Devotion (John Seed)

13. One Painful Week

Amelia was still sitting on the hood of the truck when the radio crackled to life. "Deputy! What was with the radio silence?" Dutch's voice came through the radio. Damn, that was quick.

"John didn't give me phone privileges" the deputy picked up the radio before speaking into it.

"Yeah, I can't imagine that he would be a compassionate host" Dutch joked and Amelia smirked to herself, if only he knew. "Have you spoken to Mary May? I think that she wants you to do something" he informed her.

"Yeah...I spoke to her. I will get to work on it soon, just need some time" Rook sighed, glancing up at the "YES" sign again.

"Sure thing deputy, I can't imagine what he did to you. Talk soon" Dutch said his goodbyes and the radio went silent again.

"I don't even know what he did to me" Amelia mumbled to her self before lowering herself so that her back was laying flat against the hood of the truck and the windshield.

She slipped one arm under her head to make herself more comfortable, and draped her over arm over her stomach. Her eyes closed as she basked in the peaceful silence of the night, that was until the radio hissed to life again. She furrowed her brow and lazily picked it up without opening her eyes, expecting it to be Dutch saying that he forgot to mention something.

"Hello Deputy" John's voice came through the radio smoothly. Amelia's eyes shot open in surprise but she didn't answer. "Come on deputy, you can't be getting shy on my now" he teased and she could hear that damn smirk.

"What do you want John?" she asked, hesitantly responding to the baptist.

"I just wanted to ask how your first day of freedom was" his voice seemed to be mocking her and that just irritated her. It was like he knew how miserable she had been all day.

"Just peachy thanks for asking. Had a few drinks and wasn't threatened by any of your brainwashed followers" Amelia responded sarcastically.

"Are you missing me yet, my dear?" he asked, more mocking and more teasing. It's what he did best.

"Not at all" she rolled her eyes even though she knew that he couldn't see her.

"But you are already missing the hot water, the silk sheets, the real meals, the warm ranch. I can see straight through you Amelia" John whispered into the radio, something about his voice was so tempting...it was almost seductive.

"Go to hell John" Amelia spat. Hiding the fact that, even though she missed those things like any sane person would, she missed him more. Not John, no she didn't miss John. She missed those expressive blue eyes that she drowned in every time they met hers, she missed how passionate he became when he was talking about something important to him, she missed that sickeningly charming smile, she missed that low chuckle and that genuine laughter. But worst of all she missed how his lips felt on her skin, how they felt on her lips. Amelia missed the taste of danger that only he could provide her.

"It's a date" his voice seemed unfazed and Amelia swore that she could see him winking at her, with his hand behind his head as he reclined in his office chair with he feet up on his desk. The radio fell silent again.

Amelia sighed, is it wrong that her favourite conversation today was with John? Of course it was wrong! Plus, it wasn't even a friendly conversation.

The deputy spent the rest of the night laying on that truck, even falling into an uncomfortable sleep for a little while. After waking up she decided to return to doing what was expected of her. She went and retrieved the stolen supplies before returning them to the resistance. But she couldn't bring herself to destroy the sign or liberate the ranch for some reason, which was irritating her.

The deputy spent the rest of the week just saving hostages of the cult, barely putting a dent into their plans at all. Different members of the resistance kept harassing her, asking when she will get everything done, and it took all of her will power to just say "soon" without snapping at them.

The deputy had just promised Mary May and Pastor Jerome that she would go and liberate the Seed Ranch, to take John's home like he took theirs. How does that make them better than him?

Now, there Amelia stood, in front of the Seed Ranch. Part of her wanted to wipe out every cultist and liberate the ranch, another part of her wanted to just walk away and let the resistance fight their own battle, and another part of her wanted to just walk through those doors as if it was her home. Only two of those options made sense to Amelia and it wasn't the last one. However, the last one seemed the most appealing.

Amelia crept around the ranch, looking for a good vantage point or opening. She snuck past the cultists with ease but then had to make her decision, what would her next move be?