"Back to Cesar, then?"

Dillan nodded. They had been tracking the couple, waiting for the right moment, but it had never come. The Witch and her soldier were very careful. The one time they might have been ambushed while they were traveling, the two Blazers had stopped for a moment, and then went a different way. Like they'd known there was trouble waiting ahead.

Tonight, the twins had been nearby, planning to try again after dark. When the hunter had cleverly distracted the wolf and snuck inside, they'd moved even closer. Hoping to kill her soldier and then her attacker, it had only taken a few seconds to feel the waves of power in the air and realize it was the man who wasn't coming out.

Dean and Dillan might have gone in anyway, if not for the single gunshot, which either meant the woman was dead and there was no reason to stay, or the hunter had given his life, and the Witch would be ready for anything. They had watched her stumble out the door, looking like easy, terrified prey, but they knew she wasn't. They also hadn't missed her fast recovery.

The twins had finally accepted that they needed help. It was something they'd rarely encountered, even before, when only a cell had controlled them, stopped them from doing what they wanted. Now, a mere woman had hurt them, had made them feel fear, and they loathed her for it.

"Where do you think the deformed bastard is?"

Dillan's glassy eyes went back to the map and then checked his watch for the date, wincing at his mangled arm. He had splinted it, and it was healing, but it would always be useless. "He said every big town along 25. Maybe three days each, four on the bigger ones, skip every other, empty... He should be near Denver. We'll just follow Interstate 80 until we pick them up on the CB. Or until we see smoke after a storm.

Dean grinned as he stood up. "'Cause where there's a storm, there's Cesar."



 10

Crrraaackkk!

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The thunder from the fading storm rattled the ground, shaking the tent, and Marc woke suddenly from his dreams of thick smoke and desperate screams. He was alone.

Surprised he hadn't noticed Angela leave, he quickly stepped out into dawn's early dimness, immediately finding her standing by the open passenger door of her Blazer. Medical supplies spread across the seat, she was using the mirror to see in, as she cleaned her injuries.

Marc moved to her side slowly, making sure she was aware of his presence. He gently took the alcohol pad from her trembling fingers, wincing when she did, heart breaking at the pain in her eyes. She didn't seem afraid of him like she had been, wasn't nervous about being hemmed in by his large body, but he was very careful not to crowd her as he applied the gel she handed him.