Disclaimer: I still don't own Supernatural or its characters. I and am not making any money on this…I'm just having fun!
The Play's the Thing
Chapter 9 – The Plot Thickens
Previously…
He stood up and swayed. It was time to get out of here before the ghost came back. Besides if he was right, he had the means to destroy her now in his pocket. He took a step and gasped as the room spun. His legs crumpled as he reached towards the door, his limp hand falling to the ground to join the rest of his body as the darkness he'd been fighting finally won.
"Mine…" The voice gleefully said as a cold hand grabbed his ankle and began to pull.
And Now…
Dean quickly helped Bobby into his chair before he headed to the trunk. He grabbed his duffle and double checked to make sure everything was in place. He took his spare shot gun and loaded it before closing the trunk. Neither hunter said a word as they passed the bright yellow VW Bug parked haphazardly in the alleyway. It was clear his brother wasn't in his right mind, no way would he have picked such an obnoxious vehicle and he knew he'd taught his brother how to park better. Of course, he'd have to rib Sam later on how he managed to fit his Sasquatch size frame into such a small car.
As Dean reached for the door, it suddenly banged open and he found himself holding a severely shaken Tamara. "Whoa!" the hunter cried as he tried to steady the panicked girl.
"Dean! You have to help him!" Tamara panted, her eyes filled with tears. "He saved me! I can't believe he saved me…" Her legs began to collapse as Dean gently pulled her towards the abandoned VW. He needed to leave her some place safe while he checked on his brother. As he lowered her to the back seat, her hand grabbed his arm.
"She's got him Dean—Oh God—She's got him!" As her eyes closed, he couldn't help the surge of panic in his veins at her words. He turned and ran back towards the door to the theater. "You heard her Bobby—we have to get inside now!"
"You go find that idjit brother of yours. If you're right about the ring, I need to find something to get a fire going and purify it. Once you have the ring, find me and we'll take care of the bitch." Bobby remarked as he wheeled into the theater and headed for the concession stand.
"Fine, but we get Sammy out first—if I can't find the ring, we'll come back." Dean didn't wait for his friend as he tore through the lobby towards the back of the theater. There was no sound which made his heart beat faster. What if he was too late?
He shook his head. He had to stay focused. All their lives depended on it. As he approached the door to the prop room he pulled his shot gun out and had it ready. He hitched the duffle bag further onto his shoulder as he reached for the knob. He sucked in a breath at the cold feel on the metal. As he slowly turned it, he was surprised when the door swung inward with ease.
A quick glance showed the room was empty. The smell of ozone though was heavy which meant the ghost had been here not long ago. He saw his other shot gun lying on the ground next to an iron bar. His brother had put up a fight. He reached down and grabbed the gun, loaded it and placed it in the duffle bag he carried on his shoulder. It wouldn't hurt to have the extra fire power. "Okay Sammy, where are you hiding?" Dean said softly as he looked down on the floor. He could see where the dust had been disturbed. It looked like something had been dragged.
"Son of a bitch!" He exclaimed as it was clear the ghost had probably gotten to his brother. He followed the marks until he was standing in front of a wall. "Well unless you've been holding out on me little brother, you can't go through walls so that means…" He began to search along the wooden panels until he felt something click. He stepped back as the wall slid inward. "You sly bitch…"
He pulled out his cell phone and made a quick call. "Bobby, the bitch has him. It looks like there are hidden hallways behind the damn walls."
"Be careful Dean…" Bobby's voice sounded worried.
"Aren't I always?" Dean remarked as he chuckled at the expected response…
"Idjit!"
He hung up the phone and placed it back in his pocket. He didn't know where the dark hallway lead, but it didn't matter. He was going to find his brother and nothing would stop him. As he pulled out and tested his flashlight he jumped as a sound came from the hall. He turned and leveled the gun, only to breathe an exasperated sigh. "Can't anyone stay put today? You shouldn't be here Tamara!"
"I had to come. If I'd run when I first saw her, Sam wouldn't be in trouble. He told me not to try to talk to Joey, but I thought…" Tamara looked down at the floor before she looked up with tears in her eyes. "She was my friend…"
Dean sighed. "It's not your fault Tamara. Spirits sometimes change after they've been around for awhile—they get angry. But you need to go back out to the car and wait. It's not safe here for you."
Tamara squared her shoulders and shook her head. "You need me Dean. I know you and your brother are ghost hunters. He told me as much when we last talked. I may not know how to hunt a ghost, but I do know the theater and I know Becky. There's a place she and JW used to go to…"
"Just tell me how to get there…" the hunter started but was interrupted when the young girl stepped in front of him and headed into the dark hallway.
"You'll never find it without me—now we can either argue or you can follow me…" Tamara paused for a moment, her eyes glowing as the flashlight hit them.
"Fine, but you stay behind me. I don't suppose you know how to shoot a shot gun?" Dean was taken aback as she held her hand out to him.
"My pappy used to take me out on the bayou. Learning to shoot was required to survive out there." Dean handed her the gun and couldn't help admire the way she efficiently checked it before holding out her hand. "Spare shells?"
With a chuckle the hunter handed her some of his spare supply. "These are salt rounds. She won't stay gone long, so be prepared to shoot more than once. When we find Sam, I'll grab him and you can cover our six okay?"
"Roger!" Tamara chuckled as the two entered the hallway.
Sam woke slowly; the musty smell combined with the dust caused him to sneeze. He rolled to his side and clutched his ribs with a soft groan. He couldn't see anything in the darkness that surrounded him. He was lying on something soft, but from the dust rising from it—it hadn't been used in some time. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the small flashlight he always carried.
He pushed himself up and turned it on. He saw old props lying around, a make up table was in one corner and it appeared that he was on an old cot. The faded comforter made him shiver as he tried not to think about what else was in the old mattress with him. He could hear the sound of small creatures as they scurried from the light. "Great—probably rats. Dean would love to meet you all…" Sam chuckled humorlessly as he shivered again.
He continued to shine the light around the room, looking for a way to escape. But he didn't see any obvious doors. He stood but soon sat back down as his ankle screamed at him. He looked down and saw that it was swollen and discolored. His body hurt in so many places, the throbbing in his ankle hadn't even been noticed. He blinked against the dizziness that threatened to take him down. He had to find a way out of here before the crazy ghost returned.
As if she read his mind, the temperature dropped and he saw the apparition begin to form. He had nothing to protect himself with. There was nothing in the room. He moved further back on the old mattress until his back was against the wall. "Any time now big brother…" he muttered as Becky moved closer to him.
."You have what's mine—I want it back!" The irate ghost flickered before she reappeared next to the bed. Sam shivered from the cold but refused to give in to the fear that filled his stomach. He knew the moment she got what she wanted, he'd be dead.
"I don't know what you're talking about…" Sam tried to stall for time. But the ghost wasn't having any of it as he felt himself pushed down onto the mattress. The ghost now on top of him as her hands began to move over him. His breath hitched as she tore his shirts, leaving his chest bare.
"You'll tell me or suffer! It's all that I have left of him." The young hunter cried out as her hand hovered over his heart, her nails digging into the skin causing him to arch off the bed. "Tell me!" she screamed as he writhed beneath her. His ribs screamed as he tried to suck in enough air, his shoulder not fairing much better as he strained for purchase to get her off of him.
"Get off me you bitch! I'm telling you he won't love you after he finds out you killed his best friend just so he could get the chance…ARGH!" Sam cried as her hand felt like it was going to pull the heart from his chest."
The ghost leaned closer, her eyes filled with hate. "I can see into your heart, you have betrayed the one you love. You talk about what I've done—you have no idea the sacrifice of giving everything up for the one you love…" Her lips brushed against his ear as she leaned over him. "At least I did what was needed to help the one I loved—what have you done?"
Sam swallowed as the words struck close to home. The fact that Dean couldn't trust him still hurt but how could he expect anything more. He'd betrayed his brother in the choices he'd made, his selfishness in wanting to be the one to stop Lilith. His stubborn pride had released a monster into the world. As he felt cold hands move down to encircle his throat, the fight left him. If he let the ghost kill him, his brother would morn, but then he'd be able to finally move on. However a small spark ignited as he thought of Dean facing Lucifer alone and he began to struggle again. He couldn't let his brother take on the mess he'd created.
"You didn't—didn't kill out of love…" Sam gasped as he thrashed on the bed. "You did—it so you could get ahead. JW was just the way out for you…"
Becky sat up and gazed at him for a moment, her eyes thoughtful before she sat back on his hips. "You want to die…"
"I'm not afraid of death—been there, done that already. Besides, if you kill me—you never get your ring back again…" Sam said as he felt her hands move over his chest again but stilling before they made it back to his throat.
The ghost's shape shimmered for a moment longer before she materialized near the shelves with props. Sam couldn't make out what she was doing until he saw the glint of steel in her hand. She had what looked like a very real knife.
"I might not be able to kill you—but I can make you wish I had…" Sam tried to move but before he could reach the edge of the bed, she was on him. As the first cut slashed across his stomach he couldn't help the scream the erupted from him.
Tamara grabbed hold of Dean's arm and pointed towards the left side of the hallway that felt like it went on forever. He stopped and flashed the light over what appeared to be more of the wall. "Here?" He asked softly.
"Yes, they say this hidden area was created when the theater used to be used for other types of entertainment." He knew if there was more light he'd see a blush on the woman's cheeks as she continued. Most of the uhm…rooms were sealed. But Becky found one that was still here. She'd set it up as a special place that she and JW could go to."
"Do you know where the latch is?" Dean said as he stepped back to let the woman move in front of him. He kept his eyes peeled for any sign of the ghost. It bothered him that they hadn't seen her so far. It could only mean bad things for his brother. Suddenly he heard a loud scream from the other side of the wall.
"Damn it—get it open now!" The hunter cried out as he pulled his gun up and stood ready. "Open it and then head back to the concession area. Bobby will protect you…" He spoke quickly as he heard the soft click of the latch. He didn't wait to see if Tamara had listened as he charged into the room, his eyes going hard at the scene in front of him.
Becky was straddling his brother, a blood soaked knife raised ready to strike. Without waiting, he pulled the trigger and smiled as the spirit screamed in fury. Dean didn't wait as he moved towards is sibling. He could see his brother's face twisted in pain as he fought to stay conscious. "Sammy, take it easy…"
"D'n?" Sam said softly, his hazel eyes unfocused for a moment before with a gasp he sat up, holding his arm over his lower stomach. Dean's eyes narrowed as he saw the red stain on the top of Sam's jeans.
"Let me see…" He tried to get his brother to remove his arm, but Sam shook his hand off. A slight groan escaped him as he pulled his coat forward. Dean watched as his brother fumbled in his pocket before pulling his hand out and placing something in his hand. He glanced down and saw a small golden band of gold.
"You need to—need to destroy it—hurry, she knows I have—I have it—go—she'll kill…" Sam whispered as his body sagged back against the mattress. His eyes blinking slowly as they began to lose focus again.
"Damn it Sam, I can't leave you here like this!" Dean said as he tried to figure out the best way to get Sam out of here while protecting them both from the bitch. He jumped as a hand grasped his shoulder.
"Give it to me—I can do it." Tamara said softly.
"I thought I told you to go!" Dean ground out. "Why won't anyone listen to me today!"
"Well I'd say it's a good thing I didn't. Now tell me what I need to do." She glanced down at Sam, her eyes filled with concern. "You need to take care of him…"
Dean sighed, he knew she was right but he hated to put her in jeopardy. It was only a matter of time before the ghost discovered Sam didn't have the ring. "If we only had a similar ring…" He played with the silver one on his own finger but knew it would never work. A soft hand on his shoulder brought his attention back to Tamara.
"Would this work?" She said softly as she pulled a small chain from her neck, a small gold band dangled from the links. "It belonged to someone special—he's, well let's say he left kind of unexpected."
"I can't guarantee you'll get it back…" Dean said as he pushed the ring back towards her.
"It's not worth Sam's life. If it will help, it's okay…" Tamara placed the ring back in Dean's hand. "Now what?"
Dean looked closer and realized the ring was similar enough it might work. He could use it to keep the ghost here and away from Sam hopefully. "Now you run as fast as you can to my friend Bobby. Give him the ring—he'll know what to do from there." As the girl turned to run, he called after her. "Keep your eyes open, if you see anything—you shoot!"
Tamara looked back for a moment before she ran through the open door into the hallway. A soft groan caused Dean to look back down at his brother. "When we get back, you and I are gonna have a little chat about following orders."
Sam didn't answer as his eyes refused to focus. Dean leaned forward and felt the heat radiating off his sibling. The fever was back and along with his other injuries it made the situation serious. Sighing he pulled Sam's arm back and saw the belly wound. Luckily it didn't look too deep, but it needed to be cleaned and stitched. He used the flash light to check for other injuries, his breath hissed in sympathy at the bruising around his brother's chest and neck. The bitch had done a number on him for sure. "Well Sam, I don't think you'll be walking out of here this time."
The sudden drop in temperature caused him to check his gun before he moved Sam gently closer to the wall. The bitch would have to go through him to get to his brother. He felt a hand on his back, his brother's soft voice filled the air. "Leave me please—not—not worth it…"
Dean sucked in a breath at the defeated tone in his brother's voice. He needed to get this over with so he could get Sam someplace safe. Then he'd do damage control. He hadn't meant to hurt his brother and yet it seemed it's all he did lately. The two of them were so far out of sync; it wouldn't take much for the demons and angels to take them down.
"Don't worry Sammy, we'll work this out. I promise…" He glanced up as the ghost of Becky took shape. "Stay back Sam, I've got this one. Come on out you bitch, it's time you and I had a chat before I send your ass to hell."
Raven524: So another update in less than a month! I feel I'm on a roll finally LOL. Thanks again for all the wonderful reviews. Now on with the story…
