Crossing Paths
Disclaimer: See chapter 1
Authors Chapter Notes:
I must say I am disappointed by the response to chapter 1 of Crossing Paths and although lots of readers put it on alert and into their favourites there were only 3 reviews.
Like so many other authors here I have put a lot of time and effort into this story and it has been a labour of love for me over the last 18 months.
If you are reading this and Crossing Paths please consider spending a moment to review. It doesn't have to be War and Peace just a few words will suffice.
On with the show, here's chapter 2.
Chapter 2: Rocky and the Lizard Man
36 hours later. Seattle, Washington
"This is gross," Dean said accidentally touching the large rusting pipe running along the side of the damp tunnel then wiping the resulting slimy, unidentifiable substance smeared on his hand onto the back of Sam's jacket expecting it to burn a hole through the material like the acid blood of the creature in the Alien movies. "And the smell defies description."
"You were the one who wanted to check out the lizard man Dean, so quit whining." Sam replied shortly.
They walked single file; the brick and mortar tunnel was half as wide as it was tall and dimly lit; the covered lights high on the tunnel wall spaced at 15 foot intervals not enough to push back the darkness and give them a clear path. Their flashlights did a far superior job the bobbing light reflecting off the tunnel's slimy walls and wet floor.
Sam took another step forward boots splashing through the tiny river of slimy, oily water that moved sluggishly along the floor his flashlight pointed along the seemingly endless tunnel.
"Thought you said these tunnels weren't a part of the main system anymore?"
"They're not." Sam answered.
"Well why are they so wet and gross?" Dean asked.
"Seepage." Sam stated.
"Seepage?"
"Yeah and gravity. Even though they don't use these tunnels any more ground water, rainwater and all kinds of other crap from the street seeps down."
"Thanks professor," Dean answered sarcastically. "We've been down here for hours Sam. I don't think there's a lizard man down here, not living anyway because that smell would have killed him in less than a day." Dean's irritated voice echoed as he splashed along behind him.
"Smells don't kill Dean." He spat out exasperated. Sam didn't know what was more annoying, the vile, filthy, foul Seattle sewerage system or Dean who had done nothing but complain and gripe since they had entered the tunnels.
"Yeah well… this one could."
"Stop bitchin' and keep walkin'."
"Do you even know where we are and where we're going?"
Sam's hesitation before he answered with, "Yeah." Was all Dean needed as proof that he was right. They were lost in the Seattle underground sewerage system.
"No you don't."
"Alright I don't." Sam answered honestly.
"Great that's just gr-" Dean broke off halting his steps. "What was that?"
"What was what?"
"I thought I heard something."
"I didn't hear anything." Sam ducked his head taking 2 steps into one of the smaller side tunnels that intersected the main one at regular intervals; shining the light along the tunnel.
"Came from up ahead." Dean said pulling his colt from his waistband and moving further down the main tunnel.
"It sound anything like a seven foot tall lizard man?"
"Very funny. It was a kind of clicking."
"Clicking? Like someone clicking their fingers?"
"No like that African tribe from that movie about the Coke bottle," Dean's voice was getting farther away.
"What are you talkin' about? What movie about a Coke bottle?"
"You know… that movie… what was it called?" After a few moments Dean answered his own question. "I got it. The God's must Be Crazy."
Sam stepped back into the main tunnel. "Well I didn't hear any-" He broke off as a clicking type sound came to him.
"You hear it now?" Dean asked already meters away moving swiftly along the tunnel. Sam hurried to catch up.
About 50 meters further on the tunnel ended suddenly at a huge cavernous circular chamber 2 other tunnels the same as the one they had exited branching off around it. A railed walkway ran around the outside of the chamber connecting the tunnels. Discolored water from the intersecting tunnels dripped steadily down the wall into the oily green/brown stagnant looking water that swirled sluggishly four feet from the top of the mote-like chamber. Steel grated walkways with a thigh high rusting metal railing led from each of the intersecting tunnels meeting at a circular central concrete platform in the center of the mote. A rusted metal ladder bolted to the concrete center platform led up into another vertical tunnel leading from the center of the curved chamber roof that looked from here like it went up to the street many meters above their heads.
"Some kind of intersecting central tunnel." Sam said shining the light around the huge room.
"Gee you think genius?" Dean answered testily crossing the walkway to the center platform, footsteps echoing around the wet chamber.
Sam ignored his snide remark, following him slowly onto the platform. "The drains that used to empty from this chamber must be blocked. Wonder how deep this is." He pondered, his light now aimed at the water.
"Why don't you jump in and find out?" Dean said with a lite shove in Sam's chest as he came to stand beside him.
"Very funny smart ass," Sam replied. "Why don't you?"
"Hey you were the one who wanted to find out how deep it is not me." Dean answered shining his light up the ladder.
Sam turned away from his brother moving onto another of the 3 metal walkways shining the light down the intersecting tunnel. Silently and without warning a figure loomed up in the light. He caught a quick look at an odd shaped pale head a moment before the figure lunged forward pushing him hard in the chest knocking the light and gun from his hands sending him backwards off the platform. There was a flash of pain in his head a moment before water closed all around him and then everything went black.
It happened so fast Dean wasn't sure it had happened at all. If it hadn't been for the fact that he knew Sam had been standing behind him on the platform and then moments later there was a sharp intake of breath, a clatter of metal on metal followed by a loud splash when Dean had spun around quickly facing the sounds Sam was gone. Sam's Glock and flashlight lay on one of the walkways; the flashlight rocking from side to side and the water beside it churning as if something had been thrown or fallen in.
"Sam!" Dean shouted his brother's name knowing instinctively Sam was in that foul water. Without hesitation Dean dropped his own Colt and flashlight and dove into the water. Not even stopping to check it was deep enough.
The water was bone chillingly cold, heavy and dark it was like swimming through frozen honey and it was impossible to see anything; even his hands stretched out searching the water in front and around him for anything that might be Sam couldn't be seen. He kicked down deeper into the murky depths wide open eyes stinging and burning. Eventually his searching hands touched the bottom he skimmed them along the rough surface sharp edges cutting into his fingers and palms as he kicked powerfully forward his lungs straining. When Dean's fingertips jammed against the solid surface of the concave outer wall where it intersected the rough bottom he turned pushing his feet off from the wall in a different direction. With his lungs now burning and begging for air his hands numb from cold touched material that could only be Sam's cargo jacket he grasped it tightly, springing off the bottom stroking upwards through the water with his free hand and kicking as hard as he could with his brother's dead weight. Nonono not dead not dead and his own wet heavy clothes dragging at him. After what seemed like an eternity his head broke the surface. Treading water Dean pulled Sam's limp body up by his jacket wrapping one arm around Sam's chest he pulled him back against him, cupping his other hand under Sam's chin tipping his head back onto his shoulder. Sam's head flopped to the side his wet hair slapping Dean in the face. Dean felt the flutter of Sam's warm breath on his neck as he moved them through the water towards the inner wall of the central platform. Thank God he's alive.
The wall was slick and slimy with moss and other unidentifiable substances making it impossible to gain any purchase. Dean felt a moment of panic as his fingers slipped off the wall for the third time. Keeping Sam's head clear of the water he kicked out towards the outside wall hoping he'd find better grip on the rough bricks. Same result. Curses of frustration filled his head his eyes darted to the metal walkway a good 5 feet above them. If he could just lift them higher in the water he might be able to grasp the edge. But with Sam's unconscious weight it would be nearly impossible.
Dean turned his head meeting Sam's wet foul smelling hair. "Come on Sam… I need you to wake up… Sammy please wake up I… I can't get you out if you don't wake up… please." Dean begged breathlessly through chattering teeth shaking the handful of Sam's jacket he had twisted in his hand.
Sam remained still and quiet but the silence was broken by a clatter of footsteps on the walkway above them. Dean looked up blinking the water from his stinging eyes at the stranger above him. Curly dark hair framed a swarthy face of the man who lay face down on the walkway reaching his arm down to them. "Take my hand I'll pull you up." He said in a strained voice.
Dean continued to tread water as he stretched his arm up above his head towards the strangers reaching fingers. "Not close… enough." Dean gasped out his hand flopping down into the water sending up a spurt of icy water into his face making him tighten his grip on Sam.
"I'll try to get lower." The stranger said, grasping the closest railing for support with his left hand lowering his upper body over the edge of the walkway reaching down again. "Try it now."
"Take my brother first. He's hurt; I'll try to lift him higher." Dean kicked hard trying to get them higher in the water lunging upward aiming for their rescuer's hand.
The strangers hand touched the shoulder of Sam's jacket before they both plunged back down under the water. Dean kicked them back up breaking the surface drawing in a breath checking to make sure Sam's nose and mouth were clear of the water.
"I almost got him. Try again." The stranger gritted out.
"Okay." Dean said through clenched teeth to keep them from chattering. With a roar of angry frustration Dean kicked up stretching upward lifting Sam in his arms at the same time.
With more good luck than good management the stranger's reaching fingers grasped the collar of Sam's jacket the pull of Sam's weight against his arm almost pulled his tenuous grip from the railing support threatening to send Sam and him into the cold foul smelling water. Determined not to let that happen he tightened his grip on the metal pole twisting his fingers in the material of Sam's collar he began to shimmy backwards pulling Sam with him.
Dean watched wide-eyed as the stranger began to pull Sam up inch by painfully slow inch when at last Sam's dripping boots cleared the water Dean pushed up on the soles of Sam's boots while treading water. He could feel himself weakening his movements now slow and sluggish the numbness in his extremities had spread encompassing his whole body.
The stranger pulled Sam up clear of the water grasping for purchase on Sam's wet clothes in order to help lever him onto the walkway; when at last he had most of Sam's upper body on the walkway his lower legs still dangling over the edge he shifted position to above Sam's head taking him under the arms and pulling him backward onto the walkway.
From his position below Dean could see Sam's body lying across the metal grating his rescuer leaning across Sam's prone body. Water from his brother's clothes dripping through the grates to fall back into the mote in a steady stream.
"Is he alright?" Dean forced out in a voice he barely recognized as his own.
"Umm hard to say I think he may have hit his-" The stranger stopped abruptly then continued a moment later. "Wait wait… I think he's coming around." He added.
Dean waited. What the hell else am I gonna do? He heaved a sigh of relief when a few seconds later he heard Sam cough and splutter and through the grate he saw his body shift as the stranger tipped him onto his side.
Sam forced his eyes open and he was looking into olive-skinned concerned face framed by dark curls his brown eyes wide and searching.
Who the hell are you? He was going to ask but when he opened his mouth all that came out was water. Foul tasting water that rushed up his throat spewing forth like a fountain of disgusting filth.
The curly haired man tipped him onto his side patting his back as he continued to choke and splutter on the seemingly endless fluid that evacuated his mouth pain shooting through his skull with every wet heave. "Good that's good better out than in." The man said.
After what felt like forever the water slowed to a trickle and Sam was able to drag in a huge breathe. He then cleared his throat and spit out the remnants of the vile fluid trying to clear the taste from his mouth. "Where's Dean?" He gasped out pushing up onto his elbow looking up at the stranger.
"Take it easy pal you hit your head and almost drowned." The man answered putting a restraining hand on Sam's shoulder in an attempt to stop him from rising.
Sam spat again to the side away from the man, "Where is my brother?" He asked again.
"He's here." He answered.
"Where?" Sam growled out.
"He's in the water." The stranger said glancing over his shoulder.
"You have to get him out." Sam said with urgency.
"Okay. Okay. Will you be alright?"
"Yeah man. Just go get my brother."
His rescuer patted him on the shoulder then moved to the edge of the walkway leaning down one hand around a metal support pole.
Rolling over onto his side Sam watched as the man leaned his torso down over the water. He heard him say, "Give me your hand."
Sam crab crawled using his elbow the short distance to his rescuer's side. The man shot a quick glance at him. Looking over the edge he saw Dean hanging like a side of beef from the man's hand, his legs still immersed in the water . Mimicking the other man's position Sam leaned over and grasped the man's forearm pulling backwards. Dean swung to and fro as he was raised clear of the water his head colliding with the hard metal of the walkway. Sam grasped the collar of Dean's jacket tugging Dean up and over the edge and onto the grated metal.
Dean drew in harsh, shuddering breaths the side of his face pressed against the walkway. Sam flopped down beside him, panting. Dean gave a slow blink and his eyes cleared focusing on him and Sam knew what his brother's first words would be. "Sammy… you… okay?" Dean's voice sounding very un-Dean like echoed through the vast chamber.
When the curly haired stranger had appeared once again above him having left Sam's side he heaved a sigh of relief. He was sinking lower his mouth barely above the water.
The stranger positioned himself as before arm wrapped around the metal support lowering himself over the edge of the walkway reaching down to him.
"Give me your hand" He ordered shaking his fingers for emphasis.
Dean's first attempt as he tried to lift his arm ended with the leaden limb stubbornly refusing to move. Mentally he concentrated all the energy on his arm willing it to lift and reach up. To his amazement the numb limb at last obeyed his brains command. He saw through blurred wobbling vision his dripping arm lift free of the water finger tips blue stretching up towards his rescuer's fingers straining down towards his own. The only way he knew the man caught hold of his hand was when he sensed his numb body rising, moving, and swinging. Pain that threatened to shatter his head into a thousand pieces lanced through him when his face collided with something hard. The tugging on the collar of his jacket jolting his whole body. Then he was being dragged across a solid surface and something hard was digging into his stomach, thighs and then knees. He dragged in a ragged breath, the side of his face pressed against something that felt like a giant cheese grater.
Seconds later the blurred fuzzy outline Dean knew was Sam appeared in in front of him. He closed his eyes in a slow blink to clear his vision. Sam came into focus, "Sammy… you… okay?"
His voice sounding unlike his own echoed back to him in the huge wet chamber.
Sam smiled halfheartedly, "Great Dean just great… you?"
"Never been better. Nothing like a bracing dip in sewerage runoff to clear the mind," Dean said laying his hands flat against the metal pushing himself up to sit on his heels, legs folded underneath him. He glanced down at the palms of his hands then braced them on his thighs.
Sam saw his hands were scrapped blood mixing with water. He opened his mouth to ask how that had happened but a wet cough was the only thing that came from his mouth.
"Hey Sam?"
"Yeah," Sam choked out.
"When I said jump in to find out how deep it was, you knew I was only kidding, right?"
Sam looked at Dean. His wet hair was plastered to his head greenish, oily looking water dripping from the tips ran down his face. Dean's lips were blue and trembling, a small cut at the outer edge of his right eye trailed a thin trickle of blood down his face and neck. His body shook spasmodically from the cold of the water.
Sam cleared his throat, "I didn't jump in Dean I was pushed."
"It was the lizard man," The man both brothers had momentarily forgotten about interjected.
They turned their heads and looked at him. He was kneeling to one side of them his dark curls bounced as he swiveled his head looking between them brown eyes as round as saucers.
"What?" They said in unison.
The man continued to stare at them.
Dean glared back at him eyes like shards of green glass,. "Why'd you do it huh? Why'd you push Sam into that?" He said pointing down at the water swirling underneath them.
"But I didn-" The man began to protest when Sam interrupted him.
"Dean I don't think it was him."
"If it wasn't him then who?"
Sam lifted the corner of his mouth in a half smile, "Umm… the lizard man?"
"Oh come on Sam you're not serious?"
When Sam just looked at him Dean answered, "You're telling me the lizard man is real?"
Sam nodded, "'Fraid so."
"See I told you it was the lizard man," now that he had the brothers' attention he continued. "And it's my fault he's here."
"What the hell are you talking about?" They answered simultaneously.
"I bought him here."
"Bought him here? From where?" Dean asked with a puzzled frown.
"The future," He said seriously.
-CP-
The journey back through the tunnels was uncomfortable to say the least. The brother's wet clothes clung to their skin. Dean was shivering incessantly and his shoulder throbbing mercilessly. Emerging into the afternoon now dark and dreary the rain clouds that had been gathering to the west before they had descended below had closed in making it feel like much later. Both brothers heaved a sigh of relief when The Impala came into view.
As they had crouched on the metal walkway recovering from the events of last 15 minutes their rescuer had introduced himself as Rocky Vescio. He now stood beside the Impala regarding them with dark brown eyes nervously shifting his weight from foot to foot, hands pushed deep into the pockets of his brown corduroy pants, shoulders hunched against the cool breeze that had picked up intensity.
Rocky appeared to be around 30 of slight build and well under 6 foot with a thin face and a long hawkish nose.
Dean unlocked the boot throwing their hand guns and flashlights into the trunk then closing it with a solid thud. He leaned one hip against the trunk looking at Rocky. "Well you've got some splainin' to do Rocky Vescio." He said like a father chiding a recalcitrant child.
"Fair enough but… you won't believe me."
"Try us?" Sam said, with a lopsided lift of his mouth.
Rocky glanced at him. The look on his face told him he was deciding if Sam was serious. "My place is not far we can go there I'll explain everything and you can get out of those wet clothes and take a shower… If you want to that is?"
The brothers exchanged a look. Dean shrugged one shoulder. "Okay let's go."
As Rocky had said his house wasn't far. It started to rain on the short trip the skies unloading its payload.
Rocky's home was a small slightly dilapidated single story weather board house in bad need of a coat of paint and a new roof. The lawn on either side of the path leading up to the porch and the front door was knee high and in need of mowing. Rocky waited while they retrieved their duffle bags from the trunk then they hurried through the now steady rain climbing the steps onto the porch Rocky pulled the key from his pocket pushing it into the lock on the front door. "I know it doesn't look like much but its home."
"No need to apologize, believe me we've stayed in much worse." Dean commented as Rocky unlocked the door pushing it wide, entering then flicking on the light.
The brothers followed him inside. The small house was dissected down the middle by a hallway. At the far end directly opposite the front door was another door that must lead to a rear garden or yard. Five doors were spaced along the hall's length; 3 to the right and 2 to the left through the first open door on the right a rumpled unmade bed could be seen. They followed Rocky the short distance down the hall entering the first door on the left. The room was a combined lounge/living/office with a kitchen at the rear separated from the living area by a long kitchen bench scattered with take-out containers. The rest of the room was filled with a hodge podge of miss matched furniture. The only thing that looked new and out of place in the jumble was the desk top computer and printer sitting on top of huge old dark wooden desk the top scarred with scratches and gouges. At the windows curtains with a faded Aztec looking print pattern hung haphazardly from curtain rods.
"Bathroom's the middle door off the hall. Throw your wet clothes in the machine I'll wash them later." Rocky said.
"You go first Sammy." Dean suggested dropping the duffle bag he carried on the floor beside the lounge door.
"You sure?" Sam asked.
"Yeah go on I want to talk to Rocky here."
As Sam moved toward the door his duffle in hand Dean called to him. "Oh and Sam?"
"Yeah?" Sam answered turning in the doorway.
"Try not to use all the hot water on that girly hair of yours."
Sam lifted one side of his top lip in a sneer before moving out into the hall seconds later Dean smiled when he heard the decisive thud of the bathroom door closing.
"Okay Rocky start talking." Dean said as he moved deeper into the room.
Rocky had retrieved a first aid kit as Dean had shucked his wet jacket and shirt his t-shirt clung to his muscled arms and chest uncomfortably.
Rocky gave Dean a brief run down on his background as he cleaned and dressed the cut under Dean's eyebrow and treated the scrapes on his hands.
Seeking a better life, Rocky's parents made the trip to the US from Conflenti in the province of Catanzaro in Italy when Rocky's mother was heavily pregnant. Rocky was born only 3 weeks after their arrival. They'd worked hard over many years to provide for their only child even scrapped together enough to put him through college. He now had a degree in science and technology but as yet Rocky hadn't put his college education to good use currently working as an overqualified computer repairman. His spare time and all his money was spent working on his obsession - time travel.
Dean looked up from where he was perched on the arm of a tattered armchair when Sam had come in dressed in clean dry clothes.
"What'd I miss?" He asked running his fingers through his damp hair.
"Rocky was just telling me about his lifelong obsession with time travel." Dean answered as he stood. "I'm going to take a shower I can't stomach the stink coming off me one more minute." He moved to the doorway picking up his discarded clothing and duffle before leaving the room.
"So time travel huh?" Sam said as he sat down on the chair Dean had been using as a prop. He soon found out why his brother hadn't been sitting in it when he sunk down his backside almost touching the floor the sides folding in on him. "Whoa."
"Sorry I meant to warn you about that," Rocky said apologetically grasping Sam's hand and pulling him out of the chair and to his feet.
Sam assumed Dean's position on the arm, running the pads of his fingers over the tender lump under his hair at the at the back of his scalp.
Rocky saw the motion. "Need me to look at that?" He offered.
"Nah, its fine, skin's not broken."
When Dean returned some twenty minutes later, hair damp and dressed in clean jeans, black t-shirt and dark green shirt; smelling of his favorite cologne and not the eau de rank he'd left the room bathed in, Rocky was explaining to a very bored looking Sam the theories of mater and particle transference.
Sam was now sitting in the spot Dean had vacated on the arm of the chair. He looked up at his brother relief on his face. "You're back." Sam stated unnecessarily. Dean smiled at the unspoken, silent thank you God he added with his eyes. "Rocky is going to show us his… time portal thingy."
"Okay then, lead the way," Dean gestured with his hand.
Rocky led them to the basement door and down the stairs into the musty smelling room.
"You've got to be kiddin me?" Dean exclaimed, stopping at the bottom of the stairs, staring in disbelief at the contraption in front of him. "This... this is your time machine? He said incredulously. "Where's the sleigh thing with the umbrella mounted on the back, the velvet chair and the crystal headed control handle thing? This looks like a set of headphones for a giant." He added.
"I know it looks a little… weird. I had to improvise with the construction it's taken me years to build and now with the addition of one very vital ingredient it works."
"You need to get out more." Dean replied snidely.
In the center of the room resembling as Dean had said a set of headphones for a giant or a huge pair of pincers, was a large wide horseshoe shaped steel arm the open ends of the horseshoe both had a rectangular box protruding inwards towards each other. The horseshoe shaped arm was parallel to and about four feet above the floor. The curved center of the arm was attached to a hydraulic lifter the thick metal base of which was bolted to the floor. The lifter would be used to lower or raise the arm horizontally. From near the base of the machine thick insulated conduits and electric cables ran across the floor to the back of a vertical 4 foot high computer terminal situated so the operator could operate the machine and have an unobstructed view; the computer terminal itself was a mass of switches, levers, buttons, light bulbs and a large keyboard; a black leather- rolling chair was pulled up to the front of the terminal.
"What makes it work?" Sam indicated the contraption, "what makes it transport objects through time?" He added.
"Heat, but it has to be the right kind of heat. At first I tried electricity on its own. I kept tripping the circuit breakers and man my power bills were through the roof. So I had to find another source to combine with electricity to generate a more powerful, concentrated and cheaper heat."
Dean thought Sam sounded genuinely interested when he asked. "I assume you found it?"
"Yeah it took me awhile but I finally figured it out."
"So what was it?"
"A radioactive isotope."
"Whoa this is radioactive?" Sam sounded shocked instinctively taking a step back from the machine.
"Yeah, but don't worry it's perfectly safe, it works like an x-ray machine."
"And you're telling us a radioactive isotope can move objects from one time to another?" Sam said trying to hide his amusement at the shear implausibility that the contraption in front of him could do any such thing.
"It's a little more complicated than that. But... in a nutshell, yeah."
Sam cocked his head to one side. "It does sort of look like a portable x-ray unit."
"It is... or parts of it are, modified to my specifications." Rocky answered looking proudly at the machine.
"So you ripped off an x-ray unit?" Dean asked.
"No." Rocky answered to quickly for Dean's liking.
"You did, didn't you?"
"Not exactly."
"What does not exactly mean?" Sam piped in.
Rocky was having trouble meeting the brother's eyes. "Let's just say it's not what you know it's who you know, and leave it at that."
"Uhuh. I say again you ripped off an x-ray unit... seriously?"
"I know it's not the Tardis. But… I couldn't find a London police box for sale on eBay and DeLorean's are hard to come by." Rocky said with a smile.
"Funny, that's funny. Where'd you get the radioactive isotope from?" Dean asked. When Rocky opened his mouth to answer Dean put up his hand palm out, silencing his reply. "Wait I think maybe I don't wanna know."
Sam was slowly circling the machine. He stepped over the cables snaking across the floor asking, "Are you sure the lizard man came from the future? I mean how do you know for sure it works?"
"Oh it works. Ever since I added the isotope I've been transporting stuff. You can see for yourself. I'll give you a demonstration." Rocky said enthusiastically.
Pulling the rolling chair underneath him he turned to the control panel flicked several switches and pressed some buttons. A large digital display flashed a line of red 0's. An electrical hum filled the room. Rocky picked up a discarded maroon colored coffee mug from the computer terminal placing the mug on the floor in between the horseshoe arm he then moved back to the panel tapping on the keyboard the digital display lighting up.
"I've programmed the machine to generate a random date."
"Are you sure we won't glow in the dark after this?" Dean asked worriedly.
"Positive as I said before it like having an X-ray. But If I were you I'd stand back unless of course you want to take a little trip? Rocky said.
The brothers stepped back next to where Rocky sat at the machine's computer panel on the rolling chair. He pressed a button that had a down arrow on it and the arm moved down when it was positioned a few centimeters above the floor the mug in its center Rocky lifted his finger stopping the downward motion. He then pressed a large red button on the panel and the room filled with a high pitched whine the air charged with static making their bodies tingle and the hairs on their arms stand up.
The pressure in the air increased. The air between the boxes on the arm began to shimmer and move and the mug began to glow with an eerie light. A few heartbeats later the mug faded and was gone. Rocky flipped the switches and pressed more buttons the whine stopped and the air cleared of static. "Gone." Rocky said triumphantly.
"It is… it's gone." Dean exclaimed moving cautiously closer and peering at the empty space the mug had occupied.
"So you're telling us the mug is in the future?" Sam asked skeptically.
"Well actually it's still occupying the same space but in another time." Rocky answered.
"Where and when is it, exactly?" Dean asked.
Rocky turned back to the console; he looked at the digital readout. "May 19 1950."
"So it's in the past?"
"No it's here just not now."
"Of course it is." Dean said with a lift of his lips.
Sam stepped up beside his brother, reaching down he waved his hand in the empty space above the floor where the mug had sat. "It's gotta be some sort of trick." He said as he circled the machine once more being sure he stayed out from in between the arm.
"No trick I'll bring it back to the future." Rocky pressed more buttons.
"Okay Doc Brown." Dean said with a smirk, stepping back away and pulling Sam with him to stand once more away from the machine.
"I'll key in today's date." Rocky changed the digital date read out to 02 13 2007 and pressed the large red button again. The static and the whine were back in the air once more.
The air between the arms was again shimmering and moving and then the mug re-appeared gradually, semi-transparent at first and then whole.
Rocky shut down the machine then pressed the button with an up arrow on it lifting the horseshoe arm up away from the mug and the floor.
"Well I'll be," Dean said moving back to the machine. He picked up the mug turning it around in his hand. "Beam me up Scotty."
Sam was having a hard time believing it but the evidence was there. After all they'd seen plenty of unbelievable stuff in their lives. Why should time travel be any different?
Dean sounded like a kid at a magic show. "I've got to admit that's pretty impressive. Do it again."
Rocky repeated the experiment going into the mathematical details and how it worked on mater transference, something about the nuclear material in the isotope generating enough heat and power to disassemble particles and reassemble them in some other place and some other time. Sam had no clue what he was talking about and he could tell by the look on Dean's face that like him he didn't really care.
"So how did you manage to bring the lizard man here?" Sam asked, curious.
"I was experimenting with different settings and times. I wanted to see if I could bring something here. Well I did alright. I could hardly believe my eyes I thought at first he was dead. But he was unconscious I guess it must be a side effect of matter transference."
"So flesh and blood is different to inanimate objects?" Dean questioned.
"Yeah. I was going to send him straight back but before I could re-program the portal he woke up. He busted out that window and took off." Rocky pointed to the boarded up window. "He was fast, real fast and in a flash he was gone."
"So you didn't try to go after him?" Sam said.
"Not then. It was only after I started to hear the news reports that I knew I had to do something, to send him back."
"When you bought him here what date did you have programmed into the machine?" Sam asked.
"June 23. The machine generated the year."
"And what year was that?" Dean pressed for more information.
"2021." Rocky whispered.
"2021? Great that's great. Fourteen years... the lizard man is from fourteen years in the future."
"Rocky what date was it when you bought him here?" Sam asked.
"February 2nd."
"Today's the twelfth. So… Scaly, he's been here for 10 days... living in the sewers?" Dean said almost disbelievingly.
"Yeah."
"How long before you started trying to find him?" Sam asked but already knew the answer.
Rocky looked down at the floor, mumbling. "Today."
Dean put a hand to his ear, "Didn't quite get that."
After a few seconds Rocky finally lifted his eyes meeting Dean's intense stare. "Today alright? I didn't start looking until today."
"Let me get this straight you let this go on for 10 days before you decided to do something about it?" Dean asked his tone deep and menacing.
"Yeah I guess."
"And when you found him how were you planning on capturing him exactly?"
"I… I don't know. I guess I never really thought it through." Rocky said with a shake of his head.
"You mean you didn't think of asking him nicely to come back to your place for coffee and a chat?" Dean asked snarkily.
Sam shot Dean a warning look. "Dean that's not helping."
Rocky spoke up in his own defense. "I didn't know what else to do. I was hoping it would just all blow over."
"Blow over?" Dean said in disbelief. "You thought nobody would notice the lizard man from fourteen years into the future living in the sewer."
Sam interrupted Dean's tirade gesturing towards the machine, "Can you program that thing to the exact same date in 2021 and send him back?"
"Time portal," Rocky corrected. "Yes."
"Sam, are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Dean asked, his green eyes leaving Rocky and now on his brother.
"Yeah I think so. We catch the lizard man Rocky can send him back."
"Great so we have to clean up his mess?" Dean answered.
"We can't leave that thing down there Dean."
Dean sighed and rolled his eyes to the ceiling. He'd been trying to ignore the heat that had been building in his shoulder the torn flesh of the bullet wound felt swollen the skin pulling tight with each movement of his arm no matter how small. When he'd showered the wound had looked inflamed the edges raised and weeping so far only a clear fluid. He'd scrubbed at the wound as hard as he could stand with a soapy wash cloth in a hope of stopping the infection that had taken hold in the abused flesh from spreading further.
"If you've got any better ideas I'm all ears Dean." Sam said lifting his arms away from his sides for emphasis.
Dean straightened from where he was leaning against the wall hands shoved deep into the pockets of his jeans. Sam didn't miss the slight wince the movement caused him. Pinning his eyes on Rocky Dean walked slowly and purposefully towards him.
At Dean's approach Rocky began backing away straight into the far wall. Dean towered over the much shorter man staring menacingly into his face.
"Listen up Rocky. Sam and me we'll get your friend back here. Then you're going to send him back to the future and when he's gone you're never going to use you're portal… thingy ever again. Or better still we're going to destroy it. Is that clear?"
Rocky nodded his curls bouncing with the movement. "He's not my fr-" Stopping abruptly when he saw the look on Dean's face grow darker. "Absolutely, perfectly, crystal clear."
"Good. Okay Sam lets go catch the creature from the black lagoon."
-CP-
"Are you curious?" Sam asked as Dean drove them the short distance back to the place where they had entered the sewer earlier in the day.
"About?" Dean returned.
"About the lizard man." Sam replied glancing across the car at his brother.
"Yeah. I am." Dean said his face lit momentarily by the headlights of a passing car. "I'm curious to know if this lizard man is Joe Average in 14 years."
"14 years as things go it's not really a long time.
"Could things have changed so much? What if there is no our kind of people in the future? The world might be covered in lizard people, like a Planet of the Lizards."
Sam huffed out a laugh and shrugged, "Could well be or it could be just a possible future."
"Like the Terminator."
"Maybe that's how it is? One thing changes and the future changes or doesn't change; we only have to wait 14 years to find out."
"Like we'll still be alive in 14 years." Dean said with wry humor.
"Good point." Sam answered. "So how do you want to do this?"
"Tazer." Dean replied.
"Tazer? With all that water down there you think that's wise?"
"No not really. But if Scaly is as big as he's said to be, rock salt is not going to do a thing and we can't shoot him, we need him alive so Rocky can send him back.
"Yeah I guess," Sam agreed. "So where do you want to start?" he added. Again Dean's face was caught in the light of a passing car. Sam saw he looked flushed and sweaty. "Hey man you okay?"
"Yeah why wouldn't I be?" Dean answered curtly.
"No reason."
"We'll start at that central chamber where he pushed you in. There was a manhole at the top of that ladder. It looked to me like it opened onto the street. If we can find that it'll save us having to go through those disgusting tunnels again."
"How we gonna find it?"
"I made a mental note of the direction; if we start from where we went in and came out I can find it." Dean replied surreptitiously wiping away the sweat gathered on his upper lip with the back of his hand. The heat from his shoulder had spread and now his body was racked with hot and cold chills and he shivered inside his denim jacket.
"Then what?"
"Will you quit it with the questions." Dean said angrily. His voice loud in the confines of the car.
"Okay grumpy just asking." Sam answered.
"We'll tazer him, tie him up and drag him back to Rocky's place." Dean answered as they pulled up to the spot where they'd earlier entered the sewer.
"You think these will be powerful enough?" Sam asked as Dean handed him a tazer.
"Should be enough to knock him out until we can get him back to Rocky's." Dean said closing the truck lid pulling the coil of rope he held over his shoulder.
"How did he survive down there for 10 days?" Sam pondered testing his flashlight.
"You mean because lizards are cold blooded and need warmth from the sun for energy?" Dean answered glancing around trying to get his bearings.
"Yeah."
"This way." Dean turned and started walking away from the Impala. "He's some kind of a mutant hybrid slash man so maybe he doesn't need the sun like your regular garden variety type lizard."
Deans' directional instincts proved to be sound they found the manhole cover leading to the water filled chamber on the first try. After they pried the cover loose Dean leaned down into the hole shining the flashlight into the depths catching the glint of light off water and the echo of it dripping and falling into the mote.
"Yahtzee!" Dean exclaimed triumphantly his voice echoing in the watery chamber before he pulled back out throwing the coil of rope down the hole before turning and descending the ladder.
Sam followed him down onto the central platform.
Dean was already crossing the metal walkway towards one of the tunnels.
"What are you doing Dean?" Sam asked his voice echoing around the vast chamber. He turned the light onto Dean's back.
"What do you think I'm doing I'm looking for Scaly." Dean's voice echoed back to him as he entered one of the tunnels off the main chamber.
"Be careful cuz from what I saw he is big." Sam advised. Following Dean's lead he moved into one of the tunnels shining the flashlight into the dark.
Dean heard Sam's warning his brother's voice sounding eerie as it echoed in the wet tunnels.
"I hate these filthy, stinking tunnels," Dean mumbled to himself shining the flashlight ahead as he moved cautiously further into the tunnel. "Come on you scaly freak show yourself."
And just like that it was there right in front of him its reptilian head caught in the circle of light. Dean jerked the tazer up but before he could press the trigger the creature's hand snaked out knocking the tazer from his hand he heard it hit the wall and then the ground as the scaly hand closed around his throat cutting off his stifled cry and lifting him off his feet. Instinctively he reached up to claw at the scaly hand trying to dislodge its tightening grip, dropping the flashlight into the water on the bottom of the tunnel.
Unable to draw a breath he continued to claw at the hand strangling the life out of him. He thought he heard Sam call out his name as the creature held him high; the clicking sound he'd heard earlier came from the creature as it moved him backwards down the tunnel back the way he had come. His head hit the top of the tunnel twice that he was aware of his eyesight dimming. Dean knew when the creature had reached the main chamber by the change in the air and the feeling of space around him.
Through the pounding in his head he heard Sam's splashing footsteps from somewhere behind him. "A… little… help… here," He gasped out between clenched teeth.
"Crap!" Sam called out.
Dean heard the clatter of Sam's feet on the metal walkway then his exclamation of. "Damn it!" followed a moment later by. "Hang on Dean."
The lizard man's face was blurring and wobbling alarmingly in front of him. "Hurry… up… S-" Was all he managed to choke out.
From the corner of his rapidly dimming vision Dean saw Sam appear on the walkway to his left as the pressure building in his head burst across his brain sending him over the edge of consciousness into blessed darkness.
The clatter of what could only be the sound of Dean's tazer hitting the ground followed by a cut-off cry and another clatter of the flashlight meeting the same fate echoed to him.
Sam stilled, listening. "Dean?"
When no immediate answer followed Sam turned running back down the way he had come, emerging into the main chamber flashlight showing him an unexpected scene.
That was when Sam got his first really good look at the lizard man of Seattle or his head at least the rest of his body obscured by Dean his back to him struggling and kicking his legs in an obvious attempt to free himself from the web-fingered hand wrapped tightly around his throat. The entrance to the tunnel Dean had entered into a minute earlier was at the lizard man's back.
In that split second he had to admit the reports were surprisingly accurate. He was around 7 feet tall his general shape resembled a man with pale scaly sickly greenish/grey skin his head was an odd shape with a band of raised bone or cartilage running from the middle of his forehead down each side to the back of his head a flat nose below his horizontally elongated irises the pupils horizontal slits his round lips a deep gray blue. The creature's free hand the one not currently strangling his brother was held at its side the webbed fingers spread wide and… yes he was wearing camouflage patterned button up pajamas and running shoes.
The creature emitted a clicking sound, it's head cocked curiously to the side as it looked into Dean's face.
Dean was gasping and clawing at the creatures' scaly hand trying to loosen his hold his booted feet dangled 6 inches off the ground. "A… little… help… here." Dean forced out through what Sam knew would be clenched teeth.
"Crap!" Sam said running noisily across the walkway to the central platform and then onto the walkway where Dean continued to struggle in the lizard man's grip.
Stopping several feet away but within the tazer's range Sam lifted it taking aim his finger poised over the trigger. Realizing in that moment that there was no way he could fire without the risk of hitting Dean.
"Damn it!" Sam shot frantic eyes around looking for an alternative. "Hang on Dean." He shouted as he ran back along the walkway to the central platform.
"Hurry… up… S-" The last word cut off as Sam turned running down the walkway closest and parallel to Dean and the creature.
When he drew level opposite the pair he aimed the tazer at the lizard man's exposed side in the same instant as Dean went slack in the lizard man's grip his hands fell away from the creature's webbed hand still holding tight around his throat to hang loosely at his sides his booted feet limp, dangling and swaying.
Sam fired the tazer the wires shot from the gun across the space between them. The pronged probes pierced him in the side just below the ribs. Sam pressed the trigger releasing the current into the creature; it hissed, jerking spastically throwing its head back the hand around Dean's throat contracted and seemed to tighten. Sam pressed the trigger again the creature jerked and staggered the hand around his brother's throat opened and Dean fell boneless to the metal walkway. Sam pressed hard against the trigger a third time it bought the lizard man down he fell to his knees jerking then fell forward his torso landing across Dean's lower legs.
Sam was at his brother's side in a matter of moments. Adrenaline pumping through his system giving him strength he reached down intending to roll the lizard man off of his brother noting that the creature had some kind of tattoo on the back of his neck. He paused in the motion instead he pushed the creature's collar down away from the tattoo so he could see it more clearly. It was a bar code in black ink. Letting the lizard man's color go he then pushed and pulled him off of Dean's legs, taking Dean's jaw between his fingers and turning it towards him. Lowering his cheek to Dean's mouth he heaved a sigh of relief when he felt the warm puff of breath against his skin.
Grasping hold of Dean's shirt front he shook him. "Dean hey Dean."
Dean's long lashes quivered then lifted. He blinked rapidly a couple of times then his green eyes cleared focusing on Sam.
"There you are." Sam said with breathless relief.
"Sam?" Dean's voice came out of his abused throat as a husky whisper.
"Yeah Dean." Sam answered.
"I found him."
Sam couldn't help himself, he laughed. "Yeah you did."
Dean lifted his hand and rubbed at his throat. "D'you get it?" He asked
"Yeah I got it." Sam answered.
With Sam's help Dean struggled to a sitting position, "This scaly dude sure is strong," Dean gasped. "Just imagine how strong he would be if he hadn't been living out of the sun for 10 days." Dean added looking down at the still form of the lizard man at his feet.
"That's a scary thought. But like you said he's some kind of hybrid so maybe the general rules don't apply." Sam glanced at the creature then back to Dean. "Wanna know something else weird about him?"
"Something else weird other than that the weird that he even exists?"
"Yeah."
"What could be weirder?"
"He's got a bar code tattooed on the back of his neck."
"A bar code?"
"A bar code." Sam repeated.
"You mean like the things you buy have a barcode on the packaging?"
"That's what I mean."
"Huh… you're right that is weirder." Dean drew Sam's attention to him. "Urrr Sam."
"Yeah."
"One thing. How are we gonna get this big, strong, ugly tattooed bastard back to Rocky's place?"
Sam pursed his lips in thought. "That is a very good question."
-CP-
It turned out capturing the lizard man had been the easy part of the plan; getting his large, heavy and thankfully still unconscious body back to Rocky's house was the hard part.
Sam attached one end of the length of rope around the creature's chest as Dean the ropes other end clamped between his teeth climbed the ladder back to the street when Sam joined his brother they hauled his considerable weight up the circular shaft and onto the pavement. An hour later, huffing, sweating and exhausted with the still unconscious lizard man hanging limply between them they dragged him down the stairs into the basement.
Rocky preceded them down the stairs moving any objects so they had a clear path across the large room to the machine.
As the brothers laid the creature out on the floor Rocky moved to the computer panel and flipped some of the switches. The electric hum filled the room as the brothers stepped away from the machine to stand next to Rocky.
Rocky lowered the arm positioning it in line with the lizard man before keying 06 23 2021 into the digital date readout.
"Move it along Rocky before he wakes up." Dean said eyeing the creature for signs of movement.
Rocky depressed the red button to activate the machine the room filled with what in one afternoon and evening had become a familiar high pitched whine the air again charged with static. Dean felt the hairs on his arms stand up. The air between the arm and around the lizard man began to shimmer and move and a glow surrounded the creature. A split second later everything went pear-shaped the lizard man jerked upright to a sitting position his head turned from side to side as he looked around the room in confusion before they settled on the other 3 occupants. He got slowly to his feet taking a few steps forward then stood swaying next to the machine and no longer within its range, his long blue tongue darting in and out as if testing the air.
"Crap." Dean exclaimed.
"Dean he's not in range." Sam whispered.
"Thank you Captain Obvious." Dean replied.
"What are we gonna do?" Sam said lowly.
"Hang on while I consult my manual on how to subdue a lizard man." Dean hissed back.
"Whatever you're going to do, do it fast." Rocky interrupted.
The brother's eyes were drawn to him. "Why?" Sam asked.
"If I keep the machine active for more than a few minutes at a time it'll overheat and possibly blow up." Rocky explained tensely, eyes like saucers darting from the brothers to the creature.
To spite the tension of the moment Rocky almost laughed at the brother's expressions of disbelief as they took in his words. Dean's eyebrows rose almost into his hairline his mouth dropped open and Sam had a grimace of frustrated anger.
"Terrific." They said in unison.
Dean stared back at the lizard man. "So all we have to do is get him back in between the headphones, right?"
"How Dean?"
"Ummm we'll rush him force him back into the transporter thing."
"You make it sound so easy."
"Ready?"
"As I'll ever be." Sam answered.
"On the count of three."
"On the count of three, right." Sam repeated.
Rocky interrupted. "Guy's when you're ready."
"Shut up Rocky." The brothers said once again in unison.
Dean's eyes went from Rocky to the lizard man. "Okay here we go. One, t-"
Sam held up a hand. "Wait on three or one two three go and then go on go?"
Dean frowned at his brother trying to work out Sam's query. "Just go when I say go."
"Got it."
"Okay… Go!"
Together they rushed the creature. He hissed and spat angrily long tongue flicking the air; a moment before they reached him he grabbed them both by the shirt front lifting them into the air and flinging them backwards as if they weighted no more than a feather. They came to a jolting halt crashing through the wooden stair railing to lay winded and stunned across the bottom steps in a tangle of long limbs and broken, splintered railings.
"Sam." Dean said breathlessly reaching out and latching onto Sam's forearm.
"I'm okay… w, w, winded." Sam returned in a gasping hitching voice, trying to draw in a full breath and at the same time disentangle himself from the ruins of the railings. "Don't let him get away."
The lizard man hadn't moved he stood in the middle of the room head cocked to the side watching them with seeming interest making the same clicking sound they'd heard in the tunnel.
Assured that Sam was okay Dean pushed the splintered wood off of himself and gained his feet then with a growl ran at the creature tucking his head into one shoulder and wrapping his arms around his waist he crash tackled him forcing him backwards and down to the floor his body pressed hard against the creature's. The impact with the creature sent a spear of agony through his wounded shoulder the second impact felt through the creature with the floor made him cry out and clench his teeth.
Dean could hear the whine of the machine and was physically aware of the static charge. It crackled across his skin sending small shock-waves through his body and a buzzing in his head. A sharp smell of cordite burned his nose and throat as he drew in a harsh breath.
The creature struggled under him trying to buck him off; pain radiated out from the bullet wound shooting up his neck and down his arm he gave a bitten off cry readjusting his grip on the creature. The whine built to an ear-splitting level; he wanted so badly to release his hold on the creature squirming and bucking under him and cover his ears but instead he tightened his grip squeezing his eyes shut and through the cacophony of sound assaulting his hearing and filling his head he heard Sam call his name and then felt what had to be Sam grab a handful of his jacket and pull up and back. Then a sense of falling combined with pain, white hot and burning bombarded him from everywhere crushing him until he was sure he would implode. He screamed out in agony as the pain overwhelmed him and the falling sensation continued, this time into oblivion.
Continued in Chapter 3: Mistaken Identities
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