A/N: I still don't own Twilight. Enjoy!
Chapter 9 – Three Days Apart: The Romanians
Jasper was even quieter than usual on the plane, and Peter and Charlotte exchanged a lot of glances. It was never easy to be away from your mate, but none of them knew what it was like to leave a human mate, unclaimed and unmarked, behind. They could only guess it was painful. Fortunately, it was only them and Caius and his guards on the private jet. Everyone else was already deployed, and Caius was not the chatty sort.
The flight would take about six hours, but halfway through Jasper grimaced. A low groan slipped through his lips, so low it was only Peter and Charlotte who heard him. He rubbed his chest and narrowed his eyes. Charlotte placed her hand over his on the armrest.
"Is it bad?" she whispered. Jasper nodded without turning his head from the window. The rest of the trip was silent.
They landed on a small, private airstrip. Black SUVs with tinted windows met them and they were immediately taken northeast. Jasper was paler than usual but collected, and he drew strength from his brother and sister. It only took an hour and a half until they were at the base camp, and Demetri greeted them. It had once been a small village, but now most houses were in ruins. One of the houses fortunately still had most of its walls standing, including the roof, and they had housed all their computer equipment in there. The road that went through the village was luckily still kept, and they had an excellent signal on their satellite uplink since they were quite high up in the mountains. Everyone was to keep their phones off, though, since they couldn't risk any stray signal going off or being tracked.
Demetri bowed his head as Caius and Jasper approached him. "My lord, Major, welcome. If you follow me."
Peter and Charlotte accompanied them, and they headed into the still standing house. Rhona sat by her computer and had a headset on as usual. She wasn't talking to anyone—at least not yet—and she had six screens in front of her. The screens mostly showed real-time satellite images of three different regions: their targets. Jasper took a closer look before Demetri started his report. The images were a bit grainy, but it was still easy to make out what was shown. On one of the screens, three figures stood outside a dilapidated building, making gestures as if they were discussing something. On another, a door to what looked like an underground bunker stood wide open, and the guard lounged against some trees nearby. A third screen showed the opening of what must be a cave, but there was no movement in that one. The other three screens showed their own camp and its surroundings along with the other two campsites where the Volturi were stationed.
"As you can see," Demetri started, "they seem to be completely unaware of us. We will not underestimate them, though, and have prepared tactics according to your instructions, Major."
Jasper nodded. "Good. The bunker is their headquarter?"
"It seems so, yes. If I can make a suggestion?"
Jasper turned from the screens and nodded at Demetri, who continued.
"I think lord Caius and his two guards should head for their main compound. Felix and I will handle the north one, and the Major, Peter and Charlotte should handle the south one."
"Elaborate," Jasper said, clasping his hands behind his back.
Demetri nodded. "I know that Stefan is in the main compound. I started to sense him a few hours ago. Vladimir must be somewhere else."
Jasper's eyes widened at the unexpected news. They might actually have a chance this time.
Caius took an interested step forward, his eyes eager. "You're sure?"
Demetri nodded. "Of course, my lord. I think it only prudent that you handle that."
Caius nodded and there was a gleam in his eyes that Jasper knew all too well.
"My lord, you do remember that Aro wants to hold a trial?" Jasper said with a smirk, and Caius glared at him.
"Yes, I know, Major. I will bring him back alive. Maybe not in possession of all his parts, but alive."
Jasper smiled a little and turned back to Demetri. "And why do you want me and mine to take the south one?"
"We have observed something odd going on there. Everywhere else they head out to hunt, but they have been bringing humans back to the cave. They might have a prisoner."
Jasper raised his eyebrows, and he could feel how Peter got exited. As he suspected, his second in command couldn't keep quiet.
"A prisoner? Did you hear that, Char? I could be a hero!" He flexed and struck a pose, and Charlotte smiled as she hit him in the back of his head. Jasper smiled, temporarily distracted from the pain in his chest.
"Well, Demetri," he said, "you've done very well here. I concur with your assessment. When should we strike?"
"I suggest we strike two hours after sunrise. I don't think they expect an attack in daylight. We have scouted the areas around the compounds thoroughly, and there are no humans nearby. If we all head out now, we should all be able to get in position well in time for the strike. It's now eight in the morning, but we'll have to wait until tomorrow morning to get everything ready and everyone in place. We can't attack today."
Jasper wasn't thrilled with the delay, but he knew it was important that they didn't make anything unprepared—they still didn't know how many enemies they would encounter.
"Very well. Let's make sure we have everything in hand."
Just before Jasper was about to leave for the south compound, Demetri came up to him.
"How are you, Jas? You look a bit tense." Demetri's voice was low, and his eyes were gentle and a little worried.
Jasper sighed. "I've been better. I'll manage, Dem. I'm quite good at handling pain."
Demetri made a small grimace and quickly touched Jasper's hand. Jasper glanced over Demetri's shoulder to where his mate, Vincent, stood. He seemed very interested in his cell and didn't look at them.
He turned his gaze back to Demetri and gave a small smile. "I was actually not referring to you, Dem. I do understand now, though. Completely."
Demetri seemed relieved. "Take care out there, Jasper."
"You too."
Jasper, Peter and Charlotte stood still as statues up on a ridge and looked down into a small, shallow hollow. On the slopes opposite them was the opening of the cave, partially covered by green shrubbery. There was a guard at the entrance, but he hadn't noticed them where they stood, hidden amongst the trees. Behind them in the forest were another twenty Guards—all dressed in black and all waiting without breathing. Not a sound was heard, except for the slight rustle as small animals moved about, and the breeze moving among the branches of the tall trees. The wind blew from the cave up toward them and carried with it the scents of several vampires.
As they stood there, the first rays of sunlight hit the mountain above the cave, and at once hundreds of birds started to sing in the forest. It was beautiful, and the faint light gave warmth and color to everything around them. Jasper wished he could have shown this to Bella. She would have loved it. As he thought about her, the pain in his chest spiked, but he didn't move a muscle. It soon faded back to a dull ache. Not unbearable, but still worse than he had ever felt it before when he had been away from her. He knew how to put pain out of his mind, however, and he would do just that before they attacked.
The sun rose higher and higher, but there was still no movement in the cave below. The guard was still alone, and no one had come or gone since they had started their vigil. They would jump over the valley and land at the entrance, hopefully taking everyone inside with surprise. Jasper could count to eight in the first cave with his gift. Rhona had managed to dig up some documents regarding the cave. It stretched almost 200 meters into the mountain and consisted of several chambers. They all expected a heavy fight when they reached the innermost cavern. All the Guards were briefed on the possibility that there might be a prisoner and had been given orders not to kill him or her, if they existed. They also knew that they might run into newborns, since the Romanians had used that tactic before to up their numbers. If they were very lucky, they might even get their hands on Vladimir, since he obviously had left Stefan in the main compound.
Vladimir was the main reason they could never catch the two Romanians. He had a gift that shielded him—and anyone very close to him—from detection either by scent or mind. That meant that Demetri couldn't track Vladimir—and usually not Stefan either, since they normally kept company. Vladimir also had an uncanny ability to slip out of the Volturi's grasp. No one knew if this actually was a gift or if he was just that good at escaping tricky situations. The only one in the later years that had even come close to catching them was Jasper. A piece of Stefan's ear lay securely locked away in Aro's study as a result.
The minutes ticked by, and the second the two hours had passed, they leaped. Jasper, Peter and Charlotte were first, landing silently in the cave opening and shredding the guard there before anyone else realized what was going on. They continued quickly and silently into the cave to give way for the rest of the Guards. The others in the cave were disposed of without any of them even making a sound. In rapid sequence the rest of the Guards landed and moved into the cave, like black birds of prey striking down on an unsuspecting kill. An old metal door set in concrete closed off the next chamber, and they knew they would be noticed now. There was no way that door would open without a sound. Jasper motioned the rest of them to move behind him and ripped the door away from its hinges. He threw it to the side, and they stormed in to the next chamber.
This cavern was oblong and narrow, more like a large hallway than a room. Several vampires occupied the space; some running away from them, heading into the next chamber, and some crouched and ready to attack. Jasper recognized the look in their eyes—some of these were newborns. As the first one ran at him, he made an elegant volt over the vampire's head and decapitated him in the same move. He didn't need to shout any orders. Peter and Charlotte were the closest ones behind him, and the three of them moved as one—their movements and attacks perfected through a century of fighting together. Growls and snarls erupted around them as they cleared a path to the next chamber through the Romanian sympathizers. The Guards behind them made sure no one was left intact enough that they could stand or had their head attached.
They ran through the long cavern and burst into the next one. This one was huge, with a high roof and a somewhat even floor. Several tables stood placed throughout the cave, some with computers on them, and books and papers were stacked in crates all over the place. There were a lot of vampires here, so Jasper halted their advance until the rest of their Guards were with them. Then they fell upon their enemies like a black flood. Their enemies were probably good fighters, but they had not trained enough together to be able to resist the Volturi Guard and its Captain. Jasper could see some of his Guards fall, but none of them seemed to be in immediate danger. There would be time to put them back together later. As they ripped and tore their way through the resistance, they all noticed a rather small opening at the back of the cavern—no larger than an ordinary door. Five vampires guarded that opening. The five didn't take part in the melee, and Jasper couldn't wait to see what it was they were guarding.
As his focus momentarily slipped, two vampires managed to grab a hold of one of his arms and pull. It resulted in them all falling into a heap on the floor, and Jasper knew he had to get up fast, because one of the others was a newborn and almost had his arms around him. Without hesitation he used his gift and levelled his attackers. As he got up and brushed the dust of his jacket he sighed and decked the rest of the resistance in the cave as well. The cavern fell still and quiet.
Peter looked annoyed. "Hey! I was having fun here!" he yelled from across the cave and glared at Jasper.
"Sorry, but it was taking too long. Let's behead them so they don't run, and put ours back together. Charlotte, Peter, you're with me. I want to see what they were guarding."
The last chamber was small and pitch black—so black, in fact, that Peter took up his phone to get some light so they could see properly. The floor space was mostly occupied by what looked like a large steel crate. There were sounds of movement coming from the inside of it, and a padlocked hatch on the side. They exchanged glances before Charlotte crumpled the padlock to dust and then slowly opened the hatch. There was a weak flicker of light coming from inside the crate, and they all crouched down to have a look, not knowing what they would see.
The faint light came from a small candle that sat on the floor. There were some blankets, and amidst them sat a young woman. She looked terrified and had scrambled to the very back of the crate, pressed against the metal. Her big eyes were red but dark and her skin white—she was definitely a vampire. She was also beautiful, with long black hair that hung straight over her shoulders, high cheekbones, and thick black lashes. She was breathing heavily and stared at them, her whole body trembling. She wore a torn and filthy white dress that looked more like a nightgown. Jasper carefully opened up his mind and tasted her emotions. She radiated fear, but deep at the bottom of it was sorrow and a hint of curiosity.
"Well," Charlotte said. "I don't think the three of us might be the best ones to get her out of there. Unless you help her, Major."
Jasper nodded. The three of them were scarred and incited fear in any vampire they met. He gently started to send the girl calm and trust as they stepped away from the opening, giving her some space. He could feel how his gift slowly worked its magic on the girl, and suddenly she was looking out at them through the hatch. Her eyes were bewildered.
"Who … who are you?" she whispered with a strange, hoarse voice. Charlotte crouched down, still giving the girl space, and smiled at her.
"My name is Charlotte, that's Peter and that's the Major. We are with the Volturi. Have you heard of us?"
The girl shook her head and her hair floated around her like water.
"Do you know who put you in here?" Charlotte continued.
The girl carefully crept out from the crate and sat on the floor in front of Charlotte.
"Stefan and Vladimir," she whispered. "Ibrahim brought me here, and they put me in the cage. They said it was for my safety, but if I didn't do what they wanted, they hurt me." The girl was still whispering. Charlotte cocked her head to one side. She didn't understand why the girl hadn't simply broken the cage, but there would be time for all of those questions later.
"What's your name then?" Charlotte asked.
"Rebecca."
Charlotte nodded and smiled. "Come, we'll get you out of here." Charlotte calmly reached out to help the girl stand when she suddenly scrambled away and hissed.
"Don't touch me! I'll hurt you!" Her shriek sounded very odd, a mix between a high pitch and a hoarse whisper and Charlotte stood up startled. Jasper immediately sent a huge dose of calm to the girl, and she slumped on the floor. When Charlotte nodded, he gently pulled some of it back. Charlotte crouched down again and met the girl's eyes.
"What do you mean, Rebecca? How would you hurt me?"
The girl's eyes filled with venom tears and she clutched her hands close to her chest.
"If I touch you, my will comes into your mind and you do anything I want." Her voice was back to the whisper again, and Jasper wondered if there was something wrong with her throat. Suddenly, the girl turned her head to the side, as if she was listening to something.
"No, I trust them. No, I don't think they are with Stefan," she said, responding to thin air. Then she turned back to Charlotte. "They had me practice on others, made me make them hurt others. Or themselves."
Charlotte straightened up, feeling slightly alarmed both by Rebecca's behavior but also from what she apparently was capable of. "Rebecca, how long have you been here?"
The girl shrugged. "I don't know. It is hard to judge time when it's always black. But they brought me humans to feed from." A sob broke through her lips and she clasped her hand over her mouth. It took a little while for her to calm down. "I remember them all. I have killed one hundred and seventeen people." Her whispers sent a chill down their backs.
"One hundred and seventeen? How many did they bring you at a time?"
Rebecca swallowed and averted her eyes. "One or sometimes two," she whispered.
Peter frowned. "That makes … O my god. Six years, give or take." All three of them looked at the girl with new sympathy.
"And how long had you lived before you were brought here and put in the box?" Charlotte asked.
"I'm not sure … they said I had changed just three months before Ibrahim took me to them."
Charlotte's eyes turned warm and she tilted her head and smiled at the girl. "I'm so sorry for what happened to you, Rebecca. I will make you a promise. We will never treat you like that. Would you like to get out of here?"
Rebecca's eyes flew from one to another. "Really? I can leave?" Then she turned her head again, but now she spoke. "Are you sure? The box is safe. Yes, I'm sure, I remember things, like sunlight and water … I want to see that again." Then she turned her face back to Charlotte.
"I would love to leave here."
Charlotte frowned. "Who are you talking to, Rebecca?"
Rebecca looked confused and raised her eyebrows. "I wasn't talking, I was thinking." Then she again clasped her hand over her mouth. "Did I say that out loud?"
Charlotte smiled. "You did. But I guess that if you are locked alone in a box for six years it messes with your head. Come." Charlotte rose but didn't make any effort to touch Rebecca. The girl got on her feet, a little shaky. She was shorter than Charlotte and overall petite. Charlotte walked out from the small cave, and Rebecca followed, shadowed by Jasper and then Peter.
As they ventured out, Rebecca squinted at the faint light, and as soon as she could make out all the body parts on the floor, she screamed and leaped to the side. Jasper couldn't handle her emotions—it was all getting too much—so he sent her into unconsciousness.
Charlotte looked at him, surprised. "Really, Major?" But then she rushed to his side, taking his arm just as Peter did the same on his other side, preventing Jasper from keeling over. His face was a mask of pain and one hand was clenched over his heart.
"Just … just give me a minute," he panted out. Peter and Charlotte waited and glanced around the cavern, but no one seemed to take much notice of them. The Guards were all busy with reading papers, examining computers and putting subjects back together for interrogation. After a little while Jasper straightened up, but the pained look was not completely gone from his face.
"I'm sorry, her fear became too much. With the pain …" His voice trailed off, and they both saw how he had paled even more.
"Can you hold her like that?" Peter wondered, looking very concerned.
"Yeah, shouldn't be a problem. Wrap her in something so you don't touch her skin and bring her outside. I'll come with you in a moment." Peter nodded and surrendered his jacket to wrap the small girl in, and then he headed out with his light load. Charlotte followed him hesitantly, but Jasper waved her off.
He looked around and saw one of his officers. "Louice?"
The tall, dark-haired woman was by his side in the blink of an eye.
"Yes, sir?"
He noted how a shadow of worry crossed her face as she looked at him, but she didn't say anything. He was grateful for that.
"I want you to take charge in here for the time being. Make sure everything is sorted through and interrogate as many as you can. Use Carl to see if they are lying or not. If there is anyone in particular that you feel needs some more attention, call on me. I'll be just outside. We can't burn anything until nightfall."
"Understood, sir." Then she lowered her voice to a whisper. "Take care of yourself, sir." She went back to her compatriots and started to give orders. Jasper headed outside, desperate for fresh air. The scent of spilt venom was cloying in his nose.
Daniel, another one of his Guards, had already put up a small dish to connect to "their" satellite and to Rhona, and beside him were two coolers that carried their blood bags. They tried to always bring some, since it speeded up healing a great deal. When Jasper saw the small satellite dish he flipped on his own phone—it didn't matter if anyone heard them any more. As soon as he managed to connect to the network they had established, his phone buzzed to alert him to three text messages and a missed call. The call was from Bella, but he read the texts first. All three were from her as well, and a few hours apart. From the timestamps, he guessed she must have had trouble sleeping.
"I just wanted to hear your voice, there is nothing wrong. Love you."
"It's a very empty bed without you."
"I miss you terribly. Be safe! I love you."
He shivered as he read them, and the pain in his chest spiked again. He staggered to the side of the cave and slumped against the wall. He missed her so much. He couldn't call, not just yet, but he could at least answer her texts.
"I love you too, sweet girl. More than you know. I miss you. I'll call you when I can. Everything is going fine."
He closed his eyes and allowed himself to reminisce. The sounds and scents around him faded into the background as he recalled her beautiful face, her smile, her eyes, and her sweetness.
All too soon someone poked him in the shoulder, and he reluctantly opened his eyes only to meet Peter's worried ones.
"Major, is everything all right?" Jasper took a deep breath and nodded. He pushed the pain and the longing to the back of his mind with some effort and stood up. He felt better.
"Yes. I just needed a moment. What is it?"
"It's Rebecca. You need to come and see this."
He followed Peter out from the cave. Charlotte sat with the girl in her arms just a little bit below the opening, and she looked concerned. Jasper crouched down beside her.
"What is it, Char?"
She didn't answer, but carefully held out the girl's arm for him to see. She made sure she didn't touch her skin, and pulled the wide sleeve up a little bit. There were scars around her wrist and her elbow, scars that clearly showed that she had been dismembered at those joints. Several times if the overlapping marks were anything to go by. Jasper frowned and looked down at the girl's legs. Similar scars were around her ankles and knees. Charlotte let go of her arm and carefully pulled down the neckline. The scars around her neck were not as many as around her other joints, but there were definitely more than one. Jasper swallowed hard. He had been beheaded once, on Maria's orders, and it was not something he ever wanted to experience again.
"They tortured her," Charlotte said with thickness in her voice. "She's just a child, and they tortured her."
Jasper took another look at the girl's face. She couldn't have been more than twenty when she was changed, possibly even younger.
"Peter? Go and see if Louice has found anyone named Ibrahim in there. I'll call Caius when we get the all clear from Rhona. I'll move away, Char, and then let her come too."
Charlotte nodded and held the girl securely in her arms as Jasper slowly lifted his fog from her mind.
Around three in the morning most of them were back at the base camp. The group from the northern site was running a little behind since they had further to travel than the other groups, but everything had gone exactly according to plan on all three locations. The enemy was burned and every trace of them eradicated. Caius was overjoyed over his capture of Stefan and four other known Romanian collaborators. While Stefan was still intact—except for the one piece of his ear—the others were dismembered for easier transport and stuffed in crates. The information that had been in the cave had contained mainly rosters of members and their gifts, but also comprehensive notes on Rebecca. While Rhona dug into the lists of members and sympathizers, Peter and Jasper tried to piece together Rebecca's story.
The man who had brought her to Stefan and Vladimir, Ibrahim, was no longer alive. There were, however, some notes that indicated that he had found her in Egypt, on the outskirts of Cairo. According to what Ibrahim had told Stefan and Vladimir, she had been around seventeen when he had changed her and a mute. She had been living in the slum with her family, and Ibrahim had eradicated them when he and his partner had fed. She had been beautiful, and he had changed her instead of draining her. As soon as he had realized that she had a gift, he had brought her to the two Romanians. There had been an argument about Ibrahim's reward for finding such a gifted one, hence he was now gone.
Vladimir and Stefan had promptly put her in the metal crate and started to train her. The notes on this part were extensive, telling of the torture she had endured. If she didn't comply with their wishes or wasn't good enough, she was punished. Usually that meant a limb removed. Her gift was unusual: she could put her thoughts in someone else's mind. This seemed to be mostly harmless—she spoke in someone's mind just as she would've spoken normally. The two Romanians had, however, discovered that if she touched someone, she could force them to obey her command. This was the aspect of her gift that they had forced her to exercise and develop.
Charlotte had managed to gain Rebecca's trust, with some help from Jasper, and had also managed to scrounge up some new clothes for the girl. She protected her vehemently from curious Guards and even prevented Caius from disturbing her. Everyone soon realized that Rebecca was very damaged and needed to be handled with great care. She was sensitive to light, she wouldn't let anyone touch her, and she had no idea about what vampires really were or to what extent she differed from humans. She didn't know how strong she was, how fast she could move, or anything about the social rules. The two Romanians had kept her still and obedient with the help of torture and lack of knowledge, and she had never even tried to escape her cage. Charlotte made sure she got fed, and when she explained to Rebecca that she never had to kill a human ever again to feed, Rebecca started to cry with happiness.
Demetri and Felix also brought a prisoner with them. It was a young man named Adam, who had surrendered to them as soon as they had said that they were Volturi. He had also volunteered information to them and proved quite helpful. According to him, he was only glad to be rid of the Romanians, and he claimed he had been lured to serve them. Caius declared that Adam was to be taken back to Volterra to be read by Aro and possibly set free.
Jasper was anxious, and his chest ached. Rhona had given the all-clear to make phone calls again, but Bella would be asleep now, and he didn't want to wake her up. It was five in the morning where they were, but in Volterra it was one A.M. He stood still as a statue, looking out over the beautiful view, but he really didn't see anything. He listened with half an ear as Peter and Demetri made a schedule for the return—the rest of his mind was wandering back to Bella. Suddenly, Adam was brought past him and Jasper tensed, immediately alert and present. There was something off about the young man. Caius was by his side in the blink of an eye, and they both watched as Adam was placed inside a car.
"What is it, Major?" Caius asked with a low voice.
"I'm not sure, my lord. There is something strange about that man. He was relieved and happy, but suddenly there was a burst of something else …" Jasper's voice trailed off, and he turned his head as if he was trying to hear something.
Caius knew that he was trying to get a better read on Adam. "What do you mean, Major?"
Jasper scoffed. "It was as if he was … gloating, for lack of a better word. But that emotion didn't emanate from the surface of his mind like normal. It came from much deeper down. It was very confusing and I can't really explain it. We should keep him under close guard and warn Aro."
"Very good, Major. And the girl? Nothing strange about her?"
They both glanced back into the small house where Charlotte and Rebecca sat together in a corner. Charlotte was talking, and Rebecca was listening, wide eyed.
Jasper shook his head. "No, she's completely genuine. Broken, but honest."
They were heading to the airstrip when Jasper could finally dial Bella's number. It should be around seven A.M. in Volterra, and she answered on the first ring. Her voice was alert and not at all sleepy, which made him a little worried. She should've been sleeping.
"Jasper?" she asked, breathless.
"It's me, Bella."
"Oh, my god! I've been so worried. Are you all right?"
He couldn't help but smile. "Of course I am, sweet girl. Why didn't I wake you up?"
"It's been hard to sleep. I woke two hours ago."
"Oh, Bella, I'm so sorry. But I'm coming home soon. We're heading for the plane as we speak." He could almost hear her smile on the other end.
"That's the best news I've heard since you left, Jasper. Please hurry."
"Of course I will. Have you been up to anything fun while I was away?"
"Nothing is fun without you, love. But Draupadi did show me the library, and that was quite amazing. I think I could live in there."
Jasper chuckled. "I have no doubt you could. Did you let Esme loose on the flat?"
"Oh no. We did some small changes. You'll see when you get home. When will you be home?"
"It's another hour at least to the plane, and then a six-hour flight. We'll have to land in Florence, and drive from there. Say around three in the afternoon, your time."
"I can't wait," she whispered. "My whole chest aches for you, Jasper."
He absentmindedly rubbed his chest at her words. "I know, sweet girl. I know."
"Esme said it would be much worse for you. The ache, I mean. How are you holding up?" Her voice was concerned.
"Hanging in there. You don't have to worry about me, Bella." As he answered, Rhona held up her tablet to him so he could read what she had written. They were heading into an area with bad reception.
"Bella, listen, we are going into a bad area here. The signal wont hold. I'll be home soon."
"Oh, okay. I love you."
"I love you too. Bye."
"Bye, fly safe."
Reluctantly, he hung up. Rhona smiled apologetically at him.
"So sorry, Major, but the call would have disconnected. I thought it better if you could actually hang up."
He nodded. "Much better. Thanks."
The flight home was uneventful and boring. Charlotte and Peter had stayed behind to take the second turn with the private jet. They were to escort Rebecca, and as it was the first trip was too crowded for her. Jasper and Caius travelled in this first run, with Stefan under heavy guard at the back of the plane. Apart from his initial protests and curses, Stefan had been very quiet, and Jasper could still feel the shock of being captured reeling off of him.
The rest of the plane was filled with Guards—Demetri, Felix and Rhona among them. Most of the remaining Guards were heading for local airports, but some were staying behind to wait for the plane to return. The mission had been a success, despite the fact that Vladimir had yet again slipped through their fingers. They had Stefan, and there would be a trial. Jasper knew Aro would want to hold it as soon as possible and that he had to make a report to his lords as soon as they got back. He didn't want all these interruptions—he wanted to be with his mate, to make sure she was alright. Caius caught his gaze from across the small table between them.
"I'll make the report, Major. When we get back to the castle, you go ahead and go home." Jasper's eyebrows raised in surprise. "My lord, that's very … kind of you."
Caius shrugged. "I remember what it's like to be apart from your mate when the bond is new. I don't envy you. Aro will sulk, but I'll give you until morning."
"Thank you." Jasper couldn't believe his luck.
Thank you for reading.
