Been working on Last Call and the Red Witch this week. Wasn’t sure which one to post.

Think I’m gonna Last Call this thing though… The trouble will be finding a non-spoilery scene…

***

Rick followed Mina into a shadow and squatted beside her. She didn’t so much as glance at him. All her attention was squarely on the back door.

He waited for some sign from her. Sometimes, it felt like he’d spent most of his life waiting for a werewolf to give him a sign to attack.

A low growl came from her throat as the fur along her spine rose. Rick gripped his sword tighter, although he refrained from turning on the electricity. The noise would give away their position

Mina shrank against the house, pressing against him. He did the same, holding his breath until she relaxed again.

She glanced over her shoulder at him, and nodded towards the woods. Rick waved to Sam, letting him know that the coast was clear.

Mina didn’t wait for them to catch up. She skittered up the stairs to the back porch. A little whine followed and Rick waved Sam forward. Mina had mastered turning door knobs with her jaws, so the door had to be locked.

Sam fished his lock picks out of his pocket, and opened the door as quickly as he could. As soon as the tumblers slotted into place, Mina whined again. Sam shook his head as he opened the door for her. Rick followed the two of them, thankful Dean was staying in the woods. The PI was decent in a fight, but sneaking into a nightling lair was outside his skill set.

Inside the house, Mina put her snout to the floor. She took only three steps along the trail when an orange powder filled the air.

Rick’s eyes immediately started burning. It was concentrated pepper spray. The kind designed to take out werewolves. “Mina, get out, now.”

He felt her press against his legs, but she wasn’t running from the pepper spray. Rick weighed the consequences, and decided to really piss her off. “Wilhelmina Maria Lidiya Grekov, please leave this house until the capsaicin clears.”

She growled as she walked stiffly out of the house. Eyes watering painfully, Rick pulled his shirt over his nose and mouth and ran through the cloud to the dark hallway ahead.

Sam’s muffled voice came from behind him. “She’s gonna kill you.” He handed Rick a tube of salve.

Rick smeared some over his eyes. “I know, but she couldn’t get through that cloud without incapacitating herself, and she never would have left otherwise.”

“I didn’t say you did the wrong thing, just that she’s gonna kill you.”

The dark hallway beyond the kitchen was empty, but someone knew they were in the house. Rick caressed the button on his sword that electrified it, but didn’t press it. The sound would have given them away.

“You aren’t thinking straight, Matty.” The amused man’s voice froze Rick in the hallway. He strained to listen, but Matty didn’t answer.

There was a chuckle and then the same voice said, “Wilhelmina triggered the bombs in the kitchen. Go out the front and find her back up. She won’t have entered this house without somebody watching.”

Sam grabbed his shirt, and Rick didn’t need his urgent tugging to turn back to the kitchen. The air still stung his eyes, and Rick pulled his shirt over his nose as he darted to the doorway, craning his neck to watch the hall out of the corner of his eye.

Two figures thundered down the dark hall, and Rick held his breath. Matty was alive.

“Mr. Wilson, Mr. Whitestone, hiding is pointless. Please, join me.”

Rick looked at Sam. The older man rolled his eyes, and jerked his head to the back door. Rick nodded.

Yeah, it’s a trap.

The smartest thing to do would be to get the hell out of the house. Sam sprinted for the back door, and Rick waited to jump the nightling.

As the vampire cleared the door, it smashed a fist into Rick’s face as it ran past him. Rick’s back slammed into counter and his sword fell from his fingers. The pain helped clear away some of the fog from the blow to the head.

He scooped up the sword, and pressed the button that electrified the weapon. The familiar crackle and the smell of ozone filled the kitchen.

The nightling had Sam by the neck. The older Speaker stared at it in frozen, mute terror. Rick rushed them.

At the last possible moment, the vampire stepped aside, one foot held out. Rick stumbled past them, skittering steps to keep himself on his feet. His momentum sent him out the back door… and towards Mina.

***