Chapter 6

Dean and Sam stepped from the motel room and found Bobby and Jed waiting on them by the Impala. Dean unlocked the driver's door and reach around to get the others. Sam rode shotgun and Bobby and Jed slid into the backseat.

"So, where are we heading?" Dean asked glancing in the mirror to look at the passengers in the back.

"Take the main road out of town. The first body was found out near where they're clearing the land for a housing development. The killings started right after that work all started."

"Clearing the land?" Sam questioned. "Did it involve any blasting?"

"Blasting?" Jed asked frowning with uncertainty. "I'm not sure, I didn't really look at it that closely."

"What are you thinking son?" Bobby asked, his interest peaked.

"What if when they started clearing the land, they set this monster free or somehow created a passage that let it come through from someplace else?" Sam offered. "It's just an idea."

"That's a scary thought," Dean said.

"I mean, from what we do know, this is something we've not seen before, it would make sense," Sam shrugged.

"If you're right, we don't know enough about this monster to kill it," Bobby surmised.

"I did notice with each kill, the monster is moving closer to town and to people," Jed offered.

"Food source," Dean commented. "It's moving closer, so it'll be easier to find food."

"I'll take you to where the last victim was found," Jeb offered. "Maybe it's still somewhere around there."

"Worth a shot. We've got a couple of hours or so before it gets too dark to see. Give me the directions," Dean told Jed.

"Stay on this road until you come to a four way intersection, about six miles, and take a right onto Shadow Lane, stay on that road for ten miles until you come to Mission Road, take a left."

"Got it." Dean watched the traffic around him as he started looking for the intersection ahead of them.

"Bobby, what do you think is the best weapon that might kill it?" Sam asked him, looking over the seat at the older hunter.

"I don't know Sam, we can try silver bullets or maybe fire," Bobby suggested.

"You still have that homemade flame thrower?" Dean questioned.

"Yep, don't leave home without it."

"What else? We've got some consecrated iron bullets too."

"Could maybe take the head off, but that would mean getting awfully close," Sam offered. "Maybe as a last resort."

"Hopefully, something we have will work," Bobby mumbled quietly not liking their odds at the moment. They need more intel and the only way to get that was to confront the monster and see if anything worked to kill it or even injure it; that would be a start.

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The hunters were quiet the rest of the way to the last crime scene. Dean pulled off the road and stopped the car so they could get out. They went to the trunk and armed themselves with any weapons they thought would be useful. Dean loosened his belt and slipped a machete sheath onto it before fastening it back in place. He gave Sam a gun with silver bullets and he took one with iron ones and one with regular bullets. Bobby pulled his homemade flame thrower from a bag and made sure he had a lighter. Jed grabbed a jar of holy oil and a sawed-off shotgun. Once they were all armed, Dean led the way toward where the yellow crime scene tape was blowing gently in the breeze.

"Stay alert, this thing could be anywhere," Dean mumbled to the others. He flared his nostrils trying to find the scent he had smelled in the morgue. He stopped at a dark spot on the ground and got the scent of human blood. He stepped away toward the beginning of the forest and scanned the area. "Over this way, I can smell it," Dean called to the others.

Bobby glanced at Jed who frowned at Dean's remark and motioned to Sam to go join his brother. Sam hurried to Dean's side and mumbled to him about what he said. Dean looked back toward the others before answering Sam and continuing into the forest a short distance.

"Hey!" Sam yelled to Bobby and Jed. "I think there's a trail where something when this way."

"Let's go see what they found. Dean's one of the best trackers I know, maybe we can find where it holds up," Bobby told Jed before walking toward the brothers. He hoped that would stop Jed from asking too many questions about Dean.

The sunlight had a hard time making its way through the branches of the trees, casting the landscape into shadows. The hunters made their way carefully deeper into the trees. Dean was leading the way, stopping every so often to scan the area in front of them.

"Here," he said stopping at a downed tree where the branches made a crude shelter. "Something was here." He reached to a branch and pulled loose some long, dark strands of matted hair to show to the others. They could see where something had bedded down under the branches and made a bed.

"Okay, it was here, but where is it now?" Sam asked glancing around them carefully for any movement. His body was tense, and his heart was beating faster as he felt a shiver run up his spine. They were in this monster's territory now and he thought it might not take kindly to that.

"We should probably head back before it gets any darker," Bobby told the brothers looking around as darkness began to descend quickly.

"Yeah, you're probably right," Dean agreed. He took the lead again as they headed back out of the forest. They were only halfway back to the crime scene when he halted, holding up his hand in a fist, making everyone else freeze. Dean's highly enhanced senses picked up the breaking of twigs and the rustling of leaves to the left of them, cutting off their retreat.

The hunters stared in disbelief as a darker shadow stepped from among the trees blocking their path. The creature was about seven feet tall and covered in long, dark brownish/black hair that hung in a matted, tangled mess all over its body. There was an oily sheen to the hair that had bits of dirt, twigs, and dried leaves stuck all over its body. The silvery/white eyes glared at them and seemed to reflect any light that was left of the day. The darker it got the more the eyes glowed. When the creature growled at them, they could see the razor sharp teeth that filled its mouth. It gnashed its teeth, and a deep growl began to build in its chest as it stepped closer to them. The arms on the creature were longer than normal and ended in deathly claws that were black and sharp.

Dean was the first to break out of his frozen stance and jerked his handgun out to fire iron rounds at the creature. Sam followed suit and started emptying his gun with silver bullets into the creature's chest.

The creature howled in anger and rage as the bullets hit it but didn't seem to cause it any harm. It raised its long claw tipped fingers stepping toward the brothers while its roars echoed through the forest. The brothers stepped backwards as Jed moved forward and tossed holy oil onto the creature while Bobby lit his flame thrower and aimed it at the creature. A long flame of fire shot from the thrower and set the ends of the creature's hair on fire but seemed to fizzle out without burning. With a howl so loud, it hurt the hunter's ears, the creature pulled a sapling from the ground and threw it at them, knocking Jed to the ground and making Bobby stumble backwards and fall.

Without warning, Dean fell to his knees as he clutched his hands to his ears and cried out in pain.

"Dean!" Sam yelled at him as he reloaded and emptied the gun into the creature as it turned and lumbered away, disappearing into the trees. Sam ran to his brother and dropped down beside him grabbing his shoulders. "Are you okay?"

"Couldn't you hear that?" Dean said louder than needed since he couldn't hear.

"Bobby, help…" Jed called weakly from where he lay with the sapling still on him.

"Jed, talk to me," Bobby urged as he shifted the tree from his body.

"I think my arm is broken," Jed hissed holding his broken arm to his chest.

"Sam, how's Dean?" Bobby asked as he helped Jed to stand and guided him to the brothers.

"I'm not sure what happened," Sam told Bobby as he pulled his brother from the ground and steadied him. "I think he heard something we couldn't."

"Did you hear it?" Dean yelled as he opened and closed his mouth and worked his jaw trying to make his ears pop so he could hear.

"Dean, hey, wait until you can hear us," Sam said slowly as he faced Dean so he could see him talk. "C'mon Bobby, let's get them out of here and get Jed to a doctor."

"Yeah, good idea. Let's go Jed," Bobby told him steering him toward the crime scene where the Impala was parked.

Sam grabbed Dean's arm and pulled him after Bobby and Jed. Dean tried to complain and growled at Sam only to get a bitch face from his brother who kept a firm grasp on his arm. It was dark by the time they got out of the forest and to the car.

"I'm driving," Sam told Dean holding out his hand for the keys.

"What?" Dean asked pointing to his ears and shaking his head he didn't hear him. "Ears ringing."

Sam huffed in annoyance and reached into Dean's pocket for the keys to unlock the car doors and shoved Dean into the passenger seat, closing the door on him. Dean sputtered and tried to voice his complaints but stopped when Sam used hand signals to tell him to shut up, he was driving. He slumped in the seat with his arms crossed over his chest and pouted. Sam waited for Bobby to get Jed in the back and started the Impala so he could drive back to town and find the hospital. He pressed on the gas harder when Jed moaned from the back in pain.

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Sam pulled up the emergency room entrance and stopped. He turned and watched Bobby get Jed out to take him inside.

"Call me when you're ready to leave," Sam called to Bobby, knowing they all didn't need to go in. "I'll come and get you guys."

"Alright Sam. You take care of Dean," Bobby replied as he closed the backdoor of the car. He helped Jed move toward the doors and inside.

Sam cranked the car and pulled away from the hospital to head back to the motel that was fifteen minutes away. He pulled into the parking lot and around to their room. The brothers got out and Dean opened the door to their room so they could go inside.

"How are your ears Dean?" Sam asked him when he got his attention. He talked with his hands so Dean would know what he asked.

"The ringing is getting less," Dean replied in a more normal voice. He rubbed his ears and grimaced because he could feel the healing happening. He dropped onto the bed and huffed out a long breath.

Sam went to his duffle and dug around to find some Tylenol for Dean. He got a bottle of water and stepped to Dean's bed. He tapped the bottle on Dean's arm and held his hand out with the pills. Dean squinted up at him and down at his hand. He took the pills and water, popping them in his mouth and washing it down with the water.

Sam went to the table and turned on his laptop while Dean rested. He pulled up the internet and a search engine where he began to type quickly. He wanted to see if he could find anything on the creature they had encountered. He was concerned that none of their weapons had really worked on it. He wasn't sure what else they could use to try and kill it. He scoured the internet but was coming up short of anything they might could use.

Sam's cell started ringing a couple hours later and he answered it. He spoke quietly to Bobby as he looked over at Dean to see if he was still asleep.

"Hey, I'm going to get Bobby and Jed," Sam told him giving his leg a shake as he spoke.

"'ky," Dean grumbled and growled as he waved Sam away and rolled over to his side. He didn't want to be disturbed yet and wanted Sam to leave him alone.

Sam got the car keys and room key to head back to the hospital to pick up the others. He was going to stop somewhere to pick some dinner up for them. He didn't think any of them felt like going out to eat. The drive to the hospital was fast since there wasn't much traffic and he managed to hit green lights on the way there.

A/N: A monster they have never heard of before; how will they kill it if none of the usual things will work. They were lucky only one of them got hurt. We will find out in the next chapter. Thanks for coming on this journey. Reviews would make my day. NC