Chapter 21

"Where are they going?" Carlisle asked, speaking frantically over the phone with Alice.

"Vincent must have accidentally let his shield off," she replied. "I saw him and Jane dragging someone away from the mansion in Italy. He was wearing a dark robe with a hood and struggling to get away."

Esme could hear every word and listened intently from the driver's seat of the car she, Carlisle and Delilah had waiting for them in the Italian airport.

"Where were they going?" she asked, placing her hand on Carlisle's forearm as he drove.

"Where are they Alice?" He focused on the road while actively paying attention to both Alice and Esme. When he glanced in the rearview mirror he could see Delilah leaning forward and suddenly felt her rapid breaths on his shoulder.

"I've seen Vincent remove his hood by a fountain in Volterra," Alice explained, "There's a smaller one, not in front of the clock tower, but it seems to be to the left of a... church with a gold cross at the very top."

He thought for a moment an searched his brain for the correct location.

"I heard them refer to him by name; Caleb. They exited the mansion and took a right," Alice went on, "It's walking distance even for humans. The fountain has three cherubic looking statues in the middle."

"Thank you, Alice." Carlisle sighed and looked Esme for a brief second.

"Go," Alice instructed, "I've seen them pulling him by each arm. They're all hooded but I could see Jane's blond hair... and I've seen Vincent remove his own hood and then it goes black."

"Thanks Alice," Esme said, anxiety echoing in her voice.

"Thanks," Carlisle said again before hanging up. He meant to ask her where they were, but his mind was on one track; the track that led to Caleb.

Esme sighed in the front seat, and Carlisle grasped her hand, "We know where to find him," he reminded her, "We're not far." He then looked in the rearview mirror, "We're going to find him."

Delilah nodded, having the urge to get out and run the rest of the way but she knew there were still too many people out on the streets to do so. It was dark; past nine o'clock at night, but the city was far from dead.

Carlisle glanced up toward the sky and in the distance he saw the top of the clock tower. He pointed, "There's the center of the city. We'll be there in less than a minute."

"I can feel how close he is," Esme said aloud.

He looked at her again and took her hand in his.

"A fountain with cherubs," he said to no one in particular.

"Just drive straight through," Esme told him, "Alice said it's not far."

Carlisle nodded and squeezed her hand. The clock tower grew bigger as they closed in on their destination before it towered over them as they passed by.

Esme and Delilah both looked up at the extravagant clock tower to their right and Carlisle moved the vehicle as fast as he could without risking the lives of the occasional pedestrians that roamed the streets of Volterra.

"Look!" Esme pointed up toward a cross in the distance that peeked over the tops of several stone builings. "There's the cross that Alice was talking about."

Carlisle pushed his foot down a little firmer on the gas pedal and the car flung around a tight corner.

"I see something," Delilah exclaimed, "Up there!"

Carlisle and Esme looked up ahead. The fountain came into view that Alice had described. Even from their distance and the darkness of the hooded figures, Carlisle could make out Vincent's figure. Again, just as Alice had described, the young man removed his hood and his spiky, gelled black hair was exposed in the darkness. The features were so familiar, yet so foreign. It would be nearly impossible to distinguish Vincent from Salvatore at first glance.

"Caleb!" Esme called, "Caleb!" She put a hand over her mouth as she saw the hooded figure in between Vincent and, who she guessed was Jane, drop to his knees in agony.

The painful cries were overbearing, and Esme winced. She also felt a hint of confusion an she wasn't completely sure why.

"Caleb!" Delilah's voice echoed Esme's and their doors flew open simultaneously as Carlisle pulled the car to a halt.

He abruptly put the car in park and tailed his wife and his son's mate to the fountain.

Jane removed her hood and stared at them, coldly at first, but then let an eerie grin spread across her face. It stung worse than the lifeless, red glare.

"We've been expecting you," she replied, her icy voice ringing with apathetic victory.

"Keep your head bowed," Vincent ordered. He and Jane still held the arms of the man beneath the hood, who came out of his agony-ridden daze as Jane removed her power.

The three of them stood cautiously alert and Carlisle put his hands up.

"I just want my son," he said.

"Please," Esme added.

"Then what are you doing here?" Jane asked.

Carlisle and Esme exchanged a glance, both somewhat confused.

"Jane..." Carlisle began his plea and motioned to the man on the ground.

She smiled again. "How did you find us here?"

"Alice," he admitted.

"I see," Jane said dryly.

"Please, Jane," Esme's eyes begged as she spoke, "Please, give him back to us." She wrapped her arm around Delilah's shoulders.

"I'll come back to Italy," Delilah offered, "If you'll let him go."

Vincent looked at Jane and the two of them shared a hearty fit of laughter.

"How poetic," Vincent said, still chuckling to himself.

"Please." Esme looked at the young man.

"I don't know why you're here asking us to see your son," Vincent told them.

Carlisle looked him in the eye, "I know you're hurt, Vincent, but hurting Caleb isn't going to fix that."

Jane turned to Vincent momentarily before returned her gaze to meet Carlisle's. "Like we've said, I don't know why you're here."

He was about to respond but Jane continued.

"Stand him up, please, Vincent."

Vincent did as she asked, and looked in their direction.

"It appears as though Alice's vision may have steered you in the wrong direction," Jane told them. She turned to Vincent again, who removed the hood of the man who stood in between them on cue.

Carlisle's posture stiffened and Esme's haunted expression made the Volturi members smirk in triumph. The person wasn't Caleb; he was a member of the guard who appeared to have painfully been paying his dues as a member of the elite coven by taking Jane's wrath.

"Where's Caleb?" Esme asked, a second before Delilah could.

Carlisle's eyes closed for a moment as he realized the successful distraction that Jane, Vincent and most likely the rest of the Volturi had fooled them with.

"Caleb..." Jane purposely hesitated for an extended period of time. She then pointed toward the very top of the tower that could still be seen from their position by the fountain. "He's... up there."

Esme didn't hesitate. She grabbed Delilah's hand and took off in the direction of the tower. Carlisle followed, hoping that they could trust Jane's directions. As if reading his mind, Jane threw a morbidly true message into his ear as he ran. The phrase was spoke so softly it could've been mistaken for something sweet.

"Where else are you going to go?"