Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all.
Rated M for a reason.
Chpt 13 Alice in Wanaque
BPOV
While my mind is considering the sensible words 'I'm sorry, I have never heard of either of those people, you seem to have made a mistake' my mouth says. "He's not here at the moment."
Which is not entirely true, he's hanging out in a tree the other side of the driveway.
"My name is Special Agent Gerry Davis ma'am. This is my card, perhaps you could have him call me when he returns?"
I nod an' watch silently as he retreats back to the car with slightly more haste than is dignified. He an' his partner climb in an' roar off down the driveway. As they round the bend I see Pete an' Char dartin' through the trees, following.
Jasper makes a flying leap from the tree an' lands at my feet. He takes the proffered card reads it an' then stuffs it in his back pocket before running his hand through his hair. He is resigned rather than surprised.
Patiently I wait for his eyes to meet mine.
"I think you know more about what's goin' on than you're lettin' on." I say calmly.
He sighs heavily an' unconsciously touches the card in his pocket. "I'm startin' to figure some of it out."
"Are you going to explain?"
"Yes but there are a couple of things I need to do first." He holds his hand out to me tentatively and I take it without hesitation, I'm with Pete, I trust him too. "Pete an' Char are gonna follow them as far as they can in the meantime we should check the property because I need to go out for an hour or so."
There's no one else, human or vampire, in the vicinity so with a quick kiss Jasper deposits me back at the house an' takes off in one of the rental cars.
I trudge upstairs an' run myself a bath.
Char rings a little while later to let me know the two suits have stopped for dinner and that she an' Pete are going to keep tailing them. I deflect her questions easily, I don't know any more than she does at this point, only that Jasper does.
By the time Jasper returns I'm dressed an' settled on the couch with a book.
"I've spoken to Pete." He says floppin' down next to me. "They're gonna meet us at Wanaque, they lost the agents in the city."
"Does that matter?" I ask.
"No." He shakes his head. "We know who they are."
"And you know why they were here?"
"Not exactly but I have an idea what it's connected to."
"Are you going to tell me now?"
"It's better to wait, we haven't much time before you meet Alice, Pete an' Char should hear it too."
"Is it bad?" I ask in a small voice.
"It's a fuckin' disaster." He says heavily.
This is one of those rare occasions where I might wish Jasper had a touch of the Edwards when it comes to concealing the seriousness of a situation. When someone as strong an' in control as Jasper makes a statement like that it's time to hoist your arms high in the air an' commence the runnin' around an' screaming.
"Do I still need to meet with Alice?"
"Yes darlin'." He pulls me to him holding me tight. "We need as much information as we can possibly get before we make any decisions."
We hold each other for a long time.
"We should get movin'." He says releasing me reluctantly.
The drive to Wanaque is uneventful, Jasper an' I hold hands in companionable silence. We pull up at the opposite side of the park from where I've agreed to meet Alice so we can approach on foot. Pete an' Char are already waiting.
"Let's get over there." Jasper orders. "Scout the area before they arrive."
Swiftly we make our way across the park, splittin' up an' using my shield as we near the meeting' point.
When we've established its all clear I go in to meet Alice, Pete an' Char shadowing at a discrete distance while Jasper circles round to get close to the bodyguard.
The sun is dipping behind the trees when I hear her light footsteps.
"Where's your bodyguard?"
"Parking lot. He thinks I am hunting. Are you alone?"
"Yes."
"I'm surprised Peter allowed that." She says, her eyes darting around suspiciously.
"I can take care of myself."
"Yes." She looks me up an' down, an amused an' impressed expression on her face. "I had heard."
We stare at each other in silence unsure where to start. She looks the same, my former best friend and I find that I don't quite have it in me to hate her, despite what she an' her mate have done to Jasper.
"Jenks is dead." Might as well start somewhere.
Her eyes widen slightly but she doesn't respond.
"Vampires killed him."
No response.
"Were you aware he knew all about vampires?"
Nothing.
"Alice I understand why I don't trust you. Your husband kidnapped an' tortured my mate an' then he killed him." I can't help the feral growl that accompanies that statement nor Alice's nervous reaction. "What I don't understand is why you don't trust me."
"I love my husband Bella, the same as you loved Jazz, I might not be able to see your future or your decisions but I can tell you want him dead."
I flop down onto the ground, my silence answer to her challenge.
"Well why don't you start by tellin' me what happened to Edward?"
"I don't know what happened to Edward." She sighs, folding herself gracefully down beside me. "We checked into the hotel in Rio. I went down to the lobby to get a map, two vampires grabbed me and bundled me out of the hotel into a van. I dare not make a scene, there were too many humans there. If they'd tried to intervene there was a risk they would discover what we were. Besides there were others waiting in the van and I didn't want to be dismembered so I stopped struggling. They took me to a compound outside the city, they wouldn't tell me what was going on. I was frightened."
"Didn't you get a vision or anythin' to warn you what was goin' to happen?" I ask suspiciously. In my memory Alice knew everything that was going to happen, or at least it seemed like she did to me.
She shakes her head. "I didn't know Rutilio so I didn't have anything to search for. I couldn't see Edward properly, at the time I thought it was because he'd been with you but now I'm not so sure. It could have been because he didn't have a future for me to see."
"Have you even asked your mate what he did with Edward?" I snarl, shocked that after all this time she doesn't appear to have even tried to find out what happened to her brother.
"No." She says in a small voice, hangin' her head. "I love him and I am afraid of the answers."
"What about your family? Carlisle an' Esme are worried sick."
She snorts. "I feel sorry for Esme but how can I talk to them, I don't even know what happened to their favourite son. They will hate me."
"Esme won't." I'm not so sure about Carlisle after my recent visit I'm inclined to believe that he would hate Alice for abandoning his first companion.
We sit in silence for a while, probably both thinkin' about the Cullens an' how all is not perfect in the perfect family. There are many questions on the tip of my tongue but seein' as they don't seem to have anything to do with what's going on at the moment I bite them back.
"Will you tell me why you think you're in danger?" I ask eventually.
"No."
"Why not?"
"I don't know whose side you are on." She snaps jumping to her feet.
"What do you mean side? What sides?" I demand leaping to my own feet.
"I can't tell you anything Bella, it's too risky." She shakes her head again, clearly distressed. "I care about you Bella, I thought you were going to be my sister but there is too much at stake for me to take the chance of trusting you now. If you really don't know anything then you are probably better off that way, stop trying to find out what's going on and find somewhere out of the way for your coven to hide. And if you're lying to me, well then at least I haven't made it any worse."
"Alice, I . . . ."
"I'm sorry." She whispers sadly. "Jazz would probably have known what's coming or at least been able to work it out but perhaps now he's gone there is no reason for you to be involved."
"Did you know Jasper was The Major?" I ask quietly, deciding to ignore that opening. "When you were together?"
"I had no idea until Rutilio told me." She sighs. "I suppose it explained a lot, he was never destined to be a Cullen. I'm sorry Bella, I loved him too and I'm glad you found each other before, before the end." For the first time I hear her familiar tinkling laugh, albeit muted. "Even if I was jealous when Edward first told me."
She turns to leave so I decide to ask her another question. "Alice, have you had a visit from the Secret Service recently?"
She stops and looks back at me. "Not yet. We were out when they called on us and Rutilio moved us immediately."
"Does Rutilio know Stefan?" I ask since we seem to be on more solid ground.
"Yes."
"Has he seen him recently?"
"I don't know, he is very secretive about his business dealings." Her eyes slide away from mine. Interesting.
"Did he use Jenks as his lawyer?"
"Sometimes." She hesitates and then seems to come to a decision. "He also uses a man in Washington, Hargreaves."
"Thank you."
She smiles slightly. "I seem to have told you a lot more than you have told me." And then she turns and walks away.
Almost immediately Jasper, Pete an' Char stroll into the clearing.
"Well that wasn't very informative." I huff, frustrated.
"Oh, I don't know darlin'." Jasper drawls leanin' against a tree with his hands in his pockets. "I found it very informative."
"Care to share?" I snark. All this uncertainty is gratin' on my last nerve.
"Not here. We should find a motel." He turns to Pete. "Did you guys bring a car?"
"We stole a clunker, but we've already ditched it."
Jasper nods, taking my hand. "Let's get back to ours then."
Swiftly we take off across the park, stopping briefly when the scent of deer reminds me how thirsty I am, usin' my shield a lot means I have to eat more.
Soon we are all piled in the car, headin' north looking for a motel a safe enough distance from the park. Eventually we find one which is unassuming enough for Jasper an' Pete and clean enough looking for Char an' I.
Pete checks us in while Jasper retrieves a huge duffel bag from the trunk
Pete joins us with a huge grin on his face. "We've got two rooms next to each other, clerk's convinced we're here for some kinda orgy so watch out for him ladies, I think he's plannin' on tryin' out his new camera phone."
"Eeww" Char shudders. "He'd better not try that on me, I'll ram his teeth so far down his throat he'll have to stick the toothbrush up his ass to clean 'em."
"That's my darlin' wife." Pete laughs as he unlocks the door to the first room. "Face like an angel, mouth like a trucker."
Jasper throws the duffel onto one of the beds an' sits down next to it. His face is drawn an' tired so I kneel behind him an' start to gently knead his shoulders.
Pete an' Char perch on the other bed.
"Where do we start?" Pete asks, suddenly all serious. "Do we know what those Agents were after this mornin'? What were they FBI or summat?"
"No." Jasper shakes his head an' reaches into the duffel. "We'd better start with the last time I saw Stefan."
He pulls out a square velvet box, resting it on his knees an' then he locks eyes with Pete.
Slowly he lifts the lid revealing a gleaming medal.
"Is that the medal of honour?" I gasp peerin' over his shoulder.
He nods, his muscles tight.
"Is it yours? Was it awarded to you?" I ask, my voice full of awe.
He nods again, eyes still on Pete.
Pete narrows his own eyes, glarin' at Jasper suspiciously. "It's the modern design, when did you get it?"
"Six years ago." Jasper answers quietly.
Pete almost falls back onto the bed his face a text book picture of horror. "Fuckin' hell J!" He screams. "What have you done?"