Both Sam and Dean looked at their father wondering how he could switch gears so quickly. Ms. Stoddart hadn't even left the motel parking lot yet, and it was as if she had never been there as far as their father was concerned. The only thing he was thinking about now was hunting the Aswang.
Dean didn't have a problem with that because he really didn't want to think about Ms. Stoddart and Children's Services either. He knew that, if his father was to think about how they had ended up being investigated by Children's Services, he'd just end up getting in more trouble anyway. And he was in enough trouble as it was.
Sam, on the other hand, was still pretty distraught over having to speak to Ms. Stoddart. He wanted to discuss it with both his father and brother but he could tell that they had no intention of talking about it. As far as they were concerned it was water under the bridge and it was time to move on. So Sam didn't say anything.
Dean looked at his watch and asked, "What time do we have to go out after the Aswang?"
John replied, "It won't make an appearance until it's dark but I don't think it will wait until after midnight tonight. It's hurt pretty badly so it will need nourishment as soon as it can get it.It won't wait to go after that same woman until she's sleeping. It will look for someone it can attack in a park or someone who's out for a walk. It's going to attack right after dark."
"In other words, we'll have to leave soon," remarked Dean.
"Yes, and all three of us are going this time," replied John. "I'm not taking any chances tonight."
"But Dad," complained Sam, "I don't want to go. Can't I just stay here?"
"No," said John. "This Aswang is tricky and he's hurt. He came after you last night and I don't want to risk a repeat performance. I want you with us so we can keep an eye on you."
"Great," murmured Sam. "I'm always going to need a babysitter. You guys'll never let me grow up."
"Sure we will, Sammy," smirked Dean, "As soon as you're as old as me."
"Right," groaned Sam. "Which'll never happen, 'cause you'll always be older."
"Exactly," confirmed Dean.
John and Dean sat down at the table and discussed where they thought the Aswang might go looking for its meal while Sam tried to finish his homework. He wasn't able to accomplish much as he was still upset from the meeting with Children's Services and the conversation between his father and brother kept distracting him. After a while, he just gave up and went to sit with them to learn what he could about the hunt.
Sometimes Sam liked being involved in the hunts but, at other times, he'd just as soon not be included. Tonight was one of the times that he wished he could just remain behind. He was tired of fighting, whether it be with Rick, Dean or some silly creature called an Aswang and he just didn't want any part of it. He was also way out of touch on this one; he had no clue what this Aswang was or what it could do. All the more reason to stay out of it.
But Sam knew that wasn't how his father operated. He wanted Sam there so he could keep an eye on him, which meant that he expected Sam to take an active role in the hunt. Sam didn't mind that; he might as well be involved if he was going to be there. It was the playing catch-up part that he didn't want to do. And this thing had already thwarted his father twice, not to mention that it had injured him too.
Sam joined his father and brother at the table to discuss stake-out possibilities and corresponding strategies. They had been going over maps of the town, looking for parks, pathways and playgrounds that might be potential hunting grounds. They had already marked the locations where previous victims had been found as well as the house where the Aswang had been hunting the past two nights.
John had zeroed in on a small park that was more or less centralized within the confirmed hunting grounds. From his previous surveillance of the region, he was pretty sure that this park was actually just a grassy area with a couple of benches that was part of a pathway that encircled the sub-division. Its secluded location, and the fact that it was just a stones-throw away from the house where the Aswang's last sought-after victim lived, convinced John that this would be where Aswang would prey.
The three hunters gathered up the needed provisions and loaded them into the vehicles. John ordered Sam togo withDean in the Impala,and Deanwould fill him in all aspects of the hunt and the Aswang itself while they were enroute to the park. John was going by himself because he knew that the Aswang would be on the lookout for him. Although the Aswang knew that John had at least one partner and a son who was injured, John felt that it lacked sufficient knowledge to be able to identify either of his sons. Having the two boys go together was the safest plan for both of them.
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Sam and Dean approached the park cautiously. At the moment there wasn't anyone nearby; both the pathway and the park were vacant. But that didn't mean that the Aswang hadn't arrived. Dean looked around for their father but didn't see any trace of him. Both boys knew that their father's plan was to wait at the edge of the sub-division until he saw a potential victim coming toward the park; then he would shadow that person to get within range of the Aswang should it attack. Sam and Dean were to find places to hide in the park
One side of the pathway was bordered by a row of hedges that blocked the neighboring sub-division from view. Dean felt that would be a perfect vantage point for Sam to lie in wait for the Aswang. The hedges weren't thick enough for the Aswang to conceal himself and there was nowhere else close by for the Aswang to hide. That meant that Sam would not be in danger, because if the creature saw him, both Dean and John would be able to attack before it reached him.
Dean noticed that, of the five benches in the little park, three of them were placed under trees. One of the tress was young and spindly and Dean didn't think that it would hold the Aswang's weight if it perched on any of its branches to wait for a victim. The two remaining trees were both mature trees with thick trunks and plenty of foliage. Either one would make a good hiding spot for the Aswang.
One of the tress had a rather low, strong bough that hung out over the bench so, based on that observation, Dean determined that the Aswang would probably conceal itself in that tree. It could remain obscured from view, hidden by the dense leaves and be able to reach down and grab its victim unnoticed, scarcely having to move.
Dean directed Sam over to the hedges and he assumed his position behind another tree bordering the park. Now all they had to do was wait.
John had seen the boys enter the park and watched as they scouted the area and assumed their positions. He was relieved to see that they had beaten the Aswang to the park. He just hoped that his assessment of where it would hunt was correct; he didn't want to read about another victim in the paper the next day.
As he was watching the boys, John saw a someone strolling down the path and he took out his binoculars to observe the person. He was surprised to see that it was the same young woman that the Aswang had been stalking recently. She was walking quite slowly due to the fact that her baby was full-term. Her encumbered physical state would make her all the more desirable to the Aswang and John felt confident that he had made the right decision coming here.
John wanted to follow the woman. He knew that both Dean and Sam would see her coming and would be able to shoot at the Aswang if it approached her from behind. He wanted to be able to shoot it if it approached from the front. He backtracked into the sub-division and retreated to the end of the road where he walked through the yard of one of the houses, and descended the hill to the pathway, coming up behind the woman.
Dean and Sam waited patiently as the woman got closer to the park with their father trailing her. The woman was about 100 yards from the park when Sam noticed a young boy about ten or eleven come rollerblading down the pathway in the opposite direction. Sam was the only one of the three hunters who could see the boy because of a curve that the pathway took away from the park and the sub-division. He was attempting to alert Dean to the boy's presence when he noticed a dark shadow swooping through the sky behind the child. The Aswang was only moments away from seizing the boy and Sam knew he had to act quickly if he was to avert the attack.
Dean caught sight of his brother as Sam emerged from his hiding spot and ran in the opposite direction of the woman and their father. As he watched Sam sprint across the grass, he saw the young boy and realized he must be in danger. Why else would Sam reveal himself like that?
Dean took off after his brother, keeping his gun aimed in the sky searching for the Aswang. He rounded the bend in time to see Sam collide with the boy, knocking him to the ground and using his body to cover him. Sam twisted to take aim at the Aswang, and Dean copied his brother's action with his own weapon.
But the Aswang had reached Sam and stretched out one of its long, muscular back legs to grab him before he had a chance to fire. It used its tail to knock the gun from Sam's hand.Dean fired at the creature but he was running down the incline at such a fast rate that he was unable to get off a clear shot. As he saw the Aswang seize his brother, Dean discarded his weapon, transferring all of his efforts and energy into reaching Sam before the Aswang could take off with him.
Dean propelled himself forward and tackled his brother as the Aswang attempted to lift him off the ground. The added weight caused the creature to release its hold on Sam, but it used its strong tail to grasp hold of Dean. It grabbed him with its back paws, wrapping its tail around his torso and securing its hold on him. Sam tried to pull Dean from the creature's hold but the Aswang held him firmly in its clutches.
Sam fell backwards to the ground and watched helplessly as the Aswang flew off into the night sky carrying his brother away with it.