By: Lady Starhawk Rated: PG
Category: Slightly AU, action, very little angst
Spoilers: All aired episodes
Thank You: To Mandy for a wonderful beta; Rose, Meg, and Jen for all your encouragement; and everyone else who helped me along the way.
SUMMARY: Caleb had a younger sister who is now out for revenge against the demon that killed him. Minor history with the Winchesters, and a few phone conversations, but no direct interaction with the boys until later. I will try and keep the story as cannon as possible as I write it, but any OC turns things slightly AU.
Disclaimer: Nope, don't own the Winchesters, but I wish on the first star every night that they might become mine one day. All mistakes are my own. Feel free to tell me about all of them ;).Part 1
Discoveries
Summary: Alisabeth makes the arrangements for the dead hunters.
Set during Dead Man's Blood, Salvation, and Devil's Trap
Author's note: I started this story before Heart aired, so I am using a more "traditional" description of werewolves. Otherwise, I have tried to keep the story as cannon as possible.
I could hear branches breaking all around me. I knew my big brother Caleb was within sight of me, but I was unsure of exactly where. When John gave us this job, he assured us there was only one werewolf in this place, but if my hearing was correct, there were at least four.
I heard a distinctive snap to my left and turned, gun first, towards it. It was definitely a werewolf, but it was small, the size of a child. It was crouching beside a large tree, fangs bared, ready to spring,
"It's a family!" I yelled, so Caleb knew what we were up against, and aimed for its heart. I hit the thing square in the chest and it went down like a sack of bricks. I crouched down and scurried out of the clearing to get my back up against a tree. I waited for the retaliation.
I heard howls spring up all around me. There was at least one full-grown male in the group by the timber of the howls, probably daddy. I would guess mommy was close by as well.
Suddenly, as a cloud crossed over the moon, the entire forest grew silent. There were no noises at all, no snapping sticks, no insects, I couldn't even hear Caleb even though the gunshot should have brought him running. It was dark, and I knew my eyes would be useless until the cloud cover moved. I closed my eyes and tried to sharpen my hearing.
I heard a gunshot off to my left and grinned. I whispered under my breath, "Caleb." I knew he would take his target down in one shot as well. Two down.
Dead silence. Suddenly, I felt hot breath on the back of my neck. I whirled around. The biggest werewolf I had ever seen reared up behind me. He had to have been at least nine feet tall and was solid muscle. I sighed; no way this was going to end well.
"Um, hi Daddy. Sorry about your kid, but I kind of like being a living, breathing human." I smirked. Now I know taunting the monster isn't the safest pastime, but let's face it; it's fun. Caleb said I spent too much time with Dean Winchester last summer, I just laughed and remind him who had wanted me to spend time with the Winchesters in the first place. Dean and I are the same age, but neither one of us had spent much time training with other kids, so Caleb and John decided we would all train together last summer.
I saw one paw come up and managed to dodge out of the way. Rolling across the ground, I came up into a crouch. I managed to get off a shot, but it must have missed because he was already lunging at me. I knew if I let him close in, it was all over so I rolled out of his way again. This time when I came up into a crouch, the gun was batted out of my hands. I didn't bother to see where it went. I knew it would not do me any good.
I drew the silver knife from its sheath at my side to make my stand. John had taught Dean and me knife fighting last summer; Sammy had been part of those lessons as well. From our fights, I learned that reach was incredibly important in determining who would win. I was still bigger than both Sam and Dean, and managed to best them both in most of our sparring sessions, but I could never quite win against the adults. I was faster and younger but they had reach and experience. Daddy werewolf over there definitely had plenty of reach on me.
I readied my knife and waited for his attack. I had to bring him in close, and I was going to have to make some sacrifices to do it.
I waited. He lunged towards me, and I stepped right up into him. The pain that erupted in my arm was blinding throwing off my aim. I managed to gut him, but not bury the knife in the heart. I kicked him off of me and switched the blade to my left hand. My right arm was slick with blood and pain flared every time I moved it. Muscles refused to work correctly; I would no longer be using it in this fight.
I crouched and readied myself for his next attack. Sadly, I was totally unprepared for what happened next. I suddenly felt a blinding pain in my back. I looked and the werewolf I had been fighting almost appeared to be smirking. I felt my legs give out beneath me. I tried to get back up but my legs wouldn't cooperate. I was on my stomach with no leverage, so when I felt a clawed food dig into my left shoulder, I knew I was in trouble.
I felt hot breath on the side of my face, and smelled rotting flesh. It wasn't the one I had injured earlier, this must be mommy, and she didn't seem too happy. She dug her claws deep into my shoulder and pinned me to the ground. I tried to scream but she was pushing me down and all I got was a mouth full of dried leaves and mud.
I must have made enough noise though; I heard something crashing through the woods and into the clearing. Whoever it was yelled something at the creatures, and I heard a dozen shots from a pistol. The pressure on my shoulder increased, and then I felt the creature fall on top of me. She didn't move. I wanted to be relieved, but the world had taken on a surreal quality. As she fell, the cloud moved from in front of the moon and the clearing was bathed in light. I could see my Caleb moving towards me with that patented big brother look of concern.
Black spots danced around in my vision at that point, and I struggled to not pass out.
"Lisa?" I felt the weight move off of my back. I managed to pull a nice deep breath, and immediately regretted it. My entire body exploded in pain. I tried to suppress it, but a whimper still escaped.
Once the pain subsided to just blinding, and not incapacitating, I managed to croak, "I'm ok."
"Yeah, sure darlin'. I'll believe that when you get up." He smiled at me and poked at my torn jacket. "That's the last time you get to borrow my jacket."
I smiled, "I think this one's had it bro." I whispered. I hadn't moved yet. He lifted up the back of the jacket and whistled.
"You've really outdone yourself this time kid. I think she sliced down to bone in some of these cuts. Can you feel this?"
I wasn't sure what he was doing, but I knew I couldn't. "Feel what?"
I heard him start to cuss under his breath. It was at that point that I kind of blacked out.
SNSNSNSNSN
"So Caleb carried you to his truck and got you to the hospital?" Sam asked as he handed me another dish to dry.
"Yup. I was out of it for five days. I had lost a lot of blood, and they tried surgery to fix my back. But sadly, with a spinal chord, severed is severed and nothing can change that. Fortunately, there was no lasting damage to my arms, and I still have feeling and movement down to just above my knees. So I can walk with the braces and crutches, but I hope someday soon to not need the crutches so I can go back to hunting."
"Is that even possible?" He looked skeptical, just like Caleb had when I told him my plans.
"Yup. I have braces to lock my knees and ankles in place. You've seen me use them with the crutches when I need to get to places where the wheelchair won't go."
He nodded, and I continued.
"Well I met a guy, Jason, who has a similar injury to me. He actually is able to go without the crutches for short distances. He uses a cane to maintain his balance, so it's possible to walk his own a little bit. If I could do that, I could hold a gun, and get back into hunting.
"Cool." He handed me another dish.
"You two done yet?" An older man dressed in black asked as he popped his head into the kitchen.
"Almost Pastor Jim." Sam said blushing.
"Better hurry, John will be here soon to pick you up Sam, and you know he doesn't like to be kept waiting."
"Yes sir." He answered as he handed me the last dish. "Do you blame my Dad for your getting hurt?" Sammy looked me square in the eyes. There was so much pain and anger in them; I wasn't sure how to answer, so I went with the truth.
"No. I didn't two years ago, and I don't now." I laid the last dish on the stack on the counter, and Sam picked them up and started putting them into the cupboards.
I almost didn't hear his reply it was so low, "I would."
I grabbed him by the shirt collar and pulled him down into my lap. He might have been 14, but I was still bigger, and stronger. "Listen good, kid. Your daddy gave us the best information he had. Caleb and I made some mistakes that night, but I don't blame him either. I blame the monster that did this to me. John didn't slice my back up; he didn't purposely mislead us. He has nothing to do with me getting hurt. I know your daddy cares about Caleb and me. I know he loves you more than anything in the world. If it had been you to get hurt, the man wouldn't need you to blame him, he'd already blame himself."
Sam visibly paled. I might have gone too far, but I knew it was going to take some tough love to get through to this kid. He was as stubborn as his father, and twice as smart. Considering John Winchester was one of the smartest people I have ever met that was saying something.
Looking down at the floor, he whispered, "I'm sorry Lis."
I gave him a hug and set him back on his feet. "I know you are, kid, but shit happens. You have to learn to roll with the punches, so to speak." He smiled as I tried to roll over his foot. "And besides, I have a cool new job because of it."
"Yeah?" He sat down at the kitchen table and tossed me an apple.
I caught it in my left hand and took a big bite. "Yeah, I'm going to college in the fall. Classical Mythology and Folklore major." Sam smirked, "Yeah, the professors would probably crap themselves if they knew I was in this chair because of a werewolf." I winked at him. "Setting myself up to be a research guru for hunters. It'll be nice to have access to University libraries and professionals that might be able to help out."
Sam smiled brightly, "Cool." I saw a reflection of the cute little kid Sam had been shine through.
I was about to say more when I heard the rumble of the Impala outside. Sam got up and kissed my cheek, "Good luck in school Lis." He headed for the door.
"Call me if you need me kid." I smiled and finished my apple.
SNSNSNSNSN
I had gotten the call 3 days ago. I was listed as next of kin for many hunters, so it wasn't unusual.
Daniel Elkins was dead. I knew he had been hunting vampires in that area for many years. I also knew about the stuff he kept in that cabin. I needed to get there and catalog it. Many of his books were rare and important. It was my job to make sure they stayed accessible to us and didn't fall into the hands of the enemy.
It's Caleb's job to supply munitions and weaponry to hunters, and he's good at his job. He told me Dan had several ancient and powerful weapons in his cabin, including one that could be helpful for the Winchesters.
I had a feeling I was going to run into John at Elkins' place, but what I saw as I pulled up to the cabin surprised me. A shiny black Impala was sitting next to the porch. I saw a very tall, dark haired man in the widow. "Sammy," I whispered to myself, "my how you've grown." A shorter blonde man stepped up next to him. "Bet it kills him that his baby brother is taller." I smirked to myself and pulled the car back into one of the hidey-holes Dan had in his driveway.
I had spent the summer after my accident with Dan. I was no longer being trained for hunting, but I still had revenge in my heart. I needed the hunt. Needed to take down the things I knew were out there. Things like what had killed my parents. Caleb was content in helping others hunt, but I needed to do something active, take a part in it myself. Dan had been hunting since the 60's and had obtained so much knowledge in that time it was surprising. I soaked up everything he told me like a sponge. He would tell me stories, and retell old myths. He showed me how to follow the trail of a story to the origin. I was the one who stumbled on the legend of the Colt, and Elkins took it from there. I had no doubt that the stubborn man would track it to its origins and find the weapon that could kill anything.
During that summer, I explored the area around his house as much as I could. I had to figure out how to navigate over rough terrain both with the chair and without it. I found all these hidey-holes in the driveway; Dan explained to me that they were for surveillance. They were indiscernible, unless you knew where to look. He was a paranoid man, and we would have to stake out his home for 30 minutes before actually moving near the house every time we returned home.
I knew the best spot to watch the house, and I parked there. I watched the boys rummage around, but being careful to not really touch anything. Observing, I let my mind wander a bit to that summer with Dan.
Jim had helped Caleb drive my Charger up here. Caleb had given me that car for my sixteenth birthday. A 1968 Charger Convertible with a huge engine and the topper fitted to be electronic so you didn't have to get out of the car to change it. It was a beautiful color: a black undercoat with a midnight blue glitter topcoat. It looked shiny and black in the dark, but in the sun she shone like the ocean under the midday sun. Most of the engine and bodywork had been completed the summer I spent with the Winchesters. John taught me as much about engines as he did about hunting.
Bobby came up to Elkins' place early in that summer and helped me outfit my baby so I could drive her. I couldn't use my legs anymore, so we had to install hand controls for the gas and breaks. He also helped me put in an automatic transmission. Now I know my baby wasn't happy about that, but I explained to her it was the only way I was going to be able to drive her. After that, she took to the changes and we were able to get back out on the road, top down with the wind in my hair as we cruised through the mountains. It was a good time.
Yanked out of my memories by the opening of the front door, I noticed the boys didn't have anything with them. Everything I needed to retrieve should still be there. I waited for the Impala to pass me by and move onto the road. Counting off ten minutes, I headed to Dan's place myself.
I shifted into my chair, but made sure the crutches were tucked into their place in the back. I didn't know how cluttered his place was going to be, so I needed to be ready to ditch the chair.
As I approached, I noticed that the front door had been kicked open. Now Dean and Sam would have picked the lock, so it must have been whoever or whatever had killed Daniel. In the study, there was glass all over everything, and I noticed it was kind of cold. When I looked up, I saw the skylights had been smashed in, but none of the glass shards had blood on them.
Things were neater than I had hoped. Most of his books were in the study, and although there was evidence of a struggle, things seemed pretty intact. There was a lot of stuff though; it was going to take time to sort through it all. Maybe I could get George and his moving company to get it all to my house so I could go through it there.
In the study I opened the empty duffel I brought with me and started sorting through things. Some of the papers on the floor were bloody; this was where he must have died.
I was looking around the room near the bloodstains when I found it. A vampire tooth. Sharp, thin, and deadly. It had some blood on it still. I sighed. John believed that vampires were extinct, which means that they had no idea what killed Dan. He would have kept his boys in the dark about them. That also meant I might need to take care of them myself.
Sitting on the desk was Dan's journal. I picked it up and started leafing through it. I needed to find out all I could about these vamps.
It took me nearly an hour, but I finally absorbed all the info I could from his journal about the vampires and put it in the duffel bag. I also knew for sure that he had had the Colt, so I started my search for it. I found old books, journals, and talismans, but not what I was looking for. He apparently kept it in the safe next to his desk, but the safe was open and empty. On the desk I noticed a beautiful wooden box. I opened it and saw it had the space for an old revolver and 13 bullets. It was currently empty. Either the boys had grabbed it, or the creatures that killed him had. I continued to search through his things.
I knew what I had to do. Kill Dan's murderers, and retrieve the gun. I didn't have time for sorting and moving books and antiques. Not yet. Time to grieve later as well.
I called Caleb knowing I needed to make it short to avoid the subject of me hunting. He wasn't going to be happy about that. I told him to arrange for the moving company to clean out the cabin. We had used a very special company for other retrievals. They were used to moving collections for the rich and famous. They would be careful, fast, and discrete. He agreed to make the arrangements and to have everything tagged and catalogued when it was boxed up, so it would be easier to arrange once I got to it. I also told him the boys had been here, but left seemingly empty handed.
"Don't go all vengeance on me kid," he said before I could hang up.
"What do you mean?" I tried to play innocent. Without the puppy dog eyes, it wasn't as effective or nearly as pitiful.
"You know what I mean, trying to take out whatever killed Daniel."
I smirked. I loved my brother. He was so predictable.
"Now why would I do that?"
"Because you are hot-headed and have a stubborn sense of right and wrong. The boys are there, and I'm sure John isn't far away either. Let them deal with it, you deal with the books." Caleb was pleading with me.
"Ok," Caleb didn't beg very often, so I'd throw him a bone, "if John and the boys are going to hunt I will leave it alone, but if they leave the area I'm going after them. I might wait around long enough for you to come with me if you hurry."
"Them?"
Shit. I had let too much slip. "Yeah," I sighed, "I found a vampire tooth on the floor of the cabin. Since that's what Daniel hunted best, I concluded that they are what killed him." Should I tell him? "And I think the vamps have the Colt." I decided sometimes laying it all on the line was better with Caleb.
He had always been an overprotective older brother, but ever since the accident it's escalated to near epic proportions. It's been ten years but he still smothers me with protection and it pisses me off sometimes. I've proven myself over and over again through the years, both before, and after, the accident. I swear one day he will finally see me as an equal.
"Trail the boys, if they are on the case you get back to the cabin and do your job." Caleb sighed, "If they leave town instead, call me and I'll be down there by nightfall."
"How do we find out if the boys have the Colt?"
"I'll call John, ask him if he knew about Daniel, tell him you're on your way down and work the Colt into the conversation."
"You sly dog. That's why I love you bro." I smiled.
"Go. Trail the boys, I'll make the calls on my end. I…"
"Bye." I hung up abruptly cutting off whatever he had been starting to say. I love my brother to death, but the man doesn't know when to stop talking and just hang up.
SNSNSNSNSN
It turned out I didn't need to hunt the vampires; John was indeed in town and hooked up with his boys. I shadowed them a bit to make sure they knew what they were hunting. If John knew I was around, he didn't let on.
Once they were engrossed in the hunt I went back to Daniel's place. I needed to start sorting things out. I grabbed a wagon from my trunk and managed to haul it into Dan's place. I was going to get all of the books and stuff in one room. His clothes and things could stay here, but anything hunting related had to go.
Sadly, I was getting quite a collection of old books at home. Three rooms of the house were dedicated to bookshelves and trunks of old magical items and weapons. Fortunately for me, with my major in school, it wasn't surprising to non-hunters that I had so many weird books.
Last summer I finished my Ph.D. in Folklore and Mythological Studies. I have access to nearly any library in the country, even closed collections at Universities and have been granted access to libraries all over the world.
When I discovered that Sammy was going away to Stanford, I transferred there for grad school. That way I could keep an eye on him. Once I was settled I let Caleb inform Dean and John that I was there and would keep an eye on the kid. I don't think Sammy even knew I was there. I was a teaching assistant for a couple of freshman classes, but he wasn't in any of them. It surprised me that he would skip the "easy A" classes for someone raised as a hunter, but if he wanted to be rid of this life, it was the easiest way to do it. I got a few visits from John over the years, and a few more from Dean, but for the most part I didn't have much contact with any of the Winchesters.
It took an entire day, but eventually I was able to move everything from Daniel's cabin that needed to go back to my house into the study. There were a few books and items that needed to be brought to Pastor Jim for proper disposal or storage. There was a nasty little book made from human skin and written in blood that oozed EMF, a crystal necklace that had something moving within it, and a ring that glowed on its own. These were the most powerful items I had found in the cabin. Those were the ones I wasn't going to entrust to anyone else.
I was just sitting down to page through Elkins' journal again when I heard a loud engine pull up next to the house. I set down the book I had in my hand and went to the window. It was the moving truck.
I smiled, just in time. I was itching to get back home. I met them and explained what needed to be done. George, a retired hunter, was in charge of the company and he assured me it would be taken care of. His sons didn't want to hunt evil, so they had gone into the moving business. They specialize in "antiques." George always uses EMF on any new items. Anything dangerous is cataloged and he lets me know about it. I then do the research, and if it's dangerous I call the people that take care of things like that.
It was nice to be connected. I often wondered why John kept to himself so much. I knew the boys didn't know about all the help around them. People to help ease passage into places, people to do the research, heck even people to clean up after the job is done. We have lawyers, detectives, and doctors in our network. Now I admit that I don't trust all of them, so anything really sensitive goes to people I know and can trust, thus the detour to Jim's place, but for the most part everyone does their job and evil goes bye-bye.
I gave George a hug and grabbed my duffel bag. I had put some of Dan's more sensitive things in there; research about the Colt, his journal, and some of his other personal things along with the really dangerous items to go take to Jim. I also took something sentimental for myself. Every evening during the summer I had stayed with him, Dan would make tea at dusk, and we would sit out on the porch to watch the sun set. Sometimes we would talk; sometimes we wouldn't say anything. I still try and have a cup of tea at dusk as often as I can. It was a nice way to start the day if we were going to hunt, or end the day if we worked at home.
As soon as I was on the road, I called Caleb. I told him I was on my way to Jim's place with some things that needed special handling and that I would be home in a couple of days.
"John knew you were there, kid."
"Yeah, I know. He looked right at me a couple of times. I am going to assume he has the Colt now?"
"Yeah, I told him you were cleaning out Dan's place and he offered up the information."
"That's odd for John, he's usually a need-to-know kind of guy. I'll call him in a little bit here. Even if he's still with the boys, I'm sure he's in his truck, alone."
"Yeah, Dean doesn't let anybody drive his baby if he can help it, and Sam and John would probably kill each other."
I laughed, "Yeah, two peas in a pod. If they were any more alike I might think about getting them matching sweaters for Christmas."
"Yeah, makes you wonder where Dean came from." I cocked my head to the side, even though I knew he couldn't see it. This was an odd conversation to be having. We rarely talked about the Winchesters, and lately they seem to be the topic of conversation.
"Probably takes after Mary. He's always reminded me of a mommy grizzly. She knows you're there, and most of the time doesn't really care, but if you even think about threatening her cubs, she's the most dangerous thing on the planet."
Caleb laughed, "Just don't let Dean hear you say that."
"What, that I compared him to a bear, or that it was a female bear?"
"Yes." Caleb sighed, "Something's happening Alisabeth. Something bad is on the horizon. Bobby called me last night and told me demonic possessions were astronomically high and that a lot of the minor baddies were going underground. Be careful. Get to Jim's and get back here quick. I have a feeling we're going to need our researcher to be in her library soon."
I bit my lip. So that's what's really bothering him. Something bad was about to happen and I'm out of reach. "Ok, big brother, I'm just leaving Colorado right now. I'll be at Jim's church in time to have breakfast with him, and then I'll head straight home."
"Good. Call Jim and let him know you're on your way."
"Yes mom." I hung up on him again. I knew it pissed him off when I cut him off like that, but as the little sister it is required, even if I am 27.
I hit Jim's speed dial number and made breakfast arrangements. It was late October, darn near November, but I was dying for some fresh air, so at the next rest stop I pulled over and hit the button to open my baby up. Putting on my gloves and a jacket before getting back on the highway, I cranked up the music and enjoyed the dark, lonely drive.
SNSNSNSNSN
As soon as I opened the door of the church I knew something was wrong. Jim was expecting me. I told him I would meet him for breakfast, but the church was too quiet.
The front door was open, so I knew Jim had been here already this morning. He leaves the front door open whenever he's in the building. I asked him why once and he told me, "You never know when someone is going to need help."
"Hello?" I called as I opened the door. The security alarm didn't go off. Usually when you open the door there's a beep throughout the church to alert those inside. There were no lights on in the vestibule, but the sun streaming in through the large stained glass windows light the whole sanctuary. I had always loved those windows. It bathed the whole room in a warm, colorful light.
I knew the church was maneuverable for my chair, so I left the crutches behind. It was easier to have weapons at the ready when you didn't have to worry about falling. Although the whole, moving the chair forward with one hand thing was hard, I had kind of figured it out.
"Jim?" I called out again as I entered the sanctuary. The church was completely silent. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I could tell something was wrong, I just couldn't figure out what. I fingered the gun nestled at the small of my back and continued forward.
I moved down the center aisle between the pews. As I took a deep breath, I noticed something odd. There was something wrong with the scent of the room. It had always been the same. Ever since I had met Pastor Jim, the sanctuary smelled of incense and wood smoke. When I got to the front of the church, I stopped. I took a deeper breath and tried to place the out-of-place scent.
The memory clicked and my heart sank into my feet. Sulfur. I smelled sulfur. There was only one reason I could think of that sulfur would be in a church. A demon was here. Or had been here.
Taking my gun from its hiding place in the waistband of my jeans, I checked the rounds, consecrated iron dipped in holy water. Not perfect for a demon, but there really was only one gun that might work on a demon, and John had it. I rolled slowly forward and made sure that the flask of holy water was next to the gun in my lap. The door to the back stairway was open, so I could peer down into the lower hallway.
I tried the lights, but nothing happened when I flicked the switch. Fuse probably blew from the electrical interference of a demonic presence. Not unusual, but another piece of the puzzle.
The ramp down to the next level was at the back of the church. I had to move back through the sanctuary and back into the vestibule to get to it. As I left the vicinity of the altar and the door to the study the smell of sulfur got fainter. I was still cautious, but I needed to know what was going on.
I rolled down the ramp and into the hall that would lead me to Jim's office. There were no lights on, but I could see the sun shining through the stained glass window at the end of the hall. The doors of Jim's office were open; he always kept those double doors locked because it's where he keeps his weapons and research materials. He would never leave those doors hanging open like that, unless...no I wasn't going to think like that, not now.
As I moved towards the study the smell of sulfur got stronger. I also was able to hear something that sounded like water dripping.
The water sound and the sulfur smell were both coming from the open doors to Jim's office. I thought about calling Caleb. I had only read about demons, I hadn't dealt with them myself, but Jim might need help now, and delaying might prove disastrous.
I steeled myself and peered into the room. There, sitting at his desk, was Pastor Jim dressed in black and wearing his collar. When I realized what I was really seeing I knew it would haunt me until the day I died. His throat was slit wide open; blood had flowed down his front and onto the floor. His eyes were still open, and he seemed to be looking straight at me. His face still held a slightly shocked expression like he had been taken by surprise.
I immediately scanned the room. Whatever had done this could still be here. I listened for the sound of someone breathing.
"Cristo." When I heard nothing around me I was sure I was alone. Cautiously, with my gun still out, I moved into the room. I checked behind the doors, and found no one hiding there.
I moved forward around his desk to find the source of the sound. Blood dripped onto the floor from the desk chair. I reached out and closed his eyes. He was still warm and the blood was a bright red, but the puddle's edges were starting to turn thick and sticky. I knew he hadn't been dead long.
A bloody knife lay on the ground. I knew someone who could identify the attacker, and even track the demon, if I had something that it had touched. As an added bonus, I noticed sulfur residue on the handle. A sure sign a demon did this. I took my jacket and wrapped the knife up in it. I placed it in the backpack I keep on the back of my chair. It would do me more good than the cops, and every person that touched it from now on would make the trace that much harder. I wasn't messing with evidence; I was collecting it.
I hit the button to close his weapons locker. Caleb and I had helped him install it, so I knew nobody but Caleb and I would be able to open it. I took a glance around the room to be sure that nothing was visible and suspicious. I didn't want Pastor Jim's memory tarnished with his parishioners. I didn't see any weapons lying around, so I went ahead and punched the code to seal it up tight. When closed, it looks like a wall with a picture on it. We even made it so that there's a safe behind the picture, which was my idea.
I moved back into the hallway, away from Jim's corpse, and called the police. I knew that the demon was long gone, and that the authorities must been called. The dispatcher was polite, but detached. I answered her questions, but I made sure she understood that he was dead. No ambulance was needed. I hung up on her and leaned my head against the wall. Once I got off of the phone with the police I called Caleb.
He seemed surprised by how calm I was. Frankly, I was as well. I told Caleb that it was a demon, and that Jim's locker had been open, but I closed it when I got here. I was going to stay and make sure that the arrangements were made for the funeral. I also asked him to call John. He wasn't too happy about it, but I was going to be dealing with cops for most of the day, so he needed to let people know what happened. He wanted to come down and help me, but I didn't want him here. I needed to handle this on my own. I promised to let him know when the memorial service was going to be, and assured him that we would attend.
I hung up the phone went back up to my car. I was leaving some blood tracks in the hall, but I didn't really care. I removed all my personal weapons and stashed them in their hiding places in the car. I left my backpack there as well, it had the murder weapon in it after all. I went back down to Jim's office door to wait for the police.
Apparently I lost track of time because the next thing I was aware of was a man kneeling down in front of me.
"Ms. Grage?"
I looked up not knowing how he got the drop on me. I nodded; looking around, I noticed there were a lot of people moving in and out of the room.
"Were you a friend?" He asked, putting a hand on my shoulder.
I nodded again and tried to find my voice, "We were supposed to have breakfast this morning."
"Alright honey."
Next thing I knew someone was putting a blanket over my legs and another around my shoulders. I looked up at the man above me, and I must have really looked confused because he said, "I think you're in shock my dear."
I nodded, of course, that would explain why I couldn't feel anything; the reason I felt like the world was made out of taffy, and why people were able to sneak up on me. Why I couldn't stop looking at Jim's body, even though they had covered him with a sheet by this time. I've seen bodies before, seen people killed in front of me, and I had never had a reaction like this. I remember Caleb telling me how out of it I was the night mom and dad were killed, but I can't remember a time since that day I reacted this way to anything.
An EMT came up to me and asked if she could examine me. I nodded since I didn't have the energy to say anything. She gave me a pretty thorough examination. I tried to answer when she asked me questions, and I must have done well enough because she told me I was going to be fine. I saw her move over to speak to the man who had talked to me before.
He came back over and sat by me. I looked at him and noticed the collar. He was the other pastor here. I knew him. He wasn't a hunter himself, but he was aware of Jim's knowledge and abilities.
"Do you smell that?" He asked softly.
"Sulfur." I whispered. I had to suppress a shudder.
"You know what did this?" He kept his voice low.
"Demon."
They loaded Jim's body into a body bag and put it on a gurney. The cops came over to me and I managed to give them my statement. Fortunately Pastor Connor, I remembered his name now, was there to help me. He was supportive and kept the cops on track. He even told them when I had had enough questions and told me to give them my cell phone number if they needed to contact me.
Jim's body was gone, I was left to my own devices. I went up to Connor's office and we sat there. He put on some coffee and just let me sit quietly.
"He will need to be cremated." I finally was able to get out once my coffee was half gone. "And the remains salted. He died a violent death and I don't want him coming back."
"Of course. What else?"
"I'll need to take care of the weapons and books in the study, and I am going to need to pack up the stuff in his house too before I go home. Those books and weapons will be useful for other hunters."
"You are listed as his next of kin Lisa. You're perfectly within your rights to do what you want to with his things."
I nodded. I needed to call Caleb back.
SNSNSNSNSN
With Pastor Connor's help I was able to clean out Jim's office by the afternoon. I went through the things in his house, and once again took the most dangerous things with me. I called George myself this time, and explained the situation to him. He took Jim's death hard, as I know many in the community would. Everybody liked Pastor Jim, and I don't know many hunters that hadn't passed through his doors at some point or other.
George was going to send his brother up tomorrow to take care of Jim's place. Once again, I spent the afternoon and evening going through the stuff of a good friend and mentor. It felt like an invasion to be reading through his journal, but it had to be done.
At about 5:00 I made myself a pot of tea and sat out on the front porch to watch the sunset. I thought about the first night that I met Pastor Jim; the night my parents were killed.
I was 12, and Caleb was 18. Our whole family was camping in southern Minnesota. It was early June and there weren't any others around the campground. We were going on one last camping trip before Caleb would be leaving. He was joining the National Guard, and had to leave for training in a few weeks.
We were all sitting around the fire when it happened. A creature came from nowhere and clawed our father straight down the middle. It was huge, with large claws. It appeared to have no nose on its misshapen head. It had huge ears and did I mention the really really long claws? Dad gurgled a little before going forever still. Caleb pushed me to the ground and moved in front to defend me. Mom screamed. I saw it slink into the firelight. Caleb had taken a defensive stance above me, so I stayed on the ground and grabbed a log that was burning on one end only.
I handed him the makeshift club and tried to move towards the creature. "Don't move Lis." Caleb growled under his breath. I knew that tone. It was the one he used when he really meant business. I nodded but knew he wouldn't have seen it.
Mom stood up and moved so she was on the other side of Caleb. I knew they were going to try and protect me, and it made me bristle a bit. I was a big girl. I had had martial arts training, and I knew I could help. I tried to stand again and this time it was mom who spoke, "Please sweetie, stay down." I heard the quiver in her voice and knew I had to do as she asked.
Next thing I knew the creature lunged and Mom tried to block it; she ended up getting her arm sliced to ribbons. Unfortunately she wasn't prepared for its other arm. That one took out her throat. She fell to the ground in front of me, spraying the campsite with her blood. She was making horrible gasping, gurgling noises as she struggled to breathe. I was covered in blood. My mother's blood. I watched the light dim in her eyes. I would never forget that moment.
Caleb hit the thing with the burning end of the club to get it away from her, and I heard it scream. It was the most horrible thing I had ever heard.
Caleb reached his hand down to me and I took it. He helped me up and positioned me behind him. "When I give you the signal I want you to run Lis." He was moving us to the side opposite the campfire from the creature.
I shook my head. I couldn't find my voice, but I needed him to know I wasn't about to leave him here to die.
"Lis, I'll be right behind you. I need to make sure you're safe, babygirl." I heard his voice crack a little when he said that. I sobbed in resignation. He nodded and I saw him tense up.
Suddenly I saw movement behind me. I must have gasped because Caleb turned towards me. A man moved into the clearing, he had what appeared to be a flare gun in his hands. "You kids ok?" He asked moving in next to Caleb.
The creature had yet to move. It seemed to be afraid of the fire, but unwilling to leave its prey.
"Yeah." I heard Caleb answer as he tightened his grip on the club.
"Good. Close your eyes, it's going to get a little bright."
Caleb turned away from the creature and put an arm around me. I closed my eyes but I still saw the flash through my eyelids. I heard the creature scream again, and the smell of roasting flesh was unmistakable.
"You can open your eyes now." The man said as he sat down by the campfire. He was a ruggedly handsome man. Shaggy beard, sturdy boots, and sensible clothing, layers of flannel and wool. He had a pack on his back and I saw knives and guns on his belt glinting from the light of the fire.
"What was that thing?" Caleb asked as he moved me closer to the fire. He had me sit down on a log and he knelt down to check me for injuries. All I could see was mom's face looking up at me in a puddle of her blood soaking into the forest floor.
"Wendigo. A creature that used to be a man hundreds of years ago but due to cannibalism turned into that." He pointed to the burning corpse. "As it ate the souls of people, its own soul became corrupt. Eventually you get an unstoppable killing machine." He appeared to look us over with a critical eye. "Holding that burning log was the best thing you could have done. It can only be killed with fire."
"Lisa was the one that gave it to me." I heard Caleb move, but I wasn't sure where to, I reached out and grabbed his sleeve. "It's ok Lis, I'm not going anywhere. I'm Caleb Grage, this is my little sister Alisabeth." He held his hand out to the stranger.
The man took the hand and they shook, "John, John Winchester." John then moved to block my view of my mother's body. "You ok sweetie?" He knelt down on the ground in front of me. He had nothing but compassion in his eyes. "That was smart thinking giving your brother that log." He smiled softly. I met his eyes, but only nodded. He grabbed a cloth from his pack and cleaned off my face and arms.
Standing, he started talking to Caleb. I clung onto my brother, I'm sure I left bruises I held on so tightly. All I remember from the conversation was, church, help, guardianship, authorities. I felt Caleb sit me down facing away from the campsite. John sat next to me. He must have put his jacket on me because suddenly I was warmer. I heard Caleb gathering things together.
"I have a son probably about your age." I looked him in the eye. "He saw his mother get killed too. He didn't talk for a long while after that." I knew he was telling the truth. He looked like he really knew what I was feeling, "It's ok to be scared darlin' but what's important is you did the right thing. There was nothing you could have done to save them."
A tear rolled down my cheek, and I saw Caleb holding his pack. He handed it to John.
"Got everything?" John said adding the pack to his own.
"Yeah, anything else will come back to us after the authorities are done processing the scene." Caleb then picked me up. I'm not sure what happened after that. I woke up as Caleb pulled up to a church. I saw an old black car in the lot.
I looked to Caleb and he smiled, "Somewhere safe for the night. A friend of John's. He was going to let this pastor know we were coming."
I nodded and got out of the truck. Caleb had grabbed the pack from the trunk before we headed inside.
It was the middle of the night, and the church looked deserted. I heard a door slam somewhere near the back. Caleb held my hand as we went in the front door. It was dark inside, and Caleb led me down the aisle between the pews. We went down a set of stairs hidden in the back. There was a warm yellow light radiating from the stairway and Caleb didn't hesitate, just headed down. I heard a car, sounding old and powerful, pulling away. Probably the big black car that was in the lot.
A man sat at a desk wearing jeans and a flannel shirt. It was 3 in the morning, and he looked as haggard as Caleb. He had books lying all over the desk, and a pot of coffee brewing in the corner. The man got up from his desk and moved over to us. Caleb dropped my hand to shake the man's hand.
"Caleb, Caleb Grage."
"Father James Murphy, but people call me Pastor Jim."
Jim released Caleb's hand and Caleb grabbed my hand again, and took a step back.
"Caleb, I'm so sorry. John just left with his boys. He told me what happened." I moved to hide behind Caleb.
"This is Alisabeth." Caleb took me by the shoulders and moved around behind me. I tried to shrink into his legs and wished I could disappear.
He had warm brown eyes and a calm face, "Hello there, I'm Pastor Jim Murphy." He held out his hand to me. I hesitated.
"It's ok Lis, we need to trust him." Caleb nudged me.
I knew I should be polite to him so I stepped forward and shook his hand. I tried to say something, but nothing would come out.
"It's alright child. It's not uncommon for traumatic experiences to chase away your voice. We can try and find it again in the morning. You've had a long night. I've got the guest room ready for you both."
He led us through a tunnel and into the basement of a house. Guiding us through the house, we climbed to the second floor. There were two rooms and a bathroom here on the top level and Jim led us to one of them. There were two twin beds and a dresser in the corner. It was plain but warm.
I was unable to stifle a yawn as Caleb sat me down on the bed farthest from the door and started removing my shoes and socks.
"If you need anything just holler. There's another room across the hall of you prefer separate accommodations." I grabbed his arm and held tight. Caleb shook his head. I was glad; I didn't want to spend the night alone. "Feel free to help yourself to anything in the kitchen too." He smiled sadly, "Sleep well."
Caleb and I slept in the same room during our stay at Jim's. Jim took care of a lot of the legal stuff. Our parents were "found" mauled by a bear in the woods. Caleb was old enough so he was granted custody of me. Jim helped us out with the insurance stuff and helped us keep our home. He was also our first mentor. He taught us all about the supernatural world and introduced us to other hunters. We even went on hunts with John, and his boys.
SNSNSNSNSN
My cell phone started ringing and yanked me from my memories. My cup of tea was cold, and the sun was going down.
It was Sam Winchester's number; I managed to answer it by the third ring.
"Hi Sammy, long time no speak." I couldn't keep the smile out of my voice.
"Hey Lisa. Where are you?" His voice was thick and deep, laced with emotion. I had always been able to read Sam, even when nobody else could. The fact that he didn't correct me for calling him Sammy should have been my first clue.
"At Jim's. I was just about to head home. Why, what's wrong?" With Sammy, direct was the best approach. With some hunters, it was easier to slowly work info out of them, but the Winchesters had always been straight shooters. Part of why I liked them.
"Are you sitting down?" Now I was really worried. Sam's voice was heavy, and I hadn't heard Dean or John in the background yet.
"Um, Sammy, I'm always sitting down kid. Or did you forget that part?" I smirked, sometimes humor was a good thing, but Sam didn't rise to the bait.
I heard Dean chime in, "Of course she's sitting down bitch." His voice was lighter, but still thick with worry.
"What's going on Sam?" To get Dean rattled it was definitely bad.
"Caleb's dead."
"Lisa? Hey Lisa, you there girl?" I heard Dean's voice yelling through the phone. I don't know how long I was out of it, but it must have been enough to scare the boys.
"Yeah." I whispered. Son-of-a-bitch.
"You scared us there, babe." I heard the relief in his voice.
"Sorry." My brain seemed to be stuck. Caleb. Big brother, protector, parent, best friend, dead. "How did you guys find out?" My brain started turning again. I shut off the emotional part and turned on the hunter part. I had done it often enough recently and it scared me at how easily I could turn off my grief.
"The bitch that slit Jim's throat called us. She had Caleb tied up and was taunting Dad." Dean sighed, "She admitted to killing Jim, and then slit Caleb's throat to let Dad listen as he died. She then said Dad had to take the Colt to Lincoln by midnight tonight or more of our friends would die."
Okay, proof that it was a demon, proof that the same thing killed Jim and my br-Caleb. "It's a trap."
"Yeah, Dad knew, so we got a fake Colt to trade."
"He went alone?" I was shocked; he left his boys behind to deal with a demon himself. One that had killed two hunters already today.
"Yeah, we got a bead on the thing that killed Mom and Jessica, so we're here with the Colt to finish it."
"That's probably a trap too, you know." I closed my eyes; I couldn't lose the Winchesters today too.
"Maybe, but if we don't try, another family is going to lose their mom like we did." There was a conviction in Dean's voice that only came out when he was talking about his dad's crusade.
"Be careful." I couldn't come up with anything better to say. "I'm going to take care of Caleb and get the dangerous things from Jim's stored away. Then I'm going to hunt that bitch down and destroy her." Wow, an emotion seeped into my voice. Anger, and seething pain-fueled hatred.
"Well, we know she's in Lincoln right now, but hopefully Dad's going to take care of her."
"Yeah. Keep me posted?"
"Sure. We'll call you once we take care of the demon." Dean said and I heard him hand over the phone.
"Have your dad call me when you talk to him next. I want to be sure he's really ok too."
"Of course Lisa. I wish we could be there to help with Caleb." I could hear the regret in Sam's voice.
"I know, and I appreciate the thought, Sam, but you've got your own things to worry about." I thought for a second. I didn't like any of this. "Be careful, Sam, things are moving too quickly for my liking. Something big is going down. Watch yourself, and that fool brother of yours."
"You be careful too, girl. If this thing is going after our friends you're probably high on the list."
"I'm always careful Sam. Good luck."
I closed my phone at that. I just sat on Jim's porch, numb. My brother was dead. Killed in our home by the same thing that killed Jim. I was going to kill her. Not just exorcise her but actually destroy her.
I thought for a few seconds, and sent Sam a text message, "Do you know what she looks like right now?"
It took a minute but he sent back a picture of a pretty little blonde woman, the caption read "Meg Masters".
I texted back, "THX" and threw the phone into my pack.
At that point I let myself have a mini-breakdown. Better here and now, than to have it when I'm on the road. It took me a couple of minutes to get myself back under control. I went back into Jim's house and grabbed the duffel with the things I had to take home. I wasn't going abandon my job, but I needed to get home. Someone had to take care of Caleb. And that someone would have to be me.
I got in the car and left as though the flames of hell were licking at my wheels because it was possible that they were.
SNSNSNSNSN
I drove as fast as I thought I could get away with. I made a four-hour trip in just under three.
While I was driving, I had one call to make. Regina, my roommate from college was a practicing witch. I'm talking actual spells, astral plane, turn-you-into-a-newt witch. I had helped her a few times with various people trying to kill her, including a demon and a group of hunters. She told me at graduation that if I ever needed anything, I just had to call. I knew she could do locator spells, and I was pretty sure she could pull off what I needed her to do. Find the demon that killed my brother and my mentor. I left a message telling the bare bones of what I needed, and put the phone in my pocket. She'd get back to me soon.
I pulled into the driveway shortly after midnight. There were no lights on when I got there. I shifted into my chair and made sure I had all the weapons I needed. Entering through the front door, I noticed that the house was spotless. Nothing was moved or out-of-sorts. I turned on lights, but nothing still seemed out of the ordinary yet.
The basement door was open. Caleb would never have left it open unless he was in the basement. That was where we kept the weapons locker. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I smelled sulfur. Just like this morning. My hands started to shake and I felt physically ill. The sulfur was the first clue that the boys were telling me the truth. I didn't want to go downstairs, but I knew I was going to have to.
I headed to the side of the house and the elevator. A few years ago Caleb had gotten an elevator installed in the house. It was an expense that we got the government to pay for. I am still not sure exactly how and I didn't really want to know. It made my life so much easier. It also made hauling books and weapons around much easier as well.
I hit the button for the basement and drew my gun. I was sure the house was empty; the demon was supposed to be meeting with John right now, but I couldn't be sure.
The doors opened and the sight before me would give me nightmares for decades. Caleb was in the middle of the floor by the stairs. He was tied to a chair and his front was covered in blood. The blood on the floor was meandering towards the drain in the corner.
The boys had been right. I rolled forward towards my big brother.
A small bloody knife was on the ground next to him. I picked it up, wrapped it in a cloth, and put it into my backpack with the one that had killed Jim. This one had sulfur residue on it as well. Hopefully Regina could use them to track the demon for me.
I cut Caleb out of the chair, closed his eyes, and made sure everything was out of his pockets. I set his keys on the nearby workbench and slid his lighter into my pocket. I then wrapped him in a sheet. The blood on the floor was nearly dry by now. It could just have been brown paint if I didn't know any better.
I tied his body onto an old snow sled we had in the corner. I remembered the last time I used it. I was 8 and Caleb woke me up early to hand me my snow clothes. We went out back and played outside until I thought my nose was going to fall off. He taught me how to build a fort and how to steer a sled. It was one of the best days I ever had. I'll never forget his arms around me as we flew down the hill at the back of the property. The hill is now used as a stop for the shooting range, but it also made the perfect sledding hill. Open. Steep.
I noticed water dripping on my hands as I worked. I looked at the ceiling, but it was dry. I realized I was crying. I shook the tears off my hands and went back to work.
I tied his body to the sled and managed to pull it over to the elevator. He wasn't a really big guy, and when there's no blood left in your body, there's a surprising difference in weight.
We had a bonfire pit set up in the yard. There was even a sidewalk that led to the pit. That way I could get out to it year round. Caleb always kept a large stack of dried firewood nearby. I wanted to build a pyre, but I knew I could never get his up body on it. I set out a layer of wood, and then rolled him onto it. I went back to the house to get my journal, the can of rock salt, and the lighter fluid we used for bodies. It was a special mix of diesel fuel, kerosene, and alcohol. Nasty stuff, but it would start near anything on fire, and burn hot and fast.
I slipped from my chair and sat in the grass on the edge of the firepit. I started reading an incantation. It was a rite to release the spirit to the angels and guide it to heaven. It was also a cleansing ritual to prevent anything from stealing the soul on its journey. I knew it was overkill to be saying these words, but I needed to make sure my stubborn brother actually WENT to heaven, rather than stay here to try to take care of me.
I pulled the lighter out of my pocket; it was engraved the date of our parent's death. He always used it, and was never without it. I felt it only fitting that it was what I used to burn him. I was about to flick the flame on when I felt a hand on my arm. The presence, exuding the scent of leather and gun oil, was calm and gentle. It could only be Caleb.
"I'm sorry." I said as I flicked the lighter and threw it on the pyre to burn with him. The presence faded as the fire grew. I sat and watched him burn as I let myself break down fully. I had always known I was going to have to burn my brother one of these days, I had just hoped that I wouldn't be alone when I had to do it.
My mind wandered as my brother burned. I didn't think about anything special, I just let the memories of the past flow over me.
It took nearly three hours for the fire to completely burn down to nothing but ash. I left the smoldering pile. The sun wouldn't rise for at least an hour yet, and I had other things to take care of.
I went back to the basement and covered the bloody spot with a tarp. I didn't have time for cleaning right now. I had to find the bitch and make sure she didn't kill any one else.
I grabbed what I thought I would need. Weapons. Protection. Caleb's journal. My journal. I loaded it all up into a duffel bag. I went to my bedroom and did the same thing with clothing and other essentials. I grabbed my stack of credit cards, as well as Caleb's. I didn't know how long I was going to be gone, so I needed to be prepared for the long haul. I loaded up my car and grabbed the duffel that I brought back from Minnesota.
Taking the duffel of stuff from Jim and Dan's homes, I secured it in the vault. It was hallowed ground and the best place to keep dangerous items. I kept their journals out though. You never knew when they would come in handy.
I sat down in the kitchen and made another round of calls. I managed to get hold of Joshua and let him know what was going on. He agreed to take precautions and notify others that there might be a demonic serial killer on the loose with a taste for hunters.
I started to clean out the fridge. I wasn't sure how long it would be before I was back, and I didn't want to have to clean up a civilization of mold in there when I returned. I poured myself a glass of milk and was starting to dump the leftovers into the garbage disposal when I felt it.
It was subtle at first. The hair on the back of my neck started to prickle. The hair on my arms stood up next. There was a charge in the air, and I made sure to stop moving and wait for her entrance.
Suddenly I heard what sounded almost like a gunshot, but I knew was a portal opening up in astral space to allow Regina to come through. There wasn't any wind like there is in a lot of movies, just a wacky electrical thing that's similar to the effect of demons and spirits.
A woman stepped through. She was wearing pajamas and slippers, and she had a backpack with her. Her long blonde hair flowed around her face and her glowing blue eyes.
"Hi Gina." I said moving out of the way to let her clear the portal.
"Hi Lisa. I came as fast as I could." She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes.
"Thanks, babe. I took care of his body, but the rest of the area is clear, and I have the weapons used in both deaths. They have sulfur residue on them." I took the bundles out of my pack and handed them to her. "I was hoping you could ID the demon and get me a location so I can track the bitch."
She took the baggy from me and sat at the table. "Are you sure the same thing killed them both?" She took a cloth out of her pack and laid it out on the table.
"Yup. John Winchester was on the phone with her when Caleb was murdered. She admitted to killing Jim before killing Caleb."
She was arranging candles on the table, so I decided to fill in the rest of the story, "Jim was attacked on hallowed ground. I know he has all the proper precautions in place at the church. And Caleb kept this place damn near demon-proof all of the time. There is no way a demon could have gotten in here unless it was extremely powerful."
"Wow. What have you gotten into darlin'?" She shook her head as she pulled out some crystals and incense. "Ok, what I'm going to do is a spell that will not only identify the demon but locate it too. No matter who it's inhabiting or where they are, this will find them. It's a permanent spell, but if the demon leaves this dimension it will stop working. However, as soon as it comes back to this realm, the spell will turn back on."
"I'll leave you to it then, Gina." I knew she didn't like to be watched while she was spellcasting. Some witches didn't care, but even though we were best friends, she was still a little leery of using powerful magics in front of a hunter.
"Thanks. Why don't you get some sleep? You look beat."
"Not sure I can, but I'll try."
SNSNSNSNSN
I must have fallen asleep because I woke to the sound of my phone. It was still dark outside. I looked at the ID and it said Winchester, S.
I opened it up and answered. "Sam?"
"Alisabeth?" I heard a tentative voice in my ear.
"Thank God." I sighed, "You guys ok?"
"The demon got away."
"I'm so sorry, Sam." I knew Sam thought that he was going to fix everything last night. But the emotion in his voice was heavier than just a simple defeat; it was utter devastation. "What else happened?"
"It's Meg, she has Dad."
"Son-of-a-bitch" I whispered under my breath. I had hoped the boys could take care of their demon, and John could take care of mine.
I felt energy flowing through the house. Regina was close to finishing her spell.
"Can I call you back in a few minutes? I have a friend working on locating her."
"Sure. We're packing up and getting out of Salvation right now."
"Ok, it'll just be a few minutes."
I hung up and waited for the energy to dissipate. I then moved into the kitchen to check on Gina.
"Everything ok in here?" I asked; she looked tired, but I knew it was a powerful spell she had just done for me.
"Yeah, get me a map would you?" She was holding a crystal on a string. I grabbed my atlas from the counter and opened it up to the map of the Midwest. "Thanks. Now this works like a GPS. The crystal will glow whenever the demon is in our dimension. It will also pinpoint the exact location of the demon."
She dangled the crystal over the map and it stopped just east of Lincoln. It was moving slowly across the map towards where I knew the boys were.
"Thanks Gina." I kissed her on the cheek. "Feel free to stay here as long as you want, just lock up when you're done."
"Thanks, girl. I don't think I could get back today even if I wanted to. Two big spells in one night will tax a girl." She smiled and started packing away her things. "Be careful. It took some serious mojo to get that to work. Whatever you're mixed up in is some powerful shit."
"I know. But I have to do this. Caleb and Jim would have done the same for me. And I know the Winchesters are working this from their end."
"Go. Call Sam back. Keep those boys safe. They are going to be extremely important to the future balance of power. I'm not sure what's on the horizon, but it's not good. They have a part to play. A major part. We need to figure out how to work together to fix this." I smiled, Gina was a bit of a hippie and had dreams of one day openly helping hunters and not getting attacked for it.
I have the same dream. When we can work with witches and psychics to battle the true evil, instead of treating them like the things we're supposed to be hunting, then we may be able to defeat the real enemy.
"Thanks, babe." I moved out of the kitchen and back to the living room to call Sam back.
"Lisa?" Dean answered, and he sounded exasperated and desperate. He and Sam must have been fighting. I heard the growl of the Impala in the background.
"Yeah, where's Sam?" I was a little worried, I had just talked to the youngest Winchester, he knew I was going to call back.
"Driving."
"Got it. Did he fill you in on what I've got going on here?"
"Yeah."
"Good. I got the locator spell and she's just east of Lincoln moving towards Iowa. She's probably got a way to track you, so you need to be careful."
"Thanks Lis." He was terse. Now Dean's not a big talker, but he's usually a little more forthcoming than this.
"What's the plan, Dean?" If I pushed, I could maybe get him to open up and eventually take my offer of help.
"I don't know." His voice was weak and soft. To have him admit that was heart wrenching to me.
"I have an idea; I'll give Bobby a call and give him the heads up. I want you boys to head there. He's the best person to be with when a demon is trailing you. He's got exorcising spells and defenses set up. I'll meet you there as soon as I can."
"No. I don't want you involved in this." He growled at me. Now I knew he had a protective streak, but I had never really fallen under it before. It would have been touching if it hadn't stomped on my last nerve.
"As soon as Caleb's throat was slit open, I got involved Dean. Deal with it." I heard him sigh. Good. He remembered how stubborn I could be. "Don't sweat it, I can't do field work anyway. I'm just coming as research girl. This thing was on hallowed ground. I need to figure out how. You're going to do the footwork on this one."
I heard him chuckle, "Yeah, demons don't exactly stick to wheelchair accessible areas."
"I would hate to be foiled by a curb." It was childish, but at least he was playing with me. Not all was lost.
"One nail in the road and you're toast. Can't stop a pursuit to change a tire."
I had to laugh at that. "True. Head to Bobby's; he'll be able to help. You remember how to get there?"
"Yeah." That flat voice was back.
"I'll try and get there before she does, but she has a little bit of a head start on me. I'll keep you posted on her progress, but I have a feeling as soon as you change directions she'll change too." I laid the atlas out on the seat and let the necklace do its thing.
"Got it. And Lisa?"
"Yeah?"
"Be careful." I could hear the smirk in his voice.
"You too. Tell Sammy we're going to get him back."
"Will do."
I shut the phone and turned the car towards Bobby's place. Then I called the old man. Hopefully he already knew what was going on, and still had that Key of Solomon on his ceiling.