The list we receive from Ash is extensive; 157 names of people executed on the grounds that the apartment complex now stands.
"Guys, we have to narrow that list down," I tell them.
"Or else, we're going to be digging up a lot of stiffs," Dean concludes.
Sam is scrolling through the names and suddenly stops, lean forwards and studies the screen. "Hmm. Herman Webster Mudgett. Wasn't that H. H. Holmes real name?"
Dean walks to stand behind his brother and looks at the name highlighted. "You gotta be kidding me!"
Jo and I look at each other, both in confusion. "Who is H. H. Holmes?"
"The term "multi-murderer", they coined it to describe Holmes. He was America's first serial killer, before anybody knew what a serial killer was," Dean tells us.
"Yeah, he confessed to twenty seven murders, but some put the death toll at over a hundred," Sam continues the explanation. "And his victim flavor of choice? Pretty petite blondes. He, uh, he used chloroform to kill 'em."
Dean speaks up, "Which is what I smelled in the hallway last night. At his place, cops found human remains, bone fragments, and long locks of bloody blonde hair" He looks at Jo, "Boy, you sure know how to pick 'em."
"Well, we just find the bones, salt 'em and burn 'em, right?" Jo asks.
"Well, it's not that easy. His body is buried in town, but it's encased in a couple tons of concrete," Sam explains.
"What? Why?" I asked, confused and a little pessimistic.
"The story goes that he didn't want anybody mutilating his corpse. 'Cause, you know, that's what he used to do." I roll my eyes. 'Of course,' I think to myself
"You know something'. We might have an even bigger problem than that," Sam says.
"How does this get bigger?"
"Holmes built an apartment building in Chicago. He called it the Murder Castle. The whole place was a death factory, they had, uh, trap doors, acid vats, quick line pits... he built these secret chambers inside the walls. He'd lock his victims in, keep them alive for days. Some he'd suffocate, others he'd let starve to death."
"So Teresa could still be alive. She could be inside these walls," Jo says, hopeful.
"We need sledgehammers, crowbars. We've got to smash these walls, anywhere thick enough to hide a girl," Dean says, standing up and going to gather supplies.
Dean and I take the floors we previously had searched, having to squeeze through crawl-spaces inside the building walls. Dean's phone rings; it's Sam.
"Find anything?"
"Okay. Call us after you check the southeast wall." He hangs up.
"Sam's almost done with the first floor. Hasn't found jack squat either. "
Dean stops, making me almost run into him, "What is it?"
"It's too narrow. Can't go any further." I tiptoe to look over his shoulder.
"Let me see," I say as I squeeze by him.
"Nic, What are you-" he begins as I squeeze by him. The space is small and with his large frame standing there, the space is cramped.
"Ugh. Shoulda let you clean the pipes," he mumbles.
"What?" I laugh and the feel his reaction to having my body so close to his.
"Shut up," I giggle but don't really mind the lack of space between us. I lean up and place a chaste kiss on his lips. "I can fit in there."
"You're not going in there by yourself!" he barks.
"You got a better idea?" I ask him, looking up at his face. I can see the worry and concern.
"Babe, I'll be fine. I'm just going to see what I can find."
"Be careful," he says and he places a kiss to my lips. I walk down the confined corridor and turn a corner, out of Dean's sight. My phone immediately starts ringing. I know it's him so I answer.
"Where are you?" he asks in a strained voice. I know he doesn't like this idea but there is no way he would fit in these close quarters.
"On the north wall." I find an air duct and start climbing down in to it. "I'm heading down some kind of air duct."
"No, no, no, no, stay up here," he begs.
"Look, we've gotta find this girl, don't we? I'm okay."
"All right. I'm heading to you."
I come out into a similar space on a lower level. Goo is pouring out from the wall cracks. "Oh god," I murmur, disgusted.
Dean is in my ear asking "What is it? Nic? Nicole!"
I scream as the apparition comes toward me. I can hear screaming my name through the phone. As the ghost grabs me, I drop the phone. I can hear Dean calling my name as I'm dragged away from the abandoned mobile device.
"NICOLE! BABY?"
~DEAN'S P.O.V.
As soon as she is no longer in my sights, I grab my phone calling her number.
"Where are you?!" I am terrified that something is going to happen and I can't get to her to save her. I listen as she tells me that she is going down into an air duct.
"No, no, no, no, stay up here," I beg her. God, she is going to get hurt and I can't stop it. Dammit!
She reaffirms to me that we have to find the missing girl and that she's okay. I get the building blueprints and quickly find where the air duct is and where it comes out. "All right, I'm heading to you." I take off down the hallway, phone still to my ear and I barely hear her exclaim, "Oh god."
"What is it?" My question is met with silence. "NIc? Nicole!" She doesn't answer me and my stomach flips. When I hear her scream, I swear it takes everything I got not to hurl. I take off at a full run, not caring if I come across other tenants of the building. I have to get to the floor below!
Once I get to the lower level, I start trying to listen to see if I can hear her behind the wall. I swing the sledgehammer in my hand, until I knock a massive hole in the wall. I stick my head through the wall and look to see if I can find her. All I find is her phone, laying on the floor. Nicole nowhere to be seen. "Nicole? NICOLE?!" I scream for her and hear silence.
I swear my heart stops beating; it's taking all my energy just to breathe. Why did I let her go in there alone? I should have stopped her. Now the vengeful spirit of a serial killer has her and I just hope and pray I can get her back in one piece, alive.
I rush back down to where I know Sam and Jo are investigating. I run straight into Sam as they turn a corner.
"Whoa there Dean. Where's the fire?"
"He's got Nic," I frantically tell him.
"What? How'd that happen?" Sam asks, concern lacing his voice.
"I wasn't with her; I left her alone. Dammit!" I run my hand through my hair. Why did I let her go alone!
"Hey, hey, look, we'll find her, all right?" Jo tries to reassure me.
"Where?" I snap at her, not meaning to.
"Inside the walls."
"We've been inside the walls all night. None of the other girls were there, she won't be either." My patience is running this fast. "Sam, I can't lose her. I just can't!"
"I know." He tells me, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Let's go back to the apartment and regroup.
I'm pacing back and forth while my brother and Jo looks through notes and try to figure out if they've gotten the information wrong. My heart is heavy, filled with dread. If I can't save her, I might as well die myself. This can't be the end for her. She just overcame her past demon when she confronted and practically beat the man who raped her. This cannot be it for her. I have to rescue her. I can't lose her because, dammit, I love her. I am in love with her and I have to tell her. Worry gnaws at my stomach; the fear making me as jittery as I have ever been.
My phone rings and I jerk it out of my pocket. Please let it be her. Please be Nic. I answer it
Yeah.
"You lied to me. She's there," Ellen, Jo's mom, basically yells in my ear.
"Ellen."
"No - Ash told me everything. Man's a genius, but he folds like a cheap suit. Now you put my damn daughter on the phone."
I hand Jo the phone. I don't have time to deal with this mother/daughter power play bullshit they have going on.
"Mom."
I don't pay attention to the conversation. It's just a constant buzz in the background of my thoughts. I have to try to figure out a way to get my girlfriend back.
"Mom! Shut up and listen for one minute." Jo screams into the phone. "Nic is missing. We think the spirit has her. I'm staying to help Sam and Dean rescue her. I don't care, Mom. I have to. This was my case and it's my responsibility."
Hearing Jo say that gives me pause. After trying to seduce me just a few months ago, she is now willing to help me get Nic back. 'Someone's growing up,' I think to myself.
"She's taking the first flight out. She'll be here in a few hours," Jo tells me as she hands me the phone after hanging up.
"Don't beat yourself up, Dean. There's nothing you could have done," Sam tries to comfort me.
"Dammit! Tell me you've got something," I ask him, pleading.
"Uh, maybe. Look. You look at the layout of the Holmes murder castle, there's all the torture chambers inside the walls, right?"
"Right."
"But there's one we haven't considered yet. The one in this basement."
"This building doesn't have a basement," Jo reluctantly points out.
"You're right, it doesn't," Sam agrees. "But I just noticed this. Beneath the foundation, it looks like part of an old sewer system that hasn't been used for —"
I grab my jacket. "Let's go!"
Using metal detectors, Sam and I find the old trap door for the sewer system. I furiously start digging at the soil covering the manhole. As I open it, Sam grabs the shot guns and and hands me one, along with a flashlight. I climb down the metal ladder, Sam close behind. Jo stays up top in case anyone notices the intrusion. The farther we get into the sewer, the more narrow and low it gets, Sam and I end up crawling on our elbows and knees. We come to the epicenter of the structure and there is a heavy iron grate obstructing our advance forward. I can barely see Nic, held in a large wooden box. The ghost's hand covering her mouth. I can hear her muffled cries and anger surges through me.
"Hey!" I yell to get his attention. As looks at me, I fire the gun and hit him in the chest. He flies backwards and disappears. I know we haven't much time until he returns so I frantically work to figure out how to open the girls' prisons. Getting it open I rush to Nic and pry the top of her wooden jail and lift her up. Oh, it feels good to have her back in my arms! I swear to myself I'm never letting her go again. I hand the pipe I used to open Nic's container to Sam and he frees Teresa.
~END DEAN'S P.O.V.
I wake in a small, dark place, lying on my back. I still have my flashlight; I turn it on and shine it around. There is a wall wood a few inches above my face; long scratches gouged in it. I cover my face and sob before I can collect my bearings. To my right is another wood panel with a slit; looking through I can see a larger, round chamber with similar compartments to the one I'm in around it. I hear a noise.
"Hello?"
A female voice answers me. "Is - is anybody there?"
"Your name Teresa?"
"Yes."
"This won't make you feel better, but I'm here to rescue you."
"Oh god. He's out there, he's gonna kill us!" she cries.
"No, he won't. We're getting out. My boyfriend and his brother are looking for us, they'll find us."
I hear footsteps nearby.
"Oh god, it's him!"
"Shh! Just be quiet!" I try to calm her but from the predicament I'm in it's no use.
It's very quiet. A creepy hand bursts through into my prison and grabs me by the head. I screams as I feel it rip off a chunk of hair.
I am so happy to see Dean. I had really began to wonder if I was going to survive. Seeing him and feeling his arms around me is such a relief.
"You alright, baby?" Dean's green eyes search my face.
"Been better. Let's get the hell out of here before he comes back."
"Actually, I don't think you're leaving here just yet," Sam suggests.
"What?" Dean and I both look at the younger Winchester.
"We need bait. We have to get him back here to trap him."
"No, Sam." Dean argues. "I'm not letting her do it."
"Then let me," a voice rings out and we all turn to see Jo standing in the entrance. "I'm exactly what he's looking for." She goes on as both boys are shaking their heads. "It's kind of the only plan we got."
As Sam gets Teresa away to safety, Dean, Jo and I work to engineer a trap to hold Holmes' body to the sewer. We use bags of salt to and hang them around the edge of the room and fix them to open simultaneously when prodded. Once Sam returns, he, Dean and I leave Jo sitting in the middle of the chamber while we hide to surprise the ghost when he returns. From our viewpoint we can clearly see her sitting there. Holmes' spirit appears behind her and starts walking forward, closing in on her.
When he gets near enough, Dean yells "NOW!" and JO dives forward while the brothers shoot at the bags of salt, creating a complete circle that has now trapped the ghost. Dean pulls Jo to safety as we hear the ghost gibbering and screaming in terror.
"Scream all you want, you dick, but there's no way you're stepping over that salt!" I yell as I slam the grate shut, sealing off the room.
The four of us crawl out of the sewer. I've never been more happy to see sunlight and the sky.
Jo, Sam and I are stand at the entrance to the sewers, looking down. I glance over at Jo. She risked her life to save mine. As much as I don't want to admit it, I owe her.
"So? This job as glamorous as you thought it would be?" I ask her.
"Well, except for all the pee-your-pants terror, yeah. Sure. But that Teresa girl's gonna live a life because of us. It's worth it, isn't it?"
"Yeah. Yeah it is," I agree. "Thank you Jo. For putting yourself up as bait. For helping save me."
She shrugs nonchalantly. "Hey, what if somebody finds that sewer down there, or a storm washes the salt away?"
"Both very fine points," Sam tells her. "Which is why we're waiting here."
"For what?"
The loud beeping of large truck backing up breaks the air. Sam smiles and looks over his shoulder; a cement mixer backs into the field, stopping just over the sewer entrance. Dean's driving.
"For that," Sam answers as he waves at Dean to stop the truck.
"Whoa!"
Dean gets out of the cab; he and Sam set up the cement mixer right over the entrance.
"You ripped off a cement truck?: Jo asks Dean as he puts his arm around me.
"I'll give it back," he says as we all stand there watching the cement pour on down.
"Well, that oughta keep him down there till hell freezes over," Dean says as he leans over and kisses me on the temple.
When we get back to the apartment complex, I am surprised to see Ellen standing in the hallway, arms crossed leaning against the wall. Sam and Jo look at one another and I hear Jo whisper, "Oh shit!"
I look up at Dean, who has his arm draped over my shoulders, giving him questioning stare. "So, um, Jo might have broke bad on her mom when Ellen found out the truth and insisted on staying here to help find you. Looks like that isn't going to go over well."
We approach Ellen and she glances at her daughter then fixes her gaze to me, "Nicole, I am happy you are safe."
"Thanks Ellen," but my reply is never acknowledged as she grabs her daughter's elbow and pulls her into the room.
"Joanna Beth Harvelle! I rightly forbade you from taking on this case. I gave it to them to keep you away from it. Want to explain to me why you thought it would be okay to just come here anyways? And to lie to me about it? Have Ash try to cover your tracks? That man's a genius, but he folds like a cheap suit."
"Mom, listen. I helped trap the ghost. I baited him down there and we left him completely encircled with salt. Then, they filled the sewer line with concrete! It was-"
"THEY USED YOU AS BAIT?!" Ellen screamed and then turned to the three of us. "AS BAIT? WHY AM I NOT SURPRISED. IT'S NOT THE FIRST TIME I'VE HEARD THAT FROM A WINCHESTER."
Once she is calmed down enough to realize that we are all okay and no one is injured or dead, it is decided that after we all clean-up we would hit the road and head back to the Roadhouse. Dean and I take the shower first; swearing to no funny business, just saving time and hot water.
Back at the Roadhouse, Ellen requests time to speak to her daughter alone so Sam, Dean and I gather around the Impala, waiting. Jo comes storming out of the Roadhouse and glares at us before stomping off.
"Jo?" Sam calls after her.
Jo stops and whips around. It turns out my dad had a partner on his last hunt. Funny, he usually worked alone; this guy did too, but... I guess my father figured he could trust him. Big mistake. Guy screwed up, got my dad killed."
"What does this have to do with—" Dean asks, confused at her outburst.
"It was your father, Dean."
"What?"
"Why do you think John never came back? Never told you about us? Because he couldn't look my mom in the eye after that, that's why. Just... just get out of here. Please, just leave. I never want to see any of you again."
We get into Baby and leave Jo standing in the middle of the lot.