PART 5

"So that's the bitch who took out Elkins?"

"Yeah." Sam stopped his investigation of their new holdings to glance at Caleb. He convinced The Knight to sit down and let him check the room out, but Caleb was perched on the edge of the twin bed, waiting to pounce on any prospect Sam might find for their escape. Liam hadn't taken them back to the cellar after their informative meeting with Beckett. Instead their host proposed a more civilized arena as a show of good faith. It was a sparsely decorated room off to the side of the kitchen.

Sam supposed it was designed for the family chef, but in Beckett's situation it went unneeded and therefore unused. There were no windows, but it was close to an outside exit, which did them little good considering the two vampires guarding the door. "I haven't seen her since Dad blew her mate away."

"Luther was the vampire Johnny tested The Colt on?"

"It was a standoff situation. Luther was going to kill me." Sam leaned against the small chest of drawers. The energy he'd siphoned from adrenaline was failing him. He remembered his father raising the weapon against Luther, pulling the trigger without a second of hesitation. Sam wanted to believe it was done out of fear, not a test to see if the legends were true. If nothing else, John Winchester always seemed sure of himself, confident in whatever split-second decision he was called upon to make. Sam wished for that kind of clarity. "Kate watched it happen."

"That explains her perverse look of pleasure at seeing you." Caleb ran a hand through his hair. "And her giddy anticipation at the prospects of putting a bullet in Deuce."

"Beckett found the one vampire that has a grudge against us."

"The man's not stupid. Beckett's killing two birds with one stone. I think that bastard really believes that by taking us out he's going to paint himself as some kind of hanging judge, hero right out of the pages of a dime store novel."

"He kept mentioning an associate, someone who guaranteed he'd be protected from The Brotherhood."

"Fuck the associate," Caleb growled. "He plans on Dean finding us after the fact because that's where Kate comes in. She'll look like a renegade blinded by grief. Beckett gets rid of The Guardian without being blamed for his death."

"That's why he didn't act concerned about consequences of murdering us." Sam joined Caleb by the bed. "He's planning to take out the whole Triad, counting on The Brotherhood falling apart."

"He's right about that," Caleb stood up, one arm holding his side. "Mac wouldn't be able to rein it back in. I doubt if Beckett was bluffing about watching those closest to us. He's probably planning hits on Ethan, Eli-anyone that could be a threat after we're gone. All Jim's work, all our sacrifices, goes up in smoke."

Sam palmed his eyes, dark spots flashing on and off as the pain in his head sparked suddenly. He would have blamed it on dehydration, if not for the tingling which started at the base of his ring finger, dancing along his right arm. The unfamiliar sensation raced across his chest before curling up in the pit of his stomach like a fat cat in a chair. It purred, vibrating his whole body.

"Holy shit," Caleb said. "Did you feel that?"

Sam opened his eyes, seeing his surprise mirrored in The Knight's gold eyes. "You felt it, too?"

"Hell yes." Caleb touched his ring, nodding. "Major disturbance in The Force, Luke."

"Triad power?" Sam experienced a similar feeling during the ceremony. It was the only thing he could compare it to.

"Deuce is trying to find us." Caleb braced himself against the bed post. He looked as bad as Sam felt. "He's going to walk right into Beckett's trap."

"You know Dean better than that." Sam knew his brother was smart, and this wasn't the first time someone had used them against one another. Like Dean once said, they were each other's biggest weakness. "Mac and Castiel will keep him from doing anything rash."

"You know your brother better than that." Caleb's gaze narrowed. "We're missing; The Triad link is wide open now."

"Meaning he probably knows what's been happening to us." Sam rubbed his ring, understanding his brother would not only know, but would have caught the resonance of their ordeal. He thought of Cold Oak, how Dean had gotten there too late to save him. Dean considered that his greatest failure-the point when everything took a turn for the worse. Fear of it happening again would make him more reckless than usual.

"We have to get out of here," Caleb said. "Save our own asses, warn him. We're The Knight and The Scholar for fuck's sake. The entire Brotherhood is at stake."

"There are no windows, and I can sense at least two guards at the one and only door." Sam wanted the same thing, but couldn't help but see their situation logically.

"So we take them out."

"Right." Sam sat down on the bed. "Have at it, Rocky."

"You saw the back door out of here just as well as I did, Sammy. Underestimating us was a misstep on Beckett's part." Caleb sat beside him, lowering his voice to a bare whisper. "We have to take advantage of it. He thinks we're too weak to try anything."

"We are too weak to try anything!" Sam hissed. "Did you already forget what Liam did to you? We're barely a match for them in hand to hand on a good day. We had crossbows and our abilities in Pittsburgh, and we still nearly got our asses handed to us."

"We can level the playing field if you'll just listen to what I'm saying." Caleb reached out, gripped Sam's wrist. "Put my idea about the demon blood back on the table."

"You're on that again." Sam tried to evade Caleb's grip, but the older hunter held firm.

"You heard Beckett. The only thing keeping him from killing us is the big exhibition he has planned for tomorrow night. He's waiting for other vampires to arrive for the show. There's no telling how many will be here even if Dean gets here in time." Caleb held up his hand, flashing his ring. "We can't let The Triad be destroyed, Sammy. You know that. It's bigger than just us now."

"It took everything I had to stop the first time." Sam was feeling that ugly desperation take root.

"This isn't like before." Caleb let him go. "You're not sneaking around, working with a demon. We're doing it together, as Knight and Scholar."

"What if that makes it even more wrong? We violate the code and lose our rings for good?"

"I don't think so. Jim knew what we were capable of. He didn't want us to deny our gifts, but use them for good."

"I'm not sure Jim would have chosen me to be The Scholar if he knew what was to come." Sam was certain Jim never imagined one of his boys would have started the apocalypse.

"Are you kidding me?" Caleb leaned his elbows on his knees, looking over at Sam. "You were Jim's favorite. He let you get away with murder."

"I was terrible to him." Sam shook his head, remembering his last trip to the farm before Stanford.

"When?" Caleb frowned.

"Before I went to school, it was not one of my finer moments." Sam never got the chance to apologize, fate and Meg conspired together to take his opportunity.

"I can't see Jim trying to convince you to stay. The preacher was all about choices."

"It was what he didn't say that pissed me off." Sam glanced at the other hunter. "I wanted him to say I was right and Dad was wrong. I just wanted someone to be on my side for once."

"He was on your side, Runt."

"I know that now. At the time I felt betrayed by his impartiality." In Sam's eyes Dean sided with their father, Caleb automatically sided with Dean. Mac and Bobby had attempted to be Switzerland, which only left the pastor. The Guardian was a key member of the family for Sam to win over. Sam had practiced his final argument for a week, needing some kind of validation for the decision he had reached. "I gave him this stirring speech, and when he didn't react the way I wanted, I lumped him into the enemy's quarters, quoting his favorite scholar, Desiderius Erasmas. 'He who allows oppression, shares the crime.'"

"Ouch." Caleb snorted. "I'm sure Mac would have appreciated the pompous reference."

"Jim was hurt. I could see, but I didn't take it back." Sam held Caleb's gaze. "He sent letters to Stanford, care packages. I never replied in kind, never returned his calls."

"Dude, Jim didn't hold any of that against you. He was your biggest proponent, never let me say one bad word about you in his company."

Sam rolled his eyes. "That's good to know."

Caleb smirked, bumping Sam's shoulder. "God knows Bobby got sick of hearing me bitch about you."

"I bet."

"Just so you know, Johnny wasn't the only one who ordered me out to California on a monthly rotation to keep tabs on you over the years. Pastor Jim never lost faith you would come home someday, and I'm not talking about Jessica's death dragging you back into hunting." Caleb pointed to the silver band on Sam's hand. "The old man knew you'd be ready to take on the position of Scholar. He believed in the kind of man you would be-the kind of Triad we would become. A little demon blood could never change how much he loved us."

"That's just it, man. I'm not sure if I'm the person he hoped for. I don't even recognize myself half the time."

"When I look at you I still see that innocent five year old who wanted to send Santa a valentine. I see the loyal twelve year old who would go to any lengths for his big brother. I also see the smartass teen who stood his ground with his old man to fight for a better life for his family. You are still all those people, Kiddo, only smarter. The same guy who sits here now."

"Does it do any good for me to point out that you're biased, and you're trying to convince me to see your side of things?"

"The only thing I'm trying to convince you of is to use your strengths, the least of which have anything to do with your psychic abilities. Become The Scholar Jim believed you would be."

"By making another mistake?"

"By doing what it takes to save The Brotherhood."

"You mean doing what you want."

"Does that necessarily make it wrong?"

"You and Dean always do this." Sam stood, running his hands through his hair. "You bully me. You treat me like a kid by thinking you automatically know what's best for me."

"I'm not going to apologize for doing my job. I'm The Knight." Caleb pushed himself onto shaky legs. Sam crossed his arms, resisting the urge to reach out and steady his friend. "I've been watching out for you and Dean since I was thirteen. If you haven't noticed by now, I'm not cut out for inaction. I will do anything to protect what's mine."

"You're obsessed. Just like Dad."

"Your dad's obsession made him one hell of a Knight."

"It made him a terrible father."

"I can't argue that fact." Caleb pinched the bridge of his nose, swaying slightly. "But I do know Johnny's heart was always in a good place. He was trying to do the right thing."

"That's all I'm trying to do," Sam looked up at the ceiling, taking a deep breath to clear his foggy head. "It's all I do all day long-try to do the right thing. It's fucking exhausting."

"Then we understand each other."

"I thought so after the Triad ceremony." Sam stepped closer to Caleb in case The Knight keeled over. Becoming The Scholar had given Sam the first twinges of hope, a hint of promise he was finally on the road to redemption. Never in a million years would he have dreamed his salvation would come through servitude to The Brotherhood, but he began to comprehend the appreciation his brother and Caleb had for the cause.

"Becoming The Triad was just the warm up," Caleb said softly. "The real race is just beginning."

"Great." Sam felt like he'd already run a triathlon a few times over. "I'm not sure I'm up for it."

"Mac says each Triad has their own trials to overcome, a different rhythm they have to learn. I used to think we'd have an easier time of it being more traditional, having grown up together, that maybe we wouldn't knock heads like Johnny and Dad. Now, I think it's harder, because we have all these preset beliefs and expectations."

"Roles we fall in to." Sam realized he had been playing from the old script as well. "Like me thinking you and Dean have only one motivation."

"Dude, Deuce is like the fucking pond at the farm." Caleb looked down at his hand, twisting his hunter's band. "He reflects back what others need to see, keeping his own shit beneath the surface. When it comes to him, you have to go deeper to discover what's stirring below. If you'd listen to your gut more often than your head, you'd know that."

"No." Sam bit his lip. "You're just better at getting past his defenses."

"Please." Caleb groaned. "No one can get to Dean like you."

Sam knew it was true. He had a connection with his brother that transcended rationale. "I can't let him down again, Caleb. I promised him I'd never betray his trust."

"You're not. He'll understand, and he'll forgive us." Caleb gave a half smile. "Eventually."

"What if I can't stop it this time?"

"My blood is different than the run of the mill possessed person. Like pure heroine, wasn't that what Ruby said. It won't take much."

"It might not work. I'm out of practice." Sam knew that wasn't true. He could feel the power stir inside him, anticipation building like a tidal wave. He tried one last rebuttal. "What if you drink my blood? You're a more powerful psychic than I am. It might work better."

"I'm not so sure I'm more adept than you, and now's not the time to experiment, Runt. Besides, you're forgetting a very important part. Despite what you believe about what Azazel did to you, you're not a demon."

"Neither are you!"

"One sixteenth of my family tree says I am. Just ask Castiel. Besides your and Liam's taste buds can't be wrong."

"God, you're an ass." Sam growled, wishing he had never made that joke.

"Keep thinking that." Caleb grinned, patting Sam's knee. He crossed the room, taking a picture frame from the dresser. It held a black and white photo of a grinning little boy. Caleb slid the photograph out as he walked back to Sam, letting it fall to the floor. He gripped the glass in both hands, snapping it in two. "Maybe it'll make it easier on you if you're pissed at me. Anger is a good weapon."

"Nothing about this is easy." Sam stood, staring down at the broken glass resting against the inside of Caleb's arm where Liam had left his mark. He lifted his gaze to The Knight. "I am definitely pissed at you, and stop quoting Dad."

"I'm sorry." Caleb didn't continue with his expected humor. "I wouldn't ask you to do this if there was any other way."

"I know. You can't help yourself."

"It'll be okay." Caleb continued to look at him as he used the edge of the glass to reopen the old wound. "Just think of it as an unorthodox transfusion. I'd easily give you a kidney, Runt, this is no different."

"I can't wait to see how Dean takes that comparison." Sam appreciated the fact his friend took great care not to flinch. "I don't know how much it will take."

"Just remember I need to be able to walk out of here." Caleb gave a nod.

Sam closed his eyes and took a deep breath, the coppery smell had his stomach twisting, but the taste of power in the air dampened the nausea. Ruby's face flashed through his mind so he used Caleb's assurances to push her taunting image away.

He had to believe they were making the right choice, the only one available to them. It was hard to escape the fear he and Caleb were failing some kind of cosmic test as the newly elected Scholar and Knight. That what they were doing might leave Jim shaking his head in disappointment, and Lucifer with a smug smile of satisfaction. But then the energy surged inside him, unleashing the animal yanking at its chain, and Sam Winchester let go, embracing the opportunity at hand.

The large silence of the snowy fields was unexpected. Caleb didn't know what they would find once outside Beckett's mansion, but wide open country blanketed in all of winter's glory was a disappointment. It made running more difficult, tracking them easier for their already adept opponents. A city would have been nice, even a ritzy suburb. Anything that would have provided them with a shot to snatch a ride, grab a phone, or secure some kind of weapons. Luck was not their bitch tonight.

His plan had worked to some degree. Thanks to the demon blood coursing through him, Sam had gotten them out of the room, past the two guards. It had been impressive to watch. Telekinesis was never in Caleb's repertoire of talents, but if he ever coveted an ability, it would have been first on his list. Sam made harnessing his psychic energy look easy, which left Caleb with a mixed bag of emotions including pride and more than a little guilt. Deuce was going to kick his ass.

Caleb shivered. Sam shifted closer to him. There hadn't been time to strip the headless vampires of their coats, which left Sam and Caleb out in the elements with t-shirts and jeans, now wet from running through snow-burdened trees. He had managed to grab a couple of bottles of sparkling water from a counter as he passed. Caleb pulled one from the back of his jeans. He took a long drink, offering it to Sam. The younger hunter took the bottle, wiping the back of his arm over his forehead. They were both sweating from the long run, breathing hard. Their panting created little clouds of condensation in the darkness. Even beneath the canopy of bushes where they chanced a momentary rest, Caleb could make out the worry in the younger hunter's gaze.

'Are you okay?' Sam's voice was too loud and sharp in his head, like the dry snow squeaking beneath his boots as they ran. It didn't take much energy to access their link, especially now that they were bound by The Triad and in such close proximity, but Caleb could feel the further sapping of his strength.

'I'm fine.' Caleb winced. 'Stop asking.'

'Sure you are.' Sam took another drink, handing the bottle back to Caleb. He scanned the darkness around them, his hand still wrapped around the bloodied butcher's blade. Putting them beside a well-equipped kitchen really was an asinine move on Beckett's part in more ways than one. His cutlery came in handy in their escape. If only the cupboard had come stocked with dead man's blood, GPS and crossbows.

Caleb finished off the bottle, tossing it in the opposite direction they were heading. 'We have to be somewhere in the North.'

At least they had made it to the tree line, dense forest offering them some cover. Caleb looked up at the night sky cursing the cloud cover for denying them even the stars as guides. He tried to catch his breath. His heart was pounding in his chest, resisting the strain he was putting his taxed body through. Trees swayed overhead, the bare branches casting strange dancing shadows over the white pallet ground. He could hear water somewhere close by, but no sounds of cars or civilization, which is what he had secretly been banking on. He blinked away the vertigo.

Sam's touch anchored him. 'Maybe New England.'

Caleb took a deep breath. 'Terrain's similar, but it could be fucking Canada considering Beckett's dialect and his mention of the Canadian railways.'

'Either way, we need to keep moving.' Sam's eyes went to the darkness once more. 'They've realized we're gone."

'Shit." Caleb had hoped for more time. Sam had accomplished the task of killing the vampires with relative stealth. Their escape hadn't been the most thought out plan, but it wasn't as if a brilliant strategy was much of an option. Anything was better than waiting helplessly for the hangman.

They had one chance and one chance only. Get out, get out quick, take the enemy by surprise. He hoped they were as far away as possible before the vamps knew what was happening, using whatever resources they encountered. Inaction was not The Knight's strong point, neither was running blind. Caleb felt as if he'd gotten them out of the frying pan only to land their asses right in the fire.

'It won't take them long to catch our scent.'

'Great.' Running blind was of course their only course of action, but Caleb hadn't counted on being so out of it. He was slowing Sam down. 'We'll split up. It will confuse them.'

Sam gripped his arm tighter. 'I'm not leaving you behind.'

'I can track you through our link. We'll meet up.'

'You can barely keep track of our conversation.' The John Winchester face was back.

Caleb rolled his eyes. 'If we get caught, all of this is for nothing.'

'Let's go.' Sam tugged him to his feet, gave him a hard shove. 'Run.'

Caleb let his instincts take over, propelling his body to move. He tried to keep up with Sam, pushing through the trees and branches. He thought of the brutal maneuvers John had put them through over the years, preparing them for just such a situation. But Caleb fell back to the path Mac had opened up for him when he forced him to take martial arts as a teen.

Disciplining his mind was beneficial not only to his psychic ability. Watching his breath was a way of escaping the pain of the body to push deeper, to keep going when every fiber in his body screamed to lie down and quit.

'They're closing in.'

'Stop with the updates.'

Sam kept up their silent dialogue. 'Liam, some others, and Kate.'

'You got enough juice left to take them?' Caleb wondered how long the effects of his blood would last on Sam's abilities, how much of his power had been used by killing the two vampires back at Beckett's.

'No.'

Caleb stopped, leaning over to brace himself on his knees. He didn't bother using their link. There was no need now. "Give me the knife, Sammy. I'll hold them off as long as I can."

"Are you crazy?" Sam grabbed his arm, giving him a hard yank.

"Give me the damn knife." Caleb straightened, reaching for Sam's arm. He was tapping his last reserves and knew it. It was likely he'd be unconscious before the vampires even got to him.

Sam batted his hand down, holding the blade out in front of him to cover them as best he could as he swung around to face the darkness. "It's too late for that."

"Naughty, naughty boys." Kate broke through the branches, not even winded. "Someone left a mess in Beckett's kitchen. He's pissed."

Sam raised his hand. She was lifted off her feet, tossed roughly against one of the hulking evergreens. There was no cause for celebration because Liam and his boys were on them like rabid wolves. Caleb threw a punch at one. He might as well have been shadow boxing. He was grabbed from behind, a meaty forearm locked across his throat. Caleb thought his neck might snap.

Through the dark spots sparking off and on in Caleb's line of vision he saw Liam tackle Sam, taking them both to the ground. There was a flash of silver, and he recognized his own weapon and what was going to happen seconds before Sam cried out.

"You sonofabitch!" Caleb struggled to break free, determined to follow through on his earlier promise of tearing Liam's head off barehanded.

Liam drove the Dragon's Talon into Sam's shoulder with enough force to stake him to the ground. He leaned over the struggling young hunter, grinning. "I should leave you for the wolves to pick your bones clean, Winchester."

"I'll get things started by tearing his throat out." Kate had made it to her feet, shaking snow from her hair as she stomped towards Sam. "Hanging a corpse won't be half as fun, but we'll still have a body to show the spectators."

"No!" Caleb tried to scrap together enough psychic energy to distract the bitch, maybe fry a circuit. His abilities rallied, but at the last minute fizzled out.

"Easy now, Babe." Liam held up a hand, intercepting Kate. "Beckett wants them alive and relatively in one piece."

"Fuck, Beckett. That could have been one of us he slaughtered. It's dangerous to wait. Beckett doesn't understand their breed like we do. Hunters can't be taken too lightly, especially these hunters."

"Don't lose your head, sweetheart."

"Don't patronize me, you ass." Kate hesitated. "I'm not afraid of Beckett."

"Then think about what you'll be denying yourself. The revenge of seeing Winchester's face when he finds these two dangling from the end of a noose, the way you'll feel when you use Colt's gun to finish him off, just as his old man finished Luther."

"That will never happen," Sam said through gritted teeth.

Caleb was glad to hear the kid's voice, even if he seemed to be taking a page out of Deuce's favorite book appropriately titled, 'Not knowing when to keep your mouth shut'. Now was not the time for Sam to invoke his older brother.

"We'll see won't we?" Liam reached for the Talon's handle, jerking it free with a vicious yank. Caleb felt the thunder of pain roll through their psychic link, his hunter's ring burned as if the metal had received a volt of electricity. Sam struggled, biting back on the scream lodged in his throat. The younger hunter curled in to protect himself. Kate lashed out with her boot, kicking him for his trouble.

"Bitch." Caleb fought harder to break free, forcing the vampire holding him to apply more pressure to his throat. It was too much. Blackness settled over him like the snap of a magician's cape. The last image burned in his mind was that of Liam and Kate looming over Sam.