Coercion

Coffeemaniac

Rated T for violence, language and suggestive situations. Possible trigger warning but probably nothing to worry about. No slash.

Reviews are welcome. Feed the writer.

Season 3: Dean is scheduled for hell. Sam's powers haven't developed.

Setting: Ranch Head, Wyoming (near the center of the Devil's Gate built by Samuel Colt)

Part 5

Ava screamed in anger as she knelt beside the body of her husband. Marco stood behind her with his hands on her shoulders.

Sam watched Dean, looking for any sign of movement, grateful when he could see him breathing.

"Marco, get Ava out of here. We'll take care of Eddie," Duke said.

Marco pulled her from the side of her husband. She looked back and forth between Eddie's body and Sam as if she didn't know what to do. Then she settled. Pushing back her shoulders, she glared in Sam's direction with narrowed eyes.

As her brother propelled her towards his car, she tugged away from him and lunged at Sam. Marco caught her. He pulled her back and pushed her firmly into the front seat.

"You killed her husband," the mayor said as if he needed to explain.

"She killed her husband," Sam said.

"Shut up," Duke said.

Marco walked around the car and slid in. Dust shot into the air as he abruptly backed up, turned the vehicle and sped down the driveway.

Dean pushed himself up from where he still lay. He moved slowly. A spot of blood darkened the back of his shirt. He managed to reach his knees before Duke and Brian surrounded him. Roughly lifting him they carried Dean to the police car and roughly dumped him in the back. Sam yelled his outrage but no one seemed to care.

The door closed cutting off his view and despair swept over him. Dean had created an opportunity to escape and Sam failed them both. He had been too weak to push through the drugs and he doubted they'd get another chance to go together.

Next Duke and Brian came for him. They marched him to Eddie's car…Ava's car… and shoved him into the backseat. After engaging the child safety locks, they shut all the doors leaving him inside.

Sam wished he could see Dean inside the cruiser but the tint was too dark.

While he watched, Duke lifted Eddie's feet and Brian lifted his shoulders. Awkwardly carrying and dragging the body, they carted Eddie around the side of the house. They were only gone for a couple of minutes. Sam spent the time trying to manipulate the lock on the handcuffs, hoping to pop the lock. He failed at that too and cursed inwardly.

Opening the driver's side door, Duke spoke to the deputy.

"You take Dean back to the hotel. I'll take care of Sam."

"Dean's spitting mad, but I think he needs his head looked at," Brian said.

Duke shook his head. "Get him some aspirin. We're not dragging a doctor into this mess."

"What are you going to do about Ava? She'll want blood for Eddie."

"She understands the big picture. Marco's going to have to move in with her, keep an eye, but she still wants the money and the perks. Not sure she was all that fond of Eddie anyway."

Brian scratched his head. "I can't believe Eddie's really dead."

"Yeah," Duke said. He seemed to lose himself in thought for a moment before he shook himself back to business.

"Can you handle Dean?" He said.

"Yeah, no problem. See you back at the station."

The two of them split up. Duke climbed into the front of Eddie's car and put the key in the ignition. Sam imagined him patting down the body in search of them.

Sam glanced out the window, watching as Brian backed out then straightened and drove away with Dean still in the backseat. He closed his eyes, unable to face that they were separated again.

SUPERNATURAL SUPERNATURAL SUPERNATURAL

Dean's vision cleared but his head continued pounding making his stomach turn sickly. He set his goals for reaching the hotel without vomiting and then going to sleep for twenty-four hours. Once the concussion eased he would find another way to get to Sam. He refused to let disappointment and anger drag him down. He intended to use it to find the right plan to free them both.

Brian stayed silent throughout the drive. When he pulled into the emergency vehicles parking space, he said nothing when he stepped out of the car. He stalked around to Dean's side, opened the door and motioned him out.

"Cuffs," Dean said.

"When we get inside. Not risking any more mischief from you today."

"How's your head?"

"You really are an asshole," Brian said.

Dean smiled to himself. He looked around the deputy towards the street wondering why no one in town thought it was odd to have him moved to and from the hotel on a daily basis. His heart skipped when he saw a familiar face getting out of an old pick up. The grizzled beard and the baseball cap sent a jolt of euphoria through him.

Bobby Singer. Finally, real hope.

Needing to get the old hunter's attention, Dean shoved into Brian and sent the deputy skittering back a couple of steps. The motion drove black spots in front of his eyes but it was worth it when Bobby turned in their direction.

"What the hell, Dean?" Brian said, anger tinging his words.

"One last try."

"You're an idiot. Get walking. The sooner I get rid of you today, the better for everybody."

Dean physically stopped himself from looking for Bobby again. He hoped his friend would know enough to stay back and wait. If he rushed in, they might overpower Brian, or they might end up worse off with Sam in more danger.

Thinking about Sam sent a pang through Dean's middle. Eddie Brennan's death could only mean trouble for him.

He cooperated with Brian as they walked to his room, careful not to cause any problems. His head thumped unpleasantly but with Bobby in town, he discarded his plan to sleep for a day. A couple Tylenol and maybe an ice pack would fix him up and then he and Bobby would figure out how to find Sam.

Brian unlocked the room door but didn't go in. He promised to have some pain killers delivered and left strict orders to call someone if Dean's head injury worsened.

"It's nice of you to care," Dean said, not hiding his flippant tone.

"We need you to fight monsters," Brian said.

Closing the door quickly, Brian didn't wait for a response. Dean rolled his eyes then regretted it when his skull exploded in pain. He sat down on the edge of the bed and waited for Bobby. His heart thumped with the pounding of the concussion but it was mostly excitement.

Dean rummaged through his duffel in search of an ice pack. It was the old fashioned type with a screw on lid and a cloth liner on the outside. Taking it to the small kitchen, he took some ice out of the freezer, dropped them into the pack then added some water. He stretched out on the small cushioned couch, leaned his head back and settled with the cold pressing against his skull.

Worrying that Brian might return with the pain killers at the same that Bobby showed up, Dean wondered if he would kill the deputy. He didn't want to. He liked Brian well enough and knew he wasn't evil. But, he needed to get to Sam and the other prisoner, Kristen, and that outweighed any other concerns.

A while later a knock on the door startled him. Dean had drifted to sleep without realizing it. He jumped up then cursed when dizziness and pain nearly toppled him. Unsteadily lurching to the door, he looked through the peephole to see Brian standing on the other side.

"How's your head?" the deputy asked when he opened up.

"It hurts."

Brian handed him a small bottle of Tylenol.

"Do you need a doctor?" He sounded more concerned than Dean probably deserved after the day's events.

"No. I'll take a few of these and go to sleep."

Brian nodded and turned to walk away.

Dean said, "You and Duke have been telling me that you're taking care of Sam. He didn't look like it."

"He's breathing…walking…able to kill somebody…we're keeping our end."

The deputy strode back towards the parking lot. A streak of panic shot through Dean again when he thought of Sam being at the mercy of Eddie Brennan's family.

SUPERNATURAL SUPERNATURAL SUPERNATURAL

Sam remembered nothing of the drive from one farmhouse to the next. The Sheriff clocked him with the butt end of his service weapon as soon as Brian Meyers drove away with Dean.

In spite of a punishing headache, Sam forced himself to open his eyes only to find that he was back in the guest room bed, bound by both wrists to the headboard. They used some leather binding thing that reminded Sam of porn; leather cover over padded interior. He hoped Ava and Eddie never used them for play.

His mind was clearer than it had been and he guessed they hadn't drugged him that day. They probably didn't want him too muddled for the meeting with Dean. Between the break since last night and the adrenaline burn from trying to escape, he felt focused for the first time in a long time which was amazing considering he probably had a concussion.

Eddie, bloody and dead, popped into his brain. He tensed up and his head pounded harder. His captors blamed him for Eddie's death despite the fact that Ava shot him. Whether she panicked, or shifted, or made a decision to kill Eddie, Sam was being held responsible and that worried him.

Would they do something to Kristen Navarro to punish him? Would they do something to Dean?

Before his brain followed that logic all the way, the bedroom door opened to reveal Duke Davis and Marco Rivera. The light from the hall illuminated them. They looked like dark silhouettes, almost like shadows but with more dimension. Sam held his breath, twisting a bit to get a better view of them. His mouth turned to dust and he squeezed his hands closed. He was helpless and they all knew it. The two men stood silently for a long moment before Duke finally crossed the threshold with the mayor close behind. Separating, they moved to each side of the bed. Unable to watch them both, Sam concentrated on the Sheriff.

"You caused a mess of trouble," Duke said.

"He that is taken, and put into chains, is not conquered," Sam said, surprised that the quote came so easily.

"Yeah, I know you're a college boy. No need to toss garbage out like it means something."

"Thomas Hobbes," Sam said, naming the English philosopher who he paraphrased.

"Okay, but, here's the thing, Sam, you are conquered. We are back to status quo. Dean can't find you and can't save you. You're sitting here like a prize and you're not going anywhere. Dean will hunt, you will stay, and the only thing you made happen was the murder of a good man."

"Good man? Seriously? And for the record, Ava shot him."

"Never would have happened without you."

"My sister's husband," Marco said. "She's a widow."

"She's had her hand down my pants since I got here. Probably not that broken up," Sam said.

Marco punched him in the cheek, harder than Sam would have expected. The blow added to the headache and Sam forced blackness away.

Red faced and breathless, the mayor said, "Don't you ever insult my sister."

"Before you get any other bright ideas," Duke said, "Kristen is still in the cellar. I had to appease Ava so that little girl has a black eye now and no books to read."

"Bastard," Sam said.

"You did that, not me. I tried to give you a gift and you spit on it."

Duke motioned to the mayor to move towards the door then he followed him. When they reached the threshold, Duke turned around. Any definition to his face was obscured by the backlight and Sam shivered inwardly.

"No more chores, no more outside. This is your prison now. Now and then, we'll come and get you so you don't soil the bed. Or maybe we won't bother and you can stew in your filth. Playtime is over, Sam."

The sheriff closed the door as he left, leaving the room in darkness. Sam stared towards the ceiling taking long breaths to stay calm. He reminded himself that the bed was more comfortable than the kitchen floor. He had hated doing chores for Eddie and Ava, hated doing anything that benefitted them. He'd survive inactivity for a while.

After a few moments, he decided laying in a warm, comfortable room, even bound by the wrists, would be a nice change. At least until he figured out how to break free. He figured Duke was just posturing about not letting him use the bathroom so they'd have to release him at least a couple of times a day. He'd make an opening and take it.

Despite the vicious headache, the lethargy had left him. He was finally ready to stop making excuses and start making a new plan to escape.

He intended to get free, get to the basement to retrieve Kristen then head for the nearest road. If he needed to damage humans in the process then he was ready. If he needed to kill them then he would. Thinking about Dean with the year ticking down on his deal lent urgency to his resolve. He couldn't stay locked up any longer.

SUPERNATURAL SUPERNATURAL SUPERNATURAL

Dean startled awake, groaning and grabbing his head. For a moment he wasn't sure what happened, then light tapping on the door filtered into his brain. Swallowing back the vomit that wanted to erupt, he stumbled to the door and looked through the peephole. Relief swept through him when he saw the familiar baseball cap and scraggly beard on the other side.

He opened the door quickly, desperate to keep Bobby's arrival secret. Wanting to wrap his arms around his friend, he held up one finger instead before he darted into the bathroom.

Everything he'd consumed in the last three years thundered from his body as if it had been waiting for that moment. He choked and coughed through the vile experience until finally his stomach started heaving but nothing else came out. Falling back on his butt, he wiped his mouth then leaned his head into his hands and closed his eyes. It felt like his skull would burst from the pounding pressure.

The toilet flushed and he dared to peer out from his fingers. Bobby crouched down beside him and nudged a bottle of water into his hands.

"How'd you get concussed?" Bobby said.

"Gun butt, I think." Dean sipped some of the water.

"You want to get up?"

"Yeah."

Dean held out his arm. Bobby's strong hands wrapped around it then pulled him from the floor. Unsteadily leaning on his friend, the two of them tottered into the main room. Bobby eased him on to the couch.

Taking some time to unscramble his brain, Dean drank and waited for a clear thought. He hated the bitter aftertaste of vomiting but the water slid easily down his throat. He turned a blurry gaze on to Bobby and managed a small smile.

"You're a sight," Dean said.

"Good to see you too, son," Bobby said. "Where's Sam?"

"We're kidnapped. Both of us."

Bobby's lips thinned and his shoulders tensed.

Dean spent the next several minutes explaining the situation then concluded with the failed escape attempt.

"There's no way to tell where they're keeping your brother?" Bobby said.

"I tried a locating spell but it literally burned through the entire map. I don't know why it didn't work."

"It's this place. I've heard that compasses get wonky too. Whatever evil spit out of the Devil's Gate, it poisoned the ground, the air, everything."

"You know about this town?"

"Just from hunters who have been here."

"Well, we have to convince someone to tell us where Sam is, but the only ones who know are the Sheriff, his deputies and the mayor. Mayor's probably easiest to turn but we'd have to get him alone."

"Why not just bail out of here and go find him? Someone will know something."

"If the Sheriff or one of his people don't contact Ava then she's supposed to kill him."

"Maybe that'd force Sheriff Davis to bring him out. He'll still need a hunter and Sam would be next in line. It'd be smarter than murder."

"Without both of us, they don't have any leverage."

"The girl in the basement?"

Dean closed his eyes. "I don't know. They might not think she's enough. Plus if I disappear then it'd make them doubt the whole plan. I think they'd kill him."

"All right then, how about you keep doing the hunting and I'll follow the Sheriff until he leads me to Sam. You said he checks in on him."

"Yeah, but, he probably won't go there for a couple days."

"And you're worried about repercussions because of Eddie's death. I get that, believe me. I want to get your brother as soon as we can but, unless you know of a way to get them to talk to us, or produce him, following the Sheriff seems like the best way to go."

Dean slumped further into the couch, keeping his eyes closed and fists clenched. The pain maddened him because he needed to be focused.

"Listen, Dean, you're not doing yourself any good. Or Sam, either. Go on and get some rest. Twelve good hours to let the bruise on your brain start to heal."

"Six. Six hours, Bobby. Then wake me."

"How often do they check on you? Are they coming back tonight?"

"No. Don't think so. I mean if a monster shows up and they need me, they'll come, but they know I'm beat up."

"Do they knock or have a key?"

"What's with the twenty questions? I'm barely tracking here."

"I don't want to leave you alone, Dean, but I don't want to get caught here."

"Oh. Yeah. Um, they knock. It's best if you stay here anyway. If you keep coming and going, someone will see you."

"All right then. Come on, let's get you into bed."

Bobby held out his hand. Dean squinted, wincing as he did and took it, letting Bobby pull him back to his feet. He tottered slowly into the bedroom. Not bothering to undress, Dean slid under the unmade covers and swallowed back a wave of nausea when his skull objected to the change in position.

"Hey, I started some research on the laptop out there," Dean said. "They'll let us go if we can ward the town against monsters. "

"This is unholy ground, Dean. We just have to reverse that, turn it back to normal so the monsters aren't drawn here."

"How do you know about this?"

"When you and Sam didn't show up at my place, I started checking around. Talked to some people, did a little research. Seems like since we let the Devil's Gate get open, this place has been a divining rod for everything supernatural."

"Yeah. That's why the locals need a fulltime hunter. Do you know to fix it?"

Bobby cocked his head and shrugged. "I got the starting blocks. Should be able to figure it out with a little time. You get some sleep and I'll work on it, all right?"

"I kept telling them I just needed to call you. Assholes."

Dean felt the tension start melting and consciousness leaving with it.

"I'm glad to see you," he said.

Drifting off took longer than it should have but the Tylenol had barely touched the headache so he wasn't surprised. When sleep finally came, he washed away with it knowing that Bobby was there, and soon he and Sam would be free.