Warnings and disclaimers: See chapter 1

Extra warning for torture

Many thanks to CorieHall for the beta on this story.

Chapter 13 Beating a dead horse

The secretary finally called Sam into her office and told Sam to take a seat. Mrs. Lauder explained to Sam that his uncle had called with bad news about his grandmother. It seemed she was sick in hospital and no one had been able to get hold of his father. Mrs. Lauder handed Sam the school phone and suggested he try to get hold of him. She left the room after giving Sam a squeeze on the shoulder. Sam scanned the room quickly knowing from when he was processed into the school where student records were. He called John's number as a cover and took the handset over to the cabinet opening the M to Z draw and pulling Joe's file from close to the front.

There was a photocopy of Joe's student ID in the front and Sam photocopied it on Mrs. Lauders photocopier in the corner still talking to John. Sam slipped the file away once he had what he wanted and finished the call. He opened the door and found Mrs. Lauder talking to the office girl on duty.
"My dad is going to pick me up if that's okay."
"It sure is Sam. I have marked you off for the rest of the day. Best of luck with your grandmother.
"Thanks ma'am."

Sam arrived at the pick-up bay just as John pulled in. He gave him Joe's picture.
"Have any problems?"
"No sir."
"Good work. Bobby and I called our contacts but came up empty. Bobby is going to fax this picture around and see if we get a hit."
Sam was glad John was at least checking this lead out if nothing else. He knew it was probably due to Bobby's back up and that Dean had said something was off rather than just doing it for him but he was grateful if it helped them find Dean. Because he had the afternoon off school Sam was put to use looking at maps and crosschecking covered areas. Sam noticed there was a small section to the north of the river that needed looking at and then they would have to go across the river. Sam gave his findings to the two older hunters as they sat and ate an early dinner.

Bobby agreed with Sam's assessment enough for Sam to know the older hunter had been looking at the maps as well. After a lot of arguing and back and forth, it was decided Bobby and Sam would search the last place to the north that evening then head over to the south the next morning. John initially wanted Sam to go back to school but in the end agreed it might be best to keep away from 'Joe' until they had more information. Bobby and Sam searched the last area to the north and were back at the motel by midnight whereas John who was still beating a dead horse in the next town over returned at one am.

Dean came to sometime later, the fog lifting slower than it had since he had first woken up chained to the metal bed. Dean took a moment to assess his condition with his eyes shut. His throat officially felt like he had been sucking on sharp rocks and without looking or being able to see he knew his ankles and wrists were bleeding. He was cold to the point there may have been frost on his jeans and his muscles protested every time he moved. At least he wouldn't get muscle degeneration from lying down for so many days he mused. The shock treatment and cramps saw to that. Just how many days it had been still escaped him.

The pressure dropped in the room telling Dean that the door on the darkness had been opened and his torturer was coming back for some more fun. There was more crinkling of plastic as IVs were changed around then the flashlight was back in Dean's face. He tried to predict what was coming for him by smell and sound and just caught on as a stinging blow came down on his back. The crack of the whip was sharp in the concrete lined room and Dean bit down on his lower lip to stop yelling out as the second lash came down. By the fifth lash Dean was controlling the pain by letting out small groans every time the whip came down. His fingers curled around the metal of the bed wherever he could reach. At twenty cuts of the whip it stopped just as Dean's vision started to swim and threatened to send him under. Dean could hear the man puffing hard from his work. The IV jingled as the man adjusted it again and set back to work with the whip. Dean recognized the coldness of strong drugs surge through his system as the whip came down again. The more the drugs took over his body the less able he was to hold back the cry of pain from the whip. It took all he had to clamp his teeth over a scream blinking back tears as darkness took him once again.

Sam and Bobby searched the last area north of the river in the sunshine of the morning. If it wasn't for the fact Sam was worried sick about his older brother Sam knew he would be enjoying a free Friday without school. Sam's mind kept lingering on the fact Dean had been taken last Friday meaning he had been gone a week. None of the men that had been taken before had been found after a few days let alone a week. Sam knew they were running out of time to find his brother alive. The feelings of utter sadness made him want to sit down and cry or pound the ground with his fists. The whole time they had been searching he always held some kind of hope that they would find Dean. Now he was starting to think of what if they never found Dean. Dean had brought him up and he loved his brother like no one else he had ever known. Sam continued to search with a heavy heart and his head down so Bobby couldn't see his tears.

TBC