Chapter Thirty Seven

Jasper

We pulled up short of the storage facility and continued in on foot being very careful there were no guards around or any trip wires or other alarms. It was unlikely with the Volturi involved but I'd learned never to assume anything of an opponent, it could get you killed. Garrett entered the compound from the rear while I vaulted the high electric fence at the side. The area was quiet and I couldn't sense any activity, not even guard dogs which was as well, I hated killing animals for that reason alone, they were just doing their job. We met up at the rear of the building then went along slowly looking for the name Darius had given Garrett, "Bloodthirsty Games". Garrett nudged me and pointed to a door at the far end of the huge building. On the door was a garish poster under plastic of a horror movie monster carrying off a beautiful semi naked woman.

"Very classy"

I nodded and we approached the door which looked to be wooden until you looked closer when you could just see the metal where the paint had peeled away from the surface. Garrett put his ear to the door and then nodded and held up two fingers, so there was only one guard with Peter, that evened the odds a little, depending on who Caius had sent to guard Peter. Garrett winked at me and pointed to his chest then the door and I nodded again. He would force the door and I would go in first, I just hoped it wasn't Alec or we were lost before we started.

Garrett

I put my boot against the door and tested its strength assuring myself I could force it with a single blow then held up three fingers to The Major, counting down and as the third finger went down I kicked with all the force I could muster and the door tore from its lock, slamming back against the interior wall while the poster flew from its mountings and dropped to the ground several feet away. The Major went in fast and I followed immediately looking around. Peter was here which was a relief but his guard was the one person we had hoped most to avoid. As Alec whirled in our direction his eyes seemed to glow and in seconds I could neither hear nor see, unless Peter came up with a rear attack immediately we were all dead or prisoners of the Volturi.

Peter

Alec had eased up and I was aware of my surroundings again although from the feel of my arm he'd enjoyed stamping on it while I was unaware but then that was the sort of coward he was. When the door flew open and I saw The Major appear I tensed knowing he didn't stand a chance against Alec but me being behind him might just avoid his gift. He was followed by another figure but it wasn't Charlotte, wishful thinking on my part I guess, it was Garrett who I was equally pleased to see. I could see my two friends going under to Alec's gift and leapt on his back throwing my good arm around his throat and squeezing as tightly as I was able. He twisted round and fell back against the wall dislodging me and I saw the other two still and silent in the room. Alec's eyes turned to me then,

"A pity your friend's didn't bring more reinforcements Peter. Never mind I'm sure the brothers will be pleased with my haul."

I expected him to use his gift but instead he decided to play with me like a dog with a rabbit and picked me up throwing me against the cinder block wall which hurt but didn't do me a lot of damage. The foot which came down on my exposed throat did however and I gasped as I felt my windpipe crushed. I didn't need to breath but it felt strange and the next foot came down on the centre of my face, smashing my nose and jawbone. Then I saw the eyes and knew it was the end.

Seth

The Gods must have been on our side because although we passed two patrol cars neither stopped us and we reached the storage facility just before dawn.

"Do you want me to drive right in or park up and go in on foot?"

"Stop here."

There was a small pull in a few hundred yards from the perimeter of the building so I parked up and we got out looking around us. There was no one around, the place looked deserted,

"Are you sure this is the place?"

She nodded and started to run,

"Bella wait up, what's the matter? We need a plan of action."

She shook her head as she tripped on a tree root and almost went flying but I grabbed her arm just in time.

"There isn't time, it's happening now"

"What is?"

"I don't know but I have to get to him."

I gave up asking questions and we ran to the main gates but they were locked. A heavy padlock through stout wooden doors. Bella tried pulling but we both knew the padlock wasn't going to give.

"Stay here."

I pushed her to one side and ran back to the car praying it would have the weight to smash through those doors. I pulled into the road and gunned the engine, not caring if we were heard, the crash that reverberated through the facility when the car hit and opened the doors would have woken a corpse. I ran from the car rubbing a sore shoulder and we ran along the edge of the building looking at the names on the doors. We needn't have bothered, the smashed poster plastic and gaping hole where a door should have been told its own story. I tried to grab Bella but she was too quick for me, darting inside before I could stop her so I followed hoping we weren't going to be confronted by an army of bloodthirsty vampires. It was dark inside the room so I groped for the switch and turned on the lights. It wasn't as bad as I feared, there were only four in the room and it was patently obvious who the bad guy was although how he had managed to take three grown men down when he was no older or bigger than me was a mystery. Bella flew at him as he stamped on one of the unconscious bodies on the floor and I followed. Hell the worse thing that could happen was we both got killed and I'd always wanted a good fight. The young man twisted away from Bella's grasp lightening fast straight into my fist which brought him to a halt but only for a second while my hand felt like Bella's right now. I looked into his face and suddenly everything faded away, sounds, sights, smells, all slowly disappeared leaving me as one asleep.

Bella

I knew we were in trouble as soon as I saw the three men on the floor, the young man venting his spite on an unconscious Jasper got me seeing red and I flew at him but he moved far too quickly then as I turned I saw Seth punch but it had little effect. As Seth looked into the young man's eyes his face went blank and he stopped moving then slumped to the floor and the young man turned to me with a smile on his face.

"You must be the human girl, welcome to my world."

Although he looked at me as if his stare should have some effect, it didn't and I saw the cocky self-confidence slide from his face. He looked at the others who were still where they had been, before looking back at me,

"That's impossible".

He launched a kick at Jasper that moved his unresponsive body across the floor and I struck out throwing myself on the young man who although he struggled didn't seem to be able to throw me off. We rolled across the floor only stopped by the wall at the far end and then his eyes darted back to the opening and I turned to see a young girl, quite obviously his sister run in. She too glared at me but again I felt nothing but as I turned the young man started to scream and buck under me as if in great pain. I was pretty sure it wasn't anything I was doing but I noticed the three guys reacting at last. The girl looked away and he stopped squirming and tried once more to get up but I held on hoping the guys could perhaps stop the girl. The guy behind her staggered to his feet and I recognised with a gasp of surprise the young man from the bus in Mexico, the one who tried to save us all with his warning. He wrapped his arms around the girl and heaving her from her feet threw her out the doorway and across the yard to hit the chain link fencing with an ear-splitting rattle. The boy still couldn't get free of me, I was hanging on for dear life, my cast by now hanging off and my fractured hand throbbing like a sledgehammer. Suddenly another pair of arms pulled me free of the boy,

"It's OK Bella you can let go now"

I recognised Jaspers voice and let go with relief then closed my eyes at his command. I heard a terrible piercing scream and a horrible screeching sound then felt a warmth on the side of my face but I kept my eyes closed as instructed.