I woke the next night to the sound of Eric's voice. I would have preferred it to be coming from his side of the bed, or down in the kitchen talking to Pam or Chow, but it came from the other room, and he kept repeating, "I can't help you if I don't know about the meeting." They were questioning him, which meant that he had found sufficient cover for the day and was still alive. For a little while at least. I heard a slurping sound and turn my head left to see Malia crouched outside the bars, looking in at me as if she planned on eating me for dinner. She was licking thin, red lips that were parted to reveal teeth so sharp and pointed they could give a vampire's blood run cold. She was hungry, but the ache inside me reminded me that I was starving. New vampires tend to eat several times a night, and I hadn't eaten in a few days. I wouldn't last too much longer if the FBI didn't get the answers they wanted, and soon.
I wanted to call out to Hunter again and see if I could talk through him to Remy, but I was certain that Malia would notice my strained face as I tried to focus on the silent conversation. I would have to wait until she left for some more battery acid or whatever it is that she ate. I called out to Barry, hiding my face in my hands as I crouched down against the wall, as far away from Malia as possible. Still nothing. I sat in silence, waiting, listening. I was starting to tune in the previously silent Malia, and what I was receiving was not a language I had ever heard before. I wouldn't even call it a language in all honesty, but a series of beeps like you'd hear in a dying patient's room in a hospital. I would think about her beeps later, so I kept expanding outwards. More static and useless snippets came before I found the room in which they were questioning Eric. The same two men were there that had questioned me, one of them thinking that he'd love to turn in his beer-gut for Eric's perfectly cut abs, and a third stood a few feet away, studying Eric's body language. He was mentally kicking himself; he hadn't predicted the failure of the lie detector test to Eric's lack of pulse. Now he had been reduced to studying body language that had been set in stone over a thousand years ago. He was stumped. There was a fourth in the room, and while I couldn't make out words, I could feel sadness, fear and guilt. This one was Eric. Then, innovation.
"Since I can't help you with information, why don't you tell me what I can do? You're wanting information on the convention, then I will go to the convention and get you information. But I'm going to need help."
He must have been glamouring for all he was worth, because it actually worked. "It's not necessarily information we need from you, Mr. Northman, but action." The silent one from the corner spoke. He was giving up trying to read Eric's body language and listening now for vocal hints. "We have reason to believe that a Fellowship of the Sun splinter group may be trying to infiltrate the convention and repeat what happened in Rhodes." Now I know why they brought me here. I had seen and survived the Rhodes catastrophe before Eric had turned me, and Barry and I were able to save a lot of people by joining hands and searching for their thoughts. I also had more experience with the Fellowship of the Sun than I cared to say, and the thought of another run in made me so angry I could spit.
"So we go to this convention and look out for Fellowship members?" Eric said, bored.
"We? Who exactly is "we", Mr. Northman?" The man said again.
"My constituents and I. I would not take on such a task alone." They were lapping up every word. "Here's what's going to happen. You're going to release Miss Stackhouse and myself, and any other vampires you are holding here, regardless of reason. You're then going to charter a plane to take Miss Stackhouse, myself, and two others to this convention. An armed agent will be on the plane with us to ensure our safe arrival, and your agents will be looking around the building for Fellowship members, staying out of the actual convention unless summoned by one of my people. Then I will be paid fifty thousand dollars for my services and Miss Stackhouse and I will never be contacted again by your agency. Is this clear?" The three men agreed simultaneously and I could see through the tall man's eyes as he pulled out the keys to the silver handcuffs Eric wore from his pocket. Moments later, Eric was free, and shortly afterwards, I was too. I had no idea how Eric was able to make these things happen, but I was sure glad he was.
"Sookie, my love, I was so worried. Are you all right?" Eric said, his big hands cupping my face. He planted his lips gently on my forehead and hungry and scared as I was, I closed my eyes to enjoy it. I felt a tear escape my right eye, and I wiped it away as quickly as I could.
"I'm fine." I choked out. " I'm so glad they didn't kill you." I had never been so glad to see him in either of my lives. "Can we go home now?" I didn't think I could make it by myself, and I hated to ask for help. I knew he would do anything for me, but I still felt a little embarrassed to ask. Thanks to the blood bond, I didn't have to. Before I could finish another thought, Eric had thrown me over his shoulder and was walking away from the warehouse.