Stepping into the line of fire
Chapter 41
Dean could not believe what he had heard.
His instinct was to protect his darling Ange.
She had done nothing wrong as far as he was concerned but he did not want to poke the bear! His dad had an enormous influence on him. He respected him, admired his amazing courage under the line of fire… and at times worshipped him. He had made it his life's purpose never to disappoint his father and this time the ol' man had disappointed him!... deeply.
Dean felt he needed to sort this out. If he was man enough to ask Angela to marry him, then he had to man up and tell his dad to stand down. How the fuck was he going to do this? It would take gargantuan courage and he was determined to find it deep within himself. He had heard Ange talking about his father turning him into a blunt instrument. He pondered the truthfulness of that statement. Had he?... Had John done this to him?... it was almost too much to take in. He knew though that he needed to act. Do something.
"What's going on?" he asked them both. "What are ya' doing? Are you fighting over me?"
John spoke first.
"We're not fighting son, I'm just tellin' Angela a few home truths…"
Angela interrupted him at this point and flipped back … " Yeah…and he doesn't want to hear mine! Your dad just won't accept that you love me and I love ya' that's all." She said truthfully.
Dean looked down. Thought for a second… and glared at his father.
"Dad, Ange didn't hook me in." He added "Sir" for good measure. He felt like shit.
John swallowed. He asked them both to sit down. He found his log…sat on it, and its quiet, contemplative quality calmed him down.
"I think we need to talk." He declared quietly.
"We've talked enough" Angela spit back.
"Honey…please Ange…honey… Let's talk calmly. Please…" Dean almost begged.
John looked at both of his recalcitrant troop members. That was the way he instinctually saw them.
He knew that he was right, their shenanigans were only going to lead to potential disaster. He took another deep breath. He was taking too many deep breaths at the moment… but he had to sort out morale. Morale was "make or break" on a potential enemy attack. He knew what was best for Dean. He knew how Dean ticked. He decided to cut to the chase. John never beat around the bush. Ever. He looked at Angela directly as he spoke to her, first.
"Missee…"
Angela interrupted him.
"I'm not a missee. You do not address me that way. Ever!"
John gulped a little and decided to change his tone.
"Angela. I'm going to tell it to ya' straight. This is the most crap I've ever had on a hunt. We need ya' but you're getting' Dean off his game gal'" ... "Angela"… he repeated for good measure…" You don't know what you're doing. I'm disappointed in ya'. I thought that you were on board. Kissing and flirting and fucking" …he bluntly added… is going to get us all killed...I don't mean to be the big, bad wolf, or…a stupid old goat as ya' called me!... but somewhere along the line someone has to call a spade a spade!"
John watched his son from the corner of his eye and could discern a form of agreement. Grabbing that lifeboat, he continued…
"Angela. Ya're lovely." He gulped genuinely. "You are a gorgeous young lady" He was not the type of man to back track. On this one he did. He thought to himself for a quick second…do I mean this or no? … I don't mean it or do I? for another quick second he thought… but, he continued… "I want us all to succeed and at the exact moment he declared positively. "we'll kill that son of a bitch…we'll celebrate!". John punched his fist into the air. The old hunter decided to make his point with more fervour.
"I'll tell it straight…. all there is at present, is a total disregard for direct orders and insubordination! Dean knows better than to question direct orders because he knows that if we hunt… We hunt to kill… Not to be killed! I know ya'll see it my way in the end. "Angela…" he continued… "You've got to follow orders or you will not marry your "sweetie" as you call him… because your sweetie will be dead! he'll be a dead duck!" … John paused for a moment thinking that the last quip was probably misguided. He continued his John like apology…
"He will be dead…can't ya' fucking see it gal!"
That final pronouncement made Angela cringe and Dean think.
SPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPNS