The phone was pressed tight against his ear as he stood back against the outer hotel room wall, watching Cas and Crowley a few feet away.

"Sammy?" came that familiar voice he hadn't heard in over a week and he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hey, Gabriel."

"You do know who you called, right?" Dean asked confused but probably working it out.

"Uh-huh."

"Gotcha. So you've met our terrible backward ass plan here. Would just send you with Cas but that place is warded to hell and back against angels and he doesn't got the mojo to break in."

"Surprise you trust me," Sam said, leaning a little more against the wall, keeping an eye on the demon that he was sure was attempting lip reading. "After my last let's play with demons."

"Trust you learned something from that. Cas doesn't think you're going to do anything stupid right now anyways. Well, more than normal."

Sam let out a huff, knocking his heel against the cement. Crowley was pointing at his watch, tapping his foot in an over-exaggerated fashion and Sam rolled his eyes back. Not that the demon wasn't right for once, they had to get moving here in a couple.

"Are you doing okay?" Since that was the only way he could phrase it.

"Better. Been working on making me more melded and less oozing mess." A pause as Dean seemed to consider something. "You know, Sam, you can, uh, pray. You're one of the ones that still pop on my radar."

Just the strangely awkward way his brother said it like he was trying to give him the sex talk, made him smile a little even as it hammered the truth in a little more. "When you say things like that…"

His voice trailed off because he wasn't sure how to say it without sounding like he was giving up on his brother. A soft sound like Dean was frustrated and trying not to show it.

"Still me, Sammy. Still, the guy who cleaned your skinned knees and watched you cry over your first girl crush. Who was that – some Home Ec teacher and you begged dad not to move us because you were certain she had the hots for you because of how she stirred your porridge or steamed your iron or something."

"I hate you so much right now," Sam muttered feeling his cheeks flush red. Crowley raised an eyebrow and looked more intrigued. "We got to go."

"Meant what I said. If you get in trouble pray. Can't hear much, but I can hear you."

"'k talk to you on the other side."

He fished the keys from his pants pocket, motioning for them to go out to the car, Crowley with an interested look that at least had glossed over his freaked-out stares he had been having. Probably an improvement even if Sam didn't want him interested so much in him. It was quiet, which was typically the norm at two in the morning. He really wished they didn't have to do this but if the handler for a horseman was situated in such a public position, well it wasn't good news.

"See anything, Cas?" he asked as he pulled the car over about a block away, the ride having been mercifully silent.

"Nothing demonic present right at the moment," Cas replied. "I cannot see inside the building."

Sam nodded getting himself out and around back to the trunk. It was the best intel he was going to get because apparently even Gabriel couldn't just see through the wards without disturbing them. Meaning Lucifer had probably done them himself and that was all kinds of bad. He grabbed his bag, making sure his weapons were loaded and holy water within easy reach.

"If this is a trap –"

"I will fry. I got it. Let's skip the broken record part and get this over with," the demon said as Sam handed Cas the keys to the Impala.

"If something goes belly up take it and go."

The demon was by his side as they crossed the street and he wanted to just stab it on principle. He had the knife instant kill and he tried not to be sickened by the thought that he may have to take out innocent hosts to get through this place. It loomed mostly dark in front of them, something about it giving a menacing air most empty office buildings didn't have. Only the lobby was fully lit. Crowley pointed towards the side and they crept down, hidden in the bushes as one of the security guys on rounds came by. It was a quick blow, dragging him back into the bushes as Sam bound him in duct tape and took his keys, card, and radio.

"Leaving him alive gives us less time," the demon observed which Sam only chose to answer with a glare. "Got it, as few causalities as possible. Come on, side entrance back here."

At least Gabriel's intel on this whole thing had been right though. Heavy-duty security door that had a card swipe but no needed keypad. It was also the only door where the camera swung around enough to give them time to get in without being seen. He watched the red light around the corner with a small mirror, heart-pounding as it paced past and then they were swiping the card and in, door with a slight whoosh behind them.

It was rather upscale, noticeable even in this side hallway as they walked a few steps and slipped into the stairwell. Sam was fairly certain the security office wasn't far away and he wasn't up to tempting fate.

"Anything?"

"Nothing nearby."

A nod and they started climbing the stairs that looked to be for employees and not clients of the place. The paint was worn on the rails, flecking off in spots on the walls and he doubted a company this focused on an image would let their clients feel like they were in a back alley warehouse.

"This is where it gets problematic giant," the demon said after a few flights and pointed at the next landing. "The office we need isn't that far inside but there's a demon in the hallway. Possibly more."

"Brady?"

"Unless my demon senses are failing, still not around for right now. Have to pick up our bundle of joy later on in the evening's program."

The landing door had a small thin window and Sam peaked through it to see a grinning face on the other side. "Shit," he muttered as he moved fast enough to not be caught in the face, Crowley grabbing him from behind.

There wasn't much of a choice, the guy was about to scream his fucking lungs out and Sam struck the knife in, ending the demon's existence in a small light show. He tried not to think about it, that maybe the body was already dead anyway as he got the door open, Crowley dragging the demon through, keeping him so the wound was up and not dripping yet.

"Broom closet," the demon said and Sam opened the door, Crowley stuffing the body in. "Come on, let's take a look around and get the hell out."

Everything was hardwoods and brass and screamed 'invest with us' when they got into the office, fortunate enough the frigging card worked. Sam felt uneasy as things rarely went this well and it had been a pretty textbook B&E so far minus the demon. So things were probably going to go to shit at some point.

"We need to just take the hard drive," he said slipping his bag on the oversized desk, taking out a small box. "Surprised the asshole isn't here."

"Am a bit too," the demon said appearing on edge as he was as he peeled back the carpet, shaking a spray can.

Sam worked the case open figuring the files were probably encrypted but if he could get it out of here he had two archangels and a genius drunk who could figure shit out. He got the first one free and looked for anything else, prying open the drawers quickly taking anything electronic including thumb drives. There was a brass bowl that looked like it had remnants of blood in it and he made himself not think about what that was for.

"All you boys had to do was ask. Would have been happy to share," came a voice as the main lights flicked on. "Well, with you, Sam. We just couldn't let you leave."

It looked like a maintenance worker rushing towards them before hitting an invisible wall as he rebounded a bit, staggering back.

"This is why we lose. Kind of don't blame the Morning Star if this is the best hell has to offer," Crowley said with a sigh, staring at the poor shmuck stuck in the devil trap that was under the rug. "Ready, Moose?"

"Yeah."

"Kind of need to take care of the stool pigeon." The demon thumbed towards the thing in the trap which snarled and Sam hated that twist in his stomach. "The entire point of this was getting in and get out, not leave witnesses. This is a problem."

"Damnit," he muttered because the demon was right and he couldn't just exercise it either since it would go yipping back to Lucifer.

He made if fast the body dropping soundlessly to the floor as they got back to the stairwell.

"It's a war, there are causalities. If it wasn't they'd call it dinner," the demon said as they made their way down the stairs.

Sam didn't bother to answer, didn't make it any better but was relieved when Crowley shook his head and opened the first-floor door. A handy video screen was by their exit to help guards see a threat and when the camera swung the right way they were out, making their way past. That poor bastard they had jumped earlier still laying in the bushes.

It had been way too easy and he shouldn't have been surprised when they were halfway down the block when he was thrown back, bag slipping from his shoulder as he hit against a parked car. This just wasn't what problem he had really been expecting as he got his wind back staggering to his feet.

"Zachariah," he growled out, the smarmy flesh blob of former middle-management that the angel was wearing smiled, showing teeth. He glanced down but the bag was gone, and he cursed under his breath.

"Can't say I'm all that surprised by you running around in such mixed company. Tell me, do you screw him too?"

"Get away from me," Sam said but the angel stepped closer. He took in Castiel being dragged by some goon, unconscious, but Crowley was nowhere to be seen.

"Oh but the fun is just getting started and you get the best role. Live bait."

Zachariah grabbed him by the neck as everything he was screamed out for Dean and the world went dark.