To the Death

Kacey walked down into Bobby's living room, where everyone was gathered researching, Dean glanced up, smiling when he saw her standing in the doorway. He would never admit it, but she saw the stress and tiredness in his eyes, which she hated having to see.

She made her way forward to where Bobby was sat, placing her dads journal on the table without a word, and retreating back to her room. She was lying on her bed engrossed in a book about demons when her phone rang, causing her to groan as she placed the book aside, and answered it.

"Hello," she said.

'Kacey-Jae… It's Tony… I wouldn't have rung but I could really use you help on a case I’m working' came the familiar voice from the other end of the line.

"What's up?" Kacey asked.

'I'm on a job down at Black Water Ridge, and I think I'm dealing with a Wendigo, but I could really use an extra pair of hands… I know this is out of the blue.'

"It's fine Tony… I'm not my dad. I just need to sort out my stuff, and then I’ll be leaving."

'Great, I'll send over the address of where I'm staying… see you soon.'

Kacey hung up, grabbing her weapons bag and opening it to check that she had everything she needed, since she knew that flare guns were the best way to kill a Wendigo. Slinging her bag over her shoulder, she headed downstairs, finding Sam and Dean talking in the kitchen.

"What's going on?" Dean asked eyeing her weapons bag.

“A hunter I’ve helped out a few times just rang, he thinks he has a Wendigo case down at Black Water Ridge, and he could use my help… I won’t be gone long,” Kacey replied.

"Do you need us to come with you?" Sam added.

"It’s just one Wendigo, I think we can handle it on our own," Kacey stated confidently.

She hugged them both, before shouting a quick goodbye to Bobby who she could hear talking in the kitchen, and then left slinging her bag in the back of her truck. Hearing footsteps behind her, she turned to find Dean approaching, closing the door and waiting for him to reach her.

"Be careful okay," he said seriously.

"You know… for someone who wins a gold medal for keeping his emotions locked up, you don't half worry a lot."

"Only about the people I care about," Dean mumbled not meeting her gaze.

Kacey chuckled, before wrapping her arms around him and looking him straight in the eye.

"You may have many people fooled Dean, but I can read you like an open book," Kacey said, as she let him go and jumped in her truck.

She started the engine, and with one last glance in the rear view mirror she hit the road. The twelve-hour drive meant that it was nine o'clock in the morning when she finally arrived; she pulled up to the little motel where Tony told her he was staying, and knocked on his door lightly.

It didn't take him long to answer, and when he did Kacey could tell straight away that he hadn't slept, a tired smile gracing his lips as he stepped aside letting her in. She stared around at all the research he’d done on the Wendigo, which was tacked to several walls in the room; finally she turned back to Tony with a smirk.

"Are you ready to go kill a Wendigo?" Kacey asked, pulling the flare guns from her weapons bag and chucking him one.

"Let's go… Are you sure these will work?" Tony replied.

"I'm sure, we've got a better chance whilst it's light, the last thing we want to do is have to hunt this thing when darkness falls. You ready to do some hiking?"

"Why do I get the feeling that this isn't going to be as easy as you're making it sound?" Tony inquired.

"No one said it would be easy, Wendigo's are perfect hunters and we're going to be walking round the forest with flare guns… since when has any hunt been easy?" Kacey said walking back out through the open door and throwing her weapons bag back in the truck.

If she was honest, she wanted to get this job done as quickly as possible, so that she could get back to trying to prevent the end of the world. Kacey jumped out the truck as they arrived where their hunt would begin, spreading a map out over the bonnet, and looking over their terrain to put together a plan.

"Okay, so what's the plan?" Tony stated leaning over the map beside her.

"Well Blackwater Ridge is mostly dense forest and rough terrain, cut off by these canyons…" Kacey replied pointing to the map, "It's also riddled with abandoned silver and gold mines, which would probably be the best place for the Wendigo to store its food."

"Don't forget the grizzlies, this isn't going to be no nature hike, that's for sure," Tony added as Kacey got set and then headed off through the trees.

They had walked for two hours, when they heard a snarl and snapping branches from behind them, instantaneously they both spun round raising their flare guns towards the noise. It was circling them, probably trying to get one of them to break away from the other so that it could strike.

"Whatever you do, do not move away from me that's exactly what it wants… we have to stay together," Kacey ordered knowing perfectly well what Tony was like.

Just as she said this, the Wendigo rushed passed them, sending her flying into a tree. The impact caused her to drop her flare gun and black out momentarily, coming round to find the Wendigo advancing on Tony, who was also on the floor.

With trembling hands she picked up the gun, which had only landed a little way away, and raised it towards the creature that was bearing down on her friend. She blinked a few times, trying to regain her focus, but her vision was all over the place and she couldn’t get a clear shot.

She closed her eyes to calm herself, then without hesitation she pulled the trigger, and released a flare. After a few seconds she opened her eyes, taking a shaky breath but relaxing a little as she watched the Wendigo combust, and chuckled as Tony shouted out in victory moving to help her to her feet.

They didn't stick around for long, hiking back to the truck with Tony’s arm wrapped around Kacey’s waist supporting her, and after helping her into the passenger seat he drove them back to the motel. She knew that sleeping with concussion wasn’t the best idea, but with Tony watching over her like a hawk, and exhaustion sweeping through her body she gave in.

After a couple of hours, Kacey awoke feeling well enough to make the drive back to South Dakota, and with a quick goodbye to Tony she headed out. It hadn’t dawned on her how quickly she seemed to have recovered; all that remained from her encounter with the tree was a small cut, and a slight headache.