Notes: Thank-you to Kaoz again for helping me with the Spanish in this chapter. Google-Translator can't always get slang or dialects right and can't put words in context properly, so a fluent friend is always a better way to go! :) Also, for those who haven't read my Tasha series, Sam never took that dive into the pit, he saved the world from Lucifer in an entirely different way, so Cas never healed Dean in the cemetery and therefore, Dean's handprint on his shoulder is still there in this series.
Previously: On their vacation in Mexico, Dean and Tasha hunt and kill an El Cadejo then get invited in to the mysterious Mr. Nikolas Theodorous's giant house. After a lovely meal and a tour of his art galleries, they are shown to their room to find a scene from a romance novel with a hundred lit candles and a four-posted bed. Thinking their host is just an extreme romantic trying to be gracious, and being Dean and Tasha, they take advantage of the setting and make love. Right in the middle of it, however, they freeze and turn to stone. Nikolas is suddenly there and tells them they are to be the centerpiece of his Essence of Life collection, a piece titled 'The Lovers'. Then Dean can't hear or see anything anymore.
Ten days later, with no word from them, Sam is getting worried and Cas realizes he can't find Dean, even with his angel senses. Dean and Tasha are just gone.
~O~
CHAPTER 4 - Following the Trail
"Cas, you okay?" Sam asked, his face furrowed in concern when he noticed the tiny sway.
The angel righted himself quickly and stiffened. "Of course. I brought both Dean and Tasha here, remember?"
The hunter resisted an eye roll. "I remember it wiping you out for two days." Cas was still getting used to his diminished angel powers after his grace was damaged last month amid all the chaos with Crowley, Eve, and the Campbells and had been reluctant to admit how much the simple transport two weeks ago had taken out of him. It would seem that hadn't changed.
"I'm fine."
Sam snorted as he took in their surroundings and blew out a breath at the wave of heat hitting his face. "Now you sound just like Dean," he commented dryly.
"The town to which they were headed is just a few minutes in this direction," Cas announced, marching purposefully along the single lane gravel road they were standing in. There was nothing to see but thick bushes and shrubbery on either side and blue, cloudless skies above.
Sam rushed to follow and sure enough, a cluster of small dwellings appeared in a dip around the second bend. Sam grew skeptical as they walked down the main road - make that the only road - in town. "This is where Tasha asked to go?"
Cas nodded, sporting his 'profoundly concerned' expression, which the Winchesters had determined exactly matched his 'highly concerned' expression and his 'completely confused' expression.
"Okay then," Sam sighed, his hands moving to his hips as he spun in a slow three-sixty. "Hmmm. Where to start."
His eyes fell on a small, concrete block building with a tin roof and a faded plywood sign outside that read 'CANTINA'. "Well, this is Dean we're looking for," he mumbled, heading immediately in that direction.
It was dark inside and it took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust. A dozen wooden tables were scattered through the room, all empty save one in the far corner that supported the head of the bar's lone occupant who looked suspiciously like he was sleeping or passed out. Hearing a noise from the room behind the counter, Sam leaned over it and called out a loud "Hello?". They waited a full five minutes before an older man sauntered out and gave them a curious look.
"Quivo guero?" the man greeted them, reaching for two shot glasses and a bottle of some amber liquid Sam thought looked more like urine than real liquor. He placed the glasses in front of the hunter and started pouring.
"Uh, no thanks, I'm not here to drink," Sam halted him. When the man kept pouring, he tried again in Spanish. "No, uh, yo no tomar." The guy just flashed him a grin and slid one of the glasses along the counter until it was in front of Cas.
"Treinta pesos."
"No, I..." Sam gave up and dug for his wallet with a sigh. "I'm looking for my brother and his girlfriend," he said, handing the guy an American five dollar bill while repeating the question in his somewhat-passable Spanish. He pulled up a picture of Tasha and Dean on his phone and showed it to the man.
"Ah, Natasha y Dean!" the man grinned, nodding his head.
Sam 's heart lifted at the good luck. "Yes. Si, si. Tu mirar los?"
The man started talking, his face a myriad of different expressions as he rambled on and on, far too fast for Sam to follow.
"Wait, wait, what?" Sam tried to keep up. "Slow down, alto, alto..."
"He says they were here," Cas cut in, translating effortlessly. "He says he rented them his house on the beach a couple of miles away and two... ciclomotor?"
"I think he means scooters," Sam explained, urging Cas to continue. "Or mo-peds. Bicycles with little motors."
"Ah." Cas nodded in understanding before continuing to translate as the man spoke. "They apparently wrecked one of them. He says he liked Dean and Natasha very much but they owe him seven hundred pesos."
"Tell him I'll pay it if he knows where they are now."
Cas repeated the offer in perfect, fluent Spanish then furrowed his brow at the answer. "They left without letting him know ten days ago. He believes it was because of the damaged scooter. He says they dropped the scooters behind the bar and got a ride to Palenque with Eduardo. They left nothing but a few articles of clothing in the beach house and..."
Sam cut him off. "I got the last bit," he frowned. "He said he hasn't seen them since." He pulled fifty more American dollars from his wallet and handed them to the bartender. "For the busted ciclomotor. Where can I find Eduardo? Donde Eduardo?"
The bartender took the money and pocketed it quickly before flashing Sam another friendly grin and pointing to the man hunched over at the table in the corner. "Eduardo."
Sam wasted no time in marching over and shaking the man's shoulder. Cas was a few seconds behind him, having taken the time to lift the shot glass of yellow liquid and eye it curiously before downing it. He was still wearing a grimace of displeasure when he came to stand beside the anxious hunter.
"You awake? Um, arriba you? Um, tu. Hey, necessitar question, uh, preguntar."
"I speak English," the man replied groggily.
"Oh good. Listen, about ten days ago you drove my brother and his girlfriend to Palenque. Where exactly did you take them? Where were they going?"
"Who?"
"My brother. Dean. Dean and Natasha."
Eduardo laughed heartily. "Dean! That crazy gringo can't hold his liquor."
Cas frowned. "Actually, it is my understanding Dean has quite a high tolerance for the consumption of alcohol."
"Maybe in America. He's in Mexico now, mi amigo."
"Where exactly did you take them? Where were they going?" Sam repeated his questions impatiently.
"Dropped them in Palenque but they were going on to Bonampak."
"The ruins?"
Eduardo nodded.
"Can you drive us there?" Sam didn't want to use up Cas's limited angel mojo by blipping around unnecessarily. They may need it later. Besides, it was better to follow the route the missing couple had taken as closely as they could. Couldn't afford to miss a clue when they had so little to go on.
Eduardo looked reluctant as he glanced down at his half-empty drink on the table.
Sam pulled out another hundred dollars, mentally scolding Dean for the expensive process this rescue was turning out to be.
Eduardo grunted but took the money and rose to his feet. "I can't take you into the jungle. You'll have to take a bus or get one of the local drivers to take you the last few miles to the ruins."
Sam nodded eagerly, pushing aside the worry about this man's ability to drive as Eduardo staggered slightly on his way to the door.
~O~
They made it without crashing but Sam and Cas were unable to get much more helpful information out of their driver during the six-hours they spent cramped in the front of his 1970's Ford pick-up. Eduardo informed them he had dropped Dean and Tasha off at the cab stand at the crossroads where people could hire a driver to take them into the jungle to the ruins. He let Sam and Cas out at the same place and drove away.
The pair started asking around, showing a picture of Dean and Tasha that Sam had on his phone, and soon found someone who recognized them. The lady running the small store there told them a local named Tat K'in had taken them into Bonampak. Unfortunately, Tat K'in wasn't around today and nobody knew where to find him or how to get a hold of him. Apparently he only offered his shuttle services every now and again and wasn't a regular.
Finding his search had hit another dead end, Sam hired a kid who couldn't have been more than sixteen to drive him and Cas to the ruins. They walked around Bonampak looking for any sign of the missing pair, including indications of a fight or a struggle or even frigging M&M's in the grass.
Nothing.
"Let's head back into town," Sam sighed. "Try sniff up a lead from there."
Cas looked annoyed. "This process is frustratingly slow," he snapped.
"This is hunting, Cas. Tracking down clues and following leads one at a time. Welcome to my life."
"Unless we can find this Tat K'in, we are at a dead end."
"Nope, not necessarily. If we can't find Dean, we find what he was after. We follow the hunt."
"The El Cadejo."
"Right. Bobby admitted Dean thought there might be one doing some killing around here. The information on the killings and disappearances was limited so what would have been Dean's first move to solve this hunt?"
"Impersonating an officer of the law," Cas replied promptly, looking pleased with himself. "He does that quite frequently."
Sam laughed. "Dean wouldn't exactly pass for a Mexican Federale. The only Spanish he knows is Hasta la Vista, baby."
"Tasha would pass."
"Bobby said Dean was trying to keep the hunt on the DL."
"DL?"
"Down low. A secret. Tasha would have been pissed."
Cas arched his eyebrows in apparent agreement. "Yes, it is unpleasant to be on her bad side."
"Good thing we don't have to worry about that," Sam chuckled. "We'll go in as US Marshalls down here in an unofficial capacity. Let's just hope the cops here like Americans."
"I don't have a false identification badge," Cas pointed out.
"No sweat, Cas. I brought an extra of Dean's. Let's get to Palenque. Twenty minutes and a photo booth and I'll turn you into Deputy US Marshal Bonham."
~O~
Three hours later, US Marshals Bonham and Plant were standing in the office of Comisario Alonso, being given what little information was available on the recent killings and disappearances. Sam was surprised to find the young commissioner so cooperative until it was divulged that two of the dead men and three of the missing were American citizens. Apparently American authorities had been informed but not much interest had been taken. Of the five Americans, four had criminal records and the fifth had been living off the grid for over a decade.
To Sam, that suggested they were hunters. Probably came here hunting the El Cadejo… just like Dean.
"We need to narrow down the area," he told the Alonso, spreading his map on the cluttered desk. "Can you show me the exact locations of the killings and where the missing people were last seen?"
Alonso nodded and pointed to a spot on a narrow road deep in the Lacandon Jungle. "We traced most of the missing men to the Lacandon jungle but two of the bodies were found here just a month apart. They weren't killed there though. The bodies were dumped."
Sam jerked his head up. "Dumped? An animal wouldn't dump a body."
Alonso just shrugged. "The third was found here, right at the front gates of Señor Theodorous hacienda." He pointed to a spot along the road even deeper into the jungle. "A local from one of the villages was driving by when Señor Theodorous and his man, Tat K'in, came out to see what the noise was. The American man was already dead but nobody saw anything."
"Tat K'in?" In his line of work, Sam rarely believed in coincidences. "Is that a common name around here?"
Alonso shook his head. "Not particularly."
Cas asked his first question. "Who is Señor Theodorous?"
"He lives in a hacienda deep in the jungle. Keeps to himself. He has money, lots of money, but he does a lot for the local people in the villages through the church so they don't bother him. I hear he's an artist or something."
Sam thanked the commissioner as he folded up his map. Outside, he turned to Cas.
"I hate to do this to you but we need to get to that house in the jungle and nobody's going to drive us there this late. Think you can… you know, zap us there?"
"Of course."
The Earth tilted and before he could suck in a breath, Sam found himself standing on a dirt road in front of a large, iron gate, trees all around blocking out the light of the setting sun.
"This the house?" he asked, trying to keep his voice even as his stomach settled.
Cas nodded. "It is the only house for miles in either direction. Do we sneak in?" He looked upwards and arched an eyebrow. "Scale the wall?"
"You're getting as bad as Dean," Sam laughed. "Let's try the doorbell first. We just want to talk to the guy."
He rang the buzzer on the gatepost and stood still through the responding silence. He rang a second time and a third with still no response. He groaned. "Okay, we scale the wall."
Another tilt and they were standing on the front porch. Cas staggered sideways a couple of steps as Sam got his bearings again.
"A little warning next time," the hunter grumbled.
"Sorry."
"Never mind. But we could've climbed the wall, you know. You need to conserve your mojo in case we need it later when we find them."
Cas didn't reply and Sam looked around to see what had the angel's attention. The railing around the porch was made entirely with marble carvings of snakes. It was nothing short of amazing. Sam whistled quietly.
"It would seem the Comisario was correct," Cas deadpanned. "Señor Theodorous must be an artist."
"A damn good one," Sam breathed. "Explains how he can afford this giant house."
When there was no reply to the doorbell, he picked the lock on the front door and the two of them stepped inside. They wandered through room after room, trying to be as quiet as possible.
"Exactly what are we looking for?" Cas finally asked in a hushed voice. "Do we suspect this man had anything to do with Dean and Tasha's disappearance?"
Sam shrugged. "Not really. But we're low on leads so this is all we have right now. The only body not dumped was found here and this guy's employee, Tat K'in, met Dean and Tash."
"It seems more likely this man just happens to live in the El Cadejo's current hunting ground," Cas offered. "As highly reclusive as this man is reported to be, he might be willing to dump bodies he found nearby in an effort to maintain his privacy."
"Yeah, I know," Sam agreed, giving the angel a friendly shoulder nudge. "See, we'll make a hunter out of you yet, Cas. Just look for anything out of the ordinary or anything that could be related to the supernatur… whoa."
He lost his words when Cas swung a set of mahogany doors open to reveal two marble carvings of mountain lions suspended from the ceiling by cables.
"That is impressive," Cas said flatly.
They made their way through the hallway, which was lined with carvings of various animals, all made from a very pure-looking, almost white marble. Sam was amazed at the level of detail and couldn't help but admire each piece despite the urgency of the mission. The butterflies in the case near the end were so thin and delicate he began to suspect they might actually be fakes. Surely nobody was that good.
"This guy's work is exquisite," he admitted to Cas. "If they were out this way, I hope Tasha got to see this. She would love it."
Cas tilted his head and paused as he reached for the door handle at the far end of the hall. "Just Tasha? You do not think your brother would appreciate the artwork?"
Sam snorted. "Dean's idea of art is glitter on a stripper."
Cas looked like he was about to refute the comment but stopped then gave a simple nod of agreement.
"Essence of Life Gallery." Sam read the sign on the doors before Cas pulled one open. "Sounds intriguing. Can't wait to see what he's got in there."
He couldn't help his sharp intake of breath when he discovered the essence of Life Gallery was sculptures of people. If Theodorous was this talented with animal carvings, Sam was excited to see what he could do with the human form as his muse.
His eyes scanned the room quickly, noticing five or six sculptures placed around the perimeter, interspersed with as many empty bases, and one sculpture in the center of the room. He was about to start on the left when recognition struck him and he gasped out loud as his head spun back around and his gaze fixed on the sculpture in the middle. It looked like... it couldn't be... but wow it sure looked like...
He strode right up to it, his insides twisting and knotting in confusion and trepidation. Cas was right next to him, eyebrows arched in a display of interest and amusement.
"What the Hell...?" was all Sam could mutter when he was close enough to confirm the pair of humans in the middle sculpture looked exactly like Dean and Tasha. The sudden realization they were naked and having sex elicited a strangled cry from his throat and he involuntarily took a sharp step backwards.
"What the Hell...?" he repeated, trying to negotiate the creep factor rising within him to find a rational explanation for this.
"Fascinating," said Cas calmly, his deep voice sounding truly impressed. "The Lovers," he read the sign aloud. "The artist has certainly titled his work aptly."
Sam made a small, noncommittal grunt in reply, finding he couldn't tear his eyes away from the carving no matter how badly he wanted to. 'Dean' was on his knees with 'Tasha' straddling him, the bedsheet tangled around their lower limbs and feet. Tasha was leaning back slightly which, to Sam's extreme discomfort, blatantly exposed her breasts, taut nipples and all. Her expression was disturbingly evident as part-lust and part-love as she looked directly into Dean's gaze with eyes that should by all rights appear blank and emotionless in their whiteness. One of Dean's hands was cupping her face while the other gripped low on her hip, the veins in the bicep of that arm rippling in an astoundingly detailed show of movement. His gaze was equally adoring. Sam didn't dare look down between them to confirm but he was fairly sure from the closeness of their bottom halves that 'Little Dean' was fully sheathed and not visible. Not that that gave him any relief from the extreme awkwardness of staring at a life-size sculpture of his brother having sex.
Cas turned to Sam. "Well this does at least answer the question of whether Señor Theodorous has crossed paths with Dean and Tasha. The likeness is too great to be coincidence and too much to have generated from a photo. He must have spent some time with them to be able to sculpt them to this level of detail."
"Too much detail," Sam managed, trying to keep his eyes on the upper half of the sculpture.
Cas turned to face him. "This is a clue, is it not?"
"Yeah, but..." Sam watched as Cas stepped forward, leaning in to get a closer look at Dean's torso.
"Here is the scar Dean bears where I gripped him to pull him from Hell," the angel stated, sounding curious as he lifted a hand to run his fingers over the handprint-shaped scar on Dean's upper arm. He frowned then and moved his fingers to Dean's chest, feathering them over a series of blemishes in the marble, small spots of color.
"Yeah, that's just all kinds of uncomfortable," Sam muttered from where he watched a few feet back.
"These spots appear too symmetrical to be random. Are they supposed to be scars also?" Cas asked absently. "They look like clawmarks. Dean did not have those when he left for Mexico."
Sam shifted uneasily on his feet. "Uh, I dunno, Cas."
The angel tilted his head sideways as he moved his face in to hover just an inch from where Tasha's hand was draped over Dean's shoulder. "This is remarkable," he exclaimed, one hand resting on the base just inches from Dean's bare ass. "Tasha's ring is so detailed, the Enochian symbols Dean etched into it for her are a perfect match."
Sam cleared his throat. "Dude, can you, you know, not stare quite so close. You're enjoying this a little too much, man. It's kind of creeping me out."
Cas retracted his hand and tilted his head curiously. "This is just a chunk of stone, Sam, carved in the likeness of your brother and Tasha."
"I know that. It's just…"
"Ah. You are uncomfortable because they are fornicating."
"Jesus!" Sam ran his hand through his hair. "No…well, yes but… no, Cas, the handprint, the scars… Theodorous couldn't have known about them unless…"
"Unless he saw them naked."
"Exactly. I mean, Dean's got a few kinks, I'm sure, but posing in the middle of…" he gestured with his hand.
"Fornication," Cas supplied.
Sam shuddered. "Right. Anyway, Dean would never pose naked for the guy. Especially with Tash. So this guy's either got hidden cameras or… or I dunno. Worse. This is creeping me out in... in a way I've never been creeped out before. Not when it comes to Dean."
Cas frowned. "And this still doesn't explain where they are now."
Sam pulled his gun from his jeans, glad to shift his focus off the incredible piece of art that was both beautiful and sickening at the same time. "We're gonna ask Michael-fucking-angelo that question as soon as he gets home."
Cas straightened up and pulled his lips into a slight smirk. "Now who is sounding just like Dean?"
~O~
Sorry about the delay... hope you had as much fun as I did picturing Sam walking in on that, lol. Thanks for reading and please review :)
