Eric's Demons
Chapter Nineteen
That this was the first time Eric had let him come out to hunt the Nephilim was a sore point for Olaf. Night after night he had been left to guard Sookie while the others searched far and wide for the enemies who had fled the battle at the steel mill. Night after night he watched the little waitress read, paint her nails, even wax her eyebrows, hardly a man's job.
Fortunately she was good company, and after a while he found himself interested in her conversation. She wanted to learn all she could about the Nephilim, about vampires, and about Eric. The latter subject was a taboo though, he would never betray any secret his War Chief chose to keep, no matter how persistent she might be. Always, every night, she would ask him something about Eric Northman that he wasn't comfortable answering. Always she let the subject drop when it was clear Olaf would not engage in tittle tattle.
Lucky she couldn't read his mind, he thought.
Finally Ulrich had persuaded the viking to let Olaf have a chance, convincing him that fresh eyes would perhaps see something that they had missed. When they left for the steel mill, site of that epic battle where almost all of his warrior brothers had been slain, Olaf felt relieved that for one night at least he would not have to face her questions.
On ground still stained black by so much spilled blood he strained his senses, trying to pick up anything that would give him a clue as to where their hunt should start. There was nothing here, the trail was long cold. But on the air he smelled something he had not expected.
Smoke.
Without a word he took to the air, Ulrich behind him. There was a comfort in the presence of the scarred old veteran, his last remaining comrade from the battle near Rome. Except for Eric of course. As he followed the thin wisps of smoke he wondered what inane television show Sookie what be talking about with Eric. By now Northman would be bored beyond belief.
Of course they might not be talking, alone in the house it was just possible that they would find some other way to entertain themselves.
Ahead they could see a fire. Olaf could make out the outline of two pick up trucks, could see four or five men moving around the fire, but this far out he couldn't see what they were doing. Setting his feet back on the dirt, feeling rather than seeing that Ulrich had followed him, he began to approach the fire.
Once they were closer he could see that there were indeed five men, some drinking beer from brown glass bottles. There was something on the ground, hidden from view by one of the trucks. Olaf took in the heavy jeans, the practical vests and jackets, the rifles that each man wore slung over his shoulder, and decided they were just hunters. He was going to turn away, leave them to their camping trip, when he heard something that made him pause.
"You can't do this to me, let me go," a voice that sounded strangely like Bill Compton said.
Olaf had only met Bill at the club, and he knew that Sookie had been his human once. Although he hadn't really liked him he thought it best to take a closer look. After all he was a fellow vampire.
Approaching the fire with extreme caution, taking a wide line to get a better view, he was rewarded with a look at what was on the ground between the men.
Bill Compton, he was smug for a moment to have remembered the voice. Bill was sat against the front wheel of a big Mitsubishi, and it looked like he was in a whole world of trouble. They had tied him, and they were draining him.
Feeling his blood rise, outraged at the treatment these hunters were giving a fellow vampire, Olaf pointed to show Ulrich what he had seen. The men seemed nervous, fingering the rifles and constantly scanning the area lit by the fire. Occasionally one would stop and strain his eyes to see into the dark, afraid that he had heard something. On the ground Bill was in a bad way.
Both warriors closed the gap with vampire speed, not caring if the hunters saw them or not. That they didn't was testimony to how useless they were as hunters.
Ulrich gutted the first man from behind, the massive blow carried on with the energy of the charge, splitting the hapless man in two. Beside him Olaf beheaded another man with a single stroke.
Reacting in panic the three men who remained brought their rifles to bear, snapping off rushed wild shots. Then the warriors were on them, snapping the weapons like twigs, disabling the hapless trio. Olaf gutted the hunter nearest him, spilling his bright purple entrails into the dirt. He laughed cruelly as the man tried to stuff them back in with both hands.
On the ground Bill cheered his saviors on as they ripped through the men, disemboweling or maiming each before feeding on them in a frenzy of teeth and blood. Olaf kept one man alive, brought him over to where Bill was still tied down.
"Bet you're hungry."
After he had been freed they took Bill back to town, leaving him at the club. There would be others there who could help him better than they. Besides they had done as much for him as they intended, aware as they were of Eric's dislike for Bill. Better that the viking never know who had rescued Compton from his captors.
Back at the mansion house the warriors saw a rental Ford full of suitcases on the hard standing near the veranda. From inside they could hear Eric and Sookie's raised voices, but not what the couple were discussing. With a shrug that said "I don't care" Ulrich led the way up the wooden steps to the porch, opening the front door. He wasn't all that aware of the blood and gore that both he Olaf were covered in. They had been fighting after all.
Inside Sookie was most definitely aware of it. She stood open mouthed looking at them as they entered before rounding on poor Eric with another tongue lashing.