"I should have known his excuses for not getting his blood into the telepath were just that, excuses," Eric said, sliding several papers in front of Victor, his tone tinged with frustration. Victor leaned forward, his attention fully captured by the documents.
Victor read through the emails rapidly, his eyes widening in disbelief as he pieced together the implications of what he saw. "Son of a bitch was going to sell her," he whispered, his voice barely above a murmur, betraying the shock that coursed through him. The betrayal was not just a matter of business; it was personal, and the gravity of Compton's actions struck a nerve.
"Yes, he is not particularly loyal to Threadgill," Eric replied, his voice steady but with a hint of disdain. "He was auctioning her off to the highest bidder. Threadgill just happens to be the highest bidder, although he doesn't know it. I believe he thinks Compton's set a price. Why Threadgill?" Eric inquired.
Victor leaned back, crossed his arms, and sighed. "He and Felipe had an arrangement that fell apart. I believe Threadgill thinks Felipe backstabbed him even though he didn't meet his end of the bargain." He shrugged.
"And he found Compton as his inside man to help get back whatever he believes he lost," Eric added.
"I'm guessing Compton found an opportunity when he was sent to procure the telepath to make some money for himself and get Threadgill what he wanted, or at least a start," Victor surmised, his voice laced with the annoyance of having to clean up after Compton's mess. "Where is he?"
"In the basement, enjoying our hospitality," Eric answered, a chuckle escaping his lips despite the seriousness of the situation.
"Victor, this is a misunderstanding. I was gathering information for the king. I had no intention of betraying you or the king," he started, the desperation in his voice evident the moment he laid eyes on Victor.
"Then explain this," Victor demanded, thrusting the printouts from his computer toward Bill with an intensity that made it clear he wasn't interested in half-hearted excuses. The documents showed a sale and a betrayal so deep that it cut through the vampire's veneer of charm.
"This is a lie. I do not know what that is… you set me up," Bill quickly turned his attention to Eric, his eyes darting between the two vampires, panic flooding his features. Victor, this is a set-up orchestrated by the sheriff."
"And why would he do that?" Eric interjected, his voice low and dangerous, a predator sizing up its prey.
"Because he wants Sookie for himself. I saw how he looked at her when we came here…" Bill's voice trailed off, the desperation morphing into an uneasy dread.
"Is that why you changed the plan?" Victor pressed, his patience wearing thin.
"Yes, yes… If I allowed Eric to talk to Sookie, I knew he would have taken her for himself and blamed me, which is what he's doing now." Victor looked at Eric, and both vampires laughed at Bill's accusations' absurdity.
"Oh, Compton… if only you knew," Victor shook his head in amusement, his laughter echoing in the room. "Your argument might have had some merit… some, if the sheriff hadn't brought the telepath to our attention. He's known about her for months... therefore, if he wanted her, she would be his."
Bill's expression shifted from indignation to confusion as he processed Victor's words. "This is a setup; it might not be the sheriff, but it's someone," he protested, his voice rising in pitch.
"Enough of this nonsense. Bill Compton, you will tell us everything, and then you will meet your true death," Victor declared, his voice a chilling promise.
"I am telling you, I know nothing about the sale of Sookie. Someone is framing me for treason," Bill insisted, desperation clawing at his throat.
"Your conversations with Threadgill alone constitute treason. So whether you are guilty of auctioning off the telepath or not, you will still meet the true death," Victor barked, the finality of his statement leaving no room for negotiation.
"He approached me, and I saw it as an opportunity to gain information for the king. Treason never crossed my mind," Bill pleaded, his voice shaky.
"Maybe it should have," Eric snarled, a hint of menace in his tone as they left Compton in the basement.
"Felipe is anxious about getting the telepath…" Victor began, the conversation shifting as they plotted their next moves.
"I have a plan in place... I will be using Compton's treachery to get her onside. I have one of two ways to go, depending on how she takes the news," Eric stated confidently.
"What about the threat against the women seen with vampires in her town?" Victor asked, his concern for Sookie evident.
"I've got two Weres and two vampires watching her every move. The telepath is well protected. I also Thalia investigating; we should have the perpetrator apprehended soon." Victor nodded, somewhat reassured.
Bill Compton had been instrumental in helping de Castro's take over of Louisiana. Without the information he provided, it would not have been possible. He was tired of being a procurer, feigning interest in mundane humans and bemoaning his vampirism just to endear himself to fucking bloodbags. Fifty years of that shit would have any sane vampire turning a traitor to gain their freedom. So when he found himself in Nevada and in Victor's company being treated with some respect, he was quick to help when they asked. Of course, he was made numerous promises, none of which were fulfilled. He had turned on Sophie-Anne only to find the grass wasn't greener on the other side.
He knew Threadgill was also furious with De Castro, having contacted him months ago in hopes of finally being seen as useful. But now, as he looked at the evidence before him, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being set up—perhaps even by Victor himself. Why would Victor set him up? That question lingered, but he quickly dismissed it, focusing instead on the mess he found himself in.
He had tried to talk Sookie out of going to Fangtasia, knowing the dangers of exposing her to that world. But Sookie Stackhouse was nothing if not determined. As he reflected on their interactions, he realized how his actions had led them to this moment. Unfortunately for Bill, they had been pulled over by an officer, and the subsequent interaction with him had Sookie looking at him differently when he admitted he would have fed on the officer had Sookie not been present.
Eric raked his fingers through his hair as he approached the farmhouse. "That might be Bill," he heard Miss Stackhouse yell.
An elderly woman opened the door, and her surprise was evident as she recognized him.
"Good evening, Mrs. Stackhouse. I am Eric Northman…"
"The sheriff," she said, stepping aside, the recognition in her eyes filled with caution.
"Thank you," Eric replied, stepping inside just as Sookie made her way down the stairs. Her look was a mixture of concern and determination. "Hello again," he greeted with a smug smile.
"Sheriff, Bill Compton seems to have gone missing. It has been three nights, and no one has seen him," Sookie wasted no time, her voice urgent and filled with worry.
"Sookie, is that any way to greet your guest?" Adele admonished from the doorway.
"Sorry, Gran, but Bill could be hurt badly as we speak." Adele shook her head, disappearing up the stairs and leaving Eric and Sookie alone.
"That is why I am here. I'm afraid Bill Compton was arrested for treason two nights ago," Eric said, the gravity of his words hanging heavy in the air.
"Treason… what did he do?" Sookie asked, her voice barely above a whisper, shock evident in her eyes.
"May we sit?" Eric asked, his demeanor shifting to a more serious tone.
"Yes... yes, where are my manners? Please, this way." Sookie's voice trembled slightly, an undercurrent of fear weaving through her words.
"Miss Stackhouse…"
"Please, call me Sookie," she replied, a smile breaking through her worry.
"Can I get you a drink?" she offered, the gesture almost instinctual.
"No need, I already fed," Eric said without thought.
"Sookie, most vampires have certain abilities outside the norm that come with being a vampire. I can fly…"
"You can fly," Sookie uttered in disbelief, her eyes widening with surprise.
"Yes, my child is exceptional at glamouring and... Bill Compton can really endear himself to humans. He can come across as harmless even though he is one of the most ruthless vampires I have ever had the misfortune of meeting. His maker was rather sadistic, and Bill relished in it." He could see Sookie was about to protest, her instincts kicking in. "Sookie, I assure you I'm not lying… you will find that it is not in my nature to lie. I might not tell you everything, but I will never lie to you." After a beat, she nodded.
"Bill Compton was released by his maker some fifty years ago and immediately got himself into trouble and was saved by the then queen of Louisiana," he continued, his voice steady.
"I'm sorry… queen of Louisiana?" Sookie interjected, a frown creasing her brow.
"Yes, every state has a monarch. The current monarch of this state is also the monarch of Nevada. She saw Compton's ability to get humans to trust him and put him to work collecting unique humans for her court. She was rather notorious for it. The current king, however, is not a collector of humans. In fact, if he gets wind of a human with a unique talent, he offers them a job, which they can feel free to turn down." Sookie shifted in her seat, absorbing the information.
"So you know about my disability," she said, her voice steady but filled with an undercurrent of trepidation.
"Yes, we are aware of your telepathy. Bill was here to offer you a contract, but I knew something was off when I saw you in my club and his... rather nervous demeanor. I called the king, wondering if he was now in the business of procuring humans. He didn't take kindly to my accusation." Eric chuckled lightly, the tension easing for a moment. "The king, it turns out, was under the impression that Compton had not yet found you. Compton reported that your family was away on vacation."
"I see," Sookie mumbled, processing the implications of his words. "So why lie instead of giving me the contract?"
Eric opened his laptop and showed Sookie the page Compton had created to sell her to the highest bidder. "Son of a bitch… the bastard was going to sell me," she bellowed, her outrage spilling over, much to Eric's amusement.
"Yes, Compton saw a way to make a tremendous amount of money and took the opportunity. I'm afraid someone has paid for you and will be coming for you tomorrow night. Miss Stackhouse, I'm afraid Compton has put your life and that of your family in danger," Eric said gravely.
"Shit," Sookie murmured, the reality of her predicament settling in.
"Indeed," Eric whispered, his expression serious.
"Can't you get Bill to give the money back?" she asked, feeling as though the room was closing in on her, the walls tightening around her.
"That will make no difference; right now, nothing is stopping any of the bidders on the site from deciding to kidnap you. Your only option is to sign the contract with my king, and he will grant you his protection that will prevent most from attempting to kidnap you."
"But not all," Sookie picked up on that, her voice tinged with concern.
"No, we will offer protection. In fact, we have been doing just that since yesterday."
"I hadn't noticed. I haven't exactly been looking for minds around the property," she said, exhaustion creeping into her tone. "This contract…"
"Is very open to negotiations," Eric said, handing her the envelope.
Sookie quickly opened it and scanned the pages, her brow furrowing as she absorbed the details. "A hundred thousand a year retainer. All expenses paid if the job requires travel." She figured it would since the king was also king of Nevada. She'd have to work at least five years at Merlotte's to make that kind of money.
"I will leave you to read the contract and make any amendments you'd like. Please, be vigilant… and Miss Stackhouse, remember it is not beyond vampires to use your friends and family to get you to cooperate. You would have had the option to turn this down a few days ago, but as things stand right now, accepting this contract is in your best interest. Goodnight." He stood, buttoning his jacket, noting the grandmother was still awake. "Goodnight, Mrs. Stackhouse," he called out, a hint of respect in his tone.
"Goodnight, sheriff," she responded, her voice warm yet cautious.
"Here is my number; call me if you have any questions," he said, handing her a card. His gaze was steady.
"What's gonna happen to Bill?" she asked, a mix of concern and anger flashing in her eyes.
"I'm afraid the penalty for treason is the true death." Sookie nodded, knowing there was nothing she could say to help Bill, not that she wanted to help the lying ass.
"Goodnight, Sheriff."
"It's Eric," he corrected, a playful smirk tugging at his lips.
"Well then, goodnight, Eric," she said, a faint blush creeping into her cheeks.
Knowing she was still watching him, Eric took off into the night sky, smiling. He landed on Compton's front door before going over to the cemetery's edge. "Howdy, Mister Eric," Bubba said from his position in the trees.
"Bubba," Eric greeted, his tone lightening momentarily.
"Is all quiet; no one's come by… just yourself." Bubba gave him a simple rundown of the night so far, his eyes scanning the surroundings.
"Good; if anything changes, call Pam. I'll be in New Orleans tonight." With that, he was off, the wind whipping around him as he soared through the night.
"So, do you think she will sign?" Victor asked with a chuckle.
Both he and Felipe had been very pleased with Eric's ingenuity in procuring Sookie's services. Eric, on his part, had recorded his conversation with Sookie that night for the king.
"She will… especially when she finds herself being followed during the day. I believe she will be quick to sign the contract," Eric asserted, the confidence in his voice unwavering.
"My only concern is how she will react to the idea of being tied to a vampire," Felipe said, tapping his nails on the desk, the sound echoing in the quiet room.
"It's all outlined in the contract," Eric answered somewhat dismissively.
"Good, very good," Felipe murmured, a glint of satisfaction in his eyes. "She seems to have taken a liking to you, so it will be best if you tied her to you." Felipe knew Eric wouldn't like it, nor would Victor, as he had hoped to be the one tied to the girl. But Felipe wasn't stupid; better, the vampire that wasn't obsessed with the telepath than the one that was. He knew Eric would keep the girl at a distance until it was necessary, and that was precisely what he needed.
"This calls for a celebration," Felipe added, a mischievous smile creeping onto his face before either vampire could protest.
"I'm fine, your Majesty; I had quite the feast before flying over," Eric replied, his tone light but firm.
"Of course," Felipe chuckled, his demeanor shifting.
"That club of yours is certainly a treasure trove of feeds and fucks," Victor said enviously, a hint of longing in his eyes.
"Why don't you go to Vikings? I will let them know to expect you," Eric suggested, gathering up his things, eager to make his exit.
"I will, thanks, Eric," Victor said with a smile.
Felipe gave him a smug smile as Eric left the room. "Yes, I know… you were right about him. If I weren't blinded by jealousy, I would have seen it too," Victor admitted.
"Yes, the Viking is a very loyal and a good friend to have. If you hadn't been so busy for the last few years trying to best him, you would have a great ally in him right now," Felipe added, his voice thoughtful.
"It's not too late," Victor murmured as he made his way to the club. Vikings had been quite the moneymaker for the area, and he should have seen Eric as an ally when he opened the club, bringing in much revenue for Victor's fast-dwindling coffers. It saved him from supplementing his tributes with his own funds.
Eric landed on the front lawn of the farmhouse half an hour after receiving a call from Sookie, the front door opening to reveal a smiling Sookie. But as he got closer, an unsettling feeling washed over him, a sense that something was amiss. Before he could discern what it was, he felt like a fireball had hit him, the force sending him flying toward the tree line.
"Fuck, that fucking hurt."