Chapter Six: Thunderbird
Dean stopped at the sporting goods store in Pine Ridge and picked up the biggest rifle he could find. Sam was right, going after something this large with a hand gun or a shotgun was a bit too much like suicide to suit Dean.
He called Sam on his way back to Denby. "What'd you find out?" he asked his brother.
"I have the tracking device, though I think I'll need to use an unconventional method to make it work."
"Huh?"
"Never mind, I've got it covered." Sam told him, "and I found all but the last two children. If we're lucky we won't need to find them. But we have some time on them."
"Where are you?"
"Charlie's house, I'm looking for a place to use this tracking device."
"I'll be there in a bit. I need to reshape a few silver bullets to this gun."
"Is it big enough?"
"It has to be, it's the biggest I could get."
"Dean,"
"Yea?"
"Don't be late."
"I'm never late. What's the address?"
"40 Peaceful drive."
The house was a two story ranch style home outside of town. The closest neighbor was several miles down the road. Dean parked the car on a dirt road not far from the house and called Sam. "Where are you?" he asked as he got out.
"I'm at the house getting ready to set the tracking device. If you circle around there's a set of trees at the back of the house. You should be able to stay hidden long enough to get a shot from there. I'm going to hit it with the tracker so try not to shoot me. And don't hit the kid."
Dean opened the trunk and collected the rifle and some extra shells. "What if it gets the boy?"
Sam's reply was almost a whisper, "Then you may want to hit the kid."
Dean closed his eyes and said, "I don't think I could do that Sam. We need to make sure this thing doesn't get him." He closed the trunk.
"Dean, if we can't stop it that kid is going to suffer. We can't let that happen."
"No Sam, it's not going to happen. We're going to make sure of it!" Dean was practically yelling into the phone. He didn't wait for a reply. Instead he hung up the phone, pocketed it and headed into the woods rifle in hand.
Dean found the place Sam had chosen for him, but he didn't find Sam. He saw the boy and his father. They were tossing a baseball back and forth. They were talking, but Dean was to far away to hear what they were saying. He scanned the area looking for Sam. "Where the hell are you Sammy?" he thought. Sam was here, he was sure of it, he just couldn't see him. Dean looked skyward at least he wouldn't have to deal with the sun. It was setting behind him. He started searching the skyline above the house. If he could hit the bird before it got to close then it wouldn't have a chance at the boy. That's when he saw Sam. The crazy nut was on the roof of the house. He was hiding next to the chimney. "What the hell Sam?"
Sam was looking around the chimney. Dean saw him tense up and then he turned and looked right at Dean and nodded. It was coming.
Dean looked up, but didn't see the bird. "If it's so damn big where is it?" he muttered. He looked back at Sam. He was crouched over like he was getting set to run. Then, to Dean's utter astonishment, that is exactly what he did. Sam started running across the roof. He had something in his hand, but Dean couldn't tell what it was.
Then Dean saw the Thunderbird. It was huge. Its feathers were dark brown except at the tips of the wings and tail where they were white. It had a viscously curved beak that had to be as long as a persons arm. It glided in low over the roof of the house. As the Thunderbird dropped down intent on the kid, Dean stepped out of the tree line and brought the gun to his shoulder. He sited on the chest of the thunderbird and was about to pull the trigger when the thunderbird suddenly screamed and lunged to the side missing the child.
Dean watched in horror as his brother landed on the Thunderbirds back. He had jumped from the roof! Sam struggled to sit upright on the back of the Thunderbird. He was holding onto its feathers with his left hand and attempting to shoot it with the gun in his right hand. The Thunderbird landed haphazardly and was turning its head to snap at Sam with its beak.
Dean was afraid to shoot the thing with Sam on its back. Instead he started running towards the Thunderbird shouting at the top of his lungs. "Hey fugly! Over here!" He ran straight for it waving the rifle to attract its attention. The Thunderbird turned away from Sam and looked right at Dean. Its eyes shone with the intensity of the setting sun blinding Dean. He stopped running and covered his eyes, but didn't drop the gun.
The Thunderbird screamed again and Dean heard Sammy shout, "Get your son inside! NOW!"
Dean opened his now blurry eyes in time to see the Thunderbird leap into the air, its wings sweeping down striking Sam who was on the ground rolling away from it. Dean put the rifle to his shoulder and took a quick shot at the beast. The Thunderbird screamed again as the bullet went through its wing. Dean ejected the cartridge and loaded another, but the Thunderbird was over the tree's now and staying low. Dean couldn't see it, but he could here the beat of its wings. He understood now why it was called a Thunderbird.
Dean ran to where Sam lay face down on the ground. He knelt next to him and turned him over, "Sammy, you better not be hurt, because I'm going to kick your ass!" he told him.
Sam opened his eyes, "I'm fine, Dean."
"I am so going to hurt you! What the hell was that! Are you crazy! What were you thinking?" Dean shouted at him.
"Dean, I'm right here you don't need to shout," Sam told him sitting up. "I had to place the tracking device."
"You what?"
"I used a tag gun." Sam told him. "Unfortunately I had to get kind of close to it to place the thing."
"Kind of close, Sam you were sitting on its back!"
"Yea, well. It worked." Sam said with a smile, "It's tagged and it didn't get the kid, he's safe."
"If you ever do anything like that again I'm going to kill you myself!"
Sam grinned up at him unfazed by his overprotective brothers' wrath. He put his hand out for Dean to help him up. "Now that we have the damn thing LoJacked all we have to do is hike to its nest and kill it."
Dean stood, took Sam's hand and helped him up. He glanced around looking for the kid and his father. They were nowhere in sight. "Let's go, I have a feeling it's about to get crowed around here."
