Did you hear the news? Kripke called me this morning and told me he couldn't leave me in agony any longer and signed over the rights to all things Winchester. Now. . .show of hands. . .who believes me?

.~o()o~.

Dean and Luke reached the police station in record time. Rosco was tied to Boss' barber chair. He had managed to get one arm free to reach the CB. Dean pulled out his knife and made short work of his bonds.

"Alright," he growled as soon as Rosco was free. "You have some explaining to do."

"You can ask me anything you like," Rosco babbled. "As long as you save my little fat buddy from himself."

"Just tell us what happened," Luke jumped in.

"A couple of weeks ago, boss started to get real secretive like. I know what you are thinking Luke, but even though he lies to everyone else, he never keeps secrets from me. Sometimes he was normal, telling me to set up more speed traps and asking for help with his moneymaking schemes, but sometimes, when I brought him the money, he wouldn't even look at it, much less snatch it and count it. He would even open up the safe and let me put it in myself.

"Also, he would disappear for hours at a time and I could never figure out what he was doing. He has never cut me out of anything, unless it was the payout, but now he won't bring me along."

"But why this?" Luke asked. "What made him tie you up and leave you like this?"

"I don't even really know what happened. Lulu was worried and she had been nagging and carrying on about how I needed to help him. I finally went and confronted him. I asked him what was going on and then he just looked at me. I felt like the whole world had been frozen and then I found myself tied here and Boss was long gone. I remembered him saying something about how revenge was near and how Bo would finally serve some sort of purpose. I had to call you. You got to help him. He may be mean and ornery, but he's my friend and he's the best friend I've got."

Luke and Dean exchanged glances. "Do you think it is him?" Luke asked quietly.

"Is that really abnormal behaviour?"

"Like. . .brain transplant abnormal."

"Then I say hells yeah! Let's hunt us a demon!"

Rosco ran off like a scared chicken the moment Dean was no longer focused on him. They let him go.

"Look," Luke said. "You are going to have to take the reins on this. If this was just Boss Hogg, I would know where to go next, but this is bigger trouble than anything I have ever seen, and Bo and I tend to be in the middle of the trouble wherever we go."

"Hey, you are talking to a pro here. I will get your cousin back because he is with my brother and I always get my brother back." Dean looked at Luke with a confidence he did not feel and pulled out his most convincing grin. But as he turned away, doubts began to assail him. Sure, Luke was intelligent and strong, but the person he really needed to help him find Sam. . .was Sam.

They sat in the Impala for a short time, Dean thinking and Luke waiting.

"Does Boss own any property in the area?" Dean finally spoke.

"Only the entire town," Luke scoffed.

"Well, is there a place we can look up his property deeds? It might help us to narrow down the search."

"We could head on over to city hall and talk to Mary Ellen. She's sweet on Bo. She'll let us look at anything if we tell her he needs us to.:

"Lead on to city hall," Dean said.

As they roared on down the road, they didn't see the timid figure of Rosco finally getting up the courage to peek outside the door. He trembled as he glanced one way up the street and down the other, finally relaxing in relief when he saw the intimidating young man with Luke was gone. In his relief, he did not notice the whispering black cloud behind him. He screamed silently as it forced itself into his open mouth. His eyes flashed pitch black for a moment before, confidence regained and a self assured swagger in his step, he strode to his police car, smirking slightly in anticipation of the next part of the plan.

.~o()o~.

"Go on, ask me how it works!" Boss giggled gleefully. "This is my masterpiece, my life's work. I am dying to let you in on the secret."

"Go to hell," Sam snarled.

"That wasn't very nice," Boss pouted. "I bet Bo will ask me." He grasped Bo's leg right over the break and squeezed it cruelly.

This new pain, rather than breaking Bo further, seemed to unlock a strength he had buried deep within him. A trickle of fresh blood rolled down his chin from where he had bitten his lip, but there was no sound, just a bitter glare.

"You two are no fun, but I will explain anyway. One of the ingredients of this ritual is large amounts of fear. I fully expect the knowledge of your fate to drive you mad with terror. That is something I really am looking forward to watching."

Sam's shoulder was pulsing waves of agony through his body. He channelled the pain into his anger, sending a hate-filled glare at Boss Hogg.

Boss ignored him. "There is room for both of you on either side of the mechanism. Sam, you get that beautiful bamboo platform, built exactly to your weight specifications. It will hold you even if you struggle.

"Bo, I have a pretty necklace for you," he held up a thick rope with a noose on the end from where it hung by a single wooden chair. "You will sit on this chair and then stand on this chair and eventually be lifted into the air as the machine does its job. Yes, I know exactly how tall you are, and how you are going to be once we stretch your neck," Boss paused to take in the reactions of the two men before him, then shrugged when two stony faces looked back at him.

"Come now, we are just getting to the good part. I want to see the excitement on your faces. This is my favourite part. This wooden monstrosity that hangs above us is a water wheel. The water will be drawn up to the ceiling through this pipe at barely more than a trickle and it will begin to turn the water wheel oh-so-slowly. The water wheel will begin to wind up the rope which will lift Bo into the air. All the water will meanwhile be running into the large basin, also suspended by a rope."

"Exactly four minutes after Bo's feet leave the ground, at the very moment brain damage sets in, a weakened spot in the rope will meet the razor sharp axe blade sticking out of the wheel."

"The water-filled basin will be released, falling on top of Sam, upsetting the delicate balance of the platform on which he lies. He will crash through and land on several strategically placed spears, piercing his throat, heart and liver and simultaneously severing his brachial and femoral arteries."

Sam will die instantly and his soul, trapped by the blood and symbols, will follow the path laid out for it, straight to Bo's body, unable to fight the intrusion and without the defences that keep you from being our lackey, Sam Winchester." The name was said with a sneer.

"Sam's body will be dead. Bo's mind will be gone and all that will be left will be our little, blond, blue eyed puppet, dancing on our strings."

"You're a monster," Sam said grimly. "My brother and I kill monsters."

"Don't worry," Boss chuckled quietly. "I have plans for your brother too. I have to keep him busy while you die by inches over the next hour.

"You bastard," Bo finally found his voice. It was breathy and weak, but no less defiant for that. "You've underestimated me and Luke before. They will come for us."

"By all means, keep your silly hopes. The despair will weaken your defenses when you finally realize they aren't coming. I need you scared, alone and shattered."

"A good thought, but you are wrong," Sam spoke quietly but firmly. "They will come for us."

.~o()o~.

I won't update til I have at least one new review, so come on people, if you love this story and want to read more, let me know!