A/N: Surprise!! Here is a new chapter - only days after the last one was put up! Thanks for being so patient with me and for the reviews. And of course I have to thank VampLover1 for being a Goddess of a beta - she edited 2 chapters in 2 days. Amazing!
Chapter 14
Sookie hopped into Sam's truck, the shifter getting in on the driver's side and placing the dagger on the seat between them. Sookie looked out the windshield at the packed parking lot. The sky was still dark, but the clouds reflected the light of Shreveport's downtown. The city glow was something Sookie rarely saw, having lived in Bon Temps her entire life, and she wondered if vampires preferred cities because the nighttime light was as close as they could get to daylight.
"Buckled in?" Sam's voice broke her thoughts.
She grabbed the belt and pulled it across her chest, securing the metal tongue in place. "Yup!"
"Alright." Sam put the car in gear, and they left the Fangtasia parking lot.
Sookie had always felt comfortable around Sam; being in the car with him reminded her of the time they had driven to Monroe to find out about Drew and Cindy Marshall. In her mind, that had actually been a pretty fun day. She wished more days could be that way, but with her disability and now with vampires in her life, that didn't seem likely.
Sam pulled onto the highway and soon they were out of the city limits, heading into the dark roads of Louisiana backcountry. The scenery whipped past, a blur of trees, kudzu and unidentifiable dead-things on the side of the road.
"Sam?"
"Yeah, Sook?" Sam looked over at the blonde girl sitting on the bench seat next to him.
Sookie played with her hair, pulling it over her shoulder, "Do you really think you'll be able to kill Maryann?"
"I sure hope so, Sookie." Sam patted the dagger next to him. "This should help. Although I'm surprised Eric would lend it to me; it obviously has some special significance to him."
"He knew that you'd need it to kill Maryann," Sookie explained simply.
"Yeah, I suppose so," Sam said, still uncertain.
Sookie sat back quietly for a minute, then said, "So what is your plan?"
"Well, I figure that tonight I will stay with you 'til Eric comes. Then tomorrow night, we can plan with Eric how this faux sacrifice is supposed to go down." Sam scratched his forehead.
"I guess that makes sense," Sookie said as she straightened her Fangtasia t-shirt. "You don't think Eric will mind that you're staying with me 'til he gets there?"
"I think he expects it," Sam said. "I'm supposed to protect you until he can take over."
"Oh." Sookie went quiet.
The radio was tuned to a local country station, and it faded in and out as they got further and further from Shreveport. The static was broken every once in awhile with a couple bars from a Tim McGraw song but not enough to make out what he was saying. Sookie stared out at the passing countryside, and Sam kept his eyes on the road.
***
Maryann entered Merlotte's and most of the patrons turned to see who was coming in so late. There was only a handful of people left along with the last of the servers and cooks. Terry Bellefleur was managing in Sam's absence and was behind the bar pouring another drink for Jane Bodehouse.
Arlene came around the corner with a basket of fries in one hand. "Oh, hey there Maryann, you can sit anywhere you like. But I'd prefer it if you sat right over there." Arlene pointed to a booth near the kitchen. "It's just that I've cleaned most of the others for the night."
Maryann smiled but didn't make a move to sit. "I'm looking for Sam Merlotte."
"Sorry Maryann." Terry wiped down a glass and set it on the shelf behind the bar. "Sam ain't here tonight. He's gone to Shreveport on important business."
One of Maryann's eyebrows cocked up. So Eggs had been right. Sam was with Sookie tonight. She surveyed the people in the bar, noticing that most, if not all, of them had been to one of her parties. This certainly made her job easier.
Summoning the energy given to her from the God Who Comes, Maryann focused her power and began to vibrate, her body rising the air. Everyone stopped what they were doing and watched as Maryann began to levitate within the bar. Her head fell backwards and her long black hair streamed away from her body. The patrons who weren't quite sure what to do simply sat in their seats and watched; Arlene screamed and Terry palmed a knife while ducking for cover.
Maryann brought her head back up and spoke in a deep, ancient voice, "Bow before me, and serve me in honor of the God Who Comes!"
The patrons who had been looking straight at her immediately went bug-eyed and began chanting. The energy emanated off of Maryann's body and found those who were cowering in fear. The bar was quickly enthralled by Maryann's power.
Terry stood from where he had been hiding. The knife gleamed in his hand and he laughed softly, his eyes dark and wide. "And how may we serve you, Maryann?"
"I knew I liked the service in this place," Maryann chuckled as she lowered herself back to the floor.
"Yes," came Arlene's voice, "What can we do for you tonight?"
Maryann grinned. "When Sam Merlotte returns, capture him. He is to be sacrificed to the God Who Comes."
The God Who Comes!
The patrons in the bar were thrilled at the idea of a sacrifice. This really got their juices flowing. Jane Bodehouse thought that she was just going to have to seduce Marvin Jones who was sitting down the bar from her; she sidled up to him and began kissing him very vigorously. The rest of the customers thought this was hilarious and either started laughing or, in some cases, fucking.
"You will have him by morning," Terry told the maenad.
"If so, then you will all be rewarded."
Maryann turned and began to walk to the door. The patrons continued to get riled up, taking off clothes, turning up the music and turning Merlotte's into an orgy. Maryann just smiled and walked away, the sound of things being broken echoing from inside the bar.
***
Soon the roads became more potholed, and Sookie knew they were getting close to Reynard Parish. Jason and the road crew did a good job taking care of the roads inside the Parish, but just outside the limits, the road was no longer their job. Sookie was always bugging Jason about this, but he said it had something to do with local government regulations, and Sookie hadn't bothered to ask any further.
Bumping up onto smooth pavement, Sookie felt at home. It was good to be back in her little town. She could tell Sam felt the same way by the slight smile on his face.
"Hey, I need to stop by my trailer and get a change of clothes, as well as my shotgun," Sam said. He had one hand on the steering wheel and one hand on the dagger.
"I have a shotgun at my house, Sam." Sookie was ready to be at home in bed, and Eric would be there in just a few hours. She was anxious to have him close by her.
"I want you to keep that one with you, and I want one to patrol the house with." Sam turned onto the road that led to Merlotte's.
"Alright, we'll just stop in quick. I want to make sure we're at home when Eric gets there."
"Sure thing, Sookie."
Sam checked the rearview mirror. The road had been empty for the last 45 minutes; there weren't many drivers out at this time of night. They pulled into the parking lot at Merlotte's, and the headlights flashed over the still-lit bar and the full parking lot. Sam looked confused, and Sookie wondered what was going on.
"Terry must still be closing up," came Sam's reassurance.
"But then why are there so many cars?" Sookie voiced Sam's worries as they pulled behind the bar, next to Sam's trailer. Sam turned off the car and looked at the blonde sitting next to him.
"You stay here, Sookie." Sam handed her the dagger. "I'm going to run in real fast and get what I need. When I get out of the truck, lock the doors and wait for me to return. Yell if you see anyone coming who doesn't look quite right." They both knew that Sam meant anyone who had black bug-eyes.
"Sure, Sam," Sookie said nervously. "Just hurry back."
"Sure will, cher." He hopped out of the car, rushed up the steps of the trailer, and was inside in a flash. Sookie quickly pushed down the locks on the doors and waited patiently, getting more and more nervous by the second.
"Come on Sam, come on Sam," she whispered over and over. Her mind began to wander, and she relaxed her shield a bit to see if she could find out what was going on inside the bar. As she stretched her mind, she began to notice that there were a ton of people still in the bar, and they were all humming. Or something like that. Sookie couldn't quite reach their minds, but she could tell that they were all thinking similar thoughts.
***
Terry Bellefleur had seen the headlights from inside the bar and had quickly hurried to the window to see who had pulled in. It was Sam's Bronco. Time to initiate Operation: Bull. Terry had thought of the name himself; Sam was going to be the sacrificial bull for the God Who Comes. He laughed slightly to himself and then shouted to the rest of the room, "Alright!"
"Alright what?" came Jane Bodehouse's drunken reply.
"Sam is here!" The crowd perked up immediately, although Mike Spencer didn't stop humping the jukebox. That man had a one-track mind, even without Maryann's influence!
"Here's the plan. You half," Terry pointed at the side of the bar that had been using the pool table in less than hygienic ways, "Go around back and wait for my signal."
"What's the signal?" asked Rosie.
"I'll whistle when it's time." Terry was in full combat mode now.
"I bet you sure can whistle," Rosie came over and ran her fingers up and down Terry's chest. He ignored her; he had a job to do!
"And what about us?" piped in Arlene.
"Y'all are coming with me." Terry grabbed the baseball bat that was usually kept in Sam's office and then headed out the front door.
"Oooh! Secret mission!" squealed Jane Bodehouse, and she crawled off poor Marvin Jones; they headed out the front door, half-naked.
***
Sookie could tell that people were moving closer to her, but she didn't see anyone. She hoped Sam was going to return soon, because now she was getting totally creeped out. The parking lot was silent, and the noise had died down in the bar. Sookie listened again for human minds and heard something that scared her even more than the silence.
"… Lo lo bromios, lo lo eutherios, lo lo bromios…" Those were the last thoughts Sookie wanted to hear right now.
She started breathing heavily, frantically scanning the parking lot for signs of movement. She didn't dare get out of the car, but she felt like a sitting duck. Suddenly someone tapped on the window.
Sookie shrieked and looked, it was Arlene. Her eyes were black as night. "Hey there, Sookie!"
Sookie just stared at her friend, not knowing what to say. She wanted to yell for Sam, but her tongue felt caught in her throat. Her fingers gripped tightly around the hilt of the dagger.
"We're just coming to get Sam." If not for the bug eyes, Arlene would have sounded perfectly normal, but Sookie knew better. "Why don't you come out and help us find him! It's like a secret mission, but I figure you know Sam better than any of us and…"
Terry grabbed Arlene's arm and jerked her away from the window. The large veteran stood and looked in at Sookie. "Well, hello there Sookie." Then he put two fingers in his mouth and gave a short shrill whistle.
Sookie gulped. Terry looked extremely scary with his black eyes. Plus, he had smeared black grease under both eyes in an attempt to look more intimidating; it worked.
"Terry?" Sookie was really freaking out now. She noticed the other patrons of Merlotte's walking towards Sam's trailer very quietly; he would never see it coming!
"Now you just stay quiet, little girl, and I won't have to hurt you. I wouldn't want to hurt such a pretty girl," Terry trailed off, trying to rationalize with himself. Sookie wouldn't wait and let Sam get captured. She shrieked, "SAM!!"
Terry was pissed off; she had ruined his op. "Now I have to hurt you." He grabbed the baseball bat and swung, hitting the window and shattering the safety glass. Sookie shrieked again as Terry's strong hands began pulling her out of the truck.
"SAM! THEY'RE EVERYWHERE!" Sookie kept yelling until Terry clamped a hand over her mouth and yanked her out of the window, not caring that Sookie was being pulled roughly over the freshly-broken glass. Little pieces pierced her skin and were soon embedded. Eric's Fangtasia shirt was in shreds, and Sookie's jeans were torn.
She tried to swing the knife at Terry, but half her body was still inside the truck. She struggled and pulled her arm out so that she could try again. One arm flailing, Sookie swung and slashed Terry in the arm. He cursed and let her go. Gravity took over and pulled Sookie the rest of the way out of the truck. She hit the ground with a thud, knocking the breath out of her. The dagger clattered to the ground beside her, and Arlene reached down quickly to grab it.
"Oh! Look how pretty it is!" Arlene held the blade up in the moonlight and watched it shine, the blood dripping from it. Terry was holding his arm and still cursing. He kicked at Sookie and his boot connected with Sookie's stomach; she lay there gasping on the gravel parking lot. She flashed back to another night when she had been laying on this same gravel, having the shit kicked out of her. It hadn't been a good night.
Just then Sam stormed out of his trailer, shotgun in hand. "Sookie!"
Sookie tried to respond but couldn't catch her breath.
Sam fired a warning shot over the heads of the advancing crowd. They paused momentarily and then started laughing hysterically. Terry, still holding his wounded arm, walked up the porch steps to Sam. Sam pointed the shotgun straight at Terry.
"Back off, Terry, I don't want to hurt you."
"But can't you see I'm already hurt?"
Terry took his hand away and the blood gushed forth. The crowd loved it. They started chanting, and Sam took a step back away from the bleeding man.
"I mean it, Terry!" Sam warned.
"So do I, Sam!" Terry's black eyes were wide. "You must be taken. You are to be sacrificed to The God Who Comes!"
A loud Oooh resounded in the crowd, and they began chanting "Lo lo bromios, lo lo euthrios, lo lo bromios…"
Terry continued. "Maryann needs you, Sam." He stepped towards Sam and the bar owner took another step backwards, running into the porch railing. There was nowhere else for him to go. His hands shook holding the shotgun.
Terry smiled. "And I'm here to make sure she gets you." He grabbed the shotgun barrel and pointed it upward right as Sam pulled the trigger. A huge hole formed in Sam's porch ceiling and plaster rained down on Terry. The ex-soldier cursed and pulled the gun from Sam's hands. He threw it to the hungry crowd; Mike Spencer caught it and he immediately began caressing it like it was the most beautiful thing he had ever held in his two hands.
Sam saw Sookie on the ground, trying to breathe, and he knew he had to distract the crowd. Better that they take him than take her. He threw himself at Terry and tackled the man to the ground. Terry began wrestling him, and the crowd chanted and egged them on. Jane Bodehouse and Rosie were having their own catfight over which one of them had prettier hair, but none of the crowd cared; they wanted to see the blood coming out of Sam's mouth after Terry punched him and the way that Terry doubled over in pain when Sam got him one in the kidneys. However, Sam couldn't match Terry's military training. Soon Terry had Sam in an arm lock, and there was no way to get out. He struggled, cursing Terry and hoping he was giving Sookie a chance to escape.
Sookie had simply lain on the ground for a couple of seconds, regaining her breath. When Terry had kicked her, her mind had gone blank. Now she registered Sam and Terry fighting on Sam's front porch. She wondered what had happened to Sam's gun but was then distracted by Arlene grabbing her hair and pulling her to her feet. What was it with people wanting to yank her around by her hair?
"I always did like your hair, Sookie," came Arlene's response to her unasked question. "I just didn't think it fair that someone like you should have such pretty hair, what with you not being able to date normal men."
Sookie just let the woman rant as she tried to figure out how to escape. It was important that one of them get free from this mob. She was sure that Eric was on his way, having felt her terror through their bond, but who knew how long it would take for him to get there!
"But you have such pretty red hair," Sookie tried to reason with Arlene, but it was obvious that was the wrong tack to take.
Arlene waved the ceremonial dagger in Sookie's face. "And you think that makes me feel better? Especially after my last four husbands left me for blondes?" Sookie shut her mouth for fear that Arlene would do something stupid.
Terry hauled Sam to his feet. The crowd roared, and Terry felt their admiration rush over him like a wave. It was a good feeling. "Now let's get him to Maryann!"
"What about Sookie?"
Terry turned to see Arlene holding Sookie by the hair, a gold dagger in her hand.
"Bring her, too! Maryann will know what to do." Terry grabbed some duct tape off the porch railing and swiftly bound Sam's hands and put a piece over his lips. Sam growled furiously at the man and would have shifted, but it would have done no good at this point. They were both caught.
Sookie tried to twist out of Arlene's grasp, but the redhead held tightly to Sookie's blonde locks. She walked Sookie over to Terry and smiled prettily while Terry used the duct tape to secure Sookie's hands and mouth.
Terry turned to the crowd. "Get these two in my truck." The crowd manhandled the two prisoners towards Terry's pickup, thoroughly enjoying the opportunity to feel up Sookie and grope Sam. Sookie tried to block out the nasty thoughts but was unable to stop them all.
Finally, both Sam and Sookie were passed towards and thrown indecorously in the back of Terry's pick-up truck. Terry slammed the tailgate and turned to Arlene who was still holding the dagger. "I'd be real pleased if you rode with me in the truck, Arlene."
Arlene blushed. "You sure are sweet, Terry."
"Just bring that dagger and hop in. We'll be at Maryann's in no time." Terry jumped in the driver's seat and started the truck. Arlene slid in the passenger's side.
"What about us?" shouted Mike Spencer.
"Y'all can follow us, if you want," called Terry. "Just gotta get this prize over to Maryann as soon as possible."
"Come everybody!" yelled Mike, "Let's get over to Maryann's!" The crowd whooped and hollered.
Sookie and Sam lay bound in the back of Terry's truck. They were facing each other, and Sam gave Sookie an apologetic look. She just shrugged her shoulders; Eric would be here to save her any moment and everything would be okay.
Terry hit the gas and the couple in the back slid across the truck bed as Terry pulled out onto the road. Riding in the bed of a pickup was anything but comfortable. Sookie could feel bruises beginning to form on one side of her body when they hit bumps in the road. Sam wriggled, trying to loosen his bonds but was having very little luck. The duct tape held him tightly and even if he shifted, it would still stick to his fur, impeding his movement and the element of surprise that the shift would grant him. He would just have to wait.
They turned onto a gravel drive, and Sookie knew it was Maryann's. She stared up at the stars in the sky, looking for the familiar shape of Eric, flying in to rescue her. But he wasn't there.
The truck stopped and Terry turned off the engine. Sliding out of the cab and heading to the back of the truck, he opened the tailgate and surveyed the two prisoners. Maryann was going to be so happy with him!
Arlene came over and held out the dagger. "What am I supposed to do with this?" Her black eyes reflected the light from the front porch, and Terry stared at his own reflection.
"Just give it to Maryann," he said. "She'll know what to do."
"Do with what?" came a voice from the porch. They both turned and saw Maryann standing there in a dark, navy-blue dress. Her hair was slightly wild, and she looked at the pair with anticipation.
"I brought you this knife," Arlene said, holding out the dagger with both hands, like a supplicant before a god.
"And what do I need a knife for?" Maryann replied petulantly; she didn't want these yokels wasting her time.
"I brought you what you asked for," Terry said proudly and grabbed one of Sam's ankles, pulling him to the edge of the truck bed and sitting him up.
When the bound man came into view, Maryann was overjoyed. "Well, well, Sam Merlotte. I've been looking for you," she laughed.
Sam struggled with his bonds again; he really didn't want to be here with Maryann. She stepped off the porch and approached the shifter. Her feet were bare, but she ignored the feeling of the gravel under her toes; she had been waiting for this for a long time.
She gave Sam a once-over and then saw the second bound figure in the back of the truck. "Who is this?" she turned to Terry.
"She was with Sam, so we figured you'd know what to do with her," Terry replied, a little nervous that he had made the wrong call.
"That's Sookie Stackhouse," Arlene said helpfully. She still held the dagger out as if to hand it to Maryann at any moment.
"Sookie Stackhouse!" Maryann was delighted; these two had done a fabulous job!
"Sookie Stackhouse." There was a rush of air, and Lorena stood next to Maryann with her fangs bared. "I've heard so much about you."
"Get them both inside," Maryann ordered Terry and Arlene. The pair hauled Sookie and Sam out of the truck and through the red front door.
Maryann turned to Lorena, "I told you I'd get her for you."
Lorena looked dismissively at the maenad, "And you did. What do you want? A congratulations party?"
"The elixir." Maryann's eyes were wide and desperate.
"After Sookie is dead." Lorena didn't want any mistakes this time.
"We will have a joint sacrifice then. I will not delay my communion with The God Who Comes just so you can have your little party with that telepath." Maryann wanted to get this show on the road.
"Done. But we will wait until tomorrow because first light is only an hour away." Lorena turned and walked back into the house.
Maryann followed, disliking how Lorena ordered her around. She muttered quietly, "Fine."
A/N: I will have the next chapter up at the end of next week but if you REVIEW it might be up faster *wink wink* Reviews make me a happy writer! -E