Chapter 16:

"C'mon!" Tyler yelled out in frustration as he yet again had trouble using his rifle. The missing pointer finger was really starting to show its effect now, and it wasn't good. Seb was next to him and took the AK-M from his hand and put his AR-C by Tyler's feet.

"Try this instead, it is a bit thinner." Seb suggested as Tyler aimed down the rifle and pulled the trigger. The hiss of the bullet travelling through the suppressor sounded and Seb smiled for his friend.

"You don't mind, do you?" Tyler asked.

"Not at all," Seb said. "She's all yours." Seb shouldered the AK and helped Tyler off the ground. The two walked back towards the car they had stolen from the cult just 10 minutes prior. They had driven to Rock Bass lake to see if Tyler could still shoot at moving targets, more accurately, ducks. They decided it was important to know if Tyler could handle a gun in case he needed to defend himself. Once they reached the car, Tyler hopped in the drivers seat and Seb climbed into the turret. Tyler tried to get the car started but the engine wouldn't start. Tyler groaned and hopped out and flipped open the hood to take a better look. The engine must be so old as the entire thing had been rusted over.

"Engine?" Seb asked from the turret. Tyler nodded and shut the hood of the car.

"Try roll starting it?" Asked Tyler as he got back into the drivers seat. Seb climbed down and started to push from behind. Tyler turned the car to neutral and slowly but surely, the car started to move forward. Once it got relatively quick, Seb jumped in the back just as Tyler turned the keys to ignite the engine. With a low grumble and puff of smoke from the exhaust pipe, the car started again and Tyler drove it back onto the main road and started to head back in the direction of the Convent. He and Seb had gone out in the truck to try and find some form of medication for his finger stump and afterwards they stopped off at Rock Bass Lake to try and practice using his automatic rifle again. It wasn't easy at all, in fact it was nearly impossible. If it wasn't for the AR-C's hypersensitive trigger Tyler may not have been able to use another two handed gun easily. They kept driving along the dirt road along the side of the lake until they reached their special "car park" to hide their pickup. Once they both exited the car, Tyler picked up both first aid kits from the boot and started to walk back towards the Convent.

When they arrived back at the Convent, something felt off straight away. There was an empty feeling about the place.

"Faith?" Tyler called out. He could here his own voice echo in the church. Nothing.

This wasn't right.

Tyler decide to check the spot he left Faith in before he and Seb left, and there it was. A tattered mess of blood and what looked to be ripped fragments of Faith's dress a long side a note which had been left.

What's mine is forever mine. Should you ever get near to my Faith again, you will witness my Wrath. I offered you an olive branch and you brushed it away.

Joseph Seed. He'd somehow snuck in and taken her back, and it didn't look like Faith returned willingly. Who knows what he's done with her.

"Fuck!" Tyler cursed. He looked around and saw that all of his belongings were gone too. His satchel with his binoculars, explosives and his walkie talkie. All he had left was his guns that were now without ammo reserves. He had no way of contacting anyone, let alone Dutch or his allies like Nick.

"Where would he have taken her?" Seb asked as he bent down to inspect the note and the state of the scene. Tyler took a deep breath and a newfound anger came to surface.

"I don't care," he said coldly. "Where she is doesn't matter." Seb looked at Tyler as if he had just turned into a ghost.

"What you mean you don't care?" he asked Tyler. "You were so protective of that woman and now you ain't gonna give a shit that she's just fuckin' vanished?"

"That's not what I meant!" Tyler snapped. He whipped his 1911 out of its holster and pulled the slider back quickly. "I'm gonna take down this whole fucking setup they got going on over here. It's not Faith's it's his. Every Peggie I see, gets a bullet 'tween the eyes. Every motherfucking hostage taker will have their brains smashed in. Every Peggie truck will be blown the fuck up and if I can help it, the more fire the better. Each Outpost left to take over will be met with me and my sin, my wrath will wipe them out of fuckin' existence and when I see that goddamn Joseph Seed… I will personally grab this gun," he shook his handgun, "shove it down his silver tongued throat and blow his insides out his ass!"

Seb panicked and backed away but nodded his head, as to not spark anything too deadly within his friend.

"But what happens when that's done," he said "what happens next?" Tyler smiled a sad looking but eerie smile.

"I'm not gonna be able to live with myself should I live to see it through," he said with a more restrained tone. "I'll probably just have to off myself."

Authors Note (and apologies):

Hi, to anyone who is kind enough to still feel compelled to return to this after a full year off, I say a massive thanks and apologise for the lack of updates. Hope you enjoyed the turn this chapter took, so feel free to let me know what you thought of it either through DM or comments. Enjoy!!