Bless the Broken Road

44. Red Sky at Morning

EXT. DOCKS - NIGHT

An athletic young woman was out for a run, running along the docks at night. She stopped at a water fountain, checked her time, and took a drink. She heard thunder and looked up, out over the water; sliding past not too far away was a ghostly old sailing ship. She removed her headphones and stared as it crossed into the harbor, then vanished. She put her headphones back in, still spooked, and jogged off.

INT. HOME - NIGHT

Later, the same woman was showering. A dark figure approached and places his hand on the glass of the shower door. She didn't notice until he rubbed at the glass, making a squeaking noise. She poked her head out and looked around her well-appointed bathroom, but saw nothing. She went back into the shower; moments later a man in a dry overcoat, who was in the enclosed shower with her, grabbed her from behind and began to strangle her. He slammed her against the walls of the shower several times until she slid to the floor, dead.

EXT. ROAD - NIGHT

Dean was driving, Sam in the passenger's seat, Zach and Lily in the back. There was a tense silence in the car, which Dean broke by saying, "So, I've been waiting since Maple Springs. You got something to tell me?"

Sam played dumb. "It's not your birthday. Or Zach's or Lily's."

"No."

"...Happy Purim?" He laughed. "Dude, I don't know. I have no idea what you're talking about—"

Dean cut him off. "There's a bullet missing from the Colt. You want to tell me how that happened? I know it wasn't me. So unless you were shooting at some incredibly evil cans..."

"Dean..."

"You went after her, didn't you? The Crossroads Demon. After I told you not to."

"Yeah, well..."

"You could have gotten yourself killed!"

"I didn't."

"And you shot her."

"She was a smartass!"

Zach shrugged. "Sounds reasonable to me." Lily shot him a look. "What? It does."

Dean, after a beat, asked, "So, what? Does that, does that mean I'm out of my deal?"

"Don't you think I might have mentioned that little fact, Dean?" Sam shot back. "No. Someone else holds the contract."

"Who?"

"She wouldn't say."

"Well, we should find out who. Of course, our best lead would be the Crossroads Demon. Oh, wait a minute..."

"That's not funny."

"No, it's not! It was a stupid freaking risk, and you shouldn't have done it."

"I shouldn't have done it? You're my brother, Dean. And no matter what you do, I'm gonna try and save you. And I'm sure as hell not gonna apologize for it, all right?"

Dean was silent. Lily glanced at Zach and took his hand. Sam shook his head in exasperation.

INT. GERT'S HOME - DAY

Sam, Zach, Lily and Dean were impersonating officers of the law to interview a witness. She was holding a framed photograph of the shower-drowning victim. The witness' name was Gertrude Case, an elegant, well-groomed and approximately 70-year-old woman who began to flirt shamelessly with Sam.

"But I don't understand," Gert said. "I already went over all this with the other detectives."

"Right, yes," Dean replied. "But, see, we're with the Sheriff's Department, not the police department – different departments."