Sam looked up at the sign on the door. "Braeburn Law. Looks like this is the place." He pushed he door open to a small, bare waiting room. Just a chair, a low table with a phone on one side, a desk on the other with a petite young woman sitting behind it, her hair pulled up in a high ponytail.

Dean grinned at her. "We're here to see James Braeburn."

The girl looked up at him over the rim of her glasses. "That's my father," she said cooly.

Dean winked at her and turned to Sam. "Yes, miss. We have an appointment with him."

Sam glanced at the girl, who leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Oh, really," she asked.

Sam's mouth quirked up in a hint of a smile, and inclined his head toward Dean, letting his brother work his charm.

Dean glanced from Sam back to the girl. "Yes. At 2 pm. Why don't you check your books."

The girl smacked her lips and pushed a pencil behind her ear, sizing up the man before her after a quick glance at the tall one. She licked her finger, and opened her appointment book before her on her desk.

"Well," she flipped through the pages, slowly, batting her eyes. "... that ... can't be possible ... actually." She slammed the book shut and stood up, her voice dropping back down to a cool contralto. "He's been dead for ten years."

Sam finally stepped forward. "I apologize for my bother. He means to say we're here to see Jamie Braeburn. We're Sam and Dean Winchester. Garth set up an appointment for us. Is he in?"

The girl turned her cool green eyes to Sam, cocked her head slightly, and sighed. She cleared her throat. "Yes. I'm Jami Braeburn."

Sam made an embarrassed noise and both he and Dean apologized, offering their hands in greeting.

Jami folded her arms across her chest. "Garth told me Dean could be an ass, but I expected you to be smarter, Sam."

"Garth said I was an ass?" Dean's voice rose in pitch and he cleared his throat.

Sam blushed a little. "I'm real sorry. We're just not used to, uh --"

"Garth didn't tell us you were a girl."

Jami turned back to Dean. "That's because I'm *not* a girl," she growled.

"I'm sorry, miss -- uh -- ma'am -- uh--" Dean stammered.

"Oh Christ, just call me Jami."

Dean's face was still incredulous. "You're a Hunter?"

Sam smacked his arm. "She's not the first woman Hunter we've worked with."

Dean's face sobered, darkened. Jami glanced from him back to Sam, who made a subtle throwing away gesture. "Anyway, so what's going on. Garth says there have been a couple mysterious deaths and suggested you might need some assistance."

Jami bristled again, but pulled herself back together. "The police are saying wild animal, like they always do. There have been cougar sightings as far south as Rockford. Some people are saying it's the Beast of Bray Road." She rolled her eyes.

Dean cleared his throat. "What do you think it is? Wendigo?"

Jami shook her head. "Actually, I think it's a cougar."

Sam and Dean exchanged a look. "But wait -- then why are we here?"

"Because Garth's a nice guy. An overzealous goofball, but a genuinely nice guy. I told him that I've got it handled and it's nothing, but he's worried." She looked pointedly at Dean. "Because I'm a *girl*."

Sam shoved his hands in his pockets. "Yeah. That's Garth. I'm sorry we've bothered you, Jami." He turned to go but Dean stopped him.

"But why's Garth worried? I mean, it's not just because you're a -- a woman. Like Sam said, there have been other female Hunters."

Jami sighed. "Because I work alone. And I'm a woman. And there have been two of these killings. He thinks I need some extra firepower."

"But you don't," Dean said.

"No. I don't. I've been working alone for years. And I know what I'm doing. This is not supernatural at all. The first was a hunting accident, the second was an animal mauling. Nothing out of the ordinary."

Sam shrugged. "I'm really sorry we wasted your time."

"No worries, guys." Jami shrugged and grinned. "It's kind of nice to talk to other Hunters every now and then. Other than Garth. How about we meet back up after hours?"