The morning sun rose over The Wolf's Den. It covered everything in a beautiful warm glow. Liz sat by herself on the rocks above the bunker watching it rise. Eli had already gone back inside.

It was a gorgeous sight. The sunrises in the Whitetails were always beautiful. She wanted to enjoy it because it would be her last. Her mind was already made up. Liz was leaving Hope County today, for good.

There wasn't a chance in hell that she was going to fight for anyone. This was not her war. Hope County wasn't her home anymore. There was no reason to stay here. She was leaving. That's all there was to it. No one could change her mind.

She would miss her uncle. They had the best times while she was growing up. She would always love him. But she couldn't say goodbye to him. He would try to stop her from leaving and tell her that it was too dangerous. Convincing him to leave with her wasn't an option either. Eli would rather die than give up his home to the Peggies.

Liz though, didn't share that same view. Only one person had to live, and that was her. To hell with everyone else. She wasn't one to sacrifice herself for a noble cause. These people hadn't done shit for her. They disliked her for most of her life. Why did she owe them anything now?

She had come up with a plan, well somewhat of a plan. There were things she needed; supplies, weapons, a car, and cash. The supplies and weapons could be acquired from the Whitetails. They wouldn't miss them. The car could be found out on the highway. There were a bunch of abandoned ones, one of them had to work. The cash would be the most difficult thing. There might be some in the bunker but not enough to get her down south. She would have to go to Missoula. That was the nearest city. She still remembered her bank account numbers. Hopefully her social security would be enough identification to get her cash.

The sun had taken its place in the sky. It was time to leave. She would miss this place, but for what it had been. Not what it was now. Her home was lost to the cult, she just had to accept that.

Her legs were sore when she stood up. Sitting on those rocks hurt. It had been nice though. Watching the sunrise gave her a few minutes of peace. That was all she got now. Just nice moments, nothing more. Her life had been completely thrown upside down in a short amount of time. But it could go back to normal. She just had to get the hell out of here.

She tromped all the way to the entrance of the bunker. The door was wide open. It had also been open when she and Eli went out to talk. Why the hell would they keep it like that? The Whitetails were an interesting militia to say the least. But interesting didn't win the war.

Her footsteps were the only sounds in the long hallway of the entrance. When she got to the main room, she heard Eli's voice. It was coming from the laundry room; the cameras screens were left unattended. He was talking on the radio to someone named Dutch, whoever the hell that was.

Good. He was distracted for the time being. Hurry up and grab what she needed and get the hell out of there.

She wandered down the hall until she got to Eli's bedroom. She didn't have many possessions with her. Only her cult jacket, bandana, and the iPod Wheaty had given her. She snatched them up from the bedside table. They were all coming with her.

Everyone else in the Wolf's Den was still asleep, despite it being morning. Shit like this would have never flied with Jacob. His army was always up on time and ready at a moments notice. They Whitetails were lazy. Which of course is a bit hypocritical coming from the girl who was running away. But whatever. It wasn't her problem anymore.

She tried to keep her feet as light as possible as she tiptoed through the hallway. The inventory room was thankfully empty. There was a small analog TV sitting on the counter. It was playing the video of her. The volume was turned off, but the picture was clear. Elizabeth Palmer shook in the chair. Streaks of mascara ran down her face and there was fear in her eyes. Jacob drug her chair closer to him and leaned in. She tried to recoil away from him but there was nowhere to go. The little lamb cowered in fear of the wolf.

No wonder so many people stared at her. They probably couldn't believe she was actually alive. She couldn't believe it herself either.

Liz felt anger begin to boil inside her. She wanted to smash the TV into a million pieces. She wanted to scream and cry about the agony she felt inside her. But she didn't. Be smarter. That would wake everyone up and ruin her chance for escape.

Instead, she ran her hands along the cord until she found the outlet. The plug was yanked out of the wall and the video faded into black, gone forever. Just like the girl she used to be. It all faded to black. No more tears, no more feeling sorry for herself. She was done with all that. It was only about her survival now.

There were several lockers on the back wall, next to the state fishing records. Those fishing records were tough to beat. Her brother even held one. She had tried for many years to beat it but couldn't.

She slowly opened one of the lockers. It made a small creaking noise. She winced, hoping that it wouldn't wake anyone. But it didn't. Everyone was still asleep. Inside was at least six AR-C's lined up in a row. That wouldn't be useful. She didn't need to get arrested outside the county for illegal weapons possession.

Three more lockers creaked open until she found what she needed. She found a tan military looking back pack, a .44 revolver, a small knife, and $200 in cash. This was all perfect. There were only six rounds, but the gun would be easily concealed. She put the knife in her right boot. It might come in handy. All of the other supplies were stuffed in the bag.

Liz put her leather trench coat on. The cult symbol rested on her back. She tied the bandana around her neck. It would be a nice disguise for getting out of here. One that might not work, but it was worth a shot. The Peggies weren't the brightest though, maybe she could slip past them.

She pulled the backpack around her shoulders. This was it, time to go. She tiptoed over to the emergency exit. She could see Dep, Sharky, and Wheaty; all sleeping on the mattresses on the floor of the back room.

Her hands rested on the first rung of the ladder. She couldn't help but feel a little guilty.

'Goodbye Uncle Eli. I'll miss you.' She thought.

That was all she could do. Nothing more. If she wanted to live this was the only option, the best option.

She climbed the ladder to the emergency exit until she was out of the bunker. The sun was already beating down on the mountainside. She tried to gather her bearings. Where the hell was she? After a few minutes of wandering around, she determined which way was south and started walking. If she got to a road, she could figure the rest out.

Sweat was already beginning to form on her brow. It was so damn hot outside. July used to be her favorite time of the year. Mainly because it was her birthday month. She used to get excited when that time came. It was the day that was all about her. She used to be so selfish, always taking more than she needed. In a ways she still was, she was abandoning her home in its time of need. Honestly though, she didn't give a shit. No one needed her. Everyone wanted to use her. She just needed to protect herself.

Her boots stomped against the forest floor. There was no telling what was out here; hunters, judges, or any other ferocious animal ready to rip her throat out. She dug the revolver out of her bag. It didn't help much with the last bear, but she still wanted it ready. The metal was cool in her hands. She felt comfortable holding it, a little too comfortable. Another thing that just wasn't right about her. She sought solace in a weapon. It was a tool that was only meant to hurt people. Just like her.

One tool using another tool, how funny.

Liz walked until she reached the road. Her footsteps slowed. This was a good sign. It would give her some sense of direction. Now all she needed was to find a car.

Her head perked up to a noise coming from the road. She crouched behind a tree. Hopefully it wasn't the cult. When the car came into view, she realized it was just ordinary people. Letting out a sigh of relief, she stood up. The gun was still in her hand.

When the car drove by her, she gave them a small wave. It was an old habit of hers, something that her parents had taught her. The resistance members in the car though, didn't share her manners. The man in the passenger seat pulled out a gun. He thought she was a cultist.

Shit. Liz dove back behind the tree. Three shots rang out and collided with the side of the tree. The noises echoed through the forest.

"Fucking Peggies!" The car sped off in the other direction.

Her hands were still cradling her head. Her heart was beating out of her chest. She let out a shaky breath. She didn't get hit, but it had scared the hell out of her. That asshole almost killed her. She almost got shot, again. Her fist slammed against the dirt in frustration. Why couldn't she be more careful? Be smarter. It was the only thing she had going for her.

Okay, so maybe wearing the cult jacket wasn't the best idea. But she was more afraid of the Chosen than she was of the resistance. You would think that maybe the resistance members would go, 'Hey she's not shooting at us. She waved. Maybe we should let her live.' But nope, with the Whitetails, it was shoots first, ask questions later. At least Eden's Gate gave people a chance to join them.

She stood up and brushed herself off. Walking out in the open wasn't a good idea, not here. She changed course and kept hidden in the tree line but kept following the road. Her grip was iron tight on the revolver. She had almost already screwed up. She wouldn't get lucky a second time. She remembered those three things if she was going to protect herself.

Head up, eyes open, and finger on the trigger.

Paranoia started to kick in, her eyes darted at every noise and rustle in the bushes. But there was nothing. The woods around her looked void of life. It probably wouldn't stay that way for long. Not in the Whitetails at least. She kept walking. It wouldn't be long until she was back down south. She could picture it now. The warm air and beautiful skies. Her cushy life was all waiting for her. She could just forget all of this. She could forget about him. Purge it from her memory like it never even happened. That was the only way she would ever recover.

But would she ever really recover from this? She had done things that were unforgivable. Things that would stay with her forever. They weren't gotten over easily. When she got back, her life would be different knowing that she had killed people. It would never be the same as it was.

Stop. She shook the thoughts from her head. Stop getting distracted. There was a mission, to get the hell out of here. Getting distracted is how she'll wind up dead.

Her legs were on fire despite only having walked for about a mile. Her breathing had become a little winded. You think she would have been in shape after all those laps she ran at the chalet. But from all that stress and lack of rest, nothing was becoming stronger. She had just been slowly degrading.

There had to be something around here. Keep moving. It would be so easy to turn back around to the bunker. Just go back inside. To give up. But she couldn't. There wasn't a future for her here.

Liz walked for about a mile and a half until she found what she was looking for. A beat down car was run off the road. Finally. She checked the roads before emerging from her hiding spot. She ran over to it. The glass was shattered in the front and back windows. Blood splattered the seats. It was fresh. This was the same exact car that passed by her earlier. There weren't any bodies though.

Holy shit.

In less than an hour, the two resistance men that shot at her were captured by the Peggies. Part of her didn't feel bad for them. She secretly hoped that Jacob got a hold of them. He would destroy them just like everyone else. Karma really is a bitch.

She opened the door and pushed some glass off the seat. The key was still in the ignition. They had been snatched right out of the car. She cranked the key. Low grumbles came from the engine. It was doing its best to start.

"Come on you piece of shit."

She pushed in the gas pedal and cranked the key again. The engine whirred to life. A big smile crossed her face. There was hope. She could get out of here. The door slammed shut behind her.

Her plan was back into action. All thanks to those bastards who shot at her. Bless those two, their stupidity was what would grant her freedom.

She floored it and headed south. The roads of the Whitetail Mountains were surprisingly empty. There were supposed to be Peggie patrols on this road, but they weren't any. She had memorized all the routes that had been in Jacob's office.

The tires of the car sped along the gravel road. The tank was almost full. That was a good sign. She wouldn't have to stop for gas until she was in Missoula. It would be strange to be back into society again. Could she tell anyone about what was going on here? Two sheriff's deputies and a US marshal were taken prisoner. Would anyone even believe her if she told them? Probably not. Even if they did, it didn't matter. They couldn't defeat the cult. There were too many soldiers in these mountains with a whole lot of firepower.

When she first got here, she came in through Holland Valley. But the Valley was under complete control of Eden's Gate. There would be no getting out that way. The best bet would be to head out through the Henbane River. It was somewhat liberated by the Deputy. There was a tunnel through the mountains in the southeast corner. That road would take her straight to Missoula.

She passed by a burned down building. She would recognize that giant screen anywhere. It was the Grill Streak. It had been her favorite place to eat was when she younger. The large screen was playing her video.

'But now the new world has evolved. Now the lamb does not fear the wolf. The lamb parades itself around instead of hiding from their predators.'

"Fucking hell."

Goddamn it, Jacob. That bastard really meant it played everywhere in the mountains. Could she go one damn day without seeing this video?

Almost everyone in the mountains knew who she was, especially the Peggies. All because of that video. If they saw her, it was over. They would send her right back to the veteran's center. Dep had said that Jacob wouldn't stop until he got her back. But why? He had no reason to want her. She was useless to him.

There was that damn paranoia again. She pulled the bandana up, so it covered the bottom half of her face. Not that having a disguise helped her any other time, but it calmed her nerves.

She flipped on the radio, hoping to find some peace. It was turned to the Whitetails station. Wheaty was clearly up.

'Downed, downed out of my head

'round, 'round out of my head'

Ah, the 70's. That was the best time for music. If only she could have grown up then. She was born in the wrong time.

Had any of the Whitetails noticed that she was gone? Eli probably would have. He knew her too well. He would have guessed that she bolted. The only question was would he go after her? From the looks of it, he never left the bunker. He just led, all of the other Whitetails did the work for him. Eli never stepped out into the front lines. That didn't mean he was a coward though. Jacob was wrong about that. Her uncle helped people and then asked them to fight. He wasn't a coward. But she still didn't want any part of it. Not if she was going to be used.

'I'm gonna live on a mountain. Way down under in Australia.

It's either that or suicide. It's such a strange strain on you'

Damn right it was. Except, no one but her knew more about strange strains on them. And she certainly was downed in her head. In simpler terms, it meant that she was fucking insane.

'Oh, I got a mind. Over you it's not the first time

Oh, I got a mind'

She kept driving along the roads out of the Whitetails, at about 85 miles an hour. At least there was one plus to all of this. All the cops were captured, so no one around to give her a ticket. That was a pretty terrible thing to say about her ex-boyfriend who had been held hostage and tortured, but whatever. And besides, speeding was pretty fun. The car whizzed right by Old Sun Outfitters. The signs on the road read 'Leaving Whitetail State Park'. She crossed a bridge over onto a small island.

Finally, she was out of the mountains. The further she was away from the Whitetails, the better. The road was surrounded by fences. This was where Joseph's compound was. Better not stay on this island for too long. Many cultists had left the compound after the reaping had begun, but she didn't want to stick around to see how many stayed.

She still hadn't encountered any Peggies. That shocked her, but she wasn't going to jinx herself. Just be thankful. When she reached the end of the road on the island, she saw the sign she was looking for.

MISSOULA

She crossed another bridge and over into the Henbane River. Only a few more miles to go until she was out of Hope County for good. If there was time to do one last thing here, it would be to sit and look at the stars. Find somewhere high up. But with none of the troubles. Not fearing that she would be captured or die. Just one night by herself, where she could look at the sky. There wasn't any time for that though. She would just have to live without it.

'Rainbow's crawling on a midday sun, But I've been lucky you're the only one.

Sunday's calling, you'll be number one. It's such a strange strain on you.'

Everything in the Henbane looked like it had been scorched. The grass looked more yellow than it had years ago, and bliss flowers were growing everywhere. Her grip grew tighter on the steering wheel. Calm down. Only a few more miles until she was gone.

She rounded the corner, going way too fast. There was something in the road ahead.

Shit.

Liz slammed on the breaks. The tires skidded and screeched across the asphalt. Plumes of black smoke rose from the breaks. The car came to a stop less than one hundred feet in front of a Peggie roadblock. Shit.

Two white trucks were parked sideways in the road. Spikes were laid out in front of the trucks. There were two Peggies standing out front. One man was wearing a black trench coat, just like her. The woman had red and black ombre hair. She was a cult VIP.

There was nothing she could do. She had been going too fast to avoid them. They saw her now. They were both carrying AR-C's. Liz reached over to the passenger seat to grab her revolver. Six rounds. That was all she had. She couldn't fight them off.

Just calm down. She was in cult gear. She could maybe get out of this. Good thing she covered her face up. They were Faith's soldiers. Hopefully they didn't know her.

'Oh, you think of Jesus Christ. You walk on water but don't bet your life, oh no.

All you walk is a fine line. It's such a strange strain on you.'

The music was blasting out of the car. The two Peggies raised their weapons. Well shit. There was no getting out of this one. They slowly walked over to her car. She lowered the revolver, so it was at her side. The man was at her window and the woman went to the passenger side window.

"Identify yourself soldier!" The man shouted. The barrel of his gun was in her face. This isn't how this was supposed to go.

"I'm deployed from the Veteran's Center. I have work in the Henbane."

Her breath was hot against the bandana that covered her mouth. It was a shitty excuse. But the only thing she had thought of. Only the Chosen were at the Veteran's Center. Well, when she was there it had been the Chosen, Pratt, and her.

"Your name, soldier." The man pestered her again. That was something she definitely wouldn't tell him. It was guaranteed to get her re-captured.

Liz sighed. It had come down to this again. Here goes nothing. In an instant, she pointed her revolver at the man and pulled the hammer back.

"Drop the gun." The woman raised her weapon on the other side.

Here was she again. A good old standoff. The decision always fell to her. Always. Was she willing to die to avoid going back to him? She didn't want to go back to being prisoner. But she didn't want to die either. So, which shall it be Liz? Capture or death?

With another sigh, she released the pistol from her grasp. She would be seeing her good friend Jacob soon.

"Out of the car, sinner."

The man wrapped his hands around her arm and yanked her out of her seat. She clawed at his arm trying to break free, but it was no use. He drug her through the car window. She scraped on the broken glass. She hit the asphalt with a thud.

Fucking hell that hurt. Her head was spinning and her body ached. The man sat her up, so she was on her knees. He bound her arms behind her with rope.

'Downed, downed out of my head.

'round, 'round out of my head.'

"What is that?"

"It's better music than the garbage y'all listen to."

Damn it. She really needed to stop being a smartass when she was captured. It had gotten her into so much trouble.

"Turn it off."

The woman responded by firing a stream of bullets into the radio. Sparks and shards of glass flew from the car. Liz flinched at the sound. The music was silenced. The 70s were dead.

"Let's see that face of yours girl."

The man yanked the bandana down, so it was around her neck. The sweaty fabric scraped across her chin. Her face was out in the open. Realization flashed in both pairs of eyes peering down at her. They were trying to figure out the girl who wore their uniform but wasn't one of them.

"Woah. Is that her?" The woman asked.

"The one that Jacob's looking for? I think so, but I'm not sure." He bent down to study her face.

Liz's eyes rolled into the back of her head. She scoffed.

"Oh, come on! Does everyone seem to know who I am?"

Damn Peggies. How could she have been so foolish to think that they wouldn't recognize her? They all seemed to know who she was. Just like the Deputy. Except the Peggies had good reason to be obsessed with Dep. He had destroyed a lot of their operation. Liz though only had the right last name. Or the wrong last name, depending on who you ask.

Her last name had been both her salvation and her doom. It was the reason she had been captured in the first place, but it was going to save her life now.

The man and woman were conversing among themselves. They were trying to decide what to do with her. They looked confused.

As they stood there and talked, her knees were killing her. She sat there for about a minute while they talked. Kneeling in the road was fucking painful. Despite the aggravation she felt, she started to laugh.

"No wonder you two were stationed up in the Henbane. Y'all can't decide worth a shit. I guess Jacob didn't send his best men to come get me. Pity. I like a challenge."

Where had this newfound confidence come from? She had been afraid of the Peggies earlier. Maybe it came from the realization that they needed her alive. He needed her alive. A trophy isn't that useful when it's dead. Why not give these Peggies a little lip? She didn't have anything better to do.

"Be quiet sinner." The VIP said. She raised her AR-C, so Liz was looking straight down the barrel of it. The cold metal in her face didn't intimidate her.

"You keep pointing that thing in my face. You ever going to fucking use it?"

Damn she didn't know when to stop. Saying things like that would definitely get her killed. A scowl crossed the woman's face. The VIP raised her gun and smacked Liz in the back of her head. A huff made it past her lips. She fell forward and her face smacked into the asphalt. A few small rocks even found their way into her mouth.

Liz laughed again through the pain. Her face was smushed into the road. She spit out the gravel that was on her lips.

"He'll kill you for that."

The VIP scoffed, not considered the consequences of what she had done. She didn't believe her. It was partly a lie on Liz's part. Jacob might not kill that woman for hitting her. But maybe… He killed several of his men just for saying vulgar things about her. And it didn't hurt to make herself sound more important than she actually was.

The man and woman still stood above her discussing things. "I'll go the Veteran's Center and talk to Jacob. Just to be sure. You stay with her until I contact you. Bring her if I say."

The VIP nodded. That was a bad idea on their part. If the Peggies had any brains, they would take her straight to the Veteran's Center. Fortunately for her, they didn't.

The man climbed into one of the white trucks in the roadblock and took off north. Liz was alone with the woman VIP.

The woman yanked her hair so she back on her knees. She cried out. The back of her head really hurt. It had been a little sore from the incident at the cages, but now it felt like it was on fire. There were several scrapes on the side of her face. Blood accumulated on her chin.

Great. As if the bruises on her neck weren't enough. Now she had scrapes on her face. It was another mark on her skin, demonstrating the hell she had gone through.

The afternoon sun was beating down on her. Everything was either covered in sweat or blood. She should have felt disgusting but didn't. She had grown accustomed to the dirt and grime.

The idea of running faded away into dust. All of her hope was gone. The decision had been made for her. As soon as that man got to the Veteran's Center, she would be taken back to the mountains. Her dreams of living a normal life again were destroyed. There was nothing she could do about it. She could never go back to Florida, a part of her had always known that. But it wasn't any easy thing to accept.

The woman was talking on her radio. She was chatting with Ramirez. That wasn't good. Jacob didn't interact with his second in command very much, but he was not to fucked with.

The VIP standing in front of her might have been very beautiful in another life. But not in this one. Tattoos covered her arms and legs. There was also the Eden's Gate symbol tattooed over her entire face. That must have hurt. Why would anyone want the cult symbol on their face? Like yeah whatever, in devotion to The Father, and all that nonsense. But on your face? That was just plain stupid.

There was something else too. The word 'ENVY' was carved into the underside of her right arm. That might be useful.

Liz couldn't hear their entire conversation. Only a few things about 'Jacob's goddamn pets'. Crap. That was definitely about her. Ramirez would tell Jacob they had caught her and so would that soldier that had left. And then she was going to be a prisoner again. Great. Just great. This was exactly how she planned this day to go.

The woman walked back over to her.

Liz gave her a fake smile. There was still her own blood on her face. "Ramirez tell you who I was? Yeah, I know him. I was a Peggie once."

She spoke of it like it was long ago when it was only days ago. Two days to be exact. She spoke with confidence, like they were gambling, and she had the upper hand.

"You think because you wear that jacket you're one of us? You're a sinner. You will never reach the Gates of Eden."

Liz scoffed. "Oh my gosh you're so fucking stupid. There is no 'collapse' coming. Eden's Gate is a lie. That's all it is. You really can't believe all this shit."

Except the woman did. That's why their symbol was tattooed on her face. That's why she was a VIP.

As Liz looked at the woman standing in front of her, she saw herself. This could have been her if her parents hadn't sent her away. Joseph would have taken her and turned her into some damn priestess. She would have spewed lies all day long and been covered in the same horrible tattoos.

"Shut your mouth." The gun was raised in her face again.

"Or what, you'll shoot me? I'd hate to be in your position when you have to tell Jacob that you killed Eli Palmer's niece. I'm still useful to the Seeds. So, if I were you, I wouldn't even look at me the wrong way. Because you won't like what happens after." It was such bold words from the girl that was tied up. But it was true. Every single word.

Anger flashed through the woman's eyes. That had struck a nerve. Ms. Envy had a weak spot. It would be fun to poke at it.

"Get up." The VIP grabbed her arm and yanked her to her feet.

It took a moment for her to steady herself, but she was okay. The woman though was pissed. Liz hadn't been much of a manipulator before. Where had all this come from? She pondered for a moment, but already knew the answer. It had come from Jacob. He found out people's weaknesses and exploited them. That's what she was trying to do with this woman. It was just another unfortunate side effect of spending too much time with Jacob Seed.

"Where are we going?"

"You're walking the Path. Useful or not, you're still a sinner."

Oh the Pilgrimage. That was Faith's path that she made everyone walk. Liz surprisingly missed the blonde-haired girl. They had only met once, and she had tried to manipulate her but despite all that, Faith had been nice. She had acted like the sister she never had.

They weren't far from one of the entrances to the path. Liz slowly hobbled along. It was kind of hard to walk with her hand tied behind her back. The woman didn't object to her speed. She just kept prodding her along with her rifle. The trail was covered in seashells and blood. It was a strange combination.

"If you had any brains at all, you'd just let me go. Let me walk away."

Liz turned to see the confused look on the woman's face. "And why would I do that?"

"Because I don't want to have to kill you."

It was true. She didn't want to kill this woman. But she would if it came down to it. It always came down to it. There was no escaping any of this, she knew that now.

The woman let out a low scoff. She clearly didn't think that could be done. That wasn't surprising. People took one look at Liz and made assumptions about her, that she was small and weak. But they had no idea what she could do. Or the things she had done. It was their assumptions that always made them fail in the end. This woman would be no different.

They kept walking along the Path. The Montana sun beat down on both women. The rope had begun to dig into Liz's wrists. She was sick of this. There was nothing that could be accomplished by walking this damn trail. She decided to push on that Envy button.

"What's your name?"

Liz spun around so she was facing the woman. She slowly began to walk backwards. It was a little difficult with her hands bound, but she got the hang of it.

The woman rolled her eyes and curled her finger around the trigger. "Turn back around."

"No. Walking the Path backwards, is still walking it. What's your name?"

"Why do you want to know?"

She let out a small chuckle. "So I'll know what to put on the grave when I kill you."

The woman let out an aggravated sigh. Seeing that there was no point in threatening Liz when she was needed alive, she lowered her gun. The woman decided to humor her. "It's Andrea."

"Probably been a long time since someone's asked you that, right? I'm Liz by the way."

"I don't care."

Liz only laughed. This woman would have a moment of vulnerability only to become hostile again. That was result from being with the Project for so long. The Peggies destroyed their members and took their identity away. So even a simple question like what their name was, rattled them.

"How'd you join the Project?"

She kept walking backwards, careful about where she put her feet. She had stumbled a few times but powered through it. The VIP said nothing, just kept her hands curled around her rifle.

"Not going to answer, cool. I'm going to take a guess that you're not from Hope County."

A scowl crossed over her face. Bingo.

"I know that because you don't know me. If you were from Hope County, you would have known my name and you would have known Eli. But you don't. So, you're one of the early ones. What was it that made you join? Stupidity? Greed? What?"

The anger on her face faded into sadness. "Love…"

Okay, damn. What would make someone join a cult for love? Maybe she had been poor and wanted her family to join. Or maybe she… No, wait. There was only one thing that would make someone join a cult for that reason, if they fell in love with its leader.

"You fell in love with one of the Seeds didn't you, Andrea?"

The woman's silence confirmed her suspicions.

"Hmm… Not Faith, or Jacob. Maybe Joseph? No… It was John, wasn't it? You fell in love with John. That's why you joined the Project."

The woman still said nothing. Holy shit, she was spot on. Liz had heard stories of the female cultists that had crawled into John's bed, but never met one of them. The thought of sleeping with John made her shudder. There were things that she just didn't want to know. Andrea might have been one of the first women in the Project to fall for John.

"I mean I don't blame you. He's the best looking one of them."

Under no circumstance, ever, could Jacob find out that she said that. It would not end well for her. Sure, objectively John was the most attractive of the Seed Brothers. But he was way too damn sadistic. To her, his charisma came off as creepy.

The time had come to push Ms. Envy over the edge. Liz was about to play her ace.

"John didn't want you. You thought that it was love, but he didn't. He used you and tossed you aside. So you devoted yourself fully to Eden's Gate, hoping to win him back. That's why you're all tattooed, and that's why you work in the Henbane. Because you can't stand being near him but not being able to have him."

"You shut up!"

Check and mate. There was that envy spot. She had mostly been guessing. But once she figured out that Andrea was in love with John, it all fell into place.

The woman smacked Liz again with her rifle and shoved her to the ground. Liz hit the forest floor with a thud. Finally, this had been a part of her plan all along. It had taken a little longer than expected. She needed to the woman to be flustered and distracted. Tools couldn't work if they were broken.

She squirmed around on the ground, so her right leg was under her. That's where her knife was. She stretched behind her back to reach it. Her hand wrapped around the smooth wood handle and pulled it from her boot.

"When John saw your ugly tattooed face, he surely didn't want you back. You weren't young and beautiful like he had wanted. Not like me anyways…"

It had been a cruel thing to say. It wasn't necessarily true either. She didn't even believe it. Liz wasn't that much prettier than the woman standing above her. But it had struck a nerve. And that was all she needed.

The woman flung her rifle over her shoulder. She let out a scream of frustration. There it was. There was the envy that would destroy her. Her story was a little more tragic knowing that John was the one to carve the sin into her arm.

Liz adjusted the knife in her hands and began to saw at the ropes. After a few seconds of sawing, the ropes popped open. Her hands were free. She flexed them and gripped the knife in her right hand behind her back. Andrea charged at her. The woman's hands barely made it around her shoulders when she jammed the knife into her gut.

The woman cried out in pain. Liz stood up and kept the knife planted inside her stomach. She twisted it around and blood poured out onto her hands.

"I told you that you should have let me go."

This wasn't what she had wanted. She just wanted to leave, to not fight anymore. She didn't want to hurt anyone else. But it had come down to this. It always came down to this. She pulled the knife from Andrea's stomach and the woman collapsed on the ground. She fidgeted on the ground, holding her gut.

As Liz stood over the woman she had stabbed, she finally knew. There was no running from this. She couldn't go back to her old life. There was no turning back. This was who she was now, a killer. She was going to fight. If that meant fighting for Eli, then so be it. She was going to fight until every single one of the Peggies were dead, or she was.

Tears ran down Andrea's face. She was bleeding out.

When Liz looked into her eyes, she saw her own. They shared the exact same set of hazel eyes. Two women with similar paths but different outcomes. The woman's name could have easily been Elizabeth Palmer. But it wasn't, because Elizabeth Palmer was dead.

She bent down so she was in Andrea's face.

"None of this is my fault! I didn't want this! This is your fault! Not mine!"

Not her fault. It was such cruel words to tell the woman that was dying. If the woman had just let her leave, this wouldn't have happened. But blaming Andrea didn't help her feel any better.

"Why…?" The woman was struggling for breath.

Why had she done this? Was it for survival or was it for something else? Maybe it was something to satisfy that selfishness that boiled inside her. To prove that she was someone important, that she wasn't that little girl anymore. Everyone had their own sin. To answer her, she pulled something out of the playbook. It was a line she had heard from her old pal a thousand times.

"Because I'm strong, and you're weak…" She picked the AR-C up off the ground and lined up her shot. Her finger curled around the trigger.

"And the weak, must be culled."