Here you go - my weekly update. I've managed to get some time to write this week, so I hope you enjoy the latest chapter.
Keep well out there and as always let me know what you think.
Chapter 51: Inside the walls
Previously in chapter 49:
The youngest Winchester then turned towards Castiel, "Cas, our teams will make their way into the main house. We'll split up. Your team will include Jack, plus Derek, and your mission is to take out as many vampires inside the house. And Cas, kill anything that gets in your path." As Sam spoke, Cas nodded in agreement. Turning towards his mum and Rowena he continued. "And you, me and Rowena are going to make it our mission to find Dean. According to Ketch, he had some help and was going to extract and secure Dean for us, but they're going to need our help. Our aim is to stay low and quiet and let Cas's team be the distraction for us, whilst we move through the house. Ketch has already identified a meeting point for us, so we need to get moving."
Sam didn't have to ask whether everyone was clear on the plan. The team leads were gathering their team members and were preparing to make a move. Sam gazed down the valley towards the compound. His heart was beating fast in anticipation of the impending violence that was about to rain down on the mansion. Whispering under his voice, "It's about time for some payback. Don't worry Dean, I'm coming.. we're coming for you, just keep fighting we're nearly there."
The entire group of hunters set off down the slope towards the compound. It was going to take them a good half hour or so before they reached the outer compound walls, but Sam knew exactly where the smaller group could get in undetected. Ketch had been very thorough when briefing them. With a steady footing and a steady heart, Sam moved forward.
Cas POV:
The hike across the estate had given Castiel a lot of time to think. Ever since Dean had taken off he had been in inner turmoil. Of course, he had tried to be strong for the younger Winchester. After all, someone had to keep the remaining members of Team Free Will 2.0 together, but he couldn't deny that the combination of powerful emotions such as fear, anxiety, anger, love and outright angst were playing havoc with his angelic sensibilities.
The warrior in him was fighting to ensure that his mind kept focused on the impending battle, but the suppressed emotions of the past few weeks were bubbling under this skin. Looking back at the various conversations he had held with Sam, Castiel knew the decisions and actions, or rather their indecisions and lack of immediate action, was a point of great shame. Knowing that Dean had most likely been suffering greatly at the hands of a vampire sickened him right to his very core. But try as he might, he couldn't really fathom why he had acted the way he had.
If he could sleep, it would be the question that would have kept him up at nights. Why did he do nothing? Had he been angry at Dean for something? Did he not trust him? There were many questions but those screamed the loudest to him.
Pondering the answers, he knew he had been angry. Angry at himself for so easily letting Dean sacrifice himself as he offered his body up to be Michael's vessel. He should have done more, but he had just grimaced, mentioned a few warnings, but in the end, he offered little to no opposition as Dean stepped forward and gave his consent, with the all important and epic word…. Yes.
Then relief followed when he had heard the news that Dean had been found, but that joy turned sour the moment he saw Dean in the bunker. Something had made him recoil, but it wasn't until the older Winchester had asked him to reach into his mind and read the scar. The very thought of the scar and the memory of the feeling he had experienced made Castiel physically shiver as he walked towards the Volkov's compound.
'Enough! Lock it down and do your duty.' That was the mantra he chanted over and over in his mind. He had a job to do. He had epically failed Dean and no amount of angsting and apologising was going to cut it. Then it hit him. All this time, he had been concentrating on himself. He hadn't considered what Dean would think, never mind what he would say or act on. Dean Winchester tended to shoot first and ask questions later. It was most likely Dean would give Castiel, and as he thought about it, Sam, his mother and Bobby, all a 'tongue lashing, And deep down, he knew every single one of them did not deserve Dean's compassion or forgiveness.
Deep down he realised every single one of them had played a critical role in pushing Dean into the arms of a psychotic and obsessive vampire. It was on them and every single one of them would have some serious work to do to ever repair the damage they had done. That thought made him worry. He knew that Jack was innocent and that Sam would accept the blame and genuinely try to make amends, but Mary Winchester was a great unknown. And worst of all, her inability to apologise and try and show Dean that he was valued and loved, would ensure that nothing was fixable.
Faced with the great possibility that saving Dean would only make life more painful for the older brother, Castiel sighed, before bowing his head and closing off his heart. As they got closer to the hidden entrance to a series of tunnels, the angel knew he had to 'get his head out of his ass' and focus on the mission. Relieved to be able to deal with the new task, he stowed his thoughts in the hope that hours from now, he would be in a position to try and fix things. And oh how he prayed he would get the chance to try. 'Please Father, make sure there's something left of Dean Winchester that we can have the chance to try and fix?'
Glancing down at his watch, Castiel realised that most of the vampires would be getting ready to rest for the day, if they hadn't done so already. It was just after 9am when the two teams, led by Cas and Sam, entered the underground tunnel. The lightening in the passage wasn't great, and it was just wide and high enough for an average sized adult to squeeze through. Cas could only imagine how Sam was fairing as all 6 foot 4 of the younger Winchester attempted to make his way through the tunnel.
Things weren't helped by the fact that each one of the attack team were carrying rucksacks and numerous weapons. After all, they had to be ready for anything and most of them carried, a machete, handgun and shotgun, and even a few had the luxury of carrying military grade C4 plastic explosives. And that was only the weapons he knew about. Knowing Mary Winchester, there was a high possibility that she had some how concealed an entire armoury of lethal weapons. It had not escaped the angel of how quiet Mummy Winchester had become. The look on her face reminded Castiel of how Sam and Dean both looked when they were about to face a great big bad, like Lucifer. Cas could tell that Mary meant business and she was going to have a lot of blood on her hands by the end of the day.
Thankfully the journey through the tight passageway was uneventful. The angel estimated that it had only taken them approximately 10 minutes or so to make their way under the compound walls and arrive at a hidden entrance to what Cas assumed was somewhere under the mansion, possibly as part of the basement. Due to his angelic abilities, Cas had led the way for the hunting party, and was first to arrive at a heavy iron door. Looking the door up and down, the angel quickly determined there was no locking mechanism, but he held his breath as he slowing pulled and the door opened.
As the door creaked open, he couldn't help but wonder that despite all the security the vampires had in place, that they could have been so stupid in this oversight. With the door ajar, Cas took the opportunity to grab a quick glance out into the corridor. His first impression was of how grand the building must be if the basement walls were as well decorated as they were. With rich wine coloured wall paper accompanied by the occasional gold motif it was clear that the vampires spared no expense. Though, it was debatable whether money equated to taste. After all, it was the basement so it should have had similar décor to what would have been the standard dungeon look of medieval times. Instead, the basement looked as good as any penthouse floor corridor.
Setting aside the décor, Castiel signalled to the remaining members of the team that the coast was clear. One by one the team of 11 moved into the corridor. Taking up various defensive positions along the walls, Castiel managed to grab Sam's attention. As the two met, Castiel began. "We're here, but where did Ketch say the rendezvous point was?"
Looking up and down the corridor, Sam then glanced down at a crude drawing. Shrugging his shoulders he answered. "He said he'd meet us in the basement, so hell if I know where exactly. He was pressed for time and I got the feeling he was making things up as he went along." Both Sam and Cas took a few minutes to consider their options.
"I suppose we've got this far and I take it by the silence outside, Bobby has managed to continue taking out the opposition without drawing too much attention. I figure we need to press on. As much as Ketch is a pro, he has a house full of vampires and with all his planning, there's no way he could have factored in how good or bad of shape Dean was in when he would have found him. He's probably been slowed down."
As ever, Sam was being rational, but Cas couldn't help but consider the next steps. "We can either sit here and hope he makes it this far or we can get started on cleaning out this house and who knows we might come across Dean in the process!"
Sam smiled at the thought of spilling some vampire villain blood. "Well Cas, when you put it like that, I think Dean would welcome any opportunity to help, don't you?" The angel wasn't really expecting an answer, but before he responded he pushed Sam back against the wall and signalled for everyone to stay silent and still. Looking down the corridor, the angelic hearing had picked up movement coming from the furthest corner of the building.
Whispering to Sam, "stay here, I'll go and investigate."
Creeping towards the sound, he picked up two very distinct voices. One male and one female. The male seemed submissive and scared. "Mistress. There's no time, I heard noise coming from the passage way. I think there's too many of them. … If they find you, they'll kill you. … Please Mistress Kate, run, get help."
Castiel could make out the female. She seemed cold but nervous. "They're within the walls. I fucking knew this would happened. What's the bets it's baby bro come to save the day. You …" Straining to hear the rest, Cas decided he couldn't wait much longer and decided to ambush the two. It was obvious to the angel that their element of surprise was no longer the case, so he opted for brute force and ignorance as he ran towards them, but before barging in on his own, he erred on the side of having a few additional helping hands.
Unfortunately, in the time it took Cas to return to his team, grab the attention of two fellow hunters and make their way towards the enemy, Cas found only one assailant in the room. A gangly looking middle aged man. By the plainness of the human's attire, and he was human, the angel could tell he was low down on the pecking order. 'This must be one of the slaves. Dammit! Most of them will be institutionalised. We forgot about that. Well, just more obstacles and potential enemies to worry about.'
Despite his thoughts, Castiel reached towards the slave in an attempt to subdue him. Unfortunately, the thin malnourished appearance was an illusion, as the slave put up a considerable fight. At various times, both the two hunters and Castiel received a punch for their attempt at liberation. "Calm down. Calm down. We're not going to hurt you!" Castiel welcomed Riley's attempts to create a modicum of control in the situation. Castiel was less concerned about the human, and more about the absence of the woman.
"Where is she? Where is the female I heard you talking with?" Castiel tried to keep his voice low but stern. It was imperative that the slave knew he meant business.
Nothing! Met with a wall of silence, Castiel edged closer to the slave and grabbed him by the scruff of the shirt. "I am an angel of the Lord. I invaded hell and killed thousands of demons. I helped take down Lucifer… twice! I am here to rescue my friend. Dean Winchester. And I will only ask you one more time. WHERE. IS. THE FEMALE YOU WERE TALKING TO?"
Whether it was the anger that Sam recognised in Castiel's eyes or the fear in Riley's, Sam interrupted. "We have no wish to hurt any humans, but my friend here will not hesitate to obliterate. So, where did your friend go?"
By this stage the slave was shaking. "I.. I.. cccann't. I.. I'mmmm sorryyyy. TTo bbbetray the the Clan means death, sssir!"
Realising that the slave's resistance was beginning to crumble, Cas pushed a little more. "Look, we know you've spent most of your life in the service of these vampires, but rest assured, they're reign of terror is coming to an end. The choice you have to make, is whether you wish to survive or perish with them. And remember, you owe them nothing."
Castiel watched the debate that passed in the eyes of the human in front of him. After a few minutes, the man slowly nodded. "She's gone, Sir. She's leaving as it's no longer safe for her here. She's not your enemy and no longer your concern.""
It was Sam who responded. "That's for us to decide, not you. What do you mean she's leaving? Do you expect us to believe that she heard us coming and decided, to give up everything and run, without a fight? I don't think so!"
"No sir, you misunderstand. Mistress Kate is in trouble with the Grand Master. She tried to take what was his and she thought she could wait it out. But your arrival has made the decision easier for her. That's why she's running."
Castiel was confused. "I don't understand. Explain!"
"Miss Kate got into trouble a few days ago when she touched the Grand Master's new slave. She was punished, but disobeyed a direct order by returning to be with her mate, Mistress Bridget. Then she did something very wrong, she tried to steal the slave again. Grand Master Viktor is hunting her down at this very moment. So you see Sir, she hid down here but with you lot here, she's decided to make a run for it."
Sam looked worried. "Tell me, the new slave you keep talking about. Do you mean this man?" Immediately Sam showed the slave a picture of Dean on his phone. The slave didn't need to respond as both Sam and Cas were able to tell from the look of surprise in his eyes that they were all talking about Dean.
Sam continued. "What did she do to Dean? I mean, the new slave?"
The slave looked nervous, but thankfully he answered. "Emmm.. Grand Master likes his slaves to be obedient. This new one.. Dean… Well he's been proving difficult to break in, so Grand Master has had to go to extraordinary lengths."
Neither Castiel nor Sam liked what that actually meant, but it was Sam who beat him to the question a second time. "What did he … I mean Grand Master do to Dean?"
"The normal things didn't work on him. You know, punishment and reward. No. This one was stubborn but Grand Master Viktor used very strong magic. Unfortunately, because the slave's been held in the room, very few of us have seen him since, but Trevor has told us that he's broken. It was only a matter of time. You see, what Grand Master wants, he gets."
Castiel felt sick and he could tell from the look on Sam's face that the younger Winchester was about to empty the contents of his stomach out, just by that one sentence. Cas thought he needed to move things along, as it didn't do anyone any good to dwell on what information had just been shared. "You know what. I don't care about what Viktor wants, you're going to take Dean's brother Sam to Dean right now. And you're not going to raise any alarms or else I'm going to fly your soul personally down to Hell. Do you know what Hell is?"
The slave looked very scared as he nodded in agreement to Castiel's last question. It was the arrival of Mary, that broke the mood as she asked, "what's your name?"
The slave turned and seemed to relax a little. "My name is Stanley. I'm the Head Slave of the House."
Mary continued. "Tell me Stanley, tell me about the slaves and how things work for the slaves in this place?"
At first, neither Sam or Cas could work out what Mary's game plan was. I mean, let's face it. With Dean close to breaking, was there really much need to know this information. All they needed to know was where was Dean and how could they get there? 'Oh, and what magic had been done to him?' Then Castiel realised what Mary was doing. He felt like crap. She was right. As much as Stanley and the other humans were being difficult, they were as much a victim, if not more, than Dean was. Equally, by finding out more about how they lived, it would give them a better insight into what had happened to Dean. And they needed to understand what had happened, if they were going to know how to fix things. Besides, knowing her son, Mary was sure Dean would never share what had happened to him.
Castiel thoughts were interrupted by Stanley's answer. "I was one of the lucky ones. I was born into slavery. I've never known anything other than this life. You'll find that about half of the slaves were born into servitude. The vampires encourage relationships between the slaves as the more humans they can have the more blood and money they can make."
"My mother was sold to another family when I was six. She had been a pleasure slave for a long time, but when she lost her beauty she was sold on to another Clan to serve as a house slave. … Don't be sad, I wasn't. She served the Masters well and she was rewarded."
Sam couldn't help it. "Rewarded? How is being separated from your family and sold because you no longer were young a reward?"
"You don't understand. When you are owned, nothing belongs to you. Your body and your happiness are not yours to have, only to be given to you as a gift from the Master or Mistress. My mother was lucky. Normally when a pleasure slave's beauty wanes they are slaughtered and their blood used and their bodies sold on as meat. Nothing is wasted."
On hearing this, Castiel was truly horrified. He feared that as he explored the rest of the mansion he would find out even worse. Part of him wished that the slave would shut up, but now it seemed that Stanley had found his flow. "You see, it's an honour to serve. I worked up through the levels, starting at the bottom as a young work slave, then I served as a pleasure slave and when the time came, the Grand Master was so happy with my service and my loyalty that he made me head slave of the household. And I've been in the role for over 12 years now."
Cas could see that the man meant every word he said. It would be awe inspiring if it wasn't so tragic. The human was institutionalised and in that moment Castiel knew that what they were potentially about to do was going to have massive repercussions for many of the humans that managed to survive. Looking between both Winchesters in front of him, he could tell both were thinking exactly the same thing, but deep down they couldn't save everyone. The mission was about one man. Dean Winchester. They were not here to save everyone else, whether they wanted saving or not.
Cas needed some sort of distraction. "So tell me, what of the humans that are not born into slavery. What about them?"
"Unfortunately it will depend on the human and on the circumstances surrounding how they got here. I mean, sometimes humans find out about the vampire lifestyle and wish to help. They end up becoming willing blood donor slaves. They work closely with the Clans and are free to come and go from the estate. Their role is to support all Clan business across the world. They're loyal, but only as long as they get something out of it. Normally, they seek to be turned or rewarded with wealth."
It was Mary who asked the big question. "Stanley, what about those who didn't have a choice?"
Cas could tell that Stanley was sad, perhaps even slightly ashamed when he answered. "I'm afraid that there are times when certain humans catch a vampire's attention. Maybe they're too beautiful or rude. It doesn't really matter, because once they come here, they either conform or die."
Sam interrupted. "But not Dean?"
Stanley nodded. "Yes. Dean was always going to be different. I knew that before the young man ever made it here. You see, Grand Master Viktor had spent a long time looking from him. In fact, I remember the day we found out that Mr Winchester was joining us. I had never seen the Grand Master so happy. Up until then, each substitute had been a disappointment. Either they were too weak or didn't look enough like him. Whatever it was, each one ended dead. In fact, I think on average each one lasted about three days, before they were either drained or beaten to death. …. Grand Master went through so many. So many, we lost count, but all that changed the day we heard Dean was coming."
Everyone stood in silence, clinging to every word spoken by the senior house slave. No one dared to interrupt him. "Up until the news, Grand Master was losing hope. Mr Winchester had proven difficult to get hold off and I remember Master Valentin delivering bad news about him being out of reach. But all that changed a month or so back when news came through that Dean was available again. I'm not sure what had happened, but every effort was doubled to get him, and then he was found and bought."
"Grand Master called me up to his quarters. He told me to make special arrangements for a large party. That evening, even the slaves got to celebrate. I was then ordered to make the arrangements as Dean would be joining us the next day and would most likely take up the role of pleasure slave. But, as foreseen, Dean was troublesome and from the very start caused a lot of friction. Mistress Kate was the first, but was certainly not the last. … emmm. Just ask the poor Doctor, Doctor Busbee. You know, we can hear him scratches at his coffin when we clean the great hall."
Castiel wasn't sure what Stanley had been talking about, but got the feeling he really didn't want to know. What doctor, what on earth had happened? So many questions, and again he knew there wasn't time to answer. The mission was Dean, not some vampire doctor buried somewhere. With that thought, he urged both Winchesters that it was time they got moving again.
"Sam… Mary, we need to get moving and as Stanley here knows this house so well, I think he should be your guide. Isn't that right?"
Stanley didn't look too enamoured at the thought of helping steer enemies towards stealing the Master of the House's pride and joy. It was clear from the look on his face, that the human would rather die a slow and painful death, instead of betraying his boss. "Please don't make me. I can't. Grand Master would destroy everything. You don't understand, he's obsessed with his new slave. You take Dean away and I fear what will happen to us all. … Please listen to me."
Unfortunately for the slave, no one cared what he was saying now, but the noise was causing everyone to be concerned. There was no way they could move through the house with the slave acting the way he did. Every single vampire would hear them and would be on them before they even got up to the ground floor. No. Something was going to have to be done, but Cas sensed that no one had the desire to permanently silence or hurt the human. Then Rowena stepped forward.
"Must I do everything for you!" Stepping closer to the slave, she reached out and grabbed his hand. Raising it up, she placed a dark crystal type of rock in Stanley's hand. Before the slave had a chance to work out what was happening the witch had began to chat. The angel wasn't sure exactly what language it was, but he recognised that it was ancient Egyptian magic she was using. It never ceased to amaze him at how skilled and knowledgeable the witch was. She truly was formidable.
Whatever she did seemed to work as Stanley relaxed into what could only be described as a subservient daze. "There you go. Easy peasy. One quick little incantation and Stan the Man here is putty in me hands. … Well don't just stand there Samuel, we need to get moving. The spell won't last too long, but I'm betting it'll last long enough for us to make it to wherever they're holding your brother. Come on!"
Castiel realised it was time to split up and fulfil each of their missions. Sam, Mary and Rowena began to collect their stuff. Sam spoke. "Rowena, I'm not sure what you did but it always seems to work. As you know what you're doing, you're in charge of looking after number one fan here." Turning towards Castiel, Sam continued. "Cas. Jack. Charlie. Riley…. Emm oh, and Derek… and … well everyone else, we're gonna split now and make our way towards Ketch and I hope, towards Dean. Good luck with taking down every evil piece of crap you come across."
Castiel nodded and replied. "I will do my best. We're going to take out the internal security and then start cleaning house. Though Sam, I can't make any promises. If I come across Viktor, I don't know if I can stop myself from killing him. I know that it really should be you … no. I'm wrong. It needs to be Dean that take's the bastard out. But I think we both know that your brother might not be in the best shape. But either way, Viktor Volkov is going to die tonight. Either you will end him, or I will."
Sam moved closer and embraced the angel. In typical awkward nature, both men hugged each other. It was followed by a few goodbyes before Cas watched the younger Winchester, Mary and Rowena separate and move off down another corridor towards the back of the mansion, this time with the help of Stanley, who would bring them as quickly to their destination. In fact, it was clear from the way the slave was moving that he was doing exactly what he was told – taking them towards Volkov's private quarters, and towards Dean. With that thought Cas turned back and addressed the team.
"Let's get moving, we've a lot of enemies to take out, starting with their Head of Security and the internal security teams." With a clear mission the small group of hunters moved along the basement corridors undetected. Castiel was confident that Ketch had done his duty and had fixed the security warding and cameras so they were projected a different picture. The absence of movement and alarms provided the angel with all the evidence he required to answer the question. So, with renewed confidence, Castiel moved further into the house and towards the stairwell that would take him up to the ground floor.
As Cas led his team through the winding corridors he happened to come across a number of larger rooms. His first thought was to take everything out that moved within the room, but feedback from Riley and Charlie pointed out that the room was full of 'house slaves' and they were not a threat. Curiosity got the better of him as he ventured to observe the room full of slaves and it was then that he immediately regretted doing so.
The scene that met him was heart breaking and could only be described as a sweatshop as he witnessed undernourished humans, young and old, slave away washing, mending, cooking, etc. He counted at least 20 innocent victims. On his return to the team, the angel caught both Riley and Charlie's eyes. A silent conversation took place and each nodded. It was Derek that spoke up. "Are you sure we should leave them? I mean, they could give away our position. We should… emmm. We should neutralise them."
The silence from everyone that met Derek's remarks said it all. It was clear his suggestions was most unwelcome. It was Charlie who beat Castiel to the punch line, or rather, punch. It happened so fast, but the noise of the slap came fast as Derek received a punch to his face. The hit was followed by a violent tongue lashing from the fiery redhead. "You're lucky we're in the middle of a building full of enemies or I would do more than just hit you, you piece of shit. …. Shame on you Derek. You of all people should know better. You came from the same world Riley and I came from. You know what it was like to be a slave, living under constant fear. You know how weak and vulnerable they are. … What the hell's wrong with you?"
Charlie stopped speaking as she realised she was bordering on shouting and was running the risk of exposing all of them. As her voice fell to a whisper, she continued, "Good job we're near completing our mission, because once this is over, I am recommending that your sorry ass is no longer welcome in the bunker. Am I right Castiel or am I right?"
The angel wasn't expected to be directly involved in their conversation, but as he thought back to Derek's actions over the past week or so, he couldn't help but side with Charlie. "She has a point Derek. These people are innocent, whether they know it or not. We're going to close the door and move upstairs and make our way towards taking out the cameras and the security office. Then we're going to turn all that pent up hatred you've been harbouring Derek, against the vampires, and I expect you to be leading from the front. You can start by taking point."
Derek didn't look too pleased at finding himself as the unpopular one in the group. He was less than happy having to take lead as they began to ascend the stairs to the ground floor. Grumbling as he went, Cas decided to ignore the hunter and focus on the mission.
Despite an unhappy Derek, the team had managed to take out two vampires the moment they reached the ground floor. The only noise made was the sound of each head hitting the floor, followed quickly by two thuds as the bodies followed. Wasting little to no time, Castiel and Riley dragged the bodies out of the corridor and into the stairwell so there was at least a façade of all being well.
Looking up at cameras in the hallway Cas prayed to no one in particular that Ketch had been thorough. Cameras in a basement was one thing, but they were standing right in the heart of enemy territory. Without thinking too much on it, Castiel signalled for the team to get moving. From memory, he knew where he needed to go. Charlie's research had been thorough as the team made their way down a corridor towards the security office.
On the way there they managed to take out another vampire as well as one human. Fortunately Derek was pulling his weight as he managed to dispose of the vampire's body. Nodding towards Cas, the hunter pushed forward. The angel had to give him credit. He may have been a grade A arsehole, but he was good at what he did, albeit a bit blood thirsty.
In no time, the team reached the corridor where both the security room was located as well as the office of the Head of Security. The absence of any alarms meant the cameras were still keeping them invisible to all. This give them an advantage, which Castiel took. Knowing there were most likely humans behind the doors to the surveillance office, he opted to use a gun. He wasn't planning on firing it, but he needed to hold them at bay until he was able to render each of them unconscious.
Surprisingly his approached worked. On opening the door to the surveillance room, he came across three rather bored humans. His appearance had taken them all by surprise, but thankfully none of them were paid enough to take a bullet for any vampire. Instead, each practically lined up to get punched and within a few minutes Cas had control of all cameras in the building. With that thought, he gestured towards Charlie and Riley to use their skillset to locate Dean.
As both research gurus took to the keyboards, Charlie spoke up. "This could take some time. It seems they've used so heavy encrypted shit here, so I'd suggest you go find evil Head henchman and see if you can find out more information our lovely Deano." As she spoke, Charlie turned back towards the screen and continued to type.
Watching her work reminded Castiel of how much he didn't understand about mankind and the modern world. He had mastered streaming and the basics of the internet, but hacking was a whole new skill and one he would never master especially, not today. Today he was here to use his other skills. So he turned and moved back out of the room and took Derek and Jack with him as they began to make their way towards the Russian Head of Security Koskin's office.
It didn't take them long to get there. Unfortunately their element of surprise was ruined as gunfire was heard from outside. It was clear that Bobby had been busy and had just been discovered. The time for stealth was over. Decision made, Derek kicked the door to the office open and Cas made his way through first. Followed quickly by Derek and then Jack.
Thankfully the skilled Russian had been caught of guard. It was obvious from his demeanour that the Head of Security had not slept all night. His slow reaction to the sudden intrusion further illustrated he was exhausted. In fact, Koskin didn't lift a gun and try to fire. Instead, he raised his hands and said, "well look at that. You got me. I suppose I should surrender."
The Russian's words threw the angel. Ketch had been clear in his brief about the Head of Security. The British Men of Letters had stated the Russian was notoriously ruthless and needed to be neutralised, so the angel found it very confusing that Koskin had so easily been apprehended.
Moving closer Castiel took in the rest of the room. "On your knees and hands where I can see them."
The Russian did what he was told. "I am surrendering. There's no need to shoot. I have no desire to die for these blood sucking bastards."
Castiel couldn't help himself. "Really? My understanding was that you were loyal to the Volkovs. I'm finding it hard to believe that someone so important and so senior, as well as someone who's so complicit in the Clans dealings, would so easily give up without a fight. I must say, I'm a bit disappointed."
Smirking, the Russian replied. "Normally I would but I'm a good judge of situations and have no desire to die for them. Not today, not ever."
Castiel wasn't sure what to make of the situation. He had entered the office with the expectation of having to kill another human. He had not expected to have another prisoner to take care of. As he recalled the other prisoners in the room down the hall, he thought of something. "Well, if you want to be of use, maybe you can show me how willing you are to cooperate. My friend Charlie is currently trying to break into the central security system. So why don't you give us a little hand, as I'm keen to locate my friend."
Koskin's face didn't give anything away. "Very well, lead me to her and I'll enter the codes."
It was Jack who responded, "Why don't you tell us what the passwords are instead."
"Look kid, do you think I'm that stupid. I tell you what you want to know and I will most likely meet with an accident. I can tell from the look of your two comrades here that they're looking for any opportunity to kill me. So, I think I would like to take a walk, don't you."
Jack looked over at Cas and then to Derek. The hunter wasn't too enamoured by the current discussion but was being unusually neutral on the matter. Sighing Castiel nodded. "OK, let's move, but if you try anything, I will not hesitate to destroy you. Do you understand. Human or not, I will end you"
In the flurry of movement to empty the office and make their way back towards the surveillance room, Jack managed to let his guard down for a second, but sadly that was all it took. In a blur, Koskin had managed to ram into Jack. The forward motion had distracted the nephilim just enough for him to drop his weapon. Unfortunately Koskin was fast and he had managed to grab the gun and move to take Jack hostage.
"I said don't move blue eyes. One false move and I will ventilate the young one here." Koskin took the opportunity as he spoke to tighten his hold on Jack. Castiel watched in horror as he saw his son be threaten. Faced with the situation, Castiel threw caution to the wind and decided it was time Mr Koskin left the building. Permanently.
"You don't need to hurt him. I will do what you ask. … Look, I'm putting down my weapon. So why don't you let Jack go. He's done nothing to you. He's just a kid." As he spoke, Castiel placed the gun on the ground and raised his hands slowly above his shoulders. As he did, he tilted his body so he was almost standing sideways. At first, Koskin hadn't noticed, but as he managed to get himself into position he turned his hand until his palm was flat and facing Koskin. Unfortunately, the Russian may have known something about the supernatural but his knowledge did not extend to him recognising an angel with it was in his presence. At least not until it was too late.
"Jack, it's alright. Everything's going to be OK. I just need you to close your eyes son. Can you do that for me?" Jack slowly nodded, whilst Koskin's face looked confused. "what the hell are you tal…" Before the Russian could finish his sentence Castiel released his angelic grace from his hand. He had to be careful in how much power he used for a number of reasons, but he managed to create a strong enough blast to disintegrate the human into a pile of ash.
Unfortunately a number of things happened. With the discharge of such energy a different type of alarm went off within the mansion. It was clear it was an alarm to inform vampires that there was an angel in the house. The alarm was followed by loud banging as vampires were beginning to move. The second thing to happen was the explosion. This time it came from outside. It was obvious that Bobby's assault was in full swing.
Sadly, in all the commotion, Castiel might have rescued Jack, but he failed to notice that Derek had disappeared and it wasn't because there was a second pile of ash on the ground. No, the hunter had used the incident between Koskin and Jack to disappear. It would be a few minutes later that Castiel would realise he was gone, but by that stage, no one would be sure where he was gone to, but one thing was for sure, the enemy was definitely within the building.
