CHAPTER 9

Edward made sure to remain visible to civilians when he drove back into Narok. He doubted that the mercenaries would try to attack them in public and in the light of day.

When they approached the main intersection, Edward noticed that there weren't any military jeeps or mercenaries milling about like the day prior. He had a feeling that it was too good to be true. Like any good villains, the mercenaries were smart enough to hid in the woodwork and retaliate when their opponents guards were down.

Bella looked around town and a chill went down her spine. It was oddly quiet. Usually, it was much busier than it was now. The locals were very few and far between and she knew that today was market day. The only people that crowded the streets were tourist and they were oblivious to what could happen.

She had concerns for her and Edward's safety, but she kept quiet. Too much had happened already and she was afraid to tempt fate if she vocalized that something was wrong.

Edward parked the jeep on the main road where he had seen the most people. The only thing to do now was to hide and hope that Carlisle would be able find them.

He cut the engine and turned around to get their packs from the back seat.

When Edward turned he failed to notice what Bella saw. She froze instantly when six mercenaries stealthy approached the jeep. She didn't make a sound as one of them held a semiautomatic at her and indicated to remain quiet.

Edward was still digging around in the back seat, trying to stuff the contents that had fallen out during their driving adventure back into their packs.

"We should ditch the jeep before…" he trailed of as he looked over his shoulder, and found Bella frozen in her seat with her arms up in surrender. He cursed himself silently as he took in the sudden appearance of half a dozen mercenaries that surrounded the jeep with their guns raised and pointed at them. He sighed heavily, "…Before they catch on."

Edward tried to reach for the ignition in hopes to escape, but it was too late. A mercenary opened the driver door and drove the butt end of his semiautomatic into Edward's stomach. Both Edward and Bella released an audible gasp as they were dragged out of the jeep.

There was no escape for them. Edward could now only hope that his father was safe, for Carlisle would be the only one to get them out of this situation.

Unbeknownst to Edward, Carlisle was safe. He was discreetly walking around town looking for him and Bella. He had ditched the jeep a few miles after he had lost contact with Edward. He finagled a local (the local really finagled him) into borrowing a dirt bike to make up for lost time.

Carlisle got to town before them. He used footpaths created by local farmers that got them to town. He finally found Edward and Bella, only to see that they were being roughly led away from the jeep by yet another group of mercenaries.

"Shit," Carlisle spat. That was not supposed to happen. They were being taken as prisoners and the only thing he was able to do was to trust Edward to play the situation properly in order to prolong their lives. He needed that time to rescue them and had to have faith that Edward wouldn't play the hero to Bella. That would definitely put their lives at risk.

Carlisle remained hidden away from the group while he watched Edward and Bella being escorted to a nearby military truck.

Bella hesitated when she saw the massive army green truck that she was being led to. She knew that once she stepped foot onto it her world would change—it would cease to exist because both her and Edward would be slaughtered once James got what he wanted from them.

The slight hesitancy in her step caused one of the mercenaries to forcefully push her forward. She landed hard on the ground with a strangled cry.

The mercenary was about to club her on her back with the end of his semiautomatic, but Edward quickly flung himself forward to shield her, which caused him to be on the receiving end when the butt of the rifle connected with his shoulder blade.

The sharp pain knocked the air out of him but he refused to cry out from it even though it hurt like a son-of-a-bitch. He braced himself for another blow, but it never came. Instead, another mercenary, who appeared to be their leader, called out to the one that attacked them.

"Les partir seul. Il veut l'indemne et vivant," the leader said in French.

Edward only knew a few words and breathed a sigh of relief when he heard and understood the leader's last word 'vivant'—they were meant to be taken alive. He smoothed Bella's hair to reassure her that they would be okay for the time being, and when she looked up at him from her huddled form, Edward flashed her a small smile.

But the smile was short lived as they were abruptly pulled up to stand.

The two mercenaries spoke to each other in separate languages. Edward found it odd to hear one talk in French only to be answered by the other one in Russian.

Finally the leader turned to Edward, "Where is the older man that was with you?"

"He got lost," Edward replied sarcastically. He braced himself for another possible blow, but it never came. Even if it had, he wouldn't have talked. For the time being Edward knew that his father was not captured and wouldn't go into further details about his possible whereabouts.

Completely ignoring Edward's tone, the leader looked around the streets to see if he could spot some loitering figure hiding somewhere. He turned to the Russian and this time spoke in English to make sure that Edward and Bella understood their course of action.

"The third one can't be far. Start a hunt."

"Da, Kapitan," the Russian replied.

A few mercenaries dispersed on the command of the Russian and scattered throughout the town looking for Carlisle.

Carlisle noticed and quickly ducked into a tour office in order to avoid being spotted.

He almost had a small stroke when he witnessed Edward being beaten when he was down. He immediately thought of Esme and what her reaction would be is she learnt that Edward was killed while under his watch. He quickly told himself that that would never happen.

The spectacle of Bella and Edward's predicament with the mercenaries attracted a small group of unsuspecting tourists and began snapping photos of Edward and Bella.

Edward had an urge to call out to the group, to beg them to help, but he knew it would only put them in greater danger. For all he knew it was Bella that James wanted to keep alive and Edward was a liability. He shuttered to think what James would do to her if he wouldn't be there.

"You'd think they'd help us instead of taking pictures," he hissed to Bella, annoyed by the tourists' ignorance.

"Why would they want to help a prisoner?" Bella replied defeatedly, "They can't tell the difference between a solider and a mercenary. Those who can are smart enough to stay away."

A mercenary shoved the barrel of his gun into Bella's back and motioned her to keep moving towards the military truck. She vowed one thing before she stepped into the back. Dead or alive, Bella would have some sort of revenge on James Banner.

Carlisle watched from the window as a dozen or so mercenaries followed Bella and Edward inside the truck. With precious cargo onboard, he needed to find away to follow it. He scoured the street from his hiding place and spied a livestock truck being prepared to leave.

That was his only way out of town and hoped that the truck would be going in the same direction as the one that Edward and Bella were on.

He casually stepped out of the tour office with a map in hand acting every bit as a tourist in hopes to be overlooked by the mercenaries. It seemed to work as one passed right by him and failed to notice him.

Carlisle sensed that the livestock truck would soon be leaving and he quickened his pace to catch up to it before it did. Going unnoticed, he stowed himself away in the back with a dozen goats before the truck sped away. He smiled to himself when he noticed that he was going in the same direction that Bella and Edward went in and that the mercenaries left behind searching for him hadn't spotted him.

Edward and Bella had been traveling in the back of the truck for what seemed like hours. They were not tied up, but they dared not move on the account of the armed men surrounded them. The only sound made was the clatter of the truck as it drove along the dirt road. No one spoke, made eye contact, or acknowledged the presence of Edward and Bella.

Bella stared at one of the mercenaries with a rifle in his hands. He looked about sixteen years old.

"Do you think they'll kill us?" she whispered to Edward.

"Only it their employer doesn't need us anymore," he replied solemnly.

"Or if that kid becomes trigger happy."

Edward looked over to where Bella indicated. The coldness in the sixteen year olds mercenary's eyes resonated in him like it did in Bella.

The truck lurched to a stop. Bella and Edward became more fearful of their situation when the mercenaries move out of the truck.

They looked to each other in the empty truck, scared to think what would happen next.

A man in his mid-thirties with blond hair tied back at the base of his neck stepped onto the truck. He looked attractive and charismatic, but was truly a sadistic monster, even though monster would be an understatement. Bella recognized him immediately—James Banner.

He gave them a friendly Cheshire smile as he approached them. James was followed in by a man known to Bella as Demetri. She had known him as James' business associate, but only now realized that he was his main henchman.

Demetri was a little older than James, and bigger. He looked like he hadn't smiled since childhood because of the permanent scowl he had on face. He always made Bella's blood run cold—James may have masked previously who he really was, but Demetri always looked cold and calculating.

James crouched down to Bella's level and studied her for a moment with a smirk plastered on his face. "Bella, Bella, Bella. I knew you'd come back."

"James," Bella whimpered, still unable to believe that it was his doing alone that destroyed the world she'd come to know and love.

"I know," he nodded in sympathy at what she thought of him, "But it had to be this way. Unfortunately your father complicated things by remaining silent, and you were nowhere in sight to use as leverage. I promise it would have been quick and painless if you just stayed home like you were supposed to. Instead, your after-hours escapade caused your dad to suffer a torturous inferno." His lips curled into a wicked grin before he continued, "I still remember his final excruciating screams when the fire devoured him."

Tears welled in Bella's eyes from James recount. Edward was in utter disbelief at James' cruelty towards her.

"My dad trusted you!" Bella cried out, unable to hide her emotions anymore.

James got up and waved her comment away, "Yeah yeah, we'll have a heart to heart later, just give me your father's journals."

Bella wiped her eyes and smiled up at him in order to spite him.

Edward answered for her, "We don't have them."

James was a man of very little patience. And most importantly, he didn't like to be trifled with. He stepped forward and picked Bella up by her neck. He caressed her face fondly before he slammed her against the wall of the truck and choked her with one hand.

Bella cried out in pain. She clawed at his hand in order to loosen his grip, but it's no use, he only squeezed harder.

"This is imperative," James growled, "Stop screwing around and give me the journals!"

Edward panicked at the sight of Bella, her face was beginning to turn violet and it would be a matter of time before she passed out.

"Let her go! We don't have them!" Edward yelled.

James was so entranced with the suffering displayed on Bella's face that he'd wholly forgotten about his other prisoner. He looked over to Edward and cocked his head to the side in curiosity, "Who has them?" James bared his teeth, "I'll break her neck!" he spat for a quicker answer.

Bella felt the pressure increase. The only thing she could hear was the beating of her heart, everything else became muffled and James' face was darkening into a shadow.

"Professor Carlisle Cullen!" Edward yelled. He hoped that saying his father's title and full name would lead James to believe that Edward was impartial.

James immediately dropped his hand from Bella's throat. She crashed to the ground struggling to catch her breath. Edward crawled over and protectively put his arm around her as Bella continued to gasp.

James was pleased by Edward's answer, but in any case turned to Demetri for confirmation, who had been standing quietly behind James during their exchange and amused the entire time.

"We have identified a third man to be with them," Demetri stated, "We were unable to find him when they returned to Narok, after they infiltrated the camp."

James nodded at the information. "Carlisle Cullen," he mused. "I'm surprised it had taken this long for our paths to cross."

"We have men searching Narok as we speak," Demetri added in assurance.

"Call them off. It's a waste of manpower. He'll find us, we have what Cullen wants—we have his son and his son's precious little girlfriend." James evilly smiled down at Bella and Edward.

Edward and Bella looked at him in shock at the amount of information he already knew. How in the world did he know that Carlisle was Edward's father?

James chuckled at their reaction. "I know everything about my potential enemies, Mr. E. A. Cullen of Oxford, England. Tell me, how are you doing in school. Third year Archaeology? Am I right?"

Edward looked at him, his mouth agape.

"It's my job to know everything. I need to stay ahead of the game to get what I want." James intently stared at Bella when he spoke his last sentence, instantly causing her to shutter.

He laughed hard, "As for the relationship between you two—well, the sexual tension could be sensed from miles away. A rather shame I should say. I never thought he would be your type Bella.

Edward was appalled by the perversion James displayed towards Bella. He believed it was a scare tactic on his end to get what he wanted, but the possessive glint in James' eyes whenever he looked at her told him otherwise.

James crouched down again to Bella's eye level and lifted her chin up towards him. "Now, Bells," he cooed, "Be a doll and tell me where you were going."

She tried to recoil from his touch, but his grasp was too firm. She knew better than to tell the truth, but she couldn't think of anything plausible to answer with. "I don't-"

James cut her off, "Bring him!" he shouted to no one in particular.

Bella yelped as Demetri quickly stepped away to the entrance of the truck and called for someone. Moments later a mercenary entered with a beaten and tied up Emmett who was being pushed forward with the barrel of a rifle.

Tears sprung into her eyes when Emmett greeted her with a small smile of relief. He wasn't supposed to get involved, she thought. He was supposed to stay safe, not get caught up in her mess.

James, with the wave of his hand had the mercenary bring Emmett to his knees in front of them, execution style. Demetri came up behind Emmett and pointed a gun at the back of his head.

"We'll try this again. Where were you going Bella?" James deadpanned.

Bella had no choice in the matter. She closed her eyes unsure if James would follow through with his threat when she told him the truth, "Pakistan—the Indus Valley."

She braced herself for the sound of a pop from the gun, but nothing happened. Instead, she felt James lightly pat her cheek for being forthcoming.

"Good girl, Bella. That wasn't so hard now was it? If only your father was that cooperative."

Bella had enough of James and his sick games. She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of taunting her. Bella opened her eyes and glared at him, "You sadistic bastard!"

Her outburst earned her a firm backhanded slap across her face from James, and it left a small gash on her cheek caused by his ring.

Before she could react, James caught her face and ran his thumb across her bottom lip. "Your pretty little mouth could be used for a lot of things, but cussing me out is not one of them. So, watch it if you know what's good for you, Bella."

He quickly let go and stood up. "Now gentlemen," he said to Edward and Emmett, "If you could please excuse me, I have some business to attend to. And Bella, I haven't forgotten about out heart to heart. I'll be sure to arrange a private meeting for the both of us later."

Bella looked at him in horror and he sneered at her before walking over to Demetri.

"Prepare the planes," James told him, "I want to leave the moment we're ready. Make sure you tie them up—they're coming with us. And keep an eye out for Cullen."

James was all too aware of Carlisle's reputation and he'd be damned if Carlisle would foil his plans. James worked on this for far too long to let go of his potential find of the millennium. Those tablets would be his.

James left, ensuring Demetri with his orders.

"What are you waiting for?" Demetri yelled at the mercenary that brought Emmett in, "Tie them up!"

Demetri quickly left Edward, Bella, and Emmett in the mercenary's care in order to catch up to James.

Bella's arms were roughly yanked behind her back when she looked over to Emmett. "Emmett, I'm sorry," she cried, as her wrists were bound, "This is my fault, I didn't mean to get you involved in this."

Emmett looked at her pointedly, "No one is to blame here, Bella."

Bella shook her head, while a few tears escaped, "Edward, James knows that your dad will follow us. He's expecting him."

"It doesn't mean he'll catch him."

"I really hope you are right," Bella replied unsure whether or not to take his word.

Edward heard the doubt in Bella's voice when it was his turn to have his wrist bound behind his back.

He was not optimistic about their survival either. This situation wasn't going to end well for them. Edward only hoped that his father would be safe and that whatever future awaited them was quick and painless, but he doubted that James would be so merciful.