Ancient Words: Chapter 14/? - "Breaking"
Title/Chapter: Ancient Words - Ch. 14 - Breaking
Author: Supernatural Mommy
Characters: Sam, Dean, OFC, OMC (child), OMC ; no pairings
Spoilers: None really, unless you've not seen Season one, to Nightmare
Warnings: R now, R overall for adult themes. This chapter MANY religious references: Overall rated for language, violence (including non-con acts depicted with OC's and torture) hurt/comfort, religious references (seriously, this story uses lots of religious references, so if that bothers you, please don't read) I will try to label each chapter appropriately
Disclaimer: I don't own 'em *pity*, but new characters are my own creation.
Summary: Dean makes a break for it. Annie finds a surprise, and Andy realizes an inner strength.
Author's Notes: Sequel to Look Into His Eyes. Please read through my author's notes Here (from first chapter) and Here (Chapter listing and summary with some minor plot spoilers) if you need more information, explanations, etc.
Author's Notes 2: I think there may be a chapter or two I didn't post to the community - but all previous chapters can be found linked in my journal if you missed them. This fic IS finished, I'm just editing before posting each chapter.
Chapter 14 - "Breaking"
He had almost gotten clean away. He was dressed and almost to the door when he was caught like a kid with his hand in the cookie jar. The nurse had wandered in looking like she was ready for some serious flirting, but her expression changed swiftly when she realized her cute patient was trying to sneak out.
And while nurse Robin was quite the looker, Dean was not amused by her adherence to hospital policy. She had stood her ground in front of him, blocking the door, even threatening to call security. His charms did nothing to influence leniency.
She had insisted on him filling out every last form created in the damn hospital.
And when he’d finally been able to walk out of the building, he had stopped short when he realized something important was missing.
He hadn’t stopped to consider how he was gonna make a break for it, foolishly assuming that he had the Impala keys because the car was actually at the hospital.
Him and Mikey were gonna have words. ‘Cause his car was nowhere to be found, and that stupid angel had to have known that when he handed him the keys earlier.
The look on his face when his baby wasn’t in sight must have awakened a sympathy card in the nurse’s system somewhere. She had walked him down after he was discharged (hospital policies and all that), and perked right up when she realized he was stranded.
She offered to give him a ride to his car . . . but he needed to wait for her break. He grimaced. He hated waiting. He declined her perky offer, opting instead to call for a cab. But the pretty nurse would have none of that and told him to hang on.
Within minutes she had switched breaks with another and was leading him out the door to where her own little Honda waited. He folded his frame into the small space uncomfortably and gave her the Carver’s address. Even if his car wasn’t there, maybe he could at least have a look around the house.
They were there within minutes and he was understandably distracted by gleaming black metal as she slipped him her phone number with a quick peck on the cheek. She winked at him and a soft giggled faded into the air as her little piece of junk pulled away. He slipped the little piece of paper into his jeans and turned reverently towards his baby, pretty nurses all but forgotten.
She was parked in front of the Carver home, waiting for him. He would have hugged her if there hadn’t been neighbors out in the next yard over. Instead, he settled for patting her hood and grinning stupidly at her.
The police tape blocking the front door of the house gave him pause. He wondered for a moment why he hadn’t encountered any of his friends in blue by now. Surely they were wondering what had happened at the Carver house. He studied the house for a moment, eyes narrowed.
His thoughts quickly wondered to his brother.
He sure hoped Sammy was okay. His last glimpse of his brother was through half-conscious eyes as he was trying to protect Bobby.
Bobby . . . Annie . . . Andy. They were all in danger now. He closed his eyes against the errant thoughts and put his poker face back on. This wasn’t solving anything.
He needed a plan.
The angel’s words echoed in his head sharply - he needed to remember the details. The problem was, what were they? He ran through Monday, trying to sort out any details he could use right now.
With a sudden grin, he remembered something that just might help him. Damn church ladies had attacked the Carver house just before he could check that camera tape out. Something might have been caught on that. Something he could use.
With sudden purpose he opened the groaning door and settled into the seat, wincing as his sore back hit the hard leather. A deep breath and the engine roared to life.
He was off to play make believe.
His hand strayed to the small box with his fake ID’s and he considered what role might make his goal easier. He grinned slightly as one caught his eye on side glance. Then his expression hardened as he once again thought of his brother and the others.
He had to figure out where they were.
******************************************
Feeling the cool air across more of her skin than she cared to think about, Annie stood in the doorway rigidly for a moment. A quick glance behind her and across the hall reminded her that she at least needed to try to stay hidden.
She clutched the sheet tighter around her and padded inside the room, closing the door gently behind her.
She really needed to get away, and she knew she didn’t have much time. But she couldn’t turn away.
Not from this.
The broken form in the corner demanded her empathetic attention and she moved haltingly towards it. She caught her breath as the pain invaded, then willed it back and stumbled to rest beside the figure.
It was a woman. Or what was left of her.
She was breathing: So she was alive. But she was so bloodied and bruised. She quietly studied the woman, realizing the cuts on her closely matched the ones on her own body. The woman had been tossed here, a thin blanket her only covering.
She had been used, toyed with. Left mostly for dead at this point.
Annie couldn’t help the tears that fell from her eyes as she studied the poor woman. She moved the bloodied strands of what was once blond hair and caught her breath in recognition.
The nurse. She remembered this nurse. This must have been the nurse who had gone missing from the hospital when Larkin went after Bobby and Sam before.
What kind of monster had Larkin become? Was he always like this, or had his demonic possession turned him into this? She shook her head, stemming the panicky questions.
What should she do?
She had limited opportunity. And she wasn’t strong enough to carry or drag this woman to safety. But she could comfort her for a minute before she tried to go for help.
‘Hey . . . hey there . . .” The woman awoke with a gasp and lifted startled eyes to meet Annie’s, instinctively backing her body away from the unknown threat. She stilled when she met Annie’s eyes.
“Who are . . . am I still here?” She looked from Annie down to study herself and then the tears started, turning into soft sobs that wracked her broken body. Annie held her for a moment. Then pulled away reluctantly.
“Can you move?” Deep blue eyes met hers intently, reading the unspoken question: Can you come with me? I don’t want to leave you.
“I don’t think I can walk...one of my ankles is broken.” She winced. “I think I lost a lot of blood . . He stabbed me, cut me, so many times. I don’t think I can go anywhere.”
She shook her head dully and shifted her eyes from Annie’s.
“Okay, look . . .” Annie reached out to pat her shoulder and waited for blue eyes to swing back to meet hers again. “I was able to get away but he’ll be coming to anytime now. So I don’t have much time. I’ve got friends, some of them are here somewhere . . .”
She remembered Larkin had told her they were all dead. But she couldn’t believe that. She wouldn’t believe that. She shook the thought from her mind.
“If I can get away, get to some help . . . I promise we’ll come back for you, okay?” Annie was lost in the sadness those blue eyes pinned her with and blinked. She glanced away, unable to handle the raw emotion shimmering there. Her eyes caught on something and she smiled grimly.
“There is one thing I can do, though . . .” She pulled out her acquired knife and sliced through the rope bindings that had cruelly cut into the woman’s wrists.. “If you can, try and get away. If not, just pretend you’re unconscious if they come in. I’ll come back . . . I promise.”
“Thank you.” Her soft raspy voice broke on the last word, and the soft sobs resumed. Annie hugged herself tightly and caught herself as she swayed and almost dropped suddenly.
She struggled to stem the dizziness as she stood there, willing the pain back to a bearable level again. God . . . I could use a little help here. Please keep this poor woman safe until we can get her out of here. And Lord, a little help getting out of here would be great too . . .
She didn’t hear any signs of commotion outside, but figured she would as soon as Larkin came to. She knew she couldn’t have a lot of time. She squared her shoulders, sucking in a deep breath at the pain, and slowly eased the door open. No one was there. Thank God.
She only saw these two rooms and an open door that displayed a toilet and tub, and stairs. She inched towards the stairs, and peeked around the corner to discover the way was clear.
She tried to hurry her sore body down the steps, but her legs felt heavy and her head kept spinning, so she steadied herself and leaned against the wall for support. The bottom of the stairs opened into what must have been a living room, one side going into what looked like a kitchen area, the other narrowing into a hallway.
She moved towards the hallway. She had to find Bobby.
It was a short hall, with three doors. She closed her eyes, hearing a thump from upstairs. Larkin. God, direct me, please! She looked at the doors and felt pulled towards the first one on the right.
There was a lock on the outside of the door, and a deadbolt. She swallowed. Glanced at the other doors, and saw they all had locks on them. She flipped the deadbolt, that part was easy. Just as she was about to cry in frustration over the lock, she frowned and looked at it closer.
She reached a hand out tentatively and twisted the knob. It wasn’t locked . . . She hurried inside the door and closed it behind her, closing her eyes for a moment to stop the room from spinning. When she opened her eyes she took a minute to adjust to the darkness. Then, carefully, she studied the room.
It took her just a moment to find the form on his side against the wall. She bit her lip, wishing for some light. But that would be a sure way to attract fast attention to this room, and she really couldn’t take that chance. They would likely be here soon enough.
Instead she inched closer, and then finally felt along the wall until she was beside the figure. The head lifted up sharply as she stepped closer. They sat up, backing into the wall and she realized who it was.
“Andy?” She reached over to pull the cloth bag from her friend’s face, wincing at the bruise she could just make out covering a huge portion of his face. She tried to pull the gag away, frowning when it wouldn’t budge. She pulled out the trusty knife again and carefully slid it under the fabric, cutting it carefully.
“Annie . . .” His voice was raspy and he sounded almost strangled as he tried to speak. She looked him over, realizing that his arms were tied behind him then. She moved behind him to try and cut his bonds.
But a noise right outside the door halted her movements and brought terrified eyes up to meet Andy’s. She swallowed convulsively. And in the split second it took for the doorknob to start turning, she made a decision.
“Andy . . .” She watched the door carefully, while at the same time carefully slipping the knife into Andy’s hands. She met his eyes, nodded while he shook his head at her, and then moved back. Pain stilled her movements and she closed her eyes against it. “I’ll put this back on, and if you lay on your side, they’ll think you’re still out . . .”
He was still shaking his head, obviously not able to talk yet. And he wasn’t going along with her plan. She frowned. She pulled the cloth bag over his face, leaving it loose enough for him to hopefully get off easily. He still hadn’t moved. She pushed as hard as she could to get him to go to his side. “Andy, this is the only way. They’re almost here. Get loose . . .” She gulped and remembered her most important goal. “Find Bobby, Andy. Larkin wants to . . . hurt . . . him. Then get help. It will work. It has to . . .Dear Lord help it work . . .”
Time was slipping away. She could hear someone fumbling slowly with the doorknob, heard the commotion from upstairs that she had known would be coming.
She stood, swaying, and made her way towards the door. But everything finally caught up with her, and the terror of the moment rose up to meet her. As the door opened fully, she felt her vision sway and pitched forward.
****************************************
He caught the girl as she pitched forward, frowning.
George didn’t miss that the sheet was the only thing covering her. He eased her to his arms, sparing a glance for the other prisoner in the room.
He looked like he was still out, though.
His attention returned to the limp form in his arms. She was small, but she packed a hell of a wallop. He grinned softly down on her. Judging from the bloody nose on Larkin’s furious face, she had gotten him good before making her escape.
If only . . . but no.
He couldn’t help but feel bad for his role in this whole scheme. But the money was too great to resist. And it wasn’t like he was a saint. He’d killed men before, many times in fact.
The whole reason Larkin had found him before was because he had a bit of a reputation. But that was among the big boys, not the kids and girls. He’d never hurt a woman before. And found himself loathe to give this one back to the man upstairs.
He was no idiot. He knew what kind of retribution Larkin would have in mind. This one here was his prize, and he was furious that she’d tried to get away.
He’d tried to tell Larkin. They had taken too many at once without adequate reinforcements. Never mind that one was a kid and one was a girl, somehow they were just a handful between the lot of them. But there was no telling Larkin anything of the kind. He had a plan, and didn’t want to hear anything that ran contrary to it.
George shook his head, wincing as he spied the shoulder wound on the girl in his arms. He lifted her slight form easily, pausing at the doorway to view the big form. As he was shifting her, Carl came in looking rushed and panicked. He relaxed when he saw the girl.
“Oh good, you found her. It’s bad enough we can’t find the others, but if she had gotten clean away . . .” He didn’t have to finish that thought. They both knew how volatile Larkin’s temper had been. “Get her back upstairs. Larkin’s there. What about this one . . . she didn’t help him any did she?”
“I don’t think so, she was out when I came in.” George partially lied; who knew how long she was there, but no sense in getting Carl going. As it was, the man still walked purposely over to the body on the floor, viciously kicking the man’s head.
“Well, he had any bright ideas, he don’t now . . .” Carl turned back, a grin over his features.”Go on, get her upstairs. I’m going back out to look for the other two.”
George nodded to him as he passed, then shifted the girl in his arms again and went through the door. Carl took care of the door, locking it securely behind them.
*********************************************
Andy was out only minutes. The darkness jarred him for a moment. Then the last few minutes came back.
The cool metal of the knife Annie had placed in his hands felt heavy and awkward. He rotated the blade and carefully placed it against the rope around his wrists. He started sawing through the course rope, clenching his eyes shut against reality until the frayed ends fell open.
In one movement, he sat up and then reached stiff arms to peel the bag from his head.
His head fell into his hands almost of its own volition, and silent tears wet his hands. But he didn’t care.
Lord, how is this part of your plan? Why? Annie had been bloody and beaten. And God, she only had a sheet on! What the hell had they been doing to her? He shook his head. God, this isn’t fair!
But what about their faith was supposed to be fair? What happened to Jesus certainly wasn’t fair. All the arguments came forward in his mind. As a pastor, he knew all the right words to say. Since he hid in the library at the church, he didn’t often have to use them. But he still knew them.
He had always thought his faith was stronger than this. But this was new. He’d exorcized demons, fought a few on their way to hell. But pure evil from a regular person. He shook his head wearily. Larkin was as evil as many of those demons he had sent packing. Could his possession . . .
He didn’t know. And it didn’t matter at this point. He remembered what Larkin had told him before: he was planning on summoning another demon.
And Annie . . . His thoughts kept coming back to her. Annie had known that they would catch her again, he had seen the look of resignation in her eyes. And acceptance. He had heard her enter, though he hadn’t known it was her then. He had stiffened, unknowing what to expect. He could never have been prepared for Annie’s face appearing in front of his.
And then, he had felt like he was going to get sick when he saw her, got a really good look at her. She had been so obviously abused, and was unsteady. And then she had realized someone was coming and decided on a course of action that he would never have agreed with.
Somehow not eating for a couple days, repeated blows to his head, and whatever else, had combined to make coherent thought, and movement, impossible.
He had been so weak, had suddenly felt like the world was spinning around him. Black spots danced in front of his eyes and he had wanted to speak desperately, to tell her not to do it, to just stay and . . . what?
He knew there wasn’t a whole lot more they could do, but he had struggled to remain conscious anyway, fervently wishing he could somehow fight.
He’d known a minute later when Annie fell; could tell also that someone caught her. The silence right after that unnerved him, and then he had heard the men speaking. So the other two - maybe Sam and Bobby - they had escaped. Maybe Dean - he didn’t know what had happened to the older man. But whoever had escaped, they weren’t in the clear yet. But at least they were free for now.
He sighed, lifted his eyes. The tears tickled his face as they ran down, dropping soundlessly to wet his shirt. Weary, he looked at the knife Annie had given him. She had sacrificed herself, really, to make sure he had a chance. He had to take it.
He was free, from his bonds anyway. He had to find a way to make this work. Easing his tall frame slowly up to standing, he leaned against the wall to stem the dizziness. He had to do this. He had to try.
Lord, give me strength. Please. Help me out here.
He looked around his room, inspected it. There were no windows, only the door. When he reached the door - he knew it was locked before he ever tried turning the knob. What now?
He’d wait. Like he had much of a choice. They were bound to come back in at some point. Maybe he could jump them, and get away. At least make a good effort. He taught karate after all. To kids, he reminded himself with a sigh. But still.
He situated himself behind the door, leaning back against the wall. And with a determined sigh, he settled in to wait.
He couldn’t help but feel a little shame. He had been about broken before Annie had made it to him. She had stayed strong, while he had about given up. He had admired her for a long time, this was just another reason why.
He shook his head.
Lost in his thoughts, he was startled a few minutes later by a noise above him. What the . . . Annie?
Was she singing?
No way. He strained to listen even as he dismissed the sound as some kind of fluke. But he still heard it her singing . . . like she had a solo in the church choir. What was going on up there?
Her faith was obviously steady . . . again he shook his head. Shamed once more, he turned determined eyes heavenward. Lord, I know she’s been through hell. How she can sing . . . now, I don’t know. But if her faith can stay that strong, I . . . I know mine can too. He dropped his head into his hands soundlessly. The singing stopped for a moment, then started again briefly before a dull flesh on flesh sound was heard. His eyes burned as he looked toward the sound.
Lord, I’m so sorry . . . when my faith should have been the strongest I was questioning you instead. Forgive me Lord, help me get out of here. Help me get her out of here . . . Help us all. Oh, dear Lord, please help us all.
The minutes silently crept by as he whispered silently. The calm in the room was still, reverent. With a soft sigh, he continued to whisper, and the words wrapped around him, protecting his fragile soul with a strength not his own. His spirit calmed, and strengthened; he steadily whispered on.
Underneath the words, a soft, single thought was focused and growing. He was going to get out of here. And, God help him, there would be hell to pay when he did.
He just hoped that was part of God’s plan, as his whispering stopped and he thought about his goal. He nodded. He felt peace, calm - he was sure of this goal. He was going to have to fight like never before.
Just remember not all fighting is done with your fists, holy one. Much fighting is done with words. They carry great power as well. And with faith behind them, the power is magnified.
He looked around. Where did that come from? He felt a chill and looked around. Nothing.
You are protected, pastor. Keep your faith close to you. Whatever happens, know that God is with you.
Again he looked around. God? Who? Still nothing shared the room with him. Instead, a steady pressure grew in his head and he winced. Bringing the palm of his hand up to return pressure on his temple, he slid down the wall. Blinding light caused him to flinch even though his eyes were clenched shut.
The pain faded and he watched.
A picture was forming in his mind.
Oblivious to the outside world, he struggled to make sense of what was in front of his mind’s eye. He shook his head, repelled yet still drawn to study the image closer.
Eyes still shut, he leaned forward, as if that would unconsciously bring the images closer into view.
Dear Lord, what is this?
The thought echoed in his mind as the vision burned itself into his memory.
***************************************************
She came to with a harsh slap to her face. Looking around her slowly, she saw she was once again back in her room. She felt the comforting weight of the sheet against her, thankful for the slight protection it offered. Then she raised her eyes up to meet cold blue ones.
She grinned at his swollen nose, which earned her another slap. But she was in so much pain, it didn’t matter anymore. He pushed her slightly as he moved to sit directly in front of her, his face inches from hers.
She reached up to push him back, finding that her wrists were again bound together. No matter, she pushed hard with both hands, dislodging him and sending him backwards with a grunt.
She stared at him, waiting for his retribution. Her weakness was annoying, and she found herself blinking to stem the wave of nausea that assailed her, and the blinding headache that came with it.
She attempted to focus on his face, but it swam in front of her even while it came closer. She flinched as he roughly grabbed her by the hair, forcing her head back.
Until now, it had been a battle of wills.
But now, his strength won out as he forced her backwards. She was beaten, but she wasn’t broken yet. She struck out with her knees, satisfied to feel the solid impact. Then she grunted as he punched her hard in the stomach. She opened her eyes as he relieved some of the pull on her hair.
“You think you could get away that easily? You should know better, Annie. You’re mine. And I’m not giving you up that easily.” His cold words hit her in the face. She shook her head.
“You’re pathetic, Larkin. I’ll get away again. I know the others aren’t dead . . . I can feel it.” The strong words were whispered as her body buckled under the abuse. She was fading, her strength ebbing away. She shook her head and stared into the calculating eyes of her enemy. God help me I should have hurt him with the knife when I had the chance.
“I don’t think so.” His face appeared in front of hers as he pulled her limp body to lay on the bed.. She swallowed thickly and tried to remember to be brave here. Oh, God . . . help me. I’m about out of steam. And I failed. Lord. You gave me the chance and I blew it. I didn’t get away.
A tear escaped and she rose her eyes to once again meet Larkin’s. He was busy attaching her bound wrists to another rope that lead to who knew where. She was tired of this. Tired of fighting, of struggling, of this.
Fight, child. However you can. You fight. I am with you.
The words caused her to look around, until her eyes settled on a familiar face. Her friend was here. Unknown to Larkin, who was obviously preparing to do … something.
She smiled, causing Larkin to stop whatever he was doing out of her line of sight. She felt it when he stilled; flinched as his face again came into view.
“What are you smiling at?” He grinned at her, making her skin crawl. “Maybe you’re starting to have a little fun here, huh? Or just going crazy, maybe.”
He shrugged and once again moved out of her line of sight.
She licked her lips, looked again at her guardian. He smiled at her gently and nodded at her. His wings rippled slightly behind him, his fists clenched at his sides. She took in the sight of him, drinking in the goodness.
“It doesn’t matter what you do to me, you’ll never break me . . .” She felt his movements pause, then start again. “And I know, for sure now, that you lied about killing everyone. I know Andy’s not dead.”
“Not yet.” The two words were spoken with the barely controlled fury that Annie recognized. She didn’t care how mad he got. Or how bad that threat hurt.
“You’re pathetic Larkin.” She repeated her earlier words with a lucidity that was starting to fade. “My angel even thinks you’re pathetic.”
She looked over to see her friend nodding with that same gentle grin on his face. She smiled at him, so grateful he was still with her.
“Your angel? Gonna start mumbling about how awesome God is and all that now? Doesn’t look like He’s all that great - can’t save you from evil ‘ol me.” He leaned over her, grinning at her. She felt him tugging at her precious sheet and her eyes flew again to her angel. But he wasn’t there.
She whimpered.
I am here child. I am right here.
She looked up, and saw the gentle features of her friend instead. She blinked and felt the small pull of her smile. Her spirit swelled and she pushed the fear and revulsion aside.
“I could go on about God … he is pretty awesome. You don’t mind, right?” She couldn’t believe the sarcasm in her voice. But she knew she’d hit a nerve when his face appeared in front of hers again. Except that her angel was there, and Larkin’s features were muted behind the angel’s transparency.
Larkin slapped her. Then moved away again.
“You should just shut up. Make it easier on yourself, girl.” He sounded almost frustrated. Annie couldn’t help but hope her newfound attitude had something to do with it.
“But I wanted to tell you about Bobby’s favorite song. You know he’s tight with God too, right? But . . . uh . . . his favorite song is a great one. I think you’d really like it.” She stumbled briefly when his weight settled on top of her. But she wasn’t going to go down that easily. Her body didn’t have a choice, but not her mind. She giggled inanely to herself. Maybe she was finally going bonkers.
“I think it’d do you good to hear it. It’s Awesome God . . . ever hear of it?” She didn’t get an answer, not that she expected one. Manically giggling for a moment, she stopped and smiled at her special friend. Nodding at him, she opened her mouth.
“Our Go-od . . . is an awesome God . . .” Hm. A bit off-key. She put more oomph into it and squeaked out the words in a halting soprano, skipping the first verse and instead going into a rousing version of the second.
Larkin had paused by now, and she could feel the anger radiating off him. And the frustration.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Did that take away from the mood?” Again with the sarcasm. She stared at her friend and wondered when she had grown a spine. Probably when she went over the deep end, went mental, turned bonkers, whatever.
Stay strong, little one. Your faith strengthens you.
She grinned slightly at him, still feeling as though she was fading. Her eyes were so heavy. She thought about it a moment. And grinned behind another manic giggle. The answering smile on the heavenly being’s face was breathtaking. She swallowed thickly, then spoke again.
“I know, you could use something more enthusiastic . . . I’ve always liked this one . . .” Without skipping a beat, she moved into the first verse. She worked diligently to ignore the punches raining across her body. And as she sang on, she blinked away the horror of the … rest.
“Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war . . . ” The punching stopped, the hands roughly moving across her skin now instead. She closed her eyes against the outside world. “… leads against the foe; Forward into battle see his banners go!”
The first verse was all that crossed her lips as a sharp pain across her temple tossed her into darkness. But the rest of the verses stayed with her inside, strengthening her still.
And as the words faded away from her mind, she couldn’t see anything. The darkness crowded around her, but it didn’t touch her. She was safe, and here she would rest. A slight grin rested on her face as everything, and all awareness, faded into nothingness.
Author: Supernatural Mommy
Characters: Sam, Dean, OFC, OMC (child), OMC ; no pairings
Spoilers: None really, unless you've not seen Season one, to Nightmare
Warnings: R now, R overall for adult themes. This chapter MANY religious references: Overall rated for language, violence (including non-con acts depicted with OC's and torture) hurt/comfort, religious references (seriously, this story uses lots of religious references, so if that bothers you, please don't read) I will try to label each chapter appropriately
Disclaimer: I don't own 'em *pity*, but new characters are my own creation.
Summary: Dean makes a break for it. Annie finds a surprise, and Andy realizes an inner strength.
Author's Notes: Sequel to Look Into His Eyes. Please read through my author's notes Here (from first chapter) and Here (Chapter listing and summary with some minor plot spoilers) if you need more information, explanations, etc.
Author's Notes 2: I think there may be a chapter or two I didn't post to the community - but all previous chapters can be found linked in my journal if you missed them. This fic IS finished, I'm just editing before posting each chapter.
Chapter 14 - "Breaking"
He had almost gotten clean away. He was dressed and almost to the door when he was caught like a kid with his hand in the cookie jar. The nurse had wandered in looking like she was ready for some serious flirting, but her expression changed swiftly when she realized her cute patient was trying to sneak out.
And while nurse Robin was quite the looker, Dean was not amused by her adherence to hospital policy. She had stood her ground in front of him, blocking the door, even threatening to call security. His charms did nothing to influence leniency.
She had insisted on him filling out every last form created in the damn hospital.
And when he’d finally been able to walk out of the building, he had stopped short when he realized something important was missing.
He hadn’t stopped to consider how he was gonna make a break for it, foolishly assuming that he had the Impala keys because the car was actually at the hospital.
Him and Mikey were gonna have words. ‘Cause his car was nowhere to be found, and that stupid angel had to have known that when he handed him the keys earlier.
The look on his face when his baby wasn’t in sight must have awakened a sympathy card in the nurse’s system somewhere. She had walked him down after he was discharged (hospital policies and all that), and perked right up when she realized he was stranded.
She offered to give him a ride to his car . . . but he needed to wait for her break. He grimaced. He hated waiting. He declined her perky offer, opting instead to call for a cab. But the pretty nurse would have none of that and told him to hang on.
Within minutes she had switched breaks with another and was leading him out the door to where her own little Honda waited. He folded his frame into the small space uncomfortably and gave her the Carver’s address. Even if his car wasn’t there, maybe he could at least have a look around the house.
They were there within minutes and he was understandably distracted by gleaming black metal as she slipped him her phone number with a quick peck on the cheek. She winked at him and a soft giggled faded into the air as her little piece of junk pulled away. He slipped the little piece of paper into his jeans and turned reverently towards his baby, pretty nurses all but forgotten.
She was parked in front of the Carver home, waiting for him. He would have hugged her if there hadn’t been neighbors out in the next yard over. Instead, he settled for patting her hood and grinning stupidly at her.
The police tape blocking the front door of the house gave him pause. He wondered for a moment why he hadn’t encountered any of his friends in blue by now. Surely they were wondering what had happened at the Carver house. He studied the house for a moment, eyes narrowed.
His thoughts quickly wondered to his brother.
He sure hoped Sammy was okay. His last glimpse of his brother was through half-conscious eyes as he was trying to protect Bobby.
Bobby . . . Annie . . . Andy. They were all in danger now. He closed his eyes against the errant thoughts and put his poker face back on. This wasn’t solving anything.
He needed a plan.
The angel’s words echoed in his head sharply - he needed to remember the details. The problem was, what were they? He ran through Monday, trying to sort out any details he could use right now.
With a sudden grin, he remembered something that just might help him. Damn church ladies had attacked the Carver house just before he could check that camera tape out. Something might have been caught on that. Something he could use.
With sudden purpose he opened the groaning door and settled into the seat, wincing as his sore back hit the hard leather. A deep breath and the engine roared to life.
He was off to play make believe.
His hand strayed to the small box with his fake ID’s and he considered what role might make his goal easier. He grinned slightly as one caught his eye on side glance. Then his expression hardened as he once again thought of his brother and the others.
He had to figure out where they were.
******************************************
Feeling the cool air across more of her skin than she cared to think about, Annie stood in the doorway rigidly for a moment. A quick glance behind her and across the hall reminded her that she at least needed to try to stay hidden.
She clutched the sheet tighter around her and padded inside the room, closing the door gently behind her.
She really needed to get away, and she knew she didn’t have much time. But she couldn’t turn away.
Not from this.
The broken form in the corner demanded her empathetic attention and she moved haltingly towards it. She caught her breath as the pain invaded, then willed it back and stumbled to rest beside the figure.
It was a woman. Or what was left of her.
She was breathing: So she was alive. But she was so bloodied and bruised. She quietly studied the woman, realizing the cuts on her closely matched the ones on her own body. The woman had been tossed here, a thin blanket her only covering.
She had been used, toyed with. Left mostly for dead at this point.
Annie couldn’t help the tears that fell from her eyes as she studied the poor woman. She moved the bloodied strands of what was once blond hair and caught her breath in recognition.
The nurse. She remembered this nurse. This must have been the nurse who had gone missing from the hospital when Larkin went after Bobby and Sam before.
What kind of monster had Larkin become? Was he always like this, or had his demonic possession turned him into this? She shook her head, stemming the panicky questions.
What should she do?
She had limited opportunity. And she wasn’t strong enough to carry or drag this woman to safety. But she could comfort her for a minute before she tried to go for help.
‘Hey . . . hey there . . .” The woman awoke with a gasp and lifted startled eyes to meet Annie’s, instinctively backing her body away from the unknown threat. She stilled when she met Annie’s eyes.
“Who are . . . am I still here?” She looked from Annie down to study herself and then the tears started, turning into soft sobs that wracked her broken body. Annie held her for a moment. Then pulled away reluctantly.
“Can you move?” Deep blue eyes met hers intently, reading the unspoken question: Can you come with me? I don’t want to leave you.
“I don’t think I can walk...one of my ankles is broken.” She winced. “I think I lost a lot of blood . . He stabbed me, cut me, so many times. I don’t think I can go anywhere.”
She shook her head dully and shifted her eyes from Annie’s.
“Okay, look . . .” Annie reached out to pat her shoulder and waited for blue eyes to swing back to meet hers again. “I was able to get away but he’ll be coming to anytime now. So I don’t have much time. I’ve got friends, some of them are here somewhere . . .”
She remembered Larkin had told her they were all dead. But she couldn’t believe that. She wouldn’t believe that. She shook the thought from her mind.
“If I can get away, get to some help . . . I promise we’ll come back for you, okay?” Annie was lost in the sadness those blue eyes pinned her with and blinked. She glanced away, unable to handle the raw emotion shimmering there. Her eyes caught on something and she smiled grimly.
“There is one thing I can do, though . . .” She pulled out her acquired knife and sliced through the rope bindings that had cruelly cut into the woman’s wrists.. “If you can, try and get away. If not, just pretend you’re unconscious if they come in. I’ll come back . . . I promise.”
“Thank you.” Her soft raspy voice broke on the last word, and the soft sobs resumed. Annie hugged herself tightly and caught herself as she swayed and almost dropped suddenly.
She struggled to stem the dizziness as she stood there, willing the pain back to a bearable level again. God . . . I could use a little help here. Please keep this poor woman safe until we can get her out of here. And Lord, a little help getting out of here would be great too . . .
She didn’t hear any signs of commotion outside, but figured she would as soon as Larkin came to. She knew she couldn’t have a lot of time. She squared her shoulders, sucking in a deep breath at the pain, and slowly eased the door open. No one was there. Thank God.
She only saw these two rooms and an open door that displayed a toilet and tub, and stairs. She inched towards the stairs, and peeked around the corner to discover the way was clear.
She tried to hurry her sore body down the steps, but her legs felt heavy and her head kept spinning, so she steadied herself and leaned against the wall for support. The bottom of the stairs opened into what must have been a living room, one side going into what looked like a kitchen area, the other narrowing into a hallway.
She moved towards the hallway. She had to find Bobby.
It was a short hall, with three doors. She closed her eyes, hearing a thump from upstairs. Larkin. God, direct me, please! She looked at the doors and felt pulled towards the first one on the right.
There was a lock on the outside of the door, and a deadbolt. She swallowed. Glanced at the other doors, and saw they all had locks on them. She flipped the deadbolt, that part was easy. Just as she was about to cry in frustration over the lock, she frowned and looked at it closer.
She reached a hand out tentatively and twisted the knob. It wasn’t locked . . . She hurried inside the door and closed it behind her, closing her eyes for a moment to stop the room from spinning. When she opened her eyes she took a minute to adjust to the darkness. Then, carefully, she studied the room.
It took her just a moment to find the form on his side against the wall. She bit her lip, wishing for some light. But that would be a sure way to attract fast attention to this room, and she really couldn’t take that chance. They would likely be here soon enough.
Instead she inched closer, and then finally felt along the wall until she was beside the figure. The head lifted up sharply as she stepped closer. They sat up, backing into the wall and she realized who it was.
“Andy?” She reached over to pull the cloth bag from her friend’s face, wincing at the bruise she could just make out covering a huge portion of his face. She tried to pull the gag away, frowning when it wouldn’t budge. She pulled out the trusty knife again and carefully slid it under the fabric, cutting it carefully.
“Annie . . .” His voice was raspy and he sounded almost strangled as he tried to speak. She looked him over, realizing that his arms were tied behind him then. She moved behind him to try and cut his bonds.
But a noise right outside the door halted her movements and brought terrified eyes up to meet Andy’s. She swallowed convulsively. And in the split second it took for the doorknob to start turning, she made a decision.
“Andy . . .” She watched the door carefully, while at the same time carefully slipping the knife into Andy’s hands. She met his eyes, nodded while he shook his head at her, and then moved back. Pain stilled her movements and she closed her eyes against it. “I’ll put this back on, and if you lay on your side, they’ll think you’re still out . . .”
He was still shaking his head, obviously not able to talk yet. And he wasn’t going along with her plan. She frowned. She pulled the cloth bag over his face, leaving it loose enough for him to hopefully get off easily. He still hadn’t moved. She pushed as hard as she could to get him to go to his side. “Andy, this is the only way. They’re almost here. Get loose . . .” She gulped and remembered her most important goal. “Find Bobby, Andy. Larkin wants to . . . hurt . . . him. Then get help. It will work. It has to . . .Dear Lord help it work . . .”
Time was slipping away. She could hear someone fumbling slowly with the doorknob, heard the commotion from upstairs that she had known would be coming.
She stood, swaying, and made her way towards the door. But everything finally caught up with her, and the terror of the moment rose up to meet her. As the door opened fully, she felt her vision sway and pitched forward.
****************************************
He caught the girl as she pitched forward, frowning.
George didn’t miss that the sheet was the only thing covering her. He eased her to his arms, sparing a glance for the other prisoner in the room.
He looked like he was still out, though.
His attention returned to the limp form in his arms. She was small, but she packed a hell of a wallop. He grinned softly down on her. Judging from the bloody nose on Larkin’s furious face, she had gotten him good before making her escape.
If only . . . but no.
He couldn’t help but feel bad for his role in this whole scheme. But the money was too great to resist. And it wasn’t like he was a saint. He’d killed men before, many times in fact.
The whole reason Larkin had found him before was because he had a bit of a reputation. But that was among the big boys, not the kids and girls. He’d never hurt a woman before. And found himself loathe to give this one back to the man upstairs.
He was no idiot. He knew what kind of retribution Larkin would have in mind. This one here was his prize, and he was furious that she’d tried to get away.
He’d tried to tell Larkin. They had taken too many at once without adequate reinforcements. Never mind that one was a kid and one was a girl, somehow they were just a handful between the lot of them. But there was no telling Larkin anything of the kind. He had a plan, and didn’t want to hear anything that ran contrary to it.
George shook his head, wincing as he spied the shoulder wound on the girl in his arms. He lifted her slight form easily, pausing at the doorway to view the big form. As he was shifting her, Carl came in looking rushed and panicked. He relaxed when he saw the girl.
“Oh good, you found her. It’s bad enough we can’t find the others, but if she had gotten clean away . . .” He didn’t have to finish that thought. They both knew how volatile Larkin’s temper had been. “Get her back upstairs. Larkin’s there. What about this one . . . she didn’t help him any did she?”
“I don’t think so, she was out when I came in.” George partially lied; who knew how long she was there, but no sense in getting Carl going. As it was, the man still walked purposely over to the body on the floor, viciously kicking the man’s head.
“Well, he had any bright ideas, he don’t now . . .” Carl turned back, a grin over his features.”Go on, get her upstairs. I’m going back out to look for the other two.”
George nodded to him as he passed, then shifted the girl in his arms again and went through the door. Carl took care of the door, locking it securely behind them.
*********************************************
Andy was out only minutes. The darkness jarred him for a moment. Then the last few minutes came back.
The cool metal of the knife Annie had placed in his hands felt heavy and awkward. He rotated the blade and carefully placed it against the rope around his wrists. He started sawing through the course rope, clenching his eyes shut against reality until the frayed ends fell open.
In one movement, he sat up and then reached stiff arms to peel the bag from his head.
His head fell into his hands almost of its own volition, and silent tears wet his hands. But he didn’t care.
Lord, how is this part of your plan? Why? Annie had been bloody and beaten. And God, she only had a sheet on! What the hell had they been doing to her? He shook his head. God, this isn’t fair!
But what about their faith was supposed to be fair? What happened to Jesus certainly wasn’t fair. All the arguments came forward in his mind. As a pastor, he knew all the right words to say. Since he hid in the library at the church, he didn’t often have to use them. But he still knew them.
He had always thought his faith was stronger than this. But this was new. He’d exorcized demons, fought a few on their way to hell. But pure evil from a regular person. He shook his head wearily. Larkin was as evil as many of those demons he had sent packing. Could his possession . . .
He didn’t know. And it didn’t matter at this point. He remembered what Larkin had told him before: he was planning on summoning another demon.
And Annie . . . His thoughts kept coming back to her. Annie had known that they would catch her again, he had seen the look of resignation in her eyes. And acceptance. He had heard her enter, though he hadn’t known it was her then. He had stiffened, unknowing what to expect. He could never have been prepared for Annie’s face appearing in front of his.
And then, he had felt like he was going to get sick when he saw her, got a really good look at her. She had been so obviously abused, and was unsteady. And then she had realized someone was coming and decided on a course of action that he would never have agreed with.
Somehow not eating for a couple days, repeated blows to his head, and whatever else, had combined to make coherent thought, and movement, impossible.
He had been so weak, had suddenly felt like the world was spinning around him. Black spots danced in front of his eyes and he had wanted to speak desperately, to tell her not to do it, to just stay and . . . what?
He knew there wasn’t a whole lot more they could do, but he had struggled to remain conscious anyway, fervently wishing he could somehow fight.
He’d known a minute later when Annie fell; could tell also that someone caught her. The silence right after that unnerved him, and then he had heard the men speaking. So the other two - maybe Sam and Bobby - they had escaped. Maybe Dean - he didn’t know what had happened to the older man. But whoever had escaped, they weren’t in the clear yet. But at least they were free for now.
He sighed, lifted his eyes. The tears tickled his face as they ran down, dropping soundlessly to wet his shirt. Weary, he looked at the knife Annie had given him. She had sacrificed herself, really, to make sure he had a chance. He had to take it.
He was free, from his bonds anyway. He had to find a way to make this work. Easing his tall frame slowly up to standing, he leaned against the wall to stem the dizziness. He had to do this. He had to try.
Lord, give me strength. Please. Help me out here.
He looked around his room, inspected it. There were no windows, only the door. When he reached the door - he knew it was locked before he ever tried turning the knob. What now?
He’d wait. Like he had much of a choice. They were bound to come back in at some point. Maybe he could jump them, and get away. At least make a good effort. He taught karate after all. To kids, he reminded himself with a sigh. But still.
He situated himself behind the door, leaning back against the wall. And with a determined sigh, he settled in to wait.
He couldn’t help but feel a little shame. He had been about broken before Annie had made it to him. She had stayed strong, while he had about given up. He had admired her for a long time, this was just another reason why.
He shook his head.
Lost in his thoughts, he was startled a few minutes later by a noise above him. What the . . . Annie?
Was she singing?
No way. He strained to listen even as he dismissed the sound as some kind of fluke. But he still heard it her singing . . . like she had a solo in the church choir. What was going on up there?
Her faith was obviously steady . . . again he shook his head. Shamed once more, he turned determined eyes heavenward. Lord, I know she’s been through hell. How she can sing . . . now, I don’t know. But if her faith can stay that strong, I . . . I know mine can too. He dropped his head into his hands soundlessly. The singing stopped for a moment, then started again briefly before a dull flesh on flesh sound was heard. His eyes burned as he looked toward the sound.
Lord, I’m so sorry . . . when my faith should have been the strongest I was questioning you instead. Forgive me Lord, help me get out of here. Help me get her out of here . . . Help us all. Oh, dear Lord, please help us all.
The minutes silently crept by as he whispered silently. The calm in the room was still, reverent. With a soft sigh, he continued to whisper, and the words wrapped around him, protecting his fragile soul with a strength not his own. His spirit calmed, and strengthened; he steadily whispered on.
Underneath the words, a soft, single thought was focused and growing. He was going to get out of here. And, God help him, there would be hell to pay when he did.
He just hoped that was part of God’s plan, as his whispering stopped and he thought about his goal. He nodded. He felt peace, calm - he was sure of this goal. He was going to have to fight like never before.
Just remember not all fighting is done with your fists, holy one. Much fighting is done with words. They carry great power as well. And with faith behind them, the power is magnified.
He looked around. Where did that come from? He felt a chill and looked around. Nothing.
You are protected, pastor. Keep your faith close to you. Whatever happens, know that God is with you.
Again he looked around. God? Who? Still nothing shared the room with him. Instead, a steady pressure grew in his head and he winced. Bringing the palm of his hand up to return pressure on his temple, he slid down the wall. Blinding light caused him to flinch even though his eyes were clenched shut.
The pain faded and he watched.
A picture was forming in his mind.
Oblivious to the outside world, he struggled to make sense of what was in front of his mind’s eye. He shook his head, repelled yet still drawn to study the image closer.
Eyes still shut, he leaned forward, as if that would unconsciously bring the images closer into view.
Dear Lord, what is this?
The thought echoed in his mind as the vision burned itself into his memory.
***************************************************
She came to with a harsh slap to her face. Looking around her slowly, she saw she was once again back in her room. She felt the comforting weight of the sheet against her, thankful for the slight protection it offered. Then she raised her eyes up to meet cold blue ones.
She grinned at his swollen nose, which earned her another slap. But she was in so much pain, it didn’t matter anymore. He pushed her slightly as he moved to sit directly in front of her, his face inches from hers.
She reached up to push him back, finding that her wrists were again bound together. No matter, she pushed hard with both hands, dislodging him and sending him backwards with a grunt.
She stared at him, waiting for his retribution. Her weakness was annoying, and she found herself blinking to stem the wave of nausea that assailed her, and the blinding headache that came with it.
She attempted to focus on his face, but it swam in front of her even while it came closer. She flinched as he roughly grabbed her by the hair, forcing her head back.
Until now, it had been a battle of wills.
But now, his strength won out as he forced her backwards. She was beaten, but she wasn’t broken yet. She struck out with her knees, satisfied to feel the solid impact. Then she grunted as he punched her hard in the stomach. She opened her eyes as he relieved some of the pull on her hair.
“You think you could get away that easily? You should know better, Annie. You’re mine. And I’m not giving you up that easily.” His cold words hit her in the face. She shook her head.
“You’re pathetic, Larkin. I’ll get away again. I know the others aren’t dead . . . I can feel it.” The strong words were whispered as her body buckled under the abuse. She was fading, her strength ebbing away. She shook her head and stared into the calculating eyes of her enemy. God help me I should have hurt him with the knife when I had the chance.
“I don’t think so.” His face appeared in front of hers as he pulled her limp body to lay on the bed.. She swallowed thickly and tried to remember to be brave here. Oh, God . . . help me. I’m about out of steam. And I failed. Lord. You gave me the chance and I blew it. I didn’t get away.
A tear escaped and she rose her eyes to once again meet Larkin’s. He was busy attaching her bound wrists to another rope that lead to who knew where. She was tired of this. Tired of fighting, of struggling, of this.
Fight, child. However you can. You fight. I am with you.
The words caused her to look around, until her eyes settled on a familiar face. Her friend was here. Unknown to Larkin, who was obviously preparing to do … something.
She smiled, causing Larkin to stop whatever he was doing out of her line of sight. She felt it when he stilled; flinched as his face again came into view.
“What are you smiling at?” He grinned at her, making her skin crawl. “Maybe you’re starting to have a little fun here, huh? Or just going crazy, maybe.”
He shrugged and once again moved out of her line of sight.
She licked her lips, looked again at her guardian. He smiled at her gently and nodded at her. His wings rippled slightly behind him, his fists clenched at his sides. She took in the sight of him, drinking in the goodness.
“It doesn’t matter what you do to me, you’ll never break me . . .” She felt his movements pause, then start again. “And I know, for sure now, that you lied about killing everyone. I know Andy’s not dead.”
“Not yet.” The two words were spoken with the barely controlled fury that Annie recognized. She didn’t care how mad he got. Or how bad that threat hurt.
“You’re pathetic Larkin.” She repeated her earlier words with a lucidity that was starting to fade. “My angel even thinks you’re pathetic.”
She looked over to see her friend nodding with that same gentle grin on his face. She smiled at him, so grateful he was still with her.
“Your angel? Gonna start mumbling about how awesome God is and all that now? Doesn’t look like He’s all that great - can’t save you from evil ‘ol me.” He leaned over her, grinning at her. She felt him tugging at her precious sheet and her eyes flew again to her angel. But he wasn’t there.
She whimpered.
I am here child. I am right here.
She looked up, and saw the gentle features of her friend instead. She blinked and felt the small pull of her smile. Her spirit swelled and she pushed the fear and revulsion aside.
“I could go on about God … he is pretty awesome. You don’t mind, right?” She couldn’t believe the sarcasm in her voice. But she knew she’d hit a nerve when his face appeared in front of hers again. Except that her angel was there, and Larkin’s features were muted behind the angel’s transparency.
Larkin slapped her. Then moved away again.
“You should just shut up. Make it easier on yourself, girl.” He sounded almost frustrated. Annie couldn’t help but hope her newfound attitude had something to do with it.
“But I wanted to tell you about Bobby’s favorite song. You know he’s tight with God too, right? But . . . uh . . . his favorite song is a great one. I think you’d really like it.” She stumbled briefly when his weight settled on top of her. But she wasn’t going to go down that easily. Her body didn’t have a choice, but not her mind. She giggled inanely to herself. Maybe she was finally going bonkers.
“I think it’d do you good to hear it. It’s Awesome God . . . ever hear of it?” She didn’t get an answer, not that she expected one. Manically giggling for a moment, she stopped and smiled at her special friend. Nodding at him, she opened her mouth.
“Our Go-od . . . is an awesome God . . .” Hm. A bit off-key. She put more oomph into it and squeaked out the words in a halting soprano, skipping the first verse and instead going into a rousing version of the second.
Larkin had paused by now, and she could feel the anger radiating off him. And the frustration.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Did that take away from the mood?” Again with the sarcasm. She stared at her friend and wondered when she had grown a spine. Probably when she went over the deep end, went mental, turned bonkers, whatever.
Stay strong, little one. Your faith strengthens you.
She grinned slightly at him, still feeling as though she was fading. Her eyes were so heavy. She thought about it a moment. And grinned behind another manic giggle. The answering smile on the heavenly being’s face was breathtaking. She swallowed thickly, then spoke again.
“I know, you could use something more enthusiastic . . . I’ve always liked this one . . .” Without skipping a beat, she moved into the first verse. She worked diligently to ignore the punches raining across her body. And as she sang on, she blinked away the horror of the … rest.
“Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war . . . ” The punching stopped, the hands roughly moving across her skin now instead. She closed her eyes against the outside world. “… leads against the foe; Forward into battle see his banners go!”
The first verse was all that crossed her lips as a sharp pain across her temple tossed her into darkness. But the rest of the verses stayed with her inside, strengthening her still.
And as the words faded away from her mind, she couldn’t see anything. The darkness crowded around her, but it didn’t touch her. She was safe, and here she would rest. A slight grin rested on her face as everything, and all awareness, faded into nothingness.