Chapter 5
A newspaper article I found online led me to Redwood Falls, Minnesota, several hours north east of Sioux Falls. I thought about taking time after this hunt and stopping by to see Bobby since it had been nearly six months since I last saw him. I had talked to him several times by cell when I needed some help, but hadn't been close enough until now to stop by. The article told about the disappearances of several people in an area that claimed to be haunted. Police had searched the area and come up with nothing, no clues, no bodies, and no idea what had happened. I wasn't sure if this would be a case for me, but I was going to check it out.
I found a decent small motel to get a room for a couple of days. I never did the larger, chain places; they just weren't my style, plus, I liked to give back to the family owned, working class people. There were not may cars in the parking lot, which was fine with me; it gave me a better choice of rooms. I went in the office and paid for a room for three days with the option to stay longer if needed. I moved my truck around back and parked in front of my room. I grabbed my duffle, computer bag, and went in checking it out first before double locking the door and setting the bags down. It was late, but I wanted to do some research before turning in so I'd be ahead of the game.
After checking the police reports to be sure where the victims were last seen, I did a search on the land to see if there were any reports of murders, unusual deaths, or anything that would warrant the area being haunted. I went back as far as I could and expanded the search for the surrounding area but was not finding anything useful. I tried to find articles related to hauntings in the area but only found a couple of short pieces that were all speculations and rumors, but nothing concrete.
I yawned and rubbed my eyes deciding to get some sleep and start early in the morning. I would hit the local hangouts and see what I could find out and talk to the victim's families to see if they knew anything. I did one last thing before shutting down the laptop; I set up my distress email to send if I didn't reset it daily. Deciding it wouldn't hurt anything, I set it to send the email to Dean. This was a precaution I took since I hunted alone just to let someone know I was in trouble.
With that done, I headed for the bathroom to do my routine. Once finished, I set up the warding spell so no one could enter the room, turned down the bed, and crawled in. I let my mind wander back to two brothers and wondered where they were and if they had found a hunt too. I thought about Sam's kiss and then Dean's kiss, wondering was that a wise thing to do. The memory of Dean's lips on mine was the last thing I thought of before letting the darkness pull me under.
spn
"Did you see the wounds?" Dean whispered as he walked out of the morgue with Sam.
"Yeah, even though they tried to hide it, I saw the bite marks. The autopsy report said nearly all the blood was drained from the body too."
"Looks like we got vamps in the area."
"What's the next move? I doubt they're roaming the street during the day."
"Let's go talk to the friends that were out with the two victims."
"Ok. I've got their names and addresses and where they work in the police reports." Sam told him, getting into the passenger seat after scooping up the files he had left there. He opened one file and found the information they needed. "Which one should we check out first?"
"Who's the closest?" Dean asked cranking the Impala and waiting for him to answer.
"It says one of the guys works a couple streets over at a law firm."
"We'll start there then."
"You think there's more than one here?"
"Don't know, so far there's only been three victims over the past two weeks. I'd say there would be more missing if there was a nest, unless they were supplementing some other way."
"Well there's no reports of any missing blood from any hospitals or blood banks that I can find. Unless they're people missing that haven't been reported missing."
"Like the homeless or those with no family to report them missing. Did you check any prior missing person's reports see if they have the same MO?"
"Yep, didn't find anything, so maybe we'll be lucky and it's only one or two loners."
"It's halfway down the street on the right." Sam directed him. "He works at Byers & Hart Law Firm. His name's Cooper Reynolds."
"Alright, let's go talk to him." he said pulling into a parking space and stopping.
"Dean, before we go in I wanted to tell you something." Sam said finally getting the nerve to talk to Dean.
"What?" Dean asked looking over at his brother curious to what he had to say.
"I wanted to tell you that I...I didn't kiss Lark or give her reason to do it." Sam said glancing over at his brother. "I kind of thought she was interested in you."
"Don't sweat it, she kissed me too." Dean shrugged. "Maybe she's just testing the water."
"I gotta say Lark seems more your type than mine."
"Guess maybe we'll find out if she makes a move."
"So, we good? You're not mad or anything?"
"Yep, I'm good, nothing to be mad about, she's not really chosen either of us so no harm done. Let's go talk to this Reynolds guy." Dean said getting out of the car.
spn
"I'm Cooper Reynolds." a young man said stepping to the brothers.
"We're with the FBI and would like to ask you some questions about your missing friend." Dean told him pulling out his badge to show him.
The guy looked from one badge to the other and back at the two agents.
"I'm not sure how I can help. I didn't see anything, I told the sheriff that." he told them.
"Can you go over what happened that night?" Sam asked.
"A bunch of us went out to celebrate Troy's birthday. There were five of us and we were going to hit a few bars, drink, dance, and whatever else if you get my drift. At the third bar we were all feeling pretty good and we met some women and hung out with them. I never even saw Brett leave until he was gone and didn't know about him being missing until the cops got in touch with me."
"What was the name of the bar where he left?" Dean asked.
"Nightlight, it's on the other side of town, a little more upscale than some of them."
"Thanks for your help. If you happen to remember anything else give us a call." Sam said handing him a card.
"Sure, no problem." he said accepting the card from him before turning to leave.
"Why don't we see if any of the others visited that bar too? Maybe that's where they're picking their victims." Dean said opening the driver's door to get in.
"Let me call the others and maybe they can tell us." Sam said picking up the file and looking in it. He pulled out his cell and started dialing a number.
While Sam did the cell thing, Dean headed back to the motel. If they were going to check out that nightclub they'd have to wait until tonight when it opened. He planned on getting a nap before they headed over to the club. He listened to the one sided conversation Sam was having and waited until he had called all the families or friends before asking what he had found.
"Well? Anything useful?"
"Yeah as a matter of fact I did. Three out of the five victims were at that nightclub on the night they disappeared."
"So that settles it then. They must be picking the victims from the patrons of the club." Dean said pulling into the motel parking lot. "What ya wanna bet they got surveillance cameras in that place. We'll head over before it opens and see if we can't get a look at the dates the victims went missing."
"What if they don't want to cooperate? Or the tapes may already be reused."
"Still worth a shot." Dean said getting out of the car. "We got any dead man's blood?"
"Maybe enough for two syringes. Wouldn't hurt to have some more."
"That's your job bro. Go round us up some more blood, I'm gonna grab a nap." he said getting out and leaving the car running.
"You do know it's broad dayli..." Sam started to have the driver's door slammed in his face and Dean heading for the motel room door. "Guess I'll think of something." he muttered pulling back out of the parking lot to look for a funeral home.
spn
I found out early on that the best place to find information was find the best local eating establishment, go there for some great food and listen to the gossip flow. I found that at Lester's Diner and got there just before the morning rush. I asked for a table that would put me within hearing distance of most of the room. I checked out those that came in deciding on who were the best sources for information. I silently ate my breakfast and listened to the voices around me, tuning in on one and then another trying to pick up tidbits of gossip. I made my breakfast last as long as I could and ordered a hot tea to go before getting up to leave. I stopped by a table with three older men and paused long enough to comment on their hats that showed all had been in the service. I asked about their service and talked for a few minutes before broaching on the subject of the missing people. They told me about rumors that had been around for years of something that haunted the abandoned buildings where they had disappeared. I thanked them for talking to me and for their service before leaving.
My next stop was where the people went missing. I parked and got out to look around. The place was deserted and I tried to figure out why anyone would be here to begin with. I walked from one end to the other and saw a main road across a vacant field. It stood to reason they could have been lured down this way and then taken. I checked the buildings to find them all locked and none looked like they had been broken into. I looked up when a sheriff's car pulled to the end of the alley and a deputy got out. I put on my FBI face and headed in his direction.
"Hello, can I help with you with something?" he asked eyeing me cautiously.
"FBI, Agent Thurman, I'm following up on the missing persons you've had lately." I told him pulling out my fake badge to show him.
"You look awful young to be FBI."
"Why thank you kindly, helps when I'm undercover." I told him.
"I see. Is there anything I can do to help?"
"No I'm good. I'll just be looking around and I'll let you know if I need anything."
"Alright, have a good day." he said before getting back in his car and leaving.
I waved good-bye to him and waited until he was gone before going to the truck and pulling out a map I had gotten at a gas station. After finding where I was at, I started looking around the area for a possible location where the victims could be taken that was private and out of the way. I studied the area and ran my finger outward, stopping at another building about five miles away. I pulled out my laptop and was lucky to have wi-fi and checked out what it was. It was an abandoned storage warehouse for a company that had shut down four years earlier. I decided it was worth checking out and got in my truck to drive over there.
spn
I stopped before getting to the building and pulled over deciding not to announce my arrival in case there was anyone there. I got out and checked my gun and knives before making my way to the building. I checked the lock on the front door of the building and was suspicious at how new it looked. I knew I could break in here but didn't want to give away my presence, so I headed around the structure to find another entrance. I found a side door with an older looking lock and worked on picking it to get inside.
The place had discarded boxes, broken office furniture, filing cabinets, and a thick coating of dust over every surface. Large spider webs hung from the ceiling and glistened in the dim sunlight coming in from the high dirty windows. I looked around before moving any further into the structure looking for any critters that might be running around. I did not like spiders, or the creepy crawlies that usually inhabited places like this. Once I was satisfied there were no jumbo spiders going to attack or beefed up rats to fend off, I silently made my way through the shadows to search the place.
Twenty minutes later I hit pay dirt in a storage closet. I found what was left of two bodies that look like they were mummified. I studied them for a moment before leaving them and heading to the back of the building, but stopped when noises from the front door stopped me. I found a place to hide and waited to see who would be coming inside. I held my breath as footsteps came closer and I saw a man carrying a woman over his shoulder. As he passed through a shaft of sunlight I saw what he was and didn't move a muscle until he had disappeared into a room in the back. I was lucky he didn't smell me and was going to remedy that when I came back. Knowing I didn't have the weapons I needed to kill him, I quietly made my way to the side door to leave before I was seen. Now that I knew what I was up against, I needed to prepare so I could hopefully save those I could.
spn
After sneaking from the building, I made my way back to my truck and headed back to the motel. I was going to get my weapons ready, redo my distress call and get some rest before heading back to that warehouse early in the morning. I hoped that he wouldn't be there or at least be sleeping and maybe catch him off guard. I started putting a plan in place in my mind as I searched for a butcher shop.
I finished my sandwich and headed for the bathroom to shower so I could try and get some sleep. I stripped and turned on the water adjusting the temperature to my liking before stepping under the spray. I was readying myself for the hunt as I cleansed my body so did I cleanse my soul. I held my head back and smoothed down my long hair, letting the water run over my head. It felt good and I stood in there for a moment before shampooing my hair and soaping my body. I let my hand pause on the scars that were on my arm, shoulder, and stomach remembering the hunts and the knowledge I gained from them. I rinsed the suds from my body and shut the water off before reaching for a towel to dry with and then wrapped it around my wet hair. I stepped from the tub and to the sink wiping my hand across the mirror to remove the mist covering it. I stood there for a moment and just stared at the person looking back at me and wondered who that person was.
It seemed like a lifetime ago that I had a job, friends, and a normal life. Now, I looked at the seriousness in my expression, the haunted look in my eyes and the scars I now had on my body knowing how much I had changed. I wore them proudly knowing what they meant to me. I put aside my thoughts and reached for my briefs and a tank top, slipping them on. After combing out my hair, I dried it and headed back into the other room. Wanting some noise, I turned on the television and lowered the volume before climbing into bed. I set my internal clock to wake me just before dawn so I could head over to the warehouse. I listened to the droning of the television and my mind wondered to the brothers hoping if they had found a hunt it was going ok for them.
spn
"We're not open yet." a guy told the brothers after they pounded on the door to get someone's attention.
"FBI, your boss in yet?" Dean asked holding up his fake id.
"Nope, he doesn't come in until later."
"This place got surveillance cameras?"
"Yeah, had them installed a while back when a patron caused a ruckus."
"We need to see the footage for a couple days. How long do keep them?" Sam asked.
"I'll need to get approval from my boss."
"I guess you best be calling him then." Dean said stepping into the club and causing the guy to move out of the way.
He looked at Dean for a second and pulled his cell from his pocket to call his boss. He walked a few steps away and mumbled into the phone while looking back at the two brothers. He hung up the phone and came back over to them.
"Alright, boss says you can see them." he said leading them back to an office and showing them the equipment. "Hope you can run it. I don't know how."
"We'll figure it out." Dean told him. "Go on now."
"Ok." he said leaving them in the room alone.
"Can you figure it out?" Dean asked Sam as he pulled a chair over to the laptop.
"I think so." Sam replied typing and clicking the mouse until he found what he was looking for. "Ok, now I only need to find the dates those guys went missing."
spn
"Here's the camera's for the front and back doors, those are probably the ones we need to watch." Sam said finding the first date they wanted.
"Ok, so the last guy disappeared between ten and eleven. I'd say to be on the safe side we need to watch say nine to midnight." Dean said leaning closer to watch the monitor.
"Got it." Sam said cueing up that time and sitting back as they watched for the victim.
After thirty minutes Dean started to get bored and when an hour went by he was so annoying Sam was ready to send him out of the room so he could watch the tape in peace. He huffed loudly at his brother making Dean stop spinning in the chair he was sitting in. Dean gave him a bitch face and grumbled under his breath about Sam never wanting to have any fun.
"Here!" Sam announced sitting up and rewinding the tape a little. "There's the last victim." he pointed to the screen when a group of guys came into the club.
"Can you follow him with the cameras?" Dean asked rolling closer to the desk to look at the screen.
"I think so." Sam said tapping a couple of keys and switching camera views. Both brothers studied the screen and watched as they headed for the bar for drinks and then to a table. Sam fast forwarded through another hour then slowed it back down when the victim started talking to another guy at the bar and then left with him. "Can't really see the guy's face good." Sam said zooming in closer.
"Check out his hand, it looks like some kind of ring. Can you bring it into focus?" Dean asked.
"Let me see." Sam replied biting his lower lip as he worked on doing that.
"It looks like some type of crest."
"Maybe family crest?"
"Ok, he's dark headed, looks a little shorter than me, well dressed and has a unique ring. I can work with that." Dean nodded getting up. "The place will be opening up soon, let's go grab a bite and come back. I'm pretty sure he'll wait until its dark and the place is crowded to make a move."
"Sounds good to me." Sam said getting up to follow Dean out.
The brothers left the Impala in the parking lot and walked down the street to the next block looking for a place to eat and waste some time before heading back to the club. Sam spotted a sandwich shop a couple of blocks away and steered them toward it. Dean stopped and read the menu outside the door before stepping a foot into the place. He had to be sure they had real food in there and not just the crap that Sam preferred to eat. Once he was satisfied with what he read, only then did he allow Sam to go inside. Sam rolled his eyes at his brother's antics knowing full well what he was doing. He was just happy Dean approved and they wouldn't have to look any further, and he could have something healthy to eat. He gave up trying to change his brother's eating habits a long time ago and just went with what he could. Sometimes it worked out and others...Well...Sam just had to make do.
A/N: So both have found a hunt. Who's going to save who? Hope you are enjoying the read and thank you for your followings, favors and reviews. I do like to know your thoughts. Please review. NC