Back at the motel, Dean and Sam spent the next few hours digging through everything they could find on Marcus Baker.
The guy was wealthy even by Los Angeles standards. Real estate, investment firms, luxury hotels, and enough money to buy almost anything he wanted.
More importantly, several articles mentioned his fascination with rare artifacts and unusual collectibles — which immediately caught both brothers' attention.
Sam sat at the table scrolling through another article while Dean cleaned his pistol on the bed.
"Tomorrow night," Sam said. "Private exhibition at his mansion."
Dean looked up. "The place in the hills?"
Sam turned the laptop toward him. Several photographs showed a sprawling estate overlooking the city — high walls surrounding the property, private security patrolling the grounds around the clock.
Dean studied the images. "You think Henry might be there?"
"I wouldn't bet on it, but it's the strongest lead we've got."
Dean set the pistol aside. "Then we check it out."
Sam rubbed his chin. "Getting inside won't be easy."
He opened photographs from previous events hosted at the mansion. Uniformed guards at every entrance. Vehicles passing through security checkpoints. Cameras covering nearly every angle of the property.
Dean stared at the screen. "That's not normal rich-guy security."
Sam zoomed in on one photograph. "Most of these guys look ex-military." The guards carried themselves like professionals rather than hired muscle.
"So walking through the front gate is out."
"Unless you've suddenly become a billionaire collector."
Dean considered that. "Give me a few hours."
Sam ignored him. "The guest list is invitation-only. Names verified before anyone enters."
Marcus's events catered to wealthy collectors and investors — connections neither Winchester possessed.
Dean folded his arms. "Can we get an invitation?"
"Not realistically."
He walked over to the table. "Okay. What are we missing?"
Sam opened an aerial image of the estate. Both brothers studied it in silence.
Eventually Sam pointed toward the rear of the property — a drainage channel connected to a storm runoff system running down the hillside. Unlike the main entrance, it wasn't heavily monitored.
Dean's eyes followed the route. A slow grin appeared. "There it is."
"We'd still have to cross part of the grounds."
"Better than the front gate." Sam couldn't argue with that. Compared to armed guards checking invitations, a drainage tunnel was considerably more manageable.
Dean grabbed his jacket. "Tomorrow night we sneak in, find Jasper, and figure out where Henry ended up."
Sam closed the laptop. "And if Henry actually is there?"
"Then we're bringing him home."
The plan was simple. Get inside, find answers, deal with whatever waited on the other side.
***
That night, Sam was walking back toward the motel carrying a bag filled with food and several bottles of alcohol Dean had specifically requested.
Then someone appeared beside him.
Sam recognized her instantly. Ruby. His hand moved toward the demon-killing knife beneath his jacket, but Ruby grabbed his arm before he could pull it free.
The movement wasn't aggressive, but it was firm enough to stop him.
Sam's expression darkened. "I came here to talk, Sam."
The words only made him angrier. After Christmas, after Henry, after everything demons had done, he wasn't interested in conversations. He yanked against her grip. "I don't talk to demons."
Ruby didn't let go. Normally she would have answered with sarcasm. This time she looked unusually serious. "Even if I said I know a way to kill Lilith?"
"Yeah, I don't care." His voice carried enough hostility to make most people back away. Ruby remained where she was. Sam finally pulled his arm free and stepped back.
"After I kill you, I will find a way myself."
Ruby stared at him. Mentioning Lilith usually got attention. Usually it got questions. This time it had earned another death threat. "You're not listening."
"No." Sam's eyes never left her. "I'm really not."
Ruby sighed, looking genuinely frustrated. "Sam, from the beginning I've been trying to help you."
The statement earned a bitter laugh with no amusement in it. "Help me?" Sam shook his head. "That's what we're calling it now?"
"I warned you about Lilith." She folded her arms. "You never listened. Now you've seen what she can do."
Ruby pressed forward. "Henry's dead because Lilith was involved. That's what I've been trying to tell you. She isn't a normal demon. You can't face her like every other hunt."
Sam looked away for a moment. The worst part was that she wasn't entirely wrong.
Everything he had learned about Lilith pointed in the same direction. She wasn't something you simply walked up to and stabbed. Even Henry had treated her as a threat far beyond ordinary demons.
When he looked back, the anger was still there. "So what?" Ruby blinked. Sam stepped closer. "You think I don't know she's dangerous? You think Dean and I haven't figured that out already?"
Ruby held his gaze. "You're still too stubborn to listen, even after losing someone. Next time it might be Dean." Her voice was flat. "When you're ready to cooperate, call me. Otherwise it'll be too late for your brother."
She disappeared.
Sam stood there for a long moment, staring at the empty space where she had been. Then he took a slow breath, picked up the bag, and kept walking.
*****
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