Carl Kolchak: I don't know when exactly I was in this office last. Some ways, it seems like I never left. But no, that's not right. For at least a few days I was away, far away, in the hands of men with no faces and no names. They broke me down, broke my story down, telling me how it hadn't happened the way I claimed. At least, that's what I think they did, between injections. Memories fade fast enough without chemical help, but if I don't tell this story now, I don't think I ever will.
Bella's POV:
Slowly and wearily, I came back to my senses.
My body still felt very lethargic and heavy. My muscles were screaming at me in protest as I gently flexed each one of them in turn, checking to see if I have been severely harmed in any way. My stomach was churning, threatening to be sick again and my head was thumping with a terrible headache as though someone had repeatedly thumped something over my head. In many parts of my body, I could feel sore bruises beginning to form where I have probably been knocked around. My hands and legs were tied to something, a chair I assumed was the most likely object and every time I flexed them both, they could barely move an inch.
A groan escaped my mouth and I blinked a few times, giving my eyes time to adjust to the new light. It took a good few blinks until everything around me was no longer a blur and I could clearly make everything out – well, as much as I could with the tears beginning to well up in my eyes again.
However, once my eyes were open and fully liable to actually see, I immediately wished that I hadn't opened them, or even woke up for that matter.
Standing across the room from me, with his arms crossed over his chest, was Edward.
He was staring at me with a brooding expression on his face and was staring at me intently, with a frown on his forehead and giving me the most filthiest, uninterpretable look that I had ever received – and trust me, I had received a fair amount of them from my father's associates in the past when I had barged in on important, top secret meetings.
Just thinking about my dad made me wince and fill my heart with guilt. I just could not get his face out of my mind. His broken expression before I ran away just kept swarming in front of my eyes, even when they were open like now. He had looked so sorry and guilty and as though he really wanted me to stay with him. So that left me wondering if he really regretted what he had said to me? But even if he did, it was not something I was going to soon forget. It hit home too much and hurt more than you could imagine.
But I might not even see him again. I mean, I am under their clutches now. What is there to stop them from torturing and then killing me once they get what they wanted? I was prone now to whatever they throw at me, it being pain, caring or even worse, death. But really thinking about it, I wasn't even sure if I should be afraid of death. If I died, I wouldn't have to face my father again and I would also get to see my mother again – even if it was in heaven. I wouldn't have to snoop to find out anything because I would see everything in my space above the clouds and my father wouldn't have to carry me around as a 'burden' as he had so kindly put it earlier. Then maybe, if I became an angel everything would be all happy and fluffy, with bright sunshine and smiles and maybe even some rainbows if I was feeling especially nice...
"Rainbows?" A voice asked from across the room.
My eyes, which I hadn't realised, had drifted to the floor, snapped back to his face, which I noticed looked faintly amused.
"So, I take it you're awake then because you have been giving me a few false alarm over the last few hours," he smirked, "you talk in your sleep a lot."
I pursed my mouth together and glared at him, trying to make myself to seem like I wasn't at all afraid of him, but unfortunately, my breathing and heartbeat were betraying me. My forehead began to sweat and I started to panic again and I purposely clamped my mouth shut, just so that I wouldn't cry or scream out loud, I didn't want to appear weak in front of him, I was going to show them all that I was not going to be pushed around easily.
He pushed himself away from the wall and walked over to me. Upon crouching in front of me, he leant in so our faces were almost touching. "So, Isabella isn't it?" he asked, with another smirk on his face.
"It's Bella," I snarled, "and I would appreciate it if you let me go."
He ignored me and carried on, "I guess that you already suspect why you are here." He paused as if to let me speak, but I just glared at him before he carried on. "So why don't you make my life so much easier and tell me what I want to know."
His eyes searched my face as I deliberated on what to say. After a while and decided to say, "Fuck you!"
He exhaled sharply and stood up and walked to the edge of the room before returning to me, dragging a chair with him. He placed it in front of me and sat down, our knees barely brushing against each other. He stared at me and I stared at him back, waiting for him to do something. "You could just save all of the pain that will come later on now and just tell me what you know about us. Everything," he emphasised.
"I don't know anything. And even if I did, I wouldn't tell you a single thing," I spat.
"You are going to fucking tell me what you know," he growled, putting his hand in his coat pocket.
"I don't know anything about you!" I exclaimed, kindly concealing that what little I did know, was very irrelevant to our conversation.
"Like hell you don't. You're his child, of course he going to tell you everything. My father does! Do you know who he is?"
I shook my head and gulped. "No," I whispered, terrified that he might hit me for not knowing.
"I think you can guess," he said, crossing his arms back over his chest and leaning back on the chair with a little smirk on his face.
Slowly, I shook my head again, not quite able to think straight. All I could think about was how short my life was about to come. "It's not hard," he pressed.
He fell silent for a minute, letting me think it through and when I wasn't able to come up with an answer, he sighed. "Carlisle Cullen, I'm sure you would have heard of him."
I gasped. Yes, I had heard of him. I mean, who in this entire world hadn't? He was on the top wanted list for everything and my dad had hundreds of departments just dedicated to finding him. And yet here I was, sitting here bound, talking to his son.
"You're a Cullen?"
"Yes, I am. So you see Bella, you and I are not so much different after all. We both come from dominating families and we are both fighting to get our voices heard. I kidnapped you to prove myself to my father and in return your kidnap will alert your father that he should be more protective and caring about you. We both benefit from this." He gave me what he must have seen as a reassuring smile, but it looked more like a sadistic one.
"I'm nothing like you. I don't go around killing innocent people, bombing public places and bugging people's private offices. So you can go and fuck yourself for all I care." I was trying to keep strong, but my voice was wavering.
He smirked again and changed the subject. "Your father doesn't seem like a very nice man," he noted.
"He is!" I spat, letting all of my hatred for Edward consume me. "He is the best leader in the world; no one could do a better job than him, including your father."
"I beg to differ," he said coldly, his mood changing within a fraction of a second. All amusement in his eyes had quickly vanished. "You praise him so much, when, he doesn't even love you." Edward raised an eyebrow at me.
"He – he does love me!" I exclaimed, trying to convince myself. "Every father loves their child." But really, did mine love me? I had pondered over this question before and I could spend hours debating on this subject with myself and still not come to a satisfying conclusion.
"Don't try and deny it Bella," he sneered, "I heard that conversation you had with your dad myself, I know what he said and so did you."
"Stop it!" I cried. "I know what you are trying to do and it isn't going to work! All of my family are close and nothing will tear me away from them."
"Really, do you think so? But Bella, what if I told you that none of them really cared for you? That you were just a burden to them and they all wished you would go away. That girls weren't fit for the life you lead at the moment?"
"They do care for me, they are like my brothers," I croaked out, determined to not let him get inside of my head, even though it seemed as though he knew just about everything about me – all of my hopes, my fears and my insecurities.
"So where were they when you cry about your mother? Where are they when you and your father have an argument? Where are they when you attempted to kill yourself a few years ago and no one would have discovered you if the maid hadn't walked into your bathroom, only to find your wrists cut and blood pooling on the floor around you?"
"I – They were busy..." I frowned. "How did you even know about that?"
"Like I said, your father's office is bugged. I remember him talking about it to Billy Black on the phone. He was saying something along the lines of 'She is such a stupid girl. I don't know what has gotten into her. She is a fucking spoilt bitch, I give her everything and this is how she tries to repay me. Hell, I would kill her myself if it wasn't for the reason Renee would be turning in her grave if I tried something like that.'" Edward gave a short and bitter laugh. "Don't you see Bella? Everything isn't always in black and white like you may think it is. Even the ones who love you can stab you in the back."
"You're lying," I accused in a whisper. "He wouldn't say anything like that about me. I know that deep down he loves me, even if he doesn't show it."
Edward groaned. "You are such a naive little girl, you know that don't you? You always see the best out of everything. Even when there is nothing to see! Someone needs to teach you a lesson."
"I'm not naive," I protested, "I'm just not a sadistic, fucked up man like you."
Edward's eyes flashed with something unrecognisable and he balled his fists up, so hard that I could see the tendons straining against his skin. "Don't ever speak to me like that again. You got it?"
My eyes widened at the sound of menace in his voice and shivered from it. I nodded, my throat having suddenly given up on my and died.
He closed his eyes for a few seconds and slowly, he stance relaxed and when he eyes were full open again, he looked back to normal. Well, normal for him anyway, no one I have ever passed in the street has ever had this most terrifying look on their face.
He squinted for a moment, appraising me. "Fine," he said, "you can go home. It looks as though I am not going to get anything out of you."
"Really?" I gasped, not quite able to believe my own to ears.
"No," he laughed, "are you fucking stupid? I have got one of your father's most prized possessions. Someone he would do almost anything for." He smirked as though daring me to talk back to me, but I didn't say anything, I just tried to push away the tears forming, yet again, in my eyes.
"But after hearing your little argument earlier, I'm not sure that he really cares that much about you. I mean, what kind of father will tell their own flesh and blood that they don't want them and they never have?" He gave a harsh laugh and stood up, before walking behind me and from what I could sense; he had crouched down behind me. "You could just get back at your father right now. You could join us and help us out a little, tell us what we really need to know." His lips brushed against my ear from behind and his breath tickled my ear.
"I'll give you a little while to think it over." And he stood up and left the room, turning the lights off along the way, leaving me in complete and utter darkness.
----~~~~----
Something hard smacked across my cheek and I groaned opening my eyes.
From the looks of it, I had fallen asleep while I was supposed to be thinking about my options. Not that I found any of my options – or should I say, option – very appealing. There were only two ways about it; I either join, and help them, or I die. It's quite simple really.
I gasped as the full impact of a second blow hit my face again, this time, on the other cheek. Tears streaked down my cheek and I began sobbing, my face feeling as though it was on fire and I swore I could feel a bruise beginning to form again.
"I didn't fucking tell you to go to sleep!" Edward growled. "I told you to think about what I said, you don't sleep until I tell you to," he paused for a moment, "Well, that is if I allow you too."
He stood up and walked away from me, standing against the wall again.
"So, what do you think then sweetheart? Are you going to join us? Just think, if you helped us out a little, my father could give you a very high ranking position and you would be honoured amongst us all for the rest of your life."
I glared at him for a moment before opening my mouth and releasing numerous amount of swear words, just saying exactly what I thought of him and his offer and where he can shove it.
He watched me and when I was finished he sighed. "Well, I guess that is your answer, and don't say I didn't warn you." And with that he turned on his heels and walked out of the door, shrouding me in darkness once again.
I didn't think he would return so fast, but he did just after a few minutes. But this time, he wasn't alone.
He brought James with him, who, if I must say, had a very sadistic, evil smile plastered all over his face.
"This is your last chance," Edward warned. "You have three seconds to decide."
"One."
"Two." He raised his eyebrows at me.
"Thre-"
"Fuck you!" I screamed.
"If that's the way it has to be." Edward turned to James. "I have family business to attend too. Make her talk," he demanded before leaving me with James.
James stalked over towards me slowly, his eyes glinting.
"Well Isabella, you're going to regret that decision for the rest of your short, pathetic life." And with that, he withdrew a long knife from his pocket and stroked it tenderly before walking over to me.
That was when I screamed.
---~~~~---
Fuzzy, it was all fuzzy and blank after that. I could barely remember anything. I couldn't remember anything that James said to me and I couldn't remember anything that came out of my mouth only that is sounded all garbled to me.
Maybe it made sense to everyone else, who knows?
I know for one thing though, Edward didn't return and for that I was glad. I don't think I could stand anymore emotional pain on top of the physical pain that was consuming me at that moment.
Pain.
It was all I could feel. It was everywhere, licking through my blood, making me scream out in pure, uncontrollable agony.
Though was it even pain? Or was it another one of their mind tricks that they were playing with me again?
Yes, that could be it. In fact it could be both. I know that these kinds of things can happen, where a lot of the pain was all in your mind – psychological – I had seen television programs on them.
But none of those programs could even come close to what I was going through and feeling right now. Heck, I'm not sure if anyone could. I felt as though I was the only person in the world who has ever experienced this amount of pain and I was the only one who mattered.
Please God. Please send someone to help me, I begged silently in my mind, not trusting myself to open my mouth. I wasn't sure how long I can withstand all of this, but I did know that it would not be long before I spilt. This isn't humane. Who could do this to another human being?!
After a while, I began to sense that there was a routine and that they were playing at it very well.
At first he would cause me as much pain as possible before injecting me with a substance which caused me to fall asleep.
That was my favourite part – the sleeping. It gave me an escape from this all and I could just live in my dreams where everything was all nice and happy – even if it was not for long. It was all I could look forward to in this dark hell.
But then I would wake up again and the pain would be an even more shock to me that it was before, because I had come from the sweet painless heaven, to this fiery burning hell which made the pain seems intensified by one hundred per cent.
When I woke up I would be on a small mattress in a small, dirty room.
James would be sitting next to me, waiting for me to wake up and when I did, he would smooth my hair away from my face in an almost loving gesture and tell me that he could make all of the pain go away, if I just told him what my father was planning.
Of course, it was such a tempting feat, but I somehow still managed to keep my mouth closed.
And then the cycle would start again.
But after many times, I could begin to sense that James was started to get pissed off with me and that fact that despite all that he was putting me through, I still wasn't talking.
And sure enough, he soon snapped.
At this moment in time, I was strapped to a table, my arms tied above me and my legs tied down so that I could barely move. James had just repeatedly punched and kicked me, so hard that I was sure to be black and blue. He had injected me with mild poisons, which, while they weren't a high enough dosage to kill me, they still fucking hurt.
But now, this was the last straw.
"Come on now Bella, I know you don't want to go through this again, just as I don't want to be the one hurting you," James cooed, trying to sound nice.
I whimpered and swore at him, not letting my guard down.
"Just a few little words Bella and it will all go away," he whispered sweetly.
I cried out as he punched me repeatedly in the stomach.
"No? Is that still not going to work for you Bella?" he asked, cocking his head slightly to the side. "Well, I just might have to raise the stakes then." He reached into his trousers pockets and withdrew the knife and waved in threateningly in my face.
I knew better than to take him seriously though. He had used this threat before, but not going with it.
"Fuck you," I gasped. "I hope you and your whole fucking family die of some awful disease. And I hope you go slowly and painfully."
His eyes flashed and his pressed the tip of the knife to my stomach. "You want to fucking say that again bitch?" he asked quietly, managing to keep reasonably calm even though I could see the anger that was about to burst out.
"I hope you die and go to hell!"
He gripped the knife hard and pressed it down, piercing the skin. I screamed out loud, filling the space with my ear splitting, blood curdling shriek. The pain in my stomach intensified as I cried out more and he began dragging the knife downwards, towards my belly button.
I could feel the blood escaping from the wound and dripping onto the table besides me and I could also smell it as well.
Rusty and metallic, the scent hung around me in the air, clinging to every inch of skin that it touched.
I screamed and screamed, hoping that someone would answer my prayers, releasing me from this torture and send me to heaven, where everything would be light and shining.
None of this crap.
But God did answer my prayers; just not in the form I would have liked him too.
My vision began to blur and I could feel my eyelids closing, despite how much I fought against them.
I was going to die. And surprisingly, this information did not bother me one bit. I mean why would it? I was going to see my mum again and she would welcome me with open arms with a big smile plastered all over her face.
In the near distance, I heard a door slam open and someone swear furiously. "What the hell is going on here?" he demanded, just before I let the darkness consume me.
----~~~~----
Something hard pressed on my wound and I gasped, wrenching my eyes open.
"Sorry," Edward murmured and continued dabbing away at my wound.
I groaned again and tried to struggle out of his grip. I didn't want his filthy hands touching and roaming my body, but he refused to let me get up.
"Stop it," he snapped. "I'm trying to help you. Can't you see that?" And he pushed a little harder as if trying to prove his point.
"Sorry," I murmured sarcastically, sounding a little drunk and I swear I saw Edward's lips twitch up slightly at the corners in a small but yet recognisable smile.
But then suddenly, all of the recent events suddenly flooded back to me and I began crying again.
I hadn't died. God hadn't answered my prayers after all and let me see my mother again in heaven. Instead, he sent me back to earth, back to my own personal hell where I was about to get tortured even more. I glanced up at Edward and he was staring at my stomach with a look of concentration on his facing, dabbing away with a white cloth with a smell hanging off it that burnt my nose. I frowned, my wound wasn't hurting. What happened? Am I really in heaven after all? Because I could feel no pain whatsoever, so this definitely wasn't hell.
"I dragged James off you before he managed to kill you," Edward explained, turning away and grabbing a long roll of bandage from a small table in the corner of the small, dirty mattress room. "I used some local anaesthetic on your knife wound, which is why you can't feel any pain."
"Oh," I said and we fell into silence while he wrapped my stomach up in bandages.
"Why didn't you just let me die?" I asked him when he had finished.
He stared at me for a long moment before answering. "Someone close to my heart reminded me of who I am." Then like always, he walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
----~~~~----
News flash
The Volturi are now in control of Russia. The death casualty is still unknown as the country has been blocked off from all entrances and any planes that attempt to fly over are rocketed down.
Who are these Volturi and what is their aim?
How will the Swan's take to this new terrorist group? Especially when they have a large one already on their hands.
This is Katie Smith, reporting to you Kiev in Ukraine. Back to you John at the studio.
A/N: Meh. That was the biggest bunch of shit I have ever written. No joke.
So sorry for the late update, I was supposed to update yesterday but skype distracted me... But I have updated now :D
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