𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆

『1.5』

      "No!" Riley jumps to her feet and runs over to the edge of the bridge. She cradles her injured arm in her hand and desperately searches the dark below the bridge, then hears a grunt. She looks down and sees Sam climbing back up into the bridge. She sighs in relief. "Riley? That you?" Sam says through his effort.

      "Yeah, I'm okay." Sam pulls himself over the edge and sees Riley holding her arm He notes that her shoulder is a bit slouched. He reaches to touch it, but Riley jerks away. "Where's dad?" Sam frowns and looks around. "Dean!" Riley looks at the water in fear. "Dad!"

      "What?" Riley sees him crawling out of the water and hangs her head back in relief. "Hay, are you alright?" Dean lays on his back and Riley sees that he's covered in mud. She wants to laugh, but the tears in her eyes from both fear and pain stop her. "I'm super." Sam laughs for Riley.

      He turns to his niece and looks at her arm. "Hey, I'll be gentle." Riley stares at him for a moment then nods. Sam gently places his hands on her arm and Riley whimpers in pain. "It's dislocated and probably bruised." Riley nods and bites her lip. Dean walks onto the bridge and jogs over to them.

      "Kid?" He sees Riley's arm then glances at Sam. They know what they have to do. Riley leans against Baby. "Just do it." She mutters. Sam sighs and nods. Dean takes Riley's hand and she closes her eyes. "On three. One- Two-" Riley lets out a choked scream as her arm pops back into place. "I know weren't going to go to three. No one ever does."

      She looks up at the sky and blinks away her tears. "Alright?" Dean asks her. She nods and she stands up. Sam carefully lifts his jacket off her, then ties it around her neck as a splint. "Thanks." She mutters.

      Dean checks under Baby's hood and Sam walks over to him. "Car alright?" Riley looks to the place where Constance had stood on the edge of the bridge and flips it off harshly. She winces in pain as the sudden movement jostles her arm.

      "Yeah, whatever she did to it, it seems fine right now." Dean turns around and Riley gets a look at his muddy face and snickers. "That Constance chick- What a bitch!" Riley hums in agreement. "Amen." Sam looks where she had stood.

      "Well, she doesn't want us digging around, that's for sure." Dean leans against Baby and lets out a breath. "So where's the trail go from here, genius?" Dean throws out his hands. Sam sniffs the air and Riley groans stepping away from her father. "You smell like a toilet." Sam tells Dean.

      Riley gags and Dean looks down at himself.

△

      Riley, Sam and Dean enter the hotel room where John, or rather, Bert Aframian, had reserved for a month. In it are news clippings, pictures, and missing posters. Dean picks up a burger and sniffs it, jerking away in disgust. Riley cradles her arm as she steps over a salt line. "Can't smell much worse than you."

      Dean gives her a look. Sam runs his fingers through the salt. "Salt, cat's-eye shells. He was worried, trying to keep something from coming in." Riley nods vaguely and looks around. She sniffs the air, testing for any trace of sulfur. Nothing. "What do you got there?" Sam asks as he and Dean look at a timeline.

      "Centennial Highway victims. I don't get it," Sam looks at the other side of the room and RIley goes to stand next to her father. For a moment she forgets about his stench, then quickly steps away. "I mean, different men, different jobs, age, ethnicities." Riley glances at Sam then looks at her arm.

      She's beginning to feel a bit guilty. Does he really deserve how angry she's been towards him?

      "There's always a connection, right? What do these guys have in common?" Sam turns on a lamp. "Dad figured it out." Dean and Riley turn to look at him. "What do you mean?" Sam points to an article on the wall. "He found the same article we did." Riley looks at it, but has to squint her eyes to see what it says above it.