—I don't get it. She's human. Emmett says, looking at Carlisle.
They are all back in the house again. After Renesmee woke up, she complained about a headache, but she was perfectly fine.
—I told you her blood was strange. The exams said she was around fifty years old, and I couldn't make it react to anything. Even if there's something about her, she's human. She can't be a vampire; it doesn't make sense. Carlisle tries to explain what he found, but he is lost in this.
—You said they left together? Jasper asks Seth.
—As far as I know. He knocked me out before I saw them leave. He talked to her like he knew who she was, but she wasn't acting like herself. She threatened to cut her own throat if I attacked the vampire. Seth is frustrated by this lack of information, but most of all, angry at himself for letting that vampire take Anne.
—What did she say, exactly? Jasper needs more details. Things are not looking good to Anne. To all there, she sounds like a traitor.
—The man said, "Get out before the bleeds to death," and then Anne changed and called him Raffaello. The cut in her thigh closed, and she told him she "couldn't fight in this body" and that they had to leave. Seth replicates the words he heard the best he could. He was very disturbed by how Anne transformed before his eyes.
—It sounds obvious to me. Rosalie said. —She's a traitor. When she couldn't kill Renesmee, she ran for the hills, and her partner came to pick her up.
—That doesn't make sense, Rosalie. Esme retorts. Anne is just a human; how could she threaten a vampire?
—No, it maybe does. Alice says, coming back to reality. —Now that's she's away from Seth, I can see her. She's inside a car, going to the airport.
—Where is she going? Jasper asks, wondering her final destination. He has a few theories, but they sound too risky to say aloud.
—I'm not sure. Alie says. —It isn't very clear. Her body seems to move forward, but she wants to run. I'm not sure if she's making her own decisions now.
—So, someone is controlling her? Sam asks.
—I can't tell for sure. I can only feel her struggle and her future going two separate ways. Alice says, frustrated for not being able to have a clear view.
—I don't think Rosalie is entirely wrong. Jasper says, gathering his thoughts and theories in one. —It's obvious she was here by orders of someone to get something. I'm not sure what it was, but she got it from Renesmee. It makes sense that whoever sent her used a human since a vampire would have much more difficulty approaching us. I'm not sure he wanted to kill Renesmee, but I'm sure she wasn't aware of what she was doing. Now, the problem is what she got from Renesmee and what that means to us.
—I'm sure she didn't want to hurt Renesmee. She was devasted when I found her. Seth says, remembering how scared she was of hurting him.
—We can't know that unless we find her. Sam says.
—I have a way to find her. Seth says, asking for Jake's phone and typing something.
—How? Esme asks, confused.
—Brilliant. Weird but brilliant. Edward says, smiling but half worried.
—I put a tracker on the bracelet I gave her. He says, showing the phone to Jasper.
—You put a GPS on her? Even as worried as Esme was about the girl, she never thought about putting a tracker on her.
—I didn't know what would happen when she got her memory back. I wanted to be able to know where she was. Seth talks like it was the obvious move, not a concerning reaction to the possibility of the girl leaving.
—You work on that later. Jasper says, ignoring what he did. —At least we have a way to follow her. Look, she's halfway to the airport. Jasper shows everyone the little green dot moving through the highway on the map.
—So we go after her. Esme says. She is very impatient now.
—We don't know where she's going. Emmett reminds her.
—Can they just waltz through security with her? Isabella asks, still holding Renesmee.
—If they have a private plane, then yes. Edward says.
—Do you think they are going back there? Carlisle asks, remembering the video Jasper showed them.
—Maybe, but… Jasper analyzes the possibilities, trying to make a plan.
—First, we go to the airport and follow her through the GPS. Jasper, how long until the plane is ready? Edward asks. He's eager in a different way from Seth and Esme. He's worried about what Anne got from Renesmee and what's she's going to do with it.
—If I'm persuasive, maybe twenty minutes. But we don't know where she's going. We can't just take off without a destination.
—You betting on Italy, right? I suggest we get enough gas to get to Europe and follow the GPS from there.
—It's not a bad idea. Planes are so much faster now; we might be able to catch up. Jasper seems to think it's a good idea, but not everyone is on board.
Some are silent, like the younger wolves, but others, like Rosalie, are more vocal.
—And why are we going after her? She asks, making all stop talking.
—Rose… Emmett whispers next to her. He doesn't want to see her fight everyone there.
—No, Emmett, I'm serious. All of you, give it to me straight. Why do we have to go after her? Seth said she knew that vampire and followed him with her own two legs. She hurt Renesmee and betrayed our trust more times than I can count, but Renesmee is fine now, and Anne's finally gone. What are you looking for? Her motives? Who gave the orders? We can investigate that from here, safely in our house. So, unless you want to rip her limbs apart slowly for her betrayal, I don't see a reason to follow the little backstabber.
It's not like Rosalie is wrong, but she forgets it wasn't the cold hard facts she stated that got them here. She couldn't read the feelings in the room, the real reason they had to go after her.
—Rosalie, Esme says, looking at her daughter, —we can't just abandon her. Anne lived with us for over a month, and we shared everything with her. Please don't say you don't feel anything for her, because I know it's not true. You know she wouldn't betray us.
Rosalie bites her lips without an answer. She didn't have one because Esme was right. She had accepted the girl in her house, and that's why she was so angry. She cared for her and understood how they felt, but she couldn't shake the feeling of betrayal. When she looks at the people in the room determined to go after Anne, she knows she lost. Their eyes are much more full of determination than hers.
—We can't go all together. Sam says, breaking the heavy mood. —We don't know if they'll come back here.
—I'm going. Seth says, stepping forward.
—Me too. Esme also steps forward.
—We need to balance the numbers. Jasper looks around the room, choosing the best combination for their mission. —Edward, Emmett, Esme, Jake, Embry, Paul, and Seth. We are going after Anne. Alice, I need you here to give us updates on her movements. Rosalie, Bella, Carlisle, and Renesmee stay in the house, while Sam, Leah, Brady, Collin, and Quil protect the city.
Jasper knew Sam wouldn't want to leave the city, and Edward and Jake would worry about recovering what Anne got on Renesmee; also, Seth is Jake's family, and Edward is very close to him, so he tries to balance the numbers the best he can. All seem to agree and get ready to leave.
—Right. We'll drive to the airport then.
With the goodbye so close, the air feels heavy.
—Be careful. Bella says to Edward, hugging him.
—Don't worry. I will. We'll bring her back. He kisses her forehead.
—Sorry I said those things. Carlisle says, hugging Esme.
—You were right. I was blind before, but I know how I feel now. I need to bring her back. Esme sends a silent prayer for the girl to be all right and her family to return safely.
After all the goodbyes and good luck wishes, it's time to move.
Raffaello carries me beyond the trees and to a small road where a car is waiting for us. He puts me down, and I go in the back seat while he drives.
Who are you? I keep asking the emptiness inside my mind, but the voice is silent now. She's still controlling my body, and I can't grasp onto my muscles. It's like she pushed me aside, to the back of my head, out of reach of the controls in my brain. The smell of blood and dirt in the car is unbelievably strong.
Raffello keeps driving to the city's limits until I read the road signs pointing to how close we are to the airport. It's like looking at the TV. I have no control over where I look; I can just observe.
We pass by the crowded airport entrance driving to the back, entering a private area. The guards let us pass without even looking at the car, and Raffaello parks in a small hangar. Are they taking me somewhere?
The same airplane in the video Jasper showed me is ready, waiting for us. A man, a vampire, comes out of the plane.
—Rafaello, Mirania! How good to see you, my friends.
He opens his arms, coming straight at me like he's about to hug my body, but Mirania puts my hand up, blocking his gesture.
—Don't even think about it. We are leaving now.
We all enter the plane and get ready to take off. Rafaello is sitting right in front of me, looking at his phone.
—Hum… They're trying to follow us. He says, smiling.
—The Cullens? Mirania asks, using my voice.
—Yep. You're boyfriend and his mutt friends, too. His voice is full of mean sarcasm.
—They can't follow us once we take off. We're following the plan. Mirania says, indifferent. They're coming after me? What happened to Seth? Is Renesmee all right? My questions fell into nothing again, but my body reacted when Raffaello mentioned the Cullens. I could feel it; my heartbeat was odd for a second, just for a second.
We spend hours and hours sitting down until finally, Mirania moves and goes to the bathroom. My muscles are sore from standing still for so long, but she doesn't seem bothered. Strangely, I can feel my body but not control it.
She looks at my reflection in the mirror, and I finally see how I'm looking. My hair is a mess, obviously. There's dry blood over my forehead, probably where a cut closed up. My dress was ruined and dirty from the dry blood all over my thighs and legs. She cleans my body up the best she can in that small plane lavatory.
Why are you ignoring me? I ask her. Maybe she'll answer me if we're alone. I have nothing to say. She replies, to my surprise.
I think well about the next question. This might be the last chance I have to hear her talk to me until we finally arrive where they are taking me. I know she won't answer about who she is or where we are going, so I just want to see if I can talk to her. Can you hear me? I ask.
Unfortunately, she answers, sounding angry. And if you don't shut up, you'll kill us both. I ask what she meant, but of course, she remains silent.
I spent the rest of the trip looking for Mirania's presence in my mind, but I found nothing. It feels like I'm alone in my head. I don't know how she's hiding from me, but she's doing an excellent job. I'll just have to do a better one. I'm going to kick her out, somehow.
When they arrive at the airport, Jasper asks the people working on the plane, in a compelling way, to work like their lives depend on it. In less than an hour, they are ready for take-off. He and Emmett take over the controls.
—Seth, any updates? Jasper asks, adjusting the controls for take-off.
—You were right. They seem to be moving towards Europe. Seth answers, looking at the green dot moving on the screen.
—Good. Get ready; we are taking off.
The plane rises in the air with all aboard. Even after all the hours in the air, the tension in the air doesn't change. Embry seems not able to read the room and just sleep like it's nothing. He wakes up when Jasper talks to them over the speakers.
—Edward, I need to speak to Alice.
—Ok. Calling her.
—Edward Alice's voice sounds worried through the phone's speaker.
—She's going to Italy.
—We know. Jasper wants to talk to you. He's asking if you know where exactly in Italy she's going. Edward reads Jasper's thoughts and talks to Alice on his behalf.
—I'm not entirely sure, but it's not where they are. Alice says, referring to the Volturi. Since they heard Anne was heading to Italy, they wondered if the Volturi were directly involved, but it seems like they were wrong. —I can see a rundown city and an apartment building, or a commercial one. I'm searching online for something but nothing yet.
—All right. How are things there?
—We are ok. Renesmee is fine, and there is no movement around the city.
—Great. Let us know if something changes.
—Got it. Be careful. Alice turns off the phone, and the plane falls into silence again.
—We need a plan. Jacob says.
—We go in, rip their heads off, and go out. Paul has a confident smile on his face, like he has the best plan in the world.
—I'm serious, Paul. We don't know how many of them are there. Or who they are.
—We have the element of surprise. Esme says. —They don't know we can track her.
—Then, we observe from afar and gather information before moving in. Jacob says. —Depending on how outnumbered we are, we retreat and gather backup.
—I'm not coming back without her. Seth says. He failed to protect her once; it won't happen ever again.
—One problem at a time. Jasper says on the speakers. —First, we need to land this plane. We are only a few hours away from Italy. Seth, where is she?
—She landed in Rome. A place called Infernetto.
—The old presidential state? Edward asks, confused.
—Presidential state? Embry asks.
—It's one of the three residences that belong to the Italian government. They abandoned the place after the sea level got close to the building. Infernetto was a suburban area for low-income families, but they closed the site to everyone years ago. I imagine it could be the rundown city Alice mentioned. Edward answers.
—Call Alice. We need a safe place to land. Somewhere no one will see us. Jasper says, and Edward calls her right away. She doesn't wait for Edward to speak and gives Jasper all he needs.
—The garden in the presidential state is wide enough for you to land, but it won't be easy. There is debris everywhere, but no one will see you land.
—It's good enough. Jasper says.
—Edward? Alice calls. —Renesmee remembered a few more things.
—What does she remember?
—She said Anne was in an absurd amount of pain when they touched. She could feel her emotions and how her body seemed to calm down after absorbing her memories.
—Dad, it felt like my own powers. Renesmee says. —It was like when people feel what I do when they see my memories.
—What does that mean? Esme asks.
—I don't know. Alice says. —But we'll find out soon enough. I found the entrance, Edward. I am sending you the image now. Edward opens the image of the rundown pub and shows everyone.
—Thank you, Alice. We'll keep in touch.
—Well, now there's no going back. We're landing. Emmett says, adjusting the controls and looking out the windows.
All can see the city now, swallowed by the sea. A few tall buildings still sticking out of the water, covered in rust and falling apart. The whole area is dark, abandoned. Jasper lowers the plane, eyeing the obviously too short to land on garden full of trash. —Buckle up. It's going to be bumpy.
When we land, a car picks us up, and we drive through the streets of Rome. The man on the radio is talking fast as we get farther away from the center and into empty streets until we pass by a half-destroyed sign that reads Infernetto.
The city is just a pile of trash. All houses look abandoned, but a few people still walk around, dragging their feet, eyes hazy and out of focus. The ones that notice the car seem surprised only for a moment but soon go back to staring into nothing.
We stop at an open field near a tall building. The smell hits my nose a hundred times stronger now that we are outside. The foul odor makes my stomach queasy. Mirania follows Raffaello and the other man that came with us inside what once was a pub on the first floor of the building, and I can feel my body stiffening up the closer we get. Mirania is reacting to that place, not me. Her feelings are leaking through, and I can tell she's afraid.
They walk inside, straight into the kitchen, and Raffaello removes the cover for the light switch and places his thumb inside, opening a hidden door behind a fake cabinet.
We walk inside a long corridor full of doors from both sides. I can hear voices and cries coming from behind them, but no one seems to be bothered.
—They missed you. Raffaello says, smiling at me.
Mirania doesn't answer. She keeps walking, perfectly solemn, unaffected by the cries for help.
We stop in front of a door with "Laboratory" written over it. Raffaello opens it, and the wind moves my hair a bit. Mirania is the most afraid I've felt so far.
We step inside the poorly lit room where the buzz of the machines is low but constant. Mirania doesn't look around, but I can notice tall green tubes lined up on the wall. They look like they're full of liquid, but I can't really tell.
A man crouching over a machine looks up when we go in. He's in front of a vast panel full of blinking lights and cables connected to a tall glass tube over a platform. The tube glows with the same greenish light as the others and is clearly full of liquid. He walks over to us, smiling. His smile reminds me of a snake. His long thin lips stretched across his face.
—Mirania! He shouts. She lowers my head, greeting the man. He'swearing a white lab coat, and his red eyes shine under the light. His hair is perfectly white and brushed back. His nose is tall, and his face thin and long. Mirania's fear is now mixed with anger. She hates this man.
—Padrone. She says.
—Finally! He comes closer, and as soon as Mirania raises my head, he slaps her across the face, making her lose balance for a moment. I can feel the pain across my cheek, making me dizzy. He takes a deep breath like he's relieved and shakes his body slightly. —I was looking forward to that.
—Forgive me, padrone. The connection was unstable, but Rosalie Cullen didn't damage the body. I left her mind just in time.
—I know. He says, stretching his neck. —I just had to get it out of my system, you know. It's not good to keep things bottled up. Did you get everything?
—Yes, sir.
—Great. Get ready for extraction. The word makes me shiver. What does he mean by extraction?
—Maybe, Mirania says, hesitant. —We should wait. Her body is weak.
—It doesn't matter. He says, getting close to my face, observing. —The ring has all the information I need. I'll just trash the body after.
—Understood. She looks calm, but I can tell she's as afraid as me right now. I don't understand what he means, but it's obvious I'm dead as soon as he gets what he wants. I feel the urgency to get my body back more than ever.
Another man enters the room, and it's like Mirania is melting down inside my mind. Her heartbeat gets faster, and my chest feels heavy. It's just like when I thought I had to leave the Cullens. The sadness I feel in her is overwhelming. He means a lot to her.
—Giannini…. She whispers. Her voice is so sweet I can barely recognize it.
—Gianinni. Padrone says. —Take her to get changed. Raffaello, I need you to take care of a thorn in my side. He's pointing at something in the big panel.
—Yes, sir. Raffaello answers. This is the first time I have heard him being respectful.
I follow Giannini through the gray corridor, Mirania still trying to control her feelings. Who is he? I ask her. None of your business. She answers angrily. Where are we going? I ask again, taking advantage of her shaken feelings to get information. You're not going to like it.
Jasper and Emmett land the plane over the garden. The small plane shakes and tilts to the side until it finally stops, stuck in between the trash.
—There goes our ride back. Embry says, jumping out of the plane.
—All in one piece? Esme asks, looking around the vast empty garden before them.
—I guess. Seth says. —Anne is not far from here. He says, looking at the device in this hand.
—How far? Jasper looks at the destroyed plane, scratching his head, thinking about how they'll get rid of it later.
—About 30 miles that way. He points to the big house in the center of the state.
—Let's go. Esme leads the way as they run towards the presidential house.
The city reeks of vampires and dead bodies. They pass by several drained bodies just lying around the streets. This looks like a big feeding area, where humans are brought to be killed.
—Seth, which one? Emmett asks, looking at the buildings close to the big house.
—The small one on the back. Seth points to a brick building hiding behind the bigger ones.
They get inside and see more bodies on the floor. The place is small and empty.
—Are you sure? Jake asks. The place looks too small and destroyed to be a vampire lair.
—Yes. She's right under us. Maybe it has an underground parking lot. Seth says, looking around impatiently. She's so close now.
—No stairs or elevator here. Edward says after going around the building.
—She's here. Search again! Seth starts to knock down cabinets and shelves, looking for a way to reach the underground. Jake touches his shoulder, asking him to calm down.
—Found something! Embry shouts from the kitchen.
—What? Esme and the others go to where he is.
—I tried to turn on the lights just to make sure, and the cover just fell off. Look. He points to a digital scanner and a panel of numbers inside the wall, where the switch should be.
—Who wants to guess the password? Embry asks, failing to bring humor to the situation.
Jake slaps his head. —What if the alarm goes off, idiot?
—They already know we are here. Jasper points to the camera over a cabinet next to the fake switch.
—How do we get in? Edward has no idea how they can bypass their security system. If they try to bring down the door, the building might just collapse over their heads.
But they don't have to worry about that anymore. A cabinet moves to the side, revealing a long empty narrow corridor going down, as far as the eye can see.
—It's obviously a trap. Jasper says as they all spy inside it.
—It doesn't matter. Anne's in there. Esme says, stepping inside first, followed by the others.
They walk down it for some time before reaching a door that opens automatically when they get close enough. Behind it, a vast, well-lit round room welcomes them. In the center, a small boy holding a teddy bear smiles. His voice is high and excited when he screams.
—It's playtime!