Chapter 44
Dean stood by Bobby as he placed the last of the ingredients into a brass bowl and mixed them up before taking it to a map that was spread out on the table. He poured the mixture over it and Dean lit a match and dropped it on the paper. A sudden swoosh of flames flared up making them shield their eyes until it died down. Dean leaned over and cussed loudly when nothing of the map was left.
"That must be some heavy warding being used or else he's not in this country." Bobby commented.
"I'd say the first one." John said when he came back into the room to see the spell didn't work.
"You got anything from your contact?" Dean asked.
"Ash said signs are pointing to demon activity, a lot of it around Wyoming. He's sending me coordinates if I can use your laptop. Do you have an atlas?"
"Sure." Bobby said going to his office to get one.
"Use mine." Dean offered getting it from the living room and signing on. He went online and turned it toward John.
John sat down and started typing getting to his email. He found Ash's and grabbed a slip of paper to write the information down. Bobby came back in with an atlas and opened it up to Wyoming. John took a marker and started finding the locations and putting an X at each one. After marking the last one, he leaned back and studied it trying to figure the significance.
"What are those places?" Dean asked.
"Would you believe these are churches established by Samuel Colt? Ash says he even built a railroad to connect each church."
"Let me see that marker." Dean said when something caught his eye. He began to draw on the map and when he connected the last line looked down at a pentagram.
"I'll be damn." Bobby said looking at the pentagram and pointing to a place in the very middle of it. "That's a graveyard and supposedly in the middle of it is a Devil's Gate and that pentagram is keeping any demon that wants access out. So if what John says is true and this demon is building an army what better place to get followers than by opening the gate and letting god knows what out and to do that he needs someone human to break the trap."
Dean slammed a fist down on the table so hard things fell to the floor. He looked at his father with hatred in his eyes thinking if they had known about all this maybe they could have been more prepared.
"I know Dean, I blame myself too." John told him, accepting the anger thrown at him. "I thought I was protecting you boys by trying to track the yellow eyed demon down myself and killing him. I was wrong to keep you in the dark and I'll never forgive myself if something happens to Sam."
"I ought a knock you on your ass for this you sonovabitch." he growled at his as he balled his hands into fists wanting to start swinging.
"So what's our next move?" Bobby asked stepping to Dean's side and laying a hand on his shoulder wanting to break the tension between the two because he knew Dean and his temper when it came to his brother and blood could be spilled.
spn
Consciousness came back slowly as Sam rolled over, groaning in pain. He could feel hard wood beneath him and worked on getting his eyes open enough to see he was in a rundown room, but where he had no idea. The last thing he remembered was going to the restroom at the gas station. He raised himself up to a sitting position and rubbed a hand down his face trying to stave off the pain in his head. There was broken down furniture, layers of dust, cobwebs and a pile of rags lying around him, but no sign of who brought him here. Once he was sure he could stand, Sam got his legs under him and used the wall for support as he straightened up and made his way toward the door. It was unlocked and he stepped out onto a walkway and looked around, squinting his eyes at the bright sunlight. Once he could see clear enough, a cold chill ran up his back because this was the place in his vision. He was in a deserted town and no one was in sight. He felt around in his pockets and found his cell was missing along with his weapons. Sam fingered a place on his jacket and picked at the seam pulling it apart and pulled a small knife from its hiding spot. Dean was right; you had to do the unexpected. No one usually checked that closely once they find the obvious weapons. He slipped it into his back jeans pocket and started walking toward the end of the street to see if he could find a way out of this place. After passing more empty buildings, soft voices caught his attention and he slipped into the shadows, waiting to see who it was. A guy and girl that looked about his age walked around the corner looking lost and helpless.
"Hello." he said as they neared only to startle them and have them back away from him. "Hey, I'm not going to hurt you. My name's Sam, do you know where we are? How did you get here?"
"Hey, I'm Andy and I have no freakin' idea what's going on. I was at home and woke up here." the guy said quickly using his hands to expression his feelings. "I mean, what the hell dude?"
"I'm Ava." the girl said. "Pretty much the same thing happened to me. I was with my fiancé and we went to bed and I woke up in this place."
"Any idea why you were brought here?" Sam inquired.
"Well this guy came around a while back, said I could be in danger. I thought he was crazy until he told me some things and I know he wasn't lying, I made him tell me the truth."
"What do you mean made him?"
"You see about a year ago, I started having these headaches and then I suddenly could make people do things like give me a free beer or let me have gas for free. I just had to suggest it and they did it."
"So you could control their thoughts." Sam pondered looking from one to the other. "How about you? Anything strange happen to you?"
"Me, nooooo...I'm just a girl from Peoria who's going to get married in a few months..." she started and then frowned for a moment like she thought of something.
"What is it? You looked like you remembered something."
"Well, I did have this weird ass dream a couple of times of a guy walking to his car and someone stabbed him and then I read in the paper that it actually happened. It was just a coincidence I'm sure. I must of seen him somewhere and my subconscious hung onto his image for some reason."
"You had a premonition, like me. We can see things before they happen."
"What? No it was nothing. You don't know me, I'm not some psychic."
"I have them; they're visions of future events." Sam explained. "Andy who was this guy that came to see you?"
"Let me think...I think his name was a gun..."
"Was it Winchester?" Sam asked in disbelief wondering how his father had found Andy.
"Yeah! That's it. I think John was his first name. He showed me how to ward my place and gave me an amulet to wear to help protect me. Guess it didn't do much good."
"That was my father, I'm Sam Winchester."
"He said he had two sons but didn't tell me your names. He's trying to protect you and your brother from...Let me think, what did he say..." Andy pondered as he thought hard.
"You gotta remember, it might help us."
"Something about a demon wanting to use me, I really was just listening to him to get him to leave me alone. I didn't take much stock in it."
"Have you seen anyone else around?"
"No, I just woke up a little while ago and found Ava." Andy said looking over at a distraught Ava.
"C'mon, let's see there's anyone else around." Sam told them turning to head on down the street as he scanned the buildings and alleys as they went.
"Do you know where we're at?" Ava asked as they kept pace with Sam.
"Not sure." Sam replied as they neared the end of the town.
"What's that?" Andy asked pointing to some type of monument.
"It's a bell..." Sam said looking closely at it for a moment thinking it looked familiar. He studied the old bell with a tree craved into it trying to pull the information up in his memory. "Andy how far do you think you can send an image?"
"I don't know, haven't really tested it." he said wondering where Sam was going with that.
"My brother's name is Dean. I know him and my family are looking for me. If we can get a message to him it'll help them find us."
"I can try Sam, but I'm not sure I can do it."
"Have faith." Sam assured him. "We have to try to get word to him."
Sam stood by the bell as Andy placed a hand on Sam's arm and started to concentrate on his brother. He tried to send the picture of Sam and the bell into his mind. Sam could feel something, but it was like it needed more of a boost.
"Ava, help us. We need to use all our powers to hopefully make this work." Sam called to her. "Please Ava." Sam begged.
After fidgeting and looking around, Ava moved to them and placed a hand on Andy and Sam's arms. They closed their eyes and channeled all their energy into one sending out images to Dean.
spn
Dean was coming into the kitchen to get another cup of coffee when suddenly a piercing pain shot through his head sending him to his knees, crying out in agony. John ran from Bobby's office with Bobby on his heels to find Dean in the floor clutching his head, curled over until it almost touched the floor.
"Dean, Dean son...What's wrong?" John asked kneeling by him and grabbing his shoulders.
"Pain..." Dean groaned out just barely loud enough to hear. He jerked when images of Sam popped up in his mind. He was standing beside a bell with a tree on it and Sam was pointing to it. As quickly as it came, the image vanished and the pain started to recede. Dean slowly allowed John to raise his body up as his breathing started to slow and he squinted his eyes against the light.
"Dean, talk to us." Bobby said from the other side of him.
"Saw Sam..." Dean winched as he sat back on his heels for a moment before letting Bobby and John guide him to a chair.
"Here...Drink something." John urged getting some water for Dean.
Dean gulped down several swallows before pausing. He looked to his Dad and Bobby as he continued to speak. "He was beside an old bell of some kind...It was strange, it had a tree carved into it. Does that sound familiar Bobby?"
"Bell with a tree on it; seems like I've read something about it." he said before heading toward his office. He came back carrying a book and laid it on the table before riffling through the pages, finally stopping on a picture. "It's in an abandoned ghost town called Cold Oak, South Dakota."
"How far is it from here?"
"It on the other side of the state, north-west of here up near the borders I think, but I'll have to look it up."
"I'll get my bags." Dean said stumbling to his feet and heading for the door.
"I'm driving." Bobby called to him seeing he wasn't in any shape at the moment to get behind the wheel of a car. "I'll get us a room at a motel in the closest town to the place. We'll need to wait until first light to find the place, no need getting ourselves killed or lost. I don't think anyone's been to that place in years."
"I'll meet you two there; I need to make a detour first. I'll text you when I'm close." John told Bobby as he hurried for the front door before any questions were asked. He has to get the Colt from where he hid it. This might be his only chance to stop this Yellow Eyed demon and get revenge for it killing Mary and to protect his son.
"Well, that'll go over well." Bobby grunted watching him leave. He got on his cell and send out a red alert to anyone in the vicinity of Cold Oak to meet them there the next day. It was only ten minutes before Dean bounded down the stairs with bags in hand.
"Where's Dad?" he asked giving a quick glance around not seeing him.
"He left, said he'd meet us there."
"Sonova..." Dean blurred out madly looking away as his anger rose. "Let's go." he growled.
"This is going to be an enjoyable trip." Bobby sighed heading to his bedroom for his bags before following Dean outside to the Impala. "Did you take something for the headache?"
"Yeah, don't know if it'll help much." he replied giving Bobby the keys before going around to the passenger side and getting in.
Bobby knew he was hurting when he didn't complain about someone else driving his Baby. Dean was over protective of the Impala and he swore he treated her like she was alive and had a soul of her own. He got into the driver's seat and started to crank the Impala to have it sputter and backfire, but not start.
"It's okay Baby, I'm in no shape to drive ya right now." Dean mumbled as he stroked the dash for a moment and leaned his aching head against her cold window thinking if felt good. Ever since he had found her in one of Bobby's buildings and fixed her up, she had been his safe haven and last link to his Dad, until he came back into his life. "Behave now sweetheart. I need your help to go save Sammy."
Bobby listened to Dean talking to the Impala and tried it again when he nodded his way, only to have her start up with a loud rumble as she roared to life, sounding strong and tough. He looked over at Dean and saw he had already shut his eyes as he slumped in the seat. He shook his head wondering if the boy knew how strange that would seem to others, but to him it was just another one of Dean's unique skills.
A/N: So Sam found others in the ghost town like him. Will Dean get there in time? Hope you like this little twist. Thank you to all who have given the story a chance and thank you for the reviews, followings and favors. If you haven't let me one, please do. I like to know what my readers think of my stories. NC
