Chapter Twenty Five

The Major

This fire prison was becoming tedious and I was getting thirsty but I couldn't get out, there was just no way and I screamed in my frustration smashing an oak tree to tiny pieces and throwing it javelin like into the flames which consumed it hungrily. Then I saw a flash in the trees, something was moving, which meant something was alive, something with blood running through its veins, blood I needed. So I raced after it but my pursuit scared the creature so much it ran straight into those same hungry flames and again I screamed. I scoured the rest of my prison but it seemed every living thing had gone into hiding but then I stopped. What the fuck was I doing chasing animals for food? This was the fault of Jasper Hale and the sooner he was gone the better.

I knew what Peters game was, weaken me with thirst but unless he'd made some arrangements for this siege then any vampires at the ranch might be in the same boat, but then he wasn't stupid so I thought he might have emergency supplies in hand. However, the human was another matter entirely. How long could she go without food? They were fragile creatures and although she had access to water...water! I got up and checked the perimeter once more, there was a river close by and somehow he'd buried it to put the pipes in. Well I might not be able to get in but I could sure as hell make sure neither could clean water. I dug down using a flat rock until I reached the water supply.

The ground was reinforced beneath that to stop me tunnelling my way out, good thinking again. Water wouldn't help with a gasoline fire so that didn't worry him but maybe a lack of it would. I dug a channel for the water leading it round my prison and then sent it back from where it came, the current would keep it moving at least for a while. If it started to back up I might have a problem as the fire would float above any water that spilled out onto my prison floor but it was a chance I was willing to take. They would have a cistern of some kind but I didn't think it would be large, not for a vampires use. A well? That was something I had no control over but we'd see who cracked first now.

Bella

I watched from an upstairs window seeing a faint figure beyond the flames pacing around, could that really be Jasper come to kill me? The binoculars wouldn't stay steady in my shaking hands, but was glad Peter had some for his hobby, bird watching! I went to the bathroom and turned the tap to draw a glass of water and noticed the pressure was almost zero so I called down to the others and we soon discovered Jasper had cut the supply somehow. Esme filled up any containers she could from the dwindling tap but there wouldn't be enough for more than a day or two even rationed. It was a good job I was the only human or we'd be in real trouble.

"Fuck him. I never thought of water but then I never expected to have a fucking human here if it came to a siege."

He glared in my direction then went out slamming the door.

"Who was he prepared for Esme? This was well thought out."

"Peter and Charlotte always feared that Maria might come back for them one day and they weren't going back."

"Maria? Edward told me she was Jaspers sire."

"Yes and a cruel and evil bitch too"

I was taken aback, Esme rarely spoke ill of anyone so Maria must be a real piece of work.

Edward came in with a couple more eggs but without water to boil them or oil to fry I was at a loss what to do with them.

"Let's try baking them in the fire shall we?"

I watched as Esme cracked the eggs into a tin mug she'd found and covering it with a piece of tin she pushed it into the embers with a small log. I would never have thought of doing that and when cooked the eggs were perfectly edible although I could see myself getting sick of the sight of them by the time this was over. After eating I sat with Edward playing chess to keep me occupied while Esme and Peter checked on Jasper.

"I'm really sorry about all this Bella. You've done nothing but run for your life since we met and its all my fault."

I shook my head and sat back, beaten anyway,

"It hasn't all been bad Edward. I met you and your family and made some good friends. I'm just sorry it didn't work out the way you wanted but I couldn't continue with you, it would have been wrong and unfair to you."

"And all because of a simple kiss? Are you really so sure it was even real Bella?"

I smiled at his desperate question,

"I don't know Edward, I don't know anything any more. The kiss happened but maybe it was sheer terror on my part and Jasper trying to make me feel better. I never said it was more than that Edward but if I could kiss another guy then whatever we had wasn't enough. You do understand that don't you?"

He closed his eyes, pain flashing across his face,

"I guess so although I'll never give up hope until I find you with a ring on your finger."

Esme

I was proud of Edward, protecting Bella although she'd finished the relationship. Of course she was right, if another man could touch her so deeply with just a kiss then Edward wasn't the right one for her but she didn't seem to see Jasper as a replacement and that amused me a little. It was probably just as well because like Peter I didn't give much for our chances of surviving let alone bringing my son back. I didn't know anyone who could de-program him and Samuel was dead. We didn't know what he'd told Jasper to do once Bella was dead, he could be made to rejoin Maria or go on a killing spree that the Volturi would see and act on, either way he was a dead man.

Jasper may be hidden so deep we'd never get him back but I was sure that eventually he would break through enough to destroy the monster behind his face. The thought of losing him hurt almost as much as the pain of losing Carlisle. The former from the loss of hope and the latter for the disappointment I felt. How my mate, the man I had trusted with my heart could turn out to be a man so vindictive and cruel that he would set us against each other was shocking. If I could help to put things right then at least I would feel I'd done all I could to apologise for his actions. Afterwards, if we made it out alive, I had no idea what would happen but the crippling loss I had expected to feel was absent. Maybe he'd broken my heart before he died, maybe I was only a shade of myself destined to fade away when it was over, we would just have to wait and see.

Peter met me out front,

"All secure?"

"Yes, I saw him though, just watching me through the flames like a lost soul in hell."

"Well that could be because he is. Remember your fucking husband put him there, he's just burning inside that body. The kind of hell you can't get away from."

"Do you think this will work Peter?"

"I fucking hope so or we're all dead."

"You really think he can kill us all?"

"Well look at it this way, he's looking for the human and all three of you are going to get in his way so yeah I think he can take the Cullens."

"What about you?"

"Me? I'm gonna look him in the eye and if I can't see my friend in there then I'm gonna burn whatever remains. I don't give shit about you, your dysfunctional family, or that human, only my friend."

"So why allow us to come?"

"Bait pure and simple. I only knew he was in trouble but not where or why until you turned up and made it easy for me."