All Hell Breaks Loose
Chapter 60: No More Mister Nice Guy
Eric held Sookie close to his chest and rubbed the back of her head as he listened to the news from Steve.
"We have failed," Steve said softly as he stared at his phone. "Three people are dead and several more are injured because we didn't warn in time."
"Don't say that," Jason told him. "Look at all the people we have saved." He pointed at the large crowds as they were dividing up and getting into their cars, vans, trucks and SUVs. "You warned a whole lot of other people. Failure means not saving anyone."
"You did well," Eric said to him.
"The best thing we can do is pray for those who died and who are hurt," Anya said. "And continue to warn the others."
"Keep calling," Ismene said and held up her own phone. "We will also call." She dialed a number and held the phone to her ear. Valentino and Anya also pulled out phones and dialed.
"I have to keep going," Steve said as he dialed another number.
"I need to call Pam," Eric said as he looked into Sookie's eyes. "I need to let her know what has happened."
"Go on," Sookie said as she slipped out of his embrace and walked over to where Alcide and Jason stood.
Eric quickly dialed the number to the mansion. He had hoped Pam would be the one to answer, but instead it was Bill.
"Hello?" Bill answered. "Eric?"
"Hello, Bill," Eric said. "Where is Pam?"
"Still watching her movies," Bill said. His tone was low and dull. "I do believe we have gone to commercial though."
"Then put her on," Eric commanded. He waited while he heard Bill call Pam's name and could hear the phone being passed to her.
"Eric, what's wrong?" Pam asked.
"Someone decided to have a blast down here," Eric said. "In the literal sense." He explained to her what Sookie had heard, how everyone was told to evacuate and that Steve had called the Authority and the AVL and informed them that the other carnival sites in the other states might also have some explosives set up and. He finished by telling her that one had gone off and asked her to call Helena.
"I am glad you and Steve are safe," Pam said.
"You sound proud of him."
"I am. Now get home soon."
Eric hung up and turned back to the others. Steve, Ismene, Valentino and Anya were still talking on the phone and the others were looking at him and at the entrance. The blaring sounds of sirens were heard and several police officers and ambulances made their way along with a fire truck
"Looks like they caught someone," Jason said as he pointed at the entrance.
Several members of security were dragging three people in handcuffs. A few of the cops followed with two more people in handcuffs. Two of them were vampires and the other three had color to their faces. They were either weres or witches.
"What are they going to do with them?" Jessica asked.
"I believe they will be taken down town and questioned," Jason said as he placed his hands on his hips. "Don't matter what they are. If they want to be treated like American citizens then will be subject to our penile system."
"If vampires are involved then it can't be the Fellowship of the Sun," Alcide said.
"We'll figure it out when we get back to the mansion," Eric said. "Let's go."
Eric was the last one out of the car when Cassidy pulled up to the mansion. His small group of himself, Cassidy, Valentino and Hailey were the first to arrive. The other vampire had finished his calls while in the middle of the drive.
"We are not going to know for sure are we?" Hailey asked. She was still clutching onto the teddy bear that she had won.
"Do you think Pam will let us watch the news?" Valentino asked and he removed the ridiculous hat from his head.
"There is more than one TV in the place," Cassidy told him. She was holding onto her spin art and one of those glow wands that ended in the multiple filament strands, giving the wand the appearance of a sea anemone.
"She will listen to me," Eric said as the second car pulled up.
Lawrence was the first out of the car, followed by Anya and Ismene who was still on the phone. She had her fangs out as she was talking.
"She is quite frantic," Anya explained.
Lawrence had turned on the car lock when Jason's truck had pulled up and everyone that rode with him tumbled out. Steve was also still on the phone.
"Okay," Steve said as he leaned against the van. "Just let me know as soon as you have heard anything. I'm prepared to give me statement for the masses. Thank you." He hung up. "I need a drink." His fangs extracted.
"Everyone come inside," Anya said and pointed to the door. "I'll heat up some Tru Bloods for everyone."
As soon as Eric had stepped inside he was pulled into an embrace by Pam. "I am glad to see you as well."
"Do not scare me again like that," Pam told him. "You should not have gone to that event."
"I went because I wanted to," Eric said as he dropped the hat and beard he wore on the nearest end table and removed his coat. "And you know what I do when I want something."
"You get it," Bill said and glared at him in a disapproving manner. "No matter what the stakes are."
"It was fine, Bill," Anya assured him before she pat the top of his head. "We are all unharmed and everyone at the carnival is safe."
"At least the one we attended," Lawrence added before Hailey smacked the side of his head. "What?"
"He still feels guilty," Hailey said softly and nodded towards Steve's direction.
"Steve Newlin," Pam said as she approached Steve. "I have heard how you alerted everyone to this new terrorist attack."
"I wasn't fast enough," Steve said and looked down.
"Those are what we call casualties of war," Pam said as she stroked his chin, jealous glances from both Jason and Jessica. "You have made me proud tonight."
The words had some effect because Steve smiled. "Thank you for saying that." He held up a rose made out of velvet. "Bought this for you at the carnival."
"This will look nice in my coffin," Pam said and kissed Steve on the forehead.
"I got you something, Bill," Jessica said. She handed Bill a long wrap around snake like dragon. "You can bend him and fold him and wear him across your shoulders or around your arm like this." She wrapped the dragon around Bill's arm.
"Thank you, Jessica," Bill said with a smile. He held out his arm and admired the dragon from all angles before he hugged Jessca. He walked over to Sookie. "How are you?"
"I'm fine," Sookie told him. "We do have some hungry vampires here."
"And I have what they need," Anya said. She came running back with several bottles of Tru Blood and handed them out to everyone before she sat down on the couch and took a sip from her own.
"This is what I needed," Steve said after he had finished chugging down.
"Do we know who is at fault?" Alcide asked.
"It is obvious," Eric said as he stared into the eyes of everyone, except for Hailey. She was not in the room for some reason and then remembered that she was half human and still had needs. "This is Russell's work."
"If it is then why did he stop?" Jessica asked. "Why did he tell his minions to abort the mission?"
"Now that is a good question," Jason told her. "Why would he do that?"
"I have a good idea," Eric said and waited until all eyes were on him again. "The play was televised?"
"Yes it was," Sookie said. "I saw the cameras."
"Russell is watching the various broadcasts," Eric continued. "He wants to watch when everything blew up but he saw the play and he saw Ismene. He did not want his Maker to be harmed."
"He still respects me," Ismene said.
"Do you think he will listen to you?" Bill asked her.
"I am not certain," Ismene said as she held up her bottle of Tru Blood. "The Authority certainly didn't."
"He is no fan of the Authority," Eric reminded her. "He is more of a fan of the old ways, before the Authority."
"So she is going to tell him to stop?" Alcide asked. "And will he?"
"Won't be that simple," Valentino said and shook his head. "They would have a reasonable discussion. It will be long and they will both argue their points, weigh the pros and cons and then he might listen to her." He paused to take a long drink from his bottle. "Then again he might not."
"Then what?" Jessica asked.
"Then we will kill him," Valentino answered after a shrug. "Although I believe we were going to kill him anyway."
"How are we going to do that?" Sookie asked. "Have Ismene hold him down and Cassidy lop of his head with her sword?"
"I like that idea," Pam said. Several others agreed with her.
"There will be many in the way," Eric said. "We are going to have to fight his forces until we reach him."
"Call everyone who is willing to fight," Ismene said. "Round up everyone. The vampires, the humans, the weres, the witches, the faeries, the succubae-"
"Where is Hailey?" Pam asked as she looked around.
"Right here," Hailey said as she came from the direction of the kitchen. She was carrying a tray that contained six steaming mugs. "Figured us mortals could use something to drink and there was a huge box of Swiss Miss with marshmallows."
"That is what I need," Jason said as he accepted a mug. "Thank you."
The other mortals selected a cup and once Hailey had hers she set the tray down.
"We will find a way to communicate with them," Ismene said as she punched her palm. "Through message boards, through You Tube, through Facebook and Twitter and E-mails. We will communicate with all of them."
"We need direction," Bill said. "We need to find out where Russell is and I'm sorry that the location has been erased from my mind."
"That wasn't your fault," Jessica reminded him. "We will find him."
"When we do we will contact the others," Eric said. "If it is war he wants then it is war he will get."
A/N: Thank you everyone who has faved and reviewed and put my story on alerts. I love you all.