I woke up just after 4 in the afternoon. I felt a lot better today than I had last night. I was carried to the kitchen by the smell of freshly brewed coffee. Ari was sitting at the counter drinking a blood. I got to work doctoring up a cup of coffee and sat down next to him. He turned and was about to start speaking, I held up a hand

"Not until after this coffee is in me." I warned.

He laughed and nodded. He started texting at an insanely fast pace. His phone was chiming every few minutes while I had my coffee. He kept working on his phone and let me have that few minutes of peace before we got down to business. He was going to fill me in on all the final details. It was happening tonight. Tonight, they'd be free. I started thinking about what that meant for me and for them and the nerves I'd been trying to ignore roared to life in my chest like a flock of angry butterflies.

Every time Ari's phone went off, I knew it was someone from the rescue party checking in, confirming positions and asking any last-minute questions. I got up and started pacing. I carried my cup to the sink and rinsed it out before putting it on the rack to dry. I decided that'd I'd shower and get ready before I got the details. I walked back into my room and pulled all my things together. I got in the shower and let the hot water pound the tension out of my muscles.

Knowing what was coming tonight I decided to wear my navy-blue scrubs and a black long sleeve under it. If I had to run or hide, I didn't want to stand out in light colors. I pulled my hair back into a tight bun, years of living in a small town and watching cat fights I knew loose hair could bite you in the ass. I put on a good pair of trainers in place of my usual work shoes. I was going in as prepared as possible. I threw some mace in my purse and a small pocket knife just in case. Time to go talk to Ari and find out everything I needed to know.

First, I told him all about the situation with Bill and how that whole thing had played out as promised. He sat quietly and listened to everything I said. He didn't say anything, but I thought felt respect tinged with anger from him. My abilities were getting stronger.

"Alright. I'm ready now. Hit me with the plan." I said as I entered the kitchen for another cup of coffee and some breakfast.

"Good choice in clothing. I had plan to tell you dark colors. We are all in place to hit the facility at 4. The Were's scouted the door you found out about and it is viable. We watch someone go in and they code I correct; this is where the vampire force will enter. Those halls should give us unmonitored access to every wing in the building without us being noticed. All of the vampires will be wearing scrubs with faked ID's so that when they come out from the halls they'll try to blend in until they can neutralize the employees and take control of each control center on each wing." He explained.

"Once we radio out to the Were force that we are in control they will come in through the employee entrance and gain control of the central command center. If we hit resistance and cannot take each control pod the Were's will storm that entrance anyway and take control by force."

"Ok that sounds like a sloid plan. Once you get to the control pods, you'll need to disable the anti-vampire escape protocol. If someone trips that button the whole place goes into lock down. The second control panel marked EP-2 has a button to disable the systems in case of emergency. Switch it from engaged to emergency. That same control panel has a release all button, it'll unlock all the cells. Every control pod has its own so each team will need to do this." I told him. I'd been doing some spying and research about facility protocols while I was on my breaks.

"That is good information to have. Thank you" He said and started typing at light speed into his phone.

"When the shit hits the fan Susanna and it's going to. Those vampires are starved and anything human is going to be on the menu. You need to get the hell out of there immediately. I have assigned two of my underlings that you met at Merlotte's to escort you out as soon as we have control. You know who I am speaking about?" He asked.

I nodded that I did, I didn't trust my voice not to shake. The swarm of butterflies got bigger and I had to take a few good deep breathes to calm my nerves.

"If things go bad. If we meet resistance you are to get to me, Pam or Eric. Do not go near any other vampire they are starving and will only see you as food no matter the kindness you've shown them. I have a bag of silver jewelry for you. Wear it and use it if it comes to that. I'd ask you to say you're sick and leave around 3 but I know you won't" He said.

"Absolutely not. Don't try to shut me out of this. I've been in it since day one. I'm as much a part of this as you are." I told him firmly.

"After you do this Susanna, you are one of us. Your life as you've known it will be over. You won't be able to come back here. You won't be able to contact anyone you know. Once they figure out you are involved, they'll hunt you to the ends of the earth just like us. Are you ready for that? If you're not you need to leave that facility before we get there." He said deadly serious.

As I stood there letting what he'd just said sink in, I felt it. That weird burning and tingling sensation coursing through my veins. Except this time, it was stronger. My hands started to glow with that white blue light that I had shot at Ari. Something inside me had woken up. My senses heightened, my vision became shockingly vivid and my hearing sharpened.

He got off his stool and was slowly backing away from me, hands up in a gesture meant to let me know he wasn't a threat.

"Breath Susanna, you need to breath. Get control of it." He said calmly. "You own that power it doesn't own you."

I burrowed into the source of that light, that feeling, and I grabbed it tightly. The light in my hands dimmed and then died. The world returned to the way it had been before. My body was still humming with energy and drew in long deep breaths while I explored the place that power resided. Now I knew where it was and probed at it to see if I could access it at will. When I willed up that light it immediately returned brighter than before.

"You're more Fae than I had guessed." He said impressed. "Use that if you need it. It's meant to protect you against us."

"I will. I have never had this happen before. I found where it lives and now, I know how to get to it when I need it. Lord knows if I can use it to any good effect, but I'll try." I told him.

"Just follow your instincts. They'll guide you." He assured me. "It won't be long Susanna until you come fully into what you are."

"Call me Sookie. It's what my family and friends call me. I know what I am risking. I know everything is going to change for me after this. I've been packing and moving things I don't want destroyed to a storage unit in my grans name. I've emptied out my bank accounts and tied up my loose ends. Where y'all go I go. If you want me too that is?" I asked cautiously.

"You will always have a place with me Sookie. Eric will claim you, if he hasn't said so he will. He will keep you safe. If anything, ever happens to him know you will always have a place with me. You are the first true friend I have had in a long time. I will never forget what you are doing for my kind." He said sincerely.

I wiped at the tears that slid down my cheeks and smiled at him thankfully. "Thank you, Ari." I whispered as I collected myself.

"You're welcome Sookie. Better get a move on so you're not late for work." He said and jerked his thumb towards the door. "I'll see you at 4."

"Bossy damn vampire." I said sassily. "I'll message you if anything changes."

I pulled up to VPO and everything was as normal as any other night. I didn't expect it to be different but just knowing what was coming tonight had me imagining every possible thing that could go wrong. I put on the silver jewelry that Ari had given me and made my way onto my wing without issue. Lena called me over as soon as I walked into the control pod. I took a breath and told myself that this was her usual routine and to relax.

"Susanna, the information you provided last night was very helpful. We located 405's maker just after sunset. He was transferred out early the afternoon, so you won't be able to get anything else from him, but we'd like you to try with 406." She said to me in the most pleasant voice I had ever heard from her.

Poor Bill, he was gone to meet his end, but they got his evil maker and she'd pay for what she'd done to him. I wished I could tell him so he could go to his true death with peace.

"I'll do my best." I told her.

"I expect that you will." She said.

I went to talk to the day shift tech and get his report about the vampires' day. I was shocked to see that none of them had been touched. This was going to make this night so much easier. I'm glad that the information Bill and Eric had given me had spared them a day of pain.

I decided my first stop would be to Marcus' cell. He wasn't a very talkative vampire, but he did on occasion offer up little tidbits about himself. He was antsy and greeted me with a look that pretty much told me he was on to my purpose here. I hoped he'd be willing to offer up something on someone who'd already been lost like Eric had, or a vampire who was no asset to their kind like Bill had.

"Hi Marcus. How are you tonight?" I asked.

"Peachy." He said with a sneer.

"So glad to hear it." I said sassily and went about getting all my supplies ready to care for him.

"Why are you being nice to us?" He asked suspicious. "I've been wondering about it for a while now. No matter how nasty I am to you you're still kind."

I was surprised he'd asked. I think this is the only time he had ever addressed me directly.

"Because everyone deserves respect. Kindness doesn't cost a thing and people should use it liberally." I told him.

"I'm vampire, you're human. Even, before all this, your kind was rarely ever decent to us." He said.

"From what I understand both our kinds were rarely ever decent to each other. Toxic symbiosis. You wanted what we had, mainly blood but also the ability to live in the open. We wanted your blood for what it could do and some of the more pathetic wanted things I'm not going to even bring up. It wasn't a good situation." I explained.

"Would you want those things if you could have them?" He asked staring me right in the eyes.

"No. I was raised better than that. I'd want to get to know you, hear your stories. I love history and I know about being an outcast. Not the popular girl growing up." I said.

He nodded and lay quiet while I started washing him up and running through the list of things I needed to get done. I wasn't going to push him for information, he'd either give it our he wouldn't. I knew he'd heard plenty of what was going on here with all the yelling Bill had done plus what he could have heard from me and Eric talking.

"You seem like a good person. If more of you and more of us had the same outlook you do maybe this never would have come to pass." He said quietly pain dimmed his eyes.

"Thank you, Marcus." I said while prepping his blood. "I think your probably right about that."

"I was not a good person before. I miss my maker. She ran when everything started, told us to come but we were cocky and thought the humans stood no chance against us. If I could go back, do it again. I'd do things different." He spoke with such pain in his voice.

"You mean leaving with your maker or being a better person?" I asked.

"Both." He said red rimming his eyes.

I knew then that his maker and siblings were all dead. He was alone in the world now. I felt such compassion for him. I knew what it was to lose people. My whole family was gone except me and my brother. I knew I'd gently question. I knew he was giving me the opportunity for him to give up the names of those he had loved to help our cause. I hoped he made it out tonight so I could keep my word and get to know him and his stories.

"Do you know where she went?" I asked carefully.

"Corina loved the sea. She was born on the coast of California before it was California. I hope she made it back." He said nearly choking on his pain.

"I hope she did too." I told him gently. "If she had a last name I could try and see what happened to her?"

"Laenay. Her surname was Laenay." He said absently.

I hooked up his fed when he turned his face away from me to privately grieve for his lost maker. My heart was heavy as I thought about what he'd said. What he'd just given up. All he had left of his maker was her name and he'd given it to them for the cause.

"Be well Marcus." I said and left his cell.

I knew Lena was waiting for me to come report what I had found out. I took a few breathes to tamp down my sadness for Marcus and his family because they couldn't know I cared. I also used my short walk back to corral the anger that was festering in my gut. I reminded myself that after tonight it would be over for them. Alive or dead they'd be free.

I walked into the control pod and as I expected she was waiting, tapping her pen against her desk. I approached her desk with my professional face back in place.

"He gave me his makers name. Corina Laenay. Likely gone to California." I told her.

"I don't know how you do it." She said typing away at the database Bill had given them.

I didn't bother answering her. She knew damn well. I'd told her enough times that being a decent person gets you a long way with people. She didn't need to know that they were being extra forthcoming because we were buying time until we could free them from this hell hole.

"That name matches an entry in the database. She is unaccounted for. I'll forward this to the appropriate authorities in California." She said disgustingly satisfied.

"Glad to be of help." I answered mechanically.

I felt dirty just like I did every time I gave her any information. Even if I knew that the vampires, I was selling out were already truly dead it didn't change the skeevy feeling it gave me.

"You can go finish with the rest of your subjects; I don't have anything else priority for you tonight." She said dismissively. "Don't forget to check the manifest tonight."

I nodded not trusting my tone of voice to be cordial. I grabbed my charts and got the hell out of there. I went to Pam's cell first and decided I'd work my way to Eric. I knew seeing him would make my nerves go crazy and I needed to keep a level head. She was amped up. It was obvious she was ready for this jail break.

"Good Evening Susanna." She purred when I entered her cell.

"Hey Pam. How are you tonight." I asked like usual.

"Loathing this attire and hungry." She snarked. "You look delicious as always"

I snorted and shook my head. Pam was something else. I was looking forward to getting to know the vivacious and vicious vampire.

I went through our usual care routine and prepped her blood. Once I hooked it up, she winked at me and whispered see you on the other side. I nodded and started putting everything away.

"Be well Pam." I said on my way out.

I gave them all their second rounds of blood before my shift ended around 5 am. So, I wouldn't be seeing her again tonight, at least not until we were on the other side. I made my rounds though all my patients making small talk and caring for them as I always did. They were all antsy and amped up. They were ready, I didn't need to tell them anything else. After my lunch I headed to see Eric.

"Hello Susanna." He said as I entered.

"Hello Eryn." I answered with a smile.

While I was pulling supplies, I felt him slip into my mind. It had become habit for me to just leave my shields down when I was with him.

"Everything is going according to plan?" he whispered into my mind.

I nodded as I started taking care of his needs. His body was tense, ready to spring. He had a predator's gleam in his eyes. I could feel the excitement and anticipation rolling off him in waves.

"I have a lovely vintage of lab rat for you tonight." I said with a smirk.

"No dumpster this time, classy." He snarked.

I tried and failed not to laugh. I loved the easy way we joked with each other. I was excited as hell to know him outside of this facility. I was all scared to death of anything happening to him, to any of them.

"Sookie you should leave here before they come to get us out." He said in my head, the thought was laced with concern.

"Not a damn chance. Ari tried this line on me too." I sent back.

"I don't want you risking yourself Sookie. You've done more than enough. Let them take it from here." He sent to me agitated.

"No. I'm staying. I'm helping. I won't change my mind Eric. Ari has people in place to look after me and I know if things get bad to get to you, Pam or Ari or his people." I sent back firmly.

He shot me a look of pure annoyance and I glared right back at him. He was stubborn but I was just as much. He huffed a sigh resigned that I wasn't going to cooperate and there was nothing he could do presently to stop me. I finished giving him his blood and put everything away. He hadn't said anything else and neither had I, but I could feel him in my head just enjoying my presence. I was adjusting his fresh gown and sheet and checking his restraints and covertly loosening them as I had with the others when he grabbed my hand.

"Be safe Sookie. Don't take chances. I'll see you soon." He sent to me with a flood of feelings I was having a hard time keeping up with.

"I'll be careful. See you soon." I sent back with my own rush of emotion.

"Be well Eryn." I said aloud and squeezed his hand back.

I left his cell with my head full of thoughts about us free from here. I had all my charts and had to get to the reporting station to chart all I'd done and heard tonight. As I was walking passed the empty cells on my section, I had a thought. How many more were there. I only had 5 of my 7 vampires left, 2 lives wiped out. I wondered how many of the vampires on this wing were still alive, how many had been lost. I decided to take a stroll down the corridor and count how many were still alive. With each empty cell I passed my heart grew heavier. Out of the 28 vampires that were here when I started this job just 19 remained. It made me angry when I realized that the vampires not in my section were still being experimented on. All less than level 3 but still suffering. I hoped that they were getting some kindness since they had hired the new staff to implement my project.

I sent Ari a text giving him the numbers in case they needed that to gauge the supplies or transport and accommodations for the freed vampires. My nerves shot back up as I checked the time. It was 1, only 3 more hours until the rescue. My pulse shot up and I ran through all the details of the plan Ari had told me about. I made a mental list of places I could shelter as the first wave hit. I decided I'd go into one of the empty cells and wait until they took the control center. After that I'd get to one of the vampires I could trust. I knew everyone else would run to the control center, I wasn't going anywhere near there. I knew soon as the vampires were free the control pod would be a dining hall.

I sat down at a reporting station and began the task of entering all the data and notes from my rounds. I knew it was a useless act. None of it would matter in a few hours but it kept up appearances and gave me something to keep me busy as my anxiety built as time passed. I bounced my leg under the desk trying to burn off the nervous energy building in me. While I worked, I started digging into the place where my abilities lived. I figured I should have them primed for use. I felt them wake up, felt them tingle through my body. I could feel my senses sharpen but I held it off at that level. I didn't need to start a light show and have all hell break lose before the rescue party arrived.

I was just finishing up my charting and had a snack of beef jerky and an energy drink. I wanted to be ready to do whatever it took to help get everyone out. I checked the clock, 3:15, I sent out a mental sweep and picked up many vampire voids and the snarly red thoughts of Were's. They were in place and ready to strike. The nervousness I'd been battling since I woke up narrowed into a focus I hadn't experienced before. I pushed my mind to Eric, and I felt him acknowledge me. I'd never tried to talk to him from this distance but was thrilled that I could.

"They're here. The facility is surrounded." I sent to him.

"Excellent" He sent back crackling with anticipation. "Be safe."

"You too."

I checked the manifest to see if I was supposed to be getting any new vampires. New manifests came out every week and it would be a perfect excuse to be in one of the empty cells. Like some kind of miracle, I was expecting 2 new vampires next week. I hustled out of control and grabbed a resupply and prep cart and let myself into the empty cell next to Eric's. I placed the cart between myself and the cell door and began the task of prepping the cell for its new tenant. 3:45. I crouched down to clean out the blood and fluids fridge the cell door, the gurney and now the fridge door would shield me from anything were things to go bad. I was monitoring the vampires and Were's and felt them all move at once, it was beginning.

"They're coming." I shouted down the mental link I had to Eric and I felt his mind turn dark and slithery.

The door to the secret Human Securities squad hallways opened and 12 vampires with two go pro wearing Were's casually strolled onto the wing. The paused only for a moment locating where all the humans were and then they became blurs 11 sped towards the control pod, Samuel, Ari's underling remained outside the cell I had locked myself inside. Humans started screaming and I could hear restraints snapping as the vampires in the cells freed themselves. I'd left scrubs in each of the cells earlier so the vampires didn't have to fight naked, not that they'd likely care but I though I'd leave the option.

I could hear gunfire! Not on my wing but on one of the others and I prayed that we didn't lose any of the vampires. The cell doors hissed open and I saw Eric fly out of his cell in a pair of scrub pants. I moved straight to Samuel, he told me to hold until the signal to leave was given. Apparently, the gun fire was coming from the docks area where there had been a few guards. I could only feel a few terrified human minds left, I got from them that they were being fed on and puled myself out. I didn't care to hear or feel that.

There was a tremendous boom that rocked the building and Samuel grabbed my hand.

"We're going. C wing exit is blocked. Follow me and stay close." He hissed fangs out.

"What the hell was that?" I asked

"A bomb. Were bring this place down." Was all he said

I wasn't going to argue. He led me through c wing passed the bodies of my coworkers. I didn't see Eric, Pam or any of my other vampires and hoped that they were ok. He led me onto D wing and as we were heading for the back halls 3 vampires flashed in front of us. They were eyeing me like dinner. Samuel shoved me behind him and crouched into an attack position.

"She belongs to Northman. Back the fuck down." He growled at them.

They considered what Samuel said and I could see it in their eyes the moment they decided they weren't going to pass me up as a menu item. They launched themselves toward us and Samuel passed me back as he met them in fist and fangs. The third one who had waited slipped around the brawl and stalked towards me. My power crackled through my veins and lit my hands like flood lights.

"Stay the fuck away from me." I warned him.

He only smiled a feral mad man's smile and kept coming. I heard Eric roar from down the hall. The vampire determined to get me first launched himself at me and light detonated from my hands. The vampires skin hissed and bubbled before he exploded into a pile of blood and gore. I fell flat on my ass and stared in shock at what I had done, what I was capable of doing. I looked at myself covered in blood and pieces of vampire as Eric raced past me and tore the heart out of one of the vampires Samuel was fighting allowing him to remove the head of the other.

"Get her out of here." He ordered Samuel then turned to me.

"Impressive Sookie. Go with him now. I'll see you soon." He said with a fangy smile.

I nodded still in a shock about what I'd just done. I didn't regret it; I was glad I was able to protect myself. I shut it all down all those thoughts to focus on what I was doing right now. There'd be time to figure out all my abilities later. I turned to follow Samuel out of the facility.

"Oh, and Sookie." He said seductively. "Blood looks good on you."

I snorted and laughed as he sped down the hall to finish what they'd started. Samuel led me out of the facility, and we were half through the parking lot when I saw two Human Security Squad guards rushing towards us with the silver stake bows that they often carried. Samuel hissed and yanked us behind a car. I heard another one with my telepathy behind us, he was thinking about the perfect shot he had on the vampire trying to abduct me.

"No!" I screamed, my power surged into my hands and I spun around aiming my light in his direction. The force of the impact knocked him backwards about ten feet and the stake he fired embedded itself into the car instead of Samuel.

Samuel stared at the stake and then me. Gratitude all over his face he tipped his head to me.

"Thank you." He said before darting around cars and took out the other two guards who took shelter after they saw what I did to their companion.

He came back to me next to the car and we both scanned the area for any other danger.

"All clear." I told him.

"How'd you know he was back there?" He asked.

I tapped my temple and told him I had my ways. I could see him working that around in his head. He studied me still scanning the parking lot.

"What are you?" He asked.

"Something else. Now let's get the hell out of here before anyone else comes." I said quietly.

He grabbed me and unceremoniously hauled me over his shoulder and took off at a dizzying speed. He stopped next to a box truck filled with vampires in varying states of being and Were's trying to help them. I started to hop in with the rest, but Samuel hauled me up to the passenger side of the truck.

"You have a death wish or something cher?" He asked shaking his head.

"No. I can help though." I said defensively.

"I know you can. The Were's will help them and not get eaten, we don't care for the taste of dog." He laughed.

I socked him in the shoulder and told him that was rude. One of the Were's hollered that it was, for Samuel to eat a bag of dicks, and thanked me for sticking up for them.

"You are a brave one. I give you that cher. Can't say I ever knew anyone once I was turned dare hit me or tell me I was being rude." He said amused.

"Well maybe someone should have. Probably would have improved your manners." I snarked.

He sped around to the driver's side and started the truck. Someone banged on the wall between us to let us know they were secured. Blurs of vampires sped past us and a pack of wolves hot on their tail. We'd made it about a block when the explosions started. The impact shook the ground and fire and smoke raced into the predawn sky.

"Are you ok." Ari sent to me in a text.

"I'm safe with Samuel. We are coming to where you are." I text back.

That damn vampire sent me a winky face. I sent him back a middle finger.

I watched the facility burn in the side view mirror as we drove away. I knew this was only the beginning. What we had done here, the videos that the Were's would post, it was the start of a revolution. Word would spread fast to humans and vampires alike. With the videos the humans wouldn't be able to cover this up. It was time everyone knew about the atrocities; the genocide being committed all over this country. I was proud to say that I was the mother of a rebellion.