** For Halloween 2010 - I do not know how slow or fast I'll write this. I was in the Zombie mood after watching too much AMC's Fear Fest. Zombies are hardly mentioned in Southern Vampire/True Blood. However, if zombies can crossover to Pride and Prejudice, well, why not zombies in True Blood? **
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the books or True Blood. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Author's Note: Initial part of this scene with dialogue is from True Blood, Season 2, Episode 8 Timebomb.
Further Note: To keep things clearer since they were a bit mixed up going from SVM → True Blood, for this story, Stan Davis = TB Stan Davis, underling of TB Godric in Area 9, Texas. Roman Dvořák = King of Texas, roughly equating to SVM Stan Davis.
True Blood and Zombies
Chapter 1
"Brothers and sisters, there will be a holy bonfire at dawn," Steve Newlin promised before Eric was shackled to the Fellowship of the Sun altar with chains of silver.
Sookie stood by miserably, watching visible smoke rise from Eric's flesh. They used more silver than was necessary. Bill was held down by the Rattrays with only a couple flimsy chains, and they probably didn't even invest in pure sterling.
"You see," Steve explained, "just as our Lord was betrayed with thirty pieces of silver, a few ounces of silver can betray a true child of Satan to the world."
"That doesn't make any sense," Sookie protested. "How can you people listen to him?"
"I … I offer myself in exchange for Godric's freedom and the girl's as well," Eric gasped lowly, his fangs descended due to the pain he was in.
"That's noble," Steve conceded, "but she's just as culpable as you are. She's a traitor to her race. The human race. She hardly deserves mercy." He leaned down to explain, "Maybe we should tie her to you so you can meet the sun together. Bet this marshmallow would roast up nicely."
Steve descended the stairs to approach her and add more taunts, but was interrupted by the loud cry of "Sookie!" as Bill Compton raced into the church to save his lover.
"One more step, vampire, and the girl dies," Steve stated, holding a gun in the direction of Sookie's head.
"If you shoot her, everyone here will die," Bill threatened in return. "Let her go now."
"Honestly, what do they see in you?" Steve asked Sookie rhetorically, before addressing his people. "Soldiers, some silver chains for our friend here."
"Don't," Sookie protested, "he's done nothing to you."
Bravely, Bill reassured her as he prepared to defend himself, "Sookie, I will be fine."
From the side of the church, another voice yelled out, "Newlin!"
Steve screamed, "Ah!" and waved his hand about after dropping his gun. The back of his hand suffered from a painful sting, after being shot with a paint pellet.
"Let her go, fuckwad," Jason demanded. He shot Steve again. This time the green paint ball exploded in the center of his forehead, before two Soldiers of the Sun disarmed Jason.
Bill rushed to Sookie, and pushed away all the humans surrounding her.
Steve continued his cries of pain, "Ow! Son of a bitch."
Going up the couple stairs to the altar, Sookie raced over to free Eric from the silver, while Bill called behind her, "Sookie!" He needed to get her out of here before the Fellowship's people regrouped.
Sookie pulled the chains off quickly. She already knew how gross silver on vampire flesh was. The skin sort of stuck to the silver and sometimes peeled off. She urged, "Let's go."
Eric's skin was healing quickly as he sat up. This was so intolerable. He tried to make an honorable deal, and that savage mocked it. He went over, grabbed Steve Newlin by the throat, and pushed him to the floor. Since Newlin had been standing on the shallow stairs to the altar, that is where Eric now held him.
Protesting, Sookie said, "Eric, do not kill him."
"Kill him. Kill the motherfucker," Jason loudly cheered.
Steve agreed, "Go ahead. Martyr us. Martyr us before God. We are willing to die."
The outside doors in the vestibule slammed loudly. Everyone looked that way.
Stan came through the main interior doors, backed by several vampires. He announced, "Steve Newlin, you have pushed us too far." More vampires entered above and from the sides, and fanned out in a line. There were at least forty. "You expect us to sit on our thumbs while you round up your men to come lynch us. We'll kill you first."
The humans became scared, and the one holding Jason even let go of him, more concerned about himself than what Jason could do to Rev. Newlin.
Stan added, "Just like we did your father."
Sookie muttered to Bill, "Oh God, no," in reference to Stan's confession.
"Murderer!" Steve shouted impotently, still held down on the altar stairs by Eric's firm hand on his throat.
"Destroy them," Stan commanded. "All of them." He showed off by forcing his fangs to descend.
Bill pulled Sookie away, urging her she needed to go now. He would not be able to stop this group of vampires from taking Sookie from him.
There were enough vampires to take hold of most of the humans present, and they all seemed intent on feeding from their victims' necks when the call of "Enough," came from above. Godric was standing above, in front of the organ pipes in the back of the church.
"You came for me, I assume," he said. Stan did not immediately respond, and Godric added, "Underling."
Reluctantly, Stan answered, "Yes, sheriff."
Eric released Steve Newlin, who put his hand to his throat to feel for damage.
"These people have not harmed me. You see? We can coexist. Mr. Newlin, I do not wish to create bloodshed when none is called for. Help me set an example. If we leave you in peace, will you do the same?"
"I will not negotiate with subhumans," Steve declared defiantly. He moved to a kneeling position beside Eric and loosened his tie. "Kill me," he dared. "Do it. Jesus will protect me."
"I am actually older than your Jesus," Godric admitted. "I wish I could have known him, but I missed it."
He disappeared from the loft and almost immediately stood behind Rev. Newlin. Godric grabbed a hold of him and forced him to stand, and asked, "Good people, who of you is willing to die for this man's madness?"
The Soldiers of the Sun that had gathered, shifted and looked at each other. None spoke or raised their hand.
"That's what I thought. Stand down everyone," Godric commanded to the disappointment of many vampires and Steve Newlin. "People, go home. It's over now."
As everyone started exiting, Steve implored, "Please, don't leave me."
Annoyed, Godric gave him a nudge, and he fell to the stairs again. "I daresay my faith in humankind is stronger than yours." He walked away from the reverend and called, "Come," to the vampires.
Stan approached him, and questioned, "Sir, after what these humans have done to you …?"
"I said come."
Stan stood aside, and allowed Godric to pass. He had only gone a few steps, when he stopped. Godric noticed something he had not seen in a long time, heading right for the back of the group of humans exiting. He got between Gabe and the humans, and placed a hand on his forehead to stop his progress. "Mr. Newlin, why is there a zombie shambling about inside your church?"
Sookie was surprised to see Eric do a double take at the man who tried to rape her in the basement. She was sure Godric must have broken his neck earlier.
Eric hoisted Steve up, demanding, "Answer him."
"I don't have to ..."
Eric pulled the man up and looked him in the face. He patiently requested, "Please tell me what kind of zombie it is."
Steve's face went blank as Eric spoke, and he replied, "I don't know."
"Do you want to test it on him?" Eric asked, holding Steve higher so his feet no longer touched the stone step.
"No, Eric. Release him." Godric looked about, and said to Luke MacDonald, "Come closer to us. I am faster than a zombie and will stop it, if it goes for you."
"That's Gabe," Luke answered. His instructor did not look well, and Gabe had not straightened his head up since Luke noticed he walked into the shorter vampire's outstretched hand.
"Yes, he used to be. We need to determine which kind of zombie this is to know how dangerous it could be. Some are not compelled to eat human flesh."
Godric turned Gabe about by the shoulders to face the other way, released him and took a step back.
Sookie hissed to Bill, "A zombie?"
"Zombies are under the command of whoever cursed or raised them," he replied. "They eventually decompose to uselessness."
"If we're lucky, that's all it is," Eric commented.
"What if it's not?" Sookie asked.
Eric replied, "We'll destroy it in any case, but there's one virulent strain of zombie that animates all nearby corpses so we should be vigilant for more. There's also an apocalyptic type, but humans have already educated themselves on that variety."
"That's not funny, Eric," Bill warned. "Do not seek to alarm Sookie for your amusement."
Their conversation ended when Gabe got his bearings and lunged towards Luke, who immediately began to move away. Godric waited till Gabe visibly opened his mouth to illustrate his intent to feast by drooling noisily, and there was a loud crack as the ancient vampire broke Gabe's lower jaw to render it difficult to use effectively. Gabe was still trying to maneuver, but the sheriff waved Stan over, requested his phone and asked him to keep Gabe from wandering into humans.
Steve protested, "What do you think you're doing to my employee? We can sue, you know."
"I am phoning the police now, Mr. Newlin," Godric responded.
Eric got Steve's attention by looming in front of him. "I can get you to cooperate, but perhaps you've realized vampires are not in danger from zombies. Are there any bodies interred on these premises, or the nearby area, that we can examine for signs of reanimation?"
"I'm not letting you desecrate ..."
"Please tell me the nearest location of a human corpse," Eric asked while looking into Steve's eyes.
"My father is entombed downstairs," Steve replied dully.
There was screaming in the vestibule. A number of vampires sped out to investigate if it was one of them, or a second zombie that was causing the disturbance.
It looked like they were bullying a disoriented Hugo into the church. His arm was hanging limply from a blood-stained hole in his shirt's shoulder, and the front of his shirt was ripped, exposing a life-threatening open wound. Strangely, he was not bleeding from it.
The man that another vampire was carrying was bleeding from his forearm, and he told Godric, "This one was bit by Hugo."
"Put him down, Joseph. Try bandaging the wound, in case we are mistaking this symptom."
Godric suggested, "Mr. Newlin, you should ask whoever is still on the grounds to either leave immediately or return to this location. Some of us will remain here to protect them."
"We don't need help from your kind."
"Stop being stupid," Sookie said. "People could get hurt, and they're willing to help y'all."
"I don't listen to whores."
Bill snarled and the hand that he meant to strike Rev. Newlin with was stopped midair by Eric who reminded him, "Godric instructed there was to be no bloodshed."
Jason punched Steve square in the face, then tried to sound innocent as he explained, "I thought he was only referring to vampires."
"Human on vampire violence would be frowned upon," Eric airily commented, before suggesting, "Stay close to your sister, this may be a long night, Mr. Stackhouse."
"Sookie's mine, and I will protect her," Bill insisted.
"Can you think of something less tiresome to say? I meant it is easier if they know where the other is, or have you given Sookie so much of your blood that she's forgotten she has a brother?"
The only response Bill gave was a growl.
"What do you mean?" Sookie asked.
"Be quiet and listen up," Stan yelled.
Godric handed Stan his phone, and took a number of items from the newly arrived Isabel. He informed them, "The police are entering the Fellowship grounds. Based on my word and confirmation of their vampire counterparts regarding the seriousness of the situation, they are willing to meet us at key locations in the city to observe the newly deceased. Here are your assignments ..." He asked five vampires to patrol the Fellowship grounds and ask anyone they met to return to the church for their own safety. He named another location and pointed out two vampires, then named another and chose another two, and so on, until there was an objection.
"I will not leave Sookie," Bill protested.
"Leave the human here. I am not leaving the church unprotected at this time," Godric said. "You will cooperate to the best of your ability and go where I tell you, or you leave Texas immediately."
"You do not have the authority to ban me from the entire state," Bill said.
"Actually, I do, Mr. Compton. Texas is concerned about zombies, and any vampire refusing to cooperate to contain them faces my liege's wrath."
"And do not return to Area 5, Louisiana," Eric added.
Godric commanded another vampire to take Bill's place, and moved on to instructing vampires to go to other locations in the Dallas area.
Bill found Stan's hand solidly clamped on his upper arm. "Might I suggest Mexico? You'll be met on the border of each of the four areas along 35 to make sure you know which way's south."
"I'm not going to Mexico."
"45 to 10, and I'll get a call from my fellow sheriff in Lafayette before dawn?" Eric hinted.
"I need to make a phone call," Bill insisted. When Stan didn't let go, he hissed, "Privately."
Eric switched to a harsh sounding language and said something to Stan, who laughed and released Bill.
"If you do not return, these two humans will move with us, if we go to another location once the police are done here," Stan said.
Bill took out his phone and went to one of the rear exits. He needed to get far enough away from eavesdropping vampires to call his Queen. The vampires here had all gone crazy if they thought that a zombie or two was a threat. There were zombies all the time in Area 1, Louisiana, or greater New Orleans. Sophie-Anne found voodoo highly amusing.
Jason asked, "What's going on?"
Eric indicated they should move in closer to the others, rather than staying isolated in front of the altar. "It isn't for Bill to judge how serious this is on his own. Zombies are dangerous. If these are ones that devour humans, even with Tru Blood, it is in everyone's best interest to eradicate the threat. There is a precedent among vampires for this, and fortunately, there are a large number of older vampires living in this area that know how to respond. Younger vampires normally do not cross Godric, and ah … there's Bill's maker now, responding to the call for all vampires in Area 9 to report to Godric immediately. Perhaps she'll beat some sense into him, before he embarrasses her."
"Who?" Sookie asked, her head twisting about to guess which female vampire was Bill's maker.
"The red evening gown," Eric commented. "Until I am asked to go elsewhere, both of you should stay close to me."
There was some clamor as the human bitten in the arm turned into a zombie.
Eric took out his phone, and made a call. "Pam, there's zombies rising in Dallas … Yes, you're missing it again. … Could you please have any of my people you can reach in the eastern part of my area move west before dawn in case they are needed tomorrow evening. Texas is already aware of the problem, but we don't need this in Louisiana. … Yes, of course my next call's to the Queen."
He dialed another number and said, "It's Northman. I need to speak to her on a matter of great urgency."
Sookie could not believe Eric adopted a look of great boredom as he waited on the phone, even though he was watching the three zombies being pushed around by the remaining dozen vampires. The police were entering, and they had a few of their own vampires. Godric and Isabel were talking to them. She had no idea where Stan went.
"Your Majesty," Eric said deferentially. "I am in Dallas. There are zombies rising, and I thought I should inform you. Roman has already been informed by Godric, but I thought to wait to report it to you until I saw a human only bit on the arm turn zombie. He turned in less than thirty minutes."
Eric looked puzzled for a moment, then disagreed, "No, I am here, and see it. There are already three within sight of me, waiting to be confirmed as non-human by the local human authorities before we destroy them. Godric is working with the local police to get vampires to wherever the newly dead are to observe them for signs of reanimation and protect humans."
A look of disgust passed quickly over Eric's face, then he said, "I don't have that knowledge yet, my liege. I would be only too pleased to contact Gervaise and Cleo, as needed, if you feel it appropriate."
Sookie fought the urge to vomit as Godric sliced off Hugo's better arm to illustrate some point. The zombie did not seem to care about the missing limb, and sluggish black ooze got on Godric's shirt, rather than red blood.
Her brother thought this was too close to one of those zombie movies. Those never turned out good for the humans. Even the lucky or crazy bastards that lasted a while usually got their asses chewed off. Para-military training was not enough to make him think he could do more than kill a hundred or so. Let the vampires kill them.
Steve Newlin was talking to the police, and kept pointing at the vampires with accusations of trespassing, assault, and slander. The splat of lime green paint on his forehead was still clearly visible, along with it being on the back of his right hand, which he used to hold guns and point out the Hell-bound, children of Satan.
Bill came back in the other door, and Sookie noticed the red evening gown vampire woman was talking to him. Her eyes stayed on them, and she did not look at what was being done with the zombies until there was the extraordinarily loud sound of a gun shot inside the building. Gabe's head had been shot while Godric held him, and now the vampire was looking down at the mess on his clothes. The short, young-looking vampire named Joseph held the newest zombie, and a bullet to the head terminated him. Isabel gave Hugo's head a two-handed twist, and it separated from his body.
Jason confirmed, "So a bullet to the head kills them, like in the movies?"
"Apparently," Eric replied. "It's good that was tested while we had some, in case more show up. It could be the one here is an isolated incident, and he only infected two others. During the day, it will be up to the police and other humans to either stop them, or contain them someplace so we can deal with them after sundown."
"This has happened before?"
"It's quite rare, and before the Great Revelation, it was generally blamed on some sort of mass illness. It will be easier with humans helping us. Less should die."
The police got a call over their radios, and their faces became more grim. Godric started pointing at more vampires, and told them to go to the nearby hospital in the report. The vampire in the red evening gown approached Godric, and he glanced at her and Bill and nodded.
Bill was suddenly at Sookie's side, but his first words were for Eric. He accused, "You knew this sort of thing could happen?"
"You are aware that you owe the sheriff of the area your support when there is an emergency, Compton. If we are in my area or here."
"How is this Eric's fault?" Sookie asked.
"It's not, but I'm sure he enjoyed letting me look like a fool. Sookie, stay with Eric and Godric until you can go back to the hotel. The vampires are sending their humans there, and it will have more security."
Lorena called loudly, "Bill darling, you don't need to bid your sheriff such a long farewell. We're in no danger. That sanctimonious prick would be better off letting these bloodbags have a taste of real fear." She laughed even though other vampires fangs descended around her.
Sookie felt the same way about her.
Eric snarled to Bill, "I see where you learned your manners."
"Pity you didn't," Bill retorted before joining Lorena.
"Come on," Eric said after a few minutes. "The police are taking over protecting this church. We are going."
"How do you know that?" Jason asked.
"Vampires hear well."
Godric was trying to talk to Steve again, "Mr. Newlin, vampires do not create zombies. It may be days before the source is found. Till then, it is pointless to resist any assistance. True, zombies can be shot in the head ..."
"... and so can vampires."
"It's illegal to attack a vampire without provocation," Godric replied. "What I am trying to point out is the disease that makes us vampire makes our flesh undesirable to zombies. We cannot catch what they have, and I'm willing to put vampires between zombies and humans to protect you, your congregation and any other human."
"I cannot hear what you are saying, beast. Officers, remove these trespassers. They are not welcome here."
"Some church," Sookie muttered.
Eric murmured, "Follow Godric," and then was no longer with them.
Godric was initially in the midst of other vampires walking out of the church, but they began peeling off in different directions as he gave them quiet instructions while looking down at his cell phone.
The half dozen left stopped with Godric, when Isabel tried to give him a dark, messenger style bag. He pulled off his dirty shirt before taking it, and then Isabel headed off.
Eric rejoined Jason and Sookie, thrusting a duffle bag at her brother.
"It feels heavy," Jason said.
"Your sister's purse weighs more than the guns and ammunition."
"Do I have any clothes left?"
"Yes, I left all that."
"You found my pocketbook?"
"Yes, I put everything in your brother's bag."
Eric walked a little faster, and assumed a position directly behind Godric. Sookie had been unable to make out what was tattooed on his back in the dim light. When they reached the parking lot, there were a couple cars not parked properly. There had been more, but some vampires had driven them away while they were walking over here.
"Is that your car, Catherine?" Godric asked, pointing at a Lexas sedan.
"Yes, sheriff."
"Could you please take ..." Godric was in the midst of turning to indicate the Stackhouses when his cell phone made a noise. He stopped speaking when he glanced at the number, and held up the face of it for Eric to see before answering it.
"I am busy, dear heart," Godric said as a greeting. He put a finger to his lips and leaned towards Eric, who bent to listen to the person on the phone by putting his head next to his maker's.
"I have not seen him in close to ten minutes. Eric so enjoys ripping off heads, and zombies are a rarity, outside of the tame ones you enjoy."
They listened, and Eric raised his hands palm up to express he was clueless. He then gave Godric a tap on the bare chest with the back of his nearer hand.
"How would I know? I'm old, not omniscient … Perhaps. As I said, I'm quite busy, Sophie-Anne. I am keeping Eric here in Dallas with me."
Godric pulled the phone away from his ear after the call finished, and asked Eric, "What was that?"
"I did call Pam and her, but did not report a list of everyone present."
"Than someone else called her," Godric said, already guessing who since Sookie was mentioned, but not her brother, who both were in the church. "I'll call Roman, in case that's her next avenue of insanity."
"Why would he care?"
"He won't, but he might as well remind her that some things take precedent over whatever nonsense she's playing at now." Godric turned, "Never mind, Catherine. I'll take the Stackhouses to the nest with me."
She threw a set of keys to Godric, but Eric snatched them with his longer reach. "I can drive, while you concentrate."
"Very well," Godric agreed and went over to the passenger side.
Eric opened the back door for Sookie. She paused and said, "Bill said I should go back to the hotel."
"We'll see," Eric replied. "Hours till dawn."
The screen of whatever Godric was now using lit his face from underneath. It was bigger than his smart phone, and he was dragging his fingers across it. Sookie leaned forward between the two front seats because it sort of looked like a computer screen, but then Godric murmured, "You should put on your seat belt." It also was good to get out of the way of Jason slinging his bag into the back seat of the car from the other side's back door before he got in.
Eric had them out onto the road before Godric made his first call, after he sent a mass text to his underling contacts that he was moving back to his nest. It was a brief call, and he asked someone to take whoever was with them to Methodist Medical. He made another call and asked someone to go somewhere called Golden Gate.
His third call was long, and Godric spoke in some foreign language, but Eric understood Czech, as well as many other European languages, so knew Godric was discussing Sophie-Anne's call commanding Godric to return Eric, Bill and his unnamed, female human pet to Louisiana immediately. Roman, the vampire King of Texas, agreed that vampires were only in danger from humans, not zombies, but offered to allow a vampire as reluctant to defend his territory as Bill Compton permission to leave the state and never return. Godric gave him Lorena's cell number that he obtained earlier from her, and when asked, Eric spoke Bill's number aloud from memory for Godric, also in Czech. The King would have him called, and inform Sophie-Anne of his decision that Bill immediately return to her in New Orleans.
Godric feigned ignorance regarding where this particular human was. He was concerned with deploying at least a hundred vampires throughout Dallas at the moment.
After that call was over, Godric complained, "It never ends, does it?"
"No," Eric agreed. "More yet? I see you got into their dispatch log." He was referring to the Dallas police.
"Yes, there's more. It's not looking good because it's spreading to other places, and it cannot be from zombies wandering because they do not move that quickly."
"Is Lamar willing to help?"
"Perhaps. He's vague in his first response. I'm waiting for him to reply with something tangible. The quantity of zombies should get his interest. He does have a reputation to protect."
"What you need is someone else to insult his inaction."
"With Samson meeting the true death, I don't have that easy option any more. Hot Rain is hostile to me now due to you."
"Does anyone still take his calls?" Eric asked, referring to Hot Rain.
"I would," Godric answered. He would like to mediate Hot Rain's difficulties with others. Eric did not stake his progeny, Longshadow. As sheriff, he surrendered the murderer to the Magister for judgment.
Godric had gone back to using his iPad when he got a text. He looked at the text that Farrell was reporting all current zombies at one mortuary were now decapitated, with their heads left matched up for cremation for their families. Godric did not understand current, and seemingly complex, death rituals, but returned a text to Farrell to stay with the police and follow their instructions. He would prefer a centralized ustrina, but the zombies were rising faster than he had seen before, with both the present corpses animating and after the initial bite to a live human.
"Cars are blocking your driveway. Park on the street?" Eric asked.
"Unless you feel like moving them out of your way," Godric murmured, after glancing up briefly, before going back to dragging a finger across his screen.
Eric parked on the street. When he tried to give the keys to Godric, he was told, "There's hooks … never mind, we'll go in that door." Taking the keys, he explained, "I have to ask that the human food get replenished at the nest tonight, in case things worsen."
"You have humans living here?" Eric asked. Godric never liked the noise and smell.
"Normally, no."
Jason asked, "You want to make sure you have something around to eat for yourself?"
Godric halted, and gave Jason a puzzled look before asking, "Is this where I am supposed to jest in reply that AB negative is my favorite? I can go long periods of time without feeding, Mr. Stackhouse. I have only fed three times since the Revelation, and I doubt it was more than … oh, two ounces each time, maybe? I am not good with American measurements still, since vampires mostly talk metric."
"You know my blood type?" Jason replied in shock.
"Yours, yes, but your sister is not AB negative." Godric's nose scrunched a bit, and he concluded, "Smells nice though. I hope things do not become so dire that you need to negotiate your blood for my protection of you and your sister. That would sadden me."
Eric withheld saying the comments that went through his mind regarding what Sookie could negotiate with, since he knew Godric would truly be sad if a human tried to barter with their blood or body. Something was off with his maker, besides his avoidance of explaining what he was doing at that church, so far.
Godric resumed walking and led them through a door next to the closed garage, after entering a security code.
The hallway was initially dark, but Godric turned on the lights for them. Sookie blinked at the sudden illumination, and got a good look at Godric's bare back while he hung the set of keys next to others. There were two lines of horizontal hooks, half occupied with keys.
The red circle on his shoulder didn't look like a tattoo. She had no idea what the thing that went down his spine was, but it looked like it had an eye towards the top. Her outstretched finger poked it, and Godric softly warned, "Please, do not touch me."
Eric pulled her hand away faster than Sookie did. "What's that supposed to be?" she asked.
"It's meaningless now," Godric explained. He continued down the hall, ignoring the small spot between his shoulders that felt the warmth of a human momentarily. Pausing a moment, he opened a door, tossed his filthy shirt in, and shut the door, before continuing into the kitchen.
Sookie and Jason could hear the noise as well. She had been here before, but Stan and Isabel did not sound like a crowd. Now she knew Hugo had been in the house too, and he had been as quiet as a mouse, even when on his cell phone.
Mostly humans were in the kitchen, and Godric had stopped to speak to one at the sink. "Rita, can you please check our supplies and get together a list of everything we need to purchase to restock? Focus on things that don't perish especially. There might be humans in the nest for an undetermined period of time that cannot leave during the day."
The woman looked puzzled, then said, "Godric, you're back. Where were you?"
"That's not important now. Please get ready, I'll get someone to go with you to the store."
Turning, he addressed a vampire, "Paolo, please check the fuel supply for our generators, and double check that all our vehicles are filled to capacity. One of the SUVs will be used by Rita tonight to go to the store, so it can be refilled then."
"Yes, sheriff. Wait, is that permission to drive your car, Godric?"
"My car should not have been driven since the last time it was maintained, yet if it's not the case, I suppose you have my permission."
Sookie was torn between either listening to the humans here in the kitchen, who were happy Godric was back, but scared of what was going on. They all knew vampires, and their vampires were excited. Not in a good way excited either, but all those here were here because their vampires wanted to keep them safe. Some were aware they were going to the Hotel Carmilla later. Her other choice was to block them out. She did because their knowledge of zombies was secondhand from their own vampires, and it was less than what Eric explained, except that their lives were in real danger. Eric had kind of skipped over that, but she had seen for herself that zombies could be dangerous if a vampire wasn't knocking them about before killing them. She also knew for herself that it was good that the vampires were trying to get a handle on the situation. There was true faith in Godric's ability to lead.
He continued out of the kitchen, and did something at the front door. Godric did not want zombies wandering into his nest because the door was left open. The bell worked fine. He stopped another vampire and asked, "Could you please go around the house and make sure all windows and doors are secure?"
"Yes, sheriff."
Even before entering the main room, Sookie felt a lot of voids, indicating vampires. Some humans were in here, not wanting to be separated from their undead companions to mingle with other humans in the kitchen.
"Everyone, please keep all entries into this building secure," Godric announced first. "The doorbell is rarely used, but it does function." Once the muttering died down, he sent more vampires out to different locations, then said, "Excuse me, I need to change."
Passing Jason, he asked, "Did you want me to keep your luggage downstairs, out of the way for now?"
"Uh, Eric said he put some guns in it."
"Come with me, Mr. Stackhouse, and you can sort out what he collected for you."
Sookie said, "Jason, my bag's in there."
"Maybe you should take that now," he replied. He didn't want to carry his sister's purse back up here, in the open.
She unzipped the bag and saw that Jason had not been exaggerating about the weight. Eric had stolen several guns from the Fellowship, and there were boxes of ammunition too.
"Both of you are welcome to whatever food and drink appeals to you that is here," Godric said, before asking, "Did you want to use my computer, Eric?"
"Yes."
Sookie hissed at Eric, "Should I stay with you till you can get me back to the hotel?"
"You can follow to see where I'll be," he replied, as both of them moved into a hallway that had a narrow staircase behind a steel door that led down. Godric and Jason had gone ahead of them. "This house should be safe from zombies so you can come back up and eat when you're hungry without me, or even with your brother."
Eric went first, following Godric and Jason through a central lounge with some sofas, a flat screen television, shelves with books along the walls, and side tables with lamps and a couple phones. There was a thick metal door frame with an open steel door, with concrete stairs inside, leading deeper into the ground.
There was a large room at the bottom. Sookie had not been expecting it to be bright and white after going down so many stairs. The higher curved ceiling helped make her feel more at ease, rather than feeling buried underground, even though she knew they had to be even below basement level here. Even with her shoes still on, her feet sank into the thick, dove grey carpet.
Jason was in the rectangular den area with a couch and chairs, centered facing a television that Godric was facing with a remote. Jason was pulling the weapons and ammunition out of his bag and putting it on the low, central table, talking to himself as he sorted what was there. Sookie could tell he thought Eric knew nothing about guns and grabbed whatever was handy.
If this was Godric's bedroom, it was functional. He had shelves of books instead of a headboard, and the bed itself was large, made up in white and pale grey, with a couple darker grey furs on the center of it, but it was in the corner so could not be accessed from both sides, even though the room was spacious enough to center it on the wall, without it getting in the way.
The television was now showing a screen split into a rectangle, with a bunch of squares around it. The main part was a news broadcast. In the squares, there was the crowd in the room upstairs, the kitchen, outside what Sookie guessed was the front door, another outside view of the driveway with part of the street visible, and some patio with outdoor furniture.
Eric took a seat at Godric's computer desk while his maker reached under the desk to turn on the tower, and waited till it booted and asked for a password. He then went into a side passageway.
Sookie also sat down. She was pooped.