Bless the Broken Road

08. Asylum

Sam was on the phone. "No, Dad was in California last we heard from him. We just thought... he comes to you for 'munitions... maybe you've seen him in the last few weeks. Just, call us if you hear anything."

"'kay."

"Thanks."

"You bet."

Sam looked to his brothers and Dean shook his head. "No, same as the last time I looked. Nothing Zach or I can make out... I love the guy, but I swear, he writes like friggin' Yoda."

"You know, maybe we should call the Feds," Sam suggested. "File a missing person's."

Zach stared at Sam. "We've talked about this. Dad would be pissed if we put the Feds on his tail."

"I don't care anymore." A phone rang and Dean crossed the room. "After all the happened back in Kansas, I mean... he should've been there, Dean, Zach. You said so yourself. You tried to call him and... nothing."

"I know!" Dean cried, rummaging through his duffel. "Where the hell is my cell phone?"

"You know, he could be dead for all we know."

"Don't say that! He's not dead! He's -- he's..."

"He's what? He's hiding? He's busy?"

Dean found his phone and flicked it open.

From: Unavailable

Subject:

Message 42, -89

9:52

BACK REPLY

"Huh," Dean noted quietly. "I don't believe it."

"What?" Sam and Zach asked.

"It's, uh... It's a text message. It's coordinates."

Dean began typing on his laptop.

"You think Dad was texting us?" Sam questioned.

"He's given us coordinates before," Dean reasoned.

"The man can barely work a toaster, Dean."

"Sam, it's good news! It means he's okay, or alive at least."

Zach quickly changed the subject. "Well, was there a number on the caller ID?"

Dean glanced at him. "Nah, it said 'unknown'."

"Where do the coordinates point?"

"That's the interesting part. Rockford, Illinois."

Sam frowned. "Okay, and that's interesting how?"

"I checked the local Rockford paper. Take a look at this." He showed them the article. "This cop, Walter Kelly, comes home from his shift, shoots his wife, then puts the gun in his mouth, blows his brains out. And earlier that night, Kelly and his partner responded to a call at the Roosevelt Asylum."

"Okay, I'm not following. Not sure if Zach is. What does this have to do with us?"

"Dad earmarked the same asylum in the journal. Let's see..." He found the page. "Here. Seven unconfirmed sightings, two deaths -- till last week at least. I think this is where he wants us to go."

Sam snorted. "This is a job... Dad wants us to work a job."

Zach shrugged. "Well, maybe we'll meet up with him? Maybe he's there?"

"Maybe he's not? I mean, he could be sending us there, by ourselves, to hunt this thing."

"Who cares!" Dean yelled. "If he wants us there, it's good enough for me and Zach!"