Disclaimer: If you recognize it from Supernatural I don't own it. I'm just playing with it!
Hunted
John Winchester is hunted by more then just demons.
Chapter Thirty Seven
As John drove back towards Elkins cabin the boys followed and he worried about the decision he had made to include his son's in the hunt for the gun. He had been wrong about so many things but he was very afraid that this time was going to be the worst. If they knew what the gun could do, what he needed it for, they would not let him go after he had the gun. Especially Sam, his youngest son wanted to be a part of the fight against this demon and he understood why, but it terrified John.
He knew his boys thought this search, this fight was for revenge and part of it was. John did want revenge for Mary. But more than that, he wanted his children to be safe. This demon wanted to kill him. It wanted to kill Dean, but worse than that, it wanted to take Sammy alive. He knew that his young son would never be safe from the demon until it was destroyed and since Sam would never be safe neither would Dean because Dean would always put himself between his brother and whatever threatened him.
John had to come up with a plan to make sure his boys would not want to be with him and the only thing he could think of was going to hurt like hell. But if it worked it would be worth it. He had to make his son's angry enough with him that they would not want to be with him. He could do it. He knew how to push his sons buttons especially Sam's.
When they arrived back at Elkins cabin he had the boys search the outside of the cabin and look for the trail. John went inside, into Daniels office and stopped when he saw the blood stains. John shook his head. He should have stayed. If he had not gone to Hartford he might have been able to help his friend. It hurt John to know he was once again responsible at least in part for the death of someone he cared about.
John opened the safe behind the desk. Inside he found several old journals and an envelope. A quick glance at the journal's proved them to be those of Daniels father and grandfather. The envelope contained Daniels last will and testament. John reviewed the will quickly and was shocked and surprised to find that even though the will had been written and notarized six years ago Daniel had made John his sole beneficiary. Even when they weren't speaking Daniel had still cared for John.
Unshed tears filled his eyes as John searched the mess on Daniels desk until he found what he was looking for. John had known his friend was working on something when he'd left for Hartford, but Daniel had not told John what it was. Daniels notes on the case he'd been working on were buried under several layers of papers, notebooks, and pads and topped with Daniels journal. He took the journal and the notes. Pocketing the notes inside his jacket he took one last look around and left.
Dean and Sam were waiting for him when he came out. They were leaning on the car talking earnestly to each other but John could not hear what they were saying. With a final glance at his brother Dean shook his head and turned to his father. "We followed the tracks to the road dad, they had a car waiting. We're not going to get anywhere trying to follow them that way."
"Yeah," he told his oldest son "I was pretty sure that's what we'd find. In the morning we'll need to check with the police and newspapers."
"What for Dad?" Sam asked.
"Missing persons," his father replied. "It's nearly morning you boys already have a room here?"
"Yes sir," They replied together.
"Let's go get some sleep," he told them heading to the truck.
This time he followed them and when they arrived at the motel he declined to get a room for himself instead he told the boys they would take turns sleeping with one person awake and listening to the police scanner.
"Shouldn't we be making some wooden stakes?" Dean asked his father.
John laughed at his son and replied, "No son. That stuff's not true. In fact, most vampire lore is crap." He told his sons. "A cross won't repel them, sunlight won't kill them. And neither will a stake to the heart. But the blood lust, that part's true. They need fresh human blood to survive. They were once people so you won't know it's a vampire until it's too late."
"Well then how do you kill them?" Sam asked.
"You have to cut their head off," John replied. "You boys get some sleep. I'll take first watch."
Sam and Dean lay down on the beds fully dressed and John watched as they drifted off to sleep. Dean lay on his back his hand under his pillow and John knew that if he lifted the pillow he would find a gun or knife. His oldest son was always prepared for a fight. Even in his sleep he never totally relaxed. For the first couple of hours each time John moved Dean's eyes would fly open note his father in the room then close again.
After a short time of quiet undisturbed sleep Sam began to toss fitfully on his bunk and unless John missed his guess he was having a nightmare. Dean woke to the sounds of his brother's restlessness. He nodded to his father and set his hand on Sam's shoulder without saying anything. Within seconds Sam stopped tossing and relaxed back into a peaceful sleep. When he was settled Dean lay back down and was asleep in minutes. John smiled. Dean took care of Sam, no matter what he needed.
John pulled out the notes Daniel had made on the pack of vampires he was hunting. He had the location of their nest narrowed down to a few miles of sparsely populated land out towards the west of their current location. John pulled out the map and made a few notes then put it and Daniels notes in his pocket. He took out Daniels journal and leafed through it. He sighed as he remembered some of the hunts Daniel had noted in his journal.
He set the journal down and picked up the radio and listened as the police call came over it. Unit 22 let me confirm. Mile marker 41 abandoned car. You need a work up. Copy that. Possible 207. Better get forensics down here.
John knew that a 207 was a kidnapping and he knew it was the vampires. The location was right in the middle of their hunting grounds. He set the radio down, grabbed Daniels journal and went to his son's. He tapped each of them on the foot and said, "Sam… Dean, let's go."
"Um hum," Dean mumbled.
"I picked up a police call," John said.
"What happened?" Sam asked.
"Couple called 911. Found a body in the street. Cops got there everyone was missing. It's the vampires." John looked at his young son. He hated doing it, but now was the time to start putting his plan into action.
"Ah… how do you know?" Sam asked and John could tell that he was a bit annoyed.
Rather then answer John said, "Just… follow me okay." He knew that the best way to get his youngest angry with him was to keep him in the dark about everything. Sam was the one who always had to question everything and he didn't like not knowing. Hell the kid was asking why at the tender age of two! The real scary thing was that the boy remembered everything John told him. He was a bit like a knowledge sponge.
He went out to the truck and waited for his boys. He put his head in his hands. This was going to be a lot harder then he thought. He felt like a real bastard already. He saw his boys coming out of the room and steeled himself. Time to work a bit on Dean. He tossed the journal to Dean and said, "Let Sam drive. You check this out. It should have what you need to know in it." Dean raised his eyebrows at his father but said nothing. He looked at Sam who was looking at him with a look of surprise on his face.
When they arrived at the scene of the disappearance John told the boys to wait at the car while he went and spoke to the police officers. He could see the annoyance in Sam's eyes as he walked away. He could see the signs. It wouldn't be long before Sam's anger got the best of him. John just hoped he could hold of the explosion of emotions until after he had the gun. John would also have to remember when he did explode that he did this on purpose.
On his way to speak with the officers John saw something on the ground and picked it up. He recognized it immediately. He spoke briefly with the officers then returned to where Sam and Dean were leaning on the Impala.
"What do you got?" Dean asked.
"It was them all right. Looks like their heading west. We're going to have to double back to get around that detour."
"How can you be so sure?" Sam asked his father in annoyance.
"Sam," Dean cautioned his brother.
"I just want to know we are going in the right direction," Sam snapped at Dean. Then looked to his father for a reply.
John looked at Sam sadly. This whole business was going to hurt the boy. John hardened his emotions. Better hurt then dead or worse he reminded himself. "We are," he told Sam.
"How do you know?" Sam questioned.
John was silent for a second then pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to Dean. He explained his actions to Dean not Sam. "I found this," he told Dean.
"It looks like a vampire fang," Dean said incredulously as Sam looked over his shoulder.
"No fangs, teeth a second set descends when they attack," he explained to Dean. Then he looked squarely at his youngest son and asked, "Any more questions?"
Sam was silent, barely looking at his father. He was hurt by John's actions.
"Alright, let's get out of here we're losing daylight," he said walking away from his son's. He glanced at the Impala and said, "Hey Dean, why don't you touch up your car before you get rust? I wouldn't have given you the damn thing if I thought you were going to ruin it." Dean was much harder to anger and when John did get him angry enough he would need to be careful because an angry Dean was a very dangerous Dean.
He got into his truck and left with the boys following in the car. He pulled out the map and Daniels notes. He had a good idea of where they were going now. Darkness had fallen by the time the came to the search area he had defined on the map. He called Dean and said, "We're going to get off at the next exit and start searching. I'm pretty sure they're in the area, and that exit it the only way in and out, but we are going to have to do a building to building search. If they are in there we'll find them. So next exit, okay?"
"Yeah Dad I got it," Dean says then hung up the phone.
John was looking in the rear view mirror when he saw the Impala speed up. Sam passed the truck and slid to a stop blocking the road. Then he jumped out and strode angrily towards the truck. John took a deep breath and reminded himself that he wanted this. He caused this confrontation intentionally.
A/N Well? How am I doing? Please review and let me know. Thanks for taking the time to read what I have been enjoying writing!