"Yes." Russell Edgington bellowed down the phone.
"We have some information. It's not about Stackhouse." Russell could hear the trepidation in their voices.
"Let's hear it."
"The only Stackhouse we have laid eyes on so far is the sister, we followed her to the family home. A vampire is walking around in the daylight. As we speak, he is out on the porch with the grandmother... they are discussing the French Revolution.
"Describe the vampire." Russell was slowly rising from his seat. The news was too much for him to remain still.
"He looks young, appears to be in his early twenties, has short dark hair, and is intimate with the sister."
"Godric," Russell whispered excitedly. Now his want of Jason Stackhouse had gone up a few notches. "Anything about the boy at all." Desperation had crept into his voice.
"Nothing so far. He is neither at the precinct nor the family home. We so far do not know where he lives.
"What about his bonded?" Russell asked.
"We have not seen her either."
"I think it's safe to say the couple is away. Stay put; do not draw attention to yourselves until they show up. The minute they show, call me." Russell hung up with a smile. Their blood was apparently far more potent than he first thought. Russell stared at the light-tight window; he'd been up for hours and yet was still confined to artificial light. After three thousand years he would now get to see the sun. Godric was basking in the sunlight because he happened to have been at the right place at the right time. Everyone knew the Gaul's relationship with the AP. He would not be the least bit surprised to learn she had something to do with it. Misery had surrounded the Gaul for nearly a century, and now he was sunshine and happiness, literally. No, Russell would soon enjoy the same comforts. Hell, the idea of walking in the sun again might just get Talbot to forgive him after he ruined his birthday party.
"Well done." Jason snarked.
"Thank you." The one named Michael answered. Eric stared at Jason with something akin to fear, he had just learned Jason could glamour them as well. A vampire could glamour weres, but it was nowhere near as effective as Jason's. The two weres currently chained up in Fangtasia's basement, sat there as though there was nothing amiss. They had accepted Jason's command with zero resistance.
"We will keep them chained down here, but they are to be fed and watered. When they go back to Russell, nothing can appear amiss." Godric warned.
"One more thing and I hate to do this. Russell must be pushed over the edge. Therefore, Talbot must go. We need the AVL to come to us for assistance." He added.
As much as they all hated the idea, it was the best plan. Russell's sanity must be pushed beyond what the AVL and Council could tolerate. Godric knew he was the only vampire capable of taking Russell on. Russell was a warmonger; he had inserted himself in wars for over two millennia and was something of a strategist and quite the fighter. No, he had to be systematically destroyed, and to prevent a war breaking out on their neighboring state; the AVL must be seen to have authorized his true death. Sophie Anne was ready to take over Mississippi, and with Godric on her side, no one would object.
Sookie bolted to the door the second it rang. To her utter disappointment, it was Eric, instead of the pizza delivery guy. She was on the verge of dying of starvation if he didn't come soon. Just as she was about to shut the door behind Eric, she saw the delivery driver. "About time." She murmured. Godric chuckled under his breath from his position on the sofa.
"That's seventy-two dollars." Sookie handed over eighty dollars.
"Keep the change." Eric grabbed the two bottles of Coca-Cola and helped her inside. She had two large pizzas, various side dishes, a chocolate lava cake and two tubs of ice cream. "Any longer and you would be giving me mouth to mouth."
"Shame." Godric quipped. Sookie spread the food around on the coffee table and dug in. Godric had gotten used to how much the siblings could put away. Using their gifts drained them of energy, which was quickly replenished with food.
Eric new to the sight in front of him just stared with his mouth open.
"Any news on Edgington?" Sookie took a second from stuffing her face to listen.
"Not since we sent the two weres back. It appears from the information he received, Russell is unsure about how to proceed." Eric answered.
"Good," Sookie muttered. "The longer he has to wait, the more careless he will become." She added.
"We can only hope that is the case." Godric grabbed the remote to turn up the TV.
"Rev. Newlin, there is no basis to these accusations." Nan Flanagan retorts with an eye roll.
"She really needs to play him at his own game," Sookie mutters angrily. "She needs a push." Neither Godric nor Eric had any idea what Sookie meant.
"Godric, could you get me that station's number." The more Sookie watched, the more irate she became about Nan Flanagan's performance. Steve Newlin was winning because he was feeding into the lies everyone already believed. Simply put, the man was fear-mongering, and it was working. Hell, the presenter's body was turned towards Newlin. Nan Flanagan seemed more focused on her phone than the debate.
"I'm going to regret this, but I have the number." Godric handed over his phone.
"Thanks, baby... this is one of those phones that can't be traced, right?" She batted her eyelashes at him. It didn't work, never had, but Godric also never failed to find it amusing.
"Yes, it can't be traced."
"Excellent." Sookie chirped and dialed the number in question. Sookie had almost given up when the phone was finally answered. "Ahh, thought you lot would never pick up." Her southern accent became more pronounced. "My name is Susannah, I used to work at a vamp bar years ago when Rev. Newlin came in begging the owner to be turned into a vampire."
"I'm sorry... what." The woman on the other end stuttered excitedly.
"Yes, hell, the vamp lady on your show knows all about it." Eric and Godric quickly figuring out where it was going started texting Nan Flanagan.
"Yeah, the vamp that owned the bar told him that the vamp leaders had sent a message to imprison anyone that changed Newlin. Newlin had apparently gone to them saying how much it would disgrace his father and destroy the Fellowship of the Sun when his own son had willingly become a vamp."
"I see." The woman on the other end muttered. "I'm guessing they figured no one would believe he was willingly turned and people would really turn against vamps."
"That's exactly what the vamp told Newlin," Sookie said with a smile.
"Could you please hold? Don't hang up... just wait."
"Sure thing," Sookie said with a shrug.
Godric could see Nan's featured contort into that of annoyance as she clearly didn't understand what she was reading just yet. "Tell her to play along." Godric offered.
The presenter turned excitedly towards the viewers. "We have a young lady on the phone by the name of Susannah. She has some information for us. I believe this will be of great interest to our viewers. "Susannah, you are on the air."
"Okay, no one told me I was gon be on the air. " Sookie snarled although she was smiling.
"I'm sorry about that, but I'm sure you can understand why we had to rush."
"Whatever." There was a disturbance on the line.
"Miss, could you lower the volume of your TV and move back until the noise stops." The presenter said, struggling to control his excitement. He had expected this to be a debate that got nowhere and achieved nothing. Except this phone call had changed it all. All of a sudden, Newlin's agenda wasn't so sanctimonious.
"Look, like I was telling the lady. Newlin beside you there spent years desperate to become a vamp."
"THAT IS A BALD-FACED LIE." Steve Newlin blustered getting on his feet. "That is a lie, and there is not a shred of proof."
"Godric rushed out of the room." He came back with another phone in hand, texting furiously.
"Except it isn't." Nan Flanagan said in a bored tone.
"What." The presenter was barely keeping it together.
"He came to us when his father was still the head of the church. He wanted to become a vampire, desperate will be more accurate. It's rare for anyone to walk up to the AVL and asked to become a vampire, and any that do are turned away. He then told us who he was, and who his father was. We then realized that not only could we not turn him even if we wanted to, no one else could. We sent an email to all sheriffs warning of dire consequences for anyone who changed him. We are well aware of the fact that he visited several vampire establishments begging to be changed. Next, we heard his father dies in a car crash, and he is the head of the church. Maybe you haven't noticed, but I have been thoroughly bored with this interview from the get-go."
"Because you knew what this was truly about." The presenter turned to look at Newlin with a raised eyebrow.
"Where is the proof," Steve growled.
"That is..." The presenter's hands went to his earpiece. "We apparently have another caller on the phone." The presenter damn near shot out of his seat.
"Okay. I'm here with my laptop." Everyone jumped at the sound of Jason's voice.
"What the hell? Scared me half to death." Sookie groused.
"Not my fault you were so focused on the TV you weren't paying attention to anything else." He said with a shrug.
"I need to write an email and send it, but I need the date on the email dated at least a couple of years ago. Can you do that?"
"Yes." Jason chuckled. He had been watching the debate when he got Godric's text, so he had an idea of what was happening.
"It's Crystal," Eric murmured in disbelief.
"All she needed was a little push to fuck him over. Her mind is a fucking mess of contradictions. Never heard one person argue with themselves so much even though the answer is right in front of them." Sookie cheered.
"This was what you'd been hoping for. This was what you meant when you said she needed a little push."
"Yep, now get ready to call and offer her protection and to keep her job if she still wants it." Eric, at that moment, realized his games would never have worked on her. She had just more than likely ended Steve Newlin, the church might go on without him, but it will never have the respect it did now.
"A year of my life seeing that everything he had ever preached was a damn lie. Every time I called to report, he would say they are just putting on a show, and I would think for whom. I was just never brave enough to ask." Crystal's anger was clear as day. "Them vamps at the bar, come in... drink their true blood, dance with anyone, have a laugh, and go home. At the end of the night, they walk me to my car because they say it wasn't beyond some people to attack me just because I work there. I ain't saying there aren't bad vampires, but there are also bad humans. Like the one that attacked me, It was a vampire who saved my life that day. That man is nothing but a lying piece of shit who could never get it straight why he didn't like vampires, but now I guess I know why. You are a fucking hypocrite." Crystal's breathing was labored.
"Now call before she hangs up," Sookie ordered Eric.
"Rev. Newlin, it has not escaped my notice that you haven't called Crystal a lie."
"BECAUSE I AINT LYING." She screamed.
"Reverend." The presenter tried again.
"I have the email we sent to the sheriffs if you'd like to read it." Nan just looked beyond smug.
"We apparently have another caller on the line." Steve Newlin visibly shrunk in his seat. It was a miracle he was still seated listening. Then again walking out would make it worse.
"My name is Eric Northman, I am sheriff of Shreveport, Louisiana, and the owner of Fangtasia."
"Sheriff, I am so sorry." Crystal started crying.
"Crystal, listen to me. Someone is on the way to get you right now. You need to pack what you need for now quickly. I have texted you his name and description. The job at the bar is still yours if you want it."
"I do, sheriff." She sniffed. "I'm already packed. I know how he works, anyone that goes against him ends up getting hurt. Don't blame that woman for not wanting to be on the air."
"Crystal, are you saying the church hurts people that don't play by the book." The presenter blurted out in disbelief.
Nan Flanagan scoffed in derision. "You people are so busy looking at us, you fail to look at yourselves. Where were you during his campaign of hate against us? Burning down vampire businesses, following law-abiding vampires' homes and burning their houses in the daytime."
"Why have you not said anything?" The presenter asked.
"Until his own people started calling in, would you have believed me?" The presenter shook his head sheepishly.
"I have vampire hearing, two more of his people have called with the same story about working undercover in vampire establishments and seeing nothing untoward, and yet he persists we are evil. So evil, you spent a year desperate to be one of us."
Steve Newlin stood up then. "I have never in my life aspired to become one of you filthy animals. You are the spawn of the devil. Your kind needs to be wiped off the face of the earth." Steve Newlin was practically spitting in anger.
"And yet I have the proof if only someone will bring me a computer to print the email in question."
"That will not be necessary." The presenter said much to Newlin's horror. "We have all the evidence we need. Reverend, your own people, are calling in with similar stories. Anyone calls in with something different we will hear them out." The presenter offered.
"You do that. I have a plane to catch." Nan Flanagan said looking incredibly smug. Indeed, the segment had gone over its allotted half hour. "Oh, the AVL website will post a copy of the email if anyone wants to read it."
"Finally, she has proven why she is the spokeswoman for the AVL." Sookie cheered.
"Sookie Stackhouse, you are a dangerous woman." Godric chuckled.
"I simply played him at his own game. He sat up there and did nothing but lie for fifteen minutes. That Nan woman played it well." She grabbed another slice of pizza. "I'm hungry all over again." She complained.
"I'm afraid Nan will soon be paying us a visit," Godric said with a sigh. "You, my dear, have just gotten yourself involved in vampire politics."
"It's safe to say I became involved the minute Hadley told Sophie-Anne about me." She just hoped the AVL wasn't stupid enough to try and disrupt her life with Godric for their own gain.
AN: Sorry about the long wait. Life and medical problems just got on top of me.