Chapter Twenty One

Bella

Jasper came back to the car nodding,

"Right lets get aboard quickly"

He saw my face and closed his eyes,

"I'm so sorry Bella."

"Its not your fault, what do we do now?"

"Take the body with us. We'll bury her at sea or on the island whichever you prefer but we can't leave her here. Darius is sending someone for the car any minute and we need to go"

"What about the tracking device?"

"I attached it to a truck going in the opposite direction. I don't suppose it will work for long but it should confuse them for a while"

He offered me his hand and I took it getting out of the car and letting him lead me onto the boat,

"There's a bathroom downstairs in the main cabin, why don't you get cleaned up. I put your bag down there and I suggest you stay below until we're out of sight of land just as a precaution."

I nodded and went below and as I turned for a final look at the dock I saw Peter lift Renee up very gently while Jasper watched out for any humans who might see. Then a second later they were aboard and Peter wrapped Renee in a counterpane and put her on the bed in the other cabin shutting the door quietly and nodding to me before going topside as I heard the engines start up and the boat begin to move.

I showered and changed, putting my blood stained clothes into a plastic bag I used for laundry, then went back up on deck. I felt I should be crying for my mum but instead I felt only numb, shock I guessed. Peter was steering the boat while Jasper spoke to someone on the phone standing at the rear of the boat and looking like a guardian angel, watching out for danger even as he spoke, Peter smiled tentatively and I understood he was still worried I might blame him for being unable to save Renee. I went to sit beside him and returned the smile,

"I should thank you for trying to save Renee."

"Thanks seem a little out of place seeing as she died anyway."

"That wasn't your fault Peter, it was Victoria's. Do you think she'll chase us or go back to finish off the list?"

"You mean kill more people? Its hard to tell as she's killed everyone close to you already. Will a few more make any real difference?"

"Every life makes a difference Peter but is there anything I can do to stop her?"

"I doubt it but if it starts getting messy then the Volturi might but that's just as dangerous to you. If they find out the Cullens allowed a human in on the secret then I'd guess they'll kill all the Cullens and you. They don't like loose ends"

I nodded suddenly feeling very sick again, had I cut all my ties to the vampire world only to lose my life as a result? Were all these deaths at my door because I fell in love with a vampire, a vampire who had set me adrift when I stopped amusing him? Poor Renee, Phil, and Charlie, all dead because of me.

Jasper

I heard the conversation even as I listened to Darius, later I would speak to Bella and explain but for now Peter was doing a good job of keeping her calm and I had other things to worry about.

"Victoria has a tame hacker, a guy called Simon and he's good. Not as good as me but dangerous never the less. I suppose you want me to neutralise him? I have a few more names for you too, but then stuck on treasure island you're gonna need some help. Leave it to me, I'll see what I can do."

"What about Victoria?"

"I'm working on that but I have a feeling she's not working alone and I'm trying to catch her out in a mistake so I can see who is behind it all."

"OK but I don't see Bella as being a threat to anyone in our world Darius so if there is a mastermind behind this then I have no idea what their reasons are. Could it be the Volturi?"

"I'd like to say no and it doesn't feel like them but its got to be a possibility I guess. They don't usually get this sloppy but then again if the stakes are high enough I guess it could be. They know what Victoria is capable of but there's been a bounty on her head for years care of Aro Volturi and no ones ever got close. He could decide utilising her skills is better than letting her run wild, who knows. Anyway the island is remote enough that you'll see anyone coming and if she continues to use humans there are weapons available although with Peter there you might be safer keeping him away from them. I had the boat stocked with food and there should be enough for about a month. If we haven't figured it out by then I'll find you another safe house but I'm hoping it will be settled by then. I've been watching the Cullens too. Edward, Carlisle, and Esme, are in Jacksonville and I think they're putting one and one together. Alice is beating herself up for losing Charlie and I think she'll head south to join the others unless of course you want them in Forks to watch out for any more violence against Bella's friends."

"I think they might decide on that course of action for themselves"

"Well there's not much left in the way of family, only a cousin on Renee's side and a brother on Phil's but does he count? He's not real family after all."

"I think everyone counts as far as Bella is concerned. Contact Carlisle and ask him to watch over Bella's friends in Forks just in case he hasn't thought of it. I'd rather have them occupied if anything starts down here, they aren't fighters. What about Rosalie and Emmett? Any sign of them being stalked?"

"You think Victoria might target the Cullens? Well I guess they were to blame for James death and Bella has a connection with them. Last time I checked they were in Denali but I'll keep an eye out. The trouble is if Victoria has enough human help she can act on more than one front at a time like she did last time. Having men watching the Dwyer house and transport in Fort Lauderdale. I bet she had information from Simon, I'm going to need a word with him.

"I'd prefer it if you stopped him permanently."

"You sure? She's gonna know and she might have a back up we don't know about. I thought for now I'd watch his data stream and divert it here first so I can alter things just a little. Enough to slow her down but not enough that he knows someone is playing him."

"I'll leave it to you Darius, for now I have a funeral to arrange."

"Yeah I'm sorry about that. I'll be in touch Major"

Bella

When Jasper finished speaking he came forward to me,

"I'm very sorry about your mother Bella"

"I know, it was her own fault she panicked. That's everyone gone now, all my family. I don't have anyone left"

He put an arm around me,

"I promise you Bella you will never be alone. You will always have me"

Peter looked up at that and I wondered what he made of his friends words, more than I did obviously. To me he was saying that I would always have a friend but to be his friend meant allowing Alice back into my life and I wouldn't do that because where she was so were the others. I smiled and moved away slightly,

"What about Renee?"

"That's up to you. We can bury her on the island if you like, it will give you somewhere to grieve."

I shook my head,

"If I do that then I will always have to return to the island and I don't want any ties, its safer that way. Could you do it now? She loved the ocean and I know she'd love to be buried here while the sun is still shining."

Peter cut the engine and the boat drifted on the current further from shore as they wrapped Renee securely in the cover weighed down by some chains and laid her on deck. I stared unable to speak,

"Would you like me to say a few words?"

I looked at Peter and nodded as tears began to fall and Jasper's arm came around me once more.

"You can shed tears that she is gone

Or you can smile because she has lived

You can close your eyes and pray that she will come back

Or you can open your eyes and see all that she has left

Your heart can be empty because you can't see her

Or you can be full of the love that you shared

You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday

Or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday

You can remember her and only that she is gone

Or you can cherish her memory and let it live on

You can cry and close your mind,

be empty and turn your back

Or you can do what she would want:

smile, open your eyes, love and go on."

As he finished Jasper took one end of the cover and Peter the other and they slowly lowered Renee's body into the sea where it sank from view immediately and my tears came thick and fast.

Sorry there were no posts yesterday but the site was down and I couldn't log on but I promise extra today in compensation. Love Jules x

Poem She is Gone by David Harkins.