Chapter 24

The address from the text on Dean's phone led them to a small out of the way motel. He pulled into the parking lot wondering who they were meeting.

"Over there," Sky pointed toward an end room with a silver pick up parked in front of it.

Dean pulled toward the room and parked, waiting for the others to pull in too. He looked at Sky and saw a look of anticipation on her face. He wasn't sure if he was comfortable about that or not since he didn't know who they were meeting. They got out of the Impala and Dean followed Sky to the door allowing her to knock. The others gathered around with Sam behind his brother. The door was opened by a dark haired man, taller than Dean and very well build from the muscles outlined by his tight fitting tee shirt. When he saw Sky, a smile split across his handsome face and he pulled her into his strong embrace.

"Little Dove," he whispered swinging her off her feet making her laugh out loud as he planted a kiss on her cheek.

Sam had a firm hold on Dean's shoulder knowing his brother was not going to react very well to this. He could feel the tension growing in his body and a tremble slowly ran down it. He gently without anyone seeing removed the gun from the waist of Dean's jeans and passed it behind him to Claire knowing it would be a good idea to limit his access to weapons at the moment. Claire slipped the gun into the waist of her jeans out of Dean's reach. Sam gave Krissy and Claire a knowing look and they stepped up to help control their brother if needed.

"It's been a long time Shadow," she said as he sat her back on her feet in the motel room.

"You're looking good," he said holding her out to give her once over. "So what's happened? I know you wouldn't have called unless it's bad."

Sam cleared his throat as they stood in the doorway waiting to be invited in. He still had a painful grip on his brother's shoulder and Krissy had one of his arms holding on tight to Dean's clenched fist. Sam was sure he was going to have bruises by the time this meeting was over.

"Come on in guys," Sky called turning their way. "Shadow this is Dean, Sam, Krissy, Clair, Brody and Trace. This is an old college of mine, Shadow. We've worked together in the past."

"Nice to meet everyone. Marines right?" he asked Brody and Trace. I can smell them a mile away, fellow brothers in arms."

"Yep, you served?" Brody replied for them shaking the outstretched hand.

"Three tours in the worse part of hell."

"I hear ya, semper fi," Trace nodded in agreement shaking his hand.

"And you two..." he continued looking at the brothers closely. Sam fidgeted under his questioning stare. "Not military, but there's something there...You've seen your own battles and so have these lovely young ladies," he said bowing slightly to the girls.

"Hi," several said.

"Hello," the others said.

Dean grunted some remark that wasn't loud enough for anyone to hear which Sam was thankful for since he didn't want to be a referee in a fight. He was pretty sure they would be even matched with this guy or maybe he was way out of their league and Sam didn't want to find out.

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"Have you got what I need?" Sky asked ignoring the others for the moment. They all took seats around the room, Sam made sure to stand beside Dean in case he needed to do some brother control as Dean pulled his shoulder from his grasp with a mad huff. Sam stretched his cramped fingers and watched closely for any sudden outburst from Dean.

"You know I do," he said pulling a large duffle bag from behind the bed. He opened it up and let Sky scan the contents. "Little Dove what happened that you need this much fire power?" he asked softly.

"Someone found me Shadow; they kidnapped my brother and sister," she told him picking up a hand gun with a silencer on it. The others eyed the weapon wondering what else was hidden in that duffle. Sky paused when her cell began to ring and pulled it from her jacket. She read the text and slammed it shut. "It was them, I'm to be in Rose by tomorrow afternoon and will be given an address when they know I'm alone or they start sending Cole and Alex home one piece at a time," she spat in disgust tossing the gun back in the bag and walking away to hide her rage.

"So we have to go in tonight and strike at dawn," Dean said still eyeing Shadow.

"Want me to tag alone?" Shadow asked Sky laying a hand on her shoulder for comfort.

"No, but thanks for the offer," she told him taking his hand with affection and smiling at him.

"If ya change your mind, you know how to get a hold of me. The room's paid for go a head and use it," he said picking up a small bag. "Good to see ya again Little Dove, don't be such a stranger," he told Sky, slipping an arm around her waist and brushing a kiss across her lips before strolling out of the room.

It was all Sam could do to keep Dean in his seat and stop him from attacking the man right then and there. "No bro!" he growled strongly into Dean's ear while using both hands on Dean's shoulders to keep him seated.

The others in the room grew suddenly quiet and still after the exchange between Sky and Shadow and looked at Dean wide eyed. Only Sam really knew how truly dangerous his brother could be when he felt slighted and right now he didn't like the attention Sky had gotten.

"You good," Sam mumbled, slowly loosing his hold on his brother's shoulders until Dean jerked from his grip glaring at him.

"I'm fine," he hissed at his brother daring him to say otherwise. "Can I talk to ya outside?" he asked Sky getting up and hooking her elbow to pull her toward the door.

"What's wrong?" she asked pulling her arm from his grasp and looking at him boldly.

"Outside, okay?" he asked again in a deep rumble.

"Fine," she stated turning on her heels and stalking out the door.

"Should we be concerned?" Sasha asked Sam seeing the look on both of their faces. "Don't you want to go out there with them?"

"Are you kidding? Not on your life," Sam huffed looking at her like she was crazy. "I don't have a death wish and I know when to keep my nose out of their business. Besides, I think Sky can take him, no problem."

"Our brother may be angry, but he won't hurt her, he loves her too much," Krissy added watching the door and trying to peek between the curtains.

They all got quiet when raised voices could be heard from outside. Unfortunately what was being said didn't filter through very well. Sasha looked at Sam and he fidgeted in his seat trying to pretend he wasn't hearing the argument between Dean and Sky. The others looked anywhere but at the window, waiting for the confrontation to end.

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"Wanna tell me what that was about?" Dean asked trying to control the anger in his voice.

"What Dean? He's an old acquaintance and I worked some jobs with him," she said folding her arms across her chest and staring him down. "He pulled my bacon out of the fire a couple of times."

"From his attention I'd say there was a little more going on," he replied raising his voice. "He an old flame or something?"

"Yes Dean, we did date a few times. We both saw it wasn't working, we were better off as friends than lovers and no, before you ask, we never had sex. Are you satisfied?"

"And you stayed in touch?"

"We've emailed a few times just to let each other know we're still alive, I've not seen him in like three years, right before Cole was kidnapped. I had a mission, he was my backup," she answered. "I called him 'cause I knew he would deliver with no questions ask. So why the third degree?" she accused him.

"What am I suppose to think, some muscle bound guy practically attacks my girl and you think I'm gonna not question that?" he yelled pacing in front of his car. "Good thing Sammy was in there holding me back or I would of killed the guy."

"You dumb jerk!" she fussed at him hitting him hard in the arm. "Don't you know how much I love you? Now get your head outta your ass and deal with this, we need to save our family," she told him looking deeply into his eyes showing him her deepest emotions for him.

"I am a jerk," he agreed rubbing his arm where she socked him and looking sheepishly down at the ground. "I just don't like my girl being manhandled."

"I hope you know I would never do something like that to you Dee, I would never cheat on you, I'd die first," she said letting him take her into his arms and hold her tight. "You have to trust me."

"I know, I know," he sighed gently butting his head to hers as the tension left his body. "I do."

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"I don't hear anything," Claire said breaking the silence hanging in the room.

"You think they're okay?" Sasha asked.

"Yeah, I think so," Krissy smirked looking out the window to see them kissing. "They made peace."

"Thank God," Sam sighed not wanting to deal with an irate brother when they had more important things to do. But he knew his brother, no matter what happened, he would see this job to the end and rescue Cole and Alex; then he would be picking up the pieces of his brother off some bar floor.

"So we're good then?" Brody asked them.

"Yes, I'm sure they will be in shortly," Sam said looking up as the door opened and the two walked back in to have all eyes trained on them waiting for Dean to speak.

"What?" Dean asked them.

"Nothing," Sam spoke up knowing better than dwelling on what just happened.

"Okay, quick weapons training," Sky announced pulling items from the bag. "Night vision goggles, who's used them?" she asked watching only the guy's hands go up. "Okay, ear wigs," she said holding up a small ear piece. "We'll communicate with these," she said showing them around. "I have some guns with silencers," she passed to the guys. "Sasha you're gonna be our eyes and ears. Can you like hack a satellite if I give you co-ordinates and codes for it?"

"Probably," she said slowly.

"You can use it to do a thermal scan of the area and see what we're up against and hopefully where Cole and Alex are being held," she instructed. "You two are to keep her safe, without her we will be blind," she told Krissy and Claire. "You guys are my backup and you need to get Cole and Alex out of there, I'll take care of the rest."

"Excuse me?" Dean asked. "No way you're doing this on your own sister."

"Dean, I need to keep you guys safe."

"I think we can take care of ourselves. Brody and Trace will find Alex and get her out. Sam and me will be with you and Sam can get Cole out while I stay with you."

"You don't think they're together?" Sasha asked.

"No, Alex is useless baggage to them, they only wanted Cole."

"You don't think they've killed her do you?" Brody asked a hint of fear in his voice.

"I don't know, but if they did, no one walks out alive. As long as she doesn't cause them any problems I think she's safe until they get what they want, Sky," Dean answered truthfully.

"We're only a couple of hours from Rose. We'll take the van as far as we can, no lights and then hike the rest of the way."

"What van?" Sam asked knowing he didn't hear anything about that.

"Shadow's letting us borrow a van. It's has the computer equipment we need," she said. "Didn't I mention that?"

"Um-m nope," Sam told her.

"Okay, let's grab some shut eye before we have to leave," Dean said looking around the room at the two queen beds and the couch that made a bed. "Guess we need to get another room."

"Hey give me some blankets and pillow, I don't mind the floor," Brody said.

"Yeah, the girls can have the couch, we'll take the floor," Trace agreed. "We've slept on worse."

"I'll go get some more blankets and pillows," Sam told them getting up to head to the office.

"Anyone want water or soda?" Sasha asked adding up the responses and following Sam. She grabbed the ice bucket on her way out figuring some might want their drink on ice. "Wait up," she called running to catch up.

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Sky took a couple of minutes to text her uncle what they had learned and their location. He was going to hopefully be their ace in the hole, but she didn't tell anyone else just in case he couldn't get to them in time. He had never let her down before and she was sure he wouldn't do it now.

She looked around the room at her family and wondered how she could have gotten so lucky to find them and to find the man of dreams, the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. Yeah, he was a little rough around the edges at times, but he was the most gentle, kind, protective and caring person she had ever known and one hell of a lover. She didn't know what she'd do if something happened to him or to any of them, but knew she couldn't stop them from helping.