The Guard Changed at Dawn
Chapter 23
After leaving Dean and the others assembling the armaments for the next day, Joshua was once more in the reservation clinic. He was familiar enough with the receptionist that she buzzed him through without an escort. She told him Doctor Etsitty would meet him at the ward. It was after two o'clock and he wanted to check in on the little boy. With James and Sam's research, he felt so much more positive they would be able to help all the children, and hopefully Sarah as well. They were even finding out the children's identities. Even though he knew Sam had emailed the information to Doctor Etsitty, he was holding printed copies as well, excited to hear what Maska would say.
When he got to the coded door, he knocked on the window.
A dark haired nurse he hadn't met before came over and opened the door, but didn't move to let him in.
"Is Doctor Etsitty here?"
"Not at this time," the nurse said.
"Doctor Collins?"
"Just a moment." The girl closed the door and walked away.
Joshua huffed and leaned against the wall near the electronic lock. How did the nurse think he'd gotten through the locked reception door alone if he wasn't known?
A sound had him turning, and Doctor Collins opened the door. "Sorry, Mr. Sawyer," she said. "I didn't get a call you were coming in."
"The receptionist said she'd contact Doctor Etsitty." Joshua said, looking over Doctor Collins' shoulder.
"He's fine," Doctor Collins said, a small smile on her face. "He's asleep. And Doctor Etsitty is in a consultation with another patient. She'll be back shortly."
Joshua nodded and walked over to the child. Smiling, he ran a hand lightly over the boy's head, and immediately the child opened sleepy eyes. When he saw Joshua, he grinned, tossed the covers aside and jumped into his arms.
"Whoa," Joshua exclaimed, catching the child. Returning his embrace with enthusiasm, he dropped into his usual chair near the bed and whispered, "You're fine. I'm so glad to be back."
"Back," the child murmured.
Joshua froze in surprise, wondering if he'd imagined the word. Gently pushing the boy back, he looked the child in the eyes and said, "What? Back?"
"Back," the child said again, and leaned in to hug Joshua one more.
Joshua laughed and held the child even closer. "You did it," he murmured in the child's ear. "I knew you would."
For a long time he held the child close, rocking him gently and knew the moment the boy fell back to sleep. Even then, he just kept holding him and rubbing his back. Finally, Doctor Collins came around his side and sat down on the bed.
"Shall we get him back under the covers?"
Joshua sighed and nodded. Carefully he lifted the child and placed him in bed, with Doctor Collins on the other side helping to tuck him in.
When they finished, Doctor Collins pointed to the papers now mangled and still in Joshua's hand. "What are those?"
Joshua looked down. "Oh! Sam Winchester emailed these over to me. They're some of the kidnapped children our organization has identified so far." He looked over at the two dark haired children who were sleep together again, and said, "Amanda and Erik," he said, handing the pages over.
Doctor Collins grabbed the stack and flipped through them quickly. Returning to the first couple of pages, she read the results. When finished, she asked, "Are we supposed to call the parents?"
Joshua shook his head immediately. "Not yet. We need to deal with the witches and rescue any other children that may remain alive. Then so many things need to happen before the parents are called."
"That is correct."
Joshua and Doctor Collins turned to see Doctor Etsitty standing behind them. She gave Doctor Collins a stern look. "I, along with Joseph Whitetail and Chief Adcox will devise a plan to get the children back to their parents, with the help of your leadership team, of course, Joshua."
Joshua nodded.
Doctor Collins gave a sharp nod. She handed the pages over to Doctor Etsitty and stepped back slightly.
"How is it going?" Maska asked, dropping her professional demeanor.
"Well," Joshua said. "I hope you'll need to prepare more beds soon."
"And your friend, Adam; he's working on a way to get these kids back to good health?"
"He is. It's definitely been a collaborative effort, but he and Joseph are reading through some information found about a child that escaped the witches in the early twentieth century. If the medicine man of the day recorded the treatments, which Joseph assured my he would have, we can use those records to help in treating these kids."
"Sounds like we're moving in the right direction," Maska said. Turning to Doctor Collins, she said, "Malaya, would you please see if Amanda and Erik can recognize their names? If they do," she smiled, "it will definitely give us a barometer by which to measure their recovery."
Doctor Collins smiled. "It would be a pleasure." She quickly turned and hurried over to the youngest pair of survivors.
"I'll sit with him awhile longer," Joshua said, his eyes on the child with whom he'd bonded.
"I think he'd like that," Maska said. She smiled as Joshua sat back in his bedside chair. Turning, her smile fell away as she looked at the pages of faces Joshua's people had found. Her heart was heavy, as she knew only a handful would probably be found. Sighing deeply, she walked back through the ward. Opening the door, she stepped out and headed to her office. She needed a minute, just a minute to collect herself before continuing on.
Joshua's phone buzzed, and he rose and moved away from the bed, so as not to disturb the sleeping child. "Caleb?" he answered. After listening for a second, he sputtered, "There are what covering the building…?"
"Are the beetles covering just the doors and windows, or the whole building?" Caleb asked, leaning close to the double doors and trying to see above the door ledge.
"Don't get so close," Max warned. "Some beetles may get through the frame."
"Plus it's just really gross," James added, keeping his distance.
"JT, can you get Adam and Joseph from the records room?" Dean asked. "Since Josh is at the clinic, they're going to need to step in and work with Sam as the consultants on this magical crap."
"Sure," JT said, and headed back through the door and down the long hallway to the records room.
Sam stepped up to Dean and asked softly, "Are you wearing the anti-energy-poaching spell bag?"
Dean merely pulled his shirt aside to show the small pouch.
"Then how are the witches getting a spell outside the containment?" Sam demanded.
"Maybe they've always been able to use natural creatures like owls and beetles in their spells. The entrapment wasn't made to keep nature inside; just them."
"But why haven't they affected the outside world before?" Sam questioned in frustration.
Dean shrugged. "We don't know that they haven't."
"For decades they've been at a stalemate with the Yakama," Caleb stated from behind Sam. Moving up beside his Triad, he continued. "The Yakama people knew they were there, there was no need to expend resources in terrorizing the indigenous peoples. They used their energy in classic Steve McQueen fashion; to escape."
"Then we came," Dean said.
"Yup. They tasted your Guardian mojo," Caleb explained. "You were like catnip; they wanted more."
"Gee, thanks," Dean muttered.
Sam chuckled.
Caleb smirked as he continued, "They figured out who you were in the first time we went into the forest. They realized they could use you to get a boost of energy and get out."
"We're also the first hunters to come into the forest to kill them in over a hundred years," Dean added.
"They recognized us as a danger and a source of power," Caleb confirmed.
"And when we cut off Dean and JT's energy via the pouches…" Sam said.
"They upped their game by using spells on the local wildlife," Dean finished.
"They couldn't stop us with those tactics," Sam added, "but they could slow us down, give themselves more time to get around the spell pouches and use the energy boost to escape."
Caleb nodded. "My question is, why take the children through the years? Using them as a food source is crap. All research points to their using energy for sustenance. There must be another reason to kidnap them."
"We haven't had time to research every era or contingency," Sam pointed out.
"I've been on enough hunts to trust the research we have done," Caleb retorted.
"Agreed," Sam sighed. "But the truth is, we may never know." He stepped a little closer to the beetle-covered front windows, asking, "You think they're covering the whole building?"
"Yeah, I do," Dean said. Like James, he kept his distance from the windows. "You think we can burn them to death?"
"Not without burning the building, with us inside," Caleb stated. He stepped over to where James, Ryker and Max were standing.
"Let's avoid that," Max said, moving further back and nearly colliding with the Knight.
"How are we going to get outside?" Ryker asked. He hadn't made any attempt to get close to the windows or to see the beetles. "If we open a window, won't the beetles come in?"
"Come in and kill us," James remarked.
"Jimmy," Sam admonished.
"There are millions of beetles outside!" James declared. "I'm gonna be scarred for life over this!"
Dean turned away to cover his grin. James was nearly as dramatic as Sam when he was that age.
"You're not going to be scarred for life," Sam stated. "One time me and your dad were attacked by a swarm of insects when investigating a cursed burial site in Oklahoma. We survived."
"Killer insects? That supposed to make me feel better?" James muttered.
"How did you kill them?" Ryker asked.
"We set them on fire," Dean said.
"Oh yeah, I remember that case," Caleb said. "Totally lame hunt."
"It wasn't lame," Sam declared. "We…"
"Can we not rehash a hunt from decades ago and deal with the beetle problem we've got now?" Dean interrupted.
"They're inside!" Max shouted, and stomped his booted foot.
"That was a moth," Ryker observed. "But nice kill."
Adam and Joseph followed JT into the lobby and approached the door, staring.
"Remarkable," Joseph said, his eyes on the beetle wall. "The witches really don't want us leaving, do they?"
Adam approached the front windows, frowning. "This type of thing happen often?"
"Occasionally," Dean stated. "Okay, without Josh here, you're the spell dream team. Any ideas on how we can kill the bugs and get out of here without taking the building down?"
Joseph gave Dean a startled look. "You're joking, aren't you? You can't destroy the Yakama Tribal Hall and Records Building!"
"He's kidding," Caleb stated. "And Josh is on the way."
"He won't be able to get in," James said.
"Thank you, Captain Obvious," Caleb quipped.
Dean grinned. They really weren't in a funny situation, but so many weird things had happened to them over the last few days, he was losing his ability to be shocked on this hunt.
"What he can do is tell us if the entire building is covered with the bugs, or only the doors and windows," Caleb said.
Dean turned to Joseph and asked, "Any ideas?"
"Not at the moment. I've never seen anything like it."
"Looks like it may be a call and repel spell," Sam said, walking over slowly with his computer open. "The witches call the insects to them, then repel them to a designated spot or area." He looked up. "The stronger the spell…" he swept an arm at the windows, "the bigger the repel."
"Can you counter it?" Dean asked.
"Can I see that?" Adam asked, moving to Sam's side and shouldering him slightly as he looked at the computer screen.
Sam gave Dean an exasperated looked and handed the computer to Adam. "I don't know how to get them away. I think a reversal spell should work."
"Would it make all the beetles go and crawl all over the witches?" Dean asked, his eyes gleaming with mischief.
"No, it would send them back to wherever they came from," Sam stated. "But I want to research the situation a little more. There are different spells that have similar results. I'd like to narrow it down a bit further before we make a move."
"You're correct, in that there are some other options we should explore before choosing this one as the rebuttal," Adam said. "I'll get my computer. Meet you in the records room," he stated over his shoulder as he walked off.
Sam rolled his eyes and followed.
"Does he get to order everyone around?" James complained. "I think that sounded like an order."
Max smiled. "Adam's very smart."
"But he's an acquired taste," Caleb declared, eyeing the door through which Adam had disappeared with some annoyance.
JT grinned at Ryker. Having spent many years with the coven, he knew Adam saying he would meet Sam in the records room was tantamount to his declaring Sam was very smart and that he would enjoy working with him. Of course, it didn't come off like that; it wouldn't unless you knew Adam. Shaking his head, he headed back into the banquet room.
Ryker merely smiled and followed. He'd long grown used to the reactions his father's direct and intractable manner garnered from others. As a young man, it had taken him years to gain his own confidence in the face of his father's daunting stoicism. It was one reason he loved being in the Brotherhood. These were strong men his father didn't intimidate. If his father had approved of the Brotherhood, they might even have been friends. Maybe one day…
"JT and Ryker have the right idea," Dean stated. "We've got a lot of work to do, and we can't let some beetles keep us from getting it done."
"I vote Max gets the duck tape so he can cover over all the window edges and around the door frames," James stated, eyeing the front windows.
Max looked indignant, but before he could voice his strong objection to James' plan to throw him under the proverbial bus, Joseph stepped in.
"There's no need," Joseph said. "We're close to the forest, so the insect population is higher here than elsewhere in Washington. We made the building airtight to prevent their incursion inside."
"Come on," Dean said, giving his son's neck a comforting squeeze. He nodded to Max, "Let's get this done."
Joshua drove the SUV toward the Records Hall as fast as he safely could. He couldn't believe it; there were beetles covering the building? What kind of magic was that? Apparently the same kind that had owls attacking Dean and Max. Sam, Joseph and Adam were still inside. They would be working on a way to reverse the spell. Maybe by the time he got there the bugs would be gone. He could only hope, because he hated bugs.
Fumbling for his phone, his eyes bobbed between the road and the cell as he looked for Samuel's number on his call list and touched the screen.
"Hello?"
"Samuel, it's Joshua. Where are you?"
"North side of the reservation; I just dropped Poloma off at home."
"We have a situation at the Records Hall. Apparently, it's literally covered in beetles." There was silence on the other end of the phone. "Samuel?"
"Did you say beetles?"
"Yes. I'm heading over there now to see whether the entire building is covered, or only the windows and… Whoa!" Joshua swung the steering wheel to the right as a massive swarm of huge moths divebombed his vehicle. They flooded downward and blanketed the frame with their large wings. Slowing his speed, he tried to see out through any cracks in the massive field of wings on his windshield, but the small glimpses of sunlight didn't allow him any sight of the road. Suddenly his car crunched loudly and jolted to a stop. His head snapped forward, nearly colliding with the steering wheel. "Owww," he groaned, slowly rubbing his neck. He looked up and stared at the undulating blackish-brown windshield. Borrowing from Caleb's vocabulary, he muttered, "Oh, crap." He turned his head slowly and surveyed the sides and rear of the car. Every window, and he supposed the entire vehicle, was covered in moths. As the ringing in his ears subsided, he could finally hear Samuel calling his name.
"Joshua! Are you all right? Joshua!"
Joshua looked around for his phone. It was on the floor underneath the glove compartment. Unhooking his seatbelt, he leaned over and snatched it up, saying, "I'm here, I'm here."
"Are you all right?" Samuel asked anxiously.
Joshua looked out of the car and said, "I'm fine, yes. I hit something, but I can't tell what because my car is completely covered in moths."
"Moths…"
"Very large moths," Joshua stated, trying to keep a sense of panic at bay. "I would appreciate an assist here. I don't know how long they'll stay outside the car."
"Where are you?" Samuel asked urgently.
"I left the clinic about fifteen minutes ago heading to the Records Hall, driving forty-five miles-per-hour."
"I'm too far away, but I'll call Cheyton and have him assist. Hang on, he'll be there in under five minutes."
Joshua looked at his silent phone and hit his speed dial. There wasn't even a full ring before Caleb picked up.
"Josh?"
"I'm between the clinic and the Hall, but I can't get any further right now. My car is covered in moths."
There was a beat of silence before Caleb said, "Moths? Seriously? Are you all right?"
Joshua smiled. "I'm fine, though I'll probably be sore tomorrow. I hit something because I couldn't see through the windshield."
"But you're okay…"
"Yes, I'm fine," Joshua reiterated. "I called Samuel. He's too far away to render assistance, but he's sending Cheyton. Hopefully he has an oil barrel full of bug killer."
"Stay inside and shut all the vents," Caleb ordered.
"Oh, thank you for the suggestion," Joshua retorted waspishly. "I didn't think of that."
Caleb chuckled. "Sorry. Habit."
"I'll be there as soon as I can."
"All right. If you think of any way we can get these bugs off the building, let us know. If the bug spray doesn't work, we can use it on your car too."
"You've got some good resources there with Sam, Joseph and Adam. And Sam knows Triad magic. That may help," Joshua added.
"Will do. Call me when your car is de-mothed," Caleb said, and hung up.
Joshua stared at his cell a second, then looked up. There was a snuffling of wings and bodies shifting and swiping his windshield. He felt incredibly isolated and somewhat claustrophobic inside the car when he couldn't see the world outside. He twisted and checked the rear of the vehicle for bugs. The moths would get in eventually, he knew that. But thankfully, there were none inside yet. Suddenly his cell rang, and he jumped. The sound was so much louder when he couldn't see anything.
"Yes?" He was surprised at how breathless he sounded.
"It's Cheyton. I'm outside the car." There was silence for a moment as he grunted, obviously pulling something from his vehicle. Then he said, "Your car … wow."
"Am I completely covered?" Joshua asked.
"From head to toe," Cheyton replied. He sounded muffled, and it was clear he was working on something.
Joshua waited for a moment, then asked, "What's the plan?"
Cheyton made a grunting sound, then said somewhat breathlessly, "Sorry, I've got an industrial jug of bug spray and it was difficult to maneuver out of the car. Are you secure?"
"As secure as I can be," Joshua said. "The windows and vents are shut."
"All right. I'm going to spray the undercarriage first. It's the most vulnerable place for bugs and insects getting inside. Then I'll move to the back of the SUV, go over the top and hit the hood. Then we'll see where we're at, okay?"
"Okay."
"Stand by…"
Joshua checked the back again and blew out a controlled breath. No bugs. He couldn't believe how difficult it was to stay put when everything inside him was screaming to open the car door and run outside.
Liquid hit the undercarriage of the car, and he wished again that he could see outside. After a couple of minutes, the spray hit the rear window. He turned around and saw thick mist hitting the glass and moths scattering. The spraying moved up over the top, and now the moths on the side windows were scrambling away from the repellent, some slipping down the window, others flying away. Though the front windshield was still a mass of writhing bodies and wings, just having some sight from the sides of the vehicle made Joshua feel like he could breathe again.
He pressed his speed dial again and Caleb picked right up.
"You okay?"
"I'm fine," Joshua said with a smile. "Cheyton is spraying the car with bug repellent. I should be able to get out shortly."
"Great news. See you in a few. Be careful," Caleb said, and disconnected.
The front windshield burst with liquid, and the moths there slipped and slid and scattered. Finally, there was a wash of repellent like rain over the car. Joshua looked out and could see Cheyton and someone else walking around the car. Both had large scarves tied over their heads, and breathing masks covering their noses and mouths. Cheyton made a stay put motion and went back to his car. Out of the back seat he pulled a large broom. He said something to the other person Joshua could now tell was a teenager by his slight and gangly stature. The kid nodded and shifted the can and nozzle he was holding into a higher position, ready to spray. Cheyton came over to the SUV and started brushing the moths from the car, running the broom over the top and down the back, then across the driver's side before he leaned in and opened the door.
Pulling the mask away from his face, Cheyton said urgently, "Come on. Quickly, come on out."
Joshua climbed from the car as fast as his limbs could take him. Cheyton gripped his arm ushered him over to his own car before handing him another face mask.
When Joshua turned back around, he got his first full look at his vehicle. There was a thick carpet of moths completely surrounding the SUV, more clinging to or sliding down the hood and sides and several fluttering drunkenly in the air.
Cheyton slid his mask back over his mouth and nose and returned to the SUV, brushing more moths off the windshield and front hood. Stepping back, he nodded to the teen. The youngster pulled up his own mask and moved back over to the car, spraying the undercarriage again, and repeating the spraying over the back, top, front and sides. More moths dropped to the ground while some flew away. When he finished, he stepped away and Cheyton returned to sweep more moths from the car.
Finally, the young man walked over to the teen and smiled, giving the youth a one-armed hug as they walked over to Joshua.
Pulling down his mask, Cheyton said, "Joshua, this is my younger brother, Nayati. This is his first time de-mothing an SUV."
"Yours too, I take it?" Joshua asked humorously, lowering his own mask.
"Yeah," Cheyton said with a large smile. "Mine too." He looked back at the vehicle and shook his head. "That's a crap-ton of moths."
"I didn't think we had that many moths on the entire reservation," Nayati commented.
"Grandpa will be here soon," Cheyton said. "He'll decide if we do a controlled burn right here, or shovel the moths up and take them somewhere else to burn."
"I vote for here," Nayati said, making a face. "I don't want to shovel them anywhere."
"Grandpa?" Joshua asked.
"Chief Adcox is our grandpa," Cheyton said with a smiled. "Our mom and dad live in White Swan, but they insist we attend school here on the reservation. We live with Grandpa on the res during the week and spend weekends there. I've already graduated, but I'm working here before I head off to college in Yakima City. "
"Nice blending of cultures," Joshua said. When Max was younger, he had him spend time with the coven as well as with his school social group and the Brotherhood.
"It works," Nayati said with a smile. Looking to his brother, he said, "There's still some moths flying around the car. Should we give it another dousing?"
Cheyton shook his head. "There's enough insecticide in the air that they'll die soon." Looking to Joshua, he said, "I wouldn't drive this car anywhere right now. How about we take you to the Hall. Grandpa said something was going on there too. He's on his way, but we can get a look and fill him in."
Joshua nodded. "Thank you. Truthfully, I have no desire to enter that vehicle again."
Nayati grinned. "Just don't say anything when you take it back to the rental agency."
Joshua climbed into the front seat of Cheyton's car, saying, "Even if moths were flying around it, I plan on keeping my mouth shut."
Cheyton laughed, put the car in gear and drove away.
.
Ten minutes later they slowly pulled into the parking lot of the Yakama Records Building.
Nayati whistled. "Wow."
Cheyton leaned forward in the driver's seat, his eyes on the building. It was completely black. "Okay, that's weird."
Joshua climbed from Cheyton's car and stared. Even from here he could hear the clicking of beetles. If someone needed a great idea for a horror film, this would be it, he thought. He started walking closer, Cheyton and Nayati at his side. Looking to the boys, he asked, "Can you both take a jog around the building, see if it's been totally blocked, or if there are any openings in the beetle coverage?"
The boys nodded and each took off in different directions.
Pulling his cell from his pocket, he hit his speed dial.
"Are you free from the killer moths?" Caleb asked humorously as he answered the phone.
Joshua smiled. "Yes, though I'm not vouching for the rental."
"Oh, yeah," Caleb said. "Well, it's a good thing I have full insurance coverage. Of course, all I have to do is keep my mouth shut when returning it."
Joshua laughed. Caleb's reply so echoed his own. It showed how close they'd become through the years. "I'm outside the building and from what I can see, it's completely engulfed. Cheyton and his brother Nayati are taking a look around the backside to see if there's any place that's uncovered."
"Okay. Sam, Adam and Joseph are at work on the problem from the inside."
"Samuel's on his way too," Joshua said. "He's… Hold on…" He watched Cheyton and Nayati jog towards him.
"It's completely covered," Cheyton said.
"No way to get out," Nayati confirmed.
Joshua relayed the information.
"Okay," Caleb said with a sigh. "If you think of any way to get rid of the beetles, let Sam know. Otherwise, I've got another problem for you to sort out."
"What's that?"
"The witches know we're here to kill them and they're doing their best to stop us," Caleb said. "Yeah, they haven't succeeded, but all the crap they're throwing at us has slowed us down."
"You don't think they know, do you?" Joshua wasn't even going to say anything about the plan they'd put into place out loud.
"I'm counting on, no," Caleb said. "But we need undisturbed rest in a place they can't get find."
"So the hotel…"
"Is out of the question," Caleb sighed. "As are Onida's and the Hall. See if Samuel can help."
Joshua nodded. "All right. Talk to you soon." He hung up and looked at Cheyton, who was watching him. "How far out is your grandfather?"
Cheyton merely pointed, and Joshua spun around to see a van coming up the road.
"You're going to end this, right?" Cheyton asked softly, his eyes on his brother, who was standing several feet away watching the building.
"You can count on it," Joshua stated. These witches were not going to get another day.
There was silence in the records room as Sam, Joseph and Adam worked on finding a way to remove the beetles from the building. Thankfully, this deep inside the Records Hall they couldn't hear the clicking of the bugs. As James had said, it was very creepy.
Sam had abandoned the task of finding a spell to counter the current one, since a reversal spell couldn't be worked from the inside, nor would a spell to turn the original enchantment back on its caster work. For all intents and purposes the spell was on the building, not on their person. He needed a spell that would work from within another spell rather than from outside the spell. It had taken over an hour, but he thought he'd found a promising solution. It would work like an acoustic explosion, pulling air and sound inward into a ball, then exploding it outward. Since sound waves were the vehicle for repelling the bugs, they didn't need to worry about the building exploding … hopefully. They would just need to be careful about the intensity and decibel scale during eruption.
"This might work," Sam finally said, leaning back in his chair and stretching. "We make an acoustic bomb."
Adam and Joseph looked up.
"How would that work?" Joseph asked.
"We'd have to tweak it with ingredients we have here inside the Hall," Sam said, "but it shouldn't be too difficult. Sound vibrations are already used in repelling bug populations. In physics, sound is a vibration that typically propagates as an audible wave of pressure. Usually the transmission medium is a gas, liquid or solid. We use magic."
Joseph frowned. He didn't know a lot about physics, having spent his entire life using herbs and organics to heal.
A slow smile, however, was spreading across Adam's face. "That's brilliant," he said, nodding. Turning to his attention to his computer screen, he said, "You're thinking about an exothermic reaction that releases energy from the thermodynamic system into its surroundings, aka, the building."
Sam nodded. "We have several mineral compounds inside as well as organic matter that yields high vibrations like fresh fruits and vegetables."
Adam nodded slowly, his eyes on the computer screen. "Minerals that work in an exothermic reaction are halite, periclase, brucite, spinel, quartz, silica glass, forsterite…" he continued reading through the list. Looking up, he asked, "Do we have those here?"
"We have quartz, tektite, galena and pyrite," Sam said. "We're using those for the grenades and bullets."
"We also have silica glass, brucite, spinel, tremolite, muscovite, sillimanite, thallimium, and gallium," Joseph looked up. "Plus a few others which we used in creating the witch's barrier."
Adam frowned. "Witch's barrier?"
Sam smiled. "We'll tell you about that later. How big is the building?" he asked Joseph.
"Over ten thousand square feet, I believe."
"Can we make an acoustic bomb to clear a building that big?" Adam asked, frowning.
Sam felt flattered that Adam would even put the question to him. Maybe the guy wasn't so bad after all. "I don't think one bomb would clear the entire building," Sam said, turning his mind back to the question. "It would be too powerful and probably crack the foundation or damage the structure."
"So you're thinking two or more," Adam stated, picking up a pencil and starting on some calculations.
"Do you have an idea what quantity of minerals you'll need?" Joseph asked. "The minerals Caleb brought are being used to make your weapons. While we have some basic minerals in storage, will we have enough for this task?"
"Working on that…" Adam mumbled, continuing to scribble mathematic calculations on his paper.
Sam stood. "While Adam's working on the calculations, why don't we check your natural fiber and mineral inventory. Then we'll know just how creative we need to be."
Adam looked up and watched the two leave the room, his lips quirking slightly at Sam's confidence. When he'd agreed to come to help the children, he hadn't thought he'd have to deal directly with the Brotherhood much. Now, he grudgingly conceded he was somewhat fascinated at watching them work. Shaking his head, he looked back to his page and continued with his calculations. Making three bombs to de-beetle a ten thousand square foot building was going to be a challenge. He always liked challenges.
"How many grenades have we made?" Max asked, his eye on the box near Ryker's feet.
"I've lost count," James said, putting a cork in the bottle he'd just filled and placing it gently on the thick form lying over another layer of bottles.
"Forty-one," said Ryker, putting another grenade in the box. "With the one JT's making, forty-two. That's six grenades apiece." Looking up, he said, "If we need more than that…"
"We're screwed," Max stated.
Ryker nodded and took the grenade JT handed over.
James eyed the other three. He had something on his mind, and before it got too late he needed to voice it. "I think we should reevaluate our battle tragedy."
JT's brows went up in surprise. "Yeah? What are you thinking?"
Max and Ryker were leaning forward, their expressions serious.
James took a deep breath. He'd been thinking about this since he had seen the blue circle of medicine pouches. There was a whole section of his training he was missing, and that was the side that was important on this hunt. Looking to his brother, he confessed, "I'm not ready to watch Ryker's back in this situation."
"Are you worried about the witches?" JT asked, confused. "You're…"
"I'm clairaudient and clairvoyant," James said, nodding. "Yes. But the only real training I've had is in clairaudience. I can see dead people," he remarked, wryly repeating his time-worn joke. "I can feel the witches' longing to be free, but I can't sense when they're close by."
"Yes, you can," Max stated.
"No, I really can't," James confessed. "I mean, yes, I could with some help. But this isn't the time to start honing that ability. I can tell when they're near, but not how near. You see? Uncle Caleb and Uncle Sam can tell when a witch is right in proximity. I don't know that I can do that."
"Jimmy…" Ryker started.
James held up his hand. "No, I'm right about this. I'm not saying I should sit this out. It would take a bulldozer to keep me out of that forest tomorrow. What I am saying is that we should go in as a team, together, the four of us. I'll be able to tell when a witch is around, and I'll work hard to see how close. JT can see the witch coming. We'll take them out together."
He waited nervously to hear what the others would say. Finally, Ryker and Max looked to JT.
JT studied his brother's face. He didn't want James to think he couldn't use his abilities; he didn't want to deal a blow to his confidence in the field. If he said no, then he would be thrusting James and Ryker into a situation where James felt inadequate. If he said okay, he might be unintentionally signaling to James that he agreed he wasn't up to the challenge. On the other hand, he felt he should listen to what his little brother was saying.
Finally, JT nodded once, saying, "I have every confidence that you can feel the witches and that you can tell where they are. However, I can also admit that we, as a team, have relied heavily on your ability to see and hear spirits. And I'm sorry I've totally ignored another fantastic side of your skills. Okay, we go in as a team, the four of us, and we'll take out as many witches as we can. And when we get home, I'll help in any way I can to develop your clairvoyant talent."
"Me too," Max said, nodding.
"And me as well," Ryker agreed. "We'll help you be all that you can be."
Max snorted. "You just had to bring the Armed Forces into this, didn't you?"
Ryker shrugged and smiled humorously. "It seemed appropriate."
James sighed. "Uncle Sam said he would help train me in clairvoyance when we get back." He looked at his brother and said, "Thanks."
JT rose. "I'm going to tell dad. Why don't you guys get these grenades to the table."
Max watched JT walk away and said, "He's already getting too used to bossing us around."
Ryker smiled. "Get used to it, my friend."
"I don't have to listen," James grumbled. "I'm his brother."
"Don't think that's going to fly, Jimmy," Max said, picking up the bowls and packets of ingredients.
"Why not?"
"Because in the Brotherhood, it's all for one…"
"And one for all," Ryker finished.
"What does that have to do with listening to my brother?" James asked, tossing some rags into a plastic bag.
"It means we listen to the Guardian," Max and Ryker said at the same time.
"And so do you," Max finished.
.
"You think of anything yet?" Caleb asked.
"No." Dean paced near the windows.
"I can't believe there's no one nearby," Caleb said.
Dean blew out a controlled breath and said, "Alison said the nearest hunter not in the thick of it is James Cramer in Tucson."
"I could send the jet," Caleb offered.
"It would take too long to make the flight arrangements with the different airports, get him here and up to speed. We're on the countdown clock."
"I could make it happen. James can sleep on the plane."
Dean grinned. Caleb could be extremely frugal with money except when it came to his friends. "You can't guarantee runway availability or EPA scheduling."
"We could try," Caleb muttered.
"I think we're better off trying to find someone here," Dean said. "What about Onida?"
"You promised her a fight," Caleb said. "I don't think she'd appreciate being left out of the action after guarding her people for forty years."
Though he didn't say it out loud, Dean hadn't promised Onida anything, though he had offered her the chance for payback. "What about Joseph? He's spry and has hiked the forest for years checking on the medicine bags."
"He doesn't have combat training," Caleb said. "Plus, doesn't he need to be at the top of the ridge to activate the medicine pouches over the caves?"
JT walked up. "Has Joshua made more of those face melting potions?"
"I want to see that," Dean said, his interest flaring.
Caleb grinned. "It was a sight to behold. Reminded me of Raiders." Nodding to JT, he walked back to the table where he and Dean had been making the pyrite bullets.
"What's up?" Dean asked.
"We've finished the grenades," JT said. "Also, Jimmy, Max, Ryker and I are going into the forest tomorrow as a team rather than in pairs."
Dean eyed his son a moment, then motioned for them to move over to one of the couches. After taking a seat, he said, "What's Jimmy's concern?"
JT smiled. His dad always knew what was going on. He explained James' reasoning and his suggestion they hunt as a unit. "I agree with him, in that we haven't given him time to work at his clairvoyant skills. It's a lot to throw him into this situation and say use them when we haven't given him any real training. It's better if we do this together."
Dean grimaced internally. His Triad had let James down in his training, and his son was right, in that this wasn't the time to expect him to be able to use a skill he hadn't developed.
"It's not your fault, Dad," JT said softly. "Jimmy's ability to see ghosts and hear every creepy overshadowed his other skill, and we all got blinded by it."
Dean nodded and appreciated JT's empathy, but JT wasn't responsible for overseeing James' training. No, that was all on him. Sighing, he nodded. "All right, you go in together. Watch each other's backs and come out together. That's all I ask."
"You trained us well," JT said, the including James was offered but left unspoken as he got up and went back to the others.
Dean looked up at the beetles covering the window, but his mind was on his children. He now understood how Julian must have felt when he was dying and hadn't picked a Triad, how Jim felt when he hadn't told them or trained them before he died. But he wasn't dead, and he would make up for not working on James' clairvoyant abilities.
Standing, he pulled his phone out and called Joshua. "Hey, have you found us a place to stay tonight?"
"Are you out of the beetle building?" Joshua asked.
Dean rolled his eyes. "You've spent entirely too much time with your brother over the last twenty years. You're starting to talk like him."
"There's no need to be hateful," Joshua remarked. "And yes, we have."
"Thank you."
There was a moment of silence, then Joshua asked, "Do you need any help in there?"
"I don't know," Dean said with a sigh.
"Are you wearing your power-poaching spell bag?" Joshua asked. Dean had sounded just a little too tired and woeful.
Smiling, Dean straightened. "Yes, I am. I'm going to check in with Sam, see where we are on getting out of this damn building. I'll see you soon."
.
Dean waved to Caleb and left the banquet and meeting room and headed down the hallway to the records room. When he got close, he heard excited voices from inside.
"Mix more of that one," Adam said, pointing to a bowl of orange powder.
"I think there's enough," Joseph said.
Dean walked in the door and saw Adam leaning over a bowl and frowning at the contents.
"Yes, all right. That looks good."
"This one's ready," Sam said, picking up a bowl and bringing it over to where Adam and Joseph were working.
"Don't mix them together yet," Adam warned.
"Oh, thanks for that," Sam quipped. "I was planning on doing it right here."
Adam chuckled, and Dean's eyes widened. What the… Stepping inside, he asked, "What's up?"
Sam looked over and smiled. "Hey. We've got a way to get the beetles off the building."
"And?"
"We're making a bomb," Joseph said.
Dean blinked. "A bomb; as in a real boom kind of bomb?"
"Just like that," Sam said smiling. Putting down his bowl, he walked over and said, "We're making an acoustic bomb. Sounds waves. The waves will penetrate the building and knock away all the beetles."
"Not kill them?" Dean asked.
"It will kill some," Adam offered, his back to Dean as he worked on mixing ingredients in a large bowl.
"I'd rather they all died," Dean stated.
"We can't kill them all without blowing up the building and setting fire to it," Sam stated. "The priority is for us to get out. You can stomp on them all you want once we're outside."
"Thanks," Dean remarked dryly. He walked over to the table. "Okay, walk me through it."
Sam explained about how the bomb would work, where they would place the bowls, and what would happen once the bomb went off. "We're wrapping most of the ingredients around the center, which will be filled with highly volatile minerals. In the right combination, the ingredients react off one another to vibrate and create heat. Once the heat and vibration builds, it explodes."
"Won't that create a thermal explosion?"
Adam turned around and stared at Dean.
"Yeah," Dean snarked. "He isn't stupid." Turning back to Sam, he said, "How are you planning on changing the blast wave from dynamic to acoustic? Shock waves are formed when a pressure front moves at supersonic speed. How is that going to happen without taking the building with it?"
"At peak pressure, the shock wave will increase outward with the weight of the explosives," Sam said. "Usually it decreases naturally as the wave moves away from the source. We're putting a spell pack over the top of the bomb. The bomb will explode and the shock wave will move outward into the spell cap. The spell cap will squelch any flames and ensures only acoustical pressure gets through. Those waves will go through the building structure and knock the beetles off."
Dean stared at him a moment, then said, "You'd never be able to do that without magic."
Sam grinned. "I know. Magic is sometimes very cool."
Sighing, Dean looked at the table and all the ingredients spread out there. "So, how do you plan on protecting us from the pressure? Shock waves cause soft tissue and organ damage, and we need our hearing."
Adam fought hard not to turn around again and insult Dean further. He'd heard many things about the man through the years; his immense fighting skill, his instinct for battle strategy, his almost inhuman ability to get his team out of situations that most people wouldn't survive. The later was the main reason he hadn't objected even more strenuously to Ryker being the next Triad's Advisor. But truly, the man was proving to be much more than an extremely talented fighting machine.
"There's a basement underneath the building," Joseph said. "We'll go down there for protection."
"How protected is it? Is it steel or block concrete?" Dean asked.
"The walls are cinder blocks, but the door is wood. We think it will be enough to protect us from this explosion."
Dean looked skeptical.
"This isn't going to be a seismic explosion, Dean," Sam said. "Think of it more as a giant electronic bug repellant. Despite all the fancy jargon and explosive minerals, the acoustic wave isn't going to be strong enough to cause bodily harm. We're going to be in the basement as a precaution, that's all."
"And I hate to break it to you," Joseph said, "but it isn't going to kill many beetles either. But it will knock them away from the building so we can get out."
Dean nodded. "Yeah, okay. What do you need from me?"
"Finish the bullets and get them as well as the grenades down to the basement," Sam said. "We don't want them exploding under pressure from the sound waves."
"Done," Dean said. Looking to each person there, he said, "Thank you all. And good work," before he walked out the door.
Sam grinned at Joseph and went back to his work.
After a moment, Adam said, "You're brother places a lot of trust in you."
Sam felt stung. He thought they'd been getting along well, and now Adam was insulting him. However, instead of an angry reply, he forced himself to ask in as neutral a tone as he could manage, "And that surprises you?"
"No," Adam said. "It was merely an observation on how well you work together."
Sam felt his body relax. "Thank you."
Joseph shot Sam a quick smile as he pressed the thick mineral and organic compound into the base of a large bowl.
Adam merely continued his work without any further comments.
.
Dean stepped inside the basement room and looked around. This was crap, he thought. There was no way this room would protect them in the midst of an acoustic sound wave.
"It's crap," Caleb stated.
Dean smiled. "Can I propose again that you open the front door and just run through it? Then you can do that get-off-the-building spell from the outside and we don't have to bomb the joint."
"Not gonna happen," Caleb stated. "There's like, a foot wide beetle wall out there."
"You are the Knight of the Brotherhood."
"There are limits to the Knightly duty, and running through a wall of beetles is one," Caleb remarked dryly.
"You ever think of how the beetles stay on top of one another like that?" Dean asked.
"You mean when they aren't making beetle love?" Caleb quipped, walking around the basement room and tapping on the cinder blocks. "Attraction?"
Dean snorted and continued to examine the basement. "This isn't going to work."
"I know. You got any other ideas?"
They left the basement and headed back upstairs. "What rooms are in the building again?"
"Lobby," Caleb listed, "banquet room, three individual offices, storage room, restrooms, the Yakama Indian Museum, the chief's office, the two conference rooms, the kitchens…" he broke off suddenly.
Dean looked back at Caleb. "Yeah?"
"The kitchen," Caleb declared. Grinning, he said, "Come on."
When they wound their way through the dining area and entered the kitchen, Caleb crossed the floor to the walk-in and opened the heavy steel door. "We move everyone and everything in here when Sam sets off his acoustic bombs. This puppy is four inches of steel and insulation with an R value of twenty-five per inch."
"R value?" Dean echoed.
Caleb stepped inside the walk-in and looked around. "R value per square inch is how insulation is measured. The higher the value, the cooler the walk-in." He bent over and started moving items around so they would have places to store the bullets and grenades. "Industry standard is R25."
Dean stared. "How in the hell do you know that?"
Caleb stood and said, "I worked construction and built buildings for a living, once upon a time. Come on. Help me move these potatoes."
Joshua sat in Chief Adcox's car watching the Records Hall. Caleb said they would call and give them a head's up when the detonation would occur. For safety's sake they were parked across the street.
Cheyton leaned forward in the back seat, staring at the building. "When's it going to happen?"
Nayati wiggled slightly in barely contained excitement. "This is going to be so cool," he said. "You think I'll be able to get a picture?"
Samuel shook his head. "Everything's exciting when you're fifteen."
"Hey!" Nayati exclaimed. "I'm not the only one sitting in a car outside the Records Hall waiting to see beetles fly in all directions."
Samuel laughed while Joshua chuckled. "I am interested in seeing how well their acoustic bomb will work," Joshua admitted.
"We'll get a call when they're ready to detonate," Samuel assured his grandsons.
The boys relaxed back against the rear seat and started talking.
Smiling, Samuel took a sip of his coffee. "So tomorrow," he said. "I'll take the team from today up on the ridge to drop the bags on your signal."
"Not my signal," Joshua said, "not anymore. I've been given another task for tomorrow."
Samuel shifted to stare at the other man. "You're not leading the rescue?"
Joshua shook his head. "You know the girl I met that couldn't get through the barrier?"
"Sarah, right?"
"She's been at the barrier near the caves twice now. We believe she's trying get to the children."
"You think she might have been their care giver?"
"It's possible. She appears to be very attached to them. But the concern is that once the plan goes into action, she'll get out. Someone needs to be there to either help her or stop her."
"Stop her, how?"
"Sleeping potion, like before."
"But why you? You're needed elsewhere."
"Other than JT, I'm the only one she's communicated with. It has to be me."
Samuel nodded and took another sip of coffee. There were sounds coming from the backseat indicating that Cheyton and Nayati were probably playing a computer game on Nayati's tablet. His and Joshua's conversation had been conducted in low tones, though he wasn't convinced Cheyton didn't have an ear on them. "Do you have anyone else in mind to lead the rescue?"
"Dean is working on bringing someone in, if possible."
"And if it isn't possible?"
Joshua turned to look at the Chief of the Yakama people. "Rescuing the children is a priority, not an afterthought. We'll save all the children that are still alive."
Samuel relaxed and sighed. "Thank you. That's what I needed to hear."
"You put the grenades where?" Sam asked again.
"Sammy, since when are you deaf?" Dean grumbled, walking with a loaded box of clips in his arms. "The walk-in, we're putting everything and everyone in the walk-in when the bombs go off. According to Caleb it has better insulation, four inch steel walls and door, and is better protection than the basement. Besides, once you set the devises, you're going to need to get somewhere fast. The kitchen is closer."
"Good idea," Sam said. He opened the walk-in door and Dean placed the clips inside.
When Dean stepped out and closed the door, he asked, "How long do you think we'll have to stay in there?"
"Only a couple minutes. Why?"
"Because it's cold," Dean declared, shaking his head incredulously. If Sam had his way, they'd all be in there freezing their best parts off. "I'm going to get some blankets." As he headed out of the kitchen, he stopped by the center counter and looked at the boxed cookies.
"I know we're not going to be in there long enough to need sustenance," Sam stated, giving Dean a push to get him moving again.
"There's always a need for cookies, Sam," Dean stated, following Sam back into the lobby where everyone was waiting.
"Everything secure?" Caleb asked.
Dean nodded. "We just need to zap the beetles and get out."
"We've placed the devices in the banquet room, the inner hallway and this one will go in here," Adam stated, setting his bomb in the middle of the reception area.
"Once everyone is inside the walk-in, Caleb, Adam and I will get in place. Once we're ready, I'll signal for the barrier between the active ingredients to be removed," Sam said. "We should have about a minute before the spell activates and the bombs go off, more than enough time to make a run for the walk-in."
"I'll have the door open and ready for you to get inside," Dean said. Turning, he said, "Grab the blankets, boys," and he led the young men and Joseph out of the lobby. When he entered the kitchen, he pulled out his phone and called Joshua.
"You ready?" Joshua asked the moment his cell rang."
"Ready," Dean answered. "See you in a few." He looked to the others. "Let's get inside."
.
Sam eyed the two men who remained in the lobby. "We do this together, then run like hell."
Caleb nodded. "Call out when you're ready. We'll mix the pack, set the cap and get out."
Sam nodded. Looking to Adam, he said, "You ready?"
Adam blew out a quick breath. "As I'll ever be."
"Then let's get it done."
Sam and Caleb walked away. After a moment Caleb called out, "Ready!"
Soon after Sam called, "Ready!"
Adam nodded and shouted, "Set…"
"Go!" Sam reached down and pulled the wax paper from between the incendiary ingredients, then put a potions bag over the top. He murmured, "Ignis vocem multiplicantur, minuendam invisibili, transept purifications." Turning, he ran down the hallway and into the lobby just as Caleb raced out of the banquet room.
Adam finished, "…transept purifications," he glanced up at Sam and Caleb.
"Come on!" Caleb shouted, and he grabbed Adam's arm and pulled him in the wake of Sam's footfalls.
They pelted down the side hallway and into the kitchen, where Dean had the walk-in door open and waiting for them. Once they were inside, Dean slammed the door and darkness descended.
.
Joshua and Samuel leaned forward in the car, while Cheyton and Nayati shuffled for spaced in the back seat.
It was almost surreal, when the bombs went off. One moment there was a black building in front of them, then it was like black glass shattering in all directions.
Nayati was clicking his cell camera, shouting, "This is the most amazing thing ever!"
Cheyton merely said, "Wow."
When the detonation occurred, at first Joshua felt nothing. Then it was like he was hit with a pressure wave that pinned him to the seat of the car. His heart hammered in his chest and he felt nauseous as his blood presser fluctuated. A soft moan from the back seat had all his parental instincts kicking in. Suppressing his own nausea, he turned to see Nayati's face was completely white. "You going to be sick?"
Nayati nodded.
Cheyton, who looked just as white, leaned across his brother and pulled the lever on the door, shoving it open.
Nayati leaned out and threw up, his brother's hand a welcome anchor on his neck.
Joshua looked over at Samuel and immediately felt for a pulse. The older man's heart was racing.
"Is grandpa all right?" Cheyton asked softly.
"Yes, his blood pressure probably rose and fell too fast and he lost consciousness for a moment. He'll wake up in a minute. How's Nayati?"
"I'm fine," the teenager said rubbing at his jumpy stomach. "I'm okay."
Cheyton leaned over and rubbed his little brother's back soothingly. "I guess we were too close?"
"I didn't think so," Joshua said, slowly opening his door. "But very possible." He stood up and immediately had to steady himself by putting his hand on the car roof.
"You should sit back down," Samuel said with a moan.
Joshua lowered himself back into the front seat and said, "I think you're right, and welcome back."
"The kids?"
"They're fine," Joshua assured the older man. "Just feeling the side effects of the acoustic pressure wave."
"You think everyone inside is all right?" Samuel asked, concern and fear in his eyes.
Joshua turned to look at the building. "I hope so."
.
Sam moaned. His ears were ringing and he felt distinctly nauseous. He opened his eyes to a disastrous sight.
JT was lying on his side, eyes closed while James was on his knees, one hand on his brother, the other on his stomach. Ryker had his head in his hands, Max unmoving by his side. The latter was slumped in the corner of the walk-in shelves, his chin on his chest, blood dripping onto his shirt.
Joseph had a bucket in front of him as he threw up, and Adam was completely white as he tried to crawl to his son on wobbly arms that wouldn't support his weight.
Caleb was rocking slightly as he sat near the walk-in door, and Sam thought he was moaning. One hand was on Dean, who lay on the ground still and silent, red rivets of blood coming from his nose.
Sam reached out and touched JT's neck. The young man's pulse was thready, probably due to shock, but he was stable. He looked to James, who nodded that he was fine. "Ryker," Sam tried, but when the young man didn't respond, he touched his shoulder.
Ryker looked up slowly, his body weaving slightly. His eyes darted around a bit before he could focus on Sam. He frowned a moment before recognition dawned and he nodded. His gaze went to his father who by now was near. Adam's hand went to Ryker's face and he stared steadily into his son's eyes, before he sighed and smiled. Then he took in Max, who still hadn't moved. He reached over and wiped the blood from Max's face and felt for a pulse. The young man's pulse was racing. Lethargically, Max lifted his head and stared at his father's best friend.
"Breath," Adam mouthed, miming pulling in a deep breath through his nose then letting it out in a measured way through his mouth.
"Caleb," Sam called, but when the older man didn't reply he realized Caleb's ears were probably ringing, and he couldn't hear. Sam pushed himself to his knees and began to crawl across the cold floor. He was concerned Dean hadn't opened his eyes yet, though even as that thought crossed his mind, his brother's eyes fluttered.
Dean opened his eyes. It took a moment for him to focus through the dizziness and nausea, but he remembered the acoustic bombs and closed his eyes again on a moan. Carefully he pushed himself up and looked at Caleb, who was rocky slightly. "Caleb…" he tried, but his voice came out a croak. "Caleb," he said again, to greater success this time.
Caleb didn't answer. When he moved to his friend's side, that's when he saw the blood coming from the older man's ears. "Damian!" he shouted.
Caleb gingerly lifted his head as he turned in Dean's direction, and Dean's heart nearly stopped. Blood literally smeared Caleb's face, coming from his tear ducts, his nose as well as his ears. Dean quickly turned too quickly to find Sam, and fell into the walk-in door as he lost his balance.
Sam was close, however, and he felt for Caleb's pulse, which was racing like a horse at the Derby. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned to see Adam holding out a couple bags of frozen peas. Sam nodded his thanks and took the bags, placing them gently on either side of Caleb's face in order to more quickly constrict the blood vessels and stop the bleeding. He turned and saw that Max also had a bag at his nose. At a touch, he looked back at Adam, who was holding out another bag, looking to Dean. Sam took it, handing it over to his brother.
Adam carefully climbed to his feet and stood motionless until the newest wave of dizziness passed. Then he gingerly moved to the walk-in door and pressed the lever. The door swung open. Maneuvering around Dean and Caleb, he stepped into the kitchen and immediately stumbled to the side as he tried to walk. Gripping the counter to steady himself, he felt a hand at his back and turned to find Ryker and JT nearby. Together they walked slowly from the kitchen and down the hallway and into Chief Adcox's office.
The windows in the office were clear of beetles. Adam looked to his son and smiled, and JT grinned. Turning, JT jogged slowly back down the hallway and disappeared into the kitchen.
Adam yawned widely to clear his ears and asked, "Are you okay?"
Ryker nodded. "A little dizzy and my stomach feels bad, but it's already clearing up."
Adam nodded. Turning back to gaze out the window, he said, "Why don't you help the others while I call Joshua."
Ryker nodded and followed JT.
Sam, however, was already on the phone with Joshua when Ryker returned to the kitchen.
"Yeah," Sam said. "We're all right."
"Max?" Joshua asked.
"Fine," Sam said with a smile. "His nose bled and his blood pressure was high, but it's coming down nicely and he has a bag of frozen peas on his nose to stop the bleeding."
Joshua smiled. "We felt the acoustic backwash from across the street. I was worried about you being in the thick of it."
"Caleb had the terrific idea for us all to get in the Record Hall's walk-in. So we were protected from the harshest part of the blast."
"Excellent. Adam's calling. I'll see you all outside. And be careful; there are a lot of beetles in the parking lot. Oh, and Nayati took several of excellent photos of the event." Joshua heard Sam chuckled and smiled. "I knew you'd be pleased."
"See you soon," Sam said, hanging up. He turned around to see Ryker and JT helping Max up from the ground, and James leaning over his father.
Dean patted James' cheek and nodded as he carefully stood up. Touching the door lightly to steady his balance, Dean and James turned to Caleb, who was still lying on the ground.
"Let me see," Dean said, removing the towel and bag of peas from Caleb's face. The moment the towel was moved, blood dribbled from Caleb's nose. Dean shoved it back in place. "Come on, let's get your head above your shoulders." He and James helped move Caleb into a sitting position, though they kept him inside the walk-in hoping the colder temperature would help slow the bleeding. Looking to James, he said, "Can you call Onida? I want to bring over the worst affected so she can do her magical healing bit."
James nodded and walked gingerly into the kitchen.
Joseph was sitting at the preparation counter, a cup of steaming liquid on the counter in front of him.
"What's that?" James asked, familiar as he was with Joshua's herbal remedies.
Joseph smiled. "A tea made with peppermint, ginger, baking soda, aloe vera juice, apple cider vinegar and turmeric. It settles the stomach and helps dispel a migraine." He pointed to a pot on the range top. "I made enough for everyone."
James went and poured some of the liquid into a cup and pulled out his cell. He searched for Onida's number on his call list and tapped.
"Are you guys all right?"
"We're okay," James said. "We're…"
"I felt something like a sonic boom," Onida interjected. "Where's Caleb?"
"He's fine, he's okay," James reiterated. "The Yakama Hall was covered in beetles, and…"
"I know this," Onida interrupted. "Caleb told me. What I don't understand is why I felt it all the way to my house."
"Because you're attuned to metaphysical changes in energy dimensions, maybe?" James snapped, irritated with Onida's continuous interruptions.
There was a moment of silence, then Onida said, "Oh, probably. Sorry. I was worried about Caleb."
James sighed. "I didn't mean to snap either. My head hurts. Most of us have minor problems like headaches, nausea, dizziness and ringing in the ears. A couple, including Caleb, have bleeding from the ears, eyes, nose or all the above. If you're up for it, Dad would like to bring the bloody few over for your healing touch. Is that okay?"
"Of course. When will you be here?"
"Half an hour, probably. I'll have Uncle Caleb call when he's up, all right?"
"Thank you."
James hung up and shook his head. Yup, Uncle Caleb and Onida. Life was getting very interesting. Taking another mouthful of tea, he was beginning to feel better. He poured another cup and walked back to his dad, who was standing outside the walk-in with a blanket over his shoulders. Handing Dean the tea, he said, "Onida's cool with us coming over."
Dean nodded and took a sip. "How are you?"
"I'm good, better," James said. "My head hurts less, and my ears aren't ringing as badly anymore."
JT walked up and said, "Ryker, Adam, Samuel and Joshua are outside. There are beetle bodies everywhere. Samuel has a couple SUVs waiting to take us some place where the witches, hopefully, won't look for us."
James handed his brother a cup of tea.
JT smiled quickly and murmured, "Thanks," as he took a sip.
Dean nodded. "Anyone feeling better can start carting the grenades and clips out to the cars. JT, you lost consciousness for a minute, so you'll go with me and Caleb to Onida's to get checked out."
"You were out?" James exclaimed, stepping closer and giving his brother a thorough inspection.
"I'm fine," JT said, smiling. "Joshua said my blood pressure probably rose, then fell too fast so blood couldn't get to my head and I passed out." He looked to his father, "I feel fine, Dad. My nose isn't bleeding and I've got Joseph's tea." Lifting the cup again, he took a gulp. "I'm good."
Dean scrutinized his son thoroughly before nodding. "Okay, you're with Joshua and the rest then. Tell Max he's with us. Anyone who bled comes to Onida's."
JT nodded and he and James moved around Dean to pick up the armaments and cart them out to the cars.
Sam walked up and said, "Almost everyone is feeling better as they're moving around." He picked up Dean's cup and took a sip. Looking past his brother's shoulder, he asked, "How's Caleb?"
"The bleeding has mostly stopped. We're waiting until his nose clots before moving."
"Nose bleeds are the worst."
"I'm going to take Caleb and Max to Onida's so she can do her healing touch bit. You want to get everyone something to eat and take them to whatever place Samuel has found for us to stay?"
"Yeah. I'll see if Cheyton can go with you guys, so he can bring you straight there."
"Good." Dean turned and squatted down beside Caleb. "You still in there?"
Caleb opened one eye and said, "Yeah, but I wish I wasn't. My head is killing me."
"I know," Dean sighed. "Come on, let's get you some of Joseph's tea and over to Onida's. She's going to do her healer thing."
"I've got to call her," Caleb said, reaching for his phone.
"Call her from the car," Dean said, tugging on his best friend's arm to get him moving.
Joshua stepped into the kitchen and walked directly to Caleb. "Is he all right?"
"He's fine," Caleb said, his voice muffled through the towel. "Just a nose bleed."
"A nose, ear and eye bleed," Dean clarified, which earned him a glare from Caleb. "I'm taking him and Max over to see Onida, since they both were bleeding."
"I'm coming with you, "Joshua stated.
Dean nodded, knowing Joshua wanted to make sure not only Max was fine, but Caleb as well.
When they got outside, Dean and Caleb got their first look of the debris outside the building. The walkway and cement benches just outside the Records Hall all the way into the parking lot was completely covered in black beetles. Dean thought he could still hear them clicking.
"I don't think I want to walk through that," Caleb mumbled.
"Suck it up, Dude," Dean said, taking a very crunching step forward. "Think of stepping on them as revenge for their keeping us locked in that building for hours."
"When you put it like that..." Caleb remarked, taking a decisive if somewhat revolted step onto several writhing black beetles.
When they made it to the parking lot, there were three SUVs waiting. Samuel was ushering Joseph into the front seat of one, while Ryker and Adam climbed into the back. Sam stood near the driver's seat of the second vehicle watching as JT and James finished loading the ammunition in the rear of the vehicle and closed the hatch.
"Sometimes I hate this job," Caleb murmured, doing his level best to ignore the crunching under his feet.
Grimacing in distaste, Dean nodded. "I wonder how Chief Adcox plans on cleaning this up. I wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole."
JT approached and said, "We've already loaded the weapons."
"Did you get the medicine bags for the ridge and masking spell pouches?" Dean asked JT as he opened the passenger's door of the third SUV for Caleb.
"Yes, they're in the back with the grenades and clips."
"The spell pouches I made for our previous excursion into the forest are there as well," Joshua stated, his eyes on Caleb as he climbed slowly into the front seat of the third SUV. "We only used two, so there are plenty for tomorrow."
"Great," Dean said.
Joshua went to the other side of the car and climbed into the back seat next to Max.
Turning to JT, Dean looked over his son's shoulder at James and Sam, he said, "Keep your eyes open. The witches seem particularly feisty today."
JT nodded. "Agreed. You watch your back too, Dad."
Dean shut Caleb's door."Sam's stopping to pick up food. After that, have everyone put on the masking pouches so the witches can't detect where we're going to spend the night."
"Right," JT said, and he turned and jogged away, returning a few minutes later with five pouches for them. "Once you leave Onida's, put these on."
Dean nodded and handed them through the back window to Joshua. Looking over at Sam, he called, "Watch your back."
Sam nodded and climbed into the car.
Dean waved to Samuel and got behind the wheel of his own vehicle and the cars pulled out of the parking lot, two going left, Dean to the right.
Samuel pulled into a darkened lot and climbed out of the van. He waited until everyone else was out and the second SUV had been emptied of its occupants before leading everyone over to a large building that resembled a ski lodge. "This is our spiritual retreat center. It was the only place big enough to house everyone."
"You think the witches know about the place?" Sam asked.
"Of course," Samuel said. "I'm sure that over the course of a hundred and forty years they know everything on the reservation. But we use the center only twice a year, usually. With these," he pointed to the masking pouch around his neck, "we should be invisible." Looking past Sam to where JT and James were pulling bags from the car, he said, "Let's get you and your team inside so you can eat. Mary's waiting on Joseph, then I need to get Nayati home. He's beat. I'll be back for Cheyton when he calls."
"And tomorrow?"
Adam walked by with Ryker each holding a carrier with filled cups of soda.
"We'll be here at five. That will put us at the forest's edge at six-thirty in the morning, masking spell bags on. Should we load the medicine pouches now?"
"Yes. It will save time in the morning."
They loaded the medicine pouches that would be tossed from the top of the ridge into the back of the van, while Samuel continued, "When I leave here, I'll head over to The Bread Basket and take the masking spell bag off in company. If the witches are watching, it would be suspicious if I stay off the grid. Joseph too. We'll put them back on before we head out in the morning. With the witches at their weakest at dawn, hopefully they won't notice us disappear." Closing the back door of his van, he said, "Let's go inside."
Sam waved to Joseph, who remained in the front seat, then followed Samuel into the lodge.
"This is the Yakama Spiritual Center," Samuel said to everyone. "There are twelve rooms on the second floor, and four mediation rooms, two sweat rooms, a kitchen replete with breakfast supplies and coffee on this level. There is an entertainment center in the living room, if you can relax." Looking around at Adam, Ryker, Sam, James and JT, he said, "I want to thank you for tomorrow, and ask that you all work safe. I look forward to an excellent feast tomorrow night." Nodding, he clapped Nayati on the back and they left.
Sam looked around, then said, "Why don't we eat dinner while it's hot."
Dean watched the road for bugs as they drove to Onida's. Moths attacking Joshua had him on edge and worried they all had targets on their backs. Looking back into the rear seat, he said, "Josh, can you grab the masking spell bags? I think we should wear them right now."
"You don't think that will make the witches suspicious?" Caleb asked. "I mean, if every one of us suddenly goes dark, I'd be looking around for why."
"Maybe," Dean said, "but they've sent moth and beetle attacks today. I'd rather not wait for what's next on their menu of horrors."
Max quickly glanced out the window at the passing scenery and up into the sky.
Joshua tended to agree with Caleb; they were on the verge of taking the witches out, so taking everyone off the grid was a red flag they were on the move. However, they'd been under attack from the witches five times already. It would be reasonable for them to take precautions. Speaking up, he said as much to the men in the vehicle.
"I get that," Caleb stated. "But we just had Sam, Ryker, Johnny and Jimmy go off the grid. I'm just suggesting that we don't take all our pieces off the board at the same time."
Max surveyed the men in the car. "Though no one asked for my opinion, I'm giving it anyway."
Caleb snorted out a laugh while Dean smiled.
"The original plan was to go to Onida's, then put on the pouches. Why don't we stick to…"
Suddenly a SLAM on the top of the vehicle rocked it dangerously, causing Dean to wrestle with the wheel to keep the SUV on the road.
"What the hell?" Caleb exclaimed. Looking out the window, his eyes went wide and he shouted, "Veer left! Veer left!"
Dean swung hard to the left as a flaming ball of something hit the rear of the vehicle, shoving the back of the car left and throwing the SUV into a sharp spin. It was only Dean's skill behind the wheel that kept them from flipping off the road. At the same time whatever had hit the roof of the car melted through and dropped between the front and back seats. Cheyton and Max scrambled back as a scalding hot ball sank lower for a moment, then burned right through the floor.
Wrinkling his nose, Joshua said loudly, "Sulfur, at least partially; quicklime, feldspar …"
"The witches are pelting us with magma balls?" Caleb exclaimed.
"I doubt it's literally magma," Joshua stated, sniffing the air.
"Adams is a volcanic mountain and it's nearby," Cheyton stated, his eyes on the hole in the floor.
"Right!" Max yelled, and Dean swung the car to the right, narrowly missing a flaming ball.
"Can we dissect the cannon balls later?" Dean exclaimed, swerving the car to the left again. Unfortunately, another ball hit the right side of the car, denting the right passenger door and causing Caleb to shift hurriedly to the center.
"Grab the masking spell bags!" Caleb shouted
Max twisted and leaned over the seat just as another molten ball plowed into the rear roof. "Oh crap," he muttered. Quickly he snatched up the pouches just as the ball melted through the roof and hit the rear floor of the SUV. A moment later it melted through the metal and hit the spare tire, sending the smell of burning rubber through the vehicle. "Let's hope we don't need that tire," he remarked, turning back around.
Dean veered the car to the right as another ball drove through the air.
"Their aim is getting better," Caleb shouted. "Put the spell bags on!"
Caleb handed Dean a bag and pulled one over his head. "Done!"
"Done!" echoed Joshua and Max together.
"Done!" yelled Cheyton.
Dean and Caleb's eyes met before Dean slammed on the car breaks and the SUV shuddered to a stop.
Caleb leaned forward and stared out at the sky.
Joshua frowned. "Dean…?"
"Wait for it," Dean said, his hand in the air.
Just ahead of them a flaming ball hit the ground, another plowed into the side of the road a few feet beyond.
"They can't see us," Max said, staring.
Cheyton let the breath he'd been holding whoosh out. "Wow," he murmured.
"How did you…" Max glanced between Caleb and Dean. "You didn't voice the plan; you didn't say anything at all."
"That's not true," Caleb stated. "I told you to get the spell bags."
Joshua chuckled.
Dean smiled as Caleb laughed.
The flaming cannon balls kept hitting the ground moving further and further away as they sat in the car, waiting.
"No one's ever going to believe this," Cheyton murmured, his eyes on the road ahead.
"They'll believe it when they see the car," Max stated, edging closer to his father as he tried to find a place for his feet around the massive hole in the vehicle floor.
"There may be something to your speculation of a couple night ago after all, Dean," Joshua stated, shifting to make more room for his son.
"Yeah?" Dean put the car into gear and started slowly down the road again.
"Maybe the witches do have cauldrons in the caves."
Caleb barked out a laugh and shook his head, muttering, "Freakin' witches."
TBC