Watching the dark military grade vehicle leave, taking with it the eastern woman that had imprinted upon his heart, Casey could feel his fingernails pierce his flesh as he fisted his hands. Every muscle in his body felt strained as he forced himself not to immediately chase after her, knowing his body was no match against the artillery the mercenaries carried.

Through the heavily tinted windows of the car, he could barely see the silhouette of Sydney before she was completely lost to his sight, and when the line of vehicles were no longer in his vision, he exhaled the pained breath he'd been holding in.

"Casey."

The voice of the tall eastern boy beside him was like needles to his skin, and he closed his eyes, trying to drown him out to no avail.

"Casey!"

Flashing a cold glare at Jasper, Casey ran past him, his emotions in a daze as he headed back to the room Sydney lead him and his people to when they first got to Galdon. Only one thing was on his mind as he ran through the halls of the male dormitory, hoping he remembered the way.

I can't let them get too far ahead.

Sprinting down what he believed to be the hall Jasper's room was on, he came to a halt when he passed by it, grateful the door was still ajar or he would have missed it.

As soon as he was in, he grabbed his bow and arrows, securing them on his back before heading toward the door to leave. The only problem was, someone was standing in the way.

While Casey was able to hide his dismay behind a stone-like face, Reid's distress was as evident as his hair was black.

Oh, Reid.

The man before him looked as fragile as wet paper, his dark brown eyes surrounded by red as they stained his face with tears. His hair was disheveled, as if he tried to pull it out, and Casey could see the way his friend's hand shook. If his heart wasn't already broken, it would have shattered at the image before him.

"We have to go after them, Case. We have t-to."

"We are," he assured him, feeling his own voice waver, showing a small crack in his otherwise controlled resolve. "That's exactly what we're doing."

With a stiff nod, Reid let out a broken breath, harshly rubbing his face to clear it of the salty liquid. Not even a second later, Jasper rushed in, followed by Baron, Evan, Charlie, and the rest of the group from LeHorn.

"Why the hell did you run off like that?" Jasper questioned, irritation in his voice as he stared at Casey. "After everything that just happened, we don't know how people are going to react! And, to top it all off, you're a westerner in the Eastern Region." He said the last sentence through gritted teeth, bringing his volume down cautiously so anyone outside the room wouldn't hear. "The west and the east never mix well."

Sydney and I do.

Biting his tongue to avoid a battle of egos, Casey looked up at Jasper, crossing his arms. He could feel the stares of his people on him as he responded.

"While you worry about that, I'm going after her," he stated plainly. When he made eye contact with Reid, he added, "And the others."

Brooke. Carly. They've taken so many from us. It's time they come home.

"The only thing I've worried about these past months is Sydney," Jasper growled, offense evident on his features at the implication Casey had made. "She's my first priority, so I hope you weren't expecting to leave without me."

As much as Casey wanted nothing more than to do just that, he knew he needed his help. Without Sydney, he had no guide through the region, and he refused to lead his people blindly. He was, however, concerned that Jasper may not be as cooperative with his leadership. Now was not the time for a fight for authority, and he had a feeling they'd do nothing but that.

"We'll take my car," Jasper declared, only adding fuel to what Casey was brewing over. "Walking would take days, and I don't like the idea of Syd being there for even one."

Casey could agree with him there. Turning to his group, he looked over each one of their faces. While some seemed completely present in the moment, other's looked a bit shaken up.

"Is everyone okay?" he asked, genuinely concerned.

They nodded their heads, some more convincing than others, but he could tell they were still traumatized by the near-death experience they'd had earlier. 

"They all can't come," Jasper stated firmly, regaining Casey's attention. "I can only fit six people in my car. Six, so some people have to stay back."

The mere suggestion that he separate from members of his group caused Casey to grit his teeth, but he was no fool. If he wanted to get to Sydney, he had to move fast, and walking on foot would do the opposite. He had to cooperate, for the girls' sake.

"I'll stay," Sandy, an older woman from his village said, raising her hand. 

"Me too," Tahj, the youngest in the group added.

One by one, those that had any doubts or reservations volunteered to stay back, and although leaving any of them here was the last thing he wanted to do, Casey agreed with the course of action.

"Then it's settled," Jasper stated with his arms crossed. "I'd recommend you stay out of sight for the time being."

"Be careful," Casey instructed them, looking over each person he was departing with. "If anything happens, try to get back to New Dawn. Maybe Garrett can help."

With that said, he smiled weakly before gesturing for the others to follow him out the door. Jasper lead the way, taking a different route than the one he came in with, forcing Casey to rely solely on him for guidance. In many ways, it frustrated him, but mainly because he did not like being in a position where he was dependent on someone else for survival. 

They moved at a light jog, each man keeping an eye out for any hint of threat. Casey's hand stayed firm on his bow while the other rested at the tail of an arrow, ready to defend at a moment's notice, but he hoped he wouldn't have to. 

When Jasper raised his hand to signal for them to stop, he pressed his heel into the ground to halt his movement, his brows raising in alert as the tall, pale guy looked through the door he stood in front of. It was clear he was surveying the area before they entered, not wanting to go in blindly, and that small action made Casey's stomach turn. Not because of fear or anger, but because that act reminded him so much of Sydney and he didn't want to think that they had something else in common that he didn't. 

Sure, he was a skilled hunter—one of the best according to what people said in the neighboring villages near LeHorn, but he knew his area of expertise differed from the eastern duo. They were trained to kill and eliminate threats. He, on the other hand, killed for food. 

The memory of the man who's chest he impaled with his arrow flashed in his mind, and he remembered how he didn't even think to hesitate because Sydney's life was in danger. Looking at Jasper, he realized they may have one thing in common that couldn't be disputed. No matter what, they would do what it took to protect the strong-willed blonde that had branded them hers.

"The coast is clear," Jasper said, opening the door wider for them to go through. 

Baron went in first, followed closely behind by Charlie and Evan. Patting Reid's back, Casey walked through next, with his friend in tow. Jasper brought up the rear, pointing them in the direction of a dark green truck. 

"Two of you will have to sit here because only four can fit on the inside," Jasper shared, tapping the tail of his car before opening up his door to get in. 

Evan and Charlie wasted no time, hopping into the exposed compartment of the car and taking a seat. It clearly wasn't the safest place for them to be, but they couldn't show up at the mercenaries camp with only four people. That would be suicide. Not that six was substantially better, but it did increase their odds of success, by a minute margin.

With those two in the trunk, Casey and Reid took the back seats, letting Baron sit up front with Jasper. This was the westerners first time being in a car, and so they took a moment to take it in. A twinge of bitterness stirred in Casey when he realized that it was commodities like this that were hoarded for the east. He couldn't help but think of how helpful cars would be in the west. People could visit their families more often, and food wouldn't be so hard to distribute to even the farthest of villages. 

Selfish easterners.

Even though that label might not have applied to the easterners around him, it was hard to let that stigma go when he was reminded it of it everywhere he went in this region.

"Crap," Jasper groaned, hitting his head against his seat. 

Casey's eyes darted to the dark haired boy right as Baron asked, "What?"

Reid's breathing had gotten heavy in seconds as he feared something terrible stood in the way of him and Brooke. 

"Brenan. I've got to talk to him before we leave," Jasper answered, bringing a short lived moment of relief to Casey, but then annoyance kicked in. 

He got Reid all worked up over that? A conversation?

"Can't it wait until we get back?!" Reid questioned, exasperated at the notion of an unnecessary delay. "Brooke is injured! Who knows what they're doing to her when she can't fight back!?"

The small wince in Jasper's face caught Casey's attention, as it showed a sign of sympathy for Reid's plight, but still, he insisted he had to go.

"I can't just leave. Not without making sure my other friend is taken care of."

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Casey said sharply.

"No, not Brenan," he clarified. "I have another friend who's in jail right now because of what he did to help bring Syd home. They're going to kill him...."

That shut Casey up, and Reid no longer protested at the mere mention of a wrongful death.

"Go," Baron spoke up, seeming to know all too well what Jasper was speaking of. "Just, be quick."

Nodding at the dark-skinned male, Jasper jumped out the car and raced to the entrance of the dormitory, leaving them in his shadow as he went.

A small quietude lingered in the vehicle before a sob broke through. 

"Reid," Casey sighed in pain because of the suffering Reid wore on his sleeve.

Baron just watched in silence, unable to look away as Casey rubbed Reid's back, trying to comfort him.

If we're going to get our women back, I need you to be strong.

"What if they're hurting her?" he whimpered, burying his face in his hands. 

"They're not," Casey stated, even though he knew that was a lie. Whatever the mercenaries took her for would only be for her detriment.

"You don't know that," Reid said through a shaky breath. "You don't...you don't know that."

"Sydney's with her," he replied with more confidence that his last statement. "Do you honestly believe she would let them lay a finger on Brooke?"

Looking up from his lap, Reid shook his head, giving his answer. "No. She'd probably kill them."

"She probably already has," Casey chuckled, thinking of what he put in her back pocket before she was ripped away from him. 

"Yeah," Reid agreed, but the doubts were still there. It wasn't that he doubted Sydney's loyalty, or drive to protect the woman he loved. It was that she was taken just like Brooke, and Casey could tell he worried that she wouldn't physically be able to follow through with what she promised.

"Don't doubt her."

The deep warm voice of Baron broke them from their brotherly moment, reminding them that they weren't alone. Turning his head quizzically, Casey watched the fired-eyed male as he continued to speak.

"Rabbit is resourceful," he shrugged, his stare switching from Reid, to Casey, and then back. "She'll find a way out before we even get there."

The way Baron spoke wasn't one of awe, but almost of envy. No doubt, he meant every word he said, but Casey discerned that his relationship with Sydney wasn't one likened to friendship—however, the respect was clear in the way he talked. And, even though it was a stretch of hope, Casey wished nothing more than to find her walking down the road, making her way back to him, alive and okay.

Having to wait for Jasper to return was torture. The seconds felt like hours, moving at a snail's pace, but Casey spent that time thinking of Sydney—of her smile. Not the fake one she wore when she was trying to be polite, but the one he got to see when she was genuinely happy. When she was with him. When they were together.

And he'd be darned if he didn't make that happen again.

Stay strong, Sydney. I'm on my way.