Chapter 53
Curse Objects and Big Mouths
I'm gonna curse this city if it robs me
I'm gonna curse this city if it robs me one more time
before it even knew me it forgot me
I'm gonna curse this city if it robs me one more time
yeah All around the world today
Power is the measure oh no
Power is the only drug they don't want you to remember oh no
All around the world power gets no pressure oh no
Power is the only drug you never got no lectures on
And hope showed up one day
Then all the people say
The time, the time has come
Alright let's give it a name and oh
Listen all my friends
Who's gospel is who's pain
From the Hudson to the Rhine
Every place every time
I'm gonna curse this city if it robs me
I'm gonna curse this city if it robs me one more time
before it even knew me it forgot me
I'm gonna curse this city if it robs me one more time
Yeah all around the world today
Power is the measure oh no
Power is the only drug they don't want you to remember oh no
If you really want to rise get your work done on someone else's time
In the prize ring of the world, it's all about the millionaire gods
And hope showed up one day
But don't name it leave it blank
Or sorrow gets the same name
And everyone makes everyone else pay
and oh, isn't this nice
I'll never see you in this life
From the Hudson to the Rhine
Every place every time
A million reasons one high or really?
Strait Machiavellian fears all around me
A national treasure passed out in the ally
Manhattan sky bridge all covered in rust
CEO post Madonna don't know what's up
He went blind to the world and mistook me for a G man.
Who envies who?
Who gave status to who?
What's the story with heaven now meet me at the pantheon
I checked my grandmothers ring I should have carried it on
Sent my bags to eden still at the gate
In the prize ring of the world look for me
I'll be the one who don't know
how to cheat
But I know
How to do this kind of thing
Yes I do
I'm gonna curse this city if it robs me one more time [x8]
I'm gonna love this city if it only helps me shine shine shine
I''m gonna love this city if it only helps me shine shine shine
I'm gonna love this city but please don't make me try try try so hard
I'm gonna love this city if it only helps me shine shine shine
Those other cities just tried me
Told more than a few lies to me
So I cursed them kindly and was long gone
I'm gonna love this city
if it only helps me shine shine shine
I''m gonna love this city if
it only helps me shine shine shine
I'm gonna love this city but please don't make me try try try so hard
I'm gonna love this city
if it only helps me shine shine shine
Those other cities don't know me
If you only knew how much they owed me
I was the right person in the wrong place
Good god almighty but
This city wont take no brides
It's got reasons if
it's on your side
I'm gonna love this city if it only only only
helps me shine shine
Curse This City by Hockey
AN: I changed some of the plot in this chapter but I kept it as canon as I could. Enjoy it.
"Hey, sweetheart. How's Kane?" Jack asked Ellen on the phone outside of the police station in Portland Oregon. Jo and Jack got a case there where a ballerina danced herself to death in a dance studio. The police thought that it was drugs but Jo and Jack knew better than that. Sam and Dean was on one of their old cases in Idaho.
"He's all right, but he's got a case of mild fever. I went to see a doctor about it and he told me that the fever should wear off in couple of days."
"Well, it's nothing serious. Are you sure that you don't want any help? I could get Sam to come here and take my place." Jack asked bit relieved, but still worried for his son's health.
"No, I got it covered. I'll be fine."
"All right. Heard anything from Frank?"
"No,'fraid not. No leviathan activity whatsoever." Ellen sighed, Jack glanced at Jo jerking a thumb meaning time to go.
"All right, I gotta go. Love you baby." Jack said as he hung up and met up with Jo.
"How's little bro, Jack?" Jo asked,
"He's got a case of mild fever. But he's all right. Nothing serious." Jo nodded in acknowledgement as they entered the police station, "So, at the dance studio. There were no signs of EMF, hex bag or sulphur of any kind."
"Which brings us to a dead end if there are no more dancers to interrogate. This trip was in vein." Jo finished,
"Yeah, well not yet. Let's check out the photos first." Jack replied as they approached two officers that were talking to each other, Jo cleared her throat to get their attention, the two officers turned to see them and continued to talk for some time before Officer 1 left.
"Hi." Jack greeted,
"Yeah?"
"We'd like to see the crime-scene photos from the Irina Koganzon case, please." Jo said,
"And you would be..." they took out their FBI ID and flashed to the duty officer.
"Give me a minute." Duty officer stated and he left them to get the crime-scene photos. Minutes later, the duty officer showed up and handed a case flie. Jack opened the file and looked at the crime scene where Irina had her feet blown off, Jack handed Jo another picture of the shoes laying prisentine next to her.
"Weird." Jack commented,
"Weird enough to be in our alley?" Jo asked,
"Definitely." Jack replied,
"Hey Officer." Jack said as they entered the evidence room and the showed their ID to the office at the counter.
"Okay. What can I do for you guys?"
"We need to see the shoes that were involved in the ballet dancers death." Jack replied,
"Didn't figure that would be an FBI deal. But sure. Yeah, right here." the officer said as he turned around to get it only to find the shoes weren't there at the table.
"Damnit Tracy." The officer muttered,
"Who's Tracy?" Jo asked,
"My daughter. She loves ballet." Jo and Jack glanced at each other with a knowing look.
"Do you know where your daughter is right now?" Jack asked,
They ran into the ladies room to find Tracy sitting on the floor with the ballet shoes on.
"Tracy, take those shoes off now." Jack demanded, Tracy suddenly stood up by the invisible force to a pointe and began to spin. That's how Irina died in the first place. Wasting little time, Jack grabbed Tracy by the waist while Jo went to get the shoes.
"Jo, get the shoes!" Jack said,
"I'm trying, Jack!" Jo replied as she was having a bit of a hard time doing that. Inadvertently Tracy's foot kicked Jo in the head thanks to the shoe.
"Sorry!" She apologized, Jo managed to get one shoe off of Tracy.
"Jo!"
"I'm trying!" Jo snapped, Tracy kicked Jo once again in the head
"Sorry!" then Jo finally snatched the second shoe stopping the struggle.
"Whew. Okay, I think we're dealing with cursed objects." Jack pointed out,
"Oh, you think so, genius?" Jo asked sarcastically, Jack frowned before turning to Tracy.
"You ok?" Jack asked Tracy,
"Ok, next stop: "Out With The Old"" Jack said as he and Jo left the ladies bathroom, Jack was holding the ballet shoes with a pen not wanting to be next on the curse list, "I think it's safe to say that these shoes aren't the only ones in the store we need to worry about."
"And you figure it out just now?" Jo asked the obvious,
"Shut up." Jack told her as they left the police station, Jack put the shoes in the trunk of the Mustang and they climbed into the Mustang when shoes magically appeared in the backesat with them knowing. They drove to"Out with the Old" which was an antique store not far from the police station. They pulled into a parking spot when Jo saw the ballet shoes in the back seat.
"Didn't we put the shoes back in the trunk?"
"What?" Jack asked as he looked over his shoulder and saw the ballet shoes, his eyes widened of how it got into the backseat while Jo was getting a strong desire.
"How did they…" Jack wondered,
"Curse objects, Jack." Jo stated feeling a bit spellbound by the shoes.
"Do they… look like your size?" Jack asked taking a closer look at the shoes
"No! Shut up." Jo said, trying so hard not to put these shoes on.
"Are you…"
"Getting the urge to dance tip toe like Natalie Portman with these shoes? Yes."
"Why?" Jack asked worried,
"I uh…" Jo blushed when she answered, she normally doesn't blush,"I watched Black Swan with Dean when I was babysitting Kane."
Jack sighed while shaking his head "Unbelievable. "
"In my defense, Dean insisted! He watched it twice!" She defended herself; Jack pulled out a pen and took the ballet shoes. They got out of the Mustang and walked over to the store. They entered the antique store where there was a sign that said the store is going out of business. A young man in his late 20's was mopping the floor.
"Hey." Jack said as they saw the owner, "Did you sell these?"
"Uh, yeah." The man answered,
"Where did you get them?"
"Uh, m-my m-mother had them in that box." The man pointed to the direction of the box. Jack put the shoes on the display of a cabinet and went to open wodden box. It had symbol carved into the lid. It was a curse box
"I don't understand. What's happening?" the man asked confused while Jo picked up the ballet shoes transfixed.
"This, in here?" Jack asked holding out the box to him then noticed Jo holding the ballet shoes.
"Hey!" Jack snatched the shoes from Jo and put them back into the box. He gave her a look, "You ok, Mila Kunis?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm "pas de done."" Jo replied, Jack rolled his eyes at that
"Stop watching movies with Dean, especially when you babysitting your little brother." Jack warned Jo as they turned to the owner.
"Okay, if it's not too much trouble, do you mind telling me, uh, what's – what's going on?" The owner asked, they showed their FBI badges to him answering the question,
"What's your name?" Jack asked,
"Uh, Scott – uh, Scott Freeman." Scott answered,
"You said these were your mothers?" Jack questioned, "Where'd she get them?"
"I don't know. I found them in the back."
"Jo."
"On it." Jo quickly obeyed as she headed to the back to get the boxes.
"Now where is your mother?"
"Well, she's, uh... She passed away last week."
Jack sighed while rubbing his forehead for a moment "My condolences. Listen, Scott. These shoes…"
"Just some personal stuff she collected. I'm trying to get rid of it all."
"All? You mean, there are more of this?" Jack asked concerned and rightfully so,
"Jack." Jo walked back to them holding empty wodden boxes.
"Scott, what was in those boxes?" Jack demanded,
"Okay, what the hell kind of FBI guys are you?" Scott asked looking between them,
"The kind that are currently trying to fix the mess you started. Now where'd your mom get these?" Jo questioned,
"I don't know. I found them in her safe."
"Did you even think for a second that these things might be locked in that safe for a reason?" Jack asked looking critically at Scott, what the hell was he thinking?
"No, I-I just thought it was some of the junk that she had collected over the years. Like, I knew she was into some weird stuff, but I never thought that she would be, like…"
"Newflash: Think again, Scott. This junk is killing people." Jo stated holding up the empty boxes
"What? Like, how can that be?"
"Listen, We need to know exactly what you sold out of that safe. Also, the names and addresses of whom you sold it to." Jack replied,
"What have we got?" Jo asked as they stepped out of the Mustang on a street in surburbs
"She bought a tea kettle." Jack replied,
"Tea kettle?" Jo repeated,
"Uh-huh. But hey, if you put enough curse mojo, you can turn a set of poker cards into a weapon of mass destruction." Jack shrugged as they walked up to the front door.
"True." Jo agreed as they entered the house, they looked around the place and headed to the kitchen where they found middleaged woman who had her face burned badly, the tea keetle was laying next to her. Jack shook his head as he picked up some rubber gloves and picked up the tea kettle.
"Cup of tea?" Jack joked weakly holding the kettle; Jo chuckled as she took out her cellphone and dialled 911
"Hello, yeah. I'd like to report an accident at 23 Gorham Road." Jo explained on cellphone, "My name? Uh, Beth Turner."
"Who's next?" Jack asked as they left the house with the teakettle. Jo took out a notebook with all the addresses of the people who bought curse objects that Scottt
"We got a gramophone sold to Brenda Gluck, 413 River Street, and a vintage gentlemen's magazine sold to Peter Yankit, 27 Johnson Lane." She read the notebook, Jack frowned a bit.
"Really?" Jack said
"Really." Jo repeated,
"All right, you get gentleman magazine, I got the grammarphone. Got a thing for the classics." Jack told her as he put the teakettle in the Mustang and tossed the car keys to Jo. "Be careful. Remember the shoes?"
"How could I forget?" jo rememebered "How does old porn kill you, anyway?"
"I'm pretty sure that you don't want to know." Jack stated,
"Might be right." Jo got in to the Mustang as Jack walked away heading to 413 River Street. When he got there he looked through the door window and saw a young boy with a knife in his hand walking to the living room. Jack burst through the door and ran to the living room using his speed. He snatched the knife away from the young which frightened a redhead woman as she jolted up from the sofa.
"Where's the grammarphone?" Jack demanded, she pointed the direction to the grammarphone. Jack walked over to the grammarphone putting the knife at the table and took out the rubber gloves from jack pocket.
"Hey. That's mine." The young boy stated; Jack turned to the boy narrowing his eyes at him.
"Kid, as a parent myself, I would give you a lesson about gratitude. But today… I'm not in the mood." Jack told him as his cellphone ringed. He went to answer it.
"Yeah."
"Got the porn. Just in time, too." that was Jo,
"What happened?"
"Like you said, you don't wanna know." Jack nodded accepting the explaination, "Where're you at?"
"I just got the grammar phone back. I'm at the 413 River Street. Pick me up." Jack replied as they hung up on each other.
They put the curse objects back into the safe at the store and locked it pretty good.
"So my mom wasn't just some whack job. All this stuff is real?" Scott asked,
"Uh Huh." Jack replied,
"Well, now I-I really feel like crap."
"Why?" Jack asked,
"I kept pushing her to sell the store. She kept saying no, and I kept pushing her, you know, telling her how much money she'd make."
"You think you changed her mind?"
"I don't know. You know, this real-estate lady kept coming around, and then one day, just like that, mom says okay. Then she had that accident, never even got to enjoy the money."
"How soon after the selling?" Jo questioned,
"The next day."
"Really? How did she die?" She died the next day after she sold the store? Something doesn't add up.
"Car crash. You know, I keep thinking, if I hadn't pushed her, then..."
"Little piece of advice, Scott. Feeling guilty ain't going to bring 'em back. You gotta live the life you think that make your mom proud." Jack advised Scott from experience
"Or at least not embarasss the hell out of her." Jo added; Scott nodded taking the advice in. Jack and Jo headed to the door.
"By the way, don't touch anything in those boxes. In fact, don't even come nearthe safe. Once we get it all boxed up, we'll get a U-Haul and get everything out of here." Jack told Scott
"Believe me, I – I got it." And with that they headed for the door, exiting the store.
"What do you think?" Jack asked,
"Well, one thing is for sure, that real estate lady is some pusher, look." Jo replied, pointing to the Bicklebee Realty Sold sign.
"So?" Jack shrugged, "What?"
"Look across the street." Jo pointed to the store chains on the other strett that had the same signs on the windows. Well, almost everyone.
"I have a bad feeling about this." Jack said meaning that something was going on here, this is much bigger than they thought.
They were in a café sitting at their table researching about the Bicklebee Realty Company. He tried to look at the Corporate contact on their website on his laptop but a message popped up saying "We're sorry, the site you are trying to access has been blocked."
"Damnit." Jack muttered,
"What?" Jo asked, Jack turned his laptop to her "Damnit."
Jack went to make a call to Frank.
"This better be good."
"Hey, Frank. I really hope that I don't diå in your crazy sauce. No offense."
"None taken, fudge pop."
"Good to know. I think I found something."
"My silence is your cue, Jack."
"Ok, so there's this new company that has been buying stores in Portland- I tried to access its sit but I hit a firewall. Think you can crack it?"
"Can a dog play poker?" that was Frank's way of saying yes.
"Great, all right. the company's name is Geothrive, Inc." Jack read the company logo above the firewall message.
"I'll see what I can find." Frank hung up on Jack. A waitress came up at their table.
"Wanna a refill?" she asked Jo and Jack,
"Sure." Jack and Jo replied, the waitress filled their cups with coffee before heading to another table.
Jack's cellphone ringed once again minutes later, and he went pick it up.
"Yeah." Jack said, "Ok. What? Who was it? You gotta be kidding me. No, we are not leaving, people's lives is on the line here. Find out then." Jack sighed, "All right, thanks." Jack ended the call, "We got a serious problem."
"What kind of problem?" Jo asked; that can't be good.
"The Leviathan one. Apparently they have been buying real estate in this block of Portland for the last couple of weeks. Why would they do that?"
"I don't know but when Leviathan is up to something, it's not good at all." Jo said with worry lines on her face.
"No it doesn't." Jack agreed, just then Jo's cell phone ringed and she took out her cell phone to answer the call.
"Hey, Scott."
"Please, Jo. Y-you got to help me."
"What's going on?" Jo asked alarmed,
"I looked in one of my mom's old mirrors, and now I want to rip my face off! I think it was cursed."
"Ok, ok. Just… hold on, we're on our way." Jo said as she hung up and looked at Jack who already caught on.
"Don't tell me, he touched something he wasn't supposed to." Jack stated,
"Pretty much."
"Great." Jack deadpanned,
They got into the Mustang with U-Haul attached and drove back to the store. They pulled up there and climbed out of the car and headed inside the store. when they entered the store they weren't expecting Scott to be all tied up to chair with two real estate agents. It was a trap.
"So much for the cursed mirror." Jack remarked,
"Jack and Jo. It is such a pleasure to make your acquaintances." the real estate lady said as she appoarched them with her companion."Now, just so you can put names to the faces that'll be eating you, I'm Joyce, and this is my assistant, George."
"Wait a minute, you're the lady from the real estate signs." Jack replied remembering her face from the signs at the stores.
"Yes. You like my photo?"
"Well, you should lay off the whitening strips. Doesn't look good on you, anyway." Jack commented,
She laughed, "Oh, Jack. I am gonna enjoy picking you out of my teeth." Her face transformed to a big mouth with sharp teeth as Jack got out of the dodge there. Joyce grabbed Jack and threw him into a glass cabinet while George threw Jo over a desk. Jack got up as Joyce went to punch him but he blocked it and head butted her, he kneed Joyce in stomach making her go down to one knee and then kicked her across the face. Jo was having a bit of trouble with George.
"There's a bucket of that stuff that you love throwing at us right there. Dunk me, before she sees." George told her, Jo was confused by it; but she did as she was told as she turned things around and then dunked his head in that bucket which burned his face.
"The sword." George said, pointing to the display cabinet. Jack threw lefts and right to Joyce but she once again grabbed Jack and tossed him into the glass doors.
Jo broke the display cabinet containing the sword, she picked it up and cut Joyce's head off as she was advancing Jack. Jack sighed in relief,that was close.
"Thanks."
"Yeah, we're even." Jo was referring to Carthage, where he saved her from being Hellhounds chewtoy.
After cutting Scott free from his restraints, Jack put Joyce's head in a bag and put the bag in the safe. Jo told Scott it's not safe to stay in because the Leviathan does not like loose ends. Scott wasn't keen on the idea but eventually agreed to move somewhere safe.
Now here's the big question, why in the world would George help them taking out Joyce?
"You got one minute. One minute. That's how long you have to explain to us why you helped us." Jack laid out the conditions to George
"Because I am dying to know what that bitch tastes like." George replied,
"Wait, you want to eat your boss? Why's that?" Jo asked confused,
"You got a better way to make her stay dead?"
"So you're on our side or something?"
"Yeah. No. But if Joyce is alive, then I spend the rest of my life cleaning her messes. Or worse, I get eaten. Or bibbed. So, thanks... for chopping her head off for me. Taking her on solo – yikes. So, really, thanks for the assist there. And, of course," George turned to Jack, "you're welcome... for saving you... before she ripped into your ass like a Christmas present. Win-win, right? So how 'bout that head?"
"Yeah, aint gonna happen, Georgie boy." Jack stated, Jo held up the sword to his throat.
"Now tell us... what the hell is Dick Roman building in Wisconsin?" Jack demanded,
"I don't know. I barely know where Wisconsin is. I'm a West-Coast representative."
"You gonna keep killing people who don't sign on the dotted line?" Jo asked,
"All right, take it easy." He assured them as he touched the sword and licked the blood on ti. "Mmm. Killing people isn't part of the agenda. Joyce just kept getting impatient. You – you got nothing to worry about with me. Don't you get it? You guys are freaking out about the wrong thing." George explained,
"You think so?" Jack asked sarcastically,
"A couple of real-estate deals? Come on. Big picture, guys. You – you think it's just here? It's everywhere. And it's a lot more ambitious than this little project. My advice – keep your heads down and stay down."
"You better listen, you gooey son of a bitch. You tell us right now what Dick is buliding here or I'm gonna wash your ass with borax." Jack threatened,
"Hmm. I was hoping we could play nice. But if you must know... it's going to be a research center."
"Research for what?"
"Disease. This, people, is where we are going to cure cancer."
"That doesn't make any sense. Why would Dick Roman want to cure cancer?" Jo asked, that's a very good question, why?
"'Cause we're only here to help."
"Monsters cure cancer. Never thought that I would say those words." Jack said as he closed the door of the U-Haul the next day which contained the safe. "Why does it make me so nervous?" they thought about the word that George said last night.
"I hear you, Jack." Jo agreed, "What now then?"
"We're heading back home. I talked to Dean over the phone about what happened, he told me that he and Sam just finished the old case in Idaho and are heading to Frank right now."
"That's good, might as well take a break." Jo replied as they climbed into the Mustang and drove away, leaving Portland.
9 hours later, they arrived at Rufus cabin in Montana and stepped out of the car, heading to the cabin. They entered the cabin where Ellen was in the living room with Kane watching TV.
"Hi, honey." Ellen greeted as she rose from the couch with Kane. Jack smiled as he was handed his son. He was happy to see him again.
"Hey there, buddy. You missed your daddy, didn't ya?" Jack asked, "Yes, you did miss me, I missed you too." Jack kissed his forehead,
"it's been a long hunt." Jack told , "Jo, watch TV and do not see Black Swan, ok?"
"Yes." Jo replied as she took her little brother from Jack and went to sit on the couch with Kane. llen and Jack went to their bedroom and laid on the bed next to each other.
"Dean told me about Portland. I'm glad that you're still alive." Ellen said,
"I know, I'm just…" Jack sighed sadly, "I'm just thinking about what the Leviathan said back, who knows how many estates that Dick had bought around the states. Not to mention the monster cure, those words just sends chills down my spine."
"Don't worry, we will get down to the bottom of this and when we do, we're going to take Dick down." Ellen assured,
"I know."
"Get some sleep, Jack. You've been up in nearly 30 hours." Ellen said as she closed her eyes for some sleep.
"Sure." Jack whispered, he looked at her sleeping peacefully. He kissed her forehead before he went to sleep.
No one move,
No one speak,
Please don't say that it's just me.
It's not just me.
And even though I won't forget,
Just don't want this to end just yet.
Not just yet.
But if I had one chance to freeze time
And stand still and soak in everything,
I'd choose right now.
If I had one night where sunshine could break through
And show you everything,
I'd choose right now.
If this is it, all we have,
I know I've done all I can.
If this is it.
And we can't stop,
And start again,
We can't fast forward to the end.
This is it.
But if I had one chance to freeze time
And stand still and soak in everything,
I'd choose right now.
If I had one night where sunshine could break through
And show you everything,
I'd choose right now.
Before the fears that I once had start coming back…
And I can take the slings and stones and fire,
'Cause I know you'll make it all worthwhile
And everytime I fold, disolve, I'm lying on the ground,
You drag me up again
And again, Oh please come back again,
Oh please come back again.
And I'm so scared I might forget,
Just don't want this to end just yet,
Not just yet.
But if I'd one chance to freeze time (And I can take the slings and stones and fire,)
And stand still and soak in everything, ('Cause I know you'll make it all worthwhile)
I'd choose right now. (And everytime I fold, disolve, I'm lying on the ground,)
(You drag me up again)
And if I had one night where sunshine could break through
(And I can take the slings and stones and fire,)
And show you everything, ('Cause I know you'll make it all worthwhile)
I'd choose right now, (And everytime I fold, disolve, I'm lying on the ground,)
(You drag me up again)
Before the fears that I once had start coming back… again.
AN: Review.
