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The Mermaid

Chapter fourteen

They hitched a ride back to their car then spent the rest of the night at the motel. Dean listened as Sam got up throughout the night and headed into the bathroom to throw up. He knew his brother had swallowed a lot of water and should really be checked out by the hospital, but hospitals meant cops and cops were one thing they tried to avoid at all costs. The sun had just started to come up when he heard his brother come back to the bedroom from his last trip to the bathroom.

"You okay?" He asked looking over at Sam.

"Yeah." Sam said as he moaned softly as he climbed into his bed.

"You get any sleep?"

"A little."

"Maybe I should run you into the hospital and get some antibiotics or something, who knows what kind of germs you might have picked up in that water."

"I'm fine Dean." Sam said as he rolled over. "Go back to sleep."

Dean knew that he and his brother were alike, neither one of them would go to the hospital unless they absolutely had to and even then they'd still have to be dragged there screaming and fighting. He couldn't even begin to count the nights he had laid awake worrying about Sam or how many nights Sam had been up worrying about him. He decided he wasn't going to force the issue, he'd keep an eye on Sam and if he got worse he'd hogtie him and throw him in the trunk and take him to the hospital if he had to.

Later the following day

They had spent the day at the motel only going out to get something to eat and to drive by the pond to see if the bodies had been discovered yet…they hadn't. As darkness began to fall Dean packed their bags into the car.

"Well it's now or never."

"What if we can't find her? What if can't kill her tonight?"

"Well then we're going to have to leave and come back another time. Once Grady and his buddies bodies turn up I'm sure the cops are going to be keeping their eyes on the pond and we won't be able to get near it. If we don't end this tonight we can't chance hanging around town. The people in the bar know we've been arguing with him and his friends and once they find them dead they're going to come looking for us."

Sam knew what Dean said was true; they'd be no use to anyone if they were thrown in jail.

They paid for the motel then headed out toward the pond where they still had their rented boat.

They then quietly rowed out to the outcropping of rocks and tied the boat to a tree that hung out over the rocks. Dean got his knife laced with salted pellets ready and also pulled an underwater flashlight out of his bag. He then handed Sam the gun filled with hollow bullets filled with salt.

"If she comes up to the surface make sure you hit her directly in her heart."

"Hold on a minute!" Sam looked at Dean. "What do you mean if she comes to the surface?... I'm going down there with you."

"Like hell you are! Sam you almost drowned yesterday and you've been up all night puking your guts out. You're not in any kind of shape to go after her underwater."

"Well I'm not letting you go down there by yourself. What if there are more of them?"

"I already told you they're solitary creatures, she'll be by herself. All I got to do is get close enough to her and stick her."

"That's easier said then done. All she has to do is trap you underwater and you're dead."

"Ye of little faith Sam." Dean said smiling. "She gets close to me…" He held up his knife. "… she's dead."

"I don't like it, it's too dangerous. I'm going with you or it's not going to happen."

"Sam…I need you on the surface. If she gets away from me you need to be ready with the gun."

"But…"

"But nothing…this is the only way we can do this, the only way to cover both ends."

Sam knew Dean was right; they had to get rid of the mermaid tonight before she killed again.

"Okay." Sam didn't like the idea but he knew there was no way he'd be able to talk Dean out of it. "But you be careful, and watch your back."

"I will…and you watch your back too, she could still be in her human form. You see her….you blast her." Dean said as he slipped over the side of the boat.

The brother's eyes met for a few seconds and both saw the concern for the other in that brief glance. Then they gave each other a quick nod and Dean slipped below the surface.

TBC