Chicago, Illinois 1962
"Will this rain ever stop?" The young woman sighed. "So much for our anniversary plans." She was holding her red rose, her husband's gift to her for their first anniversary.
"Think of the rain was a new beginning. A blessing, that life continues day by day."
"How poetic." She giggles. "Here I thought all doctors were walking boring encyclopedias." She smelled her rose.
"That is only the first rose. Next year you'll get two. Then the year after that, three. Eventually, you'll have a huge bouquet of roses." He squeezes his wife's hand.
"Oh darling. I love you." She leans towards him for a quick peck.
Neither saw the runaway truck coming towards them.
The husband groans as he wakes up from the crash.
"God." How long was he out? Feeling blood, he touches his face. "Honey? Are you okay?" Why was it so dark? Did it stop raining? "Abby?"
"Mmm."
"Thank god." He groaned in pain, but he didn't care. Just as long as Abby was okay. "I'll get help." He was a doctor, he knew he was physically okay, just a few cuts and bruises. Seeing an overturned truck, he gasps. "My lord." The driver must have lost control. "Stay here. I'll be back." A man's life was on the line. Just as he was about to get out of the car, his wife calls his name.
"Ric...Rich...ard. Do...Don't leave..." She gasps. When Richard looked over, he was horrified to see a large gash on her belly.
"Abigail!" Oh god. "You need a doctor!" He would have laughed at the irony, but her injuries were too severe. He was about to check her stomach but saw a large car part impaled inside her. "I'll get help." He had not one, but two lives to save.
Abigail weakly shakes her head.
"It's too late." She knew this was it. "I...I...love...you."
"No. No no no." He refused to believe it. "I can save you." He didn't spend all that time in medical school or stay late nights at the hospital for nothing.
Abigail was squeezing her rose.
"I wish...I...wish." She gasped. "I...had lots of roses." She heard Richard crying. "That...way...I...spent...my...life...y..o.u." The single red rose falls from her hands.
"ABIGAIL!" Richard sobs over his wife's dead body.
Present Day
"Teevee?" Laura asks in her baby voice.
"Sesame Street is on. Dean." Jenna scolded. Dean was currently watching television.
"Huh?" Dean saw Laura standing next to him holding his leg. "You want to join me?" He pulls Laura into his lap. "See those motorcycles? That's a Harley Davidson Knucklehead." He points his finger at the television.
"Do you think she's a little young for this?" Laura was watching the television, a group of mean looking bikers came on the screen, one guy with tattoos on his face.
"It's rated PG. Besides those bikers are talking about the road, not gangs. See Laura remember don't judge a book by their cover."
"Says the guy who cuts first, ask questions never." Jenna hated it when Dean went on hunts, last case he did he and Sam nearly got killed.
"I'm always careful." Dean hugs his daughter when Laura hugs his neck. "I always make a point to come home to this." He kisses her head.
"Whatever." Jenna picks up the remote and changes the channel. "Until she grows up, she's better off watching this." Laura, hearing the familiar opening of Sesame Street eagerly turns around.
"I never trusted that ba- I mean Big Bird." He was always careful not to swear around Laura and Mel.
"What's wrong with Big Bird?" Jenna was watching the character talking to his imaginary friend, the character Snuffleupagus.
"Anyone that is five decades old and still has a imaginary friend needs to be medicated." He shifted a bit to be more comfortable without disturbing Laura.
"We have our jobs and you think Big Bird is bad for Laura?" Jenna said incredulously.
"Shh." Laura scolded. She wanted to hear what Snuffleupagus was saying.
"Can you pass me a beer?"
"Sure."
A minute later Dean stares at the can in his hand. He looks up at his wife with curiosity.
"No alcohol when Laura's around." She smirks when Dean grimaces at the taste.
"Diet? Seriously?"
"I need to go shopping."
A few days later, a bored Jenna finishes ringing up the customer's order.
"That'll be eight dollars. Thanks." She hands him back his change.
"Jenna, mind filling the coffee machine?"
"Sure." She yawned.
She should be lucky. She had everything. A gorgeous husband, a beautiful daughter, money in the bank, and a flexible job that allowed her to choose her own shifts. However, she felt empty.
She stares enviously at the trailer that pulled in. They were obviously a retired couple, they probably just bought that trailer to travel around the country.
"Welcome to the Gas-n-Sip! What can I get you?" She says with a friendly voice.
"Just gas please."
Jenna usually didn't pump gas, but her coworker was currently on his break. While she was pumping the gas for the couple, she was asking about their trip.
"So how long have you been travelling?"
"A few weeks. Once David retired, we cashed out our bounds and bought our trailer. We've been on the road since." The older lady says with a friendly tone back.
"Sounds fun. Wish I could."
"You're young, why don't you?"
"I have responsibilities." Laura, her job. She envied Dean, at least his job as a firefighter was exciting. If not that, his day job as a hunter.
"Ahh. Yeah, I understand. But take it from me, do what you have to do while you're young because it's a lot harder when you're old." She thanks Jenna after her trailer was filled.
"So where are you headed next?" The old woman's husband was inside the store, he was waiting to pay for the gas.
"Washington State. We're heading to Alaska for hunting."
"Sounds fun."
"I better get going. Thanks for the gas." She tips Jenna a twenty.
"Oh thank you!" She didn't need the money, but it was a nice gesture.
"Maybe we'll see you again once we return in a few months. If you're still working."
"Yeah. Maybe." She thanks the friendly customer and goes back inside the store. After she closed the cash register, she looked around. "There has to be something better than this."
Dean was oblivious to Jenna's glare. They weren't alone, they were hosting dinner at their house, Piper and Sam were talking to each other about their latest hunt, with Dean bragging about how he easily killed a ghoul.
"You had to bring a partner, while I took it like nothing. No offense Sis, but I didn't need witchcraft for hunting."
"Yeah, but that was one ghoul. This was a nest of wolves. If it wasn't for Piper, we would have been shredded."
"Don't put yourself short. Your quick reflexes saved me. Even with magic, it takes me a while to concentrate." She smiles at Sam.
"Yeah, but even with that one ghoul, it wasn't easy. What?" Dean saw Jenna's unhappy face.
"I could have helped. Nina would have come right over." Naming their nanny.
"Yeah, but it's safer if you stay home. Like I was saying, this ghoul was fused with archangel grace. My taser, it had no effect."
Later that night, Jenna was staring blankly at the ceiling.
'What time is it?' She looks at the clock. 'Only one?' Ugh. She turned over to sleep. When Dean started snoring, Jenna sighed. 'Guess I can check up on Laura.'
Two hours later, a bored Jenna watches TV.
"So this is my life. Watching bad TV because I'm a bored housewife." She clicks to the next channel. The same show Dean was watching a few days ago was on. With nothing better to do, Jenna tunes in.
"Take a look at this beauty." The camera pans to the Harley. "The limited edition Silver Road King." The camera pans around the bike. "An anniversary model, this is a tribute to the early days of the road.''
"That is a nice bike." She says absently. She never was a motorcycle chick, but she did know a bit about motorcycles thanks to Mariah who dated that biker one summer. She watched as the host was talking about the Harley, how it was super popular for long trips. "Really." The more she watched the show, the more interested she got.
"So how long was your trip?" The host asked his guest, a guy with face tattoos.
"Been awhile, but I was on the road for a few weeks. Nothing but me and the highways." The biker was talking about the time he rode with a gang in his youth. "It's so freeing. Even travelling with others, it's an amazing feeling of freedom. There's nothing like it."
"Hmm."
A few days later she was at a Harley Davidson showroom.
"You sure young lady? I mean this is a nice bike, but the cruiser would be better for your size. Unless your husband is planning to come in."
"He's at work." She brought along Laura who was getting watched over by Nina who was showing off the various bikes.
"I see. We have the newest model, it's an electro model. Costs more, but it'll be perfect for you and your husband. Maybe you can call him to make an appointment for a test drive?"
"Maybe." She points to the Silver Road King. "Can you show me that? What?" When she saw the salesman giving her a confused look. "Like I said, it's for me."
Dean was staring at the bike.
"Babe?" He was about to pull in with the Impala when he saw the motorcycle in the driveway. "Who does this belong to? And why is it in my driveway?"
"Our driveway." Jenna corrected. She was excited when the bike was delivered after a few weeks, she wanted to surprise Dean. "You like it? It's a limited edition. Cost me a fortune, but so worth it." She currently was cleaning it.
"Why?" Dean was admiring it. "I appreciate the gesture, but my birthday was months ago."
"It isn't for you. It's for me." She needed excitement. She saw Dean's face. "What?"
"You bought a Harley? Why? You don't even have your license."
"Un contraire." She took out her license. "Just got my permit." She was so glad she passed her road test last week.
"Jen, what's this about?"
Jenna sighed.
"I'm bored. You're never home, and I need to do something since you won't let me hunt."
"Because it's dangerous. Besides I work so you can be home for Laura."
"That's just it. You are always doing what you want. What about me? I'm always stuck at home." She loved her daughter, but she was getting restless.
"You got bored and bought a bike?" Dean looked at her. "Is this a early midlife crisis thing?"
"Maybe." Jenna was already making plans. "I already called Nina and made arrangements. She is going to pick up extra shifts for the few weeks and maybe for the rest of the summer." Jenna had a map planned out. Where should she go first? Definitely not California, she knew that place like the back of her hand. Colorado? She heard wendigos liked to hibernate there. Or even Texas. Reports there were wild chupacabras around the Mexican border. Or should she head north? North Dakota had problems with shifters.
"A road trip? Sounds fun. I could use a break. I'm sure Sam and Sis could watch Laura for a few days." Dean was getting bored himself. He liked his job, but being a firefighter wasn't always exciting. In the last job he did, he had to free a kid's head from a staircase railing.
"Yeah. Sorry Dean, but you're not going." She needed a breather.
"Excuse me? What do you mean I'm not going." Dean was giving her a look. "You're not hunting."
"Who said anything about hunting? This is just a road trip." Guess she'll figure it out once she is out there. "I need to clear my head."
"Couldn't you take a spa day? Or even take Sis and go shopping or something?" Dean was staring hard at her.
"I did the whole spa day. Several times. Plus Piper hates shopping. I want to try something new." She argued back.
Dean just stares at her.
Jenna stares at him back.
He sighs.
"Is this about me working all the time? I'm sorry. I can turn down jobs. There's been rumors other hunters are getting bored thanks to me and Sam." Dean bragged.
"I appreciate that, but I need a break. Just for awhile." She hated to leave Laura behind, but she already made arrangements. "Laura is starting to forget about her daddy. Already talked to Piper, she and Sam will help you whenever you need it."
"There isn't anyone else is there?" Dean said suspiciously. Sam told Dean about that Dan model. He looked surprised when Jenna laughed.
"Like I need another headache. Kidding! Next time, we'll go together. Or even take Laura with us when she's older in the Impala." Jenna starts to go inside. "Let's go inside, I already called for tacos."
A few days later she was kissing Laura.
"You have fun with Daddy you hear?" When Laura started crying, she hands her to Dean. "Have fun you two." She packed only the essentials, the women she met at the bar said clean underwear and warm sweaters were a must. "You'll be okay?" She was heading to Boston first, she wanted to see her parents.
"We'll be fine." Dean wasn't happy that his wife was leaving, but he didn't want to hold her back. "Promise me you won't you know what." He trusted her, but there were countless others that would take advantage of her.
"Scouts honor." She held up her hand. She gives Laura a few more kisses. "Mommy will miss you." She felt guilty when Laura started screaming. "Don't cry, you and Daddy will have so much fun together." She hugs Dean. "Take care. Love you."
"Same." He hugs her back with one arm, being careful not to drop Laura. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do." He hated leaving for a job, now he understood how Jenna felt. But he felt better that she wasn't hunting at least.
Jenna walks over to her motorcycle and turns on her engine, the Harley's engine roaring to life. Once she put on her helmet, she waves to Dean and Laura.
"Bye!" She shouts. "I'll see you soon!" She blows a kiss at her husband and daughter. She slowly backs out of the driveway and drives away.
Piper and Sam were taking a walk with Mel when they saw a motorcycle driving by. Usually neither would notice, but Piper knew Jenna's body anywhere.
"Wow. Guess she was serious after all." She knew Jenna was bored, but to actually leave?
"That's Jenna?" Sam whistled. "Ow!" When Piper slapped him on the arm. "I was talking about the bike." Sam was always curious about owning one, but he didn't know if his long legs would fit.
"Don't even think about it." It was bad enough Sam was gone half the time, her worrying about him about being alone was worse.
"I know. Believe me." He was happy to have stability, he and Dean lived out of a suitcase for most of their lives. But he couldn't help but be jealous of Jenna going on a road trip. "Hope she stays safe."
''I could conjure up a protection spell. That way, no evil can get to her."
"Dean would be happy to hear that." They both wave goodbye to her.
Jenna yawns as she pulls up to her parent's street. They were expecting her but had no clue when she was pulling up. She couldn't wait to see her mom's expression when she pulls up on her bike. She revved the throttle on her handlebars, letting her parents know when she arrived. Sure enough, she saw her mom peeking out the window. Jenna waved.
"Hi mom!"
Dana walks out of the house looking confused.
"Jen? The hell... I thought you were driving." She knew she was coming alone, but with her husband's car. "Where's Dean? And Laura?"
Jenna takes off her helmet, her blonde hair matted damped with sweat on her head. So much for making a movie entrance.
"I told you that Dean agreed to stay home. Laura's fine, she needs to spend time with dad." She gets off her bike and walks slowly toward her mom. "Ow. My legs." She didn't realize how sore and stiff she was. She felt her leather pants sticking to her skin. "I need a bath." Phew. She smiled when Dana hugged her. "Mom." She hugs her back. It's been a while since Devon's funeral.
"I'm glad you're home." Dana missed her daughter terribly. "Come inside. I'll make lunch."
"After my shower. Plus let Dean know I'm here." Dean made her carry a phone with her location on. Fair, she did make a promise.
Later that night she was getting ready for bed. She didn't mind that her parents turned her old bedroom into an office, but she couldn't help but miss her old room. She took a selfie, letting her followers know she was still active, although she was slowly stepping away from social media.
'Back to my roots! Been a while since I was home in my 'rents. Night!' She gave a kissy face. Already she had a few likes, her fans weren't happy that she wasn't posting as much anymore.
She texted Dean a pic of her leather butt privately, she laughed when Dean sent a sweating eggplant emoji back.
'I miss you too. Remember, you promised not to drink while you are taking care of Laura!'
'I know.' Dean sent back a picture of soda cans. 'Staying sober till you get back. Have a good night Babe.'
'Night. Give Laura lots of kisses.' She puts down her phone. She was about to go to sleep but realized she missed her brother.
"Devon." She teared up. It's been only a few months, but she missed him every day. "Why? Why did you leave?" She sniffed. Dana and Maurice, her parents acted normal during dinner, but she knew that they felt that presence with that empty chair where Devon usually sat. She sat up. No way could she sit, she was wide awake now. 'Guess I could watch TV again.' She was glad her parents had cable.
An hour later, she turns off the television. She was bored. Not even watching her favorite crime drama could keep her entertained. She sat back in the dark. Now what? She looked upstairs. Should she? It's been awhile, but she never been inside Devon's bedroom, not since his death.
'Might as well.' She just hoped her mom didn't mind. She didn't change anything since he died, Dana kept his room as a museum.
She was smiling sadly as she looked around. Devon's room barely changed, it still looked and smelled the same. She slowly and carefully closes the door, she didn't want to wake her parents. Shutting off the bedroom ceiling light, she sits down on the bed.
"How's Heaven?" She whispered. She knew Devon was okay, she knew the afterlife existed. "You miss us because we miss you. Especially Mom. I think she still hopes you'll come walking through that door at any moment." She smiles. "According to Cas, for you, you just got there. You probably be sitting at your seat waiting for us to walk through that door at any moment." She waves up. "Tell Gramps to take it easy with that cigar, and tell Grandma to stop chasing after Humphrey Bogart. Have a good night." She lays on the bed trying not to fall asleep; it was hard, it reminded her of Devon comforting her when she had nightmares when she was small.
She sighed. Losing someone you love, especially her brother. Whoever that Woman was who came to her during Asa Fox's funeral, She must have talking about Devon.
As tempting as it was to fall asleep, she didn't. But just as she was about to leave, she changes her mind.
'Mom will have to understand.' She missed her brother too. She pulls back Devon's covers and falls into a deep sleep.
"How many times do I have to tell you, stay out of my room!"
Jenna wakes up sleepily, then groans and turns back around.
"Get up! You know how strict mom is!"
"Sorry." She mumbled. Jenna reluctantly sits up. When she saw who was staring down at her, her eyes widened. She was instantly awake. She leaps into her brother's arms.
"I missed you too Jen." Devon smiles as he hugs his sister who was crying in his arms.
"Devon. How.."
"Am I alive? Guess alive means something else around here." He looks around his room. "Mom, I wish she would move on. I mean, I appreciate the thought, but I'm dead."
Dead? Jenna sighs.
"God I miss you. How're things?" She wasn't crying anymore, but she and Devon were sitting next to each other on his bed.
"Busy. But I heard your prayers. You're bored, aren't you."
"You could hear my prayers? I thought only angels had that ability." She was holding his hand, she didn't care that he was a ghost.
"I listen to mom and dad sometimes. Plus listen to Laura's baby babble." He squeezes her hand back. "It isn't easy, but sometimes it helps me sleep."
"Ghosts sleep? Never mind. Devon, what happened to you?" The police had no leads on Devon's murder, they believed he was a victim of a random robbery gone wrong. Jenna knew better, but she couldn't risk exposing hunters.
"I don't remember." Devon said honestly. "They said it's easier to move on if you let go of your mortal life. Anyways, do you want excitement? My old boss is hiring if you're interested."
"That Murphy guy?" Jenna heard of him, but she couldn't remember meeting him. "I thought he quit?" She heard stories from Piper and her friends after Devon died, he went completely off grid. They all concluded he got spooked by Devon's death and went silent, afraid that his old bosses would track him down.
"He didn't quit, just went on hiatus. Not to brag, but I was his best employee. Unlike Dean, I never left messes behind after a job."
"Uh huh." She smiled. Devon was as conceited as ever.
"Anyways, he'll be happy to have someone working for him, interested?"
"Me? I can't. I won't be able to pick up and take off whenever I want. Laura needs me." She was tempted, already she felt guilty taking off on her. Laura's screams still echoed in her ears.
"It's not a full time job. You can pick anything close to Lawrence, or wherever you want. Just contact him, and he'll give you a list. You'll get paid for whatever you do, but if it's too complicated or too far, he'll pay extra. Plus he'll make sure everything is covered, including fake IDs, cash, cars, you name it."
"Hmm." Sounded okay, she wondered if Dean would be interested, she hated worrying about him. "Where do I find him?"
"I have his contact info but don't expect him to instantly answer, he moves around a lot." He looks up. "I gotta get back, it's time for my training."
"Devon." Jenna grabs him. "Go see mom before you go, she really misses you."
"I will. Goodbye Jen." He hugs her tight as well.
Jenna woke up with tears streaming down her face.
"Take good care of yourself." She blows up a kiss. The room was still dark, but she could see sunshine starting to rise. She gets up to make the bed, she just hoped her mom didn't mind. She went to take a shower, it was almost time for her morning jog.
Jenna was just finished making breakfast when her mom walked in with a big smile.
"That smells incredible." She hugged her daughter when she walked into the kitchen.
"Thanks." She was making a Spanish Omelette, it was their favorite meal growing up. "Is Dad joining us?" Her father Maurice was a college professor and rarely joined them for breakfast since he always had an eight am class.
"Yep. Since he heard you were visiting, he took some vacation time." Dana was humming. "I saw your brother last night." She tells Jenna that Devon was okay, and happy. "He's at peace." She sighed. "I know he's in Heaven, but I wish he was here." She tears up when her daughter hugs her.
"We'll see him again. Our lives are a blip in eternity." She cries along with her mom. Hearing her dad walking in, she and Dana pull apart. "Dad, eat up. I made coffee."
She was checking Devon's old email, she wanted to see if she could find Murphy's information. Dana didn't mind Jenna using his computer, she said she was thinking of redecorating his old room for Laura when she gets older.
SENDER NOT FOUND
"Of course." This was the what, twentieth one? Devon warned her on how jumpy Murphy was. She looked through Devon's old cell, nothing but a list of familiar numbers she already knew. She dug further, one had to hit. She was browsing through the dark web, it was the only way to find him. "Jackpot." Wasn't Murphy, but it was a message board for hunters.
'Slaughtered a nest of wolves, wasn't easy, the bitch was hard to kill. Took care of the pups, they didn't suffer long.'
"Ugh." Jenna felt sick. Those were newborn fetuses. The female wolf was dead, but she could see the crude c-section. She clicked on the next comment.
'Whoever said torturing demons isn't fun, she was begging for mercy. LOL.'
"My god." The girl was human. She was possessed, but the demon's meatsuit was still alive. The demon/girl was screaming for mercy, she was getting cut up piece by piece with a demon killing athame. "The hell kind of hunters are you?"
Each message got more and more violent. Jenna hunted, but she wasn't a killer. The messages were not of hunting but of sadistic bragging. These "hunters" didn't hunt to kill evil, but for sport.
'Not since Pa did I hunt so well. He thought me everything I know. But unlike hunting humans, it's completely legal to hunt monsters. Can't wait for Armageddon.'
'I can't wait that long. I heard there are witches that go to a fancy academy. Trying to get my boy in, so he could start his training to get us in. Already getting the stakes ready.'
'Never mind that, Scotland. They have the unnatural as students. We can take over and scrub the place clean.'
Jenna wanted to vomit. This is who Murphy was hiring? She was about to log out when she felt a ping on her cell.
'Babe? Where are the training pants?' Laura was already starting her toilet training, she was wearing training diapers.
Jenna laughed. After what Jenna read, she could use a break. She called Dean, she needed something normal.
She was reading in her old room when she heard another ping. Thinking it was Dean messaging her back, she picks up her phone.
'Sorry I took so long to get back to you. I had to make sure you were legit.'
The message was sent from an unknown number, and based on the message sent, she figured it was Murphy. She tried messaging him back, but all her messages bounced back.
'I got a job for you. Alamosa, Colorado. There are reports of dead cattle. Police are saying it was wild animals, but the animals were found drained of blood. Could be satanic.'
''Dead cattle? That's it?" She wondered out loud. She was disappointed. She saw the amount of money Murphy was offering her, she was disappointed it was only a few hundred dollars. "A job's a job I guess." She did promise Dean she wouldn't hunt, but an investigation was different. She tried messaging Murphy back, that she'll take it, but she wasn't surprised it wasn't sent. She then went to bed. Guess she was leaving tomorrow.
"I'm going to miss you." Dana was saddened to see Jenna go. "You just got here."
"I know, but next time I'll bring Laura and Dean. We'll stay for a week this time." She already packed, her mom gave her a ton of food for her trip. She hugs her parents. "Mom, Dad. Stay safe." She left them a few charms, the leprechauns she paid gave her some four leaf clovers to put around her parent's house for protection. "I love you both so much." She hated to leave, but she promised Dean she'll be back in a few days.
"Stay safe on the road." Her father paid for extra insurance for her motorcycle, he wanted nothing but the best for his daughter.
"I will. Bye." Jenna waves goodbye as she drives off. Hopefully, the weather stayed sunny, Colorado was a long drive.
A few days later she was interviewing the local police. She was wearing a disguise, she didn't want to be recognized.
"Fish and Wildlife? Sorry, what was your name again?" The bored sheriff asked.
"Janet Joplin." She saw the sheriff giving her a look. "My mom was a huge fan." She was wearing a trucker hat with a moose on it. "These animal attacks, is this so unusual in these parts?" She was writing down notes, she wanted to see if there was a pattern.
"We have our coyotes, plus our occasional black bears. But they don't attack cattle and not eat their bodies. They usually go after smaller game, like chickens and small animals." The sheriff tells her.
"How long did these attacks go on for?"
"Two years." The sheriff saw Jenna looking at her with a questioning look. "It wasn't frequent, it was usually moose or wild animals. The cattle are new, it started a few months ago."
"A few months? In what, six, three?" She was writing in her book.
"Two." The sheriff sighs. "It wasn't just the cows, it was also a few sheep. A dead kitten was found with her blood drained."
"Did you say a kitten?" She looked up. "Why?" Kittens were so tiny. Even a newborn vampire wouldn't bother, they were too small to eat.
"Wish I knew. The owner's daughter was devastated."
"I'm sorry." She wasn't a fan of cats, but she felt sorry for it. "You know what kind of animal did this? Or if it was human." She saw the sheriff giving her a wondering look. "Just covering all the bases."
"We do have some folks that specialize in witchcraft. Already interviewed them, they are adamant that they don't make blood sacrifices."
"Can you give me a name?"
Jenna was waiting outside a porch, she just hoped whoever was inside was friendly. She lifted up her badge when the door opened.
"Fish and Wildlife. Just here to follow up."
"Come in, but don't mind the mess." The woman opens the door.
Jenna was taken aback by the smells. She started sneezing.
"Achoo! Achoo!"
The homeowner was embarrassed.
"My apologies. I hope you're not allergic. I should have warned you."
"That's okay." She forced herself to take shallow breaths. "Just have to adjust." She blew her nose.
"I kinda went overboard with my incense." She walks over to the nearest stick near Jenna and rinses it out of the sink.
"Thanks." Jenna's eyes and nose started clearing up. There were others, but the one the woman just put out was the strongest.
"I'm sure Jerri there told you what I was." Naming the Sheriff. When Jenna nodded, she sighed. "I had nothing to do with those animals."
"I believe you." When the woman looked at her, Jenna told her she knew some friends. "Why does she blame you?"
"Because it's too unusual." She waves around the apartment. "See everything? It's for my protection." There were occult symbols and decorations everywhere. "The incense, it keeps evil at bay."
"When did it begin?" She wondered why Murphy sent her here. This woman was hardly dangerous. Hopefully.
"Two years. At first, no one paid attention. This is wild country. It isn't unusual to see dead corpses of wild game. If it isn't bears, it's coyotes."
"I see. And the cows?" Was this a case at all? Or was Murphy running out of ideas?
"At first. But what caught their attention was how they died. The bodies were intact." She paused, thinking hard. "Except the blood. Sheriff said the bodies were exsanguinated before they died."
"Mm hmm. Is that why you're spooked?" Vampire? Plausible. She heard of that Lenore woman. She hated eating humans.
"Look. I don't make blood sacrifices. Blood, even from an animal, it's a slippery slope." She sighed. "I'm sure she told you about that cat?"
"Yeah." Poor thing.
"I saw the corpse myself. Whoever did this, the cat wasn't the target." That made Jenna look up.
"What do you mean?"
"I was afraid to tell anyone. I didn't want any witch hunts. The cat, she had an owner."
"The girl?" Definitely a case. That Murphy, how much did he know?
"She is only a child. She had a best friend that recently disappeared."
"You know their name?" What was exactly going on around here?
"Ryan. He was the same age as Wendy, they were always seen together when he first moved to town."
"Okay?" First dead cattle, then witches, now a missing boy? How does this all connect?
"He was such a nice boy, he was the one that gave Wendy that cat."
"Um, no offense. But what does he have to do with anything?"
"Sorry, I tend to ramble on and on." She clears her throat. "What I am going to tell you will sound crazy. Hell, everyone already knows I am." She sighed. "What I have displayed, it wards against vampires."
"Vampires."
"Yeah. Sounds nuts huh."
Jenna shrugged. That explained a lot. The dead cattle, the cat. Dean won't be happy she was hunting. Especially alone.
"When the dead animals first appeared, I didn't think much of it. Then I saw the cattle. It was Hoover all over again."
"Hoover?"
"It's a small town in Arizona, close by the Nevada border. Not many people heard of it, it was only meant for workers for the Hoover Dam."
"So this vampire, sorry I'm trying to follow along. It killed animals?"
"At first. Then people started disappearing. Mostly drifters. I was a maid at the dam camp. At first, I didn't think much of it, people come and go every day. Then a body was discovered. A construction worker."
"With drained blood."
"Yea. Everyone was spooked. The body was drained, just like the animals. Then more bodies were found buried in the woods. All with marks on their necks. One of them was my brother."
"I'm sorry." Devon died hunting, her brother was just a construction worker. "Did you become a witch based on that?"
"Yes. Look, I know you don't believe me. It's too crazy."
"Try me."
"Look, I can't perform magic or do any hoodoo. But I asked around. These attacks, they've been going on since the Gold Rush. These wardings," She bent her fingers. "I looked online, they ward against vampires."
"Do you know where they are? The killers I mean."
"Wish I knew. So far no one died, at least no humans. But the animals, one must have moved to town."
"You mentioned a boy. What happened to him?"
"Ryan. He was a son of a drifter. He was getting bullied by his peers, I assume his father and him moved away." She looked in Jenna's eyes. "His mom died when he was a baby. Ryan's parents worked in that camp. When they quit, the killings stopped."
"Hell of a coincidence." Vampires? It was a possibility. But that couple could have been hunters as well. The wife dying, could have been killed on a hunt.
"Yeah." She sighed. "It's about time they sent someone. The Sheriff, she can't figure it out."
"Thanks for your time." She puts down her book. Once she left, she had no idea what to do next. Shame Pamela was dead, she was her inside to the supernatural. Guess she had no choice but to do a Sam and do research.
At first she checked out the local news, other than the dead cattle, there was nothing she didn't already know. She continued reading, there were reports of vandalism, plus news of an upcoming festival. She yawned. She was about to log out when a small snippet caught her eye.
'A local man was found unconscious in a local barn, police are saying he was involved in a farming accident. So far no foul play is suspected.'
Dean always told her never to assume anything was an accident. No name was given, but she decided to do her own research.
It didn't take her long to find a name.
Gayle Snippert, age 46. Born and raised in Arizona, he and his young son recently moved to town for his father's work. A widow, he was forced to move away after his wife was murdered, presumably by the same serial killers that stalked that camp. However, her body was never found, except a pool of blood. Her husband refused a funeral, insisting that he won't have one unless her killer faces justice.
"Poor guy." She looked for an address, luckily it wasn't that far from here. She got up, she had another interview.
Jenna was holding up her badge. The farmer lived a little way out of town, based on the size, it was pretty isolated. It took Jenna a few minutes to find the road inside.
"Fish and Wildlife huh. Come in." The middle aged man opens the door.
"This won't take long." She stayed close to the door, she had her taser hidden in her sleeve, just in case. "I have some questions about a former employee of yours?"
The farmer sighs.
"It was a accident. My lawyers and insurance already took care of things." He sits down across from Jenna on his armchair. "He's lucky to be alive. I swear, I should have done better."
"What exactly happened?" The articles she looked up didn't say much, just that he was lucky to be alive.
"Gayle was just another drifter. I don't mind helping those that come along, especially one with a young boy to feed. He was a good worker, he always worked hard and never complained about anything. He lived with his son in my shed."
"A shed." Dean and Sam slept in worse, a shed was probably better than sleeping in the Impala.
''It was fully upgraded. Call it, what those social media people call it? A micro home. Tiny, but Gayle never complained. Anyways he was working in my barn, getting the hay ready for the fall when he slipped." He sighed. "He landed a few feet into large blades." He squeezes his hands into tight fists. "I swear, I meant to put them away. The CPS (Child Protective Services) threatened to take Charlie away." He points to a picture of a young boy.
"I'm sorry." She clears her throat. "I heard stories that he moved away with Ryan." Naming his son.
"That's what I told everyone. Gayle always kept to himself, even for a small town, no one knew who he was. Ryan, on the other hand, he and my boy were good friends. They were always seen together in town."
"Ryan, what happened to him, after the accident."
"I assume CPS took him away."
"And Gayle?"
"The local hospital. He never woke up from his coma. He's lucky to be alive."
"May I see the barn? It's for my report."
A few minutes later was looking around. She was carrying her taser, she wasn't taking any chances. She saw yellow police tape surrounding the barn's door, but she merely went under it. She looked around the first floor, there was nothing but farming equipment. Seeing a ladder, she climbed upstairs. She had to see how Gayle fell.
"Ohhh." The cart's been moved, but she could still see the blood splatters. She was about to climb back down when she heard a noise. Instantly, she takes out her taser. "Get out of there. Now." She was startled to see a young boy sheepishly climb out from behind a hay bale.
"Sorry. I thought I was alone." The boy holds up his hands. "Are you the cops?"
"Fish and Wildlife. Just following up." She puts her taser away. "Who are you? And why are you sneaking up on me."
The boy swallows.
"This is my father's barn. I come here to hang out with my friends sometimes. I didn't mean to scare you, I thought you were a intruder."
"You ever watch USA's Most Wanted? Never go anywhere alone without a adult." She scolded. "What if I was a stranger?"
"Why are you in my dad's barn?" He scolded back. "I will tell my dad."
"I have permission from your father." She looks suspiciously at him. "Why are you here by yourself? This is a crime scene."
The boy looked around guiltily.
"I didn't mean it. I swear."
"Excuse me? What do you mean by that?" She walks over to him, staring into his eyes. "Talk."
"It was just a game." He swallowed. "Ryan and me, I just wanted to see if he wimped out."
Charlie laughs along with his friends. Ryan was standing over the edge, nothing but the air under his feet.
"See, I did it." He held out his arms. "What about you? You're the last one."
Charlie looked ashamed.
"Our dads were out of town picking up grain feed. My friends, we were getting bored. So we played chicken." He explained what they were doing. Playing a game of plank. "It was on the internet. We just wanted to see what the trend was about."
"You know most of those were staged." Planking, she knew what it was. It was a idiotic game of bravery. You hang over a side of a building or a cliff, or anything dangerous, checking to see how high you can go without slipping without holding on. She hated that challenge, her brother did it before the Internet. "You could have been killed."
"I know." He sighed. "Everyone was laughing at me. I was the last one. Ryan and I never got along, he always followed me around with my friends. He was lonely, my dad felt sorry for him."
"And Ryan? What about his dad." What exactly was going on around here?
Charlie started shaking.
"I got frustrated. My friends were laughing, then when Ryan started laughing, I saw red. I didn't mean it. I pushed him."
"You did WHAT?"
"It was a accident. Ryan screamed when he fell. My friends and I ran away. Oh god. I heard him screaming."
"Here?" She was confused when he shook his head.
"Downtown. When we ran away, we swore to never say a word. But when I came back once my friends were gone to see if Ryan's body was there, he wasn't. No blood. Nothing."
"Okay. And?" She was tapping her foot. She didn't mean to intimidate him, but she wanted to ask about Gayle.
"I was startled when I came back and saw Ryan. Ryan. I always thought he was a wimp, but what I saw. He was a monster."
"Can you elaborate?"
Ryan swallowed in fear.
"When he fell, I thought that was it. You die. The end. Ryan. He was a zombie."
A frightened Charlie steps back. He was in the barn, he always came here to think.
"You died." What was he? Ryan was glaring at him with death in his eyes. But it was his teeth that scared Charlie.
"His teeth, it was like razors. He charged at me. Then I heard his dad's voice.
"Ryan!"
Ryan's teeth return inside his mouth. He turns around at his dad's voice.
"I didn't mean it. I just wanted to scare him." He whimpered when his dad slaps him. "Go home. I'll deal with this." He watches as Ryan runs away crying.
"And then what happened?"
Charlie looked sick.
"We weren't alone. A man came in. He told Gayle, he spent a long time looking for him."
Charlie watched as both men stood across from one another. Gayle was staring at him with clenched fists, while the Man in Black was looking at him with a calm expression.
"What do you want? I did nothing wrong." Gayle was staring hatefully at his enemy.
"You exist. That's reason enough."
"I never killed in my life." Gayle, even as a pureblood, he and his late wife agreed never to kill. Especially after their son was born. "We did nothing wrong."
"You will. The hunger, it will get to you. Hoover is proof of that."
"She didn't mean it. She was pregnant. Animal blood wasn't cutting it." Miranda had no choice but to drink human blood. But she knew she couldn't kill anyone without drawing suspicion. So she and Gayle made a plan. They paid money for human blood. They had a few human volunteers, they were happy to give for cash. Las Vegas wasn't that far. "We made sure no one got sick. Those killings, we weren't responsible for that." Gayle and Miranda had no choice but to run. Even though they were innocent, it wouldn't take long for hunters to blame them. They ran to another town, Miranda was too far into her pregnancy to run any further. "That vampire responsible, he was taken care of." It was a passing vampire that turned him, Gayle hunted him himself and cut off his head, destroying his remains in a furnace. Miranda didn't mean to hurt him, luckily she didn't drain him too much. He recovered and was back to work a few days later. Both Miranda and Gayle convinced him a cougar attacked him when he was alone. They then agreed to run a 'clinic' by asking for volunteers. Luckily a few agreed, especially on the amount of cash they offered.
"Doesn't matter. You can kill a million vampires, you don't belong in this world."
"Kid, you know there's no such thing. That man who attacked Gayle, he was sick in the head." She lied. "Ryan was scaring you."
"That's what my dad said. Gayle, he and that man fought. Then Gayle slipped. That man stared at me for a long time. Then he checked my mouth."
"No teeth. You can go." He was looking down at Gayle's body. It was impaled on the sharp spikes and razors. "Your friend, where is he?"
Charlie stepped back.
"I don't know." He saw Ryan running out. "Can I go?"
"Stay away from vamps."
"I told my dad. He called 911. Luckily Gayle was still alive. The doctors told my dad the razors missed most of his organs. But he is still unconscious." He told Charlie to keep hush-hush. Charlie agreed, he didn't want to get in trouble about Ryan anyways.
"That man, you know who he is?" She was dismayed when he shook his head.
"I assume a intruder. We get drifters all the time."
"Thanks for your time." She and Charlie climb back down. "Stay out of barns, especially away from your friends. They are a bad influence." Once Charlie was gone, she checks the cart where the blades were once at. She had a hunch, but she needed more evidence.
It took a few days to get the evidence back, even with Jenna paying for a rushed order. She saw the weapons Gayle fell on, they were dried in Gayle's blood. She took a copy of the pictures and a few samples from the barn's cart.
"The evidence shows human blood, and something else." The man tells her over the phone. "What exactly were you looking for?"
"If the blood on the blades were older than the blood found at the crime scene."
"Well, the blood on them was not a match to the victim. The old blood was mixed with embalming fluid."
"Embalming fluid?"
"Yeah. Why it was on those samples is beyond me. The blood mixed with it was on a recently deceased male."
"And the other?"
"Are you sure you want to hear this?"
"Try me."
"I swear the blood is of a dead body. The blood was older than the sample you sent me."
"Thanks for your time." Jenna hangs up the phone. Gayle was a vampire. Great. Then that meant she had to play a Fed.
"FBI. Agent Hynde." She shows off her badge. "I need to see John Doe." She was sure Gayle didn't have proper ID.
"You have a warrant?" The bored nurse asked.
"Right here." Jenna hands her the forged papers. She was glad Murphy sent her those. She sent a message to one of his blocked numbers, she was sure he backed all her messages in a cloud somewhere.
"Come with me." She leads Jenna to the ICU unit. "He's been here for a few days. So far, he hasn't woken up." Gayle was sleeping deeply, with nothing but a tube under his nose.
"How long ago was this?" She was looking at his body, Gayle was deathly still.
"Three days. So far the accident didn't penetrate any vital organs, but he lost a lot of blood. Thankfully the blood transfusions saved his life." The nurse went to check his vitals. "Hmm. Weird. It says his heart is slowing down, but that's not what else." She checks his heart monitor.
"Anyways." She already stole an ambulance, she was taking Gayle somewhere else. She didn't know much about monsters, but she knew a doctor that treated unusual patients. Luckily he was driving in from San Francisco. "I have authority for a transfer, he is wanted in another state." Murphy told her he was going to erase any medical history about Gayle, that way he won't attract attention.
"Might as well. He's probably better off in a bigger hospital. You need help with transportation?"
"Yes please." She just hoped Gayle hung on till she got to her destination.
Once Gayle was boarded up she drives away. The person she found was an old acquaintance of Samuel Campbell. Both Sam and Dean warned her to never trust the Campbells, but she couldn't risk Dean finding out by asking Dr Roberts, who was an acquaintance of John Winchester. She drove on less travelled roads, she couldn't risk getting seen.
Forty minutes later pulled up to an abandoned shack. Seeing a van, she hoped this was her contact. When a young woman walked out of the shack, she waited until she walked to her window.
"Are you looking for the doctor?"
"Just asking for directions." She wasn't dumb, she had a gun with silver bullets right on her lap pointing at the door.
"Your friend, he needs medical attention Ms Joplin." She points to the shack. "Come inside."
Jenna just stares at her walking away. But knowing she was on borrowed time followed her in, but not before opening up the ambulance doors to carry out the stretcher.
"Ugh. For a vampire, you sure are heavy." Dead man's blood, the blades didn't do this to him. She was so glad Dean showed her how he unloaded patients in the firehouse.
"Need some help?"
When Jenna looked, she saw an older man standing beside her.
"Are you, Dr Sullivan?" He was a lot older than she thought. Based on his white hair and wrinkles, eighty?
"Don't worry about my age." He grunts as he and Jenna unload the stretcher. "Is this, the special patient?"
Jenna hesitated. Sensing her silence, Dr Sullivan chuckled.
"I had my share of unusual patients." He looks down at Gayle. "Ms Kyra, I was a doctor at Forrest Hills in Scotland for a few years."
Hearing Kyra's name, Jenna relaxed. Slightly.
"It's okay if you don't trust me. I don't blame you. The few hunters I met didn't like me either." He takes his stethoscope and checks Gayle's chest. "For a vampire, his heartbeat is weak. But he'll live."
"How can you tell?" She didn't know much about vampires, all she knew is they were considered undead.
"Vampires aren't that different from humans. Just that their heartbeat is much lower." He checks his mouth. "Fangs are intact, did the nurses and doctors say anything about them?"
"Not that I know of." She hoped Murphy erased everything about Gayle. Can't have Rennek releasing another monster army again.
"Good. Let's take him in. Michelle! Open the door!"
Jenna watched as Dr Sullivan and his assistant work. A vampire getting treated by a human. She wondered what Dean would say. Bored, she tells the room she had to make a call. Plus to get rid of the ambulance.
"Take all the time you need. I doubt he'll wake up today." Dr Sullivan cleaned the dead man's blood out of him, but Gayle needed food. "Michelle, mind running to the van and getting some blood? Type O." Any blood would do for a vampire, but O was a universal type.
"Yes Doctor."
Jenna was talking to Dean about her trip, she told a white lie she was staying in a lakeside cabin.
"It's a little run down, but cheap." The shack was a dump. It had an incredible view of the lake though. "It's a adventure. Looking forward to a sequel." She giggled. "Maybe we should head to Canada for the winter. Laura needs a brother or sister." She laughs at Dean's silence. "C'mon. I think it's time." She turns around at the noise. Dr Sullivan's young assistant was walking out of the cabin. "What? Oh. My neighbour." She lied. "She's a nurse I guess." She and Dean talked, ignoring the young woman walking back with a cooler. "Phew." What the hell was that scent? It smelled like, chemicals? She watched absently as the nurse walks back inside. "A few more days? Weeks? Maybe two." Two weeks should be enough. Dean's hunts lasted way less than that. "How's Laura?" She missed her baby. When Dean put her on, Jenna starts cooing. "Hiiiii. Mommy misses you."
Dr Sullivan warned her to stay back as Gayle was about to wake up. She was holding up her machete, feeling safe from Piper's protection potion. She drank it earlier, Piper and Sam said it was mixed with phoenix blood, making her blood poisonous to monsters. It took four days for Gayle to wake up. When Dr Sullivan called, she immediately came over.
The vampire groaned as he woke up.
"Ryan." Dizzily, he opens his eyes and immediately shuts his eyes. "The light!"
"Michelle!"
"Yes Doctor." She rushes to cover up the windows.
"Stand back!" Dr Sullivan warned. He was old but knew a lot of tricks. He was so glad that fairie teacher was so tough. All three tense up as Gayle sits up.
Gayle immediately lets out a scream.
Jenna flinched. Gayle sounded like a wounded animal.
"Arghhhhhh!" Where was that bastard. He was itching for revenge. But when he tried to move, he realized how weak he felt. He looks around and sees three humans staring at him.
"Gayle? I'm Doctor Sullivan." He stepped back. "How are you feeling." He stepped back as Gayle lunged. Luckily, they took precautions, the chains they put on the vampire kept him held.
Gayle growled. Seeing Jenna, he snarled, making her step back in nervousness.
"We're not going to hurt you! We're here to help you!" Dr Sullivan reassures him.
He glared hard at all three, especially Jenna.
"If you are going to kill me, make it quick."
Jenna nervously steps forward, she reluctantly puts down her blade.
"I'm not here to hurt you. I'm here to save you." She puts up her hands. She swallowed in fear as Gayle growled.
"A hunter wants to help me. Bull." He saw her blade.
"It's true. Jenna here, this young woman brought you here to me."
Hearing that Gayle blinks. Then he screamed.
"BULLSHIT!" He saw both the doctor and hunter step back in fear. Except for the nurse who looked neutral.
"Believe it or not, not all hunters are killers. Gayle. Your son, he needs you." What exactly did Murphy know? Devon told her he was some kind of ex-government agent who knew things. Hearing Ryan's name, Gayle demanded what was going on.
"Ryan. Where is he?" Gayle. He knew. Ryan was 'awake'.
"I don't know." Great. At least she won't break her promise to Dean. Finding a missing child was different from hunting.
"Ugh." Gayle had a massive migraine. "So thirsty."
"Michelle! Get the blood packs!" Dr Sullivan ordered.
"Yes Doctor." She opens up the cooler and takes out a blood pack.
"Here." He takes the blood pack and hands it to Gayle. "Take it. I promise you, it's perfectly safe." Sensing Gayle's hesitation.
Gayle stares distrustfully at the doctor. But the scent of blood was too overwhelming. He hungrily drinks the blood.
Jenna turned around, not that she cared about Gayle's appetite, but she respected others' privacy. She looked at her phone and saw a new message.
'Eagle Harbor, Washington. There's a vampire that needs help. His name is Benny.'
Another vampire? Jenna sighed. What about Ryan? She texted back, knowing Murphy wouldn't answer. Hearing her name, she turned around.
"Miss Jenna. Mind watching him for a while? Michelle and I need to head to town.'
"Uh. Sure." Watch a vampire? Dr. Sullivan chuckled.
"We won't be long. As long as those chains are on, you'll be fine. Come, my Dear."
"Yes Doctor." An obedient Michelle follows him out. Brushing by Jenna, Jenna wrinkles her nose.
'Phew.' Weird perfume. She shook her head. She was a nurse, she most likely been around chemicals too much. She sits on a chair, she didn't know what else to do.
Gayle felt better drinking the blood pack, but he was still thirsty.
"Miss. Mind passing me a blood pack?"
She absently walks over to a cooler and takes out a bag of blood.
"Thank you." Jenna screams when Gayle grabbed her. "Who are you. Are you working for him?!" He hissed. His long nails digging into her arms.
Jenna screamed, his nails digging deep into her skin. To free herself, she remembers her training. She takes out a knife from her back pocket and stabs Gayle.
"Argh!" Pure silver. Won't kill a vampire, but that didn't mean silver didn't hurt. He grabbed her other arm, making her drop her knife. Showing off his teeth, he pulls her close. "All you hunters are all the same." He digs his nails deeper and feeling his fingers burn, he yelps.
Jenna took no time scrambling away.
"Phoenix Ash. Heard it burns." Dean was going to kill her. No way she could hide her bruises.
Gayle gives her a dirty look.
"Clever." Phoenix's were rare. Most monsters considered them a myth.
"The hell's your problem!'' Jenna demanded. "I just saved your life!"
"A hunter, that saves a vampire. Tch." He quickly wipes his fingers on his clothes, the ash was poisonous to monsters.
"Believe me or not, not all of us are murderers." She always hesitated on killing, she's been to Knox, she met some young vampires there. "I only hunt to survive and to save people. I don't go out of my way to kill people!" Unlike Sam and Dean, she had to think differently. Kyra said hunting wasn't all black or white. Jenna agreed, she heard of hunters who made hunting their whole life and died horribly.
Gayle just looks at her. He starts laughing.
"What's so funny?"
Gayle laughed harder. This hunter, no naive girl had no clue!
"You really are an idiot."
"Excuse me?" Jenna was insulted.
"Does your husband know you are hunting alone?" He saw her wedding ring. He was amused when she stamped her foot.
"I don't need a man to protect me." She sniffed. "As a matter of fact, I got hired to save your ass." This job better be worth it.
Gayle chuckled.
"A hunter saving a vampire. I thought I'll never see the day." He was startled when Jenna handed him the blood bag.
"I'm not getting paid if you don't live. Drink." She stomps over to the other side of the room to bandage her arm.
"Thanks kid." He gratefully drinks the bag. Once he was done, he starts asking questions. "So. How long were you hunting?"
"Long enough." Jenna said coolly. Her arm was still throbbing.
"Not bad. The trick with the silver was good, but the Phoenix Ash was genius. Where did you get it?"
"Somewhere." She was strolling through her phone.
Gayle looks across at her. Seeing her beautiful face, he asked why she was hunting.
"You have the world as your oyster. Why do this? The shelf life is short."
"Someone has to do it." She scoffed.
"Hm." Gayle looked around the cabin. "It's getting dark. Huntress... Sorry, I forgot your name."
"Jenna." She didn't care about not using her alias. She looked at the clock. "How long does it take to head for supplies?" Sure her drive took a while, but only because she took back roads. She waited a few minutes and then texted him. When she got no answer, she got up to look out the window. "Sunset is coming."
"Don't have to worry about me. I'm not a killer." He sighed. "Kid, why are you in the life? You said you get paid, but it doesn't seem to be worth it. You can do better. Much better." She was young, she reminded him of his late wife. She hunted occasionally to keep hunters away from her trail.
Gayle narled at the gunshot. Bitch nearly got him.
Miranda runs through the woods. He was here, she knew it. Her vampiric side listened to the woods, he couldn't have gone that far.
Gayle watches her as she stalks through the woods. She was good, he'll give her that. He stood deathly still, no way can she find him. Then he'll strike. What he didn't expect was getting thrown off the tree.
"Ahh!" He was so startled, he didn't expect to be found. Especially inside a tree that was forty meters up. He let out a loud oof when he slammed on the ground.
Miranda jumps down from the tree and points a shotgun at his legs.
"Won't kill you, but there is enough gunpowder to blow off your legs." She clicks the gun. "You have two choices, surrender peacefully and I'll make it quick, or I can take it slow, one gun blast at a time." This time, it was Gayle that caught her off guard. He leaped up and starts strangling her. He was about to bite her when he saw her fangs. Startled, he stared at her. "You a vampire?"
Miranda snarled and threw Gayle off her. He was good, but she was a pureblood since birth. She stomps on his kneecap, making him scream.
"Stop the killings." She saw the bodies herself. Trained as a hunter since birth, her parents raised her as a hunter to stay safe. She was one of the few that defended humans.
Gayle stared at her in disbelief.
"Why is a vampire hunting vampires?"
"Someone has to do it." She pointed her gun. "Who's killing all those people?" The Gold Rush was profitable, especially for monsters. To keep herself safe, she hunted in Arizona to keep any hunters off her trail. She refused to drink blood unless she paid the person. Luckily most complied, although she did get drunk from the moonshine they drank before she fed.
"It wasn't me. I swear." He swore to detox. Especially after more hunters were moving to the west. He held up his hands. "I only feed on animals." He knew he should have gotten rid of the bodies. He just got sloppy. He held up his hands.
Miranda glared at him. Thankfully she puts down her gun.
"Then who's doing this?" She was half-human, a pureblood, since her father was a vampire. She helps Gayle up.
"I don't know. But I'll help you." Even in the dark, he could see how beautiful she was. "Need a hunting partner?"
Gayle didn't realize he was talking out loud. Jenna was watching him with fascination.
"And you two fell in love?" How romantic. Reminded her and Dean when they met. He saved her while on a job.
"Not at first. I hated hunting. All I wanted to do was be myself. Hunting, it seemed pointless. But we did find the vampires responsible for killing those settlers. It was a band of sea pirates."
"Um, not to sound racist, but how could you have children? Biologically." Vampires were dead.
Gayle looked up.
"Just as long as one parent is a pureblood. Ryan." Gayle remembered the joy he felt when Miranda cried over the pregnancy test. "He was so small. Miranda and I never thought it was possible, even with both of us being pureblood."
"Does he know?" She met Garth, he said most children don't 'mature' till puberty.
"Miranda and I tried so hard to be careful. We knew we had to tell Ryan about his lineage eventually, but she needed blood. Animal blood wasn't cutting it." He looked at her. "Don't get us wrong, we never killed. We always stole from hospitals and blood banks. But if we were desperate, we paid people to drink."
"And no one got suspicious."
Gayle shook his head.
"You'll be surprised what humans will do for money. Anyways, we thought we were careful. Then dead bodies started appearing."
"Hoover."
"So you heard of it." He let out a deep sigh. "We had no choice but to start hunting again. But we didn't fool anyone."
"Miranda!" Gayle was trying desperately not to cry. The wound was deep. "You can keep going!" They heard the dogs, they were coming closer.
Miranda shook her head. The bullet was in her gut. Wouldn't normally hurt her too much, but her human side was in pain.
"Take the baby and run!" She couldn't stand the thought of Ryan getting hurt, he was just a baby. "Take him." She did everything right, but they were damned, just for existing.
"I won't leave you." He was coming closer.
"Go!" She looked deeply into his eyes. "I love you. Raise him right." She hoped she went to Heaven, she was half-human after all.
Her necklace, her gift from Gayle for their one-hundredth anniversary shined in the moonlight.
Gayle kissed her goodbye.
"I'll come back to you."
Jenna had tears running down her face. Gayle was trying not to cry.
"I heard her screams. He took her time killing her."
He sobbed when she stopped screaming. Baby Ryan was totally oblivious, he was babbling happily.
"She was murdered. Just for being a vampire." He sighed. "I went back a few days later, there was no body. Just the bullet that shot her. The hunter, he wanted to send a message. Ryan. I did my best. Then I saw him drinking from that cat."
Gayle swallowed in fear. It was time. He watched as Ryan put down the body.
"I shouldn't have lost my temper. But I was furious. Not at him, but at myself. I should never have hid who he was. Now I don't know if he's okay."
"The guy who attacked you, who is he?"
"I don't know. Called himself Van Helsing."
"Van Helsing?"
"Yeah, I heard he was a doofus. But this hunter, he isn't like you. He will hurt anyone that gets in his way."
Before Jenna could ask more questions, the door slammed open. She dived to the floor when she heard gunshots.
"About time I found you." That voice. Jenna looked up when she saw a silhouette of a man standing in the doorway. Even without seeing his face, she recognized him instantly.
"You."
FLASHBACK
"I been hunting before you two were in diapers. Get lost." The hunter walks into Gina Wendell's house. Her and Devon could only watch as he walks in.
"Jason."
The hunter responsible for Gina's death walks in, his gun smoking from the shots.
Gayle crumbled on the bed. The chains rattling as he fell.
"I thought you were a demonologist." Gina's death. She felt guilty every day, even though both Devon and Pamela assured her not everyone can't be saved.
"And a vampire hunter, a werewolf slayer, a witch hunter, but the general name is hunter." He smiles as he walks into the room. "Thanks for keeping him alive. It would be a shame if he died in that hospital." He walks over to Gayle. "I've been searching a long time for you."
Gayle groans in pain.
"Silver bullets dipped in dead man's blood. Custom made just for you."
"Hey!" Jason gives Jenna a distasteful look.
"Go home kid. This is a man's job."
"He's an innocent!" Gayle might as well be a vampire, but he was a good man. Jenna was sure of it.
"He's a monster." He takes out a long blade. "Watch and learn." He looks down at Gayle. "I'm going to enjoy this." He kneels down to Gayle's face. "It's more fun when they squirm. Especially when they scream."
Before he could cut Gayle, Gayle saw a sparkle.
"Gayle. It's beautiful." Miranda was in awe as Gayle puts the necklace around her neck.
"I saved for a long time for this. Happy anniversary."
"You. You killed Miranda!" He roars as he breaks out of his chains. Jason stumbles backwards when Gayle shoves into him. He stares hatefully at Gayle. "You took Miranda away." Miranda's necklace. Jason was wearing it as a trophy.
Jason laughs.
"It wasn't like she was human." He taunts.
"You bastard." She read those messages from the Dark Web. Jason must have been a frequent visitor. He bragged about killing monsters in creative ways.
"You'll pay." Gayle swore to never kill humans. But Jason was hardly one. He grabs Jason's neck.
Jason was trying desperately to breathe. He paid Martin Creaser to work with that hunter, but only if he led him to Benny. He heard rumours that there was a cure for vampires, even those that were centuries old. Plus wanted to see those Winchesters. He and John had an old score to settle. He gasped for air.
Gayle grunts as Jason squeezes the bullet in his leg, it distracted him long enough for him to escape. He points his gun at Jenna who was trying to reach for a weapon.
"You'll be dead before you hit the floor." He points at Gayle as well with his second gun. "I'll make it quick. Kid, get the hell out of here."
"The hell I will." She had a job to finish.
"Fine. I'll tell your husband you died on the job. Say hello to your brother for me." He smirked at her pale face.
"Devon. Was it you?" She and Dean had no luck finding his killer.
"Maybe I did. Maybe I didn't."
"You bastard." She leaped at him, with Jason calmly backhanding her, knocking her out cold.
"Grow up. Ugh! Argh!" He grunted as bullets hit his kneecaps.
Gayle, seeing Jason kneeling on the floor sees his chance. He takes out his fangs.
"Gayle."
"Miranda?" He looked up seeing her ghost. "You're alive? How?"
"I'm not really here. But you're not a killer. Ryan. Our son needs you." Miranda was wearing her outfit, the same one when they first met. "Please. Remember our promise." She and Gayle made a promise to never kill for Ryan's sake.
"But he's a killer." It was so tempting. Gayle was getting dizzy from the blood. Not from loss, but from Jason's scent.
"He'll pay, eventually. Hunters like him, have an expiry date."
"You're right." Hunters like Jason, pay the price eventually. "Goodbye Miranda."
Miranda smiles as she fades away.
The sniper was so glad they followed Jenna. She was good, but she tended to be a little naive.
"Will you be okay?" She and Gayle were walking out of the cabin, they used those chains to tie up Jason. Jenna made an anonymous call to the FBI, that Jason was in Hoover during those killings thirteen years ago.
"I'll be okay." He grunted as Jenna helps him on her Harley. "Is my son okay?" Ryan. He was safe, for now.
"I swear I'll bring him home." She roared away, she just hoped the local authorities didn't hear her motorcycle. "Hang on!" She shouted.
Dr Sullivan helps Michelle onto the bed.
"Doctor?"
"Shh. It's okay. It's time for your treatment." He felt bad he called that hunter, but no one was supposed to know Michelle's secret. He puts on his surgical gear. "I have a brand new heart, just for you." Jenna was an excellent candidate, but he couldn't risk Dean Winchester's wrath. But this girl was just as good. She was a nobody anyways. "Rest." He gets his surgical tools ready.
Benny grunts in pain.
"You got old. What's the matter, death made you slow?" Vampire One taunts.
"No. Rebirth made me strong." He picks up his knife. He was determined to be human, Elizabeth needed him.