This section might have triggering topics for some readers here are some of the warnings for this chapter
-Depression and suicidal thoughts
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Maxwell Bahl was fairly short, he was 5'8 had long black hair which he wore down, he was 22 years old and already a doctor, a genius with medicine but was always humble, he never was overly prideful, he was given up for adoption when he was 9 and lived in a orphanage till he was 14.
Max was a religious person, he wasn't raised that way but he found salvation in it: Pastor Jerome brought him in when he was 14. Jerome gave a rosary that had been passed down through his family. he carried this rosary everywhere he went, most of the time he remembered to pray, but he wasn't on a schedule about it. he listened to modern hymns, he found comfort in it, it reminded him he wasn't alone anymore.
After Eli had ordered him to follow the car he got up and drove
Max didn't know what he was even looking for, he's never met any of the Seed siblings or even knew what they looked like and he didn't know how to differentiate VIPs from hostages, But Max was a soldier and he followed his orders
Max was speeding off after the part of the convoy that managed to escape he followed the road for what felt like hours and found nothing, but as he was about to head back he noticed someone limping besides the road Max could barely make out the stranger but he could see they we're injured. Max immediately turn around to assist the stranger.
As he got closer he was able to make out the person description
The man had long dark brown hair that was put up into a bun they had blue eyes and he was wearing a vest, in his hand he carried a wooden rosary.
Once Max was besides him the man collapsed onto his knees, Max didn't hesitate to stop the truck and help the man
"Here let me help you sir, I've got some med kits inside"
"Thank you my son." The man was in pain but was hiding he was out if breath and worn out.
"What happened to you?" Max inquired as he guided the man to the passenger seat
"A bullet went through the car, it flipped and went down the slope"
"Only you inside?"
"No there were four others" Max could see the pain in his eyes
"You are lucky to be alive"
"God protects me, I must survive"
Max helped the man into the seat and grabbed the med kit in the back
"Pass me your leg, going to need stitches and it's definitely going to leave a scar. Any deeper and it would of punctured an artery
You would have died." As Max finished fixing his leg he stood up
"Maybe God chose you after all" he joked
"I will always survive, it is God's will"
"What's your name anyways?"
"Joseph"
"Like the church's leader?" Max didn't really put to and two together, he was to busy thinking about his leg
"Exactly"
"I'm Max"
Max wrapped his Rosary around his and and walked to the drivers side
Max shut the door and got into the drivers seat he clicked on the radio and it was playing one of Edens Gates hymns, Max quickly connected his phone and started playing his mix, it started with What a Shepard- John Tibbs
"You dislike the songs?" The stranger commented
"Its more propaganda than anything, anyways where should I take you?"
"The Lodge." The stranger looked down at his leg "Are you a doctor?"
"Yes, just got back from medical school, this Town had changed since I've been here. Now have Doomsday preppers and Doomsday Cultists. I miss the simple days when I was young"
The stranger nodded his head
"You are not with the church?"
"Fuck no, I understand some of their ideas but I believe that religion must be a choice we make ourselves, being forced into isn't right"
"You don't understand what is coming though do you?"
"What do you mean? How can someone have faith in something they didn't choose to be apart of? You're with the church?" Max stopped the car and moved his hand over his pistol on his thigh
"Yes I am, and I want you to understand us and our decision before you judge."
"It's hard for me to be empathic when the cult tortured and slaughtered innocent people"
"You don't understand what is coming, you refuse to see that what we are doing is needed we must save these people"
There was a twinge of anger in his voice he stopped for a moment and calmed himself closing his eyes he took a deep breath
"You have to believe me, I have seen what is coming and I know "
Max finally made the connection "wait.. you are Joseph Seed aren't you?"
"I am."
Max grabbed his pistol and held it twords Joseph
"Why shouldn't I just kill you now, it would stop all of the pain your cult is causing the town, it would stop the suffering." Max was trying to convince himself that the right thing to do was shoot he glanced down to the prayer beads on his hand.
"It's your choice to shoot. I can see that you are devoted" he nodded twords the rosary "that's an important thing these days, sadly you don't have faith in me, that's fine, you'll eventually see the truth. Shoot if you must but remember God is wa-"
Joseph stopped mid sentence he was staring into nothingness, Max could see his hands shaking and he was barely breathing. Max kept his pistol aimed at Joseph but used his other hand to check Joseph out, he put his hand on his shoulder and then his forehead he was burning up, he then checked for a pulse, it was dangerously low. She shined his flashlight into his eyes and there was no response, the only this he could do was wait.
Max waited for a few minutes never taking his eyes off of him
Joseph snapped out of what ever trance he was in and began breathing heavily he put his hand on the glove compartment and leaned over to catch his breath he layed for a moment, he started breathing normal but is was shakey, he leaned back up and look twords Max
"You are special Maxwell," there was fear in his voice "No one has ever been with me when that happened" Joseph's hands where still shaking and his forehead was sweating
"What was that?" Max asked calmly trying to understand what just happened
"God has spoken to me, he's given me a vision." Joseph leaned over, he wasn't showing any fear, he was surprisingly stoic he grabbed Max's hand that was wrapped in the necklace
"I can see the doubt in your eyes, you want to believe in us don't you? God knows your struggles, He knows your sins. He has spoken to me."
"What did he say?" Max's voice was caught in his throat
"No matter what you have done, you are not beyond salvation, you are here to be a voice of certainty in the uncertain times"
"And God told you that?" He scoffed, shaking what ever doubts he had away
"He has spoken to me, its a terror beyond all other hearing that, You struggle with depression don't you Max? You play with that pistol every night."
Max couldn't speak
"I uh, I-" Max couldn't think of anything to say to that. He managed to cough up "Russian roulette, testing my luck I guess"
"You think it's just luck that you haven't lost?" Joseph let his hand up and gestured twords twords the sky "God had protected you thus far, He has special plans for you Maxwell, please do no throw that gift away"
Max gripped the rosary harder
"What are his plans for me?"
"You are going to be a balancing point between the church and the resistance, you are going to be a peace bringer and a peacekeeper"
Joseph opened the door and looked twords Max one last time
"You must walk this path alone, but please remember, God is with you" Joseph stepped down and began walking down the road
Max just sat in the drivers seat going over what Joseph said, he watched Joseph walk along the road till he couldn't see him anymore
Max sighed to himself
And glanced at the revolver in his hand, he shook his head and threw the pistol into the passenger seat.
"Why didn't I just shoot, everything would just be over then, all the pain and suffering he caused would of just stopped" he thought to himself
He stepped out of the car and pulled out his radio
"This is Moses, I haven't seen anything, they got away, over"
There was a moment of static, then a beeping came through
"Roger that Moses, come on back to the wolves den, we need to take care of the hostage we saved, over"
"On my way back now"
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Part three complete!