CHAPTER FORTY-SIX: A Sign Of Hope
Sam was brought back to reality when the ear-piercing screams of the blonde hunter in the room next to him pounded his senses. His wide, frantic eyes found the grate that was the only way to see into the next storage locker with worry as pained yells and moans drifted their way to his ears. He pulled desperately at his bindings, Jo's safety driving his need to be free.
He heard a sadistic laugh erupt from Ruby's throat, obviously enjoying the turmoil she was inflicting on the petite hunter. He glanced around his own personal prison with hopefulness, wanting nothing more than to find some way out. So far, his only hope was the keypad but from his current position, that was just a dream.
Jo let out a small yelp which was followed by silence. Suddenly, he heard the scraping of the blonde's door closing only to have his being slid open after.
Sam's eyes instantaneously switched to daunting black orbs as Ruby sauntered in, a wicked smile curling at her lips as she dangled a knife casually from her fingertips.
"Careful, your face will get stuck like that." The blonde nodded to his scowl with a disapproving look on her face as she approached him and sat on his lap, straddling him. "I would hate to have such a pretty face ruined with such a nasty look." She purred, longing dripping from her tone as she eyed the youngest Winchester hungrily.
Sam brought his fierce gaze to meet the manipulative blonde on top of him. "What did you do to her?" He hissed with malice.
Ruby shrugged with one shoulder, not bothered by his hard words. "Let's not think about her."
Whatever retort Sam had ready was cut off by his gasp of pain as Ruby's blade slid agonizingly slow into his lower abdomen.
...
"Shhhhh..."
Dean leaned forward with one finger pressed to his full lips, his hot breath sending chills down the woman's spine as he shushed her unrelenting cries of anguish. "Screaming will only make me angrier." He reminded, roughing up her brown hair and backing up slightly as he twirled the First Blade in his right hand.
He glanced at his handiwork, proud of his finished product. The woman was still firmly tied to the chair she had been confined to for the past four hours, a pool of crimson starting to form at her feet and staining the wood panels of the uninhabited farmhouse. She was wearing nothing but a black V-neck and jeans that went along with her black high tops. Her long hair was a knotted mess from all the times Dean had gripped it threateningly. He had to admit, she was the kind of girl he would've normally hit on at a bar. She had curves in all the right places and was genuinely pretty, even in her current state of being covered in bruises and multiple cuts.
But, the only thing significant about her was that she had been available and unluckily had caught his attention.
He watched as she eyed him with utter terror, her wide eyes glancing between him and the weapon he wielded.
"Pl-please. S-Stop..." She pleaded, her voice barely above a whisper as the blood loss began to take its toll on her battered body. God, Dean loved it when they begged. Her eyes began to droop shut before the middle Winchester stepped forward and gripped her face with his free hand, forcing her to meet his dark orbs.
"Oh sweetheart, you won't want to live through this."
...
Castiel appeared in the middle of Bobby's living room, quickly falling to the floor in an exhausted heap as Bobby and Ellen rushed from their previous positions on the couch to help the fallen angel.
"Cas, what in the hell happened?" The old drunk asked, distress evident in his voice as he grabbed underneath his arm to help him up while Ellen did the same on the opposite side.
The angel took a moment to catch his breath, looking defeated in every sense of the word. "Dean has the First Blade in his possession." He said tiredly, his wounds healing at a steady snail pace.
Ellen looked remorseful as she backed away from Castiel to give him some space. After some hesitation, she decided to tell the angel what Meg, who was standing on the opposite side of the room with a strange expression, had told them. "Castiel, listen to me. Meg found out where Jo and Sam are. We're gonna go check it out." She explained anxiously.
Cas seemed uncertain as he glanced at the demon in the corner, her loyalties still questioned by the angel. "Are you sure this information is reliable? What if it is another trap? I will accompany you." He stated, leaving no room to argue as he stood, his strength restored. "Let us go. We must waste no more time."
...
"Garth, you have to know something." Mary reasoned, her voice desperate as she sat in the back room of the lanky hunter's self-ran antique shop in Chicago.
Garth shook his head, seeming thoughtful as he pulled his brows together. "The Mark of Cain is a legend, nothin' ever heard about it is a known fact. Most of what I've heard are just rumors at best." He clarified, wishing he had more for the demon.
Mary sighed loudly, obviously irritated by the situation. "What have you heard?" She persisted, any new knowledge at this point would be helpful.
The hunter paused to think as he took a seat across from the blonde, adjusting his cap. "It all ranges. I've heard that only Cain himself can remove it, that the Mark won't stop till it's host is dead... the outcomes get worse." He shook his head, trying to shift through all the information he had gathered when Mary had called him about a week ago. "It will take a very powerful force to remove it. My best bet would be to track down Cain." He ended, not having much more to offer.
Mary seemed content, smiling gratefully at her friend. "Thanks, Garth." She stood, ready to leave when the hunter grabbed her arm gently.
"Let me know how it turns out, and if you ever think of it, I'd love to meet em'." He gave her a broad smile before pulling her into an unexpected hug, catching the demon off guard who returned it whole-heartedly.
...
Bobby and Ellen learned to appreciate the addition of an angel to their team when it took a total of two seconds to appear at the storage units where Sam and Jo were being held.
"You sure come in handy." Ellen noted, her hunter instincts flaring to life as they walked into the building and up to the information desk. Bobby rang the small bell that had a note 'Please ring for service." placed in front of it.
They all waited awkwardly, decked out in their FBI attire as they stood feeling uncomfortable in the silence. After a moment, an average height, brown haired, hipster glasses-wearing kid walked out looking extremely out of his element.
He cleared his throat and gave them a forced smile. "May I help you folks?" He questioned, glancing between the three.
In unison, they all pulled out their fake badges. Ellen turned to introduce the two men with her when she noticed that Castiel's badge was upside down. With a 'what-can-you-do' look towards the employee whose name she read from his nametag was 'Del', she quickly turned it the right way. "I'm Special Agent Smith, these are my partners Agents Black and Armstrong. We would like a look at your rental history." She stated all business like.
The angel eyed him suspiciously, finally his true form coming to light. He stiffened, his silver blade falling from his trench coat pocket, the group around him unknowing.
"I could get the rental binder..." Del trailed off, motioning with his thumbs back towards his office.
He quickly scurried off when Bobby nodded in encouragement and Cas, who was standing between Bobby and Ellen, gripped both their arms and pulled them towards him. "That is a demon." He said hastily with urgency.
Bobby and Ellen both stared, wide-eyed at him before they understood, Crowley had this whole place under his thumb.
"Here you go-" Del almost dropped the ginormous binder he was carrying as he came out with two pissed off hunters aiming guns at him and a dangerous looking Castiel armed with a silver blade. "Should've known the angel in the room would sell me out." Not giving them anytime to respond, he caught them off guard by hurtling the massive book at Castiel before taking off.
"Balls!" Bobby yelled, not even wanting to talk about how that attack didn't even faze the angel. "You two go get Sam and Jo, I'll get Mr. Computer Geek."
After exchanging nods, the group split up in their intended directions.
...
"What's your name?" The woman the middle Winchester had just spent the past four hours torturing asked, figuring she was going to die anyways so she might as well take a shot.
He chuckled darkly, amused by his latest pet. "Does it matter?"
"You're... gonna kill me anyways... right?" She breathed, her little remaining strength dwindling at an alarming rate. She knew she didn't have much time left, but she had to try.
He considered her argument and pursed his lips, deciding he might as well. "Dean." He answered carefully, waiting to see what she'll do.
She nodded and almost seemed like she wasn't going to say anything before she took a deep breath. "Alright Dean... I'm Allison. Do you have a family...? Someone you care about?" She began, breathing hard as she tried to relate to any humanity this man could have deep down.
Allison watched his hard look falter just the slightest before he covered it back up with a smug grin. "I used to. Not anymore." He said vaguely, not offering her any useful information.
She sighed before she brought her bright blue eyes to meet his dazzling green. "They loved you, didn't they? And... you had to of... loved them?" Allison guessed, pushing further.
"The key there sweetheart, is the past tense." He pointed out coldly, setting down the First Blade on a table and crossing his arms.
"Dean, I have family, and they love me... just like you use to yours." Allison started, testing his will to play along with her little game. "I have a fiancé, his name's Tim. Just... he loves me very much. You have to... love someone, Dean." She was really reaching at this point, but she couldn't imagine a man who just didn't love.
All of a sudden the cockiness disappeared entirely from Dean's face as Allison's words hit him. Memories of Mary and Sam flashed across his now closed eyelids. He pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes, not wanting to remember as images of John, Bobby, Ellen, and Jo joined in.
He faintly heard Allison talking in the background, making it much worse. "Remember the last time you saw them... they love you Dean, and they wouldn't want... you doing this." She was practically yelling at this point, wanting him to hear her.
The demon had a moment of weakness as he pulled his cell phone from his pocket. He approached the woman, untying her and handing over the metal device. "Call 911. I'm-"
Feeling himself start to lose control once again, he decided nothing he would say would make a difference. With the last of his will power, he grabbed the First Blade from where he had discarded it and disappeared.
Allison stared at where the middle Winchester had just been, wide-eyed and confused. As if just feeling the cellular device in her palm, she barely recalls calling the paramedics.
...
Jo used some of the last bit of strength she had left to get her bound hands in front of her, a trick Dean had taught her a couple months ago. She stood up, a little wobbly, and jumped, quickly maneuvering her hands underneath her knees and to the front. She fell to the ground ungracefully and ripped the gag from her mouth in order to press it to the gaping wound on her chest that cut across her breasts.
The hunter had only regained consciousness a few minutes before, but she was unaware of how long she had been out since Ruby had punched her across the chin and knocked her out. She worked her jaw back and forth, already feeling a bruise starting to form to accompany all her other injuries.
She heard Sam gasp in pain from beside her and she pushed herself up, moving to the grate just in time to see Ruby leave the room. "Sam?" She tried, relief flooding her emotions when he turned his head in her direction.
"Jo, thank god. I thought..." He stopped himself, not wanting to go there. "You okay?"
The young hunter nodded before she realized he probably couldn't see her. "I'm fine, although, there's a lot of blood." She added, not wanting to lie to the demon. "Since when does rope keep you seated?" She asked, not seeing a devil's trap.
"Ruby learned our trick, she shot me." He said, knowing that was all Jo needed to know what he was talking about. "How are we going to get out of here?"
Before Jo could respond, Sam's door opened again but this time it was her mother who walked in.
"Sam!" Ellen exclaimed, rushing over to him as she began undoing the chains that restricted his wrists and ankles.
The middle Winchester eyed Cas standing by the doorway and he nodded towards him. "Next door, get Jo." He ordered through clenched teeth as the brunette hunter began digging the round from his chest.
With a curt nod, the angel moved to one unit over, lifting the door as if it hadn't just been locked. He laid eyes on Jo just in time to see her collapse to the floor.
He rushed over, placing two of his finger tips to her forehead. His eyes shined bright blue but he was only able to get halfway through healing her before he felt a presence behind him. Castiel stood up, his angel blade held firmly in his grasp as he turned to face Ruby who was standing in the doorway with a scowl plastered to her face.
"Funny, you look a little different, Dean." She quipped, confusing the angel.
"I am not, nor have I ever been Dean Winchester." He stated in a Captain Obvious like fashion.
The demon rolled her eyes, forgetting that his kind took everything seriously. "Back up, hot wings. I've got a lot invested in her."
Not in the mood to deal with such filth, Cas just glared as he tightened his grip on his blade. "I suggest you go back from where you came from, demon."
Ruby's malicious laughter echoed down the halls but was cut off when Ellen took the demon killing knife and jammed it through her back, puncturing her heart. "That was for my daughter you bitch." The hunter grounded out, utter rage evident in her eyes as she watched the life leave Ruby's.
The blonde's orifices flashed bright orange as Ellen shoved it deeper and gave the blade a final twist before yanking out and letting Ruby's lifeless body crumple to the floor.
Sam walked up behind her, looking a little disoriented. He eyed Ruby on the floor before turning to Ellen and raising his hand for a high five. "Fuck yeah."
...
After meeting up with Bobby who had taken out Del rather easily, Castiel teleported them back to the older hunter's house, surprised to see John and Mary sitting in the kitchen talking.
"Sam! Jo!" They both exclaimed, standing up. Mary met her son halfway and embraced him, so glad to see him alive and well.
John clapped him on the back before looking at Jo whose chest was cut and covered in dried blood. He ushered her over to the couch so he could inspect it further.
"I tried to heal her but Ruby interrupted me in the middle and then Joanna refused to allow me to finish." Castiel explained, receiving a glare from the blonde hunter for using her full name.
"I'm gonna call Dean." Sam announced abruptly, pulling out his cell phone.
Mary's brows creased in sympathy as she spoke quietly. "What makes you think he'll answer?"
"It's the one thing we haven't tried!" He yelled, irritated by the situation. His mother shot him a disapproving look which he ignored for the time being as he dialed. By the third ring, a shaky voice answered.
"Hello?" A female replied, sounding incredibly weak.
The young demon's brows furrowed in puzzlement as he composed himself. "Is uh, Dean there?" Sam tried, shrugging when he noticed the strange looks he was receiving.
There was a beat before she replied, sounding unsure if she should be honest. "No, this is Allison."
...
TBC
I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I think this was the biggest gap I've had between updates for... the entire duration of this story. I apologize. Please leave reviews, they motivate me to sit down and write even if it's for the brief half hour I have free. Thanks for reading, have a great week.