Time frame: Years after "From Dead to Worse"

This is a companion piece following "Family", "Bowling for Vampires" and "Leather Underwear" Please read the end of Family or you will be extremely confused.

Disclaimer: I don't have any claim on any characters in the Sookie Universe. Please don't sue me. The other characters are my own creation and just wanted to play with them for a while.

A/N: I am going to warn you all in advance. There are parts of this chapter that may not very pleasant. She is going to be tortured. I'll try to keep the details as muted as possible, but we are dealing with psychotic zealots here.

Stay with me folks…

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Chapter 8

Life is full of choices. Unfortunately, I've found that there aren't always good choices available. Sometimes you just choose the lesser of the two. Sometimes you don't even have a choice. I know they say there is always a choice. I don't believe there is. Sometimes you just have to endure the lot that you've been given and move on. I guess that's a choice in its own right.

I've never feared pain. If I felt it, it only meant that I was still alive. Feeling meant living.

Of course the knowledge that my body will soon mend itself is reassuring but not by much. It still hurts until it heals. My mind takes a little longer to catch up, but it gets there-eventually.

Endure it, move on and hope that your mind forgives you for what you've chosen to do to survive.

Let's face it. Sometimes your choices just plain suck.

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My body fell with a thud onto the hard wood floor. I must have fallen asleep in my chair. Pushing myself up on my elbow, I rubbed my shoulder which caught the brunt of the impact. Why do all of these places have hard floors? Looking at the bleach marks on the surface I answered my own question. Blood is a bitch to clean off carpet.

"I see that you are finally awake, Ms. McCallen. Sleep well?" asked a very tall man with short blond hair, tanned skin, a square jaw and piercing gray eyes. He was dressed in a charcoal suit with a red tie. He was sitting in front of me with his knees apart.

"I felt like I was sleeping on clouds. Thank you, Mr..."

"James. Call me James and I don't appreciate sarcasm."

"Well, James don't ask stupid questions if you aren't prepared for an appropriate comeback then." I snapped back.

He smiled. "You are spirited. I like that. Makes it more enjoyable when I finally break you."

"Yeah, like that's gonna happen."

He rose to his full height.

"Wow, you're tall." was all I could think of saying. He grinned at me. I guess he thought I was giving him a compliment.

He offered me his hand.

"Come, let's get you cleaned up."

"What's the point?"

"The point is I don't wish you to soil my sheets..at least not yet."

Gack.

I put my hands on my lap. "I think I'll stay here then."

James strode over and yanked me up. "You will learn obedience, whore."

"Whore? Where did you get that from? I don't sleep around."

"You are the unholy concubine to death itself. That makes you a whore."

"I think Webster's would differ with you on the definition."

He stared at me for a moment and then he laughed.

"You and I are going to have so much fun." he said and tossed me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

I tried to focus again as my face banged against his back.

Move something, Ally. Anything. I told myself.

Nothing.

We went past several sets of guards as we moved down the hallway. I made a mental note of how many I'd seen. So far only twelve, each and every one of them leering at me as we passed.

He finally let me down when we got to the elevators.

I figured we were in a an old office building. Maybe a warehouse?

He pushed 2 on the elevator panel -the highest floor. I noticed the elevator inspection tag. "100 Corporate Center drive." We were in downtown Shreveport. I quickly looked down at my feet.

When the doors opened James grabbed me by the elbow and shoved me into a dark room. When he turned on the lights, I noticed it was one of those executive office suites that had been converted into a bedroom. There was still an outline where a file cabinet used to be.

There were assorted sexual devices next to a mahogany box on the night stand and black satin sheets on the bed.

Freaky.

He moved me into the bathroom. It had a narrow shower stall with a clear glass enclosure.

"Now strip." he ordered.

"No." I said crossing my arms across my chest.

"Now!"

"No way."

He spun me around and grabbing the fabric on the front, ripped off my tank top.

I sat down cross legged on the bathroom tile and folded my arms back around my chest. I wasn't going to make this easy for him.

He looked down at me furiously and stormed out. A couple of minutes later he returned, with a syringe in his hand. I balked.

"I would prefer you lucid during this, but you leave me no choice."

If I have any chance to get out of here, I needed to have a clear head. I need to give my body time for the drugs to wear off.

Mentally preparing myself for what I was about to do, I stood up.

"Wait!" I said gently grabbing his arm. The one holding the syringe. "I'll do it. Just no more drugs. They make me want to throw up." I smiled at him weakly.

He lowered his hand. Leaning over he kissed me hard, forcing his tongue in my mouth. I just stood there not moving trying to will myself not to throw up all over him. He pulled back and looked at me. He was smiling again.

Whispering in my ear he said, "Fine. No more drugs. Now strip for me- slowly."

I did as he ordered, an errant tear running down my cheek as he licked his lips.

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Bill was the first to arrive at the bar. It was closing time and Sam was just cleaning up.

Bill scanned around and spotted her. Arlene. Without a word, he grabbed her kicking and screaming into the parking lot. Sam ran out.

"What the hell Bill! You can't harass my staff this way!" he yelled.

"Ally's been kidnapped. I know this woman and her associates did it. I smelled her scent at her doorway. They plan to kill her." Sam walked up to Arlene and pulled her from Bill's grasp. Before she could smile smugly at Bill, Sam stood in front of her and growled.

"Tell us where they've taken her, Arlene."

"Go to hell."

"You are really stupid you know that. You are an accomplice to murder. They will put you in jail. Think of your kids, Arlene." Sam said firmly in his attempt to reason with her.

"Y'all can't prove nothin'. I've been here all night. I've got plenty of people who will vouch for me."

Seconds later Bill's hand was on her throat and he was slowly applying more pressure.

"Bill!" screamed Sookie. "Don't do it."

"Whore" swore Arlene kicking her legs. That only made Bill squeeze harder.

"Would you just shut up Arlene!?!" said Sookie throwing her arms up in the air.

Pam grabbed Bill's arm. "As much as it pains me to say this Bill, you can't kill her. We need her to talk. Let Sookie try."

Bill reluctantly let her go dropping her on her behind.

Sookie reached down to grab Arlene's hand. She jerked it away. Bill and Pam held her still.

After a few minutes, she shook her head. " Her thoughts are very jumbled. I can't make head or tails of it."

Just then, Cole's car pulls up. Running towards them he stops in front of Arlene.

"Who called you here?" Growled Bill.

"I did." said Sookie. "He says he can help us." Then looking at Cole, "I'm sorry, this woman here is the only lead we had and she's not talking."

"Who says she needs to talk?" said Cole as he narrowed his eyes on her. Seconds later, he said. "Paper. I need paper and a pen." Sam rushed inside and emerged with a legal pad and a pen as requested. Cole started scribbling furiously on the pad.

"She can go. I have all the information we need." he said finally. Sookie peered at the notepad. There was an address and a list of names with a person named James Ellwood circled on the top of the page.

"How did you..." she asked.

"I'll explain later. We need to go now."

Pam and Sookie went back to Pam's car and Bill jumped into the passenger seat with Cole.

As they sped off, Sam helped Arlene up.

"If you have an ounce of intelligence left in that head of yours Arlene, you'll forget this ever happened."

"Or what?" she spat.

"Or someone might tip off your friends who told Sookie where Ally was."

She stood up and swallowed hard. Finally she nodded.

"Oh, and Arlene..."

"What?" she snapped turning around.

"You're fired."

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His hands were all over me in the shower as was his mouth. When the shower was over, he dried me off and walked me over to the bed.

"Lay down on your stomach, whore."

I did as he asked my face turned towards the wall. It had a painting of a family on the beach. He move to the side table and opened the wooden box. He took out four pairs of handcuffs.

"Move and I'll kill you, understand?" I nodded.

Securing my wrists and ankles to the bed posts I heard James move onto the bed behind me. I heard a snapping noise and then a burning smell.

I wasn't prepared for what happened next. It was both a stabbing and a stinging pain that radiated from my lower back to the rest of my body with a hiss.

"Just preparing you for the fires of Hell in which you are going to." he spat. About a minute later when the pain subsided I felt it again, on my shoulder only this time he jammed his fingers inside me while he did it. I could feel his erection pressing against the back of my thigh as he leaned forward.

I didn't cry out. I didn't scream. I just looked at the painting on the wall, wishing so much that I could be there.

The assault seemed endless, but I stared on.

The painting starts to move.

I heard a crash downstairs and James stilled on top of me. Pulling his fingers out me, he moves down off me and is standing again. He opens the drawer and pulls out a gun and backs up to the corner of the room.

Shouting and growling below, then screaming. Seconds later the door bursts open, the sudden rush of air renewing the stings on my back.

"Oh my God." I heard someone gasp. Cole.

I suddenly feel cool fingers around my ankle holding it still. A few tugs and a pinging noise and I was free. A minute later, the rest of my restraints were broken as I lay limp on the bed.

A face moves in front of mine. Bill.

"Hi." was all I could manage to say.

"Oh my darling." he whispers his hand on my cheek. I close my eyes and breathe in his scent. He takes off his shirt and throws it over me. Gathering me to him he picks me up. I let out a small cry as his arms touched the sores. He lowers me gently to my feet. I look around and see Cole and Pam and Sookie standing there.

"Where's James?" I asked.

They all turned to him, still standing naked in the corner pointing his gun at us.

"Let me go, or I'll shoot."

Bill was instantly there and in one swift stroke, ripped James throat out. James made a slight gurgling noise as he dropped to his knees, then fell forward, dead.

I start to sway. Cole wraps his arms around me to steady me. I dared not to look at his face for the anguish I knew lay there.

Straightening up, I button up Bill's shirt on me. Sookie hands me my underwear and jeans from the bathroom. I gingerly pulled them on grateful that the boys had turned around.

Pam was sniffing the air sensing something. Her eyes opened wide.

"We need to get out of here. NOW!"

Bill scoops me up and we all rush down the stairs. Funny I didn't notice them before.

"What's wrong?" I ask Pam who was just in front of us.

"Bomb." she said quickly.

"How much time?" asked Bill.

"Not much." she answered slowing down to pick up Sookie.

We barely made it to the door when I heard it. The loud thud followed by a thunderous rumble.

"MOVE IT!" she shouted and everyone jumped forward.

I felt the heat of the blast behind me.

Then I felt Bill's grip tighten on me and Cole's hand grip my arm.

I felt a jolt run through my body like a circuit had been completed.

Closing my eyes, the air around me stills as I enveloped us in calm.

I suddenly felt very tired as I drifted into blackness once again.

TBC