Charlaine Harris owns this world, these characters and everything wonderful about both!
Pam didn't appear the following evening but I received two text messages from her. The first was to check that I had indeed removed myself from the farmhouse, the second was to verify that she was not going to risk leaving Fangtasia that night as she suspected she was being watched.
It was ridiculously difficult to sit in Sam's trailer and wait for the next big bad to come along and smack me upside the head. I alternated between wanting to chase the sun round the planet and wanting to stand looking into the night with a stake in my hand. Thankfully Sam was good company and he worked tirelessly to keep my mind off the situation with Eric and Victor. The rising swell of panic, dread and despair emanating from Eric had reached a stable pitch now too.
Pam called at sundown the following day to advise she was on her way. There was a brief silent standoff at the door when she arrived at Sam's trailer but eventually he ungraciously invited her in. It seemed she had called a war council enroute as within half an hour of her arrival every supe I'd ever done a favour was sitting in Sam's double wide. I felt terrible imposing on Sam so badly, especially when he made a run to the bar for refreshments to offer round. Alcide, Calvin, Jason, Bill and Claude (who sat himself as far from Pam and Bill as Sam's living quarters would allow) sat to attention as Pam held court.
Bill was still weak with silver poisoning, courtesy of Neave's teeth, so he was to keep watch over the cemetery and advise Pam if Victor or any of his crew approached my house. This would provide an early warning that Pam and Eric's fears were come to fruition. Claude was to try to contact Niall for his help as the number I had for him had been disconnected. Jason and Calvin were to take me at first light to Hotshot where it was deemed Victor was less likely to go looking and where my scent would be masked by the high population of panthers. Alcide was to have his Weres listen in across Shreveport and the surrounding areas to establish if Victor had anyone else out looking for me and if possible, to lead them astray. Sam was going to tell the bar patrons that further to my 'accident' I was going on an extended vacation in Europe to aid my recovery.
Everything was worked out to the nth degree and it might have all worked out swimmingly if a tiger hadn't come barrelling through the door of Sam's trailer.
"Quinn?" I asked in disbelief as the massive animal took pause to bare his teeth at the assembled company. Alcide and Calvin growled in unison while Claude conveniently 'poofed' himself right out of there. Bill and Jason worked themselves in front of me.
The trailer seemed impossibly small with such an enormous beast blocking the exit. Splinters of door and frame lay strewn at the tiger's feet and behind him, on Sam's deck, stood Victor surveying the damage. "Tut tut tut Pamela," he drawled. "Quite interesting company you keep. If one didn't know you to be happier taking orders than giving them, one might assume you were planning a coupe."
Pam glanced my way with a fleeting look of apology and Victor continued. "Now, this is how this is going to go. Miss Stackhouse will leave, with me, now, and I promise not to hurt her friends, miscreants and traitors. If she does not, my colleagues here will blow up this Hicksville piece of trash with all of you in it."
"No!" I yelled. I couldn't take it anymore. No one else was going to die protecting me. I wasn't fit to run or fight anymore. A life with Victor would be hell on earth but I'd only have to leave with him long enough to ensure my friends' safety and then I could call it quits on life. In the shack I'd looked death in the face and here again, it seemed like a comforting option. "I'm coming."
Everyone in the trailer looked at me in unison. Disbelief and fear etched on the faces of my loved ones. "I love you all," I said as I made my way shakily on my damaged legs over upturned furniture toward Quinn and Victor.
"Sook," Jason said, placing a hand on my shoulder.
"It's OK Jase, it was always going to come to this," I assured him with a sad smile.
The rest of the company avoided direct eye contact and I was swamped momentarily with their anger, resignation, pain and frustration. I didn't have to read Pam or Bill, their faces said it all.
As I passed Quinn he followed my movements with sad eyes. I wondered what his loved ones had done this time to force him into this mess. "I forgive you," I said to him, and with that I held out my hand to Victor for help getting over the remains of the door.
Victor took my hand and arm and half lifted, half yanked me over the threshold. "Why, Miss Stackhouse," he said, taking in my limp and defeated demeanour, "You're damaged goods," he laughed. With that he escorted me down the path and out the gate. I tried not to look back but I couldn't help it as Victor led me along the white picket fence toward the bar parking area. Quinn remained in the doorway, vampires were stationed all around the trailer and a large gas canister rested against the end wall. "Torch it," Victor instructed.
"Please no, please no, please…" I cried. Struggling with a vampire is futile but I did it anyway. Hysteria built in my chest and my breathing sped and I thought I heard gunshots followed by a myriad of roaring. I lost consciousness just in time to miss Sam's trailer engulfed in a fireball.