#kiernsimon

Then Castiel and Dean are directed into the back of one of the SUVs, and a moment later, Charlie climbs in. "Abaddon said I oughta stick with you guys, since we're such good friends now," she says, grinning.

Castiel sees Balthazar burst through the door trailed by ten others--four men, six women. He confers briefly with Abaddon before barking out some orders and then approaching the vehicle, followed by two women.

Both are blond, one with straight hair and the other with curled. The curly-haired woman has a network of scarring on her left cheek extending from her jaw to the corner of her lips, making her skin look heavily wrinkled. Castiel shudders at the thought of how that might have happened.

The straight-haired woman slides into the driver's seat, and the other gets in next to Charlie.

Balthazar takes the passenger seat up front, but he immediately turns around, finding Castiel's eyes. "Rachel and Hester," he says, gesturing first to the driver and then to the woman who is buckling herself in beside Charlie. "My lieutenants."

He seems to be waiting for some sort of a response, but Castiel is at a loss for words, so he just nods. Both women seem to be betas, so presumably they've been at the base, rather than in the system with Balthazar, which begs the question: what have they been doing while he was gone?

But then it occurs to Castiel that Crowley is a beta as well, that he was masquerading as a guard in a compound. Perhaps that is what Rachel and Hester have been doing.

"0622 isn't a long drive from here," Charlie says as the steel doors slide up and the cars start moving out. "Less than an hour."

"The drive here took forty-eight minutes," Hester says. After a pause, she addresses Balthazar, "Sir, I'm assuming we're fully equipped. Are we?"

"Should be, yes," Balthazar answers. "Don't waste your energy on strategy. We don't know how many reinforcements they might've called in yet."

"I'm assuming they'll take guards from the neighboring compounds," Hester says. "And we need to factor in the fact that our access cards will have been disabled." After a brief pause, she says, "The remote controls for the gates should still be functional, though that would be a very direct approach and, given our numbers, far too risky."

"Are we taking the north side?" Rachel asks.

"Abaddon wants us all to stay together, at least until we reach the edge of the danger zone," Balthazar says.

"Danger zone?" Castiel interjects.

"Patrols extend ten miles beyond the perimeter of each compound. To be safe, we consider anything within fifteen miles of a compound to be inside a danger zone," Hester explains.

Prudent.

"So what are we gonna do when we get there? Camp?" Dean asks.

"We might have to do some surveillance," Balthazar replies. "Abaddon has a guard on the inside of 0622, but communication outside the system is limited even for employees, so it's hard to get word to them."

"What communication is allowed is usually monitored, as well," Rachel adds. "When we're within range, we'll try to radio Abaddon's contact within the walls. Should give us a lead on how to bust him out."

"It seems like you have a lot of experience with this," Castiel comments.

"Not exactly," Rachel says. "I was trained through the guard program for the compounds, so I'm familiar with their rules and regulations. Hester is ex-military."

That is probably the reason behind the scarring.

"How'd you guys end up here?" Dean asks.

"Irrelevant," Hester says.

"Dude. He's new here," Charlie says. "Be nice."

Hester eyes Charlie and says, "I don't think you're in any position to be giving me orders."

"It was more of a suggestion than an order," Charlie says.

"Didn't sound like it."

"Okay, Hester, tone it down a notch," Rachel says. "It's Dean, right?"

"What?" Dean says instinctively, and then he answers, "Oh--yeah."

"I was actually born to a family who has been working for the cause, just on the outside," Rachel says.

"Wait, you were born outside the compounds?" Dean asks.

"Yeah. My father was a born omega," she says. "Registered with the government and everything." In the rearview mirror, Castiel catches sight of the beta rolling her eyes. She continues, "Needless to say, I was expected to join the cause when I was old enough to contribute. They wanted me in the system, but I guess no one ever surfaced who was compatible with me, so I got myself into the guard program."

"How 'bout you, Hester?" Charlie asks with a pointed look.

"You don't have to answer her," Balthazar says from up front.

"I was honorably discharged on account of the torture I endured overseas," Hester says nevertheless, blunt. "No one wanted to hire me because of my supposed psychosis, and I couldn't live off my army pension, so I ended up on the street. Balthazar found me."

"I was tipped off," Balthazar says.

"Tipped off by whom?" Castiel asks, curious.

"Pamela?" Dean asks.

Balthazar twists around in his seat at that. "Oh, so you've already met her," he says. "Did she say anything to you?"

"Uh--not anything memorable," Dean says.

Balthazar hums thoughtfully as he turns to face forward again. "Well, you're right. Pamela sensed someone in need of our help and pointed us in Hester's direction," Balthazar says. "We fixed her paperwork so that the ugly parts of her time in the military wouldn't show up on a background check, and after that, it was easy to get her a job in compound security."

Castiel itches to ask about the torture, curious, but he knows that it must be a sensitive subject--he shouldn't pry. Dean and Charlie seem to come to the same conclusion, and Rachel and Balthazar presumably already know Hester's full story.

The rest of the ride passes quietly, solemnly, and Castiel just leans into Dean, trying not to let his nerves get the best of him.

He fears that Cain will already have been transported to another compound when they arrive.

He fears that Cain will be at the compound and that they'll have to fight their way in to get to him.

He fears that they'll reach Cain, only for him to refuse to come back with them.

He fears that he won't be able to convince Cain to return, if it comes to that.

At last, the car lurches to a stop. Rachel and Hester are the first to disembark, apparently eager to stretch their legs. Castiel gets out after Dean and finds that they're parked in a clearing, surrounded by very tall, thick trees. Redwoods. They're in a redwood forest.

"Balthazar!"

That sounds like Abaddon, and sure enough, Castiel catches sight of Abaddon coming in their direction, a group of people following her, all wearing vests and heavily armed.

"I already made contact with Cecily. The Master is still here, in one of their holding cells. They've set this situation as code red," Abaddon says, speaking quickly.

"What does that mean?" Castiel asks.

"More guards will come pouring in," Balthazar says as Rachel and Hester--and the other followers from before--come to stand behind him.

From the way they've taken up positions, it almost looks as though Balthazar and Abaddon are facing off against each other. Castiel wonders if that is a possibility. He and Dean stand not quite in between, but off to the side, a "neutral" party. Charlie lingers there with them, seemingly unsure.

Balthazar goes on, "They'll start scouring the surroundings for us. They've probably already started searching. We should scatter."

"No--we have to move now."

"We need to regroup," Balthazar says. "We don't know what we'll be walking into, if we charge in there right now."

Abaddon shakes her head. "According to Cecily, they haven't even managed to double their numbers yet," she says. "If we wait, we'll lose our chance."

"I don't like walking in blind."

"We won't be walking in blind. We have information."

Balthazar huffs a sigh, displeased. "Whose bright idea was it to leave the psychic behind?"

"Don't complain about what we can't change," Abaddon says. "We have to go before they get fully organized."

"I have a strategy, but it'll put the lives of compound residents at considerable risk," Hester says, appearing at Balthazar's left.

"Let's hear it," Abaddon says.

"Set off explosives at each of the residences. It'll take time for the fire department to get here, and in that time, the compounds have protocols for how security personnel are to respond. They'll be preoccupied with evacuating residents, which will draw their resources away from guarding the Master."

It's quiet for a moment, Abaddon and Balthazar locking gazes as though discussing it purely through expressions, and Dean says, "Wait. Guys, are we seriously considering this?"

"We need to rescue the Master. Compound security will do their jobs clearing the residences with minimal casualties," Abaddon says impassively.

"Minimal casualties?" Dean repeats, aghast.

"You really don't have a say in this," Abaddon says. "Please refrain from interrupting again."

"I agree with Dean," Castiel says, finding his voice. Abaddon looks at him angrily, but Balthazar nods.

"I don't like the idea of striking now. We scatter and regroup. Stealth is how we're going to approach this," he says decisively.

Abaddon's jaw clenches and unclenches, but then she says, "Fine. Disarm, scatter, and camouflage." She turns away, and her--troops, for lack of a better word--split off to their individual vehicles.

God, troops. Soldiers. Those really are the most apt words to describe them. They're wearing vests, probably bulletproof vests, with all manner of holsters for their weapons. Castiel made this decision impulsively, and looking at these men and women now, he realizes that he and Dean are in way over their heads.

When he turns, he sees that Balthazar's people aren't armed up (yet), heading back toward their vehicles. Hester, Charlie, and Rachel have gotten back in the car, but before Balthazar can get in, Castiel steps over to him, takes his arm.

"Cas?" Dean starts, inquisitive.

"Get in the car," Castiel says. "Please," he adds as an afterthought. "I need to speak with Balthazar alone."

Dean looks doubtful.

"We won't go anywhere," Castiel says.

Please trust me, he urges with his eyes.

It seems to cost Dean a lot to get into the car and pull the door shut. The glass is tinted, but Castiel can imagine Dean's eyes practically burning a hole through it, watching Castiel and Balthazar.

"Close the door," Castiel says to Balthazar, and he shuts the door on Rachel's questioning eyes.

"What is it?" he asks, concern emanating from him.

"I need you to promise me something."

"What? If it's the pregnancy, I won't mention it if you don't," Balthazar says.

Castiel can feel his eyes going wide. "You--how--"

"I served you for a lifetime, Master. I know--I know you."

Castiel exhales deeply, nods. "Yes, please keep that quiet. I don't think anyone apart from Cain knows, unless he's told Abaddon. Or--could she tell?"

"I doubt it," Balthazar answers. "But--doesn't your mate--"

"Oh, Dean knows, of course."

Balthazar nods. Then he asks, "If not my silence, what did you want me to promise, Master?"

"You have to stop calling me that," Castiel says. "My name is fine."

"I--find that difficult."

"You and Abaddon seem to have adapted to modern life just fine, as far as I can tell," Castiel says. "It's just a name."

Balthazar sighs. "What did you want me to promise?" he repeats.

Castiel senses that the man won't give ground on the title, at least not yet, so he lets it go. "Dean. I need you to protect him with your life."

Balthazar frowns. "Yes, of course."

"No, you don't understand. If it comes to a choice between me and him, I need you to choose him."

Balthazar's expression shifts, curiously blank, like he's been trained not to show his disobedience on his face, but he takes a step back, like the order actually repelled him. "No."

"This is an order," Castiel tries.

"No."

"I'm not saying it'll come to that," Castiel says. "I just need to--to know that he is safe."

"I'll keep you both safe," Balthazar says. "But I will not--"

"You have to. If I die, I'll come back. Dean won't."

"I've waited so many years for you," Balthazar says, anguish blending into his scent, the bitterness so sharp, too sharp, unbearable. Castiel breathes through his mouth. "I can't let you go now that I've found you again."

"If it comes to that, you have to," Castiel says. "I'll never forgive you if Dean dies when you could have saved him."

Balthazar turns away.

Castiel gives him a moment to collect himself and looks around. The other cars have all gone. The first set of windows of the only remaining car are not tinted, so he can see Rachel, watching them with concern. Her mouth is moving--she might be relating their movements to the others in the car, but he cannot hear what she is saying, so it follows that they cannot hear him and Balthazar, either.

Turning his eyes back to Balthazar, Castiel insists, "Promise me."

"You can't do this to me," Balthazar says.

"Promise--"

"No!" Balthazar barks. "No, Master, not again. Never again."

Castiel's mouth goes dry. "Do you mean..." his voice fades, and he finds himself unable to continue.

"Yes," Balthazar answers nevertheless. "I couldn't--I had to--"

He stops, choked up, and Castiel crosses the short distance between them, spins him around. Balthazar's eyes are red, his features contorted with the pain of the memory, and Castiel allows himself to be pulled into a hug, almost tight enough to be painful.

"I was sworn to protect you, but you made me swear to protect another. I did it once, and I've regretted it every waking moment of all these years," he says, shuddering, shivering. "Never again."

Castiel nods, reaching up to run a hand through the man's hair, hopefully soothingly. "I'm--I'm sorry I asked. I didn't know. I didn't--remember."

"I know," Balthazar says softly, releasing Castiel all at once. He immediately takes a knee. "Apologies."

"What?" Castiel says, bewildered.

"I shouldn't have held you. That was--disrespectful."

If Castiel were capable, he thinks he would have laughed. "This isn't the 1800s," he says instead. "It's fine. Just like calling me Castiel is fine."

Balthazar frowns at the suggestion, but he gets back to his feet.

"I'm sorry for asking that of you--again," Castiel repeats, because he doesn't think he can say that enough, now that he knows. He still wants Dean to be safe, wants it more than anything, but Balthazar cannot be the one to make that call.