All Hell Breaks Loose
Chapter 25 On the Road Again
The accommodations for travel could be a lot more comfortable for him, but Bill knew they didn't care or were trying to make the ride as uncomfortable for him as possible. At least the silver wasn't exactly touching his skin and only weighing him down by being draped over his blanket covered body.
They had been traveling since the others had returned after dropping off Sookie, Jessica and Alcide. Gerald and Bill were put onto a the back of a Uhaul truck that contained a coffin for Gerald to sleep in and two blankets, one for Bill to rest on and another to cover him along with the chains.
"How are you feeling?" Gerald Connors asked. He was drinking from a small glass beer bottle that was emptied and replaced with blood, had to be real blood and not any of the synthetic stuff.
"I feel like I want to kill you," Bill answered as he glared into Gerald's eyes. "At least injure you in some fashion."
"My dear Mr. Compton you are not a gracious guest at all."
"Guest?" Bill raised his brows. "I'd hate to see how you treat actual prisoners then."
"You mean that young child? Oh she was a prisoner. There was no mistake in that and she did put up a fight. You should be proud of your Progeny. She even bit my hand and delivered quite the nasty kick right in between Beau's legs. Beau of course had some of her blood, but considering where she kicked him-"
"Enough," Bill snapped. "You are the same monsters who get off on torturing young vampires."
"Not all young vampires," Gerald said and leaned down over Bill s close as possible without touching the silver. "Do not interrupt me again or I will have the blanket under the silver removed."
"Where are we going?" Bill asked. "Will Russell be there? What about this Golden One?"
"We will meet with the others that is true." Gerald took a long sip from his glass. "I suppose you are wondering what this is."
"Blood," Bill stated the obvious.
"Very good but special. This is blood from a vegan and they had been a vegan for at least twenty years. I do taste the hint of some fruit and vegetables."
"Russell does like having gourmets around."
"That he does. When you get to be old as him you have to find new ways of being creative about the way we live. Although I doubt you will get to live as long as him."
"What are you going to do with Sookie's blood?"
"You ask too many questions," Gerald pointed at him. "I should be the one asking you the questions."
"What do you want to ask?"
"The other part of the bargain. We let your friends go free and you give up yourself and tell us where your friend, Eric is."
"Now to tell the truth he really isn't my friend."
"Now why are you telling me details that I really don't care about? All I want to know is the location of Eric Northman."
"I will tell you when we reach our location and only to Russell," Bill said. He had hoped Amelia had informed Eric of his sudden up and running off.
"Fair enough," Gerald said. "Enjoy the ride."
Bon Temps
The piercing blue eyes of Eric were the last Sookie had expected to see when she opened the door and she did not expect the vampire to light up like what when he saw her.
"I missed seeing you," Eric said and reached for her , only pausing because of the border at the entrance way.
"What are you doing here?" Sookie asked. She had thought he was in his safe house.
"Looking for Bill," Eric answered. "And Jessica and when I couldn't find them I came here." He smiled again. "May I come in?"
"This isn't my house."
"Can your brother invite me?"
"You are going to have to ask him." She took a step back and turned around to see Jason standing behind her.
"Well I would invite you," Jason said and folded his arms. "But if only if it is okay with my sister here."
"Sookie, please," Eric said.
"Jason please," Sookie asked.
"Well I could always rescind it," Jason said and relaxed his shoulders. "You can come in, Eric."
"Thank you," Eric said and stepped inside, never taking his eyes off of Sookie. This time he did not reach for her. Sookie threw herself on him and embraced him.
"Bill is going to betray you," she warned as she hugged him.
"I wouldn't expect anything different from him," Eric whispered in her ear.
"I have some Tru Blood's in the fridge," Jason offered. "Mostly B positives since Steve likes them, but there are few other kinds."
"I appreciate the offer," Eric said once he and Sookie had parted and followed Jason into the dining area and paused when he noticed Steve was there, sipping on his bottle of Tru Blood.
"Hello, boss," Steve greeted.
"Steve," Eric said and nodded. "How is Pam?"
"Doing good, gave me some time off after that interview. We did the transference spell and she is officially my Maker now."
"Wait," Jason said and held up a hand. "You can do that?"
"Through a special type of witch," Eric explained.
"The lord might have taken away his sight but gave him a different gift," Steve said. "Did Sookie explain to you what had happened?"
"I believe it is something that involves Jessica," Eric answered and looked toward Sookie for the answers.
"Last night a bunch of werewolves that work for Russell forced themselves into my house," Jason explained. "Jessica and I fought them but they still managed to kidnap us. They drove us to this one location where a second vehicle was and they split us up and took her someplace else and they took me to this abandoned church."
Sookie stepped in along with Steve to tell the older vampire how they along with Alcide came to Jason's rescue, how they were able to fight back against the wolves and staked the one vampire known as Gregor.
"You should be proud of yourself, Steve," Eric said as he put a bottle of Tru Blood into the microwave. "Not often does a younger vampire overpower and older one and give them the True Death, especially a child such as yourself."
"Now I can't take all the credit," Steve said and pointed to Sookie. "She did knock him out for me."
"He healed me with some of his blood," Jason added "and took me to the hospital."
"Sookie you may proceed," Eric said.
"Alcide managed to get the exact location from that one wolf," Sookie said and continued to tell about how she and Alcide tracked down the one address, was captured, thrown in a prison and then were released when Bill arrived. She mentioned how the enemy got blood from her arm, how they were tied up, blind folded and gagged and taken miles away in the middle of nowhere."
"They removed her fangs?" Eric asked in a low voice that was a borderline growl and looked like they were about to crush the bottle he was holding.
"Really burned her mouth and throat," Sookie added. "But she drank some of our blood and we buried her there so the sun wouldn't kill her."
"Bill said he would offer himself and location of where we were staying in exchange for you three?" Eric asked.
"That was what was said between them."
"Jason, may I borrow your phone?" Eric asked.
"Can I ask why?" Jason asked as he gathered up the dishes that were used.
"If Edginton's agents are looking for me they will pose as a danger to our land lady. I need to warn her first and then Pam."
"Sure," Jason said.
"I can warn Pam," Steve said and pulled out his phone. "Seeing as she is now my Maker."
"I appreciate that," Eric said and gave him a pat on the shoulder.
While both vampires were on the phones Sookie broke out the Tupperware and used it to store the uneaten food and put it in the fridge while Jason placed the dishes in the sink. They were unsure of what the next move would be.
"Amelia is packing up a few things," Eric said when he got off the phone. "She has someone to stay with."
"Pam has been warned," Steve added and turned off his phone.
"So now what?" Jason asked.
"We look for Ismene," Eric said. He was still determined on trying to find this ancient vampire.
"We have no idea where she is," Sookie pointed out. "Or where to look."
"I may have been given a clue," Eric said. "Mud."
"Mud?" Sookie and the others repeated.
"Is that a name of a small town or something?" Jason asked.
"Mudville?" Steve offered. "Where Casey lost the game?"
"A possibility," Jason said. "Perhaps she is where there is a lot of mud."
"That could be anywhere," Sookie said and threw up her hands in frustration.
"What about mud slides?" Steve asked.
"The drink?" Asked Jason.
"No," the younger vampire said. "Actual mud slides. We look up to see if there are any mud slides happening in the world right now."
"And cross reference it with some of the vampires in the community," Eric said. "Good thinking young one."
"Are you certain she can help?" Sookie asked.
"I am certain," Eric said. He did not sound that way. "She is all we have right now."
A/N:
Steve is referencing the classic poem, Casey at the Bat.