Post by Silwyna on May 10, 2009 10:29:35 GMT 1
Huge thanks to Yor for beta'ing! And thanks for reading!
Chapter 6
Sam stared at the scene that unfolded before him. Where just moments ago there had been darkness and destruction was now a well lit room, undamaged and inhabited by a young couple. They were arguing. The woman screamed at the man until he pushed her down on the bed. Before she had a chance to get up again, he rammed a knife deep into her stomach. Pulling it out again, he repeated the motion, over and over. Blood splattered everywhere - and within moments, the walls were bloodstained.
Sam wanted to lunge forward to stop the man from further slaughter, when an excruciating pain exploded in his head. The room vanished and he once again found himself surrounded by darkness. Clutching his head with his hands, he sank to the ground, hardly aware of the arms holding him.
"...am? Sam?"
Through the blood rushing in his ears, he heard his father calling for him. As the pain slowly subsided, he let go of his head and gave his father the thumbs up.
"m’okay." He mumbled sluggishly. He still felt his father’s arms around him and held on in order to steady himself. The world was spinning dangerously fast.
"What did you see?" John wanted to know.
Sam was starting to get sick of the question; he missed the good old times when neither his brother nor father cared about what he thought, much less what he’d seen.
Or maybe he was just gonna get sick in general.
"I’m gonna throw up." He managed to warn his dad.
Reacting instantly, as he always did, John turned Sam away and instead of his father’s lap, the youngest Winchester emptied his stomach on the debris that had previously trapped him. Poetic justice, if you asked him.
"Better?" John asked.
He didn’t sound annoyed as Sam would have expected. The warmth and worry in his voice as well as the strong arms still holding him triggered a familiar feeling that Sam couldn’t quite grasp. "Yeah."
The world had stopped spinning, but Sam took the feeling of safety and warmth his father’s arms offered; leaning into them, he gave into the weakness these visions always left him with. He hated it.
He startled when a hand gently stroked his hair. This was a side of his father he didn’t think still existed – if it ever had.
"What do you say we get out of here now?" John asked a moment later. "This water is starting to get cold."
Sam laughed quietly. "You’ll g-get used to it after a while." He pulled away from his dad, immediately missing the contact as the cold resurged through his body. Wrapping his arms around his body, he slowly got up.
"It’s time to get you out of it then." A smile flashed across John’s face. "You were always the last out of the water, no matter how cold it was. I swear, sometimes your lips had already turned blue."
Sam puffed. "We never stayed at a p-place long enough for that to-to happen." He regretted his words the moment they’d left his mouth. He’d just meant them as a joke - this time. Unfortunately, he had too often spoken them in anger in the past – anger usually directed at his father.
"Johnsburg, Illinois." John said, not a trace of anger in his voice.
Sam breathed out in relief.
"We stayed in a cabin at a lake. You and Dean spent hours in the water. It was a miracle you didn’t grow gills. " John smiled at the memory. "Dean always had to drag you back into the house to warm up."
Sam had a vague memory of that time. He remembered him and Dean playing in the water and later sitting huddled in blankets in front of a chimney while their dad cleaned guns at a nearby table, telling them a story.
He wondered just how much he’d forgotten.
"Good old times." He smiled.
"Yeah, good old times."
They stayed quiet for a moment, both lost in their own thoughts.
"Well, we better get going before this whole building collapses on us." John eventually said.
"Do you have any idea what happened?" Sam asked as they slowly made their way back to the staircase. Every step hurt, but moving helped against the cold. Already, Sam felt the tremors fading.
John sighed. "Same as my truck, only bigger."
Sam looked at him confused.
"We’re in a giant sinkhole that apparently swallowed the whole hotel." John explained.
Sam’s eyes widened in shock. "You’re kidding."
John’s raised brow was all the answer Sam needed. His dad wasn’t really the joking kinda person.
"Shit." He mumbled.
"Yeah." John agreed.
"You think we’ll get out of here?" Sam knew he sounded like a scared five-year-old, but he needed some kind of reassurance. This came too close to being buried alive for his liking.
"The staircase is still standing; we should be able to get further up at least. It’ll make it easier to find a rescue team."
Sam smiled at his father’s words. John Winchester wasn’t going to be found. He was the one finding their rescuers.
"The sooner the better. I can’t wait to get out of these clothes and under a hot shower." Sam sighed.
John looked ruefully at his own clothes. They were both soaking wet by now; he wished he’d also taken his second duffel bag, the one holding his clothes, and not just the one with his guns and other utensils.
"John? John, are you here?" A female voice rang through the darkness.
"Anyone down here?" Another voice joined in.
"They found us." Sam breathed out relieved.
"I wouldn’t be so sure about that." John replied gloomily. "We’re here!"
A moment later, Roberta Bukater, followed by another man, appeared before them.
"John, thank god! I was worried about you." Roberta called out, sounding slightly out of breath.
"What are you doing here? You were supposed to go up!" John growled, not even half as happy to see Roberta again as she was to see him.
"The stairs are blocked." The man cut in. "I was trying to find a way to the fourth floor when Roberta came up the stairs. We tried together, but the stairs started collapsing under us, so we had to get out of there."
"We barely escaped with our lives." Roberta chimed in. In any other circumstance, Sam would have thought it sounded overdramatic.
"The stairs are gone?" John couldn’t believe it.
"Yeah. We gotta find another way out." The man said. "I’m Ben, by the way."
“John. This is my son Sam.” John introduced them.
"Roberta Bukater." Roberta held out her hand to Sam. "It’s a pleasure to meet you, young man."
"Uh, yeah ... likewise." Sam shook the offered hand. He shot a confused glance at his father who rolled his eyes.
"Now, Gentlemen, how do we get out of here?" Roberta asked expectantly.
Stan Mathers quickly walked by the crowd that had gathered behind the barrier tape, blue prints of the Marillin Inn clamped under his arm. It had been quite an argument, but eventually the Chief had agreed to his plan.
Find a way into the hotel and get out as many survivors as possible.
This wasn’t exactly in their usual job description. As fire fighters they did just that – fight fire. They helped with car accidents that turned out badly and rescued the occasional cat from a tree. Lately, they also pumped out a lot of cellars. However, rescue was their job and this certainly fit the description and although it wasn't routine, they were trained for it.
Climbing into a hotel that had sunken into the depths of earth - it wasn’t really what they were used to. He was lucky he was divorced already; his ex-wife would kick his ass for doing this.
He didn’t look forward sending his men into this. But it would take hours for the cavalry to arrive and he didn’t think these people down there could wait that long. He wasn’t going to waste any more time. The national guard would help when they eventually arrived.
Determined to save as many as he could, Stan entered the small diner he and his men used to discuss their further actions, and spread the blueprints out on one of the tables. “Okay, here’s what we’re going to do.” He looked at his crew that had gathered around him. “Three of us go in. We’ll thoroughly search each floor before going down to the next one.”
“That’s going to take forever; it’ll be quicker if we split up.” Ed Hazens, one of his men, cut in. Despite being on the team for over a year now, he was still looked upon as the new guy. He was young and reckless, but also one of the best at the job – he’d proven that more than once during the past year. Stan trusted him implicitly; but he also knew that Ed was more than willing to give his life up too easily. He was never afraid to take any risk to save another.
“We’ve already lost enough lives today, Eddie. I’m not risking yours too.” Stan replied sternly. “We go in, we check each room and we save as many as we can. No one …” He glared at the men around him. “No one is going to take any unnecessary risks. I want you all out in one piece, you hear me?” He locked eyes with each man before he continued. “Okay, we know of at least fifteen people who are trapped down there. There might be more. Look under every stone, check every corner. Don’t miss anyone, because once this building fully collapses, we don’t get a second chance.”
He inhaled deeply, once more letting his eyes go over his men. “This is voluntarily only. Officially … all those people down there are dead. Statistically, chances of surviving a whole building crashing into earth with you in it aren’t that good.”
“There are statistics about that?” Chris Adams grinned.
“There are statistics about everything, man!” Eddie replied, his grin joining his co-workers’.
Stan gave them a small smile, locking eyes with Chris for a moment. Together they’d started working as fire fighters almost twenty years ago and had quickly become best friends. Today, Chris was married to Stan’s sister and Stan was godfather to both their children. They had both gone through hell and back and more than once had saved each others’ lives. If Stan trusted Eddie implicitly, he trusted Stan with his life. And the lives of everyone he loved.
“Personally, I think chances of surviving are a lot higher if you fight for it.” He went on. “And if there’s only one man down there fighting, we’re not giving up on him. Any volunteers?”
All hands went up in the air and Stan looked proudly at his crew. They were the best at what they were doing. They were good men and he was proud to be working with them.
“Alright, Chris and Eddie, you come with me.”
“Count me in as well.” An unfamiliar voice sounded from the trailer’s entrance.
Slowly, Stan turned around, his eyes falling on a young man, probably around thirty years old, standing in the doorway.
He sighed. He hated dealing with these people, so called volunteers who wanted their five minutes of fame by playing the hero. “And you are?” He asked impatiently.
“Dean.” The man introduced himself.
“Dean …” Stan nodded. “You have any experience with this kind of job?”
Dean huffed. “You could say that. I know what I’m doing.”
“I’m sure you do, but this is a job for the professionals. Thanks for the offer though.”
He started to turn away, but then caught the determination mirrored in the younger man’s eyes – it made the hair rise on his neck. He wouldn’t get rid of this guy as easily as he had thought.
“I’m going down there, with or without you. I don’t really care.” Dean said coldly, confirming Stan’s thoughts. “But I figure you can use another man, one you won’t have to be afraid of losing.”
“We’re not losing anyone, bud. Not you, not anyone.” Stan wanted to say more. Explain to the guy why it was just impossible for him to join them. How he would put the whole mission at risk. How he would be more of a burden than a help. “Is someone you know in the hotel?” He asked instead.
Dean nodded. “My brother and father.”
So it wasn’t fame that was driving him, Stan thought. It made turning the man’s offer down a lot harder. “I promise you, we’ll do everything in our power to find them.”
Dean huffed. “I appreciate that, but I’m still going.”
Stan shared a short glance with Chris, who only shrugged in response. He looked back at Dean and there was something in his eyes … Stan found it impossible to turn him down.
“Fine. You can come with us.” He relented. He ignored the surprised gasps of his crew and hoped deeply he wouldn’t regret this. “You follow my orders, no questions asked. You do as I say and if you so much as think of objecting, I’ll drag you out with my own hands. Understood?”
“Yes, Sir.” Dean smirked.
If possible, the determination in his eyes had only increased.
“Okay, let’s get you some gear.”
To say that Dean felt uncomfortable wearing a safety helmet and a fireproof jacket was an understatement. He felt ridiculous wearing the gear and the jacket felt too huge to be comfortable.
The only advantage was he had been able to smuggle his gun on the rescue mission without anyone noticing. The jacket was hiding everything. As for the helmet - he reasoned should the ceiling suddenly decide to drop on him, at least it would protect his head. For all that was worth. He’d still be dead, most likely. But fine - they wanted him to wear the hat, he was wearing the hat.
He only hoped his father and brother knew what kind of sacrifices he was taking upon him to get them out of this hole. “Friggin hat!” He mumbled to himself.
Getting his family out was the only thing Dean had on his mind once he entered the hotel. Only part of the roof was still visible. They had cut a hole in it leading to the staircase; it dangled dangerously as he, Stan Mathers, Chris Adams and Eddie Hazens carefully made their way to the fourth floor. He expected the damage inside the hotel would be bad, but what he saw was worse than anything he had anticipated. It looked like a bomb had exploded inside. At the end of the corridor was a huge hole where the floor had given in and had collapsed onto the corridor beyond. Shivers ran down Dean’s spine when he thought of his father - his room had been on the floor below. As much as he tried to remember, he couldn’t say whether his room would have been on this side of the corridor or the other. For all he knew, his father lay buried under the collapsed ceiling.
“Looks pretty scary, huh?” Stan said quietly next to him.
Dean swallowed. “I’ve seen worse.”
“Sure you have.” Stan smirked. "It’ll get worse the lower we get. You sure you still want to do this?"
"Absolutely." Dean said determined.
“Hello?” Chris called. “Can anyone hear me?”
The four men held their breath, waiting for a reply. The seconds ticked away, too slow for Dean’s liking who felt as if the world had suddenly slowed down to slow-motion.
“Okay, let’s check the …”
“I’m here!” A female voice rang through the formerly silent corridor.
All four stood still as they tried to recognize where the voice had been coming from.
“Please, help me!”
“In here.” Chris called out and immediately rushed to a door a few feet away from where they were standing.
He carefully opened the door and lit the room with his flashlight. “Is someone here?”
“I’m here … please.”
The beam fell on a woman who sat in a corner, one leg pulled up to her chest, the other trapped under a piece of rock. She had a small, bleeding gash on her forehead, but otherwise seemed okay.
“Give me a hand.” Chris called.
Dean, Stan and Eddie were at his side in a second and together they freed the woman. Dean helped her up and guided her to the bed.
“You okay?” He asked.
She nodded and with a small, grateful smile looked up at the men. “Thank you.”
“Can you walk?” Stan asked.
Again she gave a small nod.
“Okay. Dean, you’re going to accompany her back out. Chris, Eddie and I …”
“No way!” Dean cut in immediately. “I’m not leaving until I’ve found Sam.”
“Sam?” The woman looked up at him in surprise.
Dean ignored her, his eyes narrowed on Stan Mathers instead. “I’m not.”
“You have two options here, Dean. First: You help the lady up and lead her out of here. Second: Chris is leading her out and Eddie and I drag your ass up the stairs and kick you out. Then I’ll make sure that you don’t set foot into this hotel ever again.” Stan looked at him with a raised eyebrow, his glare making sure that he meant what he’d said.
Dean bit his lower lip, unhappy with his options. He could bring the woman out; after all, he was an expert when it came to saving people. It would conflict with saving Sam though, and really, there was no question where his priorities lay when it came to Sam - or his dad. He could also try to make a run, start looking for Sam and his father on his own, but considering his surroundings, he wouldn’t get very far. His third option was talking his way out of it with Stan, but he would only lose valuable time. To be honest, he wasn’t exactly sure if he could win this argument.
“Fine.” He grumbled eventually. “I’ll lead her up and then I come right back.”
“Alright.” Stan dismissed him and turned to the others. “Let’s check the rest of the corridor.”
Frustrated, Dean watched them go and with an expression that spoke volumes, he turned to the woman. “Let’s go. I don’t have all day.”
He started walking to the door without waiting for her to reply. He was already back in the corridor, when he noticed she wasn’t behind him. With an exasperated sigh, he went back in.
“What?” He asked; his arms widespread.
She opened her mouth, but no words came out. Instead she stared at him with wide eyes. Her whole body was trembling.
Some of his anger vanished when Dean realized that the woman in front of him was down-right scared – close to a panic, actually, by the way she looked.
Inhaling deeply, he tried to sound as calm and soothing as possible. “It’s okay, really. It’s safe out there. The stairs are still stable. It’s not dangerous.”
She nodded, but still stood stock-still in the middle of the room.
“What’s your name?” Dean asked.
“Amy.” She breathed out. “My name’s Amy.”
“I’m Dean. Okay, Amy, this hotel? You might not have noticed, but it’s underground. It sunk into this huge hole and the only thing left visible is the roof and a small hole leading outside. We can’t stay here. If you want, take a few things you desperately need, but we can’t stay. There are other people I need to lead out as well and I don’t think they’ll like waiting. So …”
“All right, all right!” Amy called out, looking at him desperately. “I get it. We have to get out.”
“Yes.”
“We’re underground?”
“Yes.”
She nodded and Dean could see the fear increasing in her eyes. He actually started considering just grabbing her, throwing her over his shoulder and carrying her out, but she surprised him when she suddenly started moving.
With a few steps she walked passed him and out into the corridor.
“Great.” Dean mumbled and quickly followed her out.
They walked up the stairs in silence, Amy walking in front of Dean. Her steps became slower and slower until eventually, she stopped completely a few inches in front of the ladder leading to the hole and out of the hotel.
“We’re almost out. You think you can walk the last few steps on your own?” Dean asked impatiently, needing to get back downstairs and continuing looking for his family.
To his surprise, Amy shook her head and instead of walking towards the ladder, she took a hesitant step back down.
“What’s the problem now?”
“I … I can’t. I can’t. I’m sorry.” She slowly turned around and looked at him; the fear in her eyes seemed to have multiplied by a hundred fold. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s only a few more steps. I’ll walk with you, okay?” Dean said, not understanding what was going on with her.
“Just get back downstairs. Go find Sam. Get him out.” Tears were starting to role down her face and she quickly wiped them away. “Go find him before they do.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Dean looked at her confused.
“Just find him.”
Dean wanted nothing more than that. But he had promised to bring her out and it seemed he had to walk her the whole way. “Not before you’re safe. Let’s go.”
He took a few steps in her direction, holding his hand out for her to take, but Amy flinched away.
“You don’t understand.” She said, her voice trembling.
“I do. You’re scared, I get that. And it’s completely understandable under the circumstances.”
“It’s not that. Please, just go.”
“I’ll carry you out if I have to.” Dean said stubbornly. He swore inwardly at his inability to just leave her here. It wasn’t his problem if she didn’t want to leave. Unfortunately, he had the tendency to care for things that weren’t his problem. “I’m not leaving you here.”
Amy cast him another desperate look. “I haven’t left this hotel in nine years.” She breathed out eventually.
Dean’s jaw dropped. “Come again?”
“I … I’m afraid to go out.”
“O-Okay. Uhm … you do know that, right now, it’s safer outside than in here, right?”
“Yes.”
“And you know the hotel could collapse any moment.”
“Y-Yes.”
“You could die.”
“I know.”
“But you still don’t want to go out.” Dean shook his head in frustration.
“For the past nine years, I wanted nothing more than to go out, every single moment of the day. But … I …” She looked at him helplessly.
“You’re scared.”
"Yes." She whispered.
“Okay.” Dean breathed out. Images of him and Sam at an airport somewhere in Pennsylvania came to his mind. He could somehow relate to how she felt. “Okay, um, just … just relax. Stay calm. Take some deep breaths.”
“What?” Amy stared at him exasperated.
Dean thought that was at least an improvement to her panicked look from before. “You know Metallica?”
“What?”
“Never mind. Just try not to think of … of whatever it is you’re afraid of out there, okay?” Carefully he crossed the distance between them and reached for her hand, this time successfully taking it in his own. “I’m at your side the whole time.”
Another tremble went through her body, but eventually Amy gave a short nod. Slowly, she took a step towards the ladder.
“You know, the funny thing is … I’m more afraid of what’s down here than of what’s out there.” She said nervously.
“Yeah, I know the feeling. Okay, we’re almost there. How are you fee…”
Before he could finish his question, the stairs started shaking and the plaster was starting to rain down on them from the ceiling.
“Oh, come on!” Dean yelled angrily. He tightened his grip around Amy’s hand and pulled her up the ladder. Ignoring her pull at his arms as she automatically fought to exit the building, he dragged her through the hole and onto the roof. As fast as he could, he ran over the roof with her, not stopping until he reached solid ground again. Hands grabbed him and pulled him farther away from the hole as a rumbling sound reached his ear. He could hear people screaming around him, Amy’s voice clearly audible among them.
Eventually, the shaking stopped and Dean felt safe enough to get up from the ground. Slowly, he turned around. A shocked gasp escaped him when his eyes fell on the hole. The roof was gone – and so was their last entrance into the hotel.
TBC
Chapter 6
Sam stared at the scene that unfolded before him. Where just moments ago there had been darkness and destruction was now a well lit room, undamaged and inhabited by a young couple. They were arguing. The woman screamed at the man until he pushed her down on the bed. Before she had a chance to get up again, he rammed a knife deep into her stomach. Pulling it out again, he repeated the motion, over and over. Blood splattered everywhere - and within moments, the walls were bloodstained.
Sam wanted to lunge forward to stop the man from further slaughter, when an excruciating pain exploded in his head. The room vanished and he once again found himself surrounded by darkness. Clutching his head with his hands, he sank to the ground, hardly aware of the arms holding him.
"...am? Sam?"
Through the blood rushing in his ears, he heard his father calling for him. As the pain slowly subsided, he let go of his head and gave his father the thumbs up.
"m’okay." He mumbled sluggishly. He still felt his father’s arms around him and held on in order to steady himself. The world was spinning dangerously fast.
"What did you see?" John wanted to know.
Sam was starting to get sick of the question; he missed the good old times when neither his brother nor father cared about what he thought, much less what he’d seen.
Or maybe he was just gonna get sick in general.
"I’m gonna throw up." He managed to warn his dad.
Reacting instantly, as he always did, John turned Sam away and instead of his father’s lap, the youngest Winchester emptied his stomach on the debris that had previously trapped him. Poetic justice, if you asked him.
"Better?" John asked.
He didn’t sound annoyed as Sam would have expected. The warmth and worry in his voice as well as the strong arms still holding him triggered a familiar feeling that Sam couldn’t quite grasp. "Yeah."
The world had stopped spinning, but Sam took the feeling of safety and warmth his father’s arms offered; leaning into them, he gave into the weakness these visions always left him with. He hated it.
He startled when a hand gently stroked his hair. This was a side of his father he didn’t think still existed – if it ever had.
"What do you say we get out of here now?" John asked a moment later. "This water is starting to get cold."
Sam laughed quietly. "You’ll g-get used to it after a while." He pulled away from his dad, immediately missing the contact as the cold resurged through his body. Wrapping his arms around his body, he slowly got up.
"It’s time to get you out of it then." A smile flashed across John’s face. "You were always the last out of the water, no matter how cold it was. I swear, sometimes your lips had already turned blue."
Sam puffed. "We never stayed at a p-place long enough for that to-to happen." He regretted his words the moment they’d left his mouth. He’d just meant them as a joke - this time. Unfortunately, he had too often spoken them in anger in the past – anger usually directed at his father.
"Johnsburg, Illinois." John said, not a trace of anger in his voice.
Sam breathed out in relief.
"We stayed in a cabin at a lake. You and Dean spent hours in the water. It was a miracle you didn’t grow gills. " John smiled at the memory. "Dean always had to drag you back into the house to warm up."
Sam had a vague memory of that time. He remembered him and Dean playing in the water and later sitting huddled in blankets in front of a chimney while their dad cleaned guns at a nearby table, telling them a story.
He wondered just how much he’d forgotten.
"Good old times." He smiled.
"Yeah, good old times."
They stayed quiet for a moment, both lost in their own thoughts.
"Well, we better get going before this whole building collapses on us." John eventually said.
"Do you have any idea what happened?" Sam asked as they slowly made their way back to the staircase. Every step hurt, but moving helped against the cold. Already, Sam felt the tremors fading.
John sighed. "Same as my truck, only bigger."
Sam looked at him confused.
"We’re in a giant sinkhole that apparently swallowed the whole hotel." John explained.
Sam’s eyes widened in shock. "You’re kidding."
John’s raised brow was all the answer Sam needed. His dad wasn’t really the joking kinda person.
"Shit." He mumbled.
"Yeah." John agreed.
"You think we’ll get out of here?" Sam knew he sounded like a scared five-year-old, but he needed some kind of reassurance. This came too close to being buried alive for his liking.
"The staircase is still standing; we should be able to get further up at least. It’ll make it easier to find a rescue team."
Sam smiled at his father’s words. John Winchester wasn’t going to be found. He was the one finding their rescuers.
"The sooner the better. I can’t wait to get out of these clothes and under a hot shower." Sam sighed.
John looked ruefully at his own clothes. They were both soaking wet by now; he wished he’d also taken his second duffel bag, the one holding his clothes, and not just the one with his guns and other utensils.
"John? John, are you here?" A female voice rang through the darkness.
"Anyone down here?" Another voice joined in.
"They found us." Sam breathed out relieved.
"I wouldn’t be so sure about that." John replied gloomily. "We’re here!"
A moment later, Roberta Bukater, followed by another man, appeared before them.
"John, thank god! I was worried about you." Roberta called out, sounding slightly out of breath.
"What are you doing here? You were supposed to go up!" John growled, not even half as happy to see Roberta again as she was to see him.
"The stairs are blocked." The man cut in. "I was trying to find a way to the fourth floor when Roberta came up the stairs. We tried together, but the stairs started collapsing under us, so we had to get out of there."
"We barely escaped with our lives." Roberta chimed in. In any other circumstance, Sam would have thought it sounded overdramatic.
"The stairs are gone?" John couldn’t believe it.
"Yeah. We gotta find another way out." The man said. "I’m Ben, by the way."
“John. This is my son Sam.” John introduced them.
"Roberta Bukater." Roberta held out her hand to Sam. "It’s a pleasure to meet you, young man."
"Uh, yeah ... likewise." Sam shook the offered hand. He shot a confused glance at his father who rolled his eyes.
"Now, Gentlemen, how do we get out of here?" Roberta asked expectantly.
---SPN---
Stan Mathers quickly walked by the crowd that had gathered behind the barrier tape, blue prints of the Marillin Inn clamped under his arm. It had been quite an argument, but eventually the Chief had agreed to his plan.
Find a way into the hotel and get out as many survivors as possible.
This wasn’t exactly in their usual job description. As fire fighters they did just that – fight fire. They helped with car accidents that turned out badly and rescued the occasional cat from a tree. Lately, they also pumped out a lot of cellars. However, rescue was their job and this certainly fit the description and although it wasn't routine, they were trained for it.
Climbing into a hotel that had sunken into the depths of earth - it wasn’t really what they were used to. He was lucky he was divorced already; his ex-wife would kick his ass for doing this.
He didn’t look forward sending his men into this. But it would take hours for the cavalry to arrive and he didn’t think these people down there could wait that long. He wasn’t going to waste any more time. The national guard would help when they eventually arrived.
Determined to save as many as he could, Stan entered the small diner he and his men used to discuss their further actions, and spread the blueprints out on one of the tables. “Okay, here’s what we’re going to do.” He looked at his crew that had gathered around him. “Three of us go in. We’ll thoroughly search each floor before going down to the next one.”
“That’s going to take forever; it’ll be quicker if we split up.” Ed Hazens, one of his men, cut in. Despite being on the team for over a year now, he was still looked upon as the new guy. He was young and reckless, but also one of the best at the job – he’d proven that more than once during the past year. Stan trusted him implicitly; but he also knew that Ed was more than willing to give his life up too easily. He was never afraid to take any risk to save another.
“We’ve already lost enough lives today, Eddie. I’m not risking yours too.” Stan replied sternly. “We go in, we check each room and we save as many as we can. No one …” He glared at the men around him. “No one is going to take any unnecessary risks. I want you all out in one piece, you hear me?” He locked eyes with each man before he continued. “Okay, we know of at least fifteen people who are trapped down there. There might be more. Look under every stone, check every corner. Don’t miss anyone, because once this building fully collapses, we don’t get a second chance.”
He inhaled deeply, once more letting his eyes go over his men. “This is voluntarily only. Officially … all those people down there are dead. Statistically, chances of surviving a whole building crashing into earth with you in it aren’t that good.”
“There are statistics about that?” Chris Adams grinned.
“There are statistics about everything, man!” Eddie replied, his grin joining his co-workers’.
Stan gave them a small smile, locking eyes with Chris for a moment. Together they’d started working as fire fighters almost twenty years ago and had quickly become best friends. Today, Chris was married to Stan’s sister and Stan was godfather to both their children. They had both gone through hell and back and more than once had saved each others’ lives. If Stan trusted Eddie implicitly, he trusted Stan with his life. And the lives of everyone he loved.
“Personally, I think chances of surviving are a lot higher if you fight for it.” He went on. “And if there’s only one man down there fighting, we’re not giving up on him. Any volunteers?”
All hands went up in the air and Stan looked proudly at his crew. They were the best at what they were doing. They were good men and he was proud to be working with them.
“Alright, Chris and Eddie, you come with me.”
“Count me in as well.” An unfamiliar voice sounded from the trailer’s entrance.
Slowly, Stan turned around, his eyes falling on a young man, probably around thirty years old, standing in the doorway.
He sighed. He hated dealing with these people, so called volunteers who wanted their five minutes of fame by playing the hero. “And you are?” He asked impatiently.
“Dean.” The man introduced himself.
“Dean …” Stan nodded. “You have any experience with this kind of job?”
Dean huffed. “You could say that. I know what I’m doing.”
“I’m sure you do, but this is a job for the professionals. Thanks for the offer though.”
He started to turn away, but then caught the determination mirrored in the younger man’s eyes – it made the hair rise on his neck. He wouldn’t get rid of this guy as easily as he had thought.
“I’m going down there, with or without you. I don’t really care.” Dean said coldly, confirming Stan’s thoughts. “But I figure you can use another man, one you won’t have to be afraid of losing.”
“We’re not losing anyone, bud. Not you, not anyone.” Stan wanted to say more. Explain to the guy why it was just impossible for him to join them. How he would put the whole mission at risk. How he would be more of a burden than a help. “Is someone you know in the hotel?” He asked instead.
Dean nodded. “My brother and father.”
So it wasn’t fame that was driving him, Stan thought. It made turning the man’s offer down a lot harder. “I promise you, we’ll do everything in our power to find them.”
Dean huffed. “I appreciate that, but I’m still going.”
Stan shared a short glance with Chris, who only shrugged in response. He looked back at Dean and there was something in his eyes … Stan found it impossible to turn him down.
“Fine. You can come with us.” He relented. He ignored the surprised gasps of his crew and hoped deeply he wouldn’t regret this. “You follow my orders, no questions asked. You do as I say and if you so much as think of objecting, I’ll drag you out with my own hands. Understood?”
“Yes, Sir.” Dean smirked.
If possible, the determination in his eyes had only increased.
“Okay, let’s get you some gear.”
---SPN---
To say that Dean felt uncomfortable wearing a safety helmet and a fireproof jacket was an understatement. He felt ridiculous wearing the gear and the jacket felt too huge to be comfortable.
The only advantage was he had been able to smuggle his gun on the rescue mission without anyone noticing. The jacket was hiding everything. As for the helmet - he reasoned should the ceiling suddenly decide to drop on him, at least it would protect his head. For all that was worth. He’d still be dead, most likely. But fine - they wanted him to wear the hat, he was wearing the hat.
He only hoped his father and brother knew what kind of sacrifices he was taking upon him to get them out of this hole. “Friggin hat!” He mumbled to himself.
Getting his family out was the only thing Dean had on his mind once he entered the hotel. Only part of the roof was still visible. They had cut a hole in it leading to the staircase; it dangled dangerously as he, Stan Mathers, Chris Adams and Eddie Hazens carefully made their way to the fourth floor. He expected the damage inside the hotel would be bad, but what he saw was worse than anything he had anticipated. It looked like a bomb had exploded inside. At the end of the corridor was a huge hole where the floor had given in and had collapsed onto the corridor beyond. Shivers ran down Dean’s spine when he thought of his father - his room had been on the floor below. As much as he tried to remember, he couldn’t say whether his room would have been on this side of the corridor or the other. For all he knew, his father lay buried under the collapsed ceiling.
“Looks pretty scary, huh?” Stan said quietly next to him.
Dean swallowed. “I’ve seen worse.”
“Sure you have.” Stan smirked. "It’ll get worse the lower we get. You sure you still want to do this?"
"Absolutely." Dean said determined.
“Hello?” Chris called. “Can anyone hear me?”
The four men held their breath, waiting for a reply. The seconds ticked away, too slow for Dean’s liking who felt as if the world had suddenly slowed down to slow-motion.
“Okay, let’s check the …”
“I’m here!” A female voice rang through the formerly silent corridor.
All four stood still as they tried to recognize where the voice had been coming from.
“Please, help me!”
“In here.” Chris called out and immediately rushed to a door a few feet away from where they were standing.
He carefully opened the door and lit the room with his flashlight. “Is someone here?”
“I’m here … please.”
The beam fell on a woman who sat in a corner, one leg pulled up to her chest, the other trapped under a piece of rock. She had a small, bleeding gash on her forehead, but otherwise seemed okay.
“Give me a hand.” Chris called.
Dean, Stan and Eddie were at his side in a second and together they freed the woman. Dean helped her up and guided her to the bed.
“You okay?” He asked.
She nodded and with a small, grateful smile looked up at the men. “Thank you.”
“Can you walk?” Stan asked.
Again she gave a small nod.
“Okay. Dean, you’re going to accompany her back out. Chris, Eddie and I …”
“No way!” Dean cut in immediately. “I’m not leaving until I’ve found Sam.”
“Sam?” The woman looked up at him in surprise.
Dean ignored her, his eyes narrowed on Stan Mathers instead. “I’m not.”
“You have two options here, Dean. First: You help the lady up and lead her out of here. Second: Chris is leading her out and Eddie and I drag your ass up the stairs and kick you out. Then I’ll make sure that you don’t set foot into this hotel ever again.” Stan looked at him with a raised eyebrow, his glare making sure that he meant what he’d said.
Dean bit his lower lip, unhappy with his options. He could bring the woman out; after all, he was an expert when it came to saving people. It would conflict with saving Sam though, and really, there was no question where his priorities lay when it came to Sam - or his dad. He could also try to make a run, start looking for Sam and his father on his own, but considering his surroundings, he wouldn’t get very far. His third option was talking his way out of it with Stan, but he would only lose valuable time. To be honest, he wasn’t exactly sure if he could win this argument.
“Fine.” He grumbled eventually. “I’ll lead her up and then I come right back.”
“Alright.” Stan dismissed him and turned to the others. “Let’s check the rest of the corridor.”
Frustrated, Dean watched them go and with an expression that spoke volumes, he turned to the woman. “Let’s go. I don’t have all day.”
He started walking to the door without waiting for her to reply. He was already back in the corridor, when he noticed she wasn’t behind him. With an exasperated sigh, he went back in.
“What?” He asked; his arms widespread.
She opened her mouth, but no words came out. Instead she stared at him with wide eyes. Her whole body was trembling.
Some of his anger vanished when Dean realized that the woman in front of him was down-right scared – close to a panic, actually, by the way she looked.
Inhaling deeply, he tried to sound as calm and soothing as possible. “It’s okay, really. It’s safe out there. The stairs are still stable. It’s not dangerous.”
She nodded, but still stood stock-still in the middle of the room.
“What’s your name?” Dean asked.
“Amy.” She breathed out. “My name’s Amy.”
“I’m Dean. Okay, Amy, this hotel? You might not have noticed, but it’s underground. It sunk into this huge hole and the only thing left visible is the roof and a small hole leading outside. We can’t stay here. If you want, take a few things you desperately need, but we can’t stay. There are other people I need to lead out as well and I don’t think they’ll like waiting. So …”
“All right, all right!” Amy called out, looking at him desperately. “I get it. We have to get out.”
“Yes.”
“We’re underground?”
“Yes.”
She nodded and Dean could see the fear increasing in her eyes. He actually started considering just grabbing her, throwing her over his shoulder and carrying her out, but she surprised him when she suddenly started moving.
With a few steps she walked passed him and out into the corridor.
“Great.” Dean mumbled and quickly followed her out.
They walked up the stairs in silence, Amy walking in front of Dean. Her steps became slower and slower until eventually, she stopped completely a few inches in front of the ladder leading to the hole and out of the hotel.
“We’re almost out. You think you can walk the last few steps on your own?” Dean asked impatiently, needing to get back downstairs and continuing looking for his family.
To his surprise, Amy shook her head and instead of walking towards the ladder, she took a hesitant step back down.
“What’s the problem now?”
“I … I can’t. I can’t. I’m sorry.” She slowly turned around and looked at him; the fear in her eyes seemed to have multiplied by a hundred fold. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s only a few more steps. I’ll walk with you, okay?” Dean said, not understanding what was going on with her.
“Just get back downstairs. Go find Sam. Get him out.” Tears were starting to role down her face and she quickly wiped them away. “Go find him before they do.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Dean looked at her confused.
“Just find him.”
Dean wanted nothing more than that. But he had promised to bring her out and it seemed he had to walk her the whole way. “Not before you’re safe. Let’s go.”
He took a few steps in her direction, holding his hand out for her to take, but Amy flinched away.
“You don’t understand.” She said, her voice trembling.
“I do. You’re scared, I get that. And it’s completely understandable under the circumstances.”
“It’s not that. Please, just go.”
“I’ll carry you out if I have to.” Dean said stubbornly. He swore inwardly at his inability to just leave her here. It wasn’t his problem if she didn’t want to leave. Unfortunately, he had the tendency to care for things that weren’t his problem. “I’m not leaving you here.”
Amy cast him another desperate look. “I haven’t left this hotel in nine years.” She breathed out eventually.
Dean’s jaw dropped. “Come again?”
“I … I’m afraid to go out.”
“O-Okay. Uhm … you do know that, right now, it’s safer outside than in here, right?”
“Yes.”
“And you know the hotel could collapse any moment.”
“Y-Yes.”
“You could die.”
“I know.”
“But you still don’t want to go out.” Dean shook his head in frustration.
“For the past nine years, I wanted nothing more than to go out, every single moment of the day. But … I …” She looked at him helplessly.
“You’re scared.”
"Yes." She whispered.
“Okay.” Dean breathed out. Images of him and Sam at an airport somewhere in Pennsylvania came to his mind. He could somehow relate to how she felt. “Okay, um, just … just relax. Stay calm. Take some deep breaths.”
“What?” Amy stared at him exasperated.
Dean thought that was at least an improvement to her panicked look from before. “You know Metallica?”
“What?”
“Never mind. Just try not to think of … of whatever it is you’re afraid of out there, okay?” Carefully he crossed the distance between them and reached for her hand, this time successfully taking it in his own. “I’m at your side the whole time.”
Another tremble went through her body, but eventually Amy gave a short nod. Slowly, she took a step towards the ladder.
“You know, the funny thing is … I’m more afraid of what’s down here than of what’s out there.” She said nervously.
“Yeah, I know the feeling. Okay, we’re almost there. How are you fee…”
Before he could finish his question, the stairs started shaking and the plaster was starting to rain down on them from the ceiling.
“Oh, come on!” Dean yelled angrily. He tightened his grip around Amy’s hand and pulled her up the ladder. Ignoring her pull at his arms as she automatically fought to exit the building, he dragged her through the hole and onto the roof. As fast as he could, he ran over the roof with her, not stopping until he reached solid ground again. Hands grabbed him and pulled him farther away from the hole as a rumbling sound reached his ear. He could hear people screaming around him, Amy’s voice clearly audible among them.
Eventually, the shaking stopped and Dean felt safe enough to get up from the ground. Slowly, he turned around. A shocked gasp escaped him when his eyes fell on the hole. The roof was gone – and so was their last entrance into the hotel.
TBC