Cowboys and Angels

31. The Vessel

NAZI-OCCUPIED FRANCE, 1943 GESTAPO HEADQUARTERS

Befehlsleiter Gumprecht was on the phone, speaking in German. "It has arrived. Yes, I have ordered a full military escort. Naturally... I will bring the artifact to you. Please... it is my great honor."

"The bed is cold," Delphine Seydoux said.

"Liebchen."

"What does that mean, mon amour?"

Gumprecht tapped on an very old wooden box. "This is why I've come here."

"And I thought you occupied my country to meet me."

"Mmm hmm. You were a bonus, Delphine. A treasure. Ma petite collaboratrice. But this, this is what my country has been waiting for."

"Can I see it?"

Gumprecht tsked. "Naughty, Delphine."

Delphine said a word in French.

"One little peek?" Gumprecht led Delphine over to the table. He kissed her neck as she opened the box.

"So, it's true," Delphine mumbled.

Gumprecht continued kissing her. She smiled as she took the pin out of her hair and shook it loose. As they were about to kiss, she suddenly stabbed him in the neck.

"I have lived a hard life. But these months, pretending to love a Nazi cochon like you has been the worst. But this moment - watching you die - it is the best."

Delphine pulled Gumprecht's knife from its sheath and stabbed him through the heart. He fell to the floor, dead.

Delphine grabbed the box. "The Men of Letters send their regards."

BUNKER

Dean walked into the kitchen to find Sam already up, sitting at the table doing research. Dean tried to pour himself a cup of coffee, but found the coffee pot empty.

"We're out," Sam informed.

"There was a half a bag yesterday!" Dean protested.

"I killed it. Hey, did you know the Nazis had a special branch devoted to archaeology?"

"Little early for Nazi trivia."

"It's called the "Ahnenerbe", there were sites all over Germany, and then as the Nazis increased their territory, they started popping in Poland, Finland, uh, North Africa..."

"Yeah, how is this more important than our coffee situation?"

"'Cause I found something. I mean, we need something. Magic. A weapon strong enough to give us a shot against Amara. So, I've been looking outside the lore in history. And I found this, the Vichy Memorandems. They were Nazi communications that puzzle historians to this day. And they speak of a super weapon obtained by the Ahnenerbe, said to be strong enough to win the war."

"Yeah? What was it?"

"Well, these memos refer to it as "The Hand of God." I mean, that was sort of a catch all term for several objects he touched on Earth in Biblical times. But they're believed to contain traces of His power."

"Yeah, well the Nazis believed a lot of things."

"Dean, Lucifer's caged. God's MIA, the only beings strong enough to battle Amara are gone. If we're gonna fight her, what better way to arm up than with an actual dose of His power?"

"Okay, so you said the Nazis got their hand on one of these, uh, hands?"

"Right."

"Well if it was so powerful it could win them the war, why didn't it?"