John tensed and leaned marginally backwards in a completely instinctive attempt to protect Sam from the three Aswangs. They were surrounded by blood-thirsty killers, with no feasible means of escape. The two of them were, at this moment, cut off from the rest of humanity, and entirely alone. With no means of salvation. John's gun was filled with rock-salt and, although there was enough in the chamber to kill one Aswang, there wasn't enough rock-salt to destroy all three of them. Or even to effectively maim them.
If he tried to disperse his ammunition amongst the three predators, John knew that he would only succeed in pissing them off. Really pissing them off. And Sam only had one bullet in his gun; a gun that John had given him in case he needed it. In case he was forced to shot it. If they ended up in a dangerous situation.
Not in an impossible one.
But, impossible or not, John was determined to safely extract Sam from it. Unharmed and in one piece. All he had to do was get Sam into the cab of the truck. Then, with Sam completely removed from the equation, the three Aswangs would concentrate solely on him. He knew they would because they were opportunists. They would take advantage of any opportunity that arose. And they wouldn't possibly pass up on the chance to attack one single, vulnerable human. Regardless of his size, age or familiarity with their species.
Besides, they had sought him out. The Aswangs had set this trap. And they weren't likely to abandon it. Not until they had accomplished their goal to eliminate the threat he posed to them and their survival. And that objective would only be obtained with his death. They knew it and John knew it. And, he also knew that if the Aswangs could take down one - or both - of his sons with him, then it would prove to be an even sweeter kill.
But that wasn't going to happen. Not while he was still alive. And not even over his dead body.
Because he would die protecting Sammy. But he had no intention of dying until Sam was out of danger. He would draw his last breath defending his son. And, as much as he felt a slight tinge of regret that Dean wasn't here to provide much-needed assistance, John took comfort in the fact that he was also safely out of harm's reach. And, if fate determined that he was to die tonight, John knew that Dean would always be there to look after Sam. There was no doubt in his mind about that.
So the only thing remaining for John to do was to get Sam safely into the truck. And to do that, he had to get rid of the Aswang that was currently blocking the passenger door. Both he and Sam were still facing the rear of the truck, staring directly at the Aswang that was hovering beside the tailgate.
John knew that he was standing so close to his youngest son that it made it impossible for Sam to alter his position. So Sam's only option would be to shoot that Aswang when John gave him the order. And as long as Sam kept his wits about him and ensured that his aim was accurate, the silver bullet from his gun would kill that predator. Which would leave John to deal with the other two.
It had been no more than a few seconds since the Aswangs had surrounded them. But they had yet to strike. For they were waiting. Enjoying the thrill of the hunt. Prolonging the inevitable. And savoring the moment. Because it was obvious by the gleam in their luminescent eyes that they were taking immense pleasure in their quarry's predicament. And fear.
But John's fear was not for himself. For he cared little about what happened to him. Or to how he would ultimately meet his end. He had always known that it was entirely possible that one day he would meet an adversary that proved to be a far more skilled hunter. And that could very well lead to his demise.
And, if today was going to be that day, then so be it.
But Sam was not going to suffer the same fate.
At least not today.
John hastily swallowed his concerns and fears for his youngest son, because he knew that as long as they remained foremost in his mind, he wouldn't be fully focused on his mission. And that would be their downfall. So with a sweeping glance at the three Aswangs, John sprang into action. He quickly pivoted his torso to his left, swinging the gun around in conjunction with his body. Maneuvering the gun until the barrel pointed directly at the Aswang that was blocking the truck door, John squeezed the trigger.
As the compacted rock-salt burst from the muzzle, John shouted roughly, "NOW SAM!"
At his father's command, Sam fired his gun. When the Aswangs pounced, he had readjusted his aim to target the sole remaining Aswang at the rear of the truck. As the shot rang out, the earsplitting reverberation echoed in the night air and Sam could just barely make out his father's almost indiscernible order to drop to the ground.
Sam squatted obediently while he chanced a fleeting glance at the Aswang he had just shot. The creature had recoiled backwards into the darkness before it came to a halt about fifteen feet away. Sam could vaguely make out the Aswang's silhouette in the darkness and were it not for the high-pitched squeal that emanated from its throat, Sam would have been positive that the bullet had completely missed it mark. But as he warily observed the bereft Aswang, its erratic movements betrayed the fact that it was critically injured.
The forlorn creature twisted and turned, trying desperately to counteract the effects that the silver bullet was having on its body. The bullet had penetrated the heart muscle and nothing the Aswang did could neutralize the consequences. As the bullet tore through its heart, the muscle began to deteriorate, sizzling slowly as it pulled back from the deadly silver compound. With the bullet firmly embedded inside it, the Aswang's heart began to die, killing the creature with excruciating pain as it decayed.
The creature clawed fervently at its chest, all thoughts of the hunt now eradicated from its mind. With its death imminent, the creature let out one last desperate howl before it succumbed to its injuries and sank heavily to the ground. Upon impact with the ground, the Aswang's body exploded, sending tiny pieces of bloody, petrified flesh reeling through the air.
Sam winced, closing his eyes forcefully as the disgusting matter splayed across his body and he lifted his cast to cover his face.
Meanwhile, as soon as John spun and fired his gun, the Aswang that had been positioned directly behind them, flew forward and whacked the barrel of John's gun viciously with its tail. But John had a firm grip on the gun and he maintained his hold on it. He forcefully jerked his arms backwards, attempting to regain control of his shot and ensure that at least some of the rock-salt hit its intended target. In spite of his efforts, most of the rock-salt sprayed haphazardly through the air with only a few residual pieces pelting the annoyed creature in front of him. Thankfully there was enough rock-salt remaining in the chamber for John to be able to take another shot.
But John's biggest advantage had been lost when the Aswang had unceremoniously deflected his initial shot. His course of action had been revealed and the creatures knew exactly what he was planning to do. And now they were ready for him.
And Sam was out of ammunition.
And still in harm's way.
John's second shot came immediately on the heels of the first. Although this shot wasn't as well-aimed as the first one, he still managed to deliver it with amazing accuracy and precision. The rock-salt hit the Aswang squarely in the torso, rocking it backwards and away from the truck door. John could smell the creature's flesh burning as the rock-salt seared its skin. But there hadn't been enough rock-salt to seriously hurt the Aswang and it simply blinked before it once again fixed John with an irate stare.
With the rock-salt spent and the gun useless, John heaved it vehemently at the second Aswang, which lithely maneuvered out of its path. But in the time it took for both creatures to recover from his assault, John grabbed the gun from the waistband of his jeans and without hesitation, leveled it at the first Aswang that was once again encroaching on the passenger door. John immediately let off a series of rapid-fire shots.
John knew that the bullets in the gun wouldn't kill the Aswang, but he needed a deterrent; something to keep it away from the door, so he could get Sammy safely inside. But as the Aswang effortlessly avoided the flurry of bullets, the other Aswang hurriedly advanced toward John. Swinging his arm sideways, John discharged the remainder of the ammunition at the creature to halt its progression. But both Aswangs were agile, experienced hunters and John's assault did little to dissuade them, only succeeding in slowing them down momentarily.
But John was now defenseless. His ammunition gone. His weapons useless.
He stepped forward assertively, using the pistol as a staff and brandishing it wildly in front of him as he reached for the door handle to open it before one of the creatures was able to barricade it again. But, in doing so, John left Sam exposed.
As he flung the door open, briefly stemming the first Aswang's approach, the second creature dove straight for Sam, stopping directly in front of him. It grabbed Sam's left arm with its back leg, its claws tearing easily through the material of both the sling and Sam's shirt before they penetrated his skin. A gush of blood sprayed from Sam's arm as the Aswang tightened its grip and pulled him forcefully forward. Despite his best efforts to suppress it, an excruciating scream escaped from Sam's throat, filling the night air with a horrifying chill that washed over the fading echoes of his father's gunshots.
As the Aswang forcibly dragged Sam toward it, John spun around in a vain attempt to retrace his steps. But he was too late. He had left Sam unprotected and now the Aswang had him firmly secured in its clutches. John leapt forward to try to overtake the creature but just as he launched himself toward it, something wound tightly around his leg and yanked it violently out from under him. As he hit the ground with a fierce jolt, John realized that his leg had been ensnared by the Aswang's tail. He struggled futilely to free himself from its clutches but the creature had an omnipotent hold on him and it hauled him roughly backwards.
John hurled the gun at the Aswang that was holding his son captive, but in his encumbered position, the throw lacked both the required velocity and intensity and the weapon struck the creature's body with little consequence. John watched in horror as the creature lifted Sam off the ground, pulling him closer and cradling his now limp body in a triumphant display of possession before it ascended slightly into the sky in order to make its escape.
John knew he had to act fast. His only chance of saving his son was to use the knife that he had strapped to his leg. He stopped struggling against his captor, choosing instead to let it drag him effortlessly toward it. As he slid to a halt underneath the Aswang, it relaxed its hold on him, obviously confident in its victory.
But John wasn't defeated yet. Now directly beneath the behemoth, he twisted his body around and sat up to reach for his knife. Caught offguard by its quarry's movements, the Aswang took a millisecond too long to react. John brandished the knife with the dexterity of a skilled swordsman, slashing the razor-sharp blade across the creature's tail and slicing it in half.
As the Aswang recoiled against the assault, John spun sideways and hurled the knife at the other Aswang, catching it just under the breastbone. The creature shrieked and leapt backwards but it wasn't enough for it to relinquish its hold on Sam. There was fury in its eyes as it remained glowering at John, seemingly undecided as to whether it should retaliate for the attack or ignore him and make off with its captive.
But. by now the other Aswang had recovered from John's onslaught and had vaulted forward. It seized him around his ribcage and mercilessly dug its powerful claws into his skin. John groaned against the unbearable pain as he struggled tempestuously to free himself from the Aswang's death-grip.
Satisfied that John no longer posed a threat, the second Aswang backed off. Content to let its partner deal with seemingly defeated hunter. With a final smug look at the eldest Winchester, the creature swooped backwards in a renewed attempt to take off with its young human prize.
Suddenly, a multitude of gunshots blasts rang out as Dean emerged from the box of his father's pickup truck, firing steadily at the Aswang before it had a chance to take off with his brother. Before he jumped up from his hiding spot, Dean had expertly sighted the creature and the well-aimed volley of bullets struck the Aswang dead centre in its chest. As it reacted to the unexpected attack, the Aswang dropped Sam, his unresponsive body jolting brutally as he landed on the ground with a sickening thud.
But, for now, he was free. And Dean could focus his attention on his father.
Dean turned and emptied the remainder of the bullets in the magazine at the Aswang that was holding John. It too was caught by surprise by the appearance of the young hunter and, in its initial shock, released John from its grip. As the last of the bullets from Dean's gun hit the unsuspecting creature, Dean glanced quickly at his father before he tossed him a revolver into which he had loaded a single silver bullet.
"DAD! THIS"LL KILL IT!" yelled Dean hastily. Then he hurriedly loaded another clip of ammunition into his gun.
John grabbed the revolver that Dean had thrown to him and spun it around in his hand in order to utilize it against the Aswang. Just as he wrapped his finger around the trigger, the creature lashed out with one of its powerful front paws, swiping him heavily across the jaw. But it was too late. John pulled the trigger just before he lost consciousness due to a combination of the powerful blow to his head and the poison seeping into his body. But he had targeted the Aswang carefully and the bullet shot forcefully into the creature's chest. The mortally-wounded Aswang lurched backward before it succumbed to its injuries; its body bursting into a million miniscule pieces as it hit the ground.
The sole surviving Aswang remained hovering just out of reach as it watched its co-conspirator lose its battle against the two humans. But it failed to notice that Dean had reloaded his gun and when a fresh barrage of bullets flew toward it, the creature realized that the conflict was lost. It lurched backwards and disappeared silently into the night sky.
Dean continued to sight the creature as it flew away, firing his gun until the clip was empty. When the ammunition was spent, he slowly lowered the gun.
It was then that he heard a familiar voice behind him.
"FREEZE!"
Dean ceased his movements, standing stock-still and waiting.
"DROP THE GUN."
Obeying the order again, Dean let the weapon fall from his hand. The gun bounced on the floor of the truck's box, creating an eerie echo in the sudden stillness of the pitch-black night.
"Now put your hands behind your head and slowly get on your knees."
Complying explicitly with the sheriff's order, Dean laced his fingers behind his head and prudently sank to his knees.
'Fuck. What does that man have against me?'