-x-x-x-xx-x-x-x-xx-x-x-x-xx-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
Bobby and Sam scrambled through the basement window of the coroner's office. The only origin of light was emanating from the flashlights in their hand. The Sam quickly busied himself in locating the report on Joseph Jones' remains, flicking his finger nimbly through the folders in the drawer.
"C-1." Sam stated as he withdrew file from the overstuffed drawer. Bobby and Sam stalked silently to the cadaver storage until, resting their lights upon C-1. Upon opening the drawer, Bobby and Sam gaped in astonishment.
"Whoa..uhh..," Sammy said as he started down at the mutilated form before him.
""According to the report, the cause of dead was multiple stab wounds."
"That's obvious"
"Stabbed at least 87 times- Several appeared to be post-mortem. There were no defensive wounds, signs of a struggle, and the toxicology was clean."
"Then what would make a man, let alone a hunter, not fight back?"
"Don't worry Bobby, we're gonna find out. Dean and I won't let anything happen to you."
The plaintiff look on Sam's face impressed Bobby. It was a nice diversion from thinking aboutbeing something's prey. The boys had the same ironclad machismo as their father, but they also had the same abundant capacity for compassion. "I'm not worried about that. I just can't figure what we are dealing with here. It just don't sit right. If you are gonna kill a hunter, why advertise it? I don't like this Sam. In any case, I'm not one to wait. Let's go grab Dean. We gotta set a trap up for this thing. So far we got plenty of nothing and it's time we get the upper hand."
-x-x-x-xx-x-x-x-xx-x-x-x-xx-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
Dean's flaccid body laid helpless as the fire crept up the room's wall. His thoughts drifted to his mother, he wondered if she felt the same trepidation as the fire engulfed the life, the dreams, and hopes she had for her life. Caught somewhere between remorse, hope, and despair, Dean could only wait for death's blistering grip to welcome him.
The inferno thrashed at the decaying building. The floor on the opposite side of the room had hastily burned and crashed in the room below. The small piece of floor beneath Dean struggled to maintain its hold. A single support beam preserved the diminutive corner from joining the sweltering cavity below. The wall behind him had started to smolder. Soon the floorboards would give way, delivering Dean to his nightmare.
Steadily, the amadán's toxins proliferated his internal workings. He wrestled to sustain his mind, but bleakness embarked further into Dean's core. Dean knew the amadán's toxin was spreading faster than the flames. His breaths were trivial, his heart beat pulsated erratically, and his mind grew watery. Yet somehow, it brought him comfort to know that the toxin would get him before the flames. Meg wouldn't get that satisfaction from him. His perception became harder to clutch. He rammed his final thoughts to the forefront. He seized the reflections of his life that he most yearned to embrace- his mother, his father, and Sam. A small gasp emitted from Dean's lips and all his thoughts wilted away.
-x-x-x-xx-x-x-x-xx-x-x-x-xx-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
Sam and Bobby pulled in the parking spot adjacent to the back alley. They swung themselves out of the car doors. The resolution to fight this thing proactively had removed Sam and Bobby from the doldrums.
"Hopefully, Dean found more than we did."
"He's probably pissed we took so long." Sam snickered.
"The patience is definitely from your father," Bobby allowed laughter to spill easily. "I remember this one time me and your Dad… God, you and Dean were just little tikes then, … but nothing else would suit your Dad unless…," Bobby stopped when Sam clenched his arm.
Sam spotted the black billowing smoke emanating from the last building in the area. He browsed the alley hoping to see Dean, but found only emptiness.
"Dean!"
Sam pushed his legs at full throttle through the alley. His hopes filled by the thought Dean had become bored and found some diner or some girl, but everything told him that Dean was in that building. Bobby struggled to keep pace with the frantic Sam.
"Dean! Dean! Where are you?!" Sam screeched as he sprinted his way to the charred building. Upon the entrance way he detected a golden glint in the mud covered step. He paused only momentarily to register Dean's necklace before scooping it in his pocket and running in the firestorm.