A Bit of Warm Comfort (A True Blood - Sam/Tara Fic)

Chapter 10 - King of the Beast / Epilogue

Eric and Sam soared high over the marshland. Even with Sam's nocturnal vision as an owl, it was hard to see through the dense gathering of trees and swamp below. Could Tara really be down there somewhere? And if she was, Sam prayed he and Eric would find her in time.

"There," Eric said, pointing down at the cover of trees. He made a sharp dive and Sam followed, amazed that a vampire as big as Eric could fly with such ease. As they drew closer, Sam could make out a small glow of light and what appeared to be a roof peaking through the treetops.

They landed a few yards away from a small rundown shack that was nestled deep in the woods. Sam had to admit that this was a perfect place for someone determined not to be heard or found.

"Franklin and your human are here," Eric said, looking towards the shack. Sam morphed back into his human form. He hugged himself, as a chill went through his body. One thing he hated about changing was the inconvenience of not being able to carry clothes with him.

With a quirked eyebrow, Eric eyed Sam from head to toe. "Not bad," he said, "for a shifter." He wore a ghost of a smile.

Sam frowned, covering his private parts with both his hands. He was just about to give a snide retort when he words were cut off by a man's terrified scream. That had to be Andy. Sam turned to run towards the shack, but Eric moved with vampire speed to block his path.

"Wait. You will not be able to fight him in your human form."

"I'll change then," Sam said with irritation. Another scream was heard coming from the shack. It sounded as if the detective was being tortured.

"Franklin may still be too powerful for you. You will need my help to subdue him."

Sam's pride was rubbed raw by that statement. "Don't worry, I can handle myself. I'm a lot stronger than I look."

"That may be true, shifter, but you're dealing with a 600 year old vampire who is as ruthless as they come. Plus, there are some things you should know about Franklin."

"And that would be..?"

"Despite his invaluable service to me, Franklin has some...issues."

"Issues? What damn issues?"

"When he becomes attached to something or someone, he becomes distracted, possessive and insanely irrational. There is no reasoning with Franklin if he believes you stand between him and the object of his obsession. Apparently, he has grown quite attached to your Tara."

"What if Tara doesn't want to be with him?" Sam asked.

"To a vampire like Franklin, that is of little consequence. He is delusional and would rather kill your human than let her go. He once dragged a girl around for weeks until she was able to escape from a hotel at a Biloxi casino. Eventually, he tracked her down. When she refused him, he not only drained her but, in a fit of rage, ripped her body parts limb from limb. The most ironic part is that he mourned the poor girl for weeks."

Eric's face showed annoyance. "Not to mention, he was totally useless to me."

Sam was seething. He reached out and grabbed Eric by the collar. "And you set her up with that crazy bastard? If anything happens to her, Eric, I swear I got a stake with your fucking name on it, and I'm not afraid to use it."

There was a loud crash and a man yelled, "STOP LYING TO ME!"

Seconds later, a painful shriek filled the air.

Could that be Franklin? Sam wondered.

Eric and Sam, both moved closer to the shack, listening to the commotion coming from inside. It sounded like a war was taking place. Then they heard Tara's horrified scream. Sam's blood ran cold.