Disclaimer: The Sookie Stackhouse Series is the creation of Charlaine Harris. Don't sue me Charlaine! I love your books.

Strong Warning- Section XV is the one you may want to skip if even implied sexual violence disturbs you.

A/N- Chapter 10 on FanFiction includes sections 15 & 16

Gambit

XV.

Ah, the advantages of a human life. You sleep on your own schedule and sometimes, not at all.

We waited for Eric and Bill to go to sleep. Once Eric was out, I got out of bed and changed into my black jeans and a deep blue cotton shirt and sneakers. I went to check on Bill and then send the text message to Claudine.

Claudine, Claude and their friend Ciarán arrived within moments. Claude looked very put out by both the 'early' hour and the task at hand.

"Let me get this straight. We are babysitting your vampires?" Claude said, dripping with sarcasm.

"I need Batanya and Clovache with me. I need to be sure Eric and Bill will be safe in the room because the Mississippi vamps have employed some local Weres. No one comes in the room. We'll go out this morning, and then we'll be back for a short while, then out again. Eric and Bill won't arise until around 8 pm and we will be back by 5:30 pm at the latest."

Claudine looked apprehensive. "I would feel better if I came with you."

"And I would feel better if you stay to make sure that Claude and Ciarán stay put. Remember, if anything happens to Eric…."

Claudine nodded. "Will you text me to let me know you are okay?"

"Of course."

Batanya, Clovache and I left the room and the hotel by a side door Clovache had located earlier. Batanya and Clovache made themselves invisible as we walked down the corridor of the 9th floor so the video camera would show only me leaving the room alone at 7 am.

Once outside the hotel they rematerialized. Hailing a cab, we rode around in the nearby area I saw in my mind to locate the warehouse. Once we identified it, I scanned and found that two Weres were in the structure. Batanya and Clovache made short work of them. I regretted their deaths but they had chosen to be involved in something truly despicable. With trepidation, I opened the door to the room at the back of the warehouse, where I sensed Pam's 'barely there' signature thoughts.

Strapped to a table, splayed open, covered with slashes and dried blood, was my beloved friend. Broken, bitten, raped, slashed, wrapped in silver, inside and out. It was the single most horrifying moment of my life thus far. We carefully unwrapped her and pulled silver off her and out of her. Her mute eyes as she looked at me, for she was wide awake from the pain, will stay with me for as long as I live.

She was so weak, so damaged. I lifted her head but could not get her to drink from a bottle. She needed the scent of real blood. After thinking about the need for concealment, Clovache and Batanya gasped as I let her bite my breast, the safest spot. She fed ravenously but was still weak enough so we could pull her away after several minutes, as I swayed from the loss of blood.

Pam looked at me, tears welling in her eyes. "You didn't leave me," she said in a weak whisper.

We gently wrapped her in the blankets we had brought, and I called Quinn, who arrived within minutes, as planned. I delivered my precious parcel to him. He locked her in the box on his truck, and took the note, which I had written for Pam, to explain my plan to her, and assure her she would safe with Quinn and Frannie and would be home soon. He assured me that he had plenty of TrueBlood and that she would be safe in the night, as well as during the day.

My trust in Quinn, who had long despised vampires because of the harm they had caused him, was based in large part on his lingering affection for me. But I also knew of his desire to erase the wrong he that had participated in during the takeover. An involvement that resulted in the deaths of many vampires I had known and considered friends, some of whom were defenseless at the time of their death. I knew that he felt real remorse for having been involved in Sophie-Anne's death when she was so injured after Rhodes. He had worked for her often and she had always treated him well, with respect rarely shown to a were. He had killed her beloved child Andre to protect me, part of a cycle of events that brought about Sophie-Anne's death. I trusted that he would protect Pam. It was an opportunity to bring about something right. I knew he would seize it.

After Quinn left with Pam, we returned on foot to our hotel by the side door, and I had coffee alone in the restaurant while Batanya and Clovache, invisible at will, adjusted the cameras on the 8th floor of the hotel. I texted Claudine to let her know that I was back in the hotel, and that Pam was safe.

At the front desk, I requested writing paper and sat in the open lobby writing. I wrote a simple note, notifying Victor that I had misplaced my schedule for my work with Felipe that night.

Taking the elevator to the 8th floor, I slipped the note under Victor's door, room 816. A quick adjustment of the camera angle in the hall near Victor's room had made it impossible to see the entrance door for room 812. Batanya, still invisible, had opened the door to 812 for me, and in I went with an invisible Clovache to quickly stake Rasul.

After exiting his room, I alone showed on the video tape walking back to the elevator. We three got in and went back up to the 9th floor room, to check in with the fairies. Claudine gave me one of her preparations and made me drink a TrueBlood, to restore my strength. Claude, for once, appeared thoroughly impressed with me. In the space of less than two hours I had rescued Pam, staked Rasul and my Britlingens had killed two Weres along the way. He told Ciarán that I was his cousin, though five times removed. I laughed.

At noon, we left the room to go shopping. I was still a bit weak, but my happiness over rescuing Pam buoyed me.

Back by 5 pm we were back, and Claudine, Claude and Ciarán departed and I tried to air out the room to only moderate success.

I thanked Batanya and Clovache warmly for their help and support. They did not like vampires, but they could see that I cared for Pam deeply, and they were horrified by what had been done to her. To them, her suffering was monstrous and they were happy to be a part of a plan to set things right, even if it was not what they were hired for.

Clovache and I enjoyed Oprah. Batanya cleaned her weapons.

My vampires arose from their rest, and our night moved on.

I texted Quinn and Frannie throughout the night, checking on Pam.

XVI.

We waited on the porch of Bill's house. Eric paced, while Bill and I rocked.

They caught the sound of the truck driving slowly on the gravel road long before I could. We stood up as the headlights pierced the darkness and turned onto the drive.

The truck came to a stop in the circular drive in front of the house. Quinn hopped out, walked around to the passenger door and opened the door. He lifted Pam out gently. She was dressed in a simple pink hoody and a loose fitting pair of jeans. She turned toward us and my heart just burst with joy.

We hugged her. She rested her head on my shoulder but didn't say anything. Eric caressed her hair.

My eyes filled with tears as I looked up at Quinn.

"I can never thank you enough, John."

"We hope she continues to recover well. Frannie would have come, too, but we thought Pam could use the time on the drive down. We will definitely miss her humor."

It seemed Quinn had softened on vampires enough to learn to like Pam. I cannot imagine what they thought when they unrolled her from her blankets that morning, to put her in the cool, dark cellar of their home. Her condition would have softened the heart of any good, decent person.

Eric stunned me by offering Quinn his hand. They shook, a thing vampires never do.

Pam nodded to Quinn and he departed.

We walked Pam into Bill's house, where she would stay to rest in the coming weeks.

She sat on the couch next to me and held my hand, still unable to speak, pink tears flowing slowly down her face.

I looked at Eric with a smile on my face and announced "She's leaking," at which all of us laughed.

Bill played the piano and we sat chatting until close to dawn.