Chapter 2: Crossed Timelines
Winston-Winslow. Tuesday, November 28, 2006
By the time Neal showed up at Winston-Winslow on Tuesday morning, he assumed the staff had probably heard as much as they cared to about Thailand. The previous day, Sara had worked at the office while Neal was at Columbia University. She shared photos and anecdotes with all who were interested. Today Sara wouldn't be there since her team was investigating a theft on the Upper East Side.
Before getting down to work, Neal set out a platter of Thai flower shortbread cookies in the lounge for all to enjoy. As Sara had predicted, the first batch she'd brought in on Monday had disappeared down to the last crumb. The cookies were shaped into flowers and had been smoked with perfumed candles to add fragrance.
He expected to spend the day catching up on Interpol reports. Henry had been out of the office yesterday, meeting with prospective clients, and Neal assumed he probably would be again today. Growing Win-Win's caseload was one of the top items on Henry's agenda. He was already in discussions to purchase the building where they were presently leasing space. That would give them two additional floors.
The major item on Neal's docket was the Van Gogh painting that had been confiscated at a mobster's penthouse shortly before his and Sara's wedding. The work depicted the church at Auvers-sur-Oise and had been sent to the French by D.C. Art Crimes for verification. Neal believed it was the original and his hunch was confirmed. Last week the French acknowledged that the painting in the Musée d'Orsay was a forgery. No one knew when the original had been stolen.
Marcel Jauffret, Neal's Interpol contact in France, was attempting to have the forgery sent to Neal for inspection. He already had detailed photos but they were inadequate to solve the mystery of who'd painted the work. All they knew so far was that the forger was an expert.
Neal had just settled down to work with a mug of French dark roast courtesy of the Italian coffee maker in the lounge when Henry popped in.
"I suppose everyone has told you how obscene you look with a tan in New York on the eve of December," Henry said. "Unlike you, I considerately chose August for my honeymoon so others wouldn't be envious."
Neal grinned. "I missed you too. I already know thefts didn't stop while we were gone. I'm just glad Sara's current case doesn't involve travel." He paused, waiting for Henry to supply the answer to his unspoken question. Henry's smiling countenance wasn't a complete mask. He was worried, and that meant Neal was too.
Henry perched on one of the extra lab chairs positioned around the worktable. They had padded seats and backs—a major improvement on the stools in his art studio.
"Anything noteworthy come up during my absence?" Neal asked when Henry wasn't forthcoming.
"You might say so, and I find it distinctly awkward to be the one in the family relating the latest demonic news." Henry frowned. "This is usually your turf."
"Don't tell me Abaddon has returned," Neal said, refusing to push the panic button. "I hope Crowley's not making waves."
"No, we have another demon on our radar. It's so serious Dean has asked for Graham and Julia's help."
"Then you better fill me in." Last month, Henry's grandfather and his wife had reached out to the Winchesters, volunteering their assistance. Graham's focus was on the early history of the Men of Letters and the group's connection to the Winslows. Julia offered to help with data analysis. Dean had been particularly reluctant to agree, and Neal empathized with his hesitancy. Disclosing hunter lore to an outsider was akin to a cat burglar confiding the tricks of the trade to the police. The situation must be desperate for Dean to have changed his mind, and as Henry related the Winchesters' history with the Yellow-Eyed Demon, Neal understood why. When a member of your family is threatened, other concerns fall by the wayside.
"Sam told me back in September that he was having an occasional nightmare about the demon," Neal said. "We hoped they weren't indicative of a more serious issue."
"They must have gotten worse because Sam also mentioned them to Dean. That was in October. Dean said that's when he knew something heavy was going down. He's usually the last one Sam confides in."
Neal shrugged. "Sam's like us. He doesn't want his family to worry about him. You and I have made progress in that area. Something similar with Dean and Sam may come out of this."
"But first they've got to survive it." Henry exhaled. "The Apocalypse? A Prince of Hell? The overthrow of heaven? I thought Win-Win had some challenging cases, but this trumps them all."
Neal nodded, the full import just starting to settle in. Not the situation he wanted to face just as he and Sara were starting their new life together. "When did Dean contact Julia?"
"After he spoke with Ash."
"Who's Ash?"
"He appears to be the hunters' version of Julia. Some young dude about Sam's age who lives in a roadhouse in Nebraska. The place is a favorite watering hole for hunters. Ash is supposedly a genius—although I'm not sure Dean would be able to properly evaluate his qualifications. He was kicked out of MIT for fighting."
"I wonder if Aidan knows who he is. They were probably at MIT around the same time. Do you have a last name or a photo?"
"No, but I could probably get one. Dean had given him his dad's notes about the Yellow-Eyed Demon, or I guess we should call him Azazel now thanks to the information Crowley provided. Ash has been trying to detect a pattern of signs that would indicate the demon's location but so far hasn't had any luck. After Sam disclosed his latest visions, Dean got back in touch with him."
Henry began playing with Neal's magnetic sculpture on the worktable. It was an office gift from Peter for channeling fidgets. "This is where it gets even weirder. According to Dean, Ash is a fanboy of Julia. He attended a lecture she gave at MIT and has been following her work ever since. With that kind of stamp of approval, Dean felt better about entrusting her with the family lore. He contacted Julia and gave her the basics of the case. She told me she's already contacted Ash."
"What about the British Men of Letters? I know Bobby said they don't like hunters, but shouldn't we at least approach them?"
Henry gave a brief chuckle. "Julia already tried, and no dice."
"When did that happen?" Neal demanded. "Did you know about it?"
"Not until yesterday. They only just 'fessed up. You remember that trip to London they made before your wedding? Ostensibly it was for Julia to visit her relatives, and she claims that was the truth. What she didn't mention was that she has a cousin in the police force. He'd heard about the group and had a telephone number. But they refused to even meet with Julia and Pops. 'Stuck-up bunch of twits' was Pops' description. The cousin wasn't surprised. They won't have anything to do with the police either." Henry shrugged. "So we're placing all our chips with a hacker who lives in a roadhouse in Nebraska."
"What happens if they find Azazel?" Neal asked. "Can he be banished back to wherever he came from?"
"Possibly, but that may not be a permanent solution. Dean said there was a way to kill him but he didn't go into details. He may tell you more about it. Are you still going to New Haven tomorrow?"
Neal nodded. "Before this came up, Maia had offered to have us stay with them. We weren't planning to since we didn't know what our caseloads would be like."
"You should take her up on the offer," Henry urged. "They'll all appreciate the company. Dean and Sam are sticking close to home. Sam's obsessed with the thought Azazel will attack the mansion. Dean's trying to distract him by having him help with the mystery machine."
Seth Winchester had mentioned the antique contraption several times in his notes, leading to speculation that he'd built it. Graham discovered that Seth was friends with Nikola Tesla. Conceivably Tesla had either built it or collaborated on it. "I didn't think Sam was mechanically inclined," Neal said.
"He's not but Dean found some more old papers that could relate to it. Sam's going through them. I gather it's not an easy task. Seth's handwriting is close to being illegible."
Neal hoped the work helped. The thought of being fed demon's blood as a baby . . . No one knew what effect it had, but the visions Sam was experiencing now had an even more ominous significance. With Azazel a threat, he was probably having to fight the urge to flee as a way of keeping his family safe. If Neal were in similar circumstances, that's what he would be battling. Under the circumstances, Seth's decision to abandon his Winslow family made more sense. He probably thought that was his only way to protect them.
#
Chloe paused to survey the pile of clothing in front of her. At this rate, she'd need more boxes.
She and Maia had spent the past few days sorting through items in Astrena's bedroom. Chloe had suggested the project. Maia wanted her and Dean to move into the main bedroom when they felt it was safe. Astrena's bedroom was unique in having the séance chamber attached to it. Dean was still dubious that it was a good idea, but in any case, they needed to empty the contents as a first step in making the space livable.
Maia needed something else to focus on. They all did. Chloe had the inescapable sense of impending doom hanging over their heads. They were all clutching on any activity they could find to keep themselves occupied.
Bobby was outfitting a call center in the basement where he could check in with other hunters. The project had been on the to-do list for a while but it had acquired a new urgency. He'd consulted with Mozzie on the best way to handle multiple phone lines while keeping the numbers untraceable. Julia was also lending her expertise.
"I'm glad the attic is so large," Chloe said. "We have plenty of room to store the furniture and the contents. We may not have to move much of the furniture though. I've grown fond of some of the pieces. It's not their fault their former owner was a wicked goddess."
Maia glanced at her. "Are they speaking to you?"
Chloe started to chuckle but stopped when she saw how serious she was. "Not that I'm aware of. Do you think that's possible?"
"I do. You've already commented about how you feel the presence of a house spirit. Druids believed trees have spirits so why couldn't furniture?" Maia winced. "Best not to mention it to the others. Dean will never agree to move in."
"Good idea." She found it easy to accept that Maia's connection to Druids and Airmid was stronger than hers. Maia was probably more closely related, but they'd been unable to trace her bloodline. "Dean's warming up to the idea, and I don't want to put the brakes on. He even likes the bed. Once we replace the bedding, it will be transformed." Chloe looked at the open cast iron frame. It reminded her of grapevines woven together. Maia's idea about spirits inside furniture was a compelling one. A female spirit was playing at the edges of her mind, asking to be adopted . . .
Chloe shook her head. Definitely not something she'd share with Dean. Although he might like the idea of a winsome spirit watching them. Chloe had discovered Dean had a touch of an exhibitionist about him. She smiled as she remembered him serenading her, wearing only a guitar and boots. Would this room give him fresh inspiration?
"We can move the paintings to one of the spare bedrooms," Maia said. "You and Dean will probably want contemporary works. I think I'll move the square piano downstairs. Sam likes to hear me play it." Her words trailed off as she cleared her throat.
"And he's going to be here to listen to you," Chloe said firmly.
"How can you be so confident?"
"With Julia and Graham working with Ash, how can we not be?" Chloe challenged.
Maia shook her head doubtfully. "Sam's scared. He's afraid the demon blood he drank has corrupted him. He's convinced his demonic side will emerge sometime in the future and hurt us. I can already feel him distancing himself from me."
"We're all worried but you need to keep repeating what Bobby said. If Sam had been poisoned, the effects would have shown up long ago."
"But suppose Azazel is found," Maia said. "What then? Dean seems to think he knows of a solution. Has he talked to you about it?"
Chloe nodded. "Dean hopes to retrieve a weapon that will take him down. It's a Colt revolver. This is no ordinary antique. Samuel Colt made it back in the early 1800s. He designed it to be used with supernatural bullets that can kill anything."
"Does Dean know where it is?"
"Not exactly," Chloe hedged. "Dean and Sam's dad owned it for a while."
"Who has it now?"
"Azazel." Chloe cringed as she said it. "But this is a good thing," she added quickly. "We have to find Azazel anyway. We find him, we'll know where the Colt is."
Maia's shoulders sagged. "Sorry, but that's not much of a comfort."
"I suppose not." Chloe resumed packing Astrena's negligees. They were made of silk and undoubtedly expensive. Were they also enchanted? In the Bewitched con, she and Maia had appeared to be eager for Astrena's return. Keeping her clothes safe could be a good strategic move.
"Maia, how long do you think we'll need to hold onto Astrena's clothes?" When she didn't respond, Chloe looked up. Maia had been sorting through the items in a small lingerie cabinet. She had a small crimson pouch in her hand and was studying something metallic.
"What did you find?" Chloe approached her, growing concerned when Maia continued to be oblivious to her question. When Chloe touched her shoulder, she jumped and blinked several times as if to focus her eyes.
"You better sit down," Chloe urged, guiding her to the edge of the bed.
"I'm fine now," Maia said. "But I had the strangest vision. I was in the woods, calling for my mother. I must have only been five years old or so. My two brothers were with me." She paused, shaking her head. "How did I know they were my brothers? Then the vision ended."
Chloe gently pried her fingers open. A coin rested in Maia's hand. It looked ancient. "The coin could be enchanted. We need to put it in a curse box."
Maia nodded, the color rapidly coming back to her face. "The pouch should be placed there too. It contains fifteen coins. They all appear identical."
Chloe cautiously picked up the coin. It looked ancient and appeared to be made of gold. She could feel a trace of magic but didn't experience a vision. "This looks similar to the coin we found in a hex bag that Alcy used."
"Do you still have it?"
"No, that was during a job Dean and Sam worked on with Neal and Peter. The FBI confiscated the coin, and I don't think we have a photo of it." Yet another example of how the type of data management recommended by Julia was badly needed. Hunters were storing evidence in old shoe boxes or the trunks of their cars. No telling how much invaluable evidence had been lost, perhaps including vital information about Azazel.
"Let's take a photo of one of them before placing them in the curse box," Maia said. "We could send it to Neal. He should be able to scrounge a photo of the original coin for us." She paused to study Chloe anxiously. "You're still not experiencing any symptoms?"
"No, perhaps I'm more resistant to whatever magic is linked to the coin."
Maia reflected for a moment. "Could my vision have been a scene from my childhood?"
"I don't see how. You told me you'd been adopted by the Stavrous when you were a baby and you don't have any brothers."
"But it felt so real. I can still see the scene in my mind. I was barefoot. I wore a long homespun tunic. My brothers were in similar homespun shirts, and had breeches that ended mid-knee."
"Breeches? That's an unusual term to call them."
"I know. I have the feeling I was seeing an event from the distant past."
"Perhaps that's the nature of the enchantment. You were seeing someone else's memories," Chloe suggested.
"I wasn't harmed. Should I try again?"
"Don't we have enough problems with visions?" Chloe countered, appalled Maia would even consider it. "You could still be under the coin's influence. We're taking the pouch and its contents downstairs to Bobby immediately. In any case, we need to check on our orchid infusion. The liquid should be ready by now."
Maia smiled at the mention. "Who would have thought that the mystery machine would run on orchid power!"
Excellent question, but probably not in the way Maia intended it. Yesterday Sam had found a page apparently written by Seth where he described experiments with orchid infusions inside the machine. Dean had noticed a small tank hooked up to a drive belt. He'd suspected it was meant to contain gasoline but if Seth's notes were right, something much more exotic was needed. The type of orchid flower used in the infusion was called a Prancing Pony but that wasn't a term in current use. Maia had made several educated guesses and they were preparing test batches to experiment with.
The use of orchids was unsettling as it conjured up images of Astrena being somehow connected, but no linkage had been found. And in fairness, many others believed in the magical qualities of orchids. But that also implied that Seth was working with a witch, something Chloe enjoyed pointing out to Dean. He'd gotten over most of his reluctance to involve her in his jobs, but a little reminder never hurt. She and Maia were full partners not only in love but in the family business.
Notes: The hex bag Chloe mentioned was described in Witches' Sabbath. Seth Winchester was first mentioned in Columbia Ghost Story. He is Henry, Dean, and Sam's great-great-grandfather. He was originally a Winslow. In 1902, he joined the Men of Letters and changed his last name to Winchester.
