Chapter 4 - Classic
"I swear, Maia, I won't let anything happen to you," Sam whispered fiercely, holding her tightly.
Maia sniffed, pulling back and wiping her eyes. "God, I'm a train wreck." She looked up, her eyes full of worry. "Sam, I just want you to be sure that you know what you're getting into."
He returned her gaze with a smile, reaching out and entwining her fingers with his. Maia followed his lead, resuming the walk. As they walked, the somber attitude of the earlier conversation faded away, leaving only a contented peace.
"So, where are we going?" Maia asked after a few minutes of silence.
Sam shrugged. "I thought you had a place in mind."
"We could try out that cafe in town. Newly remodeled, mind you."
"Sounds fancy," Sam said jokingly.
"Quite." Maia laughed. "Did you bring any money?"
"Is that your sly way of saying it's my turn to pay?" Sam smirked, nudging her gently.
Maia sucked in a breath. "Ooh, you caught me red-handed."
"It's cause I'm so smart," Sam joked with a smile.
"You just keep telling yourself that, hot stuff," Maia smiled, taking his hand and pulling him in the direction of the cafe.
The bell rang as Sam pushed the door open, holding it for Maia to walk through. She shot him a smile, walking over to a table near the center of the dining area. Sam followed, smoothly pulling the chair out for her and slid it back under her as she sat.
"Why, thank you, sir," Maia jested with a faux British accent, as she opened her menu.
"You're very welcome." Sam said back in the same manner, taking a seat across from her.
"So, are we playing the game again?" Sam asked.
"Yep," Maia smiled widely. "You do drinks, and I'll do food."
"Alright," Sam agreed. "But be prepared for me to beat you."
Maia shrugged coyly. "I don't know. I'm feeling pretty unpredictable today."
"Oh, are you?"
"You bet I am."
Sam grinned and sat back, taking a look around the newly remodeled diner. He couldn't remember what the theme used to be here; a restaurant from some kind of fast food chain. He had to admit, though, the new owners had done a good job with the place. It looked like a diner straight from the late 1960's, with checkered floors, a shiny counter lined by stools topped with fluffy, red cushions. It definitely lived up to the name: Classic.
As Sam was glancing around the diner, he felt the hair rise on the back of his neck. His heart pounded a little harder, and he was struck by a sudden weariness, as though he was being watched. Sam shot a look behind him, and saw a couple sitting a few booths away, eyes glued to him. They met his eyes solemnly, unabashed.
Sam turned back, his gaze roaming the room around him. He met the narrowed eyes of a man sitting at the counter for a moment before the man looked away, straightening. His hands gripped the coffee he held tightly, as if wanting to crush the new ceramic.
Sam looked down at the table, feeling his face redden. He reached up, touching the cool metal tag resting on his collarbone.
"Sam? What's wrong?"
Sam shook his head, forcing a smile on his face. "Nothing, Maia. It's fine."
She still looked concerned, but let the matter go as their waiter approached. The man smiled brightly at the two of them, wearing a striped blue shirt and neatly pressed black pants. His nametag read Colton. By Sam's closest estimation, he couldn't have been older than 20.
"And how are you two this afternoon?" Colton asked brightly, bearing a slight southern lilt. His eyes glanced trivially over Sam, stopping and staying on Maia's face.
"Great, thanks," Maia smiled at the man, and then expectantly turned to Sam, raising her eyebrows.
"Wonderful. Now, what can I get you to drink?" Colton asked, still focused on Maia.
Sam cleared his throat, bringing Colton's attention to him. He looked down at the beverage selections, meeting Maia's eyes for a moment, considering his options. "I'll have a plain Coke, please, and for her…" He trailed off, thinking quickly before making his decision. "A pink lemonade with crushed ice, and a slice of lime if you have it."
Sam looked back up, folding his menu. He held it toward Colton, and slowed when he saw the expression on the man's face. Or rather, lack of one. Gone was the bright smile and open expression. He looked closed off, his mouth tight.
"Yeah, sure," Colton muttered sourly. "Be right back."
Sam frowned as the man stalked off, and he turned to Maia. "What was his problem?"
Maia shrugged. "Guess he was upset I was taken."
"Yeah, and don't you forget it." Sam warned playfully.
Maia made a face at him, scrunching up her nose and sticking out her tongue.
"He didn't even write down our orders." Sam recalled shortly, glancing back at the man, disappearing through the swinging doors leading into the kitchen.
"Well, he better have a good memory, then." Maia retorted, sitting back and crossing her arms. "Cause I want my drink."
"So I got it right?" Sam guessed with a grin, raising an eyebrow.
"Don't be so sure, monsieur." Maia said cryptically. "Only time will tell."
Sam laughed, placing his elbows on the table and shaking his head. He looked over to the side and was surprised to see Colton returning with empty hands. An older man trailed behind him, around John's age and with just as intimidating a build.
Maia spotted the duo approaching at the same time he did. "Maybe they're all out of Coke," She murmured quietly.
Though Sam could see most of the older man's bulkiness was obviously due to years of beer and binge-watching sports games, the way the man's eyes were narrowed suggested that he had an idea of how to use his girth when he needed to.
"Is there a problem?" Maia asked as they approached.
"I'm afraid so, ma'am." The large man stepped in front of Colton, who fell back, arms crossed. He glared at Sam angrily. Sam got the sinking feeling in his stomach that this problem concerned more than a lack of a certain beverage.
The man stared down at Sam with his arms crossed, and he was close enough that Sam could make out his name tag. It stated the name "Chester" followed by the extremely prestigious title of "Manager".
"We're going to have to ask you to leave." Chester ordered.
Sam's jaw tightened, and he fought the urge to look away. If the man was going to kick him out, he was going to do it looking Sam in the eye. "Can I ask why?"
"Because you're causing a disturbance-"
"Cause you're a goddamn public menace, that's why!" Colton spat from behind his manager.
"Seems like your employee is causing more of a disturbance than we are, if you want my opinion." Maia said coldly to the manager. Her tone chilled the immediate vicinity of the room.
"Yeah, well no one asked for your thoughts, you little blood-traiter!" Colton shouted, spitting the words like venom.
"What did you just call her?" Sam demanded, pushing his chair back and shooting to his feet. He's seen the term before, but only on the internet, when people were trying to put down someone who supported psychics.
"I'll call her whatever I want, haffer!" Colton snapped at him, disdain emanating from every pore.
Maia shot to her feet at this. She had remained calm while it was her pride on the line, but her eyes were livid at this insult directed at Sam. "Take it back, you pig!"
Sam's teeth gritted at the term haffer, a demeaning term for psychics, stemming from the fact that they had demon blood coursing through their veins. Half demon, half human.
Chester raised his hands, pushing Colton further away. "Take a walk," He ordered the young man firmly. Colton shot a glare at Sam again before turning around and stalking in the other direction.
Sam turned his attention to Chester, who still fixed Sam in an uneasy stare. "I'm sorry, but you do have to leave."
Maia opened her mouth to rant some more, her fist lifting threateningly, but Sam raised a hand, stopping her. A chill raced down his spine, and the hair on the back of his back was standing straight on end. He felt like a cat with it's fur all puffed out, sensing a threat.
"Let's just go, Maia." Sam snapped, feeling on edge.
Maia dropped her arm, staring at Sam exasperatedly. He knew how badly she wanted him to stand up for himself. How badly she wanted to fight this fight. But he couldn't. Not normally, and certainly not with this fear raking down his spine. He met her eyes, and she must have seen his distinct uneasiness, because she let the matter drop, raising her nose and stepping around the table.
"Don't think we'll be returning any time soon," Maia hissed to the manager, who looked slightly relieved at the news. "Or recommending this rat-hole to anyone!"
"Maia, come on," Sam urged, taking her arm in his hand. His heart was racing, and though he knew that every pair of eyes in the place were on him, there was something unnatural about the feeling, like someone was stabbing ice shards into the base of his neck.
Just as they were reaching the door, the couple that had been eyeing Sam earlier stepped in front of them, blocking their way. Sam halted, looking up at their face, meeting the eyes of the woman. Her smooth brown hair tumbled in curls over her shoulders, covered with a simple pink cardigan. Her entire outfit was something Sam could imagine a schoolteacher wearing. Simple. Practical. Unthreatening.
And yet, as he met her eyes, there was something cold. Calculating. Inhuman.
"Excuse me." He muttered, body stiff and tense.
The woman regarded him coolly for another moment, her gaze sliding up his body. It made him feel wrong, as though she could see straight into his soul. Her eyes lightened suddenly with a smirk on her face, and she stepped aside, arm still entwined with her husband's.
Sam hastily made his exit, grabbing for Maia's wrist and pulling her quickly alongside him. They made it a few blocks away before Maia finally stopped him.
"Sam, stop." She halted, pulling her wrist from his grasp. "What's gotten into you?"
Sam took a deep breath, the alarm finally fading. "I don't know… Something was wrong at the diner… Something off…"
"Hell yes, something was off," Maia retorted. "They just kicked you out for being a psychic, Sam! That's discrimination! It's- It's-" She struggled to find another word to express her rage.
"It's legal, Maia." Sam sighed. "Shop owners can ask any patrons suspected of demonic activity or association to vacate the premises. Psychicism falls under that category."
"It's horsecrap, is what it is," Maia spat.
Sam felt a smile jump to his face, and he laughed tiredly. "I know. I'm with you on that."
There was a pause, and Maia looked back to where they had come from, her face unreadable. "You really think that doing giving speeches for that woman will help make things like this better?" Maia asked.
Sam nodded. "I do. I know it's dangerous. I know it's probably stupid. But we can't hide anymore. People have to know what it's really like to be a psychic. They have to know that we're human, and they're treating us like we aren't."
Maia reached over, taking his hand and curling her fingers around his. "Then I'm with you. All the way."
A cool north wind blew through the trees surrounding Jake, rattling the branches. He paused for a moment, closing his eyes, relishing the feel of the breeze on his skin. He raised a hand, indicating a few minutes rest while he collected his thoughts. He had an idea of where they were headed, but he was starting to suspect that he would need some help to find the direct location.
The large group following behind him halted at his order, some children collapsing to the ground in exhaustion, too weary to continue. Finny approached Jake at a slow gait, leaning heavily on a walking stick for support.
"Hey, boss, where are we going?" He asked, even his confident voice shaken by fatigue. "Is there even a destination, or are we just gonna keep walking 'till we drop?"
"If we have to," Jake opened his eyes and looking down at the younger boy. "We have to find somewhere safe to hole up. Get prepared and organized."
"Where, though?"
"I have an idea," Jake said, peering out into the thick foliage. "We just have to find it."
Finny stifled a sigh. "Is there anything that any of us can do to help? Make this go faster?"
"Stop whining, maybe," Jake snapped. Finny fell silent, and Jake looked out again, his thoughts whirring in consideration. "Actually, I want you to ask around, see if there isn't someone in the group who has gifts associated with metals."
"Metals?" Finny repeated in perplexion.
"Yes, Finny," Jake said exasperatedly. "Just go check."
"Sure thing, boss." Finny said dubiously, heading back toward the group. He came back a moment later with a boy near to Jake's age, standing an inch or two taller than him. He had dark, almond-shaped eyes, and short hair that brushed his forehead. Clinging close to his side was the small girl that Jake had talked to yesterday. Penny.
"This is Kai." Finny introduced. "I think he's just who you're looking for."
"How can I help?" Kai asked, his expression revealing nothing.
"That depends," Jake responded, mimicking his reserved tone. "What exactly can you do?"
"Magnetism," Kai informed him. "I can manipulate and sense most metals."
"Sense them? As in you could find a large pocket of metal somewhere?"
"Depends," Kai shrugged his shoulders. Penny, still tucked against his side, shied backwards, and he wrapped a comforting arm back around her small form.
"On what?"
"How far away it is, how big the amount, the weather patterns that day," Kai said, adding the last variable dryly. "A lot of things can be a factor. And I haven't had very much practice."
"Well, today's your lucky day," Jake said. "Close your eyes."
Kai regarded him for a moment, something like wariness in his eyes, before he complied.
"Can you sense anything?"
Kai was silent, eyes clenched tight in concentration. "There's some kind of huge deposit of metals to the east. A ton of it, above ground, as far as I can tell."
"How far away?"
"Not sure," Kai admitted, opening his eyes. "But it's directly east, that direction." He pointed toward a slight opening in the trees. Jake smiled and nodded.
"Why don't you lead on? Take us there." He turned back to the rest of the children, cupping his hands around his mouth. "Move out!"
There was some grumbling and groaning as kids peeled themselves off the ground, but within a few minutes they were up and moving again. With Kai leading, they made their way through the dense trees, ducking under and over branches in their way.
Jake fell a few feet back, watching Kai push through, Penny staying close by Kai's side. Kai lifted a branch, and Penny ducked under, with Kai deftly following behind her. There was something very paternal and brotherly about the way that Kai watched over Penny. They couldn't have been siblings, at least not by blood, because they looked nothing alike. Still, they seemed like family.
Jade came up on Jake's left, having taken off her jean jacket, now tied around her waist. Her cornrowed braids came down over her muscled shoulders, revealed by a tight black cami.
Jake nodded toward Kai and Penny. "What's the story with those two?"
"Kai showed up a few weeks before she did, almost four months ago."
"Wait, his gifts showed up that late?" Jake asked, slightly astounded. He'd heard of psychics manifesting their powers later in life than usual, but Kai had to be at least sixteen, and almost no psychic's powers appeared later than fourteen. When they did, they were usually weak, almost nonexistent.
"Nah, he'd just been thrown out of his eleventh Care home," Jade supplied with a snarky smile.
"Eleventh?!"
"Yep," Jade smirked. "He was always taken in by miners and the like. You know, people who wanted to use his gift to find precious metals hidden in the ground."
"Because his gift has to do with metals."
Jade nodded. "They wanted him to find gold." Jade said. "They were just using him as a means of easy money."
"So, what? They threw him back when they found enough?"
Jade shrugged. "I guess. Kai's never really talked to me. Never really talked to many of us, for that matter. If you ask me, he's a little too full of himself for somebody that's been thrown out of more Care homes than most of us combined."
Jake walked forward steadily, watching Jade out of the corner of his eye. Her bitter tone was understandable. Most psychics would much rather take their chance with a Care home than be stuck in a Waiting Home. Waiting Homes were stricter, more neglectful, and you just knew that no one was going to care about you there. It was the same at Care homes, but usually there was at least a sense of small freedoms. Not sharing a room with six other kids, for example.
"So he was in and out a lot?" Jake asked.
"All the time. Seemed he could never make a home stick. And for some reason his social worker kept convincing the Committee to give him another chance."
Watching Kai walk in front of them, Jake took note of the slight favor he gave his right leg. The subtle struggle it was to lift his shoulder high enough to clear branches away for Penny. And just under the right edge of his sweatshirt, which had the sleeves cut off up to the shoulders, there was a dark shadow stretching onto his back. Jake suspected that if Kai were to pull the sweatshirt off, there would be dozens of marks just like it all over.
Jade followed his gaze and her disposition softened. "Yeah… He was pretty bad off when he got here last time. Spent three days in the infirmary. He was all kinds of messed up."
"Physically or mentally?"
"Yes," Jade responded shortly. They quieted for a moment, the only sounds around them the crunching of twigs and the low babble of other conversations. "He still doesn't say much, even though he's gotten a lot better. Physically, at least."
"And he took Penny in?"
"Almost instantly. I think he saw that she was an easy target. Young, frightened, vulnerable. I guess he wanted to protect her." Jade fell silent, falling away into her own thoughts.
Jake watched Kai and Penny in front of them. Penny was young. She could still be shaped into a soldier, and a good one at that. With her power showing up at her young age, it suggested a level of power that sent chills up and down his spine. She could be a very valuable asset.
But Kai… Kai could be a problem. He was more of an independent thinker. Much less likely to follow the crowd. That could make him harder to control, and therefore posed a problem to the group dynamic as a whole. His attachment to Penny, though… That was something Jake could work with.
"Hey, we found something!" It was Finny, shouting back from the front of the herd.
Jake pushed forward, realizing that he and Jade had fallen near to the back of the group, and came up next to Kai and Finny. A smile tugged at his lips when he looked about the dilapidated property.
It had obviously once been a pipe yard of some kind, full of different sized metal pipes and containers. There was a large main building, many of the windows now shattered and part of the roof caved in. There was a tall metal fence surrounding the perimeter, with barbed wire lining the top.
"This is perfect," Jake said.
"Perfect?" Kai repeated, his voice heavy with doubt.
"Yes," Jake said firmly. "Can you break open a section of the fence?"
Kai stepped forward, bringing Penny with him, and walked around the edge until he reached the two main gates, secured shut with a thick padlock. Kai wrapped a hand around it, and hefted it a few times, seeming to get a feel for it. Then, with a small nod to himself, he stepped back, raising a hand toward the gate.
A low creak rang throughout the clearing as the gates began to lean outward, pulling toward Kai's hand. His hand shook, straining with effort, and with a loud BANG, the gates burst open, the padlock flying to the side.
Jake stepped forward, through the gates, and nodded. "This is perfect," He said to himself, before turning back and waving everyone else forward.
As the other psychics passed him by on their way inside the yard, a flash of movement nearby caught Jake's eye. He looked toward the thick trees, and narrowed his eyes, slowly heading over to investigate.
He peered over the bush branches, looking for signs. A loud snap sounded further into the trees, and, cautiously now, Jake pushed through the undergrowth. Looking down at the ground, he saw a slight indentation in the earth, an oblong oval that crushed the leaves and dirt beneath it.
As Jake reached out a hand to touch the shape, something roughly gripped his shoulder. Moving on instinct, Jake whirled around, grabbing his attacker by the throat and slamming him into the tree behind them. His attacker gasped and retched, struggling to make out words.
"Let...me...down…" The man spat. "...fool."
Jake scowled at the man, not entirely sold on listening to the order. Jake dropped him unceremoniously, and the man leaned back against the tree, rubbing his throat sourly.
"You know better than to sneak up on me, Pearson," Jake growled.
"Must have slipped my mind," Pearson drawled. "I only came to tell you that I won't be around for very long."
"What? Why? Where are you going?" Jake demanded. "No, forget that, tell me where the hell you've been. After the raid you completely disappeared!"
"And for good measure," Pearson said. "You think those children would accept a human in their midst? Not likely. And the feeling is mutual." He added with a curled lip.
"Where are you going?" Jake asked again.
"I have to follow some leads." Pearson answered cryptically. "Regarding the rescue of our master." There was something accusatory in his tone, and Jake bristled.
"What?" He glared at the older man.
"I just don't want you to forget the goal of this entire endeavor. You can enjoy playing rebel with your little friends, but keep the big picture in mind."
Jake lifted his head. "I always do."
A small smile spread across Pearson's face. "I know you do, boy." And without another word, he vanished, only the waving of the branches and his fading footsteps revealing his presence.
With Pearson gone, Jake felt an emptiness that he hadn't for years. Since he'd lost his family. But that was stupid. Pearson wasn't his family. He wasn't even sure the old man liked him that much. Nonetheless, they were comrades, and he felt abandoned somehow, and off kilter. A part of him had hoped that once he got all the psychics together, Pearson would be able to step up and get them organized. Turn them into a real force to be reckoned with.
But Pearson was gone now, and part of Jake knew that he wouldn't be back any time soon. Jake would have to step up. He'd have to take charge.
His heart leaped in his chest. But not in fear. In excitement.
It was time. Finally.
Sam's heart was pounding in his chest as he walked through the front door, preparing himself for the barrage of yelling he was walking into. He could hear Mary clanking about in the kitchen as he walked onto the mat in the front hall. The door swung shut behind him, and Sam flinched as the noise from the kitchen ceased.
Her silhouette appeared in the doorway to the kitchen, her expression closed off. Her arms were crossed, one hand gripping the towel that she used for drying dishes.
"Hey," Sam said cautiously. "It's kinda cold out."
Mary gave no response; she didn't even blink. Behind her, Dean crossed into Sam's field of vision. He caught Sam's eye, and pointed a finger at him before drawing it slowly over his neck. There was no playful smile on his face, either, and his eyes were wide.
Sam swallowed. It was worse than he'd thought it would be. Preparing himself for the onslaught, he stepped forward, raising his hands helplessly.
"I'm sorry for leaving without telling you...I just had to get out," he said quietly. "I needed to…" He trailed off, unsure of how to continue. Mary didn't interrupt, just fixed him in that cold gaze. He was surprised by how much her anger hurt him.
"I have to do this," Sam said after a moment, knowing that this was the true source of her anger, and also knowing full well that she knew what he meant.
"Dammit, Sam!" Mary cried, throwing the towel to the side. Sam jumped, and quickly stifled his reaction. Mary stormed back into the kitchen, bracing herself on the counter.
"I know you don't want me to do this, but I can't just pass up an opportunity to change things!" Sam protested.
"Sam, did you ever consider that it might do more harm than good?" Mary asked, looking up at him. He was shocked to see the bags under her eyes, the strain lined on her face. "That maybe any compassion that is created will be completely overrun by the hatred. All of it directed at you."
Sam was stunned. "I- I know it could make people angry, but-"
"Not just angry, Sam!" Mary shouted, whirling back around. "Thousands of people full of pent up rage, and you're giving them a target! You could make things so much worse, Sam-"
"Or I could make things better!" Sam barked over her. He took a breath, regaining his composure. "I know that you're worried I'll get hurt. That we'll get hurt. I get it. I hear you. And honestly, I'm worried about that, too." Sam paused, meeting Mary's eyes. "But nothing's getting better. Not for any psychic. It's all right for me, here, because I have you guys, and honestly, there's nowhere else I'd rather live, no one else I'd rather live with."
He continued. "But there are hundreds of psychics out there that don't have a home like this. That live with abuse and neglect and constant, constant hatred from other people. They end up in places like Waiting Homes, or camps, with no one to care about them. They're told that they're mistakes, abominations, creatures from Hell." Sam spat. "People have to know. And if I have to be the one to tell them, so be it."
The fight seemed to drain out of Mary, and she took a few slow steps forward, pulling Sam into a weak embrace.
"I'm just so scared for you," Mary whispered tightly. "And in light of everything that's happened recently…" Her voice trailed off.
Sam stiffened. Something in her tone suggested that she wasn't talking about the highway incident. "What do you mean?"
Mary's breath caught, and she pulled back, eyes wide. "You weren't here…" She whispered, more to herself than to Sam.
Without another word, Mary grabbed the remote off the counter, and turned on the TV in the corner of the kitchen. It was set to a news station, with a newscaster's voiceover narrating a scene of chaos. Fire rose in huge columns, and emergency services rushed about.
"A psychic Waiting Home was attacked," Mary informed Sam, hand on her throat. "There were ten staff members there when it happened. Seven got away. Three are in the burn unit at the hospital because of 3rd degree burns covering their bodies."
"Who did this?" Sam asked quietly, horrified by the destruction.
As if on cue, the video changed to security footage from the attack. A slightly blurry image showed the outside of the building. It appeared that a single attacker ripped down the fence and charged inside, nearly beating down a wall and freeing every single psychic in the home, a total of twenty seven psychics free and on the run.
The suspect turned his face for a moment, and Sam quickly grabbed for the remote, pausing the TV. He stepped forward, getting closer to see the picture better. The closer he got, the more sure he was.
"It's Jake," Sam murmured in shock.
Mary nodded. "I thought it was."
"What's he doing? And where's Pearson?" The taste of his old social worker's name on his tongue sent chills down his spine.
"No one knows for sure." Mary said. "I already called in to tell the police who it was. They asked a few questions over the phone, but I don't think it really mattered to them."
"Doesn't matter who it is..." Sam muttered wryly. "They'll be dealt with the same way. Hunted down like animals."
"Like criminals, Sam." Mary said firmly. "Do you really think it's wise to put your face out in public, so soon after an attack like this? People will know that you and Jake were…"
"We were in the same situation," Sam interrupted her. "That doesn't make us friends. And I have to take Jenna's offer, now, especially because of this."
Mary sighed, looking resigned. "I just hope you know what you're doing."
I haven't the slightest idea. Sam shook the thought away. "I'm sure."
"Well then," Mary said. "I guess you have a call to make."
Firstly, thank you all for being patient. Things have been crazy, and I can't promise that chapters will be posted regularly. But don't worry, I still plan on finishing this story.
Feel free to leave a review, and let me know what you think. Good or bad. Don't worry, I have thick skin! : )
Cheers!