Again, this chapter is unbeta'd so please forgive any mistakes. Thanks for reading!
Ch. 6 Highway to the City of Sin
The caravan traveled down US-95, the Chevelle in the lead followed by the Suzuki; the Impala brought up the rear. They had crossed the California-Nevada border two hours earlier and still had about four hours of drive time ahead of them with the pace Riley was keeping.
"Man, I still can't believe she got that car," Dean whined over Foreigner. "I had my eye on it ever since I saw it in Bobby's yard. He told me I could have it too."
"Well, then Dad gave you his car and you didn't need it anymore," Sam reminded.
"So, it's the principle of the thing. I called dibs first so Bobby should have at least asked me if it was okay before giving her the car. She doesn't even drive her right." Dean pouted.
"She's making pretty good time, actually." Sam looked up from the map he was studying. "She's taken what should have been about a nine hour drive and cut it down to about six. I'd say that's pretty good driving. Although with your lead foot on the gas, we'd probably have made it there in four." Sam dug his cell phone out of his pocket and began flipping through the numbers in his contact list.
"That's exactly my point. Hey, who're you callin'?"
"Ellen. Would you turn the music down?" Sam knew better than to mess with Dean's stereo. Dean obliged, cocking an eyebrow at his brother.
Sam ran through what he was going to ask in his head when a familiar voice picked up the line. "Hello?"
"Hey Ellen, it's Sam."
"Sam," her raspy voice full of warmth. "It's so good to hear from you. You're not in any trouble are you?"
Sam cracked a bright smile. She knows us better than I thought. "No, Ellen. We're fine. I do have some questions for you about a hunter we ran across."
"Well, I can't promise that I'll know him, but I can sure try to help you out. Who is it?"
"Her name is Riley Cadence. Have you ever heard of her?" There was silence on the other end. "Ellen?"
"Yeah, I know her. What is it you wanna know?" her tone was guarded.
"Just a little more about her past. Kale Magnum told us how they met and everything that's happened since but,"
"So Kale's still with her. I'll be damned, that boy sure does listen well when he's threatened." She laughed. "I'll bet that he's the one that led you to me?" She continued on before he could answer her question. "Sam, I can't tell you much. Riley's a private girl so if you want to know that bad I'd suggest asking her about it. What I can tell you is that your father brought her to us when she was a little over 6 months old. John said she had no family and needed to be looked after. Jo was just a few years older so Bill and I agreed to watch her for a while.
"She was never ours really and none of her family ever came looking for her. So, when a young couple, hunters, volunteered to take her off our hands for a few months we couldn't argue with them. Riley traveled with them on their hunts and they taught her what they could until they decided that they wanted out of the business to start their own family. They brought her back to us. Somehow Riley became a foster child of the hunting world. Hunters would stop by and say they needed an extra hand on whatever odd job they were working and they'd take Riley along with them. In return, they'd care for her and show her the ropes. She was eager to learn about the business, always asking questions just like Jo was. I couldn't shelter her though." Her usually tough voice broke sounding softer and more tender than Sam had ever heard it. "Eventually she was old enough to go out on her own, and who was I to stop her? That's when I sent Kale out after her."
"So, my dad brought her to you? Why?" Sam never remembered the girl in their childhood. Could he have picked her up on one of his hunts? Dad would have told us about her, wouldn't he?
At the mention of their father Dean became more engrossed in his brother's half of the conversation.
"I can't answer that Sam. I never asked many questions about her. John wouldn't have answered them anyway. He was protective of her past, which, I suspect, is why she is that way now. You'll have to ask Riley those questions." Ellen's voice regained the strength it normally carried.
"Alright, I will. Thank you, Ellen."
"You take care of your brother, you hear me?" Ellen demanded.
"You got it." Sam hung up the phone and returned it to his pocket.
"Dude, what was that all about? Why are you asking questions about Riley when she's two cars in front of us?" Dean questioned as he raised the volume on the stereo.
"I needed to know more about her. I thought that maybe if I learned about her past, then I'd know why I'm having visions of her dying and….and maybe I could save her. It's weird, man. The visions I've had of her are so different from the ones I've had before."
Dean licked his lips. He was anxious to get off the subject of his brother's demonic visions. "So, she knew Dad?" Dean's expression was full of confusion. That man sure had his secrets.
"Apparently he brought her to Ellen when her parents died."
"Why would he do that? I don't remember her. Do you?"
"No. I have no idea what he was doing."
"What are you gonna do now?"
"I guess I'm gonna talk to Riley." Sam looked out the window at the desert landscape flying by.