Chapter 07 - Hookman

Addison takes a sip of her coffee. Dean sat next to her, working on her laptop. They were sitting in a small outdoor café. A cup of coffee sat next to Dean and a third sat in the center of the table. Sam walks over to them and Dean smirks. "Your, uh, half-caf, double vanilla latte is getting cold over here, Francis." Dean says and Addison rolls her eyes.

"Bite me," Sam retorts and sits down.

"Did you find anything?" Addison asks.

Sam shakes his head. "I had them check the FBI's Missing Persons Data Bank. No John Doe's fitting Dad's description. I even ran his plates for traffic violations."

"Sam, I'm telling ya, I don't think Dad wants to be found," Dean says and a disappointed look crosses Sam's face. "Check this out." Dean turns Addison's computer to him. "It's a news item out of Planes Courier. Ankeny, Iowa. It's only about a hundred miles from here."

"'The mutilated body was found near the victim's car, parked on Nine Mile Road,'" Sam reads and looks at them.

"Keep reading," Addison tells him.

"'Authorities are unable to provide a realistic description of the killer. The sole eyewitness, whose name has been withheld, is quoted as saying the attacked was invisible.'"

"Could be something interesting," Dean comments.

"Or it could be nothing at all. One freaked out witness who didn't see anything? Doesn't mean it's the Invisible Man."

"But what if it is? Dad would check it out," Dean reasons. Sam lets out a sigh, knowing that his older brother was right.


The Impala pulls to a stop in front a two-story house. They step out and Addison groans. A sign with Greek letters sat in the middle of the yard. Frat brothers stood around, some were working on a car while most were just hanging out and drinking beer. "One more time, why are we here," Sam asks.

"Victim lived here," Dean answers and turns to Addison. He looks over the plaid buttoned up shirt and jeans she was wearing.

"What," Addison asks. Dean reaches over and undoes top buttons of her shirt. Addison rolls her eyes. "Are you serious?" Dean grins and heads towards the frat house. "Sometimes I hate your brother, Sam."

Sam laughs and they follow Dean. "Nice wheels," Dean says to the guys working on the car. Dean throws his arm around Addison's shoulders and pulls her close. He motions to Sam. "We're your fraternity brothers. From Ohio. We're new in town. Transfers. Looking for a place to stay."

"Murph has some space in his room," one of the guys said. "Second floor, look for the purple guy."

"Thanks."

The three of them enter the house. Dean's arm falls from Addison's shoulders and settles around her waist. As they walk up the stairs, his hand falls lower. "Get your hand off my ass, Dean," Addison hisses. "Or I will do something to your car."

Dean quickly removes his hand as they reach the second floor. They easily find Murph, who was standing in his room and painting himself purple. Dean knocks on the door and Murph looks at them. "Who are you?"

"We're your new roommates," Dean replies, walking into the room.

Murph holds out a paintbrush and can. "Do me a favor? Get my back. Big game today."

Dean motions to Sam. "He's the artist. Things he can do with a brush." Sam reluctantly takes the brush and can from Murph. Dean plops down in an armchair. He grabs Addison by the back of her jeans and yanks her into his lap. Addison tensely smiles as Dean looks at a magazine. "So, Murph. Is it true?"

"What?"

"We heard one of the guys around here got killed last week."

"Yeah."

"What happened," Addison asks.

"They're saying some psycho with a knife. Maybe a drifter passing through. Rich was a good guy."

"Rich, was he with somebody," Sam asks.

"Not just somebody. Lori Sorensen."

"Who's Lori Sorensen," Dean asks. He looks at Sam and points to a spot of Murph's back. "You missed a spot. Just down there. On the back." Sam glares at Dean, but continues painting.

"Lori's a freshman. She's a local. Super hot," Murph replies. "And get this: she's a reverend's daughter."

"You wouldn't happen to know which church, would ya," Dean asks, grinning.


They walk out of the church with the crowd. They had arrived in the middle of the sermon, causing everyone to look at them. Addison had to elbow Dean when everyone prayed so they wouldn't stand out further. Of course, neither Dean nor Addison had missed the look that a girl sitting in the front of the church had sent Sam. "There," Sam says, motioning to where a brunette girl was standing. They walk over to her. "Are you Lori?"

"Yeah," Lori replies, giving them a soft smile.

"My name is Sam. This is my brother, Dean and our friend, Addison," Sam says.

Dean waves and Addison smiles. "Hi," Addison says.

"We just transferred here to the university," Sam lies.

"I saw you inside," Lori replies.

"We don't wanna brother you. We just heard about what happened and…"

"We wanted to say how sorry we were," Dean finishes.

"I know of know what you're going through. I — I saw someone get hurt once. It's something you don't forget," Sam says and Lori nods.

Reverend Sorensen walks over to them. "Dad, um, this is Sam, Dean, and Addison. They're new students," Lori says.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir," Dean replies, shaking the older man's hand. "I must say, that was an inspiring sermon."

"Thank you very much. It's so nice to find young people who are open to the Lord's message."

"We're new in town," Addison says, guiding Reverend Sorensen away from Sam and Lori. She grabs Dean's arm and pulls him with her. "You wouldn't happen know a good church group, would you?"


The three of them sat at a table with books spread around them. Addison wrinkles her nose and closes the book. She lets out a sigh and lays her head on the book. "Do you believe her," Addison asks Sam.

"I do," Sam replies, not looking up from the book he was reading.

"Yeah, I think she's hot, too," Dean comments and Addison rolls her eyes.

"No, man, there's something in her eyes. And listen to this: she heard scratching on the roof. Found the bloody body suspended upside down over the car."

Addison sits up. "That sounds like—"

"The Hookman legend," Sam interrupts.

"That's one of the most famous urban legends ever," Dean says. "You don't think that we're dealing with the Hookman."

"Every urban legend has a source. A place where it all began."

"Except the phantom scratches, tire punctures, and the invisible killer," Addison says.

"Well, maybe the Hookman isn't a man at all. What if it's some kind of spirit," Sam asks.

Addison stands up. "I'll be back," she tells them and walks away. Ten minutes later, she places a dust covered box on the table. "The librarian helped me find this. Arrest records going back all the way back to 1851."

Dean blows dust off the box and coughs. "So, this is how you guys spent four good years of your life?"

"It's called higher education, Dean."

Hours later, they're still sitting at the table. Each had a book in front of him. "Hey, check this out," Sam says. Addison and Dean look at him. "1862. A preacher named Jacob Karns was arrested for murder. Looks like he was so angry over the red light district in town that one night he killed thirteen prostitutes. Uh, right here, 'Some of the deceased were found in their bed, sheets soaked with blood. Others suspended upside down from the limbs of trees as a warning against sins of the flesh.'"

"Get this, the murder weapon? Looks like the preacher lost his hand in an accident. Had it replaced with a silver hook," Dean says, reading a different page in the book.

"Look where all this happened."

"Nine mile road."

"That's the same place where the frat boy was killed," Addison says.

"Nice job, Dr. Venkman," Dean tells Sam and stands up. "Let's check it out." Sam and Addison gather up the research and quickly follow after him.


Night had fallen by the time they pull up to Nine Mile Road. They climb out of the Impala and walk around to the trunk. Dean opens it and hands Sam a shotgun. "Here you go."

"If it is a spirit, buckshot won't do much good," Sam counters.

"Yeah, rock salt," Dean says, grabbing some shotgun shells and handing them to Sam.

"Huh. Salt being a spirit deterrent."

"It doesn't kill them, but it slows them down," Addison comments. Dean takes out some rope and slams the trunk shut.

"That's pretty good, Addison."

"I didn't think of it."

"I told you. You don't have to be a college graduate to be a genius," Dean says and they start walking. Noises come from behind the trees and they stop. "Over there."

Sam cocks the gun and aims it at the trees. A Sheriff comes out from behind the threes. "Put the gun down now! Now! Put your hands behind your head."

"W-w-wait," Dean quickly says and Sam quickly lowers the gun. "Okay, okay!"

"Now get down on your knees. Come on, do it! On your knees," the Sheriff orders and they kneel down. "Now get down on your bellies. Come on, do it!"

"He had the gun," Dean mutters as they lay down on the ground. He feels a gaze on him and turns to see Addison glaring at him. He gives her a weak smile as the Sheriff handcuffs them.


"Saved your ass," Dean exclaims as they walk out of the Sheriff's office the next morning. Addison rolls her eyes, annoyed at him. "Talked the sheriff down to a fine. Dude, I am Matlock."

"But how," Sam asks.

"Dean said that you were a dumbass pledge and that he was hazing you while I was there to make sure you didn't actually get hurt," Addison explains and whacks Dean's stomach. "That's for causing me to spend the night in jail. Those hookers in the ladies cell kept staring at me and I didn't like it."

"So, what'd you say about the shotgun," Sam asks.

"I said that you were hunting ghosts and the spirits were repelled by rock salt," Dean answers. "You know, typical Hell Week prank."

"And he believed you?"

"Well, you look like a dumbass pledge," Dean counters. Sheriffs suddenly run out of the building and drive off in their cars. The three of them exchange a look and pick up the pace to where the Impala was parked.


They park down the street from the sorority house. They walk up to the back of the house. "Why would the Hookman come here," Sam asks. "This is a long way from Nine Mile Road."

"Maybe he's not haunting the scene of his crime. Maybe it's about something else," Dean replies. They press up against the house when they see a couple of girls come out. Sam taps Addison's shoulder and she turns to see him crawl up onto the house. "Dude, sorority girls! Think we'll see a naked pillow fight?"

"Dean," Addison snaps. He turns to see Sam crawling onto the balcony. "Give me a hand." Dean interlaces his fingers and Addison places her foot in his hands. He lifts up and Sam grabs her hand. Dean smirks as Addison pulls herself onto the balcony. He reaches up and slaps Addison ass. She turns and glares at him causing he to grin.

Sam finds a room with a window and opens it. He and Addison wait for Dean to join them before climbing in through the window. Addison goes first, then Sam, and Dean, who falls on top of Sam. "Oh, sorry," Dean says.

"Be quiet," Sam hisses.

"You be quiet!"

"How about both of you shut the hell up," Addison interrupts, glaring at both of them. She quietly opens the door and looks to see a sheriff walks out of the room, closing the door behind him. She opens it and they walk into the room. On the wall, written in blood, are the words 'Aren't you glad you didn't turn on the light?' "That's right out of the legend."

"Yeah, that's classic Hookman all right," Dean says and taps his nose. "It's definitely a spirit."

"Yeah, I've never smelled ozone this strong before," Sam comments.

Addison cocks her head to the side and stares at drawing underneath the words. "I've seen that before."


Addison sifts through the copies of the records she had made when they were at the library. She pulls out a piece of paper and shows it to the brothers. "Same symbol," she says. "Our ghost is the spirit of Jacob Karns."

"All right, let's find the dude's grave, salt, burn the bones, and put him down," Dean replies.

"After execution, Jacob Karns was laid to rest in an Old North Cemetery," Sam reads from the paper. "In an unmarked grave."

"Great," Addison says.

"Okay. So, we know its Jacob Karns. But we still don't know where he'll manifest next. Or why."

"I'll take a wild guess about why. I think your little friend Lori has something to do with this," Dean says and they climb into the Impala. "See if you can find out."


Music blares around the house. Addison gives the frat guy, who was supposedly teaching her to play pool, a smile. "And I just hit the ball," she innocently asks.

"Yeah," the frat guy replies, moving his hand to her ass.

Addison pulls back the pool stick and starts to hit the ball. "Hey." She slips and completely misses the ball. She looks up and sees Dean and Sam.

Addison glares at them, then turns to the frat guy. "Excuse me, I have to go deal with my annoying brothers," she apologizes and walks over to them. "Right now, I hate both of you."

Sam unrolls a piece of paper and they look at it. "So, it was bugging me, right? How is the Hookman tied up with Lori? So, I think I came up with something."

"1932. Clergyman arrested for murder. 1967. Seminarian held in hippie rampage," Dean reads.

"There's a pattern here. In both cases, the suspect was a man of religion who openly preached against immorality. And then found himself wanted for killings he claimed were the work of an invisible force. Killings carried out, get this, with a sharp instrument."

"What's the connection to Lori?"

"A man religion? Who openly preaches against immorality? Except maybe this time, instead of saving the whole town, he's just trying to save his only daughter."

"You think Reverend Sorensen is summoning the spirit," Addison questions.

"Maybe. Or, you know how a poltergeist can haunt a person instead of a place?"

"So, the spirit latches onto the Reverend's repressed emotions and feeds off them."

"Without the reverend even knowing."

"Either way, you should keep an eye on Lori tonight," Dean says and Sam nods.

"What about you two?"

"We're gonna go see if we can find that unmarked grave," Dean replies.

"How about you go alone and I stay here," Addison counters.

"Nope. If I can't stay, then you can't stay," Dean tells her, smiling at a blonde across the room. Addison shakes her head in disbelief.


Addison and Dean walk through the cemetery. They scan the area looking for any clue to where the grave was. "Hey." Dean says and Addison looks at him. "Here we go." He motions to the tombstone with the cross from the wall on it. Dean drops the bag of supplies on the ground and starts going through it. He looks up when Addison doesn't do anything. "Addison."

Addison gives Dean a smile and walks over to him. "I think you—"

Dean shoves a shovel at her. "Start digging."

"I'll blow you."

Dean stares at her, contemplating her offer. He shakes his head. "No. Start digging." Addison rolls her eyes and reluctantly starts digging with him. Half an hour later, they hit the coffin. "That's it. Next time, I get to watch the cute girl's house."

"Next time, I'm not digging."

"Ads, shut up." Dean says. He breaks the wooden coffin and they see a skeleton. "Hello, preacher."

"Shut up." Addison mutters, climbing out of the grave. She searches through bag and pulls out a container of salt and lighter fluid.

Dean climbs out of the grave and Addison pours the salt and lighter fluid on the bones. He lights a match. "Goodbye, preacher." He throws it in the grave and the remains burst into flames. "You've never had a problem with digging a grave before, Ads. What's change? Is it cause we're alone?"

"What? No! Dean, we've been alone before. Nothing has changed. It's just…"

"Just what?"

"I can't say it without hurting your feelings."

"Ads, you're not—"

"That frat guy was really hot and you totally cock blocked me." Addison blurts and Dean stares at her. "See. I hurt your feelings."

"Ads, you didn't hurt my feelings. We both agreed that we were benefits only. And hey, I rather be hooking up with a hot chick than digging up a grave and salting and burning the bones."

Addison nods in agreement. "Next time, Sam is digging up the grave, by himself."


"No, it's alright, we're with him. He's our brother." Dean tells the Sheriff, who was blocking his and Addison from walking down the hospital hallway. Sam stood down the hallway, talking to another Sheriff. "Hey! Brother!" Dean waves his arm at Sam.

"Let them through." the other sheriff says and the one in front of them moves.

Addison and Dean walk towards Sam, who meets them halfway. "Are you okay?" she asks.

"Yeah." Sam answers.

"What the hell happened?" Dean asks.

"Hookman."

"Wait, you saw him?" Addison asks.

"Damn right. Why didn't you guys torch the bones?"

"What are you talking about, we did." Dean counters. "You sure it's the spirit of Jacob Karns?"

"It sure as hell looked like him. And that's not all. I don't think the spirit is latching on to the reverend."

"Well, I doubt he would send the Hookman after himself." Addison comments.

"I think it's latching onto Lori. Last night, she found out her father is having an affair with a married woman."

"So what." Dean says.

Sam rolls his eyes. "So, she's upset about it. She's upset about the immorality of it. She told me she was raised to believe that if you do something wrong, you get punished."

"Maybe Karns is latching onto her repress emotions and doing the punishing for her." Addison says.

"Right. Rich comes on too strong, Taylor tries to make her into a party girl, Dad has an affair."

"Remind me not to piss this girl off." Dean comments. "But we burned those bones, we buried them in salt why didn't that stop him?"

"You must have missed something."

"No. We burned everything in that coffin."

"Did you get the hook?"

"Hook?" Addison asks, exchanging a confused look with Dean.

"Well, it was the murder weapon, and in a way, it was part of him."

"So, like the bones, the hook is a source of his power." Dean reasons.

"So, if we find the hook…"

"We stop the Hookman." they all say at the same time and smile.


They're back in the library, sitting at the same table, and going through more books. "Check this out," Addison says, breaking the silence. "The Iowa State Penitentiary log book. 'Karns, Jacob. Personal affects: disposition thereof.'"

"Does it mention the hook," Sam impatiently asks.

Addison glares at him. "If you'd just give me a moment. 'Upon execution, all earthly items to be remanded to the prisoner's house of worship, St. Barnabas Church.'"

"Isn't that where Lori's father preaches?"

"Yep."

"Where Lori lives?"

"Maybe that's why the Hookman has been haunting reverends and reverends' daughters for the past 200 years," Dean comments.

"Yeah, but if the hook were at the church or Lori's house, don't you think someone might've seen it," Sam asks. "I mean, a bloodstained, silver-handled hook?"

"We have to check the church records," Addison says.

Ten minutes later, they've found another book. Sam was searching through it. "'St. Barnabas donations, 1862. Received silver-handled hook from state penitentiary. Re-forged,'" he reads and lets out a sigh. "They melted it down. Made it into something else."


Dean parks the Impala in front of the church and they all pile out. They look between the house and the church. "All right, we can't take any chances. Anything silver goes in the fire," Dean says.

"I agree," Sam replies. "So, Lori's still at the hospital. We'll have to break in."

"All right, take you pick."

"I'll take the house."

"Okay. Ads, you're with me." Sam nods and starts to walk towards the house. "Hey." Sam turns back to them. "Stay out of her underwear drawer."

Sam shakes his head and walks away. "Sometimes, Dean, you are unbelievably," Addison comments as she and Dean walk towards the church. Dean laughs and slaps Addison's ass. "And stop grabbing my ass."

"Come on, let's get to work," Dean replies. They enter the church and split up. Addison grabs anything that looked silver to her. She meets back up with Dean, arms filled with objects. Dean held a bag filled with objects. "There's a furnace in the basement. Come on." Addison rolls her eyes but follows Dean to the basement. She drops everything on the floor with a loud thud. Dean stares at her.

Addison shrugs. "What? It was heavy."

Dean opens the little door to the furnace and starts throwing stuff in. Footsteps sound and they look up to see Sam walking down the stairs, carrying a large bag of stuff. "I got everything that even looked silver."

"Better safe than sorry," Dean replies. More footsteps come from above them. Dean pulls out his gun. "Move, move." The three of them walk upstairs and see Lori sitting in a pew. Addison and Dean walk back downstairs.

Addison starts throwing more stuff into the furnace. She looks up to see Dean standing at the bottom of the stairs. "Dean, seriously, I'm not doing this—"

"Stay here and keep throwing stuff in the fire," Dean interrupts and walks back up stairs. Numerous footsteps echo above her.

"Come on," Addison mutters. A gunshot goes off. She grabs handfuls of silver objects and tosses it into the fire. "Please, do not come after me."

"Addison," Dean shouts, running down the stairs. She turns and he throws a necklace at her. Quickly, Addison tosses it into the fire. Watching it melt, she lets out relieved sigh. "Come on!" Addison follows him up the stairs and to a side room. She sees Sam and Lori huddled against the wall.


Morning had come, along with the local sheriffs and an ambulance. Dean and Addison stood talking to a sheriff. "And you both saw him, too? The man with the hook," the Sheriff disbelievingly asks.

"Yes, we told you, we all saw him. We fought him off and then he ran," Dean replies.

"And that's all?"

"Yeah, that's all," Addison answers.

"Listen, you two and your brother—"

"Oh, don't worry, we're leaving town," Dean interrupts and walks over to the Impala.

Addison gives the Sheriff a tense smile and walks over to the Impala. She climbs into the backseat. "Dean, stop spying," she says.

"I'm not spying."

"Uh huh. That's what you say when you watch Oprah."

The passenger door opens and Sam climbs in. His arm was wrapped in a bandage. Dean and Addison exchange a look. "We could stay," Dean tells him. Sam shakes his head. Dean starts the Impala and drives away. Addison leans up and pats Sam's shoulder.