Chapter 3
Los Angeles
Warner Brothers Studio
(14-Weeks)
The ride to California had been tense. Sam was pissed Dean had left without making up with Jo and Dean just wanted his brother to stay out of his business. They had a simple solution to the problem, loud music and research.
It took Sam and Dean about twenty straight hours to get to Los Angeles from the Roadhouse. They took turns driving and by the time they made it to a motel they crashed. It hadn’t been the best trip Sam had ever taken with his brother, but then again he guessed it wouldn’t be the worst.
He looked out the window and sighed as he pulled out his phone and started dialing the number to the Roadhouse. Dean glanced at his brother out of the corner of his eye before clearing his throat.
“Who you calling?”
Sam glanced at him briefly before shifting in his seat and waiting for someone to answer the phone.
“Ellen. I’m gonna let her know we got here okay.”
Dean rolled his eyes.
“We’re grown ass men Sammy; we don’t need to be checkin’ in with people. When did you get to be such a little girl on me?”
Sam glared at Dean before leaving a quick message for Ellen and hanging up.
“Forgive me for not being as bad ass as you Mr. I don’t need anyone if my life. Some of us care that there are people who want to check in on us. I swear Dean I just don’t get you sometimes.”
Sam shook his head as they pulled up at Warner Brothers Studios. Dean ignored his brother and parked the Impala before killing the engine. He turned to Sam and grinned.
“Oh come on Sammy…let’s call a truce…just for the job. You can be mad at me later. When are we ever gonna get another chance to be inside where they make movies and shit?”
Sam sighed and glanced at Dean. He had a stupid grin on his face that Sam couldn’t help, but mimic.
“You’re such a big kid.”
Dean nodded before pushing the open the door and shutting it behind him as he headed toward the studio. Sam got out and jogged slightly to catch up to him. They told the guard they were there for the studio tour and he showed them where to go.
Fifteen minutes later they were loaded onto a small tour trolley with about 10 to 12 other people. The trolley started to move as the tour guide spoke.
“First opened in 1927, the lot has been in continuous operation for eight decades.”
Dean turned slightly to his left and there was a kid next to him eating ice cream. He nodded to the kid.
“Hey, you know this is where they filmed Creepshow?”
The boy gave him a weird look before ignoring him and going back to eating his ice cream. Dean shrugged as the tour guide continued to speak.
“Now, to the right, here is Stars Hollow. It’s the setting for the television series, Gilmore Girls. And if we’re lucky, we might even catch one of the show’s stars.”
Sam shifted in his seat before turning toward Dean and giving him an uncomfortable look.
“Come on.”
Dean frowned slightly.
“Let’s finish the tour!”
Sam hopped off the trolley and sighed when Dean didn’t follow him right away.
“Dean!”
Dean rolled his eyes, hopped off and followed Sam around the lot.
“Sammy, check it out, it’s Matt Damon!”
Sam rolled his eyes.
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure that’s not Matt Damon.”
“No, it is.”
Sam gave Dean a sideways glance and tried to hide his smile.
“Well, Matt Damon just picked up a broom and started sweeping.”
“Yeah, well, he’s probably researching a role or something.”
“I don’t think so.”
They were making their way around the sound stages when Sam spotted a sign for the one they needed.
“Hey, this way. I think Stage 9 is over here.”
Dean pouted slightly.
“Come on, man, let’s keep going this way.”
Sam turned a frown on his brother before continuing forward.
“No, come on, we’ve gotta work.”
Dean sighed and Sam shook his head and pointed at him.
“Dude, you wanted to come to LA.”
“Yeah, for a vacation. I mean, swimming pools and movie stars…the job was an excuse to get away for a while. I needed a break.”
“You know Jo can’t run away from the problem even if she wanted to. It’s a little unfair of you running away so you don’t have to deal with her. You need to man up and stop being such an ass man. My advice is to get the job done as soon as you can, head back and fix things with Jo…remember her Dean? The mother of your unborn child…”
Sam really wished Dean would stop being such a jerk. He needed to realize things were going to be changing soon. Sam just wanted to get this job over with and get back to the Roadhouse. He was looking forward to having a week or two with Madison uninterrupted.
He figured since Dean and Jo needed to work some things out they’d be around and in one place for at least that long. Sam still couldn’t believe in less than six months his brother was going to be a father and he’d be an uncle. Dean’s voice pulled Sam from his thoughts.
“Okay, okay. All right. So, this crew guy…he died on set?”
Sam nodded.
“Yeah, rumors spreading like wildfire online saying the set’s haunted.”
Dean was giddy next to Sam.
“Like Poltergeist?”
“It could be a poltergeist.”
Dean shook his head at his brother’s lack of movie knowledge.
“No, no. Like the movie Poltergeist.”
Sam glanced at him and shrugged. Dean let out a disgruntled sigh.
“You know nothing of your cultural heritage, do you? It was rumored that the set of Poltergeist was cursed. That they used real human bones as props. And, like, at least three of the actors died in it.”
“Yeah, it might be something like that.”
“All right, so this crew guy…what’s his name?”
“Frank Jaffey.”
“Frank Jaffey…he got a death certificate or a coroner’s report or anything?”
Sam frowned.
“Well, no. But it’s LA, you know? It might not even be his real name. But the girl who found him said she saw something…a vanishing figure.”
Dean raised an eyebrow.
“What’s the girl’s name?”
“Tara Benchley.”
Dean stopped dead in his tracks and when Sam realized he wasn’t walking anymore he stopped and stood in front of him. He raised an eyebrow and gave him a ‘what’ look.
“Whoa, whoa, Tara Benchley? From FeardotCom and Ghost Ship, Tara Benchley? Dude, why didn’t you say so?”
Sam wasn’t sure whether he should laugh at his brother’s knowledge of B class horror movies or be slightly repulsed by it.
“So now, you’re suddenly on board?”
All traces of humor left Dean’s face.
“Oh, I mean, I’m just a fan of her work. She’s very good.”
Sam shook his head as Dean walked toward the entrance to Stage 9. He let out a heavy breath before following his brother into the studio.
They walked in to find two older guys talking about the movie. When Brad, the taller of the two guys noticed them walking in, he motioned toward them.
“Uh, excuse me, Green Shirt Guy?”
Dean glanced around and then pointed at himself. The guy nodded.
“Yeah, you. Come here.”
Dean exchanged a look with Sam before walking toward Brad.
“Can you get me a smoothie from Kraft?”
Dean gave him a look of confusion.
“You want a what from who?”
Brad made a face and scoffed at Dean.
“You are a P.A.? This is what you do?”
Dean opened his mouth and Sam made his way over toward them putting an arm around Dean and patting his chest with a smile.
“Yeah, yeah…uh, one smoothie coming right up.”
He pulled Dean away as they walked further into the studio.
“What’s a P.A.?”
Sam shrugged.
“I think they’re kind of like slaves.”
They turned, noticed Brad was still watching them, and gave him a thumbs up before walking away. Thirty minutes later Dean was decked out with a head set and radio. He’d checked the whole studio with an EMF reader while they were filming, but found nothing.
He glanced around at the actors going over their lines as he waited at the Kraft service table for Sam. He showed up a couple minutes later with an expectant look on his face.
“So?”
Dean shrugged.
“No EMF anywhere.”
“Great, me either So, what do you think?”
“Well, I think being a P.A. sucks. But the food these people get, are you kidding me? Look at these things.”
He picked up a little sandwich and showed it to Sam before tossing it in his mouth. He picked up another one and held it out to him.
“They’re like miniature Philly cheese steak sandwiches. They’re delicious.”
Sam rolled his eyes. Sometimes his brother just couldn’t stay on task.
“Maybe later.”
“What’d you find out about the dead crew guy?”
“Frank Jaffey was just filling in for the day. Nobody here knew him or where he lived or anything.”
Dean wiped his hands off and made a face.
“Oh, great. So you found out about as much as I did.”
Sam smiled slightly.
“No, not quite…Listen, I did dig up some stuff about Stage 9’s history.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah, four people died messy here over the past eighty years. Two suicides and two fatal accidents.”
“Any one of those could be a vengeful spirit.”
Sam nodded.
“Yeah. We’ve just gotta narrow it down more.”
As Sam was talking Dean noticed Tara walk onto the set and he grinned. He patted Sam on the back before speaking.
“Good…I’ll get right on that Sammy.”
Before Sam could say anything Dean was already heading over to Tara. He sighed at his brothers antics. Dean just never learned his lesson…
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