Kneeling in the dirt, Hailey picked up a smashed and bloodied silver flip phone. Eyes watering, she tried hard not to cry but the young woman was rapidly losing hope that they'd find her brother. There was so much blood, so much destruction, how could he still be alive?
Taking up a protective spot near Ben and Hailey, Skye kept her attention focused on the treeline as Dean filled Sam in on what he'd found.
Considering he hadn't found much, it didn't take long. Crouching down beside Hailey, Dean started to ask what she'd found before the look on her face stopped him, instead prompting him to try and offer some kind of comfort. Not something he was terribly good at, really, but at least he tried.
"Hey, he could still be alive," he tried to reassure her, the look on Hailey's face letting him know exactly how convincing he wasn't. For just a second, he wished for Skye's possibly paranormal weird ass ability to console people. Course, that would no doubt prove to be more of a pain in the ass than it was worth. Out of nowhere, a cry for help rang out, shattering the silence of the forest around them and causing more than one of them to jump at the sound.
"Help! Please, somebody, help me!"
Taking off into the woods, Roy quickly disappeared from view, the boys retrieving their guns from where they'd been concealed and quickly following after thumbing off safeties and chambering rounds. Skye was seconds behind them, following their lead as if she'd done it a dozen times before and not, you know, never.
Dropping back, she let Hailey and Ben move in front of her, figuring someone with a clue should be bringing up the rear. Really, she would much rather have stayed right where they were instead of every damn one of them stringing themselves out among the trees, but she didn't have a whole lot of say in the matter.
Stopping abruptly, the last cry faded away as the group came to a stop in a small clearing, no sign of anyone or anything to be seen anywhere. Turning in a circle, Hailey tried to find the source of the screams, "It seemed like it was coming from around here, didn't it?"
They all knew the answer, none of them felt the need to voice it aloud. It had indeed been coming from the clearing but whatever it was had up and disappeared. Mind clicking rapidly through all of the information they'd gathered about their mystery monster, Sam must have come to a disturbing conclusion, "Everyone, back to camp. Now. Go."
Nobody had the heart to argue with the bossy giant. They'd only been gone a few minutes, ten tops, but by the time they returned to the campsite all their supplies had been taken.
"So much for my GPS and my satellite phone." Scuffing the dirt with the toe of his hiking boot, Roy crouched down to examine the spot where his pack had been.
"Our packs." Disbelief lacing her voice, Hailey voiced what all three civilians had to have been thinking, "What the hell is going on?"
"It's smart." Sam spoke up, beyond aggravated, "It wants to cut us off so we can't call for help."
"He figured it out, didn't he." Hands in her pockets, Skye stood next to Dean after tucking her gun into the holster at the small of her back. Neither Hailey nor Ben had noticed she was armed and she didn't really want them to just yet, knowing they'd ask questions she'd rather the boys answered.
"Seems like." Hands in his own pockets in a mirror image of Skye's own posture, Dean rocked back on his heels as he watched his brother, "Sure wish he'd share with the class."
"Super same."
"You mean someone." Shaking his head, Roy looked at Sam like he'd lost his damn mind, "Some nutjob just stole all our gear."
Ignoring him, Sam made his way across the camp to his partners, quiet as he indicated a spot a little ways away, "I need to speak to you two..in private."
Gesturing for Skye to follow Sam, Dean took up the rear, and not solely because it let him keep an eye on her rear. Which, in his opinion at least, was a pretty damn nice one.
Leading them far enough away to not be overheard, Sam turned and held out a hand, "Let me see Dad's journal."
Could no one in this family say please? Seriously, no manners at all. Reaching into the inner pocket of his leather jacket, he took out the thick volume and handed it to his brother. Leaning over, Skye tweaked Dean's jacket, wondering exactly what all he kept in there, "You could hide a small person in those pockets."
"Hop in." Holding open his jacket, a quick smile flashing across Dean's lips as he issued the invitation.
"I'm not small." Crossing her arms, she turned her back on him to focus her attention on Sam, "I'm Fun Size."
"Oh, I bet you are." Sometimes the filter between Dean's brain and mouth suffered serious malfunctions. Whoops. Happens to the best of us. This time the slip got him a long look from Sam that couldn't have said 'dude, really?' any louder if he'd yelled it.
Turning her head to look up at him, Skye smothered the laughter bubbling under the surface, "... you comin' onto me, Winchester?"
"Course not, don't be ridiculous." He managed to avoid meeting her eyes, changing the subject as quickly as possible, "What are you thinkin', Sammy?"
"You two are both ridiculous." Flipping through the pages, he found the one he'd been looking for and held it out to the two dumbass children.
Not needing to read it once he'd seen what page it was, Dean went dead serious, "Oh come on, Wendigos are in the Minnesota woods or northern Michigan. I've never even heard of one this far west."
Dean's reaction to the possibility did not make Skye feel warm and fuzzy. The simple fact that it worried him was enough to scare her. Smart girl. Taking the book from Sam's hands, Skye read the passage concerning the current monster of the week. It didn't take long. There wasn't much. There didn't need to be.
"Think about it, Dean." Shaking his head, Sam denied his brothers denial, "The claws, the way it can mimic a human voice…"
"You know, if that one episode of 'Charmed' is any indication, you're totally pronouncing that wrong." Handing the journal back to Dean, she gave a tight smile, "Remind me to check on that if we live."
"Great." Tucking the book back into his jacket, he let out a deep sigh as he realized exactly what it meant if it was indeed a Wendigo. Flipping his Colt in his hand, Dean thumbed the safety back on and returned it from whence it came, "Then this is useless."
"We've got to get these people to safety." Turning to head back to camp, Sam spared his brother and the Rookie a brief glance. It wasn't just the civilians' safety he was worried about. The girl would make a highly portable snack.
"You stay right next to me, you hear?" Herding her in front of him, Dean kept a hand in between Skye's shoulder blades, paying no attention whatsoever to any discomfort he may or may not be causing the wannabe Hunter, "If you die, I'll kill you."
"What are you gonna do if it decides I look tasty?" Glancing over her shoulder at him, she blew out an exasperated breath, "Melt its heart with the power of your charming smile?"
"You think my smile's charming?"
"That's not what-" Go figure that's what he'd take away from that, "...Shut up."
Walking back into camp behind Sam, they hung back as he started issuing orders.
"Alright, listen up." Let me tell you, when a 6'5" 220 pound giant of a man starts telling people what to do, the smart ones tend to listen, "It's time to go. Things have gotten more complicated."
"Is it really more complicated," she couldn't help but comment under her breath where only Dean could hear it, "Instead of just...differently complicated."
"Shh, Sammy's bein' all bossy." Stepping around behind her, he slowly put a hand over her mouth, resting the other on her shoulder as he leaned down to whisper into her ear, "You get mouthy and he might give you dirty looks, maybe even say a bad word."
"What?" Voice sharp with fear, Hailey wondered what Sam could possibly be talking about.
"Don't worry, kid." Looking condescending as ever, Roy dripped scorn, "I think whatever's out there, I can handle it."
Snorting, Skye choked trying to cover a laugh with a cough, plastering an innocent look on her face when Roy glared at her from across the camp.
"It's not me I'm worried about." Trying to keep his temper, Sam looked at Roy, trying to impress upon the stubborn man the seriousness of the situation they'd found themselves in, "If you shoot this thing, you're just going to make it mad. We have to leave. Now."
"One, you're talkin' nonsense." Roy spat out, turning from scorn to anger, "Two, you're in no position to be giving anybody orders."
"We never should have let you come out here in the first place, alright." Seriously contemplating whether he could get to Roy before Roy could get a shot off, Sam barely managed not to growl, "I'm trying to protect you."
"You protect me?" Roy had moved from scorn to utter contempt of the younger man, not a doubt in his mind that the kid was certifiable, "I was huntin' these woods when your Mommy was still kissin' you goodnight."
"It's a damn near perfect hunter." Sam's voice was gaining in volume, "It's smarter than you-"
Clapping a hand back over Skye's mouth, Dean had a pretty good idea of what she'd been about to say. A fucking potato was smarter than Roy. ...may be what she may or may not have been about to say. Loudly enough for Roy to hear it. Dean's a smart man.
"-and it's going to hunt you down and eat you alive unless we get your stupid sorry ass out of here."
"You don't stop that and I'm gonna start bitin'." Removing Dean's hand, she hissed up at him, elbowing him in the stomach for good measure.
"Is that a threat or a promise." Because the former might be mildly alarming but the latter...was interesting to contemplate.
"Yes."
...What kind of an answer was that?
Laughing in Sam's face, Roy didn't bother hiding his derision, "You know you're crazy, right?"
Put that gun down, Roy, then do that again. Double dare you.
"Excuse me a second," From the look on Sam's face, Dean knew it was time to step in. A firm hand on Skye's shoulder, he gave her his own set of orders, "Do. Not. Move."
The whole family. Bossy as hell.
Snarling, Sam's puppy-dog hazel eyes had gone way more rabid Doberman, "Oh yeah? You ever hunt a Wen-"
Grabbing Sam, Dean shoved him away from Roy, cutting short what he'd been about to say, "Chill out, Sammy."
Was Skye the only one that wanted to see Sam beat Roy's ass? Yes? Dammit. She'dve paid good money for that show.
"Roy." Stepping up, Hailey decided now was a good time to interject herself into the situation, "Stop it. Everybody just stop. Look, Tommy might still be alive and I'm not leaving here without him."
Actually, the possibility of Tommy being alive had gone up if it were indeed a Wendigo. The chances of the rest of them getting out alive, however, had gone down by a marked percentage. Casually ambling over to Sam, hands in her pockets, Skye smiled up at the man, "Want me to shoot him? 'Cause I totally will."
"No, thanks though." Even pissed, her offer got a small smile out of him, "The thought is appreciated."
"It's gettin' late. This thing is a good hunter in the day but an unbelievable hunter at night. We'll never beat it, not in the dark," Speaking up as the voice of reason, Dean took over, "We need to settle in and protect ourselves."
Whether she was actually coming around or was just too tired to argue, Hailey asked the smartest question of the evening, "How?"
Hey, something the Rookie could help with.
"Your matches?" Turning, Skye held out a hand to Dean, knowing he kept a box of matches on him at all times, "I'll go play arsonist. Love that game."
"How do you know I keep matches?" Reaching into his pocket, he fished the box out and dropped it into her palm.
"I have eyes that work." Grinning, she threw a line back at him that he'd used on her a week prior.
"Son of a bitch." Grumbling, he flashed her a rude hand gesture, "Do you always remember everything?"
"Always? No." Returning the gesture, she whistled to get Ben's attention before patting Dean on the arm as she moved away, "But often. Real often."
Recruiting Ben to help clear the fire-pit Tommy had set up, they quickly built up a fire from the bit of wood that the missing man had piled up and the dead branches that were strewn around the campsite.
The boys got the fun job of explaining how they were going to protect the camp by marking the boundaries with runes, as per John's instructions in the journal. Because that didn't seem batshit at all.
Returning the matches to Dean, she got a quick lesson on the symbols and set about helping with that, keeping half an ear on what was going on around her. Each taking a third of the camp, they had it covered in record time.
"Tell me again." Watching the three weirdos from the comfort of the fire, Ben at her side, Hailey had to ask, "Those are…"
"Anasazi symbols. For protection." Inscribing the last few on his third of the circle they were making around the camp, Dean tried not to sound crazy, "The Wendigo-"
"Yeah, I'm gonna go with 'Charmed' on this one and say you're pronouncing that wrong. Mostly because it's just irritating." Skye interrupted, not far behind Dean in finishing up her bit, "It's Wen-dig-oh, not Wen-deeg-oh."
Making a face at her, he deigned not to comment, only acknowledging what she'd said in the way he exaggeratedly pronounced the word this time around, "Wen-DEEG-oh can't cross over them."
Laughing derisively, Roy looked at Dean and shook his head. He definitely thought the trio were looney tunes and was going to have a grand old time rubbing it in their faces when it turned out to be a grizzly or whatever.
Sitting back on his heels, Dean looked up at the aggravating man, "Nobody likes a skeptic, Roy."
Getting to his feet, Dean stretched and wiped his hands on his jeans before making his way around the fire to crouch down next to Skye.
"I need to go talk to Sam." Moving his hands in a 'sit-stay' gesture like she was a damn Labrador, he managed to be obnoxious about what could have been a simple request, "You stay put and watch them."
"Screw you." Shoving him backward, a smug look on her face when he lost his balance and fell back on his ass, "Do I look stupid to you?"
"Not at the moment." Chuckling, he had to admit he'd deserved that. Climbing back to his feet, he looked down at the girl, "...but there are times."
Gesturing for Dean to give her a hand up, she got to her feet, motioning him to come closer, "Twenty bucks says Roy dies first."
Surprised at the silent request for help he knew she didn't need, he wasn't about to say no. Leaning down so she could speak to him without being overheard, he had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing at her wager.
"You're placing bets on their lives?" Taking a step back, he looked aghast... for a solid three seconds before breaking into soft laughter and sealing the deal with a handshake, "You're on."