Chapter 36

Breathing heavily through a mouth full of blood, Aaron was steadfast in telling them anything and fought through any pain they inflicted on him. "You might as well kill me because you're not getting any information out of me." He growled, spitting blood on the floor right at Caroline's feet.

This wasn't getting them anywhere and Damon grew increasingly frustrated with every minute that ticked by. It was another minute they lost in finding Olivia and the others. Sticking a hot poker in Aaron's chest, punching him relentlessly and even burning his skin with vervain didn't work. Damon wondered what it would take for Aaron to talk or if they should just rip his heart right out of his chest and find another way to find everyone.

"Damon, let me talk to him." Elena said, stepping away from Stefan and sighed when Damon immediately denied her. "Look, violence isn't solving anything and it's only making him more defiant. Let me talk to him."

"What could you possibly have to say to him that we haven't already?" Damon demanded, folding his arms in front of his chest with icy eyes. "Asking him nicely to tell us where his precious wife is won't work." Turning, Damon unfastened his sleeve cuff and began rolling it up his arm, cracking his neck. "He wants to die, so I'm going to oblige him."

"No!" Elena stepped in front of him, pressing her hands against his chest. "If you kill him, then we have no other leads! He's the only one that can tell us where Teresa is, don't you understand that?"

Her pleas fell on deaf ears because Damon was convinced Aaron wouldn't spill his secrets, especially when it meant his wife would end up in danger. "He's not talking, Elena." He said patiently, pushing her to the side gently but firmly and shot his brother a look, telling him clearly to keep her in line.

"Elena, he's right." Stefan placed a hand on her shoulder, sighing when she shrugged him off. "Staying here drilling Aaron isn't helping. We have to find another way."

"But…"

"Sweetheart, we've been at this for hours now and time isn't on our side. The longer we stay here interrogating and torturing him, the chances grow slimmer for Jenna, Olivia, Jeremy and Simone." Stefan reasoned, hoping Elena listened to him because, for once, he did agree with his brother. They couldn't let Aaron live either, it simply wasn't an option.

"Wow brother, for once we're actually on the same side." Damon commented, walking around Elena to stand in front of Aaron and slowly bent his knees until his elbows rested on them, staring into dead eyes. "Any last words before I rip your heart out of your chest and feed it to you, Green?"

"If that is even his real name." Caroline added insult to injury, folding her arms in front of her chest and had zero sympathy for the dick that lied to her from day one. "Don't rip it out fast, Damon. Do it slowly so the pain spreads through every part of his body."

Damon raised an eyebrow at Vampire Barbie and let out a low whistle, flexing his fingers that had pulled countless hearts out of chests. "Why couldn't you be like that when we first met? I would've found you more attractive…" Snapping his fingers, Damon smirked wickedly at a scowling Caroline and couldn't help the next jab. "Oh that's right! You were a weakling human that I used. Vampirism really does suit you better. If I wasn't in love with Olivia, I might try to give us another round."

Barking out a harsh laugh, Caroline tilted her head slightly and had the perfect comeback. "What makes you think I'd give you another round, old timer? Sorry, but I like my men young, not over a century and a half years old."

Everyone besides Aaron started laughing at the stunned expression on Damon's face as Caroline exited the room, flipping her blonde curly hair over her shoulder and went outside for some air. Elena quickly followed her giggling uncontrollably while Alaric and Stefan stayed behind to witness Aaron's final moments…and to make sure he didn't try killing Caroline for those remarks. Never in his life as both a human and vampire had Stefan witnessed his brother be cut down verbally by a woman the way Caroline just did and he officially loved her for it.

"I'm starting to wonder if vampire women have PMS." Damon muttered, brushing off those comments as much as he could and couldn't let his ego get in the way of what was important.

"Back to business." Stefan cleared his throat to try hiding his obvious amusement, not able to wipe the smile from his face.

Nodding, Damon didn't waste another second and went to plunge his hand into Aaron's chest, when a cell phone went off. He stopped and sighed exasperatedly, dropping his head while Stefan sifted through Aaron's green jacket. He tossed it at Alaric and shrugged when the vampire hunter asked if he could go outside to burn it. Damon smirked, snatching the phone from his little brother and looked at the name flashing on the caller ID.

MASTER

"Stef, I think this is the guy he works for." Damon said quickly, glaring over at Aaron and pursed his lips tightly together. "I'm holding this up to your ear and if you try telling your 'master' you're in trouble, I'll end you a lot slower than Vampire Barbie wants."

Aaron gritted his teeth, knowing what that meant and nodded tersely. Damon flipped it open and put the phone on speaker, hoping Caroline had overheard their conversation. If Elena barged back in here now and talked, they're only leverage would be destroyed, which couldn't happen. Stefan simply stood there with a stone face, his arms folded in front of his chest and raised a brow when a deep dark voice sounded over the speakerphone.

"Don't say a word and just listen, boy. I hope you have that she-wolf locked up nice and tight because I have what I want. You keep her sedated with as much wolfsbane as it takes, do NOT under any circumstances let her come here or else. Do we understand each other, Aaron?" The dark voice demanded, causing both Salvatore brothers to snap their eyes straight to Aaron.

Aaron knew he was in trouble as soon as his master mentioned the she-wolf and swallowed hard, deciding not to press his luck further. "I understand, sir. How's Teresa?" He asked, knowing she'd taken off to Atlanta after their plan of luring Olivia to Atlanta and capturing Simone worked. "I take it the plan worked?"

"Teresa is dead. She was weak." The line went dead after those cold words were spoken, a dial tone pulsating around the room.

Aaron couldn't believe what he just heard from his master and closed his eyes tightly shut, leaning back against the chair to try keeping his tears at bay. He killed her. His master promised nothing would happen to her and had lied to him. Aaron was not happy and could feel his broken dead heart icing over, honestly not caring what happened to him anymore.

"Well isn't THAT intriguing." Damon remarked, snapping the lid of Aaron's cell phone closed and pressed it directly against his throat. "So you DO know where Simone is, hmm?"

"Yes." Aaron snarled, his entire body shaking from head to toe from how magnified his only emotion was. Deep searing red anger. "I'll take you to her if you let me go. I'll tell you everything he told me. Please don't kill me until I've had a change to avenge my wife's death. I know I don't deserve it, but…" Sighing heavily, Aaron decided to come clean about how he arrived in Mystic Falls in the first place. "I honestly don't remember how we got here. My wife and I were on our way up to Long Island for our two year anniversary and decided to stop in Virginia for a bit." Spitting more blood out on the floor, Aaron leaned back as his eyes closed, having remembered every single time his master compelled him and Teresa into doing what he wanted. "We met him in Norfolk and he told us he had a much better place we could go besides Long Island. After that, we ended up in Mystic Falls somehow and it wasn't until I was turned into a vampire that all the memories came flowing back to me. He threatened to kill my wife if I didn't listen to everything he said and do what he wanted. He wanted the wolf girl locked up while Teresa lulled Olivia away from Mystic Falls to where he is."

"Do you know where that is?" Stefan demanded, having listened to everything this boy said and couldn't help feeling a shred of pity for him while Damon stared at him with murder in his eyes. "Easy brother, this is valuable information."

"Where did he tell your wife to lure Olivia?" Damon growled, balling a fistful of Aaron's collar in his hand and yanked as hard as the chains would allow him. "Where's the she-wolf?"

"The only thing I know is he told Teresa to head to Georgia, but they wouldn't tell me what town." Aaron grunted out, the shirt cutting into his neck from how tight Damon held it. "The wolf girl is on the outskirts of town. Take these chains off of me and I'll lead you to her. I swear, I won't betray you. That dick told me my wife wouldn't die and he lied to me."

Damon searched his eyes for any sign or indication that he was lying and found none. "If you're lying to us – no scratch that - if you're lying to ME, I will rip your tongue out along with your heart, are we clear?" He stated heatedly and the boy nodded without hesitation, causing Damon to reach into his back pocket for something.

A second later, Aaron was freed of the chains as they all fell from his body just as Tyler, Caroline, Elena and Alaric rejoined them. "What the HELL is going on here?" Tyler demanded angrily, dark eyes flashing and couldn't believe they were letting this bloodsucker go. "Have you lost your MINDS?"

"He came clean about where Simone is and we got a lead on where Olivia and Jeremy went." Then Damon suddenly stumbled back and closed his eyes, the realization crashing over him intensely. "Damn, I can't believe I didn't see it sooner…"

"What?" Elena blinked, the excitement of hearing that they had leads making her adrenaline rise rapidly. "Damon, what is it?"

"Atlanta." Damon knew he didn't have another second to waste or spare, pulling the keys out to his blue 1969 Chevy Camaro Convertible, storming past everyone out of the house.

"Damon, wait!" Stefan flew after his brother, shoving Damon when his brother didn't slow his walking. "You can't go after her yet."

"THE HELL I CAN'T!" Damon roared, shoving Stefan right back and would kill him if it meant he came one step closer to saving Olivia. "Aaron is the one who took Simone, he knows where the wolf girl is. I know where Olivia and Jeremy went. We need to split up and you need to go with them to free Simone. Vampire Barbie is strong, but she's not as strong as you and Aaron can easily get away from her if he chooses. Make sure Tyler keeps him restrained at all times since he's the strongest out of us all." Those words left a bitter taste in Damon's mouth, but it was the truth considering Tyler Lockwood was a hybrid. "Now get the hell out of my way, brother, before I rip YOUR heart out."

Stefan had never witnessed his brother lose his temper quite like this and could see all the unconditional love shining in his eyes for this one human girl. "You're not going alone then. I'll take Aaron to free Simone, but you need backup and I'm not letting you go without taking someone with you."

"I'm going with him." Alaric announced from behind, already having all of his weapons in the car and watched as Damon nodded, clapping him on the back. "We already discussed this and decided if Aaron spilled where Olivia and Jeremy was, we were the ones going after them." Not to mention Jenna was still in danger and in the hands of this 'master' of Aaron's, which didn't settle well with Alaric at all. "Go find Simone and meet us up there. Take Caroline and Elena with you too."

"No, I'm going with you guys." Elena argued, all three men turning to face her and dared any of them to fight her on the decision. "Jeremy is my brother, Jenna is my Aunt and so is Olivia. They are my only family left. I'm going whether you two like it or not."

Damon had learned long ago not to argue with any of Elena's decisions and merely opened the passenger door for her, smiling coldly at his brother. "I'll take care of her and bring everyone back. Join us as soon as you can and try not to get yourselves killed." He walked over to the driver's side and slid behind the wheel while Elena took the backseat, letting Alaric have the front passenger.

"I love you, Stefan, be safe please." Elena reached her hand out through the open window and felt him take her hand, squeezing it as Damon fired up the engine to his Camaro.

"Love you too." He didn't want Elena out of his sight, especially with all the disappearing of people lately, but he wouldn't fight this decision either. "I'll be right behind you."

Damon put the car in reverse and peeled out of there, making a U-turn and headed straight for the highway toward Atlanta. Both Alaric and Elena had worried expressions on their faces, neither of them knowing what to think. So much had happened as Elena watched Mystic Falls fly past her, Damon breaking more than a few driving laws and hoped they didn't get pulled over. Then again, if they did Damon would just compel the officer and keep going on his merry way.

"How do you know they're in Atlanta?" Elena asked after an hour of silence, the question burning on her tongue ever since she heard him say it at Caroline's.

"She told me." Damon answered evenly, keeping one hand on the wheel while reaching in the back for the small cooler he kept in his car. "Damn it, I can't reach it. Elena, hand me one of the blood bags out of that cooler. I need all the strength I can get before we arrive in Atlanta."

Elena didn't argue and handed him one, opening it for him so he didn't have to struggle to do so while driving. She wanted him as strong as possible because he was the only weapon they had, besides Alaric's skilled hunting. That still didn't make him any less human, even with a ring on his finger that protected him from supernatural deaths. It was known as the Gilbert ring and there were two, the other one currently on Jeremy's finger or so Elena hoped.

This was indeed going to be the longest seven hour drive of Elena's life and she hoped they arrived in time before she lost another member of her family.