"Finally." Theo's frustration simmered, amplified by the incessant noise. The distinct orange of the OG&E vehicle turning onto the road brought a glimmer of relief. All day, the security system had teetered on the edge, its delicate balance threatened by the erratic power supply. To mitigate the risk, they'd switched to the backup generator. A noisy beast that grated on Theo's senses and left everyone nursing throbbing headaches.
Since Threadgill's intrusion, Freyda had become increasingly paranoid about security. But Theo knew her focus was misdirected. Threadgill hadn't circumvented their defenses; no, Freyda had welcomed him and his entourage with open arms. Her desperation for a union to solidify her position blinded her to the real threats. "You'd think she'd learn," Theo muttered to himself, his frustration bubbling.
Now, two incapacitated vampires languished in the cells. They should have met the business end of a stake long ago. Instead, Freyda had discovered that Appius's other child was the Viking and was negotiating to make him her consort. Theo had lost a friend when that vampire freak went on a rampage, but he kept that fact buried. Fondness for vampires wasn't part of the job description, but the pay was good, and most days were uneventful.
Theo straightened as he noticed the approaching electrician—a striking blonde who set his pulse racing. "Well, damn," he mumbled under his breath.
"Hey," the blonde said, her voice professional. "We've had reports of lights flickering…"
"Yeah, since last night," Theo interjected, eager to get to the heart of the matter.
"Okay, can you show me to your junction box?" Her eyes sparkled with competence. "I believe you have an independent one. So far, we haven't found any problems." Most junction boxes were high on poles, but Freyda's was conveniently head height. "This should make things easier. I also need to check your fuse box."
"Sure, right this way," Theo replied, leading her toward the utility room.
James, another colleague, intercepted them. His gaze lingered on the blonde, and Theo rolled his eyes. "She's here to check the fuse box," Theo explained, exasperated.
"We have security measures in place for such things," James muttered, his possessiveness evident.
Ignoring James, Theo guided the blonde. "Seriously, Boneface," he grumbled, "aren't you tired of the noise? My head hurts, and it's getting worse. Not all of us are used to loud fucking noises all fucking day." Theo groused, brushing past his colleague. James smirked at the retreating figures. The blonde barely acknowledged him as the cameras were still operating. In a few seconds, Aisha would have the entire system down. Daniel's instructions on how to disable the security system had been straightforward but difficult to execute.
James' phone vibrated in his back pocket. He checked the message with some trepidation. The only people with that number were those in on the plan. Had something gone wrong?
'I know where they
are being held. Hold
your position. No
need to switch.'
James deleted the message and pocketed the phone. He breathed a sigh of relief. If anything, the plan was now considerably easier. The blonde walked back out with Theo, but James made no comment as she walked around the building and back to the junction box. Even if he had anything to say, the fast truck that seemed to be headed directly for them caught his attention. "Anyone see that." He shouted, which had Theo and the other were guards running to his position. This would give Aisha time to disable the backup system as well. There would be no surveillance footage of her, just his and Theo's description of her. When the truck driver leaped out, that sent concern sky-high. "Run." James bellowed. His colleagues didn't need to be told twice. Only one reason the driver will be bolting before the truck hits its target. Seconds after the truck came to a stop, crashing into the side of the building, nothing happened.
"I expected that to blow up or something, not just crash into a side of the building," Samuel, the were in charge, whispered.
"So did I." James stood.
"What are you doing?" Samuel asked.
"Checking to see if there is indeed a bomb that didn't go off," James said.
"Have you lost your mind?" Another were grumbled.
"It's either call the police and tell them what is happening or do what I do best and disarm it. It might be on a timer, and the more time I waste here, the more likely it is to go." James explained his thinking.
"Okay, be careful," Samuel murmured.
"What careful? If that shit blows, no amount of careful will save him." Theo snarked. He didn't particularly like Boneface; the were was such a stickler for the rules it made him damn right difficult to work with.
James, with a confidence he'd never possessed, walked to the very bomb he'd built, knowing it would never go off. After several minutes of doing nothing much in particular, he called out. "All clear. Lucky for us, the crash actually saved us." He said as they came out. "Had this gone off, no amount of running would have saved us.
Minutes earlier in Bon Temps, Eric bolted awake with a scream. Sookie gritted her teeth in pain as she felt it too. The pain did not abate, and she lost consciousness. When she came to, her pounding head made it impossible to keep her eyes open or move. "I'm going to give you some blood." Eric's worry was evident in his tone. He'd closed the bond lest he caused her more pain. Two mouths full of his blood was all it took for her to get back to her usual self.
"They met the true death." He'd gone from worry to sheer elation.
"Yes, I got that from you waking up screaming in pain, me losing consciousness from said sheer pain, waking up to a headache the size of Alaska." Sookie quipped. "She finally opened her eyes to find them still in their bedroom.
"I have informed the others," Eric told her.
"I know they are dead…"
"It went according to plan. In fact, Preston found the holding cell the two were being kept in and didn't need to switch places with James."
"We have about an hour before Freyda calls if she decides to seek my help." How they played it depended entirely on what Freyda chose to divulge. Sookie wondered if she would tell them the truth of why she was holding the two.
Everyone had gathered around in the conference room; even Niall was there. Sookie had gotten a second-by-second account of what transpired. Preston had dispatched the two vampires before the truck had even crashed into the Freyda's palace. He'd also left behind the bag that diverted attention from their real intention. He'd picked up Aisha and teleported them back to the office.
The debrief concluded hours ago, leaving the room in tense stillness. Freyda hadn't called, and Sookie prayed she wouldn't. This was the unknown; no amount of planning could anticipate what she would say or do. And then it happened: the phone call. Sookie let the phone ring until it went to her voicemail. No message was left. A second later, her cell phone rang; again, she did not answer.
"Holly, answer if she calls the office." Seconds later, the phone rang. The conference room broke out in panic and hurried conversation as Holly answered.
Sookie's focus was on something other than the conversation Holly tried to have with Freyda. Her focus was entirely on Eric or at least the bond. He felt a calmness the likes of which she had never felt from him. It was as though he could finally live without worry or care that it could come crashing down any second. The tether that held the Viking back was gone and never to return. He was not the least concerned about Oklahoma, which gave Sookie a level of confidence that had her accepting the phone from Holly with little regard for all the things that could go wrong.
"Whatever the issue, I'm afraid it will have to wait," Sookie said with a hint of urgency.
"Miss Brigant, I pay a great deal for your service, and I am currently in desperate need of it. My compound was infiltrated this afternoon, and we are at a loss as to how that happened," she uttered, barely managing to keep her anger in check.
"You are not the only person that requires my services at the moment. I currently have a very irate and volatile vampire who has lost his maker and doesn't know why." Sookie bit back.
"If it's Northman, I can answer that question. The sudden silence on Sookie's end would cause anyone much disquiet.
"His maker met the true death nearly twelve hours ago, and you are now calling?" Sookie projected an air of feign calmness. At least, that's what Freyda was sensing; in truth, she was greatly amused by Oklahoma's obvious discomfort. "We will be there tomorrow evening." Sookie ended the call before Freyda could think of a response.
"What I'd give to be a fly on the wall." Pam chuckled.
"We can do that." Several voices piped up.
"Not a risk worth taking," Sookie interjected. "Whatever happens tomorrow night, happens." She said with a shrug. "Get some rest, everyone. We have a lot of bullshitting to do tomorrow." That got a few chuckles out of everyone.
Sookie's mind was quiet, at least for the moment; the silence was quickly shattered by Eric stroking his cock up and down her slit. Sookie groaned as her fingers found their way into his hair, pulling for all it's worth. "Don't keep me waiting." She pleaded. Seconds later, the head caught along the edge of her tight entrance. All it took was one thrust, one little motion of his hips, and he was buried deep in her warmth. She dug her nails into the flesh behind his neck. He pulled out slowly, almost all the way out, then slammed back into her. His hips began to piston into her in smooth, long strokes, never once faltering, his rhythm consistent for how long... Sookie had no idea, lost in the heat, the pressure building, her back nearly coming off the bed. Her spine locked, her toes curled, her head thrown back as she came loudly, her cry deep from within her. She felt it, his exultation at finally being truly free. Sookie's respite came with the rising of the sun, which, surprisingly, irritated her, much to Eric's amusement, but he said nothing. She could feel every bit of what he was feeling.
In most ways, Eric was free; that freedom came at a cost. The cost of avoiding Europe. Appius hated the new world, as he still referred to North America. It came at the cost of financially keeping his maker in a life Appius had been accustomed to as a legatus in his human days. A life Eric finally gave him. It came with constantly monitoring his emotions to make Appius' side of the bond still closed. Yes, Eric was free, but it came at the cost of ensuring his maker never darkened his doorway. Without Sookie, he would shortly be spending the next two centuries as a consort to a child queen afraid to lose her kingdom.
The room crackled with tension, each word a spark igniting the volatile air. Freyda's revelation hung heavy, a truth laid bare before Sookie and Eric. Sookie and Eric knew the reality of what would have transpired had her nightmares not stopped it. Yet, their anger simmered, palpable as the heat dancing along Sookie's fingers.
"I now realize why I never dreamt of any of this; no matter what, it would not have impacted our lives." Her words only confused Freyda.
"Susannah Brigant is my bonded." Eric's words were little more than a series of growls.
Freyda's eyes widened, disbelief etched across her features. Sookie focused on her mind, a mind unraveling with suspicion.
"I am the great-granddaughter of Niall Brigant, prince of the Sky Fairies. Second in line to the throne after my grandfather, Fintan Brigant. I am a true monarch, and in the supernatural world, I outrank you. Whatever contract you drew up with Appius would have meant little in the grand scheme of things. My position alone renders any contract null and void. It is why I never saw Appius; he was never a threat." Sookie explained her focus was still on Freyda's thoughts. Freyda's suspicion remained unyielding.
"You kept the true nature of your relationship a secret… why?" She pressed, her voice edged with frustration.
"That is none of…"
"Eric." Sookie quickly interjected, her gaze locked on his. "At the behest of the AP. We intended to pledge at Rhodes, but she called us to her suite and warned us against it." Sookie's head turned to Eric sharply. "This was why."
Eric's mind churned. "Had we pledged in Rhodes, it would have brought Appius to our doorstep. Who knows the nightmare his displeasure would have wrought." Eric lamented. "Why was he here in the first place? He did not know about our bond that I am certain of." Eric thought out loud.
"The child, he needed help with the child." Freyda offered, attempting to ease Eric's anger. But the Viking seethed, incensed by Freyda's audacity to vie for his consortship. Her plan, futile as it was, had struck a nerve.
"Evidently, I was wrong in my actions. My actions will never interfere in your lives again." This was the closest they were going to get by way of apology. "My compound was still infiltrated."
"What do you know?" Sookie asked, eager to move on as well. Eric stormed out of Freyda's office with little interest in how her compound was infiltrated.
"I do not have to tell you that you have made an enemy out of him." Freyda was not surprised by the revelation. "Eric is, in truth, pleased Appius has met the true death. His concern was how and why. Knowing that he cares little for anything else. He is more likely to embrace whoever dealt the killing blow than anything else. Something he could never have done. I offered once, but he pleaded against it." Sookie stared at Freyda.
"A maker's command." Freyda surmised. Most makers made that the very command they gave their progeny.
"Indeed." That bit of unvarnished truth had almost removed all suspicion from them.
"Have you spoken to anyone at OG&E?" Sookie asked. They were in a conference room with all the were guards on duty the previous afternoon.
"We did. They sent a team out, but the female in question was not one of them," Samuel answered as Theo looked increasingly uncomfortable. Had someone done as protocol dedicated, she would never have made it to any of our systems to disable it," Samuel groused.
"He is guilty of flouting the security procedure because he was more interested in asking her out, but that is all. He played no part in what happened. He also has not been glamoured, not one I can see anyway." Justin offered.
"I can't see any glamour either," Sookie murmured. "The bomb was clearly a distraction, not meant to go off, I'd hedge." She added.
"Upon further examination, I concur. It was a mere distraction. It was designed to keep us occupied while the two vampires were kidnapped. Declaring it safe so quickly changed the plans," James offered. They did not account for me."
"So you have established it was supposed to be a kidnapping?" Sookie asked.
"Yes." Samuel dropped the bag Preston had left behind. "A master key. We have already confirmed with the company that an employee reported their key was lost three hours before they struck. Silver chains and cuffs. Blankets and these bags, large enough to fit a vampire. Two of them."
"Someone wanted the pair alive, but it wasn't necessary."
"Revenge," James asked. "I doubt this was the only place the child vampire went on a rampage. Chances are the route here is littered with the dead." He added.
"Wouldn't be a surprise that thing was unhinged." Another guard muttered.
"There is that, and then there is Appius. If what I've heard about him is true. Someone took the opportunity to take him while they had the chance. I won't lie to you; had I known he was on his way to Eric, I would have taken him out, too." Sookie admitted. "It's the kidnapping attempt that makes me certain this was the work of a vampire," Sookie said. The thought had occurred to Freyda, and Sookie was not one to look a gift horse in the mouth.
Freyda's suspicion had currently fallen on the AP. Sookie will gladly take it.