The Rescue

**Previously**

"However…" she said in a softer voice, "if you gave me your number, just for security purposes, I think we could… work something out."

I held back a smile. Wow, are women always this forward here? Even though I was flattered, I had more important things on my mind. But why not enjoy the situation a little?

"With pleasure, *** *** ***," I said, giving her my number.

She quickly jotted it down, smiling, before discreetly handing me a slip of paper with Sam Winchester's address.

"Thanks a lot," I replied with a wink. She watched me leave, still smiling.

Well, I've got the address…

End of Chapter 6

Chapter 7: The Rescue

Now that I have the address, I head back to the car.

Oslo, my hellhound puppy, is still asleep in the back, invisible to human eyes. I hop into the Mustang, start the engine with a smooth motion, and decide not to waste any time. Before heading to keep an eye on Sam's house, I make a quick stop to stock up on food and drinks.

I pull into a roadside convenience store. I fill up a bag with provisions: chips, sandwiches, energy drinks—everything needed to hold out for several hours without having to step out.

Stealth is key, even though with my new abilities, I can go a long time without eating.

Still, it's always good to have some energy on hand in case I need to use my powers more intensely.

With my supplies packed, I hit the road again toward Sam's address. The house is in a quiet residential area, typical of a college town. Well-kept lawns, students moving from house to house, chatting or carrying books. I park the car a few houses down, turn off the engine, and settle in to watch.

The rest of the day passes uneventfully. I snack on my provisions while keeping an eye on the house. Nothing suspicious for now.

I'm thinking about the best approach. How do I warn Jess without coming across as crazy or tipping off Brady, her demon-possessed friend? I can't afford to screw this up.

A slight growl from Oslo reminds me of his presence in the back. I gently scratch his head before focusing again on the house. Time is ticking, and the crucial moment is approaching.

Once stocked up, I head back to Sam's address. The neighborhood is typical of a university town: well-kept houses, pristine lawns, and students coming and going with books under their arms. Everything seems peaceful, almost too ordinary for what's about to happen tonight.

I park the car a few houses down, turn off the engine, and settle in comfortably to keep watch. Around noon, I see Jessica return. She doesn't seem like she'll be leaving again. Good.

That gives me time to prepare and think about my next move. The real question is when Brady will show up. If my memory is correct, it should be tonight.

The hours pass, and night finally settles in. Everything seems calm... until a very specific smell suddenly hits me. Sulfur. I immediately make the connection: a demon. And not just any demon, probably Brady.

Focusing, I'm able to locate him about 800 meters away. Thanks to the enhanced sense of smell I got from the elephant "Grégorie."

I leave the car and quietly head toward Jess's apartment. Using my abilities, I phase through a wall—specifically the bathroom wall—to enter unnoticed. I activate my camouflage, just in case, and settle into a dark corner to wait. From there, I can sense Jess in the living room.

She's sitting, holding an old cassette player, listening to music and studying, as I can tell from the sound of pencils on paper.

The smell of Brady approaches quickly. He must be teleporting in small jumps, and a second later, the doorbell rings.

Jessica gently removes her headphones, letting them dangle around her neck. Back then, headphones didn't block out sound as well as they do now. Either you cranked the volume up and wrecked your ears, or you could still hear the world around you.

She heads to the door and opens it, a friendly smile on her face.

"Hey, Brady! How's it going?" she asks enthusiastically, always happy to see a familiar face after a quiet day.

Brady gives her a warm smile, but there's something off about his expression, a dark glint in his eyes that Jess doesn't notice.

"I'm good, Jess," he replies in a relaxed tone. "I was in the area and thought I'd drop by to say hi. Hope I'm not interrupting?"

Jessica shakes her head with a light laugh.

"No, not at all!"

She steps back to let him in, but Brady doesn't move right away. He stays on the threshold, quickly glancing around inside as if evaluating the situation.

"Is Sam here?" he asks casually, his voice remaining laid-back.

Jessica shakes her head with a smile.

"No, he left with his brother a few days ago. Some family issue with their dad, apparently, he went missing. He should be back tonight."

"Ah, family issues, huh?" Brady responds, feigning interest. His smile tightens slightly, but he stays relaxed. "I guess it must be serious if Sam left with his brother."

Jessica nods in agreement.

"Yeah, it seems pretty serious. His brother showed up late at night, just when we were going to bed. For a first meeting, it was a bit... strange. But you know Sam, he doesn't talk much about his family."

Brady nods, his smile widening slightly.

"Yeah, for a first meeting, that's pretty funny. But hey, I hope they've sorted it out. If you want, I can wait with you for Sam to come back. We could talk about class in the meantime, help pass the time."

Jessica hesitated for a moment before smiling back.

"Why not? That could be nice," she replied, unaware of what was really going on behind his friendly mask.

The trap was slowly closing around her, but I was ready.

They'd been talking for about ten minutes. I could tell by the tone of Brady's voice that he was getting bored. But he was patient, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. He was laying the groundwork, just waiting for the right timing.

Then, suddenly, a question came out of nowhere, completely out of context:

"Jess, what do you think Sam would do if you died out of the blue?"

Jessica, who had been talking about something entirely different, froze. She stared at him, confused, trying to figure out if he was joking. But the cruel smile and Brady's eyes, which suddenly flickered black, confirmed it wasn't a joke.

"What... what the—" she stammered, in shock.

Brady stood up abruptly, his expression twisted by a hatred he was no longer hiding.

"Damn, I'm tired of pretending. Sam this, Sam that... Blah blah, and more blah."

In one brutal motion, he grabbed Jess by the throat and lifted her off the ground with ease. She struggled, her hands desperately trying to break free, while her face was frozen in disbelief.

Brady threw her violently across the room. She crashed into a piece of furniture and collapsed to the floor. Under her horrified gaze, he pulled out a knife, his lips curling into a wicked grin.

"Sam won't be back for a while... Looks like I'm going to have some fun."

He slowly approached Jessica, knife in hand, savoring every second.

"And in case you're wondering... No, there never was a Brady. I've been pretending from the start."

He paused, his smile growing even more sinister.

"I almost feel sorry for you. After all, you're just collateral damage in my master's plan. But that won't stop me from enjoying your suffering. Oh, the screams, the tears, the hope that Sam will come save you... I love it."

Brady tilted his head, already imagining the final scene.

"I can already picture Sam's face when he finds you, strung up on the ceiling... just like his mom. And to top it all off, a nice little fireworks show. Hahaha! Just thinking about it gives me chills!"

I stayed in the shadows, ready to intervene, but watching for just a moment longer.

Jess, trembling and still in shock from seeing her best friend turn into a psychopath, stammered:

"What... what are you?"

A cruel smile spread across the face of the one standing before her.

"Ah, that's right, you know nothing," he said mockingly. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Balthis, a demon under the command of Prince of Hell, Azazel. My mission, right now, is to kill you before Sam arrives. Then, my master will use your body to set up a nice little scene. A death just like his mother's."

Jess's face twisted in terror, but before she could ask another question, Balthis cut her off with a chilling look.

"No need for pointless questions," he added, his smile growing darker. "I'd rather make that mouth scream."

Without another word, he lunged at her, the knife glinting menacingly in his right hand, ready to strike.

I reacted instinctively, phasing through the bathroom door using my intangibility at a blinding speed of 130 km/h. I appeared directly on Brady—no, Balthis's—left side. Before he could comprehend what was happening, I landed a colossal punch, the force equivalent to ten tons.

Before he could process it, he was sent flying against the wall, embedded in it, his ribcage shattered and his spine broken.

"What the..." Balthis coughed, spitting blood. And passed out.

"Well, what do we have here? A low-grade demon, like something you'd find at Franprix," I said with a smirk.

Jess, still in shock, managed to stammer: "Franprix???"

My remark seemed to snap her out of her stupor.

"Sorry I'm not Sam, but don't worry, as long as I'm here, no one's going to hurt you. Especially not this trashy demon."

"First lesson: A demon can be neutralized with a demon trap. It can be a special bullet or a symbol drawn on the ground. It stops them from moving."

I fired a special bullet directly into Balthis's heart, pinning him in place.

"And there you go, now he's just a motionless sack of crap."

I approached Jess, who seemed on the verge of asking a million questions. Anticipating it, I raised my hand.

"Before you start asking who I am, what's happening, why your best friend just attacked you, and all the other questions, let me explain. My name is Maxwell, but you can call me Max. I'm what's known as a hunter. And no, I don't hunt deer, but monsters, all kinds. Whatever monster you can think of, there's a 90% chance it exists. Your friend Brady, well, he's been possessed by a demon for a while now. And apparently, it has something to do with your boyfriend, Sam. That's why I'm here."

Jess still seemed to be in shock, unable to formulate a response. I pulled a small amulet out of my pocket and handed it to her.

"Take this amulet, it'll protect you from being possessed by demons. What happened to Brady is that the demon took over his body, which killed him. Humans almost never survive possession, and trust me, Brady has been dead for a long time. There's no hope left for him."

She took the amulet with slow, trembling hands, still overwhelmed by the flood of information she had just heard.

"Uh... thank you, Max," she said hesitantly, holding the amulet in her shaking fingers.

I rummaged in my pocket and pulled out a chocolate bar.

"And here, take this. Chocolate is great for easing negative emotions," I said, offering her the bar.

Jess, still stunned, accepted the chocolate with a mechanical motion, her mind clearly on the verge of short-circuiting from everything that had just happened.

End of Chapter 7