A/N: I'm soooo sorry, I meant to have Chapter 10 up days ago, but I got sucked into a book and couldn't find my way back out. It was the first time in a long while, since the GoF incident where Felina my goat ate a large portion of the book after dunking it in the water bucket, that I took a book to do my animals with me. Freaking book still has a hold of me and I've finished reading it. But at least it was a vampire book so I've got a little more material... though it don't really follow the same characteristics of Supernaturals vampires. -shrugs- such is life. Sorry about the crappy cliff hanger, the least I could have done was leave you with some a little less obvious. I know I'm making another annoyingly large a/n but I just have a quick question: I'm working on a story from the POV... well actually its setup like Athena is writing it, she's going to tell the background stories of a lot of my OC's, I was wondering which one you guys would want to learn about first or if you'd be interested at all. The OC's can be anyone I've mentioned in detail, Lexi, Will, Mark, Martha, Billy-Jack, Kit and Josh, I'm not paticular though I may not jump to your suggest/request as I'm working on a fic entitled Break Fall that will be a autobiography like thing for Autumn that'll get her time with Billy-Jack out of my head and in print. Okay, that's it guys read and leave me a review.
Chapter Ten
"She's been gone too long." Dean whispered, casting a look at the curtain as if it were responsible for keep Autumn gone so long. Sam nodded his agreement. He wanted this nest wiped out as badly as Dean did, they had endangered his big brother and father not too long ago then more recently sent a shape shifter after them, resulting in the injuries that kept Athena held up back at the resort. But still as badly as he wanted them to hurt he wanted to get his friends out safely in the process, along with any innocents that may be captive in this abandoned shabby bar.
"I'll stay here." he offered his blade held ready to render any blood sucking vermin's head, who dared to approach him. Dean looked him over appraisingly seeming to tell him with out words that he'd be just a thin layer of cotton away. Sam nodded to his brother a faint smile tingeing his lips. "Go check your girl." he ordered. He wasn't used to giving Dean orders but he had things under control. The nine vampires in the room were deep in slumber as the sun was still high in the sky, as long as he was quiet they'd remain that way. Sleeping enemies were easy to keep in a building, you simply didn't wake them.
Dean didn't need telling twice he spun on his heel and practically flew through the curtain. He quickly recognized the sleek black hair and slender build of the woman bodily standing in the door way just across the room. His jaw clenched on its own accord. He came to a complete, silent stop, Kate was giving her full attention to the contents of the room before her, and Dean knew those contents were Autumn and prisoners.
"Not trying to be a hero are you, Daemon?" Kate purred. Autumn smiled in response.
"I'd never try that. Too boring."
"Hmm, then why are you here?" Autumn saw Kate stiffen considerably, she was controlling herself tightly, careful not to launch an attack before she batted her prey around a little. Autumn was suddenly acutely aware of the stench of blood and bile that the small windowless room possessed.
"Shape Shifter named Zach, tried to kill my family. Little birdy said you had something to do with that?" despite her own attack stance Autumn managed a very casual voice as if they were discussing something no more important than last week's weather.
"Since you're here, he's dead." Autumn nodded not taking her eyes off the vampire queen before her. "But not failed, because after all you are here." The kids behind Autumn sat perfectly still and silent pressed close as possible to the wall and each other. Kate stalked forward still in a very controlled manner. Dean took his opening making himself known by crashing into the vampire smashing her into the wall.
"Get them out!" he ordered jerking his head at the teens in the corner.
Kate was struggling against Dean's grip and Autumn moved faster than she thought she could ripping the younger humans to their feet and shoving them toward the door. She was vaguely aware of telling them to keep quiet and move quickly out the front door. However, they didn't make it far before a piercing scream was emitted from Kate jolting the nine humanoid ticks, in the main room, awake. Sam was standing at the door shifting from foot to foot looking like a baseball hitter waiting for the pitch. When the nine woke up he let out a sting of profanity.
"Out!" he started grabbing hold the teens and throwing them out the open door. The vampires were still trying to get things to click in their minds when they realized what was going on Autumn was dead center of the room. "There's a man 'round back tell him to start." Sam barked at the last boy as he gave him a shove out the door.
Two vampires collided with Autumn, teeth bared. She managed to land a blow to the chest of the male in front of her and spun with as much force as she could muster her machete connecting with the female's neck, who had her back. Sam moved to be closer to her trying to get back to back, but struggling to do so as he was attacked from every angle. He'd managed to drop two of the creatures by the time he reached Autumn's side, at the same moment Dean burst through the curtain, yanking it down as hit the ground. Kate came in stepping over him one boot planted on his neck.
Marc struck a match dropping it into the gasoline puddle. With a WHOOSH the liquid instantly, hungrily, sprang to life dancing in flames. He pointed the five teens in the vague direction of the cars and raced to the front. The door stood wide open and he was tempted to pause a moment, catch his breath and gawk at the horror within. Sam and Autumn were pressed back to back swiping almost blindly at the dark clad creatures swarming them. Dean swung his arm smashing it into the bend of Kate's knee forcing her to crash to the ground on top of him.
Marc did the first thing he could think of and withdrew his pistol, he knew it wouldn't amount to much but each bullet had recently been coated in a dead man's blood. He fired erratically, barely registering the thought not to hit his friends. The attacks slowed as the poison set in, but still slowing by vampire standards just put them about at the average speed of a human. He plunged in then, Dean seemed to be holding his own, though admittedly not well, against Kate.
One of the females broke free of the fighting fleeing for the back exit. She gave a quick howl not expecting the heat of the metal knob. Marc put himself as close to the door as possible dead set on not letting anything escape, this time. He wouldn't have noticed the entrance of the youngest boy had Autumn not missed a block taking a blow to the gut in the process. Marc wasn't surprised to see the caramel hair, he'd near expected it, it was Fred's little brother, and Marc was too consumed in the fight now to careen the boy back out.
Dusty slipped through the chaos unscathed going for a rifle propped up in the corner. It was his father's gun and he knew it well. He'd shot it several times and the wooden butt and metal muzzle were comfortingly familiar. He knew that the red headed woman was just trying to get them out, that she'd lied about his sister. These freaks had done to his Freddie, the same thing they'd done to their parents. He took little consolation in the fact that he hadn't had to witness his sister's demise. He was glad to find the gun was still loaded and cocked, foolish vampires. Dusty positioned himself in the door frame leading to the lead freak's room and shot at her. The man who'd been keeping her occupied swore when Kate turned.
Kate was headed right for the boy now. Dean struggled to catch his balance, thrown by her sudden disappearance, and dashed forward. The kid snarled and fired again. Kate threw her head back and laughed. As far as Dean was concerned everything stopped except Kate and the boy. She was still moving and he was still firing. In the time it took him to blink Kate was on the kid. He let out one pitiful yelp when she plucked him off the ground pulling the soft flesh from his neck with her teeth seconds later.
Autumn was working to the door, she'd caught the bloody scene and wanted out now. Sam and Marc were following suit Dean seemed frozen in place and she was contemplating going and dragging him out by the ear when the kitchen erupted in fire. She'd seen the small propane tank that was used to fuel a grill tucked under the counter in the kitchen/Kate's room, it wasn't going to be long before this building was gone. Seeing the flames lick up kicked Dean back into action he started his retreat. They'd at least saved most the kids and taken five of the vampires out.
Marc and Dean secured the door shut as they exited. Sam and Autumn went straight for the four remaining kids pressed against the smooth side of the Impala, hidden from view between it and the Mustang. They were all so pale and frail looking in the light of the after noon sun. The frightened look in their eyes was near unbearable, when they locked the two hunters in their gaze. None of them asked about Dusty, they just seemed to know by the crestfallen looks on the adults' faces. The girls, Mandy and Jamie wrapped their arms tightly around one another tears falling freely, sobs shaking their whole bodies.
"Shh, It's okay now." Autumn soothed stepping closer to them. Kirby and the other boy shied away from her. Autumn pulled the girls to her smoothing down their hair and whispering comfortingly. Sam looked the boys over.
"You okay?" he asked gruffer than he'd meant to but his throat felt raw with the loss of the one, young, innocent, life.
"We're alive." the boy that answered was covered from head to toe with honey colored freckles.
"Does it really matter, Kirb?" the other boy asked him. "Can you forget that?" he jerked his thumb at the burning building.
"I swear to God, Luke! Could you be anymore grateful?" Kirby scowled.
"That a friend of yours?" Luke asked as Dean and Marc walked up. Pulling into the parking lot was a beat up Dodge Ram.
"No one I…" Marc trailed off when the driver hopped out. One arm in a sling, caramel hair flying in the breeze he hadn't noticed. "Fred." he breathed.
"Where's my brother?" she demanded taking in the four hunters and the younger teens. Sam looked at her, his soft round eyes seemed to burn through her skull as they set on her eyes. "No! No. No. No. NO!" she stammered tearing toward the building on the broken black top. She tripped, stumbled, hit the ground and rolled. Jumped to her feet and started clawing at the barricade Dean and Marc had constructed. She discarded her sling, tears stinging her eyes.
"Fred, it's too late. He's gone." Sam spoke low hand out stretched to her as his long legged gait carried him to her.
"No! No, its not. It's never too late." her finger's trembled as she kept trying to make her way in. Sam picked up her sling and offered it to her but she ignored him.
"Fred, calm down. Breathe." He couldn't have any idea how ridiculous he sounded. She was supposed to calm down and breathe when her brother wasn't. Fred stepped back and examined the building's front. There were windows, she wasn't sure why but this was a good thing. She cast about the parking lot for something she could use. One of the hunters had dropped their blade, she scooped it up and held it in both hands. The pain in her arm was beyond belief but still couldn't hold a candle to her heart. She pulled back and swung at the nearest window. The thin plywood cracked she took another swing. "Fred!" Sam said sternly now. "This place is going down. We have to leave." He stepped forward wrapping an arm around her waist and pulled her to him. An hour ago she'd have been delighted with this closeness now she fought to get free beating her fists into his chest but aside from turning his face from her he made no sign of noticing as he half carried half dragged her toward the others.
A/N: Again, short I know. But this is it for now. Sorry... I'll have the next chapter up ASAP.