Being the personal pet of Jacob Seed was not a fun role to have. The man was not a joy to be around. He barely talked, he was always scowling, and his presence terrified her. When Liz wasn't helping make the judges she was with him. He had wanted to see her in his office. The veteran's center was a huge place. It had hundreds of rooms all with their own purpose that was a mystery to Liz.
Jacob's office was on the third floor. The entire floor was his alone. The only people that were allowed to be up there were on his direct orders. There was no telling what was hidden in the rooms. Liz didn't want to find out. She grew more nervous as she reached the door to Jacob's office. She took a deep breath, straightened her jacket, and knocked on the door.
"Come in."
Liz slowly creaked open the door and stepped inside. Jacob's office was smaller than she imagined. But it was still suiting for the redheaded soldier. It could only be described as a war room. There were security monitors and radios spread about. The screens mapped out the whole veteran's center. Everyone's movements were constantly watched. He saw everything that happened. There was also a huge balcony that overlooked the entire grounds. There was no view beyond the compound. The entire building was encased in trees that blocked it from the outside world.
Jacob was leaning over the long desk in the center of the office. His hair was slightly disheveled and he wasn't wearing his army jacket. His gray t-shirt clung to his muscular form. Scars and burn marks covered the upper part of his arms as well. Despite the scars he was still very handsome. In the Book of Joseph his brother had described him as the type of man you would have put on a military recruitment poster. Liz found herself staring too long when he beckoned her over.
"Sit." He said.
Liz sat down in the office chair without a word. On the desk there was a map of the Whitetail Mountains. The map was covered in markings of the failed attempts to find the resistance. Jacob had searched everywhere but he still hadn't found where the Whitetail Militia were held up in.
"Tell me everything you know about Eli."
Liz was torn. While she didn't know where the resistance was held up, but she didn't want to betray her Uncle. He was some of the only family she had left. Any information she gave Jacob would only lead him further down the war path. If she refused, Jacob would probably bring out the damn music box.
There were too many options laid out before her and she had too many weaknesses. She had been thinking like a lamb and if she wanted to survive she needed to think like a judge. She sighed and surveyed the map in front of her. She couldn't tell him much but telling him something would save her ass.
"I haven't been here in three years, so a lot has changed. When I was young he used to live here with his wife and son."
Liz pointed to a spot on the map a few miles south from the F.A.N.G. Center. His house there had been nice. It was your typical homey cabin in the woods. Not exactly the place to hide your army.
"Where's the wife?" He asked.
Her aunt had been mostly a mystery to Liz. Eli had married her when he was twenty and she didn't stick around long. Liz was ten when he had gotten married. She wasn't much older when she left. Her aunt was always very kind until the day her son died.
"She left."
"And the son?"
Liz could feel the bile building up in her throat at the thought. She had never talked about her younger cousin. It had been six years since he had died. It was part of the reason she had left Hope County to begin with. Liz was 15 when it happened. The day her little cousin had died. That was the worst day of her life. She had never told anyone the truth about what happened that day. She never wanted to talk about it. Liz cleared her throat. That wasn't the type of thing she was going to confess to Jacob Seed.
"Dead." His eyebrow quirked in curiosity but he didn't comment. Liz's eyes skimmed the 2-D Mountains laid out before her.
"After she left he lived in his camper and moved around. He worked in construction building bunkers for somebody." Somebody. Eli didn't build bunkers for just anyone. Just for those who had the money. She turned back to look at Jacob.
"He was building bunkers for you. Wasn't he?" She asked.
Jacob simply smirked. It was rare to see Jacob smile. He only smiled out of insult or to satisfy his sick sense of humor. It infuriated Liz.
"Goddamn you Seeds are everywhere aren't you?"
"Anywhere and everywhere, sweetheart. What else do you know?" He asked.
What else did Liz know? In high school she wasn't exactly keeping tabs on things. She never paid attention to details like that. Now she tracked everything. She had been trying to make mental notes of supply routes and prisoner vans but sometimes it was just too much. If she never got back to the resistance the information wouldn't be useful anyways.
"That's pretty much it. He never told me where he hid his prepper stashes. I don't think I know…"
Prepper stashes. There had been a place Eli had taken to her once. He had only went to drop something off and Liz had waited in the car. But she remembered that place. It had a steel door and an electronic lock. She remembered it because at the time she had thought that it was an awfully nice place for someone who lived in a camper. There could be an entire bunker under that cabin.
She grabbed a marker off the table. The place she was thinking of was up north. She remembered looking down below and seeing a lake. Liz searched the map until she found her destination. She circled the spot on the map.
"Here. Eli had like a stash or something in a cabin. I've only been there once but I think I could lead you back there."
Liz thought about the consequences of what she had just done. She may have just given up the location of the Whitetail Militia. If her uncle got killed because of this she would never forgive herself.
Jacob leaned over her shoulder to look at the map. He was always searching and observing. Liz was afraid that he would think that she was lying. She wasn't though. There was no telling what was in that cabin. There could be nothing or the whole resistance could be there.
"Let's go check it out." He said.
He rolled up the map for safe keeping. Liz stayed seated in the chair as he went to gather his things. He put on his army jacket and checked the ammunition in his rifle and pistol. He returned to Liz with a sawed off shotgun in his hands. It had gold engravings on it. It was the sin eater. It was gorgeous weapon. It looked like it had been hand carved with care. Her mouth was still agape as she took it from him. She was shocked that he was giving her a gun, let alone one she excelled with. He trusted her enough to give her a real weapon.
The shotgun just felt right in her hands. She hadn't shot a gun since she had left the chalet. She was itching to get back out on a range. When Liz was holding a gun the options felt a lot simpler. Even though that wasn't the case. Every option was complicated now.
"There's ammunition over there. Take what you need." He said.
On the other side of the office there were stacks of ammo piled up. Liz filed her revolver with ammo. She was relieved to have a six shooter that actually now had six shots. She loaded her shotgun as well and took a few rounds extra in her jacket. She walked back over to where Jacob was standing.
"I'm ready."
"Let's go." He said.
He led her out the door of his office and through the winding hallways of the veteran's center. Cultists were running about like always, busy trying to impress their herald. Liz had noticed the past few days people had been staring at her. People would murmur as she walked by. What did people think of her? Did they think she was his second in command, because she definitely wasn't. She was just his pet. Jacob intimidated people and they assumed that anyone with him was intimidating as well.
They loaded up in his truck and took off from the veteran's center. It was a beautiful day out. The sun was high in the sky and beat down on the truck. Even with the A/C on full blast it was scorching. Liz wiped sweat from her brow. The leather trench coat she wore wasn't helping.
She opened the map up and gathered her bearings. She hadn't used a paper map to navigate in a long time. She missed using google maps. It was so much easier typing in the address and her phone telling her where to go, than trying to figure out a paper map. Liz did her best to navigate through the mountains and send him in the right direction. Jacob merely responded to her directions with grunts and nods.
It took about half an hour to get there. Jacob slowed the truck when they pulled up to a small cabin. It had a metal door with an electric lock. This was the place. It was higher up in altitude than Liz remembered. From the cliff she could see the entire Whitetail State Park. The mountains were beautiful and stretched on for miles. It was a magnificent sight. She could even see the tall statue of The Father in the distance.
"You sure this is the place?" Jacob asked.
"Yeah. This is it."
They walked up to the door and inspected it closer. The cabin was small. Eli had taken her there one day after a fishing trip. He said he had to drop something off for a friend. He had typed in a code to get in the door. The code had to be something of meaning. Most likely a date. She typed in Eli's birthday, 1-1-1-9. The locked buzzed and flashed a red light. It didn't work. She typed in her birthday next, 0-7-1-0. Still nothing. It had to be a more important date than that. It would have been his son's birthday.
Liz couldn't remember when her cousin's birthday was. She had suppressed all memory of him. The only thing she could remember about him was the day that he had died. She would never forget that day. She typed the date into the keypad and the light flashed red again.
"I don't know the code. You got any ideas on how to get this open?"
Jacob surveyed the door looking at the lock and the hinges. "I got some C4 in the truck." He said. Jacob was halfway to the truck when a loud growl came out of the woods. Something was out there. He had pointed to her.
"Go see what that was." He said.
Liz sighed. He always sent her to take care of shit. She had only seen him get his hands dirty a few times. He had a whole army at his disposal to do his work for him. He just had to sit back and bark out the orders. The edge of the woods began a few feet away from the cabin. Even though it was midafternoon, the forest was dark. She looked around for the source of the sound but saw nothing. She grew more paranoid as she walked closer to the tree line. She took her shotgun off her back and cocked the hammer back. If anything tried to get the jump on her, she would be ready.
Another sound came out of the woods, this time it was louder. Liz raised her weapon in the direction of the noise. She could see the outline of something. It was large and slowly inching closer to her. When the nose of the creature came into the light, Liz realized what it was. It was a grizzly bear.
"Uh Jacob?" Liz felt herself start to panic. She slowly backed away from the trees. If she didn't make any sudden movement, the bear might leave her alone.
"Jacob?!" Still no response. He either didn't hear her or was ignoring her.
The bear grew closer to the tree line. It roared at her and charged. Liz was frozen in shock. She couldn't think. Her mind was scrambled in a panic. She raised her gun and fired. The shotgun pellets sprayed out but missed their target. The bear charged and knocked her to the ground.
It roared in her face. Liz could feel the bear's breath on her face and its saliva dripping down. She was so close that she could count the teeth in its mouth. Teeth that would sink into her neck if she didn't do something. Adrenaline broke her from her trance. Her shotgun was turned sideways. She tried to turn it around but the bear was crushing her. It came down to bite her and she jammed the gun sideways into its teeth.
Her efforts stopped the bear from ripping her throat out. It roared out in frustration. She used both her arms to try to push the bear back. Its paws began to claw at her. The bear's back paw found its way on top of her legs. She felt sharp daggers piercing her skin. Liz screamed. If Jacob hadn't heard her before, he definitely heard her now. She started to see spots. Her breathing became shallow and her arms grew tired. The bear continued to bite down on the shotgun. Its paw was buried in her leg keeping her pinned there.
"Palmer?" She turned her head to see Jacob running towards her. Liz heard gunshots going off. Jacob unloaded his sidearm into the bear but the bullets didn't kill it. It only pissed the bear off. It turned to attack Jacob but the bear still had its toes buried in her thigh. She lost her grip on the shotgun and it went tumbling off in the other direction.
She could only see Jacob out of the corner of her eye. She could hear his grunts as he broke free from the creature's grasp. Liz looked up at the bear's neck to see Jacob's red handled knife sticking out of it. He had stabbed it but couldn't get close enough to finish the job. Liz pushed herself up from the ground and reached out for the knife. The bear became agitated by her grip on its fur and knocked her to the ground again. Her head smacked against the ground. It throbbed from the contact on the ground and her vision had grown spotty.
Liz heard Jacob whistle. "Come here you piece of shit." The bear turned its attention towards the noise. He was leading the bear away from her. She saw her window of opportunity and took it. She gripped her hands into the bear's fur and reached around its neck to grab the knife. It felt warm and smooth in her hands. Her grip tightened around it and Liz jabbed it further into its neck. A sickly sweet sound came from the knife dragging across the bear's neck.
The bear let out one more straggled sound before it met its end. Blood spewed from its neck and coated Liz's face. Some of it had found its way down her throat. It was warm and made it hard to breathe. The bear's body had become limp and began to crush her under its weight.
"Good work." Jacob said. There he went again. Just like in the trials, always praising. He only praised her for the destruction cause at her hand.
"Would you just get this thing off of me?" Jacob walked over and helped Liz roll the bear off of her. She let out a small shriek when the bear's paw dislodged from her thigh. It felt like it was on fire. With the bear off of her, she could finally breathe and began to cough up the blood that was in her throat.
"You alright?" He asked.
"Yeah I'm okay." Liz tried to stand but buckled over from the pain in her leg. "Nope. Nope. It hurts like a bitch."
She was covered in blood. At this point she couldn't tell what was hers and what had come from the bear. Her insides felt crushed. Her body was weak. Jacob helped her stand and threw her arm over his shoulder. He helped her walk over to the truck and sat her down on the tailgate. He got a first aid kit and a bottle of liquor out of the truck. He didn't ask permission before using his knife to cut a slit in her pants above her thigh. The knife was still dripping with the bear's blood. He hadn't even bothered to wipe it off.
There were three claw marks that went across her thigh. Each laceration was about three inches long and a half an inch deep. They oozed out a mixture of dirt and dark red blood. If they weren't treated, they would become infected.
"This is going to hurt." Jacob said.
"Wait, wha…" Liz cried out when Jacob poured the bottle of liquor over her leg. The alcohol sizzled on her skin as it sterilized the wound. Her leg involuntarily kicked and Jacob grabbed it to hold her down. Her leg was throbbing. Liz's hands had found their way onto his shoulders and fisted into his army jacket.
"Shhh, easy girl." He was cooing her like she was a wounded animal. His touch had relaxed her and the tension in her legs released. She did her best to calm down.
"That's it." He said.
Jacob's hands were covered in callouses but his touch was as light as a feather. Liz squirmed against him as he stitched up her leg. The stiches weren't pretty but they would prevent her from bleeding out. It took him a few minutes for him to stich her up. Her breathing was shallow the whole time. She didn't like needles, epically ones that were in her leg. She looked up at the sky instead of her leg. Her hands had stayed on Jacob's shoulders the entire time. Her grip was hard enough that he might have bruises the next day. He didn't comment on it though.
The pain from her leg had distracted her from how close they were. Jacob had her leg pinned down between his. He was hunched over, focused on the stiches. Liz could run her hands through his hair if she wanted to. She hadn't thought much about what he had said in the cabin that night. What he said had been in insult to shut her up. But she couldn't help but wonder about his offer.
He finished the last stich and tied the end off. There were at least ten individual stiches in her leg. All three of the cuts would probably leave scars. She didn't care though, it was better than dying. Jacob pulled out the bottle of liquor again.
"One more time. You ready?" He asked.
Liz nodded her head. He poured the liquid on her wound again. It hurt worse this time when she knew it was coming. She punched Jacob in the shoulder. He looked up at her with a scowl on his face.
"Hey, I warned you that time." He said.
"It still hurt like a bitch!"
He huffed in annoyance. Liz really needed to stop talking back to him when all he did was help her. "Would you have rather bled out instead?" He had a point. He could have let her just get eaten by the bear. He could have easily let her die but he chose to save her.
"No… I'm sorry." She let her head hang. It had been a long day. Almost getting killed by a bear took a lot out of her.
He put the first aid kit back in the truck and returned with his canteen and a rag. He wet the rag and gently cupped her face. Liz had recoiled from his touch but his hand held her in place. It was her first instinct to be afraid of him, even though he had done a lot for her. He used the rag to wipe most of the blood off of her face. The rag could only do so much. Streaks of red still covered her face. She would need a long hot shower to get all of the grime and blood off of her.
"You need to learn to be more grateful, little lamb." He said.
Liz nodded. She was too tired to argue with him. Jacob's actions continually confused the hell out of her. He was using her, and wouldn't let her forget it. She was one of his soldiers but sometimes he would be so gentle with her. It was a gentleness that he didn't show anyone else.
Jacob threw the rag in the back of the truck and handed her his canteen. "Drink."
She took it from him and took a sip from it. She coughed it up and most of the remaining blood came out of her throat. Some of it had gotten on Jacob's boots. She apparently had started a trend today to get blood all over Jacob. Liz took more small sips from the canteen and her throat had started to feel better. She currently didn't feel like she was dying so that was a good sign. She handed the canteen back to Jacob.
It had been an eventful day and they still hadn't found out what was locked in the cabin. Jacob helped her stand up again. It hurt a little to put weight on her leg but she could walk alright. He dug up some remote explosives out of the truck and went over to inspect the door. Jacob showed her how to hook up the explosives. He showed her how to put them on, wiring them up, and connecting them to the detonator. They would soon find out what was behind the door.
They went to the side of the cabin to avoid the blast. Jacob held the detonator out to her. "Want to do the honors?" His eyebrow quirked in curiosity and a smirk tugged at his lips. Liz was slightly shocked that he was offering her the detonator. Did she want to possibly hurt the Whitetail Militia? No. But did she want to blow something up?
She snatched the detonator from his hands. "Hell yeah." She counted to three and pressed the button. The metal door flew off the hinges with a large boom. Bits of the door spread out across the front lawn in a ball of flames. Liz had a big smile on her face. She had to admit, seeing that door explode into a million pieces was pretty awesome. Liz and Jacob rounded the corner of the building to see what was inside the cabin.
There were crates stacked to the ceiling, all filled with supplies. There were gun racks mounted on the wall filled with AR-15's and shotguns. The crates were filled with food, water, ammo, and explosives. A Whitetail Militia flag hung on the wall. The supplies in here alone could probably keep their militia going for months.
Jacob's face had lit up like a Christmas tree. She had just helped him hit the jackpot. This find would help him cripple the resistance. He had went over to inspect a table in the back of the cabin. The papers on it contained the locations of other militia stashes as well as an encrypted code. Liz read it over his shoulder. She couldn't tell what it was but she knew that if it was decrypted it would be the location of Eli's bunker. It had to be.
"Nice work little lamb." He said.
She felt a smirk creep across her face. His praises had such an effect on her. Even though he had only praised her for things that hurt others. Despite her desire to impress Jacob, she felt conflicted. These guns and supplies would have helped the resistance and her uncle. Now they would go to help Eden's Gate.
"Start loading this stuff up in the truck." He said.
She nodded and started gabbing crates. Her injured leg had slightly slowed her down. Jacob had gotten out his radio to give coordinates to his men about the rest of the stashes. One of the stashes was Cooper cabin. That was where he had chased her down to that night when Joseph got arrested.
Barely half of the crates fit into the bed of the truck. She made sure to fit in all of the guns. They were the most important. Jacob had finished his radio call and helped her load up the truck. Her thigh was still throbbing from the cuts on her leg. She really needed a long nap.
"One more thing we gotta get." Jacob said. Liz gave him a puzzled look. He walked over to the dead bear. She scoffed.
"Why do you want to bring that thing with us? It almost ripped my throat out"
"It'll make a nice rug. Help me." He said. He gestured for her to come over. Liz shook her head. She picked up her discarded baseball cap and shotgun. She had forgotten that she lost them in the bear fight. She slung the shotgun over her back and went to help Jacob. The bear was heavier than she had thought. No wonder her insides felt crushed.
Her breathing was labored as they carried the grizzly back to the truck. Jacob did most of the heavy lifting. Or all of the heavy lifting. Liz did her best to help but with her injured leg and small frame she couldn't help out much. They threw it in the back of the truck and closed the tailgate.
It was early in the evening by the time they left the cabin. The sky gave off a warm orange glow. She hadn't seen a sunset in a while. Or maybe she just hadn't paid attention to them. She was always cooped up somewhere, serving the cult. For once she had finally felt at peace. It had everything to do with Jacob. He had stuck his neck out for her again and she had been an ungrateful little shit.
Liz still didn't know what to think of him. At times she had been frightened of him. Even this morning she was afraid to go up into his office to speak to him. And other times Jacob just made her feel safe. She felt protected in his presence. The ride in the truck with him had become less stressful.
"You did good out there today Palmer." Jacob said. His voice had broken her from her trance. She had been staring out the window of the truck.
"Uhh… thanks." She didn't know what to say. Most of the time Jacob didn't make any small talk.
"Don't feel bad about Eli." Her head had perked up at his words. She started at him, searching his face for answers. 'How the hell does he know that?' She thought.
His grip had tightened on the steering wheel. "It's all over your face. You can't hide that shit. Eli and his Whitetails are not heroes, they're weak and they're cowards. You're not like them. You know your purpose, don't forget it."
Her purpose. It was to do whatever Jacob told her to do. She only had a purpose as long as Eli was alive. And today she had had served that purpose well.
"What's your purpose?" She asked. As soon as the words left her mouth she wished she could take them back. It would have been a simple question to anyone else. To Jacob though, she was asking him his reason for existing.
"To die for Joseph. I'd give my life for him. I am his sacrifice, simple as that." He said. Liz was shocked by how nonchalantly he spoke. Almost as if he didn't care about dying. She didn't press the subject though. She didn't want to make their conversations uncomfortable again.
Liz was terrified of dying. She thought about it a lot ever since she had almost went over the edge of that cliff. She had almost died today. Her body had frozen at the sight of that bear. She just stood there gawking in fear, waiting for the grizzly the claw her guts out. She could still picture the bear's teeth in her face. Jacob had praised her for her work today, but Liz was pissed at herself. She couldn't be weak anymore. Next time she was put in a situation like that again she had to do better.
There were so many emotions running through her. She was pissed that she had almost died, she was disappointed in herself that she hurt Eli, and she was happy that she had impressed Jacob. Liz didn't know what to do anymore. They didn't teach her 'How to survive being in a cult' in college. None of her options were simple.
The sun had begun to sink in the sky. Sounds from Eden's Gate music filled the truck.
'Well the devil's friends hide in the dark. They've laid their plans and they'll make their mark. We pity the souls that they have claimed. They won't be saved when they're up in flames.'
This song was about Jacob. She had heard it a lot over the past few weeks. Liz had most of the lyrics memorized to all the cult songs. The cult played the songs all day long on the radio and at the veteran's center. It was really hard not to pick up on the words. She wondered what Jacob thought of this song. If he either loved it or thought it was stupid. The whole cult praised Jacob, but no one really knew him. Liz didn't know him either but she was trying. If she was going to be stuck with him she wanted to at least not be a stranger. Jacob was a hard man to read and an even harder man to get to know.
Whatever small talk they had going seemed to have fizzled out. They fell into a silence that was less uncomfortable that it had been in the past. The truck continued to wind through the mountain roads as it gradually got darker. The radio signal had become fuzzy and turned into static. Jacob turned it off. Someone out there was interrupting the cult signals. To do that they would have had to take out the communication towers. It could have been her Uncle and the Whitetails, or it could have been the deputy.
Liz didn't know what compelled her to open her mouth, but she did. Despite her better judgement, she had started singing.
"Oooo. See the non-believers by the path. Non-believers by the path. Non-believers by the path."
She sung the first verse slowly. Her voice was soft. It wasn't as angelic as the Hope County Choir, but still nice.
"Jacob's gonna come… and set… those sinners… free." She quickly glanced over to Jacob to gauge his reaction but got nothing. Realizing her mistake, she turned back to stare out the window again.
"Did I tell you to stop singing?"
She turned to see that Jacob had the smallest smirk on his face. Liz bit her lip out of excitement and continued to sing. She didn't sing much. Only in the shower sometimes. The sound of her voice had surprised her. She had half expected her voice to crack. She sang through Set Those Sinners Free.
"Oh Brother Jacob, hear my prayer…" She drew out the verse, knowing that he would probably enjoy it. She didn't get to finish the song though. Static had started to come from Jacob's hand radio and a voice followed after it. Liz quickly shut her mouth and bit her tongue, cutting the song short.
"Jacob. Jacob, you there?"
Liz didn't recognize the voice coming over the radio. It was masculine but not very deep. It could have easily been just a random cultists but his men usually didn't directly contact him on that radio unless there was an emergency.
"Yeah I'm here John. What do you need?" Jacob said.
John. John Seed. He was Jacob's youngest brother. He had been at the church that night when Joseph got arrested. Liz distinctly remembered his dark trench coat and slicked back hair. She had heard some things about him. He was all about marking people with their sins and then taking it from them. Some of the cultists had said that it was a beautiful thing. Getting her skin cut off wasn't her definition of a 'good time'.
"The family is gathering to discuss some things. You need to come to the ranch."
Jacob sighed. "I'm hauling cargo right now. Can't this wait till tomorrow?"
"He's already here. I suggest you hurry." The radio signal cut off after that. John had been referring to Joseph. There had been fear in his voice. Liz wondered why he would fear his brother. Joseph always talked about how he loved his family and his children. Maybe that bond between family wasn't as close as she thought.
Liz watched as the agitation grew across Jacob's face. He didn't look interested in seeing his siblings right now. She kept her mouth shut though. She should always keep her mouth shut. Running her big mouth had always gotten her into to trouble. This wasn't the time to be causing trouble.
Jacob kept driving through the mountains. The road they were on wasn't taking them back to the veteran's center. They were going somewhere else. The truck eventually came to a stop on an airstrip a bit north of the F.A.N.G. Center. The side of the hangar read 'Lansdowne Airstrip'. Jacob climbed out of the truck and went to unlock the door. Inside the hangar were a few couches, a TV, and a desk. In the center though, sat a blood red plane. The plane was gorgeous and armed to the teeth. On the underside of the wings there were mounted machine guns, bombs, and rockets. The back seat of the plane was a gunner spot.
Liz was awestruck by the plane. She'd never seen a plane like this up close. She remembered seeing Nick Rye's yellow plane when her family would go to his barbeques. That was about it. This plane though was much prettier than Rye's yellow abomination. She couldn't help herself when she walked over to it. She ran her hand across the white Eden's Gate symbol on the side.
Jacob let out a low whistle. "You like that, huh?" He asked.
Liz nodded. "Oh yeah. What's its name?"
"It's called the Pack Hunter." He said. Liz couldn't help but let out a small chuckle.
"Subtle." She gave him a sarcastic grin. There was nothing subtle about Jacob. "You ever flown before?" He asked.
"Nothing like this." Jacob guided her into the gunner position of the plane. There was no seat in the back, she had to stand. He instructed her on how to put the straps on so she wouldn't fall out. He also showed her how to turn on the headset so she could talk to him over the noise. Liz's hands had went straight to the .50 cal mounted on the back. Jacob had smacked her hands away.
"You're not touching that sweetheart. I don't need you blowing off the tail of my plane." He said. She gave him an annoyed look but didn't object. He was right. Liz wasn't always the best shot and when she got excited she tended to miss her target. She got herself situated in the back of the plane and tucked her hat into her jacket.
Jacob press the button to open the hangar door and hopped into the cockpit of the plane. The glass above him clicked shut and the propeller in front started to spin. Her back was to him but she could feel the plane start to move. It turned left when it came out of the hangar and sped down the runway. The plane continued to pick up speed until the tires left the ground.
Liz had braced herself for the takeoff, but it was smooth. When she looked out she couldn't believe it, she was flying. The cool evening air glided across the plane. Over in the distance she could see the sun setting. It made the sky given off an orange glow. It was like nothing Liz had ever seen before.
"You okay back there?" Jacob asked. His voice was partly static, but she heard him fine through the headset. Despite the loud roaring of the propeller.
"Yeah I'm good. It so gorgeous up here. It's absolutely amazing." There was excitement in her voice. She could see the entire Whitetail State Park from up in the sky. The mountains seemed to stretch on forever. They rose and fell, and were all bathed in the same evening light. Liz could even see the tall statue of Joseph out over in the Henbane River. The statue just felt wrong in the landscape. It was something ugly in an otherwise beautiful place.
The setting sun was glistening on the red plane. It almost made it look like as if it was on fire. It was suiting for the amount of firepower that was on this plane. Jacob could easily take out any resistance convoy or stronghold and turn it to rubble. It was thrilling being up in the sky. Liz wondered what it would be like to fly a plane herself. The probably wouldn't be the best idea though. She would end up crashing any plane she flew.
"It's really something ain't it?" He said.
The plane continued to soar in altitude as they flew farther away from the mountains. They were headed to Holland Valley. It was John's region. It was also where she had lived. She hadn't been back to her home in the Silver Lake Trailer Park since that first day back. Growing up she had always been ashamed of her small home but now she would give anything to go back. She missed her family a lot. Liz hadn't talked to them in over half a year. She wondered if they were even still alive. As they flew over the trailer park she could see her small mobile home and longed for her old life.
They were definitely in the valley now. She could see the large apple that loomed over Rae Rae's Pumpkin Farm. At the Veteran's Center she had heard some chatter that Fall's End had been taken over by John Seed. They probably had most of the people there kidnapped too. She hadn't heard anything about the people there fighting back.
"You might want to hold on to something." Jacob's voice broke her from her thoughts. 'Hold on to what?' She thought.
The plane dipped down into a nose dive. It was headed straight for the ground. Liz was strapped into the plane but she felt like she was falling. Her hands gripped he bars around her. "Holy shit!" She cried. The plane plummeted until it was about twenty feet from the ground. It began to level out and ascend in altitude. Liz's breath slowly came back to her.
"What the hell was that?! You lose your grip on the controls or something?"
She got no response from Jacob other than laughter. He had dove the plane on purpose. "You dumbass!"
"What you didn't enjoy that?" He said. Liz could picture the big grin that would have been on his face.
"No! Don't do that again!"
"Do what again? You mean this?" He asked sarcastically. The nose of the plane dipped down again.
"Jacob!" Liz gritted her teeth bracing herself for the decline. It was like being on a roller coaster without being connected to a track. Liz had to admit it was kind of thrilling. The wind rushed across her face and the change in altitude made her feel like she was floating. The plane rushed towards the ground and leveled out once again.
"You're an asshole!" Liz had tried to be serious but had laughed when she said it. It had been fun.
"I used to get in trouble for doing shit like that in basic. Now that I got my own plane though, I can do what I want." He said.
"You, getting in to trouble? Never would have thought." There was a big grin on her face. He didn't comment on her joke. He didn't dip the plane anymore though. They flew right by the giant 'yes' sign that was in the valley. From where she was at Liz could have shot it down if she wanted to. That wouldn't end well though. Jacob might have found it funny, but John surely wouldn't have. She decided to leave it for someone else to blow up.
Liz watched as the sun finally dipped below the horizon. It gave off a few silvers more of orange before it faded away into the night sky. The street lights of Fall's End twinkled in the distance. When they passed over the infamous crop circle of Holland Valley, Jacob had started to slow the plane down. It continued to descend until it touched the ground. The dirt runway slowed the tires of the plane until it was gently rolling along. He had pulled the plane up to a hangar and shut it off.
The ranch was huge. It was a wooden mansion, fit for a cult leader. There were balconies and beautifully detailed railings. Joseph and his brothers must have spent a fortune getting it built. In the hangar she could see the top of Nick Rye's yellow plane. John had taken it.
Jacob opened the top of the plane and got out. "Wait here for me. I'll be back." A scowl had covered Jacob's face. Only a few minutes ago he had seemed happy and making jokes with her. Now he only looked angry. Liz couldn't help but wonder if it was something she said or because he wasn't happy to be here. He didn't say anything else before he stormed off. There were several cultists patrolling the property. They were doing their best to stay out of the way of their herald. They all looked like they were on edge. John had said over the radio that his whole family was gathering to talk. She wondered how many times that actually happened.
Liz couldn't help but feel somewhat sad at her sudden abandonment. She hoped that she wouldn't be here all night. Seeing that Jacob was gone, Liz climbed out of the plane. She sat of the wing and leaned back against the plane. Her legs stretched out in front of her. They still slightly hurt from the bear attack and being cramped up in the plane. She probably shouldn't be sitting on the wing of the plane, but she didn't care. If Jacob was going to be awhile, she wanted to be somewhat comfortable.
Her muscles were sore from today's events. It had been a hell of a day. With all the adrenaline pumping through her, she hadn't realized that she was starving. The last thing she ate was this morning at the veteran's center. Nothing she could do about it now. She spent her time surveying the ranch. She counted thirteen guards and three alarm boxes. The thought of running had flitted through her mind but she didn't act on it though. She didn't try to escape anymore. There was no getting out of this situation, there was only survival. She did though think of what she would do if she was going to run. She could try to take Jacob's plane but the .50 Cal on the roof would shoot her down, guaranteed that she didn't crash it first.
Liz's head started to hurt as the thoughts rattled through her brain. All this thinking wasn't going to help her, she just had to wait. She sunk a little bit lower on the plane and let her muscles relax. She covered her face with her ball cap and closed her eyes. Hopefully she could get some rest before more shit hit the fan.
…
Liz felt something prodding her shoulder. She thought it was nothing at first. Eventually the movement caused her to wake up from the light sleep she had fallen into. She removed her ball cap to see a woman standing beside the wing of the plane. The woman had blonde hair almost the exact same shade as Liz's and wore a white dress with flowers on it. It was Jacob's sister Faith Seed.
The woman had a kind smile but said nothing. She gestured for Liz's hand. She helped Liz down off of the plane wing and led her away from it. Liz was confused why Faith Seed had come to fetch her. Liz was no one. She wasn't even one of Jacob's more skilled soldiers. She didn't want to go with the herald but she knew that there was no getting out of it. Whenever one of the Seeds wanted you, there was no escape.
Faith continued to hold her hand as she guided as she guided her across the grounds of the ranch. It was in a friendly gesture and it was a guarantee that she didn't run off. The guards were staring at her and Faith. She had heard that Faith was the 'hook' of Eden's Gate. She would lure people in with her looks and then send them into the bliss. Some of the cultists were probably in love with Faith as well. It was no surprise why, the woman in the lace dress was very beautiful. Liz couldn't help but wonder if Joseph had wanted her to join the cult for a similar reason.
Liz was guided to the front double doors of the ranch. Both doors were open, beckoning them inside. The inside of Seed Ranch was gorgeous. There were ten foot high ceilings and a chandelier made out of deer antlers. Several stuffed bears and deer heads were scattered about. A large fireplace sat in the center of the living room. This place was a wealthy redneck's dream house.
The two women rounded the tall fireplace to the dining room table on the other side. Joseph, John, and Jacob were all gathered around the table. Liz's breath caught in her throat. This is not where she wanted to be. She was alone with the entire Seed family. It was her worst nightmare. She regretted not running off into the woods when she had the chance. The brothers turned their attention to them.
Joseph and John were both sitting at the table. Jacob was standing and leaning over the table. Liz glanced over at him but he didn't even look at her. Joseph was wearing his regular smile. It always looked innocent enough but his eyes behind the yellow sunglasses always looked deceitful, like a snake. Faith brought Liz over to him. He welcomed her with open arms.
"Hello my child." Joseph said.
"Hello Father." The words felt wrong in her mouth. That's how Jacob had told her to address his brother. She felt like she could throw up. Joseph wasn't her father, or her uncle, or even someone she respected. He was a man keeping her from freedom. Joseph's hands cupped her face and studied her features.
He turned to speak to Faith. "Get her cleaned up while we discuss matters. We'll eat when you both have returned."
'Get cleaned up?' Liz thought.
Faith nodded at the request and guided Liz away from the table. Faith was a herald and an important member of Eden's Gate but she wouldn't be sitting in on their discussion. The woman was a master manipulator but Joseph treated her like she was his servant. She had been sent away from the adult table to go attend to their guest.
Faith had led her through a pair of double doors that connected the living room to the rest of the mansion. It wasn't until that Liz caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror that she understood what Joseph had been talking about. The girl that Liz had seen in the mirror was truly terrifying. Streaks of blood were still on her face from the bear attack. There were dark circles under her eyes. Her hair was matted down with dirt and blood. She was pretty sure there were a few leaves in her hair. The clothes she wore were tattered and there was a large hole in her pants where Jacob had cut them. She looked like a wild animal.
There were two floors in the other part of the ranch. The furniture and decorations were just as beautiful as the living room. All of the doors on the second floor were sealed shut. It might have been John's private quarters. Faith led her into a spare bedroom on the first floor and closed the door behind them. The woman still hadn't spoken to her. There had been fear in her eyes when Joseph had sent her away.
There was a bathroom in the back of the guest room. The floor was covered in marble and a porcelain tub sat in the center. Faith shut the door behind them and began to run a bath. She helped Liz undress and get into the tub. Liz was a bit uncomfortable having this woman that she didn't even know help her. Her body was too tired to care though. She was bruised, bloody, and exhausted. Faith's eyes had skimmed across the stitches on her leg.
"What happened?" She asked.
Liz was confused by her question at first but then realized the gashes that had been on her leg. The stiches had caused the lacerations to swell and they left red marks down her leg.
"Bear attack."
Faith nodded in satisfaction with the answer and didn't press the subject. She helped Liz wash off. Liz just sat there and let the woman wash away the day's events. She washed her hair and cleansed her from all of the dirt and grime that had been on her. The bath water had turned a light pink from the blood and dirt particles had sunk to the bottom.
Upon further inspection, Liz realized that she had recognized Faith. She couldn't figure out where she had known the woman, but Liz knew that she was form Hope County. She racked her brain, trying to figure out the woman's actual name but came up empty. Liz didn't ask her though. This wasn't the time or place.
When Liz was finally clean, Faith helped her stand and climb out of the tub. Liz's leg had buckled slightly getting out. It was a bit painful for her to stand, but not so terrible that she couldn't power through it. Faith handed her a towel so she could dry off and left the bathroom. Liz dried herself off and squeezed the water out from her hair. Faith returned to her with a pair of brown flats and a blue dress in her hands. Liz was appalled. It was about the last thing she wanted to wear. The dress was pastel blue in color and had a form fitting bodice. It had short cap sleeves and a matching cloth belt. Faith helped her into the dress.
To Liz's surprise it fit her perfectly. The dress made her look like she had just walked out of a store in 1957. It was a pretty dress, but wearing it had just felt wrong to Liz. Faith brushed her hair and braided it. She wrapped the braid into a bun and secured it with pins. Liz caught another glimpse of herself in the mirror. The dirty face she had seen in the mirror earlier was haunting but the one she saw now was even worse. Her body was free from dirt and blood. Liz didn't recognize the girl staring back at her. She had grown accustomed to the grime. Living in a war zone had become second nature. Liz didn't give a second thought to being bloody or carrying a gun but this was something else. She felt constrained in the dress. To her it felt like a collar. Something to remind her that she wasn't in control.
The brown shoes easily slipped on her feet. The blue dress went a little past her knees and covered the stitches that were on her thigh. Faith's handiwork was quite amazing. She took Liz from a dirty hobo and made her look like an actual woman. When Liz was finally ready, Faith smiled and took her hand again. She led her back out into the living room.
Liz could smell the food that was sitting on the dining room table. Her stomach growled a little louder than she had hoped. She was so hungry. Joseph, John, and Jacob were still gathered around the table, waiting on them. Joseph had smiled when he had seen her appearance. He was most likely pleased that she wasn't running around the ranch looking like a sewer rat. John looked her up and down like she was a meal. Not in the 'he wanted to fuck her' type of look. More so a look that told her that he would enjoy gutting her open if he got the chance. Chills went down her spine. Jacob met her eyes this time. He looked at her with disgust. She didn't know why but she felt a pang of sadness at his reaction. She didn't let it show though. Liz was his soldier, she had to be strong. It didn't matter how she felt.
Both she and Faith set down at the dining room table. Joseph sat at the head of the table and Faith sat next to him. John sat across from both the girls and Jacob sat at the foot of the table. Liz sat between Jacob and Faith. There was food piled on the table. Liz couldn't help but let her mouth water a little. It had been a long day.
Joseph was the first to speak. "Let us give thanks." He took Faith's hand in his own and Faith did the same to her. She gave Jacob a cautious look. The only times Jacob had touched her were out of necessity for survival. He said nothing but gently extend his hand to her. She laid her hand on top of his and closed her eyes. Joseph began to stay a prayer but Liz had completely tuned him out. All she could think about was how Jacob's hand felt in hers. Liz had the strangest feeling of eyes watching her. Everyone had closed their eyes for Joseph's prayer. Was Jacob watching her? She thought about opening her eyes for a moment to check but she decided against it.
When the prayer was over, they began to eat. Liz couldn't cram food down her mouth fast enough. She ate chicken, green beans, and cornbread. There was also some mac and cheese but after taking a bite of it she decided not to finish it. It was a bit too watery for her taste. Other than the mac and cheese the food was better than anything she had eaten in a long time. At the veteran's center she mostly ate MRE's. The food had reminded her of how her home used to be. Even though she was in her childhood home of Holland Valley, it wasn't the same.
Not much small talk was exchanged between the siblings. They clearly didn't do this much. It was so different from the family dinners that Liz used to have. The room would be so full of laughter and life. Sometimes her Uncle Eli would even come. There was no laughter here. Liz just couldn't figure out why anyone had wanted her here. She wasn't important in Jacob's operation. She would have been perfectly fine waiting by the plane, but yet here she sat with the entire Seed family.
Everyone around the table had finished eating. Faith and Joseph had been talking had been talking about bliss shipments and something called 'angels'. John stood up from the table.
"We need to talk, brother." John said. Jacob nodded and followed his brother through the double doors so they could talk in private. He didn't look very happy.
Liz was alone with Faith and Joseph. They both seemed happy but she still felt uncomfortable. Her palms had started to grow sweaty.
"How have you been adapting to Jacob's training?" Faith asked. Liz had been staring off into space and hadn't realized that Faith had been speaking to her.
"Oh, um. Okay I guess. I'm just glad to be home. Even if it's… different." It was a lie. She was a terrible liar. She hated it here. She hated being kidnapped by Eden's gate. She wished she had never come home. The place that had been her home was gone. It was only a sweet memory now. Eden's Gate was kidnapping, killing, and terrorizing the county. It was very different from when she left.
Joseph studied her face. His gaze had looked right through her lies. "I can see that you're unhappy here. That you long to be somewhere else. But tell me, were you any happier elsewhere? You ran away from your home to find purpose but here you sit. Still searching for that satisfaction. Why do you continue to reject us?" He asked.
Liz gritted her teeth. She shouldn't have gotten angry, not against Joseph. Joseph was the most powerful man in Hope County. He could have her disposed of in an instant for talking back. It was the dumbest move she could make but she did it anyway. Her emotions had gotten the better of her. "I was captured and have been held against my will in the sake of the project. I just wanted to be left alone. Not pulled into this shit. What do you people want with me?"
"We want to love you, Elizabeth."
His answer had shocked her. All of her pent up anger had faded away. Joseph had always talked about how he loved his 'children' but it felt different when he was telling it directly to her.
"You have been searching all over. Everything you have been through was leading you here. We are your true family. We accept you just as you are but you also have to accept us in return. Can you at least admit that you weren't satisfied with your old life?" He asked. As crazy as Joseph was, he was right about some things. He always knew exactly what to say to get someone to break.
"I guess I am surprised by how many things I don't miss. My phone, TV, social media. It all just seems useless now." That had mainly been due to Jacob's training and the times she had almost been killed. She truly didn't miss any of those things. Now she just wanted to survive.
"You are so special. It shines right off you. But you have to accept the word in your heart. Accept us in your heart, because we are your family now. Can you do that?" He asked.
Liz knew that it was all lies. All that bullshit about being special. He probably told that to everyone but it still was very persuasive. She almost had believed it. It made her feel important.
"Yes. I'm sorry Father." She almost believed herself too.
Joseph smiled. "Good. You should listen to Jacob. He will teach you many things. Sister Faith will also help you. She will guide you down The Path and lead you to bliss. I hope that…" Liz never got to hear what he was going to say. Shouting came from the east part of the ranch. She was pretty sure that she heard something shatter too. The double doors burst open and Jacob stormed out. His eyebrows were furrowed and he wore his typical scowl on his face. He didn't even glance their way before he stormed outside.
He had gotten into a fight with John. Jacob didn't lose his cool a lot, but when he did it was terrifying. Joseph had remained calm but wore a disappointed look. "I'm going to see what is troubling John. Excuse me." He got up and left the two women sitting at the dining room table. Faith was very nice but she didn't want to sit here any longer.
"I'll see where Jacob went." Liz got up from the table and scurried away. Faith didn't object to her sudden departure. Liz didn't realize that her heart had been thumping violently in her chest. Sitting at that dining room table had been stressful, even though she hadn't spoken much.
The night air was cool. She had shivered a little in the dress she was wearing. She couldn't wait to get out of the damn thing. The guards around the property had been alerted to her attention but didn't shoot, realizing who she was. Liz ignored them and searched the property for Jacob. The plane was still sitting on the runway, so he hadn't completely left her. If he had, Liz probably would have made a run for it. She would have rather died trying to run than have to stay here with John and Joseph.
Her eyes scanned over the rooftops of the ranch until she found him. He was standing on the highest balcony over the hangar. 'He sure moves fast when he's angry.' She thought. Liz spotted a ladder on the side of the hangar and walked over to it. She began to feel anxious and it wasn't because of the height. She had no idea what she was going to say. Their conversations in the past had mainly been in necessity or insult. Sometimes they had even joked with one another. Jacob had his own sick sense of humor, he just didn't show it that often.
She climbed the ladder to the tower. She was fully aware of the breeze that had lifted up her dress partially as she climbed. The cultists had glanced her way but their eyes didn't linger. The cult forbade things like that. And they were more focused on staying out of the way of the Seeds.
When she made it to the top, her palms had become sweaty. Jacob was leaning on the railing that overlooked the grounds. He had seen her but didn't acknowledge her presence.
"Damn you sure know how to make an exit." There she went again. She was always blunt, saying anything that was on her mind. Liz wasn't smiling though. She wasn't joking with him. It was a fact.
Jacob still said nothing. He only huffed at her remark. Liz approached him cautiously. Like a gazelle approaching a lion. She acted like he could snap out and break her neck at any moment. She rested her arms on the railing beside him.
"What's wrong?" It was a simple question but one that Jacob probably never got asked. He turned his head and spared a glance her way. His expression had softened a little.
"John says you need to confess to him. That you need to reach atonement… That's not gonna happen though." He said.
Atonement was what John called it when he cut off your skin. Liz thought back to the stare John had given her earlier. It made chills go down her spine. She didn't want to confess anything. That last thing she wanted was to be alone in a room with him.
"I didn't think you gave a shit about me." There was curiosity in her voice. In the past Jacob had expressed his willingness to kill her at a drop of a hat but today things had been… different.
"I don't. But I don't let my Chosen go anywhere near John. My soldiers can't cull the herd if they're crying about the sin tattooed on their chest. It doesn't matter what they've done, it only matters if they can follow orders. John and I can't see eye to eye on that." He said.
Liz had been surprised that he had referred to her as one of his Chosen. She wasn't one of them though. She knew what her place in Jacob's army was. "Yeah well I guess I'm no good to you trapped down in a bunker. There's no point in having a trophy if you don't show it off."
"At least you know your purpose." He said.
Liz shifted uncomfortably next to him. She didn't really know what to say to Jacob. Even after all the jokes today, he was still a bit of a mystery to her. She thought back to what he had told her earlier today. About how he was willing to die for Joseph. She wondered if that blinded devotion applied to John and Faith as well. The dinner with the Seed Family had been uncomfortable to her, but the family at least tolerated one another.
"I think you're wrong… about your purpose. I think you're wrong." She could feel his eyes on her but didn't look his way. She stared up at the sky instead. It was peaceful. More peaceful that Jacob's eyes burrowing holes in her skull.
"You don't have to die for Joseph to show him that you love him. If your purpose was to die then you would have been blown to hell by that RPG. You would have starved out in the desert or I would have stabbed you in the chest. If you love your brother, you just have to be there for him. You have more to offer than just your death."
Liz turned to look at him. His blue eyes were haunting to look at. He gave her a small chuckle. "God, you sound just like Miller."
She gave him a puzzled look. "Was he the one you…?"
'ate?' She thought. She didn't finish the sentence but his look indicated that he knew what she was asking. Was Miller the man he had spoken of that night in the cabin? He had only mentioned it once. Liz hadn't thought about it much. She tried not to judge Jacob on what he had done in his past. She had done some terrible things herself.
"Yeah." His voice was dark and grim.
"I met Miller in training. He was tall and kind of quiet. Didn't attract a lot of attention. But damn the times when he opened his mouth, he had some shit to say. Miller would always let you know exactly what he thought of ya'. Nothing was fake with him. Which is why he and I got along just fine. Except Miller always told me that I needed to get out of a warzone and settle down. That I could do more than just put a bullet in people's skulls."
Liz was hanging on to every word of his story. She liked hearing about his past, even if it wasn't easy to hear sometimes. She cautiously reached out and placed her hand on his arm. She wasn't sure if it was to comfort him or herself. "What happened out in that desert?"
He hadn't recoiled from her touch. His eyes had a soft expression but something darker laid behind them. Jacob began to tell Liz the story of how he and Miller had gotten separated from the rest of their unit. It had happened one night after an ambush. They had no food and no way to contact anyone. The nearest base had been 200 clicks to the south. All they could do was walk. They walked for days.
By the third day Jacob told her that he knew they were lost. They had been stumbling around in the sand with no clue where to go. By the sixth day, they had run out of water. By the seventh day, Miller's legs had started to give out. On the eight day of being stranded out there, a pack of wolves had started to close in. The wolves had been on their trail since the first day. It was almost poetic. The wolves had once hunted Jacob, but now he controlled the wolves. They feared him instead now.
"I looked at Miller, and I knew we're as good as dead. And I accepted that. I wasn't going to fight it. I was ready to die right there where I stood, but in that acceptance came clarity. I knew both of us weren't walking out of that desert, but one of us could. It was my test. It was what brought me here."
Her hand was still resting on his forearm. She could feel all of the burns and scar tissue that rested there. Liz imagined him telling this story to some of the Chosen as a way to intimidate them. But here this felt different. Jacob had seemed so broken telling her this story.
"I didn't want to do it. I didn't, but I knew that I had to. Miller had seen that look in my eyes. When he realized what was gonna happen, he just smiled. At that point the dehydration had kicked in and he just wanted to be done. He said that I should do what I gotta do. He was always up front with me until the end."
Liz squeezed his arm, fully aware of how close she was to Jacob. She stood right beside him and was practically leaning on him. It was only for a moment but Liz was pretty sure that's Jacob's gaze had flitted across her lips. The gaze seemed wrong, considering the story he had just told her.
"Miller would have liked you. He would have really liked you. You two are a lot alike. First time you made some smartass comment all I could see was that bastard's cocky smile." He said.
She couldn't help but give him a smirk. "I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing. Wouldn't want to get trapped alone in a bunker with you." He opened his mouth to speak but got cut off.
"Am I interrupting something?"
Liz had immediately backed away from Jacob and released his arm from her grasp. She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks. She had been ashamed that someone had caught them talking. She turned around to see Faith standing on the balcony with them. She had climbed up there barefoot. Faith had her hands clasped in front of her but her face had a soft smile.
"I'd like to speak to Elizabeth." She said.
Jacob's smile had faded in her presence. His stare had hardened. Liz had seen the secret smiles he would have and the jokes he would make. It always went away whenever someone else was around. Faith though wasn't taken aback by his glares though. "Don't worry Jacob I will return your soldier to you. I just want to talk to her."
Faith surveyed the situation she had just interrupted. The tension in the air would have been clear to anyone watching. "I'll give you two a minute."
Just as quickly as she appeared, she was gone. "She's a sneaky one, ain't she?" Liz asked. Jacob gave a huff in agreeance.
"Thank you. For you know, saving my life those few times. Truth is I was really no one before I came here. I was just running around trying to figure out what I wanted. But now I know how to fight, how to protect myself."
Liz didn't know what compelled her to do it. She reached out and gently cradled the side of Jacob's face. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek, right on one of his scars. Despite the cool air, her breath had been hot on his skin. Liz's hand had lingered in his beard for too long. His red hair had been softer than she imagined. She ran her hand through it one more time before she pulled away.
She had expected him to recoil from her touch, but he hadn't. He hadn't shown any reaction either. Jacob just stared off over the balcony, always taking it like a soldier. "This is me being more grateful by the way. In case you didn't notice." She whispered in his ear. She backed away from him and walked over to the ladder.
"You did what you had to so you could survive. I understand that. I think Miller understood that too. If you want to honor Miller's sacrifice you should listen to what he had to say." Liz didn't say anything else. She climbed back down the ladder where Faith was waiting for her at the bottom. The woman took her hand and led her away from the hangar. They walked away from the ranch. Liz felt cold again. The heat had finally left her cheeks. She was pretty sure she had been blushing the entire time she was up there. They walked down to a riverbank. They were at least a few hundred yards away, she couldn't see the lights from the outside of Seed Ranch. They were alone. Faith released her hand and approached the water.
"I see the way you look at Jacob." Faith said.
Liz bit her lip. She didn't want to talk about what Faith had heard and probably seen on the balcony. She did her best to change the subject, but she was a terrible liar. "What, like I want to kill him? I think we've both made it pretty clear that we can't stand each other."
Faith laughed. She had seen right through her lies. "No silly. I can see that you look up to him. You respect him and wish for him to respect you as well. There's something else too, I'm not saying in what way. You probably don't even know." She said.
There was truth in her words. Liz had always craved respect. She had wanted people to look at her as someone important. When she was younger she had craved it as well. She had played softball for the trophies, and for the recognition. Now those trophies were piled in a heap on the floor of her old mobile home. None of them mattered anymore. "No one has ever really taken me seriously. Everyone in my life has treated me like I was fragile."
Faith stared into her eyes. She was searching for something. "Your presence says a lot. I could tell by the way you carry yourself. You keep your head held high, even if you are uncomfortable. You have been very loved in your life, but not respected. Sometimes those who loves us hold us back the most. The Father does not hold us back though. He helps us see our fullest potential."
It was unnerving how Faith could read someone so easily. That was her job though. That was her purpose. Something inside Liz snapped though when Faith had mentioned Joseph. She shouldn't be falling for all this crap.
"You're awfully chattier than before. Why's that huh?" The accusation had come out harsher than she had wanted it to be. Faith wasn't affected by her comment though. She continued on with her Eden's gate pitch that she had probably told to a million other cultists.
"We could give you that respect. Jacob could. But only if you fully give yourself to The Father. You would be respected by everyone in your new family. No one would ever doubt you, Liz." Faith had approached her and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
Liz had to admit that Faith was pretty good. She was impressed. Faith knew exactly how to read people. She could tell someone what their deepest desire was with a single glance. It was an impressive skill to have. One that had probably worked on hundreds of people before her. It wouldn't work on Liz though. Liz wasn't much of a manipulator but she did know how to be direct with people. Sometimes the truth was just as effective as a lie. As the old saying goes 'You can't bullshit, a bullshitter.'
"You're not respected though. Right? You're just a tool. A means to an end. You're daddy's little flower princess who will do whatever he tells you." As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized who she sounded like. She sounded exactly like Jacob. He had referred to countless people as his tools. Some of his lingo had started to wear off on her. That's all Liz and Faith were tough. They were tools. Liz was Jacob's tool and Faith was Joseph's. Two sides of the same coin. One woman longed for respect and told the truth. The other longed to be loved and spewed lies.
Liz watched as the color drained from Faith's face. What she had said had struck a nerve. "The Father loves me." She said. There was uncertainty in her voice. Almost as if she didn't even believe herself.
"He doesn't love you." Liz couldn't help but look over her shoulder. She was afraid that someone had been watching them. It wasn't smart of her to openly curse the name of Joseph. It was something that could get her killed. "I know you're from Hope County. You're name's not even Faith is it?"
Faith's eyes showed sadness. She turned her back to Liz and faced the water. "In another life I was known as Rachel Jessop. She had been abused and forgotten about by her family. That was until Joseph found me. Until he changed me. I was just a child…" Faith didn't need to tell her more. She had a pretty good idea of Joseph had done to her. Growing up she had known The Jessop Conservatory. In Hope County everyone knew everybody. Liz hadn't known Rachel personally but she had heard stories about her drug addiction. Her parents had told her to stay away from the Jessop girl, that she was nothing but trouble.
The woman who stood before her wasn't trouble, she was broken. Her back was turned, but Liz could hear her small sniffles. Liz approached her to see that she had a few tears running down her face. Liz pulled the woman into a hug. Faith buried her head into Liz's shoulder. Liz couldn't help but feel sorry for the girl. In another life they could have been friends, maybe even sisters. They looked a lot alike.
They stood like that for a while. Faith clutched to her blue dress and Liz stroked to back of her head. Liz couldn't help but feel sorry for the woman. She could have easily been Faith Seed. The name could have been taken by any woman that Joseph had wanted. Faith was a replaceable tool in Joseph's mind. A means to an end, not a person.
When Faith pulled away from the hug she smiled. Liz couldn't help but smile back. She liked Faith. She wasn't entirely sure if she could trust her, but she knew that Faith feared The Father. That probably wasn't something she shared with many people. It was nice to have a friend though, in all the craziness.
"I hear the deputy has been running around in your region. He's pretty cute ain't he?" She had only seen the deputy once but he had given a lasting first impression. He had seemed a few years older than Liz which would make him about the same age as Faith.
Faith giggled. "He is very handsome. He's very stubborn though."
"Well I guess that means you got dibs. Bummer." Liz laughed as well. It was typical girl talk but it was comforting. It was the type of thing that friends would talk about. Not talking about 'The Father' and 'sacrifice' and whatever the hell The Gate of Eden was. The two women were not normal though. They were both tools and they each had their own purpose.
They walked back to the ranch together with lighter spirits, chatting like best friends. The two girls had taken a liking to one another. Liz decided that if she ever got out of Hope County, she would take Rachel with her. She deserved to live a free life, far away from Joseph Seed.
When they made it back to the runway, Jacob was waiting by his plane. His foot tapped impatiently, clearly he was ready to leave. Faith pulled her in for another hug.
"See you soon." She said.
"Goodbye." Liz gave her a small smile. Her newly made friend returned it and walked away. Her lace dress disappeared inside the doors of the ranch.
Jacob was leaning back against the plane, with his arms crossed across his chest. His eyebrow had quirked in curiosity when the two women had hugged, but had said nothing. His cold gaze stared her up and down. She was still wearing the pale blue dress. "You look ridiculous in that thing. I think I like you better when you're covered in blood." He said.
Liz let out a scoff. "Me too actually." She had grown accustomed to feeling dirty and bloodied. Wearing the dress all night had felt wrong. She longed for a pair of pants.
"When we get back, you're taking that shit off immediately. I don't need anyone getting… distracted." He said.
'Do you find me distracting?' She almost asked him. But she didn't, instead she flashed him a sarcastic grin. The one that he said reminded him of Miller. "Oooo, eager to get your little trophy undressed, huh?" It had come out dirtier than she had meant it to be. She hadn't meant for it to sound so suggestive. Liz wasn't much of a flirt. Sometimes though her sarcasm came off as flirty when she didn't mean it to be. She should have just gone with the first question she had for him.
Inwardly cursing herself and partially embarrassed, she climbed back into gunner seat of the plane. Her cheeks were as red as Jacob's plane. He hadn't said anything about her meltdown, probably thankful that she had shut up. She had done it to herself this time. She strapped herself in and hit the side of the plane, indicating she was ready to go. She heard the propeller of the plane roar to life.
Liz braced herself as the plane sped down the runway. It soared through the sky and she could see the lights that twinkled from across the valley. It was so beautiful. It was a view that she could never get tired of. Her body though was fatigued. It had to be at least past midnight by now. It had been a very, very long day. She didn't want to think about her new friendship with Faith or the conversations she had with Jacob today. It all seemed too complicated. She focused on the wind in her hair and the roar of the propeller. She could sort out her feelings another day.