Work Text:
“Rook, you and I need to have a discussion about what constitutes a ‘plan’,” Whitehorse told his deputy as he skillfully avoided a bite from the wolf puppy they had found. She took the squirming animal from him and placed it in a wire kennel.
“Faith says Jacob’s a softy for animals, and we already know he likes me,” Rook said flippantly. Earl rubbed a hand over his face, nose wrinkling at the smell of his hand after touching the filthy animal.
“Maybe a bit too much, Rook,” he mumbled, setting the kennel into the back of his pickup.
“Thanks for helping me with this,” she told him as he started the pickup and pulled out of Hope County Jail’s long driveway.
“Well, I’m not letting you get yourself killed going without me,” he groused. “Besides, you can’t knock on the gate on your own.” Rook went a little red, furious as she thought about her brainwashing and that fucking song that was constantly played outside the veteran’s center. “Jess didn’t want to come?” Earl asked mildly as he put on his turn signal and turned north. Rook sighed.
“She’s…not a fan of the plan. At all.” Earl shrugged.
“Can’t blame her. You alright?” Rook looked at him sheepishly.
“You’re my boss, not my dad,” she snapped. It was like a dagger to the heart. He nodded, swallowing. Rook softened. “Sorry. I just…I don’t want to talk about it. Don’t listen to me. Of course, you’re like my dad, Sheriff.” He looked over at her with those sad, droopy eyes of his and she felt even guiltier for the blurted statement. He glanced away with a sigh. “Why else do you think I’d come to you for advice so often?” she asked, cuffing him lightly on the shoulder, feeling stupid as she did so. Earl kept his eyes on the road now, annoyed that it showed on his face how badly she had hurt his feelings. “Earl.” He still didn’t look at her. “When we’re done with our mission can you pwease cut the crusts off my sandwiches for me, Dad?” Earl fought a grin and lost, letting slip a bark of laughter and finally looking at her.
“Oh, fuck off, Rook,” he laughed. Rook looked at him brightly, seeming relieved to have soothed the sting of her earlier slight. They chatted congenially until they reached the St. Francis Veteran Center. Earl stepped out of his truck, heart thundering as about twelve heavily armed Peggies strode toward the gates in response. He pulled his white handkerchief out to make it abundantly clear why he was here before he got shot. “Need to speak with Jacob. Rook’s got something for him but can’t get past the gates with that music blaring.”
“Yeah, that’s the point,” one of the Peggies mocked, raising his gun. “Why don’t you get out of here, old man?” Earl stood his ground, though he could feel his heartbeat behind his eyes, heard it thundering wildly. He put his hands on his hips, his right hand resting casually on his side arm, and raised an eyebrow.
“Young man, it is truly unfortunate that your mother never taught you to respect your elders. Now, I think you have misunderstood me. I wasn’t asking. I was telling. Go get Jacob. Now.” The Peggies glanced at one another and one of them finally shrugged.
“Wait here.”
“My pleasure,” Earl snarked, crossing his arms over his chest now. One of the Peggies scurried toward the front doors and stepped inside. There was a space of several minutes where Earl and the remaining Peggies stared at one another, the Peggies malevolently, Earl mildly. He looked back to the truck once and gave Rook a thumbs up when the music abruptly stopped. She got out of the truck and joined him. The Peggies raised their weapons at her.
“That’s far enough,” one of them told her, his voice shaking a little. Earl almost laughed. They were scared of her.
Jacob stepped calmly out of the center, walking slowly toward the gates, looking completely unbothered by the nervousness of his men. He looked over at Rook and Earl could swear he saw the edges of his mouth lift in a small smile.
“How are the burns, pup?” Rook tugged the collar of her shirt to the side.
“Well, we match now,” she told him dryly. He hummed in response.
“So. I hear you have something for me. I trust this isn’t some kind of trap?”
“I think you know me better than that,” Rook admonished. Earl felt uncomfortable. How often had these two interacted anyway? Jacob chuckled humorlessly.
“Alright, what have you got?” She walked to the back of Earl’s pickup and brought out the wolf puppy. Earl was astonished at the transformation that overtook Jacob’s face. It went from gruff, chilling seriousness to joy in a half second.
“Oh, pup. You do know me,” he told her softly. He stepped out of the gates and walked forward, taking the little whining creature under the front legs and holding it up so it faced him. He inspected it before he finally brought it to his chest and pet it on the head gently, murmuring to it. Cold blue eyes glanced up and he was all business again. “So. What’s this for?” Rook smiled genteelly.
“Consider it a peace offering. I have a proposition for you.”
“Oh?”
“Let’s go for a walk,” Rook suggested, bobbing her head toward the nearby pond. Jacob looked from her to Earl suspiciously.
“Hmm. He stays with my men.” Earl felt his stomach drop.
“Absolutely not.” Jacob huffed a laugh.
“Just who do you think is in charge here, pup?”
“That’s what I’d like to discuss,” she told him, stepping forward threateningly. Earl tried not to look worried as he stood there awkwardly, a third very uncomfortable wheel. Jacob considered.
“Hand me your keys,” he said to Earl without looking at him. Earl looked to Rook, who nodded. Trust me, her face said. With a sigh, Earl tossed the keys at Jacob, who caught them effortlessly. He handed the wolf pup to one of his men. “Be gentle with her,” he told him, and Earl could hear the threat in his tone. Jacob turned back toward them, clapped his hands together and then flicked his arms out to the side theatrically. “So. Lead the way, pup.”
---
Jacob laughed raucously, a full, chest deep laugh that made him throw his head back and hold a hand to his stomach with mirth.
“Do you have any idea what my followers will do to me if they think I’m going to help you?”
“Don’t think of it as helping me, think of it as joining our forces. I’m saying ‘yes,’ Jacob. I’m saying fine, okay, maybe the end of the world is coming. So we can stop fighting. No one else has to get hurt. No one else,” she swallowed, “No one else has to get brainwashed.”
“Ah, yes, I figured you’d bring that up.”
“Where is Pratt?” she demanded, voice deepening in anger. Earl put a hand gently on her shoulder but she shrugged it off.
“Peaches? Oh, Peaches is just fine, pup. He’s even housebroken now. Took him long enough,” Jacob said dryly. Rook snarled.
“Cut the shit, Jacob. I’m tired of playing your games. Stop torturing people, let Pratt go, work with me. Help me get Joseph and we can come to an agreement.”
“Or what?” he challenged, a dry laugh in his tone. Rook’s brows rose. It was her turn to laugh.
“Or I’ll kill every fucking one of you,” she chuckled, but her eyes were cold. Earl felt a jolt of terror go through him at her tone and her expression. Jesus. Rook looked like she would kill someone with her bare hands right about now. Jacob grinned, setting the tip of his tongue over one of his canines and putting a hand to his chin, considering. He laughed and pointed a long, scarred finger at her.
“I knew I liked you. Alright.” Rook blew out a breath and glanced at Earl.
“We need to know where Joseph is.”
“He’s got several safe houses in the area, but if you go after him now, John will just fly him out of the county.” Rook groaned.
“We figured as much, Rook,” Earl said. Jacob gave him an appraising look. They glared at one another for a moment before Earl finally relaxed. “So what do you suggest?” Earl asked.
“You’ll have to persuade John to help too. It won’t be easy. It certainly won’t be as easy as persuading me. You’re lucky I’ve got a weak, er, a soft spot for you, pup,” Jacob admitted, looking annoyed at himself. Rook grinned at him.
“I knew I liked you,” she mimicked with sass. She held out a hand suddenly and Jacob took it in one of his massive paws. They shook hands with an air of finality. “Now then. I brought you something. It’s time you returned something of mine.” Jacob snorted.
“You’re joking, right?” There was a soft click and Jacob raised a brow when he looked down at Rook’s free hand, which was holding a cocked pistol aimed between his legs.
“I am not.” With a scowl, Jacob reached for his radio and Earl felt his blood go cold. This was it, this was the moment they would discover whether or not Jacob was really on their side now. He would either order Pratt to be released, or he would order the ground where they were standing to be salted and burned.
“O’Malley,” Jacob blurted into the radio.
“Yes, sir?”
There was a tense silence as Jacob and Rook stared into one another’s eyes, one deciding, the other waiting. Earl just stood there feeling helpless. It was like watching two alpha wolves baring their teeth at one another. Someone was about to get their throat ripped out. Jacob clenched his jaw and then rolled his eyes. “Turn Peaches loose. Tell him he’s wanted at the pond.”
“Do you need assistance, sir?”
“Did I ask for assistance?” Jacob snarled into the radio.
“No, sir,” O’Malley’s voice squeaked.
“Well, then I don’t need assistance.”
“Understood, sir.” The voice sounded terrified. Earl and Rook collectively sighed with relief and Rook put her gun away. A minute or so later, Pratt stumbled out of the gate after one of the Peggies kicked him hard in the backside. Rook reached again for her sidearm but Earl calmed her with a touch of his hand on her shoulder. Pratt approached, head down, eyes fixed resolutely on his feet.
“Peaches,” Jacob said loudly and Pratt jumped with a little whimper as Jacob put a hand behind his neck and slung him roughly toward Earl, who caught him in welcoming arms. “Your owners are here to reclaim you from the pound,” he told him dryly. Earl patted Pratt gently on the back. Pratt met his eyes briefly, the chocolate irises swimming in a pool of tears.
“Sheriff?”
“It’s alright, son,” Earl told him, steadying him on his feet. He’d like to knock the shit out of Jacob for whatever he had done to his deputy, but they need him now, had to play nice.
“So, how to we get to John?” Rook asked Jacob almost conversationally. Nerves of steel, this one, Earl thought, remembering when he had been worried that she wasn’t bold enough to make a good police officer and feeling thoroughly corrected.
“I’ve got a few ideas for you,” he assured her. “Starting with his ‘Yes’ sign.”