Just a small chapter to move the story on - it will pick back up in the next one, promise!

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Chapter 3

Dean felt his insides collapse with the front part of the church's roof. They were standing so close that he could feel the heat almost burning his skin, the image of the church burning into his retinas, staying there even when he closed his eyes. His mind switched back to another fire in another place with another member of his family. Sam had escaped that one Dean could only stand and hope that there was another way out, that he could escape this one too, that and the fate that awaited him outside. Kate read his mind.

"I take it Sam and your friend Bobby did the recon on this job? Definitely not up to your high standards, in fact very sloppy. Maybe Bobby's losing it, he is kinda old. I mean first he can't seem to get our numbers right and then he leads you to a church that has only one entrance and no other exit to it. I mean it's almost as if he planned to get you caught, isn't it?" She daggled the thought in front of him, hoping that he would bite, but she was disappointed.

Oh no, Dean thought, we are so not going down that road, this was not Bobby's fault. "Seems to me that someone else picked this church, knowing the priest was Bobby's friend and that there were no other exits. This church was targeted for us, wasn't it? You killed these people to get to us?"

Kate moved to inches in front of his face. "You got me. I picked a good one though didn't I? And not us just you, your brother getting baked was a bonus and as for the other two, they're like the rest, collateral damage." Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of groaning as the structure in front of them gave up and collapsed in sections. Dean turned his face away praying this time that the other had got out. When he opened them again he was looking into her smiling face, lit up by the fire and by her delight at his pained expression.

"Let's go." He was taken and bundled into the back of a jeep and then his world went black as the gun butt connected with the back of his head.

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Sam took a quick look at the church as he stepped from the crypt. It had completely collapsed; the vampires had obviously torched it as the smell of gasoline hung heavily in the air. He stepped away from the scene realising that he was an easy target backlit by the burning church as he was. He tried to slink further into the shadows and work his way round to where he knew the car was sitting. He kept a lookout for any of the vampires as he edged round the church but the only movement and noise was coming from the actual church itself, Sam realised that he was alone.

He reached the car and his heart jumped when he saw the keys still in the boot lock. He knew then that his brother was gone, that they had taken him. Cursing he grabbed the keys and the first aid kit and got in the car. Starting her up, he backed her, turned her and drove round the church to get to the graveyard entrance on the far side. He tried to keep her on the small tarmac path, out of the mud that was waiting to suck her in, no mean feat as the car was almost wider than the path and he could only use the one hand to guide her.

Finally he reached the entrance, stopping he jumped out and ran to the crypt. The rain had come back on heavily again and he was soaked through from just the short journey. The air was full of the noise of the rain hissing on the burning remains of the church, sounding like a thousand angry snakes were behind him. He turned for one last look at the church before ducking into the crypt again.

"I've got the kit and the car isn't far. I'll stitch his wounds and then we'll get him to the nearest hospital." Sam opened out the kit and the bottle of water that he'd snagged from the front seat of the car. He opened Bobby's shirt and washed out the wound as best he could then he started stitching. It worried him that Bobby hadn't regained consciousness at all through out their moving of him. Sam checked him over but could find nothing to explain it, but he realised that they needed to get him to a hospital as soon as they could.

He searched in his pockets and pulled out his phone, changing his mind about taking him himself. Flicking it opened he dialled 911 and called for the fire brigade and an ambulance. He wasn't surprised to hear that both were already on there way, the flames from the church could probably be seen a long way off. He turned to Father Thomas.

"I need to go, they've taken my brother, and I have to find them."

"Sam, if they've taken your brother then isn't it too late already? All the others they killed straight away or they…..turned them. Either way…." He couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence.

"I know, I either have to save him or I'll have to stop him. I don't have a choice Father. I have to go; I can't leave him with them."

"I understand but please, be careful, here take this." The old man pulled his crucifix from inside his jacket and handed it to Sam.

"I can't take this, beside I have one of my own." Sam tried to close the priest's hand round the small cross but he refused to take it back.

"This crucifix is very old and very special. It was my father's and it was made and blessed in Rome. Please it will protect you; you can return it when you find your brother."

Sam knew that he wasn't going to take no as an answer. "Thank you, I'll take good care of it and keep it safe."

"And it will do that for you in return." Sam smiled at the priest but thought that it would take more than a little piece of metal and faith to protect him and his brother tonight.

Sam headed back to the barn that the vamps had been in for the few days that they had watched them. He searched it high and low but it was obvious that they were gone, had moved on somewhere else and had taken his brother with them. He sat down and put his head down onto his hands crying out as he forgot momentarily about his busted arm, he concern for Dean overriding everything. He had no idea where to look next.

So just how the hell was he supposed to find him now?