Saturday, April 9, 2011

When Luck Runs Out (8/11)



Chapter 8

San Francisco, California
Madison’s Apartment
(13 Weeks)




Sam stood in front of a bound Madison holding a gun. She was seated in a chair in the middle of the living room, arms tied to the chair. Sam was pacing in front of her with a mixture of worry and anger on his face. He hadn’t heard from Dean in at least a hour.

He wasn’t sure what was going on, but his brother wasn’t answering his phone. Madison had tears running down her cheeks and she spoke through sobs.

“You’re psychotic. The whole “I’m a cop” trip, God, I am so stupid.”

Sam turned to her and frowned.

“Well, I guess neither of us are who we said we were, huh?”

Madison shook her head and the tears started flowing again.

“Sam, you’re sick, okay? You’re imagining things. Monsters don’t exist, not really.”

Sam glared at her.

“You know what? Save the act.”

Madison was terrified. This wasn’t the same guy that came to her door a day and a half ago…this guy was completely different. He scared her and she wasn’t sure how she was going to get out of this alive.

“It’s not an act! I am not a werewolf! There’s no such thing! It’s made up, all right? They’re not real! You know they’re not real!”

Sam stopped pacing, raised an eyebrow, and pointed at the wound on her arm.

“No? Then where did that come from?”

She glanced down at the gash in her arm and frowned. She didn’t know where it came from. All she did know is that what he was saying couldn’t be true…it couldn’t be.

“I don’t know! Sam, God, you need help. Please, don’t do something that you’re gonna regret. I’m not what you think I am. I’m not.”

She could see Sam getting visibly upset he opened his mouth to say something when there was a knock on the door. Sam glanced at the door, then at Madison before moving towards the door and looking through the peephole.

His eyes widened when he saw Dean standing there. He unlocked the door and pulled it open. Dean walked in and went directly over to Madison. She pulled herself as far back in the chair as she could when he approached her.

His voice was cold as ice when he spoke. His has grasped the sides of the chair tightly and she gasped slightly as he bent down to meet her eyes.

“You better pray that my girlfriend and my kid are okay lady or I swear me and Sammy gankin’ you is gonna be the last thing you gotta worry about. If she don’t wake up…I’m gonna keep you alive for weeks while I kill you slowly…”

Sam swallowed hard and pulled his brother away from Madison. She was hysterical. Dean turned around, glared at Sam, and raised an eyebrow. Sam’s voice was quiet.

“We’ve gotta talk.”

Dean nodded and motioned to the other room. When they moved into the other room he waited for Sam to talk. Sam cleared his throat, looked over his shoulder, and then back at Dean.

“She says she has no idea what I’m talking about.”

Dean froze and watched Sam as he spoke.

“She’s lying.”

“Or maybe she really doesn’t know she’s changing, you know? Maybe when the creature takes over, she blacks out.”

Dean clenched his jaw.

“Like a really hot Incredible Hulk. Come on, dude, she ganked her boss and her ex-boyfriend. That doesn’t sound rash and unconscious. Jo is lying in a hospital bed Sammy…I don’t have patients for this shit.”

Dean saw a look of pain flash over Sam’s face.

“Yeah, but what if it was, Dean? What if some animal part of her brain saw both those guys as threats? Hell, the cop, too.”

Dean glared at Sam

“What are you, the Dog Whisperer now?”

Sam returned Dean’s glare and spoke in a hard voice.

“Look, man, I just…I don’t know, there was something in her eyes.”

“Something in her eyes? She coulda killed Jo!”

“But if she has no control over it…”

Dean pointed a finger at Sam.

“Exactly. She can’t control it. Even if she’s telling the truth, it’s not gonna change anything.”

Sam crossed his arms over his chest.

“I’m not putting a bullet through some girl’s chest who has no idea what’s happening.”

Dean closed his eyes for a second and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Sam, she’s a monster, and you’re feeling sorry for her?”

Sam shrugged and looked away from Dean.

“Maybe I understand her…Look, there might be another way we can get the job done without having to waste her.”

Sam went to the counter and Dean watched as he fiddled with something. Dean sighed and confusion crossed his face.

“Are you thinking what I think you’re thinking?”

Sam turned around and Dean watched as he flipped through their dad’s journal.

“Dad’s theory says lycanthropy might have a cure if you kill the werewolf who bit you, severing the bloodline.”

Dean leaned against the counter, arms crossed against his chest.

“Might have a cure. Meaning who the hell knows? And to be quite honest Sammy I’m not feeling all that charitable.”

‘It’s worth a shot Dean.”

Dean groaned a ran a hand over his face.

“I don’t have time for this…Jo needs me and we don’t even know where to start looking, all right? I mean, the puppy that bit her could be anyone, anywhere. It could’ve been years ago.”

Sam’s eyes widened as he thought back to an earlier conversation he had wit Madison.

“No. I don’t think so.”

Sam took left the kitchen and walked into the living room. Dean sighed before following him. Sam stood in front of Madison and spoke in a gentle voice.

“Madison, when were you mugged? Please. It’s important, all right? Just answer the question.”

She sniffled and glanced between him and Dean.

“About a month ago.”

“Did you see the guy?”

She paused and frowned before answering.

“No. He grabbed me from behind.”

Sam hesitated before continuing.

“Did he bite you?”

Madison’s head jerked up, eyes wide.

“How did you know that?”

Sam swallowed hard and ignored her question.

“Where?”

Madison jerked her head back lightly motioning behind her.

“On the back of my neck.”

She watched as Sam made a show of setting the gun down before moving behind her. He brushed the hair away from her neck revealing a bruised lump the size of a golf ball. Dean glanced over and shook his head.

“Oh, that’s just a love bite. Believe me that could have been a lot worse. Where were you at the time?”

Madison looked at Sam and he nodded at her to answer Dean.

“Walking home from a friend’s loft.”

Sam gave Dean an ‘I told you so’ face before looking back at Sam.

“Let me guess. Not too far from Hunter’s Point?”

She looked between them and nodded. Sam gave her a warm smile before ushering Dean out of the room.

“The same place where those other murders happened. I’m telling you, it’s a werewolf’s hunting grounds.”
Dean shrugged.

“Maybe, but that doesn’t mean it’s gonna be out there tonight.”

Sam was grasping at straws. He needed Dean to look for this werewolf. He needed him to find it so they could save Madison…Sam wasn’t sure what it was, but there was something different about Madison…he had to make Dean understand.

“It’s the right time of the lunar cycle. Look, I know it’s a long shot.”

She shook his head and Sam could tell he was beyond pissed.

“Listen…Sam…I’m really trying to keep my patients here, but this bitch put Jo in the hospital. Are you even hearing me Sammy? She hasn’t woken up yet…I don’t know…”

Dean’s voice faltered and he swallowed hard before continuing.

“Besides, you’re forgetting something. Maddie’s probably gonna turn soon and we can’t just let her take off to an all-you-can-eat buffet.”

“I’ll stay with her.”

Dean raised an eyebrow.

“And if she busts loose?”

Sam didn’t say anything so Dean prodded.

“Sam?”

Sam sighed and clenched his fists.

“I’ll do it.”

“Sam.”

He glared at Dean.

‘I’ll shoot her, all right? But Dean, I need you to go out there. At least go look for the thing. Dean, please. We can save this girl.”

Dean sighed.

“Fine, but if there’s any word on Jo I’m outta there. Got it?”

Sam nodded and Dean walked out without another word. I hope this works…this has to work, thought Sam.

Chapter 9

No comments:

Post a Comment