Thanks to my friends Carla and Sheila for there help and also thanks to
everyone who reviewed. Jackie
Chapter 4 - Ready
Mary was pacing back and forth while she waited impatiently for Dean's safe return. Suddenly there was a knock at the door. Startled and overcome by emotion at the same time, Mary felt the tears begin to stream down her cheeks as she rushed to the front door and opened it.
She couldn't help but be surprised when she saw Missouri Mosley standing outside.
"It's so good to see you, Missouri!" Mary said as she hugged her.
"Oh Mary," Missouri said sympathetically, "I'm so sorry about Dean. He's missin' isn't he?"
Mary felt the tears begin to well up in her eyes again and just nodded her reply. "Missouri, do you know if he's all right or where he is?"
"I don't know but I wish I had the answers for you. You know I can only read minds and sense energies in a room. I'm not a magician." She shook her head sadly as Missouri's thoughts echoed Mary's. "Don't worry, it will be okay. John and Bobby, they won't stop until they find him," she tried to reassure Mary with a smile.
Time dragged slowly for Mary. Finally, it was late afternoon, when she heard the sound of the Impala pulling into the driveway.
Bobby and John got out of the car; both men exhausted from the long night spent searching for Dean. Bobby looked at John in concern. It was clear that worry over Dean's safety and the efforts of the search had taken a heavy toll on the man beside him.
"Look, John," Bobby pleaded, "We've searched everywhere for Dean and you're worn out. You need to get some rest."
John shook his head. "No, I will never rest Bobby, I can't -- not until we find Dean, not until I know that he's safe. I promised Mary."
"Let's just stop here for a little while, just to check in with Mary and maybe you can rest for a couple of minutes."
"Forget it!" John said adamantly. "I'm not going to rest, Bobby!" Then John stormed off, walked up to the front door and opened it with a jerk.
"Missouri? What the hell are you doing here?" John said in a shocked voice.
"John Winchester," the woman scolded in reply, "is that anyway to talk?"
His expression softened. "Sorry, Missouri. I'm just surprised to see you. You remember Bobby?"
She nodded politely. "It's good to see you again, Mr. Singer. Missouri said as she shook his hand.
"John!" Mary said anxiously. "What's going on? Why aren't you out there looking for Dean?"
We have been Mary; we've been looking all night. We just haven't had any luck," John said in a depressed voice. "But we'll find him soon, I know we will" he said encouragingly.
Bobby cleared his throat nervously. "Your husband is about to collapse, Mary. He needs to rest."
"Don't say that again, Bobby!" John replied sternly. I'm tellin' you for the last time, I will never rest until we find Dean."
Mary took John into her arms and hugged him tightly.
"Where's Sam, Mary?"
"He should be home from school anytime now. A friend of Dean's is bringing him home."
"That's all right." John replied. "As soon as Sam comes home we'll go out looking again."
Bobby nodded his head.
Mary gave Bobby and John a hard look. "This time, she said, "I'm coming with you. Sammy can stay here with Missouri." John started to say something but Mary stopped him when she continued to speak. "I know in my heart that we will find Dean tonight."
Later that night Dean was feeling very tired. Weak and ill from lack of food or water, Dean found that he had hardly enough energy to do anything.
His exhausted rest was interrupted when he heard his name loudly shouted.
Mad Dog unlocked Dean's cage. After he had untied the ropes and unlocked the handcuffs, he continued to shout at the injured man. "Get the hell up!"
Dean was so weak that he could barely move. An impatient Mad Dog motioned to Tyrone and Lester. The two gang members roughly seized Dean and threw him down on the ground.
Mad Dog reached down and grabbed Dean, hauling him to his feet.
Weak and staggering, a rattled Dean could hardly stand up.
"You're such a goddamn mess, Winchester!" Mad Dog said angrily. "Here," he continued, handing Dean a Satan's Knights jacket. "I want you to put this on and wear it proudly."
Dean stared and the grey jacket that had the gang's name emblazoned in bold, red letters on the back.
Dean's hesitation fueled Mad Dog's anger. "If you don't put it on, I'll blow your brains out!" Mad Dog threatened him in a harsh tone.
Dean just stood there. His life flashed before his eyes when Mad Dog took out a gun from his back pocket and stuck the barrel of the weapon in Dean's mouth. Just as Mad Dog was about to pull the trigger, Dean put the jacket on.
A sly grin spread across Mad Dog's face. "Now you're ready for the fight."
"Look, Mad Dog," Dean said in a shaky voice. "I'm in awful shape to be fighting in a gang war -- there's no way I can possibly fight!"
"If you think you're getting out of this you're wrong!" Mad Dog glared at him hatefully. "You're nothing but a sniveling coward!"
"You're the one who's wrong, Mad Dog," Dean spoke up boldly. "I know what this is all about. Why you're after me and my family - - because my family loves and cares about me and your family never did!"
Mad Dog glared at Dean. "My family is dead!" He let out a sadistic laugh.
"Hey, Mad Dog," Tyrone interrupted, "maybe you should tell him how your family died?"
"Later, maybe," Mad Dog replied. "If he's still alive. We've wasted enough time talking." Mad Dog gave the unsteady Dean a hard shove.
With Tyrone and Lester on each side of him, the two gang members forced Dean up the stairs as they headed to the fight with the rival gang the War Lords, a fight that could only be to the death.
TBC