The Emancipation of Heaven's Court

Part three of the Aussie Trilogy

Disclaimer: I own nothing save for what rattles around in my rather warped imagination.


Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and to those who are reading and lurking. BIG HUGS abounding. Sorry for the time to get this update up but I've had a hectic return to Uni for the next semester, things are starting to move into a routine so hopefully won't be too much longer and I can update more frequently.


Chapter Three Trapped Under the Floorboards

Dean open his eyes and stared around in a daze, he remembered leaving Sam at the motel room and he remembered driving back to the home and starting on his appointed duties. He remembered the old lady.

'Get a grip Winchester' he mumbled taking in his new surroundings. He lay flat on his back in a small alcove seemingly below a floor; it was just long enough for him to lie straight but not enough to move around. Though it was not high enough for him to sit up at all only enough to raise his head.

A strange sensation flooded his aching body, raising a shaking hand he felt a hard lump on the right side of his neck, inching his fingers along he felt a tube running from the lump upward disappearing through a hole just above his head.

'Damn it Dean good move.' He muttered startling himself with his own voice, grumbling obscenities under his breath Dean tried to get comfortable but something was digging into his but. 'Oh for the love ...' He pushed his hand under himself and with a few aborted attempts finally managed to get his knife and his cell phone out of his pocket. Flicking the phone open he grinned when he saw the battery bars, 'ah Sammy I could kiss you.' He chuckled thinking of Sam's often obscene compulsiveness with things, Dean never remembered to charge their cells, and Sam did it without fail every time they booked into a new motel.

Hitting the speed dial, he held his breath and prayed that Sam was in some sort of coherent condition, coherent enough to answer the phone. Dean could still see the wretched look on Sam's face when he had to leave him and return to the home. Sam said that he was alright but Dean's own big brother-spidery-sense kicked in and he knew instinctively that his baby brother was far from alright. That vision took more than just energy from him, he said that he saw them taking a young man but that was all, he couldn't tell who it was or who took him. Just a feeling of floating and numbness. Sam had to force Dean out of the door to return to the home, he said that he was alright but...

'Come on Sammy pick up the damn phone.' Dean mumbled as he heard it ring out and then hit the speed dial again, wondering absently why the voicemail didn't kick in.

'H-hey Dean.' Sam's soft voice filtered through the cell and Dean's heartbeat sped a little faster.

'Sammy ... what's wrong? Why didn't you answer before?'

'I ah was ah in the bathroom.' Sam heard the hitch in Dean's voice and smiled slightly, even apart Dean managed to sound like a parent and not a brother. 'What's wrong?'

'Wrong? What would make you think that something is wrong?'

'Ah you're ringing me in the middle of your shift.'

'Yeah well I was bored and wanted to hear your voice Sweetheart!' Dean sniped and then immediately regretted it when he heard the small hiss of breath from Sam. 'Sammy what's wrong?'

'Nothing ... Dean what – what is going on? You sound strange.'

'Yeah well you would too if you were here where I am.' Dean shot back then bit his lip swearing internally at his big mouth; he could hear the catch in Sam's breathing, 'Sam will you please tell me?'

'I – I had a vision Dean the first one since ...'

'Oh God Sammy ... you okay?'

'Yeah got a killer headache and got to see lunch again.' Sam chuckled lightly, 'Dean please tell me where are you?'

'You, you saw it didn't you.' Dean asked.

'I saw you, I saw you working and talking to that old lady Rose and then it changed and I saw...'

'What Sam?'

'I saw you lying on the ground moaning and holding your head.' Sam's voice faltered a little but then he took in a deep breath and kept going, 'then it was weird Dean, her and this other old dude picked you up as though you weighed nothing and put you on this gurney. They, they put this thing into your neck and then it changed again and all I could see was a wooden floor with all of these lengths of tubing running up through it and that's when it finished.'

'Sam.'

'Dean where are you?'

'It already happened Sammy.' Dean whispered, 'wait did you say lengths of tubing?'

'Yeah all in rows must have been at least six ...' Sam's voice trailed off as the realisation hit him, 'Dean ... the last five missing volunteers and ...'

'And me.' Dean finished for him, 'nice to know that I'm not alone.'

'Dean!'

'Damn it Sammy, there is enough room for me to lie flat and lift my head up a little from the shoulders, and that is it.' Dean finally admitted, 'lucky I don't suffer from that claustrophobic stuff.'

'Claustrophobia Dean and yeah it is, is there much light?'

'Only really what comes through the floorboards.'

'Dean do ... do you have any idea on where you might be?'

'Nada Sammy, I was out cold, I remember getting that old bitch a cup of tea and she patted my cheek and that was it.' Dean stopped talking and listened intently, 'fuck someone's coming dude I have to go.'

'Okay I'm heading back to the home.'

'No Sam don't.' Dean started to protest but Sam had already hung up on him. 'Fuck.' He whispered as he listened to the shuffling of feet coming closer to him.

'Time for a harvesting.' Old Rose chuckled, 'hmm what flavour do I feel like tonight?'

'Honestly Rose you are one sick old lady.' A stranger's voice made Dean frown, he remembered Rose's voice clearly, but just how many are there?'

'Harry why don't you try the new flavour, it is a very strong taste.' Rose said, 'I'm going for femme fresh.' She giggled, 'wanna feel like a young woman again.'

'Rose, Harry have you harvested yet?' Another voice filtered down through the floor, 'I'm feeling a little peeked today.'

'What is it Ed?'

'Think that the last one had something that didn't sit right with me.' Ed groaned, 'didn't take as well.'

'Which one did you take from?' Rose asked frowning at the new arrival.

'Number four, what was his name?'

'Troy? Hmm he was a strange one wasn't he?' Harry agreed, 'listen Ed I was going to sample the newbie but I think you need it more than me.'

'Thanks Harry I owe ya.' Ed said coughing and wheezing, 'damn haven't felt this crap for a long time.'

'Here Ed let me help you over to the chair,' Rose said, 'Harry wanna hook him up?'

'Sure thing Doll.' Harry said.

Dean froze as he saw the dark shadow stop directly over him, dust sprayed his face and body from the old flooring, and where the man walked, just as he opened his mouth to yell, curse, or do something he felt a tug on the tube and winced at the sudden pain in his neck.

'Dang it I can hear this one's heart from here, he's a strongun Ed.'

'That's good.' Ed wheezed, 'ready when you are Harry.'

Dean wanted to scream but he felt a fog fill his mind, quashing any sense of thought or feeling. He felt his body floating in the tight confines of his prison. 'Sammy.' He whispered as numbness made it's down through his body, even his vocal cords froze with his brother's name imprinted on them.

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Ed reclined on the large chair as he felt the strength of Dean's essence and blood flood through him. The chair resembled a dentist's chair with two sets of tubes and monitors on either side of the headrest, the tubes connected to Ed's throat one feeding him from Dean's life essence, and the other gave him the precious blood, two tubes running from the base of his chair drained his own blood and life force in direct proportions to what he received. Although over before he knew, it and the euphoric feeling started to dissipate back into the ether, when Ed got off the chair he was no longer grey-skinned and hunched over in pain. he stood erect, with shining eyes and clear healthy skin, 'dang dunno where you got this one but he's a keeper.'

'Ah Ed you look so much better.' Rose said from her own chair where she fed from a young woman below her.

'And you Rose still the most beautiful flower in Heaven's Gate.' Ed said with a sweeping gesture, 'how's it going Harry? Harry?'

'What's wrong Ed?' Rose asked unable to get up until her harvesting was finished.

'Harry ... Harry's gone Rose; the one he was harvesting from must have expired earlier than expected.'

'Oh he absorbed death?' Rose sighed, 'dear, dear Harry he will be missed.'

'We must choose wisely from now on Rose we cannot afford to take the sick or undesirable.'

'That is true but we also have to keep these ones strong.' Rose said as she stood up and smiled at Ed, 'oh I do feel so ... young again.' She giggled wrapping her arms around Ed's neck.

'Yes we do my love, so what do you suggest?'

'Their feeding regime we need to add nutrients and vitamins I suppose and perhaps more fluids?'

'We need to keep them sedated longer as well, the more rested they are the better for us.'

'Very good Ed, yes ... come we must tell the others and get that Jackass to get more volunteers for us.'

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Sam paced the motel room chewing his thumbnail until he made it bleed, he had to rescue Dean, but that meant he had to return to that place and risk being around strangers again.

'Get a grip Sam, this is Dean there's no argument.' He muttered gathering his things together and shoved them into a smaller backpack deciding to leave the larger duffle bags behind. Checking the bullets in his small handgun, he slid it into the waistband of his jeans, fitting it snugly against his back before sliding a knife into his wrist sheath and covered it with his extra-long sleeves. He loaded a shotgun with rock-salt and slipped it into his backpack; he grabbed a flask of holy water, hesitated, and then took another one sliding it into the backpack along with his other pieces of weaponry and paraphernalia. Finally he checked Dean's glock and made sure it was fully loaded before putting it in with the shotgun and picked up his small pocket-knife and lock pick set and put them in his jeans pocket he was armed and ready he just wished that he was feeling a whole lot stronger.

Slipping out of the motel room, he gazed around the empty carpark, heaving his heavy pack over his shoulder Sam hurried to the street running along the back of the motel in search of a parked car. Five minutes later he drove a small non-descript ford sedan towards Heaven's Gate.

---------------

Dean felt the feeling returning to his body in the form of tingling and sharp pins-and-needles spiking through him. 'Fuck this sucks big time.' He growled squeezing his eyes shut, he had a killer headache, and all he wanted to do was have a long hot shower and kick back in a soft bed with a nubile young woman massaging his aching back and neck.

Footsteps above him brought Dean back to his full senses immediately, straining to hear anything, he wanted to call out, but something deep in his gut told him to remain quiet. A shadow fell over the floor above and then he heard a clicking sound and a small hatch lifted exposing his face to the person hovering above him.

--------------

Sam pulled the car into the staff carpark and found a spot to leave it at the far end, away from the street and away from the main buildings of Heaven's Gate. Slowly he got out of the car and stared around wearily, unconsciously shivering he wrapped his long arms around his thin body and let his gaze roam around looking for somewhere where they could hide their victims but still have easy access.

Frowning he watched Rose striding out of the wing where she lived and heading down the grounds towards small old buildings ringing the parameter of the fence.

'Damn.' He whispered under his breath he knew that he felt something when she touched him and it wasn't just his panic attack.

Swallowing down on his churning stomach he pulled the backpack out off the backseat and slammed the doors shut but leaving the car unlocked. He did a quick look around and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the impala still there, shining darkly in the afternoon sun.

Moving quickly and quietly he followed Rose as she made her way down the paved pathway; she was carrying a large cloth covered basket but looked and acted at least thirty years younger than she was.

Pulling back when he saw her pause and stare back in his direction Sam watched as she put the basket down and unlocked the door on the first building. Stealthily he moved closer until he could press his back against the wooden wall and slide along it to the nearest window. He chanced a quick glance inside it was empty save for four dentist-like-chairs and four strips of tubing poking out from the floor.

Four chairs and four strips, in his vision he saw six, this wasn't the one where Dean was but at least he might get some clue on what was going on. When he heard Rose speak and giggle like a school girl his stomach churned even faster, filling his mouth with excess saliva and filled his nostrils with the stench of potential vomit. Gagging he staggered behind the building and threw up in the garden. Shakily he wiped his hand across his mouth and spat out saliva a couple more times before resuming his listening post outside the window.

'So we have decided that we need to add a few goodies to your food mix ...' Rose giggled, 'oh what's that look for? Cat got your tongue? Oh that's right you can't open your mouth anymore can you?'

Sam felt a rage building inside him overriding his panic and nausea when he heard that, chancing another glance in the window he watched her crouching over a small opening in the floor. She seemed to be pouring a thick glutinous mixture through a slightly larger tube and then she got up, unlocked another portal and repeated her task apparently feeding whoever she had trapped under the floorboards.

Pushing aside the need to crash in there and kill the old woman and free her victims he knew had to do more recon, he had to find out exactly how many they had trapped under the floor of these sheds and where Dean was.

Sticking the back of the shed Sam blended expertly into the shadows as he moved from the first shed to the next one, he saw a man doing the same as Rose in the next one, quickly counting the tubes and the corresponding chairs. His rage rose a little further as he moved to the next one where he found the same scene played out once again.

The last hut was empty sliding the window open Sam slipped inside and stared around in horror. Six sets of tubes ran out of the floorboards split into two and then ran up either side of the strange chairs.

Six tubes, the room from his vision ... 'Dean?' he called out softly but met only silence. Frowning he pulled his cell out and pressed the speed dial seconds later he heard Dean's distinctive ringtone thump up from under the floor.

'Sam?' Dean muffled his voice sounding strange almost strangled.

'Yeah man I'm right here.' Sam replied dropping to his knees next to the tube leading to his brother, 'damn it Dean it looks like a floor there's nothing here to open it.'

'Hatch ... trip lock.' Dean managed to get out, 'hurry.'

Sam felt along the boards his long fingers sensitive to anything abnormal soon felt the slide to the trip lock. Opening the small hatch, he stared down in horror at his brother's grey face.

Dean blinked furiously and tried to focus on the familiar sight of his baby brother, he tried to smile, but his face contorted painfully. Blinking he thirstily drank in the sight of Sam hovering over him.

'Fuck Dean what did they do to you?' Sam gasped in shock, except for a small opening on the side of his mouth Dean's lips were sealed shut, drool escaped and dribbled down his chin the tender skin around his mouth looked puckered and swollen. Red and purple bruises snaked through the swelling contrasting with the pasty grey pallor of his skin and the dull look in his eyes. 'Oh my God Dean hang in there I'm gonna find a way to get you out.' Sam cried swallowing down on the tears and rage fighting for domination inside him, Dean needed him and that was all there was to it.

'N-no ... S-Sammy ... go.' Dean tried to push the words out through the gap between his lips.

'Sh Dean I'm going to get you out no arguments.' Sam said with a small smile, 'anyway at least for now there can be no arguing and I can get my own way.'

'F-funny S-Sammy.' Dean ground out acknowledging Sam's attempt at making him feel better.

Sam looked up and frowned, glancing back down he flinched as he saw the realisation form on Dean's face, 'someone's coming.' Sam whispered, 'I'll be back.'

Dean nodded sadly and watched as Sam replaced the hatch leaving him once again, alone and trapped under the floorboards.

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Sam scrambled out of the window and closed it just as the shed door opened and Rose walked in followed by the man he had seen in the second shed. Holding his breath Sam prayed that he got away before they saw him and that Dean won't hurt anymore. He prayed for control of his panic and to face his fear of being touched. He prayed for all of the victims, but above all, he prayed because it calmed him.

'So Ed whatcha think we leave these two here and take the rest?'

'Well the others are just about done so they will be easy to be rid of, I want the male apart from the others, I don't want Hank and Earl to catch wind of just how potent his mix is.'

'Yes my Dearest I can understand that, I feel the same for the female ... so we are decided?'

'Yes, the other four are expendable they can feed the others but these two will remain here for us.' Ed smiled down at the woman, 'ah Rose you are so beautiful.'

'Not now Ed later.' Rose giggled, 'we have work to do, the four have to be taken and prepared, it is nearly dinner time.'

'True, you are the perfect planner Rosey, I'll summon Dirk to come and get them.'

'He gives me the shivers Ed, he enjoys his job too much.' Rose shook her head, 'these young ones have no idea on the great sacrifice they make and he treats them like slabs of meat.'

'Ah you're not getting sentimental on me are you ROsey?' Ed smiled, 'after nearly 150 years, you're actually getting sentimental?'

'Oh you ... I'm going to leave before Dirk gets here.' Rose said kissing Ed chastely on the mouth, 'be a love and supervise him closely we don't want him to touch our special harvests.'

'I promise Love now...' Ed stopped speaking and stared at the window he could have sworn he saw someone there. Frowning he put his finger to his lips and indicated for Rose to follow him.

Lost in his latest vision Sam never heard them coming, lost in his latest vision he didn't feel the paralysing touch on his face and didn't feel himself list to his side. His mind trapped in the throes of his premonition and his body trapped, frozen in time by a simple touch.

TBC