The Gift
Chapter 1
"Eric, do you know that woman?" asked Sookie.
Eric followed Sookie's gaze, but no one stood out in the crowded bar. It was the usual Saturday night crowd at Fangtasia: Goth fangbangers, vamp wannabes, and even a few women who had taken to imitating Sookie's peaches and cream style hoping to catch Eric's eye. "Which woman?" he asked.
"The one in the white tank top who's walking toward the far end of the bar," Sookie whispered.
It took him a moment to locate the woman in the crowd, and when he did, he didn't see what the fuss was about. The woman was only remarkable in the sense that there was absolutely nothing remarkable about her. She was of average height and average build. Her straight brown hair was secured in a ponytail at the nape of her neck and she wore a simple white tank top and olive cargo pants. If Sookie hadn't pointed her out, the woman would have faded completely into the background.
He winked at Sookie. "Have you detected a disturbance in the force? Come over to the dark side, Sookie Stackhouse," he teased, imitating Darth Vader.
Sookie heaved an exasperated sigh. He'd been impossible since they watched the Star Wars DVD. At least he didn't wasn't doing his Wookie imitation anymore. "Will you be serious for a minute? There's something not right about her."
Eric immediately lost his sense of humor, but maintained an unconcerned appearance. "What do you hear?"
"I'm not sure," said Sookie. She cut through all of the mental static in the bar and focused on the woman's thoughts. The woman was a clear projector and Sookie was able to read her quite easily. The woman was acutely aware of Eric's location, and the location of the exits. She used the reflection in the mirror above the bar to scan behind the bar for any weapons the bartender might have. The woman was now searching the room to determine Pam's location. She was momentarily stymied and then looked at the mirror again and smiled.
Sookie pulled on Eric's sleeve. "Is that a two-way mirror, and is Pam behind it?"
"How did you know that?" Eric asked warily.
"How did she know that, is the question," answered Sookie. "I think she's casing the place!"
Eric studied the woman again, this time suspiciously. The tight tank top would make it more difficult to grab on to her. The cargo pants had many pockets to conceal weapons. And the boots – how on earth did he miss the boots? Her cargo pants were tucked into a pair of flat suede boots that had crepe soles. They were no fashion statement. They were the footwear of choice for people who wanted to move quickly and silently. They also concealed a small silver dagger.
A drainer.
Eric stared intently at the mirror and in the space of a heartbeat Pam was standing next to the intruder. "Hello, Sunshine," she drawled. "It's your lucky night…or not. The Master has requested your presence."
"Thank you," the woman answered politely. She proceeded directly to Eric's booth without waiting to be escorted. Pam followed right on her heels. The woman smiled sweetly at Sookie and bowed her head reverentially to Eric. "Good evening, Sheriff."
Eric exchanged a significant look with Pam and then turned his attention back to the stranger. "What brings you to Fangtasia, Miss…I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name."
"I didn't throw it," she answered, not unkindly. "My name is Hope. I'm going to be your new Captain of Security."
Eric raised an eyebrow and then laughed. "I'm sorry, we don't have any openings right now, but if you fill out an application and give it to the bartender, we'll keep it on file for six months."
The woman, Hope, smiled at his sarcasm. "You're witty. Nonetheless, you will hire me tomorrow evening to be your Captain of Security. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have much to do." She bowed her head to Eric once again took a step back. Pam blocked her retreat.
"The Master hasn't released you."
"He's not my master. Not yet." Hope paused, as if waiting for something to happen, and then something did. There was a loud bang at the end of the bar. The barstools blew apart under two servicemen from the Air Force base, sending pilots and drinks crashing to the floor.
It was an obvious diversion. When Eric and Pam turned their attention back to Hope, she was gone. Eric snarled wordlessly at Pam and the bartender. The bartender immediately went to the end of the bar to determine what happened and Pam pursued Hope.
A few moments later the bartender approached the table with some bits of wire in his hand and a twisted metal bar. "It was two small C-4 charges. Noisy, but not very powerful. They just mangled the back legs on the barstools. No one was injured." The bartender sighed with disappointment.
Pam stalked back into the bar, angry as a wet cat. "She's gone, which is not humanly possible. She must have a vampire accomplice."
"That's one theory," said Eric. "Sweep the bar and make sure she actually left."
Eric sat back and digested the situation as Pam and the bartender went about their work. The patrons resumed their activities as if nothing had ever happened. He turned to Sookie. "What are your thoughts?"
"She doesn't mean you any harm. She likes you. She honestly believes that she is going to work for you."
"So she's insane."
"That's one theory." Sookie nestled under his arm. "Tomorrow night could be interesting."
Eric kissed the top of her head. "Indeed."