Chapter Eight:
Let's Give the Boy a Hand
Dean looked over at Sam and could stop himself from wincing. This was a meeting that he hadn't been looking forward to, but knew he couldn't avoid it. As he watched the old Ford Ranchero rumble closer he could feel his stomach churning and turned to Sam, who was standing uncomfortably next to him. "Sam, I'm not saying this was a bad idea," Dean muttered to his younger brother as the truck rolled to a stop, "but it was a bad idea." Sam cocked his head to the side and bit his lower lip. Dean knew he should have tried to run down other leads, but somewhere in his heart, he knew that Garth would still be his best option in finding out what the hell he was dealing with, like it or not. "A very bad idea." Dean reiterated as Garth climbed out of the truck with the biggest grin Sam and Dean had ever seen him wear.
"Sam! Dean!" he shouted to the Winchesters as he drew closer. Sam swallowed and Dean shifted his weight at the enthusiastic greeting. "I was hoping we would cross paths again." Garth said as he threw his arms around Sam. Dean watched as Sam slowly brought his arms around Garth. "Dean," Garth greeted with a cock of his head, his signature grin in place before moving in to offer him a hug, "I have missed working with you. Both of you! I was so happy when I received Sam's text that I jumped right in my truck and mosied on down here." he explained holding tighter onto Dean. Dean mouthed 'mosied' to Sam and watched as his brother fought his amusement. And finally Garth was withdrawing. Dean let out a long sigh of relief and waited for Garth to share what he had found. "Can we head in? It's kind of chilly out here." Garth shivered. Dean nodded and led him to the motel room.
"So," Sam started as Dean took a seat on one of the beds, "what were you able to find?" Garth smirked and sat across from Dean on the bed. Sam took a seat next to his brother and waited while their visitor sorted through a file that looked like it weighed more than he did. "Garth, we know it wasn't a Leviathan attack...so you can skip over that." Sam offered. Garth looked up, confused, and returned to checking the file he had brought along with him. "Garth?" Sam was becoming frustrated and Dean watched as his brother tried his best to conceal his emotions.
Garth rested the file next himself on the bed and focused on the brothers. "You're half right, Sam. The Leviathans are no longer in the big picture, but there are a few running around." Garth explained as Dean felt himself becoming sick. "But I have a few other hunters on that. No worries. But what you're dealing with isn't a Leviathan so you can rest easy on that." he continued with a smile. Dean wanted to smack the life out of the scrawny man sitting across from him, but he had information that he needed, so he exercised his restraint. "Right, so while it isn't a Leviathan, it isn't anything that I have had a chance to come across and I don't think even Bobby did. I did some research and there's nothing in his journal about it. Nothing like that." Sam shifted his weight on the bed and let out a labored sigh. Garth reached over to his file and removed an image.
"This looks like the stripper from the feed last night." Dean said taking the image from Garth. Garth nodded and motioned for him to read the time stamps. "It says that this was taken last night a few hours after we left."The elder Winchester was confused now. "Garth, you're going to have to be clear on this one. What the hell am I looking at?" he asked directly. Sam stood up and walked over to the door. "Sam!" Dean shouted, but it was too late. Sam had left the room. It was now Dean and Garth, alone. "This isn't one bit awkward." Dean mumbled to himself. Garth looked hurt for a moment. "Oh, this has nothing to do with you, Garth. Sam and I are having trouble." he explained.
"Yeah, you both seemed a bit on edge." Garth noted. Dean felt a chill course through him. Was it so obvious that even someone like Garth could notice? "Moving on, to answer your question, that isn't a Leviathan and it isn't anything I'm familiar with. But..." Garth said placing emphasis on the 'but', "...but I know someone, local, who might know what you're dealing with. You can thank me later, but I already let him know to expect you." Garth said handing Dean a card. Dean looked down at the card and tried to hide his annoyance. "Just call him up and let him know Garth sent you. He should have some idea of what that is." Garth said pointing to the image.
"Thank you, Garth." Dean said checking the name. He wasn't sure if Garth was screwing with him or not, but the name on the card didn't seem like anyone he knew or had even come across in all his years as a hunter. Ryan Brendan. "I'll be sure to call Mr. Brendan and ask him what this might be." he said standing up and leading Garth to the door. Garth looked a bit unsettled by the haste, but Dean needed a few minutes of alone time. "I'll see you soon, Garth." Dean said ushering him out the door. Garth turned around and offered Dean one last hug before leaving. Reluctantly Dean accepted and, for the first time since he had been thrown on the case, felt okay about it. "We'll be in touch!" Dean shouted to Garth as he climbed in the truck. "...and off you are."
Dean returned to the motel room and tossed the card on the table between the two beds. What was Sam thinking in bringing Garth in on this? "Sam, Sam, Sam!" Dean said aloud as he ran a hand through his hair. He was becoming more frustrated with each passing moment. This was the last thing he wanted when he set out to make things right between them. "Where did you run off to Sam?" Dean wondered aloud. It wasn't like Sam to leave without much notice and he had been doing so quite a lot these last few days. "Sam!" Dean shouted half expecting him to be lurking behind the door, but there was no answer and there was no Sam.
Dean was about to head out and look for Sam when he felt a slight breeze blow from behind him. Spinning around he saw that Cas was standing behind him, looking confused. "Dean." Cas seemed to be concerned about something, but what it was Dean couldn't tell. Folding his arms he waited for Cas to explain himself. "Dean, I'm sorry about having to lie to you about the case." Dean shifted his weight and offered his friend a cross look. "I couldn't tell you. I can't tell you." he mumbled under his breath. Dean continued to stare at him and waited for a response. "Dean, please understand -"
"Understand what? You're lying to me now? You're running off without a moment's notice when shit hits the fan? Understand what, Cas?" Dean shouted. Cas retracted back a few feet and considered what Dean was saying to him now. "You know what? I don't care. I have enough to deal with. You can have your lies, your deceit, and your meetings with Sam." Dean's voice oozed with a judgmental tone. Cas continued to chew on Dean's words. "So, what the hell am I to understand Cas? Spill it. Right here. Right now. Or I swear to God I'm walking out of that fucking door."
Dean watched as Cas chose his words before speaking. "I'm asking you to understand what I'm saying and believe me when I tell you that if I am lying to you, it's for the best. That's what I'm asking of you, Dean. You have to trust me on this." Cas offered trying to ease the conversation. Dean continued to seethe and paced back and forth. Cas sighed. "Dean, I wouldn't lie to you unless I had a reason. And believe me when I tell you that I have a reason." Cas defended himself.
"I need to know that reason, Cas. If I am to trust you about this you need to offer me something to help me trust you." Dean said standing in front of Cas now. Cas locked eyes with Dean as he scanned his friend's face. "I want to trust you, Cas. I do, but you have to show me something." Dean sat back down and waited for Cas to follow. "You can sit down." He motioned to the bed across from him but the angel simply glanced over and remained standing. "Don't sit down, Cas." Dean said hoping that this would make his angelic friend have a seat. Nothing happened. Letting out a frustrated sigh Dean stood and folded his arms again.
"Dean, you have to trust me on this. This is so much bigger than you know or believe it to be and if I am lying to you, you have to know there's a reason for it." Cas reasoned. Cas was about to say something else when the sound of the door opening cut him short. Dean's attention was directed at the figure that was standing in the doorway. "Sam." Cas said looking over to Sam who was now in the door. "Dean and I were having a discussion that would be easier if you were not included in the room at the same time. No offense." Sam wore a confused look, but continued into the room.
"No, Cas, I think I will stick around for a few minutes." Looking from Dean to Cas and then back to Dean the younger Winchester awaited an answer. Cas shifted uncomfortably. "What's this all about?" Sam asked looking from Dean to Cas and back to Dean. Cas took a seat on the bed across from the brothers. Dean followed him down and Sam sat next to Dean. "Is someone going to tell me what the hell is going on or am I going to be six steps behind, left out of the loop again?" Sam asked. Dean looked over to Cas and decided it was best to let Sam in on what he knew.
"Well, Sam, it would seem that you were right about Cas lying to us. He won't tell me what the hell is up, but there's a reason. So he's told me." Dean explained. Cas looked down at the floor and sulked. "That being said, Cas isn't the only one keeping secrets in this room. I'm wondering where the hell you keep running off to. Back at the club, the morgue, and just now. Something you wanna tell me?" Dean asked directing his anger now at Sam. Sam looked hurt. "I need to know what's going on here!" Dean shouted throwing his hands up in the air and starting to pace the room again.
Sam looked over to Cas who was silently looking at the floor. Neither man said anything and Dean, tired and waiting, tried to sort through the information Garth had left. He decided that it was best to move on. "Is this what Garth left?" Sam asked noticing the look on his brother's face. Dean was thankful he was able to focus on something else. "I don't recognize the name. Ryan Brendan. Who is this?" Sam was the one to question the angel. Cas stood up and walked to the door. "Hey, where are you heading off to?" Sam asked. Cas said nothing and walked out of the door. Dean threw his arms up in frustration again.
"Ryan Brendan is the name of a contact that Garth thought might know what the hell we're dealing with. But after this shit with Cas I don't know. I'm starting to think, though, that Garth is the only one who isn't lying to me about something." Dean answered Sam's question and checked outside the door. Cas had vanished once again without saying much of anything. "Great." Dean said to himself as he slide back in the motel room. "This is the deal, Sam. We sleep on this shit, see the widow tomorrow morning, and then call this Brendan guy and see what he can tell us. Maybe he is in the know."
Sam moved the file that Garth had left on the bed and laid down. Dean had never known Sam to wear the same clothes to bed, but he had also been away for almost a year and things had obviously changed between them. As he watched Sam drift he reached for his cell and walked outside. Looking down at the cell he scrolled through the numbers on his contact list until he reached "Benny." Taking a look around and thinking to himself for a moment he considered not making the call, but before he knew it he had hit the button and the line was ringing.
