Chapter 24

I spent the next day with Dean combing the different places that Sam could have gone. We came up empty. Dean kept ringing Sam's cell but there was no answer. Bobby had feelers out trying to locate Sam. I was particularly worried because I knew that it wasn't time for him to be tested. There was something that was amiss. I couldn't sense if Sam was alive or dead. It was as though Sam Winchester was completely gone and there was no trace of him.

I kept this information from Dean, of course. There was no need to add to his ever-growing panic. He became desperate and frantic with each passing day and I shared in it. I became convinced that Sam had to be possessed. If he were possessed then that meant that there was something else in control. In which case Sam was busy doing things that we wouldn't expect him to do. We had no choice but to wait.

I decided to separate from Dean, as it would be far more efficient for me to search for Sam without him. Dean reluctantly agreed to my leaving, I couldn't blame him, for it helped having someone along to help with the search. But there were things that I couldn't do with a human hunter in tow. It didn't matter how knowledgeable he was, there was no way he was going to be that open – minded. I left Dean after two days by and by that time Sam had been missing for a total of eight days.

I began in what we in Hell referred to as the Low District, which is that section of any city that the average person fears to tread. I had no need to fear, as I was well known by the inhabitants of this particular section. I searched for a friendly face and found it after a day and a half in the person of Rube. He had the appearance of an old drunk although he was almost as old as I was.

"What brings you down here?" he asked when he saw me staring at him.

"Do you know who you're talking to?" I returned evenly.

"Sure," Rube nodded. "I'd know you anywhere. Even with that female guise you're wearing."

I smiled at him.

"What's up?" he indicated that we should walk.

"I'm looking for a human," I said.

"Humans are plenty," Rube commented dryly.

"I know," I chuckled. "This particular one is Sam Winchester."

Rube stopped in his tracks and turned to me. He wore a troubled expression.

"You've seen him?" I frowned.

"He's possessed," Rube said.

"I figured as much," I nodded. "That's why I can't sense him at all. But I can't figure out who would do it."

"Oh," Rube coughed. "The one who is possessing him, well, she's a real nasty piece of work."

"You've run into her?" I was curious.

Rube nodded. "The things she's got him doing. That boy, he ain't gonna be straight for a while."

"He's one of those that the Spawn bonded," I frowned. "There's a plan in place for him."

"Well," Rube fixed me with a hard stare, "I don't think she's with the program."

"Where did you last see him?" I asked.

"It was about two days ago," Rube scratched his chin, "He was looking into a local hunter named Wendell I think."

"Anything I can do for you?" I asked. There was always a price for getting information.

Rube thought for a moment. "Yeah," he nodded.

"What?" I asked.

"Come with me," he jerked his head in the other direction.

I followed him down a series of back alleys. He walked to the nearest store and stood across the street from it.

"I know that there's a limit to what you can do," Rube said.

"What do you want me to do?" I asked.

"The girl behind the counter," he nodded. "She's got a sick kid. She's in a dead end job and well, she's kind to an old drunk."

"So?" I pressed him.

"The kid's got cancer. She's working all kinds of crazy hours to make the treatments, but…" he trailed off.

"When's the next treatment?" I asked.

"It's tonight," Rube stared at me. "You have the ability to help. It's not outside of the rules in this case."

I smiled at him. "Are you saying that you checked?"

"I spoke with a Reaper at the hospital," Rube's eyes returned to the girl. "He said that the kid's not on the list. If she can't pay for the treatment then the kid will die."

"What did he suggest?" I asked.

"He suggested that I find an angel who could heal," Rube kept his averted.

"Rube," I whispered.

"You can resurrect. You can heal," Rube said. "Come on, I gave you the info and you didn't ask up front the cost. It's not outside the rules."

I considered what he said for the moment. He was right, I hadn't asked for the price of doing business with him. I shrugged.

"Take me to the hospital," I acquiesced.

Rube grinned at me. I followed him to the hospital where the child lay in the bed asleep. The doctors had decided to go ahead with the treatment and I saw the Reaper hovering nearby. He nodded his assent, which puzzled me, for Reapers were notorious for their impartiality. I decided that it must have been Rube's desire to help this mother and child that had turned him around. The doctors would believe that the treatment had pushed the cancer into remission. I nodded to them.

I placed my hands over the child's mouth and felt his breath. He had a strong will to live and I focused all my energy on him. I felt the surge of power through the physical form I held and the child's body jerked in response. I sensed when the cancer stopped in its tracks and the child's body began to heal. Rube grabbed me and took me from the hospital room to across the street to a park bench. He waited while I recovered my strength.

"Thank you," he said.

I looked up at him. "Why these two?" I was curious.

Rube stared into the distance and appeared lost in thought. "I walked up to her and asked if she had any change," he chuckled. "She dug into her pocket and gave me her last dollar."

I nodded for that kind of gesture was rare indeed. It had been enough to make him curious about her.

"I knew where she worked," Rube told me. "I'd seen her before. She's a brave girl."

"Her son is young," I said.

"She was 16 when he was born," he said. "She got kicked out of her house. Now that the baby's sick she's got nowhere to go."

"Wouldn't it be better?" I stopped.

"I thought so at first," Rube looked me in the eyes. "But, I saw how much that child has pushed her. She's got her G.E.D. She's trying to get a better job."

"Well," I smiled. "She's got an angel looking out for her now."

"I don't know about that," Rube said.

"I think so," I countered.

Rube nodded. "Look, about that boy, Sam. He's in a world of trouble."

"I know," I agreed.

"Are the others going to stop it?" Rube asked.

"No," I shook my head.

"Are they nuts?" he exclaimed.

"I wonder about that myself," I murmured. "The truth is that they have a plan."

"Surely," Rube frowned. "It's better to leave those particular ones locked up."

"I have always believed that it was wiser to do so," I commented. "However, we are to obey."

"Obedience sucks," Rube said.

"That's why you're here," I smiled.

"Well," Rube nodded. "Thanks for the help."

"Thanks for the information," I told him.

"You didn't have to help me," he said.

"It was okay," I smiled. "Some times we're allowed to do things."

Rube's face clouded. "I don't understand."

"If it wasn't okay," I replied. "I would have been stopped."

Rube started at that piece of information. "They were willing for the child to be healed?"

"Of course," I said.

"Why?" he sounded puzzled.

"I don't think that…" I stopped.

"What?" Rube prodded.

"I'm not sure," I said. "It's just a thought I've been having."

"Free Will?" he guessed.

"Well, it's a bitch all right," I grinned.

"You've been hanging around humans too long," Rube murmured.

"Look who's talking," I retorted.

"I haven't a bead on where Sam went," Rube said.

"You gave me a name to start with," I said. "That'll be enough."

We parted company and I walked towards the nearest phone booth. I heard a ringing come from my jacket pocket. I rolled my eyes. Leave it to Dean to ensure that I had a phone with me.

"Yes Dean," I answered.

"Sam just called me," he said.

"Where is he?" I asked.

"He's in some motel," Dean sounded as though he was speaking while driving his car. "I'm headed there now."

"So you're going to meet him?" I pressed.

"Yes," Dean's voice sounded odd.

"What is it?" I asked.

"I don't know," Dean replied. "He sounded scared. I'll call you when I know more."

"I'll wait for the call," I said.

"Okay," he ended the call.

I concentrated and sensed where he was headed. I made myself not visible and waited at the motel. I wanted a sense of Sam before Dean got there. I saw that Rube was correct. Sam was possessed and I knew who was in possession of him. Dean came around the corner and all I could do was wait, for there was no time to warn him.