Sam looked into Ava's eyes and said earnestly, a trace of resolve in her gaze, "Yellow Eyes won't leave us alone. Running won't solve anything. Only by figuring out his plan and destroying his anchors can we survive. Scott's medical records might have a clue."
Ava hesitated for a long time, twisting the hem of her clothes between her fingers, her eyes full of conflict-on one side was her longing for an ordinary life, on the other her fear of death. Finally, she gritted her teeth and nodded. "I can help you steal Scott's medical records, but I can't help you with anything else."
Sam nodded, her gaze sincere. "All right. I'll do everything I can to help us break free of this so-called destiny!"
The two arrived at the clinic where Scott had been treated. It was quiet inside, and the air conditioning was set so warm that it made people drowsy. Ava took a deep breath, smoothed her hair, and adjusted her clothes to make herself look more haggard. She approached the doctor at the front desk with a strained smile, her voice carrying a hint of tears. "Doctor, I need help. I've been under so much stress lately. I keep having nightmares, and I'm always fighting with my boyfriend. Yesterday, when our fight got really bad, I was so angry I smashed all the bowls at home and almost pushed my mom over. I'm afraid that if this keeps up, I'll do something I regret!"
The doctor at the front desk looked up and pushed up his glasses. Seeing how anxious she looked, he pointed helplessly at the appointment schedule on the wall. "For something like this, you need to make an appointment in advance. We're fully booked today."
"But I really don't feel well!" Ava deliberately raised her voice, her eyes reddening slightly, tears welling as though she might burst into tears at any moment. "I had another nightmare last night. I dreamed I killed someone! I'm afraid I'll really go crazy if this keeps up! Doctor, please, just talk to me!"
Her voice drew the attention of the other patients in the clinic. Everyone looked over with curiosity and sympathy in their eyes. The doctor sighed helplessly, stood up, and picked up the medical chart on his desk. "All right, come with me. I'll give you a brief counseling session first."
Ava followed the doctor into the consultation room. Before leaving, she gave Sam a look-don't worry, I'll keep him occupied.
Sam took the opportunity to circle around to the back of the clinic, where a row of rusty drainpipes could barely support a person's weight. He carefully climbed the pipes, avoided the security cameras on the wall, and climbed into the doctor's office-the window was unlocked.
The office was quiet, its shelves filled with medical files neatly arranged in alphabetical order. Sam searched quickly and soon found a folder labeled "Carey." Inside were Scott's medical records and a cassette tape-the doctor had recorded every session to document his condition. He stuffed them inside his clothes, climbed back down the drainpipes, and met Ava at the clinic's back door.
They returned to the Blue Rose Motel, shut the door, and drew the curtains, instantly darkening the room. Sam pressed play. The tape player hissed, then Scott's strained voice immediately came through, thick with fear and inner conflict. "Yellow Eyes said we were his soldiers, prepared for the coming war... He said that as long as we obeyed him, we could become rulers of the world... He said the war would begin soon, and we'd trample humanity beneath our feet..."
Next came his imitation of Yellow Eyes' low, beguiling voice, carrying a spine-chilling coldness, like a snake's forked tongue licking at the listener's eardrums. "Soon, everything will change. You will stand at the top of the world and look down on those insignificant humans. Resist? That will only make your deaths more miserable. Remember, I gave you your lives, and your souls belong to me too."
At the end of the tape, Scott roared, his voice full of despair and choked with tears. "I won't submit! You demon! Get out of my head! I'm not your soldier! I'm not!" Then came the sounds of a violent struggle, accompanied by the doctor's soothing voice, before the recording cut off abruptly.
Sam felt cold all over as he listened, a sheen of cold sweat forming on his back. Yellow Eyes' plan was even more terrifying than he had imagined-he intended to raise an army of Special Children, launch a war, and overturn the human world.
Ava was even more frightened. Her face turned deathly pale, and she covered her mouth. She understood that she could not escape. Yellow Eyes would not let a single Special Child go, even if she had never experienced a nursery fire, even if she only wanted an ordinary life.
Just then, the motel room door was shoved open, and Dean and Bai Haorui walked in, bringing a chill with them. Bai Haorui immediately spotted the cassette and medical records on the table. He took out the Five Emperor Coins and held them close. The coins instantly gave off a bluish-black glow, trembling slightly with a humming sound.
"There's residual anchor energy in this tape." Bai Haorui's gaze sharpened. His fingers formed the Midnight-Noon Hand Seal as he concentrated to confirm it, his brow furrowed. "But it's very faint. Scott probably picked it up through contact with Yellow Eyes. Yellow Eyes himself probably isn't nearby."
Sam froze. He looked at Bai Haorui, then at Dean. "What are you doing here?"
Bai Haorui tucked the coins back into his peachwood coin pouch and curled his lip, his tone teasing rather than reproachful. "What the hell do you think? Were we supposed to let you run around out here on your own? You really think you're invincible? If Ash hadn't tipped us off, who knows what ditch you'd have ended up in."
Dean stepped forward and patted Sam's shoulder, his eyes full of concern and helplessness. "Stop running off. We'll investigate together. It's too dangerous on your own."
Looking at Sam and Ava, Dean breathed a sigh of relief, his taut nerves finally easing a little. He teased with a smile, his tone lighter. "Look at you. One trip out, and you've already found yourself a lady friend."
The words had barely left his mouth when a bullet whistled past his ear and struck the wall with a bang, spraying gray-white plaster dust. Fragments landed on his shoulders.
The three abruptly ducked. Sam grabbed Ava and pulled her behind the sofa, shielding her with her body. Bai Haorui looked up at the opposite rooftop and immediately spotted a familiar figure-Gordon Walker, wearing a black trench coat and holding a sniper rifle, smoke still drifting from its muzzle. Bai Haorui's expression darkened at once. His voice grave, he spoke rapidly. "It's Gordon! That crazy bastard's using a fucking sniper rifle! Shit!"
He immediately pulled two yellow talismans folded into triangles from his backpack's side pocket. They had been drawn during the hour of the tiger, between three and five in the morning, using peachwood pulp mixed with cinnabar. Dense runes covered their surfaces-the Taoist Concealment Character Technique-and a protective line of chicken blood traced their edges, allowing them to conceal a person's yang energy and diminish their presence. He thrust the talismans into Sam's and Ava's hands and shouted rapidly in a low voice, "Stick them between your shoulder blades! Don't talk! These don't actually make you invisible. They conceal your human aura and reduce your presence. Talking will leak your aura, and they'll stop working after ten minutes! Remember, not a sound!"
Sam and Ava frantically stuck the talismans onto each other's backs, barely daring to breathe as they pressed themselves against the sofa. Ava's heart pounded as though it might burst. Bai Haorui did not use a talisman himself. He formed a Dunjia Technique hand seal-his thumb pressed against the gap between his index and middle fingers, his ring and little fingers naturally bent-and murmured a Taoist incantation, quick and soft. "Mysterious source of heaven and earth, root of all qi, conceal my form and traces. Swiftly, in accordance with the decree!" Using the breathing method he had practiced lately, he temporarily suppressed his aura. His presence immediately diminished considerably, as though he had blended into the surrounding air.
On the rooftop, Gordon still could not find his targets. He frowned, staring at the motel window, and swore, his gaze turning vicious. He had already secured a rope. Now he grabbed it and slid down as swiftly as a leopard, his movements clean and efficient, landing almost soundlessly. The instant he landed, he sniffed, his eyes fixed on where Sam was hiding. Turning his head and spotting Bai Haorui behind the car door, he curled his lips into a vicious smile. His voice was as rough as scraping sandpaper, thick with hatred. "You again, brat. I still haven't settled
the score with you for last time! Today I'll finish both of you off!"
Before he had finished speaking, he charged and threw a punch at Bai Haorui's face, the force of it whipping painfully against his cheek. Bai Haorui sidestepped, drew the peachwood sword at his waist, and thrust at Gordon's chest-the peachwood sword was a Taoist ritual tool for expelling evil, effective against demons and yin entities, and capable of doing some damage to ordinary people as well. Dean immediately rushed forward too, landing a powerful punch on Gordon's jaw.
Gordon was even more powerfully built than Dean, his muscles as solid as iron. His attacks were vicious, and his ability to withstand blows was absurdly strong. He took Bai Haorui's sword thrust head-on-the peachwood blade left only a shallow wound in his chest-blocked Dean's fist, and countered with a punch to Dean's ribs. Dean grunted and staggered back two steps, a sharp pain shooting through his ribs as though they had broken.
The two grappled with Gordon, every punch striking flesh with a dull thud. Dust billowed across the open space outside the motel, the sounds of punches and kicks painfully loud. Only the sharp tip of Bai Haorui's peachwood sword could pierce Gordon's body, doing him no real harm. Seizing an opening, Gordon snatched the sword from Bai Haorui and threw it away, then grabbed his clothes and hammered punch after punch into his face, completely ignoring Dean's attacks from behind. When Bai Haorui was on the verge of losing consciousness, Gordon released him, turned, and smashed the stock of the gun he had just picked up into the back of Dean's head with astonishing force.
Dean's vision went black, stars bursting before his eyes. His body swayed, and he passed out, collapsing unconscious to the ground.
Looking at the fallen Dean, Bai Haorui's gaze sharpened. He knew perfectly well that he was no match for Gordon. If he kept fighting, not only would he fail to save Dean, he would go down here too. He grabbed a handful of sand and flung it at Gordon's eyes. The instant Gordon dodged, he turned and ran in the direction Sam had taken while protecting Ava.
Watching him flee, Gordon spat, "Coward," but did not pursue him. He walked over to Dean, took a rope from inside his clothes, and tied him to a chair in the motel room, gagging him. Then he turned toward the direction Sam and Bai Haorui had fled, a cold smile curling his lips-he had already laid his trap, one that would catch them like turtles in a jar.
Sam took Ava through the motel's back entrance, where piled-up garbage cans gave off a sour stench. He discovered a .223 subsonic cartridge casing on the ground and instantly recognized it as the ammunition Gordon commonly used. These rounds had strong penetrating power and could also be silenced, making them a hunter's first choice. Just then, his phone rang. The caller ID showed Dean.
He answered. Dean's forced voice came through the receiver in broken fragments, carrying a trace of pain. "Sam... I'm at... Monroe Street... factory... waiting for you..."
Sam's heart sank. This was a code the three brothers had agreed on: whenever the address they gave ended in "Street," it meant someone was holding them at gunpoint, and the real address needed to be adjusted from that basis. Dean was telling him that Gordon had captured him and that he was at the abandoned factory on Monroe Street.
He turned to Ava, his voice urgent and his gaze firm. "Go, now. Drive to Harvelle's Roadhouse and find Ash. He'll protect you-don't let your fiancé become a widower. Take this." He pulled out a dagger and handed it to her. "For protection."
Ava hesitated, looking at Sam's determined eyes, then at the distant factory. Finally, she nodded, took the dagger, and ran toward the parking lot. She started the car and drove off in a cloud of dust.
Sam took a deep breath, tightened his grip on his gun, and headed alone to the abandoned factory on Monroe Street. He knew it was a trap, but he had to go-Dean was there.
The factory was covered in rust, with broken metal frames and abandoned machinery everywhere. The air smelled of rust and dust. Wind passed through holes in the walls with a sobbing sound that sent chills down the spine. Thick dust covered the floor, marked by several clear footprints-Gordon's.
As soon as he entered, he saw Dean tied to a chair, a strip of cloth stuffed into his mouth. Dean stared at him anxiously and struggled desperately, the chair legs scraping a shallow mark across the floor.
Sam was about to rush over when Bai Haorui suddenly caught him from behind, still clutching the three Five Emperor Coins. Without a word, Bai Haorui tossed them onto the ground. Two landed faceup and one facedown, forming an ominous divination. A bluish-black layer rapidly spread over the coins, their yin energy frighteningly heavy. All three coins pointed toward a red line on the floor, partly covered by dust and impossible to notice without a close look.
Bai Haorui pulled Sam back, his voice low and wary. "Don't rush in. The divination shows great misfortune. Be careful. Something's wrong with that red line."
He crouched and touched the floor beside the red line with his fingertips, picking up some black powder-gunpowder. He brought the coins closer. Their trembling noticeably accelerated, and their bluish-black color deepened. Bai Haorui's expression was as grim as a sky covered in storm clouds. "See that? The darker the coins turn, the stronger the baleful energy. What's buried under this trap isn't ordinary gunpowder. It's mixed with gasoline. One explosion will turn the whole area into a sea of fire. Step on it, and you're dead for certain."
Sam looked at the red line on the floor, then at the bound Dean, remembering the dream Ava had mentioned. Gordon intended to blow him, Dean, and Bai Haorui up together.
The two circled around to the other side of the factory and climbed in through a window. Gordon was watching Dean, muttering with obsession thick in his voice. "Once I've killed Sam and that brat, it'll be your turn. You're an idiot, just like your dad, protecting a demon's vessel. The Special Children are all monsters. They all deserve to die!"
Catching him off guard, Sam lunged and tackled him to the ground. They rolled across the floor, kicking up dust. Bai Haorui seized the opening and launched himself forward with a kick, stomping hard on Gordon's head.
Gordon grunted, his head ringing, but still struggled to his feet. His eyes were red as blood and shot through with veins. He roared at Sam, his voice full of madness. "Come on! Kill me! Let your brother see what a monster you really are! You're a demon to your very bones! You're on the same side as Yellow Eyes!"
He deliberately provoked Sam, wanting him to reveal his "demonic nature," wanting Sam to kill him-that way, he could "prove" Sam was a monster.
Sam clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms and drawing a little blood. Looking into Gordon's vicious eyes, he remembered Scott's death, Ava's fear, and Dean and Bai Haorui's protection. Killing intent surged within him, only to be suppressed by reason. He was not Gordon. He would not become a monster for revenge.
He resisted the urge to shoot, raised his gun, and slammed its stock into the back of Gordon's head.
Gordon went limp and passed out, collapsing to the floor like a heap of sludge.
Sam was about to untie Dean when Gordon suddenly regained consciousness-his ability to withstand blows was simply too strong. Gordon pulled a handgun hidden at his waist and fired wildly. Bullets struck the metal frames with piercing clangs, sending showers of sparks flying.
The three had no choice but to hide behind pillars. Bullets grazed past them, leaving holes in the pillars. In desperation, Sam remembered there was a police station nearby. He took out his phone and called the police, speaking rapidly. "There's a Black man illegally carrying a gun and attacking people at the abandoned factory at 5637 Monroe Street! It's an emergency!"
Soon, police sirens approached from the distance, growing louder and louder like horns sounding a death knell.
Gordon tried to flee, but after two fights, he was badly exhausted and unsteady on his feet. He had barely reached the factory entrance when the arriving police surrounded him. They aimed their guns and shouted, "Drop your weapon! Hands on your head!" Gordon was just about to act when an officer shot him in the thigh. He fell to the ground and was arrested on the spot.
As he was taken to the police car, he was still shouting at Sam, his voice hoarse beyond recognition and thick with hatred. "You can't escape! You're a monster! Sooner or later, you'll destroy the world! I'll come back and kill you! I will!"
Sam watched the police car drive away, his gaze complicated. He knew Gordon's words had lodged in his heart like a thorn.
Outside the factory, Sam and Dean sat side by side on the Impala's hood. Both were covered in dust and blood, their clothes torn in several places, their faces tired, but both breathed sighs of relief. A large lump had swollen on the back of Dean's head, gauze still wrapped the back of Sam's hand, and Bai Haorui's face was bruised and swollen, his nose still bleeding.
Sam turned to Dean, looking at his bloodshot eyes and the swelling on the back of his head. Suddenly, he smiled, an easy smile he had not worn in a long time, his eyes reddening slightly. "Thanks, big brother."
The two exchanged smiles and traded their usual insults-
"Bitch."
"Jerk."
Bai Haorui leaned against the car door, watching the brothers reconcile, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. He took out three bottles of beer and handed two over, opening one for himself. Grimacing as the wound at the corner of his mouth hurt, he took a sip and teased, "All right, enough with the sentimentality. Hurry up and contact Ava. Why do I have a bad feeling about this?"
Only then did Sam remember Ava. He took out his phone and called her, but no one answered. All that came through the receiver was a cold automated message. "The person you are calling is currently unavailable. Please try again later." A sense of foreboding rose in his heart, like an icy hand squeezing it tight.
The three immediately drove to Ava's home in Peoria. Her home was in a quiet neighborhood, shaded by green trees, with pleasant surroundings. But when they pushed open the door, the sight before them sent their hearts plummeting-
The living room sofa had been overturned, and shattered cups from the coffee table littered the floor. The frame of a wedding photo had fallen to the ground, its glass broken. In the picture, Ava wore a brilliant smile. Her fiancé, Brady, lay on the floor with an obvious knife wound across his neck. He had long since stopped breathing, his eyes wide open and filled with terror.
Bai Haorui crouched beside the windowsill and picked up a little pale yellow sulfur powder on his fingertips. He took out the Five Emperor Coins and sprinkled the powder onto them. The instant it touched the coins, gray-black mildew-like spots appeared on their surfaces-what Taoists called "baleful spots." Only sulfur that had come into contact with Yellow Eyes' demonic energy produced them. Sulfur from ordinary demons only turned the coins bluish-black.
"It's sulfur, and it's been tainted by Yellow Eyes' demonic energy," Bai Haorui said. "Sulfur from ordinary demons only turns the coins bluish-black. Only his demonic energy makes baleful spots grow on them." He wiped the coins clean on the hem of his clothes and returned them to the peachwood coin pouch, adding, his eyes sharp, "Ava was abducted no more than half an hour ago. The baleful spots haven't faded, which means the residual demonic energy is still very fresh."
Sam entered the bedroom. It was a mess too, the wardrobe ransacked and clothes scattered across the floor. He saw a silver engagement ring lying on the floor at the foot of the bed. Its design was simple, engraved with Ava and Brady's initials-A&W. Clearly, Ava had dropped it in her haste.
Sam picked up the ring. The cold metal pressed painfully into his palm. Ava had been abducted by demons. Yellow Eyes' people had done it.
The three stood in the room without speaking. The air was thick with the suffocating smells of blood and sulfur. Sunlight streamed through the window onto the bloodstains on the floor, so glaring that they could hardly bear to look.
As the night deepened, the Impala traveled down the highway. The interior was silent except for the engine's roar. Sam leaned back in the passenger seat, clutching the engagement ring, her eyes full of self-reproach-she had failed to protect Ava.
Sam watched the darkness sweeping past outside the window and the roadside streetlights flashing by. His voice was firm, carrying a trace of final resolve. "Yellow Eyes' Special Children plan is now fully underway. He wants to turn all of us into his soldiers. He's going to start a war, a war that will overturn the human world."