Chapter 4

Dean parked the Impala outside the cemetery in the middle of Columbus. Claire parked her bike next to them.

"This way," Dean said to her. He and Sam walked to the center of the cemetery where a mausoleum stood with the Latin phrase Ostio ad Mortuum etched above the doors, which had been broken down.

"Damn it," Sam muttered.

"What?"

"This is it," Dean said. "This is where we locked them all away."

"Seven years ago?"

"Yes."

"Those doors were busted open," Claire stated. "Those are pure iron doors."

"Pure iron doors, layered in salt and a binding spell," Sam said examining the doors. "No demon was getting out of Hell from anywhere thanks to this specific location. And they weren't just busted, they were rammed down. This specific location is useless now."

"Yeah, we weren't going to be able to use it again anyway," Dean said, squatting so better to examine the ground.

"What are you looking for?" Claire asked, crossing her arms.

"Something that might help us figure out what happened."

"Like…"

"I'll let you know."

"Well, what about the patch of ground you're standing on?"

Dean looked up. "What about it?"

"It's discolored. Most of the grass around here is green. Cemeteries are as well kept as gardens. There shouldn't be any brown patches. Let alone black and brown."

Dean stood and approached Claire.

"Well I'll be damned," he said.

"What is it?" Sam asked.

"When I escaped purgatory with Benny," Dean said, "The ground I showed up on turned that color of brown. Someone got out of purgatory."

Sam stood on Claire's other side to see the brown patch.

"What could have done it?"

"Don't know," Dean said. "Only humans can get out of Purgatory. The only way monsters can is if the human is willing to be a monster taxi back to this world."

"So…a human got out."

"Unless someone ganked another Leviathan I can't imagine it happening. And it took me a year and a willing partner to help me get out. It's not possible."

"Well, Dean," Claire pointed at the patch. "Someone did. And when they did, it blew open the devil's gate and it happened last night."

"Ironically," Dean said, "when you pounced on us, Blondie."

"Blondie? Oh, that's original," Claire scoffed. "Have you ever acted your age?"

"Well…" Sam began.

"Don't answer that, Sam," Dean warned.

"Well, regardless," Claire said, "the news report said that the cloud was moving Westward toward and covered the West coast, congregating especially in the Seattle area. So, that's my route. So unless you decide to come along or come clean, this is where we say goodbye."

Claire walked back toward her bike.

"What?" Dean asked. She turned around.

"I'm going to Seattle."

"Which is crawling with demons at this point?"

"Where else are we going to get answers?"

Claire turned around and continued on her way.

Sam shoved his hands in his pockets and stared at Dean. Dean looked at him. Sam arched his eyebrows.

"What?"

"Dean…"

"Fine, we'll go with her."

"That's not what I meant."

"I'm not telling her anything."

"Who are you trying to lie to?" Sam asked walking behind him. "Claire or yourself?"

"Don't do the Dr. Phil thing, Sam," Dean warned. "I will punch you if you do."

"Just tell her what you know!"

"Sam!" Dean shouted. "I can't, all right? I can't even look her in the eye without thinking of Cas. If I tell her what happened, she's going to ask the same questions he'd ask if he did live that day. I don't know what's telling her he's alive, but whatever it is, it's dead wrong."

"Did you actually see him die?"

"Well, no."

"Then how do you know he's dead?"

Dean didn't answer at first. Claire had already left. Sam and Dean climbed into the Impala. "He was caught by a leviathan, Sam," Dean said. "It had him in its claws. I wanted to save him, but—"

Sam shook his head. "You just left him?"

Dean slammed the steering wheel.

"Well, that makes sense."

"I don't want to talk about it."

"I get it."

"Do you?" Dean snapped. "Then stop telling me to tell her the truth." The engine purred to life and they left the cemetery, heading to Seattle.

#

Castiel stared at his hands. His once long and broken nails had been trimmed and manicured. It felt odd and so wrong.

He felt his face again. It felt cold and almost disgusting not having something on it.

Although, being reintroduced to the razor was one of his more pleasant experiences since being taken prisoner—or rescued, as Crowley liked to put it.

He didn't like the feel his new clothes had on him at the moment, but he hadn't worn slacks and button up shirts and ties in years so he tried to give them a chance.

He at least wanted his trench coat back.

The door opened and two demons entered. One held his coat. It was set down on the chair while the second demon left a tray of food for him.

They went to leave the room. Castiel vanished and appeared in front of them.

"It'd be best to let us leave, for your sake, Castiel."

"I want to talk to Crowley."

"Crowley will speak with you when the time suits him. Not when it suits you."

Castiel narrowed his eyes at the demon and seized him by the shirt. "Bring Crowley to me now."

The bindings on his arms sparked and crackled. Castiel winced and released the demon.

"Remember, Angel. You need to behave," the demon said. They strode past him out the door.

Castiel picked up the tray and threw it against the wall.

The spell on his wrists shocked him again and he grunted. As they linked together, forming shackles.

He breathed deeply, bracing himself.

So long as he didn't try to resist, the shackles wouldn't hurt him.

Oh well.

Castiel pulled and the shackles crackled and smoked, electrocuting him as he tried.

Grunting, growling, and gritting his teeth, Castiel kept pulling on the binding. The electricity lit the room, and shots of lightening rammed against the walls, scorching the interior decorating.

The more Castiel pulled, the more electricity sailed out from his wrists, burning his skin. With a grunted scream, the shackles broke.

Castiel lost his balance for a moment. He scrambled to his feet and grabbed his coat, throwing it over his shoulders, stringing his arms through the sleeves.

The doors opened and his guards ran to try and suppress him again.

Castiel seized their foreheads and slammed them against the wall. They screamed as they imploded. He released them and they slumped to the ground. Castiel walked out of the room, hand stuffed in his coat pockets.

Any demon that tried to stop him ended up smote.

#

"How is it possible for him to have walked out the room?!" Crowley shouted at the demons, "How did he break those shackles?! Have you any buggering idea what's been unleashed by letting him get out?! Find Castiel and bring him back! I want my leverage!"

The demons save one left.

"Couldn't we capture the girl?" she asked.

Crowley narrowed his eyes at the she-demon. He chuckled. "Meg, Meg, Meg," he said, grabbing her shoulders. "Castiel doesn't care about the girl. He won't come for her."

Crowley released Meg.

Meg watched him go before she herself joined the hunt for Castiel.