Chapter 22:
All of the Bliss fields had been taken care of by Nick in his plane, so all that Tyler had to do was clear out that bunker where Faith has the last remaining supply. Only problem was that Tyler only had the red 1911 given to him after his last visit to the Bliss, he needed an arsenal that would support such a heavy assault like this. The Cougars at the Jail had some but very limited supply of weapons that he could use, including AR-C's, Compound Bow's and a .308 Carbine rigged with a high-powered scope and a silencer. That would have to do. Tyler collected the weapons and sufficient ammunition from the small shop at the front of the Jail and returned to the main cell block. Jerome and the Sheriff were talking with one another, pointing and circling places on the map spread out in front of them.
"Dep," the Sheriff nodded in his direction as Tyler came over to examine the map. "We need to figure out the best way to tackle this sucker," he pointed his finger to a circle on the easternmost side of the mountain. "This side is heavily guarded by Peggies but offers us direct access into the main chambers of the bunker," he then moved his finger and pointed to a smaller circle on the northern face of the mountain. "and this entrance is almost out of reach but is a direct corridor into the boiler rooms and the pump rooms. Regardless of which way we approach, there are gonna be Peggies by the hundred." He stood back and looked around the room. Jerome sat down on top of a crate.
"We need more numbers to clean out that bunker," Jerome considered. "It's going to take a large team to get through there unscraped."
"We could get Hudson to bring some folk over from the Holland Valley to come over and the same for Pratt and the Whitetails," Tyler suggested. "Sharky, Hurk, Grace, Adelaide…." He paused before recalling what his friends did when they learnt about his actions with Faith. "and Jess." Ever since, he has not once been in contact with his friends, they haven't returned to Fall's End and they haven't been at the Hope County Jail.
"Only problem there is that they've gone dark on us all ever since you… well you know." Whitehorse said. "If you can find them and bring 'em back then I'm sure they'll help us out." Tyler nodded.
"I'll see what I can do, Sheriff." He said before leaving the cell block and out towards the truck parked by the old prisoner check-in bay. He loaded his weapons into the passenger seat and drove off towards the direction of the old 8-Bit Pizza Bar to the west of the Jail. Before he had established a base of operations by the old Youth Camp, his friends apparently used to take shelter in the abandoned pizzeria. What am I gonna say to them. Tyler wondered internally. Would they listen or would they confront him violently. Both were very realistic possibilities, with one certainly being more favourable than the other. Tyler turned the radio on and laughed in amusement when he heard The Cascades 'Rhythm of the Rain', one of the frequently played songs in the Henbane River. The lyrics of that song could not have been truer to the way Tyler felt in this present time.
Seb stepped out of the van, this time a changed man, a man of clear faith and purpose. The Bliss had helped him see what he never though to consider. The world is already doomed and all that society was doing was prolonging the inevitable. The church in front of him now felt like home, his family was now here at The Project. With Faith Seed. With the Father, Joseph Seed. The man standing before him, directing him to enter into the church.
"You're home now Sebastian." He said a small smile on his face as he looked at the man before him. His arms, once covered in cuts and burnt skin now completely pure and restored. His face, rough and gaunt as it was before, now defined and smooth. His chest, once bare now projecting his sins openly: Envy, Pride and Wrath. "Come." He followed Seb into the church and shut the two doors behind him.
"I am so proud of what you've chosen to do." Joseph said as he stepped closer towards Seb. "Being open to another point of view isn't easy and I commend you for your efforts." Seb nodded his head.
"Thank you, Father." He said softly. "I am now who I've always wanted to be."
"And what's that, my child?" he asked.
"Free." Seb said. "Free of all the restraints of life and free from expectation. I can live a meaningful life now." Joseph looked intently into Seb's eyes.
"What were those restraints." Seb's eyes glazed over.
"My family." He said gently.
"Alive?" asked Joseph. Seb shook his head.
"I thought that if I kept trying to bring peace into this world, it would mean that no one would ever experience the pains I went through. No one's wife and child would be killed for the wrongdoings of their husband and father." Joseph took a deep breath after Seb finished speaking.
"Like I told you before, Sebastian, you are so special and I mean that from the depths of my heart." Joseph said. "God has shown me what you are capable of and you and your good nature have and will continue to do good for our family. Your new family. Those people you see sheltering here and in my sister Faith's bunker are all that remains, and it is your job to protect them, protect them the way you wished you did for your old family." The look on Seb's face hardened.
"Yes, Father." He said.
"Good, go my son," Joseph pointed to the doors. "Protect our family."
Tyler pulled up outside the old, abandoned pizza bar. It looked like no one had stepped foot in there for months. The paint on the door was chipped and faded, the windows were covered in dust and it looked to be entirely empty. Tyler switched off the engine of the truck and stepped onto the dirt pathway leading up to the entrance. His head began playing out all the possible scenarios out in his head. No one could be there and he's just wasted his time. All of his friends could be in there and they might either be happy to see him or have other things to say. He placed his hand tentatively on his 1911, just in case. Tyler reached the front door and opened it slowly. The inside of the pizza bar was entirely dark and the tables were upturned and chairs were thrown off to all sides of the room. Various bullet holes decorated the walls too, Tyler noted.
"Jess!" Tyler called. His voice echoed back to him. "Sharky! Hurk! Grace! Adelaide! Anyone here?" he called. There was a real sense of stillness about the place. Maybe they had gone and left him to fight this last stretch of the war alone. Tyler sighed and turned around but just as he turned the doorknob, he heard the sound of a floorboard creaking. He quickly pulled out his 1911 and aimed in to the doorway into the kitchen to his right and he slowly made his way towards it. Before he reached the kitchen, a figure moved out quickly and aimed their weapon directly into Tyler's face. The shine of the arrow glistened a sharp silver.
"The fuck are you doing here?" Jess Black grunted. Tyler raised his hands in the air.
"Looking for you." He said as he replaced his 1991 in his holster. "We have a plan and…." he paused before looking his friend in the eyes. "And I'm here to make things right between us all." Jess withdrew her arrow and quivered her arrow.
"You can come out now." She called out. From behind her, the rest of his friends emerged from their hiding spots and came out to form a circle around Tyler and Jess.
"I am so sorry you guys," Tyler said as he looked around the circle. "I did something that I've come to realise was a huge mistake. I let myself get carried away by all the wrong things."
"But why this change of heart, Dep?" Grace asked him. "From what I heard, you and Seb thought Faith was worth more than any of us put together. Is that true?" Tyler shook his head.
"Faith was brought back to the Father and ever since, she turned Seb. He's now become so lost in the Bliss that Faith made him shoot the Marshall… and I couldn't stop him… he's no longer the man I once called a friend." The weight of his words hung heavy in the air as his friends processed the revelation. Shock and concern flashed across their faces, mingled with a hint of the sense of betrayal that had never left them. Tyler could still sense their slight hesitation.
Sharky stepped forward; his expression still sceptical. "And why should we trust you now, Dep? After everything that's happened?" Tyler turned to face his friend and shook his head.
"I'm not asking for your trust anymore, that's something that may never return," he admitted. "But I'm here now because I need your help. From all of you. There's only one thing left to deal with in this County, Faith's bunker, and we can't do it alone. We need all of you if we're going to take down that bunker and put an end to this fucking nightmare." He looked around at each of his friends. "All I'm asking for is your help, and hopefully forgiveness in due time." Adelaide stepped forward, a determined glint in her eye.
"I'm in. If there's one thing I hate more than a Peggie, it's a Peggie that's still living and fighting back. And it sounds like we've got 'em in fuckin' spades." Grace exchanged a glance with Sharky before nodding in agreement.
"Count us in too. We may not trust you completely, Dep, but we trust in the fight against the cult."
Hurk cracked his knuckles, a grin spreading across his face.
"Hell yeah! I've been itchin' for a good ol' fashioned smackdown! Let's show these Peggies what a solid kick in the balls feels like!" Tyler's small smile stretched into a wide grin as he looked at all of his friends, now willing to get behind him in his fight to liberate the Henbane River.
"We need to head back to the Jail, Jerome, Nick and the Sheriff are waiting there for us all. Let's go." His friends all left the pizzeria except for Jess. She stood still facing the ground.
"Are you alright?" Tyler asked her.
"I just hope you're telling the truth, Tyler," she said before walking over towards him. "otherwise, you'll catch an arrow between your eyes. That's a fucking promise." She then, too, followed the others towards the truck.
Seb stood before Joseph, his soul feeling full of the weight of his newfound purpose. The words of the Father resonated within him, filling him with a sense of duty and obligation to protect those who had become his new family. To be the sword of Eden's Gate. With each passing moment and interaction he had with the Father, the doubts and uncertainties that had once plagued him seemed to fade away, replaced by a clear vision of the truth. The Father was chosen by God, and it was up to everyone else to protect him with everything they have. Everyone needed to dedicate themselves to the Father so that they could be saved in the same way he had been saved. With a final nod of gratitude towards Joseph, Seb turned and pushed open the doors, stepping out into the sunlight that reflected off the white buildings of the compound. Around him, he could see the other members of the family going about their tasks, their faces serene but at peace as each of them were following through with the various stages of the Reaping.
For so long, he had felt adrift in a world that seemed devoid of meaning, but now, in the presence of his new family, he felt a sense of peace that he had never known before. A sense of pure Bliss. He decided to settle in to his bunk for the night and let the sweet feeling of safety lull him to sleep.
A few days in this new lifestyle brought about many different emotions within Seb. Even though he felt contempt in his new home, he still felt the smallest tingles of doubt talking away at his subconscious. He couldn't shake the memories of the past few years. The group of Eden's Gate members that set fire to his family home, that shot dead and strung up the members of his old family. He then thought of Tyler. The man who had been the friend he'd never had, and to be honest with himself he really missed him. He mad his way over to the docks looking out to Silver Lake and the Holland Valley. He was so deep in thought that he didn't hear Faith come to him from behind.
"Is everything alright, Seb?" she asked. He jumped out of surprise before turning around to face her. She had a look of worry on her face.
"Uh… I…" Seb struggled as he thought of the right words to say.
"Seb?" Faith tilted her head slightly, a look of real concern on her face. "What happened with you and the Father?"
"He told me that he had faith in me," Seb said. "He told me that it was duty to protect this Project with my life. I am his sword." Faith's face dropped in surprise.
"And how does that make you feel?" She asked as she placed a hand on his arm. Seb looked down at her and sighed softly.
"Doubtful." He admitted. "The life I left behind. I can't stop thinking about them, wondering if they're alright, if they're still out there somewhere… looking for me."
"They are, Seb," she said. "And if they try and help you, listen to them." Her voice became determined and her blue eyes intensified. "This is not where you want to be. It's too late for me now, but you can still go back." She whispered intensely into his ear. Seb raised his eyebrows. Did she also have doubt about the Project?
"Where did the persistent hesitation come from?" Seb asked.
"From Tyler… Faith's expression softened, and she hesitated for a moment before speaking. "I... I have my doubts too, Seb.I know that we are in the wrong here." She glanced around cautiously, as if checking for eavesdroppers. "But we can't let anyone know. We must keep up appearances, play our roles. It's the only way to survive in His world." Her eyes glanced towards the church to her left. Seb was genuinely shocked. The most apparently loyal devotee to the Project wanted absolutely nothing to do with it anymore.
"I don't know who to fully trust, Faith," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know what Tyler will do if he sees me now."
"Well," she paused. "You may get that chance. Josephy just told me to gather all of the people here and we need to take them to my bunker. Tyler and his friends are apparently planning an assault on the last of the Bliss which is in that bunker."
"What do we have to do there?" Seb asked. "Do we have to fight?" Faith shook her head.
"You just need to be there to give orders." She said.
"What about you?" Seb asked.
"I'm going to confront Tyler directly. I have one chance to make things right between us. If I can, I'll stop him and his friends from seriously endangering themselves." That sounded like suicide. From the last Seb had seen of his old friend, he was angry, violent and fixated on shutting down the Project for good.
Another thought ran through Seb's mind. How did Joseph know that the bunker was the next target? Was there a rat among Tyler's friends?
"You realise that you may die?" Seb asked. Faith looked down.
"Sometimes we are willing to die for those who we care most deeply about." She sighed.