#rookiedep

     The beating of her heart was only a couple thumps ahead of her feet as she raced through the thick brush; twigs and thorny bushes scratching her face, arms, and legs. Small dots of blood began beading on the surface of her skin only to leave small streaks of their existence as the gust of wind blew them to the forest floor. Twigs snapped and crackled under her heavy boots before being silenced by the loud roar of a copter over her the treetops. She dropped and skidded into a cluster of small bushes, waiting for the whup-whup-whup of the helicopter to die down before once again taking off. She changed course, heading toward a group of buildings and hope to every god she knew that there weren’t any other cultist residing in them. 

     Deer bound out of her way as she reached the edge of the forest and raced across the asphalt road, feeling the heat rise off it. It only took three long strides for her to make it across and duck down against the shadow of the wooden building. Her heart pounded against her ribcage erratically as she tried to control her breathing while she glanced around the corner. She spotted a car and could hear the tink-tink-tink of the engine as it began to cool. Someone was here but as far as she could tell it was only one or a couple. Swallowing thickly, she held her breath when she heard the crunch of footsteps moving closer to her. She swiftly removed the silenced pistol from her waistband and slowly rose to her full height -- not an impressive one.

     Exhaling silently, Milo turned around the building, gun aimed and ready to fire, only to realize the other individual was not a cultist. At least, they didn’t look like it. She hadn’t exactly had contact with any of the “normal” people but the woman before her didn’t have the crazy aura the cultists had.

          “For fuck’s sake, please tell me ya ain’t one of them crazy cultist. I’ve already been baptized twice today and I can tell ya that third time is not the charm with me,” she panted out.

Too much shit happened in too little time. Rook wasn’t even sure how he managed to keep up with all of it. One second, they stood within Joseph Seed’s Compound; the Marshal was announcing the certificate of arrest and acting like he owned the goddamn place. But Rook knew better, which is why he had been more than a little hesitant to put the cuffs on this supposed FATHER.

God will not let you take me

One of the cultists slid up the window, being horribly SUCKED into the helicopter’s blades.

God will NOT let you take me.

The copter was hurdling towards the ground, spitting flames. Hudson was yelling in his ear, terrified out of her mind. Pratt was in front, fighting to keep the plane straight and shouting something he couldn’t quite hear. 

GOD WILL NOT LET YOU TAKE ME

Pain. Rook’s back ached. His head throbbed with the aftershocks of the crash. No one was coming. They were all alone out here, ready to tear them apart and start this fucking REAPING Joseph was screaming about. Suspended upside down, face bruised and beaten, Rook’s hands flew to his seatbelt, trying to unbuckle and get OUT of it before they noticed. Hudson and Whitehorse were FORCED from their seats, Pratt and Peabody trying to keep them from being taken.

CLICK.

trauma starters

If there was one person Rook could always count on, it was Jane. The woman had been with him since the very beginning. Since they made their plan to stretch out across Holland Valley and Hebane River to take out two of the leaders at the time. They’d both been put through so much SHIT that could leave even the scariest man in the WORLD traumatized. 

His point being, Jane was his friend and she’d ALWAYS have his back.

Rook looks away from Virgil and the Marshal’s grave, instead standing and turning his attention OFF THEM. Faith was gone. Dead. Deceased. And buried here with the two of the people she herself KILLED. And there was a part in him that felt truly awful for what he’d done to her. Through the notes he’s read, Rook realized that she as not the first. And she might not have been the last either if Joseph had his WAY. 

“I know Jane.” Here, Rook cracks a grin, as WEAK as it is, in an attempt to show her that he was ALL RIGHT. He’d be FINE. THEY’D be fine.

no they won’t.