Chapter Twelve
Edward
I didn't trust Jasper one bit, and after talking to Esme for a little while it appeared that she too, had her doubts. He just wasn't the right person to be looking after a deeply traumatized young woman and Esme was determined to get her the professional help that Carlisle should have arranged in the first place. However I had another idea, I knew the chances of Jasper giving Bella up voluntarily to a psychiatrist were non-existent, he thought he knew better. No, we would need help.
I thought long and hard before deciding it was the only possible way to save Bella, no one else could cope with Jasper and tried to contact him. I knew he would be suspicious and skeptical at first, after all, why should he believe anything that I had to say? I would need to work hard to persuade him I was telling the truth but if I could then I would get all the help I needed and more. Of course, there was one tiny problem that needed sorting out first, I had to discover where Jasper had taken Bella and that in itself wouldn't be easy.
I thought I had been circumspect enough but Rachel had overheard my initial conversation.
"Do you think it's wise to interfere, Edward? I mean she agreed to go with him of her own accord, no one forced her."
I turned on her angrily,
"You have no idea what he's capable of so stay out of it. I intend her to have the best psychological help I can get. I owe her that much."
She looked at me scornfully.
"Really? I thought she meant nothing to you?"
"She doesn't now, but she did at one time."
"Are you sure? You seem awfully concerned about someone you claim not to care for. It's none of your concern Edward, leave it alone. Or are you just smarting because Jasper sent you off with your tail between your legs?"
I scowled at her, Rachel was really pushing it now.
"No one sent me anywhere, I left because Bella was in shock."
Her knowing smile drove me so crazy that I wanted to wipe it off her pretty face.
"So how are you going to accomplish this devilish deed?"
"I need to speak to Alice, she'll be able to help me."
Rachel's eyes rose heavenwards.
"Alice? Oh yes, Alice would do anything for you."
I knew my wife resented the fact that Bella had reappeared in my life. I suppose I should have been more open about my past relationship with the human girl but she was taking it to extremes.
I was about to warn her to back off when she surprised me by offering to call Alice on my behalf. I suspected her motives, maybe she just wanted to know everything that was happening but it would help me. Rachel would be mollified and my life, therefore, less complicated and tormented. My wife on the warpath was something to be avoided at all costs.
Alice
I was quite taken aback when Rachel called me. After all, it was no secret that she was jealous of my close relationship with Edward and I was more surprised when she explained that she was calling about Bella. She'd never hidden her hostility to Edward's ex-girlfriend either so I was cautious.
"Yes I heard she was back, Esme called a few days ago, it was quite a shock. I was coming to visit her myself but I guess there's no point now. Please, fill me in."
I already knew most of the story from Esme but I was interested to hear what Rachel had to say. Most of it, as I said, was old news but I was interested in her take on the events of the night before.
"He was quite the warrior, your ex, I was impressed. Edward was very upset but then we both know there's bad blood between the two of them. Anyhow, as you can imagine, Edward isn't at all happy about Jasper removing Bella from the hospital. He thinks she should be in the care of a professional and he wants to know where Jasper is hiding her."
So, my little brother still had feelings for Bella Swan, that was interesting. As was Rachel's rampant jealousy and I was forced to stifle a giggle.
"I don't know where she is," I told Rachel.
"But you can find out," she replied quickly.
"I could, but Edward told me to mind my own business and not to look into Bella's future again."
"Well he's changed his mind," she snapped.
"I'll see what I can do and call you back, Rachel," and I cut her off which I knew would only make her angrier but I didn't care.
I waited a few minutes before calling Esme who I knew would be waiting to hear from me.
"I've just had Rachel on the phone, she wants to know where Jasper has taken Bella or rather Edward does. What do you want me to do?"
There was a momentary pause as she weighed her options before deciding.
"Tell her, it can't hurt and they can run interference. If she tells Edward he'll go looking for Bella and probably get his silly head ripped off. If she doesn't tell him then we know she has others she has to answer to and I suspect that is true anyhow. I take it you have ascertained their location for me?"
"Not exactly but close enough. Has Bella remembered anything useful yet?"
"I don't think so, but of course if she has any revelations now I won't hear them which is a nuisance. It's imperative that you keep watching for her and let me know the minute you see anything. I have to go now before Carlisle gets back. By the way, he thinks you're still in Tibet with Rose and Emmett so keep a low profile. I don't want any awkward questions."
"Are the others still looking for her?"
"Of course, Alice. I haven't called them off. I still need to speak to our friend about allowing her to escape but he's proving a little elusive. The only reason I haven't ordered his death before now is that he might still come in useful. I'll be in touch again soon."
Esme
I was livid. Our plan had worked beautifully up to a couple of weeks ago when Bella made her bid for freedom, the little bitch. How difficult could it be to abduct and kill a single girl and make sure her body never surfaced? That's all she had to do, but no, that was too simple. Instead, he had to go playing his little games with her and now she was on the loose. If she messed things up for my family again I'd make sure she died this time along with the idiot.
It had taken Edward a long time to get over her and move on with his life and poor Alice had lost the love of her life. Admittedly he wasn't much of a catch but she loved him and there's no accounting for taste. And on top of all that Carlisle and Emmett had gone around like two whipped dogs for so long I wanted to scream in frustration. The only member of the family as relieved as me to see the bitch gone had been Rosalie.
It had taken some time to put together a plan to ensure she suffered as I had suffered as my family had suffered and by that time she had her life all mapped out for her. The girl my son had given his heart to was about to shack up with the street mongrel from the reservation! Not if I had anything to do with it.
Besides, if Edward ever found out it would break his heart and we would never be able to go home to Forks again. How could we when it would be teeming with pups all sired by that filthy cur Black on the Swan bitch? Why couldn't she have gone to college? Or moved in with her neurotic mother? I might have forgotten about her and revenge then, might have but it wasn't likely. So, I arrange for her to be abducted and live a life in hell, drugged and abused and finally killed, perfect.
Everything was fine, Edward and Rachel were happy, Alice had a spring in her step once more and Emmett had finally stopped moping around and mentioning the Swans. I felt I had succeeded and then BANG! A slap in the face as she turns up yet again like a possessed doll that just won't leave you alone.
Why did she have to get herself knocked down outside the very hospital Carlisle was working in? I was horrified but pulled myself together and dusted off my role as concerned heartbroken mother figure once more but I was already sick of it. Of course, Edward had to be told but he'd taken it like a man and could, therefore, be manipulated.
I didn't care who sorted the problem as long as someone did. But then my dear husband went and involved the one man who could cause me problems, Jasper fucking Whitlock!
Rachel
I was relieved when Alice finally got back to me, I thought she would call Edward direct but it seemed I was wrong. Amazingly she also had the information Edward had requested despite his solemn warning to her not to follow Bella's future. Maybe if he hasn't laid down the law to her, Alice would have seen Bella's abduction and none of this would have happened. So, maybe it was guilt driving Edward's actions now, I hadn't considered that not that it was an excuse for his present fixation.
I then had to decide whether to pass this information on to Edward or keep it to myself. He'd believe me if I told him that she'd had no luck and we might just be able to go on our merry way. But then I thought that it might be fun to see the two brothers go head to head. I knew Edward would have the advantage in a fight because of his gift but I'd heard good things about Jasper's fighting skills too.
After mentally throwing the dice I called Edward from the garage where he was fiddling with Esme's car although why I didn't know. He knew absolutely nothing about mechanics and would have done far better leaving it till Rose got back or call a garage but he hated to admit that there was something he couldn't do, the idiot! If only the Cullens knew just how much I despised them all and Edward most of all, I would be glad when this was all over.
His pathetic little face broke into a beaming smile when I told him that Alice had called and I seriously considered lying to him just to see the devastation when he found she wasn't where he thought she was but instead I sighed and went ahead. "They're at his house in Oregon and they are alone. So, what exactly is your plan Edward? Do you plan on riding up on your white steed to rescue her from your evil step-brother?"
Of course, I already knew his plan, he couldn't keep anything a secret from me however hard he tried, but I had to keep up the pretense.
"Don't be ridiculous, this isn't funny although you seem to find the thought of Bella in danger amusing. I'll simply go there of course, and get her back."
"With whose help Edward? You can't fight Jasper alone."
His eyes narrowed at my criticism, he hated looking less than perfect but I knew he was scared of Jasper, and from all accounts rightly so.
"I've got a plan," he said smugly.
I groaned inwardly, Oh God, not another one! Just play along Rachel, it's what he expects of you.
"OK, what's your devilish plan? Who is going to help you?"
He smiled secretively and it dawned on me that the idiot really had got someone to help him, I was amazed.
I called Alice back, maybe she knew who Edward had recruited to help him but she had no idea, or she wasn't going to tell me.
"You know it amazes me how you put up with Edward's behavior, Rachel. Edward is going to play the knight in shining armor riding out to rescue his damsel in distress and you're doing nothing to stop him? I doubt he'll find anyone who is a match for Jasper. I may hate my ex but you have to give him that, he's pretty nigh invincible one on one or even six on one."
"Yes, I thought as much, which is why I'm interested in who he's recruiting to help him. You surely know and I assumed you'll be willing to tell me because you must hate Jasper as much as Edward does."
"More, Edward hates Jasper because he's the better man. And he blames him, wrongly as it turns out, for losing Bella. My ex dumped me for no reason, he just walked away but one day I'll get my own back."
"Maybe Edward will kill him for you."
"Oh, I don't want Jasper dead, I want him to suffer, over and over again, for all eternity. It's just a case of finding a way to accomplish that."
"I wish you well, you're right of course, without the entire Volturi guard at his back Edward is sure to make a complete mess of this."
"If you think so little of Edward why do you stay married to him? I'd have strangled the idiot years ago and laughed as I did so."
I wasn't sure I could answer that with a convincing lie so I merely laughed and rang off.
I had other things to do, important things. I had to discover Edward's rescue plan and then make an important call with that detail and Bella's whereabouts. If it was allowed to continue and went pear-shaped as I was pretty certain it would, then I would pass that along too. My superiors would be only too keen to hear what the Cullen family were getting up to now.
