Blood Debt

Chapter 10

A vigorous shaking of his shoulders roused Dean. He started to say something but a hand clamped over his mouth stopped him. He opened his eyes, angry, and drew his fist back. Lenore leaned over him.

"Shh, Dean," she whispered and took her hand from his mouth. "Are you lucid?"

Dean gave a hesitant nod. He felt nauseous and his head throbbed. He really just wanted to go back to sleep.

"It's time to go. Kate's too dangerous and Thompson may not side with me." She unlocked his shackles and quietly set them on the ground.

"So you're my boss now?" Dean asked. He knew whatever she asked, he'd do. He could feel it and knew he had no choice. He rubbed his raw wrists.

She handed him a tranquilizer rifle. "Yes, but I don't think you'll mind this next order. The darts are filled with deadman's blood. Why don't you go shoot as many vampires as you can before someone raises an alarm? Though not me, Shelly or Eli, of course." She handed him three extra clips, five darts in each.

Dean grinned. "You're shitting me."

She smiled back. "No. Eli and Shelly are handling the house. You and I are taking down the barn."

"Sam?" Dean asked, sudden concern filling him. When he'd come back with Shelly, Shelly had assured him Sam was still alive. He looked over to the next cage. He didn't think Sam had moved since last night.

"He's very, very weak. I can't promise anything yet. But I can guarantee we're dead meat if we don't move and move fast." She handed him a machete. "Shoot first, then go back and finish them off. No witnesses."

"I can do that," Dean said and snapped the machete's sheath to a belt loop of his jeans. He got to his feet and after a final glance at his sleeping brother, he strode out of the cage, ready to call down some much desired Winchester vengeance.

He walked out among the sleeping vampires and chose a location. Lenore was across the barn. He waited for her signal. She gave him a nod and he began firing the darts into the sleeping vampires. The darts struck, vampires convulsed in sudden pain, but hardly a sound was made other than the "whump" of the gun each time a dart fired. Dean had shot four and was taking aim on the fifth when one of the people in the cages let out a horrendous cry; vampires began stirring. Dean fired the last dart from the cartridge but didn't have time to reload before vampires began coming at him. He knew running was not an option as it had been at Luther's place. He had to stay and fight. He had to make sure Sammy got out of here.

Dean cold-cocked a vampire up side the head with the rifle butt. Another vampire sucker-punched Dean and he staggered. He drew the machete and beheaded the vampire in a single arc of metal and blood. He grinned when he realized it was Suzanne.

"Guess you were first instead of third, Bitch," he practically crowed. He turned to the one he'd cold-cocked; the vampire was slowly getting to his feet. Dean brought the blade down and finished him off. The two remaining on his side bolted for the door. He hastily changed out gun cartridges and managed to nail one in the back with a dart. The woman fell. The man made it out the door and into the afternoon sun before Dean could get off the next shot.

Dean looked over at Lenore just in time to see her behead a vampire. He saw someone getting ready to jump her and he brought his rifle up to his shoulder, aimed, and shot. The man fell. Lenore spun out the way of another attack and her blade sang through the air. The head of her attacker landed ten feet from its body.

Lenore turned to the cages and shot the one who had raised the alarm. Dean scanned the barn. He didn't see any others and focused his attention on the vampires he'd shot and quickly dispatched them. When he was done, he joined Lenore. He realized everyone in the cages except Sam was dead.