"I understand what you are asking, but I'm afraid I can't help."
"Godric, there isn't anyone in North America that can take on Russell single-handedly but you. If the AVL decided to intervene, it would be a bloodbath." Godric agreed with him.
"I understand that Roman, but you must also understand I can't have Russell turn his ire on my family and me."
"He will never know." Roman retorted angrily, thinking Godric was using flimsy excuses to get out of helping.
"I'm afraid he would. Russell has a spy in the AVL." The line was quiet for too long.
"And you know this how?" Roman's voice was controlled, but not enough to hide his anger and shock.
"Because I had a spy in Russell's compound up until a few months ago." If Godric revealed his spy were still on the compound, Roman would wonder why Godric didn't know what had brought on Russell's sudden escalation in insanity.
"Do you know who the spy is?"
"Yes." Godric sighed in resignation. "Salome Agrippa, whether you believe me or not matters little to me, but as long as she is by your side, I will not undertake any jobs that are doomed to failure before they have already begun."
"I understand." Godric tossed his phone aside and smiled. He knew if he's played the right hand. He would have killed two birds with one stone. Salome and her ideals could not be allowed to take root. The Sanguinsta Movement must not be allowed to have even the smallest measure of power, or else there would be war. Many human governments would see it as an opportunity to pick off remaining vampires. Without Salome Agrippa, that movement would die soon enough.
"What did Roman want?" Sookie knew precisely what the head of the AVL wanted.
"Russell was causing problems, and no one was sure why. Several vampires had been abducted, and none have been seen since." Godric smirked. "He has done so much in so little time. I had not anticipated such a quick escalation in his further descent into madness." Despite his words, Godric understood why a loss of a bonded could drive a vampire mad. If he lost Sookie, he would promptly follow. He had hoped Russell would spare them the trouble and end his existence, but unfortunately, it was not to be.
"And the other problem?" Sookie marked her page and put her book aside.
"Roman will now keep an eye on Salome. She might not be a spy for Russell, but her actions would reveal the fact that she is a traitor. Russell will soon meet the true death; his actual spy will quickly shift allegiance and side with the AVL. Why reveal yourself when your master is dead? So whoever they are is not a concern."
"Indeed." Sookie murmured. "You do think Eric would want to end Russell himself?" She added.
"Yes, and he can. Whether he will be satisfied with just staking Russell after he has been subdued is another issue. That boy is all about honor in combat." Godric murmured.
"And where was Russell's honor when he murdered an entire family for a fucking trinket?"
"You will get no argument from me." Godric slipped under the sheets and pulled her closer. "I have a couple of hours until the sun pulls me under."
"Pulls you under?" She teased.
"Yes, you don't like the term 'day death,' so I have to find creative ways of saying it." He ran his fingers over her breast. She was in one of his linen shirts as usual; he found the idea of her sleeping in his shirts quite the turn on. Sookie threw her leg over him, opening herself up to him.
Pam stood with some trepidation at the sudden arrival of Russell Edgington. "Russell..." She approached with caution. They all knew what was going on, except for Pam, none of the vampires present in Fangtasia knew the reason why.
"May I speak to Thalia?" It was a question that only required a positive response.
"I'm afraid Thalia is not working today. I will be happy to call her for you." Pam had the phone out before she'd completed the sentence.
"I would appreciate that." Russell could not afford to offend Pam or anyone part of the Gaul's family. Worse, he needed the assistance of Jason Stackhouse to help find the person responsible for Talbot's true death.
He heard the phone ring several times before it was answered. "I am not working today, nor am I available to do whatever this phone call is about." Thalia's annoyance at the disturbance was loud and clear.
"Russell Edgington is here and would like to speak to you," Pam responded. There was a brief pause. "I will be there in a minute." Thalia dropped the call before Pam could respond.
"Would you like to wait in the office?" Russell nodded. Pam led the way, out of the view of the vampires; she allowed a small lift in the corner of her mouth to escape. She knew Eric would have loved to see this, but Godric thought it was best he wasn't around. They had just made it into the office when Thalia arrived with Jason.
"Where is he?" Thalia asked no one in particular.
"Office." Crystal answered.
Thalia walked into the office without knocking. "I need your bonded help?" Russell started with no preamble.
"Then why ask for me." She was well aware vampire rules dictated Russell ask her for Jason's assistance, but Jason was no mere human.
"Yes, I forgot." He turned to Pam. "Is this office soundproof?"
"Yes," Pam answered, looking as confused as the rest. Later, she'd admire their acting brilliance.
Russell's appearance did not come as a surprise to them. Michael had been instructed to wait a few weeks after Talbot's death to suggest the help of Jason, a detective with a one hundred percent arrest and conviction record, something that was unheard of. Russell had naturally first scoffed at the idea as Jason was a homicide detective of the human kind, but Michael's assertion that Jason had solved crimes involving vampires had Russell vamping to Fangtasia to ask for the Fairy's help.
"I'm sure you've heard the rumors about my behavior in Mississippi? Talbot has met the true death, and my attempts to get to the bottom of it is behind it all." Russell looked at Jason. "I am here to seek your help. I believe this is your area of expertise."
"That is right. When did this happen?"
"Thirty-six days ago."
"Thirty-six days... you waited for over a month to ask for my help. What do you expect me to do now? It's practically a cold case now. You should have called me the minute it happened. There is nothing I can do now, even if I believed you." That last line took Russell by surprise.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Oh please, I wasn't born yesterday. You think I don't know about your plans to kidnap me for my blood?" For the first time in his existence, Russell Edgington had been rendered mute. "Yeah, that's what I thought," Jason added.
"That may have been the case, but it is not the case right now. Right now, I need you to help me find the one responsible for the death of my bonded."
"Funny how your bonded is dead right after telling me about your plans to kidnap me." Russell's head snapped up. "Yes, when I gave him my blood, he confessed your intentions to me..."
"Talbot would never betray me." And indeed, he never would, but he wasn't alive to contradict Jason.
"EXCEPT HE DID." Thalia bellowed.
"We were waiting for the ploy that would get me back to your compound, and I have to admit I didn't see this one coming." Jason chuckled. "Come on, let's go." Jason and Thalia walked out of the office with Russell in tow.
"This is not about your blood. Talbot has met the true death and..."
"If indeed he has," Jason turned and faced him. "Your compound is surveilled, and I'm guessing you found nothing on the monitors, meaning only someone who knew exactly where each surveillance camera was positioned and could have avoided it. How about you looking at the very people on your compound? People fast enough to get away when Talbot fell, because your monitors are always watched. Who could fast enough before your people acted?"
"Are you saying a vampire did this?" Russell asked.
"Yes, and I'm looking at him." Jason sneered. "As you said, this is my area of expertise, and I find that in this case, the obvious is the truth. I truly cannot see how an outsider killed Talbot." Jason shrugged as he looked around the bar. It had gone quiet, the music was off, and the vamps had moved as far away from the altercation as they could.
You dare accuse me of Talbot's true death. I had nothing to do with my bonded's death..."
"Not even if it will allow you to walk in the sun?"
"NOT EVEN THAT," Russell shouted. "All you have to do is come to the compound and investigate, and you..."
"Not after thirty-six days, I won't. The trail has gone cold. You and your weres have more than likely trampled over every piece of available evidence. Finally, from where I'm standing, this all points to you as the perp. Waiting this long to approach me alone is enough to convince me of your guilt. Even if I could help, I will not as you have admitted to your plans to kidnap me for my blood."
"You will not help?" Russell's tone sent a shiver down Jason's spine, but he stood his ground.
"No." He grabbed Thalia's hand, and they disappeared.
"He will regret this," Russell growled. Much to Pam's relief, Russell vamped out of the bar after those words. Word would spread; the AVL would soon know why Russell had kidnapped vampires in his state, they had spies everywhere and made no secret about it. It appeared thanks to Jason; Russell would be looking at vampires in his retinue and not the vampire population of Mississippi. Russell will turn on his people, making the takeover of his state an easier endeavor. No one will fight for a monarch torturing his own people. "Turn the music back on." She ordered before disappearing into the office with a smile. Eric would soon have his vengeance.
Three hours after Jason's encounter with Russell, Roman called Godric. "Roman, my answer has not changed.
"It appears Talbot, Russell consort has met the true death."
"I find that hard to believe." Godric scoffed. "He is more protected in and out of that compound than you are to have met the true death." Roman was quiet for too long.
"Then it would appear the assertion that Russell is the culprit is true."
"Why would Russell kill Talbot?"
"Your bonded's brother is wanted by Russell for his blood."
"Ah, walking in the sun," Godric murmured. "That would do it."
"Talbot informed the boy of Russell's plans when the boy gifted him enough blood to have Talbot walk in the sun. What else was said for Talbot to betray Russell was not said, but it would appear Russell hoped to lure the boy to his compound under the pretense of investigating Talbot's death."
"Clever," Godric whispered.
Indeed, and it would have worked had Talbot not told the boy of Russell's plans." Roman sighed. "You might not have wanted to get involved, but you are. Russell will come for the boy sooner or later, but I'd hazard a guess and say sooner."
"My bonded and I are away and left specific instructions not to be disturbed, but it would appear I will be the one disturbing them. We are heading back home. Thanks for the call, Roman."
"To be warned," Roman didn't need to finish.
"And Roman, I have no desire to be king, but I believe Sophie-Anne would be happy to rule our neighboring state."
"How you handle threats to you and yours has no bearing on the Authority. There will be no interference from us. Godric, thanks for your warning a couple of weeks ago, it proved to be most informative. There was more going on that you or I could have imagined." With a smile, Godric ended the call.
"Think we should give Russell a few days to alienate his retinue, and then we can pay him a visit." Godric chuckled.
"I will admit I thought he was going to try and take me right there at the bar," Jason answered with a yawn.
"He would have been a fool to try that in a bar full of vampires who owed him nothing," Eric answered.
"For the next few days, I cannot stress enough just how vigilant you should stay, we cannot give Russell the upper hand now due to carelessness." Godric stared at Eric as he said that. His progeny was the likely one to try and make a rush move. He had done just that so many times before his quest to avenge in his family.
"Understood," Eric replied earnestly.
"Okay, back here tomorrow to strategize." The farmhouse emptied soon after.
"A few more days," Sookie murmured.