CH 17

The giant, crumbling antebellum mansion had been all but hidden by ancient over grown weeping willows. It was an ideal den for the loup-garou River was hunting. Loup-garou were close cousins to the basic werewolf except they were larger, stronger and meaner then the average wolf. Once transformed they tended to stay wolfed-out and according to the pages River had copied out of John Winchester's journal preferred to live solitary lives. Unlike werewolves they tended to keep most of their human cunningness even when transformed. They were known to lure their victims into traps, dragging out the hunt as long as possible before taking their kill.

Thump-thump, thump-thump. River could hear the echoing paw falls of the wolf as it padded down the short hallway towards her hiding spot. From the cadence it sounded like the wolf was still walking on all fours, no doubt to keep its snout close to the floor to sniff out her location. She gripped her pistol tightly, straining to hear above her own thundering heart. Thump-thump. A board creaked heavily half way down the hallway and River surmised the wolf was now standing on its hind legs. The wolf sniffed the air and growled peeked around the corner, the wolfs head was just visible over the armoire that was half sunken through the termite eaten wood floor.

"Come on, Fido. Five more steps…." she thought to herself. Thump-thump. She licked her dry lips and readjusted her grip on her gun. The slight movement caused the floor under her to creak. "Fuck…" she whispered. The loup-garou growled again and loped forward. River scrambled away from the doorjamb and lined up her shot. Thump-thump. She fired, the silver bullet found its mark and the wolf died mid jump. It's forward momentum causing it to slide the last few feet of the hall way and bump into Rivers boots. She let out a shaky breath, tucked her pistol into her holster and wiped her sweaty hands on her jeans. Normally she would drag the body out of the house and burn it. But the sun had barely risen two hours ago and it was already at least 80 degrees outside. The heat and humidity was making her sweat in places ladies don't discuss. "You can just stay here and rot, Rover. I'm gonna go find some air conditioning."

River walked outside and climbed into her stolen car, blasting the A/C as soon as she started the engine. She aimed all the vents at her and tried to dry her armpits before turning the car around and heading back down the long dirt drive way. She hummed along to Johnny Cash and glanced at the huge drooping trees on her left. Something had caught her eye and she checked the rearview mirror as she drove past. Nothing but trees behind her. Her peripheral vision caught more movement and she turned her head in time to see two dark shapes charging towards her car. The next moment the shapes slammed into the passenger side of her small car, she lost her grip on the steering wheel as the car tumbled over and over down a steep embankment. She had no time to scream, no time to panic. The car slammed into a huge tree and everything went black.

Dripping, growling, scratching…noises woke her. River opened her eyes with some difficulty. Johnny Cash crooned woefully from damaged speakers, a soft white pillow was pressing into her face and she slowly realized she was hanging upside down. She punched at the airbag causing it to deflate and turned her head checking her surroundings. Her car had come to rest on its roof, the thick trunk of a tree was visible through the driver side window, the front windshield was cracked but not completely shattered. The car rocked suddenly as something heavy jumped on it. River let out a startled cry and was answered with growls. She fumbled for a moment, pulling on her seatbelt before finding the release button. "Ow!" she fell in a heap, landing on her shoulder and a pile of broken glass. Her gun was laying on the roof/ground beside the passenger side window. More snuffling from outside, the car rocked as if pushed. The dripping sound continued and River got a whiff of gasoline.

Without warning the passenger side window crashed inwards as a loup-garou smashed through the glass. River screamed again, scrambling backwards and raising her gun. The wolf snapped its huge jaws and swiped murderous claws at her but it was too big to fit through the small window. She raised her gun and fired a silver bullet between its eyes. The beast fell dead instantly, still stuck in the window. Another ferocious growl announced a third wolf, River edged towards the back of the car as the third wolf crashed through the front windshield. She scrambled on the metal roof of the car, over broken glass and jutting pieces of metal desperately trying to get away from the monster. The wolf forced its way through the windshield and got tangled in the hanging seat belts. River fired once more, hitting this wolf in the shoulder. It snarled in anger and frustration, snapping its jaws at the seatbelts. "God damn it…" she reached the back window that had stubbornly decided not to break and kicked it. A fracture appeared, she kicked again trying to ignore the wolfs continued snarling. On the third kick the glass shattered. River grabbed her duffle bag and wiggled through the jagged hole she had created. She screamed as her thigh caught on sharp piece of metal or glass. She scuttled away from the car as the wolf snapped through one of the belts entangling it. River quickly aimed her gun and fired, the pin snapping on an empty shell. The stench of gasoline made her eyes water and River noticed the oily sheen in the soft earth. She reached into her jacket pocket, searching for the lighter that should be there. Her fingers grasped the cold metal just as the wolf snapped through another climbed forward, its size forcing it to crouch between the seats. She ran her thumb along the flint wheel, praising whatever god was on her side today as it caught instantly. The little blue flame sprung into being and she tossed it into the puddle of gasoline. The fire caught with a 'woosh' and engulfed the car within seconds. River painfully pushed herself further away from the heat until her back hit a fallen log and watched as the the loup-garou howled then screamed as the fire engulfed it.

The shaky adrenaline feeling wore off quickly as the searing pain from the wound in her thigh brought her back to reality. Her jeans had a ragged hole far up on her thigh, most of her pant leg was already wet and dark with her blood. She pulled a spare shirt out of her bag and tore it into a long strip. Then tied the shirt tightly around the wound, hissing at the pain.

"Fucking humidity, fucking bugs…so fucking hot," River muttered angrily to herself slapping at another mosquito. The sun was at its precipice and the bugs were out in full force. She limped along the road, hiding behind trees or shrubs when she heard any approaching cars. She was down to a handful of bullets and a knife; probably not enough if something big wanted to try and kill her again. "Food, gas, cold drinks 1 mile…" a weather beaten sign appeared on the side of the road.

The small gas station appeared like a mirage, glimmering into existence as the heat rose off the asphalt. River snuck around the back and found the restroom with a hand written "Out of Order" sign taped to the door. She shouldered her way in and locked the door behind her. The ancient fluorescent light hummed to life and the water that came out of the tap eventually changed from rust colored to clear. River slid down the cool tile wall and sat on the floor exhausted. Her chest ached with each breath from the contusion caused by the seatbelt, her hands throbbed with stuck pieces of glass but she was alive. "Quit fucking whining." She muttered to herself. River dug through her bag until she found her first aid kit and a bottle of whiskey. The bandage around her thigh was soaked in blood. She shimmied out of her ruined jeans and inspected the wound fully. It wasn't as big as she had thought but definitely was deep. With one hand she pressed the remainder of her makeshift bandage onto the wound and with the other she opened the bottle of whiskey. She took one long swallow of whiskey then poured some on the wound, "God fucking damn it!" she hissed, her leg kicking out. The first few stitches hurt the worst then all the pain blended together until it became nothing more than a red throb behind her eyes.

"Suck it Winchester. My stitches are flawless." River inspected the now closed wound, the vibrant pink, bubble gum flavored dental floss she had used to stitch the hole closed stood in stark contrast to the pale skin of her thigh. She laid her head back against the tile letting the pain lull her into unconsciousness.

"You got to know when to hold 'em/ know when to fold 'em/ know when to walk away/and know when to run"

River startled awake, Kenny Rogers voice blaring from her phone. She fumbled with the phone, her blood covered fingers smearing the touchscreen. "Damn it," she wiped her fingers on the one clean spot on her shirt. "Hey, Bobby…What's up Papa Bear?"

"Hey sweetheart, haven't heard from you in a few days. You still in Louisiana?" Bobby's gruff voice echoed over the phone.

River stretched and adjusted her stiff muscles, glanced around the dingy restroom. Her ruined bloody clothes still in a pile by the door. She sat half naked on the dirty floor where she had passed out. "Yeah, I'm still in Louisiana…and just FYI Loup-garou are in fact pack animals so John Winchester can posthumously eat a dick for getting that wrong." She picked up the bottle of Whiskey and took another sip. Wincing as the liquor burned down her throat.

"Well hell girl. I could'a told ya that. How many'd you get?"

"Three. You just checking in Bobby? You're not usually one for small talk."

River heard him sigh deeply as he sat back in his favorite chair. "You heard from Sam or Dean lately?"

"Nope…we aren't exactly on speaking terms at the moment. Why?"

"They were down in Lafourche Parish finishing a case. They called and said they were done, everything was good and they were heading to Vegas for some R and R. That was four days ago. They haven't called to check in, they ain't answering their cellphones…"

River blew out a deep breath, "So they're on a bender, Bobby…"

"No, damn it. Something ain't right. I can't find 'em. I ain't as good at those tracking spells and cellphone pinging as y'all are but they are gone. Even that damn angel, Castiel can't find 'em They are off the damn map…I need you to try and find 'em."

"God damn it, Bobby. Get someone else to round them up!" River spat.

"Who? No one else gives a damn about those boys…I know you and Dean didn't end things on good terms-" River laughed humorlessly. "But…I know you aren't the type of person to let them rot in some unmarked grave somewhere…"

River thumped her head back against the tile, "What am I supposed to do, Bobby?… What do I do if they're dead?"

"You do your damn job!" He yelled into the phone before disconnecting the call.

"Shit!" River yelled, kicking out at the overfull metal trashcan in front of her. It clattered to the floor, spilling a pile of dirty paper towels onto the bloody ground. She got unsteadily to her feet and limped towards the dirty porcelain sink. She washed her bloody hands in the cool water before splashing some onto her face and then taking a long swallow from the faucet. The cracked mirror above the sink revealed a shiner under her left eye, a long strip of angry looking red and purple bruises from the seatbelt and too many nicks and cuts from the shattered glass to count. She combed her fingers through her hair and quickly piled it into a topknot then dug through her duffle for some clean clothes. She shrugged back into her jacket and walked out of the gas station restroom. The sun was much lower on the horizon, apparently she had slept for a few hours.

She limped to the front of the building and leaned against the wall. Three cars were parked at the pumps, all three owners dutifully standing next to their cars as they pumped gas. One by one each car pulled away from the station. Fifteen minutes later a huge Rubicon jeep pulled up to a pump, the driver got out and ran inside the convince store. The car was still running. River casually glanced around and walked quickly up to the jeep, she checked the rear of the car making sure their were no kids or anyone hiding in the backseat. Seeing no one, she climbed into the car, threw it into gear and raced away from the gas station. The owner of the car rushing out a second later screaming.

River pulled over twenty miles later and dug out a small velvet pouch from her duffle bag. She unfurled a long silver chain on the end of which dangled a lite blue crystal. She hung the chain from the rear view mirror and it swung in small circles. "Iad a Aimsiu" she whispered. The crystal started swinging in a bigger circle. "Iad a Aimsiu! Find them!" she yelled. The crystal stopped swinging and finally chose a direction, pulling at the chain in an easterly heading. "Thank you," she muttered pulling the car back onto the road. The crystal acted as her compass and she followed the slight shifts in it's direction; the sun was setting as the Jeep trundled along a dirt road. The crystal suddenly swung to the right and River barely had time to turn the wheel, pulling off onto a nearly hidden road. "Can't read my/ can't read my/ no he can't read my poker…shit!" she slammed on the breaks causing the Jeep to rock forward on it's shocks. Something metal and shiny had reflected off the headlights of her stolen car.

She grabbed her gun, jumped out of the car and cautiously crept back up the road towards the abandoned car. Baby sat just off the dirt road, tucked behind a giant cluster of kudzu. River crept around front of the car, it was empty. No sign of the Winchesters in or around the car. "Shit," she muttered angrily. She placed her hands on the trunk and whispered, "Oscail." The trunk popped open and she sorted through Deans arsenal. She grabbed another pistol, a half dozen clips, holy water and a few hex bags. "Where the hell are you?" She slammed the trunk closed and searched through the dark trees. A faint glimmer of light was just visible through a wall of kudzu and caught her eye. She slapped at another mosquito and walked towards the light.

An old, weather-beaten barn and shack quickly came into view. The light was coming from the barn, an ancient generator chugging away outside. River crept silently to the barn, glancing through gaps in the wood. She could hear faint voices coming from somewhere inside.

"We need to finish this, Rene." A figure walked right in front of the gap River was peering through. She sat back further in the shadows and waited for the figure to pass. When it did she got a clear view into the middle of the barn. Sam and Dean were tied to two large tables, their hands strapped above their heads, neither brother moved and she couldn't tell if they were even breathing.

"I know, get the gauntlet and lets be done with them. Our master has been patient enough," a second voice answered.

River chewed her bottom lip for a moment, weighing her next move. "Fuck it," she mouthed silently. She turned and ran from the barn.

"Hurry up! The moon is risen…what is that noise?" The figures turned towards the far wall of their barn, a rumbling sound was quickly growing louder along with faint sounds of music.

River pushed the accelerator down and turned the music up, singing along with Freddie Mercury, "Come tonight….come to the ogre site…come to the ogre-battle-fight!" The jeep crashed through the wall of the barn and continued barreling towards the figures standing confused in the center. River slammed into the figures, the jeep bumping grotesquely as one body was thrown under its wheels. The second person, an old woman with long white hair and a dirty dress was caught on the hood. Screaming and cursing as the jeep carried her forward before slamming into an ancient tractor parked along the opposite wall. The airbag didn't deploy this time and River's head smacked painfully off the steering wheel. She sat dazed for a moment trying to focus on the woman that was pinned between her car and the tractor. Amazingly she was still alive, blood bubbling out of her mouth and she clawed at the crumpled hood. River climbed unsteadily out of the jeep and fired two quick shots into the witches head. She stopped her muttering and sagged lifelessly on the hood.

River tried taking a deep breath the pain in her ribs and chest burning from the seatbelt. She walked towards the still twitching, crumpled body in the center of the barn and shot it twice also. The twitching stopped. She turned then to the two silent, still figures tied to the dirty wood tables. Her hands shook as she looked down into their pale faces. She reached her fingers out to Dean first, sliding them softly down his neck until she found his carotid artery. "Ooohh." She moaned feeling the strong, steady beat of his heart. She turned to check Sam as well when movement behind her caused her to spin on her heels. A young woman bolted from behind a piece of farm equipment and ran towards the hole River had created when she crashed into the barn. She aimed quickly and shot the retreating figured in the leg. The woman screamed and fell to the hay covered ground writhing and grabbing at her calf.

"Please…please." The stranger held out her bloody hands in surrender as River approached, gun raised.

"You human or their familiar?" River asked.

"Hu-human…please don't kill me."

"How old are you?" River stared at the young woman. Her features were soft and delicate, the complete opposite of the wrinkled crone that lay dead on the hood of her car.

"Seventeen."

"What did you do to those men?"

The young woman grabbed at her calf again and cried, "Help me, you shot me!"

River bent down in front of the young witch and squeezed the bullet wound causing her to scream in pain, "What did you do to those men?"

"A spell. I'll show you, please…the book is in the house."

"Are there anymore in your coven?" River asked the young woman. She shook her head 'no'. "Get up, show me the book. You try anything and I will end you. Understand?" She nodded.

River pulled the woman up and gripped her tightly around the arm, dragging her towards the small decrepit house next to the barn. The young woman led her into a back room; an altar took up most of the back wall, unfamiliar markings and sigils were painted on the walls, animal bones littered the ground. The witches grimoire lay open on a small table, the young woman limped up to it and turned the ancient pages until she found the correct spell. "This is the one Rene used."

River stared at the page quietly for a moment, "What is this…Romanian? A sleeping spell. Really? What the hell were you gonna do with them?" She muttered reading the spell and trying to remember the counter spell. Her attention turned away from the young witch as she muttered quietly to herself.

"Sange Mor-" the witches spell was cut short when River shot her in the head. The hunter didn't look up from the book as she continued trying to decipher the language.

"Ficat….shit is that liver or heart," she mumbled to herself. River scooped up the grimoire and searched the rest of the house for anything useful. She left with a small wood box full of ingredients, books and a hex box with a gnarled hand inside. She made the short walk back to the barn and cut the brothers free from the ropes the bound them. Then she searched Deans pockets until she found the key to the Impala. "Stay here boys, I'll be right back." She called to their sleeping forms as she jogged back to the waiting car. A few minutes later she returned with Baby, letting her idle right outside the barn, too afraid to drive through the jagged Jeep sized hole and possibly scratch Baby's paint. "Alright you first, Sammy." She grabbed the huge man under the arms and heaved him off the table as gently as possible then drug him to the waiting car. "You freaking brontosaurs… come on!" she yelled as she pulled Sam into the backseat. She got him positioned on the seat so he at least looked somewhat comfortable then went back for Dean. "Alright, hot stuff. You get shotgun."

Before leaving she doused the house and barn in gasoline and lit everything on fire. The orange glow reflected in the rear view mirror as she drove away, Dean and Sam still unconscious but alive. "You still got my mix tape, D?" she asked looking over at Dean where he lay slumped against the window, snoring softly. She dug around the glove box before clucking her tongue triumphantly, pulling out the tape labeled Rivers awesome mix. She popped it into the tape deck and was rewarded with Michael Graves singing 'Fiend Club'. She sang along loudly pointing at Dean and Sam when the lyrics suggested they were in fact not part of the Fiend club.