Disclaimer: Darn the bad luck! I don't own Supernatural or any of its characters. It's too bad really because I would like to own one or two… okay I'd take all three of those guys in a heartbeat!
Hunted
John Winchester is hunted by more then just demons.
Chapter One:
"So, you think Meg is a demon?" Sam asked his father. He had picked it up on that pretty quick.
"Either that or she's possessed by one," he replied. "It doesn't really matter."
"What do we do?" Dean asked.
John had been considering that since he'd hung up the phone with Meg. He knew they were not going to like his answer, but he had no choice this time. This time it wasn't just him. The demons were going after everyone he cared about now. Not just him and his son's. They wanted him, so they were going to get him. Rage washed through him at the thought of what these demons were willing to do. He had to stop them and he thought he had a pretty good idea how to do it too. Cut off the head of the serpent and the whole serpent withers away and dies. It was time to trust his son's like everyone has been telling him to do. "I'm going to Lincoln," he told them.
"What?" Dean said in complete surprise.
"It doesn't seem like I have a choice," John explained. "If I don't go, a lot of people die. Our friends die." He couldn't let that happen. Too many good people have already died in this fight.
"Dad, the demon is coming tonight for Monica and her family," Sam pleaded. "That gun is all we've got. You can't just hand it over."
John grinned at Sam. "Who said anything about handing it over?" he asked. Then he explained, "Look, besides us and a couple vampires, no one's really seen the gun. No one knows what it looks like."
"So, what," Dean asked, "You're just gonna pick up a ringer at a pawn shop?"
John thought about that for a second and replied, "Antique store." They'd be more likely to find a vintage colt at an antique shop then a pawn shop.
Dean wasn't buying the whole thing and John could tell an argument was coming. "You're gonna hand Meg a fake gun and hope she doesn't notice?"
"Look, as long as it's close," he replied. "She shouldn't be able to tell the difference."
"Yeah, but for how long?" Dean asked. "What happens when she figures it out?"
"I just…" John hesitated. He knew his son's were slowly catching the gist of what he was saying and this was going to be the clincher. He steeled himself for the battle he knew was coming. "I just need to buy a few hours, that's all."
Sam and Dean both looked at him with raised eyebrows, but it was Sam who figured it out first. "You mean for Dean and me," he said. "You want us to stay here….and kill this demon by ourselves?"
"No, Sam. I want to stop losing people we love. I want you to go to school. I want Dean to have a home," he said his voice shaking with emotion as he turns away from them. "I want Mary alive," he cries and looks back at Sam and Dean. "I just….I just want this to be over."
He expected more of an argument and was surprised when it didn't come. At first he thought maybe it was because they agreed with him that this was the only way. But later he realized that wasn't it.
"Dean," John said. "Think you can go find that ringer for me?"
Dean and Sam exchanged a look and a nod. Dean sighed and replied, "Yes sir." Dean grabbed the keys to the Impala and left without another word.
"Dad," Sam said. "If Meg is a demon how can you trust her?"
"I can't," John replied. "So I'm going to have to come up with a plan."
Sam pulled out his laptop and signed on to the internet. "Hang on and I'll call up a satellite photo of the warehouse. Maybe it will help."
"You can do that?" John asked incredulously.
"Yeah dad," Sam replied. "It's easy, let me show you how."
John sat with Sam and together they worked out a simple but hopefully effective plan using the water tower and steam system to cover his retreat should it be necessary. Sam was able to pull up not only a good satellite shot of the entire area, but building schematics that would make it easier for John to move around the warehouse. Thanks to his young son and the wonders of the internet John was now pretty familiar with the building and the area. Sam had even printed out copies of each so he could review them again before meeting with Meg.
"Sam," John said. "I'm glad you got a chance at college."
"Yeah," Sam replied. "This is pretty useful stuff."
"Yes," John replied. "But that's not what I meant. I… I'm glad you got to do what you wanted to do… at least for a little while. I'm sorry you got dragged back into this. I know it's not what you wanted."
Sam smiled sadly at his father. "No, it wasn't… but now… I have to see this through," he told him. "This demon has to be destroyed and once it's done then maybe I can go back… finish school. Be a normal person again."
John smiled at his son and nodded. "I hope you can too."
Sam's phone rang and he looked at it hesitantly remembering the last call he'd received. "It's Dean," he told his father then answered. "Hey Dean you get it?" Sam nodded his head at his father indicating his oldest son had succeeded in his task.
John looked at his watch and told Sam, "Tell him to meet us out on the road next to the elevated railroad tracks. It'll save time and I'm going to need as much as possible to set this plan in motion once I get there."
Sam relayed the message to his brother and hung up the phone. Sam picked up his fathers bag and they headed out to the truck and drove to where they were going to meet Dean. They arrived before he did so John took the opportunity to get a few things from the weapons trunk. He was just closing it up when Dean drove up in the impala.
"Did you get it?" John asked.
Dean pulled out a paper bag and handed it to his father. "You know this is a trap, don't you?" he asked. "That's why Meg wants you to come alone."
"I can handle her," John told Dean. "I got a whole arsenal loaded, holy water, Mandaic amulets…" He didn't tell his son how many times he'd been attacked by them and how many times he had escaped.
"Dad…." Dean interrupted his father.
"What?" John asked.
"Promise me something," he said seriously.
"What's that?" he asked.
"If this thing goes south, just get the hell out," he said. "Don't get yourself killed, all right? You're no good to us dead."
John nodded at his son unable to reply to the heartfelt statement. Dean usually kept his emotions in check, but the nearly spilled over when he looked at his father. "Same goes for you," he told him. They were silent for a few seconds before John said, "All right, listen to me," He took the real Colt out of his coat pocket and held it. He was still surprised at what he was doing. He never would have imagined it would come to him quitting the big fight before it was done and turning it over to his sons. "They made the bullets special for this Colt. There's only four of 'em left. Without 'em, this gun is useless. You make every shot count."
"Yes, sir," they both replied.
"I've been waiting a long time for this fight. Now it's here, and I'm not gonna be in it. It's up to you boys now," John told them. "It's your fight. You finish this. You finish what I started. You understand?" They nodded and John handed the Colt to Dean.
"We'll see you soon, Dad," Sam said confidently.
John nodded. "I'll see you later," John told his boys firmly before he got in his truck and drove away.
He made it to the warehouse nearly an hour early parking his truck far enough away to remain hidden. Stealth was definitely necessary. He did not want to tip his hand too early and give the game away. He got out of his truck, made sure he had everything he needed, and continued on. He spotted the water tower on the roof of the warehouse just like in the aerial photograph his son had downloaded.
Quickly and quietly he entered the warehouse and scouted out his exit route. He found the water and steam pipes in the boiler room and made sure there was a way to turn on then made his way up to the water tower.
Once he was on the roof and reached the water tower he spotted Meg searching the ground looking for him. John hid quickly behind the water tower and waited until she continued moved away. He climbs the ladder leading to the top of the water tower and opened the trap door on top. Removing a set of rosary beads from one of his many pockets he said the blessing that would turn the entire tank into holy water then just for good measure tossed the blessed beads into the water.
He looked at his watch. It was time to get this done, time to meet with the demon. Stealthily he searched for her then followed her until she was in the room he wanted the meeting to go down in. The one he had planned his escape from when she was several yards from him he made sure his footsteps were loud enough to be heard and she turned around seeing him for the first time."
"John, you made it," She said. "Too bad, really. I was hoping to kill more of your friends."
"Sorry to disappoint," he told her.
"I can see where your boys get their good looks. But I must admit, considering what they say about you, I thought you'd be….taller." She was silent for a few seconds waiting for John to reply but he didn't. He just stared at her intently. "Well, aren't you the chatty one? You wanna get to business? Fine," she said stepping closer. "Why don't you hand over the gun?"
"If I give you the gun," John asked buying as much time as he could for his son's. "How do I get out of here?"
"Well, if you're as good as they say you are, I'm sure you'll figure something out," she replied.
John grinned. "Maybe I'll just shoot you," he told her.
"You wanna shoot me, baby? Go ahead. It won't end anything," she told him. "There's more where I came from." As if to prove it a second person entered the room. He was taller then John but had the same build. He didn't say anything but John knew he was the more dangerous of the two. There was something almost primal about him
"Who the hell's that?" John asked Meg.
"He's not nearly as much fun as I am, I can tell you that. So, I suggest you give us the gun," she said then, when John didn't move she raised her voice and yelled, "Now!"
John took the fake gun out of his pocket and handed it to her. He watched as she examines it.
"This is the Colt?" she asked and when he nodded she handed it to the man who had just walked in. "What do you think?" she asked him.
He took the gun from her and examined it closely. Then lifted it and pointed it at John. John's eyes widened and he prepared to make his move when he suddenly changed his aim and pointed the gun at Meg and pulled the trigger.
Meg stumbled backwards, bleeding but otherwise unaffected by the shot. "You shot me!" she yelled at the other demon. "I can't believe you just shot me!"
"It's a fake," he told her and threw the gun to the side.
Both demons now looked at John fiercely. "You're dead, John," Meg said in anger. "Your boys are dead."
"I never used the gun," John lied. "How could I know it wouldn't work?"
"I'm so not in the mood for this," she replied. "I've just been shot!"
John smirked at her and replied, "Well, then, I guess you're lucky the gun wasn't real."
"That's funny, John. We're gonna strip the skin from your bones, but that was funny."
A sudden noise from somewhere behind the two demons distracted them long enough for John to make his move. He ran into the next room and locked the door. It wouldn't hold stop them for long, but it would slow them down long enough for him to get the head start he needed. He lifted the trapdoor leading into the boiler room and climbed down just as he heard the door he locked busted open.
Running down the narrow hallway in the boiler room he stopped when he reached the faucet and turned it on. Spraying its contents across the hallway and allowing no room for the demons to follow without contacting the spray. The demons stop just before reaching the water unsure what John is doing. It didn't take long for the male demon to decide to find out. He stepped into the water approaching John and his shoes began to sizzle and burn causing him to jumps back in pain.
"Holy water, John. Real cute," Meg said.
John grinned at her and continued down the hallway to the exit that would take him out closest to the truck. However, when he arrived at his truck he found that someone else had already been there. All of his tires have been slashed. "Damn it," he said looking around and getting his bearings. Recalling the back up escape plan he and his son had come up with John ran in the direction they had determined would be his best option.
He ran around several blind corners and realized he had taken a wrong turn somewhere. Taking one more turn he suddenly realized he had run into a dead end. He pulled out his cell phone and was dialing his son's number when suddenly he was picked up and thrown hard against the brick wall of the nearby building. His phone flew from his grasp and landed several feet away.
John could not move. He could only stare at the male demon as he came out of the alley and without touching him it raised him painfully from the ground and held him spread eagle on the wall. John screamed out his frustration at being unable to move.
His screams of anger soon turned to screams of pain as the demon seized his chest with the same force that held him aloft and began squeezing. The pain was intense but not nearly as bad as the though of not seeing his sons again. He screamed again as the demon increased the pressure. John struggled fruitlessly to get away as the pain increased. John closed his eyes in an effort to control the pain and suddenly the pain was gone. He opened his eyes and saw that a third person had joined the two demons that had him.
John remained silent as he watched the two bow their heads slightly to the new arrival and when the new demon looked at John he saw the creatures yellow eyes and knew this was the demon he had been chasing. He was not a person possessed by a demon like the other two. This one was here in the flesh very few demons could accomplish a feat like that. John was slowly lowered to the ground though he remained pinned against the wall. His breaths were coming in ragged gasps as he tried to break free of whatever held him.
"I have been searching for you for a long time John Winchester," the new demon told him. "You have caused me to loose some of those that I claimed and tonight your son's have done the same. But don't worry they will pay for what they have done, just as you are going to pay.
John let out a sigh of relief. His sons were alive.
The demon walked up to John its yellow eyes inches from his. "It's time for you to pay for what you have done," it said and took a step back. It reached up and placed two fingers on John's forehead.
White hot pain shot through John's head burning its way into his soul. His scream of pain was drowned out by the laughter of the demon as it continued to torment him. John had no idea how long it lasted but when the demon pulled its hand away he sagged onto his hidden restraints drained of even his last reserve of strength.
The creature leaned over, placed its head next to John's ear and whispered, "You are mine now."
He lifted his head wearily and looked at the demon with pain filled eyes. "Never," he told it.
The demon laughed at his defiance and placed its palm on John's forehead and this time he didn't even have time to scream before darkness took him and he knew no more.
A/N I hope you are enjoying it. I know this was a long chapter and I apologize. I'm trying to get this done before Thursday so bear with me. Just a few more chapters to go! Thanks again for taking the time to read and please review.