So you know what happens near the end, but just how did they get themselves in this mess?


A few weeks earlier…

Cheyenne wasn't Sam's favorite city in the US. It was flat, the wind blew constantly, and it was basically a truck stop town that happened to have a college that presided in the middle of it. Sure, it had some perks, even he could admit that. Perks like the cheap yet hospitable motels, and the friendly service of the people who loved outsiders. It made them willing to please, which also meant they had no trouble answering questions regarding the disappearances that had been taking place over a certain period of times for the last fifteen years - something you would think would have caught Sam and Dean's attention much earlier. Hunting the yellow-eyed demon did take precedence, however, and dad had died barely three months ago. But they were here now, and Sam remember just how much he didn't like Wyoming in general. The locals were not helping to improve that opinion.

"I don't know, I guess we never really noticed." A student who worked at a café said. "I heard they were mostly transfer students that came to the university, so nobody that I would have known outside of WU. And it's a small town, things come and go all the time. We all mind our own business."

"But you didn't think it was strange that every third and tenth month of the year, a string of people would go missing?" Dean said, lifting an eyebrow. He couldn't believe his ears. Sam couldn't either, he was just better at hiding it.

"No." She said. Sam and Dean both knew that she shared classes with at least four victims. "Like I said, it's a small town." She shrugged.

"Well thank you for your time. Hope you have a nice day." Sam finished out with a cheesy smile, pushing Dean away before he could pursue more questions. Just like pretty much everybody else they talked to, Sam could tell that they weren't going to get anywhere with her. It was late afternoon when they stepped out of the cafe, the sun just now going down. As far as the investigation was going, Sam could count the number of relevant facts on one finger. Where as theories and research went, nothing was satisfactory.

"Well she was just about as helpful as the guy who owned the meat shop." Dean scoffed, loosening his tie. "I swear, Sam, either this is the most private town in the lower 48, or the locals are in on it, and they're not willing to show and tell."

Sam had to agree. Something was definitely up. "Well, we know these disappearances happen in a pattern. That narrows it down to any kind of spirit, witch, or something that relies on the seasons."

"Yeah, that really narrows it down." Dean rolled his eyes, opening to door to the Impala with a squeal. Sam sighed as he too climbed into the car.

"Maybe it's the equinox. It should be any day now, you know." Dean just grunted at the suggestion as the car roared to life. Sam sighed again- he was also starting to run out of patience. He was getting tired of Cheyenne and the constant wind. The sooner they figured out what it was, the sooner they could kill it and leave.

Their next stop was the WU campus library. They changed out of their suits and into their regular clothes in the bathroom and logged onto the computers as guests. One thing Sam had to give Wyoming University; they had a very nice and extensive library. But that hardly seemed to do any good. With every possible answer they seemed to stumble upon, something would occur that left it invalid, like a criteria not being met or just sheer impossibility. It left the brothers more frustrated than ever as they made multiple trips to the coffee shop on campus.

There was barely any light left in the sky when they finally decided to call it quits and drive back to the motel to turn in for the night. Sam was bleary eyed and longing for that bed, his mind strained. Dean let out a long yawn, shaking his head a little to drive off the weariness. There was something about doing nothing but sitting and staring at a screen and thinking all day that was physically draining. And the fruits of their labor were little, if non existent. They hoped that something would click in the morning after a good nights rest.

"Whoa!" Dean jerked the wheel to dodge the obstacle in the middle of the road as he slammed the brakes. The wheels screeched and Sam went lurching forward in his seat, hand flying up to slam on the dashboard in front of him. The car stopped short of the thing lying in the road. They were just outside the edge of the city, at the crossing of College Ave and Alis Street. The brothers looked at each other, not knowing what to expect. They weren't tired anymore.

Sam and Dean climbed out of the car and walked around the front of the car into the headlights. What they say surprised them. It was unmistakably a dog, but a strange one at that. It had a body much like a German Shepard, but its fur was white and dark gray instead of brown and black, and it was huge. It didn't seem to be breathing, but there were no indications that it had been hit by a car recently - no blood, no contusions. It was just lying in the middle of the road. Sam cocked his head at the animal, not sure what to think.

"Think it's a neighborhood dog?" Dean asked. Sam observed the animal.

"It doesn't have a collar." Sam stated. He saw Dean shrug out of the corner of his eye.

"Well then, it's not our problem." Dean spun to head back to the car.

"Come on, man. We should at least move it out of the road." Sam said just as Dean was opening the door. Dean gave an exasperated sigh as he slammed the door shut again and went around the car to the head of the dog and bend over to grab it's front legs. Sam bent down to help just when Dean grabbed the animal's paws.

In a flurry of movement, the beast came to life with a flash of teeth and snapped at Dean. Dean almost jumped away in time, but not fast enough to keep his hand from getting snatched by the animal's maul.

"Son of a bitch!" Dean yelled. The dog started tugging at Dean's hand, and Dean growled to compress a scream as the skin ripped. Sam quickly grabbed the fur on the scruff of the dog's neck, lifting it off the ground in hopes that it would let go. But the dog kicked out its back legs, one of which caught Sam on the side of the knee. Sam crumpled to the ground with a groan as the joint gave out on him. Something was wrong - this animal should not have been that strong.

The dog jumped fully onto Dean, and without both hands to balance him, he stumbled to ground, sprawled on his back with the beast on top of him. The dog finally released Dean's hand only to get a firmer hold on Dean's upper arm, teeth easily biting through his flannel shirt. Sam managed to regain his feet as the dog dragged him away like he was lighter than a chew toy, backing down an alley between two dark buildings as Dean struggled. Sam took a step and quickly tested his knee. There was going to be a bruise, but it would be fine. Sam turned and sprinted after the two, following them into the darkness with his heart racing. He could hear the animals growling and Dean's yells, but it was completely dark and the sounds were echoing off the walls, making it almost impossible for Sam to pinpoint the source. Suddenly, a light snapped on at the end of the alley and Sam saw the dog dragging Dean through a metal door. Behind the door were a couple of tall, muscular men that grabbed Dean when the dog release him, hoisting him to his feet and leading him further inside while holding him in an armlock to keep him from struggling.

"Hey!" Sam said breaking into a sprint.

Dean cried out to his brother. The men turned, saw Sam coming, and shoved Dean along. One of them stepped away and swung the heavy door to a close, but Sam was too fast. He yanked the door open before it could lock and jumped inside to a small entrance room with only a dim light bulb over head. The dog was lowered into an attack stance and growling, the other man, who towered over him by a couple inches, faced him with fists raised. Dean was still being led down a hallway, his voice calling back to his little brother. Sam swung at the man in front of him, and his fist collided solidly with the guy's jaw. Sam felt his knuckles compress from the immense pressure, like he had just hit a brick wall. The man clicked his jaw back into place, and threw his fist into Sam's stomach. Doubled over, Sam was temporarily paralyzed as the breath whooshed out of him, giving his opponent enough time to deliver a very mean uppercut. Sam's head snapped back, and he felt blood beginning to pool into his nose and mouth. Sam stumbled to the floor, delirious and numb.

"Sam!" He heard Dean shout. The dog was still growling in his ear. With one giant hand, the man grabbed Sam by his jacket lapels and hoisted him off the ground. Sam watched with wavering vision as the man drew back his fist. One hit was all it took.


A/N: Yay! I always like to give a good start to a new story, so I post three or four chapters at a time. If your wondering why it's got this rating, by the way, it' because of something Dean does later.

ADD: This chapter has been heavily edited for content and style.

In the meantime, read, review, and enjoy!