Supernatural: Anastasia Steele

Chapter 40. Salvation

Deans POV

MANNING, COLORADO.

Dad sits at a paper strewn desk, the colt in front of him, while Sam leans against the counter and I pace as Ana leans against the wall with her arms crossed. "So this is it. This is everything I know. Look, our whole lives we've been searching for this demon, right? Not a trace, just...nothing. Until about a year ago. For the first time I picked up a trail." Dad explains.

"And that's when you took off." I say and dad looks up at me and nods. "Yeah, that's right. The demon must have come out of hiding or hibernation." He says. "Alright, so what's this trail you found?" Ana asks him. "It starts in Arizona, then New Jersey, California. Houses burned down to the ground. Its going after families, just like it went after us and the Steeles." Dad says.

"Families with infants?" Sam asks. "Yeah. The night of the kids six month birthday." Dad says and Ana and Sam look at each other with wide eyes. "We was six months old that night?" They ask and dad nods. "Exactly six months."

"So, basically, this demon is going after these kids for some reason. The same way it came for me and Ana? So Mom's death...Jessica. It's all because of me?" Sam asks devastated. "And my mom died because of me?" Ana asks sadly. "We don't know that, guys." I tell them. "Oh really? Because I'd say we're pretty damn sure, Dean." Sam shouts at me.

"For the last time, what happened to them was not your fault. And it's not your fault Ana, that your mom died either." I say frustrated. "It might not be our fault Dean but it is mine and Sam's problem." She says softly, still looking at the ground. "No, sweetheart, it's not your problem, it's our problem okay?" I say and dad stand up. "Okay, that's enough." He says firmly.

"So why's he doing it? What does he want?" Sam ask dad. "Look, I wish I had some more answers, I do. I've always been one step behind it. Look, I've never gotten there in time to save..." Dad says before he looks down unhappily.

"Alright, so how do we find it...before it hits again?" I ask him, changing the subject. "There's signs. It took me a while to see the pattern but it's there in the days before these fire signs crop up in an area. Cattle deaths, temperature fluctuations, electrical storms. And then I went back and checked...and..." Dad says before I speak up. "These things happened in Lawerence?" I ask and dad nods.

"A week before your mother and Ana's mother died. And in Palo Alto...before Jessica. And these signs, they're starting again." Dad says and we look up at him.

"Where?" Ana asks him. "Salvation, Iowa." Dad replies.

******

Dads truck speeds along a misty road as we follow behind. After a few moments, he pulls off to the side and we follow him and get out. "Damn it!" Dad exclaims as he gets out of the truck.

"What is it?" I ask him. "Son of a bitch." Dad mumbles. "What is it John?!" Ana asks and he turns to us. "I just got a call from Caleb." He says. "Is he okay?" I ask. "He's fine. Jim Murphy's dead." Dad says and we gasp in shock.

"Pastor Jim? How?" Sam asks him. "His throat was slashed. He bled out. Caleb said they found traces of sulphur at Jim's place." Dad tells us. "A demon." Ana says and dad nods at her. "The demon?" I ask and dad shrugs. "I don't know. Could be he just got careless, he slipped up. Maybe the demon knows we're getting closer." He says.

"What do we do?" I ask him. "Now we act like every second counts. There's two hospitals and a health centre in this county. We split up, cover more ground. I want records. I want a list of infants who are going to be six months in the next week." Dad says.