Sookie promptly ignored the sports car, deciding to bring the flowers and the letter in first. The letter was in a large, bulky envelope which she placed on the kitchen table while she put the flowers in a vase. She then sat down to read whatever Eric had left for her. She opened the envelope and found a set of keys, a title, and a brief note that the registration would be in the mail soon. Then there was a letter from Eric.

"Dear One,

I hope you like the car, as it will be your new company vehicle. Don't argue with me about the title, it is easiest to have everything in your name. And honestly I do not have time to fight about it right now, though I am open to arguments at a later date.

As I said, Pam and I have had to leave the country a lot sooner than we thought we would. I can give you more details when I call, but for now it's best that they not be on paper, even if I have your property being guarded at all times. I will call when I am first able to do so. Stay in the house, answer the door for no one but Lafayette during the day, and James in the evening. I will explain everything when it is safe to do so. Trust me on this, please. Your safety is my number one concern.

Yours,

Eric"

There was a knock at the door as Sookie finished reading the letter, causing her to jump and drop it on the table. She picked it up and tucked it into her robe before grabbing her shotgun on the way to the door, peering out on to the porch. Thankfully, it was only Lafayette. She opened the door, feeling relieved.

"Lafayette, thank God. I just got Eric's letter and I'm freakin' out. What's goin' on?"

Lafeyette eyed the shotgun with approval before answering. "Hookah, I wish I knew. We got a call from blondie at 3 in the motherfucking morning saying we needed to keep an eye on you for the next few days. Wherever they is, it must be pretty fuckin' far away because his dead self is awake in the afternoon and telling me to get my black ass over here to find out why you isn't answering your damn phone."

"What? My phone hasn't been ringing."

Lafayette just raised an eyebrow, "You might wanna go check?" She turned and went upstairs, Lafayette trailing behind her. "Seriously Sooks, what the hell's he got you doin' now?"

"He's just protecting me. He thinks now that Bill and Alcide are dead and Sam's gone, there's no one left but him to look out for me."

"Like yo' cute little fairy self needs a man to protect you," Lafayette interjected, rolling his eyes.

"Well, it's the fairy part that makes it more dangerous to be honest. Besides, I think this is a temporary thing, but something I can't talk about, sorry."

"Hey, no complaints here. I done had enough with this vampire shit."

"Hope you're not tellin' that to James," she replied saucily.

"Now, you know there be exceptions to everything. Now hurry up before his ass calls me again. He a grumpy motherfucker when he worried about you."

They had reached Sookie's room and she made a bee-line for her nightstand. Sure enough, she had over 20 missed calls from Eric and a handful of text messages. "What the fuck? The volume's off. Shit. Okay, Lafayette, you can probably go. I'm gonna call him now."

"Nuh uh, sweet thang. My ass be stayin' right here til the big bad blonde tells me I can leave."

Sookie rolled her eyes and re-dialed Eric's last missed call. He answered almost immediately. "Sookie! Where have you been? I've been trying to reach you for an hour and a half."

"I've been here, I must have turned the sound off on my phone. I'm sorry. What's up?"

"You need to gather some supplies for about two days worth of time and retreat down to my 'cubby,' as you like to refer to it, and lock it with the code you'll see when you close the doors from the inside. As soon as we land, things are going to get ugly. For us, and for you possibly. I built that space in your home not only for me to use, but for you to use in an emergency. Take your phone, computer and chargers down with you. There is a small bathroom for you to use behind a hidden wall, the button is on the wall behind the ladder. Once you are inside, there is another button on the wall by the lamp, that will open a panel which has access to a security network with monitors for cameras around the house and property. Before you ask, the only way to access that footage is from inside that room, and as you know I've never been in that room with my memories intact so you will be the first one to turn the cameras on. There are basic food rations stored in the drawers under the bed, and water in the bathroom but bring anything else you think you'll need while you are down there. I don't anticipate this lasting any longer than a couple of days but I cannot predict everything."

To say Sookie was overwhelmed was an understatement. "Eric, what's going on? You didn't mention anything last night and now you've left the country and are sending me into a panic room for two days? What the fuck?"

"I know, and I'm sorry. If I had the time right now I would tell you everything but we will be landing in a little more than an hour and I have much to do, as it will be dawn where we are going shortly after that. Promise me you will do this, and call me to verify you have the security monitors up and running before I go to ground for the day? I will explain everything when it is safe to do so, I swear."

Sookie rubbed her temples, but knew there was nothing to do but what he was asking of her. "Fine. I'm real frustrated, but I know you wouldn't be asking me to do this if it weren't important. I'll call you back within the hour."

"Thank you Sookie. Please tell Lafayette the same and give him your keys for both cars. I'm having a couple of associates come by to move your cars off of the property so it does not appear as though you are home. Once he's delivered the keys, he is free to go."

"Tell him yourself, I'm not a messaging service," she retorted, handing the phone to Lafayette. She turned to pull out a suitcase and start gathering some clothes, then went into her bathroom to gather some toiletries. As she came back out, Lafayette was hanging up the phone, smirking.

"He says to tell you it was nice talking to Fairy Sookie, whatever that means."

Sookie could only laugh, remembering their conversation in her kitchen, ages ago. She had been so angry with him, but he always found a way to make her laugh even when she was furious with him. Leave it to him to use that conversation to make her laugh now. She took what she'd gathered from her room and they went downstairs. She grabbed her keys by the door and went into the kitchen where she'd left the keys to the new car. She sighed, "You're gonna get to drive that thing before I am."

"What, that little sex-machine in front is yours?" he asked, eyebrow raised.

"Yeah, long story. I'm gonna get some things from in here, then I'll head down. If you wanna go wait for whoever Eric is sending, you can."

"Okay, Sooks. You call me if any shit goes down. Mind you, my ass ain't coming over if it happens during the day, but I'll have James come check in on you when the sun goes down. But you call no matter what, you hear?"

"I will. Thanks, Lafayette."

"Bitch, please. You's about the only family I got left. We gotta look out for each other. Speaking of which, you want me to tell Jason anything?"

"No. No sense in worryin' him, besides I think he might have a good thing goin' with that friend of his. I don't wanna mess it up by dragging him into this."

"Aight, well I'mma be outside but you had best be locked away before I leave," he pulled her into a hug. "You just remember to call me."

"I promise," she said, returning his hug heartily. "Thanks again, Lafayette."

He just nodded, eyebrows raised, before heading out the front door.

It took Sookie six trips to get all of the things she wanted to take with her down into the cubby. Eric hadn't built it for ease of access, but that was understandable, considering its purpose. When she finally got the last of it loaded down into the room, she closed the external door, then turned to the panel on the side to input the code that would lock it. To her surprise, a concrete divider slid down in place between her and the external door, effectively blocking the entrance. Satisfied, she climbed down and prepared to settle in for what would most likely turn out to be a lengthy wait for nothing to happen.

First thing, she hit the button Eric had said would open up the bathroom, just to make sure it was there. It was. It was simple, but had a toilet, a sink and a shower stall. Next she went to find the button he said would set up the security system. After she pressed it, a panel in the wall opened up to reveal a bank of monitors, covering her front door, kitchen door, living room, the entrance to the cubby, and exterior shots of the house, and one facing out from the house onto the driveway. On this she could see Lafayette talking to two young men she didn't recognize, giving them her keys. They wasted no time getting in her cars and driving away, while a car she hadn't seen before followed them. She assumed it was the car they'd arrived in. Next she saw Lafayette, who'd kept the rest of her keys on her main key chain, approach the front door and lock it before getting into his own car and driving away.

She pulled out her laptop, as she had a suspicion, then pulled out her phone and dialled Eric.

"Sookie."

"Eric. I'm sealed into the cubby. Those guys came and got my cars, and Lafayette locked up before he left. Now can you please tell me what's going on?"

"I do not have time, we will be landing soon and I will have to hustle to get to ground before the sun comes up."

This is what Sookie had been hoping he'd say. While she was by no means computer savvy, she knew how to use Google and typed in 'Where is the sun coming up right now?', which brought up a Day and Night World Map. She clicked on it and reviewed the map quickly. "So I'm going to guess you're in Japan?"

His silence told her everything she needed to know about the look that was on his face. "How could you possibly know that?"

"Come on, Eric. Any idiot can use the internet to find out where the sun is coming up at next. So I'm gonna guess this little emergency has something to do with your guests?"

"Yes. The organization we are dealing with is a lot bigger than just the envoy we had in Shreveport. Pam and I were visited by members of their contingency plan this morning, which is what prompted our departure. A couple of hours ago, our sources revealed that other members were aware of you and what you know, which is why you need to hide. We believe them to be contracted to the corporation our main visitor owned. If we can sever this contract, they will leave. They are mercenaries and if we can take away their monetary incentive, they will no longer be interested in pursuing this matter."

"Well, fuck me," she said, quietly.

"Gladly, were I there," Eric muttered, but without feeling.

She glanced back up at the monitors. "Shit."

"What is it?"

"Two cars just pulled up in front of the house."

"Anyone you recognize?"

"No. A bunch of them are getting out now."

"How many?"

"Looks like ten, all Japanese."

Eric swore. "Stay on the line."

Sookie watched as they looked around the driveway, then she watched on the various external cameras as six of them circled the house, standing guard as four approached the front door. They tried the handle, but it was locked. She watched in horror as they picked the lock and opened the door.

"Eric, please tell me this cubby is soundproof?"

"Why?"

"Because they're in the house," she whispered.