Edward's POV:
One Month Later:
"No news on them yet?" Carlisle asked as I paced in my office.
I shook my head in disappointment, before dropping heavily onto the leather couch.
We had searched on all ends, cross country, all the properties and places we knew that were possible, but always came up empty handed.
"No. Every possibility we find is always a dead end. I currently have all our friends and acquaintances on the lookout for them but they haven't found anything useful." I replied, as I ran a hand over my head.
"We're all in the same boat, fratellino." He sighed, patting my shoulder as we heard a knock at the door.
We both turned to look at the door, as it slowly opened.
Jasper rushed in with Emmett, and Aro hot on his heels.
"What's wrong?" I asked, frowning as he held out a tablet to me.
I raised a brow at him, before slowly tapping on the screen.
As I stared down at the images, my jaw dropped open in shock. "Is that—?" I asked.
"Bella, Alice, Rose, Es and Sul?" Emmett asked, nodding, "That's them alright." He confirmed.
"How do you know it's them?" I asked frowning as I tried to understand what was happening in the picture.
Jasper points to the girl on the far right. "They hid everything. Except a few things. See, this one? The dot on her wrist? It's Alice. She has that distinct birthmark on her left wrist." He replied, knowingly.
"See, the one standing a few feet away? That's Rose. She's got a birthmark on her shoulder. The exact shape, color, and place." Emmett replied, as he pointed at the darkened spot on the shapely brunette's shoulder.
As my eyes scanned the image, I almost dropped the device in surprise.
Suddenly there she was. She had changed her hair color, and wore dark eye makeup, but I still recognized her.
The two small sparrows on her left shoulder were partially hidden by the dress she wore, and probably wouldn't be noticed by an untrained eye, but I knew her body like the back of my hand.
I had spent many nights tracing them with the tips of my fingers and tongue.
Along with all the other tattoos she hid on her body.
It was definitely her. Il mio uccellino. My little bird.
Something told me it was her.
"Where were these taken?" I asked.
"A security camera in Santorini." Jasper replied.
"Italy?" I asked, surprised, as I looked up at them.
He shook his head, "No. Greece. Last month, in fact." He replied letting out a tired breath.
I understood then why he sounded so tired.
He must have already checked. Meaning they were probably gone by now.
"Call Eros Greco. He may know something of this. Or Charles." I suggested.
"That won't be necessary." My father said, causing us to turn to look at him.
"Why the fuck not?" I asked, standing up from my seat.
"Attento alla tua bocca, ragazzo. I get that you're frustrated and worried for Il tuo passero, but don't forget who you're speaking to. And calling Greco won't be necessary because I just spoke to Stavros Drakos." He replied as he made his way over to the bar in the corner.
He filled a tumbler with rum before dropping three ice cubes in it, taking his sweet ass time to answer us. Immediately putting me on edge.
"Well, what did he say?" I demanded.
"He's called to nicely ask for us to stop our search for the girls. He informed me of the reason they've left, and after that brief conversation, I realize it is best for them to stay away, for now." He informed us.
"What? Why? How can you say that?" Jasper demanded, moving closer to him.
"Because they were in danger here. Far more than that of our abilities to protect them." He informed us.
We all exchanged surprised looks before turning to stare back at him.
"We've got the best in our syndicate. Are you're doubting our abilities?How can the danger surpass any of our abilities?" Aro asked heatedly.
"So, our fiancees leave, and you know where they are but refuse to tell us where they are?" I asked, at the same time Aro spoke.
"Son, I don't doubt yours or any of your brothers' abilities. But you have to understand, this is out of our and the high table's hands. If Cosa Nostra or any one else decides to intercede, we'll be wiped out before we can even assemble any form of defense. That is not something any of us are willing to lose. Edward, they're safe, that is all you need to know." Our father replied calmly.
Aro scoffed in dissatisfaction, before turning to look at me, "Your fiance. Bella. You call her Sparrow. Why is that?" He asked, curiously.
I sighed, dropping my gaze to the space between my shoes. "She has two sparrows tattooed on her left shoulder. In memory of her parents. It's what she told me. They're also her favorite bird, she— it was a term her friends called her too. I don't know the exact reason why or the backstory but it fits her." I replied quietly.
"Is there any way all the girls could be involved with a private organization called the Flying Sparrows or better known as the Sparrow's Flock? I mean, isn't it a bit suspicious that we hardly know anything about them yet we love them all so much?" He asked.
I frowned at him, "No, I mean, she wouldn't— why would she— No, she wouldn't hide something like that from me." I replied, shaking my head, adamantly.
He looked at Jasper before tilting his head to the side, an action I recognized immediately.
As he walked over to me, I felt my shoulders tense, wondering what he was trying to tell me, or prove.
"Edward, that video I showed you was from a friend of mine. Sam Uley. He works in the C.I.A, he's been tracking this group for years now. Got close enough to catch them once but they were gone before he could even lift a finger. Based on the information they had acquired prior, they thought it was a group of men and women or something." Jasper said.
"Is it?" I asked frowning.
He shook his head at me, "They were wrong. It's an all women group. All trained within the same part of the organization, located somewhere in the Eastern Coast of Europe. But there is one that is known as the Black Sparrow. Any guesses as to who it could be?" He asked, taking the tablet from me.
His fingers glided across the screen for a few seconds before he handed it back to me.
I watched in shock as a short video played before me.
A black hooded, petite, small figure took down eight men single handedly, disarming them before swiftly delivering a kill shot to the dropped unconscious bodies on the ground, before walking towards the last man.
She ran towards him without missing a beat, somehow maneuvering herself onto the man, who was practically twice her size in width and height, before she snapped his neck.
As she walked away, picking something off of the floor. When she came back up her hood fell from her head.
She turned towards the camera, shooting it with precision. Causing the screen to go black.
"Holy fuck!" I gasped.
Jasper nodded, "If they can all do that… I think it's best we listen to dad." He told me.
What in the hell has Isabella been hiding from me?
"If Isabella can do that. Then what can Rose and Alice along with the rest of the girls really do?" Emmett asked.
"The unthinkable." Aro replied, shaking his head.
"Precisely. Which is why it is best that we allow them to do as they wish. If we interceded, we could all end up hurt." Our father said.
Fuck.
Translation:
* Attento alla tua bocca, ragazzo— Watch your mouth, boy
* Il tuo passero— Your sparrow