CHAPTER 4
Dembe waved them to the door, and they entered the inner office of Raymond Reddington. He stood at his bar pouring a scotch, but when he saw his visitors he put the glass down. "Crowley! I've been expecting you!"
"You have?" Crowley asked.
"I heard about your Leland problem," Reddington said. "I knew you'd come to me."
"How?"
"Of all the Reddingtons in the multiverse, I'm the one who has the most experience with Hell, and it helps that I've actually met Leland Townsend. A couple of them, actually."
Crowley glanced to a painting. "Is that an original Hitler?"
"Pretty, isn't it?" Reddington asked.
"Uh . . . ," Sam said.
"Relax," Crowley said. "In this world Hitler was just a painter."
"You didn't think to mention that before?" Sam asked. "Because that's a pretty significant difference between our—"
"Shall we argue technicalities?" Reddington asked. "Or should we find your errant Zim?"
"Let's find Zim so we can get this the fuck over with," Dean said.
"A man of action," Reddington said. "I assume we're going to Hell?"
"That's where the trail begins," Crowley said. "Although my own investigators have had quite a bit of difficulty in tracking him. They can't leave Hell, hence the Winchesters."
"I was wondering what they were doing here," Reddington said.
"They do have a stake in getting Cris Zim back to the Cage."
"Let's go, then." Reddington finished his drink and went out to meet with Dembe. "Lock up. We're going on a field trip."
"Yes, Raymond." Dembe went about the room, setting up security measures. Dean and Sam watched him do this, and Dean shook his head.
"Not very trusting, is he?"
"He's a Reddington," Sam said.
"Good point." Then: "How long do you think this Dembe will last?"
"Not long," Sam said. No hesitation there.
Once they got outside Dean and Sam got in the front seat of the Impala while Crowley, Reddington and Dembe squeezed in the back. After saying a few magic words and making the usual gestures, a portal opened before them.
"Let's go to Hell," Crowley said.
TO BE CONTINUED . . .