Lambs for Slaughter Part 2

Chapter 2

Aaron shook the offered hand, if only to be polite, but stepped back almost immediately. "I apologize, Agent Coulson, but I'm not sure what information you believe I can give you. The BAU team rescinded its profile on the Winchester brothers."

The Agent hummed and glanced over his shoulder at the other men in suits before returning his attention to Aaron. "If you don't mind, Agent Hotchner, I would prefer it if we could continue this conversation in the privacy of your office. My associates will remain here."

"Fine," Aaron responded shortly, fighting to keep calm as dozens of theories as to why a SHIELD agent of all things wanted to speak to him about Dean, none of them particularly comforting as he led the man up the short set of stairs and through the threshold of his office, closing the door behind them. He gestured towards one of the leather chairs in front of his desk and moved to stand behind his own seat. When the agent took it with a nod of thanks, Aaron followed suit. "Now, what can I do for you?"

Agent Coulson shifted the manilla envelope into his lap and drew out multiple sheets of paper, keeping them close to his chest. "Two years ago, I was assigned to monitor a situation that was manifesting in Cleveland, Ohio. Four victims had been discovered over the span of two weeks, all with the blood completely drained from their bodies."

The corners of Aaron's lips twitched downwards. Even if he hadn't spent a week after the crossroads demon incident at the Men of Letters bunker reading and learning about the types of monsters the Winchesters had come across in their lives, then it still wouldn't have been difficult to assume what type of creature might be at fault, if the case was indeed supernatural.

Vampires.

Still, he was speaking with a government agent. "Sounds like the type of case for the BAU," Aaron remarked simply.

"It does sound like the type of thing a ritualistic serial killer might do," Agent Coulson agreed. "But I was only sent to observe. I had strict orders not to get involved. However, the local police department must have sent word to their counterparts a few counties over, because a Park Ranger claiming to be an expert on dangerous wildlife in the area had already arrived on the scene to assist."

Aaron wasn't sure where Agent Coulson was going with this story, so he laced his fingers together and set them carefully on the desk. "Seems like an excellent asset to have on such a case. The probability of an animal attack would need to be determined by the information an expert such as a Park Ranger could provide."

"You would think so, wouldn't you?" Agent Coulson mused as he began leafing through his files. "The problem, I found, was that the man was a fraud. I called the National Parks Service to confirm his identity, and they had no record of his employment."

"Sounds like an unsub attempting to insert himself into the case to throw off his pursuers' efforts."

Agent Coulson gave a short nod. "My thoughts exactly. But, as I stated before, I was only meant to observe. So that's exactly what I did."

Aaron forced himself to swallow and keep his voice steady. "And did you learn anything interesting?"

"One could say that, yes. After a few days of 'investigating,' he seemed particularly excited about something. I followed the man claiming to be a Park Ranger to an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of town. I watched him through a broken window on the south side of the building. Before I could even pull my gun, he had entered into an altercation with two middle-aged women." Agent Coulson leaned forward in his chair, his light brown eyes boring into Aaron's dark ones. "Faster than I had anticipated, the man cut off the head of one of the women. The other was quicker than lightning, baring unnaturally sharp teeth, and raked him deep across the chest. Before he fell to his knees, trying to staunch the blood, he shot the second woman with a crossbow. She lay there, paralyzed and unmoving, and the man didn't hesitate to cut off her head as well. By the time I made my way inside, the supposed Park Ranger was already dead."