For Dani, because my love for you knows no bounds. You are the Dean to my Caleb (though we're not as fucked up as them )
*This is a story based off of the universe created by Ridley C. James, Tidia and Mog. It wasn't written with knowledge of the writers, but it states on their website that all writers are welcomed in their universe.
If You Get Too Far Inside You'll See My Reflection
They showed up unexpected, which was nothing new. Dean had a half-healed gash on his forehead and shoulders stiff as a board. Sam wasn't much better. He leaned to his right and his knuckles were brown with scabs.
"Dude, you going to stare at us or let us in?" Dean said in one of his normal brusque welcomes. "I mean, I know I'm pretty, but I didn't think you were into that."
Caleb snorted and replied, "You wish I were into that." He stepped back into the small foyer of his apartment and allowed the Winchester brothers to come inside.
"Gross dude," Dean mocked as he yanked on his duffel bag and dropped it to the ground. Sam slid off his own bag and set it next to Dean's. Hands free, the youngest Winchester ran a hand through his hair. Caleb got a quick glimpse of a dark purple bruise before it was covered again.
"Jesus, I thought the two of you were taking it easy after what happened."
They both winced and Caleb thought, so they're dealing with this in typical Winchester fashion. Sam died, for Christ sake. Dean's sold his soul and has less than a year to live.
"Yeah, well, we ran into some bad luck," Dean said with a smirk. Sam let loose a long sigh, and Caleb looked from one brother to another then raised an eyebrow.
Dean reached out and gave Caleb a friendly cuff to the shoulder. "Let's just say that Sammy and I battled a great evil and leave it at that."
Caleb caught a glimpse of a rabbit's foot from Sam's mind, but instead of asking he just rolled his eyes and turned towards the kitchen. That's a story for when we've all had too much to drink. They followed him to the refrigerator. He popped open the door and reached inside for three cold ones. Sam and Dean each took a bottle and the kitchen rang with the sound of clinking glass.
After everyone had a chance to swallow a mouthful of the bitter brew Caleb lazily asked, "So what brings you to my doorstep?" It wasn't that he was unhappy to see them- they were his family- but when a Winchester showed up unannounced it didn't take precognition to know something was up.
Dean pretended outrage, "What, we can't just come visit our favorite person?"
There was a moment of silence then Sam added, "Your dad called and said you're hitting up a vamp nest."
"It's two vampires, not a nest. I can handle two vampires on my own," Caleb huffed.
Dean scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, well, you know the rule."
Vampires come in pairs. Don't hunt them alone, Caleb thought with an inward snort. Besides, Dean Winchester should be the last person to quote rules at me.
"We really did want to see you," Sam said.
Caleb sighed. "Yeah, I know. It's good to see you bozos too." He flashed them smiles and leaned against the counter. It's good to see them alive and somewhat put together, Caleb thought. "They're in Sterling, about an hour from here." The other men nodded. "I was planning to head out soon," he added with a nod to the kitchen table. Sam and Dean looked over their shoulders at the weapons splayed across the square table.
Good thing it was them at my door and not my neighbor wanting to borrow eggs again. They would have thought I was a terrorist. Two guns, one pistol filled with salt rounds and one tranquilizer gun armed with darts of fresh blood from the morgue were side by side on the table. Three gleaming knives were waiting to be strapped to his person. A crossbow and bolts completed the arsenal. Well, the crossbow and the water bottle of holy water. Though the translucent blue water bottle doesn't quite scream psycho the way the other things do, Caleb amended.
"At least you're prepared," Dean said.
Caleb snorted. "This isn't my first time around the block."
Sam scrunched his nose and opened his mouth to talk, but Dean beat him to the punch. "Then what the hell are we waiting for? Finish packing and let's head out."
"Dean we just got here. We can take a moment and catch up first. Sunset isn't for another five hours," Sam said with a frown.
Dean shrugged and looked at Caleb as if to say, how the hell am I related to him? Then he turned to Sam and asked, "Have you ever been to Sterling before?"
"No."
"Well, do you know where the vamps' are laying up?"
Sam glanced at Caleb and he shook his head. "No," he said again.
Dean spoke slowly, "Well, then we're going to have to do some recon."
Sam pressed his lips together and said, "Fine," through his clenched teeth.
Caleb looked from one brother to the other then tentatively lowered his shields. A wave of tension made him sway backwards. The tension was quickly followed by grief and fear so strong that he couldn't tell who it was coming from. Anger was hot on their heels.
"Caleb?" Sam said worriedly. Caleb didn't respond. Red and black twisted through his mind like a tornado. Horror unlike he had ever felt clogged his throat and squeezed his chest.
"Damien?" This time it was Dean, and the word was followed by a hand reaching out to stead him. Caleb's knees balked and the contents of his lunch began to make their way back up his throat. "What can you see?" Dean's voice was too loud and pain lanced behind his eyes.
"Dean, let go!" Sam exclaimed. "It's us. We're broadcasting."
His arm was immediately released. Without the support his knees hit the tile. He let the motion continue and rested his forehead against his thighs. Sam and Dean clenched down on their emotions and soon the sick feelings began to ebb. He heard them shuffle away and he took several deep breaths then slammed his own shields back in place.
Finally, Caleb was coherent enough to think, I really should clean my floor. The thought was followed by, God damn. He pushed himself to his feet and warily looked at the brothers.
Sam was the first to break. "Are you alright?"
Dean looked like he was torn between leaping forward and shaking Caleb to make sure the man was alright or running away. Caleb blinked and said, "Guys..."
Dean was quick to interrupt. "We need to hurry if we're going to get those vamps tonight."
Remnants of their fear and anger hovered on the back of his tongue like smoke. He didn't want to let Dean run away. He wanted to force his best friend down and make him deal with it. He wanted to yell at Sam for not making Dean deal with it. He wanted to scream at them both for being such stubborn eggheads.
Caleb took one look at Dean's anxious face and Sam's worried state and knew now wasn't the time to discuss Dean's deal. Dean didn't deal well with chick-flick moments at the best of times, inflicting one on him in front of his brother was a no-no. Not to mention there was a hunt to start and finish. "Fine. I'll meet you outside in five minutes. You can follow me to Sterling."
Dean gave a curt nod and Sam bit at his lower lip. Still, the youngest Winchester said nothing and followed his brother's actions by chugging down the rest of his beer and hightailing it back outside. Caleb watched them go before stalking to the table and shoving everything in his own duffel. Fuck you John Winchester, he thought as he grabbed a few granola bars from the pantry and six pack of Pepsi from the fridge. Fuck you for teaching your boys to ignore everything but the hunt. Fuck you for dying and teaching Dean that making a deal with a demon is acceptable.
***
Sterling's downtown consisted of four streets worth of boutiques, bars, and other small time businesses. The town hall was smack dab in the center of town, and its two-story, gray stone exterior and columned stepped entrance was the most impressive part of the town. As Caleb drove past the building, he noted the large plaque dedicated to Benjamin Hutto, the man who built the town hall in 1821. He was also the town's first mayor. If Sam and Dean hadn't been waiting for him at the bar, and he hadn't been on a hunt, he would have gotten out of the car to read the rest of the plaque. Instead he drove on, leaving the historical building behind.
The Red Tavern, the bar Dean called from five minutes ago needling Caleb for not being there yet, wasn't as pretty to look at as the town hall. A neon red sign exclaiming the bar's name hung against the reddish-brown brick above the front entrance. The parking lot in front of the bar was riddled with potholes and loose gravel. Caleb's truck grumbled as he pulled into a spot.
A few men stood outside talking and smoking. Caleb nodded to them as he walked by. He pulled open the glass door and thought, The outside isn't deceiving. The smell of smoke and barely hit him first, but the sounds of rowdy laughter and cheering weren't far behind the smells. The place was crowded, but figuring it was a Saturday night in a small town during football season, Caleb wasn't surprised. This place is a perfect hunting ground for our vamps. He thought back to the news clippings, remembering the men and women who've shown up dead over the past two months. Eight men and three women from the surrounding towns, and a husband and wife from here two days ago.
He spotted Sam sitting at a booth in the back right hand corner. His laptop was out and he was staring furiously at the screen; however, Caleb couldn't help noticing that Sam was in the perfect position to view the whole bar from where he sat. He wandered over and slid into the other side of the booth. "Hey," Caleb greeted.
"Hey," Sam looked up. "Dean's at the bar hitting on the bartender." Caleb twisted, and sure enough, Dean had a Budweiser in his hand and was chatting up the busty blonde behind the bar.
Caleb chuckled. "Guess he can't be feeling too bad if he's trying to get laid."
Sam bent his head, allowing his hair to brush along his eyes. His voice was low when he said, "I'm really worried about him Caleb."
Caleb twisted back around and leaned his forearms on the table. "Has he talked to you at all about what's happening?"
Sam's made a face like he had swallowed glass and he shook his head. "No. He's pretending nothing ever happened" Sam's eyes began to glisten, but nothing fell. "In ten months he's going to hell because of me, and I can't find anything to stop it from happening." His curled into fists.
Caleb reached out and gave one of those tense fists a quick squeeze. "Sam, we're all working on it. We're going to figure something out." Sam gave a curt nod in response. Caleb wanted to say more, but Dean chose that moment to return. He motioned for Caleb to move over, and when he did Dean thumped down next to him.
"So while you two were having your girlie moment," Dead said pointing to where Sam and Caleb's hands rested a few inches apart, "I was talking to Cindy over there." He motioned back to the blonde at the bar. "Besides finding out that she's a Leo and lives with her hot roommate Michelle, I discovered that missing and dead people are nothing new around here."
This made Sam sit straight up. "Yeah, from the quick readings I've done of the town's newspaper archive, it seems that more than fifty people have been either been killed or have gone missing in the past thirty years."
"Jesus." Caleb reached out and snatched Dean's beer to take a swig. "How do these people not realize something's wrong?"
Sam gave his brother a sideways glance and answered, "Humans have the amazing capacity to not see what's right in front of them. They ignore the facts to make their lives easier to live."
Dean's shoulders tensed. It was obvious he picked up on his brother's subtle jibe. Still, he didn't call Sam out. Instead he joked, "Not to mention the crazy amount of bears and coyotes that live in these woods. Cindy said there are two or three bears killed a year because they come into town looking for food." He turned and pointed to the bear head hanging on the wall across the room. "Looks like they've done a good job so far."
Sam pressed his lips together and gave Caleb a look that screamed, See! At the moment Caleb couldn't do anything but shrug, so he turned his attention back to the hunt. "So what do you think? Maybe the vamps are local? Turned in the seventies and stick around and hunt in the surrounding areas?"
Dean bobbed his head yes, but said, "Maybe."
"I don't know. Something about that doesn't sit right with me. If they were local there'd be a lot more than fifty deaths over thirty years."
"Yeah. Even if our vamps are on a diet, they need to eat at least once a week." Dean said. Both Sam and Caleb nodded their agreements.
"Maybe they're going further out than we originally thought. We should check any towns that are within a three or four hour drive," Caleb added.
"We should split up," Sam said. "The local library is open for another forty five minutes. I'll go and learn what I can." He snapped his laptop shut and began to pack it away.
"I'm going to stay here and talk to the local and see if I can find out anything more," Dean offered. His eyes were glued to Cindy the bartender.
Caleb rolled his eyes. "I guess that leaves me driving around town looking for possible locations where they could be laying up." He looked around the bar longingly. Why is it whenever I hunt with Dean I always end up driving around alone, and he gets to chat up the hot women and eat fried food? Aloud he said, "Meet back here in two hours? Check-in in one?"
Both brothers nodded. Dean spun his finger in a circle, eyes never off the chick. "Let's get busy."
***
Caleb drove around town with his window down. The weather was still warm enough during the day that the bite of the cold once sun set was pleasurable. In his jaunt, he found one boarded up ex-ice cream shop, one abandon houses and three barns that were all possible hidey-holes. The sun was low in the horizon casting a pinkish hue to the sky, and as he made his way back to the center of town Caleb thought, Damn, it's quiet here.
All of the cars and people he had passed when he had first come into town were noticeably absent. The parking lot of the bar was half empty when he arrived. It's like they know it's dangerous after dark. The thought didn't surprise him. Over his years he had found that even the people who believed the supernatural was nonexistent still had a fear of what darkness could bring. Besides, these people know that something has been killing their townsmen. Bear or vampire doesn't matter. Being safe does.
The Impala was already parked in a spot near the building so Caleb cut his engine went inside. Sam and Dean were in the same booth as before. They were joined by Cindy the pretty blonde bartender and another petite brunette. Caleb ran his palms down the sides of his leather jacket and grinned.
"Hey," he called out when he got a few feet from the table. Everyone turned to look and he dragged over a chair from a nearby table.
"Caleb, this is Cindy," Dean introduced, "and this is Michelle. Ladies this is my other coworker Caleb. "
"Do you write too?" Michelle asked.
Caleb gave Sam a quick look and the youngest Winchester popped in with, "No, Caleb is our photographer. Dean and I search for and write the ghost stories. He goes out shooting pictures for our books."
Book photographer, I can deal with that Caleb thought. "Yeah, I've been out for the last hour taking pictures of your town."
"Where's your camera?" Cindy asked.
"Outside in the car. It's a big thing. I don't want to lug it around when I don't have too."
Michelle giggled. "That's awesome. You should come by our house later. It's haunted. You can take pictures of my room."
Caleb smiled. "I'd love too."
"After our work is done," Sam said.
Dean frowned but Caleb just said, "Of course."
"The girls here were just telling Sammy and me about this haunted house."
"It's Old Man Ben's house. It's not far from here," Cindy added.
"Is it that place off of Beufor Street? The two-story boarded up mansion?"
Cindy nodded. "Yeah. It's where the first mayor of Sterling, Ben Hutto, lived."
"Apparently there have been sightings of ole Ben ever since he died," Dean butted in, giving Caleb a meaningful look
"Yeah, it's so creepy," Michelle said. "People have gone in there and have never turned up again."
"Not to mention the body they found there about twenty years ago," Cindy added in a low voice.
"Body?" Caleb asked.
"A Mr. Roger Hamilton," Sam said. "I found the record at the library. He was a local farmer- died of blood loss."
"I still remember it," Cindy shared. "I was seven. It was big news because there was no blood at the scene." She shivered. "At the time the police thought it was a serial killer."
"They don't anymore?" Dean asked.
Michelle answered, "No. They never found any evidence of it being one. They closed the case, calling the death the fault of a wild animal."
"You don't believe that?" Sam asked.
Michelle shook her head. "No one did."
Cindy looked around then leaned forward and in a stage whisper said, "That's why everyone thinks it's haunted."
All the boys exchanges glances.
This sounds promising, Caleb thought.
"CINDY!" A voice cut across the room. Caleb twisted in his chair and saw a plump, middle aged woman weaving through the dining area towards their table. Her hair was disheveled, her cheeks reds and her eyes puffy.
"Angela?" Cindy exclaimed. "What are you doing here?" The blonde slid from the booth to greet the woman.
Angela, didn't stop until she had grabbed onto Cindy's arm. "Have you seen Nicholas? Is he here with you?" she asked, twisting her hands.
Cindy shook her head. "You know I haven't talked to Nick since we broke up." Tears began to well in the older woman's eyes. Cindy started to look increasingly more confused and concerned. "Angela, why didn't you just call me? You didn't need to drive all the way to Sterling. I would have told you Nick wasn't here."
Angela began to sway in place. Her voice was shaky when she said, "I tried calling you. Your phone was off."
Cindy's eyebrows knitted together and she pulled her phone from her pocket. The screen was black. "Damn, I'm sorry. The battery must have died."
The words seemed to trigger Angela, because fresh tears began pouring down her face. "He... he didn't come home last night."
Cindy frowned. "Angie, you know how he is..."
"No, no," the older woman said. "He's been better. If he had gone somewhere, with his friends or a woman he would have called." She shook her head. "He would have called."
Caleb locked eyes first with Dean then with Sam. Both Winchesters gave him a subtle nod. Cindy had pulled the older woman to chest and was petting her hair. "Shh," she comforted. "We'll find him. He'll be alright."
Caleb's chair scratched against the wood floor as he stood. It wasn't until Sam slid out of the booth that Cindy noticed them. She rubbing circles along the other woman's back. Her eyes were all apology. Caleb turned first to Michelle and then to Cindy. "We're going to let you take care of your friend," Caleb said soothingly. He pulled a pen from his pocket and reached over the table to grab a napkin from the dispenser. "Here are our cell phone numbers," he explained. "If you guys need anything at all we should be in town until tomorrow." He slid the napkin to Michelle. She smiled and looked forlornly at her friend. Caleb could tell she hadn't planned for her evening to be spent comforting an old woman.
The brunette girl waved them goodbye with a promise that she'd see them again. Cindy just mouthed, "Sorry." She slid the woman into the booth across from her roommate just as Caleb walked out the door.
The temperature had dropped five degrees and he zipped up his jacket. "So," Dean began, "think Old Mayor Ben is our vamp?"
"Sounds like," Caleb replied.
Dean pushed his key into the Impala's lock and popped open the door. "Think Cindy's ex-boyfriend is still alive?"
Caleb shook his head no. "Vampires aren't known for their restraint."
"I don't know," Sam interjected. His long frame was leaning against the passenger side door. "Maybe he and his mate are keeping their victims alive. Feeding over days, possibly weeks. It would explain why they aren't taking that many victims."
That does make sense. "He is a few hundred years old. You would think he'd have learned some restraint."
Dean slapped the top of the car. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go kick some undead ass."
***
It was easy to see that Mayor Ben Hutto's mansion was once a place to behold. Two-stories of sheer largeness dominated Caleb's first impression of the house. It sat on ten acres of land that at one time held row after row of colorful flowers, evident by the overrun wildflowers and weeds. A wraparound porch held a broken swing and few missing beams. Hopefully the thing won't fall on us when we go inside, Caleb worried. With the last orange rays of sunlight quickly fading over the horizon, and the moon nowhere in sight, the boarded up and blacked out windows gave the place a sinister appearance.
"This place is straight from a B horror flick," Dean said, voicing Caleb's feelings.
Sam shut the Impala's trunk and Caleb turned to see him stick a long, curved knife in a holster at his hip. Caleb already had his gun hostler over his shoulder with the pistol nestled in place. The dart gun was already in his hand, resting gently against his leg. "Is anyone alive inside?" Sam asked.
Caleb waved his hand at him, telling the youngest Winchester to give him a minute. "Make sure your shields are up," he told the brothers. Now's not the time to deal with their shit. He waited a minute to give them time reinforce their shields then he lowered his own, closed his eyes, and sent out a feeler towards the house.
At first he felt nothing. There was a haze of muted colors- but no feelings- at the edge of his vision that Caleb knew were Sam and Dean. Bobby's been teaching them well. He pushed his abilities further. He wasn't looking for the vampires. They were dead, and he couldn't feel the dead. A pulse of red hit him first. It looked like a squiggle of marker a kindergartener would draw. Caleb knew what that squiggle of red meant, and he had a second to brace himself and take a deep breath before the fear and pain hit him.
"There's definitely someone alive inside," Caleb shared. He pushed harder and suddenly he was hearing shallow, wheezy breathes alongside a strange dripping noise. "I think he's asleep."
The snap of a shot gun being locked in place knocked him from the vision. He turned to glare at Dean. The eldest Winchester ignored the look and said, "Sam and I will go through the front. You take the back."
Caleb rolled his eyes at his friend's directness but began to make his way around the house. There a narrow door near where the sidewall and back wall met. It was locked, but with a little push the frame began to crumble and Caleb forced his way inside. A cloud of dust fell over his head and he swallowed back a cough. Though the vamps probably already know we're here. Catching them by surprise wasn't an advantage the hunters really had. They could come at a time the creatures were home, but they needed to play off the vampires' naturally self security. All the vamps I've met have thought they're invincible. Yet here I am and they're nothing but headless bodies.
Once the dust settled, Caleb peered around. He was inside the kitchen. A large hearth was across the way. Cabinet after cabinet lined the walls. Otherwise, the room was empty. Onwards I go. He crept through the curved archway keeping a lookout for both the vamps and the victim. He neither saw nor heard anything until he came to the basement door. There was a chain lock and shining silver ball for a door handle. Those look awfully new. With another quick glance around Caleb slowly reached out and slid the chain from the lock. When nothing happened he moved his hand downwards and wrapped his fingers around the door handle. He readied the dart gun in case anything came jumping out.
"Hey," a voice whispered in his ear and his heart bolted from his chest.
He spun around, saw who it was and snapped, "Fuck you."
Dean laughed and patted him on the shoulder. "There's nobody upstairs," he whispered. "Sammy went down the other stairwell to check over there." As if saying his name was a summons, a tall form appeared from around the corner. Sam nodded at them and came to stand on the other side of Caleb. Silently, Caleb reached out his hand again and turned the knob. The basement door popped open.
Beyond the first few steps downwards, it was impossible to see. Caleb didn't need to see. He could feel. Fear, overwhelming terror, slammed him with the force of a semi. The gun in his hand trembled and Sam whispered, "Caleb?"
"He's awake," Caleb said, voice low and dry. Dean gave him a sideways look. "Nick, or whoever the vamp has. He just woke up," he explained. Unnecessarily, he added, "And he's terrified."
A fresh wave of fear pierced his shields and Caleb swallow down the emotion. Dean brushed by his shoulder in a rush and muttered, "Cover me."
Before Caleb could curse, Dean had faded into the darkness. Neither he nor Sam waited for Dean to reach the bottom before they jumped into action. Since Dean had already run down the stairs like a maniac Caleb didn't bother to be quiet. His boots pounded into the wooden stairs. He had a minute to think, Jesus, between the three of us, these stairs are going to crumble, then he was hitting concrete.
A loud crash and muffled thump had Caleb's heart racing. "Deuce?" he called out.
When the oldest Winchester didn't respond, Sam cursed and said, "I think there's a light switch over here." A heartbeat later two over head light bulbs flickered on. Caleb's eyes watered. Then something was on him.
His back hit the ground hard, pushing the air from his lungs and sending a flare of pain down his spine. On instinct he swung his gun into the body above him. The thing grunted and then it was gone. Caleb scrambled backwards, rubbing his eyes with his free hand. Vision cleared, he could see Sam had his knife out and was trying to take off the vampire's head.
The vamp- Mayor Ben if his outdated clothes gave any indication- looked pissed. His fangs were out and blood dripped from his lips in liquid gore. Dean. Caleb whipped his head around searching for his friend. If that fucker bit him, I'm going to tear him to pieces. Caleb spotted Dean crumpled against the far wall. He already had a huge bump forming on the side of his head, where the skin faded into hair, but he wasn't bleeding. Relief flooded him.
"Caleb," Sam grunted out. "A little help."
Caleb spun. Old Ben had gotten his shoulder against Sam's chest and from the look on Sam's face, was elbowing him hard. Even though Sam's knife had done some damage- blood was slowing gushing out form the slice in the vamp's neck- the wound was already healing. Caleb brought up his gun and fired.
The dart hit the vampire's chest. Both he and Sam stumbled backwards. Unprepared, Sam's arm loosened and Old Man Ben grabbed him and yanked him forward. Sam slammed into Caleb, knocking him into stairs. Both men went down. Caleb heard a growl and the sound of the dart being smashed against the concrete. He had dropped his gun in the fall, and in a hurry he pushed Sam off and scrambled for the knife at his waist.
He didn't have a chance to grab it. Faster than he could follow, the vamp was in front of Caleb, and his pale, cool hands were wrapped around his throat. Aborting his attempt at the knife, Caleb shot his hands upwards, pulling at the fingers squeezing out his breath.
"You heathen!" Old Man Ben screeched. "What did you shoot me with?" The hands constricted tighter, and unable to answer Caleb's eyes flicked to Sam, hoping for help. No such luck. Sam was out cold.
Fuck. Spots began dancing in front of his eyes. Dad is going to murder me for getting strangled to death by a vamp, Caleb thought wryly. Suddenly, the ring of pressure around his neck loosened. His eyes snapped forward, locking with the vamps. Confusion was written all over its face. It glanced from its own hands down to where Caleb had shot him. Feeling a little woozy? Dead man's blood fucker.
Still, the poison wasn't working fast enough. In a last attempt to take out his opponent, Old Man Ben surged forward squeezing as hard as his depleting strength allowed. It wasn't vampire strength, but it was enough to make Caleb's body tremble from lack of oxygen and pain. His mind began to fuzz, making it impossible for his shields to stay in place.
Nick's- or whoever's- fear flooded his mouth like too much hot water. It burned his tongue and scalded his throat, all the while choking him. He got nothing from Sam other than a thin pulse of tension. The youngest Winchester was still unconscious. A block of grief and horror so deep fear wasn't an accurate description grated against his mind. Relief and sorrow had a moment to cascade into the name, Dean, then the tip of a knife was glistening with muscle, blood, a few flecks of bone at the base of the vampire's throat.
The knife jerked to the left, the thick tendons and insides splicing under the well-kept blade. Pain flashed through the vamps eyes and his hands lifting upwards, mirroring Caleb's earlier actions. The hunter felt a moment of guilt, but his own neck throbbed and he pushed the feeling away. Reddened silver ripped from the vamp's neck splashing blood on the floor and all the way to the wall. A shudder wracked the vampire's body, and he fell to his knees.
A bloody hand shoved the vampire forward until his nose snapped against the concrete. The knife came back around and pushed through the remaining flesh on the vampire's neck. Bone snapped and blood gushed out. Caleb stood, chest heaving, eyes glued to the dead vamp. Dean's loud breaths echoed across the basement. "Thanks," Caleb muttered.
Dean wiped at the blood on his face, but just ended up smearing it across his cheek. "Looked like you need some help." He gave Caleb a half-smile and moved over to his brother. "Sam. Wake up princess." He tapped his brother's face.
Sam groaned. His eyes fluttered opened and he rolled to his side. He tentatively touched the back his head and winced despite the gentle touch, slowly, pushing himself up. He looked at Dean and asked, "The vamp dead?" Dean nodded and Sam stood.
The three men stared at the dead body until Sam asked, "Where's the victim?"
The words sparked Caleb into action. After Dean had wasted the thing, Caleb had reinforced his shields; he had forgotten the victim. Reminded, he swept his eyes across the basement. They were in the small area by the stairs, but behind the steps lay a vast room full of empty wooden shelves. At the far wall stood an antique wine rack. There were still some bottles nestled in their cradles filled with red liquid. Blood or wine? Caleb wondered. He wasn't going to walk over and find out.
"Look. There," Sam said. Caleb followed his finger. Where the back wall angled into side wall was a narrow door with a long, shabby drape as a divider.
Dean set off first and Caleb and Sam were hot on his heels. The drape was shoved to one side. "Son of a bitch," Dean cursed. Caleb whole heartedly agreed.
The only thing in the room was a thin, pale man in his early twenties lying naked on an old hospital bed. An I.V. was dripping something clear into his arm. Savage bite marks were everywhere- his neck, legs, arms, even torso. The man was awake and looking at them as if devil horns sprouted from their ears.
"Nick? Are you Nick?" Sam asked calmly. He inched toward the bed. The man didn't respond. As Sam got closer he struggled weakly, but whether it was a drug from the IV or from loss of blood, his actions were dulled.
"We need to get him to a hospital." Caleb would have called an ambulance, but he figured the headless body in the other room wasn't the best thing to have around when authorities arrived.
"Come on," Dean said to Caleb, "help me get him up and carry him upstairs."
They both started forward but stopped when Sam said, "Guys, this was too easy."
Caleb looked at the bump on Dean's head and felt the throb of his neck and back. Easy? he thought. Dean apparently thought the same, "Dude, what was easy about that?"
The youngest Winchester glanced away from the victim on the bed to his watch. "We've only been here three hours at the most. At the house less than fifteen. Do we ever finish a hunt that fast?"
Dean looked past his brother to raise his eyebrows at Caleb. He shrugged his shoulders as if to say, Why is my brother complaining about finishing a hunt quickly?
Sam continued to talk. "Besides, we only killed one vamp. Where's the other one?"
Caleb nodded, conceding the point. "That's true, but they don't usually stray too far from each other. And it looks like before we interrupted, Old Ben over here was eating breakfast. Wouldn't his mate be here too?"
"Maybe she's out hunting," Dean stated. "Nicky over here isn't looking too good."
That brought Caleb's attention back to the man on the bed. It looked like he had passed out again. Better for him to be out. Better for us as well. Aloud Caleb said, "He still needs to get to a hospital pronto."
Dean didn't say anything, but Sam nodded. Then the youngest Winchester said, "I'll get him to the hospital. You two go find the other vampire." With the words he gave Caleb a heavy-lidded look. Caleb understood it loud and clear. Talk to Dean.
The hunter inwardly sighed, but gave a curt nod, saying yes to both of Sam's suggestions. Now isn't the best time to bring up Dean's deal, he thought. It's going to throw him off his game. He looked at the oldest Winchester and took in the circles under his eyes and the stiff tension in his shoulders. Neither was from the fight with the vamp. But I might not get another chance.
They helped Sam carry the man up to Caleb's car. Sam sacrificed his jacket to blanket across Nick's body as they laid him in the backseat. When Sam stuck out his hand, Caleb forked over the keys. "Take care of her," he demanded.
Sam rolled his eyes. "Why does everyone think I can't drive?"
The sides of Dean's lips tugged upwards. "Because we all remember how many times you crashed Bobby's car when you were learning."
Sam pretended outrage. "I was twelve!"
Dean shrugged. "Yeah, well, I'm just saying."
Sam huffed and got in the car. "You guys be careful. I'll call you when I'm done and come join you."
Dean playfully slapped him on the shoulder and said, "We'll be finished before you even check him in."
Sam smiled and shut the car door with a quick thunk. Dean and Caleb made their way to the Impala and Caleb waited for Dean to unlock the car before sliding into passenger seat. Dean must have noticed his stiff movements, because after the man shut his own door and gunned the engine he asked, "You all right?"
Caleb nodded.
"Are you sure? You're moving like an old lady."
"Yeah? Well, you try being pounded on by a vampire and strangled," Caleb shot back.
Dean snorted, "Been there. Done that. Lived to tell the tale."
The words were meant to be humorous, but they left a rock in Caleb's stomach.
The atmosphere in the car shifted and Dean drove out of the parking lot with his lips pressed tightly together. "I think we should go back to the bar," Caleb said morosely. "It seemed to be the busiest place in town, and if our other vamp is hunting, it'd be a good place to start."
Dean jerked his head in agreement but said nothing. Caleb looked out the window and watched the shadowed houses and trees pass by. He took a deep breath and began, "Dean..."
He was cut off. "No. I don't want to talk about it."
If it had been anything else Caleb would have dropped the topic. This he couldn't. "Too bad. We're going to talk about it."
Dean swerved the car into the dirt berm. Once the car was in park he turned to glare at Caleb. His fists tightened around the steering wheel and in a low voice he said, "No."
Caleb exploded. "God-dammit Deuce! We need to talk about this."
Dean grinded his teeth and growled, "No. We. Don't."
"You made a deal for your soul. Your soul Deuce," Caleb exclaimed. His own grief and anger bubbled into the back of his throat mixing with the horror he felt leaking from Dean. I'm not going to cry.
Dean turned his away. Caleb saw his friend's Adam's apple bob as he swallowed. "Dean," Caleb whispered. The other man said nothing.
Caleb was about to reach out his hand and grip his friend's shoulder to force him to talk when Dean said, "Cindy?"
"What?" Caleb asked in confusion.
Dean twisted in his seat. "Look," he said gaze focused through the rear window. Caleb turned as well and saw the blonde bartender walking towards the Impala. The men shared quick glances then both opened their doors. It's strange to see her so far from the bar in the middle of the night. She knows people have been going missing.
Caleb walked around the car to met Cindy and Dean at the trunk. Tear tracks streaked down her pale cheeks. "Hey, what are you doing out here by yourself?" Dean asked. When she got closer both of them saw the blood on her clothes and he added, "Are you okay?"
Fresh tears began to fall down her face and she reached up and wiped them away with a trembling hand. A bloody hand. "Cindy?" Caleb stepped forward ready to take her in his arms and calm her down.
"He's dead," she whispered, eyes locked to the ground.
"Who?" Dean asked. "Nick?"
She swayed closer. "No," she said with a unfriendly laugh. "Nicky was a piece of meat. Nothing more nothing less."
Another sob wracked her frame and she brought a hand up to cover her eyes. "My Ben. My poor Ben."
Ben? Caleb looked over at Dean. Realization flashed across his face. Both men slow began to reach for their weapons. Cindy's hand dropped down and her eyes snapped from one man to the next. "You killed him." With a growl her fangs elongated and she reached for Caleb first.
He didn't have time to grab his knife. Her hand wrapped around his shoulder and suddenly he was airborne. He hit the windshield of the Impala hard. Spider web cracks spiraled out from where his body had smashed. He had a moment to think, Shit, Dean is going to be pissed, before her hand came at him again suckering punching him in the face. The world spun. He saw Dean's knife sticking from her side- Damn, Deuce can move fast- and fury on her face. Then the world went black.
***
Caleb woke to pressure. The pressure of rope against his wrists and the pressure of his shoulders aching as he tried to yank his arms free. The pressure of pain from the shiner on his face. The pressure of Dean's feelings laying heavy over his mind.
Wherever he had been brought was dark. The pure darkness one got from being in a place without sun or artificial light. Probably underground somewhere. Despite the uselessness of his hands, Caleb tried to stand. He got one foot flat on the ground-felt like compact dirt- before his head swam and nausea rolled his stomach. Jesus. With a groan he tumbled back to the ground.
"Damien," Dean said, sounding as if he had been without water for days.
"Deuce?" Caleb called back.
A sigh of relief. "You alright?"
Caleb began to nod, but then realized Dean wouldn't be able to see the motion. Not to mention the movement makes me want to hurl. "I'm okay. Been better though. You?"
"That bitch clocked me out. Feels like I've gone a round with Mike Tyson."
"Do you know where we are?"
Caleb heard Dean move around. "Nope. I saw you go down. Then I was out. Woke up here."
He jerked in surprise at a tentative touch on his leg. "Deuce?"
There was an amused snort. "Yeah."
"She didn't tie you up?" How unfair, Caleb thought.
"Dude, I've been awake for like fifteen minutes. There aren't a pair of cuffs- or ropes- that can hold me." Caleb grinned into the darkness. Dean's hands felt their way up his body then slid around to where his hands were tied. "Hold still," Dean commanded.
Dean's breaths whooshed by Caleb's ear. He heard the click of a pocket knife being flipped open, and then his wrists were free. "God-dammit," he cursed, bringing his hands forward trying to rub away the pain. It didn't work.
He felt Dean take a seat beside him. "How long do you think we've been here?"
He imagined Dean's eyes narrowing as he thought. "I don't know. Not that long. I'm not hungry."
So no more than a couple of hours.
"I think we're in a cellar or basement. It's about twenty by eighteen feet. There's a door almost straight in front of us, but there isn't any handle or place to open it from this side."
"So we're stuck until Sam comes and finds us."
"Or that vamp bitch comes back and eats us," Dean added.
"Way to look on the bright side," Caleb shot back. The situation was getting to him. Speaking of, "You shields are majorly leaking," he told Dean.
In a blink the feelings were gone. But now that Caleb was thinking about it, and Dean had nowhere to run, "Want to tell me what the fuck you were thinking when you made a fucking deal with a demon?" The words were spat out angrily. It wasn't how he originally planned to talk to Dean. Verbally attacking the man never seemed to go well, but now that he had, Caleb felt better. I'm fucking furious, why shouldn't I attack him?
He heard the ruffle of Dean's jeans and felt the man move away from him. It was silent for a minute; Caleb though Dean was just going to ignore him. Then, "Sammy was dead, Damien. What was I supposed to do?" The words were so defeated, so un-Dean like that Caleb fumbled for what to say.
"Deuce…" he began, but the words caught in throat. He swallowed, and it felt as if he was swallowing glass. "Dean," he tried again, "you were supposed to let things be."
Dean scrambled to his feet and Caleb heard him stumble until he hit a wall. Caleb pushed himself up too. Better this time than last.
"Why would you say that?" Dean growled out. "Do you want Sam to be dead?"
"Of course not!" Caleb shouted back. "But Dean, we all know that the mortality rate for this business isn't high. People die old and alone, or young and unfulfilled. That's the way it is." The words sucked away his air, and Caleb found himself panting as if he had run a marathon. "Deuce, Sam was dead. You should have cried and grieved and missed him, but you shouldn't have sold your soul for his."
A fist sliced through the darkness and smashed against his face. Jesus, now both cheeks are going to swell. He would have fallen but Dean's hand shot out and grabbed his arm. "Sam's life is worth a hundred of my souls," Dean said softly.
Caleb shook his hand away. Did Johnny do this? Make you so fucked up about your own self worth? Have we- have I- let you down so badly? "Jesus, Dean. What the hell is wrong with you? Did your Dad hit you one time too many during sparring practice?" He reached out and felt until his fingers brushed against his friend's shirt. He twisted the fabric under his fingers. "You are worth just as much as Sam." Lead settled in his stomach. Caleb's next words were quiet. "Dean, don't you realize you're going to die and go to hell?"
Dean's hoarse voice ripped across the room, "I know."
The finality in his words chilled Caleb to the core. "No. I don't think you do."
Dean pulled out of his grasp. "I fucking know Caleb. I was the one who made the deal. A year to live and the crossroads bitch comes and takes me down to the pit."
Caleb licked his lips, searching for the words to make Dean understand. "I know you know you made the deal, but Dean, if you really understood you would be doing everything in your power to get out of it. You would be helping Sam and Bobby and Mac and I find a way out. You would care."
Dean sighed and Caleb imagined the man was scratching the back of his neck. "How…" Dean's voice dragged as if over gravel, "How can I do anything if breaking the deal means Sam is dead. Caleb, I can't live if Sam is dead."
Anger burned away Caleb's sorrow. "Fuck you Dean. Fuck you for being so selfish."
"Selfish?" Dean snarled.
"Yes, selfish! I know how much Sam mean's to you. I know Dean. But there are other people who care about you. Me, Bobby, Mac, hell, even Joshua. Did you ever think how we would feel with you dead?" His silence was answer enough. Fuck you Dean. Fuck you for only ever thinking about Sam. What about me. I may not be blood, but I'm your brother too.
"I'm scared Caleb." The broken words knocked the winds from Caleb's sails. "I'm fucking terrified and there's no one to help me." Despite not being able to see Caleb knew Dean was crying. He reached forward again until his fingers could grab Dean's coat. He yanked the man to his chest.
"We'll all help you. I'll help you." He squeezed the other man until his arms hurt. He squeezed because he knew no one else did. He squeezed for all the times John didn't. "Dean, I promise we'll figure this out of this."
Dean stepped out of his arms but hovered near. "Alright."
Deuce said the word, but Caleb knew that the other man didn't believe. You don't believe it now, but I promise I mean it. We will find a way to save you. We have too. Aloud Caleb said, "You just have to not give up. You can't pretend this hasn't happened."
"I know." It wasn't a promise, but it was a start.
Caleb swept his palms down the front of his jeans. "And if you can't talk to Sam about this, I'm only a phone call away."
"You're such a pansy. A phone call away," Dean said, trying to lighten the mood.
Only so much heart-to-heart a man can take. "I guess we should focus on trying to get out of here."
As if his words were magic, the sound of lock being turn cracked through the air. Then light was pouring through. "Dean? Caleb? Are you in here?" Sam's voice came past the light.
"About time Sam," Dean cracked out.
Sam stepped into the room and Caleb looked past him to see a stairwell going up. Caleb watched as Sam looked at Dean's red, swollen eyes, and thought he would comment, but the younger Winchester surprised him by saying, "Well some of us have been working. We all can't take vacations in dirt pits." He flicked his gaze to Caleb then asked, "Are you guys alight?"
"I could use a handful of Advil and beer, but otherwise I' fine," Dean replied.
"Not to mention ten hours of sleep," Caleb added. Dean nodded his agreement.
"How did you find us?" Dean asked.
"Cindy's roommate showed up at the hospital with Nick's mom. We began talking and she was telling me all about her roommate's interesting behavior. I put two-and-two together and figured she was our second vamp. When neither of you answered your phone I went looking for you. Found the Impala on the side of the road and as I was driving around looking for you I spotted Cindy coming out from the side of the town hall."
Caleb's jaw dropped. "We're in the town hall?" The pristine white building formed in his mind.
"Yep. And there's now a dead vampire buried in the back of said town hall."
Dean clasped Sam's shoulder and smiled proudly. "That's my little brother."
Sam snorted. "Your little brother has been searching for you for over an hour. You're lucky I found this place. It was originally built as a safety room for when tornados hit."
"Sweet," Dean said obnoxiously.
Already back to his charming self, Caleb thought. But the line of tension was still present in his shoulders. Hopefully our talk knocked some sense into him.
"Come on, let's get out of here," Sam said and turned to lead the way up the stairs. They made their way up ten steps and then down a short tunnel. Then the night sky greeted them. The air felt pleasant against his skin.
Caleb's truck was parked on a side street and he slid into the seat with a sigh. I can't wait to sleep. Sam drove, and the car was silent. Dean's going to be pissed about fixing his windshield. But I rather him be pissed about something than feel nothing.
The quiet town flashed by his window and he turned away from the country town. Dean was sitting between him and Sam and was already nodding off. Sam glanced over and his eyes flicked from Dean to Caleb. It's going to be alright, Caleb thought but didn't say. Sam's lips pressed into a thin line and he turned his attention back to the road.
It has to be.
13