I Can't Go Back Now (Supernatural- Alexis Hammel)

Collapsible Spines

This time we had to leave the Colonel in the car, as we had to break into the restaurant. We pulled up to the back door, where Sam picked the lock to get us in while me and Dean stood watch. When we walked in we flicked on our flashlights, searching for God knows what.

"Honestly, who can afford to be closed on Mondays?" Dean asked.

"That's what you're worried about?" I asked.

"Hey," Sam said, and shone his flashlight over a picture of a man with a cowboy hat, sharpening a knife. "Chef Leo. Think he's our guy?"

"A lot of dudes wear cowboy hats around here," Dean pointed out.

We walked past shelves of ingredients, and I glanced up, seeing pill bottles. I pulled a few down and looked at them. "Woah. Oxycodone, tramadol, methadone."

Dean hummed. "Guess he likes to cook comfortably numb."

"Help us," I heard.

"Please, miss."

"Help us."

I looked around, searching for the high pitched voices. I pulled a cloth off of a cage that revealed a bunch of mice.

"If you don't free us, the chef will eat us!" They yelled.

"What?" I asked, grabbing the attention of Sam and Dean. "Eat you?"

"Look in the refrigerator."

"It's behind you!"

I turned, seeing the fridge. Dean walked over while Sam opened a book. When I opened it I groaned, seeing jars of organs that were labeled. "What the hell?" Dean asked.

"Owl brains, cheetah liver, grizzly heart," I said, spinning jars to see their labels.

"I found a spell book," Sam said. "Shamanism."

"What's a chef doing dabbling in witchcraft?" Dean asked.

"Whatever animal organ you eat, you temporarily gain the powers of that animal," Sam said. "So if you're munching on owl brains.."

"You head spins around like 'The Exorcist'?" Dean asked.

"No," I said. "Bolsters your IQ. Cheetah liver for speed, grizzly heart for strength." I turned to the mice. "No offense, but why would he want to eat you?"

"We have collapsible spines."

I hummed.

"He's mixing ingredients to be stronger," Sam said.

"What for?" Dean asked, but we heard a noise from down the hallway.

"Quiet! Hide!" The mice shouted.

I ignored their calls, and we walked toward the hallway guns drawn. We walked around a few corners, eventually coming across a chef grinding ingredients in a bowl. Before he could see the guns we hurriedly tucked them in our pants.

"Who the hell are you?" He asked.

"We're from the heath department," Sam said. "Stopped by for an inspection."

"I wasn't aware we had one scheduled."

"You wouldn't be," Dean said. "That's the point. Besides, I thought you were closed."

"We are. Chef's having a private dinner."

"Well," I said. "In that case, the kitchen is closed."

"Because," Sam said. "Uh, you're in violation of penal code 8.14."

"Out," Dean said. When they didn't move he got more aggressive. "Come on, out. We'll let you know."

"Alright," I said when the chef left. "Me and Dean'll take the front, you take the back."