The rain was beating steadily against the window, a thankful reprieve from the recent heat wave that had taken over the small town just outside of Baltimore. Thunder rolled in the distance and lightning lit up the night sky, illuminating the interior of the small one bedroom apartment. All seemed quiet on the inside save for the occasional light snore emerging from the left side of the king sized bed.
Her eyes shot open at the sensation of falling within her dream and for a moment she was disoriented by her surroundings. Blinking, she glanced over at the sleeping mound of her boyfriend just as another flash of lightning broke the darkness. His back was to her and he seemed unaware of her jolt back to reality. She blew out a breath but quickly clammed up again when a creak in the floorboard was heard from the living room.
At first it seemed like the normal sounds of a building settling, but as she craned her neck to listen closely another groan of protest from the wood rang out. Someone was in the apartment. The thought sent chills down her spine as she closed her eyes in an attempt to gather her wits. She knew that it would eventually come to this, living in a neighborhood so close to the city limits. Luckily, she had always been prepared for such an occasion and silently reached for her bedside table.
The small hallway outside the bedroom door was vacant as she slipped out quietly, her Glock 19 grasped tightly in her right hand, at her side. She slid down the hallway, her back against the wall careful not to make any noise as her bare feet padded lightly on the hardwood. Her senses were on high alert as she peeked around the corner into the living room. Nothing seemed out of place in the darkness as her eyes adjusted, but the feeling in the pit of her stomach told her that she was not alone. With a staggered breath she stepped into the room, her gun now drawn in front of her. Just then a bolt of lightning crackled outside and for a split second the entire room seemed to glow. She took the opportunity to scan the room and froze when she saw a shadow disappear into the kitchen.
With cat like prowess she made a beeline to the open doorway ready to pounce on the intruder. Her jaw worked hard as she rounded the corner and pointed the gun into the small space expecting just about anything except what she found. Nothing. With a scoff she lowered her gun just as a rumble of thunder shook the building. Just on the fringe of the bellowing sound she heard a sickening scream erupt from the bedroom.
No. Jeremy. Adrenaline pumped through her veins as she broke into a sprint, nearly colliding with the coffee table in her frenzied attempt to reach the bedroom. She burst through the door and almost collapsed at the horrifying sight. Blood. So much blood. Everywhere. She could feel her chest tighten and breath quicken at the sound of Jeremy's gurgling last breath. Time seemed to stand still as her eyes focused on the being standing beside the broken body of her boyfriend.
"You really thought you could just retire, Kristin?" The smile on his lips blurred as her vision became clouded with angry tears. A vengeful scream erupted from her mouth and echoed all around as darkness enveloped her.
She shot up in bed gasping for air and clawing at the invisible presence she was sure was before her. Her eyes darted around the room and it was then that she realized she was alone. Her skin felt clammy and the sheets clung to her from the combination of fear induced sweat and the temperature in the stuffy motel room. A small cry escaped her lips as she held her heaving chest and collapsed onto the pillow. Four months and the same horrible memory still plagued her dreams. Again she had to watch her failure. Her failure to protect her loved one, her failure to kill the son of a bitch that had taken his life, and her complete failure at successfully tricking herself into thinking that a hunter's life could just be swept under the rug. That one day, her past wouldn't come back to bite her in the ass and crush all hopes of a normal life.
With a sigh, Kristin flung back the covers and shuffled into the bathroom. She braced herself against the sink and stared at the haunted look in her hazel eyes. Her dark brown hair was pasted to her forehead and her normally porcelain cheeks were flush. Fresh tears threatened to spill over but she bit them back with a curse. She turned on the faucet and took a handful of cool water to splash onto her face. Sleep was going to be impossible for the remainder of the evening.
After drying off she padded over to the small table and fired up her laptop, determined to find something to keep her busy. Her Google search found several mundane news articles in the towns surrounding her current location, so she broadened the search. Her eyes flickered with interest when she settled on a continuing story out of Carlisle, Pennsylvania about several children going missing within the last few months. Most were stolen from their beds while others were thought to have been lured away by the same individual. Several eyewitnesses claimed to have seen a middle aged woman talking with the young children, but it never threw up any red flags at the time as the children seemed almost enchanted as if they knew her. It could be nothing, but Kristin didn't have any other leads to go on at the moment.
The next few hours were spent searching the best routes and listening to music on her iPod. Before she knew it the sun was trickling in through the curtains and hunger started to nag at her empty stomach. After a quick shower she threw on a pair of jeans, a dark blue tank top and her old, black leather jacket with the hidden pocket for her trusty old Glock. She ran across the street to the 24 hour diner and feasted on a ham, egg and cheese bagel with hash browns and the largest cup of coffee they had. It would be about a 6 hour drive and although she was used to being alone, she knew that a boost was always needed.
She climbed into her beloved gray '69 Mustang and deposited her gun into the glove box before hooking her iPod up to the auxiliary cable Jeremy had installed for her a year ago. He had been very handy with cars which is what lured them together in the first place. Kristin shook her head before another long lost memory could creep in and selected an artist from her heavy metal playlist. She smiled as "Bat Country" by Avenged Sevenfold came blaring from the speakers and fired up the engine.
"Dean, seriously, give it a rest," Sam groaned as Metallica's "Fuel" started again for the fourth time that day. They had been driving for five hours with only a quick gasoline and bathroom break along the way. As usual Dean had control of the music selection which most of the time was the same loop of classic rock.
"What? This gets me amped up." Dean threw a sideways smirk at his brother, knowing exactly what the repetition was doing to him. He started singing along and drumming on the steering wheel to exaggerate. Sam rolled his eyes and hastily ejected the cassette tape. "Hey! Don't touch my stuff, Sammy!"
"I'll stop touching your stuff when you stop calling me Sammy," he stated matter-of-factly.
"Ok, how does bitch suit you?" Dean turned to look at him, emphasizing the word 'bitch' with his eyebrows raised. Sam scoffed and shook his head before glancing out the window.
"Look, there's a motel up on the right. Stop there."
"So bossy, Samantha." Dean grinned. He had made it a game to torture his little brother for the entire trip. After being on the road without a case in a while, entertainment was few and far between so he had to find ways to pass the time.
He pulled the Impala into the vacant lot and shut off the engine just in time for Sam to hop out. Sam slammed the door and headed into the office before Dean could get another word in. He was glad to put some distance between them, even if it was only a few minutes. While Sam waited for the manager to grab a room key, Dean leaned against the car and surveyed his surroundings. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but not much would to any normal bystander. To Dean, it was the same small town with pretty little houses hiding a supernatural secret. At least, he hoped so for the sake of getting back to work.
Children went missing all the time, but the quantity and frequency of these kidnappings seemed a little odd. Also the fact that a woman, as opposed to a run of the mill creeper, was seen several times before the children went missing tugged at both of them. It couldn't hurt to check it out.
"Ready?" Sam nodded towards the trunk and Dean opened it so they could grab their belongings. As they headed to their room Dean heard a low rumble from an engine and a faint electric guitar studded tune coming closer. He glanced back towards the road just in time to see a gray Mustang speed by, windows down and music blaring. He couldn't see the driver, but let out a low whistle as the classic disappeared from view.
"Nice," he muttered before heading in and tossing his duffle onto the floor. "Nice," he muttered again in a sarcastic tone as he looked around at their new accommodations.
Kristin groaned as she stretched her arms above her head, grateful to be out of the car. She looked around as several locals passed by on the sidewalk, carrying bags and chatting with each other. Every now and then she would see a child held tightly by the hand of their guardian, an ever present alert look on their face. She wondered how many children were being held hostage in their own homes, their parents fearing the worst if they stepped outside for even one minute.
The town had a beautiful, historic, homey feel that made it even harder to grasp that there was real danger lurking about. Kristin walked, seemingly without purpose, down the sidewalk glancing in the windows of local stores. Every now and then someone would catch her eye and she smiled. Truth be told, she did have a purpose. She was getting a lay of the land before diving head first into the investigation. Even the smallest detail could help figure out what was really happening in this pristine little country town.
After a short walk she came upon a playground backed by a small patch of woods. She remembered from some of the articles that this was one of the sites where several children were last seen. As she neared, it was eerie just how empty it looked. No longer did the sound of laughing children fill the air and the swings swayed a little in the cool breeze. Kristin circled the area, observing the woods from different angles and wondering how deep they really went. It seemed like a logical place to lure unsuspecting children, but the local police hadn't found any evidence of importance. Some footprints, bent branches, but no clothing or blood that would lead to foul play.
Kristin walked up and down the line that separated the playground from the woods, glancing from her feet to the tips of the trees as she went. With a sigh she stopped, hands on her hips and kicked the ground absent mindedly. Her nose crinkled when she heard a soft crunch beneath her foot. Looking down she noticed a short length of snake skin that looked recently shed. She bent down to give it a closer inspection but froze as the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. It was that all too familiar feeling of being watched.
Kristin rose slowly, staring into the woods, knowing that the eyes upon her were originating from within. Her hand instinctively went to her inside jacket pocket but didn't draw her weapon. She waited, breath bated for someone or something to show itself. Taking a step forward, she was shaken from her intent when a group of teenagers came by, carrying on loudly about a concert they were going to later that evening. The sensation was gone just as quickly as it had come and Kristin backed away, dropping her hand back to her side.
Suddenly her stomach growled with contempt at not being fed since breakfast and she gave in to the request, heading back towards a little mom and pop restaurant she noticed when she first parked. She would refuel first then make an attempt to dig into the mystery surrounding this case.
The waitress smiled as she placed two glasses of water in front of the brothers, lingering a little longer than usual when they asked for a few minutes. She chanced another sideways glance at Sam as she turned to attend to another table across the room.
"I think she likes you, Sammy." Dean grinned at the embarrassment on Sam's face as he quickly looked over at the pretty blonde.
"Shut up," he mumbled before turning his attention back to the menu.
"Seriously dude, you need to get some. Make you more bearable to be around."
"Make me more bearable?" Sam looked up with a scowl and a raised eyebrow. "You're the one who's been a huge pain in my ass the past few weeks."
"Perks of being an older brother, Sammy." Dean chuckled and sipped at his water. "No really though. I want to see you have some fun." Seriousness was in his voice now as the last few years flashed through his mind. Every time Sam got close to a woman it always seemed to end horribly and his brother deserved at least a few fleeting moments of happiness.
"Our definitions of fun seem to differ, Dean." Sam cleared his throat, not looking away from the menu.
Dean sighed and decided to let it drop for once. He would work on him later, after he had some food in his grumbling stomach. He didn't need to look at the menu because he knew exactly what he wanted; a bacon cheeseburger with fries and a slice of apple pie. Instead, out of habit he let his eyes roam around the restaurant, taking note of every person. An older couple here, a group of teenagers there, and a man in a business suit taking a lunch break at the counter no doubt. Nothing out of the ordinary.
Then, his eyes settled on a woman sitting towards the back near the bathrooms. She was facing towards the front door, seemingly taking inventory of the place just as he had been doing. He watched as she idly tucked a lock of dark brown hair behind her ear and noticed a brief flash of a tattoo on her left wrist, mostly hidden by the sleeve of her leather jacket. As she sipped her coffee their eyes locked for a fraction of a second and Dean gave a ghost of a smile in her direction. She blinked as if surprised but before another exchange could be made, the waitress returned.
"You guys ready to order?" Dean turned back towards the blonde and rattled off his order before glancing back towards the brunette that caught his attention. She was already on her feet, tossing a few dollars on the table for a tip. He watched as she crossed the restaurant towards the door and looked at him again. It was a brief look and then she was outside crossing the street before he could even blink. A rush of heat ran through his veins as she climbed into the Mustang he had seen earlier, appreciation flooding his features.
"Dean, are you listening?" Sam's voice broke the trance and Dean whipped his head back around.
"Hmm?" Sam sighed and watched as the woman in the Mustang drove away. He knew exactly what his brother was thinking, as usual. He had to admit, sometimes he was envious of Dean's ease with women. Still, he wondered just how much satisfaction he would get feeling the warmth of a woman next to him at night, just to feel the emptiness the next day. It didn't seem worth it to him.
"I asked if you wanted to hit the precinct first?"
"Yeah, yeah. We'll do that first then go talk to some of the witnesses." Dean turned back towards the window but the street was empty.