Caleb settled into the front seat of the car, riding shotgun as they said, while the boy, Dean Winchester, sat behind him. The ex-priest glanced into the rear view mirror a few times as they bounced up onto the main road again, just in time to see Dean's eyes lock with his. The boy's lips were pursed and pouting, probably because he'd given his customary seat to the hitchhiker, but it wasn't as if they could expect a man of the cloth to sit in the backseat.
It was also so much easier for Dean to keep his gun trained at the man's back in case there was any trouble. Last thing he wanted to do was to shoot through the Impala's upholstery, but sometimes you really didn't have a choice. "So your cousin's place far from here?" Dean asked friendly like since it was obvious that his father wasn't going be making any kind of effort to speak to the man. Dean really wasn't sure what he was likely to hear, but he kind of liked having someone in the car to talk to. John was never much of a talker unless they were planning a hunt.
"Not too far," Caleb said with a smile twisting to glance towards Dean as he leaned his back against the car door. "He and his family have a nice little house in town."
Dean nodded. He fished around trying to find a way to see how much the priest knew about the area. He and John had come there to hunt down something that was making perfectly normal, supposedly normal, people kill each other. "Are they doing all right then?" he asked.
"Far as I know," Caleb shrugged. "I spoke with 'em a couple days back when I told 'em I was comin'. Did somethin' happen that I don't know about? Tornado or somethin?"
"No, no," the boy scrambled a bit, but Caleb could see that he was quick on the draw when need be. It was going to be so much fun to push their buttons. "We just heard that there was some trouble in Double Springs from a truck driver at the rest stop."
"Really?" Caleb's blue eyes grew haunted, sorrow and concern making his voice deepen. "Then it's a good thing I'm here to help my cousin. He's a deputy." It was so nice to be able to tell the truth while weaving the tale that would protect him from them. He really did have kin in Double Springs, and cousin Lucas was a deputy there. He knew that the First had been stirring up trouble there to draw the Winchesters there, and he really couldn't wait to find out what she had been up to. Sometimes she was such a closed mouthed bitch, and didn't feel the need to share with her chosen warrior.
"A Deputy?" John let out a chuckle that was almost a growl. "Then I suppose Dean and I should do our best to stay out of trouble."
Caleb grinned brightly. "Now don't be silly. What sort of trouble could y'all get into? Besides, you both helped me out. Can't see my cousin givin' either of you no trouble. Ain't no reason for him to be keepin' an eye out on you is there? You two ain't travelin' serial killers or somethin.'" He had to dig his nails into his palms to keep from laughing at his own joke. If they only knew what kind of trouble they had picked up on the side of the road, they'd be laughing too. Laughing until they blew his head off, and sent his soul straight to hell that is.
"No, we're not dangerous," Dean quickly jumped in. "We're just on a road trip around the country until I can figure out where I want to go to college. My little brother's in school in California, but I'm just not into the beach and party crowd."
"Well that is good to hear," Caleb said as they hit the town limits. Double Springs, Alabama, population 25692, and he wondered how many fewer there really were since the First took an interest in the place. There was a great power there, she'd told him, a place where the darkest thoughts and wishes were buried beneath the town, and he was here to search for something special that he would need in his battle against the Slayer. "It's always nice to hear about a young man willin' to be on the path to righteousness instead of on the path to the seven deadly sins. And for you and your daddy to be so close, well more families should be like that."
The town of Double Springs was like any of a thousand small towns that John, Dean and Caleb had driven through on their travels. There were a few main streets, with the required number of bars, diners, banks and hardware stores. The buildings were short and spread out, so you could see the steeples of their churches over the tops of the few office buildings that they did have for the doctors, dentists and lawyers to work out of.
Caleb pointed down a street, and took them past an elementary school where the empty swings caught the midnight breeze and rocked slowly like invisible children were playing on them. "My cousin's house is down on the right two blocks down. I can walk from the corner if y'all want to just let me off? There's a motel or two at the north side of town where you should be able to have your choice of rooms. Double Springs ain't much of a tourist destination."
Dean opened his mouth to tell the priest that they'd take him all the way to his cousin's house, but before he could John pulled the Impala over to the corner. "Thanks for filling us in on the local color," John said waiting for the man to get out of the car, and for Dean to climb back up front.
"Well don't be strangers none," Caleb said as he looped the duffel bag over his shoulder. "I should at least buy y'all breakfast. Mimi's Diner over on 2nd has some mean potato pancakes. Stop on by tomorrow, and I'll buy you guys some. Thank you kindly." He whistled a hymn as he sauntered down the street towards Lucas' house. Behind him, he heard the boy and his father say a few brief words before the car headed towards the north end of town. Caleb watched from the shadows as the taillights faded from view and the deep throated purr of the engine blended into the night.
