Dean rested one hand on the steering wheel and held a cigarette in the other, a grin tugging at his mouth. Every so often, he stepped on the gas, making the engine rumble low. "Look at this road, this breeze, this damn river view-my Impala belongs on roads like this. Way better than driving around the city."
Bai Haorui sat in the passenger seat, rubbing his lower back, which still hadn't quite recovered-he had banged it while crawling into the basement at the Bender Family Farm yesterday, and now the Impala's hard seat pressed painfully against it. He glanced at the cigarette in Dean's hand, then at the bare trees flashing past outside, and couldn't help complaining. "Sure, it's nice, but this junker's seats are hard enough to use as murder weapons. Another two hours, and my back will be as straight as those wooden stakes in the basement. Also, can you put that cigarette out? That smell mixed with the mustiness outside makes it smell like you took a massive dump."
"Hey, it's called vintage, understand?" Dean flicked the cigarette out the window and deliberately stepped on the gas again. "Besides, have you smelled my shit? How else would you know it smells the same? Sam, am I right?"
Sam didn't even look up in the back seat, his fingers still flying over his laptop-he was organizing the follow-up on the Bender family case while looking up information on the missing children in Wisconsin. "Could you two keep it down?" He pushed up his glasses, sounding exasperated. "Three kids have already gotten into trouble in Wisconsin. We need to get there as soon as possible. We're not out for a joyride. Also, Dean, littering cigarette butts is illegal. You nearly got fined in Iowa last time."
"Oh, come on, Sam." Dean rolled his eyes. "That sheriff had bad eyesight and mistook me for a poacher. It had nothing to do with the cigarette. Anyway, Red Wing's just ahead. I hear their apple pie is famous. Want to stop for a bite?"
Bai Haorui's eyes lit up-he had only eaten a little dry bread at the farm yesterday and had been hungry for ages. Still, he deliberately kept a straight face. "Didn't you say the Impala feels great on roads like this? Why do you want to stop after just half an hour? Afraid your old back won't hold up if we keep going?"
"I'm worried you'll go hungry. As you people say, a dog bites the mung~ bean~ cake~ and doesn't recognize kindness!" Dean replied. "Oh, wow. A fucking mung bean cake? Holy shit!"
Sam closed his laptop with a helpless sigh. "Let's stop for ten minutes, get something to eat and regain some energy, and ask for directions while we're at it."
The Impala stopped outside a diner on the town's main street. A red apple was painted on the wooden sign, along with the words "Maggie's Pie Shop." When they pushed open the door, the warm scents of butter and cinnamon washed over them. A young waitress immediately greeted them with a smile. "What can I get you three? Today's apple pie just came out of the oven. It's still warm."
Dean immediately leaned over, propping his elbows on the counter with a roguish grin. "Three slices of apple pie and three black coffees, gorgeous-and hey, is your pie as sweet as you?"
The girl laughed. "Much sweeter. Try it and you'll see."
Bai Haorui rolled his eyes beside him and pulled Sam over to a window seat. "That's about all he's good at. Sees a pretty girl and can't move his feet. If her boyfriend catches him again, I'm not helping."
"Better than certain people who act like perfect gentlemen the whole drive while who knows what's itching inside!" Dean walked over carrying the pie and set a slice in front of Bai Haorui. "Eat up before it gets cold and you complain I didn't find you anything good."
Sam took a bite of pie, then suddenly frowned. "Look at this." He pulled out his phone. On the screen was the latest news from the Wisconsin town-a fourth child had disappeared, and the parents said that before the disappearance, they had seen a woman in a black cloak wandering nearby.
His mouth still stuffed with pie, Bai Haorui said indistinctly, "What's there to worry about? With you two Winchester terrors around, he won't even have time to get on his knees and beg. Anyway, this town's pretty nice. Much better than that crappy farm in Minnesota."
Dean followed his gaze-beside the river in Red Wing, the sandstone cliff of Barn Bluff rose along the Mississippi River, with a few climbers hanging on its face like tiny ants. "Nice, sure, but not somewhere you can drive the Impala up." He shrugged. "Our road's better for that. We'll take the Great River Road in a bit. Now that's a view."
After finishing their pie, the three hit the road again. The Impala drove onto the Great River Road, with the Mississippi River stretched out beside it like a silver ribbon. Sunlight filtered through the leaves and scattered across the river, making the water shimmer. Bai Haorui rolled down his window. The breeze carried the damp scent of river water, along with birdsong from the distant woods.
"Just how wide is this river?" Looking out over the water, he suddenly remarked, "It's a little muddy, though. Not like what my grandpa said about how you could drink straight from the Yangtze River back in the day."
"What river can you drink straight from these days?" Dean scoffed. "Those cliffs along the river are pretty nice, though. Bet they're covered in red leaves in autumn. Redder than your period."
"Pah, get the hell out of here," Bai Haorui shot back. "My grandpa's notes also said yin energy tends to gather along big rivers like this, especially at night. Evil spirits love wandering along riverbanks."
Sam suddenly cut in. "Great River Bluffs State Park is just ahead. Want to stop and take a look? Sunset should be starting soon. The information I found says the sunsets here are the most beautiful in the Midwest."
Dean hesitated-he wanted to get to Wisconsin quickly, but looking at the sky outside, which was gradually turning golden red, he nodded anyway. "Fine. Ten minutes. Just ten minutes, then we leave."
The three climbed up to the park's viewing platform. Below the 500-foot cliff, the Mississippi River wound into the distance. The setting sun dyed the water golden red, the woods on both banks were gilded with warm light, and even the distant clouds blazed with sunset colors. Bai Haorui took out his phone and couldn't resist snapping a picture. "This really is a nice view."
"Only looks good now. Once winter comes, it'll all be snow and cold as hell." Dean kept both hands in his leather jacket pockets, complaining even as his eyes stayed on the river. "Anyway, I really do owe you a thank-you for what happened at the Bender Family Farm last time. Otherwise, I might actually have ended up as barbecue."
Bai Haorui raised an eyebrow. "What's this? Finally admitting I'm better than you?"
"I didn't say you were better," Dean stubbornly insisted. "Next time we run into a trap, you'll still need me to cover you. Otherwise, with those skinny little arms and legs, the cannibals would've hauled you off and stewed you ages ago."
Watching them bicker, Sam couldn't help smiling. "All right, it's about time. We should go."
The three came down from the viewing platform and got back into the Impala. The sun gradually sank, the sky turned deep purple, and distant stars began to appear. Dean switched on the car radio. Old rock music played, mixing with the rumble of the engine, sounding especially invigorating in the night.
"Oh, right." Bai Haorui suddenly remembered something. He took a Safety Talisman from his backpack and handed it to Dean. "This is for you. Last time you stepped into a trap at the farm and got tied up, so your luck must've been pretty lousy. Take this along this time. It'll help keep you safe, buddyyy~."
Dean took the talisman, glanced at it, and casually stuffed it into his jacket's inner pocket, stubbornly saying, "I'm the king of luck. I've never lost at Texas hold 'em."
Bai Haorui laughed. "Sure. Use it or don't. See if I save you next time."
Sam shook his head in the back seat, opened his laptop again, and began researching. The Impala continued south along the Mississippi River toward Wisconsin, its headlights cutting through the darkness like a warm beam of light, illuminating the road ahead and shining on the figures of three men who fought side by side-concern hidden in their ribbing, trust woven into their bickering. Perhaps this was friendship between men.