Chapter 43

"I just wanted to check on him," Bryan said. "That's all." Dean didn't answer. He walked over to the fireplace and grabbed the poker angrily out of the flames and then stalked back over toward Bryan, yielding it like a weapon.

"Wait a minute!" yelled Bryan. "Please! I didn't hurt your brother!"

"You said you would not try to get away Bryan," accused Dean.

"I didn't. I just wanted to check on Sam. If I had wanted to get away, I would have run. I just wanted to make sure he was okay. What the hell did you do? Drug him?"

"Don't worry about my brother," replied Dean. "I'll take care of him."

"You're scaring him Dean. You've just drugged him and you're holding him prisoner."

"I'm trying to protect him," Dean yelled.

"He does not need to be protected from me. Nemesis can still get to him whether he's locked in that room or not! You have got to let us help you!" Bryan pleaded but Dean wouldn't listen. He grabbed him by the hair and slammed his head against the pole.

"Dean!" he yelled. "Just hold on a minute!"

"You were going to…," accused Dean but Bryan cut him off.

"I was not going to do anything to him! I was just going to let him out of those cuffs!"

"You promised me you'd stay where I put you," said Dean angrily. "You lied!" He went down to his feet and touched the poker to the bottom of one of them.

"NO!" yelled Bryan and screamed in pain when Dean touched the poker to his flesh. He immediately began to breathe heavily and beads of sweat broke out on his forehead. The bottom of his right foot burned with intense heat and a large blister formed quickly, but Dean wasn't through.

"Wait!" yelled Bryan nervously as Dean was about to touch the other one. "Okay Dean! Okay!" Dean stopped, the poker only inches from his left foot.

"I won't do it again okay! Please!" yelled Bryan. "I won't try to get away again." Dean looked at Bryan and went to replace the poker then he came back over and backhanded the cop, busting his lip.

"Stay away from Sam," warned Dean. Bryan closed his mouth. He didn't say another word. Dean took the rope and tied his ankles back together again then walked back over and placed another log on the fire.

At the clinic, Brad was sitting in a chair. He closed his eyes and began to concentrate. "Wait," said Jack. He opened his eyes. "What?" he asked.

"I'm going downstairs to get that book. I want to make sure we do this right," Jack replied.

"Okay but hurry," answered Brad. Jack nodded and ran down to the clinic. After about ten minutes he had not returned. Brad got up and walked to the top of the stairs. "Jack?" he yelled down nervously. All he could think was that he should have been back by now. The phone rang. Brad walked over to answer it.

"Hello," he said.

"Hello Brad," said Nemesis. He froze. He felt ice water in his veins. A cold chill went down his spine. He closed his eyes and swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat.

"How are you," asked the immortal. Brad didn't answer. On the other end of the line, Nemesis grinned. "Where's your brother Brad? You better go look for him. I'll call you back in 5 minutes and Brad, the phone better not ring more than once. It's been awhile since I've pulled your strings. Better hurry."

Brad threw down the phone and ran down the stairs. "Jack!" he yelled nervously and looked all over the clinic but he couldn't find him anywhere. He thought, hoped, that he might somehow have got past him so he went upstairs to Jack's bedroom praying that he was there, but he wasn't. He couldn't find him anywhere.

He ran back down to the living room. The phone rang. He answered it on the first ring. His heart was doing flips in his throat. "Where is he!" he yelled. "Where the hell is my brother? What have you done with him?"

Nemesis didn't answer his question. Instead he said, "So Brad. You can astral project?"

Brad got real still, real quick. "What," he asked nervously. "I don't,"

Nemesis cut him off. "Don't give me that," he said. "We're still watching you, you know? I knew you had powers, but I had no idea you could do that."

"Where is Jack you son of a bitch!" he yelled.

"Watch your mouth son and listen to me. You will not astral project. Do I make myself clear? You will not spoil my plans, now go downstairs," said Nemesis. Brad stood his ground refusing to move. Nemesis became angry. "You do as you are told Brad, or I will kill your brother!"

Brad closed his eyes and shook his head. He didn't have a choice and he knew it. Slowly he walked downstairs and looked toward the door to the clinic. There were three men standing there.

"Let them in," Nemesis instructed. Brad walked over and unlocked the door. The men pushed their way inside. Two grabbed him and a third took the phone away from him.

"We have him sir. We have his brother also."

"Very good gentlemen. Keep them separated. I'll be there soon. I think I'm going to have to explore some of Brad's gifts more closely," said the immortal.

"Yes sir," said the man holding the phone. His name was Harper. "What about the others?"

"They're taken care of," said Nemesis. "They're all doing just what I want. Do not let those two get away. Watch them. They both have powers. Keep them separated and make sure that each one of them understands clearly that if either one of them tries anything, the other one will be harmed. They'll behave themselves. I'll be there soon."

"Yes sir," replied Harper and hung up the phone.

"Where is my brother!" said Bryan angrily. He received a punch to the gut. He grunted and doubled over.

"Strap him to a table," ordered Harper. The two men with him dragged him over to one. He fought all the way. He managed to hit one and almost got away from the other, but Harper grabbed him, and pulled him close until they were nose to nose.

"Stop it," he warned. "If you don't behave yourself your brother will be in a whole lot of pain!" Brad struggled for a few more minutes but then got worried about Jack so he stopped. The two men finally managed to get him strapped down to one of the tables in the treatment area. They strapped both his hands and his feet.

"What do we do," they asked Harper.

He shook his head and grabbed Brad by his hair causing him to wince. "We wait for Nemesis," he sighed clearly wanting to do some damage now. He let him go but slapped him in the face for good measure.

In the shed behind his house, Jack moaned and opened his eyes. He winced at the pain in his head and wondered what had hit him. He sat up and looked around. "How did I get here," he remarked and then remembered.

"Brad!" Jack yelled his brother's name suddenly afraid and struggled to his hands and knee's, but he was shoved back down to the floor.

"Stay there Jack. You're not going anywhere," said one of his captors. In one swift movement Jack turned and threw the man back with his mind, knocking him backwards. He jumped to his feet and held on to a shelf until the dizziness passed. His head was killing him. He could feel a large knot on it and blood trickle down his temple. He was about to throw his mind at the man again when someone grabbed him from behind and put a knife at his throat. He froze, afraid to move and raised his hands. "Okay!" he said.

"Don't even think about moving," said the man. Jack got still.