Chapter 35 ~ Never Fight a Land War in Asia…
They still had to figure out how two dozen of hunters were supposed to leave the bunker without the Leviathans noticing.
It was crystal-clear, that they needed a distraction. Something that'd draw their attention, and they had the hots for.
Everyone knew the answer.
But no one would say it out loud.
Until Sam did. "They want the tablet, so we'll go on a wild goose hunt."
Dean looked at him questioning, because he heard the message hidden beneath.
The others just stared at him, asking who was supposed to play goose.
"And I'll be the goose.", Sam looked over at Dean, who was still staring holes into Sam's temples.
"The hell you are.", Dean protested, flat palm coming down on the map's table with a loud thud. "No one's playin' goose. – No one can outrun them. That's why no one's goin' out there."
"What options do we have?", Sam asked bluntly – and somehow eager at the same time. Ready to throw himself into the throws of war without hesitation.
"Well, we didn't come up with something YET, but we certainly will.", Dean blurted out, anger flaring up in his eyes, letting them gleam with a hint of blue.
"The storage is nearly empty. We're running out of water. – Our people are going to become hungry, starve. They – WE – are going to get weak, Dean." Sam was determined. Totally. There was no room for discussion. "We can't wait any longer. – It's an option we haven't discussed so far. And as far as I'm concerned it's the best solution."
Everyone kept silent and watched. Observed. Neither dared to intervene in the heated discussion.
"And how far do you think you'll get?!", Dean was yelling now, as he rose from the chair, shoving it back violently. "A mile max?"
"I'll be on demon-blood when I'll do it.", Sam said calmly, his voice soft like velvet against Dean's skin, meant to soothe him. But it caused quite the opposite reaction.
"Are you freakin' kiddin' me?!" If anyone thought Dean's voice couldn't possibly become any louder, then that anyone had been wrong. "You're aiming for a second Poughkeepsie?! Is that it?"
Everyone flinched at the word.
Even Dean froze for a moment. "You know what that shit's doin' to you, man!"
Sam nodded, though he held Dean's gaze. "Yes. – I do. – I'll blast them into next week when they're comin' too close."
Dean huffed out a breath in disbelieve and shook his head, pure white anger forcing his muscles to tense up. "You gotta be kidding me, Sam. It'll do shit to them."
"I'm not. And yeah, probably." Sam cast his look towards the tiles. "I'll take the tablet, lure them away from the bunker, And there's nothing you can do to stop me, Dean."
"No, you are so fucking not!" The Winchester's growl rumbled through the bunker, letting everyone still.
His nostrils were flaring, hot breath bursting from them. If this was a cartoon, there may had been visible steamy puffs of air coming from him.
"Yes. I am. – Maybe you can't accept it yet, but you will. – Just … think about it.", Sam was still calm – weirdly calm.
It made Dean's guts boil even more. With a growl, he stormed off, wiping a stack of books and a lamb from a nearby small table, when he stomped out of the room.
Sam cleared his throat.
Then looked up, looking into the round, making sure that he would catch everyone's gaze.
"You're with me on that, aren't you?", he asked low.
John cleared his throat and cast his look aside.
Bobby was pretty pale under his beard and bushy eyebrows.
Ellen tugged a stray lock of hair out of her face and looked at John with a wary expression on her face.
"You are, right?", Sam asked again – because he needed some sort of reassurance that someone – at least one person – was believing in him. Trusting that he was able to do this.
"Are you completely insane, Sam?!", Bobby burst out all of a sudden and jumped from his chair.
"Dad. – Please.", he looked up at him, blinked, and Bobby started to soften instantly. "You know I'm right. – That's why you're mad."
Bobby pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Look. – When it's over, the spell said, he leviathans gone and rifts closed and – and when I'm not back within five days … I'll rely on you, okay? You'll come looking for me." Sam's voice was oh-so-soft, and a trusting smile made his lips curl upwards.
Bobby sniffed. "Of course, I will."
"We all will.", John added, though he didn't seem reassured at all.
"Yep, partner.", Garth nipped at his glass of water.
Sam drew in a deep breath he wasn't aware of holding.
~*Apple Pie & Bacon*~
Dean was pacing his room in light-speed, running off his anger.
Sam was standing in front of Dean's room, shifting his weight from one foot to another, hand on the door-knob, hesitating. He could hear the muffled sounds of boots hitting carpet.
"Dean?", he asked quietly and knocked, because he was not sure if he was allowed to enter.
There was silence. The footfalls had stilled.
"You better sleep in your room tonight, Sam.", came Dean's response.
Sam's heart sank, his guts twisted into an agonizingly aching knot. His hand slipped from the knob.
"Night, Dean.", Sam whispered – rather to himself than towards the man on the other side of the door.
Neither of them slept that night.
~*Apple Pie & Bacon*~
The next morning came hard – and fast.
Sam knocked on Dean's door, but wouldn't enter without invitation, so after there came no answer, he went into the kitchen, where he found Dean, sitting at the table, drinking coffee (which we know ain't coffee at all).
Sam stilled in the threshold for a moment and thought about turning around again, but then decided, that it wouldn't help if he'd go out of Dean's way. So, he made his way towards the coffee-maker, realizing that there was no coffee, since they were running low on water.
Sam lifted the carafe nonetheless, checking. Empty – of course.
With a sigh, he put the carafe down, and lurked over the counter towards Dean, giving him a once-over.
He looked miserable. At least as miserable as Sam felt.
"Why are you doing this?", Dean eventually asked, without looking up. "Why do you need to run right into it?"
Sam pursed his lips. He took a deep inhale. "Because there's a reasonable chance that we can wipe those bastards from the earth's face. – And I don't want anyone else to go out there. Besides, I think – and no, I'm not way over my head when I say this – I'm the best chance to lure them away without them catching up. – And if they do, I'll blow them away."
Sam sounded sincere that it would work out just fine. He sounded as if he was telling Dean that he was going to take a walk in the park.
Which it actually wasn't.
The both of them knew that.
"So …" Now Dean was looking up, addressing Sam with a worried look. "… What's the plan?"
Sam filled him in on what they've been talking about after Dean had left.
Dean still didn't seem convinced, but Sam couldn't blame him. He wouldn't be either, if it was Dean in his place.
"We'll be okay."; Sam told him and reached across the table, capturing Dean's hands in his. "When this's over we're one step closer to our retirement." Sam smiled at Dean when he looked up.
"Right?", he asked.
Dean smiled back – weakly. "Right, Sammy." He sounded everything but convinced to Sam, but that was how it was. He couldn't change the way he felt about their plan.
Not when it was about Sam going out there and playing bait.
But he was also right.
They were running out of time and the longer they would wait, the weaker they'd all get.
They needed to deal with the threat soon, or else they'd all die.
Now, that Castiel had reconnected to his grace, and had given it willingly to tend the greater good, (Not all of it of course) they would head out by tomorrow morning … as soon as Sam would have left the bunker with the tablet.
There was only one more thing to do.
Drawing demon-blood.
Which was no big deal anyway.
Sam summoned a demon in the dungeon and practically drew all its blood, containing it in blood-bottles.
The plan was, Sam getting hooked up on a venous catheter, where it'd go into his blood-stream slowly. He'd have three injections pens handy too, in case he'd need to speed up things near-term.
Dean was not amused.
But Sam knew that already, and he figured, it was because his man was worried and scared for him.
~*Apple Pie & Bacon*~
Their last night – before they would face the big-uglies out there – they spent together in Dean's room.
They just lay there, and stared at the ceiling, their arms touching alongside in between their bodies, fingers intertwined.
"You know I'm gonna kick your ass if you're not here as soon as we're back, right?", Dean asked, concern swinging in his voice, though he tried to hide it behind a snarky tone.
"I know." Sam squeezed his hand gently.
"Same goes for you. You better come back in one piece." Sam turned his head to face Dean, memorizing each and every inch of his profile. The way dimples formed at the edges of his eyes as he smiled softly at Sam when he turned his head too.
"There ain't no me if there ain't no you, Sammy.", Dean whispered. "Remember that."
~*Apple Pie & Bacon*~
"So …", Dean talked up while he watched Sam store the blood-bottles in his duffel, "We're really gonna do this."
"Guess we are." There was no way to hide his nervousness about it.
"It's reckless though." Dean scratched the back of his neck, watching Sam tugging the injection-pens into the inside-pocket of his parka.
"Dean …", Sam sighed and stilled for a moment before he turned around. "I'll be fine."
There was no way they all would come unharmed out of this. Not by a long shot.
They needed to expect losses.
Dean hoped it wouldn't come down to Sam becoming one of them.
"We still have two tablets to get our hands on. – I can't die. You can't die. Neither of us can. – Who else will be able to do that?" Sam smirked at Dean when he turned around.
Dean huffed out a breath. "You think that's makin' me feel better?"
"Yup, it's supposed to." He shrugged and walked up to him.
"And you're aware you're telling bullshit?", Dean asked with a smirk – looking right through him.
Sam's smile widened. "Yup. Let's just pretend, 'kay?"
Dean shook his head. He kept on smirking, but his eyes had lost their spark.
"You'd do the same.", Sam argued.
Yes, he was right, Dean'd do the same. "No."
Sam rolled with his eyes. "I don't want to tip off another discussion."
"Me neither." Dean's eyebrows rose. Somehow challenging.
"We should stop talking about it then.", Sam pointed out.
"You're right. We probably should." Because Dean knew as well that they'd end up fighting over it. The last thing he wanted, was to pick a fight before they were about to separate … so he let it slip.
~*Apple Pie & Bacon*~
Two dozen hunters and a hand full more, including the A-Team had gathered at the bottom of the stairs, when Dean and Sam approached.
"You ready, boys?", John hollered towards them.
Both gave Dean's father a curt nod.
Everyone was beyond tense.
"We'll see each other in five days.", Bobby spoke to all of them, but addressed his son specifically, when he emphasized five days.
Sam stepped forward, and pulled Bobby into a bear-hug, whispering "I love you, dad" into the crook of his neck.
"Take care, honey." Ellen gave him a sympathetic smile.
"Four hours head start.", John spoke up, looking at Sam, "We'll wait and see if it works. – When it does, we're on our way."
Sam gave the man a nod. "That's it then, huh? Showtime." He also was tense, and he actually didn't do Goodbyes, so a wave with his hand and a warm smile was all they got from Sam.
Charlie handed Sam the tablet, who stored it in his duffel which was slung over his shoulder.
"You ready?", Dean asked hesitantly, worried lines on his face.
Sam nodded and blew out a tense breath. "Sure. – Let's do this."
~*Apple Pie & Bacon*~
In the garage, a Lincoln Continental Mark V was prepared and ready to take off.
Sam circled the car twice, before dumping his duffel on the passenger's seat. "Wow … I mean … isn't that nice."
Dean grinned. "It's Cas' pimpmobile. – He thinks you'll need the horse-power …" His grin widened. "We've tuned it up a couple of months ago … So … Don't push it too much."
Sam cocked an eyebrow at Dean, hand resting on the car's top.
"I'll take care of it." Sam watched Dean approach him.
Dean backed him up against the closed passenger's door hands coming down on Sam's hips.
"And yeah. I'll take care of myself too."
"That's not what I wanted to say." Dean leaned in and placed a lingering kiss on Sam's lips.
Sam kissed him back. "It's going to be okay. – Don't worry."
"I'm worrying.", Dean whispered against Sam's silken lips. "And now go before I decide otherwise, and I'm gonna tie you down in our room."
Dean cleared his throat and mumbled something about A-Team turning into Suicide-Squad.
Sam only smirked at his lover's remark, knowing that he was trying to ease the tenseness engulfing them.
Dean stepped back and gave Sam room, so he could round the car and get behind the wheel. As soon, as he was seated, Dean climbed into the passenger's seat, and placed the duffel on his lap, rummaging through it.
Sam rolled up his shirt's sleeve and offered the inside of his arm to Dean, who was about to unwrap medical equipment to set a vein catheter.
Once that was done, and one of the blood-bottles mounted to the rearview-mirror and attached to the catheter, Sam demanded another kiss, before Dean got out.
"See you in a couple of days.", Sam ducked his head to lurk outside the passenger's window to catch one last glimpse at his partner.
"Five days, Sammy. FIVE.", Dean patted the top of the car.
When the garage's door opened automatically, no one detected the small black slimy thing sneak through the gape as soon as it started to lift.
No one saw it slip around the corner, and no one noticed it vanishing in the shadows.
~*Apple Pie & Bacon*~