Into the Wild by Elizabeth Shawnessey

8/2/2019 Into the Wild by Elizabeth Shawnessey

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SUPERNATURAL INTO THE WILD

ELIZABETH SHAWNESSEY 1


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HISTORIANS NOTE:

This novel takes place between the season one episodes of Shadow and Hell House.

AUTHORS NOTE:

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of theauthors imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be considered real. Any

resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely

coincidental. Additionally, the characters of Sam, Dean, and John Winchester belong wholly

to creator Eric Kripke, his writing staff, the actors who portray them, and the CW Network.

The character of Amy Winchester is the authors original creation, and copyrighted by her.


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Copyright Elizabeth Shawnessey, 2012


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PROLOGUE ONE

North Shore HotelNorthbrook, Illinois

Friday, May 19, 20067:47 PM

Racing down the hallway of the North Shore Hotel, Amy Winchester attempted to pull upthe straps of her dress and slip on her shoes as she made her way toward the dining hall ofthe elaborate building. She was late, reallylate, in helping her mom designate where to placetables and floral arrangements for the charity gala her parents were throwing tonight, andAmy had a feeling that the excuse of having just landed at Chicago OHare less than anhour ago wasnt going to cut it when it came to explaining whyshe wasnt on time.

Stopping to slide on her other ballet flat, Amy leaned against an open doorway andtried to get her feet to glide into the shoes she hadnt worn for the greater part of the year.It seemed like everything she owned had to be replaced every six months due to the rate shewas growing taller, with nothing fitting from the time she left for Yale in the fall and cameback at the start of summer. It appeared as though her Amazon gene had finally kicked in,shooting her up from the five-foot-seven girl she had been her senior year of high school tothe five-foot-ten giant she had become during her previous three years in college.

Unfortunately, which side of her family she had gotten that from was still unknown,especially since her parentsthe ones she lived with, anywayhad picked her out at anadoption clinic twenty years ago, meaning that anything biological that happened to Amywas a complete conundrum when it came to figuring out what was going on. Thankfully,short of growing infinitely taller, it seemed as though the differences between AmyWinchester and the Forester family were few and far between.

Giving up on trying to get her shoes on, Amy clasped them together in her handand continued down the carpeted hallway leading toward the banquet room. As she passedthe stairs, caf, and elevator bank that contained marble flooring, Amy couldnt help but

notice that the hotel her parents had picked for their semiannual charity event had been justas nice as the others. Over the past two decades, Joel and Jennifer Forester had only chosenthe best of the best when it came to throwing parties, having the cash to afford it andfriends to fill the spaces. However, this was the first time either of them had consideredusing the North Shore Hotel, especially since the place had been under construction for thegreater part of the year. Blue and gold striped walls met soft royal carpet that ran from endto end of the lobby, while large, white doors with matching gold inlay sat propped open todisplay other convention spaces. Up the carpeted stairs were the rooms ranging fromsingles to suites, each of the insides decorated nicely and with a touch of class. Ultimately,though, Amy only knew that thanks to the brochures her parents had left lying around thehouse while trying to pick a place to hold the gala. Only her brothers, Thomas and Tristan,had been lucky enough to actually get to explore the hotel since she had been away at

school in Connecticut at the time of choosingthree months in advance.Slowing to a stop outside of the banquet hall, Amy stood in the doorway to take inthe large room. Marble flooring that matched the white and tan outside of the elevatorsstretched out in front of her, meeting with the same blue and gold wallpaper that reachedthe ceiling. In the center of the space was a laminate wood dance floor that had been setdown by the decorating company Jennifer Forester had hired, along with plain white tablesthat were being positions by some of the workers. Near a platform at the head of the roomstood Amys adoptive mom, her arms crossed over her chest as she tapped her feetimpatiently at the people she undoubtedly deemed incompetent.


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Watching her from across the way, Amy placed her shoes quietly on the ground andattempted to slide them on as she kept her eyes on Jennifer. The woman had always beenimpatient and snappy at her worst, finding whoever she hired to be slow and abysmal, aswell as kind and loving at her best. On Christmas and Thanksgiving, she baked cookies andpies, and around Easter, took volunteers from the theology class she taught at DePaulUniversity in Chicago to the local homeless shelter to serve food for extra credit. Having

grown up poor, Jennifer had always said, had taught her to help those who hadnt figured away out of the lifestyle, especially when they werent as fortunate as she had been later inlife.

Ultimately, though, judging by the glare Amy was receiving from across the room,Jennifer Forester wasnt feeling as loving and kind today as she was on every other.Cramming her foot uncomfortably into her shoe, Amy headed across the floor to stop by hermom, trying to tie her hair back in some sort of elegant bun as she did so. Relenting underthe heavy locks as the tie in her hand snapped, Amy let her tangled, wavy hair fall over hershoulders carelessly as she looked down at Jennifer. Seeming to disapprove of herappearance, Jennifer stepped behind Amy and began to tie her hair up, making an effort outof it considering the six inches of height difference between them.

I told you to get an earlier flight, Amelia, Jennifer scolded, pulling tightly on

Amys thick tresses. If you had, we could have paid someone to fix this mess for you.Sorry, Amy frowned, feeling her mother finish tugging. I thought Id make it.Stepping back to where she had been standing before, Jennifer nodded and shot her

daughter a small, reassuring smile. Its alright, dear. Im just a little frustrated with thiscompany I hired. Penny Collins told me they were the group to get when it comes toorganizing events, but I think the three blind mice would have done a better job. Turningher gaze over to a pair of men setting up the bar, Jennifers eyes darkened as she startedtoward them in a hurry. No, no! What did I tell you? I want the drinks organized by type!

Grinning to herself as she watched her mother berate the caterers, and secretlyfeeling bad for everyone working, Amy couldnt help but become amused at the sight of afive-foot-four, red-haired woman with barely any meat on her bones trying to criticize twoburly men who could easily take her down with one punch. As the three continued todiscuss the proper way to set up a bar, more men carried in tables and chairs, setting themup in pre-marked spots on the floor that had been designated with tape.

While they adjusted and hauled things in, Amy pulled at the hem of her dress,hoping that the knee-length skirt didnt raise any higher as she fidgeted. In all honesty, shefelt stupid standing there, watching the men work while she did nothing, and wanted tohelp just to have something to do. Unfortunately, she knew her mother would be just asstrict with Amy assisting the hired hands as she was with the bartenders, giving her anearful if she tried to lift a heavy banquet table while wearing a dress. Instead, she sat downagainst the stage, crossing her legs and tapping her fingers anxiously against the platform.

Ever since getting off the plane at Chicago OHare, since flights from New Havendidnt land at the Northbrook airport, Amy had been feeling a surge of energy that wascomparable to the nights she spent downing Red Bulls to maximize her studying timebefore finals and mid-terms. Her hands felt shaky, as did her knees, and it seemed as thoughsitting down was a challenging task. In the cab ride back home, she had been drumming herfingers nervously against her thighs, trying to focus on a rhythm that would keep heroccupied. After changing and driving to the North Shore Hotel, which had been an effortconsidering her limbs didnt seem to want to work properly, she had thought the sensationwas gone as she raced to the banquet hall, only to feel it again as she sat alone on the stage.

Keeping her hands and feet busy as she fidgeted, Amy attempted to keep her mindfocused on watching the workers set up the space around her. As she let her eyes wonder


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over the various men moving tables to meet the tape on the floor exactly, probably to keepJennifer Forester off their backs, she noticed that a few of them seemed to be watching herin return. Biting her lip, Amy tore her eyes away and looked at the ground, bouncing herleg against the floor and letting her shoe tap on the marble.

Falling into the sound, Amy stared fixedly at the white and tan cracks beneath her,feeling her thoughts wander away from the hustle and bustle of the hall. For the past six

months, she had been experiencing a string of strange sensations, starting with weirdenergy bursts and continuing on with odd swells of strength that might or might not beattributed to the amount of time Amy had been spending in the gym with ex-roommate,Robin. At first, it had begun happening whenever she felt strangely emotional, usually whena headache was clogging her brain from retaining information she needed for tests andexams, before it started happening more often and keeping her up at night. After awhile,after she had learned to head it off by lying down, shutting her eyes, and turning off all thenoise in the room, the feeling had tapered off, disappearing entirely until a few hours ago,though not as extreme as some of the previous returns. Unfortunately, she had no way torelax with the tension her mother was creating across the room, causing a headache tobegin to form at her temples.

Letting out a deep breath just as two identical red-haired boys chased one another

into the hall, Amy furrowed her brow as she watched them, immediately recognizing thevibrant orange as a color distinctive of her twin brothers, Thomas and Tristan. Though thetwo didnt have to be at the event until it started at nineespecially since every time theytried to help, something got brokenit seemed as if the two had landed themselves introuble at home judging by the angry look on Joel Foresters face as he trailed behind hissons. Again more ginger hair glinted off the overhead lights, though thinned compared tothe twins thick masses of hair, framing a square, blue-eyed expression that seemed to hold aglower. As Joel marched to where Jennifer was still discussing liquor with the bartenders,though at a much calmer volume than before, Amy could see that Thomas and Tristan had alook of gleeful excitement on their faces. Rolling her eyes and grinning, Amy got to her feetand crossed the room, carefully side-stepping where a pair of workers were straighteningtablecloths.

Alright, whatd you do? Amy smirked, crossing her arms over her chest.We didnt do anything, Thomas smiled. Only saw something!Raising a dubious eyebrow, Amy scoffed. Uh-huh.We did! Tristan piped up. Seriously!Biting her lip, Amy grimaced and shot a glance back at Joel and Jennifer as they

discussed something angrily. It was clear that whatever Thomas and Tristan had or hadntdone was something disruptingprobably another stink bomb in the hallway outside justlike a couple of years ago. Peering back at the twins, Amy smiled. You guys are worse thanFred and George Weasley.

Who? Tristan asked, frowning.Waving him off, Amy watched as Joel recrossed the room in a huff, passing the trio

as they stood off to the side and disappearing out the door. A moment later and Amy startedforward to follow, curious as to what the twins could have done now to possibly anger him.

Stepping carefully to keep her shoes from tapping against the floor, she headedquietly toward the hallway, stopping at the threshold to peer out. In the empty corridorstood Joel and another man. Studying him for a moment, Amy could see that the strangerhad dark hair and eyes, with an equally dark expression in his features as he stared intoJoels face. His clothes were just as heavy as his glower, with a black wool peacoat weighinghim down and torn blue jeans covering most of the thick biker boots poking out beneath.His shoes were muddy and clearly leaving tracks on the plush carpet, earning the man a


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scowl from one of the maintenance men as they passed by.As the two spoke in hushed tones, Amy leaned back inside the banquet hall,

suddenly interested in what was going on. If Thomas and Tristan had walked in on this,especially when they were supposed to be at home, why was Joel so mad? Usually her fatherwas mild-mannered, unless he had been having a particularly hard day at the law firm inwhich he worked, and didnt get irritated with the twins except for when they broke things.

By the looks of it, either Joel had brought his work home with himwhich was likelyconsidering the man was a criminal lawyer and that happened more often than notorThomas and Tristan had smashed something that belonged to the angry guy in the hallway.

Listening carefully, Amy kept her eyes on the ground as she tried to focus on whatwas being said outside. Unfortunately, the conversation was swallowed beneath the clatterand clangor going on inside the space that it was hard to make out more than a few words.Straining her hearing harder, Amy attempted to pick up on the heavy voice coming fromthe hallway, finally able to make out a chunk of words between the scraping of metal onmarble.

I need her, Joel. You and I both know shes in trouble if Im here.Frowning, Amy leaned further forward, hoping that the motion would be enough to

help her decipher the exchange as Joel sighed heavily. Biting her lip in tension, Amy balled

her fist around the handle of the door and furrowed her brow.I dont know about this,John. How do you know youre right?I cant tell you that, the other voice, John, answered, sounding irritated.Sighing again, Joel scoffed. I cant let you take my daughter, John.Shes not yours.Swallowing hard as silence fell over the two, Amy stepped back, letting out a sharp

breath. Who was this guy, and what was his sudden interest in her, of all people? Most ofthe time, Amy was overlooked for either being too tall, too shy, too studious, or too quiet,putting her at a disadvantage for both friendship or for generating any sort of attention. Sheliked to stay in the back corner of a room and watch people, which was a strange dispositionwhen it came to her college major of drama, and especially odd now that some guy she hadnever seen before was trying to talk her father into letting her go somewhere with him.

However, there was something about the man that seemed familiar to her, as thoughshe had seen him before somewhere, just a very long time ago. Chancing a look at himagain, Amy saw that the guy, John, had something about him, a commanding presence, thatmade it hard for her to take her eyes off of him. The more she stared, risking being caughtlistening like Thomas and Tristan had, the more she couldnt help but try to place a fingeron where she had seen the dark-haired man before.

Suddenly, Joels voice startled Amy, causing her to gasp and slide back behind thedoor to listen. John, I dont

You have to trust me on this, Johns low voice said, sounding tense and anxious, asthough he hadnt expected having to convince anyone of his reasoning. You have to let metake her. Its the only way. You know Im right about this. You knew it would happen.

As quiet swelled, Amy let her eyes dart over the room, silently hoping that Joelwould disagree with the man. Even though Amy was twenty years old and able to make herown decisions, there were still some things her parents had to sign off on, especially ifmoney was involved. Despite the fact that Amy had a sizable trust in her name, she stillneeded to ask Joel and Jennifer to pay for trips and school, at least until she hit twenty-fiveand was able to cash in on the bond they had set up years ago. Unfortunately, it seemed likethis, whatever this was, was another one of those things that had to be run by them,probably because going somewhere usually required funding. Ultimately, though, Amy washoping this would be the one thing in a long line of yeses that Joel Forester would say no


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to.Alright, Joel said after a long moment. If you need her, then you need her.Swallowing hard, Amys breath caught in her chest at the decision, causing her to

step further back from the door to collect herself. What was going on? Why was this guyshowing up right before her parents charity gala to whisk her away for some unknownreason? And whywas her father agreeing to it? Of all the things Joel had been able to say no

tohardened criminals asking him to take their case, Thomas and Tristan when theybegged for a new car after crashing the first one they had been given on their sixteenthbirthday, and so onhe had managed to cave under a man who was asking to take hisdaughter to some undisclosed location. Was he nuts? Or was there something she wasmissing?

Heading across the room to take a seat on the stage she had been trying to unwindher absorbed energy from, Amy stared at the ground as she walked, careful not to step onanything. Before she could get more than halfway, however, a voice called her back, causingher to whip around to see who was speaking. Amy!

Joel stood in the doorway, waving her toward him. About-facing, Amy headed backthe way she had come, stalling a minute in the threshold as Joel lead the way out. Biting herlip, Amy rounded the corner to see John standing there, his hands shoved in his pockets as

he stared at Joel, his hazel eyes hooded and tired. Tilting her head, Amy could see thefamiliarity again, but once more, couldnt place her finger on why.

Deciding to head off her unasked question, Joel stood between Amy and John,slumping his shoulders as though he now carried an invisible weight on them. Amelia, IFurrowing her brow as he trailed off, Amy glanced between her father and the stranger, hermind trying to process what was going on while her heart hammered nervously in herchest. After a tense minute, Joel cleared his throat and continued. I dont know how to tellyou this, but theres something that needs to be said.

Searching his face, Amy swallowed hard. What is it?This man needs your help, Joel answered thickly. He needs you to go somewhere

with him for awhile. But he promises youll be back before summer vacations over.Sighing, Joel rubbed absently at the back ofhis neck. Its kind of like a job. His job.

What job? Amy frowned, becoming annoyed with the way the conversation wasprogressing. I-I dont understand. Whats going on? Glancing over at John, Amy couldsee that the man had his eyes on Joel, as though curious as to how he was going to explainthe situation. Following his gaze, Amy let out a slow, calming breath in an attempt to keepher nerves from showing. You can tell me, you know. I can take it.

Okay, Joel nodded, clearing his throat and sniffling as though suddenly comingdown with a cold as his eyes watered. Amy, this is John Winchester. Hes your father.


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ONE

Forester ResidenceNorthbrook, Illinois

Friday, May 19, 20068:47 PM

Glancing out the window of her second-story bedroom while she pretended to pack, Amyattempted to gather herself together, trying to process everything that was said in the ridehome from the North Shore Hotel. It had been nearly silent while Joel Forester directed hisMercedes to the expansive house parked in the middle of a residential cul-de-sac, JohnWinchesters massive truck in tow as it rumbled behind them the whole way. As theypassed buildings and parks that were dark and vacant, Amy had stared out at them, tryingto keep her brain from running in circles. After a long moment, Joel had finally opened hismouth to speak, clearing his throat beforehand as a warning.

You know I wouldnt ask you to do this if it wasnt important, he had said slowly.But you need to trust me on this. For your father to show up now it means something Icant even begin to share with you. Something youll understand when the time comes. Youjust have to go with him for awhile. Until everythings okay again.

Frowning, Amy had sighed, furrowing her brow in confusion. For some reason, shedidnt want to ask what was so important, probably afraid of the answer or the fact that hewouldnt tell her. Instead, she had clammed up and turned her attention to the overheadlights passing by, trying to relax in her chair as they pulled into the driveway. As soon asthe car had stopped, Amy had waited for John to park behind them, not getting out until shesaw the man behind them pop open the drivers side door. Standing up, it didnt take longfor Amy to get the gist that she was to go inside and get ready to go while leaving the twomen to talk.

As she glanced at them one more time before heading into the house, Amy could tellthat whatever her two fathers were discussing, it was something grim. Joels face looked

heavy with distraught while John appeared as though he would rather be elsewhere.Swallowing hard, Amy shut the door behind her and leaned against it, taking in theoversized foyer that stretched out in front of her. She hadnt noticed upon first enteringafter arriving home from New Haven that things seemed different. The rug underneath herfeet was new and looked as though Thomas and Tristan had already managed to track mudon it. The couch in the loft underneath the stairs had been refurbished, seeminglyuntouched since the fabric was still taught. Everything else in the oval-shaped room,however, was the same as ever, the bamboo floor still shiny and the black carpet on thestairs still covered with cat hair from that pesky Siamese Amy had only seen around once ina blue moon.

Taking a deep breath and heading for the steps, Amy climbed them slowly, trying toget her bearings on the situation. She had two dads standing outside, a real one and an

adopted one, and had never imagined that the former would appear at any time in her life.When she was younger, when Joel and Jennifer had sat her down to let her know that thereason she had a different last name and hair color was because she wasnt their true child, Amy had initially been curious as to who her real parents were. However, after as much of asearch as a twelve-year-old could do, Amy had given up trying to find them, not reallygiving her biological mother and father another thought and deciding that she already hadall the guardianship she needed. In fact, in the eight years since then, Amy had discountedher real parents, figuring that she was better off that way.

Unfortunately, with John Winchester now standing outside on her front lawn


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appearing unhappy with his decision to finally show up, it seemed as though that sentimentwas reciprocated. In the entirety of the five minutes the two had been left alonewhen Joelwent to retrieve his car keys from Thomas, who had decided to hang onto them until hisfather explained what was going onJohn hadnt said anything, instead staring at Amycuriously as though she had been some sort of science experiment. The probing eyes hadbeen uncomfortable, causing Amy to look down at her shoes and finally realize that her toes

hurt from being crammed inside the small ballet flats.Finally reaching the landing of the stairs, Amy headed straight for her bedroom at

the end of the hall, shutting the door behind her as she took a seat on the bed. For somereason, she was having a hard time processing what was going on and the need for bothmen to be so secretive. She understood that maybe now was the time for her to meet herreal father, she had heard and read stories before about adoptive children meeting theirbiological parents after eighteen, but to meet him and then leave with him without anyexplanation was unsettlingly odd. In addition to that, the only person who had shown uphad been her father. What about her real mother? Where was she?

Getting up from the bed, Amy shot another look out the window before shutting theblinds and removing her dress, rooting around in her drawers for something morecomfortable to wear. Slipping on jeans and a t-shirt, she then removed the tie from the bun

in her hair, letting her brunette tresses fall over her shoulders. She had been meaning to geta haircut as soon as she returned home, something that was more manageable than the longlocks that fell down her back, but it seemed as though that was going to have to wait.

Crossing over to the closet and pulling open the doors, the suitcases that she hadpacked back in her dorm room at Yale sat staring up at her, looking as though they wereasking for a break from traveling and being kicked around in airport cargo holds. Pickingup each of them to find whichever was the lightest, she threw one on the bed and unzippedit, finding piles of dirty clothes inside. Tossing them into the hamper, Amy rounded back tothe dresser she had been searching though moments before, pulling out anything she couldfind that would be appropriate to wear on a trip with someone she hardly knew. Leaving thesundresses, most of the skirts, and heavy sweaters behind, Amy threw the rest into thepurple hard-shell luggage before heading over to her bookcase and finding the list of books

she had wanted to read during summer vacation. Pulling the available ones off the shelvesand placing them neatly between the clothes, Amy sighed as she shut the lid, wondering ifshe would be able to get any of it done before school started again in August.

Finishing just as she heard footsteps making their way down the hallway, Amyfrowned and pressed her hands against the metal casing, hoping that it looked as thoughshe was doing something should anyone enter her room unannounced. Within a moment,the threshold to her bedroom opened to reveal Joel standing there, the shadow of anirritated expression on his face as he let the door drift open slowly.

You ready to go?Biting her lip, Amy furrowed her brow as she looked at him. It was obvious that

there had been an argument outside judging by the impression of a glare on his face, as wellas the familiar redness of anger in his cheeks. Are you okay?

Ill be alright, Joel grinned, reaching out a hand to place on Amys shoulder.Slumping under the grasp as her father tightened his grip, Amy remained still,

basking in the safety it offered. It was clear that Joel didnt want his daughter to go, thathed rather she stuck around pool-side with a book in her lap just like every year before, butit was also clear that there was a sense of purpose to her leavingand though Amy didntknow what that purpose was, she felt as if she had to honor it, out of loyalty to Joel ifnothing else.

Swallowing hard, Amy leaned out of the grasp to grab the suitcase off the bed,


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placing it on the carpet and pulling up the handlebar. Nodding in acceptance, Joel steppedaside to let Amy lead the way out, carrying her luggage for her when they reached thestairs. Stopping at the door and placing her hand on the knob, Amy paused for a moment toturn to her father as he placed the suitcase down on the hardwood floor. Joels eyes were redand rimmed with sadness, looking just like he had the first day Amy had gone off to schoolin Connecticut. Though the university was only a plane ride away, both Joel and Jennifer

had been emotional when it came to her leaving, acting as though she wouldnt return forwinter, spring, and summer breaks.

Grinning at the memory despite herself, Amy looked up at Joel. You know Ill beback, right? Im not planning on running away with the guy. He seems kind of scary.

Chuckling at her words, Joel bent forward to give her a hug, his tall, lanky framefeeling bony with the embrace. Breaking apart, Amy reached for her suitcase and pulledopen the door, finding John Winchester leaning against his truck in the dark. Heading out,Amy neared him cautiously, feeling his eyes on her, before glancing back at the openarchway housing Joel Forester as he stood inside.

Tell Thomas and Tristan Ill be back to see them off for school, Amy muttered toJoel, just loudly enough for him to hear. Though she wasnt entirely convinced of it, she hada feeling the thought would cheer him up. At the grin he shot her, Amy could tell she was

right as she continued backward down the walkway. Ill see you guys soon.You ready? John asked suddenly, his low, gravely voice startling her.Gasping in surprise, Amy let her hair whip her face as she turned around to face

him, noticing that John was now holding the passengers side door open for her. Swallowinghard and feeling strangely awkward, Amy nodded and closed in on the car, placing hersuitcase in the backseat through the gap between the chairs. Standing on the runningboards of the truck and leaning against the door, Amy stared up at the house for a longmoment and took in the modern-style structure. She hadnt realized until then how big andfull of windows the place truly was, seeming to swallow Joels frame in the threshold asthough he were nothing but a stick figure in a dollhouse.

Suddenly, the rumble of the trucks engine caused Amy to falter, almost slippinginto the driveway from where she hovered above it. Tightly grasping the roof of the car,

Amy slid into the passengers seat as John sat waiting for her to take her spot. Shutting thedoor behind her, Amy gazed through the window, taking a deep breath in through her noseand catching the scent of the interior, noticing that it smelled like pizza and burnt sage.Bunching her jaw at the mixed odor while John began to reverse the car out onto the street,Amy waved sadly at Joel in the doorway as he watched her and John begin to leave.

I didnt want to do this, John said slowly as he placed the truck in drive. I didntthink it would come to this.

Biting her lip, Amy racked her brain for something to say, finally arriving at theonly thing she could manage, Thats okay. I dont mind.

Nodding in acceptance, though obviously dubious based on the sidelong glance heshot her, John leaned back in his seat as he directed the truck toward the freeway. As hedrove, Amy took the chance to scan his features, or as much of them as she could see in thedark. The longer she stared at him, the more she could tell he truly was her father, from themass of dark hair to the same oval face. Though his eyes were darker and hooded withexhaustion, Amy could see a similarity there, as well as in their nosesdespite the fact that,judging by the bumps in the bridge, Johns had been broken a fair few times.

However, there were extreme differences in them as well, from appearance toattitude. Johns build was muscular and solid, whereas Amy was tall and slender, thoughthat could be due to the fact that they were of opposite gender. From the first moments theyhad been together, Amy had also noticed that John seemed short-tempered and impatient,


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and even though he was trying to be nice, she could tell that the wait he had to endurewhile Amy packed had been considered a waste of time based on the speed at which he wasdriving.

As they merged onto the ninety-four freeway heading east, Amy let her gaze switchfrom the drivers side of the vehicle to out the window. She had seen the passing signs manytimes, more recently on a trip to the Glenview Country Club to meet a friend during Spring

Break, and had nearly memorized most of the exits. Passing the Tower Road off ramp, Amylet her mind wonder where they were going and why, knowing that there were a handful ofcities in the direction they were headed. Seeming to pick up on the silent question, Johncleared his throat, catching Amys attention.

Theres something in Chicago that I need to take care of, then we can go.Biting her lip, Amy nodded, not sure whether or not to ask what he needed to do.

Instead, she turned her eyes onto the road, noticing that the freeway was empty this time ofnight. Letting the signs fall into the rearview mirror, Amy watched each, making a mentalnote of the places they had passed on their way into Chi-Town. Finally, after a longmoment, they came to the point at which the ninety-four mixed with Interstate-90, meaningthat it wouldnt be long before the awkward silence was interrupted by curiosity.

Coasting off the freeway, John pulled into the parking lot of a small diner. Raising

an eyebrow and wondering whether or not they were stopping for coffee before headingelsewhere, Amy bunched her jaw and looked at John, who nodded toward the restaurant.

I want you to stay here. Ill be back for you.Swallowing hard, Amy checked her back pockets for her card wallet and cell phone

before sliding out of the car. As soon as she slammed the door behind her, the truck took offdown the road, tearing out of the lot in a hurry. Letting out a deep breath, Amy glancedinside the diner, noticing that hardly anyone was inside except for a woman in her latefifties and a waitress bussing the bar. Nodding to herself, to attempt to gather courage ifnothing else, Amy bit her lip and headed inside.

Well, this is weird.


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TWO

Microtel Inn & SuitesMinneapolis, MinnesotaThursday, May 25, 2006

12:17 PM

From the moment John Winchester had returned to the diner in Chicago, Amy had knownshe wasnt about to embark on a normal trip during summer vacation. John had been beatenand bloody, most of it soaked up in his black wool overcoat, with cuts across his face andbruises threatening to form under his skin. As he headed into the small restaurant in whichAmy sat in the back of, she could tell that whatever he had been doing prior to arrival, ithadnt been anything as simple as picking up a few things from an apartment or sayinggoodbye to someone like she had originally thought.

In fact, while she sat there, Amy had spent more time thinking rather than anythingelse, letting the smell of cooked food rumble her stomach while she stared out the window.It was clear that John wasnt much of a talker, something they shared, meaning that hewasnt about to open his mouth and spill his guts over what he had been doing there a ndwhat he needed her for. She had overheard him and Joel speaking in the hallway aboutasking for her help, but as to why was never revealed, leaving that question still hanging inthe air, as well as a few thousand others. Though her mind was riddled with things shewanted to know, things that she was curious about, Amy knew she didnt have the gull toask. John had the likeness of a grizzly bear, and Amy had a feeling that anything sheinquired about was likely to put him on the attack. Instead, she did all she could do andsilently wondered about himwhere he was from, who his family was, if he was married,and so on.

After slumping into the seat across from her and looking more tired than she hadever seen anyone appear, he had ordered a coffee from their gawking waitress and satforward on his side of the booth, staring at the black liquid for some time. Not saying

anything, Amy kept her eyes on him, noticing that he was clearly upset judging by the wayhe was glaring downward. A long moment passed before he got up to go, dropping a fivedollar bill on the table and beckoning for Amy to follow. Doing so, they got in the truck andpeeled out of the parking lot, a heaviness filling the cabin of the vehicle that felt suffocatingas they made their way hurriedly toward the freeway heading west.

By the time they were on the main interstate, Amy began to feel crushed by thethickness of the air inside the car. Cracking the window a little, she let the cool breeze filterin from outside, whipping loudly at the speed in which they were driving. At the motion,John seemed to relax a little, shooting Amy a sad smile out of the corner of his mouth as shesat rigidly in the passengers seat.

You like music? he had asked after a long moment, waiting until they had passedArlington Heights to speak.

Uncertain how to answer, Amy had simply nodded. Yeah, some.Returning the gesture, John reached forward to punch on the stereo, the sound of atape overturning in the deck making a clicking noise before starting up. Amy immediatelyrecognized the song as one from Joels numerous record collections that he had been intenton listening to every time he had taken to fixing something in his study. As he worked onthe filing system in his home office or tried to reformat his work computers hard drive, thesounds ofHouses of the Holyor Foreigner 4could be heard through the closed door. It seemedas though John operated on the same system, jabbing on Physical Graffitias he drove andletting the music clear the awkward silence that was gathering.


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Though Amy didnt know any of the song titles, and only recognized the album byits single, the familiarity with it caused her to relax into the seat, reminded of the times themuffled versions of the songs would play from downstairs, filling the house with thevolume. As she thought about it, staring out the window to read the passing signs and peerinto other cars as the truck barreled past them, Amy could feel a pang in her heart as shethought about her family. She had no idea how long she would be on the road with John, or

even whether or not she would be back in time for school to start at the tail end of August,despite the fact that Joel claimed John had promised, and that uncertainty caused her tolong for home. Usually, she hated being in the dark about things, preferring to knowapproximate dates and times rather than guessing. It helped set up a structure in which shecould schedule things, and helped her know what she was doing beforehand. However, sherecognized that this trip, or whatever it was, had been spawned out of spontaneity ratherthan anything else, judging by the way John had shown up an hour before one of theForesters major events, and that not even her OCD-like habits could put a timetable onwhat was happening, or where they were likely to be headed and when they would arrive.

Running her hands through her hair absently, Amy stared down at the frayed endsas they flopped to the side, hoping that she would be able to fix the mangy mess by the timethey stopped somewhere for more than an hour. Slumping further into the seat, she pressed

her shoulders into the padded backing and waited for the moment they pulled off the road.Ultimately, that moment didnt arrive until early the next morning. Pulling into a

motel not far from what appeared to be a major city, Amy had stirred awake in thepassengers seat to find John gone. Alarmed at first, she had looked around to find himinside a check-in office, talking to one of the guys and putting on a smile Amy had yet tosee. Grabbing a pair of keys from the clerk, John had headed out to the truck, not explainingmuch as he reparked the car outside of a pair of rooms and handing her a key. Looking atthe number, she had seen that she had her own room, though what they were doing therewas still a question looming overhead. By the looks of it, this was simply a rest stopbetween destinations, and with Johns exhausted eyes, it appeared as though that wasntsuch a bad idea. However, as soon as she had gone inside, the adjoining door between theirrooms had been propped open as John tiredly lumbered in with a large bag of something

resembling crystals. Pouring some of the contents in a line beneath the window aftershutting the curtains, then in a circle around the door, he had finally set the sack down tospeak, gazing at her as though he expected her to open her mouth and begin questioninghim.

I need you to stay put for a few days, he said after a long minute. Just until I getback. Ill leave you some money for food. Dont invite anyone inside, not even the maidservice. Ill be back soon.

Bunching her jaw, Amy furrowed her brow in curiosity, but didnt ask for moreinformation. Instead, she nodded obediently, wondering what use she could be stayinginside a motel while John went off elsewhere. He had said he needed her for something, butstill hadnt specified what. Rather than expecting him to explain, she waited patiently,hoping he would give her more details whenever he returned.

Unfortunately, it had been nearly a week since then, causing her to be thankful forthe books she had packed in her suitcase prior to leaving her house. As she whittled thehours away engrossing herself in Life at the Bottom of the World by Jacques Cousteau andRats Saw Godby Rob Thomas, she paused occasionally to check her cell phone for messagesor to make her way across the lot to the diner sitting at the edge of the motels parking area.Taking her food to go, heeding Johns words that she were to stay inside the room, shereturned inside and locked the door before turning on the TV to try to find somethingdecent to watch. After the first few days of the routine, Amy had become comfortable with


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it, wondering how long it would be before John came back to interrupt it. She was finestaying inside the motel, cleaning up when the space became too messy to handle, andspending most of her time getting her reading list out of the way.

However, by the time Thursday rolled around, the five novels Amy had grabbed onher way out had become finished, leaving her with not much else to do except for stareblankly at the television. Though there was more on during the day other than Springerand

Judge Judy, thankfully due to the fact that the motel offered free HBO, there were only somany times she could watch War of the Worlds and Batman Begins before she began tomemorize them line for line. Glancing at the clock, Amy could see that it was already pastnoon, meaning that she either had the option of heading to the diner for food or trying toflip through the TV for something interesting to tune into.

Sliding forward on the bed to mess with the knobs on the television, since the oldset didnt have a remote and required hands-on channel changing, Amy jerked the knob tothe left and allowed it to correct itself before deeming whatever was on the screenunwatchable. By the time she made a full circle, there hadnt been much there to see, causingher to turn it off out of slight frustration. Sitting with her legs crossed, Amy tapped herfingers against her knees in an absent rhythm as she looked around for something to do,hoping that maybe she had missed a book that had fallen on the floor. When nothing cameup, she slumped her shoulders and glared toward the bathroom portion of the room.

The lights were on overhead, shining brightly as a source of illumination in the darkspace. Under Johns order, Amy had left the drapes closed, not bothering to touch them orlook out in case he came back to see them cracked open. Though Amy could tell the guywasnt one who was likely to explode on her yet, not like Jennifer Forester wheneversomething went awry, years of having to listen to someones constant ranting about thingsbeing displaced had caused Amy to become cautious of changing things around. There hadbeen a time when she was younger, having been ordered to watch Thomas and Tristanwhile their parents went out of town, that they had moved the coffee table in the livingroom back in order to sit closer to the television as they played video games. As soon as Joeland Jennifer returned from Indianapolis, the furniture not having been repositioned,Jennifer had blown a gasket, checking the surface of the polished wood for scratches anddings. Since then, barring a few more related incidents, Amy had been cautious when itcame to doing anything against any type of order, expecting to get an ear-full should thingsgo awry.

Clearing her throat and kicking away the memory, Amy let her eyes wonder closerto the television, eventually falling on the door between her room and Johns. She hadntbeen inside since he had left, wanting to give him privacy despite the fact that he wasntthere, but hadnt been told to stay out. In fact, the threshold between them was wide open,having been abandoned that way after John had dumped whatever was on the floor andleaving soon following. Knowing that it was most likely wrong to enter, and wouldprobably garner her more incensed words than just moving the curtain sealing the windowoff, Amy couldnt help but become curious as to what was inside. In all honesty, most of thatwonderment had stemmed from wanting to find out whatever it was that was shining up ather from the floor, hoping the bag had been left behind with a label to tell her whether ornot John had poured something dangerous onto the carpet.

Getting slowly to her feet, Amy let her toes dig into the floor as she stood betweenthe bed and the television, debating whether or not to go in. Though she was curious, shedidnt know if it was worth breaking trust before it could be built. Heading into the mansroom prior to either of them setting up some form of boundaries would most likely lead toher feeling guilty by the time he returned. However, John hadnt been inside his own spacefor longer than an hour, probably taking the same pre-emptive measures, or whatever that


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was, with the area around the doors and windows as he had with her room. It was possible,or even probable, that nothing was inside, meaning that her short venture in would lead tonothing but seeing the same single-bed, two-dresser layout of her room mirrored withouthaving been touched and cluttered with luggage.

Swallowing hard, Amy nodded to herself before taking a step forward, walkinggingerly as though to prevent the padding of her bare feet on carpet from being heard. As

soon as she reached the open doorway, Amy bit her lip and gazed inside, noticing that it wasexactly as she had assumedmade and unmixed. The bed hadnt been sat on, the chair notmoved, and the drawers still shut. Looking around the room, Amy frowned at the emptinessof it before turning to go.

Ultimately, right as she was about to head back to her own side, something sittingon the small dresser beside the bed caught her eye. Narrowing her gaze, Amy could see thatit was a thin wallet similar to the one she used to carry her credit cards and a tiny bit ofcashslight and slim enough to fit in her back pocket. Furrowing her brow and tapping herfingers against the doorframe in thought, she stared at the black leather as it sat open onthe table, the glare from the bathroom light preventing whatever was inside from beingseen.

Letting out a deep breath, Amy stepped gingerly over the threshold and crossed to

the nightstand, reaching forward slowly as though she expected moving it would set off analarm. Pulling it from where it had been thrown, she glanced down at the ID behind theclear window, seeing the bright blue letters spelling out FBI beside a DMV-quality pictureof John. Below was a gold shield with Department of Justice engraved beneath a bald eagle.Biting her lip, Amy gazed deeper into the credentials, noticing that the signature on thebadge was scribbled and illegible, though the rest of it appeared legitimateor aslegitimate as she could imagine having never seen one before.

Placing the badge back where she found it, positioning it almost exactly the way ithad been lying and hoping John wouldnt remember how he had left it, Amy began to pullopen drawers in case there were any other hints as to Johns true cause hidden within theroom. Curiosity now on overdrive, despite the feeling in her stomach telling her she was inthe wrong, she slid open dressers, checked under the bed, and looked through cabinets

before turning to scamper out of the room and back into her own. Though there wasnt anysign that John was back, no jangling of keys to tell her someone was trying to open thedoor, she couldnt help but feel paranoid that he would know she had been inside, as thoughhe had some sort of sense about it.

Sitting against the headboard of her bed, Amy pushed her shoulders into the flimsywood and crossed her legs again, tapping her fingers absently. The badge explained somethings, though not much. If John was FBI and he needed her help with something, it waspossible the bureau was reaching out for assistance on a casealbeit that sounded unlikely.What he had said out in the hall inside of the North Shore Hotel was that he was there toprotect her and that it was important, which might mean that someone was after her.However, who that could be or why was a mystery. Amy had never had many friends, norenemies, nor seemed to leave a lasting impression on anyone. If there was a person after her,it wasnt for any reason she could think ofunless it was happenstance, which explainedeven less. What it did explain, though, was that John had a legitimate reason for picking herup and taking her on a strange vacation. The reason why, whatever it was, was probablygoing unsaid to keep her from overreacting to the information.

Sighing, Amy reached up to grab a lock of hair, twisting it between her fingers.While she was sure she would be able to swallow whatever was going on without freakingout, she was also sure that John didnt know her well enough to figure that out for himself.It was possible that Joel knew, but Amy was certain that would she ask, she wasnt going to


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get much more of an explanation from him. This thing, this case, was probably somethingthat was disclosed between the people who had to knowor thats how it was in movies,anyway. But if that was what was happening, why had John disappeared as soon as theyarrived in, according to the motel stationary, Minneapolis rather than sticking around. If hewas protecting her, then why leave? Unless he thought the semi-circle on the floor washelping do his job for him, then she wasnt there because she needed protection. Crystalline

shapes didnt do anything by lie there.Shaking her head and kicking the thought away, Amy got to her feet and rounded

the bathroom to where her shoes had landed the night before. Slipping on the flip-flops,despite it being somewhat cold for summer in Minnesota, Amy reached for her card walletand room key before stepping over the white line and slipping out for lunch.


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THREE

Microtel DinerMinneapolis, MinnesotaMonday, June 19, 2006

8:48 AM

It had been three weeks since Amy had last seen John Winchester. Three long weeks ofwondering whether or not he was okay, or if he had simply dumped her off at the MicrotelInn & Suites in Minneapolis to let her stew in her juicesor if he had gotten reassigned andforgot about the girl he had gone to retrieve in Northbrook, thinking that maybe she wouldfind her own way home as soon as she caught on to his absentmindedness.

In that time, which had ticked away slowly as she checked the clock between old TVreruns and Hallmark Channel movies, Amy had begun to grow bored with her motelarrangement, pondering the idea of slipping away to the Mall of America or some otherattraction to pass the days on the calendar. However, every time she slipped on her shoesand grabbed her keys, she was always pulled back by the idea of John returning to find herroom empty without a note or any indication as to where she had gone. Instead, afterkicking off her sandals and replacing the key on the hook, she settled back behind thetelevision, hoping that by that time tomorrow, she would be awoken by John making noiseon the other side of the wall.

Unfortunately, no matter how many times she kept that thought it mind, thewishful thinking never happened. Every morningor as much of morning as she couldmanage, anywayshe checked the digital numbers on the bedside table, realizing that noonhad come and gone and there were still no signs of John Winchesters return. Getting in theshower, almost like clockwork, she prepared to head to the diner across the lot, settling at abooth in the farthest corner and talking with whichever waitress came around to take herorder. By the time the second week had ended, she had known every one by name, and evensome small tidbits of information about themif they went to school, if they had kids, and

so on. Although she had previously settled into the routine of reading, catching a fewshows on television, then heading out to grab some food before hiding away, the monotonyof the schedule had grown dull by the time a fortnight had passed. Despite the fact thatAmy had never been a particularly energetic person, preferring to spend her days poolsideor indoors while she dove into a novel, the idea of being trapped in a twelve-by-fourteenroom with a black-and-white television and no one to talk to between chapters wasbeginning to make her feel lonely. Even her calls home had gone unanswered andunreturned, causing her to wonder whether or not her family had forgotten about her allthe way around.

Deciding that she needed something to do, something that might mix up thesameness of getting up at noon only to spend her day parked in front of whatever the

original movie of the week was, Amy had headed into the diner at the edge of the lot insearch of food and coming out with a new job. One of the servers, Andrea, had gone onmaternity leave a week before, leaving the place short-staffed, and since Amy had nothingelse keeping her busy, she had offered to lend a helping hand. Ecstatic that someone wasapplying for the position of waitress, especially since tourist season was on the risewhichAmy didnt see considering the motel was so far from the main metropolis and the oversizedmall that seemed to allure visitors from all walks of lifeIrene hadnt bothered to ask for aresume, instead hiring Amy on the spot.

Youre in here every day, anyway, she had said, combing her frizzy red hair back


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with a brush the size of Amys hand. I was always wondering what you were up to in thatmotel room of yours. Thought you might be bored in there.

Grinning to herself, Amy hadnt said anything in return, only allowing Irene toshow her around the diner and introduce her to the crew in the kitchen. When they werefinished, Amy had accepted the ugly pink-and-brown uniform the older woman had handedher, trying not to make a face at the polka dot pattern on the sewn-in apron. Promising that

she would be back the next day at nine sharpsince apparently Andrea had always workedfrom nine to five on weekdays and didnt accept any changes in her scheduleAmy hadgone back to her room in an attempt to sleep, only becoming caught up in the finally-returned phone call from her mother, who didnt approve of Amy taking a waitress job, nomatter how bored she was.

Our family isnt in the service industry, Amelia, Jennifer had scolded. We dontclean up after people unless were paid highly for it. I didnt appoint for you to get into Yalejust for you to throw it away talking to truckers and listening to babies cry. I worked thatway for years, Amelia, dont regress my progress.

Rolling her eyes, Amy had taken the reprimand in stride before finally catching afew hours of rest. By the time she arrived at the diner, spending most of her morningsearching through her still-unpacked suitcase looking for sneakers to wear, the place had

been in full-swing, with no one to help show her the ropes aside from a busy woman namedCatherine who had been working from midnight on. Irritated and tired, Catherine hadntdone much but snap at her and point to where things went, giving Amy the feeling that shewas going to have to learn how to do the job on her own.

Thankfully, after a week of balancing plates and scrubbing tables, she had finallygotten the hang of it, even well enough to be taught how to use the cash register. Feeling asense of pride in figuring out something for herself, and not being chastised more than a fewtimes for accidentally placing the wrong plates on the wrong tables, Amy hadnt mindedhaving to get up every day to put on a hideous outfit and tolerate the freighters, as theliked to be called, when they came in and wolf-whistled at her. After awhile, when shenoticed that a group of them had been long-time regulars, she had discovered that the menwho hounded after her were only playing around, flashing the wedding rings on their

fingers and making conversation. Although they all werent like that, it was a nice majorityto give Amy enough of a comfort level to casually talk back.

However, the easy work and the steady pay could only hold out for so long. By thetime Amy woke up on a morning toward the end of the third week, she had been startled bythe sound of a door slamming and keys jangling in the next room. Bolting for the adjoiningthreshold, Amy found John Winchester standing by the window, sifting through a dufflebag with a sour look on his face. Frowning, Amy had a feeling that her new routine wasabout to go south and that they were headed elsewhere. When the alarm sounded at eight,startling both of them as though making each other aware of their presence, John had toldher to pack up and get ready to go, giving as much details as with his first appearance,though snapping them this time around. Filling him in that she now had a job, John hadglared at her for a minute, causing Amy to squirm under his stare, before scowling andtelling her to resign, a mutter that he had told her to stay put escaping his mouth.

With no choice but to do so, especially if she didnt want to be scolded, Amy hadcrossed the lot to give Irene the bad news, only to be met with sadness as soon as the wordsspilled out of her mouth. Amy knew she was leaving the place high and dry, telling thewoman that no one would be in to cover the rush-hour shift while she went off to greenerpastures. However, unlike Johns bad mood, Irene had given Amy a small smile as she tookcash out of the register to cover her earnings for the past week since payday.

Returning to the room, Amy gathered her things, trying to retrieve everything that


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had been lodged behind the bed or under the dresser in the month since moving in. As sheworked on fishing out books that had found their way behind the TV stand, digging clothesout from the bottom of drawers, and piling them all back inside her suitcase, the sound ofJohn grumbling next door could be heard. Craning her hearing out of curiosity, she couldonly hear one side of a conversation, seemingly a phone callunless John talked to himself,for which she couldnt be certain.

Youre sure you saw them? John mumbled, scratching his grizzled beard as hepassed the archway between their rooms.

Tuning out the one-way discussion, Amy finished discovering volumes that hadmanaged to be kicked under the mattress and zipped up her suitcase, wondering who orwhat John could be talking about. Though it was possible she would find out soon, eitherthrough listening to his call or by being told, she wasnt curious enough to break hisprivacy. If he was trying to talk something over with a partner or his superior orwhomever, that wasnt her business until he made it her business. Until then, she was betteroff shoving her things into the car to make it easier for them to leave for whateverdestination was next. Hopefully, though she hated herself for thinking so, the next place hewould be taking her would be back to Northbrook so that she could put the month-in-a-motel stint in her rearview mirror.

Frowning at the idea of cutting her vacation away from home short, especially ifJohn had shown up because he needed her for something more than a room-warmer, Amypulled open the door and headed out into the parking lot, finding the black truck sitting inthe stall directly in front of her. Slipping her suitcase into the backseat, and finding it nowloaded with piles of peeling hard-cover books, Amy stood on the running boards and staredout at the road. As much as she didnt mind going somewhere during summer break, theidea of never having a stable schedule bothered her. One moment she was in Minnesotawithout any kind of phone call or warning from John, the next she was being ordered byhim to get ready to go with hardly any notice. The spontaneous speeding off wasntsomething she was likely to become adjusted to, especially when she was used to structuredvacations where everything had been planned out months in advance.

When she was younger, before Yale and dormitories and roommates who never

stuck to any kind of agenda, Joel and Jennifer had often taken Amy and the twins to placesmost people only dreamed of going to. One year is was the Bahamas, then another yearBermuda, then London and Tokyo. However, before embarking on an airplane or settlinginto a hotel, the trip had been detailed down to the last minute, meaning that everythingthey were doing from the time they woke up to the time they went to bed was penciled in.Having never known anything else, especially any kind of impulsiveness, Amy had assumedthe idea that everything was to be prearranged and organized, leaving nothing to chance.Being with John, and the belief that everything seemed spur-of-the-moment and unsaid,gave Amy the feeling that she would rather be at home relaxing instead of on someadventure lead by someone she barely knew and for a reason she didnt understand.

Suddenly, the sound of a door slamming shut to her right caused Amy to jolt herselfout of her thoughts. Glancing down at John as he closed off his own motel room, then heldhis hands out for the key in Amys grasp, she watched as he caught the small piece of metalwith ease before heading off for the check-in office at the corner of the building. Figuringthat he would be back soon, Amy sighed and slipped into the cabin of the truck, leaving thedoor open so that fresh air could clean out the smell of dirty laundry and stale hamburgers.

By the time John was back on the drivers side, Amy could tell that his agitatedappearance had faded, now replaced with one of hardened determination. Whoever he wasgoing after, judging by the snippet of conversation she had heard, was probably someonewho had slipped out from under his watchful eye. If the guy was FBI, which Amy believed


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him to be due to the badge she had found in his room, then it was possible that he wastrying to track someone down, possibly someone on the Most Wanted list.

Pushing the thought away as John backed his truck out of the stall, Amy kept hergaze fixed on the diner as it passed. Inside, the place was bustling as the three women onhand, Catherine, Irene, and Brenda, fluttered from table to table, placing hot plates downbefore whirling around to take a new customers order. Smiling sadly at the restaurant as it

became smaller in the side mirror, Amy settled into the seat and stared straight ahead,finally noticing that music had been turned on to break up the silence.

Oh, father of the four winds, fill my sails, across the sea of years. With no provision but anopen face, along the straits of fear


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FOUR

Tonys Caf at Daze InnLouisville, Kentucky

Monday, June 19, 20063:35 PM

As soon as John had pulled his truck into the lot of the Louisville Lodge, Amy had a feelingthis stop on whatever Magical Mystery Tour they were taking was about to make a sharpturn. Getting out of the car and heading straight for the office, he had emerged with a set ofkeys and a determined glare, his cell phone attached to his ear as he walked a handful ofdoors over to open room number eight. Following him, and carrying both of their bags outof courtesy for him paying for their stay, Amy had gone straight inside, only catching asmall snippet of what was being said on the other end of the line.

Yeah, I heard, John grumbled before shutting his side of the pair of rooms off,though his voice was still audible through the thin walls. Were caught up. Ill call you if Ineed you.

From there, everything had been silent as Amy took a seat on the king-sized bedtaking up most of the space. As she eyed the cowboy-style dcor, even noting that thedrawer pulls looked like bull horns, the sound of heavy equipment being dropped on thefloor came from next door. Biting her lip, Amy wondered how long it would be before Johntook off again, curious as to whether he would say goodbye this time rather than justleaving. However, as soon as the thought crossed her mind, the adjoining door betweenthem was pulled open, following the sound of her name being mumbled.

Getting up from her perch, Amy had crossed the threshold into Johns roomcautiously, silently doubting that she had heard herself being beckoned. Thankfully, themoment she was fully inside, John had nodded approvingly before sitting down at the chairunderneath the window.

Youre probably wondering what youre doing here, John said finally, the long

moment of silence stretching out between them. Youre probably wondering why I decidedto show up after all this time. Pausing as he waited for her to nod slowly and sit down,John kept his heavy eyes on Amy, a slight irritation hidden behind them. Truth is, I needsomething done, and its not something I can do by myself.

Furrowing her brow, Amy took a small breath before digging the heel of her handinto her knee, as though hoping the rough movement would keep her from jumping at thechance to answer. John seemed like the type who didnt commend excitement or rashdecisions, and, judging by his dark stare, didnt approve of having to wait for a response,either. Torn between the two, Amy simply sighed.

What do you need?Grinning in relief, a rare appearance based on his usually stony nature, John reached

inside his pocket to retrieve a Polaroid that had been creased and covered with grime

throughout the years it had undoubtedly been shoved inside the wool coat Amy had yet tosee him take off. Handing it forward and getting to his feet at the same time, she watched ashe headed for a duffle bag across the room, speaking as he moved.

There are two men I need you to watch, John said. Theyre dangerous and armed.I wouldnt normally ask a civilian to do this, but I cant watch them as closely as I wouldlike to. Thats what I need you for. Someone they dont know.

Biting her lip in thought, Amy glanced down at the photograph in her hand. Thetwo men, who appeared more like teenagers than anything else, were both tall withdiffering shades of brown hair and green eyes. The more taper of the pair, who seemed to be


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the youngest, had a mess of tousled locks that fell into his eyelashes, while the other had acut that looked more military-style. Staring deeper into the picture, it was clear that the twowere related by the shape of the jaw and their cleft chins, as well as their similar, musicalbuilds. Flipping the Polaroid over, a date had been scrawled on the back in blockyhandwriting, barely legible in faded ink: February 02.

Placing the photograph down on the table John had abandoned, Amy glanced up at

him. Across the room, the man was sifting through something deep inside his bag, asthough trying to find something he lost. Finally, after a long moment, a heavy object at thebottom came loose, causing John to grin again, this time triumphantly. In his hands he helda thick book, the cover of it faded, peeling, and aged as he flipped it back to sift through theyellowed pages. While he did so, Amy took her eyes off of the volume to stare at the floor.

Part of her wanted to ask him what the men had done to get the attention of the FBIor whoever he worked for, while another part of her told her that though he had asked forher help, it still wasnt her business to pry. Instead, she did what her father, Joel, wouldhave wanted her to do and waited for John to bring her up to speed. Although she knew itwas a possibility that the only information she was going to get out of him was what he hadalready said, it wasnt Amys right to ask for more than what he had given. It was adiscipline both Joel and Jennifer had instilled in her, that she wasnt to ask for things unless

they were being handed out and that trying to attain more than she had already beenbestowed was considerably greedy on her part.

Suddenly, after a long moment, John looked up from the book and recrossed to thetable, absently shoving the picture back in his pocket. Seemingly lost in his own train ofthought, Amy sat back on the bed and crossed her legs, wondering whether or not John wasthrough with his briefing of her. As though to answer her question, John glanced at her andfurrowed his brow curiously, apparently forgetting she had been there while he becameemerged with whatever had been in his hands.

You want me to watch someone, Amy reminded him after a minute.Right, John nodded, placing the tome down and flipping open his cell phone.

Theyre staying at the Daze Inn two streets over. In the lot, theres a diner. Do what youwere doing in Minnesota, but dont use your real name. Pick an alias and stick with it.

Nodding in acceptance, Amy gazed up at John as though waiting for moreinformation before noticing that the old volume was back in his hands. Getting to her feetand heading back into her own room, she immediately reached for her card wallet, motelkey, and mobile, placing all three into different pockets and heading out the door. Theparking space outside of the room was nothing more than a square of gravel, with slotsmarked into the cement walkway that made up the porch. Five spaces down sat Johns blacktruck, the sound of the cooling engine clicking every now and again audible over the sparsetraffic.

In all her life, Amy had never imagined going to Louisville, mainly because the citynear the northwestern edge of Kentucky didnt interest her. While she understood theappeal of the Louisville Cardinals, the Highlands she had read about, and the KentuckyDerby, none of it had given her much pause aside from a momentary thought whenever shewatched Elizabethtown. However, now that she stared out at it, she could see that the citywas more than baseball, shopping districts, and horse races.

As she walked down the road toward the Daze Inn John had mentioned, andfiguring he wasnt going to give her a ride seeing as his head was buried in a book,dandelions lined the road, swaying in the hot breeze as it pushed past her. Up ahead,decaying houses punctuated each sides of the street, giving the isolated stretch of highway asense of history. Making her way past them, Amy eyed the blackened structures, imaginingthat they had been there during the Civil War or the like, and had simply been forgotten by


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their owners as time progressed. Reminding herself to find a book about the area, andfrowning at not thinking of this sooner while she had been in Minneapolis, Amy carried onuntil she saw the diner sitting at the edge of the other motels lot.

Walking more hurriedly the closer she came to the front entrance, Amy glancedaround nervously before pulling open the door, hoping not to encounter the two men shehad been asked to watch first off. Seeing no sign of them as she crossed over to the counter,

Amy took a seat on one of the stools near the register at the end of the L-shaped bar,wishing someone would appear soon. The restaurant was deserted, both of people and waitstaff, causing her to wonder whether or not the place would hire her due to slowness alone.Swallowing hard out of nervousness, Amy grabbed for the menu propped up between thesalt and pepper shakers and flipped it open, pretending to be reading while she eyed therestaurant.

The space looked almost exactly like the Microtel Diner, with the exception that itseemed the one at the edge of the Daze Inns lot was larger. The booths were the sameMcDonalds quality, with hard backs offering no padding and the same violent colors. Thefloor was a dull gray that was scuffed in places from work boots rubbing it the wrong way,as were the tabletops that seemed as though they could use some disinfectant. Thecountertop in front of her, as well as the chairs she sat on, were the off-white of Formica

that had clearly discolored over the years, though appeared much cleaner than the tables,almost as if no one had sat where she had in quite some time.

All of a sudden, a voluptuous redhead, with a bustline twice the size of Amys ownswelling chest, emerged through the swinging doors to the kitchen, smelling heavily ofcigarettes and looking as though she didnt approve of her break being interrupted by acustomer. Reaching inside the small apron slung around her curvy hips and just below theblack t-shirt whose green writing stretched out over her breasts, the woman poised a penover an ordering pad, frowning as she spoke.

Whatll you have?A job, hopefully, Amy sighed, giving the woman a small, uncertain smile. Getting

nothing but a scowl back in return, Amy glanced down at the menu and rambled off the firstthing she saw. Bacon cheeseburger.

You want fries?Uh, sure, Amy nodded, biting her lip. And a Coke, if you have it.Of course we do, the redhead scowled with an eye roll, scribbling down the order

and slapping it on the stainless steel countertop leading to the kitchen behind her. As soonas an overweight mans hand grabbed the small sheet, the woman turned around to faceAmy, her hands on her hips as she sized up the girl in front of her. You said you werelooking for a job, right? And you meant here?

Hopefully, Amy sighed, placing the menu back between the shakers. Im new intown and needing something to do between classes at the university, she lied slowly,glancing up at the woman as though to make sure she was buying the fib. I figured it mightpass the time and give me a little cash while Im at it.

Youre kind of far from the school, hun, the redhead said, warming up a little toAmy after she spoke and giving her a small smile. Youre kind of far from everything,actually. I think youd be better off working at the bookstore or whatever it is you collegekids do. I wouldnt know.

Never been? Amy asked, hoping to make the curiosity in her voice sound sincereas she gazed up at the woman who towered over her sitting position. At a nod, Amyshrugged her shoulders, lying again. Its not that great.

How sweet of you, the woman scoffed, becoming an ice queen once again.Biting her lip, Amy tapped her fingers absently on the countertop, feeling the cool


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material under the tip of her digits. It was obvious that this woman was temperamental,seeming to go from hot to cold within the five minutes Amy had been conversing with her.Though she was used to that, having lived with Jennifer Forester and her similarfluctuating attitude, Amy had also taken enough acting classes to know how to pretendunaffected by the change. While away at Yale, and before that, she had undergone weeks ofcamps based solely on harboring and harnessing emotions, as well as the proper way to

keep a blank face despite the need to break character and laugh. Although she wasnt aboutto crack a grin, Amy felt as though she was about to put those lessons into play, especially ifJohn needed her to watch after someone staying in the motel sharing the lot, and all of thatdepended on landing a job at the very diner she sat in.

Swallowing the need to back down beneath the glare the woman was now throwingher way, Amy returned the stare, wondering if the redhead was about to offer her a jobbased solely on the fact that she hadnt cowered. As the two met eyes for a long moment,Amy suddenly came to the realization of something. John wanted her to pick a differentname, an alias, which was essentially a character. If Amy couldnt be Amy while she kepther eyes on a couple of armed-and-dangerous men, that meant she could be anyone she sodesiredwhoever that happened to be.

Wracking her brain for options, Amy looked away from the woman just as the

redhead cracked a grin and sauntered away, her hips swishing in a motion that was sure todrive the men that came into the establishment mad with lust. A second later and shereturned, a piece of paper and pen in her hand as she placed it in front of Amy. Tapping itwith purpose, Amy looked up at the redhead as she kept her finger on the page, noticingthat an application had been set in front of her.

Look, the woman said, sighing heavily as though she didnt want to say the nextfew words, we happen to be a couple people short. I know this place doesnt look busy, butyou came in right in the eye of the storm. When supper time rolls around, this place will bea circus. You want to work here, you got it. I just need you to fill this out first to see if youactually know what youre doing before I hire you. I need to know if youve workedanything like this before. Im hoping you have because Ill be damned if I have to tra inanother dropout wannabe Liz Parker.

I have experience, Amy answered, picking the pen up just as the woman pivoted tograb her plate of food and place it on the counter beside her. Thank you.

Nodding appreciatively, either at the gratitude or the idea of someone applying withan actual background in waitressing, the redhead watched with narrowed eyes while Amyfilled out the form. When she was done, she passed it aside before grabbing thecheeseburger off the plate, not realizing until now how hungry she had been. While she ate,the redhead reached for the completed resume, scanning it once over before nodding again.

I have friends at the Microtel Diner. You know Irene? the woman asked, crossingher arms as though doubtful of Amys claim to have worked there. Weve been friends for along time. I went to high school with her cousin.

I know Irene. And Catherine. And Brenda, Amy replied after swallowing a hot biteand heading off the following questions about the diner in Minneapolis in case she doubtedAmy enough to call and check on her claims.

Smirking, the redhead crossed over to the register to punch open the drawer,placing the paper in her hand under the till and reaching for something underneath.Grabbing a marker out of the cup of pens beside the machine, the woman scribbledsomething on a small, flat surface in her hand, blowing on it when she was done. Headingback over to Amy, she slid what appeared to be a name badge in front of her. Glancingdown at it, Amy smiled to herself as she placed the burger back down on the plate to freeher hands. Picking up the tiny square of plastic, Amy quickly pocketed it in the front of her


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shorts just as the redhead was about to exit into the kitchen.One more thing, the woman said, pausing in the half-opened threshold and

peering back with a curious eye. You start tomorrow at seven. See you later, Kelly Taylor.A moment later, and with the swish of a door, the redhead was gone, leaving Amy

alone with nothing more than a greasy burger and a slew of thoughts as to what she wasgetting herself into.


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FIVE

Tonys Caf at Daze InnLouisville, Kentucky

Tuesday, June 20, 20068:20 AM

It had been a little over an hour into her first shift before the men John had asked Amy towatch came strolling into the diner, setting up shop in a booth near the back andimmediately looking around for a waitress to take their order. At the moment they walkedin, Amy could tell that almost five years had passed between when the picture she had beengiven had been taken and now. The taller one, the one with darker hair and deep-set eyes,had aged a good deal, appearing more like a man than the teenager in the photograph. Theshorter of the two though both were tall, even by Amys five-foot-ten standardsappeared almost the same, though the boyish looks of the early twenties were becomingshaved off of his facial features.

As both of them took up residence, speaking to the blonde waitress whose name shehad yet to learn, Amy kept her eyes on them from behind the counter. The younger one

appeared irritated with something on the computer screen propped open in front of him,shooting the older one an annoyed glance as soon as the blonde turned away. Speakingquietly between them, the two bantered for awhile before the pair fell quiet, seeming to goseparate ways mentally.

While they waited for their food, Amy glanced at them periodically, making surenot to fall behind on her job in the meantime. Judging by the redhead she had met the nightbefore, who had identified herself as Claire as soon as Amy had reported for duty, it seemedas though any slip-ups could cause her to lose her position on the wait staff. According toClaire, the reason Amy had the job in the first place was because someone had screwed up,and that that should be a warning to her if she were to value her trade. Knowing that Johnhad asked her to insert herself into the caf in the first place, Amy felt it important to stayemployed and under the radar, almost becoming someone else in the process.

The day before, while she had been walking back to the motel to find John goneonce again, Amy had decided that this would be nothing more than a role she would play.Though she understood that what she was doing was something anyone in their right mindcould do, watching someone without tipping off the targets under radar, she found it goodpractice for the classes she was hoping to land when she returned to Yale. In the past threeyears she had been at the university, she had heard nothing but teachers drilling into herhead that she was playing a character and not herself, and because of that, she should beable to open up more due to the fact that the person on stage wasnt actually her. If shewanted to get into Professor Emersons Acting for Screen class, she was going to have towork at it enough to nail the audition that it took to secure a spot. This, it appeared, wasgiving her the opportunity to try to become a different person, someone who only sharedthe same face.

As she had been filling out the application the afternoon before, Johns warning ofpicking a pseudonym had echoed throughout her head, giving her pause as she was about toscribble down her own name. For a moment, she considered a list of options, wondering ifshe should make up her own alias or go with one more familiar. Choosing the latter, andfiguring it would be easier to remember should she find herself in a tough situation, she hadpicked an innocuous name, a character from a television show she had grown up watching.Scribbling down Kelly Taylor, and hoping that the owners of the rights to Beverly Hills,90210werent going to go after her, Amy had begun to assume the role.


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However, how she was going to portray the person, either as an extension of herselfor otherwise, had been a mystery until her long walk back to the motel. As she trampledthrough gravel and flourishing flowers whose petals had drifted away, she had decided on acourse of action: simply become a more confident Amy, one more daring than normal.Nodding on the idea, as though a handshake with a business partner, she had committed tothe plan, putting it into play as soon as she walked through the doo r of Tonys Caf that

morning, not backing down beneath Claires dubious gaze like she normally would.Unfortunately, the ruse wasnt as easy to maintain as she initially thought. After

floating from table to table, making small conversation with customers and locking into theroutine she had learned at the Microtel Diner, Amy could feel herself slip away from Kellyand back into Amy as she did nothing but smile kindly at comments and thank people as sherang them up. While she was certain nothing was wrong with that, especially when she hada job to do rather than chat with people, she could tell that she was the only one not vyingfor tips by doing so. Thankfully, as soon as the two men she had been asked to watch camein, after a small heart-stopping pause of surprise, Amy quickly reminded herself that shewas there to play a role of another person and to keep her eyes on the suspects Johnappeared to be following from state to state. Rolling her shoulders back, she promised torespect her previous acting teachers lesson of becoming a different person other than

herself before resuming business as usual.Heading for the table she had just abandoned with the blue bucket usually reserved

for busboys cleaning up after a preceding customer, Amy dumped the dishes inside the tub,pocketing the tips left behind and glancing at the men. They were speaking again, this timewith the older one holding open an aged brown journal as he muttered to the other.Figuring that was all she needed to see, she continued with the work, making sure to set theused plates carefully inside the pail so that food remnants didnt touch the bottom. Whenshe was done, she turned on heel and headed behind the counter, pushing the swinging doorto the kitchen open with her hip.

Inside, the sizzle of burgers on the grill met her ears, as well as the heat from thesurfaces causing her skin to perspire. Rounding the butchers block in the middle of theroom, Amy beelined for Willy, the guy who Claire described as nothing but a glorified maid.

By the time she reached him, his arms were elbow-deep in soapy water, only emergingevery few seconds to drop a cl

Into the Wild by Elizabeth Shawnessey

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