TRIGGER WARNING: This chapter contains descriptions of gore and nonconsensual contact. Please proceed with caution.
The table was quiet. Everyone around was holding their breath, eyes flicking back and forth between either end. It was going to be close.
Kat peeked at her cards and winced. She quickly swept the emotion blank, but the man across from her chuckled.
"No offense, sweetheart, but you've got one of the worst poker faces I've ever seen on a hunter."
"What do you want from me, Lou? I'm an honest businesswoman, not a con. Shut the fuck up and play."
There were a few snickers here and there, though most of the men were smart enough to keep their opinions to themselves. Kat might have only been at the Roadhouse for a few weeks, but it was long enough to earn herself a reputation. She had dropped people for less.
Lou considered her for a moment before shedding a few more bills into the pot.
"I'll raise fifty. I don't love easy pickin', but an old man like me can't afford to turn down some cash. Hope you understand, sweets."
"I understand that if you call me 'sweets' one more time you're gonna lose your balls." She wiped a hand down her face, glaring at her cards. "Alright. I will…hmph…"
"Move it, guys. Coming through."
Jo weaved her way through the spectators, one glass of beer in each hand. She placed one down next to Lou, then circled round to slam Kat's down with a glare.
"About time," Kat grumbled.
"Oh, so sorry. It's lunch time and some of us actually have to work."
"It's my break and I'll do what I want with it."
"Right, blowing all your cash like an idiot."
"Better than whatever you're blowing."
Every single jaw around the table dropped and the men all dissolved into raucous laughter. Jo glared even more furiously, kicking the leg of Kat's chair. Under the cover of the jeers, she knocked three times on the back, and stormed off.
Kat expertly hid her smirk.
"Alright, everyone shut up," she ordered, pulling out her own cash. "I'll meet and raise you fifty more."
"Come on, Kat," Lou groaned. "Don't be an idiot."
"I'm not an idiot. I've got good cards and you should quit while you're ahead."
"Sure. I believe that about as much as I believe you can rehabilitate a rawhead."
"I don't know what that means. You folding or not?"
Lou frowned, and threw a few more bills into the pile. "Fine, your funeral. But I'm calling. I ain't taking any more money from you than that."
"And they say chivalry is dead." Kat pursed her lips nervously, nodding to his cards. "Whatcha got?"
"Full house." Lou laid his cards out on the table, showing his three nine's and two tens. Kat's jaw dropped. "Sorry, hun."
"Wait, what?" Kat spluttered. "No, no, hang on…"
"I warned you," he said with a shrug. "They're good cards."
"Uh, yeah. Full house is third ranking right?"
"Fourth. Third's four of a kind, second's straight flush."
"Shit," Kat sighed, looking down at her cards. "Wait, so flush is…?"
"Flush is five cards same suit. Straight flush is same suit in order."
"Oh. Never mind, we're good."
She laid out her hand, showing off the three, four, five, six, and seven of spades.
The noise was immediate. Gasps, yells, laughter—everyone had some kind of reaction. Two or three of the men got up and knocked their chairs over just for kicks. A few were handing off money to each other, having placed bets on the game when they folded out. And poor Lou was just glowering at the cards in shock.
"I warned you they were good cards," Kat echoed slyly. She grabbed the pile of cash in the middle of the table. "Sorry, hun."
"Woah, now hold on one second…"
"Hey, don't hate the player, hate the game. I won fair and square."
"Right," said Lou, narrowing his eyes at her. "That's the part I'm still working on."
Kat kept her face even as she smiled at him. "Now, Lou. I know you're not insinuating that I had to cheat cause I'm a girl."
The ooh's and chuckles from around the table were enough to shut Lou down real quick.
"I ain't sayin' that," he defended. "Hell, I've known Ellen thirty years. I know women can sweep at poker."
"And don't you forget it," Ellen called from behind the bar. "Kat, break's over. Hop to it."
"Well, gentlemen, thanks for playing," said Kat, getting to her feet. She tossed a twenty back on the table with a wink. "Don't forget to tip your waitresses."
Jo was waiting for her at the bar, hiding a grin behind a dish rag. "So, fifty-fifty split?"
"Sixty-forty," Kat grumbled. "You told me he had three of a kind."
"What does that matter? You won, right?"
"Yeah, but that was mean."
"Oh, I'm mean?" Jo snatched Kat's apron out of her reach, holding it back incredulously. "Uh-uh. You don't get to pull that after the shit you've said."
"I needed a reaction to cover you," Kat said with a smirk. "Don't be a baby about it."
"I'll stop being a baby when you stop being a bitch. Fifty-fifty."
"Fine. Fifty-fifty." Kat grabbed her apron, smacking Jo with it for good measure. "Fetus."
"Wannabe."
"Hey, Ellen?" One of the men was standing by the door, peering out the front window with one hand on his gun. "Big RV just pulled up out front. Looks like a bunch of tourists."
"Well then put the damn pistol away, ya nimrod," she snapped. Ellen clapped her hands once or twice, getting everyone's attention. "You heard the man. Civilians, incoming. So cut the shop talk, and guns away."
There was a general grumble of complaint as everyone moved to comply. It wasn't often that the Roadhouse got normal visitors. Ellen didn't exactly advertise, so most of their steady business was drummed up by word of mouth. But occasionally someone would get turned around on the interstate, or make a wrong turn on their way to see the biggest pizza ever baked or whatever. Ellen would serve them lunch, a couple of drinks on the house, and then send them packing so everyone else could breathe again.
The door creaked open, and a small girl peeked her head into the bar. Kat wasn't surprised by her hesitation. She looked about nine, and most of the bar's patrons were grumpy old men well over thirty. She wouldn't want to walk in either.
"Hey there," Ellen called to her with a comforting smile. "Something I can help you with, sweetheart?"
The girl's face did not relax, but she took a few more hesitant steps into the bar. She did not answer, just kept looking around the room in fear.
Ellen nodded to Jo to take over bar service and walked out from behind the counter.
"Everything okay, sweetie?" she asked, crouching down in front of the girl. "Where are your parents?"
That seemed to get a response. The girl focused on Ellen, her head perking up a little. She answered, presumably, but her voice was so soft that Kat couldn't even hear a whisper from across the bar. Whatever it was made Ellen nod, and she rubbed the girl's arm encouragingly.
"Well, that's nothing to worry about. You came to the right place. Hey, gentlemen! Can someone head outside and lend these folks a hand. They're having engine trouble on their RV."
Her announcement was met with silence as everyone exchanged disparaging looks, waiting for someone else to step up first. Ellen narrowed her eyes and stood up to her full height.
"Oh, you're all too good to work for your money now? I know at least three of you are mechanics."
"Yeah, you heard her Lou," offered Barry slyly. "You just lost a ton of cash. You could do with a paycheck."
The jeers that followed were enough to egg Lou out of his seat, though he swung at Barry for good measure.
"Alright, alright. I'm up. Lead the way little girl."
With some more coaxing from Ellen, the girl allowed Lou to follow her outside. Even though she'd barely been double digits, the bar relaxed the minute she'd disappeared. A few of the guys already had their bowie knives back up on the table. Not having them on hand for more than two minutes seemed to cause separation anxiety.
"Hey how 'bout another round, El?" Barry called. "I gotta head out in a few. Skinner's got a shifter on his ass down in Kentucky. Thought I'd lend him a hand."
"Will you shut your mouth?" Ellen snapped her dish towel at him. "How many times do I gotta remind you fellas? If there's even one civilian on this property, I don't want anyone talking about…"
BANG!
Only in a bar full of hunters would everyone recover so quickly. An instant after the noise, the whole bar was on its feet. Weapons had been pulled from nowhere—guns, knives and salt all at the ready. Because most were veterans, they waited. The moment they heard the scream, they leapt.
Kat grabbed a knife and was halfway to the door, Jo right on her heels. But Ellen grabbed her by the shoulders and shoved them both back.
"No! Stay!"
"Mom—…"
"Both of you, stay!"
They would have argued, but Ellen had already disappeared out the door with her shotgun.
Jo was the first to dive after her, but Kat yanked her back. "Jo, wait…"
"No! You're on lockdown, not me!"
"Just wait! Okay? Come on."
They skidded to the window, peering out into the front yard.
Chaos was the best word. Kat was floored. She hadn't expected so many people. Five or six from the bar—sure—but there were at a dozen people in the yard, and more still piling out of the RV. It was a straight-up ambush. They could only watch in horror as another shotgun blast rang out, and Barry's body fell to join Lou's on the grass.
Kat swore loudly, catching the attention of one of the intruders. His head whipped around, teeth bared, eyes black.
Jo forced them both to the ground just as the window exploded. Glass rained down on them, the noise of the fight washing inside, but no one followed them inside.
"Demons," Jo spat, reading Kat's mind. "They can't get into the building."
"Right." Kat vaguely remembered Dean saying something about that weeks ago, but now wasn't the time to ask. "Still expected them to try."
"Yeah, more bad news. That means they already knew what they were walking into. They're definitely not here on accident."
There was another bang outside, and again, Jo tried to lurch for the door. Again, Kat wrenched her back.
"Which is why we definitely shouldn't go out there!"
"I'm not leaving Mom," Jo said fiercely. "You stay here. I've got this."
"Jo, there's like ten of them! You don't…!"
But just like her mother, Jo had already grabbed her saw-off and barged out into the yard.
Kat gave a withering sigh. She trudged back to the bar, grabbing the knife she'd abandoned and one of the handguns from the bottom shelf. Then she took a swig from a flask stashed by the phone. Tying her hair back into a ponytail, she marched out after Jo.
It became clear very quickly that they were fighting a losing battle. Kat didn't want to dwell on it, but there were already several bodies strewn across the grass. All were in blood-stained, familiar flannel. Ellen and Jo, thank God, were still standing—though they were each fighting two to one. Kat barely had time to spot them before three demons rushed her and she was pulled into the fight.
All Kat could do was shoot for all she was worth. Still, there were only so many bullets. She managed to catch one of the demons in the mouth, which slowed him down enough that Kat had time to slice his throat open. She twisted and kicked, catching the next demon with a bullet to the stomach. But it was barely enough to make her laugh. Kat shot her in the face, then ducked the demon that was trying to grab her from behind. Her knife sunk into his shoulder, holding him in place long enough that she could shoot him in the back of the head. There wasn't so much of a scream as a displeased rush of air. Regular bullets might not kill demons, but it was a lot harder to fight when you were missing half your face.
Unfortunately, Kat hadn't managed to get half. The first demon rushed her from behind, yanking her arms behind her back as the woman she'd shot stood up again. A good chunk of her forehead was missing, but she was still smiling through the blood.
"You're a bad shot," she offered. She spat a wad of flesh out of her mouth, strolling casually over to look Kat in the face. "Three demons close-range and that's the best you can do? Why would anyone bother putting a bounty on your head?"
The demon holding Kat tightened his grip on her neck, and Kat did not respond.
"Aw, no witty comeback?" the woman pouted, running a finger along Kat's jaw. "You hunters are usually so mouthy. Where's your showmanship?"
She leaned in menacingly until they were nose-to-nose. Kat waited until the last possible moment, then spit.
The demon recoiled, wailing in agony as the holy water sprayed into her face. The man holding Kat was so taken aback that he didn't have time to recover before Kat had sliced his arm, his stomach, and shot him in the face. This time, she did not miss.
But the woman was already coming back for more. Kat took off like a rocket, bolting into the bar and sliding across the wooden floor. She scooted back against the wall under the window, praying that none of the demons had enough ammo to shoot her through the exterior.
Praying.
Kat bit her lip and clenched her eyes shut.
"Come on, Cas. Where's your voyeuristic ass when I need it? Cas. Castiel, please. Big problem, lots of demons. Please, Castiel, please…"
A loud whistle from outside silenced her muttering. Somewhere outside, someone was clapping in the sudden stillness.
"Wow, what a show! I gotta hand it to ya. I did not think you were going to make it this long. I wanna say I'm impressed, but you know…we've all got places to be. So how about we wrap this up? Katherine, you wanna come out of there?"
Kat's stomach sank. If there'd been any doubt before, there was none left now. The demons were definitely there for her.
"Kat, I don't have all day," the voice called again. Kat didn't recognize it beyond its feminine drawl. "Here kitty, kitty, kitty Kat. Come out, come out wherever you are. I think your friends here would really like to see ya before we, you know…gut them."
The easy way she said it was enough to send a chill down Kat's spine. Yes, they were here for Kat and, yes, she was safe inside. But as long as Ellen and Jo were still outside, she didn't have much of a choice.
She kept her face stoic as she stepped into sight in the doorway, her feet firmly planted inside the bar.
The lawn of the Roadhouse was now covered in blood. How much was human, she wasn't sure. Bodies littered the grass, but only half were getting up again—demons undeterred by their bullet holes and open wounds. Ellen and Jo were the only two humans left standing, each held in a chokehold and balancing on the tips of their toes. Standing between them was a short girl with dark hair. Her casual stance made it clear she was one of the demons, probably the ringleader. Her Cheshire Cat smile widened the moment her eyes landed on Kat.
"Aw, there she is. Kat Moore. You are not an easy girl to find."
"Yeah? Who's looking?"
"Who in Hell isn't looking?" she countered. "You've got a pretty bounty on your head, you know. And then you pull that grand-scale stunt in Belle Fourche? I mean, you pretty much put up a neon sign saying 'look for me here.'"
"Sorry," Kat said with a shrug. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Cute," the demon said, rolling her eyes. "And I appreciate that you're smart enough to stall, but I'm not dumb enough to fall for it. So why don't you call off the angel on your shoulder so we can talk girl to girl."
"Like I said. I don't know what you're talking about."
The demon girl considered her. She looked more annoyed than anything else. Kat knew that when her patience wore out, Ellen and Jo ran the risk of paying the price. But Castiel had to hear her. She knew he was coming, whether she could hear him or not. She just had to hold out a little longer.
Kat flinched as the demon raised a hand. But it wasn't to Ellen or Jo. Instead she waved to the RV, and the door swung open once more.
It was the tourist family—real tourists if Kat had to guess. Mother, father and daughter were each being dragged along by a demon. They'd probably been threatened into the ruse in the first place. Now, the demons threw the mom and dad to the ground at the lead demon's feet. Kat noticed with a sinking heart that the girl they kept back by the trailer.
"I had a feeling you were gonna be difficult," the demon girl said with a smirk. "So I guess we'll go to Plan B."
She helped the vacationers up to their feet, brushing off their shoulders with the air that she actually cared. Then she motioned to Ellen and Jo on either side of her.
"There we go. Mom, Dad—just one last thing I need you to do. If you could do me a favor and take off the pretty necklaces these women have on. Yup, the one with the star, there you go..."
"NO!"
It all happened before Kat could comprehend it. The tourists snapped the necklaces off a screaming Jo and a thrashing Ellen. The air was filled with black smoke, and then it wasn't. Then it was just Ellen and Jo, no longer fighting back. Only watching Kat with devilish smirks and cold, black eyes.
At first, Kat thought it was her horror that was making her ears ring.
"Uh oh," the lead demon called, tilting her head back to look at the sky. "Sounds like your guardian angel's looking to make an appearance. Up to you, Kat. You can call him off, or your new foster family goes deaf, dumb, and blind."
Kat's skin was tingling. Now, Kat could recognize the tremble in her throat that meant Castiel was close. It was stronger this time, and somehow she knew implicitly that it meant anger. That meant fury.
"Okay, okay, just hold on," she said quickly, holding her hands out the demons. The she closed her eyes, focusing on the feeling in her chest. "Stop. Okay? Can you hear me? I need you to stop. Please."
The rage in Kat's throat vibrated, and her answer came in one simple word.
"No."
The windows were beginning to rattle in their panes. Kat opened her eyes, watching the demons across from her. Most of them were getting nervous. Clearly, they'd overestimated her control over the angels. They hadn't really been expecting to come face to face with Castiel. Only the three in the middle seemed calm—their ringleader, and Ellen and Jo—both of their jaws set, ready to sacrifice their eyes if it came down to it.
Kat grabbed her knife.
"Close your eyes!"
She dropped to her knees, ignoring the ringing in her ears. She sliced open the outside of her arm, ignoring the gasps of her onlookers. And then she dipped her fingers into her own blood, ignoring the frantic feeling of Castiel's words in her brain.
"Katherine, do not…"
But she'd already slammed her hand into the middle of the sigil on the floor.
The rattling stopped, and the surplus light drained out of the sky. Kat was breathing heavily, furious with herself. She'd just blown her only hope halfway to oblivion. Now she was stuck on her own.
"Good call." The brunette demon was smiling at her again. "Guess I won't be needing these anymore."
She waved a hand to Ellen and Jo, and Kat looked away just in time. The crack of bone pierced the air, followed by the blood-curdling scream of the little girl. Her wailing was just loud enough to mask the sound of her parents' bodies hitting the ground.
"God, will you shut her up? Put the brat back in the box. We're almost done here."
"Ugh, can't we just kill her?" It was startling to hear Jo's voice suggesting it. "I can't handle any more whimpering."
The other girl rolled her eyes, signaling to one of her other lackeys. One of the larger men scooped the child up kicking and screaming, and literally tossed her through the door to the trailer. He slammed the door, but they could still hear her sobbing. After a few helpless bangs on the door, she seemed to give up. Jo's demon opened her mouth to argue, and the other girl held up a hand.
"No, we are not killing her. That girl is the reason we just caught eight fully-armed hunters off guard. Kids are useful."
"They're also annoying."
"You think all humans are annoying."
"Not all the time," said Jo. Her smile was sinister as she kicked the man's body in front of her. "Not when they're dead."
The brunette scoffed, but smirked. "This is exactly why you're not in charge, sweetheart."
"Please, baby?"
"Excuse me?" Kat raised a hand from the doorway, catching their attention. "Hey, sorry. Hate to interrupt your lovers' quarrel, but can we just skip ahead to the part where you try to kill me?"
"Hey," Jo snapped, her eyes flashing black, "you sprayed me with holy water, bitch. You can wait for us to finish our conversation."
"Oh shut up, Lana," the first demon chastised. "We're not here to kill you, Katherine."
"Right. Just everybody else."
"Would you use your brain? You really think I would go through all this trouble to talk if I was just gonna kill you? If I wanted you all dead, I just would've burned the house down."
"I don't know you," said Kat. "All I know is that you're a demon, and Lilith wants me dead."
The girl stared at her. She seemed surprised for a moment—but it wasn't the same kind of surprise that the demons at the cemetery had shown. Instead of anger, she seemed amused.
"I don't work for Lilith," she said, smirk still firmly in place.
"You're a demon. She's the OG. Doesn't that automatically make you her bitch?"
"Wow." She snorted, looking back and forth between Kat and Jo—or Lana, as she'd called her. "The Winchesters really haven't changed their type, huh? Do they order all you sassy blondes out of a catalogue?"
Kat deflated. She should have guessed. She didn't know why she bothered hoping any of her problems didn't tie back to the dumpster siblings.
"Look," she sighed, "I don't have time for this. If you've got beef with Sam and Dean, you can get in line."
"So I've heard," the demon gushed. "I mean, my issues? I try to kill their dad, they kill mine—that's normal stuff. But you, you're—what was it again? Sam's dead ex-girlfriend's big sister turned hunter? You don't think that sounds a little contrived?"
"I think you should start talking about what you want before I exorcise your ass."
Lana growled, rushing forward until her girlfriend caught her by the arm.
"Then let's talk," she said calmly. "You help me get what I want, and I'll help you get what you want."
"What I want?" Kat frowned. "What am I supposed to want?"
"I'd guess to not die, for starters." Kat glared at her until the demon folded. "Fine, and the safety of your friends here. Whatever."
"In exchange for what?"
"You come on a little trip with us."
"Where?"
"West."
Kat waited for an additional explanation, but the demon left it at that. When Kat finally did raise her eyebrows, she only shrugged and clicked her tongue. It was infuriating.
"Wow, thanks for the itinerary," Kat scoffed. "I'll take a pass."
"Perfect," Lana spat. "I say we go back to Plan A and burn the bitch, house and all."
"I've got a better idea."
The lead demon pulled on Lana's arm again, yanking Jo's body against hers. A flick of her wrist and there was a knife in her hands. She pressed the knife to Jo's throat and, in one quick motion, pulled it across.
"No!"
Kat threw herself through the door. In an instant, the demons were on her. Her arms were seized and roughly tugged in opposite directions. Someone had taken out her knees, forcing her to slam to the unforgiving ground. She would have face-planted had they not been holding her so tight. Kat only fought for a few seconds. Any longer and she was certain they would have pulled her limbs from their sockets just to hear her scream.
"God, you're all so easy," the girl laughed. "Don't you get tired of being so predictable?"
"Fuck, give me a warning next time, will you?" Lana pouted, rubbing at her uninjured throat. "That could've hurt."
"Please. I barely nicked you."
She pressed a quick kiss to the side of Lana's neck—Jo's neck. Kat saw red. She pulled her legs up, putting all her weight into her arms so she could kick the legs of the demon on her right. It barely did any damage, but he was surprised enough to loosen the grip on her arm. She threw herself back, her left arm twisting painfully, but giving herself enough room to kick the demon's arm off of her own. When she was free, she clawed at the arms behind her. They scuffled in a circle—Kat kicking dirt up into the air in a desperate attempt to stand, her captor cursing as she dug nails through his skin.
A hard kick landed on her ribs. All the air left her body, and she was wrenched upright by her hair. She coughed painfully. It was a struggle to breathe with the man forcing her neck back at this angle.
The demon girl looked down her nose at her, and jabbed the knife pointedly.
"Enough. You can chill out and be a hostage like an adult, or next time I cut Blondie's throat for real."
"Ugh, can't we maim someone else?" Lana complained. "My host bodies have taken enough damage."
"Don't even think about it, bitch," Ellen's voice growled. "You're not the only one whose head got blown off."
"Oh, don't be a baby, Deg. You're just upset that you got the middle aged-hag, and I got the hot rod."
"Focus, you two," the ringleader warned.
Lana only simpered.
"But I can't. I just love this new body. It's so warm and feisty."
Her eyes flashed black, boring into Kat's as she reached back to grab the other demon's arms. She made a show out of dragging them around her waist, arching her back to lean into her, tipping her head back onto the other demon's shoulder.
Kat was torn. She couldn't watch, but at the same time she was determined to glare holes into the bitch until she burned the demon from the inside out. It was a good thing someone was holding her down. Otherwise she might have hurt Jo in her desperation to pry the fuckers off of each other.
It was only a few seconds before she had to look away. Somewhere, anywhere, anything but their wandering hands. That was when the trailer caught her eye.
With everyone focused on the show, none of the demons seemed to notice the flurry of the curtains. Just behind them, in the gap, Kat could make out the face of the little girl. She'd stopped crying, watching out of the window with concern. She jumped when Kat caught sight of her, and quickly disappeared again. Kat's heart sank, but the girl reappeared in another window. She vanished, then popped up again. Slowly, she was making her way to the front.
The demon holding Kat's hair stiffened, and Kat leapt into action.
"Alright, stop! I'll come! Just stop—stop fucking touching her!"
The demon girl smiled victoriously. She shoved Lana aside, ignoring her mewl of disappointment, and stuck her knife back into her jacket.
"See? Was that so hard?"
"If you fucking touch her again…"
"Yeah, yeah I get the picture. You go big bad older sister on me. Guess that didn't work out for you last time around, huh?"
Kat swallowed her fury.
"You can let go now," she grunted, pulling against the demon's grip on her hair. "You've already got hostages. I think I can walk."
The man didn't ease up until his boss gave him the go ahead. He tossed Kat forward into the dirt, and she took a moment to massage her scalp. She moved slowly, testing her limbs, unfolding her sore joints, dusting off her jeans. The demon girl watched her in annoyance.
"Are about do—…?"
A thunderous rumble cut through the air as the RV's engine roared to life. The demons whirled around, and Kat made a break for it.
Bolting forward, she shoved aside every demon in her way. Most fell aside without any resistance, but it was only a matter of time before the shock wore off. Kat beat aside hands grabbing for her, and nearly tripped when the air exploded with a gunshot.
"No! Don't shoot! We need her alive!"
Kat wrenched the door open and dove head-first into the trailer.
"Drive!" she bellowed, skidding across the floor.
There was a high pitched scream, and the engine surged as the RV lurched forward. Kat scrambled for support. She pinned her back against the stairs, bracing her legs against the door as the demons caught up to them. She kicked it repeatedly, pinning it closed as they punched and kicked to get in. The attacks thinned out as the RV outstripped them.
Kat would have stayed to guard the door, but a dangerous bump reminded her of her driver. She rushed to the front to find the small girl hyperventilating behind the wheel. It was a wonder she could even reach the pedals and look out the windshield at the same time.
"Okay, move," Kat ordered.
The instruction took the girl by surprise, and she only screamed in response. The RV sprang forward again, tumbling onto the road and veering into the next lane.
"Woah! Hey! It's me! Good guy, okay?"
Kat grabbed the wheel to steady them, but it didn't do much good. The most she could do was steer while they hurtled forward at dangerous speeds. They were already well over eighty. It was like playing a nightmare version of some video game.
The girl's screams paused as she gasped for air, and Kat jumped at her chance.
"Okay, hey. Hey, I need you to breathe, okay?" she instructed, struggling to keep her voice steady. "Okay? Can you do that for me?"
She nodded frantically, but did not loosen her grip on the wheel.
"Good. Okay, so I'm gonna count to three. And when I do, I want you to let go."
"No, no, no, no, no…"
"It's gonna be okay. I promise. You let go, you go sit in the passenger seat, and I'm gonna take over, alright?"
"No, no, no…"
"Yes, yes, yes. Ready? One, two, three!"
The girl sprang out of the seat like a spring. She was screaming again, but Kat couldn't blame her as the RV was wobbling wildly without a driver. Kat jumped into the seat to regain control. A few seconds later, they were cruising safely down the road.
Kat checked the rearview mirror, but no one seemed to be following them. Not yet, anyway.
"Here." Kat pulled the anti-possession charm from around her neck, handing it over to girl. "I need you to put this on, okay? That's gonna keep you safe."
It was only confusion that stopped her wailing as she stared at the necklace.
"But—But you…"
"I don't need it. It's a backup. Take it."
Uncertainly, she grabbed the charm, but did not put it around her neck.
"What were those things?"
"They're—They're the bad guys."
"What were they?"
"Nothing good," Kat said tersely. She had a feeling using the word 'demon' would not be a smart decision, and she really did not need to hear any more screaming today.
"But they were smoke! They were people and then they were smoke and then they—they—…!"
"They were just bad, okay? And now they're gone!"
The girl burst into tears. Kat felt bad—she did—but her sympathy was lost in adrenaline and anger. It was all she could do not to start screeching herself. Her veins were on fire under her skin, and the world felt like it was moving on fast forward. She needed to stop, and soon, or she was going to lose it.
"Okay. I'm sorry. Hey!" She had to shout to make herself heard over the girl's sobs, which was hard when she was trying to sound comforting. "I'm sorry. I'm Kat, okay? What's your name? Can you tell me your name?"
"M…I'm M…"
"Mary? Marie? Marilyn?" The girl wailed louder and Kat stammered. "Shit, uh…M—M—Megan? M—Masie?"
There was a hiccup she took as confirmation.
"Okay! Alright, Masie. Masie, I promise, I'm gonna answer all your questions, but right now I need a couple minutes to think, okay? Can you try and breathe for a couple minutes?"
Masie stared wide-eyed at the road in front of them. Her chest heaved, her cheeks stained with tears, and her hands were still white on the side of her chair, but she was not screaming. It was as much as Kat could hope for at the moment.
Kat looked at the road too, her jaw tight. A part of her wanted to crash and be done with it. She wanted to pummel the steering wheel into submission, to rave and cry and break everything in sight. But she was driving, and there was a kid, and there was no other option out. That's what she had to keep telling herself. Otherwise it would be her bawling behind the wheel.
She'd left them. Everything they'd done for her, and Kat had jumped ship and left. The demons could be cutting Ellen and Jo to pieces with every second she drove, and she was still behind the wheel putting more and more distance between them. Anything that happened to them would be her fault. If they got hurt, if they…
Kat shook the thought off. They weren't leaving. She was going back, as soon as she knew what to do. But there were a dozen demons, and only one of her. No weapons, no hostages, and almost no idea what they wanted from her. That was another problem itself. No matter how many ways she thought through it, there was no way she was getting out alone.
The RV groaned as she pulled over to the side of the road. Masie shot up like a rocket.
"What are you doing? We can't stop! What if they…?"
"They're not following us," Kat assured her. "They've gotta regroup, and so do we. Do you have a phone?"
Masie nodded, getting out of her seat and disappearing into the back. She returned with a small flip phone. Though Kat reached out for it, she did not immediately hand it over.
"This is my dad's," she said softly, turning it over in her hands.
Kat softened. But what was there to say? Sorry you watched his neck break? Sorry you're an orphan now? Sorry you're gonna be traumatized by demons for the rest of your life, but it gets better?
"I'll give it right back," she promised. Masie nodded, and handed her the phone. "Thanks. Why don't you stand look out in the back. You can let me know if you see anything."
"Okay…"
"And put that necklace on, okay? It'll protect you from the…smoke."
Masie nodded, slipping the necklace over her head and turning away. Kat knew there was probably a better way to handle the situation, but time wasn't something she had right now. She'd gotten them out of immediate danger. She'd give the girl a list of good psychiatrists later.
Kat turned back in her seat, punching the numbers on the phone. It rang so long that she almost panicked, but at the last second, someone picked up.
"Hello?"
"Sam? It's Kat. I'm…"
No words followed. She simply didn't know what to say. With the adrenaline fading, the reality sinking in, she couldn't piece together the words.
Her voice must have trembled enough to get the danger across.
"What happened?" Sam demanded. "Are you okay?"
"Sam, they—they found us. The demons, they—they were at the Roadhouse."
"Where are you? Kat, are you okay?"
"I'm fine, but—Sam, they've got Jo and Ellen. They had some tourists and they—they broke off their charms and now…"
She caught him cursing on the other end of the line. Luckily, years of practice had given Sam a far more level head in these situations, and he shut it down quickly. Kat was grateful. If Sam lost it, she wasn't sure what she would do.
"Okay, where are you now?" he asked directly.
"I'm on the side of the road, maybe a few miles out. They came in an RV, so I managed to get out with the girl."
"The girl?"
"The tourists—the daughter. The demons had her locked up and she helped me get out. But her parents…"
"Yeah. I figured."
"Sam…" She hated how weak her voice sounded. "What…what do I do?"
"You stay low," he sighed. "Dean and I are only a day or so out. Just keep driving, and…"
"I have to go back."
"What? No! Kat, that's—that's exactly what you don't do!"
"I'm not running," she said adamantly. "I am not leaving them behind."
"Kat, I—I know how hard it is. Okay? Trust me, I know. But Ellen knew what she signed up for when she took you in. If you go back there, all three of you are dead."
"They're not gonna kill me."
"Kat…"
"No, Sam, I know. The demons said. They don't want to kill me."
"What?" He stopped short. "But the angels said…I mean, Lilith…?"
"She said she doesn't work for Lilith."
"Kat, come on," Sam groaned. "Demons lie."
"I know. But she prepped for this, Sam. She had hostages, she knew about the Roadhouse, about all its defenses, about me. Like, she knew exactly who I was. You, Jess…"
"Wait. She brought up Jess?"
"Yeah. Well she didn't bring her up by name. She just said I was your ex-girlfriend's sister. And she definitely knew what happened to her."
"Kat, this is important. Did she say anything else about us?"
"Uh…uh, yeah." She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to remember the exact words. "She said that she knew you guys. You hadn't changed your taste in women. And when I brought up having a problem with you, she said her drama was normal stuff. Something about trying to kill your dad so you killed hers."
She wasn't entirely comforted when Sam sighed in recognition.
"Meg."
"Is that bad?"
"Uh, yeah. That's pretty bad."
He didn't say anything else at first. Kat glanced at the clock, tired of waiting for answers. They didn't have time to tiptoe around the truth.
"So? Who is she?"
"She's uh—Azazel's daughter."
"What?"
"Yeah. I mean, I don't know how demon paternity works, exactly, but that's what she meant. She was his right hand man, one of the demons that was trying to kill us when we were looking for the Colt. We've sent her back to Hell a couple of times, but…she's good at holding a grudge."
"Okay. So what does that have to do with me?"
"I don't know," he admitted. "She could be laying a trap, using you as bait. She didn't say anything else?"
"No. Just that she knew about you, about Cas—that's why they possessed Ellen and Jo. So I couldn't burn their eyes out like last time. She wanted to head West, and they needed me alive for something."
"Well, we're west," Sam reasoned. "Dean and I just finished a case in Vegas. Crossed into Wyoming this morning."
"Where is Dean?" she asked, with a new pang of worry. "He's not...?"
"No, he's fine. We're both fine he's just...uh, back at the motel. I just went out for lunch."
"Was your case about a seal? Demons? Is there anyway they'd know where you are?"
"Uh, nope. No, no demons. But um...you know, Meg's found us before. Found Jo before, so I wouldn't be surprised."
It didn't seem to occur to him that it had been the wrong thing to say.
Kat pulled the phone away, pressing a hand over her mouth to hold in the pitiful sound trying to escape from her throat. God. It was unbelievable how much she'd fucked up. These weren't some shitty demons trying to catch her for a bounty. These were high level players. They knew what they were doing, had a plan. And Kat knew nothing. Meg had already known Jo would be a weak point, just like she'd been for the Winchesters. She'd used her like a pawn. And Kat let her take it.
Her fingers were trembling. Kat quickly tucked them into a fist.
"I just...Sam, I need you to tell me they're gonna be okay."
She knew it wasn't easy for him. He waited too long for it to be simple. But when he spoke he sounded confident, and Kat couldn't express how grateful she was for that.
"They're gonna be fine, Kat. Meg's smart. She knows you wouldn't leave them, and if you're coming back, she still needs leverage against the Angels. She's not gonna touch them."
Kat nodded, counting her breaths.
"Okay. So what do we do?"
"Well, I've got one idea. Actually, it's kind of yours."
"Mine?"
"Yeah. But I don't know how well it's gonna work. This is a lot of demons we're talking about. We can't half-ass this."
"Sam," she sighed, "half-assed is all we've got. Let's do it."