Chapter 2
The Impala pulled into the parking lot for the sheriff's department and Dean found the visitors' parking spots. Sam pulled his cell out and checked it when it buzzed to see the sheriff's department had answered his email and they were good to go. It seemed they were willing to get all the help they could get since they weren't making any progress on the case.
"Here you go," Dean offered holding out a fake id badge to Sam that he pinned onto his jacket. "Let's get this over with," he huffed shaking his body and going into hunter mode. He led the way to the double front glass doors and opened one so they could go inside.
A deputy was sitting behind a counter typing on a keyboard until they stopped in front of him. He looked up and gave them a once over before finally speaking to them.
"May I help you?" he asked in a suspicious tone.
"Yes, we're with Federal Fish and Wildlife, Officer Smith and Jones," Dean introduced them. "We were sent to look into the recent missing person cases."
"They sent us to check if an animal has gone rogue in the area," Sam added. "We hope to stop any further disappearances."
"Okay then. If you will have a seat, I'll have the sheriff come up and talk with you." The deputy picked up the phone and dialed an extension, waiting for it to be answered.
Dean looked behind them and saw a wooden bench against a wall and several plastic chairs. He nodded to Sam and took the few steps to the bench to sit down to wait. Sam followed his brother and sat down beside him. He let his gaze wander around the room taking in the décor.
The deputy spoke softly into the receiver before hanging up and casting his eyes at the officers before going back to typing again. He occasionally would look their way, watching the brothers as they waited.
Dean drummed his fingers on his leg and pursed his lips as he shifted on the hard bench wishing the sheriff would hurry up. He wanted to get their files and start their investigation. He looked down at Sam's leg that was bouncing and pressed a hand to it to stop it. He gave Sam a warning look that made him straighten up and plant his feet firmly on the floor.
Fifteen minutes later a stout, rugged, middle-aged man stepped from the back through a door behind the deputy, pausing to speak with him for a moment. He looked over at the brothers before stepping through a swinging gate to greet them.
"Hello gentlemen, my deputy tells me you're from the Fish and Wildlife department sent here to do what exactly?"
"Sheriff, we're here to check out the missing person cases to see if it could be a rogue animal attack," Dean explained as he stood and shook the sheriff's hand.
"I see," the sheriff replied eyeing the two brothers cautiously.
"We'd like to get copies of your files on the missing persons to help with our investigation," Sam said.
"And you think you two can find something we have missed? Do you think we missed something?"
"No, no, nothing like that," Dean insisted holding up his hands. "I'm sure you have been very thorough, but it might not hurt to have two sets of fresh eyes on the case. We're very good at our job Sheriff and if there is a rogue animal out there, we'll find it and take care of it."
The sheriff gave each brother a hard look like he was deciding what to do with them, before sighing loudly and saying, "I guess it wouldn't hurt to have someone else look the cases over. Why don't you wait here, and I'll have someone make copies of the files for you."
"We'd appreciate that Sheriff," Sam told him giving him a brief smile.
"Alright then, I'll have a deputy do that and bring them out to you. If you find anything new, I expect to be notified immediately."
"We will do that Sheriff, again thank you for your cooperation," Dean said. He shook the sheriff's hand once again and sat back down as the sheriff disappeared into the back. "He wasn't very friendly," Dean mumbled under his breath as Sam joined him on the bench.
"Later," Sam whispered back noticing the deputy was watching them.
Dean looked to the deputy and smiled and nodded to him trying to be casual and friendly. He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, clasping his hands in front of him. He tried to be patient, but it seemed like forever before a deputy came through the door with a folder in his hand. He passed it to the Dean when he stood and approached the counter. After thanking him, they left and decided to grab something to eat and then look over the files.
Sam found a deli on the other side of the town that looked promising and directed Dean to it. He found a parking space, and they headed inside to eat. Sam found a table away from the other patrons and started looking at the copied pages on the cases. He sat them aside when Dean arrived with a tray of food and drinks. He licked his lips as he got a whiff of the aroma of the sandwiches, not realizing how hungry he was.
spn
The brothers had gone back to the motel to finish going over the reports and Sam bought a map of the town so they could mark where victims had disappeared from. He hoped it would give them a possible hunting ground for whatever had taken the missing people.
"I think we should interview these witnesses and see if anyone remembers anything else," Dean decided closing the file after he was done reading the sheriff's reports.
"Yeah, and then we should maybe check out the location where the hikers disappeared from," Sam added looking at a map that had X's on it. "They were the last victims."
"How 'bout we split up to get this done quicker?" Dean suggested. "There's two witnesses that live near each other and the other one is across town on the outskirts of it. I'll drop you off and you meet with them, and I'll head out to the other one."
"Okay and you can text me when you're heading back my way and I'll be waiting on you," Sam agreed folding the map up to take with him. He didn't think anything would happen this early in the case and there would be any danger to either of them. If only he knew what the future held for them.
"Hopefully someone has some information that will tell us what might be snatching these people. Let me hit the head and we'll head out."
"Okay," Sam nodded gathering what papers he wanted to take with him. He stacked them neatly and folded them before slipping them into his jacket.
A few minutes later Dean stepped back into the main room and put on his jacket, grabbed the room key, and his car keys before heading for the door and out to the Impala. He unlocked the doors and dropped into the driver's seat.
Dean drove to the address of a friend of one of the missing persons and let Sam out, telling him to be careful and call him if he needed him to come back. Sam told Dean to do the same and closed the car door, slapping the roof as he stepped away. He watched the Impala drive away before turning to the apartment complex and walking toward the entrance.
spn
Dean pulled up to a modest, one story, clapboard house sitting in a clearing a few miles from the main part of the town. He parked and got out giving the area a onceover before strolling to the porch and knocking on the door. He heard noises on the other side of the door of a lock being thrown and then the door opened partway.
"Hello, Mr. Puller?" Dean greeted him, taking his fake badge out to show him. "I'm Officer Smith with Fish and Wildlife; I was wondering if I could talk with you about your missing friend."
Mr. Puller looked at the badge for a moment before opening the screen door to let Dean in.
"Sure, come on in," Puller said. He led them to a small living room and motioned for Dean to have a seat on a couch while he took a seat in a recliner across from him.
"Thank you for agreeing to talk to me, Mr. Puller," Dean stated pulling out a pad to take notes.
"Sure, if it will help you find my friend and call me Mac."
"Alright Mac, can you tell me what happened to your friend?"
"Josh and I planned a hiking trip to one of the camping sites outside of town. It was a Saturday. We had great weather and were enjoying the hike. Josh wanted to take one of the less traveled trails and we hadn't gone far when something attacked us."
"Could you tell what it was?" Dean questioned.
"It all happened so fast, and I was thrown into a tree, knocking me out for a few minutes. When I came to Josh was gone and I couldn't find him anywhere."
"What do you think it was? A wild animal? Bear? Mountain lion? Anything you can tell me will be a great help."
"It was a blur, maybe dark fur or hair, but I can't say it was an animal. I swear the thing was walking on two legs."
"I believe you," Dean replied writing down everything as he thought about what it could possibly be. "Anything else you can remember?"
"Like I said, it happened so fast, and I only got a glimpse of whatever it was," Mac told him.
"Thank you for talking with me Mac and if you do remember anything else, please give me a call," Dean told him pulling out a business card and handing it to him.
"I hope you find Josh or at least whatever took him." Mac got up and showed Dean to the door to let him out.
As Dean was getting into his car, his cell beeped he had a text message. He pulled it out and saw it was from Sam and read it before texting him back that he was on his way back to town. He dropped the cell beside him in the seat and started the Impala to turn around to head down the driveway to the main road.
Dean had gone a couple of miles from Mac's house when a flash of red moving through the trees caught his attention. He couldn't tell exactly what it had been, thinking it was a person in a red jacket, but it was moving faster than a person would be able to move. It disappeared for a moment only to reappear a few yards away and was gone again.
He pulled the car off the road and stared hard into the forest catching the red flash again. Curious, Dean got out of the car and cautiously went to the edge of the trees trying to see but couldn't find the red flash. He heard noises and what sounded like someone crying out for help and stepped deeper into the forest with his gun out and by his side.
The sunlight was cut off by the many, leafy branches of the trees, making it unusually dim and difficult to see very far. The air had a heavy feeling and the sounds seemed muffled and strange. He paused for a moment and cocked his head to listen carefully for any noises or the voice he thought he'd heard a moment ago. The attack came silently and suddenly, and Dean was taken down before he could defend himself.
A/N: What took Dean and why? What is Sam going to do when Dean doesn't show up? Thank you for coming on this journey with me. I hope you are enjoying the story. I do like reviews/comments. NC