Chapter Thirty Six

Felix

I decided it would best to ring the brothers with this latest news, it might be of interest to Aro especially.

"So your watcher thinks Maria is blackmailing The Major? How very strange, what is it she knows that we do not? I need to know Felix, use whatever means you have to but I want to know what she is using. In the meantime I will speak to my dear friend Carlisle, perhaps he knows something."

"Do you think he will tell you?"

"Of course not but that doesn't mean I wont find out something. As soon as you have news for me I expect to hear from you. My only stipulation is that The Major is unharmed, we want him on our side or at least not against us."

"I understand."

"I know you do Felix and I know you wont disappoint me."

I looked over at the rising sun and gave the order to the others who formed up in order behind me, Jane alone remaining at my side while Jude, now paid for his work disappeared in the direction of the border. We made our way towards the compound gates moving slowly and giving the sentries plenty of opportunity to recognize us. They might not know the individual faces but the black cloaks were easily recognizable. I saw one of the sentries run towards the largest cabin and knew he was going to report to Maria.

"What do you think she'll do Felix?"

"She'll consider fighting then realize the futility of doing so and come to parley. Its all she can do."

Jane nodded at my answer as I saw the diminutive figure of Maria come out hurriedly and call several others to her side, recognizing the fool Nathan at her shoulder.

"Will you question Maria about The Major?"

"No, I think we'll ask Nathan what he knows. At least you can handle that Jane my dear."

She smiled in pleasure at being given such a task.

"I do hope he doesn't break too easily."

"Oh he will, Nathan is an idiot but he'll soon work out that his boss isn't going to help him at all. Afton you find The Major, Jude said he was in the pit so find it and get him out but keep hold of him. Santiago, you and I will have a few words with Maria but be ready to fight, she's not likely to come without at least a show of resistance."

They nodded their acknowledgment as one of the gates was pushed open slowly for us to enter but we stopped a few feet from them and waited.

It was a few minutes before anything else happened and then the other gate was also opened and we could see her "army" in ranks behind their leader with Nathan and another man to her left and right. Well if the unknown commander were as good as Nathan we had little to worry about but there was no sign of The Major. Maria moved forward to confront me,

"What business do the Volturi have here in my territory?"

"Such a warm welcome Maria. I think you should ask Nathan to answer that question, after all he's the one who invited us."

She glared at Nathan as he took a step forward to argue the point and he subsided,

"Good move Nathan, you might just make it through this intact."

"I'm not scared of you or the Volturi."

I raised an eyebrow at his stupidity glancing at him momentarily.

"Then you are more stupid than I thought."

"There have been mistakes, he has been careless, but I have The Major back so the Volturi need worry about me no longer."

"Really?"

I gazed about me theatrically,

"I don't see him."

"Never the less he is here so you can leave."

"We could but I don't think my masters would be too happy. I have my orders Maria. You have an invitation from the Volturi to visit."

I saw her stiffen, she knew exactly what this meant and I couldn't see her coming easily, we would be forced to fight her newborn army to capture her.

I gave the signal and Jane turned her gaze on the newborns. She couldn't do her best with such a large group but enough to incapacitate them long enough for Santiago, Rebel and I to take them apart which we did in short order building a pyre and burning Maria's last newborn army. She hadn't moved, she knew we would only hunt her down and I think she imagined she had some room to maneuver as I had said she was invited to Volterra. Rebel held Nathan and Santiago had the other commander, a guy called Rafe held fast.

"Now that unpleasantness is out of the way Maria I take it you are ready to accompany us?"

"Hey what about us? You can't just kill us."

I turned to look at him,

"Oh? Who told you that? Jane."

She turned her gift on the two men who had been rapidly dropped by Rebel and Santiago who left them to see what was keeping Afton. He should have been back with The Major by now.

Maria looked nervous but tried to act relaxed.

"So an invitation to Volterra? Do you intend taking those two with us?"

She gestured to her two commanders writhing on the ground.

"Are they any good?"

"Would I be standing here if they were?"

"'Is that why you encouraged The Major to return perhaps?"

Her eyes narrowed but she shrugged,

"I have no idea what you mean."

"You said he's back, we're just not sure why."

"He just couldn't stay away from me Felix. Once you've been with the beast anything else is such a disappointment."

"Really? I must remember that. So he came running back to you?"

"Of course, why?"

I shook my head dismissively,

"Just idle curiosity. I thought perhaps you had persuaded him to return."

"Now how could I do that?"

"That is the million dollar question now isn't it. Besides if he had come back of his own free will why isn't he here at your side? Protecting the love of his life?"

She smiled, flashing white teeth at me,

"Well let's just say he had a little encouragement."

"Oh, what was that?"

"Oh I think that may be my ace in the hole. You see I'm the only one who knows all the details but if you don't believe me then by all means question Nathan and Rafe."

I explained the situation to Maria while the others tidied up and found The Major looking pretty beat up but still on his feet. They brought him over and I looked him up and down,

"Well Major, you look like shit but I have an invitation from Aro Volturi. He and the brothers would like you to visit...now."

He understood that refusal wasn't an option and sat quietly on a log flanked by Santiago and Afton while Jane watched Maria and Nathan, Rebel having dispatched her other two officers as superfluous to requirements.

"Now Maria, you have been running a very sloppy operation of late, bringing yourself in danger of being noticed by the humans and that makes the Volturi very fucking nervous. As a result they would like to have a personal word with you and your "commander" Nathan here although I use that title loosely in his case. Personally I don't think he could command a group of toddlers but that's just a personal opinion."

Nathan scowled at me but he didn't have the guts to speak or act and I smiled at him knowingly.

"I refuse to go, Mexico is my home not Italy, and I have made arrangements to put things right. I have The Major back working for me."

"Well if that's how you treat your workers I'd hate to be a simple foot soldier besides maybe I didn't make myself clear, it wasn't an invitation but a command. Now shall we go?"

I took her by the arm and she tried to pull free but I just smiled,

"Not gonna happen bitch."

Dragging her to our truck I threw her in the back along with Nathan, helped along on the end of Rebel's boot and they were joined by Jane, Santiago, and Rebel while Afton helped The Major into the cab where I joined them driving back to the airport. On the way I glanced over at The Major,

"Now just what got you back here Major? I thought you'd given up on the mad Mexican bitch."

He shrugged painfully,

"A change of scenery."

"I guess that's as good an excuse as any but I thought you were with the Cullen nuts."

"I was."

I knew he was a man of few words but this was tight lipped even for him. Still it was none of my business and Aro would know within a second of touching him everything there was to know so I drove on in silence.