The road to Fall's End, though quite peaceful, was in a matter of fact a huge stress for a still shaking woman. The fact that she was riding a motorcycle only made it worse. Irina had contact with this type of transport only twice in her life and she didn't know if she will manage to control it long enough. The vehicle was shaking as she did. However, the girl tried not to think about it. Instead she simply focused on the road, reminding herself of the youth spent in this place. She moved out of Hope County at fourteen and returned after another fourteen years. She was pleased to say that this place has not changed a bit. It has stopped in time, life here was slow and peaceful. At least until this damned cult came here and destroyed everything people here worked for. Rage was boiling in the Deputy, but she tried to remain calm. She intended to release her anger a bit later when she discerned more in the situation. She had to find Pratt and Whitehorse, and release Hudson. It would seem that she forgot about Burke completely. Nothing unusual, though. The man didn't make a good impression on her since the very beginning. She suspected that the sheriff shared her opinion on this matter. She wanted to see him already, to know that he's fine... But she wasn't even sure if he and Pratt are still alive. Joseph's moral compass was a goddamn roulette, so he may decided that they aren't worthy enough, or some other shit like that.

With big relief Irina noticed the familiar outline of the buildings of the small town. If it could be called it like that - it was a complex of just twelve buildings. Pastor Jerome's church, general store, bar and several houses. Nothing special, everyone knew each other and they were like one big family. Carter missed this. She missed all those people and beautiful views of Montana. It was a pity that her return to Hope County took place in such unfavorable circumstances. She always thought she would return here of her own free will. That she would be able to visit Adelaide again, who secretly took her on a helicopter flights and tried to teach her how to pilot this amazing machine. She missed a scatterbrained Nick and a calm, reasonable Kim who was his opposite. Jess, not very sociable, but in this respect perfectly understood by a blonde-haired girl. Yes, Irina missed her carefree youth. All those lonely trips to the Whitetail forests, then arguments with her dissapointed father. Yes, she missed her father too. He was a good, patient and firm man. One of a kind, an angel in a tired, human body. He deserved much better than what he got.

The girl stopped the motor slowly, descending from it on trembling legs. She looked around nervously, searching for some friendly faces. It alarmed her how the town looked like. In many places there were traces of fire, shooting and dried blood. So the cult has also been here. Not that it was especially surprising.

- Hello. Can I help you with something? - A familiar, deep voice came from her right. Irina turned her face in this direction to see the vigilant, but calm man.

- Pastor Jerome? - she asked in disbelief but also in a hidden joy, stepping closer, standing at the end of the stairs leading to the church. The man had a rifle with him, undoubtedly ready to fire. It made the woman stop in her tracks.

- Yes, it's me, young girl. Is everything alright?... - He asked rather rhetorically. He saw that it was totally opposite. Irina's hair was torn and stucking to her face. Her black shirt was covered in blood and ragged in several places, just like the trousers. Shortly speaking, the woman looked very bad.

- Oh, I forgot. You probably don't remember me. I'm Irina Carter. The last time we saw each other was fourteen years ago, the day before I left Hope County and went to Hereford in England, along with my father. - She explained, breathing heavily. She still felt John's touch on her earlobe and hated it. She shivered slightly at the mere memory of their recent confrontation. Meanwhile, Jerome smiled broadly and nodded.

- Ah, forgive me. It's been a long time since our last meeting. Come with me, tell me everything. I suspect you've come across the members of Eden's Gate during your ride here. Mary May will find a room for you so that you can rest. - He said gently, going down to her. The woman nodded slowly and sighed with relief. Her whole body ached and the pastor undoubtedly saw it and offered help, but Irina merely smiled slightly.

- Thank you, I can manage. I suspect that I will have to learn how to function in this state, since I'm stuck here with this bloodlust cult all around the place. - Jerome looked at her questioningly. - I'll explain everything soon. The situation is... More complicated. I didn't come here voluntarily.

Jeffries nodded in understanding, then opened the door to the bar and let the woman go first. Deputy went inside and immediately felt the familiar smell of alcohol and some perfumes, and the subtle scent of fresh food coming from the kitchen at the back of the bar. Irina didn't hold back a smile this time as well. She was truly happy at this moment. Everything was as she remembered. Nothing has changed...

- Woah woah woah, look who we have here! I still remember you, an older friend from the yard! - Mary May was coming down the stairs, holding a crate of beer bottles in her hands. She put it down on the counter and approached the wounded, tired Deputy with a wide smile. - I see that Peggies have already gotten to you, huh?

- Yeah. It's even better. Come on, I will tell you. Nice hell of a story. - Irina murmured and winked, than sat by the bar with Jerome on her left and Mary on the opposite side of the counter. - Alright. Do you want the whole story, like, from the beginning, or just the retrospection from the last few hours?

- If you have enough strength right now, tell us everything. I nearly forgot about you, never thought you would come back. I was thinking that you found some good job and stayed in England. Or maybe moved to Russia, or something. - May put a glass in front of the woman and pointed to the bottles behind her. When Irina nodded her head towards the whiskey, the barmaid smiled. Seeing a slightly disapproving look on Jerome's face she only shrugged slightly.

- So. - Deputy began, bringing a glass to her lips. - I went to Hereford with my father, where he was employed as an instructor in a local shooting range. Military habits remained, the old man couldn't function normally without access to the firearms. He sent me to school. I was a typical recluse, I didn't make friends with anyone there. A few months after my eighteen birthday my father died of a heart attack. His PTSD was pretty bad, though he was fighting with it, otherwise he wouldn't get a job in shooting range. In the end, I think that was still the reason of jis death... But, anyway. I didn't wanted to stay in England because everything reminded me of him. So I went to Russia for three years, just like you thought. - She muttered, looking at Mary. - I found myself a small flat in the suburbs of Moscow and lived there. And I found myself... Friends. Helpful friends. Life got a little complicated, I got involved with alcohol and street racing. And pickpocketing. One of my friends had contacts at the McLaren car company, so he got me a car, where they also made it bulletproof... Don't ask why, it's totally different story. So, I was winning street races for him, giving him thirty percent of profits. It was a very good deal for both sides. He earned a whole lot of money, and in turn I had good contacts with not necessarily good people and a way of entertainment that I wanted. It was a good life, but I decided that I wanted to try to live somewhere else. And that was the biggest mistake I have made in my life.

- I didn't suspected that kind of story, I admit. Although you actually liked to cause problems as a teenager, from what I recall. - Jerome smiled. He understood the situation, after all. And Irina was grateful to him. Mary poked the woman lightly in the arm to force her to continue the story.

- Don't be so impatient. - Carter chuckled and put an empty glass on the counter. - I moved to Atlanta. The first ten months passed calmly. Some of the people I knew in Russia had contacts in the US too, so I didn't have to start everything from the very beginning. Though it was still hard. There weren't many opportunities to street racing, so more often I had to take out wallets from people's pockets. One day someone caught me during that and followed me for a while. Guess who. - She paused for a moment, but on the faces of Jerom and Mary she saw only confusion. - Atlanta's kingpin, John Duncan, lawyer and one of the richest people in the city. Currently known as John "The Baptist" Seed.

- Wait, wait. You mean, you knew him already before you came back here? The hell... - Fairgrave looked shocked and looked at Jeffries, who also clearly didn't knew that to think about all this.

- Yes, but this acquaintance was definitely not pleasant. He took the advantage of his inviolability and blackmailed me. Honestly, I don't know why. The only thing that comes to my mind is an explanation suggesting that John was just looking for entertainment. So, I was his courier and I was bringing him cocaine because he had a weakness for it at the time. It lasted for almost two months. Then I had to get out of town and he let me do this. Though he managed to thwart mine first escape, taking place just a day before the second one. I was never so pissed at someone. I left Atlanta and returned to Montana. I lived in Great Falls, you know, not far from Missoula. And there, against all life's expectations, I became law enforcement officer. - She chuckled. - My friends got me a new, clean past, so I managed to do it without major problems. So I lived quite calmly, until suddenly an arrest warrant for Joseph Seed appeared. I was taken into it, although I didn't want to do it. And it ended up badly. When we led him out of the church, Peggies attacked us. The helicopter that we were escaping in has crashed and everyone was taken away somewhere, or killed, I'm not even sure. Me and my co-worker Hudson were given to John, but we managed to get out of our rooms. We tried to escape from his bunker. I succeeded, but they got Hudson and I knew I couldn't help her. And then I came to you immediately. End of the story, here we are.

- Oh. So that's why you look like this. - Mary smiled a little bit, but there was sadness and a little bit of anger in her eyes. - Nice story, Irina. It's good that you came back, you'll help us. But first, rest. Upstairs there is a free room with a bathroom. Tomorrow we will discuss the current situation. There are people who need help in all of Hope County, but we'll start by helping those around here, in the Valley.

- Thanks, May. But are there any people in Fall's End who can defend the town? John won't let me go just like that, he will look for me for sure after... Our conversation. And he probably knows that I came here. He knows that I have connections with this place, he knows my past. And he's not stupid. - She said with resignation. Jerome put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed it lightly in a gesture of consolation.

- Don't worry about it. People don't watch idly what is happening here. They've been fighting cult ever since it became aggressive, and it has begun just a few weeks ago. We don't know why, but there are rumors that Joseph had some vision related to the Collapse, for which Peggies have been waiting for a long time. - Pastor glanced at Mary, who snorted softly but said nothing about the matter.

- Alright. Thanks for everything. I'm gonna go upstairs... I really need a shower.

Joey started struggling as John tightened his bonds on her wrists. Blood ran down her hands, sweat from her forehead and temples. Her face was in tears. She was terrified, and her heart was beating like never before. She didn't knew what was to come. Seeds were unpredictable.

- You were so brave, helping your friend in escape, and now you cry like a small child. Where did your bravado go, Deputy Hudson? - The man's voice was dripping with mockery, and his face was twisted with anger. He was furious because Carter managed to escape. He was angry at himself, at his people, but above all at Hudson, who was guilty of all this. Joey tried to say something but she didn't have a chance. Her lips were sealed with tape, so only a muffled moan managed to escape her throat.

- Oh, I'm so sorry, I can't hear you. Can you repeat?

John looked at her with reluctance. Hudson couldn't stand the piercing gaze of his blue eyes and turned her face away, hot tears burning her cheeks like a real fire. Joey was trembling with fear and pain. John didn't spare any words of contempt nor blows. He was beating her her, leading the woman several times to the edge of unconsciousness, only to stop suddenly. He didn't want her to faint, no. He wanted her to feel the pain all the time.

- It hurts, right? This is the price for sins, the price that must be paid. You have shown extraordinary greed, making it impossible for your friend to repent, to atone for her mistakes. Instead, you have guided her back to the wrong path, from which she will not be able to turn back on her own. Do you understand what you have done? - The Baptist asked, grabbing the woman's chin. Without any dose of delicacy. He dug his fingers into her skin, enjoying her helpless scuffle She was like a young hare, caught by an eagle and trapped between its claws that were piercing through her body, taking her live away. - Oh, you want to say something? It better be something good.

He tore the tape from her mouth with one strong motion. Hudson howled like a wounded wolf, so the man hit her in the face to silence her. The woman sobbed quietly, then slowly raised her head, breathing heavily. Her face was red and bruised and stung like hell.

- You... You... S-s-ssick ff-fuck...

He slapped her again, grabbing a knife and putting it to the throat of a woman, who swallowed nervously. Her lips trembled and eyelids began to swell. She felt the blood running down her hands, sinking into her trousers. The ties on the ankles and wrists were so tight that it felt as if the ropes were going to break through the skin at any moment and cut off her arms and legs from the rest of her body. She wanted to howl and cry again, but knew how it would end, so she just clenched her teeth. The jaw also spoke with dull pain, and warm tears rolled down her face.

- Do you wish to confess? - John asked with strange calmness, maybe even boredom. Although, without a doubt, the whole performance was pure, fucked up entertainment for him. Joey let out a small gasp, still afraid to look the man in the face. She felt as if she was talking to the devil himself. Maybe even that was true at some point. Maybe John Seed was the devil?

- I wish to go back home... - She whispered quietly, looking at her legs. At this point she would welcome death with open arms. It would be the best kind of freedom. Joey was pretty sure she was in hell right now. The way John treated her couldn't get probably any worse... Alright, it could. Hudson thought about possibility of getting raped and wanted to cry again. - Please...

- And what is waiting for you at home? A family of sinners? Your home is here. You will be welcomed with open arms. You just have to let your soul be cleansed, confess your sins, and repent. Father loves all his children, no matter what have they done in the past. - Hudson felt it was all just lies. It was impossible for John to just accept her in this abnormal family after all that had happened. He didn't care for her, not at all. He would gladly kill her if he only could. John just wanted to get Irina back for some strange reason, and Joey was afraid to think why and what he would do to her if he would get her again.

- I won't confess. I have nothing to say, nothing for you to hear... AAAAAAAH! - She screamed when he stabbed the knife into her right hand. The pain just got a lot worse, and she thought it was impossible. - STOP! STOP, STOP!

- Confess, and the pain won't bother you anymore. - He was calm, so fucking calm it made everything worse. Drops of blood ran down his face and soaked in his beard. She looked at him for a short moment and regretted it immediately. She no longer had any doubts. John Seed was a demon in the human body.

- I won't, I fucking won't! - She cried, struggling, despite the fact that she was only worsening her condition. The knife was still stuck in her hand, and the wound only increased. - I will not tell you anything, you fucking psychopath! I will wait here until your bloody head is thrown in the mud!

John growled like a furious beast, moving away from the woman. He didn't pull the knife out of her body, he left it the way it was, stepping out of the room and slamming the door behind him. Bloodstained. Furious. He didn't intented to waste any more time on Hudson now. Not when Irina was still somewhere in the Valley, because she certainly didn't manage to get out of it.

He was not going to let the girl escape.