Special thanks to Zana Zira for beta reading the chapter.
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Chapter 10
Castiel likes Dean's plan. It's simple but effective as the werewolf states, and Castiel must agree but he's still worried; he doesn't want Dean to get into trouble because of him.
"Trust me, everything will be fine. I'll make sure of it." Dean smiles at him across the table, where they're sipping their morning coffee. Mr. Atkins aka Fucker is nowhere to be seen after Dean's antics and Castiel's scolding, and the werewolf seems to be pleased about that fact.
It's early Thursday morning which means a working day for Castiel. But he can't go to work. Dean hands him something and Castiel gasps: it's his cell phone.
"I brought it back with me from your house but didn't want to give it to you right away." Dean chuckles. "Go on, make a call and tell them you can't go to work today."
Castiel takes the cell phone and dials his office number. "Umm… Hello, this is Castiel Novak. I just wanted to inform you that I won't be able to come to work today, I have a fever and I'm not feeling well. Please tell Mr. Milton. Thank you, Becky." Castiel finishes the conversation with the receptionist and sighs. "I hope this works, Dean."
"Of course, hot stuff. Just wait and see." Dean cracks his knuckles, smiling to himself as he imagines the scenes from their little play.
"Do you need anything from my side?" Castiel asks quietly.
"Nah, just your precious presence. I'll do the rest," Dean quickly assures him. "Don't worry about it. I've got everything we may need ready."
"Yeah, sounds good. Hopefully we will make it believable and your boss doesn't sense anything suspicious. I wouldn't want you to get into trouble because of me." Castiel looks at Dean, a concerned expression glued to his face.
"I know what I'm doing." The werewolf seems confident and Castiel stops worrying. "Your new documents will arrive tomorrow morning and you'll leave the States as soon as we have everything ready." Dean's voice drops. He realizes that tomorrow is the last day they will spend together.
"What about you, Dean? What are you going to do after all of this is finished?" The brunet clears his throat, emotions taking over him.
"I…" Dean stops, thinking about the answer. "I'll just drop out of the business and tell Crowley that I'm done. Then…" Dean stops again, clicks his tongue and continues. "Then I will go to Santa Teresa, Costa Rica."
"What are you going to do there?" Castiel whispers hoarsely. Damn his voice!
"I have a small beach house in Santa Teresa. I'll just watch sunsets and the ocean I guess. Doesn't sound too bad, does it?" Dean smiles but his smile is not a happy one. "What about you? Where do you wanna go, Cas?"
"I-I'm planning to go to England. I'll stay with my sister. She will be happy to see me. I'll probably get a job too, if I'm lucky." The brunet avoids meeting the werewolf's eyes.
Dean nods. "Yeah, sounds good."
The rest of the breakfast continues in silence. No words are needed to understand that both men feel saddened by the sudden realization that tomorrow their ways will part. Probably forever.
At 9 PM Dean packs a small bag with various things. Castiel is standing beside him, watching the process curiously. He would never think that they would need so many things: makeup kit, wax, spirit gum, liquid latex, fake blood, and much more.
"We will need all of these." Dean smiles when he notices Castiel's puzzled expression. "If we want to make you look like a dead body, that is."
"I see." Castiel hums, leaning against the table and looking out of the window. "It's dark outside."
"Yep, perfect time to set our plan into motion." Dean zips the bag. "You ready?"
After a silent nod from the reporter, they leave the house. The Impala's engine purrs loudly and the car takes off into the darkness of the night.
The place where Dean takes Novak is located on the outskirts of the city. It's an abandoned psychiatric ward, more than hundred years old, built in 1911. Dean parks the Impala nearby and grabs the bag. "Move your ass, Cas. We've come to the place," he says softly.
Castiel jerks awake and looks around with blurry eyes. There are no people or cars passing by, the place looks isolated from the rest of the world.
"Sorry, I must've fallen asleep." He rubs his eyes and opens the door to get out.
Dean doesn't even need to use his lock pick as the door of the ward is not locked. It opens with a nasty creaking sound, letting the two men in. The werewolf quickly finds the switch and to his surprise the lights turn on, lighting up the building with a dim light. As Dean and Castiel walk through a long, dark corridor, something crunches and shatters under their feet. Some rattling and clanking, water dripping noises reach their hearing. The atmosphere is gloomy and depressing and Castiel shivers unwillingly.
"Yeah, spooky place isn't it?" Dean chuckles, glancing at the reporter.
Castiel doesn't answer. He just keeps looking around, feeling sorry for all the patients who had ever been locked here.
After twenty minutes of wandering around they finally find a suitable place: an operating room. Dean once again finds the switch and the lone light bulb above their head comes to life. The room is a mess: shattered glass on the floor, broken pieces of furniture scattered around the room, a damaged operating bed standing in the corner of the room.
One look at the bed and Dean knows what to do. He quickly grabs it and rolls into the middle of the room. "I want you to lie on it." The werewolf turns to Castiel.
Castiel nods and crawls onto the bed. "Now what?"
"Now shut up and let me do my job." Dean grins and quickly straps Castiel's hands and feet to the bed. He adjusts it, raising it up a bit, so Castiel is in a half-sitting position. "Good, good," Dean murmurs to himself. "Now, next move." He pulls a white handkerchief out of his pocket and quickly gags Castiel. "Hmm, something is missing." Dean taps his fingers against his chin. "Let's try this." His hands ruffle the brunet's hair, 'till it sticks out in every direction. "Yeah, much better." Dean hums and takes out the camera. "Cas, give me an angry and confused look," he instructs the reporter.
The look Castiel gives Dean is not satisfactory for the werewolf. "Nah, this won't do," Dean shakes his head. "Sorry about this, buddy." He apologizes and slaps the brunet in the face. He hopes it's not too hard.
Castiel sees sparks dancing in front of his eyes and struggles against the restraints. His muffled "snh itch" and wrathful expression is accompanied by a flashing camera.
"Good. That's what I wanted. Natural expression. I'm sorry once again." Dean removes the gag and quickly kisses the brunet, muffling his angry protests. "We have to make it look as realistic as we can, don't we?"
Castiel sighs, realizing that Dean is right. "You are right. But if you slap me once again, I'll kick your ass. I'll find a way to break free," Castiel barks at him.
"Mm, you look sexy when you're angry. Maybe I should make you angry more often?" Dean chuckles low and raspy. "Maybe we could have a quickie when we finish our photo session, so I could fuck you while your hands are still tied."
"Dean," Castiel growls warningly.
"Alright, alright." The werewolf throws his hands in the air. "Here comes stage two."
Castiel's heart starts to beat frantically when he notices a knife in Dean's hand and he closes his eyes. Nasty feeling of fear crashes down on him and the brunet shudders slightly.
"I won't hurt you, Cas. I promise." Dean's soothing voice makes him open his eyes and he's met with the werewolf's understanding eyes. The blue-eyed man gives a brief nod, gesturing him to carry on. Dean carefully slides the knife down Castiel's body, slicing the thin fabric of the reporter's green T-shirt.
"Gotta tell you that it will take quite a long time, so, you can take a nap if you want." Dean tells Castiel, smirking.
The brunet just rolls his eyes and mumbles something incomprehensible.
Dean had been right when he said it would take a long time. His hands work carefully on Castiel's face and body, applying wax, liquid latex, and shades. The werewolf's touches are so delicate that Novak manages to fall asleep. He wakes up when Dean gingerly shakes him and removes the gag.
"How long was I sleeping?" He asks drowsily.
"About an hour. Wanna see my masterpiece?" Dean winks at him.
Castiel gasps in shock when he looks at his own refection in the mirror. It can't be him! It's someone else with bloody face and a bruised, swollen eye looking at him.
"How…how did you do this?" The reporter stares at Dean, bewildered.
"What can I say? I've got skillful hands. I thought you already knew that." Dean gives him a cocky grin and the brunet blushes at the innuendo. "Time for some more photos." The werewolf gags his 'victim' once again and snaps a few more photos. "Alright, now we have to add fake bullet holes," Dean says. "I think we should go for three. One in your chest, the rest in your abdomen and forehead."
The rest of the process, which consists of adding fake bullet holes and taking more photos, doesn't take more than twenty minutes. Dean and Castiel are both sitting on the floor, going through the photos they've taken. Dean has done a perfect job; one will have no suspicions that Castiel is not dead when they look at these. Hopefully Crowley swallows the bait too.
"They look very realistic." The brunet rests his chin on the werewolf's shoulder, looking down at Dean's camera.
"Yeah, they do. But there is one more thing we need to do. Crowley is not a fool," Dean adds. "And we need to go to Cleveland for this one."
The drive from Lakewood to Cleveland lasts for fifteen minutes, plus ten more before they reach the final destination. They are at the shore of Lake Erie. Dean surely knows the area, as he has chosen a place well-hidden from curious eyes. Castiel is still contemplating the lake when the sound of a slamming trunk startles him.
Dean walks to him with a small smile. "You ready, Cas?" He asks, dropping the bag he's carrying and putting his hands on the smaller man's shoulders.
"I think so." The reporter swallows nervously, glancing at the lake's glittering surface.
"Alright." The werewolf puts a small kiss on Castiel's nose, as he doesn't want to ruin all the make up job he's done. "Wait here." Dean walks towards a small slope with thick bushes on it and after some fussing, drags a small boat out. "You might want to close your mouth, Cas before some birds make a nest in it." Dean snickers, as he keeps dragging the boat towards the lake. "Take the bag and get your ass over here."
Dean stops rowing when they are about seventy feet from the shore. Castiel, who's been quiet all the time, glances at the werewolf.
"Why did you stop and what's going on? I don't understand your intentions, Dean." Dean unzips the bag and takes something out, quickly unfolding it; it's a black body bag. The brunet's eyes go wide. "Is this what I think it is?"
Dean sighs, rubbing his forehead. "Just get in the bag, Cas."
"I don't want to!" Castiel exclaims. "No…I don't want to get in!"
"Cas, hey!" Dean grabs his arm. "Listen," he says softly. "Everything will be alright. We just need the final touch, that's it."
Castiel just keeps shaking his head, and Dean can see that he's on the edge of complete panic. "No, no. You don't understand, Dean. I hate water. I almost drowned in a lake when I was four. I can't swim," he says brokenly.
"Cas, look at me. I swear you won't even feel that you're in the water. We just need to take a photo of the body thrown into the lake. I will quickly pull you out of the water. I swear. Do you think I will let you drown? After all of this?" Dean's thumb brushes over Castiel's bottom lip. "You fool," he adds affectionately.
Eventually the werewolf's words relax the reporter and Castiel gets into the body bag. Dean quickly adjusts his make up, zipping the bag up to the brunet's chest. "Keep your eyes open and don't blink. You're supposed to be dead, you know." Dean grins sheepishly. He quickly snaps a photo when Castiel is ready. "Alright, Cas. I'm gonna throw you into the lake now. Stay still and I'll get you out as soon as I have a photo, alright?" Dean looks down at the reporter, who looks like a human burrito.
"Please don't let me drown." Castiel whispers hoarsely, staring at the werewolf pleadingly.
"I would never let you drown, silly human," Dean says fondly, leaning forward and crashing their lips together. When the kiss is over, Dean stands up in the boat, picking up Castiel. "Hold on, Cas," he whispers reassuringly and after the reporter gives him a silent nod, throws him into the lake.
Dean snaps a few photos and bends down to put the camera into the bag. When he straightens, Castiel is nowhere to be seen.
"Fuck!" Dean shouts frightened, icy-cold fear seizing his whole body. Without any hesitation the werewolf jumps into the water to save Castiel from the deadly embrace of the lake.