Chapter 16: Meeting with the Queen of Hell
Sam walked into the mom-and-pop diner, the bell above the door giving a soft jingle. His red tactical mask covered most of his face, blending in with the red hues of the booth seats and the rustic Texan charm of the small-town eatery. He paused for a moment, scanning the room—a few locals at the counter, two waitresses bustling between tables. His eyes caught hers: Katherine. She sat near the window, a casual yet predatory elegance about her. She didn't know him—at least, not yet.
He took his time, making his way toward her booth. The smell of barbecue and syrup thickened the air, mixing with the lazy morning sun streaming through the windows. When he slid into the seat opposite her, she smiled, a practiced look of intrigue in her eyes.
"Nice mask," Katherine purred, resting her chin on her hand, eyes flicking over him as if sizing him up for a game she had already decided to win. "You look like you're about to rob a bank."
Sam didn't respond immediately, his body language cold, unreadable behind the red mask. He leaned back, one hand resting on the table, fingers drumming lightly. The waitress came over, and without looking at the menu, Sam ordered.
"Pancakes with syrup. Side of ribs. Same for her," he said, not bothering to check Katherine's expression. The waitress scribbled down the order and left.
Katherine's lips curled into a half-smile, clearly enjoying the mystery of it all. "Quite the combination. Breakfast and dinner all in one."
Sam's voice, muffled slightly by the mask, was low, deliberate. "I prefer to keep things simple."
She tilted her head slightly, her fingers toying with the salt shaker on the table. "Simple? You don't strike me as the simple type. In fact, I think there's more to you than just this… masked persona." Her tone was playful, but Sam could hear the probing underneath.
He stayed silent, letting her words hang in the air as the waitress returned with their food, the smell of barbecue ribs and warm pancakes filling the small space between them.
Katherine's eyes flicked to the plate, then back to him. "You're not going to make me eat all this by myself, are you?"
Sam reached for the syrup and poured it over the pancakes, the dark liquid pooling around the fluffy edges. He started to cut into them, taking a deliberate bite without removing the mask. Katherine watched, bemused but unfazed, her eyes glittering with something more than casual interest.
"I know things," she started, her voice softer, dipping into something more personal. "I know things about people. I can tell when someone's hiding, keeping their distance. It's in your body language. The way you keep your guard up." Her fingers traced invisible patterns on the table. "I've done my research."
Sam's eyes remained fixed on her, his fork pausing midair as she continued.
"You were abandoned at birth, weren't you? Left with no one. Grayson Gilbert found you—an intern at the hospital at the time. Brought you home to his parents. The Gilbert family raised you as one of their own, didn't they?"
Sam's grip on the fork tightened, his knuckles going white. Katherine's smile was sweet but laced with poison.
"No one else knows, do they? About your secret life as a mercenary for the supernatural. Not even your family. I bet they think they know you. But they don't. You've been hiding for so long, even from them."
Sam's jaw clenched behind the mask, but he didn't speak. He couldn't risk showing her that she had struck a nerve.
"Oh, and the fight," Katherine continued, leaning in slightly, lowering her voice as if sharing a secret. "You and Grayson. After a council meeting, wasn't it? You left Mystic Falls that night. Grayson came home with a black eye, and no one said a word. Not even Grayson."
Her words hung in the air like a noose tightening around his neck. Sam's silence was deafening, but Katherine didn't seem to care. She knew she had him listening.
"What was it about?" she mused, tapping a finger on her lips, playing at being coy. "What did you and Grayson argue about? What made you leave everything behind?"
Sam set his fork down, his voice cutting through the tension. "Why are you here?"
Katherine's eyes gleamed with triumph, sensing she'd gotten under his skin. She leaned back, crossing her legs under the table. "I need your help. You're good at finding things, aren't you?"
Sam didn't respond. He didn't need to; she already knew the answer.
She continued, her tone shifting, more calculated now. "I'm looking for someone. Michael. You know him?"
Sam's heart rate quickened, but he kept his composure, leaning forward slightly, signaling her to go on.
"He's the father of the Mikaelson family," Katherine said, her voice carrying a hint of reverence mixed with fear. "The original vampire hunter. He's the only one who can tame them—Elijah, Rebekah... and Klaus." She spat his name like a curse.
Sam's eyes narrowed behind the mask. He knew all of this. He had watched the Mikaelsons, loved watching them, their dynamics, long before his life had changed by reincarnating.
"They've caused so much destruction," Katherine said, her voice growing softer, almost distant as if she were lost in a memory. "Terror. Fear. They've torn through cities, families, lives. They can't be controlled. Not by anyone. But Michael… he can rein them in. He has to."
Sam watched her closely. She wasn't talking about the Mikaelsons for his sake. This was personal.
"And why should I care?" Sam asked, his tone flat, giving nothing away.
Katherine smiled faintly, knowing she had his attention now. "Because you're a detective, and you're good. You've found things others couldn't. Like that hidden supernatural community in Chile—remember? All it took was the slightest whisper from one of my little birds, and the work practically did itself. You found them when no one else could, traced them through government expenses of all things. Hospitals buying blood bags in bulk for vampires."
"And you're going to help me," Katherine said, her confidence returning. "Because no one knows where Michael is. Except you."
The silence that followed felt heavy, both of them locked in a quiet standoff. Sam's mind raced—how much did she really know? Could she have found out about his past, his knowledge of this world, his abilities?
Katherine's eyes sparkled with satisfaction as if she had already won. But Sam wasn't going to give her what she wanted. Not easily.
He pushed his plate aside and stood, the mask concealing his expression but not the tension in his movements. "You're right. I know where Michael is."
Katherine's smile faltered, just for a moment. She hadn't expected him to admit it so easily.
"But you're not getting that information," Sam said, his voice cold, final. "Not from me."
Katherine's eyes narrowed, her playful demeanor slipping. "You're making a mistake."
Sam leaned in slightly, his voice a low, dangerous whisper. "I don't think I am."
Without waiting for her response, he turned and walked out of the diner, leaving Katherine sitting in the glow of the morning light, the smile gone from her lips.
Outside, Sam took a deep breath, the warm Texan air filling his lungs. He had already known where this was going, but he had played along. Katherine was just another obstacle in a world full of them. And he would deal with her—when the time was right.