Far Cry 5: The Collapse
Chapter 25: Inquisitorial Purge
It wasn't long after the shock of Roger's sudden return to the war had warn off that the defenders of the jail began the task of removing the dead peggies and loading them up into various vehicles to be taken for mounting. It should have been a grim task but the people of Hope County had now grown used to it and even looked forward to figuring out new interesting poses for their dead cultist mannequins.
Minkler was walking down the west alley where Joey had drawn the mobs of Angels and Archangels looking for signs of life amongst the dead. It was always a concern considering the massive physical endurance that the Bliss bestowed on the cultists creatures that they would remain active and dangerous long past the point one would normally think of them as dead.
So far though he thought it seemed that between Roger's fists and Joey's shotgun that none had survived. Just as he had finish processing the thought he heard a moan of pain from among the dead.
"Got a live one!" He called out and raised his shotgun as he scanned the area around him for signs of movement. One body moved a bit and he closed in to deliver the killing blow.
It was the Crier that had unlike his other brethren had found it within himself to charge against Roger even though all he had was a baseball bat and a iron cult cross. Minkler looked at the ragged haired young man with a hard remorseless look, he was just another one of the cults victims but as Roger and Marcus had made clear: See Peggie, Kill Peggie, Save the World. Failure to do so would only be repeating the events that laid the ground work for everything to happen again.
He aimed his shotgun at the young mans head and started to tighten on the trigger when the man spoke.
"D-Dad?" the dying man croaked as his eyes met Virgil's own.
Virgil stopped himself from pulling the trigger and suddenly even under all the blood, dirt and hair he could make out his son Ethan.
"Ethan!" He exclaimed and knelt down taking his sons hand in his own. He looked at the pipe that Roger had driven through his sons chest and knew that short of medical miracle in a proper hospital his son was going to die no matter what but that didn't stop the father from trying to comfort his son in his last moments.
Ethan's eyes began to swell up with tears. "D-Dad... I'm sorry. I screwed up big time. The cult... lying to you... getting Mom in the cult... I'm so so sorry Dad." He said with an increasing rattle as his lungs continue to fill with blood.
"Well Ethan its important that we admit our mistakes and I can forgive you... even now. I should have paid more attention to you instead of the day to day running of the county..." Virgil said as he too started to tear up.
Ethan interrupted him. "No you were fine Dad. I just wanted to find... I don't know... but the offer of a Eden just sounded so good compared to going to college and all the stress of trying to get scouted for baseball. I screwed up and everyone is paying the price... I was even dumb enough to think I could physically beat Roger Rook of all people."
Virgil nodded as he understood as he did remember the amount of stress his son had been under after he graduated high school and was looking at colleges and their teams to go to. He at the time figured he would work through it or ask for help if need be but instead Ethan had found help in 'The Father's' words instead of his.
"What about your mother?" He asked.
Ethan shook his head. "Mom... Mom got chosen to work at the Seed Ranch as a Matron of some sort under John. I don't think she is still alive."
With this Ethan started coughing up blood as death finally came for him. "I... I... am sorry Dad..." He managed one last time before falling silent.
"I forgive you son... I still love my boy... mistakes and all." He managed before he finally started openly weeping.
Nearby Marcus watched the entire scene play out and his own heart ached for Minkler as a father. It only made him more thankful to God that his own son had turned out as good as he had and had managed to pull himself away from the brink of death once more to boot.
He solemnly approached the weeping man and laid a hand on his shoulder getting his attention. "We'll give him a proper burial Virgil. He's not a cultist... not in the end at least and that is enough for me."
Virgil nodded before grabbing his son's aluminum baseball bat. It had been custom made for his son to use during his senior year and never again would it serve the agenda of the cult.
.
Inside another father and son were speaking in the main common area. Edward had gotten done telling his Dad about saving Roger from the Chosen and explaining why Dr. Feeney had not just gotten bayoneted but also splattered across the wall of the medical ward.
He honestly expected to get in some trouble for fighting when he and his sister had been told to hide but he hoped that saving Roger would at least lessen the coming blow.
Trevor Whitehorse had taken his rifle from his son and looked it over. Even though he honestly hadn't shot it much since he bought it at Rook's gun shop he could see all the little nicks and marks from all the recent use it had gotten since he had bought it. Taking another look at his nervous son he knew that he couldn't punish him, not when he had ultimately done the right thing and had saved the man who was in many ways the lynch pin in the entire Resistance.
"Ed you're not in trouble... in fact I'm going to give you this rifle. You're the one that has used it the most and you've shown that you are responsible enough to use it safely and care for it. Please don't disappoint me in doing this." He said with a smile.
Ed's eyes lit up. This meant that he now finally had a real rifle instead of another 10/22 like what his sister used.
"Really Dad?!" He exclaimed excitedly.
His father simply nodded before being tackle hugged by his son. Probably some child psychologist somewhere would be pulling out their hair at the mere idea of giving a child any gun let alone something like a full power rifle and even a few gun owners would question giving such a powerful rifle to a inexperienced shooter.
But as he had told his son just now, he had used it the most by far and protected not just himself but his little sister and now Roger as well thus by extension everyone in the county if you wanted to take it that far. Any concerns about his sons character or skill with the rifle had long since been addressed by Edwards actions and even he had to admit that seeing the smile on his sons face was priceless.
.
In another part of the jail Joey quietly approached her and Roger's shared cell turn living quarters and pulled back the cloth that separated the cell from the rest of the jail. Inside Roger now stood in front of the smallish mirror clad in a bear skin that he must of nabbed from one of the hunters along side his boots but otherwise still bare chested.
Roger turned and faced her while flashing that big toothy grin of his. "I'm back Joey... Bigger and badder than ever."
She giggled briefly at the comment. "Yes so just about everyone saw in all respects." She marched up to him and wrapped her arms around his massive torso. With the first deep breath she could smell that burnt gunpowder that now more than ever put her at ease.
Roger carefully embraced her, wary of making sure that his still less than perfect motor control didn't hurt her still it was what he had missed most during his time in the stock tank. "I love you Joey. I love you so damn much right now."
"Is this the part where I say 'I love you more' and we go back and forth for awhile?" She joked.
"Yeah if this were some cut rate romance movie maybe. Speaking of movies and how they pertain to us I do believe you now owe me a chain mail bikini." He said with a chuckle.
She looked down at the bear skin wrapped around his waist for a brief moment before looking back up at his eyes. "Well I guess I do don't I Conan? I'll make sure to get the smallest one possible just for you."
"By Crom if there wasn't but naught a thin cloth between us and the rest of this jail I would show you pleasures undreamed of and fill this place with your cries of rapture." Roger said huskily as he bent down to capture her lips in a soft kiss.
"If it was anyone else saying that I wouldn't believe them in the slightest." She replied in between kisses as bit by bit things got more heated between them. She felt Roger's hands carefully run across her body and firmly grip her ass drawing soft squeak and subsequent moan from her.
"You've been working out." He commented.
"Oh you know running around fighting a war against a murderous doomsday cult while being exposed to Bliss will do great things for your figure, hell my tits have even gotten bigger." She shot back before returning to kissing him some more now also lightly grinding against him with more desire.
"I must see this..." He teased back.
It was then a soft knock on the steel bars of the jail cell brought them both crashing back to reality as Mary May spoke from the other side of the cloth with a knowing tone. "Hey guys I know you really miss each other a lot but this blanket really is rather thin and I while I don't think anyone would stop you it would be awkward for everyone else."
"Damn it Mary May you are cramping my style here!" Joey said with a laugh.
"Ha! You guys are lucky that I offered to grab you guys instead of Jessica." The bartender offered as the two Deputies stepped out of the cell.
Roger sighed heavily. "Well you aren't wrong, so I guess that we are needed in common area?"
"Yeah sorry to say but the war isn't over yet and with this attack Rachel has to have burn through the last of her options. I think everyone is past ready to be done with her." Mary May said sagely.
Roger ducked back in to the cell and grabbed his Stetson along with his deputy's badge off of his far too small shirt and clipped it to his bear skin kilt. "Well lets go meet with the brass and figure out how to put an end to this campaign."
.
The entire Resistance leadership save for Minkler who was with some help from the other fighters burying his son at the moment had gathered around the main planning table once more to take stock of how many injured or dead they had just lost along with figuring out what to do next once they had cleared the bodies from around the jail.
From the medical ward stumbled out Marshal Burke. The medical staff were busy trying to save the lives of the latest wounded fighters so it was pretty easy to quietly slip out. He was slightly dizzy and incredibility sore from not moving for a few days but he was alive and could think fairly clearly right now, which he would need if he was to get a grip on the situation.
'Need to get a plane or a chopper and fly out of here and get some real help. Figures these people would be dumb enough to take the law into their own hands and start fighting the cult. That bullshit ends here and now.' He thought as he wondered through the hall until he heard the Sheriff's familiar voice.
"Marcus I like the idea of using mortars on the Conservatory, but I'm worried about hitting our own people unless you are just thinking about using them just to soften up Rachel's defenses." The Sheriff commented as Burke entered the room.
"No ones using fucking mortars on anything." He said as he approached the table. Looking around at those gathered he only recognized the Sheriff but still he could see the large built older man next to the Sheriff look at him with confusion.
The older woman at his side was gripping some Russian machine gun and looking at him as if she wasn't sure if he was a threat or not. The others around the table being some cook complete with fully loaded apron, some skin head with a really small AK and a lot of tattoos, a young burly looking football player complete with Letterman jacket over some body armor with a full size AK, and some young black woman that couldn't be much older than 20 that clearly had a resting bitch face. All in all it was the kind of country bumpkins that he expected to see when he found out where he was heading.
"Ok I'm back so Sheriff what the hell have you been doing? Where's the National Guard? What is up with all of these Red Dawn wanna be's?" He asked shifting his focus from the Sheriff to the map on the table and finally his gun belt and badge.
He grabbed his belt and started putting it on as the Sheriff huffed softly before answering. "Well Marshal to answer your questions in order. I have been working with these people to take back these mountains from Rachel or as you know her Faith Seed, we don't have contact with the world outside of the county so there is no national guard, hence as you insinuated these are our 'Wolverines' or more correctly 'Cougars'..."
The football player held up his rifle and called out "Cougars!" Getting a laugh from everyone save for Burke who only looked at the kid as if he had grown a second head.
"Thank you Mack. As I was going to say these people are the Resistance or at least those that have either stepped up to lead or were pressed into the role. We have already liberated all of Holland Valley and killed John Seed, most of the Henbane Mountain region also now is under our control save for Rachel's Conservatory and her missile silo." The Sheriff finished.
'Missile silo? Is this guy for real?' He thought as he finished fastening his gun belt. "Ok well first things first we are going to stop playing around and get a hold of the proper authorities. I know you people have had fun playing pretend soldiers..." He started to say when the young black woman interrupted him.
"Sheriff who the fuck is this asshole? Just walking in here like he owns the fucking place?" She said harshly.
The older lawman was going to answer when Burke whipped out his badge. "See this? I am a Untied States Marshal, a federal officer. That means if I say stop doing something you better fucking listen kid."
The woman just looked at him mouth open as if he was the first person to actually have some balls and talk back to her. Her shock was matched in one form or another by everyone else at the table save for the Sheriff who had pushed up his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Jeez Earl, I know you said this guy was a piece of work but damn..." The other man said with a chuckle which only made him more aggravated as it was clear he wasn't being taken seriously.
"And just who the hell are you old man?" He asked.
"Name's Marcus, I am pretty much the defacto leader of the Holland Valley Resistance or at least I handle the day to day stuff and plan the operations." The large man said calmly.
"Yeah well now I am in charge and either you do as I say or..." He started to reply when the skinhead chimed in.
"You'll arrest him? Do you really think you have the facilities to do such a thing? Do you think that these people here will just accept you as the leader because you say so?" The man said with perfect though slightly accented English.
The questions made Burke roll his eyes hard. This wasn't going the way he wanted and such a thing didn't normally happen to him, normally all he had to do was flash the badge and people did what they were supposed to do. Even Joseph Seed responded better than these people!
"Yes dumb ass and I am willing to arrest anyone who refuses to stop fighting and start either digging out a tunnel to the outside or start scrounging up a helicopter to fly out of here and get actual help. I know that concept is hard to get into your skulls but that is the new reality. Play time is over." He barked angrily.
The woman with the machine gun started shifting it to a more ready position. It was the final straw as he drew his pistol in all of its shining glory. "Don't even think about it Grandma." He said as the rest of the people at the table stood back and at least placed their hands on their sidearms or those with long guns started bringing them to bare.
He locked eyes with the old woman as Marcus drew a familiar looking massive 1911 and leveled it at him. "If you people won't respect the badge then you'll respect a nine millimeter hollow point."
He didn't hear the rush of smaller feet behind him but he certainly felt something sharp be pressed against the left side of his neck.
"Drop the gun." Said some kid with a rifle that was probably longer then he was tall when you include the massive bayonet that was now being pressed against his neck.
"Seriously you fuckers even arm your kids? What are you? African warlords?" He asked as he looked at everyone else for an answer.
"Burke... you holster that service weapon right now. This isn't a normal situation in the slightest so like it or not you are going to have to adapt and accept what is going on. We can't reach the outside world and any aircraft that try to fly out of here get shot down... we are alone." The Sheriff said trying to defuse the situation even as he rested his hand on his own massive revolver.
He growled back a reply. "No Sheriff it's clear you are so hopelessly out of your depth that you have willingly handed over authority to a bunch of over armed farmers instead of performing your job and curbing these people. You are disgrace to that badge and your position."
Meanwhile Jessie ran through the halls toward the living area and nearly ran into the mountain of muscle that was Roger as she rounded a corner.
"Roger! That Marshal is having a stand off with Grampa and your Dad! He's pointing his gun at your Mom too!" She gasped out as she tried to catch her breath.
"Burke you dumb ass..." He muttered angrily before looking at the girls. "Joey you and Mary May rush ahead, I don't know if I can manage much more than a walk right now."
The two women only nodded and rushed ahead guns drawn with Jessie in tow as he pushed hard and tried to break into a jog only to stumble and lean up against the wall to stop himself from falling completely.
'Damn you Burke you couldn't give me a few more hours to get used to walking again before doing something stupid again.' He thought angrily once more as he started walking as fast as he dared down the hall towards the main common room.
Joey and Mary May had rushed in and saw just as Jessie had described. Burke was holding Jessica at gun point while the Sheriff was trying to talk him down meanwhile Marcus, Casey, Dmitri, and Mack had their own weapons leveled at the Marshal.
Jessica had her hand near her rifle and could probably only bring it up to bare in a moment if she had that much time with Burke holding his own gun at her head. Edward had once more brought his own rifle and bayonet to bear against Burke.
She drew her own pistol as she shifted around behind Edwards position and Mary May shifted to the right over to where Tracey was. Everyone had cleared their field of fire and only the continued back and forth between Burke and the Sheriff once more was keeping the former from being shot at the moment.
"It's very simple Sheriff, all you need to is shut up, follow orders, get your man power out of the woods, and start working on digging out the road tunnels." Burke growled.
The Sheriff fought the urge to roll his eyes at the ignorant mans words. They had already tried to dig out the tunnel leading out of the county past the Steele farmstead and nearly lost thirty men when there was a cave in. They simply didn't have the resources or even the most basic of training in trying to excavate the tunnel without endangering people's lives. Of course in Burke's mind all he saw were bodies and not people so it was easy for him to shrug off the people they would likely loose in the process assuming they could even make do without proper heavy earth moving equipment, unless they wanted to find someway to haul the stuff out of the mines which was its own massive operation.
"Burke... I don't know what else to tell you. What you want you can't have and right now you are just making things worse for you as far as these people go." He said as calmly as he could manage.
Burke scoffed. "Right and you expect me to just join your little army and fight the cult? Sheriff, laws exist for a reason, authority exists for a reason, and since you clearly don't care about the law nor have will to exercise the bare minimum of your positions authority. I see no reason why I shouldn't take over..."
He turned and looked at the new comers as best he could with the bayonet still in his neck. "Hudson. Figures a scared little underling like you would go along with this bullshit."
"Yeah spending a week being beaten by John Seed and groped by his guards kinda made me prefer fighting rather than staying put and hoping that help finally arrives from outside." Joey scowled fiercely.
"Now all we need to complete the set is Pratt and the probie. Where is that overgrown roid fueled gun nut anyway?" Burke joked and oddly enough got a smile from everyone at the table. Jessica even started laughing softly. Marcus was the first to lower his gun followed by everyone else lowering their weapon save for Edward who stood stock still with the point of his bayonet still pressing against Burke's neck.
"Kid take the hint and back off with the spear." Burke said now glancing down at the 10 year old.
"You first. You aren't the first person I've stabbed today and I'm not afraid to add to that count. Now drop the gun." Edward said grimly.
Burke glanced back at the Sheriff to see his reaction and only saw his smile get bigger as he reached for his grandson's shoulder and pulled him back gently, then he heard the sound of heavy boots on the concrete behind him.
Roger wasn't pleased with Burke before all this but now given the sight before him he honestly was weighing if it was worth killing him and having him mounted alongside the rest of the cultists. For all he knew right now he could still be under the effects of Bliss but even his tolerance had all but run out at this point.
He came up behind Burke as fast as he could and swiftly brought his right arm up to sweep with it Burke's gun arm to bring it away from pointing at his mother as his left hand gripped the back of the shorter mans armor and jerked him back with ridiculous ease.
As he pulled Burke back his right hand moved down the mans gun arm until he was able to wrap his hand around the chrome plated 1911 making sure to place his thumb between the hammer and the firing pin as his hand closed around it and easy as could be pulled the firearm away from the Marshal.
Now disarmed Roger continued to pull his left arm back taking Burke with it and tossed the smaller man back roughly, sending him sliding and tumbling on the hard concrete floor.
Burke looked up and froze in absolute horror as the massive deputy towered over him. "Burke... I am not surprised that you don't remember our little conversation back in that trailer home almost a month ago considering just how much Bliss has been pumped into you so allow me now to repeat myself for your sake." Roger growled as he started walking slowly and as ominously as he could manage as the click of his boots echoed in the room.
"You. Are. Not. In. Charge. Anymore." He said slowly and clearly. "Just as before you have shown a clear inability to accept and adapt to new circumstances such as we currently find ourselves in."
"But I am the Marshal here! I'm..." Burke cried out only to be cut down by Roger as he roared making the other lawman whimper in pain and fear.
"SHUT UP! You don't get it Burke... your badge, your authority, it all ended the moment that we lost contact with the outside world. Do you know why people follow the Sheriff? It's not because its he is the Sheriff, its because he is Earl K. Whitehorse, the man behind the badge! All you have is a piece of metal, a bad attitude, and ego so big that it has its own gravitational field! That's not going to bring people to support you and to put their trust in you. Not to mention your tendency to react to people who don't jump at your order is to point your shiny and expensive looking gun at them."
"We need to get in contact with the outside, not waste time fighting these nut jobs." The Marshal squeaked pitifully.
"You are half right. We do need to reach the outside world but since the peggies blew the tunnels and wrecked the phone and fiber lines our best option is to fly out of here, however once more the cult stands in our way. As long as they are a threat their 'Air Wardens' will shoot down every aircraft trying to enter or leave this county thus if we want to reach the outside world we must kill every single fucking cultist unless you happen to have a satellite phone on you which would change a great many things."
Finally the Marshal began to realize just how powerless he was. Instinctively he felt for his gun and found his holster empty and his sense of powerlessness only deepened. Roger bent down now closing the distance between them as he spoke once more.
"Now normally I would leave you alone to wallow in these new feelings that you are experiencing, sadly considering that you were pointing a gun at my mother of all people I am not going to make the mistake of leaving you free to roam. Also as if I needed more reason to not trust you is once again your criminal levels of recklessness and negligence in carrying out your job. Traits which will likely rear its head up sooner or later once you recover meaning that I'm going to place you under arrest." Roger said as he stood up once more and turned to Joey.
"Joey, your handcuffs please." He asked as she came over with her pair of restraints. "Read him his rights he still has them regardless of what you wish Roger." She said as she then took Burkes gun belt and badge before taking the gun from Roger.
He nodded at her comments and did as instructed as he with fumbling fingers also cuffed the Marshal who started struggling hopelessly against him. "You can't do this to me! I am a Federal Agent!" He yelled fruitlessly.
"Haul him off Roger when you get back we will get back to business." The Sheriff said sternly finally glad to see the Marshal out of their hair.
Tracy piped up now. "I'll make sure he is fed and kept secure. Never thought I would see you guys arrest someone that important though."
The Sheriff smiled. "He isn't as important as you think Tracey, besides as far as I am concerned he is subject to all the laws you and I have to obey. I don't know if the charges would stick or not but I can't argue with the attempt, besides it keeps him out of our way."
Joey set Burke's gun belt on the table and proceeded to automatically check and clear his gun and found it empty. She looked at Marcus and Jessica who were both smiling.
"Joey you really don't think I would just leave a firearm especially a loaded firearm just out on the table like I did? Think of the children after all." Marcus mocked as he gestured to the small area that the Whitehorse children had set up their books and gun cleaning supplies on a spare table they found.
The Sheriff also looked at his old friend in mild shock. "A test?" He said.
Jessica nodded. "From everything that we have been told and seen from that man thus far we both felt it was worth seeing if he would try anything if he were given a firearm. Frankly the fact that he didn't notice it was empty didn't to any favors in proving his competency either."
Marcus continued their explanation. "Earl you should have seen the inside of this guys gun, loads of lint, ungodly amounts of rust forming under the grips, and damn near no lube. This is a otherwise beautifully made Dan Wesson X-Tac Supergrade, a real high dollar 1911 with a lot of custom options... probably would go for seven grand rough guess on my part. All in the hands of a man that at most qualifies with this thing once a year if that much and probably also at something far too short like seven or ten yards. Also all his mags were loaded with nine mill ball not hollow points so he doesn't even know what ammo he's carrying either. Frankly the fact he was allowed to carry this at all just shows that its a show piece to him that only gets brought out to threaten people who don't jump as Roger put it."
Revelations made they waited patiently as Roger made his way back to them. Once he came back toward the table Marcus spoke. "So our Primarch has returned to fight the forces of Chaos. Thankfully with at least some clothes on."
The end joke helped relieve the leftover tension from Burke's actions as they all settled back to handling the task at hand.
"So Roger how do you feel?" The Sheriff asked.
He was quiet for a moment before smiling widely. "I feel fucking amazing but uncoordinated, like my arms and legs are too long and its throwing off my sense of balance. I'm getting better but it might be a few more hours of getting used to my new body. Just saying that feels weird."
"Well once we are done here I'll make a call down to Fall's End to Mrs. Adami, you remember the local seamstress. I'll have her come up here with some of the spare uniforms I had her repair and see if she can't alter them so they will fit you." The Sheriff said as his mother also cut in.
"I'll go pick her up then. I will want to take some measurements but I'll hit the farm supply store since I am in town and see what they have in the big and tall section that will fit you or be altered to fit." She said with a smile.
"Thanks Mom. While I don't mind playing Conan, I am less wild about playing Conan while facing off against peggies with rifles." Roger said.
"On that note I might as well head to town with your mother and hit the shop to get what I need to fit or more likely make you some new armor. I am actually excited at the idea." His father grinned as the dangerous Rook mental gears began to turn.
"In great armor I shall clad them and with mighty weapons shall they be armed." Joey quoted drawing shocked but impressed looks from Marcus and Roger to which the elder Rook turned back to his son. "You have chosen wisely. The Emperor approves."
Now that both Deputies were thoroughly embarrassed and red faced Roger turned the conversation back to the war. "Ok so we need to attack the conservatory and more importantly get the bunker key off of Rachel's neck. Do we have any rough ideas on how to go about doing that?"
"Well we were thinking about a brute force attack since we do have some mortars we pulled from John's bunker but we were about to cover the question of how exactly to use them when Burke showed up." The Sheriff said as he gestured to the proposed mortar locations.
"Maybe if it were the Grey's running the mortars and aiming them we could provide accurate enough support so the Resistance fighters can come in behind a rolling barrage but again coordinating the fire and movement is going to be a hassle and once we get inside the conservatory its going to be on the fighters to clear out the buildings." Marcus added.
Roger nodded as he stared at the map and his vision shifted over to the Gethsemane Greenhouses and the tunnel leading to the Cashe. The solution was there but how to reach it he hadn't quite figured out as one of main issues in attacking the Conservatory was just the sheer number of people there. Alone according the cult records they had pulled from Joseph's laptop weeks ago they had a little over 2,500 children of various ages and another 300 dedicated teachers and care givers, then there was whatever was left of the garrison and chemists.
He would be insane especially after the actions of Edward and Jessie Whitehorse to discount the danger a child especially a cultist child with a rifle. It was Africa and the Middle East all over again but now he had to deal with nearly everyone likely wanting to resist going to that degree in their war against the cult.
'But what choice do we have? Can we suddenly secure, house, and feed 2,500 children overnight? Not to mention what kind of risks are putting ourselves in down the road? Not only can we logistically not afford to spare them but with that many children the likelihood of one of those children wanting to restart their own cult using the teachings of 'The Father' as a base are too high. Even if they don't start their own cult I could very well be looking at having to watch my back for the rest of my life along with everyone else here for a vengeful peggie child all grown up.' He thought grimly as he glanced up at his father.
The elder Reaper shared a similar look. 'He knows exactly what we need to do but he can't see how to go about suggesting it. We need to scale back this operation, I can't realistically expect even the hardest Resistance fighters to pull the trigger on a child certainly not on this scale so that means I need to handle it myself but that means gathering them all in one place and using a area effect weapon some sort like a gas weapon or even Bliss...' He thought as Joey chimed in.
"Um I have an idea but its... extreme and well really extreme." She said looking rather nervous for a change.
"Well Hudson lets hear it. Things are already pretty fucking extreme so what's a little more?" Tracey chirped.
She nodded and continued. "We need to sneak in, assassinate Rachel and grab her key, and then we need to blow up all of the Bliss tanks at the same time."
She walked over to Jessie and Edwards table and grabbed a book from their pile, thumbing through it as she rejoined them at the table and set it down in front of Roger. The book was David Macaulay's The New Way Things Work and the page she had opened to was on how a seismograph worked.
"I saw Jessie reading this yesterday and I was inspired. In 2006 the North Koreans had a underground nuclear test, within two hours nearly two dozen seismic stations around the world had detected the test, now nothing was done afterwards for another two weeks until the atmospheric tests could be done but the concept for us is the same. We have a massive amount of explosive underground to set off that if we do it right it will be detected around the world." She said with growing confidence.
Roger slowly grinned as his mind raced with what she was suggesting. He shot up and hugged her finishing with a quick kiss. "You beautiful genius of a woman! This is perfect!"
"We're in a geologically quiet part of the country save for anything that comes from the fault lines to the west! So anything odd from our area is going to stand out like a sore thumb especially if its close to the profile of a underground nuclear test! Not to mention..." Roger finished her statement.
"The foreign response!" He turned to his father. "That regressive knuckle dragger in Ottawa would jump at the chance to break out his anti-American hockey stick."
"The Chinese and the Russians wouldn't be too pleased to detect something either meaning the government would have to respond and fast." Marcus said. Dmitri nodded at the latter nations mention.
"Being a perceived nuclear threat would mean that it wouldn't be a law enforcement matter either. It would fall under national defense thus require some form of military response." Casey added latching on to the growing excitement.
"If that explosion is big enough to be mistaken for a nuke the conservatory would be destroyed completely too. That's a lot of dead peggies and a real flashy way of doing it as well." Mack exclaimed.
Roger's smile took on a evil hint as he spoke. "Oh yes this is also going to provide with a bit of extra work a massive psychological weapon to use against the cult... oh yes I can make this work. Mary May?" He asked turning to the bartender.
"I need your help for something else I just thought of. I need you to grab the Widowmaker and get every single truck and trailer you can with drivers that we can scrounge up." He turned back to the rest of the group. "We aren't just going to blow the cult up, we're going steal what we can before we light the fuse and top off our coffers, it will be a great way to set ourselves up for the campaign against Jacob and the final march against Joseph."
Dmitri nodded but his face turned serious. "Roger... I have a guess given your previous work with John what you have planned. You want to broadcast Rachel's death don't you?"
He turned to face the Russian and his eyes met his counterparts. "Yes if possible. You said that the conservatory had broadcasting equipment and the means to hold in one room the entire population of the compound. To set that up..." He started to say as Dmitri finished for him.
"You need me to go back in. I will do it. You give me the message and I will pass it on." He said with a smile.
Joey perked up at the statement. "Roger that's insanely dangerous! Feeney is dead and when Dmitri shows up Rachel is going to ask why isn't he with him!"
"There is one thing that can override a Herald's order, a order from 'The Father' trumps all. I will go back with Roger's message and pose it as Joseph's own order. When Rachel asks about Feeney I will tell her some of the truth, that we were kidnapped from his house but managed to escape to Joseph's territory by swimming across the river to his compound. Feeney was injured but is with Joseph." The intelligence officer laid out.
"I'll draw up a program, a show for Rachel's people to carry out to the letter and reassure her that I, 'The Father' am proud of how she has held out and that I am coming to give her the help she needs along with bringing Feeney who has discovered the key to finding and producing a Saint. She is so in over her head that with the right tone she will desperately latch on to the first hand offered to her." Roger said with a ever widening evil smile.
"Roger I know that we have been dancing around this issue but a lot of those peggies in that conservatory are kids. Are you sure you want that on your head?" The Sheriff said in passing.
He exhaled slowly as he braced himself to get into a major debate with the elder lawman. "Yes. Sheriff we can't just suddenly soak up that many people especially that many inherently hostile people. They maybe children but as Ed and Jessie have proved all they need is a weapon and a will and they are just as dangerous as any grown man or woman. Not to mention beyond feeding, housing, and securing those children and maybe their handlers how many people do you think will step up to show mercy after how many of our own children have been butchered?"
The question hung in the air as the Sheriff chewed on it. "Not many... not enough to expect those few who do to last long under the stress for sure. That's why you're not going with the frontal assault isn't?"
He looked around at those gathered before launching into his story. "Back in Afghanistan I was posted on overwatch duty at a joint Allied/Afghan check point when I saw this guy and his wife with three sons about six to eight years old roughly. They were just out of sight of the check point but I could see them from my vantage point along with my CO who was making his round and checking up on his guys."
He could remember watching the father through the scope of his M39, showing his sons how to prime their vest mounted F1 grenades. Never in his life would he forget just how proud the man looked as he prepared to send three of his sons to become martyrs. Roger continued with the story. "I asked my CO what to do when the three of them started toward the check point. They each had to have at least two dozen grenades under their coats so there would be plenty of dead and injured if they set them off at the check point. My CO froze up and didn't say anything and I watched as my window to engage safely closed rapidly, until finally I did what I do best... I crunched some numbers and put a single round of 7.62 NATO into each kid. The locals around them started running and freaking out and it gave me the chance I needed to shift over to the parents and drop them as well."
He got quiet as the memory replayed in his mind. Remembering clear as day the light push the rifle against his solider and the string of cussing from his CO as he finally processed what Roger was doing.
"So what happened next?" Casey asked.
"My CO gave me a full dressing down and threatened a court martial as well. We called in the threat to the check point of course and it turns out that several other posts had been hit in the same way as well in other parts of the city that day. All of them hit with children barring explosive gifts and promises that Allah and their fathers would be proud of their bravery. The post that I was looking over was the only one not successfully attacked. The brass of course grilled me and my CO and in the end wound up begrudgingly decreeing that I had done the right thing. By killing those kids and their parents I had saved over 20 American and British soldiers lives along side 60 Afghan regulars and at least 120 civilians if not more." Roger ended as he looked back at the Sheriff.
"I am blessed by the fact that I am not haunted by those deaths which is something I can't say for a lot of vets. Now like back then if we don't treat those peggie kids like the full blown peggies they are... we stand to loose more than we gain by the numbers. To that end I will carry the burden because I know I can and let others go on without the direct trauma."
The Sheriff let out a long breath as he leaned over the map and stared hard that the Conservatory. "Roger... Jesus Christ... I'm going to trust your judgment in this. But God in heaven this goes against the grain..."
The giant nodded. "As it should sir. This ladies and gentlemen is that one time out of ten when we must not hold back, when we must be pragmatic and realistic thus brutal. We don't have the option of bringing outside resources to entertain the more normal, more humane, more... civilized courses of action. Just remember when the rest of the world starts to complain about this just point them to me and I will deal with the fallout."
The meeting after that pretty much concluded save for a few details for their plan. Roger set to work typing up on 'The Father's own letterhead copied from other such messages taken from Rachel's recovered files. He laid out an entire children's program that would also serve to bring hope to the older members of the cult, to that end he specified that everyone from the lowest member to the highest ranking chemist be in attendance. Every guard would be required to leave their post, fully placing their trust in 'The Father' that he would protect them and even those who are wounded but could be moved would also be brought in to see the show.
In all it was insane to the degree that no normal thinking man or woman would fall for such a scheme, but this was the cult they were talking about and if 'The Father' says jump then his children would jump lest their souls be condemned.
.
Meanwhile his parents along with Mary May and Casey returned to Fall's End only for the former to return with Mrs. Adami, the little old grey haired Italian-American seamstress in tow who could only gawk at how big he had gotten.
"Jessica your boy has gotten so big and strong! I didn't think it was possible." She had said.
His smiling mother had only simply replied with. "Yes but no matter how big he gets he is still my baby boy."
Soon after with the measurements taken the seamstress set to work altering his deputies uniform so that he at least would have one shirt that would fit. More would be made once she returned to her shop. His mother had raided the local farm supply store, more specifically the big and tall section and thankfully found that it had in stock a number of pants, shirts, and underwear that were big enough to fit him.
While they were gone Roger started walking laps around the yard getting used to his new body, after about the tenth lap he started to try and jog without falling which after only two face plants he managed it. Another twenty laps at a jog he felt good enough to break into a run.
He couldn't describe how it felt not only to move again but just how easy it was getting to move. When he felt daring enough to sprint around the yard he felt faster and like he could keep this pace forever, as much as it bothered him he had to admit that Feeney was right about one thing. A Saint really was physical perfection as far as he was concerned, now if the transition wasn't so uncomfortable and nearly deadly.
When he felt more in control he and Joey spent some time shooting at some of the Archangel's bodies that had been posted to serve as practice targets. This didn't take nearly as long as learning to run again and soon he was shooting back at the level he expected himself to perform at, this also afforded him the chance to just share the down time with Joey which only made the joy of his recovery all the better.
By sun down his mother had arrived with clothes that fit him and the final finishing work began on his uniform shirt.
'Thank God my feet didn't grow any bigger, its hard enough to find boots big enough as it is. To that end I only went up a glove size too so that is at least tolerable.' He thought as he put on his hat and stepped out of his and Joey's cell now finally fully dressed.
Joey was waiting outside for him finally without her armor. To say that her uniform was tight on her was a understatement as her pants looked painted on and most important to him was her uniform shirt that somehow by nothing short of an act God continued to hold together despite her bust trying to break free.
"My God Joey you weren't kidding, you definitely went up a few bra sizes. I think we might need to have Mrs. Adami look at fixing your shirts as well." He jested as Joey started leading them toward the main common area.
"She actually offered but only had enough spare material on hand to do your alternations. Besides if need be I will just fix any buttons that start to pop off." Joey said dismissively.
.
In the common area Marcus with some of the Grey's had been hard at work with Mrs. Adami once she had finished Roger's uniform to finish not just cutting out the steel plates but also further enlarging the largest plate carriers they had in the store to hold the plates. The armor for Roger now was pushing nearly 65 pounds when you totaled up the torso, groin, and shoulder pauldrons but now he was encased in enough AR500 steel plate that he could conceivably shrug off a few .50 cal hits assuming that the force of the impacts didn't cause their own injuries.
Joey's own replacement armor was simpler as it was more of a refitting rather than a custom job like what Roger needed. Still though her armor was some of the best that Marcus could field. Another touch added by him after much convincing of the Sheriff was taking the badges off of a pair of flags that normally hung in various places of the Sheriff's office but had at the time been with Mrs. Adami for repair. The large badges now covered the left pauldron of both Roger and Joey's armor lending them as Marcus put it a increased level of authority considering that they as stated to Burke earlier were the only law enforcement recognized in the county.
Jessica simply rolled her eyes as she called him out on furthering his love of Warhammer 40K.
Joey had just taken off her armor for the last adjustment when her shirt finally yielded and first one then followed by three more buttons flew off, one of which struck the Sheriff in the face as he watched the fitting session draw to a close.
"Oh shit... looks like I'll..." She didn't get to finish her statement when the Sheriff cut in. "Joey you're not fixing that. I actually want to head back to Fall's End and see the state of things for myself, considering that Mrs. Adami will need a escort back to town anyway you and Roger can join me and we will stop by the office and get you some larger shirts. Nancy I know wore a size or two larger than you so I should have a few larger women's shirts in stock."
With their orders given the two of them donned their new armor and with packs loaded with their guns and ammo the three of them walked out of the front gate where a particular brown furred friend was approaching with a mouth full of a large bass.
Cheeseburger dropped his fish the moment he saw Roger and danced around excitedly. Roger looked like he was ten again when he saw his best animal friend again.
"Cheeseburger! Oh holy shit! BEAR HUG!" He exclaimed as he held his arms out wide. What happened next was a sight not seen in Hope County in nearly a decade.
Cheeseburger reared up on his hind legs and stood at his massive 13 foot height before taking a few steps forward and embracing Roger and he hugged the massive bear. It was their own special greeting between the two overgrown examples for their respective species.
"Yes you remember me don'tcha boy?!" He said as they released each other and the moment that Cheeseburger had dropped back down to all four legs he enjoyed the vigorous head scratching that Roger was giving.
He looked up at the Sheriff and Joey who were being joined by his parents and Mrs. Adami. "With things being so bad with the cult I hadn't had time to go up to the F.A.N.G center to say hi to him. I'm really glad that he got away from the cult and made himself useful."
.
Reunion completed Cheeseburger grabbed his fish and returned to his spot by the door to the jail's interior as the Sheriff and his deputies loaded up in Roger's truck. The Sheriff sat shotgun while Joey crammed herself in the middle. Behind Marcus followed in his own truck.
"You know Roger its a good thing that I like you otherwise I wouldn't be too happy being crammed in here with you." She said.
"Yeah sorry Joey but hey at least we're not in a Mini Cooper or Smart Car. Had to drive one of those in England and Germany respectively. It was hard then and now... if I some how fit the car would be bottomed out probably." He joked getting a laugh out of the Sheriff.
"Roger I hate to say it but I don't think you'll ever be able to drive anything smaller than this thing." The elder lawman commented as they rolled into town. As they did all the humor in the cab died a quick death.
"Roger... there are lights on in the office." The Sheriff commented.
"I haven't been in the office since we left to pick up Burke." Joey added.
"Well then lets go see who is poking around." Roger ended the discussion as he grabbed his radio. "Dad we got odd lights on at the Sheriff's office, we're going to investigate."
In another minute they pulled up in front of the building and they piled out taking their weapons in hand, as they did the Sheriff looked at the unchanged parking lot with a wary eye. Whoever was inside had come on foot and the undamaged front entrance meant that whoever was inside had a access card.
"So the traitors have come back home... Rook you got a muzzle brake for that .30-06 of yours?" He growled as he double checked his revolver.
"Yes sir but why?" Came the confused reply.
The old Sheriff had a truly angry look that never in Roger's life he had seen before. "Shock and awe Roger, shock and awe."
In few moments he had swapped his suppressor for the large tank brake that was similar to what came stock on his Barrett.
"It's finally time to purge the department folks." The Sheriff said as he lead the two deputies toward the front door of the office.
"Just try not to hit my desk please it was Dad's desk before and I would like to take care of it." Joey added as the card reader beeped and they stormed the front interior.
Inside at the dispatchers position Nancy was quickly adjusting her radio scanning equipment while switching her main radio to the agreed upon frequency to directly reach Herald Faith's radio. It had taken days to reach the office undetected, endless days of dodging the absurd number of patrols within the sinners own territory.
'I always knew Marcus Rook was insane but to have so many people patrolling your own backyard is absolutely paranoid.' She thought. Still they had by the grace of 'The Father' managed to reach the Sheriff's office and all the resources it had. She had long since started stashing food and medical supplies in various untouched closets in the basement and once the other deputies figured out how to breach the armory they would have more weapons then just their old service weapons.
'Like his father before him Roger Rook just had to figure out how to change the combination on the vault door to make sure he likely was the only one that could get in.' She thought as the her radio finally came to life.
"Herald Faith? This is Inquisitor Fergus please come in." She called and adjusted her equipment to clear up the line.
"Inquisitor! You have finally made it to Fall's End!" Rachel replied on the other end of the line.
Nancy smiled at hearing the happiness in her heralds voice. She had been worried that she would be angry because of the delays but that didn't seem to be the case. "We only just got in about half an hour ago so we are still making camp so to speak. I do have my scanners on and I will send you a report every morning and evening unless its something important."
She didn't hear the herald's reply when the front door to the office opened and the Sheriff flanked by a bulked up Hudson and over shadowed by the juggernaut that was Rook who now was far larger than any human had the right to be.
"Earl!" She cried in shock.
All she got was a disappointed sounding. "Hi, Nancy." Before the Sheriff raised his massive hand cannon and sent a single .50 caliber slug through her head showering her desk space in crimson gore.
"Bye Nancy." He said flatly as from behind the door leading to the deputies office someone called out.
"Hey Nancy you ok? We just heard a... shot..." Another one of the former deputies said as he opened the door and froze in wide eyed horror at the three last people he ever wanted to see again.
"TRATIOR!" The Sheriff roared as he brought his gun to bear once more and let the magnum emphasize his statement as the deputy suddenly realized just how little protection the standard issued soft body armor actually provided.
He marched forward with Rook and Hudson still flanking him at the ready as he continued to take the lead on cleaning out his department.
He stood in the doorway of the office and looked over the rows of deputies desks as many of those who sat at them looked up in horror.
"TRAITORS!" The Sheriff roared once more and he began to carefully execute those foolish enough to stand up in an attempt to run away. Others ducked and flipped up their heavy wood desks in hopes gaining some cover. On the Sheriff's sixth shot and his sixth kill of the engagement he ducked back behind the door frame in time to avoid a burst of return fire from the remaining half dozen plus deputies as they started getting a hold of themselves.
"ROOK! HUDSON YOU'RE UP!" He shouted over the sound of the gunfire as he flipped his revolver forward and let the massive spent shells fly out clearing the way for his speed loader.
Roger took point as he entered the room proper with rifle up. His sudden appearance and increased size from what the other deputies were used to bought him the extra moments needed to open fire as those who had enough thought to duck behind their cover found that .30-06 at such a close range didn't much care how heavy ones desktop was as the rounds sailed merrily unhindered. The roar and flash of the rifle drowned out the screams of the traitors as they were cut down.
Those that remained standing in hopes of getting a shot on the giant only found themselves at the end of Joey's SPAS as she proved one last time to them all that she was the best shotgun wielder in the department.
In under 30 seconds the office space was cleared and all fell silent save for the Sheriff stepping forward once more, his feet kicking and stepping on Roger's spent casings and Joey's shells. He could hear Joey loading her gun as Roger slapped in a fresh drum in to his.
"We are missing three people." He snarled as he pulled back on the hammer of weapon and started walking slowly toward his office. As he did the door cracked open ever so slightly.
"Sheriff! Can we talk this out please?!" One of the older and longer serving deputies yelled as he hoped to negotiate with his old boss.
"Ok then... Rook, Hudson stand down." He replied as the door to his office opened and the deputy slowly stepped out with his hands up.
"Ok sir, so this is bad and I know I'm not..." He tried to say before the Sheriff cut him off. "Let me say my peace first."
The man nodded and then grew wide eyed as the Sheriff silently snapped his gun up and executed the man where he stood making him fall back into the office. "Peace made. Roger check the basement for the last two."
"Yes, sir." He growled back in reply as he slowly descended down to the basement with his rifle rised. He could hear the last men panicking about trying to quickly rake the override key lock instead of guessing the combination.
When he reached the bottom of the stairs the two men dropped their tools and raised their arms in surrender, this only got them each a triple dose of powder actuated lead and covering the vault door in gore.
"You can practice your picking skills in hell." He said as he turned and went back upstairs. The three officers shared a look of mild confusion as they dealt with the feelings of finally purging their department of traitors when from Nancy's desk her radio started calling out.
"Inquisitor Fergus? Nancy? Are you there? Please respond." Rachel pleaded over the radio. Slowly the Sheriff walked toward the microphone on the desk and callously even walked on Nancy's corpse before he touched the talk button.
"Rachel Jessop. As the duly elected Sheriff of Hope County, Montana I am informing you that you will be brought to justice and answer for your crimes. You can't hide behind your so called 'Brothers' anymore, as such I will give you one chance to surrender yourself and your forces. Failure to comply will be taken as intent to continue to commit acts of violence against both the citizens of Hope County and members of law enforcement. If that is to be the case then as Sheriff I will authorize the use of lethal force against any and all threats against the citizenry of Hope County stemming from your continued actions." He said threateningly.
Roger nearly protested but a quick touch by Joey stopped him dead and made him think first. The Sheriff was doing this as a matter of procedure, as something to soothe the side of him that was sworn to up hold the law. He had to make the effort as fruitless as it might be and as potentially damaging to the Resistance's strategic situation, because he was still at the end of the day the highest ranking member of law enforcement and it would be expected of him to at least make the effort.
"Sheriff Whitehorse... even now do you really think you can just arrest me? No matter how dark it gets, the light of God will not be extinguished. It is the might of God's will as proclaimed by The Father." She said defiantly.
"Have it your way Rachel. The law will come for you and when you find yourself in its grasp you will wish that you had simply surrendered." He finished as he let go of the talk button and turned to his deputies.
"Sorry Roger I know what you said about if we tried to take in all of Faith's people but I had to try even just once." He said tiredly.
"I understand sir, its why you are the Sheriff and why the people trust you as deeply as they do. A lesser man such as myself wouldn't have even considered making the offer at this point." Roger said and Joey nodded in agreement.
A knock at the door drew their attention as Marcus and Casey with some of the Grey's stood outside fully armed with Mary May and Jessica behind the group with their own machine guns at the ready.
Joey was the one to open the door and admit them in and Marcus got his first look at the carnage.
"Well Earl you finally managed it. If I may suggest let me and the boys handle mounting these traitors outside the office just to make sure that everyone knows that the Sheriff's department is back to the way it should be." He offered with a smile.
The Sheriff nodded and starting with Nancy began unceremoniously ripping off the badges of all of the traitors before finally dumping them on his desk. It would still be sometime before he could sit down and properly clean and polish the badges but so long as he was still alive it would be done.
It was late when the three of them jumped back in Roger's truck, Whitehorse now finally seeing first hand the sea of graves in Jerome's cemetery and the bullet riddled buildings from the mass executions. He spent some time checking in with Mary May going over details like food supplies and patrol reports before saying goodbye.
The trip back was done in silence as they all wrestled with the coming events until just as they pulled up to the jail did The Sheriff speak.
"Roger... I don't exactly know just what you are planning to do to Rachel to fit your plans for damaging the cults will. However you had better not hold back in the least bit you hear?"
"Yes sir, if everything goes as I have foreseen... this is going to make my little video with John seem like child's play." He replied as they piled out of the truck.
.
Finally home Roger and Joey made their way back to their cell, and Roger looked grimly at the wall mounted bunk. After he had stripped down to just his pants and socks he couldn't avoid dealing with the sleeping arrangements anymore. Before the bunk was barely able to hold his weight and was hilariously too short for his frame, now with his new body he wasn't even going to bother trying to use the bed.
So he pulled the mattress off of the frame work and placed it in the middle of the cell. Laying down however showed that the narrow mattress that was annoying before was now borderline intolerable.
"I really miss the bed at the Spread Eagle right about now." He said out loud as Joey got up off of her bed.
"No problem, I have a solution." She said with a smile as she pulled the mattress off of her own bed and slipped it beside Roger's mattress.
"Now you have a wide enough mattress." She said cheerfully.
He looked at her with a sly smile before he played along. "And just where will you sleep?"
She knelt down and straddled his waist giving him a enticing view of her increased bust fighting against the black undershirt she normally wore under her uniform. He held his arms open and accepted her as she laid down across his massive chest tucking her head neatly under his chin.
He only released his grip on her long enough to cover them with both of their blankets and let his hands settle back and grasp firmly Joey's toned rear getting him a soft moan and a quiet giggle from her.
"I really miss that bedroom right about now." She said as their combined warmth and the long chaotic day bid her to sleep followed closely by Roger joining her.
The next day would bring with it the beginning of the end of Rachel's hold over the Henbane River region.