Summary: AU: Stanford Era: "Dean … Sammy's in trouble." A late night phone call sends Dean Winchester and long-time friend, Caelan Hagan in a desperate search to find Sam before the unthinkable happens; uncovering lies and secrets involving the youngest Winchester, that have been years in the making.
Warnings: Violence, swearing, physical abuse, torture, implied adult themes.
Disclaimer: I don't own the supernatural characters.
Author's Note: Just another possibility on why Sam left for Stanford. Hope you enjoy.
If there is anything I have left out or you are still unsure about, please feel free to message me. You never know, I may have left it unintentionally unresolved for a reason (possibly a sequel).
Special Note: Thanks to kandilyn and Cheetah Grrl for your kind words. Here's another chapter just for all you guys who have taken the time out to read this story and to all the people who have this story on their alerts or have put it on their favourite lists. Thanks. It means a lot. Thanks to everyone for their patience and continued interest.
DEMON SPAWN: THE PHONE CALL
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
John and Bobby crouched down behind the shrubs which decorated the main entrance of the hospital, both Hunters looking through their binoculars, scoping the hospital for possible entry and exits through which they could rescue the boys and escape before the enemy detected them.
Bobby lowered his binoculars, rubbing a hand over his eyes, a long, weary sigh escaping him. "Looks like they've got this place locked up tight Johnny," Bobby grudgingly admitted. "I hate to say this, but it doesn't like as if this is going to be a simple operation of getting in there quick and quiet, taking down a few armed men, while we quietly smuggle the boys out of there."
John grunted in acknowledgement, both irritated and impressed by the enemy's organization skills – almost military – in the way that they had covered and secured this hospital to their advantage.
Bobby was right. It was going to be a lot more difficult than they had thought it would be. But, not only was John Winchester a stubborn son of a bitch, he was also tenacious and perseverant. John hadn't come across anywhere that he hadn't been able to penetrate and infiltrate and he wasn't about to let now be any different. Especially when he knew that his sons' lives were at stake.
"I know it looks bad Bobby. But there's a way to get in there without alerting them to our presence. We just haven't found it yet." John said confidently. "There has to be." He muttered under his breath.
Bobby glanced over at his friend worriedly and nodded before picking up his binoculars once more. "Okay Johnny, I'll keep looking."
"That's the spirit!" John grinned encouragingly, clasping the older man upon the shoulder before returning his attention back toward the main lobby area.
Through the glass doors, John could see the large armed mass of forces that the enemy had amassed in such a short time, covering all exits into and out of the main hospital's lobby.
Panning further into the middle of the lobby, John's breath caught in his throat when he saw Caelan, Dean and Caleb, their expressions hard and Dean with a murderous glint within his green eyes.
After a quick visual examination of the three Hunters, John relaxed slightly when he saw that they appeared to be unharmed and had only received superficial wounds so far. Although John could tell by the colour of Dean's pale complexion that his boy was in some serious pain. And that really didn't surprise John, especially since Dean had been shot. What was surprising was that Dean was on his feet, ready and willing to fight.
A brief half smile of pride flashed upon John's lips, knowing that his oldest could be just as stubborn and tenacious as his old man; especially when his friends or family were involved.
Sammy! Shit! Where the hell was Sammy?
Frantically, John peered through the sea of armed men, desperate to locate his youngest son because Nirkish had told him that Sammy had entered the hospital … so, where the hell was he?
And Nirkish … where was that son of a bitch? He had told John that he would be able to help his boys, but no matter where John looked, he couldn't see that bastard anywhere! That fucking coward! If he'd decided to forsake his boys just because he was scared of his family … John would track him down and make him regret the day he'd ever laid eyes upon John Winchester!
"Bobby, I see the boys – well, Caelan, Dean and Caleb – and they're still in one piece." John informed the older Hunter. "Any luck on finding us a way in there yet?"
"Not yet Johnny," Bobby sighed regretfully. "But these bastards will have to have slipped up somewhere. Don't worry, I'll find us a way in there."
"I know you will Bobby," John replied gratefully. If anyone cared about the boys as much as John did, it was Bobby Singer. John couldn't have picked a better partner to help with rescuing his sons.
"Sonuvabitch!" John growled when he finally located his youngest son, obviously unconscious, held in the arms of … holy crap, it was Roger Stewart! A fucking Hunter whose family was revered as if they were Gods within the hunting community; respected and admired because this legendary family of Hunters had earned the right to be one of the elite members of the hunting community; considering all of the good they had accomplished. And now Roger Stewart was just throwing all of that away … and for what?
Even though Nirkish had told John that Roger was at the hospital and it appeared to be behind this ploy to get to his boys, John hadn't fully believed it. But now … John knew he shouldn't be surprised since Marc had informed him that there were other Hunters involved in The Organisation, but … Roger fucking Stewart? He was honestly the last person John expected to be involved in this mess.
"What?" Bobby asked quietly, worry coating his tone. "What is it John? What's wrong?"
John hadn't told Bobby who Nirkish had accused of being responsible for the attack upon his boys at the hospital. After a split second of indecision, John knew that he had to come clean with the older Hunter about this aspect of The Organisation at least.
"I think I've spotted the asshole behind this fiasco, who plotted to get their hands on my sons." John responded through clenched teeth.
"Who?" Bobby asked, shocked at the amount of hostility he could hear within his friend's voice.
"Roger Stewart," John said grimly, turning to see Bobby's eyes go as wide as saucers at that revelation.
"Roger Stewart … the Hunter?" Bobby pressed for clarification, appalled and sickened at the thought that one of the oldest and most elite of the Hunter's families had taken his boys hostage.
"Yep. Roger Stewart, the Hunter," John confirmed, unwilling to think about the consequences this would have later on down the track. All he wanted and was concentrating on was getting his boys back.
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"Get your fucking hands off him!" Dean growled, the amount of intense rage he felt, making him shake, his green eyes narrowing with undiluted fury. "If you don't get your fucking crazy, perverted, old man hands off of my brother … I will make you suffer in the worst possible way!" Dean fumed, his tone filled with all of the hate, bitterness and hostility he could muster, keeping his tone even, low and deadly serious, his eyes never looking away from old man Stewart's, letting him see just how sincere and serious Dean was and that he would do whatever it took to fulfil the declared promise he'd just made.
Roger Stewart snorted with disgust, removing his hand from Sam's bare skin as if he had been scolded. "Lucky for you, young Winchester, I don't swing that way. And even if I did, this … thing would be the last person I would ever want to fornicate with!
Even now, touching this Demon Spawn is making me sick to my stomach!" Roger pushed Sam away from him, a look of horror and revulsion upon his features, taking a step back from Sam's crumbled form as if he thought the very essence of Sam would somehow taint him or infect him with the evil incarnate that he perceived Sam to be.
"The only thing this … abomination is good for is to be experimented upon so that we can learn its weakness, which will help in our upcoming war against all Demon Spawn!" Roger spat upon Sam's face, his features contorted with sickened hatred. "God … I'm going to need to bathe for an entire week to get that stench off of me! Kyle, Darryl, pick up the trash and follow me. The sooner I get it delivered and out of my sight, the better I will feel!"
Dean's temper flared brightly within him and he wanted nothing more than to get his hands upon this pathetic excuse of a man and rip him limb from limb, fuming, seething in a rage he'd never experienced before at the sick game this prestigious Hunter – one that he had once admired and respected – seemed to enjoy playing at Dean's expense, just to elicit a rise out of Dean for his own damn amusement!
Dean grinded his teeth together, barely aware of the low growls that were emanating from him, so deep in his fury and rage that nothing else registered in Dean's sights except getting his hands around old man Stewart's throat and squeezing so hard that Dean could see the fear resonating within the old man's cocky blue eyes.
Insinuating that he was going to play with his younger brother sexually had been bad enough, but when he had started spouting all of that bullshit about how Sam was nothing and his only usefulness was to be locked in a cage and experimented on like some dumb lab rat, increased Dean's brotherly instincts tenfold.
"You're dead! I don't care how vast or powerful this organisation is that you work for, and no matter what it takes or how long it takes … I will find a way to end you. Do you hear me, you son of a bitch?"
"Well, I'd like to see you try young Winchester," Roger smirked in a conceited manner as his two lackeys lifted Sam from the ground. "This has been fun, but, unfortunately, duty calls. I look forward to our next meeting young Winchester.
You six can have some fun with them," Roger grinned with evil intent. "But don't kill them. After all, a deal is a deal." Roger Stewart laughed, pivoting on his heels to lead Kyle and Darryl out, who were carrying the Demon Spawn between them.
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John was more than impressed by how quickly Bobby absorbed the news that they were now up against one of the most powerful and elite families within the hunting community, Bobby coming up with a number of suggestions in which he and John could fight this new enemy.
Bobby Singer was one of a kind if he was still willing to stand beside John and fight for his boys, even knowing who they were up against.
Most other people would have run for the hills by now. But not Bobby. And John wasn't quite sure if Bobby was too damn loyal for his own good, or if he was being stupid by remaining by John's side. Either way, John appreciated the fact that Bobby stayed.
John was about to reply to Bobby's latest suggestion when he felt his phone vibrate rapidly within his front pocket.
Whenever John was on a hunt, it was common practice for him to turn his phone to vibrate, killing the ring tone. There was no point in giving the monsters they hunted an advantage by knowing exactly where John was because of a ringing cell phone. That was just stupid … and dangerous. And it wasn't as if he could turn his phone off for the duration of the hunt. What if he or his boys encountered a problem and needed to contact the other in a hurry?
John slipped his hand into his front pocket, bringing out the vibrating phone, immediately scowling at the name displayed upon the screen. "Where the hell are you?" John growled lowly into the phone, no time for pleasantries or small talk. "You told me you could get my boys out of there!"
"John, you and Bobby need to stand down." Nirkish's commanding voice came over the line. It seemed like he wasn't in the mood for pleasantries either.
"What the hell are you talking about? We're not standing down! That asshole is about to take my son and vanish. We have to storm in there before those armed maniacs' fire upon Caelan, Caleb and Dean."
A loud, long weary sigh was heard.
"Look, if you can't help my boys, just say so. Bobby and I can deal with it."
"You're going to ruin everything!" Nirkish growled impatiently. A few seconds later, Nirkish's voice returned to his near non-existent, emotionless tone, but John could detect the urgency within his voice.
"Listen, I have everything under control John, I promise. But you and Bobby can't be seen here. If they see you, they will hunt you down and kill you for knowing too much."
"Your family's here?" John interrupted, his own voice a lot calmer now than it was before, understanding why Nirkish wasn't in there with the boys just yet. "They agreed to help you?"
"They agreed that Roger Stewart has to be stopped." Nirkish expertly redirected, neither confirming nor denying John's claim. "They can't afford a rouge … member to go around and do whatever he wants, creating more dangerous drugs, which would ultimately bring more attention to The Organisation then they would like."
"Okay." John let out a breath. "So, what's the plan?"
"All you need to worry about is getting you and Bobby to the back of the hospital where the Impala is parked. I'm sure your sons will need a friendly face once this is all over with."
John hesitated, not used to just waiting around on the side-lines. He was a man of action. "Are you sure you don't need our help? What if it doesn't go to plan on your end? What if –"
"It will be fine John." Nirkish replied soothingly. "I'm just waiting for some reinforcements and then I'm going in there to confront Roger Stewart myself. And as he has removed most of his armed guards … I honestly don't think I'll have any problem in taking him down … taking them all down, if I have to."
"No, I guess you won't." John admitted after a pause.
"Trust me John; you will be better served being there for your sons when they emerge from the hospital. They will need their father in order for them to heal from this."
John closed his eyes, still hesitating because he had become more of a fighter over the years than a father. He honestly didn't know if he could be their father or how to be a father anymore. This was almost as daunting as when he had first decided to track down the yellow-eyed son of a bitch and kill him for murder his wife all of those years ago.
"Take the time with your boys John," Nirkish urged gently as if he could sense John's indecision and doubt. Because it won't be too long until I am forced to make you honour our agreement. And then you won't have any time to scratch an itch, let alone spend quality time with your sons."
"Okay," John whispered, hating to admit that Nirkish was right, but willing to swallow down his own stubborn ego for the sake of his boys. "How much time do we have to get to the Impala?"
A slight pause. "Twenty minutes maximum, ten minutes minimum. Please don't be late for your sons John."
"I'll be there," John promised, hanging up the phone, a look of determination and stubbornness crossing his features before he turned to smirk playfully at the Hunter beside him.
"What do you say Bobby? Think we can slip round the back of the hospital without being detected in under ten minutes?"
If Bobby was surprised by John's question, he hid it well, a mischievous smile lightening up his rugged features. "Ten minutes?! Come on Johnny, we can get this done in five!"
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Dean cried out in frustration, watching as old man Stewart departed with his injured little brother and despite the odds, Dean was getting into an attack stance, not caring if he took a bullet or two, only wanting to kill old man Stewart and save his baby brother … when the guy who'd been with Sam earlier tonight outside the hospital doors, the man he'd thought had fled, abandoning them to their fate, stepped in to block old man Stewart's escape.
"Y – you!" Roger gasped, his face paling, a look of apprehensive fear within his eyes. "But … what are you doing here?"
Nirkish shook his head, his eyes flickering from Sam to the three Hunters behind Sam before settling his gaze upon Roger Stewart once more. "I am disappointed with the actions you have taken today Roger … without The Organisation's approval, I might add."
"But … they were going to revoke my membership …" Roger spluttered indignantly. "Me! All I've ever done is support The Organisation's ventures financially, obeying every order that was given to me until Marc decided to deceive me, spilling forth his lies, setting up my son in matters that were beyond his control. I was hoping to offer The Organisation a peace offering by delivering the Demon Spawn to them, to explain my side of the story – "
Nirkish held out his hand to cut off Roger's whinny babbling. "The Organisation is aware of Marc Ley-Lamp's misconduct and his betrayal. They are also aware of the illegal experiments you have performed without their approval, causing harm to not only Organisation members but your own kin as well."
Nirkish paused briefly to give Roger a pointed look. "The Organisation might have been willing to listen to your side of things but after this …" Nirkish shook his head, his deep blue eyes icy cold, devoid of any emotion. "You are hereby ordered to cease all activities. Your association with The Organisation is terminated and you will be taken in for questioning by the Divine Elders themselves. You, and all who have plotted in these despicable actions today."
Nirkish moved forward, his eyes flashing with disgust, disappointment and unbridled fury. "We had Sam Winchester under control." He lowered his voice so that only Roger Stewart could hear his words.
"Now, because of your stupidity, certain people are aware of our activities. People that we didn't want as enemies, people that will use up a lot of man power and resources that we can't afford to expel right now. Your actions today have caused a ripple effect that will take years to recover from."
"I'm sorry," Roger Stewart spluttered, his eyes wide with fear. "If you just give me another chance –"
"There are no more chances Roger!" Nirkish thundered, his voice still low enough that it wouldn't carry to the Hunters beyond. "Because of your single-minded obsession with protecting your precious reputation and name, you have sentenced your only daughter to death."
Roger gasped, shaking his head in denial. "You won't kill her!" He spat out in a sudden burst of defiance. "Not you. Because, just like me, you're expendable!"
"That's true. My … brethren do consider me expendable and I don't have to kill Elizabeth because you have done that yourself. The unrestricted, untested drug that you used to … recondition her is burning through her. Within twenty-four hours her body will begin to shut down, and not even I can stop that from happening.
You knew the risks using that drug would present, but you decided to use it on your own daughter, disregarding the effects because it was fast acting and did what months of reconditioning can do in a matter of hours."
Roger Stewart swallowed hard, his trembling body straightening up, refusing to let this man's threats get to him any longer. "You won't get rid of me!" he sneered confidentially. "You need me to provide The Organisation with new drugs in order to help them recondition the more … stubborn people."
Nirkish stepped back from Roger Stewart, not surprised that this man wasn't showing one ounce of remorse or regret for condemning his only daughter to death for a foolish crusade he was never going to be able to succeed in. This man's only thought was about his own selfish desires and skin.
"While it is true that your … skills have been useful to The Organisation in the past, we have since secured someone else who matches your skill and intelligence."
"Who?" Roger blinked in surprise.
"Your son, Peter Stewart." Nirkish smirked in amusement. "He has agreed to take over your position within The Organisation in order to spare the life of both his boyfriend and himself." Nirkish paused, letting that sink in before he leaned in close to whisper. "Like father, like son. I guess you did teach him well Roger."
Nirkish stood up, motioning with his hand. "Take these men into custody immediately and return them to the Divine Elders for questioning. I will take care of the Hunters myself."
TBC