Hunted- Part 2
"Why can't you just leave town? Please? Before you blow up?" Ava asked.
"No, I can't."
Ava sighed, exasperated. "Oh, god. Why not?"
"Because there's something going on here, Ava. With you, with me. I mean, there are others like us out there. And we're all a part of something, and I've got to figure out what."
"Okay. you know what? Screw you, buddy." Ava stood, "Okay? Because I'm a secretary from Peoria and I'm not part of anything! Okay? Do you see this?" She held up her hand, wiggling her engagement ring a bit, "I am getting married in eight weeks. I am supposed to be at home addressing invitations, which I am way behind on, by the way. But instead, I drove out here to save your weirdo ass. But if you just want to stay here and die, fine. Me? I'm due back on Planet Earth." She grabbed her bag and started to walk away from Sam.
"Don't you want to know why this is happening?" Sam asked, stopping Ava. "I mean, don't these visions scare the hell out of you? Because if you walk out that door right now you might never know the truth. I need your help."
The prescription bottle Sam had pocketed had the name and address of Scott's therapist. In the morning, Sam had talked Ava into booking an emergency therapy session with the doctor so that Sam could dig up more information. Ava found herself feeling even crazier as she distracted Dr. Waxler, so perhaps she was in the right place after all.
"So, Ms. Wilson, you're new in town."
"That's right." She said, unable to hide her nervousness.
"And what made you decided to seek out therapy?
"I have no idea." she said, truthfully. She wasn't even sure why she let Sam talk her into this.
"No?" Dr. Waxler asked.
"No. I mean, I'm feeling really super anxious right now."
"Okay, anything else?
"Um..." She wasn't sure what this Sam guy had planned but she certainly wasn't expecting to see him on the outside window ledge, "Holy crap!"
"What?" The doctor turned to the window, following Ava's eye line but saw nothing.
"I just remembered, when I was a kid, I swallowed like, eight things of pop rocks and then drank a whole can of coke, you don't think that that counts as a suicide attempt, do you?" She asked.
Ava provided Sam enough of a distraction for him to retrieve Scott's files and return to the motel. Sam thought, once his brother was done being worried and pissed, he'd be impressed with him. And Ava. She still seemed shocked, either because of what she had done or what Sam had told her. Probably a mix of both.
"Are you okay?" Sam asked.
"Am I okay?" Ava repeated.
"Yeah."
"I just helped you steal some dead guy's confidential psych files. I'm awesome!" She said, a little exhilarated by the entire endeavor.
Sam chuckled at her reaction. He opened the file and look out the cassette tape that had been inside the manila folder. From his gear, he grabbed at a small tape player. . Ava and Sam listened to the recording of Scott's session as Sam looked over the notes in the file.
On the recording Scott spoke. "It started a little over a year ago. Migraines, at first. Then I found I could do... stuff."
"What do you mean, do stuff?" Dr. Waxler asked.
"I have this ability. When I touch something, I can electrocute it if I want."
Ellen's tip that Sam had headed to Lafayette, Indiana saved them precious time on their drive. Once Mae and Dean they got there, it wasn't that hard to find Sam. They knew his patterns well enough to figure out where he'd stay. still, when they pulled into the parking lot of the Blue Rose Motel and saw Sam through the window of one or the rooms, Dean sighed in relief.
"Oh, thank god you're okay." Inside the room, Sam stepped away from the window, revealing Ava. Dean smirked. "Oh, you're better than okay. Sam, you sly dog!" Resting his arm on the door.
Mae made a tsk sound, drawing Dean's attention to her. "What? It's not like Sammy doesn't like girls. You think it's still too soon for him to hook up with some chick? You're not exactly puritanical Mavis Lake." Dean said.
Either because of the way he said her middle name or because the tension had lessened enough, she gave him a genuine laugh as his hand moved suggestively up her thigh. "I'm hardly one to judge someone for how quickly they jump into bed with someone," Mae replied, her tone self-deprecating. "But just because he's in a motel room with a woman doesn't mean they're having sex."
Dean looked at her skeptically. Expectantly.
"Okay," she conceded, "just because we've run off to a different motel to hook up doesn't mean Sam would."
"It doesn't not."
She ran her fingers up his and over his knuckles until he turned his hand over and she let her hand rest in his. "So you're fine with our interstate search for your brother if it turns out that he ran off without telling us to hook up with some random chick?"
"Oh no, I'll kick his ass later for that but that's better than any alternative about whatever happened to him."
Mae shrugged. "So we're just gonna sit here and watch your brother and this chick screw?"
"I mean, no... we'll give him 5 minutes before we barge in. He's just as likely to start reading her poetry or some other weird shit."
"Not every woman is as… easy as me."
"Easy?" Dean scoffed but there was a twinkle in his eye as he lifted their hands to kiss the back of her hand. "Seriously, I've put way more effort into just… dry humping with you than any other woman."
"If you put less than that into charming other women, it's a wonder you get any action."
"I wasn't trying to charm you, sweetheart. With you, I've been doin' all the actual… you know, relationshipy, caring about you as a person things that require real effort. That's waaay harder than what I'd do to get into your pants."
"I'm not sure if that's an insult or not."
Dean laughed. "It's really simple to get laid. If I strike out with a girl, there's always another girl. But you know…there's just one you. God help me, I dodn't want another girl. But I can show you the difference. You want me to charm you?"
The look in his eyes now made her stomach flutter and she felt distinctly aroused and self-conscious at the same time. It was something only Dean could do to her and she would have let him, until she remembered where they were and why. "Well, yeah. Just not while we're spying on your brother and this girl. Can't we just go ask him what he's doing here? Sure, maybe he's trying to hook up with her but that's not what brought him here and you know it."
Dean looked over Mae, thoughts of exactly how he could seduce her still in his mind. He shook his head. "Yeah I suppose we—"
The shattering glass of the large window cut Dean off. Everything moved too fast to think about and too slow. Dean bolted from the car, barely shutting the door as he assess the situation. Something had shattered the window, likely not from inside the room and not from the parking lot. They would have seen that. Another shot hit the window. Dean looked up and over. There was a roof, which is where he headed.
"Stay here." Dean ordered Mae, tossing the command over his shoulder as he ran.
Mae hesitated. This wasn't a good plan at all. She couldn't help Sam yet. It was entirely possible she'd put herself in the line of fire if she split off to check on Sam. There was a good chance she'd get shot standing out here. She thought for a moment about calling Sam but that could draw his attention away from keeping himself and the mystery woman safe, or drew the shooter's attention to them. Instead, she took off after Dean.
Dean didn't put much thought into his actions but he was glad he didn't as he found Gordon about to take another shot at his brother. Dean kicked the other hunter square in the jaw, as he called out his name. "Gordon!" He then pinned him down, punching him over and over, sparing him no kindness. He then grabbed Gordon by the collar. "You do that to my brother, I'll kill you!"
"Dean, wait."
Gordon grabbed the rifle, slamming it into Dean twice, knocking him out. He stood over the younger hunter, panting, and bleeding heavily from the lip. But, he thought, at least he neutralized Dean and if he couldn't take Sam out clean and easy, he had another bargaining chip now.
Then, he was brought to his knees next to Dean by a weight moving fast into his back. Mae didn't think about what she did next either. She looped one arm around his neck and leveraged pressure on his throat with the other hand. Mae was stronger than she looked and the force the woman was able to apply in the choke-hold surprised Gordon. Although because she was quiet, he didn't know exactly who was trying to choke him.
Unfortunately for the woman, she hadn't disarmed him and he was able to jab the butt of the rifle against her face. He heard a grunt and she loosened her grip slightly the first time and entirely the second time. He reared back, slamming her against the roof top with all his weight. It knocked the wind out of her and he took advantage of the position to toss his head back into her face. Her head hit the roof top. With a small moan, she stopped moving.
"You shouldn't have done that." Gordon said.
Once the proverbial smoke and cleared and Sam felt they had waited long enough to not risk another shot, they cautiously left the room. He made sure not to let Ava see the gun he tucked into the waistband of his jeans, covering it with his shirt and coat.
After assessing the scene, Sam reasoned that the gunshot had come from the roof top. With slightly less urgency than Dean and Mae used, Sam and Ava made their way to the roof top.
"Wait, I don't understand. Shouldn't we be talking to the cops?"
"Trust me," he said, "that wouldn't do us much good." He crouched to pick up a shell, also taking in the drops and smears of blood. "These are .223 caliber. Subsonic rounds. The guy must have put a suppressor on the rifle."
Ava thought she had been surprised and confused enough by this stranger she saw die in a vision but every minute, she seemed to be learning something new that was even more confusing. "Dude, who are you?"
"Oh. I just, uh, I just watch a lot of TJ Hooker." Sam said, pulling out his cell phone.
"Who are you calling?"
"A friend."
The phone rang once on Sam's end until he heard the ring, sending a chill down his spine. He walked over to the edge of the roof, where Mae's phone was ringing and showing his name on the screen.
"Your friend who was shooting at us?" Ava asked, alarmed.
Sam shook his head. "No, I don't think she was. But she definitely knows who was. And they probably have her too."
Sam hung up, bent down to pick up Mae's phone, and after tucking her phone in his pocket, he dialed Dean's number.
"Who are you calling now?"
"My brother. I think we definitely need help."
Dean looked over at Mae, her head hanging down. red hair obscuring her face. "Maes, hey. Hey." He whispered as loud as he dared. Dean wasn't sure if Mae was still unconscious or just playing possum. She wasn't above it and it could give them a leg up. If he could distract Gordon enough, she could free herself.
She didn't respond but he watched her long enough to see that she was still breathing. From the other room, he heard his phone ring, followed by footsteps. His hands were tied to the arms of a chair but Gordon held answered the phone and held it up to Dean's ear. "Hello?"
"Dean!"
"Sam, I've been looking for you."
"Yeah. Look, I'm in Indiana, uh Lafayette. "
"I know."
Sam could have guessed as much, given Mae's phone tucked safely in his coat pocket. It was unlikely they had separated to find him but still a possibility. "You do? He asked cautiously.
"Yeah, I talked to Ellen. Just got here myself. It's a real funky town. You ditched me, Sammy."
"Yeah, I'm sorry." he said, "Look, right now there's someone after me."
"What? Who?" Dean asked, looking up at Gordon.
"I don't know, that's what we need to find out. Where are you?" Sam asked.
"I'm staying at, uh, 5637 Monroe St. Why don't you meet me here?"
"Yeah. Sure." With that, Sam hung up. More worried than he had been before.
"Now, was that so hard?" Gordon asked, putting Dean's phone down.
"Bite me." Dean replied.
"What is it?" Ava asked.
"My brother's in trouble."
"What?"
"He gave me a code word." Sam explained, writing the address down that Dean had given him. "Someone's got a gun on him."
"Code word?"
"Yeah. Funky town. Well, he thought of it. It's kind of a…" He knew he couldn't really make any of it make sense for Ava and he didn't need to right then. "long story. I ... come on."
Dean didn't want to draw attention to Mae but he needed to know if she was okay. He had no idea how she ended up with him here. Whatever happened to land her here couldn't have been good. She was supposed to stay but. Although, it was his own foolish assumption that she could or would listen to him on that. Maybe she saved him and Sam by following him.
He could have sworn she overheard his thoughts because she lifted her head a bit to make her hair move enough to expose her face and she winked at him. He would have laughed if they weren't in legitimate danger. Maybe she had a trick up her sleeve and he could buy her some time. Or maybe she was just letting him know she was okay. He could have spent far too much time trying to suss it out as she let her head tip back down. Instead, he turned his focus back to Gordon, who was taking a variety of items out of his bag.
"So Gordy. I know me and Sam ain't exactly your favorite people, but don't you think this is a little extreme?"
"What, you think this is revenge?"
"Well, we did leave you tied up in your own mess for three days." he laughed to himself, "Which was awesome. Sorry, I shouldn't laugh."
"Yeah. I was definitely planning on whuppin' your ass for that."
"Mm-hmm."
"But that's not what this is." Gordon explained calmly. "This isn't personal. I'm not a killer, Dean. I'm a hunter. And your brother's fair game." Gordon slammed a clip into his gun.
Sam, still cautious, walked Ava to her blue VW beetle. "I don't think I should leave." Ava said.
"I want you out of harm's way, Ava."
"What about you?" she asked, worried.
"Harm's way doesn't really bother me."
"No, but you are walking right into my vision. I mean, this is how you die."
"Doesn't matter." He tapped the paper with the address on his fingers, nervously as he planned his next moves. "It's my family."
"Maybe I could help!" She said cheerfully, recalling the way she helped Sam steal medical records.
Even if she was just like him, Dam knew there wasn't anything she could do. Being a part of the Yellow Eyed Demon's plans didn't mean she should get pulled further into this. Maybe she would be okay and they wouldn't have to take care of her later. For the time being, she deserved whatever normal she could get. "You've done all you can. Just, just go back to your fiancé."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure." Sam opened to door for her and she got in the car. "Go home, Ava. You'll be safe there." He closed the door.
Unsure that it was the right move Ava felt relieved, even if she didn't totally believe that any of this was under control. "Well, just, promise me you'll call, then. I mean, when you get your brother and friend, just to let me know that everything's all right."
"I promise." Sam agreed.
In the filthy, abandoned cabin, Gordon sat on a random discarded piece of furniture, cradling his rifle. He spoke to Dean and Mae as if this were a casual conversation between friends.
"See, I was doing an exorcism down in Louisiana. Teenage girl, seemed routine, some low-level demon. But between all the jabbering and the head-spinning, the damn thing muttered something. About a coming war. And I don't think it meant to, it just kind of slipped out. But it was too late. Piqued my interest. And you can really make a demon talk, you got the right tools."
"And what happened to the girl it was possessing?"
"She didn't make it."
Dean shook his head. "Well, you're a son of a bitch."
Gordon stared at Dean for a moment, then stood to walk over to the young man as slapped him. "That's my momma you're talking about." He stepped over to Mae and almost delicately tipped her chin up with a finger. "You wanna talk about a bitch who knows how to make a demon talk…"
Mae didn't respond but she dropped the pretense that she was still unconscious, only staring back at Gordon. There was an intensity in the look Dean didn't understand but he knew he didn't like at all.
"Anyway." Gordon continued, letting his hand fall away from her face, "This demon tells me there are soldiers to fight in this coming war. Humans, fighting on hell's side. You believe that? I mean, they're psychics, so they're not exactly pure humans, but still. What kind of worthless scumbag have you got to be to turn against your own race? But you know the biggest kick in the ass? This demon said I knew one of them. Our very own Sammy Winchester."
Dean's glare broke only as he chuckled. "Oh, this is ... this is a whole new level of moronic, even for you."
"Yeah? Come on, Dean. I know. About Sam's visions. I know everything."
"Really? Because a demon told you?" Dean laughed again. "Yeah, and it wasn't lying."
"Hey, Dean. I'm not some reckless yahoo, okay? I did my homework. Made damn sure it was true. Look, you've got your Roadhouse connections, I got mine. It's how I found Sammy in the first place." Gordon crossed to the corner and sat. "About a month ago I found another one of these freaks here in town. He could deep-fry a person just by touching them."
"Yeah, did he kill anyone?"
"Well, besides Mr. Tinkles the cat? No. But he was working up to it. They're all gonna be killers, Dean. We've got to take them all out. And that means Sammy too." Gordon readied his rifle. He still thought was possible to convince Dean of the reality of things and what they needed to do. Mavis was an unexpected addition but if there was one thing the woman was known for it was not hesitating to take out a demon. She wouldn't hesitate here either.
"You think Sam's stupid enough to walk through that front door?" Dean asked, voice low and cold.
"No, I don't. Especially since I'm sure you found a way to warn him. Ha. You really think I'm that stupid?"
Dean raised his eyebrow meaningfully.
Gordon stood and began pacing. "No. Sammy's going to scope the place first, see me covering the front door. So he's going to take the back. And when he does he'll hit the tripwire. Then -" he took a grenade from his bag, "Boom."
"Sam's not gonna fall for a friggin' tripwire."
"Maybe you're right." He reached into the bag again, pulling out another grenade. "That's why I'll have a second one. Hey, look. I'm sorry. I wish I didn't have to do this, I really do. But for what it's worth, it'll be quick.
He walked around to face Mae again. "Now, what I don't get in all this is you," He kicked Mae's boot, "For someone who never met a demon she wouldn't take out however she had to, why the hell haven't you taken out Sam. You've been palling around with them long enough to know what's really going on. You must have figured this out by now. You know what Sammy is. So why is he still alive?"
"You might be pure human but you're as much of a monster as anything we hunt. Maybe more because you like killin'. You get the same thrill killing an innocent girl who got herself possessed as you did when you murdered your sister?"
Gordon backhanded her. Mae did her level best not to react at all. Maybe she could give Dean an opening to get free. "C'mon man, you slap like a bitch." Mae complained.
This time when Gordon hit her, it was harder. Painful. She laughed, despite wanting to curse as the sensation. As Mae turned her head back towards Gordon, she flicked a glare to Dean, warning him to keep his mouth shut. "That was a little better. But I bet slappin' me around still doesn't put that tingle in your dingle like offin' someone does for you."
Once more, Gordon angled his hand back to hit her.
"You touch her again, I'll kill you." Dean yelled, struggling more against the frustratingly secure ropes, attempting to free himself. Between what Gordon was planning to do to Sam and Mae, he had no compunction about ending him.
"Huh," He took a step back, lowering his hand. He looked from one hunter to the other for a moment, "So…you're lettin' sex or romance get in the way of doin' your job right. Everything I've heard about you… and you're not even half the hunter they say you are."
"They ever tell you I don't kill humans because a demon wants me to?" Mae offered calmly.
He laughed. "Well we both know that's not entirely true. She tell you about her husband? Fucking her can be deadly."
Dean's eyes narrowed as he watched Gordon walk out of the room, his boots crunching on the dirty floor. When he was sure Gordon was out of ear shot, he leaned towards Mae. "You got any better plans than getting smacked around here Red?" Dean hissed.
"I thought he'd stay angry and stupid so you might get free…and he's suck more at tying knots." She said trying to pull her arms free, to no avail.
"So that's a no." Dean quipped, still in hushed tones.
"Oh, you have a plan, smart guy?" Mae hissed back "Or do you just wanna make nice with him? Or maybe scare him into submission with your tough guy voice?" Her eyes ran up and down, clearly implying that Dean looked anything but threatening right then.
Dean furrowed his brow in thought, knowing that there was no point in bickering and that it came from worry. They needed to get free and warn Sam. That was the short-term solution. Long term, they had to deal with this Gordon problem. And whoever else he had told. "Sam's not stupid. He'll know this is a trap. Maybe he won't even come."
"He will because he knows it's a trap and he knows someone has you." Mae pointed out calmly.
Dean sighed, knowing she was right. Both straightened back up as Gordon returned to the room. Confusingly to Mae and Dean, Gordon picked up a casually overturned chair and sat it up right, straddling it. "Come on, man. I know Sam, okay, better than anyone. He's got more of a conscience than I do, I mean, the guy feels guilty surfing the Internet for porn." Dean said.
"Maybe you're right. But one day he's going to be a monster."
"How? Huh? How's a guy like Sam become a monster?"
"Beats me. But he will." Gordon said, resolutely.
"No, you don't know that!" The intensity in Dean's tone caught Gordon's attention. And worried Mae.
"I'm surprised at you, Dean. Getting all emotional. I'd heard you were more of a professional than this. Look, let's say you were cruising around in that car of yours and, uh, you had little Hitler riding shotgun, right? Back when he was just some goofy, crappy artist. But you knew what he was going to turn into someday. You'd take him out, no questions, am I right?"
Dean knew he needed to get himself under control and he couldn't let Gordon get to him. He could practically hear Mae in his head hissing at him to shut up but he couldn't. "That's not Sam."
"Yes it is." Gordon rested his arm on Dean's shoulder, almost a friendly gesture, "You just can't see it yet. Dean, it's his destiny. Look, I'm sympathetic. He's your brother, you love the guy. This has got to hurt like hell for you." Gordon reached in his bag, taking out two bandanas and stood. He walked to Dean. "But here's the thing." He gagged Dean, then Mae. "It would wreck him, but your dad? If it really came right down to it, he would have had the stones to do the right thing here. But you're telling me you're not the man he is?"
Dean only glared furiously.
"You know, the only reason Big Red here hasn't done it is because of you. But believe me, she could. So I'm doing you both a favor. You can keep doing whatever you're doing and won't have to deal with all the guilt you would have when she finally came to her senses."
Waiting for Sam to show up—or not—was painful as Gordon shifted away from his casual discussion mode and into his job. There wasn't anything Dean or Mae could do if they weren't able to free themselves. Gordon might not hesitate to kill one of them in response.
Neither hunter knew how much time specifically passed before they heard the quiet clicks at the door of a lock being picked. Dean looked around wildly while Mae closed her eyes a moment.
"Ya hear him?" Gordon asked.
At the back of the cabin, Sam opened the door and crept in.
"Here he comes." Gordon further taunted.
Dean screamed at Gordon, muffled by the gag after he heard the first grenade explode.
"Hold on. Not yet. Let's wait and see."
Mae kept her head down, flinching when she heard the second explosion and debris flew into the room. She heard Dean's sob as he struggled violently against the ropes. Unless Gordon killed them there and then, Mae knew there would be no stopping Dean from hunting down Gordon and killing him. She wasn't even sure she would. Whatever was happening with Sam, he didn't deserve this.
A tear rolled down her cheek as she raised her head, listening to Gordon cross the room, stopping beside Dean.
"Sorry, Dean." He said.
Gordon made his way to the back, rifle ready, in case the grenades hadn't taken care of Sam. To Dean and Mae's surprise, after a few moments, they heard Sam's voice. Whatever or whoever was watching out for them certainly had a hell of a sense of humor, Mae thought. Dean made a relieved sound.
With Gordon now distracted, Mae and Dean tried to scoot their chairs closet to try to undo the ropes binding them. The positioning was difficult and would take time they didn't have to free themselves. They exchanged some quiet and muffled curses as they worked their fingers against the ropes. They could hear the scuffle behind them but had no idea what was happening between Sam and Gordon.
After far too long, Sam shuffled into the room, clearly exhausted and certainly worst for the wear. Dean hoped the relief he felt seeing Sam this time wouldn't be so short lived. Sam clapped his brother on the shoulder a moment before squatting down to undo the ropes. Once Dean had one hand free, he worked on the other and removed his gag while Sam undid the ropes at his legs.
Finally free, Dean pulled Sam up to standing. With a hand at his brother's neck, Dean looked over his injuries. Sam nodded and slapped Dean's shoulder in return. With that exchange, Dean wheeled around towards the room Sam left Gordon in. "That son of a…"
As Dean blazed past her, Mae grunted her displeasure at being left bound and gagged.
"Dean. No." Sam said, pausing in front of Mae's chair and crouching down to free her as well.
"I let him live once." Dean explained. "I'm not making the same mistake twice." But he bent down too to untie Mae's other arm and leg.
"Trust me. Gordon's taken care of. Come on." Sam said, once Mae had removed her gag and stood.
The three hunters walked down the steps of the dilapidated house, worn out and more than eager to put this behind them. They didn't get that far from the house however before they heard a shot. The ducked and started running as Gordon shot at them from the two handguns he held.
"Come on!" You call this taken care of?" Dean asked before they leapt into a ditch by the side of the road, which shielded them from the gunfire for now. "What the hell are we doing?"
"Just trust me on this, all right?"
"Now we have a pissed off psycho on our hands, Sam!" Mae hissed.
However, as Gordon neared them, three police cars descended on the abandoned house, sirens and lights going off. The cars surrounded Gordon and the police officers got out, staying behind their car doors, weapons trained on him and yelling commands.
"Drop your weapons! Get down on your knees!
"Do it, now!"
Hidden from the officer's view, the three hunters knew they had to keep quiet but exchanged grins at the way the tables were suddenly turned. Out of other options, Gordon glared in their direction but he got to his knees and set down his guns.
"Put your hands on your head. Easy now. "
Gordon did as he was told as he was cuffed and pat down. He stayed stony and silent as he was led to one of the police cars while another officer opened the door of his car and after a very short search pulled out the weapons rack.
"Anonymous tip." Sam said quietly.
"You're a fine upstanding citizen, Sam."
Once it was safe enough to make a quiet escape from the abandoned house without the cops noticing them, they did. They walked back to the Blue Rose Motel, where the Impala was still parked. The order of the night was to get the hell out of Indiana, then sort the rest of this out. They clean up a bit at a rest stop and put a couple hours of driving behind them, until it felt safe to stop and regroup.
There was one thing Gordon had said that Dean couldn't get out of his mind. When the pulled off to the side of the road, he got out of the car to make an overdue phone call. Mae only waited a moment before joining him. Her presence didn't stop him from dialing and without hesitation laid into Ellen, all but accusing her of leading Gordon to Sam.
"Gordon Walker was hunting Sam?" She asked quietly on the other end of the line.
"Yeah, he almost killed us all of us because somebody over there can't keep their friggin' mouth shut."
"And you honestly think that it was me? Or Ash? Or Jo? No way."
"Well, who else knows about Sam, huh?" Dean looked over at Sam for a moment before his eyes fell on Mae. He had to turn away from her, least she try to calm him down. "I mean, you must have been talking to somebody."
"Hey, you can say a lot of things about us. But we are not disloyal. And we're not stupid. We haven't breathed a word of this."
"Gordon said he had Roadhouse connections, Ellen."
"And this roadhouse is full of other hunters. They're all smart." She kept her voice low as she looked over the bar know that any of the hunters there might have been Gordon's connect. Or it could have been anyone else. There was no way to know. "They're good trackers. Each of them with their own patterns and connections. Look, hell, I could name twelve of them right now that are capable of putting this together." She sighed. "I am sorry about what happened, Dean. But I can't control these people. Or what they choose to believe."
Mae tried to hear what Ellen was saying but judging from Dean's response, the hard set of his eyes, and the telltale way he worked his jaw, none of it settled his concerns.
With a curt but slightly softer goodbye, Dean hung up and put his phone back in his pocket. His temper cooled slightly although he wasn't any less angry. He might have been somehow angrier. But there wasn't anything he could do about it. Sighing, he turned back to look at Mae. He ignored the concern on her face, finally taking the opportunity to really look at her since they'd left Lafayette.
Taking a step closer to her, Dean took her chin in his hand. He held her face still a moment while he looked over her injuries in the dim light, even as she tried to pull away from him. With his other hand, he stroked a finger very gently over her cheek. "That's definitely going to bruise, Maes."
She scoffed. "Hardly my first, Deany."
Her response only deepened his worry. With another sigh, he let go of her chin and let his hand move to cup the side of her face, stroking her cheek with his thumb. "Did you have to goad him?"
"Don't get all overprotective now. I know how to handle myself."
"Why are you mad at me?"
She shook her head, pulling away from him. "I'm not. Just tired."
He nodded, letting the issue drop, even though he knew there was something more under the comment. "So, you know any loud mouth hunters?"
"A few, yeah." She shrugged but stepped closer again as she folded her arms over her chest.
Dean pulled her a little closer, letting himself enjoy the warmth of her body for a moment. "Friends with Gordon?"
"I don't think that dude has any actual friends. He's sorta… intense, even for a hunter."
Dean smirked a bit but the mirth didn't reach his eyes. "So you an' him…" He left it open because he wasn't even sure what he wanted to know. Some things were better unknown.
"Seriously?" She said with a little snort, "That's what you're asking me?"
"Forget it. Just seemed like there was…I don't know, something there."
"I don't even really know the guy."
"Well that doesn't mean you two didn't hook up."
Mae rolled her eyes and pat his cheek. "He's a psycho, Dean. He's scary, and not in a fun way."
They got back on the road with no specific destination in mind yet. Dean thought it was a good time to head to Mae's. She was armed to the teeth and he knew she had to have an even larger weapon's cache. While it seemed like her house was in the wide open, it had the higher ground and they wouldn't be surprised by someone else showing up there. If someone from the Roadhouse thought to track them down there, it wouldn't be a surprise.
His train of thought was disrupted when he heard Sam. "Hey, Ava, it's Sam. Again. Um, call me when you get this, just want to make sure you got home okay. All right. Bye."
"Everything all right?" Dean asked his brother.
"Yeah, I hope so."
"Well, Gordon should be reaching for the soap for the next few years at least." Dean said with an amused smirk.
"Yeah. If they pin Scott Carey's murder on him. And if he doesn't bust out."
Dean thought a moment. ""Dude, you ever take off like that again…"
"What? You'll kill me?" Sam asked.
"That is so not funny."
Sam laughed. "All right. All right. So where to next, then?"
"One word: Amsterdam."
"Dean!" Sam wasn't sure why he expected any differently from his brother.
"Come on, man, I hear the coffee shops don't even serve coffee. "
"I'm not just gonna ditch the job."
"Screw the job." His tone shifted quickly to a harsh seriousness. "Screw it, man, I'm sick of the job anyway. I mean, we don't get paid, we don't get thanked. The only thing we get's bad luck."
"Well, come on, dude, you're a hunter. I mean, it's what you were meant to do."
"Ah, I wasn't meant to do anything. I don't believe in that destiny crap."
"You mean you don't believe in my destiny."
"Yeah, whatever."
"Look, Dean, I've tried running before. I mean, I ran all the way to California and look what happened. You can't run from this. And you can't protect me."
Dean looked over at Sam, knowing his brother was totally wrong on that count. "I can try."
"Thanks for that." Sam didn't doubt it. "Look, Dean, I'm gonna keep hunting. I mean, whatever is coming, I'm taking it head-on, so if you really want to watch my back, then I guess you're gonna have to stick around."
"Bitch."
"Jerk."
Sam picked up his phone again. "You calling that Ava girl again? You sweet on her or something?"
"She's engaged, Dean."
"So? What's the point in saving the world if you can't get a little nookie once in a while, huh?" Sam hung up with a scowl on his face. "What?"
"Just a feeling. How far is it to Peoria?"
They made it to Peoria while it was still night, almost morning. Sam called, knocked, and rang the doorbell. They might upset Ava and her fiancé but at least he'd know she was safe. When no one answered, Sam looked around the neighborhood. There wasn't anyone on the street at her home so breaking in was easy. Inside her house, they scanned each room, with flashlights in hand. "Hello? Is anybody home?" Sam asked.
They made their way to the bedroom, only to find Ava's fiancé, face up on the bed, clearly dead. The sheets were soaked in blood.
"Oh my god."
"Is it a better sign if your friend is here or if she's missing?" Mae asked as she walked to check the other rooms.
It wasn't a question Sam wanted to answer and he didn't want to think about the possibilities. Either Ava had gone home and killed her fiancé or… Or whoever had now had Ava.
Dean walked over to the open window and ran a finger along the windowsill, picking up a fine dusting of powder on his finger. "Hey." Sam turned away from the window he peered out of as Dean held up his finger. "Sulfur. Demon's been here."
Sam moved away, unsure what to do next and as he moved, he step on something that made a soft clank. He crouched to pick it up and realized it was her engagement ring. "Ava" Sam whispered.
