A/N: Thank Eric for this chapter! (He helped me out...a lot)
PLEASE R&R!!!
Chapter five - Haunting Memories
SPOV
When I awoke I was curled up on the floor underneath the window and the pounding headache had returned, though this time I knew what had caused it. The combination of crying for what felt like half the night and sleeping on concrete was sure to create some kind of pain. I closed my eyes and tried to go back to sleep wanting to stay unconscious, it was much easier than being left alone with nothing but my thoughts to keep my company, (and to be honest they weren't very good company at the moment.) As I lay there trying not to think about what might be happening to Amelia right now, I heard the door down the hall creak and then click shut. I tried not to get my hopes up...and failed miserably. I pulled myself up onto my knees and then to my feet, clutching the bars I saw Zachary walking towards me, with a strange man. Zachary was staring at me with such a look of regret that my stomach flipped. He knew what was going to happen, what they were going to do to me. I slipped into his thoughts to maybe try to get a heads up.
'I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry' was all I heard, repeated over and over again. I panicked what were they going to do? I shifted my attention to the unknown man. He was shorter than Zachary and solidly built as if he had spent hours in the gym each day, he had long brown hair loosely tied back at the nape of his neck and hazel brown eyes that had a dangerous glint in them, which caused my stomach to do back flips like it was auditioning for a gymnastics class. His facial features were sharp and angular and the scowl on his face looked almost permanent. His thoughts were erratic but all tinged with violence, they skipped from hazy images of a recent horse race to the much more vivid scenes of me, lying battered and bloody on the floor of my cell, surrounded by wood and fire. An ice-cold shiver ran down my spine when I saw those images in his head. He strode up to the bars of my window and gripped them right above where my hands were placed.
"Miss Stackhouse I presume" The man pushed his face right up to the bars when he spoke, so that I could smell his foul breath.
"What do you want with me?" I rasped my throat still sore. The man just laughed at me...no it was much to cruel to be called just a laugh, it was a lot more evil than that. I bit back a rude remark, managing to convince myself that it would only make things worse.
"You don't get to ask me questions you fangbanger whore!" He grinned, having way too much fun taunting me. How dare he call me a fangbanger whore! I'd only ever slept with two vampires and a were-tiger in my entire life, I was not anywhere near deserving of that accusation. "Yeah, that's right we know about your vampire...Eric Northman" My blood ran cold at his name coming out of this murderous man's mouth.
"Who- Who are you?" I asked, needing to at least know who it was that was going to kill me before it happened so that maybe I could somehow send a warning to Eric and Pam. Pam because she was my friend (I hope) and Eric because even if he didn't think much of me I couldn't just let him walk blindly into danger, besides he had to send out the word in-case whoever these people were went after vamps and other supes in the area.
"You don't know? I thought that you would have figured it out by now, you do keep foiling our plans. In Jackson, though that was only a small operation. Rhodes was the real setback." The man grimaced as he recalled what had happened in Rhodes and so did I, for a much different reason though. I remembered the fire engulfing the hotel and Eric wouldn't wake up. I remembered the fear I felt for my life and for the lives of those most important to me, and when Eric finally woke and we threw ourselves from that window trying to save not just us but Pam too, the scent of burning flesh as Eric had experienced the sun again after one thousand years spent in darkness, and I remembered helping rescuers pull survivors from the rubble of the Pyramid of Gizeh hotel, the burnt and mangled bodies of Vampires, Humans, Weres and Demons being pulled out in pieces. All of these images flashed through my mind in rapid succession and I felt faint. My knees buckled and tears threatened to spill down my face but I pulled myself up, closed my eyes, took a deep breath and cast the haunting memories from my mind. Not allowing myself to shed one tear in my captor's presence.
I opened my eyes and stared straight at the man, wishing that the vampires that had survived that blast could know about him. I was never usually one for such violent thoughts but this disgusting creature standing in front of me deserved to suffer for all the death, grief and pain that he had, had a part in creating when he helped blow up that building.
At least I had my answer now, I finally knew who had detained me.
***
Amelia POV
I stuck out my thumb as another car came speeding down the practically deserted road and prayed that it would stop. I could barley walk anymore, not on a sprained ankle anyway. 'I must look terrible' I thought as the car came closer. My shirt was pretty much destroyed by all the dirt on it, I was covered in bruises, dried blood was caked onto my forehead and I was limping down the side of the road trying to hitch-hike. The car was coming closer, and closer, and closer...and drove straight past me without even slowing down. That was the second time that had happened tonight, I mean seriously what was people's problem with helping out someone in need? Okay so I was a complete stranger but I just wanted a lift home, it wasn't like I was a serial killer or anything! I really needed to get home so badly, I needed to get cleaned up and find out what had happened to Sookie. I had to find her, God knows what those men had managed to do to her after they threw me out of their vehicle, their moving vehicle. I had to somehow get a hold of a cell phone and call... Who? Who could I call? Octavia was still in New Orleans, Bill was in Europe, Sam...Sam! I could call him, he could find a way to help! Great now that I had someone to call I just had to get a phone and a way home, not an easy task but I had to do it. If not for myself then for Sookie.
After about ten more minutes of dragging myself along the road, hoping that I was heading in the right direction, I couldn't take the pain in my ankle anymore so I lurched off of the road and curled up in as small a ball as I possibly could. Closing my eyes I vowed to rest for just a minute or two before I continued on.
When I managed to get up the energy to pull myself to my feet, I continued my journey down the empty street. Suddenly the ground in front of me was illuminated by a blindingly bright light that seemed to be coming from behind me, and then I heard the crunch of tyres on gravel slowing to a stop. I spun around as quickly as my injured ankle would allow and saw a bright orange truck stationed directly behind me. As I stood staring, the driver's side window rolled down someone stuck their head out.
"Hey, you need a lift?" A female voice asked from the truck "You don't look so good." I forced myself to limp over to the passenger door and look in. The middle aged woman reached over and opened the door for me from within the truck. The woman had short cropped auburn coloured hair and smoky grey eyes, she had a kind face that seemed so round that it looked almost cherubic and when she smiled she had perfect pearly white teeth.
"Thank-you, thank-you so much Miss" I said gratefully as I hauled myself into the passenger seat, wincing when I knocked my leg on the door frame.
"Sure but...uh...Are you okay?" She questioned, genuine concern showing on her face.
"No, not really but my friend is in trouble. Please Miss I need you to drive me to Bon Temps" I pleaded
"Of course" She replied seemingly shocked at my answer
"Miss?"
"Mrs. Bridges, Annette Bridges" She supplied
"Mrs. Bridges, may I borrow your cell?" I asked desperate to call Sam.
"Sure...ah..."
"Amelia" I said as she passed a small red cell to me. I dialled the number and waited, praying that he would answer.
"Merlotte's bar and grill" A familiar male voice greeted me
"Sam?" I asked
"Yes? Amelia?" He replied obviously oblivious to everything going on. I cried tears of joy at the sound of his voice, it gave me hope.
"Sam, oh Sam, thank god, you have to help" I begged and proceeded to explain everything I could remember, whilst hitching a ride with a generous stranger.
***
EPOV
It was faint, but it was most definitely there, the hum of Sookie in the bond, the feeling of being pulled to her, my bonded was calling to me whether she knew it or not. And I was on my way. I flew over the tarmac in my Corvette, pushing my beloved car to its limit, following the strength of the bond. I was moving as fast as I could towards Sookie but I knew that it wouldn't be enough, dawn would catch me before I could reach my destination. I pushed as much strength and will though the bond to my Sookie as I possibly could, she may have rejected our bond to begin with but I had to help her out somehow and until I found her, this was the best I could do.
Pam had alerted DeCastro to the current dilemma as I requested and the King had reacted with obvious concern, he wouldn't want to lose the valuable telepath now would he? The way that some saw Sookie disgusted me, they saw her as a simple tool and nothing else. Wasn't it obvious that she deserved more than that? She always did more than was asked of her and most of the time requested no repayment, and for what? To be lied to by Compton, betrayed by the Tiger, used by the King and her own brother? She cared too much about people whether they be her best friend or a complete mystery to her; she was always willing to help out at her own expense. She didn't even know me that well when she took me in off of the street without a memory. Yet she willingly took care of me for several days, and shared her home, memories, bed and....heart with me. My Sookie was too sweet and good hearted for all these people in her life who had taken advantage of her, but she had courage, a strong will and a tough skin, she could take an emotional blow and move on. But she was also stubborn and when she had her mind set on something she refused to see reason, even if it was right in front of her.
Her emotions were slowly becoming stronger now, I could feel that she was confused and then shocked and sickened. Then anger so intense that I had never known Sookie to possess paraded through the link that we shared. I tried to send calm but her fury was the much more dominant emotion and I felt my fangs elongate as it influenced me. Any pain that they inflicted or intended to inflict on my bonded was going to go double for them, and it wasn't going to be pretty.
Dawn was quickly becoming much too close for my liking and I had no shelter. With a groan I realised what I would have to do, I had to go to ground for the day. I hadn't had to gone to ground in years and I was not looking forward to it, even the thought of it was incredibly unpleasant but it had to be done. So I found a suitable spot to rest, concealed my Vette and went to ground for the first time in many years.
As the sun pulled me under I forced my last thought through the bond.
'Stay strong'
