#fc5hub

The Deputy was being dramatic. Cal crossed his arms with a huff. He had followed them many times! Why was it a big deal now? It was just a stupid train place and they had already taken it. He kicked his feet idly as he sat up on the platform. The Deputy went off to call someone on their radio. They told him to stay or they would leave him with Jerome. Jokes on them, though, he liked him!

Still, Cal wanted to hang out with them. It got boring in Fall’s End. And the Deputy's friends were always weird, so were Dad's though. Adults here were just weird. When Cal was getting the urge to get up, the Deputy came back up to him. He grinned up at them. He tried to hop off the platform, but they held out a hand to stop him. “You're going back to Fall’s End.” Cal's face fell, forcing tears into his eyes. The Deputy wasn’t moved as they shook their head. “Please don't start. It’s better than getting hurt here.”

“No it's not!”Cal whined. He jumped off the platform. “You said we would beat people up together!” He yelled while pointing at them.

“No… No I didn't. You said that.” Their brow raised as they spoke. They stepped in front of him to block his path.

His frown deepened. “I really want to.” He kicked the dirt on the ground while pouting.

The Deputy held out a hand palm down, and leaned down to the ground, almost touching it. “Oh no, you're tiny.” They jested. “They could just stomp on you and win.”

Cal's mouth fell open. “I'm not!” He protested as he shoved their hand away.

“You're the tiniest kid I have ever seen!” They laughed and stepped away. Their hand immediately grabbed him when he tried to dart away. “Ah, ah! Rail yard ain't no place for a tiny kid.”

His mouth went to the Deputy's hand, making biting motions. They picked him up and tucked him under their arm. He wiggled around. “Sh- Fu- Jerkface!” He couldn't use the cool words Mary May taught him, yet. His wiggling stopped as his eyes turned out into the greater rail yard. There were so many places for him to climb, so many things for him to eat, and he really wanted to climb the tower thing. The Deputy had denied him all of it! “I'm going to have a train run you over!”

The Deputy bounced him. “None of the trains can be used, buddy.”

“Then why did you people up over it?! Are you stupid? Brain wreck?” He pressed his face closer up at every sentence.

The Deputy gestured back to the platform Cal used to be sitting on with their free hand. “Peggies are stripping metal off the trains for their bunkers. We had to stop them.”

“Why?” Cal questioned.

“To stop them from… because it helps John if we don't stop them. And someone doesn't like John, does he?” The Deputy really pronounced each syllable.

Cal's mouth fell open. His face turned to disgust. He wiggled in their arms more. “I'll bite him! Let me bite him! I want to!” He yelled out.

The Deputy laughed out. They kept laughing and laughing while Cal kept making biting comments and what else he would do to John. Their hold loosened enough for Cal to slip out, hitting the ground face first. They stopped laughing almost immediately, crouching down. Cal shuffled to the sit up. Then their radio came on. They had curious eyes that disappeared when they heard who was talking. “Your actions have consequences, Deputy. I've gathered all your friends here in Fall’s End to atone for your sins. You're welcome to join us. After all, if it weren't for you, they wouldn't be in this predicament. This is your last chance to say Yes, Deputy… Don't be late.” It was John! He shot up onto his feet in a minute.

“Are you going to beat him up?! Can I beat him up?!” He grabbed onto the Deputy's shirt. They kept standing there, their eyes on the radio.

Their hands suddenly grabbed it and threw it. “That bastard!” They shouted. Their hands went to their hair. Cal tilted his head. It was kinda when Dad had outbursts, but it was the Deputy instead. He tugged on their shirt. A ragged breath escaped them as they looked down. A light bulb lit up in their eyes. “Listen Cal,” they crouched down, “you're going to Fall’s End, but only to distract John! I’m going to get my friends out while you do whatever you can to keep your uncle away. Once I get them out, you're going to run away. Following?”

He tilted his head. “Do I get to beat him up?”

It was no lie or some secret that Salome was very close with the Rye family. When she first moved into her own house just down the road, Kim and Nick had been on her doorstep by sunset with a plate of barbeque and a friendly welcome to the ‘neighborhood’, if you could call a few houses scattered across a mile long expanse outside of Fall’s End a neighborhood. In return, she brought over a pie the next weekend, and from there a great friendship had bloomed. Salome had spent more weekends than she could count over at the Rye’s house, she’d even helped plan Kim’s baby shower, when the time had come months prior. 

So of course, Salome knew as soon as Fall’s End was finally back in order and back under the control of the locals where she was headed off to. The thought of checking her own home first crossed her mind a time or two, but she had decided against it. One, she didn’t know who was watching her out here, and she wasn’t going to take any risks. And two, there were more pressing matters, like making sure other members of the community were safe. More importantly, if her best friends were safe. God only knew what John could’ve done to them, or what he might be planning to. Nick had a hold in the Valley, and she was sure that The Baptist would be taking great interest in that, moreso than he had already. 

So she hauled ass down the road about half a mile or so down to Rye and Son’s Aviation. The sound of gunfire had her heart in her throat, and she hauled ass even faster, running as fast as her legs could carry her. Not Nick, not Kim, please God anyone but them.

 She tore down a back-trail to the hangar, finding herself a nice spot in the trees to get a clear shot of the situation. Sure enough, a patrol of Peggies had found their way to the property, and were taking shots at the hangar, with some return fire she could only assume came from Nick, there was no way in hell Nick would let Kim end up in a skirmish like this. 

Without second thought, Salome slung her rifle off of her back, lined up her sights, and fired off shot after shot, watching bodies crumple or flop over, it wasn’t a pleasant sight, but one she was quickly getting used to. Her years in the force and she’d never seen so much death compared to what she’d seen in the last 24 hours, it was unsettling, but it was the new reality, she feared. 

When the last of the Peggies either had collapsed or retreated, and the coast was clear, Salome let out a quiet breath of relief, and slung her rifle back over her shoulder to quickly make her way down the trail, hearing Nick’s voice calling out spurred her on, picking up her pace. 

“Shit-! Sal- Holy shit- Sal is that you?” Nick sounded breathless as Salome rounded the corner and was quickly crushed in a tight hug by the man. She breathed a sigh of relief, throwing her arms around him. 

“God, Nick. Are you alright?” She replied, equally as breathless as she gave the man a firm squeeze. Nick nodded, pulling back to hold her at arms length, looking her over. 

“Jesus, Sal. You scared the shit out of us, every last one of us.” He said, shaking his head as he swallowed, his hand patting the side of her head, as if checking to make sure she was real. “All of a sudden everything went south- and- and then we heard that that fucker Joseph got his hands on the Deputies. We thought you’d been one of them… Christ, Salome, we were so worried about you…” He pulled her back in again, giving her a tight squeeze that made her let out a heavy breath of relief. Good, he was safe, and she could hopefully assume Kim was fine, too, likely holed up in the house. 

“I’m fine, I’m fine. I got away… narrowly. Had some help, y’know how it is.” She replied, pulling back, then looked around, “Jesus… I can’t even imagine what could’ve happened here… You alright? You and Kim?” She breathed out, and Nick nodded, 

“Yeah… yeah we’re alright, Kim’s in the house, safe. And—” The pilot jolted suddenly. “The plane- shit! The plane! Salome, they made off with the plane.” His voice pitched with panic. “That’s our only way out of here, Sal. We’re fuckin’ trapped without it!” The man was growing increasingly panicked and on the verge of tears. Salome put her hands on his shoulders, staring him down. 

“Nick- Nick. Relax. Take a breath.” She said, and once he did, she gave a nod. “Good, now tell me where. Where did they take the plane?” 

“John’s ranch, it’s gotta be. He’s got the only airstrip in the area big enough to land the thing.” He said, shaking his head a little. Great, Salome thought, the one place she wished it wouldn’t be. John Seed was already a nightmare in itself, but now she was gonna have to sneak into his place to get the plane back? Just her damn luck, it seemed. Shaking her head, she nodded. 

“I’ll get the plane back, don’t worry. Just hang tight here, okay? Focus on Kim, and I’ll be back.” She said, giving him a pat on the shoulder before pulling away, and turning her attentions to the west. 

Many hours, many bodies, and two encounters later, that bright yellow plane was secure in the hangar, and the Ryes were secured in their home. It had taken a little convincing to get Nick to not turn tail and run like he’d hoped, but it was obviously hard to fight against a wife and a best friend, in this instance. 

“Y’know Sal, you and me? We’re like Butch and Sundance now.” Nick said proudly, patting Salome’s shoulder as he set the suitcase down on the floor. 

“.... Nick they both died at the end.” Kim deadpanned, and Salome snorted, nodding in agreement. Nick looked between the two women, then shook his head. 

“Nah.” 

“Nah??” Salome laughed, shaking her head. “Did you not watch the movie?” She raised her eyebrows, and Nick shrugged. 

“Fell asleep halfway through.” He said casually, and she rolled her eyes, looking to Kim, who was equally both amused and concerned. Shaking her head, Kim reached out to Salome, taking the other woman’s hands in her own. 

“Please take care of him.” She urged, and Salome snorted, and nodded. 

“Don’t worry, I’m the best babysitter in all of Hope County.” She joked, and they both laughed, Nick frowning in the background. 

“Well, I trust you. More than anyone.” Kim nodded, giving Salome’s hands a gentle squeeze. “Now go, go help us get our valley back, Deputy Maier.” The shorter woman winked, and Salome cringed. 

“Oh that was weird, don’t call me ‘deputy’. Everybody’s doing it now I definitely don’t need it from my best friends.” She laughed. 

“Aww, we’re your best friends?” Nick teased, elbowing her, and she shook her head, shouldering him in return. 

“Kim is, you’re pushing it, buddy.” She shot back, and he mocked offense, Kim just laughed at the both of them, then wiggled her way between the pair. 

“Okay you two. Salome, go do your hero stuff.” She said, patting Salome on the back, and she rolled her eyes, giving them both a side hug before heading out the front door, hearing one last thing as she headed out the door. “And Nick? Take the suitcases back upstairs.”