Chapter Text
The next few weeks ran like clockwork. Falling back into the strict routine Jacob kept everyone at the compound under. He kept her close like before; Sarah followed him as he went about his day. What was new was occasionally, he would ask her opinion on things. The first time it had happened, his question left her shocked. He wanted her opinion on the new trial course. "Need to keep the Chosen on their toes." He explained to her confusion. It was small, but she quickly understood why he started as he did. He was building her up to take more responsibility.
"We're starting the human trials today." Jacob had begun to lead her down the familiar corridor to the trial room. "Now, whoever is in that room. You will not react to them. You will not try to help them. Or tamper with the trial. Break any of those rules, well. You'll be punished. Understand, pup?" He stopped before the door, his hand resting on the handle.
"Yes, sir," Sarah said with a firm nod. The door was opened, and she stepped inside. The room was filled with six chairs. Each had an unconscious person slumped on it. There were a few others chosen in the room, too. Once Jacob closed the door behind him, they set about tying the 'participants' to the chairs. Sarah looked down at the man she was working on. It was the man from the cages. The one who had the large cut on his arm. Scanning the room, she paused. Joey was not here. A soft sigh of relief slipped from her as she continued to work on fastening the bindings.
When she was done, she was told to stand at the front of the room and wait. Jacob prowled through the rows of chairs. The participants were beginning to wake up and struggled with their bindings. With a firm nod, the other chosen began to leave, but Jacob stopped her from following. His large hand took hold of her wrist, and with a stiff jerk of his head, he motioned her back to the front of the room.
Taking a clicker in hand, he began. "The world is weak. Soft. We have forgotten what it is to be strong." As he spoke, Jacob clicked through images on the projector. Dead animal, wolf image, weird image of a deer with its skull showing. Image after grotesque image flicked over the wall behind her. Illuminated where she stood. She watched as the people began to rouse, only to notice the floor was coated in a thick fog of Bliss. As the 'Participants' struggled, they knocked the mist into the air. It began to tint her vision with every breath. Focusing on his tense form as it paced back and forth through the rows of chairs. The Bliss fogged her mind, causing her to lose focus on what Jacob was saying, tuning out his rough voice to a low rumble. She focused on the images as they flashed before her. The strong overcoming the week. Proving their worth in the great order of nature. Suddenly, he was in front of her, with a wooden music box in his hands and the room filled with a familiar song. His song. It crooned in her ear as the red haze gripped her vision.
Two targets freed themselves from their seats. They began to attack each other. With a few solid blows, one target fell to the floor, unmoving. Others began to rush for the open door. She gave chase.
Like before, the course was a winding set of corridors. The targets got lost easily, stumbling across dead ends. She took them out with clean shots, aiming for their heads. The sharp crack of gunfire filled the air, followed by the dull thud of targets slumping to the floor. "Good time, keep it up," Jacob whispered in her ear, encouraging her to carry on, move faster, and kill quicker. One of the targets was trickier to catch. Unlike the others, it used cover and was quick on its feet. The other targets fell quickly, leaving the two of them standing. Keeping close to the wall, Sarah caught sight of the last target. Its back was to her. With each panting breath, she knew what it was—weak. Crouching low and keeping her steps light, she approached. Once she was close enough, she pounced.
The target was pinned under her. It punched and tried to kick at her to get her off, but Sarah punched back. Her fist hit the target's diaphragm, causing it to let out a pain-filled grunt. She kept raining blow after blow down on the target. Until…
"That's enough." Jacob's order drew her to pause. "Get up, pup." She scrambled to her feet, leaving the still target on the floor. Heavy footsteps rang out as Jacob drew close. A pleased look coloured his face. "I'm impressed; you have gotten quicker." He turned to the chosen who had followed him in. "Take these to the Judges." The target was lifted off the floor and dragged away, leaving the two of them alone. "Look at me." Her eyes snapped to his face at his order. Jacob reached out, brushing something from her cheek with his thumb before he brought it close to her mouth. "Open your mouth." He muttered. Slowly, she complied. The heady taste of copper covered her tongue as she closed her lips around his thumb. Blood, hers or someone else's? She could not say. Something sparked in his eyes as she licked the blood of his thumb. "Good girl." His thumb left her mouth, trailing down her chin. "Follow." He turned and began to leave the room.
When the red haze finally loosened its claws from her mind, Sarah found herself in their room, slumped on the sofa. "Are you good, pup?" his rough voice asked as he moved into her field of view.
"I'm OK... I think." She rubbed her eyes, brushing the last traces of the haze away. "How did the test go.."
"Went as expected. Whoever is training the Whitetails now is doing a poor job. We can use that to our advantage."
"It must be Tammy. Wheaty's too young to know what he's doing."
"Tammy... the woman who tortured Johnson. She's in charge? I thought the Deputy would have been next in line after Eli." He mused.
"Nope. Tammy was Eli's second in command; she helped him run the Militia along with Wheaty. But he focuses more on their communications." Sarah paused, shifting to sit straight, moving from where she had slumped against the arm of the sofa. "The Deputy has too much on her plate to be in charge of every region, so she leaves people in charge while she travels between them." She caught sight of her knuckles; they were bloody and bruised. "Did I… did I run the trials?"
"You did. Wanted to make sure your conditioning was still in place. You did a good job. Better than last time." He moved, handing her a damp rag he was holding. "You shouldn't be ashamed of what you did. Once again, you proved how strong you are." She only nodded, cleaning the blood of her hands, leaving behind stains on the cloth. "Next time, you won't run the trails. But you will join me in watching them. I want you to see how the strong work their way through the weak."
"Yes, sir." He handed her something else. A shaver. Before she could react, Jacob nudged her legs apart and sat between them. His back towards. "I told you I have no idea what I'm doing."
"You'll work it out." Jacob leaned his head back as he spoke. "Just try not to cut me." He grinned at her before shifting to take off his jacket and shirt. Taking the cloth, Sarah pressed the damp material to the side of his head, letting it dampen the fuzzy hair before carefully scraping away the soft hairs. It took a short while trying to figure out how not to cut him but cut the hair. After a few swipes, she was beginning to get the hang of it.
"Your old man never kept his military cut?" His rough question startled her out of concentration, and she nearly cut his ear.
"No. I always knew him with messy hair. My mama said he started growing it when he got out." The shaver scraped against his skin again. "He would cut it when it got in his eyes."
"He did two tours, right?"
"Yep. I'm surprised you two never bumped into each other at some point, then again. That's like saying you know everyone who served over there." Sarah paused, using the cloth to dampen another patch. "Then again, he was friendly with some Vets who used to attend the Vet centre. So, who knows? He might have patched you up. Looks like you got patched up a bit."
Jacob let out a low chuckle. "Could have. Who knows?" A comfortable silence fell over the two of them, filled by the gentle scrape of the shaver over his skin.
"Did you have any more nightmares while I was gone?" she asked carefully, moving the shaver around a patch of scarring in his hair, trying not to irritate it too much.
"A few."
"Why didn't you say anything?" She stopped shaving his head. "I said you could call me if you needed help with them."
"Not particularly keen on letting everyone know about them." He turned to look at her. "You know radios work both ways. We can hear you when you talk to others."
"I know that." She nudged him to turn back around. It's just… I don't like the thought of you suffering alone, that's all." Jacob fell silent, letting her finish cutting his hair in pieces. "There. Don't blame me if it's uneven. I did warn you." His hand ran over his freshly shaved scalp before he stood up.
"Good job. Might get you to do that again." He brushed the cut hair off his shoulders before pulling his shirt back on. Standing up, Sarah touched the slightly prickly sides of his head.
"OK, fine. I did a somewhat good job. But next time, if I do this again, we will need an actual shaving kit. And water." She grumbled, cleaning the remaining hair off the shaver with the damp cloth.
"So there's gonna be a next time?" he smirked. Sarah threw the cloth at him, only to earn a chuckle from him.
**********
She was walking down a hallway. A sickly yellow wallpaper with white trim covered the walls. Beneath her feet, polished Lino that looked like wooden planks stuck to her bare feet. Taking a deep breath. Sarah knew where she was. She never wanted to come back here. Her old house. She was in the hallway connecting three bedrooms to the bathroom. Downstairs would be a dining room, a living room and a small kitchen. She swallowed the growing unease as she walked down the hallway. Why was she here?
"Sarah." The stern voice of her birth… no, Elizabeth. The bitches name was Elizabeth. She lost all right to be ever associated with the term mother. Sarah was not a scared child anymore. "Sarah!" The voice called out again, more aggressively. Turning, She padded downstairs. Elizabeth stood in the living room.
The room was just as she remembered. The old sofa armchair combo that sat in the middle of the room. An awful, sickly green color with birchwood accents. A large bookshelf jam-full of biblical text and reference books. Elizabeth was the same, too, dressed in her Sunday best, her low-heeled black shoes polished to a shine; the dress was neat, not a thing out of place. A string of pearls around her thin neck. Her sharp face and dark brown hair pulled too tight to the back of her head. Those familiar eyes filled to the brim with sickness.
"Why did you not come right away? I called you twice. Show me your hands." She snapped, storming over and grabbing Sarah's hands with her own. Suddenly, Sarah was whisked back in time. She was nine, not in her late twenties. Looking up at Elizabeth, the woman glared over her hands before frowning. Her face was always drawn in a glare or some sort of frown. There was never any love on her face. Was the woman even capable of love? "You have been sinning. Look at your hands! They are stained with your sin."
"No, mama! I swear, I haven't been doing anything." The words spilled from her lips, and she could not stop them. This was a dream, a vile reenactment of the past. This was not real.
"Shut up!" Elizabeth's neat, manicured nails bit into her wrist. "You didn't think I would find out about what you have done. God told me. He told me of your sin. You wretched thing. After all I have done for you, this! This is how you repay me." Elizabeth's rant was bitterly harsh, more of a hiss than speaking. She began to drag the young Sarah towards the stairs, forcing her up each step.
"Please, mama! Please, I didn't do anything wrong. I swear. I have been good." A sharp slap shut the young girl's pleas, turning them to whimpers. Elizabeth dragged the small child behind her, slamming the bathroom door open. The room was small, but it contained a large bathtub. Sarah began to struggle at the sight. She knew what would happen a few months later.
"Stop it!" The woman hit her again across the face. Hard enough that she could feel tears sting her eyes. "You are filthy! Your sin is plain to see; why didn't I see it sooner... Forgive me, Lord, for being so blind. I tried to keep the Angels you blessed me with clean of sin." As she rambled, Elizabeth turned to the tub. Sarah only then noticed it was full of scolding hot water…Oh no, fuck no, no, not this, not this again.
"Mama! Please, please, mama, please. Mama, I'm sorry." Elizabeth ignored her child's pleas and forced Sarah's tiny hands into the scalding water. The young girl's pleas turned to pain-filled cries. She struggled to get away from the burning water, but it hurt. It hurt so much. She just wanted it to stop. God, please, make it stop.
"Sarah!... Sarah!"
Jolting awake with a gasp. Sarah found herself being pressed into the mattress of their bed. Jacob's large hand pressed firmly into the centre of her chest. Holding her in place. Grounding her to the present. It was a dream. A fucked up dream. She felt damp on her face, reaching up to find she had been crying. "Sarah, you're awake." He lifted his hand. As soon as he did, she threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his thick waist, holding him tight and burying her face in his broad chest. His hand rested on her back, rubbing small circles into her bare back. "It's alright. Just a nightmare."
"Sorry... Been a while since I had one." Sarah mumbled, feeling her pounding heart begin to slow. Fuck that had felt so real. "Sorry."
"Don't apologize," he murmured, pulling the blanket over her shivering form. I got you. You're safe." Looking up, she was met with a concerned look that coloured his gaze—not disgust.
"Was it bad?" She slowly pulled back, pulling the blanket further over her shoulders. As she swallowed, she winced at how much her throat hurt.
"You were screaming, pleading, begging your mother to stop. It was pretty loud."
"No wonder my throat hurts." Reaching a hand up to rub at the scar on her neck. Falling silent, she began to curl into herself.
"Hey, back with me." Jacob snapped his fingers close to her face. Pulling her back to him. "What do you need?"
"I... I don't know."
"I asked you a question, and I want a proper answer. Now tell me, what do you need?" He repeated, firmer this time.
"I need.." She paused, feeling more tears fall from her eyes. "It's stupid."
"Don't make me ask again."
"I need a hug," Sarah whispered, Feeling him pull her into his strong arms and move her to his lap.
"See. Not a stupid ask." God, he smelt of home, a mix of Cedarwood and musk. She couldn't help but snuggle close. Closing her eyes as she did. "You take as long as you need." He didn't treat her like she was broken, a damaged thing that was too delicate to handle. He held her firm, grounding her in this place, in this time. In the small room of his compound, in the middle of the Whitetail's. "Do you want to talk... About what happened?" The question sounded so awkward. He was trying, bless him.
"I was in my childhood home, my… Elizabeth. The woman who birthed me, her name is Elizabeth. She was ranting about how filthy I was with sin, so she decided to clean my hands... By cleaning, she meant forcing my hands into scalding hot water and holding them until the top layer of skin peeled from my hands. I couldn't pick things up for weeks until they healed. It was how my school found out about the abuse.. and the fractured rib Michael ended up with. That's how the CPS was called…" She trailed off. "I still can't have too hot showers. Weird, huh.."
"It's not weird at all." He ran his hand slowly through her hair. "Are you Feeling better?"
"Yeah. Thank you. For listening to me ramble." She pulled back to see the slight narrow of his eyes at her comment. Shifting off his lap, Sarah moved back to her side of the bed, only for Jacob to pull her back, pressing her close to him. The blanket covered them both. His large hand sprayed over her stomach, keeping her in place.
"Get some sleep, sweetheart." He mumbled, pressing a soft kiss to her shoulder. Closing her eyes, she let his steady breathing and scent lull her to sleep. When she awoke the next morning, she was draped over his chest. Her head rested over his heart, his hands resting firmly on her back, holding her close.
**********
They didn't talk about her nightmare the following day, and she was thankful for that. But then again, when Jacob had his, they didn't speak about it the next day either. Before leaving the room, he had taken her hand in his, reassuringly squeezing it before heading out. The morning debrief meeting with his Lieutenants was tense. Apparently, the Deputy had been running amok in the region for the last few days, and one of them had chosen to sit on this information, hoping to capture the Deputy himself. It had cost the loss of a weapons stash and three outposts. Resources The Deputy had no doubt squirrelled away, sending them to the Rebellion. A deep frown was drawn across Jacob's face as he listened to the man explain his reasoning for not following orders and trying to "take initiative."
"See, this is why we have a chain of command. We have orders for a reason." Jacob tapped his thumb against the table, narrowing his eyes at the Lieutenant. "Let's see how you like spending some time among the Judges." With a firm motion, the man was dragged from his seat and out of the room. "That's enough for today. Back to work." The room began to empty, leaving him and Sarah alone.
"Pretty quick to send him to the Judges." She moved from standing at his side to lean against the desk. "He must have done some other bullshit to piss you off." She paused as he shifted in his seat. "Wait.. was he the one who made the smart-ass comment the other day?"
"He was on thin ice to begin with."
"So you have a position open?" She asked, looking over his weary face. His tense shoulders slumped slightly.
"Looks like it." He grumbled, rising from his feet.
"I have a suggestion for who could fill it. If you would like my opinion?" Jacob turned to face her.
"Alright, who do you have in mind?"
"Michaels. She is capable and loyal. Has a good head on her and is one of the most competent chosen I have seen. She's driven, giving her all to the cause." Sarah watched as he listened. He gave her his undivided attention as she spoke.
"Fine. You get Michaels, bring her to my office. I'll meet you there." He gave a slight nod. "Oh, and pup, good choice." He flashed her a slight smile before leaving her.
It was easy to find Michaels, the chosen was currently making her rounds around the base. "Michaels," Sarah called out, quickening her step to catch up.
Michaels stopped midstep and turned to face her. "Sister Sarah, it is good to see you. Did you need me?" she asked.
"Yes. Brother Jacob asked me to get you. He wants to see you in his office." The other woman's face drained. "It's not for anything bad. If it were, I would give you a heads-up."
"Thank you, sister," Michaels said with a slight sigh. The two of them headed towards Jacob's office. "So, how have you been? We haven't had a chance to catch up with you since you returned to us."
"Yeah. I have been busy helping with the Judge project and the trails. Jacob sure is keeping me working hard." She let out a little laugh.
"Well, we have to make sure we are prepared. The collapse can happen at any time."
"Can I ask, Michaels, how long have you been with the project?"
"I first met the Seed brothers in Atlanta. I joined their congregation a few months before they packed up and moved to Hope County. I followed them. Left everything I knew behind and started anew."
"Wow.. that. That must have been nerve-wracking." Sarah muttered, impressed.
"It sure was. My nana was livid I was moving, but I felt God's call. I felt I had to follow the Father no matter what, and here I am." Her lips spread into a slight smile.
"I have to ask, what did you do before the project?"
"I was a firefighter. One of the hardest things was leaving my station. Those folks were like family. Bet you felt the same about the folks in the Sheriff's department."
"Yeah, I got close with some of the other Deputies." Sarah closed the door behind them as they headed toward Jacob's office. "It feels weird working against Deputy Hudson. We were really close."
"I understand. But sometimes, people can become blind to the damage they are causing when they think they are acting with good intentions." Michales said softly, keeping pace with Sarah. "The Deputy doesn't understand she's doing more harm than good."
"You're right." Sarah stopped outside Jacob's office. "Thanks for the chat. It's good to get someone else's view on things." She knocked firmly on the door. The muffled, rough call beckoned her inside. Pushing the door open, she stepped in. "I brought Michaels." Stepping further into the room, Sarah moved to stand at his right side, behind the desk.
"Good. Michaels, at ease. Take a seat." He motioned to the other chair. Michaels moved quickly, sitting opposite Jacob. Now, there is an opening for the position of Lieutenant. As of this morning, I want to offer the position to you." There was no fanfare; it was just quick and to the paint.
"Really? I mean, thank you, sir. I won't let you down." Michael's face was coloured with shock and excitement before being schooled into a neutral expression.
"I know you won't. That's all. Report to meeting room A tomorrow morning, nine sharp. You're dismissed."
"Yes, sir." Michaels rose to her feet, gave a short salute, and briskly left the room with a slight pep in her step.
"She's going to be buzzing all day at that, I can tell." Sarah felt a smile spread on her face. The woman deserved recognition for the hard work and effort she had put in, and she would do just the same in her new position.
Jacob let out a low hum, flicking over some paperwork on his desk. "With the Deputy in the region, the base will be on higher alert," he said, handing her a file. "We don't know what she's up to. Do you have any ideas?"
"Last I heard, she was not in good standing with the Militia. So the fact she's here means she's probably trying to win back favour." The paperwork was a report on the latest attack on a compound. It was a massacre. Bodies were strewn all over, riddled with bullets. One man even had his stomach cut open and was left for dead. "This is a blood bath; the Deputy is wrong to treat the followers like this." She put the file down, not wanting to see any more.
"That was a thing I noticed. In your training and when you were out on your task, you prefer headshots on your kills." He mused, shifting to sit back in the chair. His eyes flicked up to her.
"When you give a clean kill, you offer respect to the deceased. Animal or human, they all deserve the right to die a clean, painless death. I tried to make sure each of my targets had that dignity." He nodded, placing the files on the table.
"And the knocking unconscious and binding the hands?
"Oh.. those were times when I was on my own. There was no pressure to kill them. So I didn't." She said, keeping his gaze.
"Interesting. That is good to know." He rose to his feet. "Come with me. We have some judges to look at." The two of them spent the rest of the day working alongside the team on preparing the next batch of Judges.
**********
It was late in the afternoon when Jacob had sent her to gather some files. The winding warren of corridors was becoming easier to navigate. It felt less like a maze and more like a complicated machine with different parts that worked simultaneously with the others. Walking through the hallways, she finally came across the room in question, only to find the door propped open and someone clattering about inside. Peeking inside, Sarah saw the familiar figure of Joey Hudson rummaging through the standing file cabinets. "Come on.. where does this psycho fuck hide his creepy experiment files." She muttered to herself, flicking through the files. Sarah used her partner's distraction to slip into the room, closing the door behind her. "Jesus... Sarah...What the hell are you doing here?" Joey pressed a hand to her chest, letting out a startled laugh, as she looked up to see her fellow Deputy in front of her.
"I could ask you the same thing. What the hell are you doing, Deputy?" Sarah moved to block the door with her body.
"Looking for a way to undo that psycho freaks mind control…" Joey paused, leaning on the cabinets. "Someone has to try and stop these fucks.." her gaze flicked over Sarah as she trailed off.
"How did you get in here?"
"Sneaked in. Learned a thing or two from you." The Deputy's lips spread into a cocky grin. "You're not the only one who can be all sneaky."
"You idiot," Sarah hissed. "There are cameras everywhere. Do you think Jacob will let you waltz in here and back out with anything? You shouldn't have come."
"Well.. shit." Joey runs a hand through her hair. "I guess I'm gonna have to kill two birds with one stone." She moved quickly, pulling Sarah close to her. "Nothing like a good old hostage situation. You remember the practices we did in the academy? Treat this like that." She said as her arm wrapped around Sarah's neck. "Play along, and we'll both be back at the Spread Eagle, just in time for some cold ones."
Joey kicked the door open and manoeuvred them down the empty hallway, heading back towards the main compound doors. As they got closer, Johnson walked through them. He paused, his hand quickly pulling out his pistol. "I wouldn't fucking do that, you stupid sonofvabitch." Joey pressed the metal of her gun firmly against Sarah's temple. "Get on your radio and tell that fuck face, Jacob Seed. If I see so much of a twitch of a Peggie moving close to me. I pull the trigger. Well, fucking do it then!" Johnson hastily pulled out his handheld radio, relaying the message on Jacob's frequency. "Fucking move!" Joey shouted at him, and Johnson scrambled to move out of the way.
"Ha, fucking too easy." The Deputy murmured in Sarah's ear as they made their way outside. There were more chosen, their guns aimed at the Deputy as she pulled Sarah along with her. Her back was pressed flush against the Deputy's chest. "You OK, partner? If these sonofvabitch touched you, I'll skin them."
"I'm fine," Sarah said quickly, watching as some of the Peggies relayed what was happening over the radio, no doubt keeping Jacob informed. "I still think this is the most stupid thing you have ever done. You know Jacob will not let you leave this easily, right?"
"Well, I have a hostage… So what is he gonna do, shoot me? He would hit you as well. Last I heard the Seed boys were trying to keep you safe. They think you are part of their fucked up family" Joey pulled her close as they stumbled backwards. "It's a good act you got going on." she laughed sharply. "You know what those fuckers are calling you now... 'Joseph's Angel'. How fucked is that" Sarah said nothing, feeling her cheeks heat at her new title. Her eyes scanned the compound building. Just then, she saw a flash of red on the roof. Before it vanished from sight, in all her time running around playing saviour, Joey had forgotten their briefing, back from before this all began. Jacob Seed was not just an ex-Marine. He was a sniper. And a fucking good one at that.
Sarah felt the anxiety grow in her stomach. She trusted Jacob would hit his target and not hit her in any way. That's not why she was nervous. No, she was nervous because she was reminded of Tammy's snarled words. She would have to make a choice. There was no playing both sides in this war. Hell, Sarah was lucky to have made it this far, doing that and letting Joey think they were still on the same side. But she had not been on Joey's side for a long while. Was it when Jacob sent her to eliminate Eli? Or was it when Joey tried to attack John? She didn't know when she stopped supporting the Rebellion. But she did. Now, it was time to let the Deputy know the truth. The growing anxiety was about how she would react. After all, Joey was still her friend.
"You know, this war is so fucked up. If you could stop, find a way to talk to Joseph, come to some sort of ceasefire, or come to an agreement. It would stop so many needless deaths." Sarah spoke carefully. After all, she had a loaded gun aimed at her head.
"Yeah, you can say that again. But we didn't start this fight. The Seeds did. For this to end, they either need to be in a cell or buried six feet deep. Preferably the latter, all the atrocities they have done. Death would be too good for them," The Deputy spat.
"You have changed Joey. You wouldn't have wanted this, wanted any of this.."
"Ha! I changed. You can fucking talk. They got you brainwashed or hooked up on some drug. Just like they must have Faith on, you know she's called Rachel, right? Sick fucks coxed in a fucking Junkie. Promising her a new family, and look at her now. She is still a doped-up little bitch, who now is forcing others to join her in the 'Bliss.' You know she made me jump off the fucking statue of Joseph while high on that shit. I don't know how you have handled it all this time." Sarah listened to the Deputy ramble. The woman was running on rage, pure and simple. There were no good intentions here. Digging her feet into the soft earth, she made her choice.
There was a sudden loud pop. Joey screamed. And the pistol clattered to the ground. There was a blur of chosen; they piled on top of the Deputy, pinning her to the ground. "Fucking get off me." She snarled, thrashing around, trying to aim punches at the chosen as they restrained her hands behind her back. Sarah bent to pick up the pistol. Holding it tight, she just stood back and watched. This was her choice. She told herself as she watched Joey struggle. "Sarah.. fucking help me." Joey spat, her eyes narrowing as she was lifted to her feet. "Shoot these sonsovabitches.."
"Deputy Hudson, how nice of you to finally stop hiding," Jacob called out as he approached. His red rifle was slung over his shoulder. "Must say I'm impressed with your gall, walking into my compound as if you own the place." He stopped next to Sarah. His hand rested firmly on her shoulder. It gave a slight squeeze, an acknowledgement of what she did, or a warning she could not tell. Jacob was hard to read. "But we'll see how brave you are once you run my trials. See if it's not just bravado." He held out his hand. Without hesitation, Sarah placed the Deputy's gun in his hand.
"You fucking bastard. When I get out of here, I'm going to enjoy killing you." Joey spat. "Sarah, snap outta it!" The Deputy pleaded, struggling to free herself. "Rook? Jesus Christ, What have they done to you?" Sarah didn't move, keeping her face blank as she stared at her partner… No, if she was going to do this, she needed to commit to putting the past behind her. She looked at the Deputy, watching confusion and pain color the other woman's face. It hurt—a lot—seeing her friend shoot a glare at her.
"You make threats, Deputy. But I have yet to see you act on them. It's getting kinda boring, listening to the same old words. Over and over." Jacob continued, ignoring the outburst. Like a parent would a tantruming child. He tucked the pistol into his belt. "Put her with the Judges. Let's see how she copes with some real hardships." The chosen began to drag the struggling Deputy towards the cages. Her shouts grew fainter as she was pulled further away. Once the chosen vanished out of sight, Jacob turned to face her. His hand still rested firmly on her shoulder. He said nothing, leading her back towards the compound.