"Surely this can't be right."
Sara frowned, eyes squinting against the harsh sun as she shaded her eyes, glancing at the small building in front of her. Painted a pale shade of blue, the color was faded from years of sun and dust. A half burnt out sign in the window flickered "Mel's Diner." The open sign was against the glass door, but only one lone car was parked in the parking lot.
"Why would he send me here?" Sara continued in annoyance. "This doesn't make any sense! Alex, are you sure these are the coordinates?"
"Positive," Alex replied, glancing at her tablet.
"Well, at any rate, I'm starving," Claire said. "So let's get something to eat and go from there."
Begrudgingly, Sara slouched towards the restaurant. Her brother patted her shoulder sympathetically, and held the door open for her.
The diner wasn't much better on the inside; the wallpaper was peeling, and the booths were older than the girls. But still, it was air conditioned and clean, so it would do.
There were few people in the diner; a middle aged woman behind the counter, serving coffee to an older man in a ball cap; a man and a woman at a booth in the corner; a couple of teenagers sitting at the end of the counter; and the chef, who was whistling as he flipped burgers.
Sara shuddered, feeling something odd in the pit of her stomach. She looked around nervously, and realized several things at once; 1. No one was eating. 2. The door had locked behind them. 3. They were all staring at her and her friends.
Claire had noticed too, and was backing up to try the door. The woman who had been sitting in the corner stood, flipping the sign on the door to 'closed' and pulling the blinds down.
"Sara," Claire started in a warning tone.
"I know," Sara said, the girls and Gavin standing in a semi-square in defensive stances. Claire drew her angel blade from inside her jacket, Sara withdrew her trench knife from her sleeve. Gavin's .45 Desert Eagle clicked as he cocked it, and Alex flicked her stiletto blades open.
Within moments, everyone else in the diner's eyes had flickered black.
"You bitches don't know who you're messing with," Claire warned.
Everyone demon in the diner withdrew an angel blade.
"Oh, son of a bitch. Why not just change the name from angel blade to everyone-and-their-brother blade?" Claire rolled her eyes, holding her hands up in surrender. The others followed suit, outnumbered, as they dropped their weapons.
The waitress looked them over. "Take them downstairs," she said.
"She meant downstairs like a basement, right?" Claire whispered to Sara. "Not, you know, downstairs, downstairs."
"I don't know, Claire," Sara hissed, still holding her hands up as the rest of the demons forced them through a set of doors and down a dark, stone staircase.
"If we die I'm so not forgiving you," Claire hissed back. "I'll haunt you – even if we both die. I'll haunt your ghost."
They carefully made their way down the stairs, until they reached a long, musty hallway. Two demons in suits guarded a heavy, wooden door. They glanced at the girls and Gavin for a moment, then opened the doors.
Claire had been expecting fire and brimstone. Alex had been expecting an intricate torture chamber. Gavin had been thinking of escape routes. And Sara didn't know what to think.
Ancient, marble floors stretched out in the large chamber of a room, as well as several large pillars that held up the dome shaped ceiling with intricate crown molding. The ancient stone walls were lined with shelves and wardrobes and artifacts. A large chandelier hung from the ceiling, candles twinkling in the dim lighting. Tapestries and ornate rugs were draped about the room, giving it a majestic air.
People – no, demons – were bustling around, some chatting and some barking orders, some rushing around with papers and files and others sharpening weapons.
The group stepped into the room, looking around in awe.
The demon who had led them stepped in front of them. "This way, your highness."
It took a moment for Sara to realize she was talking to her, and she blinked before following the demon, weaving through the gaggle of demons with Claire, Alex, and Gavin directly behind her.
They were led across the room towards a table where maps were spread out. Two demons stood close together, talking and pointing. One was the largest man Sara had ever seen, taller than Sam and twice as broad. His skin was dark brown, almost the same color as his eyes, and his head was shaved closely. Beside him was a young woman, maybe in her late twenties or early thirties, who looked to be of Chinese descent. Her long black hair was pulled back neatly. She was very small compared to the mountain of a man she stood next to, but still just as intimidating. Both wore simple, well tailored suits. The woman was speaking, and the large man next to her observed and nodded.
They looked up as Sara approached, and stopped talking, standing up straight.
"Your highness," the man greeted, his voice deep and rumbling. He gave a slight bow, and the woman beside him followed suit.
Sara was thoroughly confused. "What's going on?" she asked, looking around. "What is this place – who are you?"
"My name is Roland, this is Camille," he continued. "We work for your father."
Sara's heart beat faster in anticipation. "Where is he?"
"We don't know," Camille said. Her voice was smooth and expressionless, and Sara suppressed a shiver. "However, now that you're here, we know he's alive."
Sara frowned. "I'm sorry, I don't follow."
"After the Abaddon crisis, Crowley left specific instructions should anything happened to him," Roland continued, crossing his massive arms and leaning against the table. "When he found you, he updated those instructions. If anything, the King is thorough."
"Hold up, I'm gonna need some background info here," Claire said, stepping forward. "What exactly is this place?"
"Hell has established units like this all over the globe," Camille said, gesturing for them to follow her to the table. "We store records, weapons, and other information in them." She pointed at a map and flipped a switch on the table. Dozens of red lights popped up all over the map. "These are the ones currently in operation. Unfortunately some of the demons have turned to Lucifer's side." She turned a dial, and all the dots except for about a dozen turned blue. "The blue dots are the units that have been compromised."
"Since our usual base of operations is now under Lucifer's control we've relocated here," Roland continued. "These demons you see around you are Crowley's supporters. Some of the only ones left."
"But what does all this have to do with me?" Sara demanded, getting impatient.
"If you received information on how to get here it means that Crowley is alive, and must have escaped from Lucifer."
"Then why isn't he here?" Claire asked suspiciously.
"If our reports are correct, we have to assume the rumors are true, and that he's looking for something," Camille said. "He sent you here because as Crowley's advisors, it falls upon Roland and myself to guard you."
"We've got Winchesters," Claire said sassily, crossing her arms.
Camille raised her eyebrows. "Yes, the Winchesters who, working on a simple werewolf case, managed to get shot."
"What?!" Claire demanded.
"I believe it was only one," Roland glanced at Camille boredly. "The big one."
Alex was already dialing Dean's number on her phone, walking a few feet away. "Dean? Dean, it's Alex . . ."
"How do you know so much?" Gavin demanded.
"It's our job," Roland chuckled. "Listen kid –"
"Gavin," he replied, trying to look bigger next to Roland the Giant. "MacLeod."
Roland raised his eyebrows. "The Prince returns," he said after a moment. "We lost tabs on you two years ago."
"I know," Gavin replied simply.
"Sam's okay," Alex said breathlessly as she returned. "I didn't tell them where we were, but they're staying in a hotel for a few days while Sam recovers, so we'll be able to beat them home."
"I still don't understand why my father couldn't call, or come to me," Sara said, chewing on her pinkie nail.
"The King has a fierce protection plan surrounding you," Camille said. "For whatever reason, you do actually seem to mean something to him. Perhaps due to the immense power building inside of you."
"Or due to the fact that she's his kid," Claire sassed.
"Demons don't really do emotions," Camille shrugged.
"Tell that to Meg," Roland muttered, and Camille shut up.
"But the fact remains that if he is being followed he could potentially lead Lucifer right to you," Roland went on.
"But if he's out there on his own he could be in trouble!" Sara argued. "We should find him and help him!"
"What is he looking for?"
Everyone turned to glance at Alex, who was looking thoughtful. Frowning, she continued. "You said he was looking for something. What?"
Roland and Camille hesitated, looking at each other.
Sara's eyes widened slightly with realization. "He's looking for the Hands of God," she said. "My dad and Lucifer are looking for the same thing."
"That makes it even more dangerous," Gavin said.
"Then we'll just have to find it first," Sara said, and everyone looked at her. She continued. "If we find it before Lucifer we can give it to Dad to use against him."
"And how exactly are we going to find one of these things?" Claire demanded.
"Sam said Lucifer wanted to use me to find them," Sara went on. "That means that somehow I must be able to locate them."
"Absolutely not," Roland said, shaking his head. "We can't allow you to be put in harms way."
"I'm not asking," Sara said firmly. "Bring me any lore you have on these Hands. That's an order."
Hesitating, Camille and Roland looked at each other for a long moment before doing what they were told.
"Dude, that was awesome!" Claire whispered to Sara.
"I might puke," Sara whispered back, stomach queasy.
"Here it is," Camille said smugly as she rejoined them. Behind her, four demons pushed large carts full of books of all sizes, ages, and languages.
Sara's shoulders slumped in disappointment. It would take them ages to go through all of those.
She sighed. Might as well get started now.
"Alright, guys," she said, picking up a book. "Let's get started."