Capital Letters

eighteen

The following day Nathan and Damon stood alongside Liz in the grandeur of the Founder's Hall. The ornate surroundings served as a stark contrast to the somber discussion they were about to engage in. Liz had called them there to address a pressing matter, a potential vampire problem that had surfaced in their town.

Liz began to speak, her voice carrying a sense of urgency, "There was a disturbance at the hospital blood bank last night. Some of the supply was compromised."

Damon, never one to mince words, immediately sought clarification, "Compromised. You mean, stolen?"

Liz nodded, her expression grave, "We almost missed it. The inventory records were altered. But when the night manager was questioned, he had no recollection of changing them."

John, who had been quietly observing the conversation, chimed in with additional insight, "Meaning the vampire who stole the blood used mind control to hide the theft."

Nathan couldn't help but roll his eyes at John's attempt to elaborate, "Yeah, I know what she meant."

"I wouldn't have noticed if John hadn't alerted us to recent discrepancies at other hospital blood banks in the county," she added.

Damon's sarcasm couldn't be contained, and he muttered, "How lucky for us we have John."

Liz, however, remained focused on the matter at hand. "We're stepping up security at the hospital, giving the guards vervain to prevent this from happening again."

John, ever the strategist, spoke up with a proposal, "Sheriff, might I offer a suggestion? Why don't Damon, Nathan, and I put our heads together? We could track down whoever's doing this."

Liz considered the idea, her expression softening as she revealed a sense of vulnerability. "Truthfully, I could use the extra hands. Is that something you guys are willing to do?"

Nathan smiled reassuringly at Liz, his commitment unwavering. "Of course, we are. Whatever we can do to help."

John, ever the opportunist, took the opportunity to strike a chord of camaraderie, "I think we'll make a good team, don't you, Nathan?"

Nathan couldn't resist a feigned chuckle, his tone dripping with sarcasm, "Oh, John, whatever I can do to keep this town safe. Even if that means being anywhere near you."

Nathan and Damon returned to their home, the ambiance within the house starkly contrasting with the tension that still lingered from their meeting with Liz and John. Nathan wasted no time in making his discontent known as he vented his frustration.

As he strode over to the well-stocked bar in their elegant living room, Nathan poured himself a glass of bourbon, his movements precise but his irritation palpable. His voice seethed with anger as he expressed his annoyance.

"Oh, Damon, the next time I see him, I'm gonna take that ring from his finger." He punctuated his threat with a sip of the amber liquid. "And then I'm gonna kill him."

Damon chuckled at his brother's outburst, "Maybe you should leave that to me, the big brother. Because you failed to kill him the first time."

Nathan rolled his eyes at Damon's teasing, the corner of his lips twitching with a hint of exasperation. "Yeah, well, how was I supposed to know the guy had a magical ring that brings him back to life?"

Damon's smirk was evident as he quipped back, "Maybe you should've looked."

Nathan scoffed at his brother's retort, shaking his head in mock disbelief. "Right, I could say the same thing about Alaric. You failed to kill him too."

Before their conversation could continue, the unexpected sound of the doorbell rang out in their home. The brothers exchanged puzzled glances, momentarily thrown off by the unexpected interruption.