John turned and stared at the sheriff, not quite believing what he had just heard. Although he had known that the sheriff was bound to get involved sooner or later, John had hoped that he'd have a bit more time to figure out what was going on himself and how he was going to handle this.
Obviously that wasn't going to happen.
Finally, Dean's voice broke the silence. "Stay away from the Leaveys? What? Are you kidding me?"
Sheriff Durham turned his attention away from John and let his gaze fall heavily onto Dean. "No Son, I'm not. I just came from their house on Grand Lake and they tell me you caused quite a ruckus up there. Things like Break and Enter. Assault and Battery."
"I don't believe this," commented Dean as he fell back against the mattress.
"Dean, I think maybe I should handle this" cautioned John, before he once again addressed the sheriff. "What exactly did the Leaveys have to tell you?"
The sheriff glanced at Dean before he turned back to John, "Maybe it would be best if we discussed this in private."
"No," answered John, barely concealing his discontent, "If this involves one or both of my sons, I'd just as soon we discuss it with them present."
"Suit yourself," stated the sheriff, "But I don't think you're going to like what I have to say."
"Of course we won't," interceded Dean sarcastically, "You've already spoken to the Leaveys"
"Dean," warned John forcefully, before he closed his eyes and tried to maintain at least some of his composure.
"Yes, I spoke to them" responded the sheriff, letting his irritation show, "Because they called me." He paused briefly before he added, "Which is more than what you did."
"Sorry," mumbled Dean under his breath. "I was a little busy being unconscious."
DEAN!" reiterated John, now extremely annoyed. "Please!"
John took a deep breath. He wanted to sound somewhat rational before he spoke again. And if Dean was going to keep infiltrating the conversation with sarcastic remarks, then John knew that the sheriff was eventually going to just give up and base his investigation on whatever the Leaveys had told him.
"I'm sorry, Sheriff Durham, " offered John. Casting Dean a sideways glance, he said, "And I promise that my son won't add any more unnecessary comments. Please continue."
The sheriff glanced at Dean before he nodded slightly and took a few steps into the room. "We received a call at the station just after 10:00 p.m. requesting that we send both a deputy and an ambulance to the Leavey residence on Grand Lake. According to the caller, the Leavey's oldest boy had been the victim of a vicious beating and required medical attention. But because the alleged victim was the deputy-major's son, the dispatcher called me and I decided I should go myself instead of sending a deputy. When I got there, I found five boys who all looked like they could have been in a heavyweight fight. And both Leavey boys were in pretty rough shape – Robin being the worst off."
John glanced over at Dean before he looked back at the sheriff and asked, "How bad was he?"
"He had a severe concussion caused by repeated blows to his head."
John sighed. "And he told you that Dean was responsible?"
"Actually, Robin refused to say anything. He didn't want to talk about it and was trying to convince me to leave when his parents showed up. His father couldn't even get him to say who was responsible," stated the sheriff with a quick glance at Dean. "In fact, all of the boys were pretty tight-lipped at first. It wasn't until Mr. Leavey lost his temper and threatened to have them all charged with vandalism for the damage in the house that someone finally mentioned your son's name."
"And they said he caused all their injuries by himself? On all five boys?" asked John incredulously.
"Not all by himself," conceded the sheriff. "Your other son's name came up too."
"So...my two sons ganged up on the two Leavey boys and three of their friends...Is that what you're telling me?" queried John, stressing how ridiculous that sounded.
"Not quite like that," replied Sheriff Durham with a slight smile, "According to the other boys, your sons somehow managed to break into the house where they lay in wait until they were able to get each of the boys alone. That's when they attacked them - ganged up on them, if you want - which is what enabled them to take down all five boys. And there is plenty of evidence in the house to back up their story. Damaged walls, disarrayed furniture, broken knick-knacks - things like that. Not to mention the physical injuries to the boys themselves." He paused and looked at both Sam and Dean before he added, "But…what no one could explain to me was why your boys would go out there in the first place - except maybe just to cause trouble."
"Oh, give me a break," sighed Dean in exasperation. "Why would we do that?"
"Well Son, I know for a fact that you were out that way tonight," stated the sheriff flatly. "I came across a tow-truck pulling your car out of the ditch as I was on my way to the Leavey place. So I'd already guessed that you were probably involved." He addressed John as he continued, "And I know that there's a history between your younger son and Rick Leavey. But, if I recall, your older boy said he barely knew Robin Leavey and that's how he preferred it. So, what I'd like to know is" and he glanced back at Dean "Why he followed him out to Grand Lake tonight, if he wasn't specifically looking for trouble."
"I didn't follow him," stated Dean angrily. "I went out to get my brother after they conned him into going with them."
"Who conned him into going with them?" questioned the sheriff, puzzled.
"Rick and his brother" put in Sam.
The sheriff looked at Sam and asked, "How'd they con you, Son?"
"After school," explained Sam, "Rick told me that his brother and his friends had grabbed Dean at school and that, if I didn't want him to get hurt, I'd have to go with them. And when Dean wasn't there to pick me up I figured he must be telling the truth so I got in Robin's car and went with them. That's when they drove out to Grand Lake." He looked sheepishly at the sheriff, "But it was all a lie. They never had Dean. They just told me that so I'd go with them because they knew Dean would come looking for me."
"And what was the point of that?" queried the sheriff in disbelief.
"To get back at me," answered Dean.
"For what?" asked Sheriff Durham.
Dean sighed and rolled his eyes slightly at the thought of having to confess to it once again. "For taking his girlfriend out. He's been trying to get back at me ever since."
"So you're telling me that he kidnapped your brother because you went out with his girlfriend?" asked the sheriff skeptically.
"It's a little more complicated than that," admitted Dean.
"Better start filling me in then. Looks like I'm not going anywhere for a while," stated Sheriff Durham as he pulled up a chair beside Dean's bed and took a seat.
Again Dean sighed, "After I took Nancy out, nothing really happened. But shortly after that Sammy started having trouble with this kid who was picking on him. I didn't find out that he was Robin's brother until after the fight he had with Sam and me telling him to stay away from him. But as soon as I found out who he was, it clicked that Robin was having his little brother go after Sammy to get back at me. So the next day at school I told Robin that he better have his brother back off. He didn't say or do much except goad me about the assault charge, but after you got them to drop it, that's when all the trouble started at school."
"What trouble at school?" asked the sheriff, bewildered.
"Dean's been suspended for a week - for fighting," input John bluntly
"With Robin Leavey?" asked the sheriff.
"No," corrected Dean. "With Andy Warner."
Sheriff Durham nodded slightly, "He was one of the boys at the Leavey residence tonight. And I know he's a good friend of Robin."
"Yeah," conceded Dean, "He does most of his fighting for him."
After a little more background information on what had been going on at the high school, Sheriff Durham swung the conversation back to the events of that night. He listened patiently - if not somewhat disbelieving - as Sam and Dean explained what had happened at the Leavey house omitting any reference to the Aswang, its poison and the claw marks on Dean's back.
When they had finished reiterating their tale, Sheriff Durham wiped his hands over his face and sat back for a minute without saying anything. In a strange sort of way, their story made sense. He knew that Robin Leavey was a troublemaker who had a little group of followers that did exactly what he wanted. But he was still having a hard time believing that the two boys in front of him could successfully take down five other teenagers, especially considering that one of them was only thirteen and had previous injuries of his own. Although, it was possible - if it happened like they said it did. Still, there was one aspect of the case that puzzled him.
"Where did all the blood in the house come from?" Sheriff Durham questioned.
"From Dean," stated Sam.
"He hurt himself a couple of days ago in a farming accident," injected John hurriedly before either of the boys could make up a different story. "He needed some stitches on his back. Some of them ripped open during the fight."
"But you were still able to take down all those boys, even with all that blood loss?" asked the sheriff doubtfully.
"Yes Sir," replied Dean, not bothering to provide any further information.
"I can't believe that you'd still be standing," commented the sheriff dryly, "Let alone fighting."
"Well, he did pass out in the car when we were driving home," mentioned Sam. "That's why the car went into the ditch."
Sheriff Durham closed his eyes briefly before he opened them again and addressed John, "And what did you know about all of this?"
"Absolutely nothing," replied John honestly. "Dean never said anything about Robin and his connection to the problems Sam was having with Rick Leavey. Not even when they tried to have him charged with assault. Nor did he provide me with any details about the fight at school. I had no idea they were all connected until I demanded an explanation from them just before you got here."
"And did Dean tell you where he was headed tonight?" inquired Sheriff Durham.
"Actually, the last time I saw him was when he left to pick Sammy up at school. When they didn't come home, I tried calling his cell phone, but he had turned it off. After a while, I got in my truck and drove around town looking for the car but I didn't find it either. And I was just about to call your station when I got the call from Sammy about the accident."
"I see," responded the sheriff, not really knowing what else to say. He let out a slow, deep breath before he looked at John and said, "I'd really like to talk to you alone for a minute."
John nodded and the two men proceeded out into the hall. The hall was deserted so they just walked a few feet away from the door before they stopped to talk.
Sheriff Durham sighed before he began, "Look...this issue isn't just going to go away on its own. Greg Leavey is extremely upset about the injuries both his sons suffered and the damage to his house." He paused for a moment. "And a couple of the other boys' parents are on town council too. None of them are going to be willing to ignore what happened and let this go unpunished. And they certainly won't want to admit that their boys had anything to do with it. It's going to be your sons' heads that they'll want on a platter."
"What about the fact that those boys kidnapped Sam?" asked John harshly. "That doesn't count for anything?"
"Unfortunately, there's no way to prove that they actually took him against his will," stated the sheriff regretfully. "There's no way they'll ever admit to it and it'll end up being your sons' word against theirs. And with their parents' positions in town, what they have to say is going to carry a lot more weight than what your boys say."
"Funny how the truth just never seems to matter," said John petulantly.
"Not in a small town," admitted the sheriff, "Especially when it involves the some of the town's most influential families."
"Yeah, I've picked that up in other places that we've lived," stated John sullenly, "Only it's never turned into a problem like this before."
"Well, this is actually a first for me too," confessed Sheriff Durham. "I'm not originally from this town and I've had my share of problems because of it. It's just because I'm the sheriff that I haven't had any big run-ins with the locals." He paused for a moment. "I know that I'm going to have to lay some charges before this whole thing is over and I'm sure you and your boys are going to end up taking the brunt of them."
"I understand that," replied John. "But we really aren't the types to turn tail and run."
"Look," suggested Sheriff Durham, "I know that you and your boys have been living in a motel ever since your arrival in town. And quite honestly, it doesn't seem that you're really too interested in staying." He stopped and glanced around the hallway to make sure they were not within hearing distance of anyone before he continued, "If you were to, say, pack up and leave town before I completed my investigation, I wouldn't have any idea where you'd moved to and I wouldn't be able to serve you with any papers. And I could tell everyone who asks that I was still trying to track you down, until this whole thing blows over and is forgotten."
John couldn't help but smirk a bit; it wasn't often that he was offered this kind of help from law enforcement.
"Thanks for the offer," replied John, "But unfortunately, I can't leave town just yet. Not until my work is finished."
"How long is that going to be?" asked the sheriff.
"I can't say for sure," shrugged John. "But I am hoping that it's not too much longer."
"Well," offered the sheriff, "I'll see what I can do to drag out my investigation - just to give you a chance to complete your work. But I can't guarantee anything."
"I understand that," responded John sincerely as he offered his hand to the sheriff, "And I do appreciate all the help you've given us."
"No problem," said the sheriff as he shook John's hand. As he turned to leave, he asked, "What kind of business is it that brought you to town anyway?"
"It's kind of a population protection thing. It's a little hard to explain."
"For the government?"
"Freelance."
Sheriff Durham nodded and he started to walk away. As John watched him retreat, he overheard the dispatcher come over the sheriff's radio:
"Unit 1-1, come in"
"Go ahead."
"We have a report of a vicious 10-31on an unknown female in Brewer Park. The caller didn't provide many details other than it involved some kind of unknown animal. Can you respond?"
"On my way," answered Sheriff Durham and he took off running down the hallway.
John knew that a 10-31 was police jargon for an crime in progress and he was pretty sure that the animal in question was an Aswang. Maybe, if he could get out to the scene fast enough, he'd still have time to confront the creature and kill it. But first he'd have to get Sammy cleared to leave.
John spun around and dashed back into Dean's room. As he strode through the door he barked, "Sammy, we gotta go!"
"Where we goin'? Home?" questioned Sam hopefully.
"No. There's an Aswang attack in Brewer Park. We're going there to kill it before it has a chance to attack anyone else."
"But didn't we kill it already?" asked Dean perplexed.
"There's another one," stated John tersely as he grabbed Sam's wheelchair and spun it around. "It attacked a woman earlier this evening. I was sitting in Emergency when they brought her in."
"How do you know it was an Aswang?" queried Sam.
"Because I overheard the husband describe the creature that attacked her," answered John as he pushed Sam's wheelchair toward the door. "I don't have time to explain. We have to get to the park before it disappears."
"Do I have to go with you?" asked Sam irritably, "Can't I just stay here with Dean?"
"No, I want you with me. I'm going to need your help," quipped John forcefully.
"I'll come," announced Dean as he swung his legs over the side of the bed.
"No you won't," ordered John firmly as he turned to face his oldest son. "You're in absolutely no shape to hunt. You're staying here."
"But Dad..." protested Dean.
"That's an order, Dean," commanded John as he waltzed out the door before Dean had a chance to argue any further.
John rushed Sam back to Emergency, going right up to the nurse's desk where he hurriedly told them that Sam hadn't suffered any sign of a relapse and that he was hoping to take him home so he could get some sleep. With a brief look at Sam and a couple of questions about how he was feeling, the nurse told John that it would all right for him to leave. Before he wheeled his son out of the hospital, the nurse gave John a warning about letting Sam overexert himself for the next few days, which John acknowledged with a quick nod. As soon as they were outside, John ordered Sam to get out of the wheelchair. The moment Sam stood up, John pushed the wheelchair against the wall and out of their way.
"Come on Sam," quipped John impatiently as he strode toward the parking lot, "We've already wasted too much time."
Sam did his best to match his father's long strides, but he was tired and sore and he had a difficult time keeping up. John looked disapprovingly back at him a few times in an attempt to get him to catch up. But Sam had no desire to accompany his father on this hunt and even his father's stern glares weren't enough to make him speed up. He just wanted to go to bed. This day had been long enough already.
And Sam knew it was about to get even longer.
When John reached the truck, he swung the door open and turned to look at Sam. "Sammy! Hurry up!" he called, irritation evident in his voice.
"I'm coming," answered Sam wearily.
"Move faster!"
Sam rolled his eyes, confident that he was far enough away that his father wouldn't see it, but he increased his speed to breach the distance to the truck. As he rounded the front of the vehicle and opened his door, he looked at his father who was now sitting in the truck and said, "I don't know how much help you think I'm going to be with a broken wrist and an arm in a sling."
John glared angrily at Sam as he climbed into the passenger seat but he didn't say anything until Sam had closed the door and he reversed the truck out of its parking spot.
As he put the truck into drive, John again looked at Sam and stated sternly, "You're be an extra pair of eyes. All you'll have to do is figure out how to hold a gun so you can use it if you have to."
"What if I can't?" mumbled Sam miserably. "Maybe I'll just end up being a hindrance."
"No you won't," responded John authoritatively, "I've trained you better than that."
The drive to Brewer Park was made in silence as John contemplated how he was going to hunt down the Aswang. Sam was just as glad that his father wasn't saying anything; that meant that he didn't have to say anything either. As they neared the park, they could see the roof-lights of the sheriff's car and the ambulances lighting up the night sky.
John drove slowly past; he carefully scrutinized the scene hoping to pinpoint anyone that looked that they might be the next victim. He knew that the Aswang would have fled the scene as soon as help had arrived, but John believed that it would still be in the immediate vicinity. Before they had come to town, a young boy had been killed and when a young female deputy had been left alone at the scene to complete the investigation, she had been attacked and killed. Based on that attack John felt that the Aswang was nearby and watching all the activity; waiting until it could strike again. All he had to do was find it before it had a chance.
John drove around the park before he stopped the truck behind a cluster of trees bordering the park. The truck was hidden from view of all the emergency personnel on the scene. He and Sam would be able to conceal themselves in the woods where they would wait until the Aswang revealed itself.
John grabbed a gun that he had hidden under the seat before he exited the truck and ran quickly around to the back with Sam close behind. He pulled down the tailgate and yanked a large toolbox toward him. He unlatched the lid and swung it open to reveal an amazing cache of weapons. He rummaged through the multitude of firearms until he found a small, chrome pistol with an elongated barrel that he quickly handed to Sam.
"Use this," John commanded tersely, "Aim for the heart. There's a silver bullet in the chamber and it will kill the creature on impact."
Sam reluctantly took the gun. As he manipulated it in his wounded hand, Sam slowly turned around and leaned against the tailgate. He sighed and looked up, toward the park.
"Uhh...Dad?"
"What?" replied John impatiently, as he too spun around.
And as he looked up, John came face to face with three Aswangs hovering right in front of him.