Chapter 7
Two days later Riley left for Argentina to compete in the Pan American Games. They reluctantly said goodbye at the airport again and Dean promised to really keep in touch this time. As he and Sam continued on their journey, Dean kept tabs on Riley's progress through press releases and updates on the USA Judo website. She won all her matches and he and Sam tuned in with anticipation for the live webcast of the final matches.
They sat on a bed in a run-down motel room with the laptop in front of them as they ate Twinkies and potato chips from the vending machine down the hall. When Riley's match came on, Dean watched nervously as she fought a very skilled fighter from Brazil. Time was running out in the match and Riley was behind in points when she executed a throw that landed the Brazilian squarely on her back, to score an Ippon and win the match. Dean and Sam hooted and hollered and exchanged high fives in celebration.
"She's amazing!" Sam gushed.
"I know!" Dean said with a proud grin.
"Vampires? Seriously?" Riley asked incredulously.
"Yup, seriously," Dean replied as he shifted his phone to the other ear. "No one was more surprised than me."
"Man, that's crazy!" she exclaimed.
"That about sums it up."
"So this Colt can kill the thing that killed your mom and Jess and your dad thinks he can track it? Wow, how does it feel to know this all might actually be over soon?" Riley asked.
"I don't know… I wanna kill this thing so bad I can taste it. But I also know this thing's a seriously evil bastard and I'm worried things may go sideways."
Riley could hear the stress and exhaustion in Dean's voice. Dean was worried and she was worried for him.
"From what you've told me, all three of you are very good at what you do. It sounds like this demon should be the one who's worried," Riley said reassuringly. "And I'll be praying my butt off for you guys."
"Thanks," Dean said gratefully.
"So where is this last stand gonna happen?"
"Salvation, Iowa."
"Salvation, eh? Sounds like a good omen to me," Riley said.
"I hope you're right," Dean said as he saw Sam and his dad exit their motel room carrying their bags. He hopped from his perch on the hood of his car and moved to unlock the trunk. "Look, I gotta let you go. We're heading out."
"Ok, be careful Dean. And call me as soon as you can," Riley said worriedly.
"I will," Dean promised. "Bye Riley."
"Bye Dean."
Riley flipped her cell phone closed with a troubled sigh. She was grateful to have Dean in her life. They had spoken on the phone almost every day since she'd gotten back from Argentina. With all his stories about Meg the demon, the Shtriga, poltergeists, the haunted painting, and now vampires, it was hard not to worry about him. But it was even harder to convince herself she only cared about him as a friend.
Riley hated that she'd hurt Dean when she'd told him she couldn't be in a relationship with him. But she knew if she hadn't stopped things when she did, somewhere down the road she would have had to say goodbye to him or compromise her beliefs for him, and she wasn't willing to do either. She prayed every day that either her feelings for Dean would fade or that he would come to share her faith.
Anxiety burned a hole in her stomach as she thought about the demon Dean and his family were on their way to face. She had come to learn that aside from his family being in trouble, not much rattled Dean. But listening to Dean talk about the fight ahead and hearing the palpable trepidation in his voice struck fear in her heart.
Please be with them, Lord she prayed silently. Please protect Dean, Sam, and their father as they go up against this evil. They're doing Your work, whether they know it or not, so please help them win this fight.
"Was it telling us the truth about our father?" Dean asked Meg who was barely alive after the demon had been exorcised from her broken body.
"Dean," Sam admonished him.
"We need to know," he shot back.
"Yes," Meg whispered weakly. "But it wants you to know," she choked out, "that they want you to come for him."
"Dad's still alive, none of that matters," Dean said firmly.
"They have your girlfriend too," Meg said, her eyes locked onto Dean's.
"My girlfriend? Who, Riley?" Dean asked, panic rising in his chest.
"Yes."
"Oh no," Dean whispered as a fresh wave of horror washed over him.
Bobby returned to the room with a blanket and a glass of water. Dean grabbed the glass and lifted Meg's head so she could drink while Bobby and Sam covered her with the blanket.
"Where is the demon we're looking for?" Sam asked softly.
"Not there," Meg told him, her breathing labored. "other ones."
"Where are they keeping our dad and Riley?" Dean questioned her.
"By… the ri-river… sunrise," Meg whispered.
"Sunrise, what does that mean? What does that mean?" Dean repeated desperately. But Meg couldn't answer. She was gone, her open eyes unseeing.
Jefferson City, Missouri
Dean and Sam hurried into the Sunrise apartment building dressed as firefighters as worried residents poured out of the building. They started down a hallway pausing at each door as Dean kept an eye on his EMF detector.
"I always wanted to be a fireman when I grew up," Dean commented, his voice muffled by the oxygen mask that covered his face.
"You never told me that," Sam replied with surprise.
Outside apartment 33 the EMF detector suddenly lit up, its indicator needle jerking into the red zone. Sam and Dean exchanged an intense look before Dean pounded on the door.
"This is the fire department! We need you to evacuate," he hollered.
When the door began to open, Dean muscled his way through and shoved a demon-possessed woman back and onto a kitchen table then began spraying her with holy water from the tank strapped to his back. Sam did the same with a possessed man, both demons crying out in pain and writhing in agony. Sam grabbed the man by the collar and punched then shoved him into the coat closet."
"Dean, get the girl!" he yelled as his older brother struggled with the woman. Dean managed to shove her into the closet and Sam closed it behind them and used his bodyweight to hold it closed as they pounded and shoved at the door from within.
"Hurry up!" he yelled at Dean, who was rummaging in the duffel bag for the canister of salt. He quickly sprinkled a ring around the base of the door to trap the demons inside.
The boys quickly shed their firemen gear and stood to survey the room. Behind them and to the left in the corner of the apartment that contained the kitchen, Riley sat tied to a chair. She was frighteningly still. Her head was drooped forward, disheveled blond hair obscuring her face.
"Oh no, Riley!" Dean gasped as he quickly moved to kneel in front of her, Sam only a step behind him.
"Hey Riley, can you hear me?" Dean asked softly as he gently brushed her hair back from her face. He grimaced when saw the bruises and blood that were evidence of a severe beating but relief washed over him when saw she was breathing.
Sam pulled out the flask of holy water Bobby had given them and dripped some onto her with no effect.
"What are you doing?" Dean asked, shooting his brother a dirty look.
"Just making sure," Sam replied.
Sam began to untie the ropes that bound her wrists to the arms of the chair as Dean gently cupped her face in his hands.
"Come on Riley, wake up," he pleaded.
"Dean?" she whispered groggily as her eyelids fluttered open.
"Yeah, I'm here. Everything's gonna be ok. Sammy and I are gonna get you out of here."
With her hands freed from their restraints, she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Dean's neck and he hugged her back.
"We gotta stop meeting like this" Riley quipped, her voice coming out weak and scratchy. A relieved smile played across Dean's face before he pulled back to look at her.
"Is our Dad here?" Sam asked.
"He's in there," Riley said gesturing to a closed door. Sam quickly turned go to his dad but Riley grabbed his arm.
"Wait Sam! He's not just your dad anymore," she said urgently.
"What do you mean?" Sam asked.
"He's possessed. This is a trap, they wanted you to come here and rescue us because it was their way to get close to you, get the Colt, and kill you," Riley told them.
"Then why aren't you possessed?" Dean asked.
"Oh it's not for lack of trying on their part. My faith protected me and kept the demons from being able to possess me. They even drugged me and beat the crap out of me, I guess because they thought if they hurt me enough I would break down and they could get inside, but the Lord protected me."
"Maybe they gave up that plan then and Dad is really our Dad?" Sam asked hopefully.
"We can't afford to take any chances. We have to operate under the assumption he is possessed. And we're going to need a plan to get him back." Dean said.
"Well if this one is as powerful as Meg was, we can't just march in there and exorcise it. We need to get it trapped in one of those protective circles we got Meg in." Sam reasoned.
"Well, how are we going to do that? The demon will know Riley told us about it so it's not just going to pretend to be our dad and come with us." Dean replied.
"Who says I told you?" Riley asked. "For all it knows, I've been unconscious since you found me and haven't been able to tell you a thing."
"Smart girl," Sam said approvingly. "Ok, then we're going to have to split up. Alan Simmons has an old cabin a few hours north of here. Dean, you can tell Dad you're taking Riley to a hospital and drive up there ahead of Dad and me. I'll stall a bit so you'll have time to draw the protection circle on the floor of the cabin.
"I don't like the idea of leaving you alone with the demon," Dean argued.
"It won't hurt me because if it does then it won't have the Colt or you. Besides, I don't see that we have much of a choice."
"Fine," Dean acquiesced. "But how are you gonna get to the cabin?"
"I'll steal a car." Sam said.
"I really am rubbing off on you," Dean said, a small smile breaking through the tension on his face. "Ok, everyone ready for this?" Dean asked.
Sam and Riley nodded.
Dean gently scooped Riley into his arms, the movement making her groan.
"You ok?" Dean asked worriedly?
"Yeah, just a little banged up," she assured him.
"Ok, assume the position."
Riley complied by closing her eyes, relaxing her muscles, letting her arms hang limply and her head rest against Dean's shoulder. Dean followed Sam to the door and Sam cautiously pushed it open.
Their father lay on a bed, his hands and feet tethered to the bed frame. He was still and his eyes were closed.
"Dad?" Dean called as Sam hurried to his side to check for signs of life.
"He's still breathing." Sam confirmed. "Dad? Come on, Dad, wake up!"
John began to stir. "Sam?" he croaked.
"Hey Dad, you ok?" Dean asked.
"They been druggin' me," he said groggily. "Where's the Colt?"
"Don't worry Dad, its safe." Sam assured him as he untied his restraints.
"Good boys, good boys," John replied.
Sam hauled his dad to his feet and helped support his weight. They headed toward the bedroom door just as two demon-possessed men broke through the front door of the apartment.
"Go, go!" Sam yelled.
"Back, back!" Dean cried.
The Winchesters retreated back into the bedroom closing the door just as an axe broke through the wood. Sam quickly sprinkled a line of salt in front of the door as Dean carefully carried Riley's limp body out the window and down the fire escape. Sam grabbed the duffel bag and his dad and hauled them both out the window. He poured another line of salt on the window sill before helping his dad down the fire escape. They were hurrying down the ally when a man tackled Sam knocking him and John to the ground.
The man jumped on Sam, straddling him as he began to punch him mercilessly.
"No!" Dean yelled as he placed Riley on the ground and ran to help his brother. He kicked the man in the head snapping his head back but the man quickly leveled his black eyes at Dean and with a jerk of his head, propelled Dean through the air and onto the hood of a nearby car. He resumed punching Sam in the face, snapping his head from side to side with each blow. Blood began to flow from his nose, lips and cheek.
A loud bang reverberated in the air as a bullet entered the possessed man's temple, halting his barrage of punches. He froze then toppled over onto his back as black smoke poured from his mouth and electricity sizzled through him. He lay dead on the pavement as Dean stood holding the still-smoking Colt.
Dean tucked the gun back inside is jacket as he hurried to kneel beside his brother.
"Sam! Sam, come on, come on" Dean said as he hauled his dazed and bloodied brother to his feet. They both stared at the body lying on the pavement for a moment.
"Come on, come on, we gotta get outta here!" Dean barked. He helped his dad to his feet and made sure John and Sam could walk on their own before lifting Riley into his arms and heading for the Impala. Dean gently lowered Riley into the car and told his dad he was going to take her to a hospital and meet them at Alan's cabin.
"Be careful," he said looking pointedly at Sam, before climbing into the Impala and driving away.
Please review!