To say there was nothing left of Victor would be putting it mildly. While Pam and Mael cheered at Sookie's display of power and high-fived each other at the complete destruction of Victor, Eric stared at his bonded. Sookie was staring at the hand that had gripped Victor's spine and slowly turned him to a few specks of dust. The sleeve of her white dress shirt was soaked in blood.
"Min karla?" Eric called out softly, almost as though he was scared raising his voice any higher would startle her.
"The entire time he was up there, he was praying to a God he didn't believe in that I wouldn't touch him." Sookie turned on her heel and walked out of the tomb.
"Come on, you have to see this bit, it's fucking genius." Mael cheered.
"I am more than fine. You can stay and watch the genius bit. I have to get out of this shirt before Jason sees it. He bought it for me, and I cannot deal with his sulking if he sees this." Her teasing tone had Eric's shoulders dropping slightly.
Unfortunately for Sookie, Jason was in the foyer with Michelle. What came as even more of a surprise was Miriam, Amelia, and Dermot all dressed for a night out. "It's date night," Jason intoned.
"I can see that." She chuckled. "Waiting for Pam, I take it." Miriam nodded.
"Well, have a wonderful evening." Her escape was thwarted by Eric and Mael's arrival.
"You and Eric can join us." Amelia offered.
"As much as I would love to, I have a lot of work to do. I have to be in New York in three days and, I have so much to do before then." Sookie said, grateful for a genuine out.
"Wait, you are going to New York as well," Barry asked.
"As far as Carmine is concerned, you know of a telepath in his state. Put yourself in his shoes, what would you do if you had you in your state, even more your home?" Sookie asked.
"He wouldn't," Barry whispered.
"Is that a chance you are willing to take?" She asked.
"No," Barry mumbled, clearly still perturbed by the fact he was grounded.
"It's just this trip. New York will be back on your schedule after I have a word with Carmine." Sookie placated.
"Sorry to have kept you waiting." Pam joined the group, dressed impeccably in a white tuxedo dress shirt and a sparkling pair of blue trousers Lafayette would rip off her in a heartbeat if it would fit him. Hair held up in an impossible up-do. How she managed to do that in such a short time was beyond Sookie.
"I will bring you back a steak," Jason said as the lot of them disappeared from view.
"I don't even want to know," Sookie mumbled as she climbed the stairs to her office.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Eric asked as Sookie settled down next to him with a glass of gin and tonic. She had stripped out her bloody shirt, had a shower, and her emotions had finally calmed.
"It's strange to think I went after Victor to save Miriam, even though it's not how it works." Eric looked down at her, but with her head on his shoulder, he couldn't see her. "Pythia is letting me get away with it, and she is doing so because the reward far outweighs the risks. Felipe was genuine in leaving Area 5 alone in the takeover, for now at least. Victor, on the other hand, had his own plans. Plans he was willing to wait out. Like Andrea, Victor wasn't willing to simply have me as an ally. He wanted to control me, a part human, part Fairy with telepathy, and the ability to see the future was something to be controlled. Not someone, something to be controlled. He saw himself as the one to do it. Felipe, in his eyes, was weak and small-minded. Victor could see himself ruling the vampire world in a few decades with me under his control."
"Good riddance," Eric murmured.
"Couldn't agree more," Sookie mumbled as she failed to stifle a yawn.
"Tired?" Eric asked, despite knowing she wasn't.
"No, just…" Words escaped her. The phone rang then. With a great deal of reluctance, Sookie answered it.
"Susannah Brigant."
"Your queen has suddenly decided to show her face and not just show her face. She and her entire court are out on the streets of New Orleans helping." Felipe growled.
"Yes, and tell me, Felipe… have you spoken to Victor this evening?" The silence on the other end had Eric grinning. Sookie rolled her eyes at his antics.
"I have been unable to reach him this evening." Felipe finally admitted.
"And you will not be able to. I was informed by my spies that Victor arrived in New Orleans early this morning. He was with two other vampires, whose names I have yet to ascertain." Sookie groused.
"Bruno and Corinna." Felipe supplied. "He was not happy with my plans for your state, but I did not expect this," Felipe admitted.
"It seems you do not have your house in order." Sookie sighed. "Hold on." Sookie put him on hold and cracked up laughing. "Sometimes, shit just falls into your lap," Sookie mumbled gleefully.
"I have no idea what you have planned, but I am enjoying it simply because I can feel your confidence," Eric mumbled.
"I suggest you stop drinking and have Patrick teach to fire a MANPADS." Eric's eyes widened.
"You have anti-aircraft weapons?" His shock morphed into a smile bothering on the maniacal. "Patrick, where are you." He bellowed as he vamped out of her office.
"Felipe, I suggest you and your forces get on a plane at first dark tomorrow. According to the A.P we attack the next night." Sookie knew throwing the A.P's name in there would guarantee two things. One, Felipe would not question it, and two, he would fail to ask his clan for permission or inform them. In the end, everyone in the know about his takeover plans will be dead, and she will hopefully be in the clear. "The minute you are ready you let me know. I will inform your pilot of the landing co-ordinates. My people will be waiting to transport your people." Sookie said with some urgency.
"I will inform you the minute we are in the air." Felipe ended the call promptly, it suited Sookie just fine. With some grumbling, Sookie put the gin and tonic away and made herself a cup of coffee, she had a few calls to make. Felipe's panic over Sophie-Anne simply doing what any sensible monarch would do had hastened their plans. The minute she got confirmation he was in the air from Mr. Fofana, the attack on the rest of his people would begin. Thankfully, things were already in place.
"How is it going?" Sookie asked as she found Patrick and Eric in the garden two hours later.
"He's got it," Patrick said with a shrug.
"I've got it," Eric repeated arrogantly. His arrogance had Sookie smiling, better than a lack of.
"Niall will teleport you to the Mojave desert. I will leave it up to you when you think it's safe to bring the plane down. Patrick, Bakari, and Aisha are going with you, make sure the cause of that plane crash forever remains a mystery."
"Will do." Eric cheered. "I haven't caused such chaos in centuries." He said to Patrick as Sookie walked away shaking her head in disbelief.
'We aren't entirely sure what happened, but from their preliminary inspection, it would seem a missile was fired from inside the plane. It came from the back and destroyed the cockpit. The rest of the plane fell apart mid-air when another explosion went off. Unfortunately, the sudden storm is making the salvage mission difficult. The parts are strewn across several miles across the desert, and parts of the plane have been reported sited in Arizona.'
Sookie turned the TV off and stared at her bonded. "You said, and I repeat 'make sure the cause of that plane crash forever remains a mystery.' That is a mystery." Eric said proudly, Sookie could not feel an ounce of regret in him for his actions. Partick, Bakari, and Aisha looked quite proud of whatever part they played in bringing the plane down. Whatever complaints she had about how they dealt with Felipe and his takeover force, would fall on deaf ears if the cheers and high-fives coming from the staff room were anything to go by.
"Well, thank you for a job well done." Because in the end, that is what it was, even if its execution was beyond reckless. Firing an anti-aircraft missile in an enclosed space was stupid, reckless, and dangerous.
Every ounce of Sookie did not believe the storm that was raging in the Mojave desert was natural. She suspected the A.P's hand in this. She knew there were those who could manipulate the weather, she'd never met any, but knew they were out there. The A.P would surely know a few. By the time it was done and dusted, almost every part of what was left of the plane and vampire remains would be buried under several feet of sand. No one was all that interested in a vampire's private plane going down, especially with no one hounding the authorities for answers. The takeover had gone smoothly, those loyal to Felipe fell before his plane even leveled off. Many surrendered, seeing the hopelessness in fighting a lost cause. So far, there were zero links to her and Felipe's demise. Any suspicion fell on Henrique, and he was doing little to dispel the rumors. Washington and Oregon's attempt to bring Henrique before the council was quickly dismissed by the A.P. Pythia then raised the question of what Felipe and most of his contingent were doing on a plane, armed with missiles and several handguns. The finding of handguns had not been reported by the media, but the Council had been informed. With parts of the plane found in Arizona, the consensus was that Felipe was headed to Arizona. Eric had looked beyond smug when they'd heard that piece of news. Throwing parts of the plane into Arizona, and completely bypassing Utah had been his idea.
The look on Carmine's face at the site of Sookie, with Eric behind her, was beyond comical. It took every ounce of self-control not to laugh at his fish impersonation, especially when you have a bonded attempting to stifle his laughter. "Sookie, it is a pleasant surprise." Carmine finally managed.
"Surprise, yes. Pleasant, I highly doubt that, and it's Miss Brigant to you." Sookie groused.
"Soo… Miss Brigant, whatever…"
"Carmine, stop talking before you finish digging your own grave. With how you turn into a puddle, your grave need not be that deep." Sookie quipped.
'Damn.' The were guards thought hit Sookie nearly breaking her composure.
It was evident Carmine had some plan regarding Barry, but nothing that would have incurred Sookie's ire. "Let's talk, in private."
Of course, I assure you, I had no intention of touching the boy. It would be foolish on my part to do any such thing." Carmine said the minute the door to his office shut behind them.
"Then what did you have planned to get the information out of Barry?" Her suspicions had been confirmed, as the vampire in question dominated Carmine's thoughts.
"Your boy is enamored with a young vampire in my employ. I was going to send her to seduce young Barry." Carmine admitted. Despite his look of contrition, Sookie knew he felt none. Every monarch in his position would have done the same, some would have even tortured Barry for the information. Why pay tens of thousands for a telepath, for readings every few months when you could have your own?
"Now, I regret not having him come as he wanted. He would have enjoyed himself and then told your vampire, he heard an echo in the crowd, but has no idea who it came from." Carmine was as disappointed as Sookie was amused. "But I know exactly who the telepath is, what is your plan to get the information out of me?" Sookie teased.
Carmine, reverted to his native tongue as he ranted at no one in particular. "You tease, but I would save two hundred thousand a year," Carmine grumbled. Sookie rolled her eyes at the statement, he paid ten times that to keep his spy network going.
"You are telling me you had no intention of paying her. That's a shame because she agreed to work for you for a half a million a year retainer, and fifty thousand for every reading, maximum five hours."Sookie threw out with a straight face.
"You kid." Carmine saw through that easily enough.
"I do, but do us both a favor and leave her be. Considering her grandfather is Marlow..." The vampire's eyes damn near bulged out of his skull. "And this time, I do not kid," Sookie warned. "Death would be merciful if I cross them." Having become king only with Marlow's blessing, Carmine did not need Sookie to say anymore. He knew the demon well enough to know better than to cross him or his kin.
"Two hundred thousand dollars is a small price to pay for your peace of mind. Right now, I can tell you that your new accountant is already stealing from you. He is now panicking because he also expected Barry, who cannot read vampires. But now I'm here and he is praying to all the gods he can think of that I storm out of here without reading anyone. He is so loud in his thoughts, and his fear is making reading him a walk in the park." Carmine's response was to curse, this time in Latin. Sookie wasn't even about to ask why Latin. "Apart from that, you are good. Always a pleasure, Carmine." Sookie sauntered out of the office. Eric looked at Mael, the pair shrugged and followed Sookie out. They'd barely made it out the front door when things escalated behind them. Yep, that accountant was mince meat.
AN: Sorry for the delay, I went on holiday and came home with the flu.