I hope you like this story. It's kinda taken a turn I wasn't really expecting. It's almost done though. Another couple of day should do it. Please R & R, its nice to know my time and energy is appreciate by others. Thanks to all for you great reviews. Hugs.

Chapter 10 On the move

The Young hunter was packing up his gear when he heard the back door to the library open. A headache pounded relentlessly at him. He'd forgotten the Sheriff, forgotten for the moment his vision of Beth.

"Going somewhere," Mike asked gently.

"I'm sorry Mike," was all Sam could squeak out. His throat was tight, his voice harsh and hollow as he spoke.

"Sorry about what," the Sheriff asked?

Sam shook his head; there was no good way to tell the Sheriff. No good way to describe what he'd seen. "Beth is dead."

Mike opened his mouth to deny the words but stopped himself. "Where is she?"

"I'm not sure, but I think she's in Ft Wayne somewhere in an abandoned warehouse. There were lights in the background and a billboard. Some kind of restaurant advertisement I think."

"Dean," the Sheriff asked quietly.

Sam shook his head, "Alive. The demon wants something from him."

"What," Mike snapped.

Sam shrugged, unsure of how to answer or what to say.

"What," Mike shouted this time.

"He want's power, he'll do everything he can to obtain it - and he wants to kill hunters, all hunters."

"Hunters, like you and your brother," Mike whispered.

"And my dad and others like us or anyone who gets in their way," Sam supplies softly.

"How on earth can you stop something like that?"

"There are a couple of things we can do. Exorcise the demon from the body it inhabits and drive it back to hell or find some kind of weapon that will destroy it permanently. Weapons of that caliber are few and far between."

"Things like that really exist? Shit – don't answer that, I already know what you're going to say. A demon destroying weapon, what next," the sheriff groused.

A crooked smile lifted the corner of Sam mouth. "I have to leave. I'm meeting my dad in Ft. Wayne. He might have found the demon we're looking for."

"I'm going with you," Mike stated. His voice brooked no refusal.

Sam sighed, he had hoped to disappear but Mike deserved more than a curt note. "I'll get my gear and meet you at Police headquarters."

The sheriff nodded and turned to leave. He wanted to say something meaningful, something that would comfort the young man standing beside him, but words seemed so insignificant at this point. He nodded a hand coming up to rest on Sam's shoulder pressing gently.

Sam smiled a slow pained smile that told the sheriff, his gesture was understood, and gratefully accepted.

oooOOOooo

Both men, Sheriff and Seer were silent. The drive seemed endless and Sam tried hard not to think about what Dean was going through. Every few minutes he would reach out with his mind hoping to make the connection to his brother. Only once did he catch a fleeting glimpse before the door was slammed shut. He had felt his brother's rage, but he had also felt Dean's sorrow. Beth was dead. He also saw pain, Dean was in terrible pain.

Sam punched the accelerator, at least Dean was alive, but that thought gave him little comfort.

He had meet Mick O'Bannon a couple of times. Usually during a hunt and knew the man would do his utmost to help.

It was a little after six am when Sam pulled into the parking lot behind O'Bannon's bar. The front parking area was empty and the lights were off. If Sam knew his man, Mick O'Bannon would still be awake sipping on a pint of Guinness. The proprietor and owner of the pub was a jovial man who, like John Winchester had hunted devils and demons most of his life. Mick and John Winchester were close. They had partnered for a while hunting a darkness that had killed four children. A knife to the back by a vindictive vampire had put an end to that. Now he hunted nothing more dangerous than the right mix to put in his drinks and a rowdy pub patron every once in a while.

Beneath his pain and fear for his brother Sam smiled slightly. Mick could be a pain in the butt, but he was a great strategist and tactician. If anyone could figure out where Balthazar was hiding and how to get Dean back, Mick could!

Throwing his backpack over his shoulder he headed for the back door, Mike close on his heels. Sam thumbed in the combo and waited for the soft click before opening the door. The storeroom was empty as they wended their way through the stacks of boxes on their way to the back stairs.

Mick was waiting in the apartment above the pub, newspapers and maps spread on the table in front of him.

"It's sorry I am, Sammy boy. Yer Da called me, I've been searchin the papers and I think I've come up with our Demon."

"Thanks Mick, I'd like you to meet a friend of mine, this is Mike McCarty."

"Mike, it's sorry I am to meet you under these circumstances lad."

"I lost a good friend to this demon and I aim to take it down," Mike replied softly. The smile of greeting was genuine, but the resolute and implacable look in his eyes told Mick it was vengeance the man sought.

Holding out his hand Mick sighed. Vengeance had its place, but this wasn't one of them. It would do no good to tell the man so; he would have to learn it for himself. Hopefully it wouldn't be too late.

Mike's smile was grim as he shook the older man's hand.

Greetings over Mick explained what he had found, beginning with the deaths of two hunters three days before.

"The coppers found em hung from the rafters in an old warehouse in southern Michigan. Their bodies charred, their eyes plucked from there heads. This is a bad one Sam, a real bastard. I got four other police reports of charred bodies hung from trees, light posts and roofs. The bodies were found in Boston, Cleveland, Pittsburg and the first sighting was here in Ft. Wayne. Nearly a year ago a fraternity house at the University was destroyed. It wasn't just destroyed Sam my boy. The building was burned to the ground. Firefighters said the place went up like a fireball."

"Fire is Balthazar's dominion," the old hunter stated softly. "Hell fire," he finished on a sigh. "We have a name, now we need his essence."

"Essence," Mike asked?

"It's his nature, the fundamental spirit that defines him, his soul," Mick answered quickly?

Sam was up pacing the room. Hell fire now burned in the young hunters eyes as he mulled over the information.

"There were sixteen kids in that house." Mick went on, "One was found hanging from a tree outside. His arms were outstretched like an upside down cross. All the victims were found in the same position."

"That's it," Sam shouted. "That's the symbol I saw, an upside down cross but there were two heads, one on either side."

"You saw his symbol," Mick nearly shrieked, "Where, how?"

"He wrote it in the air just before he took Dean and Beth."

"The ole buggers grown careless to leave his mark so openly," Mick murmured.

"Kiss the ole blarney stone Sam me boy, cause you've found the key to sending this demon back to his hell hole. All we have to do now is find the crossing point."

"What about the fraternity house," Mike suggested. "If that's were the first sighting occurred maybe that's where he came through. He marked it with fire and a victim."

Two heads snapped up to stare at the Sheriff, then swiveled to stare at each other.

"It will be heavily guarded," A fourth voice broke in.

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Another chapter down, I know it's mostly fluff, but I had a hard time coming up with a middle piece. Please R & R – let me know how you feel, what your thinking please.