Chapter Twenty

The drive to Chicago was not as bad as Dean or Ty thought it would be. It only took two days. Ty turned the Camaro on to the side street that led to her old apartment. She almost couldn't wait to be back in a place that always made sense to her no matter how violent. She felt a rush as she threw the car in park and got out. Lily followed suit quickly, longing for the room to stretch.

"Next time," Lily said as she arched her arms over her head. "We don't drive that far for that long."

Ty smiled. "I have to agree, but it is great to be home."

Lily nodded and went to the trunk. Ty pulled out the bags and started for her old apartment. David had been kind enough to take it off her hands while she was away. She wished that he could do the same for her job. She fingered the badge that hung limply from the pocket of her bag. She shook off the longing for some sort of normalcy and started toward her door.

"Have you talked to David?" Lily asked as they took fire escape stairs up.

Ty shook her head. It was still eating at her that David had not returned any of her calls. He had done this before, but they had also been working on a huge case at the time. She knew David would call her. Yet, she could not shake this sense of dread. Something was wrong. Ty slide the balcony door open and climb in what she considered her backdoor. Lily tossed the bags in and pulled herself inside.

The apartment smelled a little musty as if the windows had not been opened in weeks. Lily locked the door back and turned to Ty, holding her nose. Ty couldn't blame her. She thought of taking a deep breath, but she knew she would most likely die of lung cancer before she exhaled. She opened one of the windows.

"I thought you said David was living here," Lily said as she heaved the bedroom window open.

Ty let the lake air roll into her lungs before she answered. That was part of the deal. He watch the place, she prevent Hell on Earth. She shook her head. This was not like David. He might not have lived there, but he would made sure the place was taken care of.

"I thought so too," Ty said. "But no one has been here for at least a few days."

"Try weeks."

Ty rolled her eyes and started to say something and stopped. She was looking over Lily's right shoulder at a small blinking light. Her answer machine was blinking. She felt the feeling in her stomach suddenly worsen. She walked past Lily and pressed the play button.

"Ty, David. I know the apartment is probably smells like stale socks, but I have been staying at the church for about a week. All this stuff is getting out of hand, and I need my own space to research and do what I have to do. Talk soon, my child."
The message cut off almost abruptly as it started. Ty let the words sink in. She even thought of playing it back. She wondered if just hearing his voice would change her mind. She started to hit the button again when there was a loud knock. Ty turned as Lily tromped heavily to the door.

"David," Ty whispered to the machine. "What happened here?"

Ty listened to the message again. She caught the date of when it was left and came into the living room as Dean sat his stuff down. Sam looked around the room hard for a moment. It was as if he was trying to access the situation as a whole. Dean glanced at Ty, who only shook her head.

"I thought you said we were meeting David," Sam said suddenly.

Ty turned on him with a fierce look. She knew that Sam had not wanted to come, but she would not be bullied. She only looked off as she reached to pull some things out of her bag.

"When did David leave that message?" Lily asked as she made herself comfortable.

"The day he called us. He must have thought I was close or something."

"What message?" Dean asked.

Ty told him about the message that was left. Dean even listened to it. He seemed to be thinking the same thing that Ty was. Something was wrong. Ty couldn't understand any of this. David had nothing she wanted. If he did, he would have given it to her a long time ago. Then she thought harder. There were many things that maybe he didn't realize could really help her.

"Maybe we should to go the church," Sam suggested.

Ty looked around as if asking each of them what they really thought. Lily shrugged, saying more than one thing with her eyes. Ty studied her for a moment and turned to Dean. He nodded. Ty sighed. She didn't want to drop in on David when nothing may be wrong, but she knew that Sam was right. It was probably a safer idea to check on him.

Ty pulled into the church parking lot and felt something rush over her. Things were not right. There was no one around. Most of the time the parking lot was not crowded, but there were still people coming and going for confession or choir practice.

Lily climbed out of the car and checked her gun. Ty looked down at her that was resting in her hands. She never checked it when she walked into that church. She had never had to. The boys walked up, and Ty heard Dean check his gun too. She tucked hers into her pants and walked inside.

The sanctuary was silent and dim. It was never bright, but most of the time there was lighter than just the memory candles. No one stood near the alter or anywhere else. Ty stared at the cross at the head the room like she always did. She had been here so many times, and it always drew her attention. She suddenly felt Dean touch her arm. She turned back to him.

"It's quiet in here," he said in a whisper.

Ty nodded. She looked around the room. David could easily be somewhere in the basement. Yet, she knew if that was the case, he would have a younger priest or a nun outside, waiting for people.

"Something is wrong," Lily said.

"Father Harper?" Ty called out.

There was no answer. There was not even a shuffle of sound from below. Her voice had not been terribly loud, but it was enough for anyone close by to hear her.

"Let's check downstairs," Sam said.

Ty quickly agreed. "Lily and I will go."

"Like hell," Dean snapped. "No offence Lily, but I think it should be boy, girl teams."

Lily smiled despite the back she was once again being told what do. She knew that Dean was only thinking of Ty's safety. She took a seat in the pew behind Sam and watched as Ty and Dean started down the stairs.

Silence seemed to seep from the wall as they walked down stairs. Ty checked her gun as Dean pulled his. He touched her arm and inclined his head toward a light shining from David's study. Ty started to call him out, and Dean held up his hand to keep her quiet. She closed her mouth, listening. Everything was so still. Dean walked to the door while Ty took the other side. Ty nodded that she was ready, and they jumped.

Ty froze at the door, her gun hanging limply from her hand. David's study was in disarray. There were books, weapons, and papers thrown everywhere. The mess was unbelievable. The only thing that made sense in the room was some bright, blue paint on the floor with a body in the middle of it.

"David must have got carried away during an exorcism," Dean said as he walked in.

Ty took a step in the room and her whole body suddenly went weak. Her knees quickly buckled. She knew that she would hit the floor had Dean not caught her. There was a body in the middle of a large Devil's trap, but it was not a demon's. It was David. Ty pushed Dean away and went over to the body, letting out a shuttered gasp. The body didn't look like it have been possessed or that a demon had been pulled. Ty noticed a part of David's jacket turned up and moved it. Where his chest meet his neck there was a large, bloodied hole. The crimson liquid had dried long ago.

"Ty," Dean said softly.

Ty held up her hand. She didn't want to be comforted at this moment. She wanted to scream and throw more things around the room, but her she could do nothing except cry. Her best friend, big brother, an guardian angel had been murdered. She looked around the room for some clue that would explain all this.

"What happened?" Lily asked from the doorway.

"Someone murdered Father Harper."

"Why?" Sam almost choked in shock.

Dean started to say something when he noticed something black under his feet. He rubbed his fingers across it and found that it was burned into the floor. He shoved part of the mess away and climbed upon the desk. He felt his heart jump into his throat as he stared at marking.

"Ty," Dean said in a hushed tone. "You need to see this."

"What?"

Dean held his hand out and pulled her onto the desk. Ty's eyes followed the same burn marks. She gripped Dean's arm for support as she felt her head spin.

"Should we call the cops?" Lily asked.

"No," Ty hissed. "Call Castiel."

Lily looked confused and then moved her foot. She moved to the door. She could see the black marks from a different angle. Her blood ran cold as she looked at the outstretch tip of a feather that made a long and large wing. She turned her tear filled eyes to Ty.

"What can kill an angel?"