Chapter 23:
Tyler waited until everyone was seated. He looked around the room at his friends, all looking towards him waiting for him to begin. He took a deep breath and began, "Our mission is simple, finally. We are here to expose and take down the Project once and for all. Everyone has their role, and every role is important." He paused for a moment, letting the gravity of the situation settle in. This was it, the final hurdle before he could do what he came here to do in the first place.
"Jerome, you will be our eyes and ears. Keep an eye on Joseph's Compound, and if you see any signs of suspicious activity, report it immediately. We can't afford to make any mistakes." Jerome nodded, knowing the importance of his task.
"Jess, you'll be our support. We'll need someone to keep us all safe while we're in there so you will stay outside the bunker watching the doors, you're the best person for the job. You're the best survivalist outta all of us, and if we run into trouble, you'll be there to warn us while we're inside." Jess managed a small smile, though her concern for Tyler was evident.
"Nick," he said looking over at his friend who had brought Kim along with their newborn along for the journey. "You are gonna keep us safe from the skies. Any Chosen decide to come and you take them down. But most importantly, be our eyes from above, let us know what's going on outside." Nick hesitated, looking down at the baby in his arms. He knew the risks, but also knew that this was the only way to stop the Project.
"Alright, man," he said, a hint of fear in his voice. "I got you. We'll end this once and for all." The others nodded in agreement, their determination unwavering. Tyler looked at each of them, his heart swelling with pride. They were his family, and he would do anything to protect them and their home. "This is it. We've been for this opportunity for months now, for some of you, it's been years in the making. Me and my colleagues," he looked over at Hudson, Pratt and Whitehorse all at the back of the room "We came where to arrest Joseph for kidnapping. Now after having seen exactly what has happened out here, he no longer deserves the safety of prison. We've all sacrificed so much to be here today and if we all work together, we can end this Project once and for all." Jess gave him a small nod, her face etched with concern.
"Are you sure about this, Ty?" She asked quietly. Tyler met her gaze with resolve.
"I wouldn't have asked you all here if I wasn't certain that this would work." he said. "That man took more than just the last few months of my life. He's forced me to fight through the many thousands of followers he's gathered, he made me kill without second thought, he took my best friend from me and he lit this fire of pure wrath within me. I will kill him and make him wish our helicopter never crashed… that he never decided to turn Rachel Jessop into the monster that is now Faith Seed."
Soon after he finished speaking, the Sheriff came up to Tyler.
"I know that you still have a life to live when this is all over," he said. "You're young and I'm old, I want to fight alongside you if it's the last goddamn thing I do." This man had been Tyler's mentor. The reason he decided to take the option to be a Rookie Sheriff's Deputy instead of going on a tour of Kyrat. The civil war raging between rebels and the King's army was the reason he decided to turn it down. He wanted nothing to do with war. But yet here he was, now having killed thousands of nameless cult members, two of the Father's siblings-John and Jacob, and there were going to be more who fell dead at his feet. I bring death to all who follow me. Tyler thought to himself.
"Then let's get going then." Tyler said, placing a firm hand on the older man's shoulder.
The long convoy of trucks left the Jail and made their way west towards the bunker. As they drove closer, Tyler couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. They had prepared for weeks, but he couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something was wrong. It felt too easy. Where did Seb and Faith fit in to what was about to happen? Would they be there and would they try to kill him?
As Tyler stewed in his thoughts, the radios crackled into life. It was Jess, her voice tense with anticipation.
"No activity at the entrance," she reported. "I've got eyes on it, though. Be ready for anything." Tyler squeezed his walkie-talkie in response, the reassuring chatter of his friends over the airwaves doing little to quell his uneasiness. He couldn't help but think about the potential of Seb's fate over and over again in his mind. Nick's voice thundered through the radio again disrupting Tyler's thoughts. "Eyes on from the skies. No movement yet, you're clear for now."
"Copy that." Tyler replied, his grip tightening around the steering wheel. The Bunker loomed ahead of them, funny that Joseph's madness in believing the world was going to end in the place that was designed to shelter them from their prophecy. The whole place felt familiar - Tyler had seen the exact same kind of place at Blackhorse Peak in the Holland Valley. There was a short pause as everyone took in the sight before them. Despite everything they had been through - the battles, the deaths, the chaos - this moment brought its own distinct brand of uncertainty.
"Let's do this." The Sheriff's gravelly voice echoed from the passenger seat, forcing everyone back to reality. One by one, they began to disembark from their trucks, weapons at the ready and determination etched onto their faces. As they moved closer towards the entrance of the bunker, Tyler felt a shiver walk down his spine. Suddenly, gunfire erupted all around them. A shrill scream pierced through the air over the radio followed by Nick's panicked voice.
"Fuckin' Snipers! They're everywhere! Get to cover!" Instinct kicked in as they all rushed for cover, bullets whizzing past them, thudding roughly into the dirt road as they moved towards whatever scant protection they could find. Jess's voice was next to come through, gritted with anger.
"They knew we were coming. It's a damn setup!"
"Hold your positions!" Tyler shouted into the radio. "Nick, get us some air support!" Not long after, a plane could be heard overhead as Nick swooped down, providing cover fire and taking out a few snipers on the top of the mountain and wooden suspended bridge. In the midst of all the chaos, a new realization dawned on Tyler. There has to be a mole amongst them. Who? One question haunted him above all. Had Seb's fate already been decided or was there still a chance for him? He pushed the thought aside, focusing on the sounds of gunfire and screams echoing around him. There were still a few snipers up near the north entrance that needed dealing with and the main door was within reach. Tyler, now covering behind the trucks looked over at Whitehorse, Hudson and Pratt.
"We need to keep pushing forwards." He said. "If we can reach that door, we'll have a way for us all to get inside." They all then got out of cover and bolted as fast as they could go, ignoring the rain of bullets from the snipers overhead, towards the bunker entrance. When they got there Tyler realised that the gate was tightly sealed shut and would require heavy ammo to take it down.
"Nick," the Sheriff spoke into his radio. "We need heavy fire on the western door."
"Copy that, Sheriff." Nick replied and a few seconds later, his plane appeared and opened fir on the metal door. The shots punctured through the door cleanly until it sparked and began to swing open. "Godspeed!" Nick exclaimed as he turned around and began refocusing on the snipers raining fire on the rest of the resistance.
"Alright, weapons at the ready, follow my lead." Tyler instructed. The four of them ventured inside the bunker and immediately the sweet smell of Bliss could be sensed.
"What are we looking for?" Hudson asked.
"A large pump room where the cult keeps its supply of Bliss." Whitehorse replied. They ventured into what looked like a small communal area with a lectern and pews set up for a sermon, there was nothing around that could suggest where they were. Behind them was a flight of stairs leading up to another level. They made their way over to the stairs and slowly ascended, keeping an ear out for any signs of the cult's presence.
"We're clear." Pratt said as he looked both directions before stepping onto the next floor. Another door now sat in front of them. Pratt walked over and opened the door after a small amount of difficulty and Tyler immediately knew where they were. The pump room. Large amounts of water kept in plastic containers surrounded them and further ahead was a corridor leading to a large opening. Inside was the imposing task of shutting off five individual valves to overload the filter which would cause it to explode. If done right, the whole bunker should explode with it too.
"I count sixteen Peggies." Hudson said as she checked the number of rounds left in her shotgun. Tyler nodded and thought of a strategy. Five valves and four of them meant that they needed to move as a group.
"Ok, we move together and take out every Peggie we see." Tyler said. They all quietly entered the room and waited. Two cultists stood next to one of the valves, both looking away from Tyler and his crew. "Now!" Tyler whispered. The shooting began. Bullets and shotgun shots flew across the room as the cultists realised that they were under attack. Tyler shot each cultist he saw as quickly as he could and with precise coordination, they swiftly eliminated the cultists guarding each of the valves, moving methodically through the room until there was silence yet again in the bunker. The four of them spread out and began shutting off the valves one by one and as each one shut off, a deep rumble could be heard. When Tyler slammed the final one off, a large boom echoed from deep within the foundations of the bunker.
"Tyler, multiple cult trucks just pulled into the compound, each full of cultists. Is the bunker not filled with them?" Jerome's voice sounded on the radio.
"No," Tyler said. "come to think of it, it's been strangely quiet in here. Only a small squad guarding the pump room."
"C'mon Deputy," the Sheriff said. "We gotta get outta here now." Tyler nodded and they all moved forwards through the bunker. It was now more noticeable that no one else was here. Why did they attack them from the outside but decided to only lightly guard the bunker. If anything Tyler felt like this was a bit underwhelming. This was meant to be the final hurdle but it felt like anything but the last stage in this long fight against Eden's Gate. They all made it to the north exit and got out without trouble. There was no sound of gunfire and it all felt way too quiet. Minutes later, a huge explosion erupted from the bunker exit and a fireball flew out into the open air. A series of smaller explosions came from deep inside the mountain. The bunker was gone. But what was even more noticeable now was the fact that none of his friends were anywhere to be seen.
"Tyler, something doesn't feel right." The Sheriff said.
"I feel the same way." Tyler said. He took out his radio and pushed the button. "Grace, Sharky, Hurk, Jess? Anyone there?" He was met with total silence.
"Tyler?" Nick's voice could be heard on the radio.
"Nick!" Tyler exclaimed in relief. "What's happened? Where are you?"
"The Chosen showed up, I had to fly back to the Jail. I don't know what happened to the others. It doesn't look good though."