Chapter 2

David Lassiter opened the door to find his home in complete chaos. There were suitcases and briefcases everywhere, clogging the floor and any surface in sight. Thoughts of today's earlier encounter flew out of his mind. His sister was among a couple of guards who David could only assume had somehow been corralled into playing the role of the servant, ordering them about as she observed everything going on. "What the hell is going on?" David demanded as he closed the door behind him.
Margo Lassiter glanced up at him and then turned her attention back to her work. David walked over and opened one of the briefcases. That got his sister rushing over to him. "No!" she exclaimed. "Don't touch that! Everything is perfectly organized," she gasped.
David stepped back, raising his hands. "Since when did you become such an excess control freak as opposed to being a regular control freak?" he asked.
Margo glared at him. "There's important documents in there that I don't need you messing up," she snapped.
"Touchy," David noted. "Why all the packing?"
Margo straightened, a look of importance coming onto her features "I'm going to Europe."
"Uh, okay," David said. "Why?"
A flash of annoyance crossed Margo's face. "Because if I'm to protect this family as I need to, there are certain connections and whatnot in Europe that I need to strengthen," she said.
David shook his head. "Margo, we're not going to war."
Margo rolled her eyes. "Don't be such a child," she snapped. "We need to do whatever we need to do to survive, and that's going to end up being in a way before long, whether I want it to or not."
David's eyes narrowed. "Do you want it?" he asked.
Margo didn't answer. Instead, she turned away and focused pack on the suitcases. "All of this needs to get loaded into the car," she said before heading into the kitchen.
David followed her, carefully maneuvering around the obstacles. "You didn't answer my question," he reminded her.
Margo kept her back on him. "It doesn't matter what I want," she said, her voice muffled.
David frowned. "You do want a war," he said. "Why the f-"
Margo whirled. "All I want is a little respect for this family," she hissed. "And if you're not going to help me get that, then stay out of my way." With that, she stormed past David. He moved aside slightly to allow her easier movement, but David was uneasy. Margo had always been headstrong, but never so far as to be bloodthirsty.
"You've changed," he commented softly as he went back into the living room.
"A lot has changed since you've been gone," Margo responded. The guards had taken the bags away and his sister was putting on her coat. "Before you get yourself killed," she began. "Take a breath and look around. Things aren't as they were three years ago. It would be best to learn that quickly." With a final look at him, Margo walked out and closed the door behind her.
David didn't move for a moment. He listened to the sound of the car starting and driving away. He remembered the words his father had spoken to him when David had come back to the family: "don't let her start a war" he had whispered. David would never willingly let her start a fight with another family, but how was he going to stop her if she'd already started?
David shook his head. He needed some fresh air. Knowing exactly where to go, David slipped out of the room. He went outside of the house and onto the grounds, heading for a small gatehouse on the corner of the yard. Despite hating the fact there's guards, David had to admit that sometimes they had their uses. Just like now, for example. David knocked on the door, waiting for the gruff "come in," before opening the door.
The captain of security was standing by his desk, checking out an award of some sort on the wall. "I didn't know you qualified for any of those," David said as he walked in.
"Ha. Ha. Ha." the captain said drily. At this moment, he was a middle-aged, gruff, slightly overweight man. He had a hard look in his eye that was offset by the laughing lines around his mouth. David looked him over. "This one's new," he said.
The man chuckled. "Yeah, I found him over in the hospital," he said. "Guy's not going to be missed, I can tell you that much."
The man's skin changed, molding itself into the shape of someone else seamlessly. This man was quite a bit younger, blonde, and more handsome in face than the man before him. He had a mischievous look in his eye that spelled the kind of trouble that you'd love to get into.
The two men stared at each for a moment before simultaneously breaking out into huge grins. "David, wow, man, how long has it been?" the young man asked, clapping him on the back.
"Three years," David responded. "You look different, Rick. Or is it Richard now?"
Rick shook his head, shuddering. "God, no, no, no," he said, shaking his head rapidly. "No, that honor still belongs to my father, thank the Lord."
"Old man's probably happy about that," David teased.
"Oh, most definitely," Rick assured him. "Yeah, I'm still too wild and carefree for my father. One day, he says, one day you'll settle down and then you'll understand."
David snorted. "You? Settle down? Yeah, and the Winchesters lived a normal happy life."
Rick shrugged. "That's what I keep telling him, but he doesn't listen to me."
"Smart man, smart man."
"So, what brings you back to the old hood?" Rick asked, leaning against the desk.
David sighed, running a hand through his hair. "That's a good question," he said. "Something happened a couple of days ago, and, I don't know. I guess I didn't want to lose more of my family."
Rick's smile faltered. "Yeah, I heard about your brother, I'm so sorry."
David waved a hand. "Don't worry about it, he was asking for it the way he kept messing around with everyone in his sight."
"Well, he did mess around with everyone," Rick agreed.
"That he did, that he did," David's voice trailed off.
There was a moment of silence before Rick cleared his throat. "Anyway, why'd you come down here to visit little old' me?"
David flashed a grin. "What, the pleasure of your company not a good enough reason?"
"Not even for me," Rick said.
David waited a moment, then held up his hands. "All right, you got me," he said. "I just wanted to know, has anyone been poking around here lately?"
Rick considered for a moment. "Anyone in particular?" he asked. "There's a lot of tourists around here, as well as the locals. Then there's the theater geeks, which is a whole different group of people in itself."
David shrugged. "Not really, just anyone who's been around here more than usual," he said.
Rick rubbed his chin, his brow furrowed as he thought. "Now that you mention it," he said slowly. "There was this one group of weirdoes that have been coming around more than usual."
David straightened. "A group? Really?" Maybe there were more like Ennis than David had originally thought.
"Yeah, two guys and a girl," Rick said. "Real badass looking types, gangster style. Lots of leather, I think they even had motorcycles one time."
David frowned. That didn't sound like Ennis at all. "What did they look like? Hair, skin, eye color, I mean. Anything like that."
Rick looked at him. "All three were white, the two men looked like they could be brothers. Blonde hair, though one had darker hair than the other. The woman had bright red hair. Really pretty red hair too, shined in the sun. Oh, and they all had matching tattoos," he added.
Definitely not Ennis, David decided. "What did it look like?" he asked.
Rick shook his head. "Sorry, man, I was too far away for that," he said. "All I know is that they all had it on their collarbone."
David nodded. "All right, thanks," he said, patting Rick on the shoulder.
"What are you going to do now?" Rick asked.
"Go exploring, probably," David shrugged. "Check out the old house."
Rick shook his head. "You're crazy, have fun with that."
David left the guardhouse, walking briskly back towards the main building. Rick and his family had been the guards of the family for as long as David could remember. Every supernatural family had their own guards. It was better that way, for protection or some reason. David thought it was an old fashioned idea, but he had grown up with Rick and the two were fast friends, so there were perks. And it also provided an extra option when trying to sneak into another family's house. Though that was a more "unorthodox" way of looking at guards.
David hurried up the steps. The winter was coming fast and was making itself evident in the chilly winds that blew all the time. It was only a matter of time before it started snowing. David shuddered, imaging the cold. He was more of a summer person himself. Heading inside for a moment, David grabbed his jacket and headed outside. It would do him good to go for a walk like he used to before he got sucked back into this mess of a world.
David walked along the roadside. It was a bright day and would have been pleasant if it weren't for the temperature. There were animals out, though it was still early in the morning, relatively speaking. It was a Saturday, so there wouldn't be many people out besides health nuts who wanted to jog at eight in the morning. Who knows what his sister was doing this early. She usually took her time in the morning. Margo was well-known for not fully rising until noon.
David spotted a small trail up ahead. There was a sign that was faded, but David could make out that it led to some special farm full of greenhouses of some sort. David considered for a moment, then shrugged. Might as well, he thought. David hastened his pace, almost at a jog.
As he rounded a bend, David slowed his pace. There was a man leaning against a tree up ahead. He looked like a stereotypical motorcycle gang member. Instantly, David knew he was one of the ones that Rick had been talking about earlier. He slipped a hand in his pocket, checking to see if there was a weapon in his pocket. Thankfully, he hadn't taken his knife out from the night before. He had had it in the cafe when Ennis Ross, the fool, had confronted him. Luckily for Ennis, David wasn't like the other members of his family and was against the killing innocent humans. That was part of the reason why he'd left.
"Hey, stranger," the man called.
David halted, several feet away from the tree that the man was leaning on. "Hello," he called back warily. There was something about this stranger that he didn't like. Maybe he was just being paranoid, but that paranoia had saved his life on many occasions.
"I was wondering if you could do me a favor," the man said, walking forward.
David took a small step back. "Depends on what that favor is," he answered.
The man smiled and held out his hand. "The name's Drew," he said. "And all I want from you is the opportunity to chat for five minutes."
David stayed where he was, but Drew walked forward and stood in front of him. "I suppose there's no harm in talking," David said.
"Good, good," Drew said, smiling brightly.
Off to the side, a bird shot out of a tree, cawing. David watched its progress across before looking back at Drew. "What do you want to talk about?" he asked.
Drew shrugged. "A bit of this, a bit of that," he said vaguely. "Has there been anything...odd, going on in this town?"
David snorted incredulously. "This is Chicago," he said, half-laughing. "If there's not something odd going on, then I'd get worried."
Drew chuckled, but it was a fake sound, without any humor in it. "I see, I see."
David waited a moment. "Is that all you wanted to know?" he asked, hiding his impatience as best he could.
Drew shook his head. "No, sorry, I was just thinking," he said, his eyes flickering to a point over David's shoulder. "What do you know about shape shifters?"
David froze. "What do you mean?"
Drew moved in closer. "You know, shape shifters," he said. "Creatures that can change what they look like at will. I'm sure you've heard of them."
David swallowed nervously. This man was up to something, but how much did he know? "Of course I know about them," he said. "But they're mythical, not real."
"Is that so," Drew leaned in closer. "Well, I've got an announcement for you, my friend. Those creatures, those supernatural beings you think are fake. They're real. They're out there. And they're coming for you."
David backed up several steps, only to find something in his way. Whipping around, he came face to face with another man. This one was much taller than Drew, though it was clear he and Drew were brothers. He grinned, folding his arms.
David turned the other way, but there was the redheaded woman in his face. They were on three sides of him and to his back David knew were nothing but trees. "Who are you people?" he gasped, pretending to be more frightened than he was.
Drew straightened. "That's my brother Charles and our friend Melissa," he said. "We're the people who protect you from those creatures when they get in their fool heads that they can take someone and kill them for whatever god damned reason they've cooked up this time."
Hunters, perfect. David glanced behind him. Thankfully, there was no other member of this crazy group behind him. Forcing himself to relax, he looked at Drew. "Why are you telling me this?" he asked.
Charles chuckled. Glancing at him, David decided that he really didn't like the big guy. Drew waved a hand. "Ignore him," he said. "We need you, friend. There aren't many people in this town who would help us, and well, we need an ally. There's no danger in it, I assure. We just want you to keep your eyes and ears open."
David glanced around, playing it off as being scared when he was really looking for the best way out. "There's not much to it," Melissa spoke up. "Just be a little more aware, yeah?"
David nodded. "Yeah, yeah, definitely," he said.
As Drew turned away, a thought crossed David's mind. He reached out and grabbed Drew's arm. Instantly Charles and Melissa whirled around, knives that had been previously hidden in their hands. David backed away, hands up. "I just wanted to ask," he began. "What brought you guys here?"
Melissa glanced at Drew and shook her head. Drew looked at her for a moment, then turned away, ignoring her hiss of annoyance. "A friend of ours was killed recently," he said. "And we're here to make sure his killers answer for what they've done."
The crazy man Irv who had kidnapped Violet and killed Sal flashed through David's head. Crap. He sincerely hoped that there was someone else killed recently that had crazy hunter friends. Somehow, he doubted it. "Well, good luck with that," he said. "Have a nice day."
Melissa's eyes narrowed at him, but she didn't say anything. As David turned to go, a hand came down on his shoulder and prevented him from moving. David didn't need to look behind him to know the hand belonged to Charles. "Take your hand off of my shoulder," David said quietly, but coldly.
There was a pause; then the hand was lifted. David continued moving forward, abandoning all pretense of being a scared newcomer to the world of the supernatural. Let them wonder about him for a while, if only to gain time so he could figure out what to do next. David walked away, refusing to glance over his shoulder. As soon as he turned the bend, however, David shifted into someone else. There was an older homeless man sleeping in the trees not far from where David was. David changed into him, counting on the fact that the man was not likely to wake up anytime soon.
Changed, David walked back over to where the hunters had been standing. Walking as fast as he dared so as to not gain too much attention, David strained to hear what they were talking about. "...trust him..." Charles was saying.
"...knows more than...we should..." Melissa responded.
"No choice...have to..." Drew hissed.
"Irv-" Melissa started to say.
"Irv is dead!" Drew snapped. His voice carried all along the trees.
David turned his back away from then, leaning against a tree and shuffling his feet. Irv definitely was the friend they were talking about. That made life a lot more difficult than it had previously been. Not wanting to risk exposure, David began making his way back to the entrance of the path. They were here to avenge Irv's death that much was certain. But how much did they know about how he died? They knew about his son, most likely, since that was the reason Irv was apparently there in the first place. Why would they seek him out? It didn't seem like they knew who he was. Yet David was positive it wasn't a coincidence that he happened to walk a trail that Drew and his gang were on.
Not for the first time, David wondered how many creatures in each supernatural family were spies. Not for other families. No one would ever help another family, no matter how badly yours betrayed you. That was unheard of, as the mutual hatred between each family ran deeper than anything else in the city. But that didn't mean the occasional wayward citizen would sell some information to hunters for a little bit of coin or to get away alive. These were troubled times, after all.
Maybe that was how Ennis had found him last night. The cafe had been a favorite place of his to go to for many years, so it had seemed right go back there after re-joining the family he had sworn to never contact again. Someone was bound to notice sooner or later that he went there. David stopped in his tracks.
He had allowed the homeless man to fade away into his natural form, which was a good thing as now he wasn't concentrating on how he looked and was in a much busier road. If the hunters know about me, he thought, they must surely know about Ennis, right? But it was the how was the thing that kept bothering David. No one else was there that night, no one else knew what had happened. Except for...
David straightened, adrenaline flashing through him. Of course. The Winchesters must have sent out a message to whatever hunter community they were a part of. A city full of monsters was not something the legendary hunters were just going to leave alone. That would be crazy. They sent something out, and that had led to Drew and his gang to David's doorstep. David felt a flash of anger, though he wasn't sure why. Hunters were the same. Kill, kill, and kill. No room for mercy, even if whatever they were hunting wasn't as guilty as the ones that killed. It was shoot first ask later with the hunters, no matter what. Why would the Winchesters be any different?
David quickened his pace, hoping he wasn't too late. He should have been back to Irv's hiding place long before now, but there hadn't been the time. His sister seemed hell-bent on a war and it didn't matter who it was with or what it was about. With the hunters in town, that could make things very bad very quickly. If David could get to Irv's hideout and hopefully get rid of enough evidence that the hunters had no way of figuring out who killed Irv, then maybe then they would vanish. Or they would take it out on anyone they could find. Hopefully, that didn't happen.
David arrived at the entrance to the hideout much faster than he had the last time he had been here. The entrance was easily found. It was in the underground sewers, so there was a door that was remarkably worn looking. David glanced around, making sure he hadn't been followed. The last thing he would need was to be caught messing around at the hunters' friend's hideout by the hunters themselves. Reassured, David opened the door as quietly as possible and started the descent down into the place that had started it all.