Chapter 226 Has She Come

• The black bear couldn’t get in, and Morgan finished bandaging all of Casper Frost’s wounds. Then he realized Casper’s condition wasn’t right. Casper was covered in injuries, had lost a lot of blood, and showed signs of poisoning. The meds Morgan had brought were all foraged and whipped up nearby—not comprehensive. He could only use mushrooms to stop the bleeding first, then stabilize the toxins with the silver needles he always carried. When he was done, he slumped against the cave wall and dozed off. Like the sky could be falling and he wouldn’t care—worst case, he dies. If you’re not afraid of dying, nothing really scares you. It’s just that getting mauled to death by a black bear sounds pretty grim. Casper, still unconscious, was jolted awake by the sound of heavy banging. He tried to sit up at once to check what was happening. Morgan yawned and waved him off. “Don’t bother. The black bear’s ramming the cave mouth. No clue why it’s so obsessed. This forest is huge. Are we really the only two snacks left? It’s been camping at the entrance like it’s guarding us.” Casper struggled upright. “I think I’ve got a fever.” Morgan yawned again, then nodded. “Your injuries are bad, and the bandaging conditions are filthy. Even if you took anti-inflammatories, some wounds got infected. You can take something for the fever, but it won’t help much. Once infection sets in, the fever keeps coming back. And your left arm—the bite went down to the bone. It needs stitches. It won’t heal right like this.” Infection, fever. Casper’s mind went straight to Rhea Wood for no reason. Back then, when his back got infected and he ran a fever, she’d stayed with him the whole time. Thinking of her, his voice came out rough. “I can’t die.” “Whether you die isn’t up to you,” Morgan said. “We’re an old-timer and a cripple—we’re not beating a black bear. Plus, blood—ours or the bear’s—can draw other predators. Right now, either someone outside comes to rescue us, or some other animal lures the bear away. Hey, kid, you came into this no-man’s-land alone. Is anyone coming to get you?” Casper went quiet. He’d left in a rush, told no one. He didn’t trust people, didn’t hand them his back, so he brought nobody. No one would be coming. Suddenly, a thought hit him. He pulled out his old cell phone and opened the locator. His face changed fast. He remembered last time—during the setup kidnapping—Rhea came to save him. He opened location on instinct and saw her phone was nearby. There was still no signal, so earlier he couldn’t see any positioning. But his and Rhea’s phones were linked—close enough distance could show location even without a signal. Had she… come? This place was deadly. Why would she come here? Was she here looking for him? Worry clawed at him—and yet, joy slipped in anyway. Rhea had come for him again. Casper seemed to snap awake. “Morgan, someone’s here to rescue me!” … Out on the perimeter. Zuck and Lucas Fray had found the area. Casper Frost had left plenty of traces on his way back. As a top scout, Zuck didn’t need super senses. He followed the ground marks, the smashed brush, and scattered drops of blood, closing in on Casper step by step. Around noon, they spotted two sets of footprints. Two people—Zuck thought it wasn’t Casper. But Lucas said, firm as a rock, “It’s definitely Casper. He found who he was looking for.” Lucas knew Casper. If there had been only one set of prints, he’d have said it wasn’t him. A guy like Casper, walking into a no-man’s-land to find someone—he wouldn’t leave until he did. Two sets of prints now, in this area? Lucas was sure it was Casper. Turned out, Lucas and Zuck were the best combo to find him. Lucas truly understood him. They followed the blood and found a short blade stained red. Lucas lit up. “Yep. That’s Casper’s. I busted my ass getting this for him back in the day.” Zuck nodded, face tight. “They ran into a bear. The blood’s still wet. Move!” They rushed along the trail, staying sharp. With binoculars, they spotted the black bear from a distance. They’d come loaded—guns, yes, but also medical support, food, meds. If planes could spot people in this canopy, they’d have brought in a chopper, too. Zuck studied the bear guarding the cave and said, “Lucas, in a second, go forward and make some noise. Draw the bear. I’ll take the shot.” Lucas didn’t hesitate. “Got it.” Being bait was risky, sure, but the shooter needed a dead-accurate shot, under any condition. Zuck—military-trained—was perfect for it. They had a plan in seconds. Their group of friends were all close to Casper. But this kind of teamwork? Casper would never agree to it. He didn’t trust anyone enough to play bait and expose his back. Lucas walked straight toward the bear. He was wired—thinking about Casper’s condition—and didn’t slow down. The wounded bear whipped its head toward him. Bears don’t see well; their noses and ears do the work. It heard him, sniffed, and lunged. Boom! A heavy machine gun round tore into the bear’s neck, and it crashed to the ground. Lucas and Zuck didn’t spare the bear a second glance. They sprinted for the cave. Inside, hearing the gunfire and seeing the bear clear the entrance, Casper came out, bracing his left arm. His eyes searched the area, hopeful—and didn’t find who he wanted. Whatever hit his thoughts, it drained his face white. Lucas hurried over. “Casper, we finally found you. You okay?” Casper’s voice rasped like it had been squeezed from his throat. “Where is she? Why do you have her phone?” He thought Rhea was in danger. If she’d gotten hurt looking for him, he wasn’t sure he could live through this place at all. Lucas hesitated. Zuck cut in. “You mean Rhea Wood? She didn’t come. She just gave us her phone.” Casper let out a long breath. “Good. She didn’t come. She’s safe.” Zuck couldn’t stand it and snapped, “She didn’t come because she didn’t want to. She knows this place is lethal and didn’t want to risk it for you. Casper, when it comes to women, you should cool it—like you used to. Don’t catch feelings, and you won’t get hurt.” Casper looked a little lost. Back then—during the kidnapping—seven, eight guys were guarding him, and Rhea had rushed in without fear, got herself busted up, saying she’d protect him. How would she be afraid of taking risks? Morgan came out then, one hand on his lower back, impatient. “Aren’t we rescuing someone? Are we going or not?”