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Hunted

Chapter nine

"They've been shot Sam." Dean said as he walked over to his brother who was sitting in the water both hands holding onto his sore knee. "You okay?" He asked as he bent down and examined Sam's knee which now had swollen to twice its size and was covered by an ugly purple bruise.

"Yeah."

Dean knew he was lying.

"How's your stomach?" Dean gently pulled up Sam's shirt and winced in sympathy when he saw that Sam's entire stomach was also covered in a dark purple bruise. "Damn it…." He swore softly. He knew his brother should be in a hospital getting checked out, not out here running from some jerks in the woods.

Dean checked out the sides of the pit and smiled.

"I can get out of here. There are some tree roots hanging from the side and it should be a pretty easy climb up. I'm going to climb out then I'm getting you out."

"Dean…they're getting close. When you get out of here I want you to leave…just go and don't look back."

"Sam…" Dean started to protest.

"It you don't we're both going to end up like them." Sam nodded to the bodies. Were the same men that were chasing them the ones who had killed them he wondered?

"If I get out… you're getting out."

There was no way Dean was going to leave his baby brother behind.

"Dean there's no way I can climb out of here…not with a busted knee. You need to get out of here and get word to the cops about what's going on here."

"Not without you….nope ain't happening."

"Dean….they might have killed these people….they've got to be stopped or they'll go right on killing."

"Sam if I leave you here you're dead."

"I know…" Sam answered honestly as he looked into his brother's eyes. "But if you don't we're both dead and these men win. Dean more people could die if we don't stop them and you know that as well as I do."

Dean knew Sam was right but he wasn't going to think about that right now, right now his main concern was just getting himself out of the pit.

He reached for one of the roots and began climbing out. After slipping a few times he finally pulled himself up.

"Piece of cake Sam." He said as he leaned over the edge of the pit and extended his hand to Sam. "Grab my hand Sam."

Sam stood on his good leg and reached toward Dean's hand but he was at least a foot away and couldn't reach it.

"Come on Sam grab it!"

"I can't…I can't reach it." Sam tried again but it was impossible.

"Try!"

Sam tried to jump up to grab Dean's hand but he landed on his bad leg twisting it under him. He cried out in pain and fell back into the water.

Dean took off his belt and made a loop in it then hung the loop over the hole.

"Sam put your hand through the loop and I'll pull you up."

Sam stood up and this time he easily reached the belt and looped his hand through it. He then tried to climb up the roots with one leg while Dean pulled him up with the belt. It was very slow going because Sam couldn't help much, not with the strain on his stomach and leg which were agonizing. Dean anchored himself and pulled as hard as he could, he knew it had to work, if he didn't get Sam out his brother was as good as dead.

Finally Sam was at the top of the hole and Dean reached down and grabbed him by the back of his belt and yanked him up. They both lay on the ground exhausted.

"Next time we fall in a hole it's your time to pull me up." Dean managed to get out as he tried to catch his breath.

"It's a deal."

After about a minute Dean stood up then reached a hand down to pull Sam up. Just as Sam reached for his brother's hand he saw a shape emerge behind him.

"Dean look out!" Sam shouted.

Dean spun around but he was too late. A Wendigo stood behind him its long arms reaching out for him. But instead of grabbing him it tossed him to the side going instead for the person who was injured and less likely to be able to fight it, Sam. Dean knew he had no way to kill it so he did the only thing he could think of to protect his brother. He jumped up and ran toward it, then grabbing it and holding on he threw them both off the cliff.

"Dean!" Sam's eyes were wide with horror as he watched the Wendigo and his brother disappear over the edge and out of sight.

TBC