AN: Here's the next chapter! And a quick one too!
Dean puts the car into park in front of the farmhouse in front of them. They had been interviewing every farmer around the town and have yet to come up with anything noteworthy. Dean sighs and glances out the windshield at the house.
"Gracie, take a look around," he says as he opens his door and he and Sam climb out of the car and walk up to the door. Gracilynn gets out of the car and after sharing a look with her dad and uncle, quickly disappears around the corner to take a look around the property.
Gracilynn sneaks along the side of the house, keeping an eye out for anyone who might see her. She turns the corner and quickly jumps back, flattening herself against the wall. A farmhand walks by without paying any mind. Once he's out of sight, Gracilynn peers around the corner, seeing the coast is clear. She hurriedly rounds the corner and begins looking around for anything that can help her bring some light to this case. Gracilynn notices a cellar door in the ground near the back of the house and she stealthily moves over to it. She glances around and, not seeing anyone, tries the door and finds it unlocked.
Gracilynn opens it up and descends the stairs, gently shutting the door behind her so as not to rouse suspicion. Gracilynn pulls out her penlight and turns it on, shining it around the room. Her light shines over a table with a book and bowl on it and Gracilynn silently strides over to it. She opens the book and flips through the pages, taking notice of the dark spells written inside it. She turns her attention over to the bowl and peers inside it, seeing a red sticky substance inside it, no doubt blood of some sort. Gracilynn closes the book and shines her flashlight around the table and picks up a box nearby. She sets it on the table and opens it up, scrunching her face up when she sees the animal skulls and bones inside it as well as other ingredients and objects. There is a creak and Gracilynn freezes, her eyes darting up, her ears listening carefully, her hands frozen on the lid of the box.
"You know, you should be more aware. Next time it might not be me," a deep voice sounds from behind Gracilynn. Gracilynn closes her eyes and lets out a breath, dropping the lid and turning around to face her father. Dean is standing in front of her with an eyebrow raised. Gracilynn mutters under her breath before turning around and looking back in the box.
"How'd you get down here?" she asks as she uses a stick from the table to move the objects around in the box.
"Went to the bathroom and found a door. Thought I'd check it out," Dean replies as he walks over to the table and begins looking through the book on it. He glances over at the box and then back at the book, quickly doing a double take and forgetting the book and peering inside the box. Gracilynn tilts her head slightly and glances over at her dad, raising an eyebrow.
"What?" he asks as he looks over at Gracilynn.
"What's your cover again? If you stay down here much longer they're going to start thinking they'll have to febreeze the bathroom," Gracilynn replies with a smirk. Dean scowls but turns and heads back the way he came.
"Be careful will ya," Dean orders as he turns back around and looks firmly at Gracilynn. Gracilynn glances over at him and smirks. Dean huffs and hastily heads back upstairs. Gracilynn puts the lid back on the box and replaces it back on the floor. She glances around the room before heading back up the stairs to the storm door. She slowly pushes it open and glances around before climbing out and shutting the door quietly. Keeping her eyes open she quickly makes her way back to the car.
SNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSN
"So we know who is killing these people. How do we stop them?" Gracilynn asks, looking between her dad and uncle. Dean and Sam share a look before Sam speaks up.
"Short of killing them? I don't know," he says, sighing and leaning back in his seat.
"You mean you don't want to talk to her?" Dean asks with an eyebrow raised at his brother. Sam purses his lips together and looks over at Dean.
"I don't think that is going to work here," Sam replies, shaking his head. Gracilynn runs a hand through her hair and leans back in her own seat, huffing out a sigh.
"So, now what?" Gracilynn asks as she looks over at Dean, waiting for him to take the lead on this.
"We go back tonight. Destroy the book and the objects in the box. Maybe we can buy us some time," Dean says, shrugging his shoulders and standing up, walking away from the table.
SNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSN
Sam stops down the road from the farmhouse and parks the car, looking down the street at the farmhouse. Dean opens his car door and looks over at Sam.
"Sammy, keep them occupied," he says before looking back at Gracilynn. "Gracie, let's go."
Gracilynn exits the vehicle and hurries after her father as she hears the car drive off towards the farmhouse. Sam drives the car up to the house and puts it in park before shutting the car off and exiting the vehicle. He looks around and then walks up to the door, knocking on it and waiting for the door to open. When it does, Sam offers Dan Huxton a sympathetic smile.
"Agent…" Huxton says with a furrowed eyebrow.
"I'm sorry to bother you Mr. Huxton, but I just have a few more questions," Sam says in an apologetic tone. Dan sighs but allows Sam to come inside the house.
"Marjory! Agent Smith is back," Dan shouts through the house. A young, blonde woman walks into the room and gives Sam a curious look.
"Agent, is something wrong?" she asks as the three of them take a seat in the living room.
"No. Some things have come to light and I wanted to ask you a few more questions," Sam explains, looking over at Marjory Huxton. Marjory nods her head and offers Sam a smile. "Mr. and Mrs. Huxton, did you notice any vehicles hanging around outside while Mrs. Shramer and Mr. Hekemer were here?"
The Huxtons thinks about this and shake their heads, sharing a quick look with each other. Sam doesn't let on that he notices and continues with the questioning.
"Did they seem on edge or off on any of their later visits?" Sam asks the couple sitting across from him.
"No, I mean other than their forcefulness," Dan answers as he shakes his head. Marjory glances at her husband before looking over at Sam.
"Agent, do you think someone was following them?" she asks him as she furrows her eyebrows. Sam looks over at Marjory.
"We can't say for sure but we found the same black sedan in multiple places the victims were. We're hoping this lead pans out," Sam says, looking between Marjory and Dan. There is a thump from underneath them and Marjory and Dan glance at each other. Sam's breath catches in his throat, knowing if either one of them go to check out the noise Dean and Gracilynn are in trouble.
"I'll go check it out," Marjory says, offering Dan a look and a Sam a smile. Sam forces a smile and looks over at Dan who is watching him.
"Where is your partner?" Dan asks Sam, narrowing his eyes at him.
"Huh? Oh, uh, he's following another lead," Sam replies, his hand cautiously moving towards his back.
"Let me guess. In the basement?" Dan says a glare in his eyes. Sam's eyes widen slightly and he quickly reaches for his gun but Dan lunges at him.
SNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSN
Dean and Gracilynn swiftly and quietly enter the cellar through the outside storm doors. Gracilynn and Dean pull out their guns and penlights and hold them out in front of them, making sure no one is around. Satisfied, they put their guns away and move over to the table. Dean grabs the box and moves it to the middle of the room and Gracilynn grabs the book and tosses it inside the box. Dean pulls out a match and lights it, dropping it into the box and the two of them watch as the objects set ablaze.
Gracilynn takes a step back and her feet trip over another box she doesn't realize is there. She lets out a little squeal and her arms flail around. Dean's head whips around and he reaches out and grabs Gracilynn, but trips over her feet and losing his own balance. Dean reaches out with his other hand and grabs something to steady himself only to knock over the top box on a pile. The box falls over with a loud thud and Dean and Gracilynn crash to the floor, their eyes wide and their heads jerk to the box on the floor next to them. Dean hears footsteps above them and his head swivels around and his eyes dart to the stairs, his eyes widening more.
"Get up," Dean orders Gracilynn as he shoves himself to his feet and glances back at her. Gracilynn pushes herself up to her feet and Dean looks back at the stairs, his hand drawing his gun once again. They don't see anything and Dean silently walks over towards the stairs, his eyes darting around for any sign of danger. Gracilynn's eyes dart around as well and she thinks she catches something moving in the shadows on her dad's side. A figure begins to form and move out in the open in silence.
"Dad!" Gracilynn shouts as she moves towards her dad. Dean spins around only to have Marjory hit him with a pipe, sending him to the ground holding his head where he now has a cut. Gracilynn grabs the closest object she can reach, which happens to be a broom. She charges at Marjory and swings the broom, cracking the stick part across her shoulder. The stick breaks and Marjory stumbles back and into the stair railing, the pipe falling and rolling under the stairway. Marjory lets out a groan and looks over at Gracilynn, her eyes narrowing.
Marjory lunges at Gracilynn and takes a swing at her and Gracilynn dodges the punch and hits Marjory in the face. Marjory's head whips to the side and she stumbles back a few steps. Gracilynn capitalizes on the attack and rushes at Marjory, barreling into her and sending her to the ground. Gracilynn punches Marjory in the face but Marjory knocks it to the side and then grabs Gracilynn's arm and jerks her to the side. The two of them roll and Marjory ends up on top, a death glare in her eyes and a knife raised in the air above Gracilynn. Where the hell did she get that? Gracilynn thinks as her eyes widen. A shot is heard from upstairs before Marjory swiftly brings the knife down to meet Gracilynn's body.
SNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSN
Dan plows into Sam and the two of them crash to the floor, Dan landing on top of Sam. Dan hits Sam in the face and raises his arm to hit him again but Sam propels him up and rolls the two of them over. Sam hits Dan in the face a few times, seeing the man becoming dazed. Sam shoves against the farmer and moves to his feet, wiping at the corner of his mouth where Dan had hit him. Sam gives Dan one last look before turning around and heading towards the stairs down to the basement. Movement behind him has him whirling around and he sees Dan on his feet and grabbing the shot gun on the wall. As Dan turns around, Sam draws his own gun and shoots Dan. Dan stops, his eyes wide, and then falls to the floor. Sam lets out a breath but then hears three shots ring out from downstairs and he rushes to the cellar door and down the stairs.
SNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSN
Just as Marjory brings the knife down to stab Gracilynn, three shots ring out and Marjory jerks before listing to the side and falling to the ground. Gracilynn lets out a breath of relief and turns her head to her right, seeing her dad sitting up against the wall, his gun in his hand aimed at the spot Marjory just was. Dean slowly lowers his gun and his eyes move to look at Gracilynn and their gazes meet. Fast moving footsteps are heard and the cellar door whips open, footsteps running down the stairs, to reveal Sam panting and taking in the scene before him.
"You okay?" Dean asks Gracilynn, his eyes not leaving her. Gracilynn nods before looking up at the ceiling, sighing. Sam notices Marjory on the floor, three bullet wounds in her chest. He moves his gaze over Gracilynn, seeing she's all right and then over to Dean. Dean and Sam share a look before Dean leans back against the wall and sighs, his eyes closing for a moment. Sam relaxes and leans against the railing of the stairs, blowing out a breath of air.
SNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSN
"Now we can finally get back to this deal with that case," Dean says as he throws his bag in the trunk of the car. Gracilynn throws her duffel in with Dean's and looks up at him. This whole job took them away from doing this earlier. Gracilynn inwardly scowls; she completely understands her dad's hatred of witches.
"What do you think it is?" Gracilynn asks her dad, raising an eyebrow. Sam appears and he drops his bag in with his brother and niece's.
"Don't know, but we're gonna find out," Dean replies before glancing over at Sam.
"The sooner the better," Sam agrees as he nods his head. Dean shuts the trunk and makes his way to the drivers' seat, Gracilynn following after him and Sam moving to the passenger side. The three Winchesters climb into the Camaro and Dean starts up the car, squealing off and down the road.
AN: Please review and leave me some feedback!