Net Knots Chapter 19, a supernatural fanfic

Disclaimer etc, see Chapter 1

NET KNOTS

Chapter 19

Underneath were the words READ ME. Dean clicked on them and a large pop-up box displayed that had bold-type paragraphs at the top:

If we agree to consult with you, this does not impose any obligation upon us to accept your case. We may decline to accept your case without consultation, during the consultation meeting or afterwards without providing any reason.

If we do accept your case, we charge a flat-rate fee for our services depending upon the nature of your problem. This fee is designed to include gas, food, accommodation and minor ER/hospital expenses, and so you will not be charged extra for these. The fee listed is per individual supernatural entity, not type of entity. If your house is afflicted by two poltergeists or a poltergeist and a goblin, you will be charged the full fee for each poltergeist or the full fee for the poltergeist and the goblin.

! THE FEE MUST BE PAID IN FULL, IN ADVANCE AND IN CASH ONLY.

! THIS PAYMENT SHALL BE CONSIDERED OUR CONTRACT TO TAKE YOUR CASE.

! WE DO NOT ACCEPT DEBIT CARD, CREDIT CARD, CHEQUE OR ANY OTHER METHOD OF PAYMENT.

! PLEASE ENSURE THAT YOU CAN PAY THIS MONEY IN FULL BEFORE COMPLETING AND SUBMITTING THE ENQUIRY FORM TO US (YOU HAVE NOT YET BEEN CHARGED THE $50 ENQUIRY FEE).

! IF WE ACCEPT YOUR ENQUIRY AND HOLD A CONSULTATION MEETING WE WILL RETAIN THE $250 CONSULTATION FEE IF WE ACCEPT YOUR CASE BUT YOU CANNOT PAY THE EXTERMINATION FEE.

PLEASE CAREFULLY CHECK THE LIST OF FEES BELOW AND ENSURE YOU CAN PAY THESE. REMEMBER – MULTIPLE ENTITIES WILL BE CHARGED ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS PER ENTITY. THERE ARE NO DISCOUNTS, TWO-FOR-ONE, ETC., BECAUSE THIS IS NOT A GAME!

Below the stark list was one of those scroll up-and-down boxes and Dean automatically began to read as it was in order of fee lowest to highest rather than alphabetical by description:

Sprite (Non-winged)$100 each

Sprite (Winged)$120 each

Gargoyle (Wooden, Non-winged)$100 each

Gargoyle (Wooden, winged)$130 each

Gargoyle (Stone, Non-winged)$150 each

Gargoyle (Stone, Winged)$200 each

Golem$200 each

And so the list went on with the prices rising to thousands of dollars by the time it got to werewolves, vampires, manticores…

"No!" declared Dean furiously, slapping his hand down on the table and twisting in his chair to glare furiously at his brother.

"Dean…"

"Do not play me!" barked Dean in rage. "We're supposed to help people, Sam, not milk them like a cash cow! People can't afford –"

"Desperate people can afford anything!" Sam shot back and stood up, blowing a breath to calm down.

He'd known Dean was going to be upset by the price list, which actually made his heart twist with affection for his swaggering, mushy-hearted brother. Sam knew Dean was a better man than himself and their father. John and Sam were both in the hunt for personal vengeance, and both, even though John would never say so, secretly harboured a fantasy of hanging up their guns once the Yellow-Eyed Peril was dead.

But Dean was different. He hunted, and would continue to do so, for the most simple yet profound of reasons – just because it was the right thing to do; to help innocent people, and protect defenceless people from the things out there in the dark. Many people would point the finger at Dean's financial frauds and his lax morals and accuse, but Dean did have strong ethical principles. He was genuinely outraged and viewed as utterly immoral 'taking advantage' of desperate, frightened people who needed help nobody else could provide.

Right now Dean sat not a foot away with refusal and rejection oozing from every pore.

"Do you remember the Wilmington poltergeists?"

Continued in Chapter 20…