Gunpowder and Lead

LII

[Tombstone]

DODGE CITY, KANSAS

An owl hooted as Dean and a man in a white cowboy hat, Sarge, searched the graveyard with flashlights. A train whistle blew in the distance as something rustled nearby. Dean and Sarge aimed rifles in the direction of the sound, but saw nothing.

"What the hell?" Sarge asked.

"Come on," Dean said.

An owl hooted again as they proceeded cautiously, guns raised.

"Where'd he go?" Dean wondered.

They heard the rustling sound on the other side of the graveyard and turned to head back that way.

"He's messing with us," Dean told them.

"He's too damn fast," Sarge replied.

"Not faster than bullets."

Dean headed off in one direction, and Dean gave Sarge a hand signal to head the other around a crypt. They met up at the opposite side of the building.

"All right, you wait here. We'll-a flush him out," Dean said.

Sarge covered Dean while he headed out into the graveyard. As soon as Dean's back was turned, a hand reached up through the ground below Sarge, grabbed his ankle, and pulled him underground. "Aah!"

Dean turned around to see a hole in the ground and Sarge's hat, rifle, and flashlight lying on the ground, and ran back to investigate.

He looked down into the tunnel. "Sarge? Aw, hell."

48 HOURS EARLIER

In the alleyway from the end of 13.05, Sam, Kennedy, Nadia and Dean beside the Impala, and Castiel was waiting for them by the phone booth.

"Cas, is that really you?" Dean asked.

"No. You're – you're dead," Sam said.

"Yeah, I was. But then I... annoyed an ancient cosmic being so much that he sent me back," Castiel told them.

Kennedy laughed, a bright smile on her face.

"I don't even know what to say."

"I do. Welcome home, pal," Dean said as he embraced Castiel, Kennedy hugged Castiel, and then Sam hugged Castiel.

"How long was I gone?" Castiel wondered.

"Too damn long."

"Where were you? In Heaven?" Kennedy asked.

"No. No, I was in the Empty," Castiel answered.

"Really?" Dean questioned.

"Apparently, it's where angels and demons go when they die."

"What was it like?" Sam wondered.

"Well, it's dark and... nothing. It's like... nothing. I was sleeping, and then I heard a voice that said my name, and I woke up. I thought you... had done something."

"No, we... we didn't even think we could bring you back," Dean told the angel.

"So who was it? Chuck – uh, God?" Sam guessed.

"No. No, he has no power in the Empty," Castiel said.

"Well, then, who does?" Dean wondered.

"Jack," Kennedy realized.

BUNKER LIBRARY

Jack was typing away at his laptop when Dean, Kennedy, Nadia and Sam entered. "How'd it go?"