coming and going, as Bobby had said.
Dean pulled out his cell again, lifting it up as it powered on. One bar. He called Bobby.
When he answered, Dean asked, “You find anything yet?”
“I think I may be on to something. I contacted a hunter on the west coast at Point Reyes who found an account of a villager using a stingray barb on the end of a whip. But both the whip and the barb have to be treated with a variety of spices and an incantation was performed on top of that. It’s not something I could whip up here. The ingredients make quite an exotic shopping list.”
“So what should we do?” Below him, Dean watched as Sam and Grace milled about the clearing, talking awkwardly. The wind sighed through the trees, and a gust buffeted his back.
“This hunter has some of what we need. I can go out there and get her to make it, but it would save time if you helped gather the ingredients. We could be there and back in a day.”
“Sounds good.”
“Find anything exciting out there?”
“Not yet. Grace found us again.”
“Well, you two should come back. I don’t like the idea of leaving one of you alone out there. Faster we get this weapon made, faster we can take care of this thing.”
“Okay. I’ll tell Sam.” Dean hesitated. “Should we call Jason? He was good backup before.”
“Slow backup.”
“But he helped.”
“Okay,” Bobby relented. “I guess that way one of you could stay out there, warn people off, and the other could come to Point Reyes.”
“Sounds good.”
“I’ll come pick one of you up at the trailhead now,” Bobby told him, and hung up.
Dean noticed he had a voicemail message on his phone and checked it. It was Jason, telling them to look him up if they were ever back that way. “Nice hunting with you,” he’d said, and hung up.
Dean debated, worried that at best Jason might slow them down, and at worst, get himself killed. But finally he decided the extra help would be welcome, especially if they all had to split up. He called him, catching Jason at the Aces and Eights.
“Yo, Dean,” Jason said.
“Hey Jason. How’s it going?”
“Can’t complain. Ribs better. You guys must be halfway across Utah by now. To what do I owe the honor?”
“We’re actually back in the Tahoe National Forest.”
“What?”
“There have been more killings.”
“Another wendigo? I thought they were solitary.”
“So did we. But it’s not a wendigo. It’s something worse.”
Jason sounded incredulous. “Something worse?”
“Yeah. An aswang.”
“An ass what?”
“Something we don’t want to mess with lightly. Bobby knows a hunter in Point Reyes who can make a weapon for us.”
“Where are you now?”
“Near the Finder Mountain Trailhead.”
“I’m coming to meet you.”
“Okay.” He looked at his watch. “When can you get here?”
“Give me two hours, maybe a little more. Got to gear up and then I’ll leave.”
“Thanks, man.” They agreed to meet at the trailhead and Dean hung up.
He rejoined Sam and Grace in the clearing. “Agent Cash has a lead,” he told Sam.
“Great. Does he want us back there?”
“Yeah. A.s.a.p.”
Grace smiled ruefully. “So I’m back to being on my own?”
“Sorry, ranger. Looks like it,” Sam told her.
“I’m used to it. Wouldn’t survive long in this gig if I didn’t like being alone.”
“Call us if you run into any trouble,” Dean said. He handed her one of their fake F.B.I. business cards, though the number on it was accurate.
“And you’ll come running?” she asked dubiously.
Dean smiled. “Something like that.”
“Well, good luck,” she told them, and set off again in the direction she’d been heading.
“I don’t like the thought of her out here alone,” Sam said as they watched her go.
“Me, either,” Dean agreed. “But she’s tough. Besides, we can’t force her back to town.”
“Maybe we should level with her.”
“Are you kidding me, Sam? Level with her? She’d
Dean pulled out his cell again, lifting it up as it powered on. One bar. He called Bobby.
When he answered, Dean asked, “You find anything yet?”
“I think I may be on to something. I contacted a hunter on the west coast at Point Reyes who found an account of a villager using a stingray barb on the end of a whip. But both the whip and the barb have to be treated with a variety of spices and an incantation was performed on top of that. It’s not something I could whip up here. The ingredients make quite an exotic shopping list.”
“So what should we do?” Below him, Dean watched as Sam and Grace milled about the clearing, talking awkwardly. The wind sighed through the trees, and a gust buffeted his back.
“This hunter has some of what we need. I can go out there and get her to make it, but it would save time if you helped gather the ingredients. We could be there and back in a day.”
“Sounds good.”
“Find anything exciting out there?”
“Not yet. Grace found us again.”
“Well, you two should come back. I don’t like the idea of leaving one of you alone out there. Faster we get this weapon made, faster we can take care of this thing.”
“Okay. I’ll tell Sam.” Dean hesitated. “Should we call Jason? He was good backup before.”
“Slow backup.”
“But he helped.”
“Okay,” Bobby relented. “I guess that way one of you could stay out there, warn people off, and the other could come to Point Reyes.”
“Sounds good.”
“I’ll come pick one of you up at the trailhead now,” Bobby told him, and hung up.
Dean noticed he had a voicemail message on his phone and checked it. It was Jason, telling them to look him up if they were ever back that way. “Nice hunting with you,” he’d said, and hung up.
Dean debated, worried that at best Jason might slow them down, and at worst, get himself killed. But finally he decided the extra help would be welcome, especially if they all had to split up. He called him, catching Jason at the Aces and Eights.
“Yo, Dean,” Jason said.
“Hey Jason. How’s it going?”
“Can’t complain. Ribs better. You guys must be halfway across Utah by now. To what do I owe the honor?”
“We’re actually back in the Tahoe National Forest.”
“What?”
“There have been more killings.”
“Another wendigo? I thought they were solitary.”
“So did we. But it’s not a wendigo. It’s something worse.”
Jason sounded incredulous. “Something worse?”
“Yeah. An aswang.”
“An ass what?”
“Something we don’t want to mess with lightly. Bobby knows a hunter in Point Reyes who can make a weapon for us.”
“Where are you now?”
“Near the Finder Mountain Trailhead.”
“I’m coming to meet you.”
“Okay.” He looked at his watch. “When can you get here?”
“Give me two hours, maybe a little more. Got to gear up and then I’ll leave.”
“Thanks, man.” They agreed to meet at the trailhead and Dean hung up.
He rejoined Sam and Grace in the clearing. “Agent Cash has a lead,” he told Sam.
“Great. Does he want us back there?”
“Yeah. A.s.a.p.”
Grace smiled ruefully. “So I’m back to being on my own?”
“Sorry, ranger. Looks like it,” Sam told her.
“I’m used to it. Wouldn’t survive long in this gig if I didn’t like being alone.”
“Call us if you run into any trouble,” Dean said. He handed her one of their fake F.B.I. business cards, though the number on it was accurate.
“And you’ll come running?” she asked dubiously.
Dean smiled. “Something like that.”
“Well, good luck,” she told them, and set off again in the direction she’d been heading.
“I don’t like the thought of her out here alone,” Sam said as they watched her go.
“Me, either,” Dean agreed. “But she’s tough. Besides, we can’t force her back to town.”
“Maybe we should level with her.”
“Are you kidding me, Sam? Level with her? She’d
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