died, and that means the college is in full CYA mode. I guarantee they put pressure on the cops to vacuum that crime scene within an inch of its life. It doesn’t matter if they think it’s important or not. Anything at that scene is in an NYPD lab somewhere.”
Gulping down the rest of his beer, Dean set it on the table with a thunk. “Fine, you know more about college administrations and their weird Nevermore
115
habits. But we still have to check the house.” He thought for a second. “Thing
is—we probably
won’t fi nd anything.”
“Good,” Sam said with a smirk, “I could use the ten bucks.”
“No, I’m serious, Sammy, let’s think about this.
I don’t think this is for us. I mean, we know the ritual’s fake.”
“Do we?”
Dean looked over at his brother. Now he had on his insistent face. Dean hated the insistent face, because Sam only used it when he was arguing with him. As opposed to when he argued with Dad. That was always the angry face. “Of course we do.”
“Because Dad said so, right? Except what if he was wrong? I mean, he was the one telling us that vampires weren’t real, but then in Manning, bingo, vampires.”
Shaking his head, Dean said, “Dad knew about vampires, he just thought they were extinct.”
“The point is, Dean, that we don’t know everything. And Dad knew more than us, but he didn’t know everything, either. I mean, this Samuels guy only tried the ritual a couple of times before he was arrested. How do we know it didn’t work? Or that it won’t?”
“C’mon, Sammy, the ritual was only performed by Samuels, he lied about where it came from, and nobody’s used it before or since.” 116 SUPERNATURAL
“That we know of.”
Dean glowered at Sam. “It’s not even based on anything, it’s just a big con.”
Holding up his hands in surrender, Sam said,
“Fine, let’s say it really is fake. We can’t just not do anything. We know when the next murder will be, and we at least have an idea where. And the reasons why they’re happening then are supernatural, and that is what we do.”
“No.” Dean looked at his brother. “We hunt real monsters, not fakes.” Quietly, Sam said, “I’d say someone who’s killed three people and intends to kill more is a monster.” Dean sighed, continuing the argument out of habit and an unwillingness to admit that his baby brother was right. “We could just tell the cops.”
“You really think they’d believe us? The only way to convince them would be to explain the ritual, and if we explain the ritual, they’ll think we’re nuts. And then they’d run our descriptions through their computer, and then—”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” He didn’t need to be reminded of the fact that he was America’s Most Wanted. At first he’d thought it was kind of fun, but the novelty had worn off once the real consequences kicked in. “I’m gonna get another beer. You want anything?”
Insistent face came back. “So we’re doing this, right?”
Never
117
more
“ Yes, Mr. Worry Wart, we’re doing it. We’ll check the house tonight, and tomorrow we’ll try to track Mr. Pym down.”
“Good. And I’ll have another gin and tonic.” Dean stopped, turned, and stared at his brother.
“Dude, I’m so not ordering that. I’ll get you a screwdriver, I’ll get you a Scotch and soda, hell, I’ll get you a glass of red wine, but a gin and freakin’
tonic ? What is this, Masterpiece Theatre ?” Sam stared at him with his mouth slightly open.
“I like gin and tonic. What, that’s a crime now?”
“Yes, actually.” He put up his hands. “Forget it—get your own froofy drinks. I’m gettin’ a beer.” With that, he grabbed his empty beer glass, stepped down from the raised area and squeezed his way between two people to get at Jennifer’s side of the bar.
“You’re back,” she said with a raised eyebrow.
Dean noticed that a sheen of perspiration beaded her forehead.
“Big as life and twice as
Gulping down the rest of his beer, Dean set it on the table with a thunk. “Fine, you know more about college administrations and their weird Nevermore
115
habits. But we still have to check the house.” He thought for a second. “Thing
is—we probably
won’t fi nd anything.”
“Good,” Sam said with a smirk, “I could use the ten bucks.”
“No, I’m serious, Sammy, let’s think about this.
I don’t think this is for us. I mean, we know the ritual’s fake.”
“Do we?”
Dean looked over at his brother. Now he had on his insistent face. Dean hated the insistent face, because Sam only used it when he was arguing with him. As opposed to when he argued with Dad. That was always the angry face. “Of course we do.”
“Because Dad said so, right? Except what if he was wrong? I mean, he was the one telling us that vampires weren’t real, but then in Manning, bingo, vampires.”
Shaking his head, Dean said, “Dad knew about vampires, he just thought they were extinct.”
“The point is, Dean, that we don’t know everything. And Dad knew more than us, but he didn’t know everything, either. I mean, this Samuels guy only tried the ritual a couple of times before he was arrested. How do we know it didn’t work? Or that it won’t?”
“C’mon, Sammy, the ritual was only performed by Samuels, he lied about where it came from, and nobody’s used it before or since.” 116 SUPERNATURAL
“That we know of.”
Dean glowered at Sam. “It’s not even based on anything, it’s just a big con.”
Holding up his hands in surrender, Sam said,
“Fine, let’s say it really is fake. We can’t just not do anything. We know when the next murder will be, and we at least have an idea where. And the reasons why they’re happening then are supernatural, and that is what we do.”
“No.” Dean looked at his brother. “We hunt real monsters, not fakes.” Quietly, Sam said, “I’d say someone who’s killed three people and intends to kill more is a monster.” Dean sighed, continuing the argument out of habit and an unwillingness to admit that his baby brother was right. “We could just tell the cops.”
“You really think they’d believe us? The only way to convince them would be to explain the ritual, and if we explain the ritual, they’ll think we’re nuts. And then they’d run our descriptions through their computer, and then—”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” He didn’t need to be reminded of the fact that he was America’s Most Wanted. At first he’d thought it was kind of fun, but the novelty had worn off once the real consequences kicked in. “I’m gonna get another beer. You want anything?”
Insistent face came back. “So we’re doing this, right?”
Never
117
more
“ Yes, Mr. Worry Wart, we’re doing it. We’ll check the house tonight, and tomorrow we’ll try to track Mr. Pym down.”
“Good. And I’ll have another gin and tonic.” Dean stopped, turned, and stared at his brother.
“Dude, I’m so not ordering that. I’ll get you a screwdriver, I’ll get you a Scotch and soda, hell, I’ll get you a glass of red wine, but a gin and freakin’
tonic ? What is this, Masterpiece Theatre ?” Sam stared at him with his mouth slightly open.
“I like gin and tonic. What, that’s a crime now?”
“Yes, actually.” He put up his hands. “Forget it—get your own froofy drinks. I’m gettin’ a beer.” With that, he grabbed his empty beer glass, stepped down from the raised area and squeezed his way between two people to get at Jennifer’s side of the bar.
“You’re back,” she said with a raised eyebrow.
Dean noticed that a sheen of perspiration beaded her forehead.
“Big as life and twice as
Similar Books
