Whitetail Mountains: Jacob's bunker
A massive wooden wall stood before the Ryes like a fortress. The large gates opened up relieving a village with some modern twists. Kodi led the Ryes towards the back of the village that rested against Jacob's bunker entrance like a cool dark cave. A large wooden table sat in the center of a courtyard- like area with other tables and places for campfires at night. Lights strung from house to house and even into the nearby trees. It was woodsy and whimsical, Carmina thought. The Ryes' eyes fell upon the Seed family from the Father to John and Faith and all their children with Jacob, still sporting his usual jacket, and Angel standing by the table watching the wolves and their pups play in the courtyard. Kodi approached his parents leaving the Ryes in the center to be greeted home by his mother, age barely taking a hold of her face, her blue eyes landed on the Ryes.
"Oh my god." Angel ran down to Kim scooping her up into a hug. "I've missed you so much!"
Kim hugged her back rocking her back and forth tears and smiles between the two women. "You look amazing!" She pushed Angel back to look her up and down. "Three kids?"
Angel laughed, brushing her wild hair back. "You know how it is." She winked before they both cracked up laughing. Even Jacob had a prideful smirk about him.
"Carmina, come meet your godmother!" Kim called her daughter over.
"Oh she's so beautiful," Angel teared up remembering the day she was born and had held her in her first few hours. "She was just a baby when I had last seen her. Now look at her so grown up and as gorgeous as her mother."
"And Kodi was causing you trouble." Kim elbowed Angel playfully. "Now he looks so much like his father."
"Takes after him too." Angel laughed and Kodi rolled his eyes, half sitting on the table.
"Mrs. Seed?" Carmina asked.
The name sent a shudder through Angel. "Oh, I haven't heard that name since my wedding day. Just call me Angel, honey."
"Angel," Carmina spoke nervously. "The highwaymen are taking over Falls End and we came here seeking your help."
Angel's expression went from light and bubbly to dark and serious. "Come, tell us everything." She led them to the table seated down across from the Father, John, Faith with Jacob and Angel standing behind them. Carmina was in awe to be meeting the legends of her father's tales of the old world before the collapse and Eden's Gate.
Kim and Nick told them everything and the Seeds had every right to be worried. They had planned for the threat Angel saw years ago but prayed the day would never come. Two red headed young women came up sitting on the end of the table top. The oldest had the lightest red ringlet hair as the other's darker colors looked more like a wavy sea of blood. They both dressed like soldiers sporting pistols in thigh holsters and compound bows. Clearly Jacob's daughters as they spoke with the wolf of the north informing him of their recon reports.
"The highwaymen are on our borders." Jacob announced. "They followed you here and are now asking to negotiate."
"Don't." Nick snapped. "That's what happened to pastor Jerome. They claim to negotiate and say they need supplies and in the night they attack, taking everything from under you."
"Are the leaders here?" Angel asked her daughters.
"Two female dark skin twins in dirt bike gear." Dakota answered. "They seem to be in charge. Asking the Chosen if they will be a solution or a problem."
"That's them, alright." Carmina's hands balled up.
"Joseph?" Jacob asked his brother. "What do you want us to do?"
The father thought for a moment, his hands folded under his bearded chin turning white like his brother's. He turned to Kodi. "What do you think should be done?"
Kodiak took a moment unphased by the father's sudden question to the young commander. "Seeing how they treated Falls End and mother's old visions, their reach for negotiation seems like a plot of deception to wipe us out. As a leader who has a family and flock to protect I would take the opportunity to take them out using this negotiation as bait to lure in the leaders."
Jacob agreed with his son who has been acting as herald the past year. The soldier's age certainly caught up with him but he was still a force to be reckoned with. He saw these years to prepare his children to take over.
"How would you do it?" Jacob challenged.
Kodiak thought for a moment, analyzing the landscape, the highwaymen 's location, positioning of men, weapons and ammunition. "With the bridge out they would have to cross over by foot unable to bring vehicles onto the land slowing them down. With our judges and Chosen we could encircle them in a pincer maneuver cutting escape and reinforcements. Doing this at night would give us a greater advantage since we know the woods well."
Pride swelled in Angel's chest, his strategizing matching her own methods.
"Well then," Joseph smiled. "Protect our family." He approved the planning before returning to his home to rest.
Kodiak and his sisters went off to plan the attack with the Chosen. Angel knew they were ready and they knew the woods the best but as a mother she couldn't help but worry for them.
That night Eden's Gate sent out its judges and Chosen that maneuvered into position. Unknown to the soldiers, following at a distance was Eden's archangel posting up on a hillside overlooking the battle with her rifle setup to provide protection. Angel watched through her scope as the campfires flickered and the highwaymen rested arrogantly on her land.
As soon as the first judge attacked chaos exploded below with gunfire and arrows. Angel moved her attention from area to area ensuring anyone escaping was dealt with from a silence round. Soon the twins locked onto Kodi cornering him into a bad position cutting him off from the others. Kodi was caught in a close combat fight with one twin as the other moved in behind him posited to kill him from behind. Angel wasn't trained to snipe in crowds and she could easily hit Kodi, killing her own son. Shrill panic flushed her veins seeing the knife come closer to her son's exposed back, unable to save him. A loud crack came from behind Angel as the one twin's head exploded before another shot fired killing the other twin. Kodi looked up to the ridge spotting his mother with her rifle but it wasn't her shots that saved him. She looked behind to see Jacob standing one foot on a rock, his red rifle lowering as he racked another round into the chamber. Solo stood at his side waiting for orders from his master.
"Jacob," Angel made her way up to him. "But-"
"Did you honestly think I'd send our children in without backup?" He gestured below for her to see his original master hunters emerge from the shadows helping the new generation slaughter the enemy leaving no one alive.
"You pulled them from retirement?" She asked, amazed.
Jacob smirked. "Reserves, not retirement. You spoke of this day years ago which is why I had everyone, even our children train all these years. I never forget a threat."
Angel kissed her husband, feeling finally at peace. "You never cease to amaze me."
Eden's Gate and Falls End came together as a united front removing any highwayman and outposts they had. Jacob had even sent men to recollapse the tunnels around the valley leaving Hope County as a sovereign state. Once the threat was eradicated the two communities came together in the north to celebrate the everlasting peace they would have united as one once again.
Kodi approached his father. "I'm sorry dad. I failed."
"What do you mean?" Jacob asked curious about his son's doubt.
"I remember you telling me to be careful of my surroundings and yet you had to save me." Kodi felt shameful.
Jacob lightly chuckled. "I'm your father first, commander second. As long as I'm alive I'll protect you no matter how old or ready you are. There aren't enough lessons or teachings I could give you to fully prepare you for everything that could happen to you. Everyone makes mistakes and has to adapt to the situation. It's adapting that will keep you alive. But now you know to always have someone you absolutely trust watching your back."
Kodi slightly smiled, feeling a bit better by his father's words. "Like you and mom?"
"Mhm." The herald hummed.
"I was surprised to see her out there. I've heard from the hunters she was one of the best you've trained. To see her snipping was astonishing but to see you there too? I knew everything was going to be okay."
"Threats will come and go. Being prepared with those you trust can keep you strong. That's something your mother taught me."
"I don't think I'm ready to ever lose you."
"You never will be." Jacob rocked back lightly on his heels looking down at Angel who was gossiping with Kim, Carmina and their daughters. "Until you've experienced loss you're not ready for it. Your mother had lost the most. Her entire family was murdered the day we found out she was pregnant with you. Men were poised to kill her and when she was to be ready, she panicked and ran. Her guard sacrificed himself so she could escape to me and keep you alive. To this day she still has nightmares about it. We've built a bond of trust and love that no matter what comes we have each other's backs. My time is becoming more and more limited as the years pass and to be honest I think I will be her greatest heartache to endure."
"I know." Kodi nodded, taking his father's words in. "One day I hope to have that love and trust too."
"I think you will." Jacob's eyes landed on the Ryes. "Have you spoken with Carmina? She is a bit older than you, has a good family, stubborn as your mother and a big heart from what I've seen." He gestured to her getting kisses from the judges.
Kodi smiled. "You've never been wrong yet." He headed over introducing himself to Carmina properly.
"Is Carmina blushing?" Angel asked, joining her husband's side overlooking the entire village.
"She's a good match for him." Jacob cleared his throat.
"You Seeds and your charm." She back handed his stomach earning a huff from the herald.
He pulled her in front of him, her back against his chest. "Were big softies for our girls."
Angel ran her hand over his scared forearm holding onto him. "I can vouch for that."
Jacob rested his chin on her shoulder. "How are you doing pup? Any more visions?" He asked, his gruff voice sending shivers up her spine.
All she could see was eternal peace and paradise. "Only the good stuff." She tilted her head up meeting his blue eyes just as she had done years ago at Eden's Convent arriving to work on the church and falling in love with the soldier. "What about you, do you see anything?"
"Paradise." He smiled whole heartedly. "With Only You..."