Hey,
How are you? Had a good week?
I'm going to try and keep this short so, thanks to my wonderful betas who really helped fix up this chapter a lot, campyrs and Trajedy99, couldn't do this anywhere near as well without them. Charlaine Harris owns the wonderful Southern Vampire Mysteries, i just own a newly purchased box set of True Blood season 3 that i may have watched in entirity already lol.
I still can't reply to reviews so i'm glad that you really like the last chapter. Pam is definitely awesome, one of my favourite characters and she will definitely be coming back some time soon. I also happen to like Sam, more so in the books so, well you'll see in this chapter. You're right as well, something is up with Alcide, it's just a question of what.
I've had a few cocktails so, go on and read the chapter!
Half an hour later we pulled up in the parking lot out outside of an oddly quiet Fangtasia. The sun had set over an hour ago and yet no one at all was waiting outside for the doors to open. I'd just turned to Eric to ask him what was going on when he answered before I'd spoken.
"Tonight is the one night that Fangtasia is closed." I nodded my acceptance and started unbuckling my seat belt. Of course, just like the night before on our date, Eric had the door open for me and had his hand ready to help me out before I could even think about opening the door myself. I guess chivalry really was dead.
"Are you ready to tell me what's going on?" I asked as we walked swiftly toward the staff entrance at the back of the bar. The parking lot was fairly quiet, a few older cars that had obviously been left behind last night from patrons too drunk to drive and a couple of new, sleek sports cars that had to be owned by vampires.
"I think we will wait for the Were for that." Eric had been resolutely silent on anything to with the matter of what was happening tonight. He'd actually been quite chatty in the car, which in itself was odd, about the most strange of topics such as the differences in our education, what I knew about Europe and whether I'd spoken to Amelia recently. He was just trying to keep me distracted; it didn't take much intelligence to figure that out.
I sighed in frustration and let him lead me through the padlocked and security card door to the behind the scenes rooms at Fangtasia. Honestly it was only that he'd told me we were going to get Sam back tonight that I was being this complacent. I could feel two other vampire brains within the quiet bar and a single human was down in the cellar area, checking off an inventory, she was humming inanely to herself.
"Who's the human?" I asked as Eric got his keys out to unlock the door to his office. He looked at me, startled for a split second, before he schooled his features into one of recognition.
"You are powerful," he whispered quietly, and if I hadn't known better I would have said it was awe in his voice. If there's one thing I knew, vampires didn't get awe in their voice about a human. Most seemed to think we were lower beings. "That is Ginger. She has been glamoured a few too many times so we cannot let her go. She gets her jobs done without too much fuss and seems to actually enjoy our company." An amused smile crossed his lips for an instant. "She has a house nearby which she shares with one of the waitresses. She is good for doing basic tasks." That explained the inane humming without a tune and why she wasn't at all bothered by doing a stock check, a task that was usually so boring you were ready to tear your hair out within ten minutes. At least they were keeping her around instead of throwing her out on the street like many other vampires would do.
Eric stepped inside his office first then closed the door firmly behind me, leaving me to check out his office once again. It appeared to be pretty much exactly the same as the last time I'd seen it. Of course I couldn't be quite sure as I hadn't really been thinking properly the last time I was here. It was practical yet comfortable, designed to be relaxing as long as you were on the correct side of the desk.
"Here you go," Eric said, making my eyes snap from their wandering gaze around the office to him. He was standing just to the side of his desk with a can of Pepsi Max he'd just pulled out of his mini fridge held out toward me.
"Thanks." I took the can from him, pulled the loop and took a long, refreshing swig. "So when does this plan start?" Eric's back was to me as he waited for the bottle of True Blood he'd just put into the microwave to finish heating up. He didn't particularly like them, he usually joked they'd bore him into an early grave, but they provided him with all the nutrition he required. I would have to ask him about his feeding habits sometime soon. Oh boy, that was going to be an uncomfortable conversation.
"We are just waiting for your Were friend to get here." The microwave pinged cutting him off from saying anything else, even if he had intended to, which I doubted. He took the bottle out, took a long swig that caused him to pull a slightly sour expression, and then took a seat in his comfortable office chair. "Join me," he added after another deep chug of his synthetic blood. He patted the tall backed armchair in the corner of the room, just about within arm's length of where he sat at his desk. I nodded but of course by the time I'd walked the three steps over to where it was, he had already pulled it closer to his chair so I would be sitting only a few inches away. "Get comfortable." to emphasise his words he stuck his legs up on the corner of the desk, crossed at the ankles and just at the right angle so that his boots didn't touch the polished wood.
"How do you know where Sam is?" I asked quietly, hoping that he would answer a sort of indirect question about tonight's plan of action. He pulled out a partially hidden shelf on his desk, which housed the computer's keyboard, and began typing away, at a ridiculous speed, his login details.
"I have eyes and ears all over the city." He glanced my way quickly and saw that I really wasn't placated by that answer. "Fine," he huffed, letting out a breath that he hadn't needed to take in the first place. "Last night after we discovered the meeting I let Pam know about what you had discovered."
"Wait, Pam knows about me?" I'd just interrupted a very powerful vampire and judging by his expression he really wasn't used to people doing that.
"Not really. She knows you're different as does probably every Supernatural that meets you but she doesn't know specifically although I do not really understand why you keep it such a secret. It is a great gift."
"Yeah right, being practically tortured in your own head as you grow up is a gift."
"It is if you know how to use it." He grabbed my hand and squeezed tightly, yet not so much that he caused me any discomfort. "Tell the people you trust; tell other Supes that you know. You will find that it is not such a big deal." He still held my hand when he brought our entwined fingers up to his lips to kiss the back of my hand before placing my hand on his lower thigh so that he could go back to typing.
"Pam and one of our employees went to scout the area around the pub they had been using as a meeting office. They were able to follow two separate shifters back to the same block of flats. The place reeked of this new shifter and underneath all that, the scent of a true shifter. I put this plan into action just after you had fallen asleep."
I was just about to respond when the door to Eric's office opened, cutting off any words I'd been about to say. A wave of rage hit me like a wall as Alcide strode into the room, slamming the door behind him so hard that I thought it might actually rebound to swing open again.
"Nice manners," Eric goaded him with a smug grin.
"Do you want to tell me what's going on? I get a phone call practically in the middle of the night, commanding me to attend Fangtasia at a certain time by request of Sookie. What are you up to Fanger?" His blazing eyes shot to me as he said my name but that was the only attention I actually got. However, his eyes spent a good few seconds taking in how Eric and I were sitting. It probably didn't help that once the fury had swept over me I'd cringed into Eric's shoulder, putting us in even closer proximity.
"When else am I going to be able to contact you?" Eric asked with apparent boredom, having returned his eyes to the computer screen which was opened to his email account for Fangtasia, after Alcide had started speaking. "I waited until just before dawn; it was nearly six this morning. I would have thought you would be awake, having your contracting business to run and all. Unless you were busy last night and didn't get much sleep." I couldn't quite explain why but Eric's last sentence seemed to be a veiled threat. That was definitely how Alcide took it; his pupils constricted to pinpricks, and a deep growl began to rumble through his impressive chest. I had to admit I was curious as to what information Eric actually knew about Alcide's whereabouts last night. He was a grown man of course, he could do what he liked and he definitely didn't need to answer to me, but still, with his reaction it just made me want to know even more.
"So what do you want then? I'm here."
"We are going to rescue the shapeshifter Sam Merlotte. I now possess the knowledge of his whereabouts and it is imperative that we get him back quickly." Eric finally looked up from his computer screen to lock his eyes with Alcide's steely gaze.
"What makes you think you know where he is? I've had my people out searching for days!" This was the first I'd heard of this information; it would have been nice to have been kept in the loop.
"Yes, well, perhaps my people are just superior." I could feel the testosterone level in the room rising with every passing word. "We found a meeting place and followed several members back to the same place. The place was laced with fresh Shapeshifter scent."
"How do I know I can trust you? I have half a mind to walk out of here and call this all lies."
"I can give you my word the Shapeshifter was there last night. My word is my oath." Eric stood up, the roller desk chair he'd been sat on going flying back into the cabinets behind us with an alarming bang. I'd only just managed to whip my hand out of the way and lean back, out of harm's way. If I hadn't felt the tension flow through him the instant before he'd moved, well I probably would have been nursing at least some instant bruises.
"I can't take your word for shit!" Alcide growled out again, his voice going lower than I'd ever heard it.
"Well, shit," I muttered to myself quietly. Alcide's chest was moving rapidly with the deep breaths he was taking. A thin sheen of sweat was visible around his collar bones thanks to the low necked tank top he was wearing underneath his open button down shirt. My eyes snapped to back to Eric as he slowly stalked, the long way, round his desk to come and stand before Alcide.
It was strange but, even with the tension in the room getting so bad that it felt like it was crushing the air from my lungs, my brain still took the time to take in the little things. The way Eric's blue eyes had deepened to the colour of the ocean and how he carried himself proudly upright with his shoulders set squarely, making him seen even taller than he already was. Looking back at Alcide was like seeing a reflection in a perverse mirror; his shoulders were straight, he was just as tall apart from maybe a centimetre and if looks could kill Eric wouldn't be anything more than a big pool of gunk on the office floor. Alcide was darkness to Eric's light; child-like pale blond hair with the almost black tones of Alcide. Alcide even had a tan which, well, Eric never would have.
"Okay, guys," I said as I stood up without even considering what I was doing. If I had paused to think, I would have simply run from the room and never looked back. You don't want to be anywhere near a powerful Were and a thousand year old vampire squaring up for a fight.
"My word is all I can give you." No matter what, Eric was loyal and oddly trustworthy in the sense that once you had his word, he wouldn't break from what he'd promised you.
However, I just walked closer to them when neither of them responded. "Stop it!" I shouted louder, my gaze flailing between the both of them.
"So I'm just expected to put my Pack in danger for one lowly Shapeshifter? My loyalties lie with my people; I won't put that aside for the word of a Vampire!"
"Fuck," I mumbled to myself. "Stop!" I yelled as loud as I could as I strode purposefully in between them. They'd were now edged so close together, probably better for lunging at each other's throats, that I could stand between them with a hand on their chests. "Now!" I screamed at them, whipping my head from side to side to see if what I was doing was making any difference. It was quite a contradiction standing behind them, the different sensations I was getting from the different sides; Eric was all tension with a cold edge while Alcide's chest heaved with his breathing and the heat practically seared my hand.
"Both of you; shut the fuck up and sit down!" I growled out, pushing on Alcide's chest; Eric was as immovable as a boulder, I was more likely to get the Were out of the way. My harsh words seemed to get through to them; Eric took one step back while Alcide's eyes snapped to my face. With one large huff, all the air left his lungs and he seemed to deflate, sinking down a few inches.
"Sorry Sookie," he mumbled quietly as he too stepped back so that I was just standing on my own in the middle of the office.
"Yeah well, don't pull that again." I stared hard into his eyes, letting him see the determination in them before blinking and returning my attention to my Vampire. Slowly I trailed my hands up his arms to rest on his shoulders, putting on a gentle pressure so that I could ease him backwards, hopefully into his chair. "Eric gave you his word, you can trust that. And if you still can't, trust me; he knows where Sam is." As soon as I'd said the words some of the tension seeped out of Eric's muscles and he allowed me to ease him backward, until he finally, sitting back in his office chair. I didn't take my hands off him; instead I made my way to stand behind his chair so that I could keep in contact with his strong, muscular shoulders.
"Fine," Alcide growled from across the office as he slumped down into one of the guest chairs. I could practically see his muscles throbbing with the anger that boiled through him. "What's your plan Vampire? Why am I involved? Wait, even better, why is Sookie involved?" I let that one slide because if I got angry there would be no one calm in this room to stop everything from escalating beyond control. I seemed to be letting a lot of things slide recently where Alcide was concerned; he'd even called Sam a mere Shifter. The superior attitude that Weres ultimately seemed to adopt was getting tiring.
"You are involved because I was honourable enough to bother calling you. I can handle this matter by myself if you would prefer to deliver the message back to your Pack that a Vampire was responsible for getting one of your cousins back." Eric's words were calm on the surface but they dripped with venom, showing nothing but contempt for the Were sitting across the desk.
"No. I am duty bound to protect the pack and its friends." He shot me a small glare, so quick that had I not been looking at him I would have missed it entirely. "I need to get Sam back." At least he wasn't being overtly derogatory anymore. I really needed to have a damned good conversation with that man about what the hell was going on with him recently; he'd changed. "I can't sit back idly and let the Vampires do what is rightfully my work. There would be an uproar."
The Vampires and Weres of Shreveport had a hate-hate relationship and rarely did they get along. It would be interesting to know if such a level of hatred was found in all cities. From what I'd gathered through the Shifters in my life it was a deep running dislike for Vampires but there always seemed to be something more. I couldn't be bothered thinking about it, as long as there was no blood loss it would be okay. Tensions were always fraying and fists would continue to fly for years to come but with the overall situation, there wasn't anything an outsider could do to help. I still felt guilty, because no matter how indirect my part really was, it seemed that I was making the rift between the two species wider, mainly since it was between two such influential men.
"Why Sookie? You never answered that part of my question." I sighed, loud enough for both me and Eric. I wanted Alcide to hear me.
"She is a grown woman and she chose to do this." I didn't bother to point out that I hadn't really been formally asked, because I would have chosen to help out. It probably wasn't the best situation to bring that little point up.
"Fine!" Alcide barked out, his voice gravelly and rough. He didn't say anything further, just sat and waited for Eric to tell him his plan. I leaned forward slightly, still standing behind Eric's office chair so that I could hear his quiet voice even clearer.
"What the hell goes on in that brain of yours?" I whispered to Eric as we sat inside a very nice truck he'd managed to rustle up from somewhere. It was obviously new, it was fitted with many upgrades and it looked very expensive. Of course, Alcide and Eric had managed to chat amicably during the ride over to the other side of Shreveport discussing the finer points of the engine and such; I hadn't paid all that much attention to be honest. The tension was definitely back up now as we prepared to actually get out of the truck.
"Oh, I do not think you can handle my thoughts," Eric whispered back suggestively, his voice low and more of a rumble. I was leaning into him so that I could see the block of flats stretching up about ten storeys into the sky. The building was only about twenty metres away, easily within my distance on such a quiet night with only a Shifter and a Vampire around me. The truck itself was mostly hidden by the shrubbery spilling out from the old children's playground we were parked next to. Perhaps I should have put abandoned in there as well for it definitely hadn't been used in at least a decade. I didn't actually need to see the building to be able to hear the thoughts of the people inside; however it definitely helped to direct my telepathy. Plus, there was a very nice chest to lean against.
"For God's sake." Alcide huffed from in the back.
Eric had spun my words around on me, ruffling Alcide's feathers, or well, fur in the process. I had only meant I had no idea how he had managed to come up with such a plan on such short notice. It was crazy enough that it might actually work and if not, well, I trusted him to get us out of any sticky situation.
What time is it?
Just after 11
I'm gunna go see the missus then, he won't be back for at least an hour.
Alright you lucky bastard
I swiftly clamped my shields down as tight as they would go, trying to stop the mental flood of images that began to accompany those words. It was weird enough hearing the conversation through the non speaker's mind without having to see visuals of the antics of each of them in turn, with the same woman without the other knowing.
"It's as good a time as we're going to get," I stuttered out with a shudder, trying to shake the creepiness from my mind.
"I'll see you back here. Half an hour." With that Alcide hopped down gracefully from the back row of the cab and loped off toward the building where he would go for a frontal approach; that meant that he would be speaking to them directly, stating clearly who he was.
"Our turn," Eric whispered to me, letting his cool breath breeze over my ear. He was excited, I didn't even have to look at him to know that, the emotions were coming off of him in waves and he almost throbbed with energy at the prospect of a fight, even though he had told me this plan would go down much better if fighting wasn't involved. The whole idea was for me and him to go entirely unnoticed.
"The difference between a warrior and a leader. A warrior will fight any battle but a leader knows when fighting is not the best way forward." He told me quietly so that Alcide wouldn't hear as we walked out from his office back toward the staff parking lot. "Usually." He added with a soft chuckle as he slung his arm possessively around my shoulders to show me the way.
As quietly as I could manage, I slithered down from the passenger seat and closed the door behind me, easing it into the catch so that the sound wouldn't resound around the still air. I had never been to this part of Shreveport before, hell I'd never even heard about this area of Shreveport. We were only about a two minute walk from one of the busiest neighbourhoods in the city and this was apparently the runt of a little sister that had prospered many decades ago only to fall into disrepair when the other area had become better loved.
We looped around the back of the small square that still housed rusty playing equipment so that we were closest to the back of the building. Alcide was going in from the right-hand side where the main doors were in an off-centre area, we were going from the left so that as soon as we hit the corner of the building we would be out of sight. Eric was just tall enough to be seen above the shrub line, his brilliantly blond hair would have been easily recognisable in the darkness so he had to stoop. Luckily for me, being short paid off and all I had to do was concentrate on not falling as I planted my feet quietly on the cement.
"He's at the main doors now. We have to run for it before they come out." His voice wasn't even a whisper in the night; it was simply a breath with a hint of words that I only heard because of how close together we were currently standing. I nodded and got into position to do a low to the ground sprint across the deserted road but before I could move he spun himself around, grabbed my hands and pulled, softly, otherwise I would have been in serious pain. It was enough to give me the idea so I lightly jumped up onto his back, my arms wrapping around his neck snugly while my legs did the same with his waist. We were both covering as much skin as possible; the issue with being so pale was that you seemed to glow in the darkness. Of course, Vampires always had a little glow about them to me anyway.
My breath caught in my throat as he stepped out from out coverage and into the night, completely silent. My eyes were trained on the hulking figure of Alcide who was standing just outside of the gloom of the recessed main entrance. He was gesturing with his hands and even through the dim light I could see he never once turned his attention in our direction.
Eric's pace never faulted, it was like he wasn't carrying a fully grown woman at all. He blended in with the darkness and shadows, easily seeing exactly where he was going and he kept his pace steady so as not to draw attention by moving too swiftly. With one final step we were beside the corner of the building, between the first window and the corner. Slowly, so as not to tumble, I eased my legs down to the ground and unravelled my arms.
Eric didn't say anything to me yet as soon as my feet were on the ground he was giving me a look that clearly said I was moving entirely too slowly for him. He gripped my hand, ensconcing my little one tightly inside his so he could pull me along. We walked swiftly past every window even though it was clear that every single one had the drapes shut and by sticking close to the wall, no one from above would be able to see us.
"Let me in! I come as a messenger from the Long Tooth Pack!" Alcide's voice filled the night with a commanding tone, yelling out to whoever's attention he had. I couldn't afford the concentration it would take to listen in to see how he was faring. My mind was taken up by scanning every room we were passing for signs of my Shifter friend.
Fuck! It was a single word that I heard, nothing that different about it really. It was the wave of pain that swept over me that made me stop in my tracks, placing my hand on Eric's forearm to stop him as well. With my eyes shut lightly I concentrated, beating down the nausea inducing feelings that were beginning to almost feel like my own. Somewhere up above, bound roughly and in agony, Sam sat waiting for something to change. He wasn't conscious enough to make out proper thoughts, it was all he could do not to scream out against the pain until his voice was raspy and his throat was raw.
"Where?" Eric asked quietly, now grabbing both of my elbows to offer his support. At some point in the past couple of seconds my legs had started to shake.
"About four storeys up, maybe two rooms over to the left." Four storeys was just high enough to make even a shifter think twice, especially when injured, about jumping out of the window if he got free of his bindings.
"Come on," Eric whispered to me, leaning me up against the side of the building. Even through the thick cotton of the shirt I was wearing I could feel the roughness of the bricks, the fragments that fell away with each tiny movement I made. I fought to get my shields back up so I wouldn't have to listen to Sam's turmoil. It was weak of me but I just couldn't function listening to him suffer.
Eric was standing in front of the window next to me, his fingers running down along the old wooden frame where the window would open, swinging outward. He didn't need me to tell him that there was no one in this room; he could tell that for himself just by listening. With his muscles flexing he suddenly tugged on the wood, hooking the tips of his fingers around the joint as soon as he could. The groaning creak of the wood made me shudder; it seemed so loud in the still of the night. I could tell his forearms were flexing with the effort of doing this as quietly as possible, it would have been so much easier to yank the window from its hinges or smash the pane of glass.
"Come on," he whispered again when the window was finally open far enough for us to climb through although it hung down at an odd angle. The room inside was pitch black, obviously not in use. "I don't think anyone paid that any attention." There definitely wasn't alarm in anyone's mind. My shields were up but I hadn't clamped them into place, letting me hear snippets of thoughts or flashes of images. It was difficult enough to hear Supernaturals anyway but I would at least get their general intentions.
I didn't even get a chance to think about how I was going to climb through the window which was at chest height for me with no visible leverage for me to heave up onto first. I went from standing facing the window to hanging in the air in less than a second, my hand covering my mouth to stop the yelp of panic that bubbled through me until I realised what was happening. Eric's large hands had grabbed my waist, hoisting me up into the air as though I weighed nothing, so high that his arms were up above his head so that I could easily step over the bottom pane of glass, through the open window and onto the sill.
I scrambled to find purchase on the slippery, dust covered sill and grabbed the frame for support, not caring that I could feel the old wood splintering in my grip. His hands never left my waist until I was standing securely. From there it was an awkward shimmy to sit down on the ledge before stepping down lightly onto the old carpeted floor. I'd barely taken one step to get away from the window when Eric, ever graceful, was standing beside me ready to lead the way. It must be so much easier at times to be a Vampire.
He cocked his head to the side, listening intently for any signs that someone had heard our entrance. He didn't say a word; he didn't need to, when he turned to face me, one eyebrow raised in questioning. I shook my head in reply, 'No, I can't sense anything'. There was no more reassurance needed. We set off through the pitch black room, Eric in front and me following in his footsteps so closely that if I wasn't careful I would be at risk of tripping. The only way I could see anything was from the slight glow of his skin.
When we reached the door after only eight paces, I counted them in my head, and opened it light flood into the room, lighting it up so that I could see where we were. We seemed to be in some form of old lounge, armchairs were pushed along the walls, some covered with dust sheets other not and every ten feet or so a low coffee table rested, the layer of thick dust on the top hiding their true colour. At least I knew why the room had seemed so small in the darkness; it was long, running along what seemed to be most of the length of the building while being narrow enough to be crossed in seconds. I didn't have time to take anything else in from the drab room because as soon as he was sure the coast was clear, Eric was tugging me carefully down the hallway towards the sign indicating the stairwell. There weren't many doors down here; most of the rooms were storage areas and a small communal kitchen so we weren't in much danger of being caught, yet.
The stairway was dimly lit, just one single emergency light per level casting deep shadows, perfect for lurking. The swinging doors shut noisily behind us, making me cringe as it ricocheted down toward the basement and up toward the flats that actually held Shifters. We didn't bother to pause to see if anyone had heard, instead we began to run up the stairs, Eric easily gaining the lead as he leapt up them three at a time. He never got more than a flight ahead of me, so that I could see him, and I knew he was preparing to be discovered, protecting me even though the danger wasn't really imminent. I could sense the Shifters in the building getting anxious, there were perhaps twenty of them, I didn't stop to count, and all by now had heard of the chaos taking place at the main entrance.
"Stop!" I stage whispered, my breath coming out too uneven for anything quieter, when we reached the fifth floor. So I'd misjudged slightly earlier, it was difficult to estimate distances when you had no reference of the building. "Over here," I amended quickly when he had whirled around to face me, already on the landing for the fifth floor while I was between storeys. My legs were burning with the exertion of running up all the steps, two at a time to try and keep pace with the vampire. Surprisingly my soft soled boots had made very little noise as I clambered up.
"Be careful, there are Supes on this floor," he whispered into my ear as I paused beside him to gain my breath back before we went onto the floor itself. I could feel Sam's pain now, even with my shields as clamped as I dared put them. Through the natural cloud that is a supernatural brain and the familiarity of Sam making it easier for me to shut him out, he must have been in a world of torture. Without thinking I stuck my hand out to grasp Eric's forearm, pushing back the cuff of his jacket so I could feel his cool skin against mine, calming me down and blocking out some of the things in my head. He didn't move away, instead he just stood there, waiting patiently for me to be able to move.
"Okay," I breathed; my breathing back to normal. Slowly he stepped forward, letting my hand linger against his skin until he opened the door and stepped carefully into the corridor. I didn't need to tell him which way to go, instinctively he turned left and stopped at a door two doors down, where he cocked his head to listen warily. "It's just Sam," I mumbled as quietly as possible, leaning up into him so I could be even quieter. I could feel the brains of three more shifters on this floor, the closest one only two doors down although thankfully he seemed a little preoccupied.
After a second longer, and a deep sniff to back up his hearing, Eric nodded and grasped the door handle in one strong hand. With a jerk that sent the screaming sound of snapping, tearing metal all around us he broke the lock and swung the door inward to reveal a short hallway. "Inside!" I hissed, pushing on his back for extra emphasis. As soon as the noise had sounded one brain, a female shifter, had become alert, wondering what the noise was. Of course, Eric hadn't heard this, he couldn't read her mind. As soon as we were inside, with my heart pumping madly inside my chest I shut the door behind us, hoping there was no evident signs of the break in because my golly, she was determined to find out what the hell had happened.
"She's coming," I mumbled, trying not to let panic over ride me. There was no chance to think of what to do, Eric pushed me, albeit carefully, to the side so that he was standing in front of me, crouching slightly, ready for a fight.
Nothing. It was just a general thought, accompanied by a still, white image from her brain as she drew closer, padding silently down the hall toward us. She'd expected to see the prisoner stumbling about in the hallway looking desperately for an escape route. She would have enjoyed the beating she could give him for that.
"Brace the door!" It was as quiet a plea as I could manage and it came from nowhere. There was no time to analyse what I'd heard, or the general impression I'd been able to pick up from her mind. Eric didn't hesitate, oddly trusting my command. He stepped up to the door, pushing his weight against it and holding the handle tightly in his hands so that it would give the illusion of being locked. She was right outside the door the next instant, I could hear her as clear as I was ever going to, still wondering what had made the noise since she'd seen no signs of anything amiss.
She reached out a hand then and jiggled the handle, finding that it was still locked. I thanked God that she didn't have the key to this room when she gave up, rather quickly, after one more attempt. I actually heard her, with my ears, huff as she stormed away, annoyed that the fleeting hope she'd had for giving a beating had been taken away from her. Eric waited until she had reached the corner of the corridor and entered her room again before standing back, carefully so it wouldn't swing open, from the door.
"She is gone, calm down or they might be able to smell your fear." Eric stooped slightly, looking me directly in the eye as he spoke with his hands resting gently on my shoulders, his thumbs rubbing circles. "You have to get your friend." I nodded solemnly, closed my eyes for a second to lock down my shields as tightly as possible and spun around to find Sam.
"Sam!" I cried out, louder than I intended as I dashed into the atrocious bedroom that currently housed him. The single flickering light bulb that hung from the ceiling was enough for me to see his crumpled form on the ground.
Sam was curled up as much as he could on his side with his wrists tied painfully behind his back. From clear across the room I could see the angry red marks around his wrists where the rough ropes were digging into his skin. He was only wearing his jeans; everything else had been lost somewhere along the way. Although I couldn't see his chest, I imagined it was just as covered in bruises and welts as his back. His usual disarray hairstyle was gone; his strawberry blond locks were now plastered against his head with grime and sweat.
"Oh, Sam," I gushed as I reached him, my hands outstretched but not quite daring to actually touch him. His eyes flickered open, unfocused yet trying desperately to lock onto something he wasn't quite sure was actually there. It was a mess inside his mind, nothing making any sense and throughout the turmoil the agony overwhelmed.
"Sam, come on, it's me Sookie," I soothed, finally deciding that it wouldn't hurt him any further to brush his hair back from his clammy forehead; he was the coolest I'd ever felt him. His eyes stopped gazing to the right of where I knelt; now his blue eyes flickered over me, not quite believing I was real.
"Sookie?" His voice rasped out, sounding like his throat was sand paper.
"It's me, I'm here." I replied and his eyes finally focused. "Hey," I added when I saw the recognition on his face.
"Why are you here?" He asked, long pauses between each word. He made no attempt to sit up, or even move at all, he just stared at me.
"I've come to get you."
"How?" He asked and I heard the disbelief in his mind, he couldn't comprehend that I'd managed to get all this way on my own.
"Eric and Alcide," I explained, trying to keep things to a minimum, knowing that it was difficult for him to think properly when he was in a pit of pain. "Eric," I said again and instantly he was by my side, crouching down to my eye level once more. "Can you untie his hands?" Eric didn't reply, instead he just eased behind Sam and snapped the rope with his bare hands. As soon as the pressure was released a deep sigh resonated from his chest and I felt the relief in his head, the sharp pain disappearing to just an all over ache. "Do you think you can move?"
"Maybe," he replied, sounding stronger even with just the ropes no longer digging into him.
There was no need to ask for Eric's help and even being this injured I knew Sam wouldn't ask for help from a Vampire, it just wasn't in his nature. Slowly, so as not to jar his already hurting body, Eric grasped him underneath his upper arm, until he could slide his other arm beneath Sam. Eventually, with a lot of groaning on Sam's part, as even moving carefully jostled his aching, stiff joints, he was sitting on the floor, with his head lolling slightly toward his chest.
"How you doing?" I asked him, one hand resting gingerly on his shoulder between the black bruises.
"Okay, I can do this." Sam replied resolutely, picking his head up to lock eyes with me, purposefully avoiding Eric who was still supporting his other side.
"Get his other side," Eric instructed and I wrapped his arm around my shoulders so I could take as much of his weight as possible. Eric changed his grip to under Sam's elbow; he was too tall to go for the same grip as me. "Lift." All three of us struggled at the same time, well two of us struggled; Eric just eased himself to a standing position. "We need to move." I nodded, holding my breath as I strained against Sam's weight. He was managing to balance himself but he couldn't put much weight on his bare feet which were as scraped up as the rest of him.
"Sorry Sookie," Sam rasped out as we stumbled toward the door. As much as it pained him, emotionally and his pride, he leaned more heavily against Eric, trying to save me some trouble.
"Don't you dare say you're sorry for this Sam Merlotte, you ain't got nothing to be sorry for. Now, you just concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other."
"Sookie," Eric cautioned, talking about how loud I was speaking. I nodded and hugged Sam, softly, around the waist to tell him I was there to support him.
We eventually reached the door way, which Eric pulled open roughly while both of us listened carefully for any signs of the shifters in the building. The corridor was clear, no one in close proximity was paying us any attention; everyone was intent on the news of Alcide by the main entrance. So it was with a steady pace that we set off down the corridor.
"Why couldn't you fly us out or in?" It wasn't the only question I had about this entire mission but with the stagger worthy weight of a full grown man being, at least partially, rested on my shoulders it was rather pertinent.
"Later," was all I got in response. I huffed, quietly, and concentrated on making it down the hallway. At least we reached the doors to the stairwell before all hell broke loose.
"They're on the move!" I gasped out as a wave of panic, not entirely my own, washed over me as several shifter brains around me went into hyper alert mode, rising from whatever task they'd been doing to head towards the ground floor.
"Yes." Eric pushed his way through the double doors, virtually dragging me and Sam with him so that we were covered, for the time being by the stairwell gloom.
"Two are coming this way." I hissed as we twisted around to make it down the stairs.
"Run." It was a simple command and yet I was still processing it when Eric swiped Sam out of my grasp until he was carrying him, in a way that would have been funny in pretty much any other situation. "Run!" Eric whispered fervently to me again, looking back at me from the top step and I could see now that his fangs had run down. I didn't need telling twice; I took off down the steps, only a few paces behind my vampire as we hurtled towards the ground floor.
We were between the first and second floors when the two shifters above us hit the stairwell on the fifth floor and started running down the stairs at a pace I would have thought was dangerous. I knew the instant that they heard our quiet footsteps below them. I knew the second that they took in our scent through their powerful noses, when they recognised the stench of a vampire in their midst. In that same second they forgot their previous commands and set off ever faster after us.
My breath was heaving during that last flight of stairs but I made it, all the while promising that I would take up running if I got out of this situation. We burst out of the doors at the bottom, into the original corridor ignoring if there were any other shifters down here as we had no choice. Immediately Eric ran into the old lounger, with me hot on his heels and still the shifters were behind us, gaining with every stride.
"Through the window Sookie," Eric commanded as he slowed. I literally threw myself at the window sill, vaulting up onto the dusty wood with a loud thud that jarred my knees. I could care later, when I had time, for now I was up there. I couldn't look at the fall on the other side of the glass; I knew it wasn't enough to do any serious damage as long as I landed right. So with that thought swimming around my head I stood up on the ledge of the window and jumped, bending my knees and rolling as I landed. Eric was beside me in an instant, Sam still in his arms.
I clambered to my feet as the shifters behind us hit the lounge, having been momentarily thrown off by not seeing what door we disappeared through. I grasped Eric's forearm, where it was wrapped around Sam's back, and clung on desperately, using his superior speed to drag me along.
"Come back bitch!" One of the Shifters behind us screamed as we flitted across the rough ground toward the road and the, hopefully, safety of the truck.
"Fangbanger!" The other yelled. I blocked them out as much as I could, putting all my concentration on not falling as my feet flew across the ground, barely making contact before I was forced to pick them up again. My muscles burned, my knees felt like burning liquid and I couldn't actually feel my feet.
"Fuck," Eric hissed loudly as we took our first step onto the road. I risked a quick glance at him; his eyes were bright blue, shining with a rage that I couldn't place. My blazing lungs screamed as I dragged in another breath to fuel me on. Even with my shields clamped I could sense the shifters behind us, one male and one female. I could see the horrible things they wanted to do to me; Eric they just wanted to kill quickly. It spurred me on to keep my pace going, because I just couldn't run any faster.
"Almost there." Eric stated; his anger now evident in his voice. My rasping lungs were grateful, especially when the truck came into view. Another twenty paces. We were across the road and around the corner of the little square when I finally felt relief; the Shifters slowed. I didn't have enough air to ask anything, to make any noise apart from the gasp that came with every painful intake of breath.
"They won't go any further," Eric replied to my nonexistent question and I knew he was right when I felt the Shifters lagging behind instead of gaining. Eric kept running, tugging me along until we reached the car when he stopped so suddenly I plummeted forward, on for a collision with the side of the car.
An arm shot out around my waist, pulling me back up to a standing position. It never left my waist, keeping me upright as I panted, bent over to try and stop my head from spinning, as he pulled open the door to push Sam into the back seat. Sam, slightly more aware now that adrenaline was coursing through his veins and he was away from those creatures, grabbed the car seats to heave himself in. The door shut with a loud bang and then next thing I knew I was sitting in the passenger seat, the seatbelt already fastened even though I hadn't actually moved at all.
I couldn't get in enough air; my lungs burned with too much use yet screamed for more oxygen while my heart pumped so loudly in my chest now that I wasn't moving I couldn't hear anything else but the blood resounding through my ears.
"Hold on." The simple words didn't mean anything to me, I could only sit there and take in the wonderfully cool air coming in through the vents. Sweat began to trickle down my temples while even more collected on my lower back. The truck lurched forward with what I imagine was a screech of tyres.
"Alcide," I rasped out, knowing somewhere in the deep recesses of my consciousness that he wasn't with us. Eric didn't reply, there was no need to as he threw open the back driver's side door while still driving and a battered Alcide leapt into the truck while it was still moving. He slammed the door shut harshly and then bangs clattered along the side of the truck as we sped away from the horrible Shifters.
Thanks for reading, what did you think? What's going on with Alcide? You know i love feedback almost as much as i love a certain viking vampire. Make a poor lil vet student, who's in the middle of studying for exams ;), happy :)
Csya next week