Nothing Else Matters
Chapter Six: Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum
.o0o.
Dean parked the Impala a good distance away from the pit, pointed back towards town for a quick get-a-way, tossing the keys to his brother before trekking back in to overview the area.
Kim swallowed hard when Sam lifted the compartment lid on the trunk revealing all the hardware hidden underneath.
He looked back at her pointedly as he handed over a sleek black handgun.
She took it, eyeing the make; a Beretta 92. Popping out the magazine she checked the ammo and slid it back in with a sharp click, cocking the chamber before flicking on the safety.
"Si vis pacem, para bellum" she muttered under her breath as her eyes darted up to meet the surprised yet approving gaze of Sam Winchester.
She blushed at being overheard. "The rounds… you know?" He nodded but she still felt like a tool and shied away to hide her embarrassment.
"That the only Latin you know?" He asked casually, loading up the pockets of his jacket with extra cartridges for his Taurus. He slung a shotgun over his back and packed handfuls of rounds in the duffle at his feet. Dean can back with a stern nod to them both and Sam zipped the bag, tossing it to his older brother.
Tucking away his pistol, he cocked the shotgun and looked to the man leading them into the covering darkness. Their eyes were hard, calculating and cold, but she saw that as comfort because they had the know how to get in and get the job done.
With a final affirmation they were on the move.
Eyes quickly became accustomed to the twilight as they crept down the now familiar route along the gravel pit floor, their silent steps thankfully having no effect on the night time noises around them.
They had Kim tucked in between them, as they snaked onto the path they'd found earlier that day, making sure she was covered should they be attacked. She kept her eyes on Dean, ears straining for any odd sounds, but it was another sense that tipped her off unexpectedly.
She gagged suddenly, coming to a full stop, fighting the nausea climbing up her throat.
Growing up in a house full of smokers, Kim never knew her sense of smell was so keen until she'd moved away after graduating. A few years of clean air living had revealed her sensitive nose spectacularly when she visited her childhood home after her Mother's last marriage and nearly suffocated from the reek of stale cigarette smoke, causing her to toss her cookies in the bathroom sink.
Ever since then she'd had to be vigilant or she would react just as she was currently; lungs closed up, eyes streaming, lack of oxygen making the rolling of her stomach even harder to bear.
Sam was at her side in a heartbeat.
"Are you okay?"
He grabbed her upper arm to steady her stance and she closed her eyes.
Taking great gulps of citrus shampoo scented air from under the curtain of her hair she was able to banish the sickness and proceeded to close her nose, breathing through her mouth.
"I'm fine, sorry" she whispered, pushing her tresses back from a pale clammy face.
"What happened?" Dean was back beside them whisper yelling, annoyance clear on his face.
"Kim got sick" Sam said quietly. His voice held no accusation but she felt horrible for slowing them down.
"No it's… can't you smell that?" even inhaling sparingly she could almost taste the noxious stench in the air.
Sam sniffed, shaking his head as Dean looked around then pinned her with a glare. "What is it?"
Kim shook her head, bringing her sleeve up to cover her mouth and nose. "It's like my old high school science lab." She blanched, catching a whiff of rotten eggs again.
At the boys clueless looks she huffed "Like …burnt sulfur. You can't smell it?"
The brother's faces turned stony, gazes meeting over her head as they raised their guns to scan the surrounding space.
Kim followed suit with a grimace, still holding a hand over her nose.
"Can you tell which direction it's coming from?" Dean hissed, pressing against her shoulder.
She clenched her jaw. 'God I hope I don't Ralf' she thought, closing her eyes to take in shallow breaths.
She nearly coughed as it met her nose but she managed to choke it back.
Kim stood still as possible, feeling the wind. Her face scrunched up in confusion as she pointed above their heads.
They turned their gazes up and Sam gave a scoff of displeasure.
"They must be on the embankment we found earlier."
His eyes met with Dean's and the older man shrugged. "We'll just have to take them out first."
Sam gave a terse nod and moved out. Dean looked at Kim and smirked. "Stay Lassie."
Kim glared "Bite me."
His eyebrow arched 'later' and he was gone.
She rolled her eyes and backed up to the base of the ridge, keeping a look out with her gun at the ready.
After ten minutes passed, with no indication of either of their presence, she deliberated how long it could take to sneak up on a sentry. Then she heard a scuffle and a sharp curse from above, as a separate voice called a quiet "timber."
The body landed right next to her with a dull thud and she barely contained her shriek of surprise.
Jumping away from the fresh corpse, hand clamped down over her own mouth, she asked herself what the fuck did she think she was doing out with a couple of psycho's at a gravel pit in the middle of the night.
Then the thought of her brother being locked away by these… demons or whatever, raced to the forefront of her mind keeping her firmly in place and somewhat collected by the time the guys made it back down to her.
Sam and Dean came slinking through the brush with worried gazes and she glared at the both of them.
Kim reached up and smacked Dean hard on the arm.
"For fuck's sake, give a girl a little warning next time! I nearly became a pancake."
Dean flinched away from her hands. "Hey, I called timber."
When she pinched him viciously Sam had to hold back a snigger at his brother's pained hiss. Even though Sam had been the one to blame, since he'd let the body go too soon, sending it ass over kettle to the rocks below, Dean said nothing.
Sam took point as they continued on to the spot he'd discovered before. Digging the container out of the duffle, he handed it to Kim with an intent stare.
Dean watched the exchange then tugged at her sleeve. "Be careful" he said in all seriousness and she nodded gravely. "They know we've been poking around so keep sharp."
Kim swallowed the lump building in her chest. "Watch out for each other."
Dean smirked with a confident "Always do."
With a final deep breath Kim started off down the fence line.
She waited until she was a few yards away from the guys and picked up a sturdy stick from the bushes, clacking it down the chain link noisily. Barks rent the night as four large Dobermans came from the shadows, charging for the girl.
She ran, luring the beasts further away as Sam pulled bolt cutters out, snipping the links before him.
It was now or never.
.o0o.
The dogs raced alongside her, snarling and snapping their jaws in frenzy.
"I can't believe I'm doing this." Kim panted as she stopped and crouched down, ignoring the mad racket the canines were making next to her face on the other side of the metal wire barrier. She opened the tub as they jumped and rattled, howling their displeasure.
"Here puppy, puppy" she called, thinking herself a fool. She poked a long bite of meat through the diamond patterned links being mindful of her fingers.
The Dobermans paced, circling with low growls as they sniffed her offering. She continued speaking in a calm tone, showing no fear to the beasts as they moved closer to nip the meat hesitantly, one by one.
Soon enough they lay sprawled on the grass, panting deeply as they drifted off. "Night, night fellas" Kim whispered offhandedly, wiping the blood from her fingers with a rag she'd snagged from Dean's trunk, absently tucking it into her back pocket.
She stood, moments later, staring at the spot the boy's had opened up, moving slowly towards it. Yes they wanted her to stay behind and stay safe, but it was her brother in there. Maybe it was because they told her not to, or her massive stubborn streak, but she never even paused as she ducked down though the opening.
She only hoped they wouldn't shoot her for not listening.
.o0o.
Dean crouched down in the overgrown weeds beside a copse of trees and signaled silently.
There were two guards patrolling the yard, keeping to the well-lit areas. Made it near impossible to take them out silently, 'Not looking too good' he thought grimacing as a search light swept the shadows.
They definitely knew they were here.
Sam was quick and silent, moving from the old utility barn to the inner circle unseen. Dean was impressed with his brother's skills after going so long without using them.
He ignored that niggling twinge of hurt he carried under his skin and focused on the task at hand.
A new group of men came out of the office building near the loader and conferred with the other two before replacing them altogether. So that was four at least on the move and two more in the building, one up above.
Dean didn't like those odds.
There was no telling where the snatched travelers were being kept and they had no idea what numbers were in the buildings around them. Their recon had been shoddy at best, but then there was no real way to tell just how many demons were in on this gambit.
Well, there was one, but Sammy sure wouldn't like it. He signaled again and took a breath before dashing out across the backs of the sentry detail.
He was hidden before they even felt the wind off his jacket.
.o0o.
Sam watched his brother's predatory motions, moving silently over the gravel strewn ground with a speed he didn't remember him ever having before. Purgatory had changed him, molded him into a dangerous creature that could stalk and kill with ease.
The demons never even sensed it, this thing moving just inches from their backs as he followed them along their way. As they passed his hiding place Dean shifted away and melded into the shadows around them.
Sam barely held in his awe as his brother knelt beside him.
"We've got trouble Sammy."
Sam shook his head and questioned him.
"There are way too many factors here I'm not liking the odds." Dean said as his eyes swept the yard again.
"What do you want to do?"
Dean looked at him oddly for a moment. It was a look he thought long repressed, thrown away like the amulet he'd gifted to his brother on that Christmas so long ago.
Sam swallowed hard, shifting his eyes away.
Dean took a moment to respond and finally voiced his plan.
Sam didn't like it, but he also didn't see much other choice in the matter.
With a copious amount of trepidation, the brother's split up to put it in motion.
.o0o.
Having no clue as to which way the guy's had gone, Kim took the best possible route, hoping like hell her long hours training with her brother's group would be up to par.
Her borrowed pistol was at her side as she scanned the area, her finger resting to the side of the trigger in readiness. Keeping low, she ghosted the fence, sticking to the deep shadows.
She stepped carefully, as Kevin had drilled her a million times before on how to walk in a wooded area; it wasn't too hard to recall that bit of advice.
Two or three yards in was a small wooden shack, surrounded by additional fencing. She listened hard and then broke away from the perimeter, heading for the structure.
She caught movement from the corner of her eye and dived into a roll, coming to rest behind an old sweet gum tree, thanking the heavens it was night time and the grasses were wet with dew that muffled her movements.
Prickly discarded seed pods dug into her hands and knees as she held her breath and peeked around the wide trunk.
Two men rushed by as a bright light followed them, illuminating their path.
Kim jerked back, holding a hand over her stuttering heart.
"Goddamn Winchester's!" shouted one, piercing the darkness and quieting the noises of nature around her.
"Keep an eye out, there's still one running around out here. There's never one without the other. I have to go tell Mac about his damn dogs."
From her position she barely caught that exchange between the men rushing by. They had found the dogs and they had one of the guys already.
"I can't wait to see what Mac does to those fucking meat sacks, those mutts are his babies." One sniggered as a beam of light swept the wooded area along the fence where she had just been moments ago.
"Imagine, capturing the Winchester's here? We'll all be rolling in blood and souls after this!" Another man cackled as they drew father away.
"God" she whispered plaintively, closing her eyes against the feelings choking her. They really were demons and they had her brother.
She sobbed in a breath, rubbing her palms on her jeans.
'No, button it up Kim. You have to find them; you have to get Kevin back. Don't flake out now and run like a baby, don't be a little bitch.' She thought, screaming at herself not to give in to her fear.
She peered around the tree and sighed. The smell had faded, thank goodness and she could breathe deeply to calm herself. She had no real way of fighting a demon. Sam and Dean had given her a crash course in the lore but it did her no good. She was a sitting duck.
She had to play this carefully, and smart.
Kim inched along, toe to heel, towards the shed, quietly. The search light was sweeping the far side of the pit, away from her position and she kept alert for any sound of footsteps. Finally she was flush with the small building, the wooden slats pressing along her spine.
She crept along the wall not noticing the rag from earlier snagging on the rough boards behind her. She could hear snuffles and yips from the interior of the building and figured it was a make-shift kennel for the dogs. She'd have to move soon.
Kim peaked around the edge, looking for an obvious place to keep a truck.
The small quarry was surrounded by structures that looked to be equipment shed's, a large garage and a loading station with an attached office.
The lights were on behind the fogged windows but she could barely make out any movement within.
"There's no telling how many are here" She groaned quietly.
A low growl sounded from the other side of the wall and her head swung around, eyes falling on the red cloth hanging from a splintered board.
"Shit" she hit her thigh in frustration. The dogs had pups so they must have dams and she'd just alerted them to her presence.
She had no choice but to run.
Waiting just long enough to sight the direction the spot light was pointing; Kim sprinted across the open area right as the mama dog launched into a round of furious baying that was sure to draw attention.
Nearly overshooting her mark, Kim caught the edge of the building with her shoulder. It slowed her down, but hurt like a bitch.
Rubbing her arm, she slowed her breathing to listen. There was a disgruntled shout for the dog to "shut the hell up" then a yip as the cage was struck. She could only pray the rag wasn't found.
Chest heaving she pressed the cool metal of the gun flat against her forehead.
"Shit" hissed out again as she squeezed her eyes shut, sliding down into a crouch with the edifice wall at her back. She'd never been so scared.
It took a minute or two to pull it together and then she stood, creeping along the metal siding until she reached a small window. Standing on tip toes she peered in and felt her heart clench. Not ten feet away, gleaming under the dim glow of the sparse lighting, sat her brother's cherry red rig.
Kim forced down the sob that rose up to choke her, flattening herself to the wall once more. Tears burned beneath her lashes as she struggled with her emotions. He was here for sure; she had infallible proof before her very eyes.
Everything the guy's had told her swamped her head and she whimpered. She was being stupid, she had to find him, them, but it was too much. Demons, possession, how could she possibly deal with that? How could anybody?
"Whatever, so they're real, so what?" She was losing it, but she reached into her pocket and pulled out the sketch she'd taken from that journal Sam had let her see back at the hotel and she caught her breath. Slowing it purposefully as Kevin had taught her, she felt her body grow cold and steady. She could do this she just needed a little time.
Calculating she added up the numbers. There were three demons for sure outside, four counting whoever was operating the search light. More were inside the office but she knew the Sheriff was still in town so that was a plus.
One of the Winchester's was out here with her, hiding in the darkness so she had an advantage. They didn't know about her.
Dean had said salt would deter them for, like half-a-second, holy water burned… up on the embankment he'd said something about a knife but she didn't have anything like that. All she had… she looked down at the paper in her hand and grinned. It was better than nothing.
The spot light passed by, illuminating the darkness around her, but she was thankfully hidden in the shadow of the building. As it ran along the ground, Kim followed, keeping her eyes peeled for any movement. She scurried along the back of the buildings, playing a dangerous game of hide-n-seek until she made it to the loading station.
Far above, on the service scaffold, was the ass with the search light. Ignoring him for the time being she assessed the area.
High crank windows lined the back of the office warehouse, allowing little sound to reach her ears from the ground. She spied some discarded pallets and dragged them over to stack upon one another before shakily stepping up.
The boost didn't help her to see inside but she could now hear the violent sound of flesh on flesh contact.
Wincing, Kim listened as best she could to try and get a handle on how many demons were inside.
"What the fuck did you do to my dogs?" another heavy blow landed.
Sardonic laughter drifted down and she groaned silently.
"I'd be more worried about what my brother's gonna do to you Paco."
"I'm going to strip your flesh into steaks!"
"Get in line pal" was Dean's response and Kim couldn't contain her scoff at his audacity in the face of such circumstances.
"Carlos, that's enough, this rotting piece of meat will get what's coming to him, but he is marked for our King."
Kim felt her brain stall with this new voice, it was painfully familiar.
Then a hand clamped down around her mouth and she was pulled back into a warm solid body.
A/N: Sorry I left it on a cliffy but hey, life is full of unfinished conclusions.
Title meaning: Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum "If you want peace, prepare for war"
Also a little fun fact: The Beretta 92 series takes the 9 x 19 millimeter Parabellum cartridge, derived from the Latin title which is the motto of the weapons manufacturer that introduced the cartridge.
Til next time!