The evening sun peered through the hallway windows as it began to set over the mountains. The Deputy paused to glance out and admire the beauty of the sunset as a small smile graced her lips. The lilac and orange stretched across the big sky like a canvas painting, a site that would never grow old. Sighing, she turned from the window and continued on her way.

Avery Mason rounded the corner of the office hallway with three folders in her arms. She was exhausted after the long travel of dropping off inmates to the new prison across the state. Never did she imagine that she would be a glorified delivery driver when she signed on, but it was the closest thing to what she knew. As beautiful as the state of Montana was, it still felt like an eternity to drive across and she only hoped that it would become something that she would get used to.

Thinking about her future caused her to smile and shake her head. She was excited to start this new chapter in her life but tried not to ponder too hard on it. She really hoped to get passed the delivering portion of the job and get back to working cases.

Just live it day-by-day. It will come… she reminded herself. Regardless of what her future years held, she was determined to deliver the files of the inmates, get home, and relax. A nice, hot bath sounds like heaven right now.

Coming up to the Sheriff's door, she reached for the handle before thinking better of it and decided to knock. There was a slight pause before she heard the gruff voice of the sheriff on the other side. Avery smirked at the older man's response as she made her way into the office.

"Hey, sir, sorry to interu….," Avery paused as the door swung shut behind her. A look of confusion crossed her face as her green eyes darted between Sheriff Whitehorse and Deputy Hudson. "Er…what's going?"

Sheriff Whitehorse paused as he looked her over briefly before continuing to strap his holster to his belt.

Sensing the question hanging in the air, Hudson eagerly took the opportunity to explain to the Junior Deputy. "We are going into Hope County. An arrest warrant came, and we are finally taking that son-of-a-bitch down."

Avery furrowed her brows at the news while she processed the information. Hope County? But that would mean… No.

"Hope County is out of our jurisdiction. Why didn't their Sheriff's office get the warrant?"

Hudson scoffed. "What Sheriff's office? They either got overran or fled which only means one thing: We are up."

Avery opened her mouth to reply but Whitehorse raised his hand to interject. "It's a Federal Warrant. We are the closest team to take action on the situation."

"I have only been here a few months but even I know this isn't to be taken lightly. Are we even equipped to handle this if their officers couldn't?"

She wasn't trying to insult their capabilities, but Hudson was an eager deputy. Though she would argue with Avery on the subject, Hudson had less real-world experience then she did. However, in Hudson's defense, she did outrank Avery. Whitehorse, on the other hand, had plenty of experience but he was getting slower in his years. Avery wasn't sure of the experience the other officers had in their small unit, but she couldn't imagine their skills impressing her.

"We can handle this," Whitehorse nodded for emphasis. "It all comes down to how we handle it."

Though she would follow the man into Hell if he asked, she couldn't help but protest. "But how are we—"

"How did the transportation go?" Whitehorse interrupted with a tired smile.

Avery was aware of the change of subject, but she answered the older man. After all, it was why she was there in the first place.

"It went," she shrugged before holding up the files. "They are officially in the State Prison and won't be leaving anytime soon."

Whitehorse nodded. "Good. Glad to hear there weren't any issues. You can set the files on my desk."

The door behind Avery opened suddenly and a middle-aged man stormed through. "You about ready?"

"Finishing up," Hudson replied as she grabbed her State issued 12 gauge from the rack. Avery watched as the Sheriff stepped forward to confront the man; no trace of his encouraging smile left on his face.

"Now, Marshal, I'm telling you, this plan is a bad idea—," Whitehorse started.

"No, it's what needs to be done. Even you have to agree that having this festering cult taking over your state and killing people has to stop no matter how we do it. I know you have a small unit but no worries." The dark-skinned man patted the Sheriff's shoulder with a cocky grin. "This is why I was sent here to assist in his arrest and —Who the hell are you?"

Avery wasn't sure how to feel at the moment as the Marshal looked at her like she had apparated before him. He worked for the government that was for sure. If his vest didn't have the giant yellow letters of U.S. MARSHAL, then his demeanor would have given it away.

He was clean cut and darker skinned. The black leather shoes and slacks may have matched his black t-shirt and vest but stood out from the usual attire of the locals. It was his attitude that really ratted him out. Not very many people would take charge and talk down to officers in their own building.

"This is Deputy Mason. She transferred here 4 months ago," Whitehorse introduced.

The stranger looked her up and down for a moment. "Well what are you waiting for? Suit up."

"Excuse me? I didn't realize I worked for you." She crossed her arms over her chest for emphasis, still holding the files.

"Avery was just returning from a 5 day transfer of some inmates. She can stay here and watch the office while we go to Hope County," the sheriff stated.

Her eyes darted to her boss in surprise. Watch the office? Seriously? What her rotten luck.

The marshal didn't seem to like the older man's idea as he shook his head while turning to face the others. "If Joseph Seed and his cult is as bad as you make it sound, then wouldn't you want all the help we can get?"

Whitehorse scowled. He had a point, but he wasn't wanting to put all his team in harm's way. It was bad enough that both Hudson and Pratt were going.

After not getting a reply, the marshal raised a brow in a challenge and glanced between the sheriff and deputy. "Unless you feel like Deputy Mason is too inexperienced to handle an arrest."

Whitehorse knew there was no arguing with the man. This whole operation was a bad idea but he knew that he wanted his best people by his side if shit went down. "Mason served in the military prior. She is plenty experienced to handle this."

The marshal looked back to the brunette who still had her arms crossed but an unreadable expression on her face. He flashed another grin.

"Glad to hear it… Suit up. You now work for Hope County." He tossed her a new green shirt with the badge sewn onto the sleeve. Hope County Sheriff

././././././././././

The helicopter shuddered as it came over the mountain tops causing Avery's hand to tighten around her seat cushion before relaxing. The denser air at their current altitude was causing more turbulence for the metal bird and for the deputy who hated flying, it didn't help her nerves. Flying wasn't anything new to her. Being in the military, she had become very used to similar flights taking her and her team into the middle of conflict. However, three helicopter crashes, two broken bones and some scratches weren't enough to build her confidence in the metal machines.

Not going to crash again… Just flying in Montana to arrest someone… easy. No war zone here. She forced herself to exhale a breath she didn't know she was holding.

Sitting across from her was the US Marshal. She could feel his eyes on her, and she resisted the urge to let it affect her. She was somewhere between wanting to send him a glare and wanting to check her gun. It was his fault, after all, for wanting to rush into this that she couldn't get a bath and some sleep. Then again this is what she was wanting; to be working on the line instead of delivering inmates to their new 'home'.

Be careful what I wish for, I guess.

Deciding confrontation was the last thing they needed, she chose to swallow her current resentment and check her gun.

Pulling out her Springfield XD, she ejected the magazine, checked her chamber, and began to empty the rounds out of the magazine. Rolling the bullets in her hand, she counted them twice before placing them back in the mag one by one, sticking it back into her pistol and loading a round into the chamber. The Marshal watched her go through the motions two more times, approving how it all seemed like second nature to the girl, before he spoke up.

"You seem nervous."

She brought her attention to the man across from her before sitting back and holstering her gun. Avery had to bite back a rude comment. Though the Marshal was only striking a conversation, she still had a hard time respecting any Federal Agents. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but I'm not checking my gun because I'm nervous. It's just a habit for me when I'm expecting things to not go smoothly."

You know… fidgeting. She kept the admission to herself, knowing it was a bad habit to fidget and didn't do her skills any credit. She probably looked like the label she wore: a rookie. Little did they know she just had some bad habits. A gun fight was something she was comfortable with; something that was familiar. It was leading up to it that she hated.

The damn suspense.

Though it could have been seen as a rude comment, he didn't seem to mind. "What do you know of the cult and Joseph Seed?"

The brunette gave a casual shrug, welcoming a change of topic. If he was going to give insight on what they were up against, then she would gladly play nice. "I know that he is the leader of this doomsday cult. That people have gone missing and that he is believed to have killed them. I know some people have talked about it being brainwashing but I have a hard time believing that is the cause of it."

"Hmm." He nodded as he mulled over her words. He studied her for a moment longer and she resisted shifting uncomfortably. He was studying her, she could see it, clear as day. "What kind of work did you do in the military?"

Furrowing her brows, she looked to the sheriff who watched their interaction with interest. She wasn't sure how she felt about Burke's prying questions. "Military Police."

"Police work? Got out of the military to come back into law enforcement? How long did you serve?" His voice was laced with genuine curiosity.

She was growing more uncomfortable but answered. "8 ½ years."

He raised his brows in slight surprise. "That long? You were almost halfway to retiring… why bother to get out?"

"Marshal," Whitehorse interrupted. He tossed a quick glance to Avery whose expression was unreadable. "We will be coming up to the region soon. I would like to stay focused on the task."

Burk looked to his left at the older man. "Fair enough. Here rookie."

He pulled out a cell phone and brought up a video before handing it to her. Avery took it into her gloved hands and played the video. It was hard to hear the sound over the blades of the helicopter, forcing her to pull it closer to her face.

The scene of a beautiful Montana meadow lit up the darkness as a voice explained the scene. A blonde woman came onto the screen explaining how it was home to her. A preacher sitting in the pews of a church had a kind smile on his face as he explained his love for the area. As another person began to narrate their story, the scenery changed to that of a video of someone with a cell phone recording what looked to be a church service. However instead of young children handing out pamphlets by the door, it was heavily armed men herding people inside like lambs.

"…Goddamn Cult…"

"…then the radio stations. Not long after, they even had the fucking cops."

"Ain't no one coming to help us—Government can't do shit!" The man leaned forward, clearly beginning to get worked up and desperation coming through. "We're on our own."

Avery could feel herself tense as she watched the video. These people were helpless. She hadn't seen any footage or heard anything besides rumors. But this was something else entirely… This was bigger than she realized. She was under the impression it was a small group causing trouble and harassing people. She didn't know it was this bad.

The video clip changed again, and she saw the leader of the cult standing on his plinth, preaching to his followers. "…we will save those lost souls whether they want to be saved or not… Some will wish to destroy us…"

The preacher became quieter and Avery struggled to hear his last sentence. But when she did, she could imagine being in that church as his gaze slowly turned to the camera as if looking right at her. "Some will betray us."

The man holding the cellphone suddenly began to struggle, dropping the camera in the process as the scene turned sideways.

"They call him… the Father," the narrating continued.

Avery watched as the man was kneeling before the leader. Watched as he held the man's face and pierced his thumbs into the man's eyes causing a shrill scream to escape his throat and blood to gush out of his pores before silence. Joseph raised his hands out to the side, showing his deed proudly.

Static interrupted the rest before she completely lost service to the video. The reports she had heard of Joseph Seed harming people were only suspicion… In her hands now, she held proof of his murder. Judging by the lack of reaction of his followers, it was far from the first public killing. How could this have gotten so out of control?

She suddenly felt a little out of her depth. She had been in the heat of battles and in front of enemy fire. But that was always in the far away sands on the other side of the world. True, this cult was a now considered a militia… but they were still her fellow Americans… This wasn't going to be easy.

"Hey Rookie… Rookie." The voice came through her headphones, but it was the tap on her knee that pulled her from her thoughts. Looking up, she saw Whitehorse give her a concerned look. "You're wasting your time. There won't be any signal out here."

She looked to the marshal across from her. He seemed to have sobered a bit as she handed him his cellphone back. He took it without a word and continued to stare at the warrant in his hands. She couldn't help but wonder if he was replaying the video in his own mind as he stared blankly at the paper.

Officer Pratt, who was the lead pilot of the helicopter, broke the silence over the headphones. "We are crossing over the Henbane now."

Hudson sat next to him as his co-pilot and her own voice didn't help the tension in the helicopter. "Oh fuck… there he is…"

"Crazy motherfucker," Pratt added.

Avery looked out the window to see what they were referring to and there stood a giant statue atop the mountain. The ghost like stone stood out hauntingly against the dark skies as the helicopter circled around the front of the shrine. Green eyes widened in shock. Judging by the reactions of the others, she guessed this was a new development to the area. It seemed to be that the cult was festering like an infection to the land.

Looking to the four others in front of her, she only hoped that they were not biting off more than they could handle.

"We are in Peggie country now," Hudson confirmed.

Marshal Burke became more alert as he straightened in his seat. "How much longer?"

Sheriff Whitehorse didn't miss a beat on answering, "Long enough for you to change your mind…So we can turn this bird around."

Part of Avery agreed with her boss. This seemed like it was too much for their little rag-tag unit to handle. The other part knew that if they delayed this any longer, the cult would rankle and grow. More innocent people would be injured. It looked like either way it was a lose-lose.

The marshal didn't seem to like that suggestion from the older man. "You want me to ignore a federal warrant?" He held the paper up for emphasis.

"No, sir." The sheriff shifted in his seat to face the marshal better. "I want you to understand the severity of the situation. Joseph Seed… He's not a man to be fucked with. We had our run-ins with him before and things haven't always gone our way."

He exchanged a sad look with Deputy Hudson and Avery couldn't help the curiosity that rose. There was a backstory here that she wasn't aware of. A voice in her head wondered if her job opening was coincidence or if it was her imagination talking.

"Sometimes, Marshal… Sometimes it's best to leave well enough alone." There was a sad tone to his voice. Almost a plea.

Burke sighed. "We have laws for a reason, Sheriff. And Joseph Seed is going to learn that."

Fuck… Avery looked back and forth between the two. She knew both were right, but she felt like she was missing a lot of information. Sighing, she adjusted her ponytail and rolled up her sleeves to her button-up shirt.

A pregnant pause filled the area between the three before Whitehorse sighed. She couldn't help but feel sorry for the older man. He looked exhausted.

"Pratt. Open a call to dispatch."

"10-4." Pratt flipped a switch as Whitehorse and Burke adjusted the speaker arm of their headset.

"Whitehorse to Dispatch, over."

A familiar female voice replied back to their boss.

"It looks like we are approaching a compound, Nancy, over."

"Roger, Sheriff… You are still set to go through with this, over?" Her concern was evident in her voice.

"We are," he sighed once again. "Still trying to talk some sense into our friend, the Marshal, over." There was a slight smirk that both men shared despite their different views on the situation.

Nancy gave a forced chuckle. "Oh right. Lucky I'm not there. If you get into any trouble... y-you just let me know, over."

"10-4, over and out."

Avery watched as Pratt ended the transmission.

"Maybe we should have brought Nancy with us instead of the probe," Pratt teased as he pointed a thumb at her. "The peggies wouldn't fuck with her."

Avery narrowed her eyes at the man. "Shut up, Pratt. I can fly the helicopter in your place, if you catch my drift."

The marshal didn't seem to pay their teasing any mind. "Why do you call them peggies?"

Sheriff Whitehorse took this time to explain.

"Project of Eden's Gate. P.E.G. Peggies. It's what the locals call them. Yeah, they started off harmless enough a few years back but now they are armed to the teeth." He looked to the Marshal and met his eyes. "They are looking for a fight."

There was a heavy pause and the darker man took the hint and glared. "Are you scared, Sheriff?"

The air became tense at the implication. Before either could say another word, Pratt interrupted.

"We're here… Compound is just below."

Avery turned to look out the window, forgetting the confrontation brewing just feet in front of her. Below the helicopter, she gazed out to see a steeple with smoke spewing into the air around them. Fires scattered all around the buildings as a mass of people was dispersed about in an ominous setting. Avery felt her body tense once again, her fingers itching to grab her gun.

"Oh my, Jesus." There was no teasing left in Pratt's voice.

"This is… a bad idea," Hudson drawled out. Avery had to agree with her though she couldn't turn her eyes away from below

This setting was eerily similar to the deputy.

"Last chance, Marshal," Whitehorse warned. There was an underlying plea to his voice.

A heavy sigh and pause were enough to pull Avery's attention to the dark-skinned man. She waited for the verdict, torn by what she thought was the right choice. With all eyes on the federal agent, she did not envy the marshal's position.

Watching his face as he debated with himself, she saw the sudden resolve settle onto his features. It seemed like a rock suddenly hit the bottom of her stomach at the realization of the decision before he even ushered the words.

"We're going in."

Whitehorse rolled his eyes in frustration. "Set her down…"

No change came to their altitude. The sheriff looked over his shoulder to the pilots.

"Pratt," he warned.

"Ugh… Roger that." He sounded defeated.

Avery swallowed and felt for her gun, knowing it hadn't moved from her holster. Feeling the cool steel and grip of her pistol settled her racing thoughts. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes to center herself. This situation was different then her usual routine when she served.

The brunette was used to having a full brief of the mission and knowing the layout of the land prior to flying to the region. With the knowledge of all the risks, it was easier for her to get her mind on the task at hand.

This…This was just the opposite. The closer they got, the more information she received and the more clear it became that she wasn't prepared for it.

Opening her eyes, she thought back to her friend's words when she had her first gunfight.

"Breathe and keep your head on a swivel. Always watch your lane and trust in your team. If you worry about us doing our job—"

"I won't be doing mine," she said with a smirk. Michael smiled back as he adjusted his M4 and patted her on the shoulder.

"You have nothing to worry about."

It was one of her fondest memories. It was something she often reflected on in times like these.

Looking out of the window, she watched the cult begin to emerge from the shadows of the buildings as the helicopter came to settle on the ground.

Seeing them shift their weapons, Avery felt like she should speak with the team once more; formulate some sort of grand plan that would allow them to overcome the situation, or at least give them the upper hand in the fight. But there was no situation to plan around. It was the law that they were working for. In the end, if that wasn't enough, then it would be a fight for survival. Kill as many of them as you can. Pray to God there's a tomorrow in store for you.

She could feel the adrenaline dump and just like that, the tiredness of her travels from the weekwere non-existent.

"Dispatch." Whitehorse's voice made her look back to him. "You still there?"

"Go ahead, sheriff," Nancy's voice replied.

"If you don't hear from us in 15 minutes, call everyone-call the goddamn National Guard if you have to, over!"

"Be safe, sheriff… I'll be praying for you."

I guess this is happening, she thought to herself as she unbuckled her seatbelt and took her headphones off. Suddenly the blades of the helicopter intensified and were no longer muted.

"Now listen up," her boss started. Avery tried to strain her ears as they adjusted to the louder sound. "Three rules: Stick close. Keep your guns in your holsters and let me do the talking. You got it?" The last part was directed to the Marshal.

Burke nodded his understanding. "Got it."

Sheriff looked to her next. "Rookie?"

It was Avery's turn to nod in understanding.

"Alright everyone. Stay sharp. Let's go!"

And just like that, everyone was getting out of the helicopter and out into the lions' den. Deputy Pratt stayed behind while the rest started to the church. Avery looked around at the cult members and schooled her features. Time for work.

"Keep calm. These people can spook easily," Whitehorse said under his breath for his team to hear.

"Rook, stay close," Hudson advised.

Avery was only half listening. In the corner of her eyes, she watched the peggies; their murmurs heard in snippets as she walked by. One man with a burly beard and a baseball bat wrapped with barbed wire swung threateningly in the air.

"What are they doing here?" he asked his fellow members.

More men stepped towards their path, some charging their weapons.

Sheriff Whitehorse raised his voice but continued to walk to the church. "Stay calm everyone," he ordered to the members. "Just go about your business. This doesn't concern you."

The closer their group got to the church, the louder the singing became. In a different setting, it would have been considered beautiful. But here, it was haunting.

Hudson paused in her steps, allowing Avery to catch up. "Sheriff, I don't like this. It's all wrong."

"Everything is fine, Hudson. Everything is just fine," Whitehorse said softly, trying to build her courage.

He glanced back at Avery and he was pleased to see she was calm and quiet. Between his team members, he believed she had the most experience in high risk tasks like these. Reading her file when she was hired on, he had been impressed. Watching her now, unphased by the group of men closing in, he was pleased to see he was right. It was nice to be able to focus more on the task then on calming two team members.

"Don't let them sense your nervousness. They will only use it against you. I got your back," Avery advised to Hudson who nodded and followed the sheriff.

"Jesus, you guys are wearing badges, aren't you?" Marshal was beginning to walk ahead of the group at this point and was eager to get to the church.

Avery could tell that he was starting to disregard the Sheriff's orders as he got closer to his target.

"Yeah, but they don't respect the badges here," Hudson argued.

A cult member next to Avery smirked at her answer.

"She's right, little mouse," he teased as he stepped closer to the brunette in an attempt to intimidate her. Avery's cold stare told him it wasn't working but he only tossed her a toothy grin as he positioned his rifle to his shoulder more.

Up ahead, Avery could hear the Marshal's smart reply to Hudson's comment. "They will respect a 9mm."

"Not every problem can be solved with a bullet." Whitehorse was wise, she had to give him that. But occasionally she wondered if some people could even be reasoned with.

The sounds of dogs barking aggressively drew her attention and her fingers twitched at her side. Looking to her right, she could see a caged area where a few men held the leashes of aggressive dogs, pulling wildly and baring their teeth. Wild slobber flew through the air as they growled and barked their threats at the newcomers. She wished so much to have her K9 by her side at the moment. Without him, she felt vulnerable to the threats around her.

"Rook… come on," Hudson called. Shaking her thoughts away, Avery followed her team.

What is going on with me? Focus Avery! It's no time to think about the past.

As she reached the church doors, the federal agent eagerly reached for the handle. Whitehorse stepped in quick to keep the door from opening any further but the slight panic in his voice was fighting to stay calm. "Whoa Marshal… We do this, we do this my way. Quietly—calmly, you got it?"

Burke looked frustrated for having to wait any longer. He threw his hands up but reluctantly agreed. "Fine."

Sheriff turned to the girls next.

"Hudson, hold the door and watch our backs…" He looked around at the crowd of people outside as if contemplating his plan. "Don't let any of these people get in. Rookie… On me."

Avery gave a curt nod as Hudson turned to face the members outside. She looked like she was about to say something when the sheriff began talking again.

"And you," he said to the marshal. "Try not to do anything stupid." It was his attempt to lighten the mood, but it fell short.

The marshal smirked arrogantly and put a hand on the older man's shoulder. "Relax. You're about to get your name in the paper."

They exchanged looks and a pause filled the air. Slowly the sheriff turned away and began to open the door to the church.

"You'll be fine," Hudson said to the rookie, but Avery could tell it was forced. She still appreciated the attempt at encouragement regardless.

As the doors swung open, the singing seemed to have faded away. The smoky building was lit with candlelight which made it more difficult to see the other side of the room. Men stood with weapons at the back of the pews and as the trio stepped in; the squeaking boards alerted the cult to the newcomers.

"Something is coming… creeping towards the edge… And there will be a reckoning." The voice was coming from deep within the room and Avery could only guess it was the target they were after. His voice was calm and smooth like that of running water.

She tried to block it out as they walked further into the lair. More and more people began to stand as they entered; turning to toss glares at the three. Some reaching for knives and shovels at the sight of them.

"They will try to take from us-take our guns…Take our freedom. Take our faith."

The marshal was growing impatient and Avery could see the sheriff trying to keep him calm. She was beginning to worry about Burke doing something rash and that was not what she needed right now. As the third person, she was supposed to watch their backs. Not worry about their next move.

Trust your team, she reminded herself.

As they reached the center of the room, people began to fill in the aisle behind them, blocking off their exit. She could feel herself tense at the thought of being cornered but hid it well.

"We will. Not. Let. Them," the preacher demanded as his calm tone became more dominant.

Marshal was getting irritated. "Sheriff, I—"

"Just hold on, Marshal," Whitehorse ordered.

Their target continued to speak over them. "We will not let their greed, or their immorality or their depravity hurt us anymore!"

Avery could feel her adrenaline begin to push itself into her system once again. Looking past the others, she saw the man they were after.

Joseph Seed.

He stood bare chested with dark jeans and boots atop of the stage. A holster hung from his belt as he held something she couldn't make out in his left hand. Across his body, she could see what looked like carvings of words and tattoos that he displayed proudly to his followers. With his hair tied back into a bun and yellow aviators setting naturally on the bridge of his nose, he glared at the marshal. The closer they stepped to him, the more he glared and shifted his weight threateningly.

He resembled a cougar, deciding whether to play with its prey or to simply kill it for sport. "There will be no more suffering!"

Avery watched as her two team members argued before Marshal tore away and stormed the last few feet to meet the Father. Tearing out his warrant, he pushed it out into the air.

"Joseph Seed! I have a warrant issued for your arrest. On the suspicion of kidnaping with the intent to harm. Now I want you to step forward and keep your hands where I can see them."

The deputy resisted the urged to put her hand on her gun as one by one, people began to circle them and fill in the space between her group and their leader. Standing off to the left of the alter, Avery noticed a man watching the exchange intently. He had onyx hair and neatly trimmed beard, and like Joseph, he too wore aviators however they sat atop his head. What caught her eye was he wore a dark blue shirt and black coat that fell past his waist which stood out amongst the followers' attire. By the looks of it, he played an important role in the cult. After a moment, the stranger's eyes met her own and she resisted the urged to look away immediately as a sign of intimidation.

"There they are," Joseph continued. He held his hands out in front of him to display the three of them. "The locust in our garden… See they come for me. The come to take me away from you."

More followers stepped forward to block their path. A few even charged their weapons, a clear sign they were ready to fight at the word of their Father.

Avery narrowed her eyes.

"They have come to destroy all that we have built!" Joseph was riling his followers up as they were beginning to turn into a mob.

The marshal reached for his gun but was quick to pause as the Sheriff yelled at him to stand down.

Avery grabbed the marshal's elbow, causing him to jump. She gave a tight squeeze once he realized it was only her and she shook her head.

"Don't do it," she ordered, and the Sheriff tried to get the mob to calm down and to stop shouting. "We can't be the first to react."

She was relieved to see him relax, if only enough to remove his hand from his gun. She didn't blame him. It was fight or flight instincts kicking in at this point. But she had seen firsthand how acting without thinking could turn a bad situation into hell.

"Put your guns down," Joseph ordered suddenly. Looking to the Father, she was surprised to see his followers not argue as he stepped from the alter and they made space for him to walk through. The man with the blue shirt and long coat began to reposition himself on the stage, never taking his eyes from the three of them.

Watching fixedly, Avery let her hand fall from the marshal's arm as another man stepped onto the alter. This one was taller than the second but had red hair and beard while wearing what she immediately recognized as a military jacket. On the shoulder was the all too familiar 82nd Air Bourne patch.

Joseph gave a pointed look at the two men behind him as his voice became calmer. "I knew this moment would come. We've prepared for it." Turning back to his followers he gave the quiet orders. "Go. Go. God will not let them take me."

One by one, they funneled past the trio. Each person passing sent a venomous glare to her and the others while a few shoulder-checked her on the way out. She tried to keep her temper in control as she tossed a glare at a few in return. She refused to push back however, knowing it would only cause problems.

They would have to suffer her sharp looks for now.

Realizing that Joseph was talking again, she turned back as the last of the members filed out the doors. His hands were raised to the ceiling and he quoted what sounded like a dream. She took note of the three others standing behind the Father on the alter and realized they were not his followers.

The role of Generals, her inside voice whispered. They were important to him somehow and were not fellow lackies. These three she had not been briefed on… But now she wished she had.

"…and I heard one of the four beasts say come and see!" Joseph continued.

Marshal was all out of patience. "Step! Down!"

"And I SAW!" Joseph set his cold eyes on the marshal and pointed at him threateningly.

In a lighter situation, Avery would have made a joke about how much he must have pissed Joseph off. Since their arrival, all the marshal had received was glares from their target. She wondered briefly if the Father was doing that on purpose to rile the man up or perhaps there was a deep root of hatred for the agent.

The silence he caused Burke to adopt allowed Joseph to turn slowly to the sheriff and his tone relaxed to a harsh whisper.

"And behold it was Whitehorse... And Hell followed with him." The cold gaze turned to her suddenly as he addressed the deputy.

Avery could feel the temperature of the room drop as she suddenly held his attention. Unblinking, he watched her from his yellow lenses and lifted his hands to her. Green eyes darted to the three standing behind him to see all eyes on her. Like a pack of predators waiting for their prey to run and the chase to start.

But she was not prey. And she was not scared.

"Rookie," the Marshal barked. "Cuff this son-of-a-bitch!"

Joseph shook his head with a curl of his lips as if amused. "God will not let you take me."

Avery felt her fingers twitch again, ready to grab her cuffs. But she hesitated.

Something didn't seem right about this.

Why was he complying? He was so determined that this wasn't going to work in the officers' favor. He had the manpower to kill them in seconds and continue with his sermon as if it had been only a mild interruption. So why humor them?

It felt like a trap and she wondered if the Sheriff was right. Maybe leaving well enough alone was the safe course of action.

Jade eyes looked back to the three standing behind their leader. A young woman, about her age, who had joined the men moments ago, had light brown, shoulder length locks and a floral white dress. She reminded Avery of a ballerina on music box. With her stance on her toes, barefoot and one leg in front of the other, she looked like she could start dancing now to a lovely melody. What was her role in this?

Siren… her mind warned.

Avery looked to the dark-haired man who watched her intently with his arms behind his back. A calculating smirk graced his lips as he observed her next move with what looked like hunger. She resisted the urged to flinch under his gaze and instead looked to the third man.

Now that she was closer, she could see his face more clearly. The soldier had clearly experienced war on a personal level as it was evident in the scars on his face. He crossed his arms over his chest and held his head back as he watched her with an arrogance that said she was wasting her time. A dark gleam sparked in his eyes as their gazes met.

"Put your gun down, take your friends… and walk away," Joseph said softly to her. She brought her attention back to the man before her.

"Cuff him, Rook!"

She wasn't sure who barked the order as she battled with herself.

Movement behind Joseph caught her attention as the two men took a step to the edge of the alter. The woman tilted her head with a dreamy smile and shifted her weight in a half circle, causing her dress to swish around her legs.

The deputy could feel the tension growing in the church as she tried to weigh the what-ifs in her head. Playing out the scenarios that would happen if she arrested him was no help, however. No matter how much she tried, everything was choppy and disorientated. She came into this blind with little information aside from here-say.

The soldier on her left took to the step below so he was only feet away from Joseph now. Was he planning on attacking if she arrested the Father?

Meeting his gaze, she saw a smile pull at his lips and he raised a brow to test her, clearly saying 'what are you waiting for?'

Fucking Army…

Narrowing her eyes, she pulled the cuffs out to meet his challenge and slapped them onto Joseph's wrist. There was no way she was going to back down from someone who questioned her ability to do something. Sure, she was 5'3", however that did not mean she was easily spooked.

Avery looked back in hopes to see his defeated expression but was shocked to not find it.

Instead he looked… satisfied. Like this was exactly what he wanted.

And that terrified her.

Looking at the other two, she was at least pleased to see the girl glaring at her now with her hands clenched at her side. That was more of a reaction she had been expecting. When it came to looking at the dark-haired man, however, she could see something similar to the first man in his eyes. There was no anger or disappointment. Just excitement.

Were they hoping this act would justify attacking them now?

"Come on, Rook," Sheriff ordered as they turned away from the alter and started towards the doors.

Placing one hand on Joseph's shoulder, she began to follow the others. He allowed her to guide him and she was grateful that he wasn't awkwardly taller than herself. As they reached the doors, they could hear trucks pulling up outside. Sheriff and Marshal exchanged nervous glances before opening the doors to a distressed Deputy Hudson.

"We gotta get the fuck out of here!" she demanded as she held her gun close to her.

"Marshal," Whitehorse ordered. "You take point. Stay on the path, rookie."

Avery put her free hand on her gun as a mob of people began to gather. Following her team, she trudged forward, checking her blind spots constantly.

"They're taking the Father! They're taking the Father!"

"What are you doing!"

"Let him go!"

More and more shouts were tossed their way as they continued through the buildings. Avery spared a glance at Joseph to see him as calm as ever. Never did he say anything or resist. Just followed the steady pressure of her hand on his shoulder.

Looking to her said hand, she noticed the macabre carving of 'GLUTTONY' across his back. It caused more questions to come to mind, but she pushed them back. If she lived through this, she could ask questions later. Focusing on the crowd around her, she could feel the hints of anxiety starting to creep under her skin as threats were spat at her.

It didn't ease up as she saw a woman come up to challenge the team before the Marshal pushed her back to the ground, yelling at her to stand down.

The mob reacted angrily as their yells intensified at the stunt. Avery watched as the team began to push on as they started to get further out of sight. Her breathing began to get faster but shallow as she tried to focus on the current task. The shouts from the cultist were becoming more muted as it was drowned out by her own heartbeat. She swallowed hard and tried to blink the smoke from her gaze until she realized that she had stopped moving. When had she stopped?

Jade eyes looked to her unit who were getting farther away. She had to keep moving.

But her anxiety was starting to weigh down on her more. The deputy looked behind her at the church to see the three strangers at the alter were now standing outside the doors, watching the exchange between the officers and the peggies.

"Rook! Hurry up!" A voice pierced through the chaos, just barely reaching her.

Avery faced back to the path only to see Joseph Seed observing her over his shoulder. The yellow gleam of his glasses danced from the reflection of a nearby fire, but his piercing gaze was locked onto her. It was as if he could see right through her forced calm.

Taking a deep breath, she tried to bury her rising anxiety and pushed onward towards the helicopter. He didn't say anything as he allowed her to guide him around the corner of a building to join her team.

"I am a Federal Marshal!" Burke yelled when suddenly someone threw a rock at him, successfully hitting him in the temple. He stumbled but managed to keep his footing.

More members of the cult began to throw rocks at the officers when all Hell broke loose.

Guns were drawn, rocks were being pelted in their direction, more shouts and screams filled the air. As Avery and Joseph reached the helicopter, Burke fired a few rounds into the sky, adding fuel to the fire and the situation became chaotic.

Hudson helped Joseph into the helicopter as the Sheriff took the co-pilot's seat next to Pratt. "Get us out of here!"

Avery pulled herself into her seat as the bird began to lift. Marshal was right behind her when suddenly, the cultist were jumping at the helicopter. Pratt cursed as he tried to lift it into the air and rocks still pelted the metal sides. One Peggie tried to get into the door when Burke sent a hard elbow into his gut. At first Avery thought it worked but before the man could fall, he grabbed onto the Marshal's arm holding the gun. With all his weight, he pulled Burk's arm but failed to pull him out due to the seatbelt holding him securely in place. Avery reached out to help take pressure off of Burke's arm, afraid the man would dislocate it. As she tried to help, the gun went off, spraying blood into the air as the man fell lifelessly to the ground. Soon after, a woman tried to claw her way inside as she gripped Avery's leg.

"Get off!" Avery yelled as she pushed the woman back outside. More people were latched onto the bird as everyone inside shouted and the helicopter swayed back and forth.

Her panicking returned and her breathing became too much to control. She could see a person on the front windshield, banging the glass in a desperate attempt to get the pilots. The blood red warning lights of their bird flashed as the motor was being pushed to its limit. Burke fought another person who, in a savage attempt, had almost freed the Father and suddenly Avery wasn't in Montana anymore.

Sand, smoke, and the smell of gasoline fumes filled her senses as she tried to make sense of what was happening. There was screaming… Someone yelling her name. But it all seemed like a dream. Far away and muted.

Metallic liquid dripped in the corner of her mouth as more liquid trickled on her cheek. Slowly she opened her eyes to a blurry sight of twisted metal. Something fell on her face again and she tried to focus on her vision. Blinking away the pain that throbbed at her temple, she was able to make out a familiar face with brown eyes looking at her. In a split second, however, it was as if a bucket of ice water was thrown onto her. The teammate above her, hanging from his seat was dead.

She was back in the mangled, upside down Humvee again. Back in the fucking desert. And her name was being shouted. Forcing herself to move, she wiped her friend's blood from her face and looked to the hull of the metal vehicle.

"Mason! Mason!"

Michael yelled for her as he tried to hold onto the iron frame of the Humvee. Someone was dragging him away from her!

She tried to crawl towards the opening, yelling for him to hold on when suddenly someone's feet came into view. A barrel of a rifle aimed at his shoulder before firing a round. He screamed in agony as he lost his grip and was dragged from her sight.

A jerk of the helicopter caused Avery to hit her head, ripping her from the past. The Marshal had his eyes closed as he gripped his seat and the sidewall of the bird. They spun wildly through the sky and all Avery could do was hold her breath. Through the chaos that seemed to last forever, Joseph continued to sing Amazing Grace until everything went black…