Chapter 3: On the Road

After a little while, a black Humvee drove into the clearing and shut it's engine off. A couple of demons dressed in three-piece black suits and wearing work gloves exited. They walked over to Crowley, had a couple of words with him out of earshot of Castiel, and then proceeded to wrap the creature in chains and a sack. They then hefted it onto their shoulders, threw it into the back of the Humvee, and drove off. Castiel and Crowley began to work their way back to their vehicle, parked on an access road a few miles distant.

"What did you say to them?", Castiel asked

"Hm?", Crowley answered, looking back distractedly. "Oh, the usual. Told them to give it the works, you know? Decapitation, burning, acid wash, bury whatever is left in salt. The usual catch-all treatment. Of course, I hope that any of this actually works...these things are supposed to be, well, mostly immortal."

"An Angel's blade is imbued with the power of the Creator," Castiel replied directly. "Nothing can withstand it. Except God himself."

Crowley merely shrugged. "As per our previous discussion, can't be too careful with this particular thing."

They reached their car after a couple of miles. It was a red Ferrari with jet black wheels and the vanity Detroit Michigan plate "Sin1". Castiel frowned in distaste. "I liked my car better. Lower profile."

Crowley smiled. "You certainty can't be talking about the pimp-mobile, can you? Castiel, how many tickets did you get driving that thing?"

Castiel considered for a moment. "Twenty five. Is that a lot?"

"Infour months?", Crowley replied in mock surprise. "Yes, Castiel, that's a lot. That thing was a police magnet."

"And this isn't? A red Ferrari? It seems like it would catch anyone's attention."

Crowley smiled. "Let me tell you something - police won't bother with this car, mate. One; they might be afraid they can't catch it in the first place, and look stupid back at the office, and secondly; anyone driving one of these can actually afford the ticket. No fun in that. Cops are generally sadistic pigs. No fun if your budget isn't ruined."

Castiel thought a bit before answering. "Cops aren't sadistic pigs. They're out there trying to save lives and keep order. They're a lot like Angels."

Crowley looked at Castiel with a withering glare. "Really, sunshine? You think that I don't know what I'm talking about when I have to call someone a sadistic pig? Trust me. I know. This isn't just a biased guess, or some silly prejudice."

Castiel regarded Crowley for a moment before replying."Your point is well taken."

"Stick around me, sunshine, old Crowley will sharpen you up in no time," Crowley grinned, getting in the car, turning the key and revving the engine about ten times higher than was necessary, startling several birds into flight. Castiel shot him a look of reproach.

"What?!", Crowley asked, irritated. "Why do you keep staring at me like that?" He shook his head, spinning the car around onto the road leading back to the highway. "Well, at least I know what Dean was talking about all that time..."

"What did Dean say?"; Castiel asked quickly.

Crowley only smiled at Castiel, and with a free hand turned on the radio. Foreigner blared out I Wanna Know What Love Is in a steady 80's rock-ballad rhythm. Crowley's grin towards Castiel just widened as he sped down the road.

Crowley's cell phone rang and he answered it. It was Justion calling back with information about the cult. After a short conversation, Crowley hung up and asked Castiel if he had heard of a town called Aubergesbouche. Apparently, Justin had thought that might be where they might be hiding. It was a parallel from a book Lovecraft had written concerning the Deep Ones.

Castiel looked out the window, then reached into the glove compartment and pulled out the road map of Louisiana they had brought from the Gas-N-Sip in Shreveport. He unfolded it and studied it closely. He frowned. "The town's not listed here," he said after a while.

Crowley nodded. "I thought so. Bad to advertise." He sighed and picked up the phone again and asked Justin to find a neighboring town on Google Maps for him. After a little time spent with Justin searching satellite images of the probable location of the unlisted town, he had a name, Marrero. He got the directions from Castiel and pointed the car in the right direction.

"At least my car had a Tom-Tom installed in it," Castiel said sullenly, folding the map back up and stuffing it back into the glove compartment.

"Uh-uh, all original in this baby," Crowley replied. "Besides, I have my staff..." He gave Castiel a meaningful smile.

"Crowley, I have told you this when we started out on this mission together, I do not work for you."

"Whatever you say, sunshine, whatever you say."

Castiel frowned. "This is a mutual partnership, Crowley. It is in both of our best interests to keep certain things from breaking free into this dimension. And we both have...duties that need to be performed."

Crowley just kept on driving towards Highway 90, running along the side roads near Jean Laffitte National Park, which they had just driven out of.

"Mutual or not, you still don't get to drive."

He floored it as they cleared the side road and entered onto a four-lane highway. A Louisiana State Patrol car parked under a billboard flashed it's lights on and lurched out from it's hiding place, then, apparently thinking better of it, turned off it's lights, and pulled back in. Crowley grinned maniacally. Castiel just shook his head.