Shadows Peak |✔

Chapter 42: Casey

"My brother just died. Nothing's going to stop me from making sure it wasn't in vain except death itself," he growled, walking toward Casey with bloodshot eyes. "Lead the way."

Nodding his head, Casey did just that, but not before doing something he should have already done days ago.

"Sydney, you need to walk up front with me. As ironic as it seems, our chances of survival are better with you."

Without a hint of emotion, she nodded her head and took the lead, and Casey followed, keeping watch in the areas she wasn't able to.

"Walk directly behind us. No where else," he advised everyone else with a tone that left no room for deviation.

If we're going to make it through this with our lives, we need to be smarter.

Hours passed and miles were walked, but no one asked to stop. The last of the food they packed was dispersed amongst everyone and now they'd have to hunt for their meals, but that was a task for another day.

"We'll need to find a place to set up camp soon. I'm just nervous about the weather. It looks like a storm is brewing," Sydney said, her voice directed at Casey.

"I'm already ahead of you," he replied, pointing in the direction of a dark, barely visible entrance to a cave. "That will have to do for now."

Seeming in agreement, the two of them lead everyone to it, making it there right as the rain began to fall.

While the people set up their sleeping areas, Casey stood at the cave entrance, watching the torrential downpour. The sound of the wind knocking against the mountain rock was rhythmically chilling in its own way, and the whooshing whistles from the branches of trees created a magical melody that seemed to be playing just for him. As much as he hated Shadows Peak, there was one thing undeniable about it; it was beautiful.

By now, the sun had gone down and the only source of light was the crackling fire inside the cave. Casey chose to take the first shift and was standing guard at the cave entrance when he heard someone walking up from behind him.

"I'll take over now," she said, leaning on the cold rock wall at the other side of the entrance. "You should get some sleep."

"So should you," he responded, looking at the blonde woman who seemed much more in her element. "It's fine. I can handle a few more hours."

"And I'd probably let you, but I can't sleep right now," Sydney shrugged. "Bad dreams."

Casey thought back to that morning, how she was up before even he was. She looked tired, but was up. Did she have a bad dream then, too? When she sent him an unwelcoming look, he decided it was probably best to just let her take over. Without another word, he made his way toward Reid and settled down on the floor near him. In a matter of minutes, the steady sound of rain acted as a lullaby, rocking him to sleep.

His body was able to get the rest it needed for a handful of hours, until being stirred awake from the sound of metal clashing to the ground. Jerking his eyes open, Casey sat up to see what was going on.

"It's your fault he's dead," someone was saying, sounding on the brink of insanity. "You saw it and didn't say anything until it was too late."

It was too dark in the cave for Casey to locate who was speaking or where they were until he looked toward the entrance and saw it. Silhouetted by the light of the moon, he could make out the image of a man holding a woman up against the cave wall by her throat.

"Why aren't you saying anything? I know you want to deny it!"

Is it a native intruder?

In that moment, Casey sprung up and swiftly began to make his way over to the man, trying to gage exactly what was happening without giving away his approaching position.