Warnings and disclaimers: See chapter 1

Extra warning for more torture folks

Many thanks to CorieHall for the beta on this story.

Chapter 11 Stretched thin

When Dean woke, he was immediately wracked with cramps and shivers. His arms ached and his feet were very sore as they had been stretched wider while he had been out and his level of pain was starting to ramp up. Dean noticed he was dry despite the bitter coldness of the room. Dean assumed it to be night that was causing the coolness but he could feel a breeze to his left and a slight noise of blowing air. When he squinted into the darkness he thought he saw a vent of some kind. They must be blowing frigid air in here with the already cold temperatures of night by the feel of the sudden temperature drop.

Whoever they were they didn't know him well. Not only had their dad trained them in walk in freezers and snowy forests the treatment, prevention and cure of hypothermia but Dean had been so cold on some hunts he had to crack ice off his clothes without saying a word. Sam had told him two winters ago when he had hypothermia three times on hunts that his fighting name if he ever took up boxing would be Dean 'The Iceman' Winchester. 'Bring it on' he thought with a wicked grin.

Whoever had him captured didn't want him to die of thirst at any rate. He was surprised he wasn't hungry yet. Maybe there was something in his IV that was stopping him from feeling hungry. He had no idea but his thirst was starting to come back meaning he may had sleep another twenty four hours meaning he had been held more than two days so far. At least the gag was still hanging down over his neck instead of being in his mouth. The bitter taste of clothes dye hadn't been to his liking.

Dean's eyes searched the dark again for a possible way to escape. Just as he was staring to make out shapes in the dark there was a light scuff behind him followed by steps getting closer. Great. In his drug induced state he had missed the guy leaning against what he assumed was the back wall. 'Way to drop your game face Dean.' Dean tensed up thinking he was about to get hit or another round with old sparkly when a strong light was suddenly bright and close to his face. Dean blinked quickly to adjust to the light but it snapped off again. He was plunged into darkness this time made darker after the light for a few seconds. The light snapped on again so close Dean could feel the heat from the light globe on what he knew to be a heavy duty flash light. The game continued for over an hour he guessed but time was fluid like the drugs he was being pumped full of. The light flashing on and off was giving Dean a strong painful headache which probably meant he had a concussion and this asshole knew it. Dean groaned as his stomach lurched and he finally broke his silence and threatened to tear the guys nuts off and feed them to a goat. He received a short chuckle from his captor but no other response.

The light flicked off again and Dean felt rough rope being slipped around his neck after the chain had been taken off. The light flicked back on but was on the ground by the guys foot clearly intended so this joker could see when Dean was about to pass out as he tightened the rope with two hands. The rope stung and burned roughly at his throat as his heart picked up the pace and he felt panic set in. The body's natural reaction would be to fight its way out but since he couldn't do that he was reduced to pure animal panic. Dean strained against his bindings managing only to give himself more wrist, ankle and neck burns and his back strained against the hip chain. Dean tried not to cry out in pain but grunted a few times as his vision started to waver.

The rope loosened and Dean coughed as he got his breath back. Just as he had himself under control the rope tightened again and his breath caught in his throat. The bloom of blackness at the edge of his vision was much quicker this time as he slumped to concentrate on breathing only. Or trying to. The rope loosened again but he barley dragged a breath in before the rope was jerked tight again. It continued for so long Dean was having trouble keeping the pain out of his ragged breathing. He moved his panic aside and started using anger to deal with the pain. Someone was defiantly going to lose their nuts when he got free that was for sure.

Sam finally got Bobby alone that night when John went out to get more maps of the area and fill up the Impala.
"Hey Bobby?"
"Yeah kid?"
"We aren't any closer are we?"
The older hunters had purposely not talked about their day much in front of Sam.
"Not really." Bobby sighed.
"I need to tell you something. I don't know if it will have anything to do with Dean being missing but it might."
"What's going on Sam?" Bobby sat up attentively.
"I would have approached dad about this but you know what he is like. He won't listen to me."
"I'm your sounding board. I get it, go on."
"I meet this guy at school, Joe, his family members are hunters. Dean didn't like the guy on sight."

Bobby leaned forward. "He just told you his family members are hunters?"
"Yeah. I thought so at first but now I'm not so sure. Anyway he was very interested when I said Dean was missing. He offered his family's help. I thought about what Dean said and watched him like Dean taught me and I noticed him looking at me with a mean looking smile like he was happy I am suffering."
"Dean got a bad feeling about him?"
"Yeah. As soon as he saw him."
"Hmm. Dean's rarely wrong. What's this guy's last name? I think it would pay to look into."
"Mengele."
"His name is Joe Mengele?"
"Yeah, at least that is what he says it is."
"Joe Mengele was…"
"…One of Hitler's henchmen. Dean told me."

Bobby frowned deeper.
"That explains the bad feeling. I can't think why someone would willingly take that name, or keep it."
"What do you think?"
"Dean may have been right. It would be best if you talked to your dad about this and I will back you. Not tonight though he has already had a few drinks and is a bit of a bear, in the morning at breakfast would be the best time."
"Okay, thanks Bobby."
"No problems Sam."

TBC