Lucifer In Lace

Part 8 Icecream

That night Dean Smith suffered a heart attack and was examined by Dr Bradbury.  She promptly cleared the body for transfer to the local hospital and Dean was picked up by a non-descript van in the early hours of the morning.  Even though Dean's forms had indicated he was of Catholic faith, noone notified Castiel.  When the sun rose Castiel did his checkup on Nicholas Novak, making sure that the man was not yet in need of last rites.  Then he went back to the prison chapel and was preoccupied with morning mass.  After addressing his congregation and making sure that all was in order, Castiel went to the commissary for his lunch.  The food was terrible there but sometimes, if he was fortunate, he was rewarded with the sight of Dean devouring his meals with obscene enthusiasm.  Castiel frowned when he saw Cain, Sam and Kevin sat around their usual table, morose and without Dean.  Before Castiel could decide whether to ask the group where Dean was, Mills sat down in front of him with a tray loaded up with the vegetarian special.  She was eating with one fork and with her other hand was still calling Hanscum on her cell phone because the other guard never turned up for her shift. 

"It's just not like her to disappear without a trace," Mills chewed her beans and rice thoughtfully.  "That woman is dedicated to her dog and he hadn't been fed when I went to check on her house.  What the fuck is going on around here?"

Castiel swallowed the beef steak on his fork and shrugged.  "Fear not, all shall be revealed, even if the lord works in mysterious ways."

"Bullshit." Mills stood up, her hands shaking slightly where she held her plastic tray.  There was a fierceness in her expression.  "You're full of crap Father Collins or whoever you are.  Nothing has been going per usual since you got here.  What exactly is it that you preach to the prisoners?  They are awfully quiet given all that's going down with Nick's fall from power.  You don't throw your religious platitudes at me, Donna might have been fooled by your baby blues and butter wouldn't melt in it pretty pink mouth but I'm telling you now, I don't trust you."

Castiel smiled softly, ducking his head and dabbing at his mouth with a napkin.  "I am unworthy of anyone's faith, it is our lord alone who is worthy."

Mills' eyebrow twitched and her eyes darkened with anger.

"Did Dean buy your holier than thou act?" She said in a low voice.  "Did he worship you and get too close, is that why he's dead, a thirty something year old having a coronary?  Who's gonna believe that?"

Castiel was on his feet and his hand gripped around Mills' throat before her last syllable had died down. 

"Where is Dean?" the words were said with finality, like nothing else mattered in the world but clear communication and unquestioning obedience to that one particular demand. 

Mills wasn't the sort of person to cave in to violence however, she set her jaw tightly and stared back at Castiel even as he tightened his fist.

"Whoa, quite the grip you got there Father Collins.  A little dispute amongst the staff, come now, the children are watching." 

Castiel saw Azazel's smarmy grin and blinked. 

"You wanna stop killing Officer Mills in front of all these nice friendly witnesses?" Azazel put a hand on Castiel's forearm.  "Hey, you been working out?"

Castiel let Mills go and shook off the unwelcome gesture.  "Do not touch me again Azazel."

The other guard just nodded and grinned.