CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE: Familiar Faces
Jo jumped at the sound of Dean's car door slamming shut, the demon resting his forehead on the steering wheel with clenched fists resting on his lap.
The hunter waited patiently, knowing Dean needed a moment to sort through things. After Meg had disappeared, Dean had looked around frantically before he lunged at Ruby, only missing her by a second before she too was gone.
With a growl of anger, Dean sat up quickly and turned the key in the ignition as aggressively as one person could and took off down the road.
After riding silently next to him for a minute, Jo couldn't take it anymore. "Dean, it's not your fault." She began, only to be cut off by a bitter chuckle coming from the demon's throat.
"I shouldn't of left you two alone. Now Meg is gone, you could've been hurt." He clenched his teeth, aggravated by his own stupidity.
Not wanting to deal with the demon's shit, Jo took a deep breath. "Pull over." She demanded, turning to face the demon with defiance.
He glanced at her, confused. "What? No." He argued, giving her a puzzled look.
"Pull over!" She yelled, reaching over to try and grab the wheel.
Grudgingly the demon pulled over to the side of the road where Jo immediately got out. With a sigh of frustration, Dean followed her. "What could possibly be bothering you?" He asked, his tone hard with a slight icy edge.
"Listen to me." She started, making the demon lift his grief-stricken gaze to meet her unwavering eyes by her demanding tone. "Meg was not your fault. If anything, it was mine."
Dean shook his head, not wanting the hunter to take the fall for his actions. "I don't blame you-"
"Then you shouldn't blame yourself." She snapped, guessing she caught the demon off-guard by his shocked expression. The blonde started to pick up on self loathing habits with the middle Winchester and planned on trying her best to squash them. "Now, if you don't get your head out of your ass, we are going back to Bobby's." She paused, taking a calming breath. "So, make a choice. Either you let this go or we head back."
After a moment of thought, Dean let it go.
…
"So, what do we know?" John asked, wanting to go over all the facts as they pulled away from Missouri's house.
Sam sighed, checking over his shoulder to make sure he was clear of traffic. "Well, Mom was here a few weeks ago and now she's warded from us." He said with hopelessness, wishing this was all just easier. "And, she somehow got away from Azazel which means he's pissed and looking for her. Which, I guess could be a good thing."
John looked thoughtful, trying to look at it from every angle. "What about a summoning spell? If Yellow Eyes was able to summon you boys, what's stopping us from doing the same with Mary?"
Sam mentally face palmed, wondering why he hadn't thought of it himself. "Were gonna need supplies. Bobby's?" He asked, a hint of anticipation in his tone as he looked at his father for confirmation.
John agreed, although he had his doubts. He wasn't too sure if he wanted to bring his wife anywhere near Sam. What if Azazel showed up and took both of them? The hunter knew yellow eyes wasn't one to give up and with all the demon had invested in Sam, it made John feel uneasy.
…
Mary walked as fast as she could through the crowded streets of Chicago, wanting to get to her informant as soon as possible. She figured out of all the places she could go, this city would be her best bet at blending in.
She kept a quick pace as she moved her way through the hustle and bustle of the city, only block away from her informant when someone grabbed her arm roughly, yanking her back.
"Where do you think you're going so fast all by yourself?" A tall, burly looking man leaned down to where his hot breath tickled her face. "This city's dangerous. Ain't no place for a pretty thing like you." People continued to walk past them, paying no attention to the man with black eyes and the woman he wouldn't let go of.
"Good thing I can hold my own." Quickly, her own eyes flashing dark, Mary kneed the man in the balls, a little extra force behind it with her demonic strength. The man was sent flying back, his shoulders hitting the hard pavement.
Collective gasps echoed around Mary as she took off, not even bothering to see if the man had gotten up. She shoved and elbowed her way through the crowd, letting out a sigh of relief as her informant's door came into view.
She glanced behind her, seeing no sign of the man. Wasting no time, Mary ducked in the small Knick-Knack business, instantly greeted by a smiling face at the other end of the store behind a counter.
"I thought you'd never make it." The scrawny man said excitedly, adjusting his worn baseball cap. "Come here and give me a hug."
Mary smiled broadly to match the lanky guy's expression, walking over to his waiting open arms. "Good to see you too, Garth." She said into his shoulder, feeling relieved to finally see a friendly face.
….
Bobby's truck came to an abrupt stop as Dean parked it right outside their motel room in Mississippi. Both Jo and the demon getting out lazily, the pair each grabbed a duffel that had been riding between them on the bench.
The motel room keys jingled as Dean stuck it in the lock, finally opening the door and walking into the foul smelling cramped room.
"The finest America has to offer." The middle Winchester quipped, his voice lacking enthusiasm as he plopped down on the mattress, trying to ignore the cloud of dust that exploded from it.
The hunter sat down heavily in a chair by the door, picking some fluff from her shirt. "So, where to in the morning?" She asked distractedly, her eyes widening when she saw it was around two in the morning.
The demon ran a tired hand down his face, racking his brain for why they were there. "There's an abandoned factory a few miles outside of town, word is there's a demon there that has set up camp." He answered, leaning back and picking up the clock to check the time. He groaned after reading the bright red digits, laying flat on his back with an arm thrown over his eyes.
Jo sighed, exhaustion from the day's events starting to take a toll on her. With heavy eyelids, the blonde headed over to the other twin bed and landed rather ungracefully on her stomach for a well deserved night of sleep.
….
Dean's eyelids fluttered open, the shrill sound of his cell phone ringing waking him from his blissful slumber. After banging his hand on the nightstand a few times, the demon finally located the device and flipped it open, not even checking the caller ID as he put it to his ear. "This better be fucking good." He grumbled with not a whole lot of merit to his threat.
Sam snickered on the other end, amusement in his voice as he spoke. "Morning sleeping beauty. You're gonna wanna hear this." He started, continuing when he heard his brother's mumbled 'uh-huh'. "Do you know a Missouri Moseley?" He questioned, not sure who all Dean had been introduced to.
The eldest demon sat up, his curiosity peaked as he thought about that name. "Bitter psychic?" He tried, the name ringing a bell.
Sam chuckled and nodded before he realized Dean couldn't see him. "Yeah, that's her. Get this, she saw mom a few weeks ago."
Dean stood up, walking into the bathroom and shutting the door silently as to not wake Jo as Sam explained everything that had happened. With a disbelieving expression, the short-haired demon pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut. "And so, what? You guys are gonna summon her once you get back to Bobby's?" He asked, a hint of exasperation in his tone.
Sam rolled his eyes as he continued driving down the expressway, glancing in the rearview mirror before passing a huge truck. "Yeah, so are you gonna meet us there?" He said in a rush, predicting his brother's answer.
The eldest demon shook his head, rubbing his forehead with his thumb and forefinger. "I'm close Sammy. I've tracked down one of Azazel's second in command. I gotta find this bastard." He paused, exhaling deeply. "Plus, maybe I can distract yellow eyes by picking on one of his guys while you two handle Mom." He offered, wishing this wasn't happening now. One major thing at a time for fuck's sake, He thought, missing their old simple lives.
Sam scrunched his face in bewilderment. He was expecting his brother to drop everything and haul ass to Bobby's. "Um, okay." He said hesitantly. "I guess we can keep each other updated." He finished, still confused by Dean's weird reaction.
"Yep, sounds good." With that, Dean hung up, pressing the silver handheld to his head in frustration before walking out of the small bathroom.
….
"Agent Willis." Bobby answered the phone gruffly, accepting his third FBI call of the day.
"Well of course they have Jurisdiction, you ever see DC step aside for the local government? Call me with a real question." He retorted, hanging up the phone with finality as Ellen walked in, looking calmer than usual.
She noted Bobby's bewildered look at the fact she wasn't brooding with a scowl, sitting rather gracelessly in the kitchen chair across from him. "Any news?" She asked hopefully, wishing for some type of update from her daughter.
The old drunk shook his head, wanting nothing more than to give Ellen a piece of mind.
"Gonna make them put me on their speed dial list." She grumbled, getting up to fetch her and Bobby a beer.
The older hunter took it appreciatively, immediately popping off the top and taking a swig before he set it back down carefully. He looked deep in thought, as if he was considering something. After an expectant look from Ellen, he sighed. "Do you think we're doin' the right thing here?" He asked, sounding conflicted.
The brunette looked confused, her brows furrowed. "What do you mean? With the boys?" Bobby nodded. "I think we're doin' a whole lot a good. It's not like they're out making deals anymore. We're saving people every second those boys are out huntin' something."
Bobby considered this before he leaned forward, still seeming troubled. "I'm worried about Dean. John told me some stuff about his past and the way he talks about it…" Bobby shook his head. "I'm afraid John will never accept that boy. He'll try to find a reason to doubt him."
Ellen shrugged before smiling slightly. "I think John just needs to get use to the fact his kids aren't exactly human. Once he comes to terms with that, it'll be smooth sailing." She said with confidence.
The bearded hunter just nodded, hoping to God she was right. He really wasn't in the mood to have anything come back and bite them in the ass.
….
Jo cringed at the sound of bones snapping reverberating off the walls of the small square office located in the abandoned factory they had tracked Azazel's number two too.
Dean seemed unbothered as he continued his work, wanting to get as much information out of this demon as he possibly could.
The blonde looked at the restrained demon, quickly glancing up to admire her handiwork of the painted devils trap on the ceiling. The demon was tied to a metal chair, his wrists and ankles bound to the arms and legs of the seat. Jo tried to ignore the odd angles the man's fingers were sticking up in or the way his original white shirt was now a solid crimson. Hell, she even ignored the broken hammer lying haphazardly on the ground.
"Where's Azazel hanging out these days?" Dean asked, a cruelty in his tone as he circled the trapped demon, twirling the engraved knife in between his scarlet stained fingers.
The demon scoffed, spitting out some blood onto the floor before smiling a red toothy grin. "Think you'll rough me up a bit and I'll sing? Trust me, this is nothing compared to what Azazel will do to me if I spill my guts." He met the middle Winchester's wicked gaze as Dean circled back to the front, leaning down to where he was nose to nose with the man.
"Oh you'll spill your guts, one way or another. I just didn't wanna ruin my shoes." He quipped, sending chills down Jo's back as he straightened, walking over to the old desk that had become the eldest demon's torture device storage area. He picked up a sharp blade thoughtfully, eyeing the instrument with interest before dousing it in holy water, careful not to splash himself. "Jo, care to help out with this? Might make it a little less dangerous for me." He smirked, his playful smile returning to his lips as he turned to face her. The hunter was amazed how quickly he could change from a ruthless torturer to the carefree jerk he was.
Jo just simply shook her head no, Dean shrugging casually before returning to his latest project.
The last thing the blonde heard before she left the room was the tip of the blade hitting bone.
….
The drive back to Bobby's was made in record time, Sam's anxiousness to get started weighing down his foot on the gas pedal. Once they finally arrived, Bobby met them at the door with a welcoming grin.
"Didn't expect you two back for some time." He noted, adjusting his worn baseball cap as they walked up, duffels in tow.
Sam just laughed, forgetting he hadn't contacted Bobby about their recent findings. As they filed into the dusty living room, John recounted all that happened.
The whiskey drenched man let out a long low whistle, shaking his head in disbelief. "This is quite some shit you've stepped in." He noted, chuckling softly.
"Got any good summoning spells?" The eldest Winchester asked, glancing around the room. Bobby gave him an 'are you serious' look before getting up from the couch and walking over to a bookshelf. He admired a couple of spines, running his finger along them before he paused, fishing one out with a triumphant 'Aha!' He skimmed through the pages, eventually stopping at one and angling the book toward them. "This outta do just fine."
Sam read over the page, satisfied with the spell before he picked up the book and headed downstairs, already knowing that's where the capped hunter kept most of his ingredients for spell work.
With luck actually being on their side, they already had all the ingredients and within no time they were set and ready with a devils trap in front of him painted on the floor, anticipation radiating off of the two Winchesters.
"You sure you want to do this?" Bobby questioned, thinking about what they were really doing. "What if she's in hidin' somewhere safe? You two really want to bring her here where Azazel knows I live?" He continued, sounding logical.
Sam and John shared a look before they both shook their heads. The demon gave Bobby a small smile, seeming thankful for the concern. "I need to see her." He said softly, sadness and longing in his tone.
The elder hunter just nodded and stepped back while Sam read the incantation, throwing a lit match into a bowl.
….
"Any trouble?" Garth asked as they made their way to the store's back room, away from any prying eyes. He had made sure to switch the sign to 'closed' just to be on the safe side. He ushered her to sit down in one of the faded wooden chairs in a small storage/office area while he took another. The blonde demon glanced with disgust at the left out bowl of pretzels and a half drank can of beer that occupied the table as she sat down.
Mary shrugged, a sly grin plastered to her face. "Nothing I couldn't handle. Low level demons think they can take on a Winchester." She teased, glancing up at the hunter.
Garth rolled his eyes, not surprised by her pride. "I heard John and your two boys are the same way." He stated, not noticing how Mary's features darkened. "I talked to John a few days ago about some demon activity and never heard back from him. Said he was with Sam."
Mary narrowed her eyes a bit, laughing coldly. "Really? John was with Sam?" She asked, exasperated at even the thought of her husband accepting their kids into his life.
Garth nodded picking up a pretzel and popping it into his mouth, answering her through the food. "Yeah, I asked the same thing and he said he and Bobby met up with Dean and Sam a couple months back, have been huntin' with them." He finished chewing the snack, picking up and eating another.
Mary seemed troubled, her boys were out hunting instead of making deals? "Why the hell are they working cases?"
The hunter swallowed, having the decency to make sure his mouth wasn't full this time. "Not sure, he wouldn't give me all the details." He wiped his lips with his shirt sleeve, looking up at her as if in realization. "You said you needed something from me?"
Mary nodded, as if just remembering herself. "Have you heard of the colt before?"
Garth chuckled, shaking his head. "That legend? Yeah I've heard of it. Can't say it's real though."
The demon gave him a cocky grin, pulling out a single bullet from her coat pocket and placing it on the table between them. The hunter picked it up carefully, holding it in between his fingers as he inspected the strange markings carved into it. "That round came from the colt." She pulled out a wrinkled paper, a side view of the infamous gun printed on it. Garth glanced back and forth from the picture to the bullet, noting the same engravings on each.
He leaned back, taking off his cap and rubbing his head before replacing it. "It's kinda a long shot. But, I'll look into it for ya."
Mary smiled gratefully, taking the round and bullet back and tucking them away safely right as a tremendous trembling took over the room.
The blonde stood up quickly, eyes enveloping with black as she looked around frantically. "No, this can't be happening." She breathed, desperation in her tone.
Garth braced himself against the table, looking up at Mary with wide, fearful eyes. "What is goin' on?"
The demon didn't have time to answer before she was standing in Bobby's basement.
…
Dean gripped the demon's face harshly, squishing his cheeks together. "You better get comfy; I can do this all day." He hissed, Jo eyeing him with caution. She found it unsettling that he was really good at inflicting pain on others.
They had been at this for hours, the hunter returning to the room when she started to feel concern for the middle Winchester and how much he seemed to be enjoying himself. By this point, the floor was splattered with random splotches of crimson; Azazel's second in command was covered with deep stab wounds with purple and blue bruises covering his face.
"I've told you- everything I know." The man managed to get out through his broken jaw, dried blood around his mouth and nose. Dean shoved the demon's face away, smirking maliciously.
"I guess we'll just have to make sure." He stated, his eyes quickly flashing black as he picked up a flask of holy water and drenched the poor bastard. Cries of pain penetrated Jo's ear, causing her to cringe.
"Dean-o, what has gotten into you?"
The pair spun around, coming face to face with the Yellow eyed demon, Jo only a few feet in front of him. She backed up reflexively, Azazel's brutal gaze landing on her. In an instant, he had his arm wrapped around her throat, applying light pressure.
"Let her go you son of a bitch!" Dean spat, wanting to make sure Jo was safe before he tried over-powering the yellow eyed man.
Azazel stared at him with pity, making a tsking sound with his tongue. "You poke and prod one of my men and expect to go on unscathed?" He chuckled darkly, eyeing Jo mercilessly. "There's always repercussions."
….
TBC
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