Ch 58
Twelve blocks later Dean, River and Sam sat in a warm, brightly lit Indian restaurant called 'The Samosa' palace. Dean gave up on trying to order anything and entrusted the other two to get him something edible. After the waitress left their table they descended into a familiar silence; the last few days of high octane emotions draining them. "Cas isn't answering his phone; hope that stupid son of a bitch didn't get himself killed." Dean said somberly. River sat quietly rubbing the finger where Cas's ring had been. Dean's hand closed over hers. "Zachariah's dead. He can't hurt you again. I don't think any of the other Angels will be dumb enough to try."
River nodded. "I just wish I could've been the one to stab him in his fucking face…" She pursed her lips. "I don't even remember the last time I got to bag a bad guy."
"We'll save the next one for you." Dean promised kissing the side of her forehead.
She turned to face him, placing one hand on his chin. "You stupid jackass, I really thought you were gonna say yes." Her cheeks burned and eyes stung as she blinked several times trying to stop herself from crying.
Dean's hands cupped her face, his callused thumbs wiping at the wet streaks on her cheeks. "I'm not going to say yes. Ever. I swear to you we'll get the last two rings. We'll figure out how to use them and we will get Lucifer back in his cage."
River nodded again and let out a deep breath. "I just...I need a minute or ten. Don't eat all the naan." She told Sam as she stood up wiping tears off her face and headed towards the restroom in the back of the restaurant. She returned several minutes later still pale, eyes slightly red and puffy but she smiled when their plates of food were delivered.
"Alright, I'm starving. Which one of these has bacon?" Dean asked.
Sam laughed, "None, dude. This is a vegetarian restaurant. Try the Korma."
Dean scrunched his face up. "I'm a warrior. I need protein."
"Good thing broccoli has more protein per pound than beef, huh?" River said laughing as Dean grumbled under his breath. He quieted down after the first few bites savoring the intricate flavors he didn't usually get at roadside diners in middle America.
"Alright…it's pretty good." He conceded after his third plate.
"Always trust thick girls when it comes to food." River told him as she slurped the last of her mango lassi. After finishing their meal she led them to a large parking garage attached to a shopping mall with their choice of cars to hot wire. They made it out of Los Angeles and onto the interstate trying to avoid more populated areas. She tried calling Castiel every few minutes. The phone rang dully before switching to his confused voicemail message. Dean and Sam sat quietly in the front seat, the radio tuned to a classic rock station.
Dean watched River in the rearview mirror, her eyebrows creased with worry as she stared out the window at the dark, flat landscape. "He'll show up. Or call. Like he always does." He said.
She looked up and met his eyes in the mirror. "And if he doesn't?" Dean didn't have an answer.
"So, what do we do now?" She asked.
"I'll call Bobby," Sam offered. He didn't answer so they just kept driving. They arrived back at Bobby's a day later. The older hunter was passed out in his room when the three tiredly trudged inside a little after dawn. River headed directly for the coffee pot.
"Welcome back," Bobby drawled rolling into the kitchen after the aroma of fresh coffee woke him from his sleep. The three younger hunters nodded around their cups of coffee. "Hope you three weren't planning on getting comfortable. I got a list of omens and flu cases poppin' up ya'll need to check out."
River rolled her stiff shoulders and looked down at him. "Bobby, Cas is MIA and we don't have any frequent flyer miles to get down South."
"Lucky you, Pestilence seems to be on the move in the states." He handed Sam a crumpled list of cities and medical clinic names.
"Son of a bitch. My ass is still numb from the drive back here." Dean complained.
They spent the next week driving through nine states checking hospitals and clinics. People were sick, some deaths but so far no more than any normal flu season. "You have 30 confirmed cases of the flu. Is that correct doctor?" River asked the emergency room physician. The hunters, dressed in their fed suits and pretending to be epidemiologists from the CDC, were interviewing various hospital staff. They were all wearing paper masks to ward off the potential for contracting the flu from sick patients. The waiting room was full of sniffing, sneezing and coughing people.
"That's today's count; it was ten yesterday."
"That's when those statues of the Virgin Mary started bleeding." Dean muttered.
"Excuse me, did you say bleeding statues?" The doctor asked.
"What? Bleeding statues? That'd be crazy." Sam laughed nervously. "So no deaths?" He asked quickly scribbling a note on a pad of paper.
The doctor shook her head distractedly while signing a list of orders a nurse handed her. "And of those confirmed cases of the flu, have any of them shown any signs of aggression? Or homicidal tendencies?" Dean asked. The doctor and nurse looked up from their paper work. Their eyes scrutinizing Dean over the masks covering the lower half of their face. River stomped on Dean's foot causing him to grunt in pain.
"Such a kidder this guy…" River laughed. "Jeez one too many late night TV movies you know?" The doctor nodded unsurely. "But uhm… Have you seen any symptoms like that?"
The doctor shook her head, "No. This seems like it's a mild strain of swine flu. It's extremely contagious, the very young and very old at the most risk... look we need the vaccine. So do us a favor and go back to your bosses in D.C and tell them to quit with the red tape on the Malphas vaccine."
River sighed tiredly and kicked her uncomfortable shoes off the moment they were back in the Impala. "Where the hell did that son of a bitch go? We had statutes of the Virgin Mary crying blood 72 hours ago, then the first case of the flu and now thirty some cases and no god damn sign of Pestilence." She grumbled as Dean drove away from the small Pahrump medical center.
"I don't know. I'm gonna call Bobby." Sam answered pulling out his cellphone. River nodded and grabbed the laptop out of her duffle bag.
Dean rubbed his eyebrows and gave an exaggerated sigh. "Do we have enough cash for two rooms?" He asked looking over his shoulder at River where she sat tucked in the backseat behind Sam; too much travel, too much time crammed together in the car and not enough down time between cases to even get laid was making Dean a little extra cranky.
She shook her head, "Nope. Barely had enough for that roach motel two nights ago." Dean cursed under his breath. He and River had lost rock, paper, scissors to Sam who got to spend the night on the one odiferous bed while they curled together on the floor sharing a sleeping bag.
"Hey, Bobby. Yeah we got nothing." Sam said holding his finger to his lips in a silent 'shhh' to River and Dean so they could hear Bobby over the speaker. "We're sure Pestilence touched down here. But he's gone now."
There was rustling from Bobby's side of the call, "Well. Looks like he's still headed East so head East."
"Bobby we're in West fucking Nevada there is nothing else but East," River said loudly from the backseat. "This is…we have no idea where he'll be next. We're spinning wheels and going fucking nowhere. We need a better plan than this."
"I may have a plan." Crowley said popping into the empty seat next to River. She let out a startled scream and swung her laptop at the Demon. He grunted as it smashed into pieces against his face. Dean almost swerved the Impala off the deserted road as River kept screaming obscenities at the Demon. Sam dropped his phone and yanked Ruby's knife out of his jacket. With one long arm he pushed River further against the far side of the seat and stabbed the knife towards Crowley with the other. The knife slashed through empty air and tore into the vinyl seat.
"Did you get him?" Dean bellowed as he finally got the swerving car back under control and slammed on the brakes.
"No. He's gone!" River yelled.
'Tap-Tap-Tap'. Someone rapped their knuckles on the driver side window. "Fancy a fag and a chat?" Crowley drawled. The hunters were out of the car and swarming towards the demon an instant later. Sam swung the knife back and forth as Crowley skipped backwards. River pulled the slide back on her pistol and trained it on him. "I can see that you're upset. We should talk…not here of course."
"You son of a bitch! You wanna talk? After what you did to us?" Dean yelled.
"After what I did?" Crowley asked, his voice rising with indignation. "I gave you the Colt!"
"Which you knew wouldn't work against the Devil!" Sam bellowed swinging the knife at him again.
"I never!" Crowley shouted as he disappeared causing Sam to stagger forwards.
"Son of a bitch!" Dean grumbled.
Crowley reappeared on the other side of the car. "I had no idea it wouldn't work!"
"We lost people on that suicide mission! Our friends! River almost died! You told that fuck Harob where she'd be!" Dean yelled.
"I did not!" Crowley yelled again. "But thank you for killing him. I've been trying for centuries to find that git. Lilith was up my ass for letting him escape-"
River screamed in anger and fired three quick shots at Crowley's chest, "He killed my friend! He fucking tortured me!"
Crowley looked down at his ruined shirt poking his fingers through the bullet holes. "That's just dandy! You know I can't just pop into the corner shop and pick up another of these custom dress shirts! You want to know why?"
"I'm all ears you black eyed asshole!" River yelled back.
Crowley blinked and showed her his red eyes. "First off, crumpet, I'm King of the Crossroads. Not some low level, bottom feeding grunt! Secondly, Lucifer knows I'm the one that gave you the bloody Colt. I've been on the lam hiding under rocks like a bloody salamander for months! He's sent his black eyed, bottom feeding grunts after me! They ate my bloody tailor! They burned down my house!"
"Cry us a fucking river!" Sam yelled sliding across the hood of Baby and jumping towards him. Crowley stepped back and disappeared again.
" I thought the Colt would work. It was an honest mistake!" He said calmly reappearing next to Dean. "I want the Devil dead. Nothing has changed. Call your dogs off so we can talk." River spun around whipping her pistol towards the demon. Crowley stepped behind Dean and River dropped the gun growling in frustration.
Dean turned towards him, holding a hand up to River and Sam. "Give me one good reason."
"I can give you Pestilence." He answered. River gave a huff of disbelief. "The deal is the same. We're all in this sinking ship together. Now you can continue driving aimlessly while Lucifer and Michael prepare for Armageddon or," He took a deep breath and glared at River and Sam who had inched forward. "You can meet me here and we'll discuss how to get the last two rings from the Horsemen whilst not under a bloody search light!" He yelled tossing a note to Dean and pointing at the one lone street light causing it to explode in a shower of electric sparks before disappearing. Dean looked at the coordinates on the paper then to his brother and River.
"Dean you cannot honestly be considering listening to him again?" Sam asked.
Dean raised his eyebrows, "You got a better plan?" River ran her hands tiredly through her hair before twisting it out of her face and walking silently back to the car. She was gathering the fragments of her shattered laptop when Sam and Dean got in the car.
They arrived at the coordinates a few hours later. A dingy, weather-beaten abandoned cabin straight out of a Sam Raimi film loomed in the darkness. "Nobody read anything out loud from any creepy books Crowley's got laying around in there, ok?" River said as they met the Demon on what remained of the front porch.
"Welcome to my less than humble abode." He said pushing the door open on it rusted hinges. "I know this is probably a step up from the flea infested hovels you usually sleep in but…" Crowley clicked his tongue in disgust. "How the mighty have fallen…"
"Cut the shit Crowley." Dean said. "How do you know about the Horsemen's rings?"
The Demon smiled slyly. "I've keeping a close eye on you lot."
"We got hex bags. We're hidden from demons." River said.
"All but one crumpet." Crowley said pointing at himself. River rolled her eyes at her apparent new nickname. "That night you broke into my home; A few of my boys distracted your Angel friend long enough to hide a tracking device in your car. A magical coin that easily trumps those little bags of yours." River shook her head in annoyance; no matter what they did some dickbag was always a step ahead. "Lets me hear things too. The things I've heard…" Crowley raised his eyebrows lasciviously and gave her a knowing smile. "I do hope you two disinfect the back seat when you're done." Her cheeks flushed in anger as River balled her hands into fists and stepped towards the smug demon. "Now, now love…I've heard other things as well. You lot want to stuff the devil back in his box and I want in. You need the Horseman's rings, right?"
Dean briefly met Sam and Rivers eyes. "You said you could give us Pestilence."
"Well, I don't know where Pestilence is exactly-" Crowley said turning on his heel.
"I fucking knew it. Where's the Colt?" River said.
Crowley quickly spun back towards them, his hands held up. "I don't know where the big man is but- I know the demon that does. He's the stable boy for Pestilence. He handles the day to day itineraries. He's the demon you want. Believe me."
"Say we believe you. How are we gonna get him to talk?" River asked. "Ask nicely? Pull his fingernails out? I left my pliers at Bobby's."
"We bring him here and I seal the deal." Crowley said folding his hands behind his back. The hunters looked at him doubtfully. "I've been selling sins to saints for centuries. I can close this demon deal. I'll simply make him an offer he can't refuse."
Dean crossed his arms over his chest and looked at River. She nodded once. What other choice did they have? They hadn't heard from Castiel. They were running out of leads and time. "Where do we find him?"
Crowley told them he was go to do a little recon and disappeared from the cabin. The hunters checked and reloaded their weapons to pass time. "Why are we trusting him?" Sam asked.
"Because this is the only lead we've got." River answered.
"Ready?" Dean asked as Crowley reappeared. River and Sam shared a look of disdain as they tucked their guns into their jackets.
"Yes I am." He answered. "Moose, Crumpet keep the hearth warm for us."
"What the hell are you talking about, Demon?" River asked.
"You two aren't coming."
"Fuck you, yes we are." She retorted.
Crowley shook his head. "You hit me in the bloody face and ruined my favorite shirt." He said pointing at River. " And that one keeps trying to stab me. I honestly don't like either one of you and I definitely don't trust you. I'm the only one here who knows where to find this demon. So you play by my rules or I'm taking my toys and going home."
"You know what, you fucking assface demon-" River started before Dean put his hand on her arm.
"Fine." Dean said walking towards Crowley.
River huffed in anger. "Are you fucking kidding me?" She yelled at Dean as he and Crowley left the cabin and headed towards the car. After spending the next several minutes kicking holes into the termite riddled walls she slumped onto the couch next to the fire. She tried not to think too hard how the poor couch had probably been abused by countless horny teenagers as she settled into its musty cushions.
Sam sat down next to her and handed off a bottle of whiskey he'd had stashed in his duffle bag. "Fucking assholes." He muttered. River nodded and took a long drink from the bottle. They spent the next hour in bitchy companionship complaining about Dean and drinking.
"It's not like the bullets even hurt him-" River grumbled half asleep. Between the warmth of the fire, exhaustion and the bottle of alcohol Sam kept passing to her, River soon fell asleep curled up on the mildewy couch. Sam stared at for several long seconds after she'd nodded off before leaving the room to call Bobby. He needed to discuss something with the older hunter.
"Yeah Bobby. Then he just walks out the door with that demon. This is crazy," Sam sighed after catching Bobby up in the latest turn of events. By this time it had been a few hours since Dean and Crowley went to round up the potential informant.
"Well, we've had months of zilch. And yeah this is crazy and I don't trust demons but…maybe it's time to get a little crazy." Bobby answered. "At least we got Dean back from the ledge…"
Sam took another drink and looked over his shoulder at River, who had shifted in her sleep. "Bobby, remember that time you were possessed?"
Bobby laughed, "Yeah. It rings a bell."
"How did you uhh…how did you resist? When Meg told you to kill Dean, you fought back. You got control of your body. How?"
"Why you askin' me this, son?" Bobby asked.
Sam took a deep breath and set the now empty bottle of whiskey down on the table. "Say we get the rings. We put the lock back together and then what? We lead Satan to the edge and hope he falls in?"
"I don't know…" Bobby conceded.
"Well, what if…you guys lead the Devil to the edge and I jump in?" Sam said quickly before his nerve left him.
"What!" Bobby and River, who had stirred awake at the least opportune moment, yelled. Sam turned towards her, mentally cursing himself.
"Listen to me. This is the only way-"
"Oh not with that shit, again! Fucking Winchesters!" River yelled standing up.
"You listen to me son, what I did was a one in a million. I don't even know how I did it. You're talkin' about over powering Satan himself. It can't be done!" Bobby said. "He will find every chink in your armor and use it against you."
Sam shook his head and looked at River. "I'm not gonna do anything unless we're all on board. It's just…it's something to think about. Bobby I gotta go." He hung up before Bobby could argue. "River-"
"No. I will not let you do this. Dean will never let you do this. You are talking about willfully being possessed by Lucifer. If his grace doesn't disintegrate you," She poked his forehead angrily. "How are you gonna fight him off long enough to get control back?"
"I don't know." Sam answered. "I guess I'll figure it out."
River threw her arms up, "You'll figure it out? And then what? You're gonna jump in the fucking pit while Lucifer's tethered to you?"
"Yeah. If that's what needs to be done. I'll do it!" Sam stood up putting his hands on her shoulders. "I'm strong enough to do this."
River shook her head wiping at the tears that had started rolling down her cheeks. "I'm so fucking sick of you two making me cry." She mumbled as the Impala rumbled to a stop outside.
"You cry because you have too many girl parts." Sam said smiling.
"Your brother likes my girl parts," she retorted. "Dean's gonna kick your ass for even considering this." The front door was thrown open, followed by the sounds of a struggle, Dean cursing and then another door slamming shut.
"Don't say anything to Dean." Sam said quickly.
"I'm not gonna lie to him."
"I'm not saying lie to him. Just don't say anything to him about this until I'm ready."
"Am I interrupting a secret lover's scandalous tryst?" Crowley asked from the doorway.
River sighed heavily and wiped her face before turning to face the Demon. "What can I say? Flannel clad giants get me all hot and bothered. Where's Dean?"
"Down the hall...I told him not to come back here. Not with our package, anyways. Negotiating a high level defection is tricky business. And what we don't need is interference from someone who can't keep their head straight."
"I promise I won't shoot you again. Unless you deserve it." River said giving him a fuck-you smile.
"I'm not worried about you, crumpet. You've got no idea what you're about to get in the middle of."
"The hell are you talking about?" Sam demanded.
Crowley shook his head, "Go ahead. Go in there and ruin the only chance we have of finding Pestilence." Sam scoffed at the demon and followed River to the back of the cabin where they heard Dean slamming doors.
"D, what happened to your face?" River asked as Dean turned towards them shutting the door behind him. Half his face was caked in sticky blood and he had a bruise under his left eye.
"I'm good. It's nothing." He reassured her. Someone groaned in pain from the room behind him.
"Is that that the guy?" Sam asked nodding towards the closed door.
Dean nodded and ran his hand along his jaw. "Listen before we go in there I need you to remember what's at stake here." He said to his younger brother. "I'm trusting you."
"What kind of game are you and Crowley-"
"Sam...Sam Winchester is that you ?" The muffled voice that echoed from the next room stopped him cold. The familiarity of the voice was frightening, calling him back to a time when he could pretend there weren't monsters and demons hiding in the dark.
"Who...who is that?" Sam stuttered trying to push past his older brother.
Dean held his ground. "Listen to me god damn it! I need you to stay on mission here."
"Sammy! Get those long sexy legs in here!" The demon cajoled.
"No…no." Sam said as the voice suddenly found its way to the face he had buried in his memory. He grabbed his brother by the shirt and tossed him aside where he crashed into River sending them both into the nearest wall.
"Ow, son of a bitch-what the shit, Sam!" River yelled at him as he wrenched the door open to face the man inside. A young blonde man sat tied to a chair in the middle of a hastily painted devils' trap. Rivulets of blood dripped down his face where Crowley had beaten him unconscious with a crowbar but he smiled brightly through perfectly capped blood-stained teeth when Sam slid into the room.
"Hey Sam! Long time no see bud!"
Sam whole body shook as anger and disbelief crowded out rational thought. "Brady?" He ground out through gritted teeth. Brady had been one of his best friends from Stanford. They had met in an LSAT study group. They had gone on bar crawls together, celebrated mid-terms, gone to their fair share of Sorority parties; then Brady had introduced him to Jess. The moment Sam had laid eyes on her it was over; she was his perfect opposite, his beautiful mistake, without a doubt the love of his life. He'd never wanted or loved anything as much as he did her.
The demon that was wearing Brady's meatsuit smiled. "Oh, Brady hasn't been Brady in a looonnngg time." The Demon drew out each syllable, eyes flicking to black as River and Dean stood shoulder to shoulder with Sam. "Jeez, what was it? The middle of Sophomore year… you remember, Sam; when Brady, I mean I, spiraled way, way, way down. Started flunking classes, snorting coke, all those skanky bitches…I was gonna drop outta Stanford and you got me back on track. You saved me!" The demon threw his head back and cackled.
"You son of a bitch!" Sam roared charging towards the demon. River and Dean each grabbed an arm to hold him back. He continued screaming in anger and tried throwing the two of them off. "You were my friend! You introduced me to Jess!"
"Yep. That was me. You had a little demon on your shoulder even way back then!"
Sam roared in anger, pulling towards the bloody demon tied to the chair. At times like this it was easy for River to forget how strong and physically intimidating the Winchesters were. She thought of them as cranky, denim wearing, monster killing teddy bears. They were her family; two of the men she loved most in the entire world despite their faults. In reality they were anything but teddy bears; both being well over average in height, towering over her and almost everyone else. Decades of hunting had honed their bodies into lean, hard muscle. Sam had thrown her around on more than one occasion, even hit her when under the influence of demon blood and he was nearly as out of control right now. Anger blinded him as he flailed his arm particularly rough and sent her stumbling off of him and into a rotten chest of drawers. Brady sniggered gleefully as she struggled to her feet and pulled a long, sharp splinter out of her arm. "Ok enough!" Dean yelled as Sam tried to shove him away.
"I'm gonna fucking kill you!" Sam snarled trying to rush towards Brady. Dean ducked Sam's free arm and came up swinging a right hook into his brothers jaw. Sam staggered back towards the door and Dean took the opening to push him further into the hallway. River glared at the laughing Demon as she picked up a broken plank of wood leaning against the wall. She knocked the demon savagely in the side of the head with the wood causing him to stop his laughing and spit out a few teeth.
"Keep laughing you dickass broheim. I got a pair of pliers and a carton of Mortons with your name on it." She called over her shoulder as she slammed the door shut. Dean had dragged Sam down the hall back towards the front of the cabin.
"God damn it! Let me go, Dean! I'm gonna kill that son of a bitch-" Sam yelled finally pushing Dean away.
Dean stood in front of him, "Listen to me! There is one way we can win and it is not by killing that thing in there!" River pushed past both of them, leaving a spotted trail of blood dripping down her forearm onto the dirty wood floor.
"Shit Riv, I'm sorry-" Sam told her as she angrily rolled the sleeve up on her shirt to inspect the wound. She flipped him of with her good hand before she pressed an old dirty rag to her arm to the stop the bleeding.
"Sam-" She started but was interrupted when Brady started singing "You give love a bad name" loudly and off-key. "Fucking demons." She muttered mostly to herself as the frat boy reject butchered Bon Jovi.
Crowley appeared behind them clicking his tongue. "Brilliant. Sounds like you got 'im nice and fluffed for me." The Demon puckered his lips in annoyance before walking down the hallway.
"Sam, we need that pile of shit. We need him to get to Pestilence." Dean told his younger brother as Crowley threw the door open with a dramatic flourish.
"Why? Because Crowley says so? Because we're trusting Demons again? Like I trusted Ruby?" Sam demanded.
"Because this is the only god damn lead we have! We have a week, if we're lucky, until the world ends!" River finally yelled. " We don't have any other fucking options!" Sam glared at her, working his jaw tightly back and forth before storming off and slamming the front door of the cabin so hard it finally fell off its rusted hinges. Brady stopped singing for the moment leaving the cabin suddenly quiet except for an occasional groan as it settled on its uneven foundation.
"You wanna have angry sex?" Dean asked after several moments of heavy silence.
River laughed and chewed her bottom lip. "For once I'm not angry at you."
"Yeah but you're still angry." He countered. "Baby's lonely out there in the cold. Let's go keep her company."
"I'm not fucking in that car again until we find Crowley's LoJack."
He sighed and ran a hand along his jaw. "Plenty of room in here. Sammy's outside cooling off..." Dean trailed off waggling his eyebrows at her.
River shook her head. "I'm not getting naked in here; it's gross even by our standards-"
Dean slid his hands around her backside taking a double handful of ass. "You don't have to get all the way naked."
She laughed again and rolled her eyes. "Wow, so interested now."
He removed one hand from her ass and tangled it in her hair tilting her head up so he could brush his lips against hers. "That doesn't sound like a no."
"Don't let the end of the bloody world interrupt your sexual proclivities." Crowley drawled disinterestedly reappearing before them.
"Sealed the deal already you eavesdropping asshole?" River asked.
Crowley straightened the lapels of his wrinkle free suit jacket. "He won't budge. Seems my usual tactics aren't going to crack him….Wish me luck." He said turning away from them.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Dean asked.
Crowley let out a heavy sigh. "It means, I'm going to go kick a demon hive. I'm putting my neck on the line for you ungrateful lot. Again." He ran his hand through his thinning hair looking slightly worried. "I hope this plan of yours with the rings actually works." He said before he disappeared leaving behind the faint stench of burnt sulfur in his wake.
"Asshole." Dean muttered as he sat down on the stained couch.
River laughed, "I thought that asshole was your new bestie."
Dean scowled up at her before pulling her onto his lap so she leaned her back into his warm chest. "Where were we?" He whispered causing her to shiver and squirm as he wrapped his arms around her. One hand trailing along her stomach until his thumb slipped under the band of her pants while sliding the opposite hand up her chest to her throat tilting her head back so could kiss her again.
His lips met hers more forcefully this time as he danced his tongue along her lower lip before slipping inside her warm mouth. A little moan of pleasure escaped her as she rocked her ass against the growing bulge in his jeans while he kissed a trail down her jaw to the pulse point below her ear distracting her from the hand that was slipping under her panties before she had time to change her mind. Brady started singing his loud, out of tune nasally rendition of "Here I Go Again" just as Dean slid his fingers through her warm folds. "Whats with the hair metal-oh fuck-" River sighed as her body melted against Dean's touch. Brady's annoying voice disappeared into the background as they tuned him out and focused on each other. Her thighs trembled and hips rocked against his teasing fingers. "If I get a rash on my bits and pieces because of this groady demon murder house I'm gonna kick your ass," she murmured letting her head fall back against his shoulder.
Dean took that as consent and sat up maneuvering them on the couch so her could lay her down under him. "I'm willing to take that risk." He leaned down to kiss her again while she worked on pushing his jeans off his hips freeing his erection. She ran her hand along his length and he lazily thrust his hips relishing the feeling of her skin on his even if it wasn't exactly where he wanted to be.
Sam, with his usual impeccable timing, stormed back in the house kicking the broken door out of his way. "Fuck off, Sammy!" Dean yelled over his shoulder as River squeaked in embarrassed surprise trying to hide herself under him. Sam ignored them and blazed down the hallway back towards the singing Demon.
"Hey, Sam! You're back! You remember that bar near Stanford with 'Butt-Rock Thursdays'?" Brady said taking a deep breath while he decided on the next awful song to start singing. "Man, I miss that place. It blew up a couple months after you hit the road with big bro….something about unauthorized pyrotechnics and a gas leak that I might have started."
"Dean get off!" River yelled pushing Dean off of her. "Sam! Don't!" Dean stumbled backwards off the couch, tripping over his pants as River jumped over him buttoning her own jeans and running towards Sam. She had a quick look at Sam's back and the sick, expectant smile Brady had plastered on his face before the door slammed shut. Sam slid a chair under the doorknob just as River tried shouldering her way inside. She slammed her fists off the door as Dean slid to her side wrapping his hands around the rusted knob.
"Sam! Open the god dam door! We need him!" Dean yelled. Sam closed his eyes and took a deep breath before glaring down at Brady. He pulled Ruby's knife out from the his jacket and stalked towards his former friend.
Brady sneered up at him. "Finally. Let's get this party started."
Sam remained silent gathering his thoughts. "Why Brady?" He finally asked.
The Demon shrugged his shoulders. "You were getting too comfortable. It was so easy for you to let go of your father, your brother, the hunting….you were growing soft. Becoming a worthless sack of mild mannered piss. And we couldn't have that! Azazel, ol' Yellow Eyes himself sent me topside to get you back on the right path. You were always his favorite." Sam worked his jaw back and forth, ignoring his brother and River's yells and hammering at the door. "You took poor, misguided Brady under your wing. Brought me back from the edge and I repaid you by hooking you up with that sweet, innocent…virginal piece of tail. You know before Jess met you she was going to wait for marriage like the good girl she was-" Sam shot forward, slicing Brady across the face with the demon knife. He hissed in pain as the knife burned through his skin. "God she was something wasn't she? Right up until the minute I gutted her and roasted her on the ceiling. Yeah buddy it was me. Azazel put the hit out on that tight little piece of ass but I'm the one that did the deed." Sam's fingers tightened around the knife as Brady continued his confession. "She thought we were friends, let me right in. She had just baked cookies, chocolate chip. Your favorite…she screamed for you when I started in on her-" Sam stabbed the knife forward again, catching Brady in the opposite cheek this time giving him a grotesque Joker's smile. Instead of screaming in pain the demon laughed, spitting a mouthful of blood onto Sam's shirt. "Do it Sammy! Do it! Give in to all that anger and hate!"
"Sam! We need him! We have to find Pestilence." River cried through the door.
His hands shook as he struggled against the need to destroy the demon in front of him. "Sam, please open the god damned door!" His brothers voice broke through thundering pulse echoing in his ears.
"Alright! Relax!" He yelled backing away from Brady. He moved the chair away from the door and opened it to face his brother and River. "He's fine…mostly" Sam muttered as they pushed past him to check the laughing, mutilated demon tied to the chair.
"Get him to dish on his boss, Moose?" Crowley asked reappearing in the dank room. He took one look at Brady's sliced face then back to Sam. "Guess not…don't worry though Brady. Because you my dear friend are going to live forever."
"What are you talking about Crowley?" Brady slurred through bloodied lips.
"Went over to a Demon's nest-Had my self a bit of a massacre. Ripped a couple dozen of those little toads to shreds…" He said pulling a silk handkerchief out his pocket and daintily wiping at the speckles of blood staining his pale face. "Must be loosing my touch though, Crumpet." Crowley turned towards River giving her a wry grin. "One of those little toads slipped right through my fingers, got away…but not before I may have made it seem like you left your post last night, Brady." Brady's mouth disappeared into a thin line. "I may have also made it seem like you and I are wait for it….-Lovers in league against Satan."
River gave the blonde demon a wide smile and belted out, "Ain't looking for nothin' but a good time/ And it don't get better than this." Dean and Sam looked down at her gleefully singing then back to the demons.
Crowley nodded and turned back to Brady who had grown several shades paler as he foresaw his carefully built empire crumbling. "Yes, well now it seems like death is off the table for you, love of my life, and you're officially on the list for eternal torment right alongside me."
Brady shook his head from side to side. "No. No. No. No."
"Yes, yes, yes Love." Crowley answered taking a step closer to the other demon. The toes of his Italian loafers a millimeter away from the painted Devils trap. "You and I have quite a bit in common besides our scandalous carnal passion for one another and impeccable fashion sense. It's that craven penchant for self-preservation. So, why don't you tell us where Pestilence is at?"
Brady shook his head again, his face contorted in a hateful sneer as he looked at the hunters and the demon traitor. "Crowley, you son of a bi-" He was cut off when the bone chilling howl echoed from the woods outside the cabin.
"Was that-" River asked quietly.
Dean ran to one of the dirty windows looking frantically outside as another howl and snarling sounded from the darkness much closer this time. He jumped away from the window. "That's a Hellhound, Crowley. Why is there a Hellhound out there?"
Crowley's eyebrows drew together as the snarling sounded right outside the cabin walls. "I don't-Oh." He ran his fingers along the sleeves of his jacket and found a small coin. He held it up to the dim light and sighed.
"What the hell is that?" Sam asked.
Crowley flicked it to him. "Remember that clever little tracking device I told you about? Looks like one was planted on me."
"Are you saying a fucking Hellhound followed you here?" River yelled. Brady let out a low pitched mewl as the Hellhound sniffed and scratched the dirt outside.
"Well, technically it followed that," Crowley said pointing at the coin Sam held. Sam tossed the coin away into a dark corner of the cabin.
"Ok! Get me the hell out of here and I'll tell you what you want!" Brady said pulling at the ropes around his wrists.
"We need to go now. Grab that fuck and get to the car," River said.
Crowley shook his head, "Sorry Crumpet. Nobody knows more about the Hounds than I do and it's too late to run." He disappeared without another word.
"Damn it!" Dean yelled.
"I told you!" Sam countered.
Dean turned towards his younger brother. "Well good for you!" They were quickly dissolving into an immature sibling argument when boards on the front porch creaked loudly under the weight of the Hellhound.
"Shut the fuck up both of you!" River yelled. "There's salt in the kitchen. I'll get that. You two cover him!"
"Cover me? Get me the hell out of here!" Brady whined as River ran towards the front of the cabin. The boarded up window in the kitchen exploded inwards in a shower of flying glass and snarls. She screamed darting around the hulking growling shadow that landed on the wood table causing it to snap under its massive weight.
"River!" Dean yelled running towards her. The Hellhound howled as she swiped her shotgun off the floor and ran back down the hallway towards him. "Get down!" He yelled as the Hellhound skirted around the corner, invisible jaws snapping shut inches from River's boots. She dove to the ground, sliding on her belly like a runner headed for home base as Dean's shotgun blasted above her. The Hellhound yipped in pain, black blood splashing high up on the wall where the rock-salt shell tore into it. He hooked one hand under her arm and drug them both back into the room with Sam and Brady. The Demon had dissolved into hysterical snivels. Sam cast him one disgusted look and went for the ropes tying him to the chair.
"Get me out of here!" Brady cried again.
"Shut the fuck up Broheim!" River yelled at him as she and Dean tracked the minute clouds of dust kicked up by the Hellhounds heavy paws as it thudded towards them. They fired their shotguns together hitting the Hellhound again earning an enraged growl from the invisible monster. They took a step back, each reaching into their pockets for more shells.
"Fucking do something." Brady yelled. "I'm not gonna die because of you fucking assholes!"
"Nobodies going to die," Crowley hollered over the Hellhounds growls. He reappeared on the far end of the hallway behind the Demon dog. "Not yet anyways."
"You came back?" Dean asked surprised. The Hellhound snarled and lunged towards him, River fired her shotgun at the invisible mass sending it smashing into the wall.
"Of course I came back! I'm invested." He answered. River wrapped one hand around Dean's shoulder and pulled him several feet away from the bloody dent in the wall where the Hellhound was surely getting to its feet. "Hey!" Crowley yelled then pursed his lips and blew a high pitched whistle. "Stay!" The Hellhound barked once, the floor creaking as it turned towards the Demon.
"You can control them?" River yelled at him.
Crowley smiled, "Not that one." He patted the air at his shoulder level, his hand hitting something solid but invisible to them. "I brought my own. And who's a good girl? Who's a good girl?" He cooed at the invisible thing next to him. A wet slurp answered him and he grimaced. "Uggh Hellhound drool. Sic him, girl!" He commanded. The entire cabin groaned under the weight of the beast Crowley had summoned, giant claws tore into the wooden floors as his Hound loped towards the other beast. The dogs met in a crash of broken furniture, putrid black blood splashing onto the walls.
"Time to go boys!" River yelled.
Brady tried to run but bounced back still stuck in the Devils Trap. "You can't leave me here!" He screamed in a high pitched warble as the fighting monsters collided into something glass in the next room. Sam cut through the red paint freeing the Demon. The Hunters and their Demon charge ran, avoiding the two Hellhounds still savagely fighting and destroying the cabin in the process.
"I'll bet a $1000 my pup wins." Crowley said appearing besides the Impala as they jumped inside.
"Scoot over Samsquatch. I'm not sitting next to those assholes." River said sliding into the middle of the front seat.
Dean strong armed Brady into the backseat where Crowley now sat smiling expectantly at him. "Hello my love." He said wrapping his hand around Brady. "Just so you don't try to run off." Brady glared at the pale, well manicured hand latched onto his. The Impala roared to life and Dean sped them away from the cabin. He didn't stop driving until they found a quiet alley in the city seventy-five miles from Crowleys cabin.
"I'm sure Pestilence will be there." Brady said handing Crowley a slip of paper he had written an address on.
Crowley glanced at the note then back to Brady. "He's telling the truth." He said handing the paper to Dean. "You've got no reason to lie. Have you? You're in my boat now."
Brady sneered at him. "You screwed me. For eternity."
"No, love. You won't last that long." He told Brady before walking away. River walked across the length of the alley, laying a line of road salt. She paused looking up at the demon. "For you, Crumpet," he stepped around the salt and held out an ancient rough edged coin. She poured the last few feet of salt creating a demon proof barrier between them and Dean, Sam and Brady. "If you get tired of that lumbering oaf I'm just a summoning away. And if I maybe crass for just a moment you do make the most sinful noises."
River snatched the coin out of his hand, "Go now before I shoot you again."
Crowley nodded. "Yes. Well, I'm sure we'll be in touch either way." Dean and Sam conversed quietly both staring at the blonde demon.
"What is this?" Brady yelled.
Dean smiled and tucked his hands in the pockets of his jacket, "All those Angels, All those Demons, all those sons of bitches they just don't get it do they, Sammy?"
"No, Dean. I don't think they do." Sam answered.
"You see, Brady. We're the ones you should be afraid of."
River dropped Crowleys tracking coin down a sewer grate and walked back towards the Impala singing Lita Fords 'Kiss Me Deadly', "Went to a party last Saturday night/ I didn't get laid I got in a fight..."
Dean clapped his brother on the shoulder, "I'm gonna go see if she'll let me rectify that. You think you can keep yourself and Brady occupied?" Sam nodded and stepped towards Brady, his hand disappearing into the folds of his jacket retrieving the demon knife. The Demon took an involuntary step back hitting the brick wall behind him.
"I bet this is a real moment for you isn't it, big guy?" Brady mocked him. "Gonna make you feel all better for all the times we yanked your chain?"
Sam walked calmly forward, the knife gripped tightly in his hand. "It's a start."
Dean barely got to second base before Sam rapped his knuckles on the window next to River. He growled in frustration, one hand still massaging her breast. "Son of a bitch."
"I think blue balls is going to kill you before the Apocalypse does," River said smiling against his lips.