"Do you think this was a personal attack?" Asked Pam. She arrived at Andromeda speed as soon as Eric told her to come over. He didn't even have to say why. On top of that she picked up my car for me. Sometimes I really wonder if it's faster for them to run or fly to wherever they need to go.
I cleaned off last of the blood off the floor in the living room and walked into the kitchen. I threw away the towel as it would still have traces of the silver laced blood. Better not take any chances.
Eric was sitting silently at the dining table looking at the bottle that held the lethal content. His brows knitted together, deep in thought. I sat down next to him and he took my hand, running his thumb across my knuckles absent mindedly as he thought. His fingers had fully healed.
Finally he said "How could someone co-ordinate such a personal attack? How could they make sure Sookie took that exact package of True Blood and know for sure I would be the one to drink it? She does have other vampire guests other than me."
"Maybe it was worth the risk of killing others if it meant taking down the most powerful vampire next to the King of Nevada?" Said Pam, but I could tell she was brain storming.
"Do we have anyone on the radar that would dare flirt with consequences of failing?" Eric asked cocking an eyebrow.
"Master, you yourself just told me Mickey was back in town!"
"Mickey just made an attack on Sookie. She wouldn't have been able to bring the blood back to me if he had succeeded."
That makes sense. Like Pam my first suspicions were of Mickey. If anyone had a grudge on Eric and me it would be him. If it wasn't him then who else stood to gain from vampires dying from drinking True Blood?
"What if this was just a plain old case of product tampering?" I asked. It happens once in a while in the cities. Though I don't think any of the products ever ended up in Bon Temps.
"Product tampering?" Pam asked as they both turned to look at me. I guess since vampires haven't been consumers of anything they ingested for very long, this would be a foreign term to them.
I tried to explain. "There have been cases in the human society where someone tampers with product before it gets to the shelves of the supermarket or store. Sometimes it's a disgruntled employee trying to discredit the brand name and sometimes it's just some sick S.O.B. having fun."
"What activities does tampering with a product involve?" Asked Pam.
"Well I only remember something I read about someone putting cyanide in pain killers a long time ago. I think it killed a bunch of people."
"So it's like getting one of us to bite someone with Sino-AIDS, only on a larger scale. Quite a clever scheme. Who would be smart enough to think of doing something like that?" Trust a vampire to admire someone for their cunning even if it is against themselves.
"The Fellowship of the Sun for one." I thought out loud. "I mean, only vampires drink synthetic blood and by lacing it with powdered silver, it only harms vampires and not any unwitting human trying the stuff." I looked at the astonished expression on their faces. I didn't want them to start jumping to any conclusions and launch a vampire attack on the Fellowship. So I quickly added "However, a lot of the times it's just a scare. Most likely it's just something that went wrong in the process of the manufacturing."
"That's impossible. I've been to the True Blood factory and they had metal detectors and scans to make sure that not a fleck of silver is anywhere near the plant, let alone on the assembly line." Said Eric
"Wow! You've been to the True Blood factory?" I didn't even know they had one North America, but Eric may as well have been to the one on Japan.
"Yes. Sophie Anne was a large shareholder of True Blood. I accompanied her on the pre-opening tour before the Great Revelation. You didn't think something like True Blood would have made it to production without significant financial backing by vampires do you?"
"If that's the case we should let the company know and have them recall their products. We don't know how many are still out there."
Just as I was about to get up to call the number on the True Blood bottle, Pam's phone rang. She just made a small sound of acknowledgement and flipped the phone back shut. "Too late. That was Felicia. She told us to turn on the TV."
Of course the two of them were a lot faster than I was and they were already standing by the television watching a news flash on the late news.
I got the remote and turned up the volume as I approached. The brunette called Stacey Hart with a grave expression was announcing.
"Two vampires are dead and one is in critical condition after consuming synthetic blood brand True Blood earlier this evening. Two separate incidences occurred at public bars in Louisiana and one at the home of a vampire in Nevada. It is speculated to be silver poisoning, yet the official cause is to be confirmed. Here's on site reporter Yvonne Roman at the scene of the first incident."
The camera then switched to a pretty blond with a short layered hairstyle standing in front of a bar called "The Rouge". She had an awkward looking old hippy vamp standing next to her in a black leather vest, old jeans and also a black leather cap to complete the look. He had his fangs were out for the cameras. Yvonne looked visibly uncomfortable and kept a distance of at least three feet between them.
"Thank you Stacey. I have here with me Mr. Mello who was witness to the incident right here in Baton Rouge. Mr. Mello did you know the victim?"
"Nah, he was just one of those youngins that came in here occasionally. I heard him and a few fangbangers saying they were pre-gaming before they go to Puncture later tonight. All them youngsters spending triple the price on exactly the same drinks…"
Puncture was one of those new sleek vamp clubs in Baton Rouge. Since Katrina, a lot of the vampire population went to the next largest city in Louisiana. A lot of local businesses started catering to their new vampire customers. And a club like Puncture was just like the ones in places like New York and Los Angeles. It's notorious for its long lines and bouncers, I heard they were even selective about the vamps who were allowed in. I can see why vamps would gravitate to it. The novelty attracts a crowd and a larger crowd meant more fangbangers to choose from.
"So when did you notice something was wrong." Yvonne the reporter cut in before the old vamp could go off on a rant. I think he was turned when he was already over the hill and his mind tends to wander a bit.
"Well, they were all just sitting there being loud like kids and then suddenly the tall one just held onto his throat and smoke started coming out of his mouth."
"And then what happened?"
"All of us didn't know what was wrong and some of the fangbangers tried giving him more blood from the bottle thinking it'll help him heal. Some got on his face and his face started burning too. By then Mitchell –the owner knew something was wrong he told the fangbanger to give the vamp some of his blood instead, but by that time his lower face had started turning into ash and he couldn't bite. I've never seen anything like it."
"Did anyone call an ambulance?"
"Someone must have, but by the time it got here it was too late. Whatever was in the bottle burnt through his throat and separated his head from his body. I don't know what the humans could have done for him anyway."
Yvonne the reporter suddenly turned as someone passed in the background.
"Thanks for that Mr. Mello." The cameraman followed as she was hot on the heels of someone in what looked like a police uniform. By the time she caught up with him, he was already surrounded by a few microphones and a harsh camera light was on his face.
Yvonne the reporter thrust her microphone right on his chin and asked "Police Commissioner Austin, have you got any suspects for this case yet?" She was good at her job.
"We are still working with the manufacturer to determine whether this is a result of accidental contamination or intentional malice. We will conduct the appropriate investigation when we can ascertain more facts."
"Can you confirm the reports that these vampires have been poisoned by powdered silver in the bottled blood?" Said a disembodied male voice holding a CNN microphone.
"We are conducting a series of tests on the surviving victim to determine the cause. We are doing all we can with the remains on the other victim to determine whether these incidents are connected."
"Can you even test for evidence from a pile of ashes?" Said a female voice, this one holding a FOX44 microphone.
Commissioner Austin's eyes narrowed slightly at that question but his face remained stone cold and calm. "This will prove to be difficult yet we aren't ruling out any possibilities to advance this investigation."
"If these cases are connected will the police treat this as a hate crime? Do you have any comments on the rumored involvement with groups like the Fellowship of the Sun?" It was Yvonne the reporter again. She's not pulling any punches.
Commissioner Austin was really annoyed this time. "We have no comment on any such speculation. We just want to ensure all members of the public that this case is the main focus of the Baton Rouge Police Department. I have no further comment and thank you for your questions." And then Commissioner Austin turned to leave.
"It seems you have saved Eric's life again Sookie." Pam said with a cheeky grin.
"Would it really have killed you?" The thought of Eric getting hurt or dying again had never occurred to me. The Viking had always seemed so – invincible.
Eric contemplated the thought before he answered. "It sounds like the vamp who was killed was fairly young and the reaction of the fangbangers may have exacerbated his condition. A direct ingestion of silver would have been painful but I don't think it would have killed me that easily. I do think I'm stronger than that. However, I would have been substantially weakened for a very long time. During which I would have been very vulnerable indeed lover. You have my gratitude"
"All in a day's work of a vampire's telepathic girlfriend!" I said cheerily. I felt like a super hero.
"Doesn't she deserve a reward Master? You would grant us recognition if it were anyone of us at the bar of whom had done you this great service" said Pam. I think she's trying to do me a favor.
"What reward do you have in mind lover?" There was a hint of anticipation in his tone. He's looks forward to giving me things now?
"I don't need a reward for helping you, Eric. I don't work for you. I'm not one of your minions. No offense Pam."
"None taken."
Eric took a deep and unnecessary breath. "Since Sookie is being a stubborn human again, how about this. We'll just hold this reward in lieu until the occasion arises and she'll let us know. How does that sound lover?"
"Deal." I think Eric's beginning to understand me.
