Kontos achieved what he wanted by triggering a primal response in his very dangerous patient. He felt in complete control as his finger hovered over the panic button and a guard stood outside the door. It all happened so fast, one moment John Winchester was seated and the next he was squatting on the doctor's desk with the obelisk in hand and the last thing Kontos would ever see, was that obelisk coming down before crushing his skull.
The guard knocked on the door, "Doc, is everything alright in there?" When Kontos didn't answer he entered cautiously. John easily took the younger man down with one arm and his new found strength and agility. John squeezed until he felt the man's hyoid bone give a satisfying snap. He stripped the guard of his uniform and weapon and took both wipe cards off the bodies.
"I'm smart, so goddamn smart…not a drop of blood on me…" He felt the two keycards in his pocket, "Keys to the kingdom…" The hunter had a tenuous grasp on his last shreds of humanity and a fight for what was left, raged inside him.
"Gotta find the boys, let 'em know I'm alive…gonna change things and make it better…"
"Take them all down, John…that's your job…kill every single person here but you'll need help…you know what to do…"
John slapped the side of his head then shook it violently, "Get out get out get out!"
"Look what you did already…no open casket funerals for these two! All your good for is killing now…killing is the way out of here…"
This inner voice had been egging him on for some time now and when it spoke John's thoughts were dark, darker than any he could remember.
….
Dean looked up at the sign for the Eagle Motel and scoffed, "Another friggin' motel. Let's just get this over with."
Grady growled at the teen, "We need a place to regroup so stop your whining. I don't need a wet behind the ears, omega hunter butting in."
The older Sam got, the harder it was to hold his tongue when it came to his brother. When another male hit on, threatened or criticized Dean, the young alpha found himself jumping in and defending him even though Dean was perfectly able to defend himself.
Right now, he felt like punching Grady back to the stone age, "Don't ever talk to my brother that way. He's a better hunter than you'll ever be, you friggin' jerk."
A smile played on the omega's lips, "Damn, Sammy, you're such an alpha." He placed his hand on the small of the teen's strong back and he could feel his brother's muscles twitching. It was a total turn on but then everything about Sam turned him on.
Bobby cleared his throat loudly to break up whatever was going on. "Let's go over the plan one more time." Everyone recited their role in the mission then they left for Landon Pharmaceuticals.
…
Dean and Jamie were on the floor of the van trying to look like a couple of passed out infected. Dean cracked open an eye and tapped Jamie with his boot, "Do I look drugged up?"
"I don't know what a drugged up infected, looks like. Close your eyes, the van is slowing down." They heard Grady talking to someone.
"Here's my pass."
The guard took a look in the back and then waved them on to the unloading area. Grady honked the horn and the warehouse door went up. He drove inside and two guards approached the back. Ike patted the back doors, "Got a couple good ones for yah. Sorta like that last guy we brought in, hardly turned. Hey, whatever happen to him, I bet he's roasted and toasted already."
"You mean the worn out stud with the fucked up arm? Come on Ike, you know they don't tell us shit around here." The guard spoke in a hushed tone, "I did hear they kept him around because he's supposed to be special or something." When they opened the back, instead of two infected, they found two hunters locked and loaded.
…
Sam and Bobby found the tunnel exit right where Grady said it would be at the edge of the forest, hidden from view. It took a crowbar and brute strength to pop the double doors. The passage down was one long ladder, a landing and yet another ladder which led to the main tunnel. It was huge, well-lit and along one wall was a row of what looked like souped up golf carts. There wasn't a soul in sight.
Bobby studied the large map of the tunnels on the wall, "Well this shouldn't be too hard. We can take an elevator up and find Dean and James. Sam, if this goes bad, we'll probably have to drag Dean out of here. That boy never gives up."
"If things go bad, I'll carry him out of here myself."
…
Dean and Jamie made it to the sky bridge without anyone stopping them. The masks and uniforms seemed to be doing their job.
Suddenly an alarm went off.
"Dad!"
"You don't know that, Dean."
"I just know. Who else could throw this place into chaos? I'm gonna call Sam."
Several guards ran past them toward the other building as a group of civilians ran in the opposite direction. One of them said, "Run, they're out!"
Jamie couldn't stop his hand from shaking as he punched in Bobby's number and put him on speaker so Dean could listen in, "Honey Bear, we're on the sky bridge now and there's guards running one way and civies running the other. I think the infected got loose."
"We'll get there quick as we can, Sugar Pearl."
There was absolutely nothing funny about their situation but Dean vowed that if they made it out of there, he was going to pick on both of them for their weird pet names.
Dean was already yards ahead of Jamie when he yelled, "Come on Sugar Pearl, keep moving."
…..
The office was littered with bodies of the ones who didn't make it out. Jamie went around and put a bullet in each head just in case. It was gruesome work and he didn't want Dean to have to do it. The teenager had seen plenty of horrible things over the years but he didn't deserve to have this on his conscious.
….
A man's voice called out to the hunters, "I'm not infected, don't shoot." Sam and Bobby found an injured guard hiding behind some file cabinets. His arm hung loosely from the shoulder.
Bobby didn't let his guard down and kept his gun aimed at the stranger, "Was there a one-armed guy here?"
Ray nodded, "Yeah, he was here along with some of the infected. He walked right past them like some sort of ghost while they tore people apart. That bastard let them out, I'm guessing as a diversion. Look, if you help me, I'll get you out of here in one piece, I promise. I know every square inch of this place."
Sam was worried about his brother running across John who apparently no longer valued human life, "That one armed guy is my dad."
"Kid, he's not in control of himself anymore." Ray looked up at the clock, panic stricken, "We have to get out of here now. There's a protocol in place. Once the that alarm goes off the timers begin and these buildings are set to blow. By my estimate, we've got forty-five minutes left."
Bobby set his watch.
….
The infected roamed the buildings looking for someone or something to savage and quench the rage inside their damaged minds. The most dangerous were the handful who were like John, physically sound and just enough of themselves left to play tug of war for control of their thoughts and bodies in an endless and exhausting bid to stay human.
Dean, Jamie and Ray rounded a corner and found the next hallway was full of infected.
…..
Sam scanned the monitors in the control room, desperately trying to find Dean. He spotted his brother and dad facing off in what looked like a cafeteria. It was the stuff of his nightmares, that Dean would die at the hands of their father. He took off running as Bobby called his name. He couldn't keep Sam but Bobby knew where the kid was headed.
….
In the chaos and gunfire, the three became separated and Dean found himself in a cafeteria alone save for two dead bodies with their throats ripped out. Pistol at the ready, he went looking for John. An infected came out of nowhere, running full speed toward the hunter but was intercepted before Dean got a shot off. John slammed it to the tile floor, cracking the skull open then crushed its neck.
A woman wearing a bloodstained lab coat staggered out from behind the counter and pleaded with Dean to help her. John stood and stalked over to his captive and backhanded the woman. For some reason he hadn't killed her.
Sam burst through the cafeteria doors, "Dean, get away from him, that's not Dad!"
"Stay back, Sam, I'll handle this."
Distracted by Sam, John let go of the female's hair and she scurried behind the two young men.
"Sons, boys…my boys, these two are my boys…Sam, Dean…"
Some claim that before you die your life flashes before your eyes and in a way, John Winchester was dying. Images rapidly went through his mind, his father, mother, his first kiss, war, death, a beautiful woman, two children, joyful times, the woman burning, demons, pain, sorrow, anger, so much anger.
"Tear 'em apart, do it, you weak piece of shit…shut up shut up shut up…"
His last words to his sons were, "I'm sorry."
Too little much too late.
When they heard the first gun shot, Dean pushed his brother to the floor and covered Sam's body with his own.
The first bullet hit John center mass, nicked his aorta and he collapsed. Jamie stood over him and put the second bullet through his forehead just to be sure. The omega knew he just risked everything to put an end to this but he was prepared to be alone again if need be. Monsters and murderers needed to die, there was no going back for John Winchester and Jamie knew it.
For the first time in their lives, Sam and Dean were truly free.
….
Ray kept his word and led them safely out of the complex with just minutes to spare. The explosions were deafening, both buildings were razzed and anything or anyone left inside died along with all the secrets. Ray Russo and Kathy Douglas survived but both were rightfully terrified knowing they'd be hunted down along with the handful of people who also made it out alive.
When they regrouped back at the motel, Grady was missing, a casualty of the mission. Ike was sullen and withdrawn because he was the one who shot his bitten partner.
The brothers left for home and drove in silence much of the way. Bobby and Jamie followed. They drove straight through, only stopping to switched drivers. The house was the most beautiful sight in the world and inside it held peace and safety.
Dean was gutted from the way things had ended. Now they were motherless and fatherless and even though John hadn't been much of a father, he was better than nothing. In Dean's young eyes, the man was still a hero and the issues between them would forever be unresolved.
As for Sam, he felt all torn up inside. He and John had formed a love/hate relationship over the years. As Sam got older his eyes opened up to what his hero father really was, a neglectful bully who left his poor brother to pick up all the pieces. Still, watching the man who helped bring you into the world turn into a monster and die before your very eyes was something Sam would never forget.
That night Jamie dropped off a couple of pizzas and some beer. He left while Bobby was in the shower and the boys were holed up in their rooms. Jamie left them because it was better to be hated from afar than in person. His heart just couldn't handle that.
…
Next Morning at the crack of dawn….
Dean looked over at his brother sipping coffee from a travel mug as he caught the wind in his outstretched hand. Sammy had a little smile, the one with just a hint of dimples. Dean wondered what he was thinking but it must have been something good. He wanted his alpha happy and they had a lifetime to process their grief and talk about what just had happened but that time wasn't now. They were together with no one else to watch or judge them. No one had control or a say in what they were going to do.
They were free.
TBC