Hey all, I reformatted the last chapter. No idea what went wrong with that but I used a different web browser so I'm thinking that was the culprit! There may still be a random semi-colon or something but I did my best to get rid of all that junk! :)
Chapter 49
Amun glanced over his shoulder and only saw various figures standing in the Cullens' front yard watching him. While he expected them to follow his pursuit, he didn't slow down and honed in on the figure that was barely visible in the distance.
He reached the woods line and began weaving in and out of trees in an attempt to catch the man who he assumed was Caleb Cullen.
A part of him wanted to shout out to the boy, but he knew it was useless.
From somewhere behind him he heard the familiar whisk of snapping twigs and tree limbs, and the rush of wind around where a determined follower finally came within an earshot.
Amun didn't care, attempting to devout all of his attention to the person out front. He wanted to catch him; he needed to - for the sake of his own family.
A breeze washed over him and without even having to think, Amun knew there was a body of water of some sorts in the immediate distance.
Standing by a ledge, the figure in black didn't jump. His feet skidded to a halt and he almost appeared wobbly as he attempted to restrain his body from going over the side and down a short cliff into an over-sized body of water.
Amun didn't know why he stopped, but a wave of adrenaline pierced his body and he barreled forward, lunging for the man in black before bringing him successfully to the ground. When he saw the man's face from beneath a black, winter hat everything changed.
Jasper smirked at the man who held him pinned to the ground with clenched fists against the collar of his black jacket. A moment later, the trailing Cullen family member lurched onto Amun's back and held his hands firmly behind his back the way a police officer would a criminal.
"Thanks, Em." Jasper dusted himself off and stood up, now staring directly at Amun.
"It doesn't matter," Amun spoke quietly, shaking his head. He didn't try to hide or fight the fact that he was completely at their mercy. "If not me then someone will do this."
Jasper stared at him, "Like who?"
He laughed for a moment and stared outward across the water at the starry sky. "Anybody." Amun's face grew solemn. "At least I'm righteous in why."
"Righteous? Taking another's life to save yourself is righteous now?" Jasper raised his eyebrows.
"To save my family member."
"You won't be saving anybody," Emmett chimed in from behind. "Aro isn't going to spare your life, or Benjamin's or anybody else's."
"The truth is," Jasper went on, "Is that he is going to kill Benjamin... and Tia if he needs to." He paused, "Benjamin destroyed their home by his own hand. Do you honestly think he'll get a pardon for that?"
"Aro killed his own sister," Emmett added, "Edward has seen it briefly in his thoughts."
"Benjamin is next unless you do something," Jasper concluded coldly.
"I am doing something," Amun argued.
"You're taking steps backwards. This is exactly what Aro wants - your contribution."
"And you'll get nothing in return," Emmett added.
"You're wrong."
"Are we?" Jasper asked, "My wife can see the future, Amun. It's a tool that has helped us in the past and will surely help us in the future. As for the present, she can Benjamin's fate... and Tia's, and Kebi's," he paused, "And yours."
Amun glared across the way at Jasper, "Why should I believe you? You're doing what you can to save Caleb as I am to save Benjamin. You could make up anything and tell me it was one of Alice's visions."
Jasper took a few steps in Amun's direction so they were nearly nose to nose. "Why should you believe us?" he asked.
Amun stood his ground and stared directly into Jasper's eyes. "Yes. Why?"
"Because we could kill you right now," Jasper explained, speaking firmly again. "We could kill you... we could kill Kebi-"
"Carlisle wouldn't condone you taking our lives."
Jasper lowered his voice to a tone just above a whisper, "I don't work for Carlisle. I live with him, I respect him but I have killed others for a lot less... I've killed others for nothing actually."
For the first time Amun's face glowed with fear and his eyes no longer were firm and proud; they were scared.
"My conscious would be clear in ending your life, Amun," Jasper continued, "As I sense you're a real threat to our family." He sensed he had won the battle of guts with the man from the look on his face, "So to come back to your original question - you should believe us because we could easily end your life here tonight and eliminate you and Kebi as threats against us... but we're not going to do that because there are other alternatives... based on Alice's visions of the future."
Emmett tightened his grip on Amun's arms, "The choice is yours. Are you going to stand with us and help us help Caleb and Benjamin?" His eyes rose to Jasper's, who finished his sentence.
"Or are you going to cost the lives of every single member of your coven?"
