Meanwhile, Authority Prisoner##77569, Russell Edgington was holding his own.

"MUTHERFUC..." he began screaming, as an Authority guard hosed Russell down in his cell with water, laced with silver. Russell's body began smoking and cooling off, simultaneously. Roman watched the hosing take place and grinned almost maniacally! He nodded for the guard to stop and spoke.

"Russell, Russell, Russell. How long can your delicate skin keep this up? Just submit to my will, and my conditions of surrender, and this madness can stop." Roman said.

Russell shook his hair out and grinned back at Roman-just as maniacally.

"Now, now, Roman. How long have we known one another? Since the Renaissance?"

"The Middle Ages." Roman replied curtly.

"Yes, those were fine times to be a vampire, don't you think? And we both know that I'm not here because of your mainstreaming bullshit. You want something. Something out of my unique, artifact collection...something you DIDN'T find when it was confiscated." Russell practically purred. Roman nodded to the guards that had been spraying Russell.

"Leave us and turn off the camera before you go." Roman ordered. One of the guards turned off the camera. while the other rolled up the water hose. They both left. Roman was careful not to get any of the water on his shoes.

"Now, now, Roman. This is about that ring, isn't it? That priceless, ruby ring that Kublai Khan gave to you..."

"And that fucking Marco Polo stole! There was a woman I LOVED that I was going to give that to!"

"Really?" Russell asked in disbelief. "What was her name?"

"I don't remember..."

"Of course you don't! It was the fucking Middle Ages! So stop this nonsense about wanting me to 'submit' to mainstreaming. And yes, young Marco Polo did have a ring in his possession, when I took him as a lover."

"Where is it, Russell?" Roman asked tiredly.

"How the hell do you plan to explain this to the rest of the chancellors? That my capture was all about a piece of jewelry?"

"Do you still have it?" Roman asked stoutly.

Russell moved to the silver bars of the cell and rested his face against them. Needless to say, his face began to burn. And Russell didn't care.

"Of course I do," Russell purred, "but I want out of here-today!"

"Not until that ring is in my hand." Roman argued.

"Fucker please! I tell you where to find it and you stake me..."

"Oh no, Russell! If I'd wanted to stake you, I would've when you were running around bare assed on the highway! My plan is that you will conform to society's rules. I plan to find you a wife and a job...you'll need it since we've confiscated most of your fortune. That monstrosity you called a mansion, was sold." Roman told him.

"I had sensed danger," Russell admitted, "and I had my priceless treasures moved, which you realized when your people pilfer through my belongings."

Roman thought about uncoiling the hose again, but thought better of it. And damnit, Russell was right! He would have to explain any deal he made with Russell, that allowed him to go free, in lieu of swearing allegiance to the Authority.

He sensed Russell did not know about the true power of that ring. If he had, he would've never put it on display like a museum piece.

He would've used it for it's true power.

"I'll get back to you." Roman said, then turned the cameras back on. Russell watched him leave and smirked! To tell the truth, he himself didn't quite know where everything was. But he knew who he had told, to take the things to a safe location.

Franklin Mott. Once Russell got ahold of him again, he would be able to regain his fortune, and kill every Authority member in sight! He decided to use his 'contact' within the Authority, to get a message to one Bill Compton on the matter.


Meanwhile, Tara was sitting at Sookie's kitchen table, making out a list of women to sacrifice into marriage to Russell! Sookie had gotten the night off at Merlotte's to get Tara settled in.

Alcide was in Tara's basement room, putting up a shelf...

Sookie glanced in the direction of the basement room, then sat down at the table.

"How's it going so far?" Sookie asked.

"What do you think about offering up Jane Bodehouse?" Tara asked. Sookie's mouth dropped open!

"Why her?"

"Well, hell, Sookie, she'll probably be too drunk during the marriage, to even know she's married. Russell sure as hell won't want anything to do with her." Tara pointed out.

"So," Sookie said, changing the subject, "don't you think it's nice that Alcide is helping fix up your room?"

Tara hadn't quite heard her. She had another idea for a prospective wife but was unsure of who to ask about the woman's exact name. She looked at Sookie.

"Did you say something?"

"Yes, Tara, Alcide...how nice he's being?"

"There's nothing unusual about that. He's always been nice. What are you getting at?"

Sookie leaned forward and whispered.

"I'm going to listen in on his thoughts."

Tara raised a brow.

"Uh, why?"

"Because I think he likes you, Tara! I mean the job and now this...I'm just going to do a little listening in."

"Sookie, I don't think..." Tara began but was interrupted by her ringing cellphone. She looked and saw it was Bill Compton calling. He had given her a week to produce that list, hadn't he?

Sookie was now up and out of her seat, on her way to get closer to the basement. Tara stood up and answered the call.

"Hey, Bill! What's up?"

"Tara, I need to see you. Now, please, if you don't mind?"

"Okay. I'll be right over." Tara replied and hung up, trying not to feel as if some more bad news was headed her way. She looked around for Sookie and saw she was now about to climb down into the basement. Maybe and unpleasant meeting with Bill would better than eavesdropping on Alcide's private thoughts.

Meanwhile, Alcide was hammering with his back to Sookie. And he was going off on a tangent inside his head...which is why he didn't hear Sookie coming his way...

That sonofabitch Northman! Who the fuck does he think he is warning me away from Tara? And that bullshit about interspecies relationships...who the fuck does he think he is?

Suddenly, Alcide stopped hammering and turned to see Sookie!

"Hey, Sookie! I just got this shelf placed." he said, setting down the hammer. Sookie began picking up stuff out of some boxes he brought over.

"Who's things are these?"

"They were Debbie's. I figured Tara could use them to decorate her room."

"Uh, doesn't that seem a bit morbid?"

"It ain't like Debbie is going to need them none." Alcide replied and picked up another nail. Sookie set down the things and moved closer to him.

"What's really going on here, Alcide? I mean I get that you feel responsible for what happened to Tara. We all do. But you just seem to be going out of your way to...I don't know..."

Alcide put down the nail and looked at her.

"What are you trying to ask me, Sookie?"

"Are you interested in Tara?"

Alcide took a deep breath before answering.

"I wasn't up until the other night. I mean I felt bad about what had happened, and I offered her the job to get her away from Northman. But...Sookie...she looks so different now. I mean it's like being a vamp makes her...uh..."

"Hot?" Sookie offered, smiling. "Okay, so you've never been one to pussyfoot around. Why don't you ask her out or something?"

"Eric Northman confronted me just as you did. Only he wasn't so nice about it. He as much said that he'd give us trouble. I don't care and I'm not afraid of the fucker. But I don't want to give Tara any more trouble. And I'm afraid he could take it out on her if I even try to get close."

Sookie was about to say something, then changed her mind. She then changed her mind again!

"I was going to say that Eric wouldn't do that. But after what he told me, I can't say that for sure."

"So you know about him fucking Tara when she wasn't at herself?"

"Yes, though Eric doesn't see it that way."

"Of course not! That piece of shit acts as if he did her a favor or something! Plus, I don't want to press myself on her. She's got enough to deal with. Let's just see how the job works out before anything else."

Sookie nodded. That made sense except...

"Tara mentioned that Debbie's sister works for you as well. You really think she doesn't suspect?"

Alcide picked up the hammer again.

"She thinks her sister is still missing. She might even suspect foul play. But she does not suspect that Tara or myself, know anything about it. And we plan to keep it that way." he told her.


"Please sit down, Tara." Bill said.

Tara did but spoke first.

"Okay, you're scaring the shit out of me! You told me this isn't about my wife list for Russell? So what's up?"

Bill sat on the edge of his desk.

"I received a message from Russell Edgington. A video sent to my e-mail. Apparently there is a mole within the Authority, otherwise such a thing would've never been allowed." Bill told her. Tara nodded. Okay, so what does this have to do with her?

"Tara," Bill continued, "the reason I asked you here is rather unfortunate. To make a long story short, Russell is alleging that the point of his capture by Roman Zimojic, is not to necessarily to turn him into a law abiding vampire. He thinks Roman wants an artifact that Russell stole from him during the Middle Ages."

"The Middle Ages?!" Tara smirked. "Damn! How long have they both been alive?"

"Long enough to kill us in less than a second, if they are displeased," Bill warned her, "Russell said that a private investigator that he hired, was given some things, this item included, to put someplace for safekeeping. And that investigator's name was Franklin Mott."

Tara said nothing. Nothing at all. Bill continued on.

"Because of my exhalted status, Tara, I can find out things much quicker than the norm. And so far I am finding no sign of that man. Worse yet, when I hunted up a werewolf that had been in Russell's employe, he seemed to remember that that the last time he laid eyes on Franklin, he was recovering from having his head bashed in at Russell's."

"Bill..." Tara said shakily. But Bill halted her words with his hand and continued.

"This Were also seemed to remember, that Mott was pissed off, because the person that had done it, was a Black woman that he had brought to the house and had left sometime before him."

Now Tara jumped up out of her chair!

"Left?! I fucking escaped! And if Alcide hadn't had wheels, I don't think I would've gotten away!"

"I realize that. I was there too, remember?" Bill reminded her gently. Tara slowly sat back down. Yeah, she had kicked Bill out of the truck and into the sunlight...ahem...

"My point is this: the Were seemed to be under the impression that Franklin had left to find you. Did he?"

Tara said nothing at first.

"Tara? Did you ever see Franklin Mott again, AFTER you escaped Russell's mansion?"

"No," Tara said looking Bill squarely in the eye, "I haven't. And I really, really hope someone staked the fucker. Is that all?"

Bill gave her a long, level look, before dismissing her. Tara could not get out of that office and house fast enough! She didn't quite get what was happening, but she did know that she had to make sure that Jason didn't get into any trouble!

Meanwhile, back inside, Bill sighed and pulled out his cellphone. He hadn't even remotely believed Tara. He would have to call Eric now.