CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

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warnings: sexual assault and mentions of rape

         TWENTY-FIVE HOURS IN THE BASEMENT WAS ENOUGH TO MAKE ANYONE INSANE LET ALONE WITHOUT A GOOD MEAL AND BARELY ANYTHING TO DRINK. Dakota's stomach was in pain, she had barely slept on the uncomfortable makeshift chair and as night approached she was ready to strangle someone.

Dakota refused to die in the musty cage, trying to form a plan within her mind but Hugo's constant panicking distracted her. 

"Hey!" he called, pulling on the bars with all his might. "Hey! I need to use the bathroom. Hey! Come on, let me out of here!"

"Here," Dakota threw an empty water bottle his way. "I'll turn my back."

"I don't need that!" he snapped, breathing heavily. If Dakota had been standing beside him he would have smacked the bottle from her hand as she reached for him, instead she was leaning against the bars a few feet away from him. "I need to get the hell out of here."

"Hugo, this is not helping." she urged, stalking his way and grabbing a hold of his wrist. "Just sit down."

Dakota was dehydrated and tired, which is why her walls had completely crumbled to nothing and images of his memories flooded into her own. Hugo sat in the church on his knees beside Sarah Newlin, Steve before them as they prayed together. Another image revealed itself and her eyes widened. It was Hugo, eavesdropping on her and Eric's visit with Isabel and Stan, revealing the blonde's plan to infiltrate the church. Hugo was on the phone, telling someone about the plan and her being a spy.

Dakota let out a breath, taking a step back as she looked at the man in disbelief. "You? You're the traitor?"

Hugo watched her, unreadable expression on his face as he let out a long sigh, rubbing his hands over his face. He sat down on the floor, leaning against the bars of the cell. Dakota felt stupid for not having figured it out sooner, if only she had just listened for a moment she would have known.

"I used to be just like you." he began, peering up at her. "Thought I was a real emancipated thinker, especially when Isabel took me to bed and the sex was amazing ... you wouldn't know. It's addicted to be desired by something that powerful. Your life changes to suit them. You start missing work more, can't get up in the morning, can't stand to leave them after dark. Before you know it you're somebody you don't even recognise."

"So you want to the Fellowship because you can't control yourself?" Dakota accused, crossing her arms over her chest. 

"I begged her to turn me." Hugo confessed. "It was the only way we could be together as equals. But see, they don't want us to be equals. No, she's just been using me. Same way Eric's been using you. Getting you to do his dirty work."

"It's not like that." Dakota denied.

"I mean, a telepath is gotta be a real trophy for a vampire." he argued. "All they care about is their own kind. Okay, that's why I joined the Fellowship."

"If the Newlin's care so much about you how come you're still in here?" she sassed, rolling her eyes at the man. "Face it, Hugo. You're nothing but a fangbangin' traitor to them."

Hugo narrowed his eyes, clenching his jaw as he got up from his place on the floor. "Gabe! Gabe, she knows everything. You can let me out now. Hey! Anybody? Let me out!"

"Yep," Dakota rolled her eyes. "you're so all-fired important to them, aren't ya?"

Hugo shot her a glare, leaning on the bars. Nonetheless, the door opened and out stepped Gabe, eyes hard. He looked pissed off, face littered in bruises and Dakota stepped away from the bars, frowning.

"Gabe," Hugo sighed in relief as Gabe moved to open the doors to the cell. "what happened to your face? Listen, she knows everything, which never would have happened if you hadn't locked me down here with a goddamn mind reader." Gabe stood before him, towering over him with at least a foot. "I hope the reverend knows that i'm gonna need protection now."

Gabe hit Hugo across the face without warning and the man crumbled to the floor with a grunt. Dakota gasped, taking another step back in fear.

"You want protection, you fangbangin' sack of shit?" The toe of his shoe came into contact with Hugo's ribs and he cried out, eyes squeezed shut in pain. Gabe beat him across the face and Hugo fell unconscious from the force of it. "How's that for protection, huh? Here's a little more protection for ya."

"Stop it!" Dakota panicked and she rushed toward them, jumping on the brute's back to try and safe Hugo.

Her arms snaked around his neck and she pulled him away with all her might. Gabe grunted, grabbing a hold of her wrists and pulling her away, throwing her over his shoulder onto some styrofoam boxes. It hurt, her back had hit the wall in the process and she was sure she'd have a bruise. He pulled her back up and squeezed her throat, and she gasped for breath. Dakota clawed at his arms, to no avail.

"You and your moron cousin think you can make an asshole out of me? That's what you think?"

"Get your filthy hands off me!" Her nails dragged across his cheek, drawing blood.

"What? Your own kind not good enough for you?" he taunted, his grip on her throat loosened a bit and she was able to take in a staggering breath. "How about I show you what you've been missin'?"

Gabe pushed her down and Dakota fell backwards, onto her back and hitting her head on the cement floor. The blonde screamed in terror as he crawled up along her body. "Yeah, show me how you scream for that big fat vampire cock!" He gripped the bottom of her dress, pulling harshly and the material ripped, revealing her cotton underwear. "Scream for me, baby."

Dakota thought she had felt fear before, like when Rene tried to stab her in her home and when he tried to murder her and Sookie in the cemetery. But this, this was a fear she never thought she'd feel and all that came from her mouth were blood curdling screams as she pushed at his chest. 

As Gabe hooked his fingers around the waistband of her underwear, the pressure of his body weight disappeared. Dakota took in a sharp breath, eyes wide as she scooted away quickly. Her cheeks were stained with tears, mascara clumping underneath her eyes.

The boy couldn't have been older than eighteen, he looked incredibly young and tired. He held Gabe by the collar of his shirt with ease and his feet dangled above the ground. Though, his blue eyes were solely on her. 

"Godric?" she whispered and his lips twitched into a soft smile.

Dakota wrapped her torn dress around herself, holding her arms over her chest protectively.

"Godric, it's me." Gabe wheezed, but the vampire snapped the man's neck and dropped him to the floor like a sack of old potatoes. 

The two-thousand year old turned back to face her, solemnly and said. "You should not have come."

Dakota slowly got up from the floor, making sure her dress was covering most of herself even though it was ripped at the front. How Godric got there in time, she had no idea, but she was forever grateful that he killed the man who was about to have his way with her. 

He sensed her change of emotion and peered down at her, eyes moving over her face before stopping to look into her eyes. He furrowed his brows just as screams erupted from upstairs. His head snapped towards the door.

"I'm here my child." he spoke, eyes closed. "Down here."

Eric appeared in the basement, having heard the call of his maker the moment he stepped foot inside the church. Godric's name tumbled from his lips as he spotted the younger boy and Eric sped toward him, slowly getting to his knees, bowing his head as if not believing he was actually seeing the vampire.

"You were a fool for sending humans after me." Godric said, looking down at the viking. 

"I had no other choice. These savages, they ... they seek to destroy you."

"I am aware of what they have planned." Godric replied, gaze turning to a bloodied Hugo behind him. "This one betrayed you."

"He's with the Fellowship." Dakota managed to say, sniffing. "They set a trap for us."

Eric glanced at her, having been too emerged with the fact his maker was right there in front of him that he hadn't looked at her yet. His jaw was set, eyes hard as he took her in. Her cheeks were wet, there were hand marks on her throat and her powder blue dress was ruined. Yes, Eric was furious. He had felt her fear moments ago and he was within the church in minutes.

Godric tilted his head to the side as he watched his progeny. Eric met his gaze once more and asked him, "How long has it been since you've been fed?" 

"I require very little blood anymore." said Godric, giving him a soft smile.

The lights above their heads flickered and the fire alarm sounded upstairs. Eric got to his feet, towering over the other vampire. It was loud, and the lights kept flickering in warning. Hugo was still out cold, but to be honest Dakota couldn't find herself to feel bad for the man.

"Save the girl." Godric said. "Go on."

"I am not leaving your side until you are -"

"I can take care of myself."

Dakota's heart was hammering inside of her chest as she took a step toward them. "Eric, we have to go."

"Spill no blood on your way out. Go." Godric said, giving the viking a nod.

Eric said nothing as he shrugged off his leather jacket and wrapped it around the blonde's shoulders, zipping it up for her to conceal her from the world. He pulled her toward him with a gentle caress, but there was an urgency in his movements as he did so. He held onto her wrist as he pulled her towards the stairs.

Dakota glanced back to see Godric frowning at the floor before he disappeared from her sight.