All Hell Breaks Loose
Chapter 70: Don't Stop Believing
December 19, 2009. Shreveport
Eric sat down in the most comfortable chair in his office. One the legs were a little wobbly and there was an old stain on the cushion but he didn't care. It was his chair and he was in heaven just sitting in it.
"The show is about to begin," Pam said as she sat down with two mugs of warm blood, type AB negative. "Been a while since we had this."
"Indeed," Eric agreed. He did not remove his eyes from the computer screen. The live feed with the Authority was about to start. Bill wasn't with them but Eric had promised to inform him on the results.
There was a small knock on the door, followed by Hailey sticking her head in. "Is it all right if we watch?"
"Who is we?" Pam asked.
"Ginger and I," Hailey answered.
"If she promises not to scream," Pam answered.
"They both can come in," Eric said. He got up and grabbed a couple more chairs and set them in front of the screen. "I don't think you will like what we have to offer to drink."
"That's okay we brought our own," Ginger said as she and Hailey entered with bright red paper cups from Starbucks. "I'm going to be sad when they stop selling these eggnog lattes." She took a long sip.
"At least they always have cocoa," Hailey said as she sat down.
"Try to be quiet," Eric said. "This is important."
The screen came to life a few minutes later and several vampires walked into the room. There were only two original members of the Authority left, Steele and Hartford, both frozen in their early thirties with eyes the color of ice. One was small and wiry and the other tall and square shaped and nearly three thousand years between them.
Helena followed in next. Her dark hair was pulled back into a long braid and she was dressed in a wine colored power suit. A fine leather Gucci purse was in her hands. She had set it down on the floor next to her chair. Before she sat down she glanced up at the camera and nodded.
"We have her back," Pam assured.
"How can we be certain?" Hailey asked.
"Trust me." Pam winked, causing Eric to smile.
Two other vampires followed in. One was tall and had skin the color of mahogany. He had his hair cut short, square jaw set in a perma-scowl. He was simply known as Brockman and he was an old friend of Eric. He was the one who had taught Eric and Godric how to play chess centuries ago.
The second was an Asian female vampire. Eric believed her name to be Chiang. Her hair was done up in a small bun and her expression was an impasse. She took a seat next to Brockman.
The next vampire appeared to have been in his late thirties or early forties when he was turned. He had his dark blond hair tied back into a ponytail and goatee. He dressed all in black except for a crimson tie and matching handkerchief in his left breast pocket.
"Elliot," Eric said as he recognized the former privateer.
"Who is he?" Ginger asked.
"He used to be a pirate," Pam answered.
"Privateer," Eric corrected. "He worked for the English crown and pillaged from the French and Spanish in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries."
"Is that why he looks like an older Orlando Bloom?" Hailey asked. Pam had forced back a snicker and Ginger blinked when she realized the hybrid had a point.
There was singing in the hallway that grew louder.
"Just a city boy, born and raised in South Detroit. He took the midnight train going anywhere," a tall and handsome vampire waltzed in wearing an Armani suit. He had light brown wavy hair, gold rings in both ears and a pair of sunglasses on his face. "A singer in a smoky room, a smell of wine and cheap perfume." He polished the AVL pin he wore on his left side of his chest. "For a smile they can share the night. It goes on and on and on."
"Aint that Tyler?" Ginger asked as she recognized the other speaker for the AVL.
"That would be him," Eric said.
"Strangers waiting, up and down the boulevard," Tyler continued to sing until he sat down.
"What a beautiful voice," Hailey said.
"He certainly has that," Eric agreed. Brockman and Helena were somewhat amused, Elliot had nodded along to the music. Steele and Hartford showed no expression and Chiang was annoyed.
"I'd love to meet him," Ginger said.
"He can bite my neck anytime," Hailey added.
"I have been informed he is amazing when it comes to licking the bowl," Pam told them causing the two to smile.
"I do not believe I can win with this crowd," Eric sighed.
The last person to enter was Ismene. She had chosen to wore a black dress with a long black jacket. She wore a hat with a veil and wrist length black gloves. As soon as she had entered the room everyone else stood up and did not sit down until she had.
"Thank you all for attending," Steele said once they had taken their seats. "As you know we have lost several members to the minions of Russell Edgington. We are now the new order of the Authority. I believe we all know what the first order on the agenda happens to be." Several people nodded in response as Hartford stood up.
"Many of the surviving members of Edgington's forces have been captured," Hartford said as he read from the form in his hands. "The shifter communities are dealing with their own as are the gifted humans."
"Gifted humans?" Hailey asked.
"Witches, mediums, physics," Pam answered. "Hartford doesn't feel like they belong to the supernatural community since they are humans, humans that can tap into forces and powers that other humans can't but he still paints them with the same brush."
"What about the Ifrits?" Brockman asked. "And the half elves?"
"The Djinn and Elf communities are dealing with them," Hartford answered before he continued to read. "The surviving vampires that have been caught have been given several trials. Magister?"
"Many of them were loyal through the end," Helena answered. "There were several young vampires, children that were made to be cannon fodder for Edgington. They were not instructed in the proper ways. They have been separated and sent to several nests where they living. They will be educated and not allowed to leave the nest. They have been given ankle bands that will give them a painful shock if they leave the barrier."
"There are only four individuals that are unaccounted for," Hartford said. "The whereabouts of Russell Edgington, Bill Compton, Eric Northman and a gifted human named Meadow."
"Meadow is a nephilim," Ismene corrected and earned a few raised eyebrows from the others. "She was working undercover for me. I believe we will wait to speak for Compton and Northman later as for Russell Edgington, he is no longer a vampire and is with his own kind." There were few gasps.
"No longer a vampire?" Elliot asked. "How is that possible?"
"Magic and science working together," Ismene said and pointed at one of the staff standing near the entrance. "Could you be a dear and bring in the entertainment?"
"I already thought I was the entertainment," Tyler said and earned an eyeroll from Chiang.
"It is a different type," Ismene said.
The members of the staff came back, wheeling in a television on cart along with a DVD player. They plugged it in and one person grabbed the remote. They turned the television on and turned on the DVD.
"Ladies and gentlemen of the Authority," Ismene said as the footage began to play. "I bring you the evidence of what had happened to Russell Edgington."
"He certainly likes to hear himself talk," Ginger said after several minutes of Russell's great speech.
"I believe that is an understatement, Ginger dear," Eric told her.
"Get away from him," Sookie's voice was heard before she ran into view and blasted Russell with her light before she was tackled.
"Sookie," Eric whispered and closed his eyes. He had felt her fear and wanted to save her but he and the rest of his group were blocked by several witches and elf halflings.
"This is when I decapitated the Golden One," Ismene said in a proud tone when they watched it on the screen.
"Well done," Brockman said while Tyler and Elliot clapped.
"You were recently impaled though," Helena said in an impressed tone. "From what you have told me."
"Miss Stackhouse gave me some of her blood," Ismene explained. "It gave me enough strength to dispense him. Now you will see him change."
They watched as Russell grieved over the Golden One, how he wiped his tears and stared at them and his eyes changing color.
"He is crying real tears," Chiang said in an astonished tone.
"What is happening to him?" Elliot asked.
"Just watch," Ismene ordered.
They continued to watch as Russell's transformation continued. Tyler removed his sunglasses and let his jaw drop. The others had gasped and widened their eyes. The footage ended after Russell ran out of the room.
"That was when he went to their kitchen and made a complete pig out of himself," Ismene said as she stopped the DVD. "of course if we were in his shoes we probably would do the same."
"He turned into a bloody fairy," Tyler said. "How did that happen?"
"It isn't possible," Steele said and shook his head. "A transformation like that is not possible."
"Was not," Ismene corrected.
"What had happened to him?" Brockman asked. "After he had fed on mortal food, what had happened? Where is he?"
"In the fairy world," Ismene answered. "With the rest of his kind."
"We will discuss the science and magic used another time," Hartford said. "Now to discuss what we shall do with Northman and Compton."
"They shall be absolved of their crime," Ismene said. "That is my voice on it. If not then a different punishment than the True Death."
"No," Hartford said and shook his head. "The order was given out by the original members of the Authority and they shall receive the True Death."
"For what crime?" Brockman asked.
"Killing the gifted humans," Steele answered.
"Led by the witch known as Marnie Stonebrook," Helena further explained. "A witch who is responsible for the deaths of several vampires, including most of the previous sheriffs of Louisiana. She had used mind control on vampires, used a spell that urged every vampire within a perimeter to rise out of their coffin and walk into the sunlight and harmed and killed other humans, including a few members of her own coven."
"You are reading that description as if it had mattered," Hartford said.
"I believe it has," Helena said as she glowered at him. "Since they requested our help and we have denied it to them. I have only come across that last detail recently."
"It does not matter. They have violated the rule we gave them."
"They didn't have a choice," Helena snapped.
"No they didn't," Elliot said. "It was an act of self defense."
"The will still meet the True Death," Hartford said.
"Perhaps centuries from now," Brockman said." But as of now I feel that they should live."
"They violated a rule," Hartford continued and looked for Steele to help, but the shorter of the two remained silent.
"A rule that said they can be attacked but cannot strike back," Brockman said. "They asked for help and you refused to assist them. You practically sentenced every vampire in that state to die."
"That's how I see it," Tyler said and nodded.
"And what of your predecessor?" Hartford asked. "They murdered Nan Flannigan."
"She was to meet her True Death anyway," Tyler said and shrugged.
"We still need to honor the order," Hartford said.
"Who says?" Elliot asked.
"Out of honor and respect for the previous members," Chiang answered.
"I believe we should take a vote," Helena said. "All who feel Bill Compton and Eric Northman should receive the true death raise your hands now." Only Chiang and Hartford raised theirs. The older vampire stared at Steele in shock.
"And those who oppose this ruling?" Ismene asked as she raised her hand. Elliot, Helena, Brockman, Tyler and Steele joined her. "Then it is settled."
"No it is not," Hartman continued as he rose from his chair. "Ever since the great reveal we have been loosing sight of what we have established. We are not the same Authority as we once were."
"No shit, Captain Obvious," Tyler said.
"Shut your mouth, Mr. Hollywood," Hartman said and pointed at him. "We are losing our ways and I for once have had enough. I will deliver the True Death myself if I ha-" He did not finish his tirade. Ismene had bolted from her chair and shoved a pencil through his heart.
"Does anyone have a problem with the removal of Hartford from the Authority?" Ismene asked after she was splattered by Hartford. Everyone shook their heads no. "As for punishment for the two I believe they shall remain demoted. We shall also keep leashes on them and have them jump through whatever hoop we wish for them to jump through."
"Sounds good to me," Tyler said.
"Agreed," Brockman added. The others voiced their agreement.
"And that is that," Eric said as he turned off the screen. "I feel like popping open a bottle of champagne, pour a couple glasses for Ginger and Hailey here and mix the rest with some blood, what do you say, Sheriff?"
"I believe that sounds like a good idea," Pam said.
"I'll get the bottle," Ginger said as she sprang up from the chair.
"Going to call Bill?" Pam asked.
"I am," Eric answered. "And Sookie." He can look forward to spending a wonderful Christmas with her.
A/N: I decided to do a sort of videoconference with the Authority and have Eric and his employees watch what is going on.
"Don't Stop Believing" Lyrics are by Journey.
Reply: Anon thank you. I have a hard time killing characters that are not mine, although it is easier just to kill minor characters. Killing my own characters is much easier and I never ever thought I'd create OC's that could create such an impact on my readers.