Spare Your Sympathy

43. Red Sky at Morning

EXT. DOCKS - NIGHT

An athletic young woman was out for a run, running along the docks at night. She stopped at a water fountain, checked her time, and took a drink. She heard thunder and looked up, out over the water; sliding past not too far away was a ghostly old sailing ship. She removed her headphones and stared as it crossed into the harbor, then vanished. She put her headphones back in, still spooked, and jogged off.

INT. HOME - NIGHT

Later, the same woman was showering. A dark figure approached and places his hand on the glass of the shower door. She didn't notice until he rubbed at the glass, making a squeaking noise. She poked her head out and looked around her well-appointed bathroom, but saw nothing. She went back into the shower; moments later a man in a dry overcoat, who was in the enclosed shower with her, grabbed her from behind and began to strangle her. He slammed her against the walls of the shower several times until she slid to the floor, dead.

EXT. ROAD - NIGHT

Dean was driving, Sam in the passenger's seat, Cataleya in the back. There was a tense silence in the car, which Dean broke by saying, "So, I've been waiting since Maple Springs. You got something to tell me?"

Sam played dumb. "It's not your birthday. Or Catty's."

"No."

"...Happy Purim?" He laughed. "Dude, I don't know. I have no idea what you're talking about—"

Dean cut him off. "There's a bullet missing from the Colt. You want to tell me how that happened? I know it wasn't me. So unless you were shooting at some incredibly evil cans..."

"Dean..."

"You went after her, didn't you? The Crossroads Demon. After I told you not to."

"Yeah, well..."

"You could have gotten yourself killed!"

"I didn't."

"And you shot her."

"She was a smartass!"

Cataleya shrugged. "I mean..."

Dean, after a beat, asked, "So, what? Does that, does that mean I'm out of my deal?"

Sam turned to Cataleya. "Do you want to tell him or should I?"

"Tell me what?"

"You're free because someone decided to take the deal for you."

Dean looked in the rearview mirror at Cataleya. "Why? We're barely civil."

"You and Sam need each other," she said. "I'm just the third wheel in your brotherly shenanigans."

"Leya, you know that's not true."

She scoffed. "Am I wrong? Anyway, you two can't welch. Won't end well. And someone else holds the contract."

"Who?"

"She wouldn't say."

"Well, we should find out who. Of course, our best lead would be the Crossroads Demon. Oh, wait a minute..."

"That's not funny," Sam said.

"No, it's not! It was a stupid freaking risk, and you two shouldn't have done it."

"I shouldn't have done it? You're my brother, Dean. Catty's my friend. And no matter what you do, I'm gonna try and save her. And I'm sure as hell not gonna apologize for it, all right? And you know as well as I do that Catty won't apologize for what she did."

Dean was silent. Cataleya stared out the window. Sam shook his head in exasperation.

INT. GERT'S HOME - DAY