Chapter 7

Neal's last statement had Bobby speechless, again. It was obvious how important Sam and Dean were to Neal. It just added more to Neal's believability. And it made him more willing to believe Neal wanted to help the boys.

"Where is this…stuff you said that would help the boys?" Bobby asked.

"It's in St. Louis Missouri. There is a storage facility beside a place called Lukens' Pub. It's where I hustled pool, as a kid." Neal admitted. "The locker number is number 21 and the combination is 3-21-19."

"And there are things in there that will help?" Bobby asked. As good as the swords and bayonets sounded as weapons, they were not the kind of help that was needed.

"One item in particular. It's a book, called Necromancer." Neal went on to explain. "I understand it that this particular book was used by the witches in Salem, Massachusetts."

"I'm not familiar with that particular book." Bobby replied. "And there were no witches in Salem." He paused. "It was all hysteria."

"That's what everyone was supposed to think. And it's true; the ones who died were the innocent ones. The real ones just went underground. I read a spell or two from the book. It's full of them." Neal said. "Just for chuckles, you know. I tried to fence it through a few people, line up a buyer myself, no one wanted it." Neal said. "It's…there's some really weird…mojo attached to it. But…it could help Sam and Dean. It…the book is supposedly covered in human skin. I don't know, it feels, sort of like leather. But it's supposedly the skin of the victim of the first real witch in Salem to cast a spell." He shivered involuntarily. "All I know is that you're welcome to it. Use what you need, the book, and whatever else you find there. And if something…happens to the book, then well, I won't lose any sleep over it."

"Uh, I'm…I'm not sure what to say, except thank you. Thanks for the boys. And thanks for giving this stuff up. I'll let the boys know what you did."

Neal nodded, even though Bobby couldn't see him. "They've been very good to me over the years, Bobby. They have dropped everything and come running…whenever I've needed them. It's nice to be able to try and repay them for a little of what they've done."

"I'll keep in touch, Neal." Bobby said as he hurried around his place, getting things ready before he left for Missouri.

"Thank you." Neal replied. "And please, Bobby…just, just get them out of there."

Bobby hung up the phone and threw it into the seat beside him. He then tossed his duffle bag into the back seat. He was on the road moments later.

Bobby had been to St. Louis on jobs before. He, too, had hustled pool in the city. And he was pretty sure he knew where Lukens' was. It was kind of a hangout for the area pool hustlers. That was known, of course, only to the locals. Tourists and out-of-towners who came for the challenge often left with empty pockets.

Bobby drove and thought about what was waiting for him in that locker. Knowing what he knew about witches, he knew this book Neal had mentioned, The Necromancer, would have something that he could use to get Dean out of prison. Witches spells, in his experience, tended to be numerous and deal with a wide range of problems, issues, etc. He was sure he could find a spell to spring Dean. Then they would head for Austin to get Sam.

Bobby arrived in St. Louis almost an hour ahead of what he thought he would. He stopped at a diner and grabbed a bite to eat before continuing on to the storage facility. He knew most of those places were open 24/7 and if this place had the kind of valuables Neal was speaking of; Bobby didn't need anybody getting too interested in what he was doing there, or what he was taking out.

Bobby pulled into the parking lot of the storage place and found locker number 21. Well, he found the door that led to Locker 21. This locker was a small one so it, unlike the larger units was actually inside alongside other units of its same small size. He quickly found the unit and tried the combination. The lock opened easily and moments later Bobby was pulling up the door on what was a sizable and impressive haul, for the 5 by 5 foot space.

The items had been packed with care. All the items were boxed or covered. Boxes were labeled and some even included an itemized list under the top flaps. Bobby got lost in the task. He unpacked swords, bayonets, amulets, and even, of course, a painting or three. He had to keep reminding himself of what he was looking for and press on. He knew the brothers weren't going anywhere, but still, for some reason, he felt a since of urgency. Finally, with only 3 or 4 boxes left to open, he came across the book.

Neal had been right. The color looked to be a light tan. But the material was not as thick as cow hide and did not have the same smooth feel to it. He was not sure if that was due to the age of the book, the conditions that existed in the storage unit, or the fact that human skin did not seem to hold up well wrapped around anything other than a human body.

But Bobby did get an almost tingling sensation in his fingertips as he held the book. He had no idea what would happen when he actually opened and used it.

TBC

END NOTES: The book 'The Necromancer' is my creation. The part about it being used at the Salem Witch Trials is mine also. And I don't know what the stand is for the Winchesters and Bobby on the witch trials. I don't even know if they have ever been mentioned on the show, so that's mine too. And I'm not sure where Bobby lives, which state, so if he does live in Missouri, I'll reword the story a little bit. Hope you enjoyed! JL