Chapter 23

"This one is the easiest," Sasha explained as she opened one of her books to a location spell.

"Let me see," Dean said looking over her shoulder to read the page.

She could feel his warm breath on her neck and shivered slightly at his nearness. Moving slightly, she handed the book over her shoulder to him and stepped closer to Sam.

"What's goin' on?" Sam whispered in her ear. It didn't get past him how uncomfortable Sasha seemed being close to Dean.

"Nothing," she told him.

"Awe Sammy your girlfriend's embarrassed 'cause she saw me naked," Dean shrugged.

"I did not, you had a towel covering...I mean not completely," Sasha stuttered causing giggles and chuckles from several of the others who knew Dean well enough to know his antics.

"Don't worry about it," Sky laughed. "He thinks he's God's gift to women and has no modesty at all."

"Yeah, you're lucky he had a towel at all," Sam scoffed giving Dean his really, she doesn't know you yet bitchlook.

"Hey! I'm not an exhibitionist," Dean complained scanning the page in the spell book. "Let's do this."

"What do ya need for the spell?" Sam asked getting serious.

"We still got a map in the glove box?"

"I think so."

"We need something personal of either Cole of Alex," he said looking to the girls for help.

"Her hair brush is in the SUV, there should be hair in it," Krissy answered getting up to head outside.

"We also need these things," he said scribbling on a pad and handing it to Sam. "I think most of it's in the trunk."

"On my way," Sam nodded catching the keys in midair that were thrown his way.

"I'll go with you," Sasha told him grabbing her jacket from the chair before following him.

"I think you scarred her for life," Sky snickered throwing an arm around his neck and planting a kiss on his cheek. "You're such a tease."

"She'll get over it, hey, you already saw Sam in far less, remember. So we're even."

"You Winchesters are..." she laughed out loud.

"Loveable, cute, handsome, irresistible, your sex toy?" Dean finished for her jerking her over his shoulder and into his lap to kiss her.

"Come on guys, this is getting way to grouse for me," Krissy grimaced. "Call us when you're ready to do the spell."

"Oh you're so bad," Sky told him smacking his chest playfully. Sky knew some of Dean's coping mechanisms were to make light of things, brash teasing or destroy something. He didn't like not being in control and when it involved family it only made it worse. She let him cling to her for as long as he needed wanting to give him the strength and anchor he needed.

spn

The air was heavy in the room as the five hunters, two Marines and a Keeper of Knowledge made ready to cast a location spell in order to find their missing family.

"Are you sure this will work?" Sky asked watching Dean add ingredients to a brass bowl, mashing and stirring it as he went.

"Won't know until we try," he answered pulling out a knife and nicking his finger to allow blood to drip into the bowl. Sam handed him a napkin to wrap around his finger and took the bowl to pour the potion onto a map. He lit a match and spoke the spell in Latin before dropping it onto the wet map.

Brody and Trace watched in wonder as the fire suddenly flared up in a blazing blue-orange flame before going out and burning the entire map but one spot. Dean and Sky looked down at the location that was left, Rose, Nebraska.

"Well?" Krissy asked trying to see around Dean to see the scrap of map.

"Ever been there?" Dean asked Sky.

"No, but it looks like it's in the middle of no where," Sky frowned knowing that was going to make it harder to get in there unseen.

"Okay, we have a location, let's hit the road," Dean told everyone wiping the ash into the trash can. He picked up his bags and waited for the others to do the same.

They were heading out the door when Sky's cell rang. Everyone stopped in their tracks and waited as she dug it from her pocket to answer it. Her face when hard and cold when she pulled up a picture that was sent to her. Dean took one look at Sky and knew it had to be something from the kidnappers. He pried the phone from her clenched hand and looked at it. It showed a bloodied, beaten Cole tied to a chair with a newspaper showing today's date as proof of life. Below the picture was a text, instructions to follow, obey or he dies slow and painfully. Sam looked over Dean's shoulder at the phone and over at Sky whose face was a mask of fury so dark he almost stepped back. This was a side of Sky that no one had seen and Sam wondered just how dangerous she could be.

"Come on," Dean said taking Sky's arm to only have it jerked from his grip as she stormed from the room. "Alright," Dean grunted. "Sasha can you check out this Rose, Nebraska place, see what we're walking into and can you see about tracing this call?" he asked holding out the phone before following Sky out.

"Of course," she said accepting the phone.

"It was Cole wasn't it Sam?" Krissy confronted Sam before he could get out of the room.

"Yeah, he's alive Kris, just concentrate on that."

"Okay Sam," Claire said taking Krissy's arm and leading her out. Brody and Trace followed close behind deciding on who was driving first.

"Sam what did it show?" Sasha asked quietly.

"It was Cole, he's been beaten pretty bad," he replied. "There was no sign of Alex."

"I'm sure she's okay. I mean the location spell wouldn't have found her if she were..." Sasha started and stopped before saying dead.

Sam opened the door of the car for her and thought about what she said. He walked around to the driver's side and slid behind the wheel. He headed out falling in behind Trace as they made their way toward the town of Rose.

spn

"Babe, talk to me," Dean said softly. He was seeing a side of Sky that he had never seen before. He wasn't afraid of much, but Sky was starting to worry him. He could relate to what she was feeling having felt this way himself during his lifetime. He knew from his own experience you can't keep that rage bottled up, it would eat you alive.

"I'm fine," she replied in a voice he didn't recognize as the woman he loved. She had been around him too long and had picked up the response the Winchester's used when things weren't okay but they wanted others to think they were.

"You can't con a con man Sky, I know you're not. Believe me when I tell you we'll do whatever it takes to get them back."

Sky looked out the side window not trusting her voice to answer him. She could feel her other self taking over and what bothered her the most was Dean seeing her this way. She didn't know if his feelings for her would change once he saw who she could become. Was their love strong enough to survive this? It frightened her just to think about it and the possibility of losing him. She loved him so much; she ached at the thought of not being with him for the rest of her life.

They drove on in silence toward Rose, Nebraska each lost in their own thoughts. Sky reached over and dug his cell out of his jacket pocket without asking making Dean frown. Dean watched Sky text someone and then began doing something on his cell. Dean concentrated on driving; glancing in the rearview mirror now and then to be sure the others were still behind him. He wanted to get as close as they could to the town before stopping for food and gas.

spn

"Hello," Sky said answering Dean's phone.

"Hey," Sasha replied. "Sam wanted me to call to see if we were stopping soon."

"Yeah, Dean said he'd find a place shortly. I've already sent a text to Kris to let them know too."

"Okay, sounds good. See ya in a bit then."

"Bye," Sky replied hanging up. "You found an exit yet?"

"Yeah, five miles ahead, gas and food looks good. And we can work out a plan after we see what Sasha's found."

"Dean, thank you."

"For what?"

"What you're doing to help me, I know it's because of Alex but..."

"It's not just because of her. You and Cole are our family too and we protect our family."

"Do you know how much I love you?"

Dean looked over at Sky and the sincere look on her face and the love in her eyes.

"I know," he said pulling her into his embrace. He felt her mold to his side as she snuggled close. The wheels in his brain began to turn as he started hashing out a plan to get Cole and Alex back. Even if these monsters were human, they could still use their hunter skills to make it work. In fact, it might be easier knowing they were humans, they wouldn't have to deal with any other worldly things.

spn

Dean was filling up the Impala when his cell beeped he had a text. He finished, and pulled to the side into a parking space before checking it out. He read the message twice trying to figure out what it meant. Sam and Brody pulled over beside him and got out to stand beside him.

"The girls went to get a table," Sam said trying to get Dean's attention.

"Yeah, let's go," he mumbled heading for the 24 hour diner beside the gas station still lost in thought.

Brody and Trace looked at Sam wondering what was going on and Sam just shook his head to not press the issue. They followed the brothers to the diner and they looked around until they spotted Sky in the back corner waving to them.

"Hey, got a text from someone named Shadow," Dean said as he sat down beside her. "Someone you know?"

"Yes, can I see?" she asked holding out her hand. Dean handed over his cell and watched Sky as she read the text carefully and nodded to herself. He could see the wheels turning in her head as she hashed out a plan of her own. "We need to make a stop in Taylor, Nebraska."

"What's in Taylor?" Dean asked wondering why she didn't explain who this Shadow person was.

"Equipment we'll need and we need to wait until just before dawn to go in. From what Sasha found Rose is a very small town, pretty flat all around it. There's a factory just outside of town that's abandoned and would be a good place to hold someone. It's far enough away from the town that the locals wouldn't notice the comings and goings of strangers. There's no way we can go in with vehicles and not be seen. We'll drive as close as possible and then hike the rest of the way. Hopefully we can catch them off guard, since they don't know we know where they're hiding and are this close. They're gonna think I'm just leaving Sioux Falls, so right now we have the upper hand."

"How many do you think we'll be up against?" Sam asked falling silent when two waitresses came by. They placed drinks around the table along with rolls and took orders before leaving them alone.

"I really don't know."

"Any idea who might be targeting you?" Claire asked as she munched on a buttered roll.

"It could be any case I've worked over the years," Sky answered with a deep frown. "All the necessary precautions were taken to keep my identity secret. Only a hand full even know of my existence, I don't think any of them would of sold me out."

"Someone did," Dean growled feeling the anger threatening to rear its ugly head. He clenched his hands into fists and let his mask drop to hide his true feelings. All anyone saw was a hard, blank face with no expression on it except for the eyes that smothered in rage.

Sam looked at his brother knowing what was going on, but had no solution to ease his rage. These kidnappers might not be like the monsters they usually hunt, but they were just as evil and deadly. He only hoped they got to them in time, before it was too late. He didn't think Dean or Sky would handle it very well.