Disclaimer: I still don't own Supernatural or its characters and am not making any money on this…I'm still just having fun!

Bait

Chapter 6 – The Great Escape

After the images on the screen faded, Dean made a dash for the bathroom. He emptied the contents of his stomach into the toilet until all that was left to him was dry heaves. The tears continued to flow down his face as he kept replaying the images over and over in his mind. He kept seeing the fear, revulsion and pain that had been reflected in his brother's expressive eyes. A few times he could have sworn that Sam looked directly at the camera, begging with his eyes for help…help that Dean couldn't provide.

Dean staggered to his feet, running a shaky hand through his hair. He stopped at the sink and rinsed his mouth out. He almost didn't recognize the face that stared back at him…the pale skin and haunted green eyes…God, Sam had looked bad…what if he couldn't get there in time?

Dean shook his head refusing to even go there in his thoughts. He walked by the computer, and for the first time in his life, he felt repulsed by it. It contained the images of Sam's torture in vivid detail. Dean gagged again, but refused to give in to the impulse to return to the bathroom. He had to finish preparing…he would get the information on all the properties in the search grid…once his father got here, he wanted to be ready to leave.

ooooooooo

Sam groaned as the sun hit his face through the gaps in the slats of the old barn. He felt so cold, his teeth chattered. Between hanging in the freezing barn all night and the loss of blood, Sam couldn't control his shivering. Looking down at his body, he saw the fresh bite wounds and bruises from last night's festivities. The vampires had left him while it was still dark outside. He must have finally passed out.

He could feel the hook with his cold hands. If he could just get enough strength to work his way off the hook…after a few moments, Sam almost cried from frustration. He needed to get away…one more night of feeding and he was sure that would be it. Sam decided to try once more…slowly moving his hands along the hook, trying to get the rope to slide over. Just as he was about to give up again…he felt himself drop to the ground.

The impact with the ground almost knocked the wind from his body. He felt so weak…he wasn't sure he could stand. Then he remembered Dean…Dean wouldn't give up and neither would he. He pushed himself to his feet and looked around the barn for some type of weapon. He smiled when he saw the perfect thing leaning against the wall in the corner. It was a machete…"things are looking up!" Sam smiled as he looked outside. He knew that the vampires would sleep during the day…he decided to chance a quick look in the house to see if there was anything he could use to contact his brother.

Too bad the van was no longer in sight…Sam could have used a vehicle to escape. Grabbing his jeans and his shoes, Sam quickly dressed and headed for the house. Looking in the window, he saw his cell phone laying on the coffee table in the living room. He slowly opened the front door, cringing from the noise. He paused but didn't hear any movement. He quietly crossed the room and grabbed the phone.

Exiting the house, Sam decided to get as far away from it as he could. He headed into the woods, hoping he could get far enough away during the daylight. He shivered in the cold morning air, wishing he had stopped to get a jacket or something. But he was afraid if he stayed too long, one of them would wake up. Stopping for a moment, he pulled out his cell phone…he still had about 15 minutes of air time…but unfortunately, he wasn't getting any reception from where he was at the moment. Putting the phone back in his pocket…he continued down the mountain…he hoped he could find some help before the vampires woke up.

ooooooooo

Dean had spent a good hour gathering information on all the vacant properties within the search area. He groaned as he looked at the list. There were at least 20 properties that fit what he was looking for. Leaning his head against the steering wheel, he tried to quell the panic that was threatening to overwhelm him. At least during the day, Sammy would get at break. They had to find him before tonight!

Looking at his watch, he decided to stop at the diner for a quick breakfast. He wasn't hungry…but he knew he had to keep his strength up for Sam's sake. "God, how had this gotten so screwed up…it was just an innocent bet" Dean thought for the thousandth time that day.

Dean stared out of the window of the diner. He let his thoughts wander back to images of Sam. First he saw Sam as a child, full of innocence and wonder. He saw Sam as he returned from his first hunt, excited and proud. Then he saw the final image of Sam, hanging from a rafter, wounded and broken.

Dean started when a figure slid into the booth opposite him. "Hi son" the tired voice of his father greeted him.

"Dad…How did you get here so fast?"

"You think you're the only one to break the sound barrier when you drive…where did you think you got it from?" John didn't like the naked vulnerability he had seen in his oldest son's eyes. Dean normally hid his emotions behind a shield of bravado that not many, except Sam, could get behind. If Dean was showing his emotions…things couldn't be good.

"Any word yet son?"

Dean told his father about the first two notes. He hesitated before telling his father about the disc he had received from the vampires. He wasn't sure how Sammy would react if his father saw it…hell he still didn't know how to react to the images of his brother's torment.

John noticed the hesitation from his oldest son. "Dean, what else did they send?" This time his tone was an order, something Dean normally responded to without question.

Dean suddenly lost his appetite. Pulling out money from his wallet, he rose from the booth and paid the bill. He left the diner, not meeting his father's questioning gaze as he too rose from the booth to follow Dean. "Come on Dad…it's better that I just show you."

John followed Dean's car back to the hotel. "God Sammy, what have you gotten yourself into?" John thought as he parked the truck. He could tell by Dean's actions that whatever it was…he wasn't going to like it.

"Ok son, what couldn't you tell me in the diner…Sam isn't…he isn't" John couldn't say the words, he couldn't believe Sam might be gone.

"No Dad…but, well…it may be worse…I just don't know how Sam will deal with it!" Dean walked over to the computer and pressed play. He heard his father's quick intake of breath as he watched his youngest son's torment.

Dean focused on preparing the rest of the weapons. He couldn't watch it again. He couldn't see the result of his momentary lapse of judgment. "Damn bet…why did he have to push Sammy into dating…next time, he would let him do it his own way…next time" Dean sighed, he had to believe that there would be a next time or he would fall apart.

Dean glanced again at the screen. He had already narrowed the search down by including only those with a barn on the property. He blocked the torment his little brother was going through and tried to concentrate on the background. After a few moments, he could no longer ignore his brother's screams. He stood up intending to go out to the car and start packing…but something caught his eye…it couldn't be!

"Dad, reverse it back a few frames…that's it, right there" Dean concentrated for a few minutes and smiled for the first time since Sammy had disappeared. "I'll be damned…that's my boy!"

"Dean what is it?" John's voice was husky with unshed tears.

"Look at his right hand…he's talking to us in Morse code!"

John looked and smiled. Sam was opening and closing his hand in a definite pattern….closed for dot and open for dash. "Good boy!" John exclaimed as he reversed the images back to where Sam began signaling. He wrote down what Sam was saying:

Mountain…Horses…Barn…Farm…Woods…Camel on Barn…Trap

Sam repeated the same words over and over as he endured the torture being done to him. Dean was already on the phone with a local realty company. A few moments later, he went to the computer and typed in the information the agent had given him. "Gotcha!" Dean exclaimed as he looked at the virtual tour of the old horse ranch located in the mountains. On the side of the barn was a faded picture of Joe Camel.

Printing out the directions, Dean began to pack up his things. He knew that his father was also getting ready. He had headed out to his truck without saying a word. Dean was giving him a little space to absorb what he had just seen…he had seen the tears on his father's face as he watched the things that those monster's had done to Sam.

Dean had almost finished packing his back pack when he paused; going back out to the car, he reached into Sam's bag and pulled out a set of clean clothes for Sam. He sighed, he hoped Sam didn't need them.

TBC

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