Caged - Unleash the Beast

Chapter 17 - Death's Ticket

Jackie woke with a pain in the neck, she threw the covers off her and got changed. Her and Rider were going for a ride this morning just to escape the camp for a while. She went down the stairs and waited patiently before she saw the door to Rider's room open.
"Morning." She stated, startling him.
"Morning." Rider yawned before embracing her in a hug.
"You ready?" Jackie asked, resting her head on his chest.
"Yep." Rider yawned once more before leading the way outside.
Outside the crisp morning air was fresh and allowed a small cool breeze send shivers up Jackie's spine. Everyone was still sleeping, the unbonded big cats that were sleeping on the verandas flicked their ears as Rider and Jackie Rider last them. Once they had left the camp, it was clear that winter was coming once more. Slight frost covered the ground allowing Jet and Koa to leave a trail behind them as they walked.
"Where do we wanna go?" Jackie asked, shivering slightly.
"How about the High Trees?" Rider asked, halting Koa.
"Sure." Jackie shrugged. "How about we warm up a bit?"
Rider didn't have the chance to reply before Jackie raced off towards the High Trees. Koa growled playfully before pursuing almost causing Rider fall backwards. Jet cut Koa off from passing them before slicking grass up at them.
"Hey! Cheater!" Rider stated.
"You don't see me riding a cheetah do ya?" Jackie called back to him.
Rider murmured something under his breathe before allowing Koa to speed up. At first Koa was coming up from behind them, Jackie looked back before speeding Jet up. Expecting Koa to come over top of them she weaved Jet through the rubble of branches and rocks. But instead Koa and Rider swirled around the rubble and came out in front.
"Hey!" Jackie called to him.
"I'm sorry, can't hear you!" Rider called back jokingly.
"Why I outta...." Jackie mumbled to herself.
Jet growled before breaking over her peak stride, the panther moved swiftly and soon caught up to Rider and Koa. Jet sprinted ahead before leaping up one of the High Trees. Jet and Jackie sat on the first branch.
"Come on! Race you to the top!" Jackie called down to them before continuing their way up.
"Oh, you are on!" Rider called up to her before Koa leaped up the tree.
Jet scrambled onto a branch, flicking bark down below.
"Hey!" Rider called up to them.
"Sorry! It was an accident." Jackie apologised.
"I'm sure it was." Rider mumbled to Koa.
Jet and Jackie was the first to the top of the tree and about a minute or so later Rider and Koa joined them.
"Took you long enough." Jackie moaned teasingly.
"Well, if I didn't get bark in my eye. We would have been quicker." Rider joked, as he rubbed his eye faking.
"I'm sure you would have." Jackie said before playfully punching him in the shoulder.
Jackie dismounted Jet before resting on a branch above Jet, not daring to go any further she knew that the higher they went the weaker the branches would be. Rider had soon joined her and now the pair watched the sun rise.
"It's beautiful isn't it." Jackie sighed.
"I know something or someone who is even more prettier." Rider murmured as he shuffled closer.
"Where?" Jackie joked looking around.
"You know who I am talking about." Rider said as he put his arm around her shoulders.
"Do I?" Jackie murmured, raising her eye brows.
"Maybe you don't." Rider shrugged.
"I love you, Rider." Jackie murmured in his ear.
Rider froze, he didn't know how to reply to what Jackie had said. It seemed that everything had left him.
"Look it's the Rainbreaker and Thunderheart Tribe." Jackie said changing the subject.
Rider turned to quickly causing him to fall off the branch.
"Rider!" Jackie cried out trying to grab him.
"I'm okay." He moaned.
Jackie looked down to find Koa had caught Rider a few branches down from where he had fallen from. Jackie began laughing hard before leaning back and falling herself but instead Jet didn't catch her. Instead Rider grabbed her hand and Koa pulled them up.
"Nice catch." Jackie praised.
"Better catch than Jet." Rider shrugged.
By now Jet had joined them and lowered herself innocently. Rider and Jackie swung from branch to branch before they reached the ground by the time they had the Rainbreaker and Thunderheart Tribe were already waiting for them.
"Nice falling." Lachlan teased her.
"Why, thank you." Jackie nodded, as Jet and Koa finally joined them.
"Shall we?" Rider asked.
"We shall." Jackie nodded before mounting Jet.
"How has your people taken it?" Jackie asked.
"Some are a little nervous, we left the lights on in the houses so that it would seem that we are home." Lachlan's replied.
"Anything helps." Jackie shrugged. "I had most of my warriors set up camps and give each tribes folk family an amount of people they could take in and from what tribe."
"We thank you for this." Chief Falcor cut in.
"Anytime." Jackie nodded.
Once they had arrived back at the camp, James and Brandon had a distressed look on their faces.
"Oh, thank god you two are back!" James called out to them.
"James what, what is going on?" Jackie demanded to know.
"It's terrible, it's horrible..." James mumbled to himself.
"James! Snap out of it!" Jackie demanded before slapping him.
"Thanks, I needed that." James sighed.
"What is wrong?" Jackie asked him, sounding serious.
"One of Maddi's warriors came and gave Brandon and I this. He said to give to you." James said as he pulled out a piece of paper.
Now Jackie had a sick feeling in her stomach, everything seemed to churn and be unsettled. She looked at James and then to Brandon, they were both nervous to what the paper had written on it.