Sam glanced at his watch as he stood at the entrance to the alley. 2am. He'd left Faith alone in bed for almost four hours.
What had originally been a run to get something substancial to eat, had turned into a last minute meet up with Ruby.
"Hey Sam," came her voice from the shadows behind him suddenly.
He didn't jump, just pulled her back into the alley with him so they were off the street.
"What's going on?" she frowned.
"I can't do this anymore," Sam said to her.
"This? What, us?" Ruby demanded, "since when? Since Dean had a problem with it when you knew he would?"
"Since Castiel had a problem with it," Sam reasoned, noticing Ruby blanch at the name.
"The angel."
"The angel," Sam nodded.
"When?" Ruby demanded.
"About a week ago. I'm sorry I haven't called..."
"Sam," Ruby looked like she could strangle him, "don't you get what this means? The angels have had a whole week to watch you and track me down through you!"
"They haven't," Sam assured.
"And you know that how?"
Sam sighed.
"I just do."
"Something to do with you saving Faith with your telekinetic abilities?" Ruby sniped.
"Ruby..."
"Because hey, you can turn your back on Castiel to save that skank, but not to save a hundred other lives."
"He's an angel, Ruby."
"Exactly! You don't mess with them!" Ruby pointed into his face, fuming, "you're either in this all the way, or you step back right now and never use your powers again. You can't just dip your toes in this, because eventually somebody's going to grab your ankle. And no one, not even Dean, will be able to pull you out."
"Ruby I'm sorry," Sam shook his head.
"Don't apologise to me Sam. It's not me you've screwed over."
Ruby turned and walked down the alley, her silhouette veering out of sight at the other end. Sam watched after her, before turning to walk back to the motel.
Only to come face to... whatever with something large and metallic, followed by everything going black.
~*~
When Sam's eyes slid open, the first thing he felt was the headache. Rolling his head back with a groan, he couldn't help but notice the flourescent lights above him.
Frowning to himself, his eyes slowly moved down. And there it was. The large wooden desk, the back of the big black chair, and even the messy paperwork.
And there was the needle.
He gulped slightly, closing his eyes for a moment, before trying to move. Unsuccessfully. He vaguely remembered the vision having a padlock...
Looking down, he saw the chains. Criss-crossing over his chest, and holding his hands behind his back. Trying to feel for the lock, he soon realised the one on his chest was the only one there.
This complicated things.
Lindsey
Lindsey stood against the far wall, arms folded across his chest.
"Morning," he said pleasantly.
Sam
Sam jumped, startled at the voice. He squinted as his eyes tried to focus.
"Who are you?" his voice was unusually raspy.
Lindsey
Lindsey smiled slightly.
"A friend of a friend."
He moved away from the wall, hair falling across his face before he brushed it away casually.
"Would you like some water?"
Sam
Sam gulped again, his eyes following every movement, taken aback by the offer.
"What do you want?" he asked, getting straight down to business.
Lindsey
Lindsey stopped at his desk, resting casually against it.
"I have a business proposition for you."
Sam
Sam was leaning back on a bit of an angle.
"Creative way to get my attention," his eyebrows rose nervously.
Lindsey
"I like to stand out from the crowd," Lindsey commented.
He folded his arms across his chest, eyes watching Sam carefully.
Sam
Sam stared back, tilting his head a little when he suddenly realised where he knew him from...
"You're Lindsay," he said suddenly, "I met you at Wolfram & Hart."
Lindsey
"Guilty," Lindsey said, smiling charmingly.
He raised his eyebrows.
"Are you sure I can't get you some water?"
Sam
"No," Sam insisted, thirsty but knowing how awkward it would be to get it down his throat.
"Just tell me what you want. And why I'm in chains."
Lindsey
Lindsey nodded.
"Suit yourself."
He tapped a hand absently against his thigh.
"Couldn't have you using your nifty little gift against me, could I?"
Sam
"What?" Sam frowned, looking up at him.
Lindsey
"Caught the show the other night," Lindsey drawled casually.
He scratched his jaw absently.
"Personally, I would've let the bitch fall, but that's just me."
Sam
Sam shook in the chains threateningly, holding himself back from attempting to knock Lindsay out. He didn't know where the key to the lock was, so he'd be no better off.
"Mind your tongue," he fumed, clenching his fists.
Lindsey
Lindsey smirked.
"Hmm, struck a nerve, I see."
He pulled the knife from the back of his pants and examined it carefully.
"Nevermind, once I'm through with you, I'm sure you'll see her very soon."
Sam
"Look," Sam tried to reason, taking deep breaths to try and calm down.
"What I did that night, that was the last time. I'm not doing it anymore. I made a promise and I intend to keep it."
Lindsey
Lindsey tilted his head for a second, then smirked again.
"That's touching, Sam, it really is. But that's not why you're here."
Sam
Sam's frown deepened, turning into confusion.
"Then why?" he demanded.
Lindsey
"You're just a small part of a bigger plan," Lindsey told him.
He paused.
"You have some things that I would like."
Sam
"What?" Sam demanded in a slightly gruffer tone, not moving.
Lindsey
"Your... special talents," Lindsey replied.
He smiled faintly.
"I'd like to take them off your hands, so to speak."
Sam
Sam's look turned from confused to incredulous.
"Lindsay..." he shook his head, "I don't think it works that way. They're not just 'abilities'."
Lindsey
"That's where you'd be wrong, Sam."
Lindsey's smile was perfectly pleasant.
"Been doing my research, you see. Man, if there is one thing I love about Wolfram and Hart? It's their research department."
Sam
"And what did you find?" Sam had officially crossed over to spooked.
Yet still a bit hopeful...
Lindsey
"There's a way for them to be extracted."
Lindsey paused, then added diplomatically, "shouldn't hurt."
Sam
Sam raised his eyebrows slightly in hope.
"You're serious?" he asked cautiously.
"'Cause man, if you work out a way to take them, take them. I don't want them."
Lindsey
Lindsey grinned.
"I'm working on it. It may take some time though."
Sam
"Why do you want them?" Sam asked curiously.
"They're a curse."
Lindsey
"To you, perhaps."
Lindsey went back to examining the blade of the knife.
"But they're going to come in handy with some things I have in the pipeline."
Sam
"But you don't know anything about them," Sam shook his head, eyes on the blade.
Lindsey
"Know enough," Lindsey replied.
He ran one hand through his shaggy hair.
"The rest I'll figure out once I've got them. Besides, if they turn out to be volatile and it looks like I might kill people, I'll make sure to stop off at Faith's."
Sam
Sam lifted his chin a little indignantly, knowing Lindsay was just stirring him up. It wasn't like he could change the channel or anything.
"They're more dangerous than you give credit for," he warned.
"You shouldn't undrestimate, it might be the death of you."
Lindsey
"And you shouldnt underestimate me," Lindsey countered, his tone that little bit more menacing now.
"Because that may be the death of you."
Sam
"You're only human," Sam never thought he'd be able to use that as an insult.
"You might not be able to handle them. Think about it."
Lindsey
Lindsey just gave him a polite smile, before raising the knife, as if to start cutting Sam open.
"You sure about that?"
Sam
Sam sneered a little, before focusing as best he could on the knife.
It took an unusual amount of work, but he soon had it flying across the room and landing in the opposite wall, having nicked Lindsay's arm on the way.
"Yeah, pretty sure," Sam mused.
Yet at the moment he was sudenly wishing he'd worked on Jake's power more...
Lindsey
Instead of looking angry, Lindsey looked amused.
"That's my boy."
Sam
"You don't get it," Sam shook his head, staring him down.
"These wn't just kill other people, they'll kill you. Your body won't handle taking them in."
Lindsey
"I have some tricks up my sleeve that you don't know about yet."
Lindsey gestured to the symbols painted on the walls.
"Haven't wondered why the dark haired bitch hasn't broken in here yet? Not that she could stop me, really."
Sam
"No, they're protective symbols," Sam had recognised them upon first glance.
"And I noticed you cloaked my scent. That's not the point. If you take these powers, it's you who won't be able to handle them. Not anyone else. You."
Lindsey
"Again, there's a lot you don't know about me."
Lindsey grinned.
"A lot the caped crusader doesn't know either. Which is why he didn't think twice about rehiring me."
Sam
"Wait, this is some kind of revenge tactic?" Sam asked.
"Lindsay... these powers come with their own setbacks. You won't have time for revenge with the amount of demons that will be on your tail."
Lindsey
"Like I said, I have bigger plans. Some of which will involve Faith and Angel."
Lindsey paused.
Sam
"Like what?" Sam asked, weighing the chances of his telepathy working on Lindsay to make him let him go.
Lindsey
"You don't need to know."
Lindsey tilted his head.
"You probably don't want to know, considering what I have in store for the Slayer. Pretty little thing, isn't she?"
Sam
"Don't tempt me Lindsey," Sam threatened between his teeth, envisioning the knife plunging into his skull.
Lindsey
Lindsey chuckled.
"Fond of that one, are you? Just between the two of us, you could do better."
Sam
"It's none of your business," Sam seethed, clenching his fists again.
His eyes searched the paperwork on the desk for any sign of a paperclip, or something he could use to pick the lock.
Lindsey
"You won't find anything," Lindsey told him.
"You and I, we're just going to have some alone time."
Sam
"Well gee that sounds inviting, but I do have other things I need to be doing," Sam looked up at him condescendingly.
Lindsey
"That's where you'd be wrong, Sam."
Lindsey pulled a syringe from his pocket.
Sam
Sam gulped uneasily again the moment his eyes set on it.
"What's that?"
Lindsey
Lindsey smiled faintly, and bent down so he was at Sam's eye level.
"Hold still, and if you're a good boy, you'll get a lollipop."
Sam
"What is it?!" Sam demanded a little louder, shifting in his seat.
He tried to focus on it, but his slight adrenaline rush had knocked his sense off a little.
Lindsey
Lindsey rolled up the sleeve of Sam's shirt and poked the syringe into the crook of his arm.
"It'll relax you a little."
Sam
Sam flinched and turned his head away as the needle went in. Immediately after it was taken out, he tried to focus on the knife still in the wall.
His face lost colour when he realised he wasn't strong enough to move it.
Lindsey
Lindsey patted Sam's arm condescendingly.
"There, wasn't so bad, was it?" he smirked, standing up again and moving away. "Sorry, all out of lollipops."
Sam
"What did you do to me?" Sam looked up at him worriedly.
Lindsey
"It won't kill you, if that's what you're thinking."
Lindsey tucked the capped syringe back into pocket, then turned to head for the door.
"We'll have another chat later, when we get started."
Sam
"You're just gonna leave me here?" Sam demanded, looking over his shoulder as Lindsey moved out of sight.
Lindsey
"That's the plan."
Lindsey closed the door behind him.