the room. He did not look different although he seemed to be a bit fatigued. Faith instinctively got up and ran over to him. She put her arms around him in a hug and put her head on his chest. A part of her had always been worried that Kyle had left her here and wouldn't return. Now Faith was thankfully free of those doubts.

Kyle awkwardly returned the hug but had a grin on his face. "Well it looks you're in high spirits today huh? You almost knocked me over."

Faith broke the hug and looked at him. "You're back." It was all she could say. She was still in shock.

"Yeah I'm here. I would have gotten back sooner but we had business to finish up."

We? Faith wasn't sure what he was talking about until she remembered Jess. She was Kyle's close companion and seemed to be his opposite. Whereas Kyle treated her kindly, Jess had wanted to kill her. Still, Faith wanted to be polite.

"Is uh, Jess with you?"

Kyle sensed her anxiety and put his hands out in a calming motion. "Nah. I told her to head into the shop and stock up on things we're going to need. I figured she'd be more comfortable around weaponry."

Faith felt a moment of relief but then anxiety again as Kyle mentioned needing more weapons. "What are you planning to do?"

Instead of answering her, Kyle turned to Jerome. "Hey Jerome could you give us a few minutes?"

He had been watching the reunion from the doorway and nodded at Kyle's request. "I'll be in the main area if you need me." He then left and closed the door behind him. Kyle motioned for Faith to go sit on the bed and sat next to her.

"We found out where he is."

Faith looked at him in confusion. "Where who is?"

"The man who started all this. The one who got you onto the drugs."

Faith tried to remember who the man was but couldn't, partly because those times were dark and also because she couldn't actually remember. "So what did you find out?"

"We found out he's hiding in a location in the northern region of the Whitetail Mountains. With is experience with distributing drugs, he was put in charge of distributing the bliss that Jacob got from you guys."

Faith nodded. It made sense since she wouldn't know about Jacob's operation so even if she had wanted to find the man, she would never find out where he was. So she asked the next question on her mind, one she probably knew the answer to. "What are you going to do?"

Kyle did not hesitate. "We're going to go after him. He probably knows where the other one is hiding, the one that actually directed you to the cult."

"I see." Faith looked down. Part of her was sad that Kyle would be going away again. Part of her was afraid of what he might do. But suddenly a growing feeling emerged. She wanted to come with.

"I want to come with you."

Kyle's eyes widened and his mouth flipped into a frown. "Faith, its going to be dangerous. We're not just going to talk to the guy. He's with a bunch of other cultists. I very much doubt that he would surrender peacefully either. He has no idea who we are or why we would be going after him. Furthermore, Jess and I are going to have a fight on our hands and making sure you're safe might distract me long enough for the guy to get away."

Faith looked down at the ground. Kyle had made some good points. They weren't going to 'talk.' They were going to fight and to kill. Faith wasn't naïve enough to doubt that. Although she disliked violence, she knew that Kyle wouldn't fight without a good cause. She wanted to be there to support him, Finally, she was sick of being hidden away like a prisoner. Sure it was dangerous, but that was just how things were. If Faith was going to live her own life like Kyle wanted her to, she needed to be able to cope with danger.

"Even if its dangerous, I still want to come. I don't want to be hidden away here any longer Kyle. I'll do whatever I can to help, even if its something small. I just want to be able to contribute."

Kyle's frown disappeared into a more neutral look. He hadn't expected Faith to be this resolute in wanting to come. But a part of him was happy that she wanted to.

"Are you sure? I can handle Jess and do my best to keep you safe but I can't guarantee anything. Are you sure this is what you want?"

There was no hesitation. "Yes Kyle. I want to be there with you."