Fighter | Supernatural [1]

Chapter Thirty-One

        Sam and Jo were sat at the table in the apartment, the latter flipping a small knife in her hand as she looked at some blueprints. But Dean, instead of looking at the blueprints, was pacing back and forth, Callum copying him, not really knowing why Dean was doing so.

"This place was built in 1924." Jo explained. "It was originally a warehouse, converted into apartments a few months ago."

"Yeah? What was here before 1924?" Dean asked.

"Nothing." Jo responded. "Empty field."

"So, most likely scenario, someone died bloody in the building, and now he's back and raising hell." Sam said.

"I already checked." Jo told them. "In the past eighty two years, zero violent deaths. Unless you count a janitor who slipped on a wet floor." She turned to Dean. "Would you sit down, please?"

"So, have you checked police reports, county death records...?" Dean asked as he sat down, Callum running over and climbing onto his lap.

"Obituaries, mortuary reports and seven other sources." Jo spoke in an annoyed tone. "I know what I'm doing."

"I think the jury's still out on that one." Dean smirked. "Could you put the knife down?"

Jo gave him a nod as she put down the knife, as far away from Callum as she could.

"Okay!" Sam cut in. "So, uh, it's something else, then. Maybe some kind of cursed object that brought a spirit with it."

"Well, we've got to scan the whole building." Jo said. "Everywhere we can get to, right?"

"Right." Dean nodded, standing up with Callum in his arms. "So. You, me and Cal, we'll take the top two floors."

"We'd move faster if we split up." Jo argued.

"Oh, this isn't negotiable." He told her.

        EMF meter in one hand and Callum's hand in the other, Dean walked down the hallway with Jo by his side. Callum held tightly onto Cosmo as he walked, not really comfortable with the unfamiliar environment.

"So, you gonna buy me dinner?" Jo asked.

"What are you talking about?" Dean questioned.

"It's just if you're gonna ride me this close it's only decent you buy me dinner." Jo told him.

"Oh, that's hilarious." Dean said in an annoyed tone. "You know, it's bad enough I lied to your mom, but if you think I'm letting you out of my sight... I don't know if you've noticed, but you're kind of the spirit's type."

"Exactly." Jo said.

"You wanna be bait?" Dean asked.

"Quickest way to draw it out and you know it." Jo said.

"Oh." Dean said.

"What?"

"I'm so regretting this."

"You know, I've had it up to here with your crap." Jo snapped, stopping where she was stood.

"Excuse me?"

"Your chauvinist crap." Jo explained. "You think women can't do the job."

"Sweetheart, this ain't gender studies." Dean told her. "Women can do the job fine. Amateurs can't. You have no experience. What you do have is a bunch of half-baked romantic notions that some barflies put in your head."

"Now you sound like my mother." Jo said.

"Oh, and that's a bad thing? Because let me tell you..." He trailed off.

"What?"

"Forget it."

"No, you started this."

"Jo, you've got options." Dean told her. "No one in their right mind chooses this life. My dad started me in this when I was so young... I wish I could do something else." He glanced down at Callum, who was brushing his hand against the brick wall.

"You love the job."

"Yeah, but I'm a little twisted." Dean admitted.

"You don't think I'm a little twisted too?" Jo asked.

"Jo, you've got a mother that worries about you." Dean told her. "Who wants something more for you. Those are good things. You don't throw things like that away. Might be hard to find later."

"What about Callum?" She nodded at the six year old, who now had Cosmo held under his arm as he used both hands to feel the wall. "You want him to be in this life?"

"No, I don't." Dean replied. "But I've got no choice. If I wanna continue hunting, he's gonna be in danger so he needs to know how to protect himself." He looked over at the boy. "Hey, what're you doing, bud?"

"Nothing." Callum responded, turning around and taking Dean's hand again.

"All right." Dean nodded, and he continued down the hallway, Jo following.

Just minutes later, they reached the end of the hallway, Jo turning her back to the wall as she scanned the area with her EMF meter.

And then something touched her ankle. With a gasp, she turned around, looking at a vent near the floor as Dean approached her.

"What?" He asked her, lifting Callum into his arms.

"I'm not sure." Jo said, voice wavering slightly.

"You smell that?" Dean asked.

Jo took a sniff, clearly looking confused before speaking, "What is that, a gas leak?"

"No." Dean said. "Something else. I know it. I just can't put my finger on it."

"Don't like it." Callum said, pinching his nose.

"Neither do I, kiddo." Dean said, brushing the boy's hair from his eyes.

Jo held the EMF meter up to the vent, causing it to go off. Whatever they were after had been, or could still be, inside of that vent.

"Mazel Tov." Dean said. "You just found your first spirit."

"It's inside the vent." Jo told him as he set Callum down, crouching down next to Jo.

He pulled out a flashlight, turning it on and handing it to Jo before pulling a screwdriver from his pocket, unscrewing the vent cover.

Placing the vent cover on the floor, he took the flashlight pack and shone it inside the vent.

"There's something in there." Dean said, handing the flashlight back. "Here."

He reached inside the vent, feeling around for a moment before pulling his hand out, a clump of blood soaked blonde hair in hand.

"Somebody's keeping souvenirs."

Callum looked away immediately, holding his eyes shut tightly. He wasn't enjoying this one bit.