A.N.- Hi everyone! So sorry for not updating in forever. So many things happened in my life that I just couldn't get barely any writing done. Not to mention writer's block. However, I tried to get this chapter done by writing little by little until now. I do hope whoever is still reading this will forgive me. Anyways, here's chapter 36.
Dean drove into town of St. Louis with the expert help from Sam and Hayley made it to Rebecca Warren's house around mid-day. Dean pulled over to the curb and parked. Sam got out first followed by Hayley then their two older siblings taking up the rear. Sam knocked on the door and not seconds later Rebecca opened the door.
"Oh, my God, Sam. Hayley." Rebecca told them happily. Sam and Hayley smiled before Sam teased her,
"Well, if it isn't little Becky." Hayley hit Sam softly in the side and he noticed as Becky told him, "You know what you can do with that 'little Becky' crap." but pulled Sam into a hug before she did the same with Hayley.
"Don't think too much of it." Hayley whispered in Becky's ear as they pulled apart and Sam told her why they were there. Rebecca nodded solemnly but in understanding. She told Sam and Hayley as much before Dean and Lydia both walked forward and introduced themselves seeing as Sam and Hayley had neglected to do so.
"Dean. Older brother." Dean said as he pointed at Sam and extended his other hand in which Becky took. Lydia followed a similar suit only instead of a handshake, she took a hug instead. Once all the introductions were out of the way, Rebecca told the four to come in and lead them into the house. The minute they entered, Dean commented on the house,
"Nice place." Lydia scowled at Dean as they moved about the house. Rebecca told the four of them,
"It's my parents'. I was just crashing here for the long weekend when everything happened. I decided to take the semester off. I'm gonna... stay until Zack's free." Hayley wondered with Lydia around the house looking at nothing in particular as Sam and Dean spoke to Rebecca.
"Where are your folks?" Sam questioned as he noticed that no one else was around. Rebecca sighed and told them,
"They live in Paris for half the year, so they're on their way home now for the trial." Sam, Dean and Becky walked into the kitchen and joined the girls.
"Do you guys want a beer or something?" Lydia asked for some water and Becky gladly gave her some while Hayley shook her head. She then probed the boys next.
"What about you two?" Dean was about to say yes when Sam, pressed for time, interrupted,
"No, thanks. So... tell us what happened." Dean frowned at Sam but didn't say anything more. Becky lead them further into her home and into the living room before she told them,
"Well, um... Zack, he came home, and he found Emily tied to a chair. And she was beaten up and bloody, and she wasn't breathing..." She began to cry as she went on,
"And so... he…. he called 911 and the police. They showed up, and… and they arrested him. But, the thing is, the only way that Zack could've killed Emily is if he was in two places at the same time. The police, they have a video. It's from the security tape from across the street. And it shows Zack coming home... at 10:30. Now, Emily was killed just after that. But I swear, he was here with me, having a few beers until at least after midnight." Sam glanced at Dean, Lydia and Hayley before he said,
"You know, maybe we could see the crime scene. Zack's house." Dean nodded in agreement. Lydia shrugged her shoulders as she and her sister made their way over to one of chairs near the island and sat down. Dean told her watching the sisters move out of the corner of his eyes,
"We could." Becky looked at him a little skeptical before questioning him,
"Um, I mean, why? I mean, what could you do?" Sam answered Becky before Dean or Lydia could even come up with a reply,
"Well, Hayley and me, not much. But Dean and Lydia are cops." Lydia nearly burst out laughing and Dean just chuckled a little before he clarified,
"Detective, actually. Lydia's a cop." Lydia glared daggers at Dean for the cop thing before she clarified even more,
"Actually, the chief of police." Becky was shocked to say the least. Then she asked both of them,
"Really? Wow, where?" Lydia was going to answer but Dean beat her to the punch and answered for them,
"Bisbee, Arizona. But we're off-duty now."
"You guys, it's so nice to offer, but I just—I don't know." Becky hesitated and Sam tried his luck.
"Beck... Look, I know Zack didn't do this. Now, we have to find a way to prove that he's innocent." Becky glanced from Sam to Dean then back to Sam before she decided to agree with them.
"Okay. I'm gonna go get the keys." she told them then walked down the hall. Dean turned toward Sam and stated sarcastically,
"Oh, yeah, man, you're a real straight shooter with your friends." Lydia and Hayley stood up and walked over to the boys as Sam stated quietly,
"Look. Zack and Becky need our help." Lydia sighed at Dean's behavior; she turned toward him and told him,
"Dean, come on. Let's give them a chance. At least give it a few days." Dean sighed and nodded. He said,
"I just don't think this is our kind of problem." Hayley and Sam told him in unison,
"Two places at once? We've looked into less." Dean shrugged defeated but didn't say anything and began to walk away when Becky returned with the keys.
"Well, are we going or what?" They all nod and leave the house. Dean and Lydia get into the front seats while Sam, Hayley and Becky all climb into the back. Dean put his Baby into reverse and backed out of the driveway before driving away.
A few minutes later, Dean pulled into Zack's driveway and parked. The group got out of the car and walked up to the front door. As they are walking up to the front door Becky asked,
"You're sure this is okay?"
"Yeah. I am an officer of the law." Lydia mentally smacked her head and sighed while the small group walked into the house. Lydia and Hayley walked in first moving about the house then followed by Sam and Dean. The group of four noticed blood stains on the walls and furniture while Lydia and Dean moved further into the house; Sam and Hayley noticed Becky wasn't inside.
"Beck, you wanna wait outside?" Sam questioned as he stuck his head outside the door and Becky shook her head.
"No. I wanna help." then ducked under the police tape and wandered about the house with Hayley. Lydia, Dean and Sam finished looking around the house and walked back toward Hayley and Becky. Lydia asked concern laced on her face,
"Can you tell us what else the police said?" Becky sighed heavily for she began to tear up and told them,
"Well… there's no sign of a break-in. They say that Emily let her attacker in. The lawyers, they're already talking about plea-bargain." then she actually for the first time glance about the house, "Oh, God…." Hayley rubbed Becky's arms up and down as Sam also tried to calm her down,
"Look, Beck... if Zack didn't do this... it means someone else did. Any idea who?" Hayley looked at Becky in sadness as Becky thought over anything that could help. She then told them,
"Um, there was something. About a week before, somebody broke in here. They stole some clothes, Zack's clothes. And the police, they don't think it's anything. I mean, we're not that far from downtown. Sometimes people get robbed." Sam glanced away in thought and saw something. Hayley followed while Becky walked over by Dean and Lydia, who happened to be looking out the window at a dog barking fiercely.
"You know, that used to be the sweetest dog." Becky told them and Lydia glanced at Becky but didnt say anything before she moved away looking at a bloody picture. Dean questioned,
"What happened?" Becky sighed and said,
"He just changed." Lydia glanced up and looked at Dean and Becky before she moved back over to them,
"Do you remembered when he changed?"
"I guess right around the time of the murder." Lydia and Dean shared a look before they smiled sadly at Becky before they moved over to Sam and Hayley. Dean quietly told them,
"So, the neighbor's dog went psycho right around the time Zack's girlfriend was killed." Sam who was looking at a photo of Zack, Becky, Hayley and himself before he told them,
"Animals can have a sharp sense of the paranormal." Dean glanced back toward Becky who was still by the window before he agreed,
"Yeah, maybe Fido saw somethin'." Hayley and Sam shared a look before Sam asked Dean and Lydia,
"So, you think maybe this is our kind of problem?" Lydia answered Sam's question,
"No. Probably not." before she moved back by Becky to comfort her and Dean continued for her,
"But we should look at the security tape, you know, just to make sure." Sam and Hayley agreed with Dean but rolled their eyes when he glanced away. Lydia and Becky made their way over to Dean and the others just as Dean asked,
"So, the tape... The, uh, the security footage? You think maybe your lawyers could get their hands on it? See, I don't have that kind of jurisdiction."
"I've already got it." Sam, Dean, Lydia and Hayley looked at her in slight shock as Becky continued,
"I didn't wanna say something in front of the cops." Dean half laughs and Lydia shook her head as Becky went on explaining,
"I stole it off the lawyer's desk. I just had to see it for myself." Dean looked at Lydia, Sam and Hayley before he nodded at Becky telling her,
"All right." Becky followed by Hayley and Lydia leave the house as the brothers lag behind.
Meanwhile, a man with the same description as Zack was sitting on a bench across the street from a house. He watched an Asian man come out of the house with a woman. Zack figured they were married. The Asian man then stated to his wife,
"I'll be home tomorrow night. I'll make it up to you, Lindsay." They kissed before the man got into his car and drove away. Zack continued to watch the woman now named Lindsay head back in the house. He smiled wickedly as a thought crosses his mind, and his eyes glint silver for a moment, before returning to normal.
Dean drove back to the house in no time and the small group walked inside before heading to the living room. Dean took the tape from Becky and handed it to Lydia who got the tape playing on the TV. Lydia handed the remote to Sam and Dean before she and her sister got comfortable on the couch. Becky then spoke up,
"Here he comes." the tape showed Zack entering his house and Dean commented on the timestamp,
"22:04, that's just after ten. You said time of death was about 10:30." Rebecca nodded before she told them,
"Our lawyers hired some kind of video expert. He says the tape's authentic. It wasn't tampered with." As Becky spoke Sam noticed something on the tape and discreetly waved Hayley, Dean and Lydia to watch before he asked Becky,
"Hey, Beck, can we take those beers now?" She nodded and stood up; heading toward the kitchen. Sam stopped her once more,
"Hey." she looked back at him as he continued, "Maybe some sandwiches, too?" Becky sarcastically questioned him,
"What do you think this is, Hooters?" then left the room. Dean half whispered half stated his comment,
"I wish." Then walked over by Sam followed by the sisters. Dean was actually lucky Lydia hadn't heard him as she walked up. They probed,
"What is it?" Sam spoke as he rewound the tape before replaying it. He told all three of them,
"Check this out." The tape shows Zack staring directly at the camera and his eyes are silver. Sam paused the tape and the sisters shake their heads. Dean tried to think of something that could explain it and nothing came out. Then one thought crossed his mind,
"Well, maybe it's just a camera flare." Sam looked at his brother in slight disbelief before he half agreed and half disagreed with Dean,
"That's not like any camera flare I've ever seen. You know, a lot of cultures believe that a photograph can catch a glimpse of the soul." Dean, Lydia and Hayley all nodded as Sam continued,
"Remember that dog that was freakin' out? Maybe he saw this thing. Maybe this is some kind of dark double of Zack's, something that looks like him but isn't him." Dean spoke up at Sam's explanation,
"Like a Doppelganger." Sam nodded as Hayley spoke a little uneasy,
"Yeah. It'd sure explain how he was two places at once." Lydia glanced at her sister before she returned her gaze to the TV.
"Well, whatever this thing is we need to stop it before it hurts someone else." Sam, Dean and Hayley all nod as Sam played the tape seconds before Becky returned with beers and sandwiches.
Later, that same night, the Asian man had come home early, entered his home and called to his wife,
"Honey, it's me. Flight cancelled at the last minute." He sets down his briefcase and keys and looked around. He continued,
"I called. Why didn't you answer?"
When Lindsay doesn't respond, he called out again,
"Lindsay?" He glanced around his apartment, as he called out,
"Lindsay?" He turned around and saw blood spattered on the wall. He began to worry as he desperately called,
"Lindsay?!" He opened the door to a nearby room and found his wife, tied in a chair, beaten and bloody. The man rushed over to her and took the gag out of her mouth. The man tried to tell sweet nothings,
"It's ok, Lindsay, it's me." But she half screamed half pleaded,
"Please, don't hurt me anymore! Leave me alone!" The man looked at her, confused. Suddenly, he heard a noise in the other room and left. In the living room, the man glanced around when all of a sudden he turned and saw himself, standing there with a baseball bat. The man was puzzled. The double's eyes glint silver, and he hit the man over the head with the bat. Just before the Asian man's double disappeared out the back door.
Dean, Lydia, Hayley and Sam park the car behind Zack's house and get out. Lydia handed everyone some coffee, she managed to get before they left. Dean took his as he asked,
"Alright, so what are we doin' here at 5:30 in the morning?" Lydia leaned up against the car as did Hayley when Sam explained.
"I realized something. The videotape shows the killer goin' in, but not comin' out." Dean questioned,
"So, he came out the back door?" He leaned against the hood of his car as Lydia began to put two and two together. Sam explained further,
"Right. So, there should be a trail to follow. A trail the police would never pursue." Lydia, having caught on said,
"They think the killer never left." Dean then understood what Sam getting. Well a little anyway as Hayley followed after Sam,
"And they caught your friend Zack inside." then more to himself and Lydia,
"I still don't know what we're doin' here at 5:30 in the morning." Lydia shrugged her shoulders as she told Dean,
"Me neither." then took a sip of her coffee. Sam looked around the outside of the building and with Hayley's help, noticed blood smeared on a nearby telephone pole.
"Blood. Somebody definitely came this way." Hayley told everyone as they too joined Sam and herself. Dean looked around but didn't see anymore blood so he voiced his concerns,
"Yeah, but the trail ends. I don't see anything over here." Just as he said that an ambulance drove past them, and they all exchanged a look.
They followed the ambulance to a house where an Asian man was handcuffed and being put into the back of a police car.
"What happened?" Dean asked a nearby woman as he and the others watched the scene. The woman answered,
"He tried to kill his wife. Tied her up and beat her." that shocked them all a little and Sam asked,
"Really?" The woman nodded and went on talking,
"I used to see him going to work in the morning. He'd wave, say hello. He seemed like such a nice guy." They continued watch as the man was taken away before the four of them left the scene.
A couple of hours later, Sam, Hayley and Lydia are looking around on the side of the house. Sam looked inside two garbage cans but finds nothing while the sisters were looking a little further down. He moved to the front of the house, the sisters follow after him. Dean came up behind them.
"Hey." Dean called. Sam and the others turn around. He continued,
"Remember when I said this wasn't our kind of problem?" they all nod and Dean went on saying,
"Definitely our kind of problem." Hayley asked Dean,
"What'd you find out?" Lydia and Sam were also intrigued on what Dean had to say. So they waited for him to continue.
"Well, I just talked to the patrolman who was first on the scene, heard this guy, Alex's story. Apparently the dude was driving home from a business trip when his wife was attacked." Dean told them. Sam, Lydia and Hayley all nod before Lydia spoke up,
"So, he was two places at once." Dean nodded in agreement as he continued,
"Exactly. Then he sees himself in the house, police think he's a nutjob." Lydia huffed as she said,
"Two dark doubles attacking loved ones in exactly the same way." Hayley then told them,
"Could be the same thing doin' it, too." Sam thinks for a second before he announced,
"Shapeshifter?" Dean shrugged his shoulders while the sisters looked at both brothers. Sam continued,
"Something that can make itself look like anyone?" Dean then gave his input on the subject of shapeshifters.
"Every culture in the world has a shapeshifter lore. You know, legends of creatures who can transform themselves into animals or other men." Lydia nodded her head as she agreed,
"Right, skinwalkers, werewolves."
"We've got two attacks within blocks of each other. I'm guessin' we've got a shapeshifter prowlin' the neighborhood." Dean said as Sam and Hayley wondered,
"Let us ask you both this—in all this shapeshifter lore, can any of them fly?" Dean frowned as Lydia thought for a second before she answered them,
"Not that we…" she looked at Dean and he shrugged before she finished her sentence, "know of."
"I picked up a trail here. Someone ran out the back of this building and headed off this way." Sam explained. Hayley said,
"Just like Zack's house." Sam nodded and explained some more,
"Yeah. And, just like at Zack's house, the trail suddenly ends. I mean, whatever it is just disappeared." Dean then interjected,
"Well, there's another way to go—down." They all look down and notice a manhole leading into the sewer.
Dean, Lydia, Hayley and Sam climbed down the manhole and begin to look around. Sam and Hayley state in unison,
"I bet this runs right by Zack's house, too. The shapeshifter could be using the sewer system to get around." Lydia and Dean noticed something on the ground and Dean agreed with both their intellect.
"I think you're both right. Look at this." Sam and Hayley turned around and noticed what Dean had asked them to look at. The four bend down and examine a pile of blood and skin on the ground. They are all disgusted.
"Is this from his victims? Hayley asked in disgust while Dean takes out a pocket knife. He picked up some of the skin and stated out loud a thought that had just ran straight through his head,
"You know, I just had a sick thought. When the shapeshifter changes shape—maybe it sheds." Hayley nearly gagged while Lydia sighed in absolute disgust and turned away while Sam only told Dean
"That is sick." Dean put the bloody pile back on the ground before they left the sewers.
They walked back to the car and Dean went to the trunk and opened it. He began to take out some weapons handing them to Lydia.
"Well, one thing I learned from Dad and Lloyd, is that no matter what kind of shapeshifter it is, there's one sure way to kill it." Lydia, Sam and Hayley all say what Dean was getting at.
"Silver bullet to the heart." Dean nodded as he handed Lydia the silver bullets. Just then Sam's cell phone rings. He pulled it out from his pocket and answered it.
"This is Sam." he said into the phone and a very angry voice spoke up,
"Where are you?" Sam was a little taken aback by how mad Becky sounded. He explained to her,
"We're near Zack's, we're just checkin' some things out." Becky continued in anger,
"Well, look, Sam, just stop, 'cause I really don't need your help anymore." Sam was confused, so he asked,
"What are you talkin' about?" She told him,
"I told the lawyers that we went to the crime scene." Sam scoffed as he questioned Becky,
"Why would you do that?" again she explained,
"Well, I told them that we were with a police officer. And they checked it out, and they told me that there is no Detective Dean Winchester or Chief Lydia Irving." Sam tried to get her to understand but he was cut off.
"No, I don't understand why you would lie to me about something like that." Sam managed to get some words in before Becky chewed him a new one again.
"We're tryin' to help." However, Becky grilled Sam instead,
"Oh, trying to help? Do you realize that that was a sealed crime scene? This could have just ruined Zack's case." Sam tried to apologize,
"Bec, I'm sorry, but—" but once again he was cut off by Becky,
"No, goodbye, Sam." She then hung up on Sam before he could explain things. Dean walked over to Sam, who looked disappointed.
"I hate to say it, but that's exactly what I'm talkin' about. You lie to your friends because if they knew the real you, they'd be freaked. It's just—it'd be easier if—" Dean tried to help in his own way but was interrupted by Sam himself,
"If I was like you." Lydia then spoke up in defence for Dean,
"Hey, like it or not, we are not like other people." Dean then took over,
"But I'll tell you one thing. This whole gig—it ain't without perks." He held up two guns to Sam and Hayley, they each take one and put it in the back of their jeans. Dean, Lydia, Sam and Hayley all walk away and head down to the sewers.
Dean, Lydia, Hayley and Sam are looking around with their flashlights and guns. Dean happened to shine his flashlight around then announced to Sam and the others,
"I think we're close to its lair." Sam looking ahead questioned as Hayley moved into his flashlight's beam,
"Why do you say that?" Dean almost started laughing as he explained,
"Because there's another puke-inducing pile next to your face." Sam turned and saw another pile of blood and skin on a nearby pipe.
"Oh, God!" Sam spoke really disgusted. Dean laughed at Sam just seconds before Lydia smacked him across the head. He turned toward her, rubbing his head in confusion but she only glared at him. Then after a few seconds later, they look around the area and see a pile of clothes in a corner. Dean stated,
"Looks like it's lived here for a while." Lydia, Sam and Hayley all nodded before Sam spoke,
"Who knows how many murders he's gotten away with?" Sam and Hayley turned around seeing the shapeshifter, still in the form of the Asian man, standing behind Dean and Lydia. They yell in warning,
"Dean! Lydia!" They turned just as Dean got punched by the shapeshifter. He fell to the ground, and the shapeshifter ran away. Lydia, who happened to be right next to him went to him immediately to help him up. Sam and Hayley fired off a few rounds after it a few times but missed all those times. Sam moved over to Dean and Lydia. They stopped him and Dean yelled,
"Get the son of a bitch!" Then waved Sam and Hayley to get them to move. Lydia and Dean held onto each other, standing up as Sam and Hayley ran after the shifter. They were about to follow when a figure appeared before them. Lydia and Dean stared at the figure in shock before seconds later everything went black.
A.N.- Hi again. I hope you all like this chapter. I do hope to have the next one up soon. Again I'm so sorry for not writing. Please do forgive me. And please leave a review. I do love to get them. It means that I'm doing ok on my story or if you want tell me what I could change. Anyways, onto the next chapter!