Chapter 44: One step closer – part 2

[Author note - here you go. One rather large chapter ahead of Christmas. I tried to cut it into 2 but it wasn't working out well, so consider it an extra gift. Merry Christmas everyone.]

Previously… (Chapter 37)

Sadly, the lights of the city also reminded both Sam and Cas that Ketch had been over 17 hours 'behind enemy lines'. It was 17 more hours that Dean was having to endure 'God knows what'. The closer they got to linking in with Ketch, the more the worry seeped back in. Castiel couldn't imagine what information Ketch would share with them. Turning to Sam, he said, "Do you think we'll be able to speak to Ketch this evening?"

"I don't know Cas. I truly hope so. I don't know about you, but part of me dreads his report. I mean, what if he's seen Dean? Or worse, what if he hasn't seen Dean?" Sam's voice was low and shaky as he spoke and Castiel knew how he felt.

"I've been trying not to think too much about it. It's not easy but I'm trying to focus on what intel we can use to our benefit. But one thing's for sure, whatever Ketch tells us about Dean, we're going to deal with it together. We're going to do what we've always done and as Dean always says, we're gonna kick it in the ass." Whether Cas felt brave or not was neither here nor there, but he's confidence seemed to help support Sam and the angel would chalk that down as a win.

For the next three or four miles, silence returned to the car, only to be broken with Sam's mobile. It was Derek calling about where they wanted to set up the base of operations. Castiel hadn't really thought that far, but thankfully Sam had been organised as usual and had identified a cheap and cheerful motel, located to the east of the city. Perfectly placed for 20 or so dodgy looking people to meet up and plan a small invasion.

As the younger Winchester finished the call, Castiel took in the human's body language. "He really does get under your skin, doesn't he?"

Sam did an over exaggerated shiver. "Yeah, you could say that. I find it difficult to trust him even with information about where we're planning on staying. But, Derek's the least of our worries."

Castiel knew too well as to what, or more likely, who Sam was referring to. "I guess in all our planning and in an attempt to not think about Dean too much, we didn't really factor in what we would do if we find the headquarters and come face to face with the archangel. Sam, how on earth are we going to protect ourselves, never name fight and win against Heaven's most deadliest weapon?"

Shoulders slumped, Sam responded. "I don't know Cas. The only thing we can do is ensure that Ketch weakens any warding stopping us from getting in but strengthens any warding that's in place to keep Michael out. And if I'm honest, that's really the only thing we can do, because if Michael is there and is as pissed as we think he is, nothing's gonna really stand in his way. Well nothing, except the will and mental strength of Dean."

Sam's words seemed to hang over both hunter and angel as Castiel's foot pressed harder on the gas pedal. Turning to one another and speaking in sync, they both said, "we must drive faster."

And now….

Sam's POV:

The motel was no different from any other crappy out of the way accommodation they had stayed in over the years. In fact, the management had seemed quite upbeat when Sam checked in. The younger Winchester couldn't help but snigger as he overheard an argument between the owner and her husband as they were in a panic at having to ensure all the rooms were ready, given there was a sudden rush in bookings.

An hour later, Sam was welcoming the first of what would be twenty or so seasoned hunters, witches, one former nephilim and God knows what else into his room. His mother was already sitting at the table and just next to her sat Bobby and Jack. He couldn't help feel more confident and proud of his ever growing family as he took in the number of people that genuinely cared about Dean.

Thoughts of his brother brought Sam back to reality. They were all sitting in a shitty motel on the outskirts of Seattle patiently waiting for confirmation on the location of the Clan's headquarters and hopefully Dean's prison.

It was Castiel that spoke first. "Sam. Everyone's here now."

Turning, Sam took in the rest of the rather crowded room. "OK, thanks Cas…. Emmm … and thank you everyone for agreeing to help fight. I know that the mission is dangerous and there's most likely going to be an angry archangel making an appearance at some stage, but the fact that so many of you are here… in this room… willing to fight to free my brother Dean."

Sam gulped as he tried to hold back his tears. It was not lost on him that many of the people in this room were ready to fight and die to save Dean and quite possibly, most, if not all of them, will quite likely die. Managing to give himself a small shake, he decided to channel his inner Dean. "Buuutttt… enough of the 'chick flick moments, let's talk about what we do know. Hmph… so far, we're waiting on confirmation from Charlie and Riley about a location. Once we have that, we'll also have maps and building layouts as well as support in taking down the inner security."

"We have Ketch on the inside for at least 15+ hours or so now and as soon as we can establish contact with him, we'll have a better understanding of the enemy's forces, strengths and weaknesses." Sam took a breath as he considered what else they needed to cover. It was during the silence, that Derek spoke up. "Do we know when that's gonna be?"

Before Sam could respond, Castiel answered. "We know that security is tight. We know that from how difficult Ketch's insertion into the estate was, but we expect to have established contact with Ketch in the next few hours. In the meantime, I would suggest that you all get some rest as well as arm yourselves to take on everything from vampires to archangels and … everything in between."

Derek nodded. "Speaking on everything in between, I'm happy to take care of the human that's been providing support and manpower to the vampires… this Kimble person." Derek couldn't help but smile as he made the suggestion. It was the facial expression that left Sam even more uneasy. As much as he hated everyone that was involved in keeping him from Dean, he was undecided as to whether the human guards should be hurt. After all, they killed the supernatural, NOT the natural. Though, over the years both he and Dean had killed humans in order to save each other.

Before Sam could make a firm decision his mother intervened. "Derek raises a good point. This Kimble character needs to be taken off the board… neutralised. The last thing we need when we're rescuing Dean is for the vamps to call in 'human' reinforcements. And I don't know about you, but taking out one person might be a smaller price to pay … I mean… better to get rid of one key human link than to have to kill other humans, whose only crime was having a bad job and needing to pay bills."

Though Mary made good points, Sam couldn't get over how comfortable and keen Derek was to volunteer himself to 'neutralise the threat'. "It's a good point mum and from what Ketch states Kimble knows that he works for vampires and with that information, he still has no problem about trafficking innocent humans as large blood bags. But, maybe I should be the one to pay Mr Kimble a visit. I.."

Before Sam could finish, Derek interrupted. "Sam, you're way too busy, what with linking in with Ketch and possibly with Charlie. Let me take care of this piece of shit for you. I promise, I'll make it quick and whilst I'm at it, I see if I can get any more information on enemy numbers. I'm sure this guy knows a lot about the Clan's defences. I should be in and out in less than 2 hours. Just say the word."

Quickly scanning the room, Sam could tell that everyone seemed to be on board with Derek's plan. If he didn't know something was wrong with the hunter, Sam would also be in agreement that it was the right plan of attack, but deep down in his gut he couldn't get rid of the feeling that there was something he was missing. Unfortunately, being a leader meant Sam needed to be decisive and solve problems and right now, a key asset for the enemy was walking around freely and could provide additional problems if not taken out.

Nodding slowly, Sam replied, "OK Derek…. But take a few others with you. And before you say anything, we don't know what security this bastard has in place, so don't take any chances. After all, we don't want to fuck up at this point as Kimble might just alert the vampires to our presence in Seattle."

So it was settled, a slightly annoyed Derek agreed to four other hunters tagging along in a team to take out Kimble and within 20 minutes, the group were on their way to torture and kill a fellow human being.

Turning back towards the room, Sam discussed a few logistics about what they would encounter within any compound or estate and within an hour, hunters made their way back to each of their respective rooms. The only people that were left in the room were Sam, Mary and Castiel.

Picking up on Sam's uneasiness, Mary asked, "I know we don't like killing our own kind Sam, but Derek's right, we don't have a choice." Sam turned. "I know mum. And believe me, I've resigned myself to the fact that a number of humans are going to end up killed before this is over. It's not that… it's … well.. it's the bastard's approach. Does he not seem a little too keen to get out there and take this guy Kimble out?"

Mary looked confused. "What are you saying Sam?"

"I don't know mum. It's just … I don't trust the guy and … emmmm.. forget it. I'm just worried about Dean."

Mary reached out and placed her hand on Sam's elbow. "We all are Sam. We are all worried about what's happening to your brother, but maybe you're needing to find someone to hate, and Derek fits the role well.". Sam looked slightly confused. "What do you mean?"

Shrugging, Mary continued. "We'll we all feeling pretty powerless and we all are pretty wound up. And it's easier to create a villain and attack that person because the real bad guy is too far out of our reach at the minute."

Sighing, Sam knew too well that there was sense to what his mum had said and perhaps he had been looking for someone to blame, but he just couldn't shake the feeling that there was something not right when it came to Derek. Whether it was all the co-incidents that surrounded the hunter or whether it was just his demeanour, Sam wasn't sure.

"Maybe you're right mum. Maybe I need to get Dean back and to kill the vampires that did this. It's just I can't help feel that Michael's getting closer and I'm afraid that Dean's not going to be in a good place when we eventually get to him. God knows what he'll say or even agree to, in order to get away from the vamps."

Fortunately, Sam was distracted by his mobile ringing. Looking down at the screen his heart leapt as he took in the name. Sliding his finger along the glass, he took the call. "Charlie! Thank God you rang. Please tell me you have a location?" Sam's heart seemed to suspend itself from beating as he awaited whatever feedback the red head was about to provide for him.

"Well it's good to know that I'm loved, Sam. And… to put you out of your misery, I can confirm that we now have a location." On hearing Charlie's words, Sam could have leapt down the phone and hugged the young woman. "That's great news. So where and what are we looking at?"

Over the next few minutes, Charlie provided the crucial information the younger Winchester had been looking for, for well over a week and a half now. By the end of the call, Sam's head was swimming as he took down co-ordinates and awaited key documents being sent to him for further scrutiny. Both Charlie and Riley had been totally efficient and were currently working on cracking the security on the Volkov Estate.

"So you see Sam, the Estate is well out of the way and it's well defended. We know that there's physical security as well as tech, but we will need the other talented red head… Mistress Rowena.. if you're planning on taking down the magical security and warding. And I rather suspect there's a lot of warding in place. I know I'd be warded up to the gills if I stole something from a Winchester, never name, stealing something from an archangel."

The words were no sooner out of her mouth, when she realised what she had said. "Ohh… I'm sorry Sam. That was wrong of me. Dean was and never will be the property of Michael. It just slipped out. … you know what I'm like when I'm on a roll."

Sam recognised the younger red heads emotions. "Don't worry Charlie. Despite your wording, you are correct and from what I know, this Clan has everything to fear from Michael finding them. And if he gets there before we do, I get the feeling that there won't be much left for us to fight." Whether Charlie realised the conversation wasn't helpful or not, she changed the topic, instead, choosing to focus on the practical logistics. "I've sent over the schematics of the buildings. As you can see, once you get past the outer walls and walk for what seems miles, you'll get to a larger country estate compound."

Sam listened intently, as the computer hacker/ nerd from a different universe went through every last element of the plans and layout. "Okayyy, that's all I've got for now. Riley and I are going to breakdown the security and I'll upload the info to your phone when you're closer to the first wall. That should help give you an idea of where the cameras and transmitters are within the estate. Depending on what we find, we should be able to take out the cameras as well as any sensors, but you never know."

"Yeah, Charles. You're right. We will have to go with what we have and I'm sure that you'll be able to take out most of the surveillance and security by the time we get there. Besides, as good as you are… if they've a lot of vamps patrolling the perimeter defences, we will have to take them out directly. Look… I leave you to your hacking, whilst I gather everyone together to begin the final brief before me move out."

Just as Charlie was about to sign off, Sam had a query. "Eh Charlie… I don't doubt your expertise, but I'm curious as to how you eventually found them?" Sam wasn't sure if he was ever going to get an answer, but he should have known the hacker had many ways and means. As if he could hear her smirking down the line, she replied. "Simples.. Riley realised the Fischer Clan was high ranking enough, that they'd be invited to any big event. We lucked out when we found out that the Head of the Clan, Frederick Fischer was travelling westward towards Seattle. On hearing that, we were at least 80% confident that they were heading towards the Volkov Clan Estate. The rest.. was just part of set routine, so to speak."

Before Sam could probe further, Charlie said her goodbye. Deciding it was best not to find out how 'the omelette was made', Sam turned his attention to the here and now and both he and Castiel spent the next few minutes ringing round everyone to ensure they met back in his room in over two hours' time. That was long enough for Castiel and the younger Winchester to put the finishing touches to an assault plan.

During the two hours, Ketch was able to download large information and data, via a secure cloud source. Praying his IT skills were up to speed, he forwarded on a detailed report on to Sam. On opening the report, Sam's concerns spiked. Picking up on the younger Winchester's mood, Castiel moved closer. "What's it say?"

Sitting down on one of the beds, Sam sorted through the information, trying to form the right words. "Well… it's as we suspected. Dean's definitely there but he's not in a good place. Though Ketch hasn't had a chance to physically see him yet, never name speak to him, but from carrying out further investigations, Dean's being kept confined to the Leader or Grand Master's quarters."

"From what he's found out. Dean tried to escape a few days ago, and managed to get as far as the perimeter fence before he was found." Worried by the information, Cas interrupted, "how badly hurt was he?"

"I don't know because Ketch doesn't know, but he states that whatever the punishment was, the rest of the guards – vamps and humans alike – are petrified of failing again. He's locked down so tight that no one's seen him and there's only a limited number of people who are able to get anywhere near him."

Sam let that information sink in further. "Ketch has also been busy powering down warding around the house, but he's had to be careful as he feels that he's not trusted and no one is keen to fuck up again. He speaks of a Russian called Koskin, who seems to be the human head of security."

Castiel was worried. "What does he mean by Dean's not in a good place?"

On hearing Cas's question, Sam had to agree, there was still little information on Dean's physical and mental status. "I don't know Cas. I don't know. All Ketch is able to say is that Dean is deeply under wraps, but he does state that these vamps, and in particular, the Grand Master, is a piece of work. So I can only assume that it's not all unicorns and rainbows that Dean's experiencing at the minute. And given his mental state, we have to assume he may be in a bad place."

"Do they mention Michael?" Castiel's question reminded Sam that there was also the other big problem they had to contend with. So he scanned through the report and then his heart sank further.

"Well, it looks like they're expecting the archangel to make an appearance, but despite Michael's reputation, it seems the Grand Master isn't really that worried. In fact, Ketch was asked to power up the entire estate with wardings to keep out Michael. But that seems to be all the extra security they've put on. … I'm not sure whether that smacks of ignorance or arrogance, but either way, it's not enough. Warding might be strong, but if Michael really wants to get to Dean, he will find a way to get in. You can bet the house of that."

Sam scanned through the rest of the report and took in the various politics of the clans. The new knowledge on Clan dynamics would have been fascinating to Sam, if it hadn't been for the fact that his brother was languishing in who knows what hell on earth. As his thoughts returned to his brother's current state of health, he couldn't help but feel further anxiety.

As the silence crept further into the room, it was Castiel that broke it. "I know what you're thinking Sam. I know Dean's locked down and in God's knows what shape, but we have to stay focused on the prize. Let's deal with what we do know."

Sam smiled internally. Good old Castiel. Always looking for a positive spin. "Go on!"

Stepping closer to the hunter, Cas continued. "We know that he's alive for starters. We also know that they're aware of the Michael problem, which means they'll be prepared. It also means that if Michael makes an appearance, both archangel and vampires will be distracted and too busy taking each other out. That gives us an advantage and one we should be prepared to use. Equally, if Dean's under lock and key that means we'll know exactly where he is and roughly who's guarding him. That could work out in our favour."

Sam continued to listen. His friend and angel was making good sense. "Things are good Sam. We know a hell of a lot more now than what we did 3 hours ago. We know where he is and we have the layout of the estate. We have a genius hacker in the process of breaking through the security firewalls as well speak… and…. Emmm… well, we know that Dean was strong enough to make an escape, that's got to stand for something? And… "

Before Cas could finish, he was interrupted by the dulcet Scottish tones of the red headed witch Rowena. "… annnnndddd you have the magical talents of the world's most powerful witch working with you to break every enchantment and spell…"

Both Cas and Sam said her name at the same time as they tried to ascertain how long she had been standing there and how she had managed to get into the room without either of them noticing. "Ohh boys. Little old me is still as nifty and swift as I ever was. Besides, you're both soooo distracted by the loss of our very own little 'ken doll' that you would have missed a herd of elephants stampeding through the room. But there's no need to stand on ceremony… I'm here now to help sort out your wee problem."

It took Sam a few more minutes to collect himself as the witch moved over and hugged the angel and then turned to take in the young hunter. "Ah I can see that Dean's disappearance has been hard on you both and especially on you, Samuel, but don't worry, I've brought with me a bag of tricks that will surely get you and any army past any spellwork those blood suckers have in place."

Sam began to smile. As much as the situation wasn't great, his spirts couldn't help but be lifted by the sheer presence of the witch. Rowena had the ability to bring a strange sense of quirky joy to Sam. "I'm so glad you're here Rowena and I'll not ask how you made such great time getting here as quick as you did, but thank you."

Rowena moved towards one of the more comfortable seats within the room. It took her a few moments to settle. "Well Samuel, you ask me no questions, and I'll tell ye no lies. … All I'll say, that various laws were bent in order to get me here, but enough small talk, you'll be wanting to know what powerful weapons I've brought with me. Won't you?"

No sooner had she spoken, Rowena was beginning to unpack various strange objects from her large carpeted handbag. Both angel and hunter watched as she laid out a number of items on the table. "You'll see.. I've come prepared for anything and everything, and given what I've heard, it's well that I did."

Rowena's statement threw Sam a little. "What do you mean?"

The Scottish red head seemed to ponder as to what further information she should impart to them. As she did, Castiel's patience seemed to be the first to break. "Come on, spit it out Rowena. Dean's in trouble and the quicker we can leave and go save him the better. But, I suspect that the information you're currently withholding may be important to the success of our mission, so please don't delay in telling us and please don't sugar coat it."

The witch seemed unfazed by Castiel's abruptness, but she took that as her cue to spill whatever information she had. "Very well Castiel.. Samuel… Whilst I was preparing for the journey I decided to do some further digging. I was more than intrigued by the fact that vampires would have spell work in place. Then it hit me. They're rich and powerful vampires so it stands to reason they'd have a powerful witch or three at their beck and call. If that was the case, I decided I needed to know who the competition was.. and…"

Before she could continue, Cas finished her sentence, ".. and you found out, didn't you?"

"Yes I did Castiel and you'll be glad of my professional curiosity. I found out a number of important things. Firstly, this particular Clan uses the Order as it's magical consultancy firm. And from my understanding, that they're very rich and consider only the very best advice on everything, so I am assuming that they're using the High Priestess, Astra. And, if that is the case, she has a particular set of skills."

Sam interjected. "Astra? I take it, this Astra is powerful? But I assume you can take her out?"

"Of course I can Samuel. What do you take me for? I am, after all, the most powerful witch to walk this world, buutttt,… there are hierarchies out there that seem to not recognise talent, instead opting for family names and large bank accounts. The Order was one such institution. Unless you were from a powerful ancient family, you're weren't good enough to join. … But.. that's of no importance to your problem. What is important is that the spell work will most likely have been carried out by the head of the Order, Astra and she's good.. butttt… I'm better."

On hearing her words, both Sam and Castiel seemed to relax. "So, you can crack the security?"

"Of course, but you should know that word on the grapevine was that Astra had visited the Volkov's a week or so back and when she returned she was talking none stop and about a special power source the vamps had managed to get their hands on. I think she referred to it as a 'game changer.'"

Neither Sam nor Castiel liked the sound of that. It was the angel that voiced the concern. "What do you think she was talking about?"

Rowena shifted. It was the first time she had seemed less than confident. "I'm not sure Castiel. All I know is that the world of witchcraft has been in a spin since then. But whatever it is, it's just one more thing to consider. We may have all the magical weapons coming along with us, but if Astra's comments are anything to go by, vampires may already possess a powerful magical weapon. If that's the case, we may not be able to defend ourselves."

Sam seemed to contemplate the information. "That might explain why the vamps seem to not be as worried about Michael. Either way, this news is troubling…" Sam began to pace the room. It was a sure sign to everyone that he was beginning to stress. Up until now, the younger hunter had been feeling more confident that they could succeed, but as the information kept coming in, it was becoming quite clear that the odds were clearly stacked well against the hunters, and against Dean.

Eventually Castiel took control. "It doesn't change anything. We're still going in. With the team of hunters at our disposal, combined with Charlie and Riley taking out the cameras and sensors and Rowena neutralising the spell work and wardings we should be able to get closer to the building. Don't forget, we've got an inside man, in the form of Ketch."

Sam nodded and decided that his friend was correct. If he waited until the perfect time to go in, he would be waiting until hell froze over and it was clear that time was not on Dean's side. "Fuck it! You're right Cas. All we can do, it go with what intel we have. And we know that there's at least 2 to 3 different clans there, which tells me the place is a political hotbed of tension. So there's going to be a lot of distrust to start off with. That might work to our advantage. Then add in, that Michael might turn up and if he does, maybe they'll all be distracted so we can get to Dean. Who knows… maybe this magical weapon will be able to take out Michael and if that's the case, I'm good with taking the chance."

Decision made, Rowena walked the boys through the new toys she had brought with her. There was further flirting before the red head was joined by Mary, Bobby and Jack. The conversation turned more serious when the other hunters began to arrive for the final briefing. Eventually Derek and the remaining four hunters appeared. It was clear to Sam that there had been some sort of altercation as two of the hunters seemed to be sporting a minor injury and Derek had a split lip.

Sam called the meeting to attention and turned towards Derek. "OK Derek, I see you're back from your mission, is there anything to update us on?" The younger Winchester watched to see if he could identify any lies, but Derek seemed to exude confidence as he reported how the team managed to surprise the target, Kimble. The mercenary had put up a strong fight but in the end he was no match for five seasoned hunters.

"He struggled a bit but we managed to take him out. And don't worry boss, I managed to get a few questions in beforehand. Besides, he didn't know much about your brother. It seems they didn't tell him much and his job was to provide manpower and weaponry.. something he won't be doing anymore." Derek couldn't help himself as he chuckled at his own joke.

"OK.. well at least your mission has the benefit of cutting off their supply chain. I'm assuming you were all discreet?" Sam didn't expect an answer and as such, he continued. "Are you all OK to join us in the mission?" That did get a response as all five hunters nodded and murmured various positive responses to the question.

"Alright then, let's talk about the strategy." As he spoke, Castiel pinned a map of the countryside, 150 miles east of Seattle. With various coloured pins sticking into certain areas, Sam continued. "The estate is based here. And yes, shock and horror… it's in the middle of nowhere, which I suspect is exactly why they chose that location. Anyway, we're going to proceed to the nearest town, which is here. And from there, we'll scope out the perimeter fence. By that stage, Charlie and Riley will have identified the best place to go through."

Sam walked everyone through the layout of the estate. There were a few moans and groans about all the walking that was required but they all understood that there was no way they could move undetected by vehicle across the terrain. It was just too noisy and they'd be spotted immediately. It meant that they'd have to approach by foot and that would take easily nearly a day.

As much as the walking was a problem, it was nothing compared to the defences and intel that was shared about the compound and the actual mansion and that was the information they knew about. At various stages, Sam caught both Cas and Rowena's eyes as he failed to mention Rowena's news about a magical 'game changing' weapon. Sam had considered sharing, but he could already tell that the team were worried about the mission. To mention this was pointless as no one knew for sure what the High Priestess had meant and in what context.

"OK Sam. So … we get past the outer wall and we managed to not get picked up by the cameras and sensors and somehow we go undetected by any guards and vamps, but what do we do when we get to the compound? From the look of it, it looks pretty locked down and Kimble was well connected, so I'm guessing that the humans are well trained and seasoned mercenaries who know how to fight.. and that's before we get to the vampires. Sooo, what I'm saying.. is.. what's the plan?"

"I hear you and I completely understand. But you have to remember, we have Ketch inside and he's going to take care of wardings as well as the human guards. He's also going to set up various distractions so the vamps are kept busy. Once we get inside, we'll split into three teams. I'll take one team of 3 and our goal is to extract Dean. From the intel, we believe he's based on this floor, within the secure quarters of the Clan Grand Master."

The mention of Dean's location sent a few murmurs through the room. It was clear, everyone was trying to imagine why Dean was imprisoned so close to the Grand Master. Many thought he would be languishing in a cell down in the basement. The fact that he wasn't was raising questions in many minds. Sam took the decision to move on. He didn't care what people were thinking, he cared that he got his brother back – and back in some sort of working order.

"I'll need a second team located outside the mansion and their job is to work by stealth and take out the vamps and humans one by one. Ideally, we'd like to keep hidden for as long as possible, so if we could try and not let anything live long enough to raise the alarm, that would be great." Sam turned towards the older hunter. "Bobby, would you take a team of at least 6 with you and mop up the stragglers around the compound please?"

Bobby nodded, but then asked, "what about the other team? What are they going to be doing, whilst you're rescuing your brother?" Bobby's tone wasn't meant to be condescending, but Sam couldn't help but feel a little put out. This alternative universe Bobby was not like his Bobby. They may have been identical looking but this one lacked empathy and connection. Pushing his feelings aside, Sam responded. "The third team, the largest team will be led by Castiel and their objective is to take out the vampires in the house. Ketch will have provided a distraction, but my team will need a second team running point, so the way is as clear for us to extract Dean safely."

Castiel stepped forward. "Of course Sam, I would be honoured to lead this important team. I assume you want no vamps left standing?" Sam wondered why Cas was asking such a question, but he had a point. So far, he had no idea whether there were other complicating factors that he should be aware off. Putting that to the side, Sam agreed. "Yes Cas. As much as we know, there's no friendlies amongst the vamps, but Ketch will make us aware of anything important when he can."

The meeting continued for another half an hour or so before everyone felt informed enough to pack up and get on the road. With clear orders and a destination, the motel emptied in less than 5 minutes and Sam took advantage of Castiel driving to get some well earned rest. He could afford a few hours of R&R before the assault would begin, but before he could rest, he managed to shoot off a message to Ketch.

"Do you think it was wise to not inform everyone of Rowena's intel about the 'weapon'?" Castiel spoke with no emotion as he kept is eyes on the road. Sam watched his friend for a few moments as in considered his answer. "Yeah, I thought about it, but we aren't sure of what it actually is and there's already enough uncertainties for my liking. I get the feeling if it's a big weapon, it won't matter if there's 20 of us or 200 of us, but either way I was going in. This way, there's a little less for people to be concerned about."

Castiel seemed to take his answer in. "And what about Derek? I'm assuming you won't want him out of your sight on this mission?" Sam couldn't help but smile. Trust Cas to get to the heart of something quickly. "Yip! You're right. As much as I can't stand that S.O.B. I don't trust him to be out there on his own. Part of me wants to have him close to me as part of my team, but there's a part of me that knows he and Dean hate one another and I don't want Dean freaked out when he sees that not all the faces come to rescue him are as friendly as they should be."

"I concur Sam and I would suggest that I take Derek we me, that way he's watched by at least one of us. Would that work?" At Cas's suggestion, Sam wanted to immediately agree, but he still was hesitant. "Yeah, I think that would work, but let me think about it, after all we have a few hours before I have to make a decision on who's on what team. Besides, I think mum should come with me as Dean's going to need as much emotional support as he can get and if he's been hurt in any way I think mum will be best placed to help him."

As Sam spoke the last few words, he registered that a message had been sent to him via the secure line. Immediately he knew that Ketch had seen his message and had responded. Curious to know more, he opened up the link and read through the reply.

Received your update. I estimate you'll be at the door in under 15 hours, so will set distractions for 11 am tomorrow morning. Please note, I have some help from inside. Can't confirm publicly just in case this comms is compromised, but I've an inside friendly. ENDS

On reading through the last few words Sam's heart soared a little. It was great to know that Ketch had help inside and that Dean may not have been as totally alone and isolated as he first thought. Both Sam and Cas held on to that thought as the angel pressed a little heavier on the gas pedal. Despite the work ahead, Sam struggled to get some sleep. After several failed attempts, the younger Winchester turned his attention to watching the country side as the Impala sped towards its' owner. Smiling to himself, Sam settled into the seat as he took relief in the fact that with each mile that went by, they were getting closer to Dean.