Disclaimer: I do not own SPN.
A/N: So, I am very, truly sorry for it taking me a month to get this done. I am a horrible person, I know. But...you have to take into account that I am a busy college student living 5 hours from home and my boyfriend and I have tons of other stories I need to update as well...I will try my very best to get this next chapter up and running soon. Just think...I have Thanksgiving Break coming up soon for almost a week and then a couple of weeks later I will have over a month doing near nothing during winter break. SOOOO...there will probably be writing happening during those breaks. Hope you enjoy!
Dean knelt down to look through the gap. Cas was staring back at him, his eyes intense. "We're getting out of here, Dean. You're going to see your family again."
Chapter 3
Officer Daniels paced the floor in front of the whiteboard. "It's been two days since Dean Winchester has been taken, six days since Castiel Novak's disappearance, and a week and a half since Zachariah Donohue's disappearance. We're running out of time to figure this out."
His partner, Officer Lance, sighed. "We've gone over the details a thousand times. I don't know what else there is for us to do. We've checked the docks and the marinas for anyone with easy access to dump a body. We've checked to see if there are any connections between the victims to lead back to a common source. We've done background on all the families. We're currently doing surveillance of the rivers and neighborhoods. What else is there to do?"
Daniels stared at the white board for a long few minutes. "Why don't we make a public announcement? We go live. We've spread the word, but we haven't officially gone public yet."
Lance looked up. "What if the psychos get pissed and take it out on the captives?"
Daniels shook his head. "That's not the MO. I don't think they will. They're going to get nervous and when they get nervous, they'll get sloppy. We'll get them yet."
Lance's eyebrows rose. "Okay. What do you need me to do?"
"Rally the news. Get Sam Winchester down here pronto, as well as Dean's son, Ben. Let's see if he's willing to get in front of a camera and ask for his father back."
"You think that's a good idea? Throwing the boy in front of the target like that?"
Daniel's nodded. "It shows that we're not just publicizing a crime. There isn't just some random person missing. He's a father and he is greatly needed. There's a little boy out there looking for his Dad. That's going to spark a lot of attention."
SPN
Dean sighed and rested his head against the wall. "Cas, we've been at this for hours, man. I don't know if this is going to work."
Cas grunted. "You're very lazy, Dean Winchester."
Dean rolled his eyes. "How do you see this plan working? It seems too farfetched to me."
Cas's hands stilled. He let his body relax and lean against the wall. "It has to, Dean. We both have lives to get back to. We need to get out of here. I've been here for about a week now and the cops still haven't found me. It's up to us to get out of here alive."
Dean sighed and got back to work. "It feels kind of pointless. I mean, I know we need to get out of here, but I don't see how this is even an option. I'm way too big for that window."
Cas rolled his eyes. "I'm smaller than you are, Dean. I believe that I might be able to pull myself through that window. It's worth a try, isn't it?"
Dean pursed his lips together and continued working. "I hope you're right, Cas."
Cas stared at the wall where he knew Dean was working. He lowered his voice so that Dean wouldn't hear him. "Me too, Dean. Me too."
SPN
Ben looked at Sam warily. "Do you think this will help find him?"
Sam pursed his lips and looked up at Officer Daniels. "You really think this is a good idea? He's only a kid."
Daniels nodded. "That's exactly why he needs to if he's up to it. If a little boy gets up there and asks for his dad back, it'll make Dean seem more like a human being than just another person who has gone missing. It'll make it more of a statement if it comes from him."
Sam nodded and looked down at Ben. "I think so, Ben. You don't have to do this if you don't want to. It's up to you. I can go up there if you want."
Ben bit his lip and considered his options. He thought about his dad, about what he would say to him. His dad would tell him to be brave and to do the right thing. Ben nodded. "I'll do it."
Sam nodded and looked up at Daniels. "Okay."
Daniels turned around and motioned for Lance to come over. "Get the press ready. Ben's gonna do it. Tell them we're on in five if they want their story."
He turned back around and looked at Ben. "Okay, Ben, here's what's going to happen. You're going to walk over and stand in front of that podium that has a microphone attached to it. I'll be right next to you the whole time. I'll introduce you and then you'll say what happened to your dad. You'll talk about him and tell them how much you want him back. Then I'll wrap things up and it'll be over. You ready?"
Ben nodded, very nervous. "I'm ready."
Sam placed his hand on Ben's shoulder. "Good luck, Ben."
"Thanks, Uncle Sam."
He followed Daniels into the other room that had been set up for the press conference. There were tons of people in there with cameras and recorders. As soon as they walked in, the cameras turned on, following their movements. Daniels stepped up behind the podium and began.
"My name is Officer Chris Daniels. I'm the leading officer on the case of several murders and missing persons. I'd like to introduce you to the son of one of those missing persons."
Ben swallowed and moved up to the microphone as Daniels stepped back. "My name is Ben Winchester. My dad is Dean Winchester. He went missing a couple of days ago. My Dad is the best. He's always there for me when I need him. He's there for my uncle when he needs him too. He raised me almost all on his own. He's the best dad I could possibly want or ask for and I want him back. I need my dad. Please…help me find him. He needs to come home. Dad, if you're watching this, please come home. I need you, Dad. I love you. Don't give up. Please."
When Ben's voice broke on the last word, Daniels stepped up next to him and rested a hand on his shoulder. Ben looked up at him and he motioned for Ben to go to his uncle, so he did. Daniels looked up at the cameras watching him. "Dean went missing outside of O'Malley's Bar two nights ago. It happened in a very short time frame so we know we're working with someone who knows what they're doing. We believe that he was taken by the same people who took Castiel Novak, Anna Fredricks, Zachariah Donohue, and several other people. Currently, Castiel and Dean are the only ones missing. The others have been found along the shore. Our time is running short for locating Castiel and Dean. We need your help. That little boy needs his father back. Please, if you notice anything suspicious or see either of the men who are missing, do not hesitate to call the police station and report it. Any help you could give us might just save their lives and return a father to his son. Thank you for all your help."
He stepped away from the microphone and walked away as Officer Lance stepped up. "We'll be distributing pictures of the missing men. We ask you spread the word as well as their pictures. Any publicity and you can give to this would be appreciated. Thank you."
SPN
Cas paused. "Dean…I think I hear someone coming."
Dean's head snapped up and he frantically tried to hide the evidence of their work. He stashed the spoon under his mattress and replaced the bricks into their proper places quickly. Just as he slid the last one into place, the door to his room flew open. There were three men, one standing point.
"Dean Winchester. You're coming with us."
Dean stood, but didn't approach them. "Why? What do you want with me?"
The one in front looked over his shoulder to the other two. "Grab him and take him to the main room."
They entered the room and made straight for him. Dean tried to resist, but one hissed in his ear. "Keep fighting and you never know what might happen to your friend in the other room."
His heart started slamming in his chest. He stopped resisting and allowed them to pull him from the room and down the hall. They were walking a little ways when the one who seemed to be in charge opened a door and they were in another room. This one looked relatively normal. It had a couch, a tv, a computer sitting on a desk, and a chair sitting in the middle of the large room. They thrust him into the chair and tied him to it so he didn't try anything.
Another door opened and a tall guy walked in. He looked over at Dean and smiled menacingly. "Dean Winchester. You've been causing trouble for us and you didn't even do anything."
Dean's brow furrowed. "What are you talking about? Who are you?"
"Oh, sorry about that. The name's Mark, but my associate's call me Lucifer. Rather fitting name, don't you think?"
Dean rolled his eyes. "What do you want from me?"
"Oh, nothing really. I just like the thrill of capturing people, torturing their minds as they sit in rooms all by themselves for days on end before I…terminate them. It's a game, really. One I rather enjoy."
Dean shook his head. "You're sick."
Mark smiled. "Why, thank you, Dean. I'm touched."
Dean narrowed his eyes at the man who'd kidnapped him. Who the hell was this guy? What was his problem? He had to have some kind of mental issue to think that was a complement and to seriously enjoy this game he was playing.
"So, Dean, aren't you just remotely curious as to why I had you brought from your room?"
"Sure, I'll play into your game."
Mark smiled wickedly again as he picked up the remote control and pointed it at the TV. "It seems your son had a message for you. I thought you might want to see it."
Dean's heart nearly stopped at the mention of his son. The TV turned on to a news channel that seemed to be repeating a story from earlier in the day. Dean watched, curious as to what was happening.
"We brought this story to you earlier today, but we thought it was important enough to show it to you again. It's the story of a little boy looking for his missing father."
It switched from a newswoman sitting behind a desk to footage of what looked like a police station. Ben was standing behind a podium with a police officer behind him.
"My name is Ben Winchester. My dad is Dean Winchester. He went missing a couple of days ago. My Dad is the best. He's always there for me when I need him. He's there for my uncle when he needs him too. He raised me almost all on his own. He's the best dad I could possibly want or ask for and I want him back. I need my dad. Please…help me find him. He needs to come home. Dad, if you're watching this, please come home. I need you, Dad. I love you. Don't give up. Please."
Dean's heart felt like it was shattering. He saw the pain in his son's eyes as they had locked onto the camera. It had been like he was in the room with him, talking to him. The police officer stepped back in front of the podium after sending Ben out of sight.
"Dean went missing outside of O'Malley's Bar two nights ago. It happened in a very short time frame so we know we're working with someone who knows what they're doing. We believe that he was taken by the same people who took Castiel Novak, Anna Fredricks, Zachariah Donohue, and several other people. Currently, Castiel and Dean are the only ones missing. The others have been found along the shore. Our time is running short for locating Castiel and Dean. We need your help. That little boy needs his father back. Please, if you notice anything suspicious or see either of the men who are missing, do not hesitate to call the police station and report it. Any help you could give us might just save their lives and return a father to his son. Thank you for all your help."
Dean's picture popped up on the screen next to a picture of Cas. Their names were below their pictures. The screen turned black and Mark set down the remote. "Now you see what you've done."
Dean swallowed, trying to regain his cool. "It's not my fault that I was taken from my son and now he's looking for me. The police are doing their job. They're looking for me. And I bet this time they'll succeed."
Mark's eyes narrowed. "I wouldn't be so sure about that, Dean. Your son just signed your death certificate. Soon enough, he'll be finding your body just like everyone else who's played my game. Time's almost up for you, Dean."
He looked up at his men. "Take him back to his room while I get ready."
They advanced on Dean, untying him and pulling him from the chair and out of the room. He was lead back the way he'd came and all by thrown into his room. Once the door was slammed shut and locked, he scrambled for the bricks and pulled them free. "Cas! We need to hurry."
Cas appeared by the hole. "What happened? Where did they take you?"
Dean ran for the spoon he'd hidden under the mattress, found it, and returned to the wall. "Into their main room. They showed me a news story. The police had my son on the news asking for help in finding me. Then a cop sent him into another room and told them where I disappeared from and asked for help in finding both of us. They posted pictures of us with our names."
Cas' eyes widened. "They had my picture up too?"
Dean nodded, "Yeah. I told you not to give up just yet, didn't I?"
Cas rolled his eyes and grabbed his own spoon. "Whatever, what did they do? Why did they show you that?"
Dean's hands stilled as he looked up at Cas. "The leader, Mark, he calls himself Lucifer. He said that my son just signed my death certificate. He said that my time's almost up. The only reason they sent me back here was so he could get ready. They're going to kill me, Cas. A lot sooner than they planned."
Stay tuned.
