Title: Blood that Binds Us
Fandom: Supernatural
Rating: Teen, some swearing
Category: Gen, case fic, h/c (heavy on the hurt, not so much comfort)
Characters: Dean, Sam, Katie (OFC, age 22), Shelly (OFC, age 16)
Summary: Set mid season 2. While researching the case of a missing circus acrobat, Dean also goes missing.
Thank you to: Rinkle and Looleebelle for their discussions and beta help, maichan808 for making sure the boys don't speak in non-American ways, the fic_finishing community LJ for all their cheerleading and my LJ friends for their random American knowledge (especially Icarusancalion and Erinrua). I hope I didn't miss anyone.
Chapter 1
"See, it's not so bad, Sammy." Dean smirked and bumped shoulders with his brother.
Sam grimaced as he surveyed the scene – mechanical music, rattling rides, over-bright colours fading with age, bored-looking parents and the excited yelling of teenagers and children. It was as if Dean deliberately delighted in finding cases that involved possible lairs for clowns. This was the third fair ground this year, and this, even after they had established that Sam wasn't completely crazy, because yes, clowns really could kill. Pretty soon, Sam was going to start searching for strange disappearances taking place in airports. In all honesty, though, Sam really had no more desire to relive that high altitude exorcism than Dean would.
Now, Sam turned the evil-eye on Dean and gave a non-committal grunt. Dean huffed a laugh, grinned like it was Christmas and shoved an EMF reader into Sam's hands.
"Here, you head left, I'll take the right and we'll meet back in time for the show."
Sam gave a tight nod and headed off to the right side of the fairground without another word, shoulders hunched in displeasure. The sooner this case was done with the better. It was only after he started walking, that Sam thought to look back and realise that Dean was bee-lining it toward the signs for "Dunk-A-Girl" and "Dodgem Bumper Cars," leaving Sam to check out the small children's rides. With a roll of his eyes, Sam switched on the EMF meter and walked stoically toward the pony rides, keeping well-clear of the balloon-wielding clown that was entertaining the kids waiting in line.
O
An hour later, Sam took a deep calming breath before entering the small circus tent. The stifling heat of a tent too long in the sun and the excited chattering of families waiting for the show greeted him as he made his way to a seat in back. Sam's phone shrilled and he slipped it from his pocket, checking the number before answering.
"Dean, where are you? The show's about to start." As if on cue, the lights in the tent dimmed and a spotlight began circling to the sound of a recorded drum-roll.
"I was just talking to Lenny over at the Dunk-A-Girl. He was on the night Shelly Li went missing. Apparently she'd just come off the dunking shift and was on her way back to her trailer to change. Candy, who was the next girl on the dunking shift, says she thought she heard something that sounded like a scuffle behind the tanks, but she was running late and ignored it. I'm gonna take a look around here and I'll catch you after the show, Sammy."
"Dean! Dean? Come to the show, I'll meet you afterward and we'll look together. Dean?" Sam snapped the phone shut with a disgusted noise as he realised the line had already gone dead. An usher dressed in full clown regalia and face paint (Sam shuddered) gave Sam a look and mimed turning off the phone to the amusement of the other audience members. Sam quickly switched the phone to vibrate and tucked it away, breathing a sigh of relief as the clown moved on.
O
Dean ducked behind the Dunk-A-Girl tank, passing a "staff only" sign to wander casually between rows of beaten-up trailers. He peered into a few of the windows as he passed, but found nothing but beds, clothes and costumes – the general mix of tidy and chaos created by life on the road.
Past the trailers, he hit a wire fence and beyond that he could see a storm water drain system. Dean shrugged and tilted his head in a thoughtful frown, before swiftly climbing the fence and landing on the other side. He set off walking at a steady pace along the edge of the drain.
O
Sam stared at his feet, shifting nervously in his seat as the clowns on stage rolled and bounced around to generous applause. He glanced at his watch, wishing the acrobats would come back. He'd been enjoying them at least, letting out little ohs of amazement that Dean would have laughed at if he'd been there. He'd probably have commented on the revealing costumes though, too. Sam had made note of those, so he could rub it in later.
Finally, the act he'd been waiting for came on stage. A young female mime artist, probably of similar age to Sam, stepped onto the stage to much applause. She was wearing a skin-tight silver leotard, her face heavily painted (just enough to make Sam uncomfortable) and a top hat with a large yellow daisy to finish off the outfit. Sam pulled out the program that they'd been handed on entering the fairground and unrumpled it against his thigh. Scanning the names and acts again, he found the one he was looking for: Katie Li – Mime. She was good too. Sam watched as she pulled invisible ropes, climbed invisible walls, rolled invisible balls and ate invisible food, all without making a sound.
As the act drew to a close, Sam made his way down the stairs and outside to the stage exit and its burly guard. The heat was slightly less oppressive outside the tent and Sam pulled at his sticky shirt, trying to circulate some air past his skin. A few minutes passed before Katie finally appeared at the doorway. She'd thankfully wiped off most of her make-up and pulled a brightly-coloured dress over her costume, but it was unmistakably the same girl, with her long black hair and delicate Asian features.
Sam stepped up to her, asking: "Katie Li? My name's Sam. I was hoping to ask you some questions concerning Shelly's disappearance. Have you got a moment?"
The burly man stepped in front of Katie, arms crossed. "What's it to ya?" he asked, as he noisily cracked his knuckles, the sound making Sam wince. Katie peered around the big guy to look at Sam, her expression one of interest.
"I've been researching the recent local disappearances, the most recent being that of Shelly Li. Shelly Li, Katie Li, I presumed a familial connection, but if I'm wrong…?"
"I'm her sister." Katie pushed the big guy to one side. "It's okay, Alfred. I'll talk to him."
The big guy, Alfred – and wasn't that a laugh – stepped away, but not before one last manly display of knuckle cracking and a death glare aimed squarely at Sam.
"Sorry about that. We sort of look after our own around here. You were saying something about more disappearances?" As Katie spoke, they moved off, walking purposefully toward some destination known only to Katie. Sam followed her lead as he began to fill her in on their research – the pattern of disappearances that occurred like clockwork every two years. Three or four people would vanish from the local area, usually within a three week period and then nothing again for another two years.
They stopped beside an unmarked trailer and Sam raised an eyebrow in question. Katie pulled open the door, before ushering Sam in ahead of her, mumbling, "home sweet home," before closing the door behind them.
"So, how can I help you find my sister?" Sam could hear the unspoken: help me find my sister. Need to find my sister.
The watery depths of her dark eyes suddenly seemed so full of sad desperation. Sam glanced around the small trailer, anything to get away from the scrutiny of her intense gaze. The room though sparse, the barest of furniture and the basics of living, plus a few prized possessions – a guitar, a few books and a jewellery box – was crammed from floor to ceiling with all of the Li sisters' worldly possessions. There were a few photographs tacked to a bar fridge in one corner, most of them featuring other costume-clad individuals. There was one, though, of Katie and an older woman with striking blue eyes and blonde hair, and a third girl who could have almost been a copy of Katie but for her blue eyes and slighter build. Even the difference in build was mostly likely due to age difference.
"Is that Shelly?" Sam asked as he pointed toward the photograph.
"Yeah, Shelly, me and Mom. Mom's gone now; there's just the two of us. We're all we've got." Katie fell silent again, apparently having offered all the information she was going to for the moment.
"Well, we could really use any information you can give us about your sister's disappearance. Who saw her last, what time and place she disappeared, whether anyone heard anything? Anything at all, no matter how small or silly it may sound, that could give us a clue."
"Okay. I'll tell you, if you answer me one question." Sam raised his eyebrows in an expression that clearly read go on, and she did. "You've said 'we' on more than one occasion. Is that who hasn't checked in?"
Sam slowly let out a breath he hadn't been aware of holding, his mind having run through a few different possible cover stories for why they were researching small town disappearances. He then glanced down at his phone and flushed guiltily. She was right, Dean was yet to check in and it was making him nervous. He must have checked his phone three times since entering the caravan.
"My brother. He was researching a lead. We were meant to meet up after your performance," he answered truthfully.
Katie nodded gently. "I thought it was something like that. Thank you." Sam was pretty sure she was thanking him for telling the truth. In fact he was beginning to get the uncomfortable impression Katie was one of those people that could cut through the bullshit and find the truth in any given situation.
"You're welcome," Sam mumbled, one hand reaching up to subconsciously rub at the back of his neck, unsure what else to say. Katie gave him a small smile; apparently deciding to answer his questions after all.
"Shelly was working a shift at the "Dunk-A-Girl" stand. None of us like it very much, but we take turns so no one has to be dunked on too regular a basis. Lenny was working the stand as always and he didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Candy replaced Shelly around six o'clock and she was apparently seen heading in the direction of our trailer. I was working the ticket stands, so I wasn't anywhere near the area. And really, that's about all anyone knows. Once we realised she was missing, we spread out around the grounds and searched, but we didn't find any trace. Then Alfred found her towel and there was blood on it, so we called the police."
Sam watched Katie as she talked, a slight quiver in her voice the only give-away as to the depth of her feelings. She stared down at her hands where they were folded in her lap, looking up as she finished her story.
"Where was the towel found?"
"It was hanging on the fence behind the rows of trailers. There's storm water drains beyond the fence, but we walked the length of them as far as you can go and didn't find anything."
Sam nodded thoughtfully. "Could you show me?"
"Of course. Ah, could you just…?" Katie smiled and made a twirling motion with her finger and Sam flushed slightly, turning around to face the wall as Katie quickly changed into street clothes.
Jeans, a plain white t-shirt and running shoes, he noted, when she gave him the all-clear; comfortable and practical. Sam liked her already.
They walked back out into the sunlight just as it was beginning to fade into evening. There was still no word from Dean, and Sam was decidedly not happy about that, a gnawing sensation was beginning to build in his belly and he fought to stay calm. Sam reasoned that if Dean was in some sort of trouble, and in all likelihood he wasn't (there being plenty of beautiful women around a place like this to distract his brother for more than a couple of hours), then finding as much information as possible was the best thing he could do. It just wasn't like Dean to forget to check in when they were working a case though.
As Katie led the way to the site where the towel had been found, Sam thumbed his phone on and dialled Dean again. The phone rang out until it hit voice mail: This is Dean, leave a message.
"Dean. Where are you? Look I'm with Katie Li, we're checking out a possible lead. Apparently Shelly's towel was found near the trailers hanging on a fence there. I swear to god, Dean if you're goofing off… Just call me back, alright?" Sam flicked the phone off and shoved it in his pocket, turning back to find Katie giving him a worried frown.
She didn't say anything though; she just started walking again as a solid-looking wire fence came into view.
"Alfred found the towel over there." She pointed to one section of the fence. It didn't look all that different from the rest of it.
Sam frowned, walking over to thread his fingers through the wire mesh. "Storm water drain systems end in dark tunnels. Dark places hide all manner of sins," he said, or creatures, he thought to himself. "I'll get a few supplies and check it out. Let you know if I find anything."
Sam spun around, already re-dialing Dean as he headed back to the car for supplies. He had a handgun tucked in his pants, a knife in his boot, the usual, but if he was going to be deliberately meandering through dark tunnels after nightfall, Hell if he didn't want at least a shotgun. Holy water wouldn't go astray either. And where the hell was Dean? Sam snapped the phone off with a grumble and a frown as he heard his brother's voice mail kick in again.
He was so busy already planning out supplies for hunting and various methods of killing Dean once he found him that Sam jumped slightly when a hand cupped his elbow. He spun around and found himself face-to-face with an irate looking Katie Li.
"What the…?" Sam started.
Katie raised an eyebrow, her so far impeccable politeness apparently broken. "If you think that my sister could be in those tunnels, why would you think that for one moment I would let you go in there alone?" Katie looked up at Sam's face, her finger coming up to poke at his chest as an emphasis on every second word.
Sam was too startled by the sudden attack to do much but let out a confused "oww" and rub at his chest, as Katie continued.
"I am going to go with you and that is final." She crossed her arms without breaking eye contact, chin held high, obviously waiting for Sam to argue the point.
"Uh, um," he mumbled.
"Good, that's settled then. Now what supplies were you going to get?"
O
Dean moaned as his fuzzy brain attempted to crawl its way back into the world. As soon as he got there however, he wished he could just slide back into blissful oblivion as he slowly catalogued his list of woes. Pain lanced through his skull sending white flashes dancing behind his eyelids. Add to that, he could barely feel his hands and arms, and what he could feel was a dull burning sensation in his wrists. He was lying on a surface that was cold, hard, slimy and most definitely not a motel bed.
Goddamnit! With that nasty realization, Dean's eyes fluttered open to take in absolutely nothing. He blinked and tried again. Still nothing, but as Dean blinked a few more times his eyes began to adjust to the blackness enough for him to believe it really was darkness, rather than blindness. The noise that had woken him began again, his phone loud in the blackness and vibrating against his hipbone.
Dean grunted, trying to push his stiff body into action again. Pushing himself into a sitting position wasn't easy, as he soon found his hands were tied behind his back at the wrists. Lying on them was what had made his arms feel numb and – once he'd managed to roll and push himself into a sitting position, legs out in front of him like a small child – pain assailed him afresh in the form of pins and needles. By then the phone had quit its ringing and it beeped twice to alert him to a new message.
"Damnit," he grumbled. It was going to be a trick to get the ropes off his wrists and he needed to do that before he could reach his phone. He only wished he had something constructive to tell Sam. All he knew was that he was in a cold, dark place. If he could only remember how he got there.
"Is someone there? Can you hear me?" The voice was definitely female, sounding small and frightened in the dark.
"Yeah, my name's Dean. Any idea where we are?"
"Not really. Somewhere in the sewers." The voice was slightly stronger now, more sure of herself with someone else in the room, and definitely close by. Her words jogged his memory too; Dean had walked into the storm water drains, just for a look-see.
"Idiot!" he berated himself. He hadn't let Sam know where exactly he'd gone and who knew how long he'd been unconscious or how far he'd been moved. The last thing he remembered was tripping over something; there'd been a noise like a scream, three red lights and then pain lancing through his skull. Brilliant, Dean. Just brilliant.
There was a shuffling, scraping noise, moving closer. "I'm Shelly. Keep talking. I think we're in the same room, or whatever this is. Maybe we can get each other's ropes off?"
"Okay." Dean smiled slightly as the shuffling noises grew closer, as he could only assume the girl began to scoot across the concrete floor. "You know, me and my brother were looking for you, Shelly."
Dean was rewarded with nervous laughter. "Guess you found me. I hope that means you have a plan to get out of here."
"I always have a plan," Dean shot back. "I'm just not sure what it is yet."
The shuffling stopped and a foot bumped his leg at about thigh level. "Uh huh. Found you, it seems."
Dean snorted a laugh. "Yeah. So, tell me, Shelly; how does a nice girl end up in a place like this?"
"Would you think me insane if I said someone big, dressed in black with three red eyes?"
"Considering something similar smacked my lights out, no, not really." Dean sighed, pulling against the ropes that still bound his wrists in vain. "Not to sound forward or anything, but do you think you could reach the pocket knife in my back pocket?"
Just then, the phone started ringing again, vibrating against his thigh as Britney Spears' 'Toxic' filled the empty darkness. Sam and his damn pranks.
"You gonna answer that?"
"How do you think I'm going to…?" Dean yelped as a foot landed squarely on the phone, narrowly avoiding other parts of his anatomy in the dark. The phone stopped ringing.
TBC...