Chapter 36

Bobby's voice filled the Impala as the hunters drove down the road, " Let me guess. Another steamin' hot pile of swine flu."

"Yep," Dean answered hopelessly.

"Good news is he definitely touched down in that hospital," Addy said from the backseat, as she stared at a map of all the places Pestilence could be," We're on his trail."

"But why is he dealing them soft serve like swine flu when he's got the Croatoan virus up his sleeve? I don't get it," Dean said.

"Doesn't matter what the sick son of a bitch is doing," Bobby said, "What matters is this is the fourth town he's hit that we know of and we're still eating his dust. Did you get anything? We got even a snowball at probable next target?"

"No pattern that we can see," Sam answered.

"Pretty much," Addy mumbled, flipping the map around in various directions.

"Okay," Bobby said with a sigh, "Hold on. Well, far as I can tell, he's still heading East, So... head East, I guess."

"East?" both brothers questioned.

"Can you get a little more specific Bobby?" Addy asked.

"We're in West Nevada. East is practically all there is," Dean added.

"Yeah, well, you better get to driving," Bobby said, hanging up.

"Say...I've got an idea."

Addy snapped her head to the side to see Crowley as Dean slammed on the breaks and handed her the demon knife. Instead of it sinking into Crowley it sunk into the upholstery.

"Did you get him?" Dean asked as they looked around frantically.

"He's gone," she said with a confused look, "I swear he was right-"

They all jumped when a tap sounded on the window. They turned to see the demon with a smug look, "Fancy a fag and a chat? You're upset. We should discuss it. Not here, but-"

Addy yanked open her door and stormed out, pointing the knife at him, "Talk? You want to talk! I should hog tie you and gut you like a pig for what you did!"

Sam and Dean were already out of the car and by her side as they stood in the middle of the road.

"After what I did to you?" he asked incredulously, "I gave you the colt!"

"Yeah, and you knew it wouldn't work against the devil!" Sam yelled.

"I never!" the demon said in offense.

"You set us up you son of a bitch," she yelled, "People died. Good people and you are responsible for it."

"Who you take on the ride is your own business! Look, everything is still the same. We're all still in this together," he said, holding his hands up in defense as she kept the knife pointed at him with a scowling look.

"Oh sure…together," with that she swung the knife at him but he teleported away.

"Call the little Chihuahua off," Crowley said from behind them with an eye roll.

"Chihuahua," she repeated, "Did you just call me a freaking Chihuahua?"

Dean put a hand on her shoulder and gently pulled her back," Give me one good reason why I should call her off? Personally I'd enjoy watching her wipe your scum ass off the face of the planet."

"Interesting turn on but the reason is I can give you Pestilence," he said and the hunters exchanged a slow look.

Addy lowered her knife as Dean asked, "What do you know about Pestilence."

"I know how to get him. That's got your interest, doesn't it?"

"Are we actually listening to this?" Sam asked in disbelief.

"Sam-" Dean began.

"Are you friggin' nuts?"

"Shut up for a second, Sam!"

"Guys just listen to-"

"Shut up, the lot of you!" he yelled and they silenced themselves," Look, I swear, I thought the colt would work. It's an honest mistake. It's all part of the learning process. But nothing's changed. I still want the devil dead. Well...one thing's changed. Now the devil knows that I want him dead. Which, by the way, makes me the most buggered son in all of creation."

"Holy crap. We don't care," Dean said sarcastically.

"They burnt down my house! They ate my tailor! Two months under a rock, like a bloody salamander! Every demon on hell and earth's got his eyes out for me! And yet here I am, last place I should be. In the road, talking to Sam and Dean Winchester, under a friggin' spotlight," he pointed to the streetlight above them and the bulb burst submerging them in darkness."

"Why should we trust you?" Addy asked carefully.

"Because I'm the last hope you've got little Chihuahua," he said mockingly.

"You don't know that," she said without a blink of her eye.

He scoffed, "I don't? I know all about the horsemen rings and I know you need Pestilence. I can get you to him and I can help you put Lucifer in his cage."

"Why should we take any help from a demon?" Sam asked in disgust.

"You've done nothing but screw us over," Dean pointed out.

Crowley looked to Dean, "Lucifer wants your brother and he wants your girl. No offense Dean but it seems like you've got the most to lose."

Dean looked to his side at them as they stared at the demon.

"Shall we then?"

SUPERNATURAL

Crowley let out a dramatic sigh as they entered the pathetic, abandoned house, "Here we are. My life on the lam. How the mighty have fallen. Single-pane glass, used contraception in the fireplace. The water damage alone-"

"My heart's bleeding for you. Now, how do you know about the rings?" Dean insisted.

"Well, now I've been keeping a close eye on you lot."

"We got hex bags. We're hidden from demons," Sam said suspiciously.

"All but one. That night you broke into my house, our first date, my valet hid a tracking device in your car. A magical coin that easily trumps your little bags o' bones," he said with a smug smile.

"You've been tracking my car?" Dean yelled.

He shrugged and looked to Addy," It allows me to hear things, too and, my, the things I've heard. For a Chihuahua you've got a pair of lungs on you."

She frowned in confusion but quickly grasped his meaning. The backseat of the Impala was no stranger to her and Dean.

Dean cleared his throat, "Alright you perv just spill it."

"So you want to cram the devil back in the box? Cunning scheme. I want in."

"You said you could get us pestilence."

"Well, now I don't know where pestilence is," he said and Addy took a menacing step towards the demon, "Per Se. But I do know the demon who does. He's what you might call the horsemen's stable boy. He handles their itineraries, their personal needs. He's who you want. Believe me. He'll tell us where Sneezy's at."

"Well, how do we get him to spill? Rip out his toenails?" Dean questioned.

"No," he said with an eye roll, "Nuts at his pay grade don't crack. We bring him here, than I sell him."

"Sell him?" Sam repeated.

"Please. I've sold sin to saints for centuries," he boasted, "Think I can't close one little demon?"

"All right, so where's this demon of yours?" Dean asked.

SUPERNATURAL

"So far we've got zilch," Addy said with a sigh as the three stood in one of the rooms without Crowley, "You heard him. He wants Lucifer dead as much as we do. It's just a matter of his methods. As long as we keep the plan on point and our way what's the worst damage he can do?"

"He's a demon, Addy," he whispered harshly.

"And?" she asked, growing frustrated.

"I trusted Ruby and look where that got me. I ended up starting this whole mess and killing you!"

"Look this is pretty much our best bet," Dean said, speaking up.

"Why are we even listening to him, Dean? This is totally insane."

"I don't disagree."

"One big happy family, are we, then? Fantastic," the demon snipped, appearing out of nowhere.

"You ready to go?" Dean asked with an annoyed huff.

"Yes. Yes. I am. Sam, keep the home fires burning," Crowley said, beginning to walk off.

"What are you talking about?" Dean asked.

"Sam's not coming," he said simply, turning back to him.

"And why the hell not?" Sam demanded.

"Because I don't like you and I don't trust you," he said simply.

"There's no damn way. This isn't gonna happen!" Sam argued furiously, looking from Dean to Addy."

"I'm not asking you, am I? 'Cause you're not invited. I'm asking two," he pointed to Dean and Addy, "What's it gonna be?"

The three hunters exchanged a frantic look, unsure what to do.

"Gentlemen... and lady. Enjoy your last few sunsets," he started to walk away.

"Wait," Dean called after him and he stopped. He looked to Addy and she gave him a short nod, "We'll go."

Sam looked at them in shock.

"Sorry, Sam," Addy said as Dean followed after Crowley, "It's our best shot right now."

With that, she took off after them.

SUPERNATURAL

Addy looked through a pair of binoculars in the passenger seat of the Impala as she eyed the people standing in front of the large building where the demon they were after resided.

"This is a bad idea, isn't it?" she asked, lowering the binoculars and looking to Dean.

"We don't have anything better," he said sadly.

"Damn right you don't," Crowley said, popping into the backseat.

Dean ignored his comment, "The people in the front. Demons?"

"Human shields. The demons are up top in the 12th floor," Crowley explained.

"All right, then. We'll have to find a way in through the back."

"There has to be a back entrance or maybe a storage-" Addy began.

"You hunters make everything so complicated."

With that the demon disappeared and reappeared behind the security guard at the front entrance. With ease, he slits the mans throat.

"Oh crap. Crap! Crap!" Dean chants as they frantically exit the Impala and run towards the indifferent Crowley with a dead body at his feet through the glass doors.

"What the fuck was that?" Addy yelled as Crowley pushed open the door for them.

"Door's open," Crowley said as they stared at him in shock, "What?"

"You killed them?" Dean asked angrily.

"We're on a tight schedule. Come on. Now you're squeamish? Please."

They exchanged a hesitant look before ultimately following Crowley to the elevator. Dean stepped in and Addy began to follow after him but the demon pulled her back.

"Ah, ah, ah Chihuahua," he said as she yanked her arm free, "You're protecting me."

"What?" Dean asked, holding the door open, "No, I'm not leaving her alone with you."

"Little early for the clingy phase?" he asked with a smirk," It's not safe up there. There's demons."

"And you want to send him up there alone?" Addy asked in disbelief.

"Stop worrying about your boyfriend sweetheart," he said to her and then looked to Dean, "just do what I told you, and try to be convincing. It'll work like a charm. Trust me."

"I'm not letting him go up there without me."

"Addy I'll be fine," Dean insisted and she turned to him, "Just stay here. Keep an eye on him."

She searched his eyes and gave him a slow nod.

"Come here," he said, holding the elevator door open with one hand and pulling her to him for a kiss with the other. Crowley sighed dramatically in the background.

"Be careful," she whispered against his lips.

"When am I ever not?"

She rolled her eyes and released him as he stepped back into the elevator. Her eyes didn't leave his until the doors closed and he ascended.

"You two are just adorable."

Addy slowly turned to Crowley with an icy look, "What game are you playing?"

"Whatever do you-"

Before he could finish she grabbed him by his most likely expensive collar and shoved him into the wall, "I said what game are you playing. First you make us leave Sam behind and then you send Dean up alone? What's your angle Crowley because I swear if this is a trap I'll-"

"You'll what," he said smoothly, "Use your little defunct witchy powers on me. Risk awakening the Lilith in you. I'd bet it'd be glorious seeing that. No offense but you don't strike me as the little good girl you try so hard to be."

She smiled wide in a way that chilled even the demon's bones, "Know this Crowley. I may look harmless but if something happens to either of them I will do things to you that even those in hell will think are cruel."

"I love it when you talk dirty to me," he crooned and she shoved him away, releasing him, "Have you ever considered that everything I'm doing is going to work at perfectly?"

"For us or for you?" she asked with narrowed eyes.

"For everyone," he said with an eye roll.

"Why should I trust you?"

"Don't have much of a choice now do you?" he asked and she stared him down, "The outside you look like you've got it all together, but I can hear your heart picking the pace, see the anxious look and the sweat on your brow. You can feel it. Lucifer's getting excited. He's getting closer to what he wants. He's getting closer to you."

She scoffed, "You don't know anything."

"I don't?" he asked, beginning to circle her, "I have eyes."

"And?" she asked as he stood behind her and she stood still.

"With my human eyes I see a pretty face with eyes that hold a million stories," he whispered and then leaned so close she could feel his breath on her neck, "But from my demon eyes I see your soul. It's violent to say the least."

"Violence is kind of my thing," she said with a smirk, not missing a beat.

"Just like that boyfriend of yours. Hiding all that pain behind good humor," he said and she turned to him so they were face to face, "Doesn't it get old?"

"Keep asking and you might not be around long enough to find out."

They stared at each other in a silent battle of wills before Crowley smiled, "I quite like you Chihuahua."

"That makes one of us," she mumbled, looking away.

The minutes ticked on and she became impatient, pacing and forth as she chewed on her thumbnails.

"Don't you worry," Crowley said and she glanced at him in the corner of her eyes, "Dean'll be here any second now."

He disappeared and she looked around the room frantically, "Damn it you son of a-"

She didn't finish her second because the elevator opened and Dean exited, bloody, bruised, and beaten.

"Dean!" she yelled just as he stumbled forward into her arms and she held him up, "What the hell happened?"

"Run… demon…doesn't want rings…wants…"

"Oh look now I've got two thirds of the package."

Addy turned to see a classy looking man in a crisp suit. His eyes flashed black as she held Dean up with his arm around her shoulder.

He started advancing towards her and she began backing away, practically punching the elevator button.

"You know I hear stories about you but I have to say…" the demon's eyes shamelessly scanned her body, "They don't even begin to do you justice. Lucifer sure knows how to pick them. I'm kind of a little jealous. I might just have to fix-"

Before he could continue his threat, Crowley appeared behind the demon and threw a burlap sack with a devil's trap on it over his head. Brutally, he begins bashing his head with a crowbar until, he falls over with a bloodied spot and liquefied brains no doubt.

"Evening," he said casually.

"What the hell was that?" Dean yelled.

"That was perfect," Crowley said excitedly.

"Perfect," Addy yelled, supporting most of Dean's weight, "He didn't give a shit about the ring. He just beat the crap out of Dean!"

"Imagine the surprise on his face."

"What?" Dean asked in confusion.

"Your ignorance and misinformation was completely authentic. You can't fake that," he said and both the hunters looked at him in fury, "What? It went like clockwork."

"Not for me, you son of a bitch!" Dean yelled.

"That's what you get working with a demon," he said with a smile.