Hi!

Finally a new chapter, thank you for waiting patiently for my updates and reading my story. I hope you'll like this one too. Just let me know :)
A special thanks to my two wonderful betas Ancholia and Moonjat54!

The attack of the Manor

The air was terribly cold, his whole body was quivering badly, his breathing hard, leaving a long trail of fog in the dark night. He knees were hurting him, the tie around his hands too tight and his muscles, frozen by the humidity and the cold, were about to let go. Around him, there was only the silence of the night; sometimes the wind blew through the trees making a shivering sound from the leaves. How did he manage to get there, he thought.

Talbot lay in his bed, his clothes still wet and now getting colder. The manor was in a continuous state of movements; sounds of step echoed everywhere since the cars had arrived. Men's voices flew through the corridors, like old ghosts haunting the place. Talbot tried to catch words, but only sounds reached him. He tried to guess how many they were, but their voices were a disturbed mixture. There was only one vampire he could recognize, the only woman in this terrible house, Lola. He remembered that she talked about brothers before he was locked in this room. Who were they?

Suddenly a dark laugh echoed in the walls of the manor and Talbot sat straight in the bed. He knew this voice, he'd heard it before. He tried to concentrate and remember. His eyes opened widely. He remembered; it was the man from the phone calls, from the list, the one who knew about Beth.

He stood up and walked silently towards the door, hoping he could hear their words. Only a manly murmur was to be heard. He pulled his back against the door and looked at his cell. Maybe he could do something, maybe he could finally help.

A sound of steps moving in the stairs reached him. They came up and approached his room. Talbot went back to the bed and looked at the door, his heart beating loudly, his breathing heavy, his hands cold like ice. The door slowly opened and a man appeared. He nodded to Talbot towards the corridor and waited for him to walk ahead.

As Talbot passed him, a shiver ran through his body. He knew that the man behind him was a vampire, like all those who were now waiting for him. Terrible pictures came to his mind that he tried to delete. They arrived in a large dining-room. The table at the center was surrounded by men that he didn't know, only Lola who was standing at the end of it. He knew that his destiny had been decided in this place, where all furniture was covered by dust and white sheets, reminding him of how senseless his life had been.

He stood and waited for his sentence.

The cold voice of his judge finally broke the silence.

"Take him outside and wait for my instructions. They are on their way."

His teeth were chattering against each other. All of his body was trying to warm up every cell, muscles by hard shivers, but the cold was too hard. He tried to move one knee up, hoping that it would ease his pain, but the weight of his body on the other one was too terrible to bear. He hoped that he could sit on his feet but he knew that he was being watched.

Suddenly a sound appeared in the night, blown by the wind. It came closer and Talbot tried to oriente his ear so he could recognize what it was. Then he knew. It was cars approaching.

Fear grew deep in him. He was going to be crushed. He wanted to move away but couldn't because their weapons were surely aimed at him and the sound was getting louder.

Knowing that it was his last hour, Talbot bent down his head, closing his eyes tight behind his dark scarf, thinking of only one thing: forgiveness.

***

They caught their breath, suddenly realizing who was in front of their car. Mick looked around trying to see if the other passengers in the other car were okay. He stared back at the road and saw the pitifull figure of Talbot shaking and waiting desperately for something to happen.

"We can't just leave him there."

Josef sat straight on his seat.

"They are waiting for us to take him, Mick."

"I know that, but we have to."

Josef fixed the poor human sitting on his knees in the middle of the road. The silence around them was intense. Josef knew that he had to make a quick decision before it would be too late.

"Josef!"

"Do you have a suggestion? You're the action man, remember?"

His voice was suddenly high, showing his despair. The tension in the car was growing. Mick finally grabbed his phone and called one of the men sitting in the other car. He gave him precise instructions before hanging up.

The two black cars moved slowly and stopped beside each other: Josef's car on the left side of the road and the other one on the right side. The two drivers looked at each other and started slowly to drive at the same time. Talbot was sitting in the middle and as the cars drove, suddenly one door opened and an arm lifted the human. The cars accelerated and as Josef looked back he saw a figure in the dark watching the cars leaving.

"Turn in the forest, now!"

As Josef ordered the two cars entered in the deep and dark open mouth of the forest.

Mick held Talbot in his arms and moved him to the back of the car. He could hear his heart racing with fear.

"Who is it? Kostan is that you?"

His voice was shaking followed by all the muscles of his wet, tensed body.

Mick took the scarf from his eyes.

"Calm down Talbot."

"St John?"

"Yeah."

Talbot's face softened as he saw who had rescued him. Maybe there was hope, maybe he was given a second chance and maybe he would be forgiven.

Mick turned around and faced the trail that the car was making between the trees. The lights off, the vampires used their own eyes to find a way to the manor. The two black cars moved through the forest, the roots making them jump. Josef and Mick were silent and they knew that the other passengers in the second car were following them in the same state of tension.

Josef suddenly pulled his hand on the driver's shoulder who stopped the car. They were close, their enemies were near, waiting for them. Mick looked at his friend and understood that there was no return.

They silently opened the doors and stepped outside. Henri and the other passengers from the second car joined the others and waited for the instructions. Talbot was still in the car, looking at the vampires. He saw them speak but couldn't hear their voice. He tried to listen but caught nothing. They weren't even murmuring, only their lips moved but no sound or whisper escaped. The vampire's faces were grave, tensed and fully focused on what Mick was telling them.

Talbot looked around; he could only see trees around the cars and the deep night enveloping them. They had found him, saved him but he knew that they wouldn't return now. He knew that they came to France to fight the French family and Lola. What would happen to him? He didn't know but maybe he could help them, make something good… for Beth's sake. Beth… he had betrayed her. He had to tell Mick and Kostan. The French family knew because of him about her.

Mick opened the car's door and took Talbot's arm.

"Come with me."

"What? Why"

Mick sat him carefully at the foot of one tree and kneeled in front of him.

"Listen, we can't take you with us. It will be too dangerous."

"But-"

"Talbot can't you just listen to me for once?!"

Talbot looked at him surprised by his tone. It wasn't anger but resignation. He closed his mouth and finally listened.

"You have to stay here and not move. We are far enough so they won't hear you here. The spies already joined Lola's men in the manor. They will think you're with us, so they won't try to find you at first. Promise me you won't move Talbot."

Talbot couldn't believe it, they were leaving him alone in the dark forest in the middle of the night. His head moved mechanically, not aware of what to do.

"Here, just in case one of them finds you."

Mick handed him a heavy gun.

"It's loaded with silver bullets."

Talbot's hand fell under the heaviness of the gun. He looked at the weapon and realized that he would have to protect himself.

"Don't worry, it will be alright. We'll come back for you."

As Talbot lifted his eyes, he saw a sad smile on Mick's face trying to comfort him but his gaze was showing the opposite. He realized that Mick was losing faith.

Mick stood up and walked towards the cars were the other vampires were waiting for him.

***

The moon shone above the manor. The night was cold and everything seemed tense. The wind stopped blowing through the trees, all the animals had left the surroundings, leaving the house and its inhabitants alone, waiting for the enemy to come.

Dark shadows hidden in the manor were scrutizing the woods. No heartbeats could be heard, no breathing, no life. Only dead figures surrounded by evil thoughts and evil purposes.

A sudden wave of wind came along the road and brushed against the cold stones of the manor making the dead leaves dance a macabre dance on the frozen ground. The soft sound of the wind was followed by motors approaching the gates of the place.

Two black cars appeared from the darkness into the moonlight. The ghosts who had impatiently waited in the manor suddenly sprung out from the windows into the courtyard, their fangs and eyes shining in the silver light of the moon, guns in their hands spitting bullets through the air. Lights from the guns exploded everywhere in the courtyard, finishing their run against the black cars.

The vampires finally stopped shooting and the silence came back around the manor. They stared at the two cars but nothing moved. The tension was still in the air, the wind blew against the stationary and undamaged cars to the vampires waiting for a sign.

Suddenly shadows jumped from the darkness of the woods onto the vampires. They didn't get time to see what was attacking them. Terrible screams and growls rose from the place up to the dark sky. Bodies fell inanimated on the ground, their heads off. The enemy had finally showed up.

***

The wind brushed his soft brown hair and reminded him of the touch of her fingers. He closed his eyes and could see her face, that very first night. The blue and red lights from the police cars, the lights shining through the water behind her as she walked, determination in her eyes. He opened them again and watched the manor. Was it his last night? Would he die without seeing her again? Mick didn't know. For the first time, all his motivation to protect her was lost in doubt. He knew she was safe in L.A with Du Plessis. Beth was a strong woman and she was already a surprising strong vampire. Du Plessis would protect her if something happened to him, he knew that. Mick couldn't live a life without Beth and somehow he thought that she would make it without him. He had no doubt about her love, but she was independant and young. He, on the contrary, had only her in his life.

Mick looked around and saw his fellows waiting like him in the trees for the signal. He closed his eyes and saw her naked under him lying on the couch. It was the last time he'd made love to her. That time, they didn't know it would be the last. Maybe if they had known he would have done things differently; taking her to a place where they would be all alone, making love to her all night, enjoying every part of her body. He knew how she reacted to him but she always surprised him. The desire in her eyes, how her skin turned into a bright colour and how each cell of her body anticipated and ached for his touch. He could lose himself in her. But now he was away from her, in a far foreign country and it was his entire fault. He only wished she understood that. He had to pay for the things he had done and he would die for it.

Suddenly he heard the cars approaching. He opened his eyes and saw Josef watching him. They were ready.

Mick knew that when the cars would enter the courtyard everything would happen fast.

And it did.

As the cars were near the manor, he saw the vampires crash the windows and jump outside, shooting against the cars. Then, as nothing happened, the vampires stopped shooting and waited, just as they did.

Mick turned towards Josef who nodded to them and as the wind blew against them, they all jumped from the trees towards the enemy.

Mick landed on the ground just in front of a tall and muscled vampire and before he had time to react, Mick cut his head off with his silver saber and saw the heavy body slowly fall at his feet. Growls surrounded him and Mick saw other vampires coming from the manor. He was ready to die.

He looked at his companions. Josef's and Cordelia's men fought the vampires just as they were ordered to. Then he saw Henri, the nice French vampire. For the first time Mick realized what this vampire was doing for them. He was fighting his own family and saw all the bravery in his white eyes, blood on his hands, clothes and face. Suddenly all became clear. He wouldn't die here, not before seeing Beth again; holding her in his arms, making love to her and hearing her voice whispering how much she loved him.

He turned his head and saw Josef walk back in the corner of the Manor and as he was about to follow him he caught a smell that he'd smelled before.

Mick instantly stopped and inhaled the air. Then he heard a cold and dark laugh. Oh yes, he knew who it was. Mick looked at the stairs and saw him, watching him back with the same smile he had the first time they'd met on his terrace. Lance.

Mick faced him. He was finally going to get his revenge.