Chapter 8
The pain was piercing sharp in his shoulders and it felt like it struck a nerve in his spine. It traveled lower and became white hot. Sam's eyes jotted open as he felt the numbing white hot pain in his lower back. He felt his whole body lock up as he recalled exactly the moment that he felt it and his breath came out in a gasp.
In his view came Michael who was looking down at him with contempt. Sam couldn't move to do anything. It was like his muscles had seized up. All he felt was numbness up top and then nothing blow. His nerves were on fire it felt like. Looking around he realized he was on his back on the cot in that cell and Angela, the Angela that kept him company, was nowhere in sight. He whimpered, "Angie."
"Angie is not here. She's trying to get to you. Remember?"
Sam gasped and gulped trying to keep from crying out as his nerves burned in the white hot agony. Of course he remembered that Angela was not there physically. The one that was there was a figment of his imagination. He managed to turn his head and look at Michael. "Wh… what are… you… doing?"
"Waiting for Lucifer to stop fucking around with her." Michael gazed hard at Sam before turning away. "And to bring back my vessel."
Sam felt the pain amp up in his spine and it spread to his nerve endings. He managed to choke out in a half laugh, "She'll never let you have Adam."
Michael turned to look at Sam. Ever since this whole thing started, even when Sam had followed the demon's lead, he always had this unwavering faith that the Malachi would come charging in to save the day or eventually come. No matter how bad things got, she would come. It was not a common concept and granted what he knew about her… "I highly doubt she'll win this."
"You don't know her."
"Oh but I do." Michael moved closer and peered at Sam. He took in the injuries, the blood, the bruising… all of it. He had to admit Sam had been resilient while down here. Then again it was physical. Maybe Lucifer was right in that you had to touch things that were emotional. "Known about her for a long time."
"And you still have no fucking clue."
Michael gave a scoffing smirk before twisting his hand. He watched as Sam's back literally came off the cot and heard him cry out in pain. He held it steady and unrelenting, watching Sam writhe, well try to, away and get vertical. Deciding to have a little fun, he lifted Sam up and flung him against the bars and listened to the grunt from his chest impacting on the bars and yelping of pain. Michael then snapped Sam to plaster his back against the wall taking pleasure in the dull crunch coming from Sam and the inhumane cry and let Sam drop.
Sam felt his spine snap like a twig the moment he impacted the wall. He felt it in his lower back, right at the same area where he had been stabbed and all feeling ceased in his lower half except near the injury. He fell to the floor gasping in pain and feeling like his lower body was deadweight. He pressed his forehead to the floor and used his arms to push himself up but it was difficult since he still felt the residual pain in his nerves and his other injuries. He grunted and gasped since it ached and he felt stunned. He just had to get himself upright as much as he could.
Michael watched as Sam struggled. He knew he had snapped his spine along with his spinal cord and right where he had been stabbed. At least Sam wouldn't put up a fight. Then he would fix him and work on it again. That would bring some emotional agony. Having your spine broken repeatedly. Maybe change where it occurred… He stepped towards him and said, "I know her. More than you would ever know."
Sam felt his mouth twitch as his teeth gritted. He couldn't feel his legs. He couldn't move them. The only thing he had was his arms and… His top half was in agony and the lower half was dead. His body felt like it was in shock. He eyed Michael as his lip quivered and managed to taunt, "Then what is the one thing she cares about more than anything?"
It was probably pointless conversation but Michael was willing to indulge since Sam deigned to claim that he knew more than he did by that statement and replied, "You."
Sam gave a dry chuckle trying to get used to the state of his body. He shook his head and realized he was sweating bullets now. "That's where you're wrong."
"Excuse me?"
"You're wrong," Sam repeated. He took a couple of gulping breaths, thankful that the damage wasn't in his thoracic area. That would have meant trouble breathing and even more so if it was in the zone of making him quadriplegic. He leaned against the wall since that was the only thing capable of holding him up at the moment. He breathed heavily and continued, "I'm not the one she cares the most about."
"Of course you are. Why else is she here?"
"Because of a promise to my brother."
"To get you out?"
Sam shook his head. He was taking a gamble here since he knew that deep down she was here for him and anyone else she could save. Plus what he was going to say was way out from left field. But if one really thought about it, it was a logically thing and something she would do. He winced as he adjusted his position, really hating that he couldn't feel anything below from his waist and his upper body was in agony.
Michael was annoyed by the silence and hauled Sam to his feet, ignoring the groans of pain though it was satisfying to hear. He held the injured Winchester up in midair like he was being tied down spread eagled. "Why is the Malachi here then?"
Sam grunted out in pain. He couldn't feel anything below his waist but his upper body felt like it was being torn in half. The half healed cuts from the meat hooks were opening again and he could feel the blood drizzle down. He looked down at Michael, knowing that the angel was going to tear him in half and not bat an eye over it. He replied with a slight grin and a chuckle, "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"Try me."
Sam chuckled a bit trying to ignore the pain in his limbs. "She… she's here to… kick yours and Lucifer's ass and then save you both."
It was ridiculous enough to be true but it made Michael angry and he flung Sam into the wall hard. It was by sheer luck that it didn't crack Sam's skull open but it aggravated the shot nerve endings and any other injuries that were healing. The angel looked at Sam's crumpled form and the awkward way his legs were angled. "You just want to be in pain, don't you?"
Sam pushed himself up and spit out the blood that was in his mouth. He twisted gingerly as he tried to right himself up. Using his upper body, he managed to pull/scoot himself across the floor towards the wall for support. "No but it doesn't matter what I say."
"You're right. But I can't stand lying mud monkeys like you."
Michael made to dole out additional punishment when a hand clamped on his shoulder. He turned to see that Lucifer had returned and scowled at him. "Do not interfere."
Lucifer sauntered into the cell and took in the scene. He saw Sam's difficulty and rather late defiance since he was still grinning at the pair of them. Blood was coming out of his mouth and the old injuries had been ripped open. He looked at Michael with a condescending look and asked, "Did you break the toy, Michael?"
"What does it matter?"
Lucifer sighed as he raised his hand. He snapped his fingers and looked at Michael. "You'll never learn."
Sam felt the crack and he couldn't help but yelp out in pain as he felt his spine being repaired and the sudden influx of feeling of his lower extremities slammed home in his brain. He fell over from the feeling and pressed his hands to the floor to keep him from kissing it. His nerves were shot. It wasn't like he expected Lucifer to have mercy on him. And the point was made when Lucifer's hand clamped down hard on his shoulder and his thumb pressed right where Angela had bitten him.
It was like getting stabbed and Sam cried out in pain. It was intense that he saw flashes of light, almost like his memory cascading down when he managed to push back Lucifer. He grit his teeth together and yelped since Lucifer was still pressing into his shoulder. He then felt himself being picked up and slammed into the wall. His cheek was pressed against it and he felt Lucifer's weight press on him.
Lucifer grinned at the position he had Sam in. He shifted to look at Michael and said in a patronizing tone, "You see Michael, your way is only going to get him to say anything to make you happy. Though I suspect that Sam here decided to be defiant." Lucifer turned back to Sam and leaned in close to croon in his ear, "Didn't you Sam?"
Sam heard the words and felt his breath and froze completely. He felt Lucifer's weight on his back and started to pant to the point where he was going to hyperventilate. He managed to get his breathing under control and replied back, "Just… just telling… the truth. Angie isn't here… for me."
Lucifer grinned as he stared at Sam taking in his position. He knew that Sam was thinking the worst and he had every right to be thinking that. But the anticipation was what got Lucifer off on the torture. When the victim anticipated it but nothing came of it… it was like sweet music to him. Staying close to Sam he grinned and replied, "Now we all know that is a lie, Sam. Don't forget, I know exactly what you two did."
Sam had enough of that. He had been afraid of that since he had said yes to the devil and the devil pretty much was poking and looking around at everything in his head. But in the end, he knew that it was okay and he saw it as a sort of defiance. He would never see her as a trophy to be won but he took pleasure in knowing the most beautiful and sweetest woman he had ever known. He tried to turn his head to look at the devil and countered, "What? That we had sex? Please."
Lucifer shoved Sam harder into the wall, "You really don't have a clue what it is you have done have you?"
"Not listening since it would be a lie."
"Tsk. Sam, you know I have never lied to you and I have never lied to her." Lucifer looked at Sam with a wounded look. "So please, show some courtesy."
Michael snorted at that, "Hardly in his vocabulary or hers. End this game you have with her and bring her in now."
Lucifer rolled his eyes slightly and looked back at his brother. "You know that she will just fight and more likely… well it wouldn't ever be like that but you get the idea." He pressed against Sam and grinned when he heard Sam's grunt mingled with a whimper. "And what Sam said was gross simplification. Yes, there was sex involved but so much more."
"Like I care."
"You should," Lucifer counseled, "Because when I do this." He pressed hard on Sam's left shoulder and even harder when Sam cried out again in pain. "When I do this, she will know and all that will do is make her angry. She knows what I am doing and what you are doing." He looked at his brother with a pointed look.
Michael listened to Lucifer and watched Sam's reaction. It occurred to him what Lucifer was talking about. There was no way that should have happened. He watched Lucifer torment Sam again and again by pressing, punching and even digging his nails on the same spot over and over. It didn't help that there was a rumbling sound that was occurring, like thunder and lightning. It had his look around at the ceiling and then he looked back down at his brother and said, "Alright. You've made your point, Lucifer. Stop."
Lucifer paused in what he was doing and looked at Michael, "Oh I'm not done yet. Why don't you take a turn and play with her. She'll be pretty riled up." He gave a grin that told both Sam and Michael that what was in store for them was something that they really didn't want to see.
Michael looked at Lucifer as he held Sam in the position he had seen before. He didn't want to be there when Lucifer decided to have his fun. As much as he wanted to take it out of Sam's ass… this was a little extreme and not his thing. He looked at the pair before turning to go and see what Lucifer had done. He was barely out the door when he heard Sam screaming for Lucifer to not do whatever he was going to do.
Adam looked around the camp. He could tell that they really didn't care that they had a very pissed off woman coming after them and even though he didn't know her very well, he knew that it wasn't going to be pretty when she caught up. They should be worried and it was disturbing that they weren't. He shifted to look around and grimaced from the ropes cutting into his wrists.
"It is useless, you know."
Adam looked up to see the leader looking at him. He twisted his wrists. At least his arms weren't behind him. That would have wreaked havoc on his shoulders with all the struggling he had been doing and he got the sense that his wrists would have been worse off if it had been so. As it were, they were bound in front of him. It could be an advantage but he had to play it smart. He looked up at the leader of the group. "And it's stupid for you to ignore the fact that she will hunt you down."
The leader chuckled at that, "You still think that I'm the one in trouble?"
"I know it." Adam looked up defiantly at the leader. He was getting an uncomfortable feeling about the whole thing. There was something going on that he wasn't privy to. The obvious was a trap and that made sense.
"You have so much confidence for someone you barely know and that she will come for you when you know in truth the only person on her mind is your brother," the leader mocked. He grinned at Adam more as a means to taunt him.
Adam twisted his wrists to try and loosen them even though it was essentially futile in this case. Still he had to put up some sort of resistance. That was the second time they questioned his belief that she would come for him. While he knew that she probably forgot that he was here initially, she stuck by him and protected him and came at anyone who looked at him sideways like a momma bear on steroids. It did sting that she hadn't given him a second thought at first but he believed her when she said that she had thought about what happened when Michael took him.
The leader looked at Adam with a patronizing smile. He took in his expression and mocked, "What? Nothing to say?"
Adam pursed his lips as he stared at the leader. Finally he said, "I have a lot to say but none of it matters since you don't believe that she will come after you and you won't like it."
"You really think so?"
Adam shrugged his shoulders at that, "I may not have been with her long but long enough to pick up a few things and one of them is that when she latches onto a perceived threat well… Let's just say that I'm glad not to be on that side."
The leader chuckled at that. He shook his head. "So naïve. She doesn't give two shakes of a rat's tail about you or anyone else. Not since Sam Winchester walked into her life. Sure she helps out you poor 'lost souls' but first line of business is always a Winchester."
Adam chuckled at that and replied, "Then I guess that means me too." He grinned and shook his head like the leader was one of the dumbest guys he came across. Maybe he was. "After all, Sam and Dean are my brothers."
The leader paused at that. He looked over to the side at the forest before looking back at Adam, "But from what I hear, they didn't even know you existed until a job landed in their laps."
"Yeah well considering what they do… makes sense," Adam replied with a slight look of sarcasm. It would have made Dean proud to see it. "And I get it now. I may not be first to give John Winchester the father of the year award but I had a lot of time to think about what he did and why." He watched as the leader paced in front on him and noted the confused expression. He added, "And I know that no matter what… family is first for them." He felt the need to add that since Dean did try to come in after him when Michael came.
The leader looked at Adam and the determined look in his eyes. "You really think that?"
Adam glared defiantly back at him, "Yeah. They tried to get me and I know that if things were different, they'd probably kick your boss' and Michael's asses together."
"And how do you feel about this?"
Adam felt his hair being grabbed and his head jerked to view what was shoved in front of him. Or rather what was made to appear in front of him. He was treated to an image of Angela standing there looking at him or rather who or what she was looking at whenever it was taken. She was different, like she was a little younger. Her cheeks looked a little plumper, like she had baby fat on her since her features were more angular.
She looked at whatever or whoever it was before turning around and heading towards what was obviously a bound captive. To Adam it looked human as she looked at him with a smirk that was seductive and it sent a shiver down his spine. He watched as she simpered at her captive and then pulled out a knife and slowly started cutting and drawing blood. The screams were bloodcurdling and he could see the sizzling of skin, like it was being burned. He felt his throat convulse.
"This is the one you have faith to come after you."
Adam watched as she continued until the image cleared to give him a better look at who she was torturing. His eyes widened slightly when he saw that it was Sam. He shook his head at that, "No. That's not right."
"This is her."
"She would never do that to Sam," Adam asserted as he narrowed his eyes at the leader. He glared at him with a sneer just to make his point. "And she's not like that. Not now."
"Oh she does things when no one's looking and that's exactly what she does," the leader countered as he pointed at the image. "She still does this. She did it to a couple of my friends and in the end, bled them dry."
Adam looked at the frozen image and then back at the leader and countered with, "Well if they were demons… maybe they deserved it. You guys are all bastards."
"Try that line when it is actually true with her," the leader countered. "After all she uses our kind like they were toothpicks and disposes them."
"I don't believe you."
"You don't have to," the leader replied as he released Adam. He paced in front of him and gestured at nothing in particular. "You can ask her. I'm sure she hasn't told you everything about her and what she has done."
She hadn't but Adam was willing to have a little faith in her. While this was enough to cast a little bit of doubt, he wasn't going to go all out in disregarding her. Maybe question her motives a little bit but in the long run she hadn't done anything that was worth questioning over. It was this place that caused doubt and the way how this bastard was wording things. Defiantly he spat, "So?"
"So? I'd think about where your faith is placed. After all this is with a woman who killed demons after torturing them and turning into the thing your so called brothers hunt."
Adam would have said something but at that moment there was a shuffle and some grunts. He shifted to see some of the leader's lackeys bringing in a prisoner with a bag on his head. Adam watched the guy struggle a bit and noted that his hands were tied behind his back. That told him that whoever it was had to be someone that would give trouble.
He wasn't disappointed when the bag was removed to reveal that it was none other than Hawkins. The man shook his head and gave a slight whistle, "Well now that was a bit musty. And here I am used to burlap smelling like potatoes."
Adam blinked at seeing Hawkins but didn't say anything. Like it mattered in the long run since they had been together for some time and the whole thing in that town… He struggled when he was lifted up and shoved to the side and Hawkins was shoved down where he had been. He watched as Hawkins hit the dirt as he moved his body to sit up.
"Well now that's more like it. Reminds me of the time what's his name Blackbeard tied me up and tried to maroon me," Hawkins said with a look of cheer on his face. "Of course he didn't know about certain talents of mine…" He waggled his eyebrows at Adam, making him scowl.
"Shut up you annoying dog."
"Well now no need to insult my heritage," Hawkins replied sitting up and looking affronted. "Us werewolves can be annoying but we aren't dogs." He pouted a little as he straightened himself out and glanced at Adam. "At least we are good puppies and sit when we are told."
Adam blinked at that. He had suspicions that Hawkins wasn't what he seemed to be. Now he was working with a werewolf. He shouldn't be surprised since he knew Angela was a vampire, well half of one and she looked more like the classic TV versions only twice as gorgeous. Yes, he noticed and he'd be blind not to. He looked at Hawkins as the leader looked at him and jerked on his collar saying, "Then be a good puppy and shut up."
"I will but I do have a message for you."
"Really? Says the guy who just wandered into our camp?"
Hawkins shrugged as he glanced at Adam and then back at the leader. "Well I am here to negotiate the return of our friend here."
The group started laughing at that. Hawkins was still smiling like it was a business transaction. Adam looked at the whole thing wondering what the hell was going on. He got the part about a negotiation but… He blurted out, "And how are you supposed to do that while you're here tied up?"
Hawkins looked at Adam with a smirk that was almost flirtatious and replied, "Well now sweetie I am doing my job so why don't you SHUT THE BLOODY HELL UP!" He glared at Adam like he was scum. "Now I don't know why she wants you back but she was insistent and since I know her…" He looked at the leader with a pointed look. "So what do we deal?"
The leader was getting a good laugh at this. He shook his head and replied, "Nothing. You'll be the lure and we'll give her what the boss wants us to."
"I figured you'd say that, Hawkins replied with a smirk.
The leader would have said something but at that moment there was some noise and aloud rumble. The leader turned to look at Hawkins after looking in the direction of the noise. He took in Hawkins' expression as the man said, "She is not happy with you."
The leader growled, "Get ready. She is not getting through."
A/N: Looks like Michael has some fun with Sam and Adam might be getting rescued but Hawkins has been captured. Stay tuned for next time on The Winding Road...