I was so focused on getting home to Eric that I didn't notice the man in the car parked behind mine. I was fishing for my keys in my purse as I approached my car when I registered a brain thinking, Got her.
Someone pushed me up against my car and grabbed my wrists. As my hands were being handcuffed behind my back, I heard, "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say may be used against you."
While the man behind me continued telling me my rights, I watched several people on the sidewalk stop and watch us.
I was pulled from behind and walked to the car behind mine. My new friend, Pete, put me in the back seat and then got in and drove away from the curb.
I knew I wasn't really being arrested, of course. I could see in Pete's head visions of dumping my body in some lake or river, and he kept thinking of the phrase "vamp trash."
I closed my eyes and tried to focus on my predicament, but all I could think about was whether or not Eric was safe. Had this man found the house? I was cursing myself for ever leaving Eric alone to work during the day. I should have stayed there to protect him. I didn't have to work. I should have begged for food from strangers before I ever thought of leaving him alone and helpless.
I started to cry when I thought that I was probably going to die without ever knowing if Eric was safe or not. I heard Pete think, stupid bitch.
I blinked the tears from my eyes and looked around me. We were outside of town on a dark road that I didn't recognize. There were no other cars in sight. The car came to a stop at a crossroads, but before we began to move past the stop sign, suddenly the driver's door was open and Pete was gone, faster that my eyes could even register.
I was shocked, but knew in an instant that Eric had taken Pete and my tears turned to tears of joy that he was alive. The interior light was on because the door was open and there was a little ding going off to alert the non-existent driver to the open door. The car began to move forward and I started to panic a little that I was handcuffed in the back of an unmanned moving vehicle.
After what seemed like a long moment, Eric jumped into the driver's seat and stopped the car as he asked, "Are you okay?" He put the car in park and turned around to look at me. He was shirtless and his mouth was covered in blood.
"Yes," I said.
"I'll be right back."
He jumped out of the car and closed the door, and within a minute, he returned and tossed Pete's lifeless body across the seat. Pete hit the passenger door with a heavy thump.
Eric got in and started to drive.
"Who was this guy?" he asked.
"The one from the BVA that came to Merlotte's and then went to see Jason. I think he killed Bill. God, do you think he hurt Jason?" I began to cry again.
"Don't worry. We'll find out. He's probably fine."
Eric turned off the road and the car bumped along a dirt road. When we stopped, Eric turned the ignition off and said, "I'll be right back," and then pulled Pete out of the car and slung him over his shoulder. Eric disappeared behind some bushes and I just sat and tried to be patient and not panic about Jason.
I saw Eric's pale figure emerge from the bushes and he came quickly to the car. The blood had been wiped from his mouth.
He opened the back door and helped me out. I stood while he unlocked the handcuffs. As soon as my hands were free, I grabbed him and pulled him to me. He kissed my lips, my face, my neck and held me tightly.
"Did he hurt you?" he asked into my neck.
"No. But I was so worried, Eric. I thought he'd found you during the day, and I wasn't there to protect you. I'm so sorry. I won't leave you alone again."
Eric looked at me and said, "We can't stay here any longer. It's not safe."
I started to cry, knowing he was right and so sad that our private little world was coming to an end.
He said, "It's okay. We'll find another place." He wiped my tears from my face and kissed me again. "Don't cry," he said between kisses.
I finally stopped crying and Eric asked, "Where's your car?"
"In front of Amelia's."
"Okay. So, we need to figure out another place to go."
"Wait, I almost forgot." I pulled my lists of rescued vampires from my purse and handed them to him. I knew he could read it even though it was dark.
"These are the vampires recovering in Shreveport and New Orleans," I told him. "I'm sorry. Pam's not on the list."
"I know she's still alive. I can feel her. I need to get to New Orleans." He folded the lists back up and stuffed them into his jeans pocket.
"Let's drive there tonight."
"No. No, love, you can't come with me. It's not safe. I can protect you from humans, but not from other vampires. Many of them are stronger and more powerful than I am. I'm still not back to my full strength. Plus, I have to obey rules."
"I don't want you to leave me."
"I won't. Not until I know you're safe. Don't worry. We'll go somewhere else and hide until I know it's safe for you to go home. Then I'll go to New Orleans—find out what's happening. I also need to find Pam."
"I can help you find her," I said.
"First I have to secure my own survival among my kind. Then I can search for Pam. Our political system may be in chaos. My life may be at risk from other vampires. There are opportunistic vampires just waiting for a vulnerable moment to seize power. I have no idea what I'll find in New Orleans."
"If it's dangerous, I don't want you to go."
"I have to. But not right away." He placed his palm on my cheek and had a sad look in his eyes. Then he said, "Let's get your car."
Eric wrapped his arms tightly around me and we began to slowly rise in the air. It felt surreal, but I felt completely safe in Eric's grasp.
Once we were over the trees, we began to fly towards the lights of the town. We landed behind a garage and walked out to the sidewalk a couple of blocks from Amelia's.
We stopped in the parking lot of the post office and Eric called the palace again, but there were still no vampires with whom he could speak. I called Jason.
"Sookie, are you okay?" he asked excitedly.
"Yes, I'm fine. Are you?"
"Yeah, you won't believe what's going on here. You were right about that BVA guy. I called Bud Dearborn like you said, and that guy is one of the ones they want to arrest."
"I thought he was dangerous," I said. I knew he wasn't any more.
"Well, the shit has hit the fan in the vampire world. Have you been watching the news?"
"Yes, I have."
"Well, they're finding all kinds of sick vamps. A lot of 'em are dead. I know that's what happened to Bill."
"Well, you still need to be careful, Jason. It's not over."
"I know, but that's okay. Bud's taking this very seriously. He has a patrol car in front of my house 24 hours a day. You'll get one too when you come home. We're on some list of people that those BVA guys were after. I guess 'cause of Bill."
"There's someone in front of your house now?"
"Yeah, all the time. You can come home, Sookie. Stay with me if you want to. They'll watch out for us. And I won't let anything happen to you."
I felt tears of relief sting my eyes. Jason was safe.
"I'll come home soon, okay?"
"Okay. I love you, Sookie."
"I love you, too."
I couldn't remember the last time we'd told each other we loved each other. I hung up and looked at Eric who'd been standing beside me and I was certain had heard every word.
"Can we go back and get our things at the house?" I asked. I hated to leave the few items of clothing I'd accumulated.
"Of course. Then we'll find a new place to hide."
We got back into the car to begin the next chapter in our plan for survival.
