We arrived in Dallas by private jet and were greeted by Isabel and Ferrell as we departed the plane.
"Eric, I am glad you are here." Isabel offered.
"I wish it were under better circumstances. Isabel, Ferrell, this is Sookie. She will be helping locate and recover Godric. We will begin our investigation at dusk tomorrow night." They did not ask how she could help and I did not offer.
"Thank you. We are very restless about his disappearance. Please, get in. We will take you to our nest. We have arranged quarters for you as requested." Isabel gestured to the vehicle. I requested a light safe suite with a large bed and accommodations for a human to remain within during the day.
We arrived in less than thirty minutes and Eric and I were both surprised by the sheer numbers. Close to twenty area vampires are gathered at the nest. Our surprise must have shown. "Some have been here since he went missing. Others are here for your arrival." Isabel's tone lightened. "He spoke very highly of his only child, his viking, Erikir." She smiles at him.
When we enter it as if the music has been cut, everyone stops to stare at us. Eric nods to the crowd, takes my hand and escorts me down a long hall. Isabel, Farrell, and two other vampires follow us. Eric opens a door at the end of the hall and they enter and take seats around a large conference table.
"Does anyone have more to add than what we know already?" Eric began.
"No." Isabel states firmly. "We only know that he was here at sunset. I was only gone a few hours. Farrell was already here when I returned. He arrived only a few minutes before I did. He was not concerned over Godric's absence since everyone thought he was to be issuing a punishment that night. According to the donors he fed and left them shortly after I left to settle our affairs. There is a very narrow time frame for him to disappear. Perhaps 7:00pm to 9:00pm and quite conveniently all of our security cameras malfunctioned for this time period and other measures show no sign of entry into the nest, forced or otherwise until Farrell's return.."
"Very well. I will spend tomorrow night running my own investigation. Let us all meet back here in two night's time. I will have an opinion on a course of action by then. I know he still lives the bond is intact." All the vampires around the table seem to shudder in understanding. Eric does not make a big deal of Sookie's presence, her skills, or purpose for being here.
Eric and Sookie retire for the night in very luxurious quarters. They often let others believe they are together. It just makes things easier and protects Sookie from unwanted advances. At first Eric would take the floor but soon the two took comfort in the simple joy of cuddling. The first few times Eric attempted more but he soon settled for cuddling only and it was an indulgent comfort to them both.
They fell asleep in a heap.
Sookie woke, stretched, and then got ready for her day. She showered and dressed then sat near Eric on the bed. She relaxed and cast her mental net out. There were about a dozen minds buzzing around. Their thoughts ranged from personal hygiene to geometry. She filtered through each persons thoughts and flipped through there surface memories. She walked through their minds for several hours and when she was nearly complete she saw it. A roguishly handsome young looking vampire was being dragged through this nest unconscious. I follow this trail of thoughts. Isabel's face; it is her human. She refuses to turn him. He is angry. He conspires with the church. He drugs the donor he knows Isabel to favor. She is supposed to be home alone with him. She will feed from the donor because he is angry at her. She will be poisoned. He had already programmed the video interruption weeks ago no one would ever suspect him. He will take her to the church. They will sacrifice her on Easter morning services. Something goes wrong. Isabel leaves. Godric drinks from the donor. He never drinks from them. Don't waste opportunity. Take Godric instead. I am brought from my trance by Eric shaking me. My face is wet I have been crying. I lunge into his arms and cry, so much cruelty.
"Sshh. Shh. Your tears make me weak. Tell me what has upset you so. What have you discovered?" Eric rocks me in his lap, stroking my back.
"FOTs have him. I do not know where he is being held, in their Dallas compound most likely, and I could not sense if there are other plots or traps planned. We should get close to their church tonight. I will be able to listen in; we should be able to get enough to make a plan. If we are lucky I will be able to locate him and pop him out then we will not have to enter the vile 'christian church' at all."
"How did this happen?"
I recount what I gleaned from Hugo's mind. Eric is furious. We decide to deal with Hugo and his handiwork after we recover Godric. Since no one here knows about me then no one will think we have learned any more than they have by now, so this gives us this night at least to work on our own.
Eric dresses and he flies us to a woody outcropping edging a field that borders the behemoth church's parking lot. I sit down and let my mind expand. It is jilting at first to open myself to so many minds. Eric interrupts me before I can begin my reading. "Is he in there?"
"I am not certain yet. Give me just a few minutes Eric."
I focus back on the minds in the church. They are very excited. They are having a lock in tonight to celebrate their capture of a vampire. Their pastor is very happy they spent the money to build the silver level in the basement of the compound. They will hear a guest speaker explain how to best kill or subdue vampires. I pushed my disgust aside and followed the thoughts about the silver level. Pictures; everything is silver. Doors, walls, tables, all silver. Only church pastor and reverend Newlin can access level; pastor too afraid to go down there. Dear Lord, he has been down there alone and surrounded by silver for two weeks.
Eric hears my heart rate pick up and smells my tears before my traitor eyes let them escape. "Sookie, what is it? Tell me."
I cannot let him know. He will rush into rescue and kill everyone. The fall out would be horrendous though it may seem worth it in this moment. "Eric do you trust me?"
"Why?"
"No why's Eric. Do you trust me?"
"Yes."
"Good. I am going in. I have located him. I will bring him to the room we stayed in last night." Eric looks at me strangely.
"We can seek retribution at a later time. He will need blood; lots of blood, Eric. Be ready. You have approximately ten minutes; make the others believe we are in the room with you; I'd hate to have to explain myself to everyone so early in our visit."
Her words were sinking into my mind and they felt sour and wrong. I did not want to believe them yet my body rushed with urgency to complete the task she had given me. In that moment I knew I loved her. She may never love me as I love her but she would always have my heart. It registered with my undead heart what my mind refused to comprehend. She was saving me and my maker from his fallen state and avoiding a potential media nightmare. She was keeping hurt from me, saving me from myself, and saving my maker; a debt I would forever endeavor to repay.
I rushed back to the nest and glammoured three donors into sitting in my room. I filled the mini fridge from the main kitchen with two dozen Royalty blends. I glammoured another donor into believing she had seen Godric in my quarters and that he sent her to tell Isabel to have every area vampire in his area here at this location, one hour after sunset tomorrow night and that he would speak with her then as well; not the usual task for a blood bag but it would suffice for tonight, besides, the others were not here now so no one will notice how Godric returned. I locked down my room after my preparations were complete. I did not want any vamps scenting her and losing control after Sookie returned with my maker. She is able to control her scent, unless she is using her magic for other things like teleporting, which is one of the reasons she limits her use of it around vamps but this situation called for her specific talents.
