Long Road to Ruin

Chapter 2

"Um, Dean…" Sam didn't take his eyes from the approaching demon as he lowered his head to follow the officer's progress toward the car.

"I'm working on it, Sammy."

True to his word, Dean leaned back against his brother and pulled his legs up against his body. Using Sam as a brace, he thrust out with his feet, smashing them against the window, which only moved slightly outward.

"Uh, Dean, bullet proof glass."

Dean spared his brother an annoyed glance as he pulled his legs up for another go. "Then it's a good thing I'm not trying to shoot the damn thing, huh?" This time the glass gave a bit more, the top of the rolled up window obviously pushed outside its normal position. Without hesitating, Dean recoiled a third time, forcing the glass from its track and send it crashing to the asphalt below.

He reached out his free arm and grabbed the outside handle, quickly pressing and opening the rear door. Sliding from the seat, he pulled Sam behind him waiting only a second for his brother's feet to hit the pavement before they were off and running into the dark field that bordered the road.

The first shot rang out causing both hunters to duck instinctively. Either the deputy the demon was possessing wasn't a very good shot, or the darkness and speed of the prey had caused the shot to go far right. Of course, the demon could be simply toying with them and not really trying to hit them, although it was pretty clear the demons they had encountered so far wanted them dead – at least Lilith's followers. And pretty much every other escapee from Hell they'd ever met – with the one exception of Ruby. But Dean still wasn't sure of her agenda, so he wasn't exactly willing to invite her on the bandwagon just yet.

The darkness was helping to obscure their flight across the muddy field, but it was also making their footing treacherous as they ran, each step crushing the early growth in the field. As they topped a small rise, another shot rang out and Dean heard his brother cry out only a split second before he felt him go down. The wrenching pull on his right arm effectively stopped his momentum and he was pulled down onto his back, as his feet flew out from under him.

Effectively hidden by the darkness and the small roll of the field, Dean took a moment to get his breath back, aware of the increasing pain in his right shoulder. A quiet groan focused his attention on his brother and the cause of the sudden halt to their flight took precedence in his mind.

"Sam?" He pushed himself up, biting back his own groan as his pulled shoulder protested the movement. "Sammy? You okay?" he whispered, his ears alert for any sign of their pursuit.

"I think that last shot came a little too close."

"You hit?" He fumbled to his right, trying not to move his right arm as his left hand attached itself to his brother's leg.

"Just grazed me." Sam's voice was thin, but Dean could tell he was being truthful. "You?"

"I think you pulled my arm out of its socket." Dean groused. "We better keep going. No telling if that son of a bitch followed us out here. Can you move?"

"I'm good."

Both hunters forced themselves to their feet and stood for a moment, listening to the quiet night. "Think we lost him?"

Even though he couldn't hear any footfalls from the soft muddy ground surrounding them, Dean was sure the demon hadn't given up. "He's out there. He's playing with us." Demons didn't quit. That was one thing Dean was sure of.

They headed off across the field, their pace slowed as they cautiously made their way through the mud and seedlings. Dean was pretty sure it was corn, but when plants were this small, they pretty much all looked alike. Besides, it was pretty dark out away from the bright neon of the truck stop, only the three quarter moon lighting their way.

Which would explain why they missed the drop off at the edge of the field.

The soft ground gave way and Sam went down first, the handcuffs connecting them quickly pulling his brother down after him. The incline wasn't steep, and both hunters rolled over each other twice before coming to rest in a shallow stream one on top of the other.

Sam shook his head, a bit dazed from the sudden shift in position. He was partially submerged in a fast flowing stream of very cold water lying half on top of something…

"Dean!"

Sam quickly pushed himself off his brother, wincing as his injured arm gave and he plopped down sideways into the freezing water.

"Dean!"

"This sucks."

Sam couldn't suppress a soft chuckle as he brushed his bangs from his face and placed a hand on his brother's chest.

"You okay?"

"You ever get tired of asking that same stupid question?"

"You ever get tired of giving me reason to ask that stupid question?"

"You ever think that I don't actually give you a reason to ask that question on purpose?"

Sam sighed and pushed himself to his knees. "You want to get out of this water or you having fun with the twenty question?" He forced himself to his feet and grasped the hand that came up attached to his own.

"Ow!"

"What?"

"My shoulder, Kong."

Sam winced in sympathy, remembering the quick deceleration his brother had suffered moments earlier. "Sorry. Give me your other hand."

Dean complied, but grunted in pain again. Sam barely stifled an echoing grunt as the burning in his own arm reminded him he wasn't exactly at 100 either.

"Now what's wrong?"

"Ah, jail cell? Bullet through my body? Ringing any bells? Still a little sore."

Sam dropped the hand and hunched down next to his brother, the cold water beginning to seep through his boots. His arm was throbbing, but he pushed it away, knowing there was nothing they could do about it at the moment. He was up and he was mobile, which was more than he could say for his brother right now. "Well, then you're gonna have to get your ass up by yourself, you big baby."

Dean scowled and pushed himself over, slowly rising up to his knees. "Have I mentioned how much this sucks?"

Sam placed a hand on his arm, steadying him as he rose to his feet. Dean swallowed hard as the world tilted and he leaned forward, not bothering to even attempt to suppress a frustrated moan.

"Head still hurt?"

"I think I'm gonna hurl."

Sam took a small step back, not able to get completely out of the way because of the cuffs, but wanting to be far enough to avoid the barrage if Dean's dinner decided to make a reappearance. He'd seen how much his brother had put away. It wasn't going to be pretty.

After a few minutes and even more deep breaths, Dean slowly straightened and gave his brother a cursory look. "Afraid to get a little messy, Sam?"

The younger hunter simply shrugged. "That lasagna smelled disgusting going in, Dean. No way was I gonna get too close to it coming out."

Dean just shook his head and swiped his left hand against the side of his head, his fingers coming away dark in the waning moonlight.

"You're bleeding again."

"So are you." Dean waved his hand indicating the dark stain on Sam's sleeve. "We need to find someplace to hole up," he said, his head slowly swiveling, his eyes squinting as they searched the darkness surrounding them.

"Dean, we're in the middle of a corn field, I don't think –"

"What's that?"

Sam looked in the direction his brother was pointing, his own eyes squinting to distinguish the dark shape in the shadows of the trees bordering the field. "I'll be damned," he whispered in surprise. "It looks like some kind of equipment shed or something. Probably where the farmer stores his tractor and stuff."

"Tractor and stuff?" Dean repeated with a grin. "Trying to get technical on me there, Old MacDonald?"

"Bite me."

Dean chuckled, shivering as the cold water that soaked his jacket and shirt chilled his skin. He searched the darkness behind them, his ears searching for any sign of pursuit. "I think we lost him for the time being, but I wouldn't bet the farm on the demon staying gone for long."

Sam shook his head at the older man's lame attempt at humor. "Think you can make it to the shed?"

"Think you can stop asking me stupid questions?"

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