Stepping in the line of fire

Chapter 5

As Sam got to the room he noticed that his dad's SUV was gone. Luck would surely not smile on them today…would it? …he prayed. He used his key and saw a note on the table, it was in dad's precise handwriting and shone like a bright light on a pitch-black night.

Boys I've gone for a supply run. I'll be back in about three hours. Pack your stuff and clean the room. We leave first thing in the morning.

Short and to the point. Thought Sam. He started cleaning the room and gathering his clothes and books.

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"Ange I've got an idea! You know they're advertising for cleaners at the cabins in Icelandic State Park. That's where we're going. Why don't you apply? They rent rooms out for staff and we'll be together while I figure somethin' out…you're eighteen you can do what you want…your dad and mum would be proud that you've got a summer job" Dean flashed that killing smile and Ange returned it with one of her own.

"I'll apply now" she grabbed her laptop under her bed and Dean sat beside her. "Shouldn't you be going back sweetie, daddy's going to be mad you told me…" she gave him a mischievous side glance and added, "you do not want to make him mad, do you?"

"He's going to tear me a new one anyway…I've been here too long. Might as well make the most of out of a bad situation I figure" Dean answered in a downcast tone of voice.

"So, I'm a bad situation then!" she slapped his arm hard. "You're nineteen dude…why do you let your ol' man push you around like that? He sounds like some sort of drill sergeant to me…why don't you get a job and leave. What does your dad do again…he's into pest control isn't he? well it sounds as if he's been mixing with these critters too long if you ask me…"

"I'm not askin' ya… you wouldn't understand. It's just the way the ol' man runs things. Me and Sam we help him. We're a team."

"Why are you going to the park Dean? Do they have a job for your dad?" Ange looked directly into Dean's green eyes. She felt he was holding something very important back.

"Yeah…there's a big job we have to do there."

"I hope it's not rats!" she quipped back. "I hate rats".

Dean grinned at her and replied, "me too… they scare the shit out of me!"

"I thought that was your job? Pest control. Do you only deal with insects then?"

Dean thought for a second and then seemed to make up his mind about something. "We're hunters Ange"… That's it. He had just done something that he was never going to do, ever. He had revealed the family secret. Dad was definitely going to kill him now.

Ange stared at him and saw a tragic look in his eyes that told her that he had just shared something that he found almost impossible to speak about. She put her arm around his shoulders and whispered in his ear… "What do you hunt sweetie?"

Dean's head slumped forward as if in defeat but he answered her, "we hunt very dangerous critters Ange…" he added as an afterthought… "Do you believe in ghosts…monsters?"

"What do ya' mean Dean? should I?"

"Yeah you should…"

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Sam was getting very jittery. Where was his dumb ass' brother? He kept flicking the channels on the crap TV that the room offered. The colours were so faded that it might as well have been black and white. His dad didn't mind though… because he liked those ol' films. Come on dude' the ol' man is going to kill ya'…come on…then the unthinkable happened. Sam heard the sound of his dad's SUV and his heart sank like a stone. He went to the door to let him in.

"Are you packed boys?" John shouted as he came into the room. "Where is your brother Sam?". Sam looked dumfounded and kept quiet. "Where is Dean, Sam?" John immediately knew that his eldest was not in the room. "Sam? Report."

Sam stood straight in front of his dad. He knew that Dean was screwed and so was he. "I dunno' sir."

"What do you mean you dunno'?" john barked. "Didn't he tell you? Did he not pick you up from school?"

"Yes sir. He picked me up but then he got a flat and he told me to run to the motel and tell you." Sam found it hard to look directly at his dad but he knew that this was what John expected.

"Is this lie true boy?" John 's eyes were so hard to meet. Sam gulped. What had his dad said? Did he say that it was a lie? The panic he felt inside couldn't quite decode the sarcastic quip. John sat down at the table and continued to stare at his youngest. "I suggest you tell me the truth now." He ordered.

Sam gulped again but knew that it would be suicidal to ignore a direct order. He swallowed and told his dad the truth. John took a few minutes to digest the information. "I knew that this gal' was nothing but trouble…I knew it" he spoke as if to himself. "Don't think you're not in trouble for lying boy" he said, then he stood up and Sam flinched a little. "I'm going to prepare somethin' to eat…Are ya' hungry?"

Sam nodded yes and went back to the TV programme that he had been interrupted from watching. It was over by now so he started to flick channels again. He was so angry with Dean. He was going to kill him. That is… if there was going to be something to kill, after his father finished with him. Well it would serve him right…the douche bag! As he was thinking these murderous thoughts, he suddenly heard the familiar roar of the Impala. Dean was back. Terrific! he thought.

John heard it too. He stopped stirring the indiscernible stew he had concocted and turned off the stove. He waited, arms folded, for his eldest to open the door. Sam thought it best to continue watching was he was pretending to watch. Dean didn't deserve privacy for what was going to happen but…

"What time do ya' call this Dean?" John asked in a surprising calm tone of voice.

Dean looked at his dad with all the bravado he could muster and replied, "I'm sorry sir". He was looking towards his brother for a sign of what had been said in his absence. Sam was not looking back. Dean took that as a bad omen. Dean knew he had to come clean. "I went to see Angela sir…to say goodbye…I'm really sorry that I lost track of the time. It won't happen again dad."

John took a deep breath and gave Dean one of the looks that never bade well for his boys. "I'm disappointed in you Dean." Dean flinched at that, more than he would have at a punch to his chin. "I expect ya' to look after Sammy and follow orders. I don't expect ya' to go AWOL when we have to prepare for this hunt", John then did something surprising. He went up to his son and lifted his chin which had dropped at his dad's reprimand. "Son. You did the right thing. You should've asked… that's all…Are you hungry?"

Dean began to feel incredibly guilty but he looked his dad straight in the eye and answered "Ya' bet I am sir."

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