Chapter Nine: Next on the list

I watched as a pair of police officers exited the front of the house and listened intently for the rumble of their engine and then as it ebbed away from the distance between us. Pausing for a moment longer and then nodding towards Ryder who stood behind me in the narrow alley between the garage where Matt's Volvo still sat and the neighbour's fence. Stealthily we manoeuvred ourselves to behind the wall of the house where I stood as tall as I could to peer into the window of the back bedroom.

Determining that the coast was clear I turned my attention to Ryder with a little smirk on my lips, "alright, let's get this show on the road, shall we?"

His worried tone met my ears as I eased open the latch with the handy pocket knife I always kept on me, "look… should we really be doing this? I mean, what if we get caught?"

"We won't," was my simple answer while I slid the soundless window up and open for us to enter.

"But how do you know?" His tone turned into a quite whine.

Sighing heavily I turned my body more towards him, "Do you want to find out what killed Penny or not?"

Ryder nodded and I clapped him on the shoulder, "everything's going to be fine, now shut up so we can get in there before the damn cops mess anything else up."

I threw the duffle bag I had brought through the window first and then launched myself at the windowsill and pulled myself up and through the open space, landing with as much of a graceful thump as I could get before standing again to look through the window, "will you hurry up and get in here you pansy assed mama's boy."

His reply came as a muffled "oh shut up" before he too launched through the window, but that was as far as he got as he couldn't pull himself further. I rolled my eyes at him and grabbed the back of his jacket to pull him through, and he landed with a louder thump than I did and more of a tangled mess too.

I shushed him loudly with my finger to my lips and headed down the hallway and into the living room, the duffle bag on my shoulder. I could smell the peroxide which meant that they had already cleaned the blood up but from what I could tell, the furniture hadn't been touched since the night she was killed. Walking into the kitchen, I placed the bag on the counter and started to go through it as Ryder walked through the house and out of the corner of my eye I saw him about to place his hands all over the walls and picture frames.

"Don't touch anything!" I hissed and his hand shot back like he'd touched acid or something.

"Alright, there you are my friend," I muttered to myself before pulling out my meter.

"What's that?" Ryder asked me as he came up behind me, peering over my shoulder at the strange looking device.

"Oh this?" I asked, holding it up more, "It's called an EMF meter," I told him before switching it on, only for it to act up like crazy.

I gave it an appalled look and Ryder asked me what it was doing. It took me a second to get over the shock of how much activity it was picking up before I spoke, "it… detects paranormal activity… you know like ghosts… and demons." I explained as I walked around the living room, pointing the device at certain areas only to have it act up more.

"Something's been in here…and not a good something either."

When I came close to one of the windows the meter practically jumped in my hands and I pulled back a second to run a finger across the ledge and then study the substance that had appeared, "sulphur…" I trailed off looking up at Ryder who had a confused look, "it means that a Demon's been here. They leave traces of sulphur along the edges of their entrances and exits." I finished my sentence in the kitchen where again the meter started to act crazy and I acknowledged the two areas where the Demon could have entered: the vent or the window. I peered at the window and found nothing and then I asked Ryder if he could run his finger along the vent slits.

When I could see that it was sulphur on his finger the probable line of events that took place last night came to mind and I kept silent.

"What does this mean, Dani?" Ryder asked me and I looked up at him.

"It means that-," thump, "what was that?"

In my hand the meter began to buzz and I looked at Ryder in horror, "get in the closet, now!" I hissed violently before shutting the meter off and shoving him towards the door. We barely made it inside before I heard the footsteps appear in the living room, and I closed the door so only a crack was visible. I pressed my finger to my lips and slowly pulled out the gun I had in the back of my jeans to point at it, silently asking him if he had his. Ryder nodded, wide eyed, his hand reaching to the back of his own jeans.

"Get it out, and get ready… we may have to fight." I whispered almost silently, and Ryder nodded, slipping his weapon out and in front of him.

"I swear, I saw them go in here! They went through the back window."

"Then where are they?"

I listened quietly as two voices spoke outside of our current hiding place, maybe if we stayed silent I could acquire some more information about their plans, and what place this town had in it. I heard some more heavy foot steps in the living room, some shuffling of objects in the living room and then more voices came.

"They couldn't have escaped, there's no way they're that fast!"

"No, they're still here and he's getting impatient."

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion, who's he?

"It's not our fault that she's so difficult to find! It's no wonder why we have to go after the random meat suits in this town!"

"Well, it's the best we can do until she comes out of her little hiding place. That little Winchester bitch better come out soon, I'm sick of waiting."

"I thought you said last night's kill was fun?"

There was a pause before the other one spoke, "well, yeah. She was a screamer that one…and a bleeder, I enjoyed her suffering more than that other one."

I looked at Ryder who had gone unbelievably tense, and I placed a hand on his arm in warning. I knew all to well about his bursts of anger, and if he didn't calm down he'd blow our cover. Ryder returned the look and I saw what he was thinking,

Penny…he killed her, it was him.

When I returned my attention back to our situation I realized that all was silent. The two demons had stopped walking, and they weren't saying anything either. I waited with baited breath as a pair of footsteps started back up once again, and they were getting closer to the closet. I swallowed, my grip tightening on the hilt of the gun and I spoke as quietly as I could, "when he opens the door, I'll open fire. Do not shoot until I tell you to…I might be able to get some information out of these guys."

I waited, my gun pointing towards the door and my heart stopped for a split second when the door burst open, only to kick back into high gear not even a second later. I saw the black eyes and the evil smirk gracing his lips and my finger hesitated for a split second on the trigger before he lunged and I let a single shot fire, right through his shoulder and after that initial shot, they just kept going until there were six sizzling holes over his torso. When I realized I was out, he did too and came at me again, and I did the first thing that came to mind… I reared back and smashed the hilt of the gun into his check and lashed out with my leg, connecting with his groin.

Before he could stand again I leapt out of the closet and smashed my knee into his nose, when I was about to connect again his head reared back and a yell emitted from his mouth, black smoke joining it, only to exit the room through the vent. The body slumped to the ground and my head whipped to the side to get a glance of the other one, and I barely had time to duck when his fist came flying. Still in my bent position I tackled him into the counter, slamming the other side of his ribcage into the granite edge. After his initial shock of impact he wrestled me so our positions were switched and he now had me pinned to the counter and I felt as his fist connected with my face three times before I could get a decent blow to his stomach. When his hits halted for a second my own fist connected with the side of his face and then his nose and I switched hands so my left drove itself into his jaw. My knuckles screamed in pain as they split open and before I could rearrange my thoughts he tackled me into the kitchen table, his hand closed around my throat and squeezed.

I coughed and spluttered and finally managed a sentence before his hand closed tighter, "Ry-Ryder, shoot him. Shoot the fucker!" I rasped and out of the corner of my eye I saw him raise his gun.

"Don't bother boy," the Demon spoke, "you and I both know you haven't got the balls. Let the adults do the talking."

The single shot rung through the air and the Demon on top of me stumbled to the side, holding his neck. I coughed hard and jumped up, the gun long forgotten as I advanced on the Demon before me, pulling out a knife from my boot and pressing it to his already injured neck, my body pinning his to the counter.

"Why are you here?" my voice came out gravelly.

"To admire my handiwork," he sneered, "but they already cleaned up the blood…I guess we're both shit out of luck."

I pressed the knife into his throat and it sizzled, his hiss of distress brought a sick smile to my lips, "what is your purpose here. Clearly you aren't killing off humans for pure entertainment."

"Why should I tell you anything, Miss. Winchester?"

Shoving my knee into his crotch I growled out, "Oh, its Miss. Winchester now is it? I thought it was 'That Winchester bitch'?"

He leered knowingly at me, but said nothing and I pressed the holy water dipped knife deeper into his skin, "I want to know why you're here, who's this he that's so impatient, and why the fuck you seem to think you can go around killing my friends and not have me retaliate."

I paused so he could reply and when he didn't I added, "It's like you don't know me at all."

When he still wouldn't reply, I dug the knife in deeper and a choked gurgling sound came out, "are you someone's bitch now? They have you doing their dirty work?" My voice was as mocking as it could get for being so hoarse.

"Don't concern yourself with who is looking for you, sweet heart. You'll get your answers soon enough," he grinned, blood oozing from his mouth and my lips curled in disgust, "I'll give you this one answer though."

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

His eyes bore into mine, the bottomless black pits that they were, "your boyfriend's next on my list, and I'm going to make him beg…just like his sister."

I recoiled at his venomous answer and didn't have enough time to retaliate because I stream of smoke shot out of his mouth as well and I took a step backwards, allowing the body to fall to the floor. I was left with a few things:

Pain in my face and my throat,

Two dead bodies,

And a sense of undeniable panic.

Turning my attention back to Ryder, who stood there with a look of disbelief and horror, at that second the last bit of 'innocence' that he had, disappeared from him. He had just killed his first human being, something that could never be undone.

"C'mon," I stated, picking up the abandoned, empty gun and throwing it into my duffle bag, "let's go before more come."

The two of us took off and stealthily made it back to my bike.

I followed Ryder through my door and into the kitchen where I stood at the freezer to place a handful of ice cubes into a dishtowel for my aching face. Ryder headed back into the living room where music was now playing and not my usual station either. It was probably Dean who changed it and from here I could hear the three exchange words and then an outburst came and I took this as my cue to walk in with the ice over my cheek.

"They came back," Ryder repeated and then he turned to me, "Dani got us out of there…but they mangled her face a little."

My brothers looked at me and I gave a sheepish smile, pulling the cloth away so they could see the real damage, "I've had worse, Ryder. I'm fine." My voice was still coming out in rasps and it even failed me a few times, sounding similar to a radio fading in and out of tune.

"Holy shit, what the hell happened," Dean cried out, quickly standing to go over to me but with Sam's longer legs he got to me first, placing light pressure over the visible wounds.

"They came back…and I got into a fight with them."

"Them?" Sam asked, his eyes concerned, "how many of them?"

I could only mouth the number as my voice failed me again and I tried to clear my throat.

His hand rested on my shoulder and instant puppy eyes took over, "What's wrong, why can't you speak?"

Swallowing hard, I cleared my throat again only to have Ryder answer for me, stopping me from struggling too much, "he tried to strangle her, he wouldn't let her up."

Sam's other hand immediately turned my head upwards and he hissed at the bruises forming over the area where the Demon had squeezed.

"Lemon tea will help that, here… I'll-."

I placed a hand on his arm to stop him and shook my head before going over to the couch and falling into the seat beside Dean. He stared at the side of my face and I briefly looked back at him only to glare, "stop staring at me."

He smirked, "wow, they really did a number on your face, didn't they?"

"I've had worse, Dean. You and I both know that."

As quick as it came the smirk vanished as he remembered some of the other injuries I've had and then turned his dark look onto Ryder, "And where the fuck were you, picking your nose in all of this. You could have helped her, you know. This is why one of us," Dean ranted and then pointed at Sam and then himself, "should have gone with you; amateurs can't protect you like we can."

Noticing the look of shame on Ryder's face and the fact that his head was casted downwards I smacked Dean on the back of the head, "Shut your mouth, Dean. For your information, Ryder saved my goddamn life."

Both of them looked at me and at the same time as Dean said "he did?" Ryder said "I did?"

I smiled as much as my mouth would let me without being in pain, "yes, you did Ryder. If you hadn't of shot him, I probably wouldn't be conscious right now."

"But you told me to shoot him; I was only doing what you told me. I didn't even think to, I freaked out and didn't know what I was doing, and-."

I held out a hand to stop his verbal flow, "The main point is that you did shoot him, and gave me enough time to recuperate and jump back on him."

It was silent until Ryder looked at the clock and stood, "I should probably get home…it's been a long day." He turned to exit the room and I snapped at him.

"You aren't going anywhere. You're going to stay right here where I can keep an eye on you."

He turned with a raised eyebrow, "you sound like my mother."

"You heard what he said!" I spoke, jumping to my feet, "you're next on the list, and they're going to come after you."

Ryder shrugged, "I think I'll be okay."

"Ryder, I can't let you go by yourself. Just stay and I'll take you home in the morning."

He came to stand before me and his hands gripped my shoulders with a comforting pressure, "Dani, I'm a big boy now. I can take care of myself."

I had a flash back of telling my father and Dean that very same sentence, that I could take care of myself, I'd be fine, and it struck home for me. I knew what he was feeling, thinking that he'd be okay when I knew damn well that he wouldn't be if he got caught.

My eyes watered and they moved over his face frantically, "if I let you go and something happens, I'll never forgive myself."

"Dani…"

The way he said my name had me moving out of his grip and over to the duffle bag where I dumped the contents onto the table and brought it to the kitchen. From the living room they heard me going through the cupboards and throwing things inside and when I came back I grabbed the flask of holy water I kept on the side table and another fully loaded gun and stuffed them into the bag as well.

"If you're going to go, you will not unless you're prepared. Inside I've given you three salt containers. When you get home place a line of salt at the bottom of every door, and along every window sill, the demons won't be able to get in. If something happens along the way, you have a flask of holy water, which burns them and a loaded gun, with extra bullets if needed."

I shoved the bag into his hands and he nodded slightly unsure of what was happening, "I want you to call me when you get home, and to stay on while you do the salt, I will hunt you down if you don't call me."

Ryder nodded and went to exit once again when I called him back. I dug into my pockets and pulled out my set of keys, "here," I said, throwing them to him, which he caught, "take my bike. You'll get there quicker."

He smiled and this time exited to the kitchen and as a last thought I called out, "if I find one scratch on my baby, I'll kick your ass… and that's a promise."