Echoes of Hell (Supernatural Fanfiction Book 4)

Gathering the Allies

The call to Jody Mills connected after a few rings, and her familiar, no-nonsense voice came through. "Sam? What's going on? It's late."

"Jody, I need your help. It's about Dean."

There was a brief pause before she responded. "Tell me what you need."

I filled her in quickly, emphasizing the urgency of the situation. Dean was still recovering, but he was fixated on the idea of returning to Hell, and I needed to understand what Crowley promised him. I explained that I was organizing a search for Crowley and needed her help in tracking down any leads or gathering any resources she could.

Jody was silent for a moment, processing. "Alright, Sam. I'm in. I'll start reaching out to my contacts and see what I can dig up. We've dealt with Crowley before, so we know a few tricks."

"Thanks, Jody. I appreciate it."

After ending the call with Jody, I dialed Ellen Harvelle's number. She answered almost immediately, her voice steady but with an edge of concern. "Sam, it's been a while. What's happening?"

"Ellen, I need your help too. Dean's in a bad place, and we've discovered that Crowley made him some kind of deal. We need to find out what Crowley promised him and stop him before Dean tries to go back to Hell."

There was a soft curse on the other end before Ellen spoke again. "Damn it, Sam. Alright, I'll help. I've still got some old contacts that might be able to shed light on Crowley's recent activities. I'll see what I can find out."

"Thanks, Ellen. We're going to need all the help we can get."

I ended the call with a sense of urgency pressing on me. With Jody and Ellen on board, I had a solid team starting to form. But Crowley was a slippery bastard, and I knew I needed to gather as much information as possible before making any moves.

Before I could get too comfortable, I felt the weight of the situation on my shoulders again. Dean was asleep, gripping Mom's cover tightly. I watched him for a moment, the sight of him like this driving home just how fragile his state was. His desire to return to Hell, driven by what Crowley had promised, was something I needed to stop before it was too late.

I pulled myself together and made my way next door to Bobby's room at the motel, where Bobby was still waiting for me. I hoped he would have some advice on any additional resources or allies we might need.

When I walked into the motel room, Bobby was sitting at the table with a half-empty coffee cup. He looked up as I entered, his face a mixture of weariness and concern. "How's Dean?"

"Still asleep," I said. "I've called Jody Mills and Ellen Harvelle. They're both on board to help us find out what Crowley promised Dean and to track him down. But I need your advice on anything else we might need—any contacts or resources we can use to find Crowley quickly."

Bobby leaned back in his chair, thinking for a moment. "Well, you've got some good people helping you. Jody's got a network of hunters and Ellen's got her own sources. I'd say start with them. They might have leads or information we don't. Also, don't forget about Rufus. He's retired now, but he might have some old connections or knowledge about Crowley."

"Rufus," I repeated. "I'll reach out to him too."

Bobby nodded, a serious look on his face. "And Sam, remember, you need to be careful. Crowley's not someone to underestimate. If he's got a hold on Dean, he'll do whatever he can to keep it. Don't put yourself at too much risk, alright?"

"I know," I said. "But I have to do this. Dean needs us."

Bobby gave me a look of understanding, then gestured to the phone. "Go ahead and make those calls. I'll see if I can dig up anything on my end."