Dean turned around to face his brother. They didn't have time for this. Who knew how long it would take for the Sherriff's office to respond to Joe's call for help? Melanie had to come with them. For one thing they needed someone to interpret most of the information on they records they'd found. For another they couldn't risk the feds on their tail. Most people they had come to know had ultimately covered for them. Right now she was scared but between the two of them Dean knew they could convince her they weren't the people the feds were making them out to be. They didn't have time to do that now. They were going to have to take her with them by force. It sucked but it had to be done.
Dean caught movement out of the corner of his eye. Melanie ran toward the counter. He turned to grab for her but missed. He went after her, catching her just as she'd reached the counter. Dean pulled her against him but she fought, scratching at his arms, trying to kick him. His hand was firmly over her mouth and he had to fight with her to pull her hands and arms down with his free arm. "Melanie, stop fighting me," Dean said to her in the most commanding voice he could manage. He'd end up hurting her just to get her to calm down and that wouldn't go a long way toward their ultimate goal of getting her to trust them.
Sam stepped in front of them, his gun drawn and pointed at Melanie. "Melanie, don't," Sam said in the softer and calmer voice that was so opposite Dean's own in these situations. Dean shouldn't have been as surprised as he was. His baby brother may be a soft heart but Sammy always knew what had to be done and what Dean would need him to do. Right now they had to scare Melanie into submission. The gun managed to do the trick. Melanie froze. Dean waited a few more seconds. She didn't move.
"I'm going to take my hand from your mouth, do not make a sound do you understand?" Dean said to her. Melanie nodded. Slowly Dean pulled his hand away from her mouth. True to her word she didn't make a sound. "Okay now we don't have a lot of time. You're going to call the Sherriff's department and tell them we left right after Joe called and you're going to tell them that we headed east." Slowly Dean let go of Melanie and Sam lowered the gun but kept it by his side. Dean led Melanie back to her desk. "Don't do or say anything stupid," he warned as he picked up the phone and dialed 911. It was answered by a dispatcher almost immediately. Melanie squeezed her eyes shut.
"Sherriff's Department."
"This is Melanie Lynch at the Recorder's Office. Joe Powell called there a few minutes ago I think. Um, the men that were here, they've, they've left…they went east," Melanie said.
"How long ago?" the dispatcher asked.
"Right after Joe called so about five or six minutes ago," Melanie replied.
"And you're alright?" Dean couldn't help himself. He froze waiting for Melanie to answer knowing that their very lives and the lives of so many people were hinging on the answer Melanie was about to give. He watched her bring her hand to her face, covering her eyes.
"Yes," she said. "I'm fine."
Sam felt the air leave his body in a rush as Melanie slowly hung up the phone. Dean stood on one side of her, Sam on the other. She wrapped her arms around herself.
"Just go," she said. "They think you're going east so go north, south or west but just go."
"You're coming with us," Dean said to her, reaching for her arm. She pulled back.
"No, I'm not," defiance entered her voice. "You're leaving here, now and I'll tell them whatever story you want me to but I am not going with you."
"Yes, you are," Dean said. "I'm going to get our stuff from the conference room and then we're getting the hell out of here." Dean turned and hurried down the hallway. Sam bent down to the desk drawer that had a key in the lock. Melanie had been trying to get into it when Dean confronted her after Joe's call. He turned the key and opened the drawer pulling out a purse. He shut the drawer and looked at Melanie. He'd seen a lot of scared people since he'd joined up with Dean months before. Melanie was as scared as they came. She had every right to be.
"We need your help, Melanie, and like Dean said we don't have a lot of time," Sam spoke to her, handing her the purse. They needed to try and get through to her and the faster the better. "What Joe told you isn't the truth."
"You're not wanted by the FBI?" she asked, disbelieve in her voice.
"No, I mean yes, but we didn't do what they say we did," Sam answered her.
"Of course not," Melanie replied and sat heavily in her desk chair. Sam stepped up to her and crouched so that he was eye to eye with her. Her dark brown eyes were full of tears she'd been struggling to hold back. This woman wasn't going to be a victim to anyone; she was strong and stubborn probably far more than she knew. Sam hated knowing they'd have to be the ones to test that strength. They didn't have a choice, they rarely did. Melanie wouldn't look directly at him. He put his hands on the arms of her chair.
"Melanie, look at me," Sam said to her; a request, not a command. Her eyes met his. Fear, defiance, strength, anger were all there. "I promise you, we aren't going to hurt you," he said slowly, his voice almost a whisper. To his surprise she leaned forward slightly.
"You pulled a gun on me," she said, "How am I supposed to believe anything that you say to me?"
"She's got you there, Sammy," Dean's voice said from above him. Sam stood up.
"Speaking of guns," Dean said, reaching down to grab for Melanie's arm to pull her up. "We're walking outside and getting into our car, if you scream or call out or try to run I'll shoot you."
"Will you let me leave a note?" Melanie asked as they reached the counter. Sam's stomach clenched. God she thought they were going to kill her.
"Melanie, no," Sam was about to tell her that wasn't necessary. She'd see everyone she loved again soon. God this job sucked sometimes.
"I want to leave a note on the door that we closed early," she replied. Sam looked over at his brother who nodded. It was probably a good idea actually.
"Fine but hurry up," Dean said to her. Melanie went back to her desk and scribbled something on a large post-it about the office closing early, sorry for the inconvenience and they'd re-open Monday at 8:00am. Sam watched her walk to the counter and lift the door so they could leave the office. When she shut it there was a yellow post-it that hadn't been there before. He discreetly lifted it off and put it in his jeans pocket.
The trio walked out of the main door and onto the sidewalk pausing to let Melanie put the note on the door and lock it. Dean took her keys and purse from her making a snarky remark about safekeeping. They crossed the street and the closer they got to the car the slower Melanie went. Sam opened the back passenger side door for her to get in. He felt her hand on his arm.
"Sam, please," she said to him softly.
"Get in the car, Melanie," he said to her. "Everything's going to be okay."