Over 158 miles later, the Impala headed down another almost empty stretch of asphalt. Likely, the same stretch that had been travelled earlier. But the roads all seemed to wind the same way, so telling the difference was nearly impossible.
"I can't believe we probably retraced our steps back to Ohio, only to find out we were going in the right direction; we could have found Sam by now." Dean said.
"Well, would you rather get directions from someone pretending to be Chuck over the phone? Or recieve them in person, and confirm it's him?" Bobby asked.
Dean groaned. "We still have two hundred miles or so until we arrive in goddamn Ilchester, again. Why couldn't one of us have stayed behind while the rest went to Chuck?"
"Because, like I said yesterday, we are sticking together. Because like I have always told you, in dire situations, when do they prey on us the most? WHEN WE ARE ALONE AND VULNERABLE. The last thing I want, is to have to drag both you and your brothers' sorry asses out of the fire, again! Not that I mind it or anything, but maybe I would like to reduce the chances of you ending up hurt, or worse. Got it?" Bobby said.
The car fell into a heavy silence for a brief moment; Bobby sighed.
"Look, you know I'm right, even if you don't want to admit it. We're all exhausted, and we're running on fumes here. And I know you won't stop until your brother is safe and sound."
"So what do you suggest? It's not like we have the luxury of time at this point; we can't stop somewhere." Dean replies with slight agitation.
"Well, I've got more rest than you have, meaning I have a clearer head to drive. Now, I would suggest halo back there to drive, but that's probably not the best idea" -Dean huffed in amusement- "and I think you'd agree, a hundred percent." Bobby said.
"I am not well-acquainted with your forms transportation; it's ill-advised. I would teleport us all there, but we don't really know where 'there' is." Cas said.
"No need to explain yourself Cas, we've got it;" Dean said, "But Bobby.. What if- What if we pass the warehouse, all because we didn't have an extra pair of eyes?"
"Me and Cas aren't enough? Boy, come on now. Besides, what use are an extra pair of eyes, if they're barely staying open, or rolling around from fatigue?" Bobby asked rhetorically.
"He does have a point Dean. You haven't had a lot of sleep, and we still have a while until we are remotely near Ilchester." Cas said.
"Alright, fine. But if you two don't keep up with my pace, I'll kick your asses." Dean said after a few beats.
"Deal; I want to find your brother as much as you do, you know that." Bobby said.
Dean then pulled the car into park next to a guardrail and each of them got situated into their new seats for a while.
"Wake me up if you find anything or something happens, okay?" Dean asked.
"Of course Dean." Cas answered.
And within seconds, he submerged into unconsciousness.
Dean awoke to a series of repetitive vibrations from his front left pocket. He opened his eyes to realize he was no longer across the backseat, but somehow propped up against the cool window. He blearily glanced up at Bobby and Cas before answering the unknown caller.
"Hello?" He asked gruffly.
"Well well, hello Dean." The voice sneered on the other end.
"Sam?! Where-" Dean started.
Bobby and Castiel looked straight ahead, almost as if not noticing what was unfolding in the backseat. It didn't really worry Dean though, since the main issue was on the other line.
"Where the hell are you?!" He asked.
"Nevermind where I am, because I know where you are."
"Bull. Who am I really speaking to, and don't lie, because I know this isn't Sam."
"You're right, I'm not Sam. But also, I am Sam. Let's just say… Sam's dead." He paused. "Now, if I were you, I'd turn your little asses back around. This is your sole warning, Dean."
He felt his heart stop and take a dive into his stomach. He found couldn't speak...or breathe. It felt as though everything was crashing down inside him. Whatever he was talking to now, was distant, almost unheard. It didn't matter anyway, nothing mattered. His brother was gone, and the whole world was literally stopping all around him. Even the car had stopped moving; although the other passengers still faced forward, blankly staring.
"Dean," It teased faintly.
He looked at his surroundings, trying to find the source of everything that was occuring.
"Dean,"
No reapers, no haloed-dicks, no demons, nothing. Suddenly, silence. He wasn't alone, he felt it. But he also had never felt more alone in his whole life, all at once. The world around him began to shake violently, as if he was caught in an earthquake.
"Dean!"
He gasped and bolted up, almost sending Cas through the roof of the car. Thankfully, the eldest hunter had pulled the angel backwards, seconds before it could happen. As Dean sat there panting, it finally dawned him that they were on the side of the road, in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by darkness. He wasn't just slouched against the window, but flat on his back. It wasn't real, it was a dream. He felt around in his pockets until he found his phone, and instantly checked the call log. Nothing from this evening, only several from the day before, when he had tried calling his brother. He sighed shakily and tried his hardest to compose himself before looking up at two concerned faces.
"Jeez kid, we've been trying to wake you up for two minutes. You good?" Bobby asked.
"I.." Dean looked around again, "..Did Sam call?"
"No, we would have woken you if he did." Cas said.
"Must have been a bad one, yeah?" Bobby asked.
"Can we not talk about this right now?" Dean asked.
Bobby sighed in defeat. "Alright, sure thing. You okay to drive?"
"Hell yes." Dean said, catching his keys.
His mind reeled of the nightmare. It made him wonder if it was not a dream, but possibly.. his brother. No, that's impossible.. Isn't it? It could have been a demon, or maybe even another rogue angel. But Sam was Sam.
Then his dream from the night before came to him. He recalled the waves of power emanating from his little brother; his pupils absorbing the color from his eyes. His brother has had some freaky ESP crap before. Hell, from what he remembered, Dean got a vision from him when they were apart. For all he knew, it possibly could have been his brother.
Dean shook his head, as if that would clear his mind, and started his car back up. Bobby sat beside him in the passenger seat, catching him up to date on where they had already searched for Sam. So far, they had miraculously made it to the outskirts of Ilchester, in record time. Dean had apparently only been asleep for almost two hours. Normally with the distance they were driving, it would take a couple hours, give or take. With stepping on the gas pedal, it would take Dean about three hours total. How Bobby had managed to get that far, he had no idea. But it didn't matter, because they were closer to his brother, closer than they were last.
Towards Maryland (and when Dean had been out), they made sure to run by any suspicious looking warehouses, just to make sure they covered all possible grounds. They were ones that had been long abandoned, perfect targets for any fight. Although, the most they had come across so far, were some drug pacts and a couple run-of-the-mill monsters. None of them had a word to say about Sam; most had never heard of him.
When 2 AM rolled around, another group of warehouses came into view across the desolate backroads. They looked no different than the last ones, but Dean still insisted to check each one. Deep down, he knew. He knew none of these were the one warehouse he was looking for. He didn't know how he knew this, but he did. Before he entered the last warehouse, his body felt a strange longing from the near-distance. Almost like something was tugging him in a different direction; he stopped.
"What is it Dean?" Cas asked.
"These aren't the right warehouses." He stated.
"And what makes you say that? Visions of Voldemort again, Potter?" Bobby asked.
"No- It's… hard to explain." Dean said.
"Well, try me." Bobby said, folding his arms.
"It's…. like something's telling me to go the other way, trying to pull me kind of." Dean said.
"And don't you think that would mean something bad is trying to redirect you? It could be a trap." Bobby said.
"I don't think so. I mean, this doesn't feel sinister at all." Dean said.
"It is possible that you and Sam's soul could be connected; soul mates." Cas added.
"I thought soul mates were lovers?" Bobby asked.
"In most cases, yes. But it isn't always the case;" Cas said, "Since Dean's possibly in closer proximity to his brother, their souls could be longing for one another, which could create a sense of direction."
"Would it relate to the nightmare I had? I mean, it seemed really vivid." Dean asked.
"It definitely could relate. Now, which way is your essence leading you towards?" Cas asked.
"Uh.." Dean points northeast, "This way."
"Alright, so let's head that way then, I guess." Bobby says.