On The Road, Somewhere In America
"Police are confident the threat has been eliminated in the town of St. Louis, Missouri. After a young girl, Emily Dickenson, was brutally murdered, police came to the conclusion that a drifter was responsible for her death and a number of others in the local area. They were called to a woman's home earlier this evening, one Rebecca Warren was attacked by the assailant. Dean Winchester was found, left for dead after he tried to attack Rebecca. Police are confident that the late Dean Winchester is responsible."
Alex's face dropped instantly. Opening his laptop he quickly began to surf the internet looking for information. He opened up a page from a newspaper local to St. Louis and began reading. His jaw dropped. Opening his duffel bag, three small cards fell onto the floor. Picking one up he looked at the picture. Dean, smiling, happy... Alive. All that was different now.
"Faith, we need to go for a drive." He was in a state of shock. Death is a given in his line of work, he was used to it. Why was this guy's death different? What made him more important than any of the other people Alex has seen shot, or worse? Was it the reason? Could that be it?
"Why, where are we going?" Faith sidled into the room, half dazed. Alex turned the laptop towards her and let her read for herself. Dean would never murder somebody, surely he wouldn't. And besides, where's Sam? The article didn't mention him anywhere. What the hell happened in that small town to send such a sense of shock and confusion rushing over Alex the way it was? They had to find Sam. They simply had to.
* * *
"Sam? It's Alex."
"Oh, it's you! You took our ID, our cards, our supplies. Why the hell are you phoning? Leave something behind?" Sam was angry, understandably. They hadn't exactly left the boys with the best situation. But in a job like ours, it's every man (or woman) for themselves, Alex reasoned. Still, it couldn't be easy for Sam now that Dean was gone.
"We saw the news report about Dean. We want to know if there's anything we can do to help you. We're on our way to St. Louis, where are you?" Alex stayed calm, he knew Sam had every right to be angry. He waited patiently for Sam's response. there was a painfully dry silence. When noise suddenly returned, it shocked Alex.
"Oh, you saw that? There's something I need to explain then. As you get off the freeway on the way to St. Louis there's a petrol station and a little cafe. Meet me there."
* * *
"Sam, we just want to say how sorry we are." Alex sat down opposite Sam, Faith sitting next to him. Sam seemed sullen, gently stirring his coffee with a plastic stirrer. The silence was awkward, it hung in the air painfully. Sam just kept staring at the cup in front of him, his eyes lost in the steaming liquid.
"What happened?" Faith put her hand on Sam's, comforting in the simplest way she knew how.
"I don't know, I was visiting an old friend. Rebecca Warren. Her brother's girlfriend was murdered while we were passing through the town, so I suggested we swing by to take a look. Rebecca filled me in, Dean had gone out for the night. I got a phone call, the police. They said they needed to speak to me about Dean. When I came back, Dean was trying to attack Rebecca, I pulled out my gun to defend her. I didn't mean to shoot." A single tear slid down his cheek and into the coffee.
"At least he's in a better place." Alex smiled softly, trying to comfort sam in the best way he could. Sam nodded gently, he seemed to be taking it on board. He took a sip of the coffee and began to stew in his own thoughts.
"I wouldn't call it 'a better place'. None of the waitresses here are hot." Dean began laughing behind them. Alex's mouth dropped in surprise. Faith, however, reached over the back of her seat and slapped Dean hard across the back of his head.
"You son of a bitch" Dean moaned, rubbing the sore spot on his scalp.
