Chapter 12 – highway to Hell
The lowlands of Hell
The demons screamed. Black spit and dark tears flew into the air.
...p-ple-ple-ase-e...d-don't-t…
They cried and sobbed. That made Boomer and me very happy. We pricked our ears up and grinned at each other. I sat down beside him with a thump as he shrunk down to his puppy size.
The female demon didn't look much like a girl anymore. She wasn't little any more either. Her smooth brown skin turned pale yellow, spotted with grey. She flopped around on the ground beside the troll doll, her black eyes shiny with fear.
The troll doll didn't Change. He still looked ugly and stupid. He rolled around from side to side on his fat belly.
Dean walked over to them.
...nononononono…
When he reached down and pulled at their arms and legs they shrieked like banshees. That's when things got all twisty and bendy.
I didn't understand what Dean was doing. Not at first. Then I realized that I've seen cowboys on tv tie up cows like that on those western shows he likes to watch.
I like the giant monsters better. Buildings blowing up. Cities on fire. Humans screaming and running around.
But that's just me.
A few more twists and turns and Dean finally stood up. He frowned at the nasty touch of the demons on his palms and rubbed his hands together. No way he was going to dust his hands off on his jeans. When he finished rubbing off the funk he looked at Boomer and me and winked. "Now let's go see the jackass in charge."
Boomer looked puzzled. He cocked his head to one side. "Who?"
Dean's wolf true form filled the air around him, a blaze of orange yellow fire and red light. Boomer whimpered. I knew Dean wasn't mad at us but the pup thought he was.
"Crowley," Dean rumbled.
O0o0o0o0o
A road somewhere
We faded back topside underneath a large tree by the side of a highway. The road was a long grey ribbon that stretched from one horizon to the other. The sun overhead made the pavement shimmer bright and shiny hot but that didn't bother us. We'd been to Hell and back, remember?
The smell of hot asphalt and greenery warmed by the sun filled my nose. It was awfully familiar to me, but I didn't know why.
Dean leaned against the tree trunk. I sat beside him. Boomer pressed into my right side. Wind rustled through the tall green grass behind us. Squirrels squeaked and ran through the underbrush. I shook my head and pinned my ears back at the noise. I refused to turn and look.
Squirrels. Ugh. Nasty little squeaky things. The last time I met one face to face I swallowed it whole. Its claws scratched my throat all the way down.
Well, I was hungry.
Boomer kept looking back at the brush behind us. He wanted to chase them so bad his body shook.
Boomer? Dean thought quietly. Stay.
Boomer froze. He crouched down, then slowly lifted his head. He stared up at Dean wide-eyed, scared. Dean smiled at him.
After everything that happened the pup still didn't seem convinced that Dean didn't mean him any harm, but he settled down. He didn't fidget any more.
Fifty feet away a long black limo moved down the opposite side of the road. The sight of that damn thing set my teeth on edge. I growled, deep in my throat.
When I was a pup I loved riding in that car.
I knew exactly where we were now. This was the road to King Crowley's topside home away from home. Everyone called that place Hell on Earth, but it wasn't what you would expect. Huge lawns filled with flowers, grass and trees. The house was big, filled with good food and soft couches.
I loved being there. I rolled in the grass. Played with my litter mates. I was a stupid pup back then.
"Showtime," Dean whispered. The power that came out of him made me sneeze. It felt different, a mix of Heaven and Hell.
Such a waste of power, the Mark of Cain hissed inside my head. Stupid hounds.
Dean rolled his eyes. Shut it, princess.
I realized then that this power didn't come from the Mark.
Dean stared at the car. It jerked like a hound at the end of a short chain, then sputtered to a halt as it passed us.
The limo sat there for several minutes. I cocked my head at the clicking sounds the engine made as it tried to start again. It couldn't.
The driver's side door opened and a tall red-headed female dressed in black stepped out. She didn't look happy. The frown on her face grew deeper. She didn't glance in our direction. I thought that was odd. We sat out in the open underneath the tree.
The woman walked to the back of the car and opened the driver's side door. A man in black stepped out into the sunshine. He glared at the woman. She bowed her head and averted her eyes. She looked calm but fear hung around her thick and heavy.
King Crowley liked that.
o0o0o0o0
Chapter 13 is next. Usually it's Crowley's favorite number. Not this time.