Standing Outside the Fire

46

[Citizen Fang]

Dean carried a tray of food from the drive-in window to the Impala. Francesca was resting her head on the window, drumming on her leg.

Sam was talking on his phone. "Yeah. And you're certain? You sure? Okay. Great. Just, uh, just hang tight til you hear from me, okay?"

Dean climbed into the Impala and whispered loudly, "Who is it?"

Sam held up a finger to Dean. "No, listen to me. I said hang tight." He hung up and sighed. "We got to get."

"Can Frankie and I at least finish our burgers? You know, food is important for a growing baby."

"We got a vamp to kill, Dean, Frankie -- Carencro, Louisiana."

"Huh," Dean noted. "It's been awhile since I've had some étouffée. Who's the source?"

"Martin Creaser," Sam informed.

Francesca glanced at him. "I'm sorry -- for a minute there, I thought I heard you say Martin Creaser." Sam looked at her without speaking.

"Crazy Martin from the loony bin?" Dean added.

"Glendale Springs discharged him last month," Sam informed.

"And? Shouldn't he be assembling toys in a padded room? What's he doing back on the job?"

"I asked him."

"You what?"

"Look, he called me when he got out, okay, asked if I had anything for him that might help him ease back into the game. He seemed okay -- mostly -- so I said yes. I've had him tracking Benny for the past week."

Dean frowned. "You put "mostly okay" Martin on Benny? What is "mostly okay" doing hunting at all?"

"Not hunting, Dean -- tracking. Observe and report only. I was crystal clear about that."

"Wow. I cannot believe that."

"Really, Dean? You don't believe that? Because Benny's a vampire. And any hunter worth his salt isn't gonna let one just walk around freely. So I had Martin keep tabs on him. And right now, it's looking like I made the right call."

Francesca leaned closer. "So Martin's sayin' Benny did this?"

"Yeah."

"Okay," Dean said after a pause.

"Okay?"

Dean nodded. "If Benny's in Louisiana draining folks... we should look into it."

"Yeah, I agree," Francesca said. "We should find out what's going on."

Sam raised his eyebrows at the two and Dean started the engine.

The Impala drove by a sign 'Welcome to Louisiana / Bienvenue en Louisiana'. Dean drove over a bridge over a river and took a corner and pulled outside a building offering rooms for rent. The three hunters went inside.

Sam, Dean and Francesca walked down a hallway. Sam raised his hand to knock on door number two, and Martin opened it. "You said look for an eruption. How's Mount Vesuvius?"

They entered Martin's room and Martin closed the door behind them. "I got into town about a week ago. Up until last night, nothing. He's been clean."

"Doing what?" Dean asked.

"Just minding his own business. Working at the gumbo shack."

"Benny's working at the gumbo shack?"

"Yeah. Slinging hash, pouring coffee -- the whole bit. And he may be Benny to you two. Folks around here call him Roy."