Chapter 11

The Demon shows the Colt to the soldier. "That's the key?... An old gun?" Jake asks confused.

"Oh, this isn't just any gun, my boy... This is the only gun in the whole universe that can shoot me dead in a second..."

"Is that so?"

"Yep... Here, take it..." He hands it to him. Jake directly pulls the trigger and aims at the Demon's head. "Oh... My... I'm shocked at this unforeseen turn of events..." The Evil grins, making fun of the soldier. "Go ahead, Jake, squeeze that trigger... Be all you can be... This will all be over... Your life can go back to normal..." He dares him, before his face changes into a conspiring look. "Well only if… First, the Army will take you back since you're on their AWOL list now... Or second, you could maybe get that old job back at the factory, if you change your name of course... Or you can start a new life in Canada... But then, what about your family, huh?... Oh, wait... There is that other option... You and your family living forever in health and wealth... All happy together... Maybe having children and grand-children..." He gives another quick look to Eli. "And all this fairytale life is yours if you do this little thing for me..."

"Why me?..." Jake's hand slightly trembling.

"Oh... Man, it's gotta be you... I've been waiting for you for a very long time... You're my leader... You open that crypt and you will have your own army..."

"All this blabla plan of yours makes me think of one thing... You are preparing the end of the world, right?..." Jake still aiming the Demon's head with the Colt he gave him.

"No... Not the end... More of a new beginning... A better world where your family will be protected... And much more than that... They'll be Royalty... Buddy boy, you have the chance to get in... Imagine all those thrilling opportunities that you will open for yourself by just popping up a door... What do you say?... It's still your call..." Jake takes a moment to calculate the odds and finally decides to disarm the gun. "That's my boy!" The Demon gently petting his shoulder. "Let's now free your bride to be..." He smirks.

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They untie Eli's ropes, the Demon holding her tight by the arms. "Jake will take away your gag... Just so you know, you can scream as much and loud as you want, there's no living soul in about 20 miles around... So, I advise you to keep your strengths... You will need them soon..." She starts to struggle and arrives to get rid of the Demon's grip. She runs away to the path, but just with a small movement of his hand, she stumbles and falls flat on the ground. "Get her back here, Jake..." He gently orders.

"Eli, Eli, Eli... You remind me so much of your mother, you know..." He softly strokes her cheek, as Jake holds her arms behind her back.

"What about my mother?... You killed her, I know... And I will kill you for it!" She throws out ferociously.

The Demon takes her chin in his hand. "Oh no, sweetie... I did not kill your mother... I loved her..."

"Yeah right!... Like this is something you're capable of... A Demon in love!" She burst into laughter.

"Don't you dare doubting of my feelings for her!..." He presses his fingers in the skin, making her wince. "And for your info... She loved me back!..."

"All lies... As usual... You just try to mess up with my mind, just like Dean said..." Trying to make believe she wasn't afraid of them.

"Are you still not over that moron yet?... Oh for Lucifer's sake, Eli!... You deserve so much better than that... You are so smart, so fresh, so beautiful... And those hair of yours... Like the flames of hell... Your mom had exactly the same ones..." He remembers with nostalgia.

"Why did you kill her?" She raises her voice.

"I DID NOT KILL HER!... YOUR FATHER DID!..." He fulminates.

"No... Don't..." She whispers, tears slowly starting to form in her eyes, not only from what the Demon is telling her, but from the pain she feels from Jake's grip.

"Don't what? Tell you the truth?... If your daddy dearest didn't have the sack to confess, well I will... It's time for you to know... To have all the cards in your hands and make the right decision here... Your mom was ready to follow me... So, I had to... Hum... Whatever... But your father caught us and voilà... That jealous drunk father of yours stabbed her..."

"You deranged sick bastard of hell!... It's all lies!... All lies!... Never my Dad would have done such a thing... And never my Mom would have even look at you..."

"Search deep down in you, Eli... You know I'm not lying here... All your sufferings, all those arguments with your father, all this weirdness around you... You know it's the truth... You finally know... I lost the love of my life... And now when I see you... I feel so proud..." He suddenly hardened his tone. "Okay, enough excess of schmaltz... You'll do exactly as I say, Eli dear... I still can take some souls away from you, remember?..."

"Well, you can kill me right here and right now, because you will never gain me to your cause... Give me one small chance and I'll smoke your and your buddy's asses to the darkest place in Hell!..." She spits out with the last conviction she is still capable off.

"All right then... It'll be all your own doing…" He puts a hand on her forehead, making her freeze. "You can let her loose now, Jake... Eli?... Will you gently take Jake's hand and walk with him now?..." He softly asks her. Her pupils have turned in a soft yellow color, she nods a 'yes'.

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Jake and Eli arrive at the cemetery, going straight for the crypt.

Behind a gravestone, Dean is already hiding, a gun in his hand ready to shoot.

"Howdy, Jake…" A voice comes from behind the couple. It's Sam aiming his gun at them. Bobby stands on their left side and Ellen and Dean on their right, making a form of a half circle surrounding them.

"What are you doing here?... You're dead… I killed you…" Jake says half surprised, half angry.

"Oh yeah?... Well, next time finish the job…"

"I did… I cut clean through your spinal cord, man… I've been trained to do that… You can't be alive… You can't be…"

Sam gives a quick look at Dean, who just shrugs.

"Okay, just take it real easy there, Son… And first let my girl go…" Bobby intervenes, making a movement to Eli with his gun.

"That's your daughter, huh?..." He grabs her by the arm and draws her closer to him. She lets herself go like a rag doll, a faraway look in her eyes. "And if I don't…" He menaces.

"Wait and see…" Sam holding his gun a little tighter in his hand.

"What? You're a tough guy all of a sudden? What are you gonna do? Kill me?"

"It's a thought…"

"You had your chance… And you couldn't do it…"

"I won't make that mistake twice…"

"And risk touching your precious, here…" He grins, tightening his grip on Eli's arm.

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