The Demigod Business

Chapter 3

Dean

"I don't think we're going to find anything here," Sam said, closing a book in frustration.

Dean glanced up from the millionth monotonous article about a monster connected to stone and kids he'd been reading. "Nothing from Bobby either?"

Sam shook his head. "Like I said yesterday, we need more leads before we can narrow it down."

Dean closed his laptop. "How do you suppose we find them?"

Sam pushed aside the pile of books he'd scoured over the past two hours. "In each city, only one kid was taken. Just a few days later, another kid goes missing a few towns over. I think whatever this is has moved on."

"And is on its way to its next victim," Dean said.

"Exactly. If we want to stop it, we need to beat it there."

"How? There are hundreds of kids it could be after. How can we find the right one?"

Sam pulled out his laptop and tapped Dean's. "Start with the towns closest to us approaching the coast. Whatever this thing is, it seems to be going from the east end of California toward the west coast. Search for single fathers who work in some sort of scholarly profession. Then see if you can connect them to that woman."

Dean groaned and slumped into his seat. "This is gonna be like looking for a needle in a needlestack."

Sam managed a small laugh. "Gotta love the hunter life."

~

"I think I've got the next target," Dean said after nearly three hours. His eyes ached and his fingers were cramping. After this hunt, he didn't want to read for at least a week.

"Who is it?" Sam asked, rubbing his eyes and leaning over to look at Dean's screen.

"Professor Linden Kleimann's twelve-year-old son, Jasper Kleimann. The father teaches economics at the University of the Pacific in Stockton. Never married."

"And what makes you think he's the next target out of the dozens of other candidates?"

Dean smirked and pointed to a picture at the bottom of the page. Professor Kleimann posed with other professors and academics at a conference hosted by the University of the Pacific twelve years ago. Hidden at the back was a woman with blonde hair and gray eyes.

"There she is. Twelve years ago." Dean sat back in his seat, feeling pleased with himself. It wasn't often that he found something before Sam when it came to research.

Sam rubbed his chin, staring at the picture. "It's still not much. How do we know it's him out of the hundreds of other possibilities?"

Dean rolled his eyes. "You said yourself we need to narrow it down. We don't have much to go on right now. This is our best bet. And so far, it matches the profile of all the other victims."

Sam sighed and nodded. "Okay. You're right." He checked his watch. "We can get to Stockton in an hour if we hurry. Hopefully, it's not too late to save this kid."

~

Dean's phone rang just as he was finishing packing his bag. He nearly dropped the phone in his haste to answer it when he saw Cas' name.

"Cas?"

"Hello, Dean," came his steady, gravelly voice.

The sound instantly put Dean at ease. He distantly heard Sam leave the motel room and was silently grateful for the privacy.