Chapter 11

It was dark and it provided a cloak of darkness for Kent as he inched his way forward through the salvage yard. He was certain that there were a few things that were designed to keep trespassers away. It was the only thing he could think of why they would come back here since what the hunter said made some sense. He aimed to find out and in turn, learn a little bit more about what he was dealing with in terms of the Winchesters.

Leaping from pile to pile, Kent reveled in his ability to blend in with his surroundings. It was something that he took pride in since his brothers made sure he knew how. It was essential if he was ever to sneak up on the one that they really couldn't touch lest they tempt divine wrath. Of course there were exceptions and he was going to take it once he figured out what was going on.

Being up high, his scent wasn't easily discernable but he was still wary of the fact that there was a vampire patrolling and judging from the posture, he was good at what he did. Kent knew that he was going to have to plan his attack accordingly. The main threats were the Winchesters. He told Loretta that Dean was predictable and Sam was the wild card. In truth, he wasn't sure how they would react once he achieved his goal. It was going to be interesting to find out. Humans were such interesting creatures.

Kent maneuvered his way to bring him close to the shed that the vampire was staying close to. Earlier he had seen Sam go into it after he finished a conversation with the vampire. That told Kent that what they were after was inside that building; she was inside that building.

It was a long time ago and before his time but the sting of what happened the day that his brothers went after the traitor to Karnak still rankled. There were a few brothers who betrayed them by stating that the traitor wasn't a traitor and they had no right to kill him. Again another sting and one caused by the one who wasn't even a princess by blood but she was of the royal family.

Kent had never met his target but he had heard stories of her. Mostly they were the lauds that were sung or spoken of at Karnak. They spoke of how the warrior princess orchestrated peace or leading a charge of victory or some nonsense like that. There were even stories about the warrior princess risking her very soul to travel to the depths of the underworld to save a friend. He personally thought it was bullshit. Yet the brothers, the older ones and the scholars, insisted that they were true. What he really thought was ridiculous was the fact that the warrior princess was friends with the celestials.

What the brothers spoke of the warrior princess was her lack of respect for the old way and the traditions. She trampled on tradition when it came to executing a mission. Essentially she had no respect for anything except for her own whims; it was a blatant disregard for the creed that supposedly she had been schooled in. The biggest disgrace was the fact that she allowed the abominations to live and she protected them. Not only that, she traveled with one of them and protected him from those wanting to kill him because he broke the world.

So this was a mission to redeem a disgraced brotherhood. It was one that had been carrying on for years, centuries even. Kent was going to see this through and bring redemption to the order. It was what he lived for aside from his work in creating a stable world for the people. If a being had to die, human or not, then they were killed by the blade to keep the balance… for the greater good. It was that simple.

It was the reason why Kent agreed to help the hunter. He had become anonymous and learned about what the various hunters were doing and essentially what the gossip was. The loudest was the fact that there were stories of a woman who called down wrath from the sky and defended the one who let the devil out of the cage. It had him intrigued and his masters had let him pursue the investigation and that he was to act accordingly. And that was what he was doing as he prepared to breach the defenses and head for his target.

The vampire he was figuring out when he noticed something. He watched as the vampire paused and looked to his left. From the shadows emerged a grey hooded being. Peering with his superior vision, Kent leaned forward and his eyes widened when he realized who it was that was talking to the vampire.

So you were the one that betrayed the hunters. You always were one to interfere and side with the abominations Sean.

Kent knew Sean from when they were children. It was before Sean and his parents left the brotherhood and joined up with the splinter group under Jibril. They were once good friends but they never agreed upon what the brothers' ultimate mission was. Kent had grown up with the stories and firmly believed that justice needed to be served. Sean believed that too but was willing to point out that there were two sides to every story; that perhaps it was even jealousy that motivated the unnecessary hatred of the warrior princess. It was a subject that sorely tested their friendship and led to them having a bit of a falling out.

Sean's parents didn't like what was going on either. They left and joined Jibril and since then, he and Sean never saw each other again. Kent had heard that Sean was progressing in the realm of being a scholar for his rogue brotherhood. His old friend always was one to be the bookworm of the pair and it always had impressed their instructors when he got top marks in history.

Sean's presence added another variable and one that Kent knew he had to eliminate if he was going to succeed. Kent watched as Sean and the vampire conversed. It looked like they knew each other well. It certainly added to the mix when a Winchester appeared on the scene. A closer look revealed that it was Dean.

Kent moved closer, curious about their conversation. He figured it was worth it to learn more. If everything succeeded, he was going to have to deal with the elder brother and he would be in a vindictive mood. He leapt from the stacks, taking care of his approach and crouched over them and allowed his hearing to do the rest as he watched them.

Dean was saying, "So you're saying that demon bitch has hunters under her employ?"

"How do you think they got the jump on your winged friends?" Sean was looking at Dean and the vampire. "A deal was struck and from what I gather, if they bring Absolution to her, they would have the right to pursue Sam."

"Why Sam?"

"Obvious answer," the vampire said as he glanced at Dean.

"No excuse though. Do you know why they want her Sean? I mean apart from the fact she knows about the staff in her head."

"Old wounds and old scores."

"Dammit."

The vampire had been quiet and was surveying the exchange. Finally he spoke, "What else?"

"That and the demon knows that the staff is one of three." Sean looked between the vampire and Dean. "If any of those pieces falls into demon hands or rather the wrong ones… Even a piece of healing like the Eye can be turned into a weapon."

"I get that. So I'm gonna let Bobby and Kira know the situation. Keep on finding out what you can. If you find Kess, let us know."

"He won't betray you."

"I know."

Kent watched as they murmured to each other. Dean went to the house and that left Sean and the vampire together. They conversed a little and it had Kent growl slightly in regret that he hadn't paid attention and learned his languages like he should have. He wouldn't have known what it was anyway since he was disinclined to learn of anything like the language of the vampires, which they were conversing in now. It was an opportunity for intel lost and Kent shrugged it off.

Sean left, going the way he had come and that left the vampire there. Kent watched as the vampire started on his patrol again, meeting up with a large dog. Again it was strange and unusual since Kent was well aware that anything related to the werewolves, wolves or dogs had a bloody rivalry with the vampires. To see a vampire and a dog actually getting along was something else to consider.

Kent watched as they skirted around the yard and watched their movements. After a few minutes he began to realize that they were walking in a specific pattern. Kent turned his gaze to the general area and things started to become clearer. Now he understood more about what he was up against. He didn't even have to take on the vampire since he was heading deep into that area. That meant the target was left alone with Sam in the shed. This would be good.

Kent maneuvered himself down after relaying to Loretta to keep the ones in the house busy. The vampire was getting closer towards there and once he heard or saw the attacks, he would go in to help them. That would leave the way open for him to pay a nice little visit. He surveyed as he finished his conversation, "Run interference. It will reduce the guard."

You work for me.

"Do you want to be free or not?"

The grumbling and the murmur of acquiescence had Kent give a wry smile. In the end his way would be seen because he knew that Loretta couldn't afford to lose more of her little band of hunters. She wouldn't risk their wellbeing even if the prize was Sam Winchester. Sentiment was a peculiar thing to humans.

The interference worked. Kent could see the fighting that was going on and the sudden look the vampire shot in the direction of the house. He could see the vampire was torn between staying at his post and aiding a friend in need. It never occurred to him that the indecision was caused by the instincts vampires had for their mates especially when they were threatened. He had no idea that he was potentially sealing Loretta's fate along with her band.

In the end, the vampire took off like a freaking bullet. Kent was surprised to see one move that fast. The dog he wasn't worried about. What he was concerned for were the two targets that were currently in the shed. He leapt down from his post and silently slunk past the piles of junk. Even though he had a clear path to the shed, he wasn't going to take any chances and maintained a stealthy vigilance just in case the vampire or Dean showed up.

Kent made his way to ground level, barely stirring up anything. His feet touched softly and he slunk to find an opening. It was a maneuver that special ops teams would love to utilize and perfect. He paused only a moment and took a tentative sniff. Two scents in terms of humanoid and one that had him slightly confused but he couldn't mistake the dog smell. He would deal with it.

It was almost too easy to get in through the back. He realized though that the challenge was getting through the place without disturbing anything in the place. He marveled at the amount of junk in there, not realizing that everything had a purpose in there and it was related to the supernatural. It was a benefit in terms of hiding but also a hindrance since there was so much of it and one wrong turn would cause a commotion.

Kent managed to make his way through the building and found a door. Slowly he opened it and tried not to wince at the slight creaking it made. It sounded loud in his ears but for the average human, more likely it was barely discernable to nonexistent. Still he hesitated to make sure he didn't alert anyone since the door put him right where he needed to be.

She was sleeping curled up on the bed. He assumed it was her since it was made known to him that she was not her full size yet. To make sure he gave a tentative sniff of the air and noted the presence of dhampir blood. It was definitely his target and ripe for the taking. There was no one there. He would be in and out and leave them a message.

He approached quietly and stood above the sleeping figure. He peered at her, observing her and taking her in. It was almost an oddity how so small a being could be responsible for the misfortunes of his brothers. Then again she was in a mishap herself so it almost seemed like just desserts. He would get a pleasure out of this. Slowly he reached out to touch her.

It was like she knew and her eyes opened. Kent watched her blink and her little eyes widened in fear as she sat up. She scampered to back away and put some distance between him and her. Yes she should be afraid and yet Kent crooned softly, "Don't worry little one. This won't be painful." He reached for her.

The click of a gun caught Kent's attention. It was followed by a low and menacing tone saying, "Get away from her." Accompanying it was a low growl.

Kent turned slowly to see the younger Winchester pointing a gun at him and he was accompanied by a rather large dog that was almost wolf like in appearance. He wasn't intimidated by him and merely gave a slow grin. This was going to be interesting.

Sam looked around the shed mostly for something to do. It was getting late and he should be getting some sleep. He knew from experience as well as Dean that a lack of sleep did affect the job even though they always gave a hundred percent every time. Besides his dad trained them both how to function like soldiers on the job.

He could relax since they were, as Dean put it, maxed to the nines with everything in terms of warding and traps but… He couldn't bring himself to relax and the reason was asleep in the bedroom. There was no way he was going to leave her vulnerable again. He screwed up the last time and he'd be damned if he let it happen again. He couldn't lose her… not after what he discovered for himself and it still felt wrong on some level even though it felt right too.

Sam knew he was a 'bigger bitch than usual' and it was because of Angela. True she was vulnerable and maybe he wouldn't be as stressed out had she been anyone else in that size but it was her and she was a small size and she still exhibited the qualities he admired from her. It made him feel worse because that was all she ever showed to both him and Dean and he could count how many times he threw it back at her. She still stayed and she forgave him. It was going to haunt him and he could actually hear her say that she was going to forbid him to feel like a douche for it. Brushing it aside, he took the time to patrol around the shed.

The shed was one of those things that both he and Dean weren't sure they even wanted to know. Dean had been inside it once and that was when he tried to do something nice and ended up nearly blowing the place up. Since then he was forbidden unless he was escorted by a parent. And she had said it in those exact words. Sam knew better and stayed away unless he was invited in and he could see why. Plus he didn't want to try and navigate through her obstacle course.

It seemed strange to find the Eye just lying there in plain sight and to be honest Sam expected something a little more elaborate or even that it was locked back up where she had Bobby put it in the first place. It just seemed odd but then again the way how she manipulated it to make it seem like her keys would lead to the staff… that was her all the way. Now that there were two others still out there… he was all about worry now.

A small whine caught his attention and he looked down to find that Lilah was looking up at him. It wasn't the first time the dogs stared at him and gave an expression he knew well. Taken aback by the dog, Sam looked at her and frowned slightly, "Now why are you here?"

The dog sat down on the floor and looked up at Sam. Lilah studied Sam and her nose twitched a little at the scent she was picking up on him. It was peculiar to her since it bore some resemblance to the things that she had been bred to hunt for but she detected the human part too. She also detected the scent of the little alpha she had been watching over. It was all over Sam and it was interesting.

The scent was female and while the appearance was that of a little girl, the scent clearly said that Sam was already taken. Lilah had smelled a similar scent on the little alpha. True both Winchesters and the elder scents clung to her but Sam's distinctly spoke of territorial possession. Plus she was impressed by Sam's show of being an alpha especially when he accepted her into his pack. She gave a low moan and bowed that she was being submissive to his authority.

Sam had meant it as a rhetorical question since the dogs could only talk back by the expressions they gave him and he certainly knew enough from Sasha. The pup had been sent to watch out for him on Angela's orders and stuck by him. In a weird way, it was like Angela had been beside him but he really screwed with that when he broke the final seal. Looking down at the dog he reached down and rubbed her ears. They were silky smooth and he took a good look at her.

Lilah looked like a wolf but she was rather large for one and her coloring looked like that of a large breed of dog like a wolfhound. Sam liked her no matter what as much as he liked Cerebus. He always had a liking for dogs… and they certainly seemed to have a liking for his brother and that was just hilarious. He rubbed her ears near the base and then the side of her face before giving the equivalent of a ruffling of the hair on her head. "Thanks for being here," he murmured.

Lilah gave a low bark and showed her appreciation by giving a lick to Sam's hand. It had Sam make a face at it but he didn't shout at her or tell her to go away. He did wipe the drool off his hand when a noise from the house caught his attention. He headed towards the windows that faced the house with Lilah in tow and peered out.

He caught a glimpse of Christian running leaps and bounds and avoiding any surprises. The vampire was making a beeline towards the house. Peering into the darkness, Sam could make out fighting going on there. His first reaction was to head back to Angela. If he had to, he would take her out of there, drive Deanna wherever and then come back and deal some hurt. "Come on Lilah."

Sam headed towards the room where she was sleeping with Lilah in tow. He tensed the moment he heard Lilah give a low growl. Having been around Sasha, he knew when to recognize a growl that meant a threat was near. As much as he didn't want to, he pulled out his handgun and checked to make sure it was loaded. He had no idea what he was going to do if it was a demon but the place was warded against demons. There was only one way to know.

He approached slowly and with his gun held up and ready. Slowly he pulled the door open after motioning towards Lilah to keep it down. He saw a hooded guy that wasn't Sean looking at Angela. She was awake and staring wide eyed at him. Sam wasn't even going to try and guess what expression that was. In his mind she was scared and that in turn pissed him off. Leveling his weapon, he said, "Get away from her."

The hooded guy straightened and slowly turned to face him. Sam couldn't see anything except the lower part of the face. Even though he couldn't, the lower half spoke volumes, especially when the hooded guy gave a slow grin. Sam could hear Lilah growling and she was probably ready to spring into action. The trick was to first get Angela away from him.

"What are you going to do if I don't?"

Sam took the question to be mocking as well as questioning what his intentions were. He kept his gun leveled at the guy. "Make sure you don't hurt her." His finger twitched slightly as it adjusted over the trigger.

"You wouldn't shoot me. Not in front of her." The hooded guy gestured with his head towards Angela.

Sam glanced over to look at her and saw her wide eyed expression. He didn't let his guard down but he knew the hooded guy had a point. He wasn't about to fire a gun in front of her and possibly kill him. True she had dealt killing blows herself but she didn't remember and she was an adult then. Now she was the size of a child and it was just wrong on principle.

The hooded guy grinned at the hesitancy, "I knew it. You can't bear to let her see the world she is a part of in all its ugliness."

"There are some things that kids shouldn't have to see," Sam retorted. He heard Lilah growling and she was getting louder.

"They'll see it anyway. Might as well start early."

Sam felt his resolve slipping. He didn't want to put her through this. That would mean he's failed her again. But if he killed this guy in front of her… that would be the same thing. He was in a tough spot and yet his instincts were telling him to just take on the bastard and kill him because he was here to hurt her.

"Can't do it can't you? Humans and your morals." The hooded guy sighed like it was a bother. "Well I'm here for her so you can try and stop me but think about it. Do you even know what you're dealing with?"

Sam glanced at Angela. She had moved some more and wasn't even sure of what to do. She was even looking at him like she was scared of him. That was the last thing he wanted and it pained him to do that. He lowered his weapon slightly. It was a mistake.

The hooded guy lashed out and grabbed Angela and held her. He placed one hand over her neck, his purpose clear. He taunted Sam, "You're more than welcome to try but seriously consider what you are doing."

Sam held his weapon up but he hesitated. If he fired, he would be putting her in danger. He could accidentally hit her and if that happened… He would never be able to forgive himself. His breath hitched and his throat convulsed. Reluctantly he lowered his gun and pointed it at the ground. "Don't hurt her."

"Wise choice."

Sam watched as the hooded guy started to make his exit. He rankled under the fact that Angela was being used as a shield. He couldn't stand the look of terror that was in her eyes. He still had one card left to play. It relied heavily on certain factors that he wasn't sure of. "This isn't over yet."

It was a surprise when Sam barked out an order and Lilah charged. It was a gamble and it had worked. The large dog had been following the hooded guy and waited for the command from the alpha. She sprang and placed a well-placed chomp on the arm near Angela's neck and jerked it away. It allowed for Angela to drop to the ground and Sam shouted at her to run and hide.

The high pitched squeal got Sam's attention and he saw that Lilah was on the ground. He couldn't see Angela and hoped that she had run away to hide. The hooded guy was up and he had a small bloodied knife in his hand and he was turning towards Sam to use it on him.

Sam brought up his gun to fire but it was knocked out of his hand. He barely had time to block the blow with the knife and used a kick to shove the guy away where he collided with whatever was in the shed. Sam wasn't going to worry about it now. His focus was on getting this guy down and making sure Angela was safe.

It didn't help when the guy got up and shoved him equally hard into a bookcase. Sam was on the ground and books and junk were falling on top of him. A few hit him in the head and hard. Something fell on the back of his shoulders.

"Sammy!"

It was a pure moment of terror for Sam. She was just standing there and within easy reach of the hooded guy and he had a knife out and was looking at her. Sam sprung to his feet and raced to grab her and run. He made it just as the hooded guy came with an upraised arm. He felt a fist hit the back of his shoulders and something sharp punctured his left and he grunted while hearing Angela whimper his name.

Sam dropped to the ground with a thud and a moan. He heard Angela screaming his name and ended up seeing her fight with the hooded guy as he took her. He watched them leave, pausing only a second to give Lilah a hard kick. He stayed where he had fallen until Dean came busting in. He failed her… again.

A/N: The evil cliffhanger writer from hell is back again and looks like a second ambush and Angie is taken and Sam is hurt. What is going on here? Keep watching for more Memory Resolved...