A/N: I'd like to thank everyone that took the time to read and review Chapter 43. I love hearing what everyone thinks about the story. Thanks to: janjan2009, jeter2684, Iluvyeachick, Silent-Reader-220, Maverick37, Firefly-class, luckyway, rocklesson86, Scimitar X, & Nkhen. I hope that everyone enjoys Chapter 44.

Bon Temps Police Department in Bon Temps, Louisiana

Andy Bellefleur wasn't what you would describe as sheriff of the year. If the man was honest with himself, he knew he wasn't really qualified to be sheriff of Bon Temps. However, when Bud retired suddenly Andy was the most senior deputy in the department even if Kenya was better suited for the job. He didn't like to consider the fact that she wouldn't have been promoted to sheriff even if she had more seniority. Bon Temps was a town of good people but there was no way they would have settled with a female sheriff that was also African-American. Andy's insecurity about his abilities always lurked in the back of his mind.

His lack of skill didn't keep him from doing the best he could for his hometown. He loved Bon Temps and couldn't imagine leaving the little idyllic hole in the road town for anything in the world. This place was in his blood and he would protect it with his life against both human and non-human threats. However, in recent weeks his job had become more difficult.

The world was changing faster than Andy could adapt and that made him feel even more incompetent. He owed it to the supernatural residents of Bon Temps to protect them just as he would the human residents. The town's top cop was struggling to figure out how to do that. Before this afternoon, the only supernatural people he knew in Bon Temps were Sam, Luna, Emma, Bill, Jessica, and Sookie.

However, following the attack on Luna's house he met nearly a dozen supernatural families that resided right there in his town. These were people he'd known for years and he never would have guessed that they were different from him. His biggest shock was finding out that his childhood friend Jim was a werewolf. Jim's grandson was one of the children in Luna's class and the man was understandably livid about the attack.

While he was wrestling with all of this new information, his second best deputy went missing doing only God knows what. Andy was waiting for word from Sookie Stackhouse but he was getting antsy. He was worried about Jason but he also felt guilty for not pressing the younger man for more information when he took his sudden leave of absence. If he would have known Jason was going vampire hunting he would have offered assistance. He didn't have any animosity against vampires but he knew that Jason would be no match for them on his own. Stackhouse was more heart than common sense in most situations.

Andy aimlessly shuffled papers on his desk until he heard a knock at the door. He looked up and saw Sam Merlotte and Jim Hudson standing outside his office. He stood up and beckoned the two men in. "Good evening. What can I do for the two of you?"

Jim took off his hat respectfully. He was furious about what happened but he still trusted Andy. He had grown up with the man and knew he didn't have a hateful bone in his body. "We came to have a word with you about what happened today, Andy. People are angry."

Sam nodded in agreement. "They're real angry that these men targeted children. We all have our differences but I think we can all agree that civil people don't harm children. Those kids could have died in that house today. It is unacceptable and emotions are running high."

The bar owner was a cool customer most of the time but even he was on edge after today. He was worried about Emma and the other children. He thought of that little girl as his own. He would protect her come what may. The good people of Bon Temps really didn't want to see he was capable of doing when provoked.

Andy understood their anger and felt the same. He couldn't believe boys that were born in raised in Bon Temps could do something so hateful. It seemed so out of character. Sure, there was prejudice in Bon Temps but even the racists hid behind polite façades. He shook both men's hands. "I am glad that the two of you have come to see me. Why don't the two of you have a seat?"

Jim and Sam sat in the chairs in front of Andy's desk. Neither man relished the conversation they were about to have. Andy didn't deserve the crap that was about to fall into his lap but heavy was the head that wears the crown.

Andy looked across the hall at Kenya's office and caught her attention. He crooked his finger at her. She was good at defusing emotional situations and he knew this was sure to be one.

Kenya entered the office and closed the door behind her.

Andy said, "You two know Deputy Jones. I hope you don't mind her sitting in for this conversation."

Sam smiled at Kenya and then shook his head. "Not all. How are you, Kenya?"

She smiled politely. "Hi Sam. I'm good. Good evening, Mr. Hudson."

Jim nodded in her direction. "Evening…"

The sheriff pulled a chair over for Kenya and then took a seat behind his desk. "What can we do for you tonight?"

Jim said, "If something doesn't happen soon people are going to work themselves up into a lather and then you'll have real trouble on your hands, Andy. We've just spent the last two hours trying to convince folks to let the law handle that boy in the hospital instead of stringing him up for what he did."

"I understand that people understandably are upset by today's events. I want you to know that I've already talked to Duke over in the district attorney's office. He said as soon as that fella that survived is able to leave the hospital he's going to be charged with arson and attempted murder."

Sam relaxed visibly. "Well, that is good to hear but it isn't enough, Andy. Tonight people shared stories of other incidents that have happened since we were exposed to the public. There have been acts of vandalism and verbal intimidation. Several people relayed anecdotal stories about supes they know just going missing. Now some of those folks might have gone into hiding but…it don't take a rocket scientist to realize we're being targeted."

Jim placed his hat atop his knee so he'd stop fidgeting with it. "I know you're doing the best you can but folks are scared. If they feel like you're incapable of protecting them then they're liable to take actions in their own hands. I think we'd all like to avoid unnecessary bloodshed."

Andy scratched his head "Well, hell Jim. How am I supposed to help if nobody is reporting crimes? I'll investigate the shit out of anyone that is vandalizing property and harassing good law abiding folks here in Bon Temps."

"We stayed hidden for such a long time for a reason, Andy. We were always worried that we would be threatened and ostracized by humans. We distrust all of you almost as much as you distrust us. They're scared of what we might do to them and we're scared because we know what they might do to us."

Kenya cleared her throat. "After today's fire at Ms. Garza's house I made some calls and I found out this fire isn't an isolated incident. There have been five more set in local parishes: Caddo, Bossier, and De Soto. There have also been two right here in Renard parish. The departments have classified this as a serial arson but I think if we talk to some of the victims of these fires that we'd find they are aren't human."

Andy ran a frustrated hand over his face. "Well shit…"

Kenya continued, "I actually have an idea if everyone would be agreeable. I was thinking that we could get everyone together for a town hall meeting."

Jim raised an eyebrow and asked, "Everyone?"

She nodded. "I think that sunshine is the best disinfectant in this situation. If we are going to protect supernatural people from harassment and threats, we need to know who you are. More importantly, we need the spineless bastards that would seek to harass or harm anyone to know that we know who you are. There are always going to be ignorant people that strike out against what they fear, but the best way to combat prejudice is with information. There are so many good people in Bon Temps. They have accepted vampires that drink our blood for God's sake. I think they can expand their minds a little to accept werewolves, shifters, and whatever other species we have living here."

Andy smiled as he listened to Kenya. She was damn good at her job. He said, "I think that is a good idea, Kenya. The best way to get folks to understanding is to let them know these are people we grew up with. I ain't had a clue that Jim was a werewolf until today. I was best man at his damn wedding and I'm godfather to his eldest son. Jim, you and Sam Merlotte are both business owners in this community. These folks interact with you daily and don't have a clue."

"Well, it might not be a bad idea to dispel the notion that we're the things that go bump in the night. We're just as ordinary as anyone else," Sam mused aloud.

Jim asked, "When would we have this town hall meeting? Sooner rather than later would be preferable. People are upset now and waiting too long will just let the bad feelings fester."

Andy said, "I think we should have the meeting tomorrow night. We can get some flyers printed up tonight to hand out first thing in the morning. We want as many people as we can get to show up. I'll talk to Mayor Dubois about holding the meeting at the town hall. I'm sure he'll agree to it."

"Sam and I can pass the word along to other supes to make sure we have a good showing. I'm going to warn you that some folks aren't going to come, Andy, not after what happened today. They don't distrust the humans and outing themselves as supernatural isn't going to be high up on their list but we can do what we can to get people to show up."

Kenya smiled at Jim and Sam. "That's all we can really ask for. We just want to try to reach as many people as possible. The last thing we want is for this to tear our little town to shreds. You see what has been happening in some of the bigger cities. I'd like to think Bon Temps possesses a little more civility than that."

Jim and Sam stood up. The werewolf said, "Thank you both for seeing us tonight. We just really thought we needed to have this conversation before things got out of control."

Andy walked around his desk and shook both men's hands. "I know you both well and I respect the hell out of you. I know other people in Bon Temps feel the same. We'll find a way to make this work for everyone. You have my word, Jimbo."

Jim asked, "Walk me out will ya, Andy? I feel like I owe you an explanation."

The sheriff shook his head and smiled. "You don't owe me a damn thing but I will walk you out. Sam, are you coming?"

He shook his head. "No, I'm going to stay back a moment and talk to Kenya."

Andy nodded and walked out of the office with his friend.

Kenya asked, "What can I help you with?"

Sam contemplated the right way to ask his question. He decided direct was the best way. He nudged the door closed with his foot. "Does Andy know?"

She looked at him in shock and asked, "Does Andy know what?"

He frowned and searched for the right words. "Never mind…forget I said anything."

"I don't think I could do that. What's on your mind?"

"It is none of my business but…you're involved with a werewolf, aren't you?"

Kenya's eyes widened as she tried to figure out how Sam could possibly know that. "Do you know Hollis?"

Sam regretted opening his big mouth. Obviously, Kenya didn't know she was pregnant and it wasn't his place to tell her. This conversation was infinitely more awkward. He hadn't started out with the intention of prying. He was genuinely concerned about her safety. If this group found out she was carrying a werewolf she could be in serious danger.

He shook his head. "No, I can't say that I do. Most supernatural species have a distinct scent and shifters have a great sense of smell. I smelled werewolf on you."

Kenya was a skilled officer so she could take Sam wasn't being completely forthcoming. She shook her head. "Well, that was half a lie. What's going on?"

He rubbed at the back of his neck trying to see his way out of this. "You might need to have a conversation with your boyfriend."

The light flickered on in her dark eyes and then she started laughing. "Oh! No, I haven't seen my way to saying anything to Andy yet. He's old fashion when it comes to looking after womenfolk. He'll put me on desk duty so fast my head would spin. I was going to wait until I was further along to say anything to him. I hope I can count on your discretion…"

Sam nodded feeling revealed that he wasn't breaking the news to her. He said, "I won't say a word to Andy. You should tell him in your own time but you have to be careful. When Jim and I met with folks earlier we sort of came to the conclusion that this group targeting supes might be working with someone that can sniff us out. We've known for awhile that our kind has been targeted. We think some people have been kidnapped or just killed. Watch out for yourself."

She nodded. "Trust me…I'm being careful."

He smiled. "I'm glad to hear it. Well, I am going to get out of your hair. I'm sure you have more than enough on your plate."

"I do. Have you heard from Sookie?" asked Kenya.

"I talked to her earlier today but not since then. Why?"

"Jason's gone missing and Andy is beside himself. He's worried something awful has happened to him. He went looking for his cousin Hadley and might have run into some vampires. Andy's been calling Sookie for the last hour or so trying to see if she's heard anything but she isn't answering her phone. I'm worried she might have gone looking for Jason on her own."

Sam eyebrows furrowed with worry. "That certainly sounds like something Sookie would do. I'm going to give Tara call. Sookie has been staying with her in Shreveport. I'll give you call if I find anything out."

"Thank you, Sam. It would do all of us here a world of good."

He nodded. "Have a good night."

As Sam walked out of the office, he pulled out his cell phone called Sookie. He sighed deeply when his call went straight to voicemail. Sam ended the call and dialed Tara's number. When her phone did the same thing, he seriously became concerned. He knew both women well enough to know that were about to do something incredibly dangerous. "Shit…"

Interstate 20 in Claiborne Parish, Louisiana

The first half hour of the drive was nearly completely silent. No one knew exactly what to say about what they were about to do. Objectively each woman realized this was a fool's errand. They didn't have any information about the structure where they believed Jason, Hadley, and Leda were being held by vampires. Their numbers were few even if their cache of weapons was impressive. The likelihood of them surviving this little mission wasn't very good. However, the alternative was admitting defeat and leaving Jason to whatever fate the vampires had in mind. Women of weaker stock would have done just that but none of them were willing to admit defeat so easily.

Tara's phone buzzed and she glanced at the screen. She was relieved to see that it wasn't Eric. However, she realized Sam was calling for a third time. She suddenly became concerned something was wrong with him. Tara forwarded the call to voicemail and then sent him a text message. "Is everything okay?"

Theresa turned the volume down on the radio and shifted her gaze to the backseat. "I am all for rescuing Jason. The Guardian's decision to send second-rate guards to do the job was utter bullshit. He has his priorities and we have ours. I think we'd all like to keep our families whole, that means if someone is trouble we're the ones that have to step up. That being said we need a fucking plan or we are going to get slaughtered."

Janice laughed from the driver's seat. She said, "I agree with Theresa. We need a plan before walking into the lion's den –- or in this case the vampire's nest. We have enough firepower to burn that place to the ground but that doesn't mean that we will rescue Jason and Leda or find Hadley."

Tara said, "Well, we think that they are being held at the piece of shit rural hospital." She took out of her phone and searched Google Maps for it. After a few minutes, Tara said, "Well, you have to almost love Google's gigantic Orwellian intrusion on our lives. They have street view and aerial pictures of the hospital. The building is surrounded by a wooded area. It might be a good idea to approach from that angle. It'll give us some cover."

Theresa took Tara's phone to get a look at it. "That's a good idea. We need a diversion as well. Did you bring some charges with you? Just something to get eyes focused on one direction."

"Of course I brought charges? Who leaves home to attack a secret vampire base without explosives? I mean really, Theresa."

The older woman laughed and said, "Certainly not my little sister. Well, it isn't a great plan but it is the best we can do under the circumstances. We'll set off a nice explosion on the north side of the building and infiltrate from the south. We'll split off into two teams. Janice and I will go one way and the three of you will go the other way. No matter what happens we meet back at the rally point in 30 minutes."

"That's enough time for me to find Jason through our bond. He's still alive. I can feel him…"

Sookie said, "Thirty minutes isn't enough time to search a whole hospital to find Leda and Hadley. They could be anywhere."

Janice said, "If we stay in the hospital longer than that we're dead. Hell, we'll probably be dead long before the 30 minute mark if we're being completely honest."

Theresa cast a glance at Janice but didn't disagree with her assessment. The odds weren't exactly in their favor. The only advantage they had was the element of surprise and once that explosion went off that would be gone as well. They would have to be very lucky to get out of there in once piece.

Jessica said, "This doesn't have anything to do with the two of you. You don't have to come with us…"

She felt guilty asking people she barely knew to risk their lives to rescue Jason. It didn't feel right considering they both had children at home. Jessica didn't have anyone except for Bill. If this all went to hell and she met the true death he would be no worse off than he was before he made her. There were some times when she even doubted how much he loved her. Bill was forced to make her and keep her. Their bond was stronger than in the beginning but it wasn't as if she had been with him decades. They had been together for only a blink of an eye for vampires.

Theresa said, "I'm not about to let any of you go in there on your own. For better or worse our families' lots are tied in together."

Janice said, "Jason risked his life to help save me and my girls. He didn't know me from Adam but Bill told him vampires were coming after me and he was Johnny on the spot. I owe him for that and I pay my debts."

"Jason wouldn't look at it as a debt. He doesn't keep a ledger of all the good things he does for people. Jason doesn't give it very much thought at all. He just does what's right…as near as he can tell it."

Tara smiled slightly and squeezed Jessica's hand. She knew all too well about Jason, just doing what was right. He had been that way since they were kids and it was a quality she loved about him. If she was honest, it was the reason she started crushing on him - other than the fact that he was smoking hot and a veritable tornado in the bedroom.

Tara said, "We're all going, Jess. We're going to find Jason. I know it."

Sookie reached over and covered Jessica and Tara's hands with her own. She couldn't put words together at the moment. Sookie was terrified that they were about to find out she was the last of her generation. Her thoughts moved to Hunter. She wondered what would happen to him if she met her end in Beaulieu as well. The poor boy had gotten the short end of the stick. Worse yet the only person Sookie would trust to look after Hunter in her absence was also taking part in this ill-fated journey.

Tara's phone buzzed again and she realized it was a text from Sam. She groaned softly. "Well, Sam knows Jason is missing and would like to know where we are, Sookie."

Sookie frowned. "If he's asking then he already knows we are out looking for Jason. Just let him know that we are okay. There's no reason for Sam to get involved. We've already asked too much of him."

Tara nodded in agreement. She was still grateful that he risked his life to help Theresa. She would be in his debt for a long time because of that.

Jessica raised an eyebrow as her own phone buzzed. She glanced at it and said, "He's moved on to calling me now."

Tara was about to send the message but jumped hearing a thump on the roof of the SUV. She looked up and asked, "What the hell was that?"

Eric's head popped over the side of the roof next to her window. "Pull. Over. Now."

Jessica gasped seeing Eric's face. He looked seriously pissed. She realized that Bill wouldn't be too far behind. He wasn't exactly a strict maker but she had seen what he was capable of when he was angry. Her mind went back to the night Sookie took her to see her family. She had never seen Bill so angry since that night.

Tara rolled her eyes. "You've got to be fucking kidding me."

He glared at Tara. "I'm really not…"

"Janice, you should probably pull over…for my asshole of a fiancé."

Janice stifled a chuckle and pulled onto the dirt shoulder of the road. She turned off the car assuming this was going to take longer than a minute.

Eric opened Tara's door and glared at her. "What the hell were you thinking?"

She hopped out of the car so that she was standing in front of Eric. The height differential always made their confrontations comical to the casual observer. However, there volatile history made it less amusing. "I was thinking your allegiance is to Roman, not Jason. My allegiance is to Jason, not Roman. I think we're at cross purposes, Eric. I don't blame you for following orders but don't blame me for doing what is right for my friends - for people who have been my family for as long as I can remember."

He asked, "What about Jax and Jade? Where do they fall in the pecking order of the people you give a fuck about, Tara?"

Tara's eyes went flinty and she resisted the urge to punch Eric. She took a step away from him as if the distance would help her self-control. "Don't you dare question how important my children are to me, Eric Northman! I love them more than my heart can stand but this isn't the first time I've put my life on the line and it won't be the last. We're running headlong into a war with vampires and humans. Where is your fucking concern for me then?"

Eric sighed in exasperation. This would all be so much easier if Tara was already his progeny. He could command her to do as he said and that would be that. "The war is inevitable and I can't protect you from it as much as I would like to. I can protect you from this. The men we planned to send are capable, Tara. They would have retrieved Jason if he is still alive."

"I've learned over the years that people work as hard as something means to them. Jessica heard what the Guardian thought of Jason's character. I doubt his men would put their lives on the line to rescue him."

He shook his head resting the urge to shake some sense into Tara. Her stubbornness was sometimes a turn on but this was not one of those times. "Well, you've got your wish. Bill, Roman, and I will be leading the charge for rescuing Mr. Stackhouse. Alexander and Nicholas are on their way as well."

Tara said, "Well, this is quite a bit more like a party. I do love a good party."

Eric said, "You aren't going in there. None of you are going in there. You're going to be good girls, turn around, and go back to Shreveport where it's safe."

"Not on your life, Northman. I can agree not to go in the hospital but I'm not turning around until I know Jason is safe. If he isn't safe I have every intention of burning that place to the ground with all the vampires inside."

Theresa said, "I sort of planned to do that anyway. Think of it as a public service."

Tara motioned behind her. "What she said…"

Eric stepped closer to Tara leaned down and whispered into her ear. "One of these days I'm going to turn you and you are going to follow my every fucking command and it is going to make me so incredibly hard."

She laughed mischievously and not so discreetly groped his crotch. "I disobey your every command right now and it still makes you so incredibly hard…"

Roman and Chancellor Braun landed behind Eric with Alex and Nicholas in tow. "I'd hate to interrupt your flirting but we really should get to the business of locating Jason Stackhouse and the faerie he has with him." Roman looked thoughtful for a moment and added, "Although, I suppose if this is a vampire nest she's likely already dead. In any case we need to get a feel for the layout before we breach."

Bill arrived on foot with a disapproving scowl on his face.

Jessica said, "Bill, I can explain…"

Bill looked at Jessica. "We will talk about this later, Jessica. You will be coming with us. We'll need your connection to Jason."

The young vampire nodded solemnly. She didn't regret her decision but she didn't like the look of disappointment on her maker's stern face. She only hoped that he could understand why she chose to do this.

Eric kissed Tara roughly and then smirked looking at her. "Stay out of trouble until I return with Stackhouse."

She smiled innocently. "I never go looking for trouble, Eric. It just seems to find me."

He rolled his eyes and then vamp sped in the direction of the hospital with the others following him.

Beaulieu Community Infirmary in Beaulieu, Louisiana

It took less than 15 minutes for Roman, Eric, Bill, Alex, Dieter, and Nicholas to develop a viable plan to breach the hospital. Looking at the darkened facility The Guardian was glad he thought to have a group of his vampire guards accompany them for the trip. They had no way of knowing how many hostiles lie in wait for their approach.

Bill gripped Jessica's hand. He looked at her with some concern. "Can you sense Jason here?"

Jessica closed her eyes and tried hard to locate Jason within the structure. She could feel that he was alive and nearby. However, narrowing down the location would take considerably more skill than she currently possessed. Having the Guardian watching her with disapproving eyes didn't make it any easier. She shook her head and whispered. "I-I-I don't know. I know he's here, Bill."

"It's okay…just keep trying, Jessica."

Eric leaned against the dirty brick façade of the hospital. He knew from personal experience that asking a baby vampire to track someone through the blood bond was not a simple task. It took practice and Bill didn't spend very much time training his progeny. Eric wasn't sure if Compton was a shitty maker or a young one. Being a maker was not easy by any stretch of the imagination. There was a reason he had only made one vampire in his incredibly long life. The time and attention it took to mold a capable vampire was exhausting.

The Guardian didn't want to be here in the first place. He hardly believed Jason Stackhouse was worth this type of effort. He had a full dossier on the young man and he was unimpressed to say the least. It wasn't a personal judgment but rather a tactical one. You don't send in your best men to retrieve a single person that would play such a small role in the war to come. Mistakes happened so easily and Roman couldn't risk losing Eric or Bill in a unnecessary mission.

The Viking's long fingers flew over his phone as he exchanged lurid text messages with his fiancé. At the moment, he was trying to convince Tara to snap a picture of her breasts. He had to amuse himself somehow.

Jessica huffed as tears began burning her eyes. "I can't do it. I am trying but I can't do it. I'm so stupid," she hissed in anger.

Roman growled in displeasure. "Well, I say we turn around and allow my men to take this place apart."

She snapped. "No!" Jessica's eyes widened as she realized how out of line her behavior was. She muttered, "I'm sorry…"

Roman's eyes narrowed but kept his voice unaffected. "If we don't have an exact location soon my decision will be final."

Alexander spoke for the first time. "Well, even if you and your men turn around…I have a duty to fulfill my promise to my sister. Tara would like Jason Stackhouse returned to the bosom of his family in one recognizable piece."

Eric rolled his eyes. The man might have been the head of the Authority and a family member but he was beginning to irritate Eric. The Viking pushed himself off the brick wall and walked over to Jessica. He seized the young woman's arms and marched her away from Bill. "You are inexperienced but not stupid."

Jessica looked stunned and a little scared. "I don't want to screw up. I don't want to lose Jason."

He smiled looking down into her eyes. "You love the little human. That's adorable. Stop talking. Close your eyes and concentrate. You are capable of finding him. Vamp up."

Jessica trembled slightly but nodded. She closed her eyes and tried to focus in on finding Jason. However, Eric's proximity was overwhelming her senses. He was an imposing vampire both physically and personality wise. Jessica also couldn't ignore how incredibly good he smelled. It took a moment for her to realize the heady aroma was Eric's blood and not some sort of cologne or aftershave.

Nicholas quirked an eyebrow at Alexander but didn't say anything about Eric's behavior. He would only become concerned if Alex was. However, the younger man wore an apathetic expression.

Eric sunk his fangs into Jessica's neck without warning or preamble. He clasped his hand over her mouth to keep her quiet and brought her body flush against his.

She let out a muffled cry against Eric's hand and her body went limp in his arms like a ragdoll. Her eyes shot open and she stared at him in disbelief. A vampire had only bitten Jessica once and that was when Bill turned her. Despite being confused by Eric's actions, everything else seemed to snap into focus with unusual clarity.

Bill vamp sped over to Eric with his fangs bared. "You have no right! She is mine."

Eric didn't attempt to separate from the young vampire. However, he did remove his fangs from her neck. Eric's tongue laved the two perfect puncture marks with his tongue collecting the blood until the wounds healed on their own. It wouldn't do to have Jessica walking into a vampires' nest smelling like blood.

Alexander wasn't sure how Tara would take this tidbit of information. However, he was certain she would cope as long as Jason was rescued.

Out of the coroner of his eye, he could see the smaller brunette vampire looking as if he might kill Eric if he was strong or brave enough to try it. Eric said, "Pam was always able to concentrate better when she was aroused…"

Sure enough, Jessica's fangs were visible and she had a slightly euphoric look on her face.

Bill blustered, "You had no right. I could have…"

Eric rolled his eyes. "You would not have done it because you have never had sex with your progeny. I don't have time for you two to work out whatever issues you have in your relationship. Although, you might spend more time training her to be a vampire instead of having your head firmly up Ms. Stackhouse's shapely backside."

Jessica blinked drowsily. "I know where Jason is," she murmured.

Bill looked at Jessica asked, "Are you sure?"

She nodded and said, "Very…"

Eric flashed a self-satisfied smirk and then looked at the dazed girl in his arms. "Do you think you can lead the way now?"

Jessica nodded slightly.

Bill's fists were clenched at his side but he struggled to keep a civil tone for Jessica's sake. "How are you feeling Jessica?"

She sighed happily. "Fucking horny."

Eric chuckled in amusement. "Well, I'm afraid Jason will have to take care of that. Let's go get him."

Jessica grinned. "Okay!"

He smiled. "After you…"

Roman shook his head at the display. Eric still liked to needle other vampires. He had hoped the older vampire would have grown out of that trait in their time apart. The Guardian grasped his radio. "Alpha team is ready to make entry. Cue the explosions."

A few seconds later, two coordinated explosions on the east and west sides of the building disrupted the tranquil winter night. Two impressive fireballs illuminated the darkened area as thick black smoke started to rise above the building.

Roman entered the building first and motioned for Jessica to fall in behind him. He would need her to give him directions on finding Jason. While they located the hapless deputy, the Bravo team would be killing anything they encountered.

As they rounded the first corner, they came across a couple of dazed humans. It was obvious the poor souls had been glamoured within an inch of their sanity. The humans were clothed in scrubs and Roman could only assume they were part of the crew that originally staffed the hospital before the new 'tenants' took over.

Jessica whispered, "They're like zombies."

Eric chuckled. "Worse…zombies have brains. They're likely as close to brain dead as a coma patient."

Roman looked over his shoulder with a disapproving glare. "Glamour them and send them out of harm's way, Eric. Send them to the support team."

The Viking stepped forward as Roman and Jessica navigated around the two women. He drew their attention and said, "You're going to walk out of the hospital and walk to the van parked two blocks away. When you get there you will remember who you are but not what has happened here."

The women nodded in concert with one another and then walked out of the door.

Eric walked quickly to catch up with his group. As they rounded a second corner, they heard gunfire erupt from the north side of the building where the Bravo team made entry.

They began passing hospital rooms where patients lay comatose. Eric stopped following Jessica and entered in one of the rooms. He carefully examined a young man in the bed. The patient's scent was what attracted Eric's attention from the hallway.

Roman backtracked realizing they had lost Eric. He entered the room. "We are supposed to be looking for Stackhouse."

Eric said, "We've got bigger problems. Don't you smell him?"

Roman took a moment to ignore the smell of acrid smoke that blanketed the air and honed in on the patient's scent. His eyebrow rose as he recognized it. "Siren…"

Eric nodded and said, "The room before this one I smelled a chimera."

Bill shined a flashlight at the IV stand next to the bed. He closely examined the bags hanging from the apparatus. "They're siphoning his blood and keeping him sedated."

Erick asked, "What do you want to wager that every patient in this hospital is hooked up to a rig like this?"

"It's a farm," Roman muttered in displeasure.

Eric nodded. He lifted the man's arm and motioned to a mark on his forearm that resembled a tattoo. "I saw something like this in Germany during the war. It was staffed by werewolves."

The Guardian's eyes widened as he realized this was the brainchild of Russell Edgington. This wasn't just a random group of Saguinistas. It was very likely that they had unwittingly stumbled onto Salome's base of operations.

Bill said, "Sookie and Tara need to get as far away from this place as they can. If this is Salome's farm…she isn't likely far away."

Alexander said, "I'll call Tara to warn her but I doubt they will leave." He took out his phone and called Tara's phone.

Jessica asked, "How are we going to rescue all these people. We can't just leave them here like this. They have lives and families…"

Bill nodded in agreement. "There is a good chance that Hadley is still alive here as well. She may not be fae but her blood is more desirable than that of a regular human. It is one of the reasons Queen Sophie-Anne kept her as a concubine for so long."

Eric said, "We are going to have to take the hospital. This is no longer an extraction."

Roman glanced at Eric displeased that he was giving the orders but he was right. He nodded.

Dieter said, "I'll alert Bravo team of the change in mission."

Interstate 20 in Claiborne Parish, Louisiana

Tara was too anxious to think about sitting down in the car. Instead, she was leaning against the side of the SUV and silently wishing she had a cigarette in her purse. She didn't smoke often and had given up the habit while she was pregnant with Jax and Jade. However, her nerves were frayed and adrenaline was pumping through her veins.

It was no longer just Jason Stackhouse's life that hung in the balance. She had sent her fiancé, brother, and cousin into the line of fire. Tara didn't mind risking her own life. She believed that she had been living on borrowed time for most of her life. There were so many times that she thought for sure that Lettie Mae was going to kill her. She had survived too many situations that she had no right to walk away from in one piece.

She looked over and saw Sookie pacing on the side of the road. Tara knew it was taking all of her willpower for her friend to sit this one out. She didn't even know if her brother and cousin were still alive.

Tara perked up hearing 50 Cent's song In Da Club playing on the radio. She stuck her head in the opened window. "Janice, turn that up please!"

Janice was already bobbing her head to the music. "Go, go, go, go…"

Sookie stopped pacing and glanced in Tara's direction. She shook her head and her lips turned up into a small smile. Leave it to Tara to start dancing at the most absurd time. She asked, "Really?"

Tara smiled sheepishly. "I love this song. I can't help it. You like this song, too. I distinctly remember you getting seriously drunk and dancing to this song at Lafayette's house."

Sookie's cheeks flushed as she vaguely recalled the night in question. She might not have been the best dancer but Tara and Lafayette taught her to 'drop it like it's hot'. She walked over to Tara and leaned against the SUV. "You're a bad influence."

She shrugged. "Probably…" Tara bumped Sookie with her shoulder. "Eric is going to bring Jason back to us, Sook. I trust him not to let me down."

Sookie watched her best friend staring at her engagement ring. She nodded. "I know."

"Besides, if anyone is going to walk out of a vampires' nest alive it is going to be Jason Fucking Stackhouse. That boy is luckier than a sack full of horseshoes." Tara's mouth snapped shut as she was hit by a premonition.

Sookie looked at her with some concern. "Tara?"

Theresa heard the panic in Sookie's voice and quickly hopped out of the car. "Tara…"

The blank look on Tara's face didn't exactly inspire confidence. Sookie grabbed onto her friend's arms in an effort to stop her from collapsing. However, as soon as they touched Tara's premonition hijacked Sookie's mind.

Janice ran around the car to check on the two of them. She asked, "What the hell?"

Theresa said, "Premonition… a big one."

Sookie managed to pry herself away from Tara as the premonition began to subside. She swallowed thickly and looked at Theresa with wide eyes. "We're in trouble. We're about to be attacked. They're coming for us. Vampires are coming…"

Janice opened the back door and grabbed the bags packed to the gills with weapons. "Well, if vampires are coming we won't get very far in a car."

Tara slowly regained her senses. "Did you just go all Dr. Seuss on us?"

She shrugged. "Problem?"

"No. I kinda like it."

Janice sniffed the air. "The vampires ain't alone. I smell werewolves…"

Theresa grabbed a rifle and said, "Oh goody…"

It took only a few moments for a pack of werewolves to emerge from the shadows with glowing eyes and hungry expressions on their faces. They stalked toward the group slowly and spread out to surround them.

Janice counted at least ten but she smelled more. "They aren't alone, Theresa…"

Theresa growled. "Tara and Sookie, you two get on top of the car. The werewolves are a distraction. The vampires will come for us while we fend them off…we'll need you two to have a clear line of sight. Shoot to kill…"

Tara rolled her eyes as placed a few weapons atop the SUV and then scrambled up there. Theresa hardly needed to tell her to shoot to kill. She made the mistake of showing Debbie Pelt mercy and nearly lost her life for that lapse in judgment. She would never make that mistake again. "Come on! Hop up, Sook."

Sookie took the hand Tara extended toward her and clamored onto the roof of the SUV. She picked up one of the guns loaded with the silver-coated UV bullets and kept her eyes toward the sky. Not all vampires could fly but they weren't exactly dealing with your run of the mill group.

It was a strange stand off because the werewolves didn't make a move to attack. They just surrounded the women and the SUV as more werewolves assembled. They were obviously waiting on something. The scene was incredibly eerie. Everyone was completely silent as a pack of 15 werewolves stared at them hungrily.

Theresa grew bored of waiting and raised her hand sending the werewolf nearest her hurtling into the darkened night sky.

Janice shouted, "Pull!" She leveled her weapon and shot the werewolf out of the sky. The animal's lifeless body fell to the ground and shifted back into a human.

The other werewolves began growling and converged on them like a swarm of locusts.

Theresa quipped as she threw another werewolf into the air. "I think we pissed them off…"

Janice rolled her eyes. "You think?" She wasted no time shooting at the werewolves wounding as many as she could. Janice was an impressive marksman thanks to her father's insistence that she know her way around a firearm. There were moments when she adored that old drunk.

Theresa took a more hands on approach. She pulled the knife from her belt and started slashing the first werewolf she came across. The spray of blood from the wolf's neck briefly warmed her freezing hands.

Tara spotted a werewolf trying to sneak up behind Janice. She raised the creature up into the air and looked at Sookie. "Hit him!"

The faerie didn't need Tara to elaborate on her idea. She hit him with a bolt of energy from her fingers and watched as the sparks set his fur on fire.

Tara threw her hand outward sending the now flaming werewolf back toward the descending pack. She grinned evilly as the fire spread to another unfortunate werewolf. Both men shifted back into their human forms and tried rolling around on the ground to put out the flames. She focused on another werewolf and pinned him atop one of his roasting comrades.

The animal howled and writhed as the fire consumed his form.

The young diviner swept her other hand to the side pulling the other werewolf into the burning heap. She concentrated on the flames intensely until the fire began to burn brighter and hotter.

Sookie gasped softly. "What did you do?"

Tara shrugged. "Turned up the heat…"

Theresa smirked and sent several of the injured werewolves into the roaring fire as if they were nothing more than kindling. She glanced back at Tara. "Make it hotter…"

The younger woman concentrated harder on the flames trying to increase the heat. It was as if a dam burst as it turned into a truly impressive fireball. The burst of energy was so massive that it knocked Theresa and Janice back into the SUV.

Tara gasped. She said, "Sorry!"

The fireball was enough incentive to make the surviving werewolves abandon the fight. Apparently, burning alive wasn't something they were interested in doing.

The reprieve was short lived because the werewolves retreating signaled the advancing of the vampires. It seemed as if the vampires had been waiting in the wings to see if the werewolves were capable of controlling the situation. At first glance there appeared to be five vampires but that could have just been the first wave.

Theresa thrust her hands outward and sent one of the vampires into the brightly burning fire. She held him there waiting until his body turned into goo. She didn't know how many vampires were coming but this wasn't a good situation or a defensible position. They were exposed and there was no safe place to retreat.

20 months ago…

Jason sat on the couch in the living room of the Stackhouse home. He was the picture of comfort with a beer in one hand and the remote control in the other. He was trying to watch two different football games at the same time with a limited amount of success.

This had become something of a ritual since their Gran was murdered. Jason and Sookie were trying to keep their tattered family together the best they could. The best way to keep them close was maintaining Gran's tradition of cooking big Sunday night dinners. Jason postponed his whoring around for one night a week and Sookie cooked a dinner that would make their grandmother proud. Normally, Sookie's childhood friend Tara would be in the kitchen cooking with her or on the couch trying to make conversation with Jason but the young woman was conspicuously absent today.

Jason wasn't the most observant or sensitive person in the world but he did care about what happened to Tara. The girl had spent the majority of her childhood running around the Stackhouse property with Sookie and getting into all sorts of mischief. He could tell that his younger sister was worried about her friend. Jason was used to Tara acting out but if Sookie was worried then he was worried, too.

He felt a little guilty for how he'd treated Tara. He'd given her hope that they could be something more and then she caught him high out his mind on vampire blood screwing some girl whose name he couldn't rightly remember. They never spoke about it but he knew that he'd hurt her. Jason was oblivious to many things but not to the fact that Tara had a crush on him.

During a commercial break, he went into the kitchen and had a seat beside Sookie at the table. She was in the process of peeling potatoes for dinner.

She looked at him a moment and said, "You can get your own beer out of the refrigerator. I'm busy, Jason."

Sookie was having a hard time concentrating on cooking dinner. She was worried about Tara and truth be told cooking Sunday dinner made her miss Gran more than she could bear.

He said, "That wasn't what I was coming in here for. I know I can get my own beer. I was just wondering if you talked to Tara today."

She eyed him suspiciously but then shook her head sadly. She went back to peeling the potatoes and said, "I've called her a dozen times but she ain't answering my calls. I can't tell if she's just ignoring me or lost her phone. She does that when she's drunk sometimes."

Jason decided against suggesting that she might be dead in a ditch somewhere. He didn't want to upset Sookie anymore than she already was. Shreveport wasn't the type of place a nice girl should be late at night. Tara wasn't exactly a shrinking violet but her mouth always seemed to get her into trouble. The girl usually had more courage than common sense and that was saying something coming from Jason Stackhouse.

He asked, "Did you call her mama?"

Sookie nodded. "I called this morning. I figured she'd be sober before she went to church. Tara's mother hasn't seen her in days. I called Lafayette too and he ain't seen hide nor hair of her. If I didn't think she'd curse me out from now until the resurrection I'd get Sheriff Bud on her tail. She's been gone long enough to be a missing person."

Jason got up and retrieved a beer from the refrigerator. "There is a difference between being missing and just not wanting to be bothered with anyone."

She said, "Not to the people that are worried about you. I know Tara had her heart broken but it's been over week now. I'm not saying that she should be over it but…"

Jason heard a knock at the door. "I'll get it." He went to the front door and peered out of the window. A sense of relief washed over him when he recognized Tara as the person standing on the porch. He opened the door and smiled at her. "We were beginning to think you weren't coming over for dinner."

Tara shrugged and said, "I got like a million messages from Sook. I figured I should show up before she had a heart attack or something. She here?"

Jason thought to himself that the younger woman looked like a long stretch of bad road. He nodded. "Yeah. She is in the kitchen. We were just talking about you."

She put up a hand and said, "Don't…"

He gave Tara a confused look and asked, "Don't what?"

She took off her sunglasses and said, "Don't tell me how sorry you are that Sam and I broke up. We weren't really dating."

Jason felt even more confused. "But Sookie said that you two broke up and that's why you couldn't work with him anymore."

Tara said, "We weren't dating we were just fucking around. I'm not really the dating kind. I don't know what I was thinking pretending that I was. Things were great with Sam until we made plans to go on a real date."

He said, "That ain't true. There is some guy out there that would be lucky to date you, Tara."

She laughed bitterly. "I've been throwing myself at you for years and you ain't ever been interested. At least you had the decency not to fuck me." Tara forced a smile and shrugged. "I am going to go see Sook and see if I can borrow some clothes from her."

Sookie was walking out of the kitchen to see who had been at the door. "Tara! Where have you been? I've been worried sick about you."

Tara allowed Sookie to pull her into a hug. She said, "I'm sorry. I rented a room at a hotel in Shreveport. I couldn't stand being at the house with Mama."

"You could have come to stay here! You know I have the room and you are always welcome. You don't need to be staying at some sleazy motel."

She shrugged. "I just needed some time to myself. I've been trying to figure out what to do next"

Sookie said, "Well, you'll stay here with me while you figure it out. Sam's been asking about you…the job at Merlotte's is still yours if you want it."

"I don't. I can't see his stupid face every night."