Hi all! So, this fanfic is just super fun and easy to write. I am having a blast! I hope you all are enjoying the story too! AS for posting... I'm thinking I'm going to stick posting 3 chapters at a time. It takes a little longer to write like that, but then ya'll get a bigger chunk to read. Let me know what you think! Or if you have some ideas for the upcoming chapters. I love being inspired by others :).

John

Things were different with Eva and me now. She didn't just cower when I walked by, but I could tell that a huge piece of her still wanted to protect herself from me. I knew she was justified in that opinion of me...but I was starting to want to change that. It was weird, but when she was near...I just didn't feel so angry. Seeing her face at the end of every long day... made things feel small again.

Joseph and I were doing rounds and making a trip to visit Faith. He wanted to know how the production of Bliss was going and it had been a while since we last saw her. Faith was a strung-out drug addict...I knew that the real reason we were visiting was to see if she had fallen too deep in with the bliss and if something would have to be done. It was amazing really...I would have thought she would have lost her shit years ago. I guess she had just built up some type of resilience or something.

She asked if we were bringing Evangeline, I was glad we weren't. I wouldn't have let her come anyway, but it served as a good excuse to Joseph that Evangeline had taken over daycare duties. I had never seen someone so happy before. Genuinely, she treated each child like they were one of her own...and all of the children adored her. No one left without a smile...and what was best? No fucking bliss needed.

"I am proud of you, brother…" he said suddenly, as I continued our drive.

"W-What?" I asked, startled by the sudden compliment. "I...I'm sorry, Joseph...but why?"

He smiled back at me...in a sort of knowing way, and before he could say anymore we arrived at Faith's compound, and immediately she came to the car to meet us. I wanted to ask him what he had meant...but I knew I wouldn't get the chance to. Now that Faith was moving around us, I wouldn't get another moment alone with the Father until we decided to head back to the Lodge.

Faith's past life was spent in this conservatory. She hadn't done much different...she just traded one drug for another, but...I knew it would be a matter of time before she outlived her usefulness and I just waited for that to happen with bated breath. I was civil enough with her...but it kept growing harder and harder as she kept trying to sink her tendrils into Evangeline.

"Next time you come, John, you have to bring Eva." she prattled.

"Yes well…" I grit out. "Evangeline is quite busy with her own duties for the church. Maybe once things calm down a bit."

And Hell froze over.

We followed Faith past all of the rows of growing Angel's Trumpet and into the house. I hated coming here...anytime I walked into one of those damn plants sparks formed in my vision and I felt completely out of control of my body. How had Faith not gone insane here? The shit was everywhere. Joseph pulled out his notebook, and as we often did...we began our meeting in prayer. I closed my eyes and bowed my head, allowing Joseph's calming tone to lull me into a sort of comfort. It was short-lived, however, because as soon as the calm had come...it was gone when my radio crackled and the sound of gunfire erupted through the feed.

My head shot up and I moved to the side, pulling the radio up.

"Max…" I said. "What's happening?"

This channel was only for emergencies...which meant the resistance was trying to launch another attack. Nothing new there, it always seemed like they had a reason to cause trouble for us. It was strange because...usually our troops could handle it themselves...I froze in my tracks and felt something cold spill into my stomach.

"Max...confirm that the Mother is secure," I ordered.

There was a barrage of loud noises and screams.

"Someone pick up the fucking radio and tell me what is going on!"

"They took her John!" He rasped. "The resistance took the Mother!"

Joseph came over and placed his hands on both my forearms. My fingers were trembling and it felt like I couldn't breath. I threw the radio down to the ground so hard it came apart and I quickly made my way out of the house. I had to get back to the Lodge, I had to get to Evangeline.

"John!" Joseph called after me. "You need to think this through!"

"Think this through?" I repeated, turning towards him. "What is there to think about? I am going to get Evangeline back, and I am going to skin each and every one of those damn sinners for every hair I fucking find out of place!"

Joseph ran after me and gripped both of my arms hard, causing me to come to a full stop. He pulled my face up to look at him, and I felt my throat tighten as I saw his expression. His eyes were wet and his lips pulled into a tight line. He was angry.

"I understand your pain," he said, gripping my head. " I do...but I cannot lose both of you. We are going to get her back...but we are going to do it the right way, understand me?"

I could feel the emotion strangling me, and clearly, Joseph could too. He pulled me into a tight embrace and I hugged him back, closing my eyes tight. I shouldn't have left her home alone. I should have been there with her to protect her. Now she was gone...and it was my fault. I nodded and after taking a deep breath stood away from him. He ushered me back inside and we began the arduous process of coming up with a plan of retrieval over a plan of attack.

They had taken her to the Hope County prison. We knew that it often served as a sort of safe-house for the resistance...it only made sense that they would take her there. Faith had an agent or two on the inside...and they reported that she was being kept inside one of the offices there.

"She's safe…" Faith confirmed. "But...apparently they aren't letting her leave...even though she's tried."

My hands clutched the arm of the chair I was sitting in and I turned my head away and began counting backward from ten. Jacob had joined us since the last radio transmission and brought with him a map of the region and the prison itself. There was a large red X where they believed Evangeline would be held.

"We don't want her getting caught in the crossfire," Jacob said. "There's a back entrance to the prison...so long as we clear the wall...we have a number of evac options. One would be to fly her out. We could have a copter land right there...and John could fly her back to the Lodge."

"No...not the Lodge...we'll go somewhere else...I don't want to risk an ambush."

Jacob nodded and circled the stretch of ground I'd have to aim for when it came to landing the plane. He pulled the map up further and gestured to the river.

"This one...would probably be the safest. We climb down the mountain and use the river."

"Evangeline can't swim…"

"...she'll have two guards...if anything goes south, they'll get her to shore."

"Those are the two options we have for evac...otherwise we risk her getting shot."

I looked to Joseph who had his hands folded under his chin. He looked at the map pensively and then sat back.

"We can't risk them shooting the copter down," he added. "The river would at least give us the ability to get her out of there without being followed."

My gut was in knots at the idea of Eva drowning before we could get to her. I wanted to be there with her when the boat arrived...I wanted to be the one to see her and let her know that everything was okay. I knew they wouldn't hurt her...but that didn't change the fear she probably felt.

"The river it is. We'll create a distraction at the front gate...two vans with our soldiers should be enough...and we'll use the grenade launcher to blast open the front doors. While the resistance scrambles to get their asses together, I'll get Evangeline to the pickup location."

Joseph nodded and turned to face me.

"You aren't going with them-

-You can't be serious!" I snapped. "Brother...you have to LET me go."

"John," he said darkly. "Your sin is what is fueling you. If you give in to it, there will be no going back…"

My lips pulled into a tight line and with a sharp nod, I stormed out of the room. I knew he was right...my rage was fueling me. My anger and hate...all of it was just simmering under the surface of my skin begging to be released. I would cut out every sin these fuckers have ever committed. I will make them feel the pain that I feel right now...and when they begged for me to stop...I would cut away more.

Fine...I wouldn't go with Jacob and his troops...but I would be at that river when Evangeline arrived. I had promised her I wouldn't let her drown...I was going to keep that promise.

(I HOPE YA'LL ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER! PLEASE REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YA THINK :D)