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Carla Rodriguez,lead, came first I’d looked up the old address I had for Dovie, hoed the odd Christmas card I found the house with a little difficulty It ell away fro areas that were my only norether where Dovie lived, and some of them were in bad repair

I felt a distinct thrill of triumph when Carla herself answered the door She had a black eye, and she was hungover, both signs that she’d had a big night the night before

"Hey, Sookie," she said, identifyinghere? I was at Merlotte’s last night, but I didn’t see you there You still working there?"

"I a at Carla, I wasn’t sure how to explain to her what I needed I decided to be blunt "Listen, Jason’s not at work this ht be here with you"

"Honey, I got nothing against you, but Jason’s the last man on earth I’d sleep with," Carla said flatly I stared at her, hearing that she was telling onna stick otten burnt the first tiht see him, but if I had, I’d have turned the other way"

I nodded That seeed a few more polite sentences, and I chatted with Dovie, who had a toddler balanced on her hip, but then it was ti lead had just evaporated in the length of two sentences

Trying to suppressstation and parked, to check ure out how to get frotasia was in a shopping center close to Toys "R" Us It opened at six PM year-round, but of course the vampires didn’t show up until full dark, which depended on the season The front of Fangtasia was painted flat gray, and the neon writing was all in red "Shreveport’s Pre under the exotic script of the bar’s name I winced and looked away

Two suroup of vamps from Oklahoma had tried to set up a rival bar in adjacent Bossier City After one particularly hot, short August night, they’d never been seen again, and the building they’d been renovating had burned to the ground

Tourists thought stories like this were actually a overpriced drinks (fro black "va at real, honest-to-God, undead bloodsuckers Ericduty by giving them a set nutasia Most of his underlings weren’t enthusiastic about exhibiting the-bangers who actually yearned for the chance to be bitten Such encounters didn’t take place on the premises: Eric had rules about that And so did the police depart that could take place between hu adults, in private

Auto center Bill and I had almost always used the eray door in a gray wall, with the naht below that, a large, black, stenciled notice proclaimed STAFF ONLY I lifted my hand to knock, and then I realized I could see that the inner dead bolt had not been employed

The door was unlocked

This was really, really bad

Though it was broad daylight, the hair on the back of my neck stood up Abruptly, I wished I had Bill athis tender love, either It’s probably a bad indicator of your lifestyle when you miss your ex-boyfriend because he’s absolutely lethal

Though the public face of the shopping center was fairly busy, the service side was deserted The silence was crawling with possibilities, and none of theray door I decided to get back in et the hell out of there, which would have been aone, if I hadn’t heard the

Even then, if I’d been able to spot a pay phone, I would’ve just called 911 and stayed outside until soht, and I couldn’t stand the possibility that someone needed my help real bad, and I’d withheld it because I was chicken

There was a heavy garbage can right by the back door, and after I’d yanked the door open - standing aside for a second to avoid anything that ht dart out - I oose bumps all over tasia requires electric light, twenty-four/seven Since none of these lights were on, the interior was just a dark pit Winter daylight extended weakly down the hall that led to the bar proper On the right were the doors to Eric’s office and the bookkeeper’s rooe storeroom, which also contained the ee any fun lovers fro to the back of the club This door, too, was open, for the first time in my memory Beyond it lay the black silent cavern of the bar I wondered if anything was sitting at those tables or huddled in those booths

I was holding my breath so I could detect the least little noise After a few seconds, I heard a scrapingfrohtly ajar I took four silent steps to that door My heart was pounding all the way up in ht switch

The glare ent fang-banger I’d everon the storeroos were bent double, her heels pressed against her hips There was no blood - in fact, no visible iant and perpetual leg cralances in all directions I saw no other h its corners were obscured with stacks of liquor cartons and a coffin that was used as a prop in a show the vampires sometimes put on for special parties The employee bathroom door was shut

"Belinda," I whispered "Belinda, look at me"

Belinda’s eyes were red and swollen behind their glasses, and her cheeks ith tears She blinked and focused onshe’d understand that I meant "the people who did this to you"

"Sookie," she said hoarsely Her voice eak, and I wondered how long she’d lain there waiting for help "Oh, thank God Tell Master Eric we tried to hold theony: "Tell our chieftain we fought to the death" - you know the kind of thing

"Who’d you try to hold off?" I asked sharply

"The witches They caht after we’d closed, after Paer and me"

"What did they want?" I had ti her fil skirt, and there were still puncture marks painted on her neck

"They wanted to knohere we’d put Master Eric They see to hi pause, her face contorted, and I could tell she was in terrible pain, but I couldn’t tell rong with her "My legs," she moaned "Oh

"But you didn’t know, so you couldn’t tell them"

"I would never betray our master"

And Belinda was the one with sense

"Was anyone here besides Ginger, Belinda?" But she was so deep into a spas that she couldn’t answer Her whole body was rigid with pain, that low ain

I called 911 from Eric’s office, since I knew the location of the phone there The room had been tossed, and sora to love that

I returned to Belinda to tell her the as?" I asked, scared of the answer

"They s pull up, like it was half as long" And she began et when you’re pregnant"

It was news to nant

"Where’s Ginger?" I asked, when her pain seemed to have ebbed a little

"She was in the bathrooer, a pretty strawberry blonde, as dumb as a rock, was still there I don’t think they’d s like they’d done to Belinda’s, it looked like; her legs were drawn up double in the saer had been standing in front of the sink when she’d crumpled, and her head had hit the lip of the sink on her way down Her eyes were sightless and her hair was matted with some clotted blood that had oozed fro to be done I didn’t even touch Ginger; she was so obviously dead I didn’t say anything about her to Belinda, as in too ony to understand, anyway She had a couple more moments of lucidity before I took off I asked her where to find Pam and Chow so I could warn them, and Belinda said they just showed up at the bar when it became dark

She also said the woman who’d worked the spell was a witch named Hallow, and she was aln painted on her face

That should make her easy to identify

"She told asped "You see" Belinda pointed beyondhappened, but what I saas alined It was the handle of the dolly the staff used to wheel cases of drinks around The long metal handle had been twisted into a U

"I know Master Eric will kill her when he returns," Belinda said falteringly after a ed bursts because of the pain

"Sure he will," I said stoutly I hesitated, feeling cruo because I don’t want the police to keepPlease don’t mention my name Just say a passerby heard you, okay?"

"Where’s Master Eric? Is he really ?"

"I have no idea," I said, forced to lie "I have to get out of here"

"Go," Belinda said, her voice ragged "We’re lucky you caet out of there I knew nothing about what had happened at the bar, and being questioned for hours would cost

Back incenter, I passed the police cars and the ambulance as they headed in I’d wiped the doorknob clean of erprints Other than that, I couldn’t think of what I’d touched and what I hadn’t, no matter how carefully I reviewed osh, it was a bar

After awith no direction I was overwhel station parking lot and looked at the pay phone longingly I could call Alcide, ask him if he knehere Pao there and leave a , warn them about what had happened

I made myself take so It was extreive a Were the address of their dayti place This was not information that vampires passed out to anyone who asked Alcide had no love for the va debt over Alcide’s head until he complied with their wishes I knew that if I called, he’d couy But his involvement could have serious consequences for his family and his business However, if this Hallow really was a triple threat - a Were witch who drank vaerous, and the Weres of Shreveport should know about her Relieved I’d finally ot Alcide’s card out of its slot in my billfold

Alcide was in his office, which was a ave et me, but I didn’t want hi card to phone Bud Dearborn’s office, to hear there was no news about Jason

Following Alcide’s directions very carefully, I arrived at Herveaux and Son in about twenty e of Shreveport, actually on my way back to Bon Te, and their surveying company was its sole occupant I parked in front of the low brick building At the rear, I spotted Alcide’s Dodge Ra lot for employees The one in front, for visitors, was much smaller It was clear to see that the Herveauxesto the shy and lanced around There was a desk just inside the door, with a waiting area opposite Beyond a half wall, I could see five or six workstations, three of the phone calls, too She had short dark brown hair that was carefully cut and styled, she earing a beautiful sweater, and she had wonderful makeup She was probably in her forties, but it hadn’t lessened her impressiveness

"I’ embarrassed and self-conscious

"Your na at es, as if she didn’t quite approve of a young and obviously unfashionable woht blue-and-yellow knit top with long sleeves under ed blue jeans, and Reeboks I’d been worried about findinginspection by the Fashion Police

"Stackhouse," I said

"Ms Stackhouse here to see you," Crispy said into an intercoood!" Alcide sounded very happy, which was a relief

Crispy was saying into the intercoh the door behind and to the left of her desk

"Sookie!" he said, and he beamed at me He stopped for a second, as if he couldn’t quite decide what he should do, and then he hugged ed hiht he looked wonderful Alcide is a tall man, with black hair that apparently can’t be tareen eyes

We’d duether, and that creates a bond

He pulled gently on my braid "Co on with an indulgent sent part was for Alcide’s benefit In fact, I kneas, because she was thinking I didn’t look chic enough or polished enough to date a Herveaux, and she didn’t think Alcide’s dad (ho for two years) would appreciate Alcide taking up with a no-account girl like s I didn’t want to know Obviously I wasn’t shielding h Bill had made me practice, and now that I didn’t see hi sloppy It wasn’t entirely my fault; Ms Crispy was a clear broadcaster

Alcide was not, since he’s a olf

Alcide usheredwith neutral pictures - insipid landscapes and garden scenes - which I figured some decorator (or maybe Ms Crispy) had chosen He showed me into his office, which had his naant one, because it was just chock-full of work stuff - plans and papers and hard hats and office equip, and set beside a stack of forures

"You’re busy I shouldn’t have called," I said, instantly cowed

"Are you kidding? Your call is the best thing that’s happened to ain "There’s so I didn’t tell you when I dropped your stuff off after you got hurt" After I’d been beaten up by hired thugs "I felt so bad about it that I’ve put off co to Bon Teod, he’d gotten back with his nasty rotten fianc&u Debbie’s na to look calm and open He reached down and took e paly"

Okay, that was unexpected "Hoould that be?" I asked, looking up at hiuts, but it was Alcide as spilling his instead

"That last night, at Club Dead," he began, "when you needed my help and protection thenow Alcide had changed into a wolf rather than staying huotten staked I put my free hand across hisvaular human can feel, and a Were even rees hotter

I felt ood at sensing excite that up You couldn’t help it, and it all turned out okay, anyway" Well,at Bill’s perfidy

"Thanks for being so understanding," he said, after a pause during which he looked at me intently "I think I would have felt better if you’d beena brave face on it or if I was truly sincere I could tell he had an impulse to kiss me, but he wasn’t sure if I’d welcome such a move or even allow it

Well, I didn’t knohat I’d do, either, so I didn’t give myself the chance to find out

"Okay, I’ it real well," I said He relaxed all over when he saw ht be the last smile we’d share all day "Listen, your office in the ood tis I need to tell you," I said I spoke very levelly, so he’d realize I wasn’t co on to hiht he was one hell of a h with Debbie Pelt, he was off uys I wanted to be around The last I’d heard of Debbie, she’d been engaged to another shifter, though even that hadn’t ended her e to get in the rief caused by Bill’s infidelity still weighing heavily on o to the Applebee’s down the road and have soested Over the intercoh the back door

It was about two o’clock by then, and the restaurant was al man who seated us to put us in a booth as far away froet I scooted down the bench on one side, expecting Alcide to take the other, but he slid in beside et," he said

We both ordered coffee, and Alcide asked the server to bring a small pot I inquired after his dad while the server was puttering around, and Alcide inquired after Jason I didn’t answer, because the h toWhen our coffee had co man had left, Alcide said, "What’s up?"

I took a deep breath, trying to decide where to begin "There’s a bad witch coven in Shreveport," I said flatly "They drink vampire blood, and at least a few of them are shifters"

It was Alcide’s turn to take a deep breath

I help up a hand, indicating there wasinto Shreveport to take over the vado on Eric, and it took away histo discover the day resting place of the vampires They put some kind of spell on two of the waitresses, and one of them is in the hospital The other one is dead"

Alcide was already sliding his cell phone from his pocket

"Paet back before dark to take care of hi I don’t knoho took him or where he is or if he’s" Alive But I couldn’t say the word

Alcide’s deep breath escaped in a whoosh, and he sat staring at me, the phone in his hand He couldn’t decide whom to call first I didn’t bla at your house," he said "It puts you in danger"

I was touched that his first thought was forit, and Pareed," I said, embarrassed

"But Jason isn’t there to take the heat, and you are"

Unanswerably true But to give Jason credit, he certainly hadn’t planned it that way I told Alcide about the blood on the dock "Might be a red herring," he said "If the type matches Jason’s, then you can worry" He took a sip of his coffee, his eyes focused inward "I’ve got to make some calls," he said

"Alcide, are you the packmaster for Shreveport?"

"No, no, I’h"

That didn’t seem possible to me, and I said as much He took my hand

"Packmasters are usually older than h Really, really tough"

"Do you have to fight to get to be packet elected, but the candidates have to be very strong and clever There’s a sort of - well, you have a test you have to take"

"Written? Oral?" Alcide looked relieved when he saas s "More like an endurance test?" I said

He nodded "More like"

"Don’t you think your packmaster should know about this?"

"Yes What else?"

"Why would they be doing this? Why pick on Shreveport? If they have thatfor thes, why not set up shop in a ood question" Alcide was thinking hard His green eyes squinted when he thought "I’ve never heard of a witch having thisa shifter I tend to think it’s the first time this has ever happened"

"The first time?"

"That a witch has ever tried to take control of a city, tried to take away the assets of the city’s supernatural community," he said

"Hoitches stand in the supernatural pecking order?"

"Well, they’re hued "Usually, the Supes feel like witches are just wanna-bes The kind you have to keep an eye on, since they practice ical creatures, but still"

"Not a big threat?"

"Right Looks like we ht have to rethink that Their leader takes vampire blood Does she drain them herself?" He punched in a number and held the phone to his ear

"I don’t know"

"And what does she shift into?" Shape-shifters had a choice, but there was one animal each shifter had an affinity for, her habitual animal A shape-shifter could call herself a "were-lynx" or a "were-bat," if she was out of hearing range of a olf Werewolves objected very strenuously to any other two-natured creatures who termed themselves "Were"

"Well, she’s like you," I said The Weres considered thes of the two-natured coed into one animal, and it was the best The rest of the two-natured cos

"Oh, no" Alcide was appalled At that moment, his packmaster answered the phone

"Hello, this is Alcide" A silence "I’m sorry to bother you when you were busy in the yard So important’s come up I need to see you as soon as possible" Another silence "Yes, sir With your per someone with me" After a second or two, Alcide pressed a button to end the conversation "Surely Bill knohere Pam and Chow live?" he asked me

"I’m sure he does, but he’s not here to tell me about it" If he would

"And where is he?" Alcide’s voice was deceptively calm

"He’s in Peru"

I’d been looking down at lanced up at thedown at one? He left you there alone?"

"Well, he didn’t know anything was going to happen," I said, trying not to sound defensive, and then I thought, What a? "Alcide, I haven’t seen Bill since I came back fro the country"

"But she told e voice

"Who told you that?"

"Debbie Who else?"

I’ "And you believed Debbie?"

"She said she’d stopped by Merlotte’s on her way over to seevery, ah, friendly while she was there"

"And you believed her?" Maybe if I kept shifting the e

Alcide was looking sheepish now, or as sheepish as a olf can look

"Okay, that was duht" Pardon me if I didn’t sound very convinced I’d heard that before

"Bill’s really in Peru?"

"As far as I know"

"And you’re alone in the house with Eric?"

"Eric doesn’t know he’s Eric"

"He doesn’t remember his identity?"

"Nope He doesn’t remember his character, either, apparently"

"That’s a good thing," Alcide said darkly He had never viewed Eric with any sense of humor, as I did I’d always been leery of Eric, but I’d appreciated his le-mindedness, and his flair If you could say a vampire had joie de vivre, Eric had it in spades

"Let’s go see the packrimmer mood We slid out of the booth after he’d paid for the coffee, and without phoning in to work ("No point being the boss if I can’t vanish from time to time"), he helped me up into his truck and we took off back into Shreveport I was sure Ms Crispy would assuone to Alcide’s apart out her boss was a olf

As we drove, Alcide told me that the packmaster was a retired Air Force colonel, formerly stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier City, which flowed into Shreveport Colonel Flood’s only child, a daughter, had married a local, and Colonel Flood had settled in the city to be close to his grandchildren

"His wife is a Were, too?" I asked If Mrs Flood was also a Were, their daughter would be, too If Weres can get through the first fewaccidents

"She was; she passed away a few o"