Chapter Four: Running to Stand Still
"So, Dad was checking out this two-lane blacktop outside of Jericho, California. About a month ago this guy," Dean started as we were driving towards Jericho explaining the situation to Sam. Dean opened up the front compartment and passed Sam a folder. "They found his car but he'd vanished, completely MIA."
"Maybe he was kidnapped?" Sam suggested.
"Yeah, well, here's another one in April, and another one in December '04, '03, '98, '93. Ten of them over the past twenty years, all men, all same five mile stretch of road. Started happening more and more so Dad went to go dig around, which was three weeks ago, as you know," I retorted.
"Why didn't you guys go with him?" Sam asked.
"We were working our own gig. A voodoo thing down in New Orleans." Dean responded.
"Dad let you guys on a hunting trip by yourselves?" Sam asked.
"I'm twenty six dude," Dean scoffed. "And Mr. Sunshine back there is nineteen."
"Bite me, Dean," I growled.
I fell asleep again and the next time I woke up we were in a gas station. I yawned and stretched. Sam was sitting out of the passenger seat with Dean's box of cassette tapes on his lap. I rolled my eyes and got out of the car.
"Aiden, where are you going?" Sam asked.
"Taking a piss," I answered.
"Aiden!" Dean shouted.
"What?" I grumbled.
"Either of you want breakfast?" Dean asked.
"Yeah," I replied.
When I came back Dean was coming out of the mini-mart with a few breakfast bars and juice in his hands. He tossed some to me as I climbed back into the car..
"How'd you pay for that stuff?" Sam asked. "You guys still running credit card scams?"
"Yeah, well, hunting ain't exactly a pro-ball career. Besides, all we do is apply it's not our fault they send us the cards." Dean smirked.
"What names did you write on the application this time?" Sam asked.
"Bert Aframian and his sons, Hector and David," Dean replied. "Scored three cards out of that deal."
"Sounds about right," Sam smiled. "I swear man; you gotta update your cassette-tape collection."
"Why?" Dean muttered.
"Well for one they're cassette tapes, and two?" Sam teased. "Black Sabbath? Motorhead? Metallica? It's the greatest hits of mullet rock."
Dean snatched the Metallica tape out of Sam's hand and shoved it into the cassette player, "House rules, Sammy. Driver picks the music, shotgun shuts his cakehole."
"You know Sammy is a chubby twelve year old, " Sam muttered. "It's Sam, okay?"
"Sorry, can't hear you the music's too loud!" Dean smirked pumping up the music.
Sam pouted and crossed his arms, which caused me to laugh as I put my feet up near Sam's head and waited for us to get into Jericho. Sam glared at my foot but I kept it where it was until Dean smacked them and told me that I knew better then to treat his baby that way. That was when I rolled my eyes and put my feet back down. We had only been in Jericho for five minutes when we saw all the cop cars by the bridge.
"There's no one matching dad at the hospital or morgue," Sam informed us.
"That's helpful," I snarked. "We knew he wasn't dead, Sammy."
"What the fuck is your problem, Aiden?" Sam demanded turning in his seat to glare at me.
"You really gotta ask?" I laughed. "And here I thought college boys were supposed to be smart."
"Hey!" Dean snapped stopping what would be a full-blown argument between Sam and I. "Check it out."
Sam and I look angrily at Dean as he points out of the cop cars and the yellow police tape. Dean leafed through our box of IDs before throwing one back at me and handing Sam one while he pocketed his. We walked over to the car that was parked in the middle of the bridge that currently had two cops looking at it from top to bottom.
"You had another one just like this last month, didn't ya?" Dean asked.
"Who are you?" One of the policemen asked.
"Federal Marshals," Dean smirked.
"You three are a little young for Marshals, aren't you?" The cop responded.
"He's an intern," Dean replied jerking a finger towards me. "Get me some coffee."
I narrowed my eyes before I bumped into Dean pick pocketing his keys as I moved away from the crime scene.
"You did have another just like this correct?" Sam asked.
"Yeah, about a mile up the road." The cop answered. "There have been other before that."
"So this victim, you knew him?" Sam questioned.
"In a town like this everybody knows everybody," The cop sighed.
"Any connections between the victims besides that they're all men?" Dean asked.
"No, not so far as we can tell."
"So, what's the theory?" Sam asked
"Honestly?" The cop muttered. "We don't know. Serial murder? Kidnapping ring?"
"Well, that is exactly the kind of crack police work I'd expect out of you guys," Dean smirked.
I heard Sam stomp on Dean's foot and I bit back a laugh as I leaned on the impala.
"Thank you for your time," Sam smiled. "Gentleman."
I watched as Sam stepped away and walked towards me with Dean fast approaching. The hand that landed upside Sam's head was like clockwork.
"Ow!" Sam squawked. "What was that for?"
"Why'd you have to step on my foot?" Dean demanded.
"Why do you have to talk to police like that?" Sam retorted.
"Come on. They don't really know what's going on. We're all alone on this. I mean if we're gonna find dad we've gotta get to the bottom of this thing ourselves," Dean growled.
They stopped in their approach when the sheriff and two more feds came on the scene. They quickly hightailed it over to the car only stopping when Dean patted his jeans and his jacket.
"Where are my keys?" Dean demanded.
"What?" Sam asked. "You had them."
"Aiden!" Dean snapped glaring at me angrily.
"Yes, big brother?" I smirked.
"Give me my fucking car keys," Dean ordered harshly.
"What's the magic word?" I grinned.
"Aiden, I swear to god I will kill you," Dean growled.
I rolled my eyes and tossed him the keys, which he used to unlock the door.
"You are so lucky we're in a public place, buddy boy," Dean muttered.
We drove over to where we heard the latest victims girlfriend was hanging up missing posters. Dean parked the car and we all got out walking until we saw two girls one of which was hanging up a poster under a marquee.
"I'll bet you that's her," Dean whispered.
"Yeah."
We walked up to the girl and she tried to hide the fact that she jumped as she glanced at the three of us cautiously.
"You must be Amy," Dean smiled.
"Yeah?" Amy replied.
"Troy told us about you, were his uncles. I'm Dean, this is Sammy, and this is Aiden," Dean introduced.
"He never mentioned you to me," Amy shrugged.
"Well that's Troy, I guess. We're not around much; we're up in Modesto," Dean responded.
"So we're looking for him too, and we're kind of asking around," I prodded/
" Hey, are you okay?" A girl asked Amy.
"Yeah," Amy responded shooting her friend a questioning glance.
"Do you mind if we ask you a couple questions?" Sam asked politely.
The two girls lead us down the street to a nearby diner. When we were all situated with some coffee we asked Amy what had happened.
" I was on the phone with Troy. He was driving home. He said he would call me right back, and he never did," Amy sniffled.
" He didn't say anything strange or out of the ordinary?" Sam questioned.
"No, nothing I can remember," Amy whimpered.
"I like your necklace," Sam said trying to put the young girl at ease.
"Troy gave it to me. Mostly to scare my parents with all that devil stuff," Amy smirked holding the pentacle lightly between her fingers.
"Actually, it means just the opposite. A pentagram is protection against evil, really powerful. I mean, if you believe in that kind of thing," Sam corrected.
" Okay, thank you Unsolved Mysteries," Dean rolled his eyes, "here's the deal ladies…the way Troy disappeared something's not right. So if you've heard anything…"
We all caught the look Amy and her friend exchanged.
"What is it?" We all ask at once.
"Well, its just with all these guys going missing, people talk," Amy's friend shrugged.
"What do they talk about?" We asked again.
"It's kind of this local legend. This one girl, she got murdered out on Centennial like decades ago. Well, supposedly she's still out there. She hitchhikes, and whoever picks her up, well, they disappear forever," The girl explained.
We left the diner a short while after that, especially since we got what we needed. We had the local legend now all we had to do was research the archives. We were at the local library when dean and Sam started fighting over the computer. Sam pushed Dean's chair causing him to roll away from the computer. Dean punched Sam in the shoulder but Sam had just gotten a hit. There was a suicide, not a murder. That lead us to the bridge we were on this morning. There were blockades keeping people from driving through it but Sam and I moved them so that Dean could park.
" So this is where Constance took the swan dive," Dean replied closing the door to the impala.
"You think dad would have been here?" Sam asked
"He's chasing the same story and we're chasing him," I shrugged.
"Okay, so now what?" Sam demanded.
"Now we keep digging till we find him," Dean answered. His voice was clipped and my shoulder's tensed. "It might take a while."
"Dean, I told you, I've gotta get back by…"
"Monday," Dean rolled his eyes, "right, the interview."
"Yeah," Sam responded.
"Yeah, I forgot. You're really serious about this aren't you? You think you're just gonna become some lawyer? Marry your girl?" Dean grumbled.
"Maybe," Sam replied defensively, "why not?"
"Does Jessica know the truth about you? I mean, does she know about the things you've done?" Dean retorted.
"No and she's not ever going to know," Sam hissed.
"That's healthy. You can pretend all you want, Sammy. But sooner or later you're going to have to face up to who you really are," Dean shrugged walking further down the bridge. I walked behind him cautiously. I sensed a fight and if my brothers' were anything to go by it would explode soon and fast.
"Who is that?" Sam demanded.
"One of us," Dean grinned.
"No, I'm not like you," Sam snapped. "This is not going to be my life."
"You've got a responsibility," Dean growled.
"To dad and his crusade? If it weren't for pictures I wouldn't even know what mom looks like. Do you really think I still remember her? Sam yelled. "And what about you, Aiden? Why are you so loyal to the cause? If I didn't remember Mom neither would you."
"I want to find the thing that killed her, Sam," I shrugged. I don't want anyone to go through what we did."
"What difference would it make? Even if we do find the thing that killed her, mom's gone, and she isn't coming back," Sam growled.
Before I could respond Dean had grabbed Sam by the shirt and slammed him against one of the bridge supports.
"Dean!" I shouted. I had never seen Dean physically threaten either of us at least never in an argument like this.
"Don't talk about her like that," Dean warned.
"Dean?" I called.
I think it was the tone of my voice that alerted both Dean and Sam to the fact that something was wrong. They followed my line of sight to where a woman was standing on the railing looking down at the water. Suddenly she looks over at us before falling off the bridge. We all run over and look down but there was no sign of movement in the water or the telltale splash of her going into the water.
"Where'd she go?" Dean demanded.
"I don't know," Sam replied.
We all were at a lose for words. Just when things couldn't get any weirder Dean's car started up.
"What the…" Dean yelped
"Who's driving your car?" I asked
Dean reached into his pocket and pulled out his keys to show that no one could be driving the car. But it was obvious that something was as it charged down the bridge coming straight toward us. Sam, Dean, and I started running an when it became obvious that we would never out run the car we dove off the side. I missed the railing by a fraction of an inch but Sam snagged my wrist, keeping me from plummeting to the ground. Sam peaked over the railing and once he figured that the spirit was gone. Sam allowed me to use him as a rope to get back onto the bridge. I leaned over the side offering Sam a hand.
"Where's Dean?" I asked.
I panic slightly as Sam turns to look at the churning water below.
"Dean! Dean!" Sam and I shout.
"What?" Dean snapped sounding really annoyed.
"Hey, are you all right?" Sam asked
I cover a laugh as Dean scurries out of the water. He is completely covered in mud.
"I'm super," Dean snarked.
"How are we gonna get him up here?" I asked Sam. Realizing that this was probably the most I've said to him since he came with us.
"I don't know," Sam frowned shooting another glance at Dean who was able to stand up for a second before slipping and falling back into the mud.
"That's gross, dude," I grimaced.
"Get rope, you idiots!" Dean yelled.
"Oh, right," I barked a laugh.
Sam went and got the rope and together we pulled Dean back onto the bridge. The first thing Dean did when he was back on the bridge was glare at Sam and I before going over to the impala to see if she was okay.
"Car all right?" Sam asked
"Yeah whatever she did to it, it seems all right now," Dean fumed. "That Constance chick. What a bitch!"
"Well she doesn't want us digging around, that's for sure," Sam said "So where's the trail go from here, genius?"
"You smell like a toilet," I interjected sitting on the other side of Sam.
"Shut the fuck up," Dean growled. "Let's get a motel room."
There was only one freaking hotel room in this stupid town. But that would mean that Dad stayed here too. That was confirmed by the manager running the desk who asked if we were having a reunion. We just smiled and got a room before doubling back to the room that was Dad's. I crouched down and quickly picked the lock on the door before going inside. Sam came in after me and Dean was apparently still playing lookout because Sam smirked before grabbing him by the back of the jacket and pulling him into the room. I glanced around the room. To say that it was a mess would be an understatement. The bed was unmade and there were pictures and newspaper articles covering the walls.
"Whoa," Sam muttered.
"I dont think he's been here for a couple days, at least," Dean sighed.
"Salt, cats-eye shells. He was worried. Trying to keep something from coming in," I whispered.
"Centennial Highway victims. I dont get it. I mean different men, different jobs, ages, ethnicities. There's always a connection, right?" Dean mumbled. looking at the different Missing person flyers. "What do these guys have in common?"
"Dad figured it out," Sam stated pointing at a different article. I squinted and saw the words Woman in White.
"What do you mean?" Dean asked
"He found the same article we did. Constance Welch, she's a woman in white," Sam explained.
"You sly dogs. All right, so if we're dealing with a woman in white, Dad would have found the corpse and destroyed it," Dean grinned.
"She could have had another weakness," I shrugged.
"No, dad would want to make sure, he'd dig her up," Dean shook his head, "does it say where she's buried?"
"No, not that I can tell. If I were dad though, I'd go ask her husband. If he's still alive," Sam shrugged.
"All right, why don't you see if you can find an address," Dean ordered. I'm gonna get cleaned up."
"Hey Dean," Sam shouted after Dean as he moved toward the bathroom. Dean turned slightly looking at Sam, "what I said earlier, about Mom and Dad, I'm sorry."
"No chick flick moments." Dean ordered.
"All right, jerk," Sam snapped smirk in place.
"Bitch," Dean scoffed.
I started laughing and looked in apprehension and both Dean and Sam looked at me. They looked at each other and then turned to me once more and said, "Runt."
"I'm taller then both of you, jerks," I muttered.
"You're still the youngest," Dean shrugs going into the bathroom.
"He's got you there, Aiden," Sam laughed.
"You guys suck," I pouted dropping onto the bed.
I was flipping through channels as Sam was checking his voicemail. Realizing quickly there was nothing on TV I got even more bored. I sighed as I continued to flip through the channels trying to find something decent to watch. Sam sighed and moved to the other side of the bed watching the shows with partial interest.
"Aiden," Sam whispered.
"What?" I asked.
"Why are you so mad at me?" Sam asked.
"You never answer when either of us call you," I retorted. "And you promised you would."
"Aiden," Sam sighed.
"No, Sammy, you don't turn your back on family," I interrupted. "We're always going to be here."
Sam was saved from answering that because at that moment Dean came out of the bathroom having changed into clean clothing.
"Guys, I'm starving. I'm gonna grab a little something to eat at that diner down the street," Dean announced. "You want anything?"
"Burger," I replied.
"No thanks," Sam said.
"That's right, Sammy here has to watch his figure," I teased.
"Man, shut up," Sam growled.
It seemed that Dean had only been gone a minute when Sam's phone began to ring. He glanced at the screen before answering it. I heard the conversation because it was on speakerphone.
"What?" Sam questioned.
"Dude, five-o take off," Dean ordered.
I stood up and glanced out of the window. I saw two cops approaching Dean and gesturing towards the room. He had gotten caught. Sam had confirmed what I thought.
"What about you?" Sam asked.
"Uh, they kind of spotted me. Go find dad." Dean said before disconnecting the line.
I rolled my eyes moving quickly to the window in the bathroom and pulling it open. I climbed out of it and waited for Sam to climb out too. We went around to the back of the motel and hid until the cops were gone. It was decided that Sam would talk to Mr. Welch while I try to get dean out of his arrest. It took me a while to figure it out before I placed a fake 911-phone call. I was walking back towards the motel when Dean pulled up along side me in a stolen car. Not that I was surprised I mean Sam had the impala.
"Fake 911 phone call Aiden?" Dean laughed. "Get in the car."
"What's up, Dean?" I asked.
"Dad's not here," Dean replied. "Call Sam."
I rolled my eyes and dialed Sam's number. He answered on the second ring.
"We're are dealing with a woman in white," Sam said.
"Well, hello to you to, Sammy," I rolled my eyes, "listen…"
"She's buried behind her old house. So that should have been Dad's next stop." Sam continued.
"Sammy would you shut up for a second," Dean growled snatching the phone right out of my hand.
"I just cant figure out why he hasn't destroyed the corpse yet," Sam continued completely oblivious.
"Well that's what I'm trying to tell you," Dean groaned. He's gone. Dad left Jericho."
"What?" Sam asked, "how do you know?"
"I've got his journal," Dean responded.
"He doesn't go anywhere without that," Sam gasped.
"That's what we've been trying to tell you!" Dean and I shouted.
"Well, what's it say?" Sam asked.
"Same old ex-marine crap when he wants to let us know where he's going," Dean muttered.
"Where are the coordinates to? Sam asked.
"I'm not sure yet," Dean muttered.
"I dont understand, I mean what could be so important that dad would just skip out in the middle of a job? Dean, what the hell is going on? Sam demanded before suddenly shouting, "WHOA!"
"Sam?" Dean growled. "Sam!"
The phone line disconnects and Dean guns the car he stole. I reiterated the directions to the old Welch home and we came just in time to hear Sam's screams. Dean runs out of the car with a gun at the ready. By the time I skidded to his side the ghost had disappeared and Sam was driving the car into the house only saying, "I'm taking you home!"
"Sam!" I shouted moving through the suddenly broken house as Dean watched my back, gun at the ready.
"Sam! You okay?" Dean asked.
"I think so," Sam grumbled.
"Can you move?" Dean questioned.
"Yeah," Sam grunted before thinking about it, "help me."
Dean reaches into the impala pulling Sam towards to the window and helping him out. I helped Dean lift Sam out of the car. He was a lot more heavy then he looked. We all turned around when we were heard the sound of glass breaking. Constance had dropped the picture she was holding before moving out of the way of the dresser and sending it straight into the three of us.
We were pinned to the front of the car without any of us able to push it away. She couldn't do anything before the house was suddenly filled with the sound of running water. I watched intrigued as suddenly two children appeared in front of Constance and grab her into a hug. The spirits energies must have cancelled each other out because there was only a puddle left on the ground when the light had disappeared.
"So this is where she drowned her kids?" Dean nodded.
"That's why she could never go home. She was too scared to face them," Sam sighed.
"You found her weak spot," Dean grinned, "nice work Sammy."
"I wish I could say the same for you. What were you thinking shooting Casper in the face, you freak?" Sam teased.
"Hey, saved your ass," Dean retorted. "I'll tell you another thing. If you screwed up my car, I'll kill you."
"Yeah, whatever, can we get out of here before the cops find us?" I asked.
Sam and Dean looked at me and before I knew it I was under some older brother retribution as I was tickled mercilessly.
"Damn it!" I howled, laughing hysterically. "Dean stop!"
"What's the magic word, Aiden?" Dean demanded.
"Uncle?" I squeaked as his fingers brushed along my rib.
"How about I'll never steal your car keys again?" Sam teased.
"Okay, okay!" I groaned. "I give."
"Good," Dean smirked. "Now let's get out of here. Stop fooling around."
Sam and I looked at each other before glaring at Dean. He raised a hand. "Don't even think about it, you two."
Sam and I rolled our eyes and helped Dean get the impala out of the house and before we realized it we were close to Palo Alto. I sighed listening to my older brothers bicker about why Sam was going back. Part of me understood but the majority of me still felt betrayed. And yet I still wanted Sam to be happy. Talk about a double-edged sword.
"Okay here's where Dad went." Sam announced, "it's called Blackwater Ridge, Colorado."
"Sounds charming." Dean snorted. "How far?"
"About 600 miles." Sam shrugged.
"If we shag ass we can make it by morning." Dean announced.
"The interview's in 10 hours, I gotta be there." Sam whispered.
"Yeah. Yeah, whatever. I'll take you home."
The car ride was more tense then it had been before and I felt Dean speed up a little. We were in ten minutes and Sam got out of the car turning back towards us.
"You'll call me if you find him?" Sam asked.
We both nodded and we both watched him get into his apartment before beginning to drive away. It had to have been five minutes at the most before I suddenly felt an intense heat and I felt pain, lots of pain. I gasped and Dean stomped down on the brake.
"Aiden?" Dean asked. "Dude, you okay?"
"Sam," I whispered. "We have to go back."
Dean looked at me in confusion but did as I was told quickly turning around and racing towards Sammy's apartment. Dean had barely stopped the car before I was out and racing towards the apartment.
"Aiden!" Dean shouted. "Aiden, stop!"
I was wrenched to a stop by Dean's hand on my shoulder.
"Stay here," Dean ordered.
I must've looked as mutinous as I felt because he sent me a firm glare before moving towards the apartment. I was pacing back and forth shooting nervous glances at the window that Dean had climbed through only days before. When a ball of flame flew out the window I dropped to my knees, hands over my ears wincing in pain.
"Aiden," I heard a voice whisper seconds before Dean roughly pulling Sam out of the apartment. Dean grabbed my by my shirt collar pulling me away from the lawn and towards the impala. I stood by Sam as Dean went to talk to the firefighter. I sighed resting a hand on Sam's shoulder. Sam, for his part, attempted a watery smile before turning back to the gun he had in his hands. When Dean came up they looked at each other before Sam drops the gun back into the trunk.
"We have work to do," Sam growled.
Dean and I shot each other nervous glances. This was going to get a lot worse before it got better. I could tell.