The FBI swarms them like vultures later with their endless questions. They ask each of them, Ryan, Mike, and Max to tell the story again but what happened to Lily Gray. They keep the story the same.
"I told you, Lily Gray had a gun and was aiming it toward me. She was about to fire when Agent Weston stopped her," Ryan tells the agents once more. The detective asks Max next and she says the events were too far out of her range of vision to properly see. Perhaps it would have been smarter if the FBI separated the three of them and then questioned them individually. Ryan is thankful for their lapse in smart choices at this moment because what the hell is he suppose to actually say to Mike? Oh hey Mike, I really want to make the world right for you, but you kind of fucked up? Yeah, that would work well.
And then before Ryan can ask Mike if they can speak alone another agent is filling Ryan in on the poem Claire sent over Carrie Cooke's news station to Joe. Isn't that just the damn kicker to this day?
"You need to talk to her," the agent says to Ryan and he nods, but first he has to say something to Mike.
"Hey." Ryan walks up to the younger man. "You should go home. Get some rest."
"I'm not going anywhere," Mike retorts, eyes still a little crazed.
"I know I have no right to tell you what you should or shouldn't do—"
"You're right, you don't," Mike says, and Ryan is getting a little annoyed at this point. The annoyance is only there to cover up the intense worry he has for this punk that has wormed his way into Ryan's heart, but it's easier to focus on being irritated instead.
"What would you have done," Mike starts to say. "If it was Joe Carroll, what would you have done?"
"Mike," Ryan says and shakes his head. "You're better than me." And there it is, the whole point to why he can't decide if he wants to keep Mike close or push him away. The selfish part of him knows what it wants, but now is not the time. It's starting to feel like there will never be time to sort out the incredibly screwed up soap opera of his life.
But Mike's eyes soften when Ryan looks back up at him and he looks human again, rather than a distraught animal in a trap.
"I'll walk out with you," Mike says, and Ryan nods and starts to walk out the door toward his car.
"What are you going to do?" Ryan asks.
"Go back with the FBI and see what details we can get. I'm sure we'll have something soon, so you might not have much time to talk to Claire. You should go now." Mike's jaw tightens when he says Claire's name and Ryan starts to laugh. Mike gives him a look between murderous and confusion.
"I'm sorry, I didn't…Mike, listen to me. I'm not, with Claire, it's not going to happen like that. Even if we end all this, I'm not…" Ryan struggles for the right words. I'm not going to go back to the woman I loved more than anything because of you, because you happened to me. It sounds too cliché and Ryan can't bring himself to actually say the words.
"You don't owe me anything. I don't need promises," Mike says and that crazed look is back in his eyes. Ryan doesn't know what else to do so he grabs Mike and hugs him tightly enough to hear Mike huff out a breathless reply. Ryan doesn't let go, and Mike finally hugs him back. Time seems to stop just for that one moment while they hold each other, and Ryan hopes that maybe Mike finally understands just how much he needs him. Ryan's always been better at actions then words. He pulls back slowly from Mike then takes the younger man's face in his hands and kisses him on the forehead. It's tender and ridiculous and makes Mike smile, so Ryan is okay with it.
When Ryan gets back to the apartment Claire greets him with determinism. She is all fire, desperate to catch Joe with her flames and put an end to him.
"His ego will demand it. He will have to see me," she says, eyes boring into Ryan's. "I want…I need this to be over, Ryan."
"I want the same thing, but you have to be safe, for Joey and for yourself," Ryan says, and Claire tries to argue again. She has a look in her eyes that Ryan knows means she is thinking of every possible way to get her plan to work. He knows she will be in good hands with the witness protection agents, but he still worries. That part of his heart can't help it.
"When this is over, I'll find you. I promise," he says, and he isn't sure what all he means by his words, other than finding her and assuring her she can live her life. Claire has a part of him no one can touch, but Mike does too now and it's all so strange.
"I have to go now." Ryan starts to turn away, but when he sees the broken look in Claire's eyes he gathers her close and hugs her tightly. And then she's leaning in closer, pupils blown wide and mouth slightly parted.
"Claire," Ryan says, gently pulling away. "I…I can't kiss you."
Claire looks at him for a moment before saying, "I figured that there…I mean, that you would have moved on." Her voice is soft, but there's a hurt in her eyes that Ryan hates.
"If I had known you were alive, it might be different, but I was never good for you anyway."
"Oh don't do that Ryan, I didn't mean it like that. You deserve happiness just as much as anyone. Just God please tell me it's not that horrible journalist," Claire says and Ryan has to laugh at that. He wants to tell her, she deserves to know, but the nervous fluttering around his heart is making it difficult. He inhales deeply before looking into her eyes.
"It's Mike." He says it simply, like he's saying the weather. Claire's eyes grow wide and she opens and closes her mouth a few times before coming up with words.
"That's…well, that's different," she says. Ryan inwardly agrees, but just smiles at her softly before leaving. It wasn't the worst reaction he could have gotten.
When Ryan gets back to Kingston's house Max and Mike are waiting for him. Something is up and no one seems to be able to pin down exactly what.
"Do you believe in God?" Kingston asks Ryan after the preacher has gone off on another rant about praying and making things better
"I believe in smarts, and right now you need to start acting like you have some," Ryan replies and tells Kingston he needs to stay in here with his wife and family rather than trying to go out and do something stupid. Kingston has already refused the FBI's security and is not on Ryan's good side. And then the phone in Kingston's hand rings and he disappears into the kitchen.
He won't tell them anything about the call. Mike, Ryan, and Max go outside to discuss options when a blonde woman from the crowd makes a scene by setting herself on fire after chanting the familiar words of "praise Joe." Ryan is getting really sick of hearing that phrase. The three of them run over to her, but her body is lost to the flames she inflicted upon herself. She's scorched, and Ryan thinks for a second that this is how things will always be…singed and pungent with the charred flesh of everyone around him…unless they stop this madness.
It turns out the madness is just going to continue because now Kingston has disappeared.
"What do you mean he's gone? Your job is to protect him not to lose him," Ryan says to Kingston's bodyguard.
"I put a tracker on him," the guard says, albeit reluctantly. It's clear he wants to do his job but is not so eager to share it with the FBI.
"C'mon," Ryan says to Mike after Max agrees to stay and watch the tracker to see where Joe's followers are taking the preacher.
They follow Max's instructions as Ryan drives and the silence between them is more comfortable than it has been since Mike killed Lily. Ryan wants to tell Mike about Claire…that he told her him and Mike are kind of thing. He thinks it might help the younger man feel more secure in their…whatever this thing is, relationship, Ryan supposes. It would be good to have something secure and real to hold onto in the midst of all of this, especially since Mike told Ryan he loved him and Ryan has yet to return the sentiment. But it takes him too long to decide if he should say something or not and now Max is telling them the followers have turned.
"Where they at, Max?"
"Blessed Saints Cathedral," she says.
"Oh that's not good," Mike responds and looks at Ryan. This is going to get ugly.
When they get there the place is locked down and a follower on the steps of the church warns them the whole place will blow if they try to barge in. Moments later she takes a gun to her own head and says, "we do not fear death" before pulling the trigger.
The FBI and local police arrive moments later and Ryan disappears around the corner.
"Ryan, where are you going?" Mike follows him.
"I need to get inside."
"SWAT team is on the way."
"Yeah, I hear them," Ryan says while looking around toward the back of the church where he finds a surprisingly unlocked way into the place. "You stay here and tell them I went in."
"Nice try," Mike says bolting past him. "Let's go."
Ryan follows and they creep in silently, guns out. They hear muffled voices coming from around the corner and flatten themselves against the corner of the wall. The voices fade away and when Ryan peeks around the corner he sees the tripwire the followers have planted. It must connect to whatever the woman on the steps meant when she said the place was wired to explode.
Ryan's phone rings and it's Max, telling him the church's communications have been shut down.
"Ok, we'll try and get it back online," Ryan tells her and starts down the hallway.
The two agents find a room with a computer that looks like it might be the right place to get the outside Internet and communications back up.
"Ryan, look at this," Mike says after getting something to come up on the computer's screen. "There's some kind of canisters on the security cameras."
"They're all around the perimeter. They must be laced with the explosives."
Mike clicks a few more things and then the screen switches to a camera in the church's main section where Joe is.
"Can you get sound?" Ryan asks and Mike makes it happen. They watch in silent horror as Joe speaks to the congregation while Kingston and Preston are on their knees facing each other. Ryan realizes Joe is doing what he had Preston do back at the camp. Kill or be killed. The hate building inside Ryan is getting worse. He loathes that Joe takes away the choices of other human beings, as if he is entitled to it just because he doesn't believe in God, unless that God is himself.
Kingston takes the choice away from Preston when he slits his own throat. The boy yells and runs over only to fall back on his knees beside his bloody father. Ryan's hand twitches toward his gun. He's almost tempted to run down the hallway and put a bullet between Joe's brain right now.
Instead he gets the FBI back on the phone and warns them about the explosives. He and Mike will try to unwire them all and then give the cops a chance to get in.
"Forget about the exploratory tour," Mike says when Ryan hangs up the phone. "We could end this now. You go in and I cover you. You take the shot and kill Joe." Mike's eyes are wild, a beautiful blue ocean that is lost in its own storm.
"And they trigger the explosives anyway?" He replies, desperately trying to get Mike to understand. "You need to stop this," he says in a whisper. "This isn't you, Mike."
"Ok. We do it your way," Mike says in an irritated voice and starts to walk out the door. Ryan stops him with a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't be this person. It will not end well for you, trust me."
"I won't do anything stupid. I promise," Mike says in a way that makes Ryan doubt his sincerity. His facial expression is cocky and Ryan wants to slap the arrogance out of him. Instead he grabs Mike by the lapels of his jacket and roughly shoves him against the wall.
"This ends now," Ryan growls, close enough that Mike can feel his hot breath on his face. "When this shit show is over, you're getting help. Until then, I really don't want to lose you, so you need to start thinking and not acting out of some newfound bloodlust. Understand?"
Mike gives Ryan a long, silent look before nodding briefly.
"Even if you did, lose me that is, you would still have Claire," Mike says in a voice so quiet that Ryan can barely understand him.
In response Ryan tugs Mike closer and kisses him fiercely and messily. There's tongue and teeth and it's riddled with desperation, but what else can he do?
"Yeah, well," Ryan mutters when he pulls away from Mike's now red pouted lips. "I kind of just want you, and if that's selfish then fine. But that's what I want."
Mike gives him a smile, a sincere Mike Weston smile that almost convinces Ryan that things will be all right.
That illusion is shattered into sharp, cutting pieces when Mike does indeed do something stupid that ends with him on his knees in front of Joe who is pointing a gun toward the young agent's head.
"Well, well, Mike Weston," Joe drawls. "Ryan Hardy must not be far behind."
Mike says nothing, inwardly cursing his own clumsiness at being heard in the hallway.
"Come out, come out, Ryan!" Joe chants, absolute glee in his accented voice. "Or else Mikey here dies."
"Then go ahead and do it, Joe. Just kill me," Mike taunts, and this earns him a good crack along the face from Joe. Mike spits the blood out of his mouth and continues his tirade against Joe, promising him that Ryan will kill him.
"Oh yes, I am sure Ryan will most assuredly risk your safety in order to kill me," Joe says, knowing all too well Ryan will play the hero or martyr before that happens.
"My patience is tried," Joe says, and Ryan starts to edge closer. "On the count of three Mikey here gets shot in the skull. Do you hear me Ryan?"
Fuck you, Joe Ryan thinks as he walks closer, gun out and heart skipping beats from the desperation of the situation.
In one part of New York Ryan Hardy walks closer to Joe, mind whirling with deciding what to do. In another part Claire Matthews, who has given her witness protection agents the slip, is standing over the dead body of Emma who she has finally killed with her own hands. She doesn't regret it. At least not until two twin boys have appeared from the dark, gleeful at the sight of her. Well, one is gleeful and the other is huffing in anger over Emma's bleeding body.
And maybe this is the way the world ends, and none of them know. They are only aware of their own circumstances, but the world doesn't care. It doesn't care that Preston's father killed himself to save his son. It certainly didn't matter to Joe. And Joe, would he care that Emma, the woman behind the man as he called her, is lying dead, stabbed through the chest because of the woman he sent her after. And that woman, who has been through so much, the world doesn't care about her sacrifice and instead sends two delirious twins to cross her path when she deserves freedom.
The twins walk closer, arms outstretched.
Joe counts to three and there is the sound of gunfire.
Yes, this must be the way the world ends, with fiery pain that screams in agonized tones of black and blood as the embers of life fade.