Warnings and disclaimers: See chapter 1

Many thanks to CorieHall for the beta on this story.

Extra warning for more torture.

Chapter 12 Shock treatment

The next morning, Sam approached the breakfast table with resolve to talk to John. He explained to John what he had told Bobby.
"And you think this Joe may be lying?" John asked.
"Well I think he may be a hunter but his whole family? It sounds a bit odd. Bobby's never heard of him have you?"
"No but we don't know everybody. I'll tell you what, Bobby and I will make some calls this morning before we head out. Talk to a few people who know people, see if someone knows them. You should go to school. Observe him without him getting suspicious, anything would help. Call his name in a crowd and see if he answers that kind of thing. Another thing that would be useful is a photo of him. Didn't you say they took photos for IDs when you started there?"
"Yeah they did."
"If you had reason to go to the office during classes and sneak into the filing cabinet you could get a copy maybe. If we called for a family emergency. When would be the best time?"

They worked out a good time for John or Bobby to call the school. As they gathered their gear to head out Sam turned to John.
"Thanks dad for checking this out."
"Well it may be nothing Sam but for Dean's sake we should follow any and all leads. So be careful and stay at the school. Be watchful of anyone that tries to get you to leave for any reason."
"I will."
John drove Sam to school and had a good look at Joe when Sam pointed him out. He didn't get any vibe from him he just looked like a regular kid but Dean had a fairly accurate weirdness meter as he called it. John agreed with Sam and Bobby that Dean was rarely wrong and they were all out of other leads. They were grasping at straws a little but it's all they had.

Dean strained against the handcuffs as he searched the dark. He knew his creepy kidnapper was somewhere here in the dark with him as he could hear little noises of things being moved close to him. Plastic tore and Dean heard the plastic lines to his elbows jiggle musically against the stainless steel pole. More shuffling and Dean heard different bags being hung and adjustments being made on the lines. How this guy knew what he was doing in the pitch black room was beyond him.

Dean had assessed as he woke from his last round of hangman torture was that this person knew what he was doing. Every time he was about to pass out and stay out he had been granted a reprieve telling Dean this guy was skilled at torture. Dean thought he was probably the same person who had taken those missing men in the area. Dean knew that he was going to be the next guy to turn up dead and it pissed Dean off that his brother was going to have to see his beaten and broken body dead in some ditch.

It made Dean more determined to hold out against this guy and give Sam and his dad time to find him alive. Sam was pretty smart and he was hopeful he had taught him enough to find him wherever he was. More rustling in the dark and Dean could smell the acid of a car battery then the thunk as it was placed on the ground. Dean shivered knowing what was coming and partly due to the frigid air that was still being pumped into the room. Dean smelled hemp as a fresh rope was laid in a coil over his back and several bottles of water were placed on the floor to the front of the table.

It didn't take long for Dean to work out that he was about to have all three tortures done to him at once. The bright light was flicked on and Dean was momentarily blinded. As the rope was lifted off his back and placed around his neck Dean tensed up.
"What that's all you got? You run out of ways to torture people you low life scum?"
Dean knew he was only going to piss his captor off but he might get him to speak to him so he knew who and why he was being held there. Dean received a pat on the back as the noose was pulled tight and black edges started forming on his vision. Just as he was about to black out the noose was loosened and he sucked in a strangled breath. His breathing wasn't back to normal when the cattle prod was touched to his right foot. The shock slammed into him and the breath he had almost breathed in was lost. It was a short sharp shock that had him panting hard during the four second break between his left and right feet being shocked. When Dean was catching his breath from the second foot the noose was cinched tight for thirty seconds.

As his vision cleared when the rope was loosened the prod hit the back of his left hand then his right. Dean was still breathing hard from the shocks when his head was pulled back by the hair and water was forced into his mouth. Dean struggled for breath as he spat as much water as he could out. He barely had himself under control when shock ripped up through his right leg. It only lasted a few seconds before it was moved to the other leg then the rope was tightened again. Dean was prepared when the shock ripped up his left arm and he had only a moment to pant out though his pain before the next one.

After four rounds of the torture, Dean was finally left to get his breath back. While he coached his lungs to breathe properly he could vaguely hear the guy packing up the stuff.
"That's all you got?" Dean squeezed out between pants. "It's getting kind of boring."
He was rewarded with a rough pat on the shoulder and a small chuckle.
"What do you want?" He asked into the darkness as the man adjusted the IV again.
"What do you want? Who are you?" Dean repeated as darkness started to move in and the bitter tang of drugs was strong on his tongue.
The man moved off and took the flashlight with him plunging Dean into darkness even as unconsciousness took him once more.

Sam went into school and did what he was asked as far as keeping an eye on Joe. Joe asked him about Dean and offered his family's help if he wanted it. Sam noticed Joe trying to observe him without being noticed and he did call him in the crowded hallway only for 'Joe' to keep walking. Not long after lunch, Sam was called to the front office and told to take his bag. He reported to the front office where he waited five anxious minutes for what his father and Bobby had cooked up for him.

TBC