A/N...It's Monday here, in Australia, so back to writing! Thank goodness it's busy here...
"Just joking!" the bartender giggled. "It's like an extra fire escape entry thingy for the upstairs" he looked at the three faces staring blankly at him. "Look at you guys, it's like you believed me, or something!"
Sam turned to face the other two. "Can I kill him?" he whispered. Bobby pushed him back to face the barman.
"Ted…your name's Ted, right?" Bobby asked him. "Do you mind if we have a look? Someone clocked my friend here, and up is the only way they coulda gone"
Ted nodded vigorously. "Gosh, yes, by all means! I don't want to think of some low life lurking around upstairs while I'm here alone after work. I know I look big and tough and all, but that's just a face I wear in the bar!"
Sam looked up. "How do we get in?"
Ted turned and flicked on a switch that lit up the dim passage. "You can probably just reach up and grab the side, there's a recessed pull down, see?"
Sam easily touched the trap door without straining.
"Geez, you're really tall, aren't you?" Ted purred, and fluttered his eyelashes at the young hunter.
Sam pulled the flap and the trap door opened, then a pull down ladder slowly unfolded. He touched it then showed his hand to Bobby and Dean.
"That's my blood" Dean growled.
"Speaking of which, handsome, you'd better come with me while I patch up that owie on the back of your head. You're bleeding everywhere."
"I'll be fine" Dean's eyes widened and Bobby smirked at the fear reflected in them.
"Just go with the nice bartender and let him patch you up. You know where we'll be"
"But.." Dean tried to protest, but Sam just pushed him out of the way.
"Go on, handsome, Ted will kiss your boo boo better"
Dean pouted. "You're a …boo boo" he muttered, but followed Ted back into the bar.
Sam waited until the door to the bar shut before he pulled his gun out of the back his jeans and a flashlight from his jacket pocket. He turned to check with Bobby and noted the senior hunter stood there similarly prepared.
Sam climbed the rickety ladder, flashlight held high. He paused at the entrance and looked around before climbing through, then bent to give Bobby the all clear.
Standing to his full height the pull string for the light bumped his shoulder, and he gave it a quick tug and several banks of fluorescent lights clicked and blinked, flooding the room with bright light.
Bobby heaved himself up and turned to take in his surroundings. There were storage boxes, crates, tables, chairs, all the kinds of things you'd expect a bar to have in its spare room.
Except for the alter at one side.
He glanced at Bobby who nodded, they'd check that later.
Sam had his gun straight out, his knees bent, hunters' stance, as he searched around the piles of boxes and crates, Bobby turned and closed the trap door to block the exit.
Something made a noise to one side, Bobby and Sam moved as one but came from different directions, circling to trap whatever it was.
Sam reached into the back waistband of his pants and pulled out a large silver knife. They didn't know what they were dealing with, so he felt it best to have all bases covered.
He crept forward, his large frame belying his gracefulness as he moved with little or no sound until he rounded upon the spot they'd heard the noise.
Bobby arrived at the same time.
Nothing.
Bobby tipped his head towards a large box, wardrobe sized, that stood against the wall between the two hunters. The opening flap, while pulled over, moved just a little, as if someone had hidden inside.
Sam slowly leaned forward and pulled the flap open with his knife.
Also nothing.
He gave Bobby a frustrated look, then realised he could feel air moving out of the box.
He pulled the box open and pushed at the back, and the flaps opened to reveal a doorway into another room.
A very dark room.
Both he and Bobby grabbed their lights from respective pockets and the flicked them on, Sam took point. He had to duck his head to fit through the box, torch and gun in front of him, but as he was halfway through the door way something, or someone, grabbed his hands and threw him against the wall with such force he saw stars.
He heard Bobby's gun and saw the flashes as it discharged, and heard a muffled cry and a thump as something fell.
The lights came on and Bobby was right there, pulling him to his feet and checking he was okay.
His head spun and he leaned back against the wall, taking steady breaths until he could focus again. Bobby was not looking at him, instead he was still staring straight ahead, gun ready, as if the fight wasn't over.
Sam stood upright, his head spun a little but his vision cleared. There was a body on the floor, but it was anything but human.
Sam only glanced quickly at it as he moved to Bobby's side. "More than one?"
"Dunno" he replied "Not gonna take chances. Silver bullets did the trick, though."
Sam looked back at the dead creature and notice it was already starting to decompose.
"Was it the silver, or just the fact that you shot it?"
Bobby gave him an incredulous look. "Don't know. Don't care. Thing's dead"
Sam spun as something moved off to one side, and fired as a figure lunged at him. It faltered briefly but kept coming. "Damn it Bobby, it looks like Ellen"
Bobby stepped forward and put a bullet through its brain.
It dropped heavily. "I'd say it was the silver" came the droll reply.
Sam bent to look at it as it dissolved into a sticky black gooey substance.
"Huh"
Bobby frowned. "Huh? Spit it out, boy, huh what?"
Sam looked up at Bobby. "Huh, it smells like liquorice"
Bobby nodded. "Huh"
Sam stood and raised his brows. "Your turn to spit it out"
"I think I know what these things are. Maybe. I remember reading something a long time ago" he turned away "Where was the alter?"
"Other room. Let's make sure there's no more of those things first"
Bobby tilted his head a little. "Well of course, whatcha think I am, an idjit?"
The checked both rooms, and Sam led Bobby back to the small table, it was draped with a black velvet cloth, symbols covering it that looked like they were painted in a white, thick goo, various herbs, pieces of bones, a dead kitten and a handful of small seeds framed a large written summoning spell.
Bobby picked the spell up. "This is written in, I dunno, Polish? Maybe Ukrainian? I can't read it."
Sam picked up the seeds and sniffed them, then offered them to Bobby to test the scent. "I'd day aniseed, dill and liquorice root essence" the older hunter guessed. "And from what I can make out from here, it looks like I was right. See, here? It's the types of demons summoned"
Sam frowned at the elaborate scrawling. "Taggi?"
"It's pronounced with a soft g, like a j. 'Tajji'."
Sam nodded as the trap door behind them slammed open and Dean's head popped through, his brow a brewing storm.
"You look grumpy" commented Sam.
"Don't poke the bear" Bobby warned him under his breath and Sam smiled at the analogy.
Dean pulled his muscular frame through the trap door. "So what have you guys been up to?" he asked, trying to wipe the annoyance from his face. Sam stifled a giggle as Dean passed him to walk up to the alter, three bright colored flower printed band-aids on the back of his neck.
Bobby noticed them and raised his eyebrows but didn't comment.
"Taggi" Bobby told him. "Summoned here with this spell" he handed the parchment to Dean.
Dean frowned at it. "This is Lithuanian, isn't it?"
Sam looked impressed and Bobby scowled. "How do you know that?"
Dean looked up and smirked at their expressions.
"Ted" he answered. "Ted's Lithuanian. Says the only person that comes up here apart from bar staff when they need some of this shit, is his grandma."
"Quite a bit of bonding session there, fella" Bobby turned red in the face trying not to laugh.
Dean glared at him. "He didn't shut up! I mean, I practically heard his whole life story. Meant I didn't have to talk, though"
Sam grinned at his brother who shot him a 'don't you dare' look, then he took the spell parchment back and frowned as he looked at it and pointed to the alter.
"This is a pretty serious alter" he poked the dead kitten with his knife. "Why would someone's grandma do this? Was there trouble, something she wasn't happy with?"
Bobby shook his head. "From what I remember, these things were protection demons. They could be pretty mean, but only if the summoner was put in harm's way. Till then, they just bided their time."
"Why the beer?" Sam asked.
A shrug from Bobby. "Beat's me. Maybe it's not about the beer. Maybe that was just a cover to hang out in the bar"
Dean picked up the edges of the alter cloth and pulled them together, forming a swag out of the various items, all wrapped now in a bundle of black velvet. "Well, why don't we go ask Ted?"
X
The bar was filling up and Ted had been joined by three young female bar tenders, all dressed in tight black t-shirts printed with the bar logo. He looked up as the three hunters entered and tapped one of the girls on the shoulder, bending to talk into her ear. She nodded and he took the guys to a booth.
"I head the gunshots" he whispered as soon as they were all seated. "Did you shoot the bad guy?"
Dean leaned forward. "Rats" he said, showing the swag. "My brother got rid of a couple of large rats"
Ted screwed up his face in horror. "Oh my God! My Moochie was up there all the time, they could have attacked her!"
"Um, your Moochie?" questioned Sam.
"Mociute. It means grandmother. You know, my grandma, we call her Moochie"
Bobby leaned forward, his elbows on the table. "Where is your 'Moochie' now?"
Ted smiled a downturned, sad smile. 'We had to put her in a home. She was, well" he waved his hand, a tear forming in his eye "You know, old people sometime regress. She thought she was back in the war, and the upstairs was where she was going to hide from the Nazis. She even told me she did a special spell to protect us from any evil SS officers!" he sighed, the tear escaping down his cheek.
"Love her to bits, you know? But she just got too much to take. She was scaring the customers. If anyone came in wearing any kind of uniform she'd spit at their feet and curse them in her language. Got to the point where she'd hide upstairs for days, I'd have to take her food and water."
"How long ago did she go to the home?" Sam asked gently, his faced a warm glow of sympathy.
"Only a month ago. I go see her every other night. So sad. She tells me she left me two spirits to protect me, to kill any Nazi that comes in the bar. I just take her some chocolate and pat her hand. Not much else I can do, right?"
Dean gave him a forced smile. "You do what you can" he offered, not sure what else to say.
Ted touched the hunter's hand. "Oh, thank you! That means so much!"
Dean jerked his hand back, horror on his face. "Um, yeah, you're welcome, I guess."
Ted turned to Bobby. "Did you find the low life that hit Dean on the back of the head?"
"Yeah. Gave him a good talking to and he ran off. He won't be back"
"Are you sure?"
Sam nodded, joining in. "I showed him my gun and said I'd be patrolling regularly. I think he's too scared to come back"
"That's fantastic! Thank you all so much! How can I ever thank you? I know, it's dinner time, now, let me get you a good meal before you hit the road. On the house, okay?" he stood and looked to the bar. "Heidi, three beers for the gentlemen!" he turned back to the hunters. "Also on the house, of course!"
"Thanks Ted, that'd be great"
"Oh, let me take that, um, bundle. "I'll throw it in the bar waste bin. Ech!"
They waited until the bartender left and then relaxed a little, Dean leaned back and Sam stretched his long legs as best as he could under the table.
"So crazy grandma summons the Taggi to keep away Nazis. Maybe we shouldn't have ganked them" Dean accepted the cold beer from the pretty barmaid.
"See many Nazis walking around town, there, Dean?" laughed Bobby.
Dean made a face, but it was all in good humor. "Bout the easiest hunt we've had in, well, ever!" He reached up to the back of his head and pulled off the bandaids. "Except for me getting clocked, I think that all went well"
Sam raised his glass. "To us, and an easy hunt ahead of us"
Bobby frowned. "You jinxing us, boy?"
Sam shook his head. "No, I'm hoping, that's all"
X
They ate quietly and left the bar with Ted's gratitude and awkward hugs, walking through the infamous corridor to the parking lot outside.
Dean tossed the keys to Sam, who lifted his brows in query.
"Got a headache. You drive for a while, I'll get some shut eye in the back"
Sam nodded, and before much longer they were back on the road.
Every now and then he glanced in the rear view to check out his brother on the back seat, but Dean seemed fine, snoring away with his head propped on a rolled up jacket.
Bobby noticed the concern. "It's probably just the knock on the head. He'll sleep it off and be fine"
Sam's lips thinned. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm sure you're right"
X
X
X
X
Sherry-Anne leaned against the cavern wall, gasping for breath, the icy air making breathing difficult. Holly squatting in front of her, leaning her shoulders on Sherry-Anne's knees.
The guys were standing within arm's reach, no one wanting to be too far apart, all breathing heavy, sucking in lung fulls of frigid air, heads spinning, thoughts racing, prickly sweat breaking out in their armpits and lower backs.
After a few moments Holly stirred and pointed ahead, the soft glow from the moss making her movements seem surreal. "Is that a brighter light ahead?" she whispered. In the silence of the caves, the only other sound the now calming breathing it sounded like a shout.
Troy stood straight. "I think it is. Do you think it could be a way out?"
Sherry Anne pushed herself from the wall, holly stood with her. "I don't know. All I do know, is that thing is behind us, so I'm not gong back that way."
"I agree" Alec stepped in front of her. "Let's see what it is. It's gotta be better than waiting here till that monster picks us off one by one"
Troy sucked in a panicky breath, but nodded in agreement. Without a further word they all joined hands again and moved forward.
They walked quietly, breaths hushed, feet stepping carefully.
This icy silence closed in around them, but they found it oddly comforting. Better the silence than the hot breath of the creature stalking them.
After a few hundred meters, a distance covered with slow caution, the light had indeed grown brighter, they could now see clearly, both each other and the cave.
Alec stopped abruptly, and even though everyone had been walking slowly they all, one by one, bumped into the back of the other.
"What is it?" hissed Holly.
Alec didn't answer.
Holly pushed around him to see what he was looking at and also stopped dead in her tracks.
The other two pushed their heads as best as they could to catch a glimpse of what had silenced the teenagers in front.
Nobody spoke.
Nobody breathed.
Finally, with a rush of released breath he didn't even realise he was holding, Troy squeaked out a dismayed cry.
"Oh God…we are so fucked…"
A/N...a couple of days, at least, til next chapter...and you know what I'm gonna ask for...please, can you leave a review?