CHAPTER FOUR: JUST LIKE US
The knock on the door is soft and Dean isn't surprised to see Sadie leaning against the frame when he turns. She looks tired, physically and emotionally. It's a hard thing, being a hunter, and even harder when you're young.
"Hey, how are you holding up? I'm guessing she was a friend."
"I'll live. You get used to loss, you know?"
"Kid, I really wish I didn't have to hear you say that," Dean admits, throwing his last shotgun into his duffel. They really don't know what they're walking into on this self-proclaimed case and he wants to cover every possible base.
"Here," she comments, walking over and placing a keychain on top of the now full bag. On the keyring is a small pendant and a silver ring, nothing too fancy, as well as a simplistic golden key. "It's to my house, Castiel knows where. It's a small rural town so there's no good motels nearby and I don't want you sleeping in your car if you don't have to."
"Thanks." Dean pockets the key, slightly relieved for a place to stay. "I'm sorry for the way things went down. Cas means well."
"There's a guest room, so don't screw up my room please," she comments, dodging the apology. "And for heaven's sake, if it looks dangerous, don't touch it."
That seems to be all she wants to say so she makes her way out of the room. "Even if it looks fun?" Dean teases, the words coming naturally.
"Especially if it looks fun. And stay out of the basement. I don't want to be scraping your brains off my ceiling."
Dean laughs heartily as the small form disappears around the corner, light brown hair whipping out of sight.
Even with music playing and the feeling of the Impala cruising down the road, the silence in the car is deafening. Cas hasn't uttered a word since their departure of the bunker, save the address of where they were going. Before they'd left, the angel had pulled the brothers aside, reiterating the importance that the young hunter stay inside the bunker at all costs. That was the last he'd spoken and Dean was starting to get uncomfortable. What was so special about this girl that Castiel didn't want to share?
"So," Dean begins, wishing he had the nonchalance of his little brother. "How do you and Sadie know each other?"
"I have sworn to protect her, as I did with the two of you."
"Oh come on, Cas," Dean whines, knowing that it's childish, but curiosity trumps manners. "You've gotta give me more than that. We're doing a day's drive to some tiny little farm town in the middle of nowhere, you could at least give me some background."
The angel remains silent and Dean lets out a long sigh. This is going to a long drive. Jarringly, a phone rings, loud and abrupt, and Dean fumbles in his pockets, anxious to find the device when Cas wordlessly holds up his own. This screen is lit up and Dean stops his fumbling, embarrassed.
"You're on speaker," Cas answers, holding the phone between the two so Dean can get the message too.
"She's gone Cas," Sam's voice crackles through, distress obvious. "I walked away for maybe a minute and she's gone."
"What!" Castiel storms, looking about ready to break the phone. "Are you sure she's left the bunker?"
"I checked everywhere. She's gone, her stuff's gone, and the motorcycle from the garage is gone. I don't even know how she knew where the garage was!"
"How long, Sam?" Dean questions, for once being the level head.
"I noticed maybe half an hour ago? I figured she'd gotten lost or something but i just got off the phone with her. She's definitely gone."
"How did she even get your number dude?"
"That's what I don't know," the younger Winchester sighs, defeated. "I'm gonna take your car Cas, I'll meet you both up there, I'm so sorry."
The angel has been explicitly silent and finally speaks up. "It's not your fault, Sam. She seems to carry the hunter trait of not caring about her own safety. I just hoped you could've held her a while longer."
The call ends with Sam's repeated promise to meet them there, and Dean looks over at his friend. "We'll take care of her, I promise you."
They arrive in the little town just after light the next morning. Deciding to just pull through with coffee and adrenaline, Dean steers the Impala down the street, stopping in front of the little police station.
"Dean, did you call the officers to let them know we were coming?" Cas asks and Dean shrugs casually.
"We're FBI, we'll be fine." With that, the pair walks into the tiny station, flashing their badges through the building until the find their way to the sheriff's office. She's an attractive looking woman, hair pulled back into a tight ponytail and a fierce expression on her face. Dean stares for just a moment. She's probably about his age. Probably about his type too.
Focus, Dean.
"Morning gentleman. Something I can do for you?"
"Good morning, I'm Agent Reynolds and this is Agent Burr from the morning, we're here about the girl found dead yesterday."
"Yah, and I'm the president," the woman smirks, crossing her arms over her chest. "Feds in our town? Cheap suit, old car, and you show up right after another body dropped? I pegged you as hunters from 50 yards out."
Dean is flabbergasted for a moment. This didn't usually happen. "Um…"
"I'd do less ho-humming and more explaining if I were you. You're not helping much standing there looking pretty." Another pause. "Start with your names."
"Dean Winchester," the name rushes off really quickly. "This is Castiel."
Suddenly a light bulb seemed to flick on in her head. "So, you friends with Sadie?"
"Wait, Sadie? You know who she-"
"Dean, half the people in the town have been pulled from the fire by the Holbrook family at least once. Myself included. So, friends of Sadie's?"
"Friends," Dean covers quickly. "Actually, we're here because we believe that she's in danger. Do you mind if we come in?"
"Might as well. You're not doing much good standing there looking like idiots." The Sheriff, for what it's worth, offers a flirting smile towards Dean as he walks by. The boys enter the comfy office as the sheriff takes a seat behind her desk. "Allison Wallace."
"How long have you known the Holbrook family?" Castiel asks, taking a seat awkwardly. Dean could see the discomfort in his eyes and wished for his friend's sake that they could've just worn their everyday getup rather than these monkey suits.
"Grew up with Natalie, Sadie's mom. We were best friends as kids. After Nat died, I've done everything I can to get that girl what she needs."
"What about that girl that died? What can you tell us about her?"
"Kylie? Sweet girl, she'd give you her last dollar if you asked for it. Didn't have enemies or the like. Why, you boys know something about it?"
"We think it might be demons," Castiel speaks up for the first time. "This girl, Kylie, was she good friends with Sadie?"
"Yes, actually. Sadie looked after her, stood up for her. Almost all the girls looked up to Sadie. Strong, independent, smart, Sadie is their hero."
Dean swallowed painfully. Everything about this kid reminded him of a young Sam. Blindingly smart but kind. And from the sounds of it, a natural hunter. Maybe, once this hunt was over, he could save this girl. He hadn't been able to with Sam, but that didn't mean that she had to go through the same. She didn't have the curse of being a Winchester. She could get out.
"Dean? You hear me?" Allison's voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Um-"
"I'll take that as a no. You said you're friends with Sadie, then where the hell is she?"
Wincing, Dean looks away briefly. Luckily, Cas chooses that moment to speak up. "We don't believe she's safe. Dean's brother is supposed to be keeping an eye on her while we figure this out." Castiel casts a glance out the window.
"So this is about her?"
"Yes." No hesitation.
The sheriff casts a glance at Dean, her eyes imploring. Dean reads the message as clearly as if she spoke it. Please. "You'll have full access to whatever you need. Anyone gives you trouble, you give me a call."
A nod to show understanding, but Dean can't help asking one last question. "You said the Holbrooks' helped you? How?
The Sheriff is about to close the door when Dean asks, so she hangs on it for a second, recalling something sad. "Me and Nat, we got into plenty of dangerous stuff as kids. She never kept a secret from me, not even about hunting. We had it all figured out though, I'd go into the police force, get a husband and a life, she'd be a hunter. Life was going to be perfect. Never really worked out that way though. The night she died, she showed up at my house, said if anything happened take Sadie up to her uncle's house a few hours away. I begged her to tell me what was going on, but she just left. Never saw her after that."
Sheriff Allison Wallace's eyes shimmered with tears. "You boys should 's going on, Sade's caught right in the middle of it. You protect that girl."