Reckless [Dean Winchester]

30. Purgatory (Part 2)

"So, how many more of these trials after this?" Bobby asks us. Between the three of us, I'm protected by both of the men on both sides.

"Just one," I report. "Don't know what it is, though-not yet. Kevin's still translating."

"Well, you saw back there in Hell, I ain't got a lot of rust. Just feels so good to be back in action again. Might be handy if you had me around to help."

"Bobby," Sam says carefully, "I'd-I'd love that, believe me. The thing is, for this trial to be completed, your soul has to enter Heaven. And besides, if that weren't the case, we burned your bones, Bobby. There's nothing to tie your spirit to Earth."

"Yeah. Yeah, well...You know, I always figured that'd be the end of it...You know, just a Hunter's Funeral. Zip. Nothing. And I was okay with that. Imagine my surprise."

"Well, I guess if there has to be an eternity, I'd pick Heaven over Hell."

Wouldn't we all?

"Yeah. 'Cause there's nothing screwy going on up there."

I'm lucky I only know about the demons, I know nothing about just how screwed Heaven must really be right now. It's hard to imagine the very place people look forward going to after death is in chaos. No place is in order now, it seems. Not Earth, not Heaven. Purgatory and Hell seem to have it together more.

That's a scary thought.

"I wish I made the rules," says Sam.

"Well...I'll, uh, do my part, get to the end of this, but...I ain't exactly the retiring type, so, you idjits figure out a way to spring me..."

"Yeah. No, of course." We all come to a halt. I don't recognize the place, but I have to assume that we're back where Ajay wants us to be. I look around expectantly to find our rouge reaper, but he's nowhere in sight. "That's, uh-yeah."

"Oh, well, let's get topside. What's going on, Sam?"

"This is it. This is the place. I'm sure of it."

"Where your cabbie's supposed to meet you?"

"Yeah. At exactly...now."

"Are we sure we're at the right spot?" I ask timidly.

"I'm sure of it."

"Then where is he?" Ajay still hasn't shown.

"So, he's running a little late," says Bobby.

"No, see, that's the thing. He was very specific, Bobby, like, to the minute."

"And if he doesn't show...?"

I inhale deeply, feeling the dread settle into my bones. "We got no way out. But Ajay wouldn't screw us over like that...would he?"

"No, we gotta assume something went wrong."

"Like what?"

"Like somebody probably found out and caught him."

I rub my face. He's probably dead if the wrong people got him. I sigh through my nose. "Looks like we'll have to stick together and find a way ourselves...if there even is one."

"And if there's not one?" asks Bobby.

"We'll have to survive the rest of our lives in here. If Dean and Cas could do it, so can we, right? I mean, Dean made it through a year."

"Dean spent a year in this place?"

"Running and fighting, all day, every day," Sam responds.

"I guess we're lucky we're not getting any action right now," I mutter, walking a bit, looking through the tree line.

"Must have been hell on you not being able to get him out all that time. You did try?" Bobby asks Sam.

"Look, Bobby, Dean and I had an agreement, okay?"

"I know that agreement. I taught you that agreement. That's a non-agreement. I get the feeling a lot must have happened while I was gone."

You have no idea, I want to say. I don't know how long Bobby's been gone, I've only met the man today. Don't think Purgatory is the place to be telling stories at.

"Max!"

I see them coming, and I backpedal to regroup with the men. Three monsters charge for us, sharp, shark-like teeth protrude over the normal human canines. Why do I want to assume they're vampires? Sam easily takes out the first one, by beheading it. Aim for the head, aim for the head. My only issue: the vamp is taller than I am.

I lure my vamp away so Bobby isn't bombarded with two on him-he's already got one. My vamp runs right for me, I swing my weapon hard at it. I end up making a deep gash into its forearm. It snarls loudly and throttles me onto the ground. I kick at its stomach, using my weapon to keep the teeth from ripping my throat apart.

"A little help here!" I call out, hearing the vamp's teeth chomp together anxiously. It just can't wait until it finds flesh to bite into.

A hand pulls the vamp right off me, leaving me gasping for breath on the blood-stained, head-stained ground. As I sit up, someone new takes out my vamp for me. I cringe as the vamp's throat gets torn apart. My savior takes a look at me, and I feel sick to my stomach.

We've got a fourth vampire in this game.

Sam's at my side, helping me to my feet. Bobby runs for the forth vampire, ready to stab.

"Bobby, no, no, wait!" Sam abandons me to haul Bobby away from the vamp. "Wait! Wait!"

"What the hell, Sam?!" I screech.

"Oh, so you want me dead after I just saved your life?" says the vamp, standing. I swallow hard, trying to look anywhere but his sharp teeth. I take note of the light Southern accent. The vamp is a bit scruffy looking, looking as though he's from another time with his clothes. "How's that any way to repay me, darling?"

"Don't say that again," I say quickly.

"Why are you here?" asks Sam.

"Dean sent me," says the vamp.

"I-I'm sorry. Did you say Dean sent you? As in, his brother?" I try to put two and two together. "Uh-uh, I don't buy it for a second. Dean doesn't seem like the type to make friends with monsters like you."

I'm not surprised that the vamp looks offended by my harsh tone. Well, it sounds out there, a hunter to make friends with something he's probably hunted a dozen times.

"Dean?" Bobby chimes in. "Not my Dean."

"He's a buddy of Dean's, guys," Sam explains.

"A buddy?"

"A good buddy," says the vamp.

"A frigging vampire?" Bobby rants. "First, you got Max here pulled into this mess, and now you mean to tell me that Dean's become friends with a vampire? Well, you two really went off the rails while I was gone, didn't you?"