Disclaimer*** No copyright infringement intended. These characters are exclusive property of Charlaine Harris, Alan Ball and HBO.


Sookie rang the doorbell on the small house, not sure exactly what to expect. She could feel Bill and Eric behind her, the tension was palpable. She had been around them in bad situations before, but they were much more on edge tonight. Which for a vampire, was saying quite a bit. If Sookie hadn't known already how serious the situation was, she would have no doubts now. It didn't take long for the door to swing open. A heavy set middle aged man opened the door, peering at her through the screen door, a question on his face. His hair was a little long, and he had at least a days worth of stubble on his face. He was dressed in a dark t-shirt with a button down shirt open over it and some brown work pants, like the kind Jason used to wear when he was on the road crew.

"Can I help you?" he asked, stiffening as he saw the two men standing behind her.

"Hi, My name's Sookie," She said with her brightest smile, "I'm looking for Doug... Alcide Herveaux gave me this address."

He relaxed a little bit at the mention of Alcide's name, but he still was very wary of the vampires standing behind her, although she wasn't sure if he realized they were vampires.

"I'm Doug. Can I ask what this is about?" he asked, still hesitant.

"We wanted to talk to you about what had happened at that parking ramp, the one with the big hole in the cement," Sookie tried to keep her voice light, a smile on her face.

"I already talked with Mr. Herveaux about that. I didn't really have much to tell him. It was almost like I blacked out or something." he was nervous and Sookie couldn't block him very well, why is she here? Why is she asking about that? I thought I did the right thing. I can't afford to lose this job.

"It's okay, Doug. You did exactly what you were supposed to do. Alcide told me what you told him, but I was hoping for a little bit more information. We're here because we need to know what happened and who did the digging. Would you mind if we came inside to talk for a few minutes?" She asked him, sincere in her words as she tried to put him at ease.

"I suppose that would be okay, but I... I just don't remember anything, I don't think I'll be much help," he shook his head as he stepped back from the door.

"Whatever happened that night, vampires were involved. Do you know much about vampires? They did something to your memories and I want to try and help you remember," she told him as she pulled open the screen door, knowing that he would have to officially invite in Bill and Eric, but not sure how he was going to react to vampires. "My friends here, are also vampires."

His eyes widened in fright before she could say more. He took another step back, afraid.

"They have no intention of hurting you, I promise. Vampires are as different as humans, in that some of them are bad, and like to hurt people, but not all of them. These vampires want to try and help undo whatever it was the other vampires did to you. I need you to trust me. Nobody is getting hurt, nobody is getting bit. I'm human and they haven't hurt me," She tried her best to convince him, knowing that if she didn't Bill and Eric could try and glamour him to cooperate, but that would only make their task much harder.

"Could they really figure out what happened? It was like I lost a whole night," He asked, more curious now, instead of afraid, "I don't understand what a vampire would want with digging a hole in a parking garage."

"We're going to try and figure that out, if you'll help us," She told him gently, knowing that she was so close to convincing him. He looked at her, scrutinizing her face, as if he was trying to figure out whether or not to really trust her before turning his gaze on Bill and Eric. She knew Bill and Eric's presence was going to be the challenge, they were certainly a formidable pair, and vampires were still very far from being widely accepted.

"I guess I don't have much choice, if I want to know what really happened. Please, both of you, come in," he said to them as he backed up further from the door. Sookie stepped into the quaint house, with Bill and Eric not too far behind. The house was very simply decorated, it was evident that a single guy lived there. A leather recliner was the centerpiece of the living room with an older floral couch and of course a modern, huge TV.

"Doug, I give you my word that we aren't going to hurt you," Sookie told him as he walked further into the small living room, "But my friend here needs to talk to you, but I'll be right here."

Sookie walked to the couch and sat down, the nervous guard sitting down next to her. She placed her hand on his as he sat, she could sense his nerves, his thoughts were a jumble, he questioned if he had just made a wise decision, he feared for his life... Sookie hated that they were forced to make him feel this way. She continued to speak to him in a reassuring tone, keeping her hand on his as Bill moved closer. Eric hung back, leaning against the archway between the hall and the living room

Bill knelt down in front of him so they were eye to eye. "Doug, my name is Bill... I'm going to ask you some questions."

Doug looked at Bill, making eye contact as he spoke. Sookie could see it working, Bill taking control over him. His thoughts quieted as he focused only on Bill, although she could still see he was frightened. No matter how many times Sookie was witness to a glamour, it still made her a bit nervous... and quite thankful that it couldn't be done to her.

"Doug... Everything is going to be okay, I'm not here to harm you. We need to talk about that night in the parking garage," Bill's voice was smooth, even more lulling thanks to his old fashioned accent and the slowed cadence of his words.

"Which night?" Doug asked, some of the tension seemed to be easing from him.

"The night that the hole was found in the cement. Do you remember that night?" Bill asked.

"I... remember finding the hole," He said matter of factly. Sookie was trying her hardest to pick up any stray thoughts or images from his mind... but so far, she wasn't getting anything.

"What happened before that?" Bill prodded.

"I came into work for the night and was making my rounds like any other night."

"Then what do you remember?" Bill again asked, gently, his eyes still focused on Doug's.

"There was a car... I remember a car pulling up. It wasn't suppose to be there, so I went to go talk to them, to ask them to move along," he said, nodding along with himself as he spoke. Sookie could see it, she got just a flash, it was a dark car... some sort of sedan that was blue or black. She looked over at Bill, giving him a small nod.

"You are doing a great job, Doug. What happened when you talked to the people in the car?"

"Uh... I don't know. I walked over to the car and I can't remember what happened next," Doug shook his head, his voice apologetic.

"It's okay, just try and remember. Anything at all." Bill reached out and placed a hand on Doug's shoulder. They had tried this before. Touch always helped Sookie, and it seemed to help with the glamour sometimes.

"I... I don't remember..." He frowned, thinking hard... which was all Sookie needed. He wasn't thinking in words, but in glimpses, dark flashes that Sookie couldn't make out clearly. There was the shadow of a person walking down a long hallway. A flash of a piece of cement hitting the ground in the coldly lit parking ramp. More things that Sookie couldn't focus on long enough to tell what was happening.

"Sookie?" She heard Bill ask, concern plain in his voice, she didn't know if it was the first time he said her name, she had been so focused on Doug, staring at their hands.

"It's okay... it's working. Keep going, ask him about a dark hallway," she told him, trying to maintain her focus.

"Doug, do you remember being in a dark hallway?" He asked, his hold over Doug never wavering.

"It wasn't dark in the parking ramp, the dark came later," he said, but Sookie didn't get anything new from his mind.

"What do you mean later?" Bill asked.

"After... after the digging," he said.

Sookie gasped as she caught a fleeting glimpse of a body, but it wasn't a normal body, it was bloody and ragged, wasted away, a tarp surrounding it. She closed her eyes, letting go of his hand abruptly as the image sank in. Russell... it had to be Russell.

"Sookie, what is it? What did you hear?" Bill asked, his hand now touching her shoulder instead of Doug's. She opened her eyes to be met with his blue ones, so full of concern.

"I... I think he saw Russell," She said, sure her eyes were wide with fright. He had looked so disgusting, yet frightening, knowing that he truly was still alive.

Bill let go of his hold on Doug, not wanting to hurt him, or fry his brain. "Doug, how are you feeling?" He asked.

"I... what happened?" Doug asked, looking from Bill to Sookie, a question on his face.

"Bill was asking you some questions about the night in the parking ramp, you told us about a car, and digging. Do you remember anything more from that night?" Sookie asked gently, hoping that the flashes she had seen from his mind managed to shake loose some more memories.

"I remember something else... I remember leaving... we had to go somewhere else, taking something away," He furrowed his brow in deep concentration, trying to remember.

"Do you remember where you went?" Eric asked from where he was leaning against the wall, he had been watching quietly, but Sookie could tell his tension level was also climbing.

Doug glanced his way, shaking his head, "I don't know... it was some place dark."

"Keep trying to remember," Sookie said, again taking his hand and closing her eyes. That must have been the dark hallway she had seen. If only they could get another glimpse, she needed to figure out where it was.

Bill had relaxed back, away from Doug. Giving him some space to think. Sookie opened her eyes briefly, long enough to see the two pairs of vampire eyes intent on her. She closed them again, and focused on Doug. His mind felt different now, without the affect of Bill's glamour. It was more chaotic, random thoughts popped into his head... fear was still there 'what am I doing with these vampires?' 'why can't I remember?' 'It sure was dark'... Sookie was having a hard time keeping up.

"Doug, it's okay... just think about the dark," She told him, her eyes still closed, her hand squeezing his in reassurance.

"I... I... it was a building... we took whatever it was to a building!" he exclaimed, excitement in his voice as small pieces of that night came to him.

Sookie opened her eyes to look at him, "Do you remember what the building looked like, or where it was?"

"It was old... abandoned... like a hospital or something," His face contorted in frustration as he tried to think hard. Sookie caught a brief flash of an ominous looking building before it disappeared.

"I know where they went," Eric said suddenly, standing up straight from his place against the wall. Bill and Sookie both turned towards him, waiting for him to continue.

"Where, Eric?" Bill asked quietly.

"There is an abandoned mental hospital, about 75 miles east of here. It's the only thing that fits that description anywhere near by," he said, putting his hands in his pockets as he spoke.

"East of here? There have been a series of disappearances in several towns to the east during the last few days..." Bill paused as he spoke, thinking, "They're feeding him."

"Feeding him?" Sookie asked, a bit confused. She knew vampires needed to feed of course, and if that was really Russell she had seen from Doug's memory, he was in pretty bad shape.

"If they've already been feeding him this long, his recovery won't take much longer, we have to go, now," Bill said, standing up, determination on his face.

"But... but what if he's not still there? And who let him out anyway?" Sookie said, trying her hardest to keep the nervousness out of her voice. She stood from where she had been sitting on the couch, taking a step towards the two vampires.

"Doug, do you remember anything about who took you? Who was in that car?" Bill turned back to Doug.

"I... don't know... I can't remember," he said, shaking his head.

"We should take him with us," Eric's voice rang out, cold.

"What? We can't take him, it's dangerous..." Sookie started to say.

"He's right," Bill interrupted, "He may remember more when we get there, and we need to know who did this."

Sookie was irritated by Bill's statement. It was dangerous, this man had already helped them out more than Sookie thought he would. Now they expected him to trust them enough to just get in a car with some vampires? She drew in a breath, ready to argue, when she saw the look on Bill's face... it stopped her before she could make a sound. Bill often had a serious expression on his face, but this was even more intense. And there was a grim sadness in there too. It almost frightened her. Instead of speaking to Bill, she turned back to Doug.

"Doug, you've already been such a huge help, would you be able to help us just a little bit more?" She asked him gently, seeing the doubt on his face.

"You want me to go with you? To some abandoned hospital?" He asked, his eyebrow raised skeptically.

"We really need to figure out who did this. What was buried in that hole, it was a vampire and it wasn't just any vampire... He's dangerous to everybody in Louisiana, if not the whole world," She said, pulling out the big guns, hoping to convince him. She knew if he didn't agree of his own will, it wouldn't take much for the vampires to decide to just glamour him and bring him along anyway.

"The whole world?"

"The whole world... do you think you can help us a little bit more?" she coaxed gently, much more comfortable with this when they weren't forcing anybody to do things.

"We would greatly appreciate your help," Bill added, softly. His drawl adding to the sincerity of his statement.

x


x

Jessica slowly made her way downstairs, debating with herself about how to handle things. She was very pleased when Bill left her in charge of dealing with Steve Newlin, and she didn't want to disappoint him, but she was also curious... and frankly, a bit lonely. Her break up with Hoyt had taught her many things, and although she was pleased to be given more responsibility from Bill in dealing with his kingdom, she also yearned for some freedom. She had gone from her parent's stifling home very quickly into a Suzy Homemaker relationship with Hoyt... skipping all of the fun.

Not that she wanted to like go on a killing spree or anything, but she did want to at least have some new experiences. Her fling with Jason was an interesting start, but she couldn't just go from her relationship to Hoyt right into a relationship with Jason, that would put her back in the same place, and it wasn't a place she liked. At least not now. Maybe someday settling down with one person would hold more appeal... it had seemed to be what Bill had wanted with Sookie before... but he had over a hundred years of doing whatever he wanted before that... not to mention that he was already older and more experienced than Jessica when he was turned. Although she liked to give him a hard time about his old fashioned notions sometimes, she tried to remember what things had been like before he had been turned. She still couldn't imagine how hard it had been for him to lose his wife and his children. She had felt free, as if she had been given the greatest gift when she had been turned. He had truly released her from an oppressive life, but she always tried to remember that his turning hadn't offered him that kind of relief.

She carried a warmed bottle of Tru Blood down to the holding cells, Steve Newlin stood up quickly as she entered and was next to the silver bars in a blur. She had contemplated being really nice and bringing him actual blood, one of the perks of Bill being King... a seemingly endless supply of fresh human blood, no killin' required. But the way he had been threatening Jason, she wasn't ready to be that nice just yet.

"Well, it is about time. I have been waiting down here for hours," He said as she came to stand in front of the bars.

"Here, I brought you something to drink," She held out the bottle for him to take, careful of the silver bars and on alert in case he tried something funny.

He reached out and took the bottle without incident, although he did scowl at her before taking a sip. Then she couldn't help but laugh as he made that face... what must be the face that every vampire makes when they taste Tru Blood. It really was gross, but it was better than starving.

"Ugh, this is terrible. You call this blood?" He exclaimed, looking at the bottle with disgust.

"It's all you're getting, so deal with it," She said, trying to be matter of fact.

"Even if you're determined to keep me prisoner, I would think you could treat your prisoners better than this. This is the house of the King, is it not?" his voice filled with the righteousness of a TV preacher.

"You will be treated the way you deserve to be treated. What are you doing in Louisiana anyway?" she asked him, crossing her arms over her chest. She was curious about him, but she was trying her best to keep on her toes.

"I told you, I came to see Jason," he said, taking another small sip, again making that face.

"It gets better, well, not better, but you can get used to it," she told him. Remembering the first times she had tried Tru Blood. Bill had been so set on her mainstreaming like he did. But after awhile he had at least tried to help her find a combination of flavors that wasn't as gross. Although she had a hunch that he had been enjoying not having to drink quite so much Tru Blood now that he was King.

"We shouldn't have to get used to it... that's what humans are for," he sneered.

"What do you want with Jason anyway?" She asked him, ignoring his little comment about feeing on humans. She used her vamp speed to pull a chair over closer to the cell and sat down. She could at least talk to him for awhile.

He closed his eyes, a creepy smile crossing his face, "Mmm," he sighed before he opened his eyes and looked back at her, "Jason Stackhouse is a fine specimen of a man. Someone I looked up to. He was a perfect solider. I used to think it was because I wanted to be like him, he had all of the women fawning over him, he was just good at everything. But really, I wanted him."

"What do you mean wanted him?" Jessica asked confused. While she had walked in on Jason and Newlin in a bit of a compromising situation, she knew Jason's lack of clothing had been because she had just left.

"I love him... I finally said it... I love him," He said, his face turning angry, "but he wouldn't love me back."

"You can't just make someone love you," Jess said, not all that surprised by his extreme moods. She remembered having that problem when she was first made... well she still had that problem sometimes, but she could also blame some of that on being a seventeen year old girl. But still, being a new vampire was a very tumultuous time.

"But why? What's the point of being a vampire if I can't do what I want?" He whined, sounding more like the seventeen year old girl in this conversation.

"Because you just can't... besides, Jason is mine. You know what that means right?" She tried to send him what she hoped was a little bit of a menacing glare from where she sat in the chair.

"I know what that means... I'm not completely clueless," he shot her a 'duh' kind of look, which only annoyed her.

"So how did you end up a vampire anyway? You hate vampires," she asked... she'd never talked to another new vampire before.

"I don't hate vampires... I've finally seen the light, or well seen the truth. Vampires are the superior race. I was so wrong with all of the things I had been teaching. Unfortunately, I had been a little overzealous and now I have a legion of followers who would hate me if they found out the truth," He frowned as he finished his sentence. He had been pacing the cell, now finally deciding to sit on the edge of one of the cots.

"What about your maker?" she asked... while she and Bill hadn't gotten off to the best of starts, she couldn't imagine things without him.

"I don't know where she went. I don't even know who she was. It was supposed to be a punishment... but becoming a vampire has been the best thing to ever happen to me," He grinned, until he took another drink of his Tru Blood.

"Please, can I have something else to eat? I'm so hungry. I'll be good, I promise," He told her, his eyes pleading. But Jessica still didn't trust him...not yet.

"That's all we've got right now," she told him, fibbing just a little bit.

He sighed in resignation and took another drink of the Tru Blood. "So what are you going to do with me?" He asked.

"I'm not sure yet. It depends on what you're doing here. I won't let you hurt Jason," she told him, her voice hard as she mentioned Jason.

"I don't want to hurt him... I just needed to see him," he told her, giving her a sad look. He looked so lonely, Jessica understood the feeling. She hadn't had much chance to be around other vampires, at least not younger ones.

"What about hurting other people? That's not allowed around here," She told him, trying to figure out exactly what he was after.

"I don't want to hurt anybody, I just don't want to be all alone," he hung his head, not able to look Jessica in the eye. Jessica was torn... she knew he was going to be impulsive and hard to control, but she was older than him. He sure looked like he was telling the truth about feeling alone even if he had been a little rough with Jason.

She debated with herself... she had told Bill she wasn't going to let him out, but she knew she'd be able to control him if he misbehaved. Although he had tried to attack Bill, she didn't know what to do. She did know she wanted to do something fun tonight, maybe even have a party or something. Would Steve Newlin be a fun addition to a party, or less stress if she just left him locked up?

She stood up from her chair and took a step closer to the silver bars. Steve Newlin looked up at her, his eyes rimmed with red...

x


x

Eric had decided it was his turn to drive, which was fine with Bill, since he knew where they were going. While the guard hadn't remembered much, he was pleased that they had at least gotten a small lead. He was less pleased to be taking Sookie and another human into what could be close contact with Russell Edgington, but he agree with Eric that they didn't have much choice. If he was still there, hopefully that meant he wasn't fully recovered... and if he was already gone, then Sookie wouldn't be walking into danger like usual. He glanced back at her where she and Doug were sitting in the backseat. Neither one had much to say since they got in the car. He could see the fear still on the guards face, Sookie's look was more determination, although he was getting some fear from her too. He hated it... he hated having to put her through this again, but he felt much better being close to her, knowing that she was safe and he was there to protect her.

As they approached the abandoned building, it almost seemed like it was getting darker. Bill could feel something in the air, something very ominous. He didn't like it. The building was in ruins. It was at least four stories, a looming gray presence. The street lights only serving to add to the gloom. He could see several boarded up and broken windows, remnants of construction or perhaps demolition littered the parking lot. Dumpsters haphazardly tipped at strange angles, even an abandoned vehicle or two. It was truly the picture of run down and deserted with the scattering of graffiti typical at these kind of buildings. Created by those teens brave enough to venture into this 'haunted' building.

Eric had shut off the car's headlights as they approached, they didn't want to give themselves away. He stopped the car some distance away, so they could approach more cautiously. There didn't appear to be anyone around, or any kind of guard set up, but you could never be too careful.

"I think this is the place," Sookie whispered from the backseat, "Doug, does this look familiar?"

"I... I've been here before," he said, his voice shaking with fear.

"Stay here, I'm going to check things out, make sure we're not walking into a trap," Eric said suddenly, surprising Bill with his willingness to serve as point man.

"That is a good idea, we will wait for your signal so we can start searching the building. Hopefully we are not too late," Bill told him. With a quick nod, Eric was gone.

"Bill, what to you mean, 'too late' ?" Sookie asked, her brow furrowed in concern.

"If Russell is here, and has not fully recovered, it will be much easier for us to capture him. If he has recovered, the chances of him still being around are very slim, and we will be back to square one with no idea where to go next," Bill told her, trying to lay out all of the facts.

"Oh," was all she said, as she leaned back in her seat with a sigh.

"Doug, do you remember anything else, now that we're here?" Bill asked the man in the back seat.

"I sort of remember this place..." he said, trying to focus, "But that's about it."

He shrugged his shoulders, looking at Bill. Bill could still sense he was afraid, but he seemed more sure of himself than he had earlier in the evening. He was tempted to try glamouring him again, to see if it would unlock any more of his memories... but he didn't want to go too far and mess up his mind. Bill had seen more the once the effects of too much glamour.

Before he could say anything more, Sookie yelped with fright. Bill was instantly on alert, frowning as he saw Eric's face outside Sookie's window. He had appeared so suddenly it had startled her. Bill was not at all surprised. He pushed open his car door and stood, looking over the car to where Eric now stood, grinning, despite the circumstances.

"So, I take it there was no one waiting with silver nets to capture you?" Bill asked him, his voice serious.

"There are a few humans inside the building, although it didn't sound as if they are any real threat. There was also evidence of vampires, you can smell all of the blood from here. But I don't think there is any immediate threat," Eric said, his grin fading into his default bored expression, that Bill had come to realize was his way of hiding his true feelings.

"Do you think Russell is still inside?" Bill asked, scenting the air and taking in the smells of human blood, old and new... and a hint of decay. Whatever was happening in this building, it has been going on for far more than few days. "If he was here at all."

"I don't know, there is only one way to find out," Eric took a step back and leaned down, opening the Sookie's car door.

"Ms. Stackhouse, would you care to accompany us into this lovely building?" He offered his hand as she stepped out of the car, Bill couldn't hide the small smirk that crossed his face as she ignored it. He followed Eric's lead and pulled open the car door for Doug. He handed the man a flashlight, knowing he and Sookie would probably need the light once they were in the darkened building. Eric also handed Sookie small length of silver chain, they had decided it would be best to have silver available, especially if Russell was around. He and Bill both carried silver in their leather jackets.

"We need to do this quietly, you let us know if you remember anything, or if you think we should go a certain way. It's a large building and we don't have all night," Bill told Doug, all he could do was nod in response, taking the flashlight in his shaking hands.

He walked around the car to where Eric and Sookie stood. He glanced briefly at Sookie before turning his attention onto the building.

"Sookie, you also need to tell us if you are hearing something, either from Doug, or from anybody inside this building. We need to find out who's behind this, if we can't find Russell," He told her, unsure of what they were going to find inside.

"Okay. Let's go," She said, her voice not wavering with fear, she was a woman on a mission. She hung the silver chain around her neck for easy access. Bill held back his smile, but damn if she didn't make him proud, ready to take on whatever she needed to.

The foursome made their way quietly towards the building. Bill was on high alert, smelling, listening for anything out of the ordinary. He knew Eric was doing the same thing. They reached what was once the main entrance to the hospital and Eric slowly pushed open the door. Bill was surprised when the old door didn't make a sound. As they stepped inside, they could see the building was in just as bad shape on the inside. Leaves and other debris littered the floors. What was left of the furniture was upturned and broken. Bill could smell the small animals that had made their homes in this building. He heard Sookie gasp as they entered, and turned to see her put her hand on Doug's shoulder. She was listening, trying to see if he remembered something new.

"This is the right place," She said, "I could see it, I think they made him carry Russell."

"What they? Sookie, can you see who was with him?" Bill asked.

"Not clearly... but there was more than one and I think there was a woman, lets keep going," She said, waiting for Bill and Eric to take the lead.

They worked their way farther into the building. The smells were getting stronger, and while Bill would have preferred to avoid whatever the source of the stench was, he knew that was probably exactly where they needed to go. Bill could also hear the heart beats of two maybe three humans somewhere in the building, although it sounded like they were on an upper floor, and didn't seem to be moving around a whole lot. Doug had turned on the flashlight and Bill could see that his hands were still shaking by the wavering beam of light.

They came to a large open room, what must have been a cafeteria or meeting room of some kind. Sookie had taken hold of Doug's hand as they paused in the room, looking for something... anything. It was abandoned, empty, with overturned tables and garbage, like the rest of the building.

"Do you remember coming this way?" She asked him.

"I don't remember this room, I just remember the dark hallway. That's all I can remember," His voice shook. Bill didn't like that he was so afraid, but they had no choice. They needed his help.

"Let's keep moving," Eric said going back out into the hallway, and continuing in the direction of the decaying smell. Bill was also hearing something moving, it was coming from a room at the end of the hall.

They slowed as they approached the door, Eric and Bill pushed open the double set of swinging doors, Bill sucked in a breath as they entered, and really wished he hadn't. The smell was overwhelming, and what they saw before him would have made him sick had he still been human.

"Sookie, stay back," He turned to her, too late.. she had already seen it, she was frozen, her eyes wide. The flashlight clattered to the floor as Doug looked over her shoulder.

It was disgusting, a pile of bodies littered the floor... more than just a few bodies. Whatever was happening here had been going on for far longer than Russell's escape. There were rats climbing over the bodies, although Bill noticed there was very little blood. But the most disturbing thing in the room wasn't the dead bodies, it was the very much alive... well as alive as a vampire could get... vampire that was hanging from some kind of hook in the ceiling. He had long stringy hair, and was simply grunting and kicking, chains rattling as he moved. He was in some sort of straight jacket that they had used to suspend him over the dead bodies. He noticed when they entered the room, but he didn't say anything, he just struggled against his restraints even more, his eyes feral, unfocused. Eric stepped closer to the vampire, cautious of the bodies and the rats, earning a growl from the captive.

"Something is wrong with him," Eric said.

"That's quite obvious, but thanks for pointing that out," Bill said dryly... wanting to get out of this room, to take Sookie out of this room, away from all of this death.

"We should keep moving, we need to check upstairs where the humans are," Bill said as he bent to pick up the flashlight. He handed it back to Doug, urging him to back out of the room. Sookie still stood frozen in place. Bill stopped in front of her, bending his head so his eyes met hers, breaking whatever trance she had been in by the site before them. She blinked several times, her eyes on his, her pupils dilating as she finally closed her eyes and reached for him.

He pulled her into a tight embrace, smelling the freshness of her hair, trying to rid his nose of the smell of death. As he hugged her, he straightened, lifting her feet off the ground and carrying her back into the hallway, her arms wrapped tightly around his shoulders. Her warm face tucked into his neck.

Eric lingered in the room for a few minutes, looking around, perhaps looking for clues. At the moment, Bill didn't really care what he was doing. He set Sookie down, and held her face in his hands, looking into her eyes. Their sharpness had returned, she was still afraid, but she was alert.

"Sweetheart, are you okay?" he asked her, his voice just above a whisper.

"What was that Bill? That room is just awful," She asked, shaking her head, her hands now holding onto his waist as if to keep herself stable.

"I'm not sure, Sookie. I don't know what has been happening in this place, but those bodies... they had been fed on," he told her. Doug was leaning against the far wall, his head down as he took deep slow breaths.

"Fed on? Like by Russell?" Her eyes widened.

"Some of them, probably, but others had been there far too long to have anything to do with Russell."

"What was wrong with that vampire?" She asked. He was glad that she was so full of questions, this was more like Sookie. Her inquisitiveness also served as distraction from what they had seen.

"That, I do not know, but something was very, very wrong."

Eric joined them in the hallway then. "He wouldn't say anything, or more than likely he couldn't. It looks like some sort of trash room."

"Let's check upstairs, the humans aren't doing too much moving around up there. Maybe they know something," Bill told him. Sookie having regained her composure was no longer clinging to him.

Eric took the lead as Bill made sure the guard was doing okay after that bit of shock. They found a stairwell and slowly made their way up. They paused on the second floor, Eric and Bill listening carefully, Eric used his vamp speed to go to the end of the main hallway, but came back quickly, not hearing or seeing anything. The heartbeats Bill could hear seemed to be coming from somewhere on the third story. They stepped into that hallway quietly, not sure what to expect. The humans could be more prisoners, or some kind of guards or who knows what.

This floor smelled of blood, fresh blood... and also... werewolf. Had what was left of Russell's werewolf pack been the ones that had freed him? Bill wondered, how would they have known... but if the guard was glamoured, vampires definitely were involved, too.

He could see Eric tense up, he smelled it too. Before Bill could take a step farther down the hall, Sookie's hand grabbed his, holding on tight. She was nervous, too.

"Are you getting something from them?" He whispered, not wanting to alert the others that they were here, and squeezed her hand in return.

"It's just ugly, angry feelings... something about 'stuck babysitting'... one of them wants some V," she whispered back, her mouth close to his ear. "Almost like werewolves."

"They are," he said as they followed Eric down the hallway. He had motioned for Doug to turn off the flashlight as they reached the top of the stairwell, so it was darker than it had been. Not that Bill really noticed, but he was sure Sookie and Doug were uncomfortable with the blackness.

They came to a corner, and followed Eric around. They were getting closer. Bill could hear two separate people, although any vampires would be tougher to sense. Eric slowed outside one of the doors, there was a were inside... the other one was farther down the hall. Eric disappeared into the room so fast, Sookie jumped, her hand tightening on Bill's. Within seconds, the heart stopped beating. Eric didn't even attempt to question him, which irritated Bill some, but they would have a chance to question the other were.

Eric came back into the hallway, wiping the blood from his mouth, he gave them a fangy grin before moving silently farther down the hallway. They didn't have much time, the were was bound to smell them or sense them eventually, although all of the other smells around here served as good camouflage. There was a light on in one of the rooms farther down the hall. As they got closer, Bill could see from the location and the size of the door that this looked more like a suite of rooms, or a conference room of sorts. It was more than just a simple patient room. As they came to stand outside the room, Eric looked through the dirty glass on the door, knowing that the light on inside the room would make them almost invisible in the hallway.

"Let's question this one," Eric said, Bill nodded. He gave Sookie's hand a final squeeze before he let go, holding a finger to his lips in silent communication that they should stay there and be silent.

He followed Eric into the room, the werewolf was sitting in a chair, his feet up on an old desk. He wore a blue bandana on his head, a plaid shirt with the sleeves cut off, jeans and what looked to be biker boots. He startled when they walked in, almost falling out of his chair before he was on his feet, snarling.

"What are you doing here?" He growled, ready to attack.

"What are YOU doing here?" Eric asked in return, his stance casual, although Bill knew better.

"That's for me to know... fanger," the were said, stepping to the side, as if to circle them for attack. His eyes darted to the door, looking for something in the hallway.

"Are you looking for your friend? I don't think he's going to be able to help you out right now... he's got a real bad headache," Eric grinned, his fangs clicking back into place.

Eric's taunting only seemed to make the were angrier, although Bill had no doubt that he certainly wasn't a match for either of them. They were going to get some answers. They watched as he edged closer to the door, was he going to try and run?

Bill crossed the room at vamp speed, slamming the werewolf up against the wall, his hand on his throat.

"I will ask you again, what are you doin' here?" Bill said, holding the werewolf up by his neck, his hands clawing at Bill's arm. His eyes bugging out in fright.

"I'm just doin' my job," he croaked out. Bill loosened his grip just a fraction so the were could get in a little more air.

"And what job is that?" Eric asked from where he stood over Bill's shoulder.

"None of your business," he sneered.

"It is very much my business," Eric replied, his face inches from the werewolf's, "What... kind... of ... job... are... you... doing?"

It must have been something about how Eric said it, or perhaps the look in his eye, because the were started talking.

"I'm just supposed to feed him... they bring me the bodies and I take 'em in," he said, his eyes frantic, darting around.

"Who is they?" Bill asked.

"I don't know... the first night there was this vampire chick... but after that it's been other weres... not from our pack though... a pack from Mississippi," he choked out the words, still afraid, "I'm not supposed to be telling you this, they're going to kill me."

"This vampire, what did she look like?" Eric asked, intent on the werewolf.

"Uh... I dunno... she was f*ckin' hot though... dark hair..." he tried to shrug from where he was pinned to the wall.

"How often do they come?" Bill asked, wondering how much time they had if there was going to be another 'delivery' tonight.

"Usually every night... sometimes twice if they can find more...uh... donors."

"Has he already been fed for tonight?" Eric asked, seeming to catch on with where Bill was headed.

"Yeah.. they... they came a few hours ago... but they might come back," he told them, starting to struggle against Bill again, growling. He had a feeling they'd gotten all of the information they were going to get. Bill slowly lowered the werewolf to the ground, debating on whether or not to just kill him. Leaving him alive would be a liability...

The decision was made for him when the were lunged at him as he loosened his grip. Although he had caught Bill by surprise, he was young and not very smart. Bill twisted his neck with a sickening crack, irritated by the impulsive werewolf. He and Eric stood over the body.

"Well, that's one way to end an interrogation," Eric deadpanned from beside him. Bill shot him a look before remembering that Sookie was out in the hallway. He cringed, hoping she hadn't been watching. Although if they were ever going to have another chance at being together, she had to accept that he was a killer. He tried to avoid killing when he could, but sometimes, it simply couldn't be helped.

"Should we see what's behind door number two?" Eric said, crossing the room to another closed door.

"Wait, I don't want to leave them in the hallway," Bill pushed open the door, motioning for Sookie and Doug to come in the room. "Stay close."

They followed him as he walked towards Eric, avoiding the random garbage strewn about the room. Blood was splattered across the windows on this set of doors. Bill made sure Sookie was behind him, no telling what they were going to find behind that door.

Eric pushed open one door slowly, on high alert. Russell was still going to be very dangerous. After taking a good look, Eric stepped into the room, Bill followed closely behind. There was a figure in the shadows, lying on a hospital bed.

"Mmm," A familiar voice drawled, sounding very pleased, "It smells like you brought me a most delectable dessert."