With cold, sneering eyes, the man circled Sam eagerly, as if he was a lion regarding his prey.
Sam's own eyes darted to his brother, who was straining and groaning, trying to get his arms from the rope that bound them.
'Please! Let us go!' Sam begged, craning his neck as the man walked to the back of him. He was just about to shout out again when an almighty pain flourished in his lower back, sending him jutting forwards, yelping in pain.
'YOU SON OF A BITCH!' Dean growled, eyes ablaze with fury as he looked across at his brother, who was swinging slightly, arms above his head, his eyes closed against the pain.
'I swear if you hurt him-I'll make you wish you died in that fire!' he yelled, anger and panic overtaking all rational, logical thought.
'Oh yes? How, when your all the way over there?' said the man, his eyes shining with a challenge.
'And when I am here-'he ended his sentence with another swing, the wooden bat finding its target once more; Sam's back. As the wood bit at his back, Sam yelled again, tears of pain erupting in his eyes, but he couldn't wipe them away.
'leave him alone!' ordered Dean, but he too shied away slightly as the man rushed to him, raised the bat above his head and swung it around his side, up into his ribs. Dean buckled in pain, at the same time desperately trying to unhook his arms.
'I say what happens around here! You will be free...let me get on with my work now-those were the rules!' he said.
'We didn't know the rules, we didn't abide by them...you tricked us!' groaned Sam, head bowed against the constant pain in his back, now coupled with the searing pain in his shoulders.
The man chuckled darkly, before walking slowly to Sam and tapping him on the shoulder.
'I know, that was bad of me- but tell me, would you have actually agreed to do it if you knew?'
Sam looked at him for the insane man he knew he was, before shaking his head in disgust.
'You're crazy! What makes you think you can decide over our lives? You had a bad childhood, we get it-do something good now, let us go!' he knew basic negotiating skills by watching plenty of cop dramas in his time at Stanford, now they seemed to be coming into good use.
'Where's the fun in that?' replied the man, before stepping back, pulling back his fist, and then slamming it into Sam's stomach.
The youngest Winchester choked, gasping for breath, slumping forwards.
Dean struggled even harder, throwing panicked looks in his brother's direction. He had to help Sam. he was going to die if he didn't do something... with a sudden gasp; Dean looked up to see he had split a portion of the tick rope holding his wrists in place. He looked back at the man to see if he had noticed, but he was facing away from the hunter, too preoccupied with his brother.
Dean began to pull harder at the rope.
Sam groaned as he looked up, face pale, eyes locked onto the insane man's, who still held the bat in his hand.
'Please...stop...you don't have to do this-arhgg!' he was cut off again by a vicious swipe which met his stomach. He coughed, feeling the warm trickle of blood fall down his chin.
The man's face seemed to come alive seeing the blood. He began to chuckle, and walked closer to Sam, holding out a finger and scooping the blood off his face. He raised the finger to his mouth and sucked it, closing his eyes in apparent euphoria as he rolled the blood around in his mouth.
'Mmm...you taste good-I'm going to have fun with you' he stated.
Sam looked at him in pure horror, before his eyes flicked back to his brother, his eyes desperately seeking help.
He didn't look long, as the man raised the bat once more, malice flickering in his eyes, as he brought it forward again, the wood hitting it's mark again and again- Sam's shoulders...legs...stomach...back, nowhere was safe. Sam shut his eyes, screaming out in pain over and over again.
Finally, the inevitable happened, as he heard and felt the dull crack of a bone breaking.
The new pain flaring in his leg meant it was this limb that had broken, but he knew it wouldn't be too long before other bones succumbed too.
'your a strong one!' the man remarked, holding the bat above his head to deal the biggest blow yet-but before he could swing, one strong arm reached up and grabbed the wood, twisting it in his hands and pulling it out of his grasp.
'Get your hands of my brother you son of a bitch!' Dean Winchester growled, before head butting the man, sending him to the floor.
He ran forwards to Sam, who was slumped forwards, unconscious, a line of blood almost touching the floor as it left his mouth. He gasped when he saw his mangled leg, the bone jutting from his Jeans, blood coating the material.
'Sammy! Oh god...Sam...' he whispered, trying to work out the best way of getting his brother down without injuring him more.
'Dean-look out' he heard Sam groan. He turned just in time to see the man running towards him, arms stretched forwards. Before he could even react, his arms found his neck, and as the man pushed him to the floor, he began to squeeze.
Dean could feel his face begin to swell, the blood vessels being crushed. He grappled at the man's face wildly, trying to throw him off.
'not this time' the man growled, his pupils dilated, his face turned to a sneer as he put more pressure on the hunters neck, cutting his supply of blood ever-further.
Dean choked gutturally, feeling his mind fade, his eyes swimming in darkness.
One thought kept him going. Sam.
With all the strength he was able to muster, he managed to knock one of the man's arms free, taking the opportunity to take a deep breath, before pulling the other arm off and rolling out from under him.
As he stood, he kicked out, sending the man across the room with a groan. He ran to him and kicked him again. It was a dirty way to dispatch of someone, but he didn't have any other weapons-or choice.
He knelt and punched him in the face again and again, hoping he would die quickly, but the crazy didn't seem to even need to breath. He closed his eyes for a second, preparing himself, then put his own hands around the man's neck, squeezing tightly until both his thumbs touched.
The man's eyes bulged, and he too started to claw at Dean's face, but the hunter stayed firm, hating himself, but he knew that he couldn't do anything else.
He felt angry, confused tears well up in his eyes, but he swallowed them back. Now wasn't the time for an attack of conscience.
When he was sure the man was dead, he finally got up, wiping his hands on his Jeans.
He looked down at the man's open, staring eyes. He didn't know how to feel. On the one hand, it was the last resort, but on the other- he had just killed another human being.
'Dean...'his brother's voice jolted him back to his senses. He turned and ran to him, a thrill of horror hitting his stomach when he saw the state of him.
'Oh my god...'he gasped.
Sam looked at him with a brave smile. 'Help?'
Dean gave a weak chuckle, and then looked around for something to stand on so he could reach his arms.
Once he found a box, he held Sam as tight as he could without inducing pain, and cut the rope in one swift motion.
With a shout of pain Sam fell to the floor, clutching his broken leg with both hands.
'Ok Sam...I gotcha...let's get you up...' said Dean, big-brother mode coming back into action.
He held him around the waist and pulled him up, letting him put all his weight on him, and began to walk towards the door.
'How...are we gonna get outta here?' Sam groaned, hopping on one leg, gritting his teeth with the pain.
'Uhh...good question sasquatch- I'll get us out, don't worry' Dean comforted him.
'I..wh...wasn't worried...' Sam stuttered, pain starting to get the better of him.
'No! Sam...Come on dude...let's set you down for a second...' Dean let his brother down gently, noting with concern and panic as Sam shut his eyes against the pain, groaning.
'Come on man...we're getting out of here! I got us out...' Dean said, rubbing his brother's shoulder, but Sam didn't respond, he merely groaned.
'Please...please...'Dean whispered, grabbing Sam's shoulder and tugging, pulling him the rest of the way out the warehouse door.
He had to get Sam to a doctor...he wouldn't survive if he didn't.
'C'mon dude...don't do this to me' he groaned as he pulled him along, Sam's head lolling on his shoulder.
'Don't leave me here...'
Is Sam going to make it out alive?
Find out in the next chapter!
Thank you for reading, and please review!