Bonds Tested

Red Sky At Morning -- The Hanged

~*****~

Dean was roaring with laughter when we finally managed to get into the Impala. "You guys got it, right? Tell me I didn't get groped all night by Mrs. Havisham for nothing." Sam asked irritably as he furiously undoes his tie.

"We got it--" I mention.

"Wait, Mrs. Who?" Dean asks.

"Never mind. Just let me see it." Sam snaps.

Dean pulls the rolled up hand out of his jacket, only for a bottle to fall from the towel. "How did she--" I gasp. "How did she do it that fast?! Oh, I'm gonna kill her..." I growl lowly. "Dean, I swear to God, if we don't get back to the cabin now, I'm going on a manhunt and ripping her apart."

"Lottie, you're not going to kill her." Sam urged.

"The hell I am!" I express angrily as Dean drives off.

We get back to the cabin and I'm glaring at the stupid bottle. "You know Sam, I think you're right. I'm not gonna kill her. No, I think slow torture's the way to go."

"Lottie, look, you got the relax." Sam mentioned.

"She doesn't need to relax," Dean retorted irritably. "I can't believe she got another one over on us!"

"You." Sam quickly interjects.

"What?" Dean asks as I go silent.

"I mean, she got one over on you. Not us." Sam reiterated.

Dean gazed at his brother in silent loathing. "Thank you, Sam. It's very helpful."

I let out a brief sigh of relief before the door rattles with knocks. "Hello? Could you please open up?" Bela calls out.

"Oh, this'll be rich," I retort as I stomp towards the door. I swing it open and brace my palms on either side, glaring down at her. "Well, well, well."

"Just let me explain." Bela urges. I gaze back at the boys and they both nod after a moment. I grab at her arm and drag her in. I shove her into a chair and lean over, grasping at the arms and leaning in close.

"Start talking then, princess." I bite.

I shove off and stalk around the room as she begins to speak. "I sold it. I had a buyer lined up as soon as I knew it existed."

"So the whole reason for us going to the charity was..." Sam shook his head.

"I needed a cover." She shrugged. "You were convenient."

"If you sold it to a buyer, just go get it back." I reiterate.

"It's halfway across the ocean. I can't get it back in time." Bela retorts.

"In time for what?" Dean snaps.

I began to chortle. Sam and Dean gaze at me curiously as I round the chair, leaning over again. "Oh, this is just too good. You know, I've never believed in karma, but damn-- it turned you into a grade-A sucker, didn't it?" I laugh. "You saw the ship, didn't you?"

Bela gazed down at her lap. "I did."

"What?" Dean asked. "Wow. You know, I knew you were an immoral, thieving, con-artist bitch but when I thought my opinion of you couldn't get any lower..."

"What are you talking about?" Bela asked.

"We figured out the spirits motive," I mention. I pull out the picture of the ships captain. "This is the captain of our ship. The one who hung our ghost boy."

"So?" Bela asks.

"So, they were brothers." Sam retorted. "Very Cain and Abel. So now our spirit, he's going after a very specific kind of target. People who have spilled their own family's blood. First, there was Sheila who killed her cousin in a car accident. And the Warren brothers, who murdered their father for the inheritance. And now, you."