Jasper and I made our way to the basement, which I rarely entered. It was filled with boxes and furniture, but Jasper went directly to an empty bookshelf. He hit a certain shelf and it opened like a door.
"Seriously? A secret passage way? It's like in the movies!" I exclaimed.
We walked down a long hallway until we reached a steal door. There was a security number pad and Jasper typed in a long code. The door opened and there was another door, with a combination lock.
"Are you hiding nuclear weapons down here or something?"
"Something," Jasper replied with a wink. The room was large and filled with computer monitors and various machines. There were also stacks of cash sitting on a table in the middle of the room.
"I've actually already been working on this for you," he explained, opening a drawer and pulling out a stack of cards. He laid them on the table.
They were driver's licenses from various states with my photograph on them. The name read Isabella Masen.
"It was Alice's idea to give you the last name Mason. In a few decades you can return to Swan, if you like, but for now you could also be a Cullen or Hale. You already know our cover stories. Carlisle, Esme and Edward usually stick with being a Cullen and Rosalie is committed to being a Hale, but the rest of us alternate between a few surnames."
I picked up the New York state card and stared at it. Mason was Edward's last name when he was a human. For some reason, I liked that I was linked to his name. It seemed natural.
"I like it," I replied.
Jasper opened another drawer and pulled out a passport and a fancy looking leather wallet. He handed them to me.
"Your passport, bank and credit cards and a little cash."
I opened the wallet and it had several cards, and twenty crisp one hundred dollar bills. I gasped.
"I can't accept this money!"
"Alice has been playing the stock market for years. Carlisle has also saved and made wise investments. It's part of being a Cullen."
"I just…it feels wrong to take something I didn't earn."
"Bella, you've been adopted into this family, right?"
I touched the locket that hung around my neck that held a photo of the family. "Yes."
"Then, this is your inheritance. Honestly, it would hurt Carlisle and Esme's feelings if you refused their financial support."
Jasper wasn't trying to guilt trip me into accepting the money. I could tell he was being sincere. And I didn't want to offend the two people who had become a mother and father to me. I sighed with reluctance.
"Okay."
He smiled. "It's only money. After being a nomad for so many years, the idea of having money was a difficult adjustment for me, too. But, it's nice to have resources. If for some reason you have to travel in the daytime and are caught in the sun, you can get a hotel room. Sounds simple, but without money, you couldn't do that. Since our family aren't nomads, we need money to blend in with humans."
The last thing Jasper gave me was a cell phone and charger. "I've programmed everyone's number in there for you. It's a satellite phone, so you will get service no matter where you are in the world. It's helpful when we visit the cousins in the wilderness in Alaska or go on extended hunting trips."
"Wow, thanks Jasper. You've thought of everything."
"You're welcome. It's my contribution to the family. Carlisle does laundry, Rosalie fixes the cars, Alice organizes our wardrobes, Edward reads minds…"
I knew Jasper had mentioned Edward for a reason, so I raised an eyebrow and waited for it.
"You aregoing to say goodbye to him, aren't you?"
"Goodbye is a strong word," I replied, deflecting the question. "I'm just going on a trip."
"Edward will be devastated if he returns from school and you're not here."
"Devastated is another strong word," I protested, walking towards the door.
Jasper followed and locked up the family's secret lair as we made our way back to the first floor of the house. I went to my closet to pack, but soon realized I didn't have a suitcase.
"You can have one of Alice's suitcases," Jasper offered, as I stared at the racks of clothes. Within a few seconds, he returned with a medium sized travel bag.
"Thanks," I replied, taking it.
"You're shield is up again," Jasper commented quietly, a few minutes later as I finished packing. "Do you feel threatened?"
"I'm going to say goodbye to Edward," I answered his earlier question instead of this one. "But, not face to face. It would be too difficult. I don't wantto leave him, Jasper. It's just something I know I have to do. Only space will give me the clarity I need."
"Since you don't want to wait to travel with Carlisle on Thursday, we can arrange to have a private plane take you. Or do you want me to book a reservation on a regular flight?"
I shook my head. "I think I'd like to drive, actually. Is there a spare car around that I could borrow?"
Jasper cracked a smile and the tension between us lifted. I was obviously making a joke since the family had a fleet of cars in the garage.
"Hmmm," Jasper scratched his chin. "I don't know, but we could look!"
Although Rosalie and I were close, I didn't dare chose one of her personal cars. It was tempting to take one of Edward's, but I didn't want to impose on him. The safe choice was a black Mercedes SUV that Esme often drove around town.
"I'll be right back," Jasper excused himself and within a few minutes had returned with a New York state license plate and exchanged it with the one on the car. "The car is now registered to Isabella Mason."
"Are you sure Esme won't mind?" I asked.
"Of course not, she'll be thrilled to see you."
Jasper showed me the features of the car, and programmed the GPS with the family's address of the new house in the village outside Buffalo. He then gave a short lecture about driving across the country and what to do if I was pulled over by the police. The car had tinted windows, so I would be able to drive during the daytime.
"Are you sure you wouldn't rather fly? It's much quicker."
I glanced at the GPS. "It's only a 44 hour drive, I'll be there before you know it."
Jasper sighed and gave me a hug. "Be safe. Call us if you need anything and definitely call when you arrive."
"I will."
Jasper clicked a button on the wall and the garage door opened. As I drove out and down the driveway, he followed and waved goodbye.
When I reached the interstate, heading towards Seattle, I pulled the phone out of my pocket, searched for the name, and called the number. It was answered after one ring.
"Hello, Edward? This is Bella."
