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Locked Up

Chapter ten

Dean entered the room and choked back a sob when he saw Sam's body lying in the middle of the room. He ran to his side, knelt down next to him, and pulled him into his arms.

"Sammy!" Dean said softly as he brushed Sam's long brown hair out of his eyes. He winced as he looked at his brother's injuries. Blood ran out of the corner of his mouth, his eyes were both swollen and a deep gash above his left eyebrow had caused blood to run down the side of his face and form a small pool of blood on the floor. Sam began to moan a little and Dean shut his eyes and breathed a sigh of relief thankful that he was still alive. He still wore the orange jumpsuit which Dean hoped meant that Marlin hadn't gotten to him. Sam's knuckles were swollen and bleeding, indicating that he must have put up a hell of a fight. Dean blinked back tears as he thought of what his brother must have gone through. Then suddenly he thought of Marlin. Where are you, you son of a bitch? Dean looked around the dark cell and finally saw a shape lying on the floor in the corner. He remembered his last words to Marlin 'You touch him, you're dead.' He glanced down at his brother's beaten body and decided to make sure Marlin paid for what he tried to do to him. He gently lay Sam back on the floor and walked over to Marlin.

"Marlin you bastard get up!" Dean kicked at Marlin with his foot but he didn't move. "Get up!" When he still didn't move he knelt down next to him then put two fingers on his neck feeling for a pulse….he was dead.

Dean swallowed hard; Sam must have killed him in the fight. He quickly went back to his brother and once more sat on the floor next to him and pulled him into his arms.

"Damn it Sammy." Dean said quietly as he held his brother close fighting back tears of worry. It was clearly a case of self defense but he was worried about what was going to happen to his brother. Would he have to stay in jail because of this? Just then Sam's eyelids fluttered as he tried to fight his way back to consciousness.

"Sammy?"

Sam's eyes slowly opened and he looked up into his brother's face.

"Hey." He said as he gave Dean a small smile through teeth smeared with blood, relieved to see that his brother was okay.

"Hey yourself." Dean smiled back. "You okay?"

Sam hesitated for a few seconds and a strange look came over his face as he remembered what had happened.

"Yeah….I'm okay." He said softly.

"He didn't hurt you did he?"

"No." Sam said quickly, a little too quickly Dean thought. But Sam was alive and that was all that mattered right now. He quickly pushed his worry and suspicions to the back of his mind.

"Oh good…. I'm sorry I couldn't make it back last night, I tried but…."

"You didn't come alone did you?"

"No, the cavalry will be here any minute." Dean gave a little smile.

"Good….you told them what's going on here?"

"Yeah." Dean pulled his earlobe forward so Sam could see the tiny microphone concealed behind it.

"Oh, so now you're working undercover for the cops?" Sam gave a little laugh then winced in pain as his bruised ribs protested.

"Just this one time buddy." Dean grinned he knew Sam knew that he and cops just didn't hit it off too well.

Sam shut his eyes for a few seconds waiting for the pain to subside but then he remembered Marlin and his eyes flew open.

"Marlin? Where is he?"

Dean didn't want to upset Sam further so he lied hoping Sam wouldn't see the body in the darkened cell.

"They already picked him up."

"Oh good…"

"Can you walk?"

"Yeah, just help me up."

Dean got up then reached down and slowly pulled Sam up. He swayed a little and Dean quickly put Sam's arm around his shoulder and winced in sympathy when he saw the blood on the back of Sam's jumpsuit that had soaked through it from the whipping.

"How's your back?" He asked.

"Okay, just stings a little."

Dean immediately began to lead Sam out of the cell hoping he wouldn't spot the body in the far corner of the cell, but it was too late. He could tell by Sam's expression he had seen it.

Sam's body tensed as he saw two legs lying in the small patch of light that filtered in from the hallway.

"Dean, he's still here!" He said as he pulled away from Dean and started backing away from Marlin a strange look on his face.

"I'll take care of him after I get you out of here." He grabbed Sam's arm and once more tried to lead him away.

"I think I hurt him Dean…we had a fight."

"Yeah I can see that." Dean said as Sam stepped into the light from the hallway and he got a good look at his battered face.

"I might have hurt him… bad."

"Sam…" Dean hated to tell him but knew he'd find out anyway. "Sam…" He waited till Sam turned around to face him. "He's dead Sam."

"What!" Dean could see the color drain from his brother's face.

"He's dead."

"I….I killed him?"

"Yeah…it looks that way."

Sam stood quietly staring at the body. He couldn't believe he had actually killed a man.

"What…what am I going to do Dean?" He said when he could finally speak.

"Sam, it's a clear case of self defense. He came in here to… well you know. You were only defending yourself."

"Yeah but Dean…I didn't think I killed him." Sam's voice cracked as he blinked back tears. "My God Dean…I killed somebody." He said in disbelief. Both brothers had killed supernatural creatures before but never a human and it tore at Sam's heart that he had now killed a man.

"You didn't want to Sammy. He came after you; you had no choice but to defend yourself." Dean saw his brother's pain and wished he could think of something to say to lessen it. "He was a sick son of a bitch and you probably saved other inmates from having to deal with him." He grabbed his brother's arm and tugged him away from Marlin. "Come on….I need to get you outside and get you some medical help."

Sam left Dean lead him away from the body but as soon as they stepped outside the cell the warden was standing there pointing a gun at them which he had gotten from one of the guards.

"So you killed one of my cons?" The warden said looking at Sam.

Dean slowly moved his hand toward his pocket where he had put the guard's gun.

"Don't try it." The warden pointed the gun at Dean. "I never should have trusted you. I told you if you went to the cops your brother would suffer. Well now he's killed one of my prisoners and is trying to escape. It's only fair that he dies too." The warden pointed the gun back at Sam.

"Noooooo!" Dean yelled as he pushed Sam out of the way just as the warden fired.

"Dean!" Sam screamed as he saw Dean grab his side as he fell to the ground. He ran to him and knelt down next to him and gently rolled him onto his back. "Dean?" Dean's face was etched with pain, his hand pressed tight against his side as blood oozed between his fingers as he looked up into Sam's worried face.

TBC