Chapter 25 - The Showdown
Edward
Bella sits securely in my lap during our trip to Hoquiam. I am grateful she doesn't seem to mind being held like this. I need the reassurance that her flesh is still soft and warm to the touch. I have to feel her chest rising and falling. With every beat of her heart, I am tempted to send up a silent prayer of thanks to the heavens.
I almost lost her last night. She almost died.
And, somehow, I would have found a way to follow after her. A life without Bella is no life at all.
As Esme drives south, I stick my nose into Bella's hair. Shampoo and freesias envelope my senses. Her scent burns my throat, like always. I don't mind in the slightest. I will gladly burn to kingdom come if that is the price of being around her. The burning means she is alive and well, with a lifetime still stretched out far ahead for her to enjoy.
We come to a stop on the highway. The bridge over a small stream has been shut down. Thankfully there is an alternate route to the cabin. Esme turns the car around. Bella snuggles closer to me as soon as she sees the road we must take. It was built through dimly lit, extremely damp wilderness that looks about as welcoming as a swamp. Humans largely avoid entering these woods because of the dismal atmosphere. However, it makes for excellent hunting grounds. Animals are plentiful here. So too are the mosquitoes, which is another reason why most humans don't venture into this area.
Several miles down the road, Esme begins preparing a mental checklist of what chores will need to be done once we arrive at the cabin. If Bella is thinking of anything, she keeps her thoughts to herself and only stares out of the window. Our ride is uneventful until I gradually pick up on someone else's thoughts. It's like a far-off voice whispering into the night, their words garbled and indistinct. Yet as the distance separating us dwindles, everything they hear and see becomes crystal clear to me. I also watch recent memories play out inside their head.
A chalk white hand yanking down several bridge and road closed signs from around the county...
That same hand redistributing those stolen signs along most of the exit routes connecting Forks with the outside world...
Then, through their point of view, I hear an engine. It is my Jaguar's engine.
...Going fast. Could be them, the voice says to themself.
It sends dread through my bones.
James.
He is here and lying in wait for Bella.
The emergency plan Esme and I agreed on before we left the house goes into action. I sweep Bella into my arms and deposit her into the passenger seat.
"James, dead ahead," I announce to Esme.
Her head whips around to face me. "Does he know we're coming?"
"Yes. He hears the car. I'm going to head him off. You keep driving. Do whatever it takes to get Bella out of here."
She nods in spite of what her inner thoughts are saying. Leaving a family member behind to fend for themselves goes against all of her instincts. "How much time do we have left?"
"At this speed? We'll be passing right by him in less than two minutes."
Our entire conversation occurs in the amount of time it takes Bella to open her mouth to speak. "What's going on?" she asks.
I explain to her that James is relatively close by and waiting for us. She isn't pleased when I reveal I will be distracting him so she and Esme may escape. She fists her hand into my shirt and hangs on tight. Her eyes moisten as she begs me to stay. I don't want to leave, especially after she lost her father less than twenty-four hours ago. But what other choice do I have? James will attack the car the moment he picks up on her scent. If that were to happen, Bella would be as good as dead. I have to stop him. End of debate.
I capture Bella's mouth and put everything I have into the kiss. Much too soon, I back away and remind Esme to drive as fast as she can the instant I leave the confines of the car.
Bella's eyes seem to grow exponentially larger. "Edward. Don't."
The way her voice quivers nearly breaks me. It takes every ounce of mental strength on my part to continue on with my plan. To assuage my guilt, I promise her that I will return as soon as possible. Her anxious face is the last thing I see before I squeeze myself through the back window.
Esme revs the motor into high gear the moment I land on the bumpy, old road. She did exactly as we had agreed upon. As the car speeds off, I run into the forest and focus on getting to James.
Fifteen seconds.
I have approximately fifteen seconds to intercept him before the car passes beneath his nose. Not much time. I weave through the trees and leap over their dead brethren. My tread is lighter than a feather even on the soggy ground, a trait that has always driven Emmett up the wall. He may be stronger, but I am stealthier. There has been many a time over the decades where I crept up unannounced and took him completely by surprise.
I am banking on using this same skill against James.
Dodging around a small boulder, I finally see the nomad with my own eyes. He stands with his back towards me as he monitors the nearby road. A car is steadily approaching, a fact he is very much aware of. Right when he registers the scent of freesias in the air, he pictures Bella within his mind. Bloodlust consumes him completely. He drops down on all fours with his head outstretched, looking like a jungle cat preparing to spring towards his intended prey.
Before he moves another muscle, I land on top of him. He never heard me coming.
James lets out a grunt upon impact. He recovers quickly and flips us over. The momentum has us rolling into the road, like boulders during an avalanche. Esme is forced to use some defensive driving techniques to keep the Jaguar from hitting us. James and I end up on the opposite side of the road and come to a rolling stop in the grass. Having Bella so close yet still out of his reach sends him into a frenzy. All rational thought has flown out the window. With all my might, I hold him down to the ground. He thrashes underneath me, snapping and snarling like a beast from the fiery pits of Hell. If only I could let go of his arms for a moment. I would twist his skull from his spine and end this once and for all.
We remain at a stalemate long after the car disappears over the horizon. Esme's mind goes out of range of my ability. Even Bella's scent has begun to dissipate in the air. Soon she will be safe at the cabin two counties away while James will have nothing left to track.
As I am taking comfort in this thought, James manages to wedge his kneecap in between us. One swift kick to my abdomen sends me backwards. He is after Bella once again.
James is fast, but even with the headstart, I catch up. I appear like a phantom in front of him. There's a flash of astonishment on his face the instant before we slam into one another. I grasp his shoulders and push forward to keep him from falling on top of me. In return, he does a hard uppercut to my chin.
My eyes narrow. What he did hurts but I refuse to show any sign of pain. I won't give him the satisfaction.
Our battle descends into a free for all. Fists fly right and left. Sometimes our punches find their targets. Other times they are dodged or blocked. Whenever James does manage to land a decent hit on me, it gives him the fraction of a second he needs to take off running. Inevitably, I chase him down and our fight resumes from where we left off.
It's a seemingly endless cycle, one which goes on for miles.
So when James slides to a stop without warning, I stay on guard. Through the patch of woods where we stand, he sees that the road we have been following has merged with a multi-lane highway. Block after block of discount stores, gas stations, and restaurants meets our eyes. Traffic is heavy at this hour. Cars and trucks jam the roadway. I am relieved that the Jaguar isn't among them. And thanks to that busy intersection over there, Bella could have conceivably been taken in three separate directions: south to Oregon, east to Seattle, or west to the Pacific coast. The odors of fried food, burning motor oil, and hundreds of other humans passing through have replaced her alluring scent.
Tracking Bella has suddenly become a much greater challenge.
James spins around on the balls of his bare feet. Now that our fight is at a temporary standstill, I am able to study him. His eyes are like black holes, empty and without light. He hasn't fed in quite a while because he assumed Bella would soon be his next meal. The clothes he wears has me inwardly groaning. It's a neon blue tracksuit that has seen better days. Tracksuits are in the parachute pants family, therefore I automatically hate them. Except for the shoeless state of his feet, you might expect to see someone dressed like him taking a morning jog around a park, or performing live at a hip-hop concert.
I wonder if he drank from the person who once owned those clothes?
What am I saying? Of course he did.
"Which way did the girl go?" His voice is eerily calm... unlike the rest of him. That glare of his would render most people paralyzed with fright.
Not me, of course. I visibly scoff at his question. Like I would ever tell him where Bella went.
A sick smile plays on his lips. He shrugs with his head. "Never hurts to ask politely."
He falls back into silence. I pay close attention to his every thought. He takes note of the condition of my clothes and realizes that they are new and expensive. There's no streaks of dirt on my face or twigs caught in my hair either. He concludes that I bathe often - something most of our kind rarely do.
His head flops to the side with curiosity. "Why do you live like a human?"
"Why do you live like an animal?"
His smile grows wider. "I have no problem following my instincts. And you...what? Drive sports cars around and pretend you don't need to hunt just as much as I do? I don't see the appeal."
"That's because I hunt for survival, not pleasure. There's more to enjoy in this world other than seeing which human you might catch next. I found better ways to amuse myself that don't involve terrorizing the people of the Olympic Peninsula."
He takes a moment to ponder the wisdom of what I said. Then he shakes his head. "Nah. Sounds boring." His eyes focus on me like a hawk. "Why are you and your coven protecting the girl?"
I have no intention of telling him the truth. What Bella means to me is my concern, not his. And I'm not about to give him yet another reason to chase after her. So, I keep my expression carefully composed as I form a response.
"My coven has a permanent residence in Forks. And, unfortunately, we attract enough suspicion as it is. If two teenage girls were to come up missing, we would be forced to move."
James laughs. "That's a jab at me, isn't it? Well, that's hardly my fault. Only one girl would have gone missing if you hadn't come along that evening and spoiled all my fun."
He silently reminisces about his run-in with Bella. Her scent was potent, instantly making his mouth fill with venom. He pursued her for several blocks before making his presence known. None of his usual hunting tactics were working on her. It's no surprise, really. His attempts at flirting were more on par with sexual harassment. She made it clear she had no interest in going anywhere with him. This was a severe blow to both the game he was playing and his pride. He realized the only way he would get Bella alone to drink her blood would be through force...not at all his usual M.O., but he certainly wasn't opposed to it either.
The memory disturbs me to such an extent that I barely keep my temper in check. "One missing girl in Forks is one too many, James," I emphasize. "Regardless of your opinion, you were trespassing on my coven's territory and hunting without our consent. I had every right to send you away empty-handed."
"I disagree. I caught her long before I knew the territory was claimed. The girl was - and still is - technically mine."
If blood still flowed through my veins, it would be boiling.
"She doesn't belong to you or anyone else!" I snap. James raises an eyebrow. Worried that I've shown my hand, I add more to explain away my outburst. "My coven avoids feeding from humans. It allows us to stay in one place for longer. We believe any nomad passing through our land should respect our lifestyle, and that includes not hunting the humans we have to coexist with."
"You don't feed from humans? What do you eat then?"
"The animals in the national park."
He stares in disbelief. "You drink animal blood?" I nod in confirmation. Once he accepts that I am not joking, his upper lip curls into a grimace. "That is the most disgusting thing I have ever heard. How do you stand it?"
"The sacrifice has its benefits," I answer evenly, "all of which we have already discussed."
James squints at me, his instincts telling him that I am hiding something. He puts his arms behind his back and begins circling around me. My eyes follow his every move.
"Hmm...what to do, what to do?" he asks mockingly. "You want me to leave. I want the girl. Oh, how will we ever resolve this problem?"
"This is much bigger than a mere problem now. You should have left Forks for good the first time I warned you. You needlessly killed two men, kidnapped Rory, and forced her to become your personal killing machine."
"Kidnapped?" His chuckles are loud and obnoxious. "No. She wanted to run off with me. I could tell. And even after I changed her, she was a most willing participant in my games from the very start. I've never created a more enthusiastic pupil." He takes one more step then stops. A thought has occurred to him. "By the way, what happened? I haven't seen her since I sent her to retrieve the girl yesterday."
His question is a potential landmine. He will not like my answer. I mentally prepare myself for another attack. "Rory is gone for good. I fed her body to the flames."
James quietly absorbs what I said. After a short interval, he begins nodding. "Ah. That explains it then." He lets out a sharp laugh. "She didn't last long, did she?"
I harden my eyes. "You don't care that I destroyed her?"
He shrugs a shoulder. "Victoria was a casualty of war. It happens sometimes."
A growl threatens to escape from my throat. His indifference has sent my anger to new heights. Even his use of Rory's formal name instead of what everyone in Forks knew her as irritates me. I got a good glimpse into her mind yesterday before I tore her apart. She had only a handful of memories of her human life left to her name, and worst of all, her current existence was centered entirely on one thing:
James.
And here he is brushing off her demise, as though she was nothing except a small blip on his radar.
"Rory thought you were her mate," I spit at him. "Everything she did was to please you."
"I know. She enjoyed pleasing me multiple times per day." He wags his eyebrows at his supposed cleverness. Once his humorous mood passes, he becomes somewhat serious again. "It was fun having her around at first, but she was becoming a bit too clingy. Exclusivity has never been my style. I would have had to do something about her sooner or later, and I didn't look forward to that. Yet here you went and kindly took care of the problem for me. So, as a thank you, I think I will offer you a one-time deal. Tell me where the girl went, and I will leave."
"Pass," I bark out.
"Hold on, there's more. I give you my word that I would never step foot in this section of Washington again. There would be no more missing persons or mysterious deaths for your coven to worry about. Just think - one insignificant human girl is all it takes to get rid of me for good. So... what do you say?"
I put all of my hate into the glare I am sending him. "How about I give you a counter offer? Stop hunting the girl this instant. In exchange, my coven and I will end you quick when the time comes. You won't feel a thing. However, if you choose to continue hunting the girl, I can guarantee that you will be screaming for us to put you out of your misery. My coven doesn't appreciate nomads who continually disrespect us."
James smirks but his eyes reflect his inner outrage. "You talk tough for someone who doesn't have anyone here to back him up."
"I think I have already proven to you that I can take care of myself."
He huffs a laugh. "I've barely shown you what I am capable of."
"I stopped you from catching the girl today, didn't I? I'd say that shows you aren't as much of a challenge as you make yourself out to be."
His eyebrows smash together. "I have fought and won more battles than you can count."
"Is that so? And yet yesterday you sent a newborn to fight your battles for you. Why is that exactly? The only logical conclusion I can think of is that you were afraid. You knew the risks of stepping foot in Forks, so you sacrificed a member of your own coven just to keep yourself safe. Where I come from, we would call someone like you a coward."
He steps up to me and gets directly in my face. "Watch what you say to me, boy. My patience with you is coming to an end. If you are smart, you will-"
The threat he intended to give me leaves his mind. Scents other than my own are invading his nostrils. The one which interests him the most is the unmistakable aroma of a human.
"You smell just like the girl," he says, surprise clear in his tone.
He puts his nose above the shoulder area of my shirt and sniffs. I pull away but not before his black eyes stretch open. His gaze has zoomed in like a microscope on my face. There is a small drop of saliva on my upper lip. I've become so accustomed to being around Bella, I rarely notice the evidence of our kisses that she leaves behind.
"You are drenched in her scent and her bodily fluids," he observes. "It's almost as if..." His thought drifts away unfinished. The pieces of the puzzle come together within his mind. Shock has stolen his ability to form words.
That doesn't last for long.
Soon he throws his head back and guffaws. "Ah, man! Are you kidding me? You and the girl are together, aren't you? Ha! Has no one told you yet? You're supposed to eat your food, not fuck it!"
I ball my hands into fists, my knuckles cracking from the force I am inflicting upon them. If Carlisle wants to join me in this fight against James, he better show up soon. Because once I begin pounding James' face in, there won't be much of him left except dust for Carlisle to burn.
James' near hysterical laughter dies a slow death. He shakes his head at the absurdity of the situation, yet his large grin remains unchanged. "Wow," he exclaims. "Animal blood must turn vampires into freaks. I know I've used my charms to lure in humans too, but - damn! - that was different. I never tried having sex with one."
"You have it all wrong," I hiss through my teeth.
"No. I think I finally understand what's going on. You - for some inexplicable reason - have attached yourself to this girl. That's why you and your coven are so dedicated to protecting her." His mouth puckers with curiosity. "So, tell me. What's it like being with a human? Is the girl any good? Does she get you off whenever you want?"
"Go to hell."
He strokes his chin in an exaggerated manner. "Huh. I'll take that as a 'yes' then on both counts. She did seem like a firecracker back when I had the pleasure of meeting her. I don't think I've ever seen a human girl her age act so feisty, yet simultaneously so innocent. That is quite an interesting combo. Maybe I should give her a try too. I wonder what it will feel like when her mouth is too full to talk back?"
The images he is conjuring up of himself and Bella are too much to take.
I bash him in the face, the sound as loud as a cannonball striking a castle's wall. He dodges my next punch and retreats back a dozen feet. We eye one another like boxers in the ring.
"Touched a nerve, hmm?" he taunts. "Don't like to share your toys?"
I answer his question with a growl. This only serves to make him laugh more.
"That's too bad," he says. "I could have shown her a thing or two before I made a meal out of her. But don't worry. It looks like your precious little human is safe for at least today." He pauses to smirk. "Unless you want to even things up and at least give me a hint of where she might have gone?"
"I'd sooner tear myself apart limb by limb than ever tell you a damn thing."
He releases a fake sigh of disappointment. "I had a feeling you wouldn't want to play fair. I guess that means I'll have to rethink my plans."
The two of us engage in a quiet staring match, waiting to see what the other will do next. Thought after thought whirls through his mind. He analyzes everything I said from earlier. One detail fascinates him more than any other.
My family's reluctance to feed from humans.
James snaps his fingers. "I have an excellent idea! In light of your attachment to this girl, I'm going to begin a brand new game. And to make this extra special, this particular game lasts for today only. You see, I'm starving now that your girl has been temporarily taken off the menu. I need to feed as soon as possible. I propose that we head on back to that quaint little town you seem to like so much and you pick someone to take your girl's place. One citizen of Forks for another. It's a mutually beneficial arrangement. I have a nice dinner, your little human gets to live one more day before I track her down, and you choose that one person in Forks you wouldn't mind getting rid of for good. So, are you ready for some fun?"
"No. We will do no such thing."
The pure anger in my voice is like music to his ears. His eyes dance in merriment. "You don't like the sound of my game?" He clucks his tongue and shakes his head. "That's too bad. But I'm sure you'll change your mind once we get started."
Before I can assure him otherwise, he bolts back into the wilderness.
I race after him, determined to keep him out of Forks. I swore to Bella that no one else would die from these sick games James likes to play.
And I always keep my promises.
James zigzags around trees and boulders in an effort to outmaneuver me. It does him no good. Thanks to my mind reading, I anticipate his next move and soon cut him off. I give him a shove into the bark of an oak tree. His back topples it over as effectively as an axe's blade. James spins himself out of my hold and picks up the great tree around its trunk, wielding it like a baseball bat. I jump, intending to avoid what he has in mind. It's too late. He swings the log hard, striking my torso with the force of a meteor crashing into the earth. I'm sent flying. My body plummets to the ground with a sonic boom.
James vanishes into thin air.
I rise up to go after him but notice that several of my ribs have been fractured or dislocated. I can already feel my ribcage joining back together. Unfortunately, the pain is excruciating. As I resume running, every step has me grinding my teeth. My speed has been affected. I won't be traveling at my normal pace until my ribs heal completely.
I cover dozens of miles in my pursuit of James. He isn't too far ahead of me; I can still hear his thoughts. However, him being any farther than a foot out of my reach is unacceptable in my opinion. He does not slow down until he reaches the outskirts of Forks. I hear him deliberating where he should go hunting: The downtown or the business district along the highway? As he weighs his options, I creep up silently and jerk his arm behind his back. He goes into fight mode in a snap. He bends forward, flipping me over his head.
As soon as I land on my feet, we descend into another brawl. Our arms and legs move so fast no human eye could see. I hate to admit this...but James really is an excellent fighter. He is probably the best I have ever encountered. That's because when James fights, his reactions are measured almost as fast as my mind-reading ability. Often by the time I hear him contemplating his next move, he is already well on his way of doing it.
His foot collides with my ribcage, the jolt of pain nearly doubling me over. I retaliate when his hand gets too close to my teeth. All it takes is one snap of my jaw and his thumb breaks off. I sling it far out of his reach. He snarls. Coal black eyes are burning holes through me. Utilizing his animal-like instincts, he lunges in my direction.
We both go down.
Our bodies roll as we each try to fight for dominance. Then, James moves into a favorable position. He straddles me, his knees causing my elbows to sink deep into the grass. I try to yank my arms out from underneath him.
It's useless. They won't budge.
"You are really pissing me off," he snarls. "I think playing this new game with you isn't worth the hassle. I'll find a human on my own, drain them until they are nothing but an empty husk, and then I'll set out to find that girl you're so fond of. But first, I need to take care of you." One of his hands wraps around my throat. "Would you like for me to pass along any messages to the girl before I remove your head? Any declarations of everlasting love?"
The pressure he's putting on my neck is cutting off my windpipe. I am unable to utter a syllable, which is a pity since there are quite a few insults I would like to hurl in his direction.
"Can't think of anything to say?" he taunts. "What a pity. The girl will be so disappointed, I'm sure. But you should be happy to know that I won't let her suffer for long. Once I get a taste of someone's blood, I tend to feed quickly."
And with that final shot to my heart, James uses every ounce of his strength to snap my head hard to the left. I wince, holding in a yell. The pain in my ribcage is nothing compared to this. There's a cracking noise, like ice detaching from a glacier. My opportunity for escape is slipping away. I squirm underneath his weight, fighting for a way to throw him off. But, as my skull slowly rips from my neck, I come to realize there's nothing I can do. James has won this round.
My family will have to defeat him on their own.
I block out both him and his thoughts as best as I can. Instead, I concentrate on what is around me. The air is warm, like Bella's skin. It's such a pleasant comparison, I can't help but to imagine myself with her one last time. Yet a voice I overhear interrupts my fantasy.
What the...? someone thinks. They squint and are surprised to see two people struggling. A dark blonde man has another man pinned to the ground.
It's James and me. Neither one of us noticed that our fight is taking place only a stone's throw away from a ordinarily tranquil rural road.
The man behind the wheel grabs a police radio. "Car Two to Dispatch. There's an altercation in progress on Watermill Road between two young males. I'm going to investigate. Over."
Suddenly I connect the voice with a face. It's Deputy Mitchell of the Forks Police Department. He most likely will recognize me too. Chief Swan once pointed me out and ordered his deputy to keep a close eye on the "juvenile delinquent" who dared to bring cassette tapes into town. But since the deputy secretly disagrees with the music ban, all he ever did to me was wave in greeting as I drove to school.
With a flip of a switch, a siren blares. The sound jerks James to attention. The patrol car slams to a stop nearby. James takes stock of the situation and decides to play it cool. Even a scoundrel such as himself doesn't want to alert the humans that a vampire battle is currently underway. James releases his grip from around my head and rolls off of me.
I close my eyes in relief. That was a close call. I cannot allow James to gain the upper hand again.
He waits for the deputy to step out of the patrol car, suddenly all smiles. "Why hello, officer," he greets politely. He hides his hand with its missing thumb behind his back. "Fine day, isn't it?"
Deputy Mitchell ignores James' banter and looks between the two of us. "What's going on here?"
"Nothing. My friend and I were just goofing around," James replies.
More like you were trying to kill your friend if you ask me, the deputy thinks to himself.
His gaze lands on me. I'm standing up and dusting off my jeans. His eyebrows raise slightly in recognition. "Edward Cullen, isn't it?"
"Yes, sir."
He looks me up and down, searching for any injuries. "Are you all right?" I nod. In response, he asks another question. "Would you mind telling me your side of the story?"
I glance over at James. He's still smiling. The smug bastard knows I won't contradict him. The truth would condemn Deputy Mitchell to death. James would kill him in a heartbeat.
"It's just like he said," I insist. "Just goofing around."
"You sure about that?" the deputy asks. I nod again. He still isn't entirely convinced.
James jumps back into the conversation. "We were walking to town on foot when I got bored and decided to challenge my friend here to a wrestling match. And I was this close to claiming victory, too." He grins widely, trying to mask his annoyance. "Then you showed up, officer."
The sight of James' teeth has the deputy's fingers itching to grab his gun, but ultimately he thinks better of it. It would be inadvisable to shoot someone for merely giving you the creeps.
Reining in his fear, Deputy Mitchell looks to me again. He's picturing the Jaguar in his head. "Why were you walking? What happened to your car?"
"It ran out of gas a few miles back," I lie.
"I see." Several thoughts go by in quick succession. The one I hoped he wouldn't voice out loud, of course, is the very one he decides to ask. "It's a long walk back to town. You two need a ride to a gas station?"
Right as I am saying "no", James answers with a loud "yes".
"That's real nice of you," he adds while I scowl at him. "I guess this is one of those benefits of small town life that I've heard so much about. Even the cops are willing to lend a helping hand." James peeks at me slyly and lowers his voice to a frequency the deputy cannot hear. "Looks like you're still in the game for now, Edward. So, what do you think about this one? Would you like for him to take your girl's place?"
Only a handful of weeks ago, the entire town was cooing over news that Deputy Gerald Mitchell's wife had given birth. All I can think about is how that baby might grow up never knowing the love of her father.
It has me seeing red.
"No," I hiss at James, too low for the deputy to pick up on. "This man is in law enforcement. You touch one hair on his head, you'll have every news outlet in the state covering the murder."
"Hmm. Fair point. Wouldn't want to chance alerting the Volturi about our little game, now would we? They're such sticklers for the rules. They just suck the fun right out of everything."
With great reluctance, I follow James and the deputy to the patrol car. I don't want to get in there, but I have no choice in the matter now that James has accepted the deputy's offer of a ride. When James reaches for the passenger door handle, I growl in warning. I would never allow him to sit close to a human, even if he were to swear on a stack of Bibles that he would behave himself. He chuckles and takes a seat in the back. Thick metal bars separate him from the deputy. They aren't much of a deterrent, of course. James could smash his way through them easily if he liked.
A couple of minutes into the drive to Forks, Deputy Mitchell glances away from the road. "I heard that you moved," he remarks to me.
I am required to give another lie. "That is correct."
"You here to visit your folks?"
"Yes, but they don't know that I'm here yet. I was planning on surprising them this evening."
"Oh. So I don't suppose you heard the news, then. We had a terrible accident last night." There's a sadness in his voice that wasn't there a moment ago. "The police chief's house blew up. He didn't survive."
I try to show both surprise and sympathy in my expression. "I'm sorry to hear that. Does anyone know what caused the explosion?"
"We're still investigating." I hear within his mind speculation that the flimsy gas line in the kitchen may have been to blame. I am relieved. No one has yet to suspect that the explosion was anything other than a freak accident. Carlisle and Esme did an excellent job covering everything up.
Deputy Mitchell frowns as the Forks welcome sign comes into view. "There's a lot of unanswered questions left to fill in. We've been sifting through what remains of the house and so far haven't found a trace of the Chief's daughter. No one seems to know what happened to her. I've been combing the streets but haven't seen anything out of her yet."
"Excuse me," James chimes in from the back. "Are you implying that a girl has gone missing?"
"I'm not implying - I'll flat out say that she has."
"What does this girl look like?"
The deputy eyes James through the mirror. "Why do you want to know?"
James gives one seemingly careless shrug. "I may be just a visitor in your fair town, but I wouldn't mind helping out where I can. I've been on the road for most of the day and passed by many people. You never know... I might have seen this girl you are searching for."
I squeeze my kneecap, wishing it was James' skull I was crushing.
Deputy Mitchell thinks over James' explanation before responding. "Her name is Isabella Swan," he begins, "though usually she goes by Bella. She's young, only seventeen years old. She has long brown hair, brown eyes, and stands around five foot four." He pauses momentarily. "Sound familiar?"
"Hmm." James squints, pretending he needs to think long and hard, when in fact he has already connected the dots. "Does she sound familiar...?" Eventually, he shakes his head back and forth. "Nope. Haven't seen anyone like that today." He aims a smirk my way. "What about you, Edward? Seen any girls fitting that description today? Brown hair? Brown eyes? She sounds like your type."
I turn in my seat and fire a look at him that would kill an ordinary man. "No."
James chuckles to himself, delighted by my reaction. He better be glad the deputy is too occupied with stopping at the town's only red light to notice anything suspicious going on in here, otherwise I would be shoving James' foot down his big mouth.
The patrol car pulls into the lot of a gas station. "Thank you, officer," James says. He curves his mouth into a smile that only a snake would find attractive. "You've been most helpful. Hasn't he, Edward?"
I bite my tongue and exit the car. James begins moseying down the sidewalk. I take a step in his direction but the deputy stops me, enquiring if I will need a ride back to my car once I buy a gallon of gasoline. I shake my head and claim that I'll use the nearby payphone to call my father to help me.
As soon as Deputy Mitchell drives away, I set off after James. He's already a hundred or so feet ahead. I quicken my pace to catch up with him. Hearing my advancing footsteps, he does the same. This part of town is heavily populated. Plenty of eyes are on us. Traveling any faster than human speed would draw suspicion. He turns down the next side street. Several steps later, he enters the parking area of a large business. I frown at what I see.
It's exactly as Alice described over the phone earlier today. James is headed toward a building with wood shingle siding. But what she wasn't aware of is that this is the town's favorite gathering place. Almost everyone passes through here at least once a week.
James has chosen to go inside the Thriftway.
I catch up to him just as he reaches the front entrance. "Stay out of there," I hiss.
He steps through the door without hesitation. "Why should I? I'm hungry, and I've never 'shopped' at a grocery store before." He waves a hand towards the oblivious humans pushing shopping carts around. "I mean, just look at the vast variety there is to choose from!" Then, concealing the hand with its missing thumb inside of his front pocket, he sets off down the canned food aisle.
I'm right behind him.
The two of us make for a strange sight. Customers stop what they are doing to stare unabashedly. Some recognize me and wonder if I have moved back to town. Others peer down their noses at James and his unkempt appearance.
"He isn't wearing any shoes!" whispers a white-haired woman to her husband. "I tell you, this generation has no manners at all."
James glances over his shoulder at me and lowers his voice. "Did you hear that? I have no manners. If I fed from her, she'd probably complain if I used my shirt sleeve to wipe her blood off my chin." He grins at his own joke.
His eyes land on another woman at the end of the aisle. A toddler babbles nonsense in the cart as his mother shops. "What about them over there?" James tips his head in their direction. "An appetizer and a main course. What a bargain."
My nostrils flare. No one in this store is safe, not even infants. And to make matters worse, I can't fight him here. Too many witnesses. There is only one thing I can do at the moment to save these people.
I must scare the humans away.
My hand lands on a shelf - and as I walk - I knock down everything I touch. Dozens of cans drop to the floor with a tumbling thud. The racket draws many odd looks my way. In return, my wrathful gaze is directed at each person in the general vicinity.
"Get out," I growl.
When no one moves, more canned goods crash to the ground. "I said, get out!"
That finally sends them scurrying. A few of them intend to phone the police about the "crazy teenager" having a breakdown at the Thriftway.
James shakes his head in amusement. "You're only delaying the inevitable," he sing-songs.
He moves to the next aisle. I do on this new aisle the same as I did to the last. Whatever sits on the shelves gets thrown to the floor. Jars break and cans dent. This happens on the next aisle as well. And the one after that. More people hurry out the front entrance, leaving behind exactly one human inside the entire grocery store.
As calm as can be, James makes his way to the very back, where the Health and Beauty department is located. A girl I recognize from the high school browses through the store's selection of tooth paste. Her braces have made her teeth more sensitive than usual. She is so focused on finding something to soothe the dull ache, she doesn't pay attention to our approach.
James speaks to me where she cannot hear. "Ah! Now this one looks promising. Young blood always tastes the sweetest, don't you think?"
"She's only fourteen," I reveal with narrowed eyes.
This has him sliding his tongue across his lips. "Newly ripened fruit. Delicious."
"No James. I forbid it."
But it is already too late. She has been chosen to be his next target.
He makes a move towards her, intending to strike up a conversation and charm her into a false sense of security. All he would need to do after that is lure her outside to her death. The thought has me scrambling to find a way to save her. I scan our surroundings and something captures my eye. A display of wound care products are stacked like a pyramid next to James and the young girl. The idea that pops into my brain is risky. It jeopardizes everything my family has built since our arrival in Forks. But I have nothing else to fall back on at the moment. I decide to go for it.
I give the display a good shove and immediately step backwards. Like dominoes, the products come crashing down. Bottle after busted bottle leaks a clear liquid out onto the store's white floor. The girl whirls around in surprise. Her eyes pop open at the sight of my scowling face and the disaster I created.
"Get out. Now!" I yell at her.
She doesn't have to be told twice. She runs as fast as her legs can carry her.
James casts an annoyed glare at me. "There was no point in scaring her off. You know I can find her whenever I want."
I keep my gaze on him and not the spilled liquid gathering around his shoeless toes. "Is that right?" I say in feigned ignorance.
"Yes. Her scent is simple to track. Not as remarkable as your girl's - Bella, wasn't it? - but this one does have a fruity undertone that I find interesting. Pears, I think. I can't wait to give her a taste."
I keep my face expressionless. "How can you be so confident? I might stop you."
"I doubt that. I never lose."
"Well, I believe your winning streak is over. I'll see you in Hell before I ever let you touch anyone else in Forks."
He finds what I said funny, just as I had hoped. While he is busy cackling, the liquid on the floor completely surrounds his bare feet. He doesn't pay it the least bit of attention. Meanwhile, I hear the thoughts of someone else. Carlisle is tracking James' scent trail. He's less than a mile away and is moving as quickly as he can through town. He will be here soon.
But James won't be.
I reach into my front pocket. The silver lighter I took from Bella's house last night is still there. I used it to start the fire which burned Rory's remains. So, it's only fitting that I use it for this occasion as well. I flip open the lid. With a flick of the tiny flint, the lighter produces a steady flame. It won't go out unless I want it to.
At the sound, James stops laughing and furrows his brow in question. It isn't until I toss the lighter by his feet does it click for him what he's gotten himself into.
He is standing in a giant pool of rubbing alcohol.
I've heard it said that isopropyl alcohol when lit can reach temperatures of up to one thousand degrees Fahrenheit, which is more than enough for a piece of wood to spontaneously combust. James is learning this first hand. The floor has transformed into an inferno. His feet ignite in almost the blink of an eye. In panic, he leaps out of the fire.
It does him no good.
Having never considered the benefits of flame-retardant clothing before, his tracksuit becomes a torch. Everything from his legs to his shoulders flares up. He thrashes around, trying desperately to put himself out. This only serves to feed the fire more oxygen.
By the time his hair ignites, his legs have already begun to turn to ash. The fire consumes what remains of him like a starving monster.
And James leaves this world in the same way he probably entered it... with a scream.
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It's a long run to our old home near Hoquiam. Crickets cease their chirping the moment I set foot in front of the cabin. A sound like a small drum flutters inside one of its rooms.
Bella's heartbeat is a symphony to my ears. I could listen to it for hours. But the uneasy tone in Esme's thoughts has me hurrying for the door.
Hearing my arrival, Esme rushes downstairs. "Oh!" she exclaims as she squeezes me in a hug. "Thank goodness. We were so worried about you."
I pat her back but my eyes continually search for another face. "Where's Bella?"
Esme steps back, frowning. "She's resting, I suppose you could say. Bella isn't feeling well at the moment."
"Why? What's wrong?"
And then I hear the story of how Alice had seen a succession of disturbing visions. Me battling James on my own. James on top of me and pulling at my head. A lighter being lit. A fire burning a body to ash. The visions when put together did not look promising for me. Alice had to wait until her plane landed before she could rush to the nearest pay phone. Her hope was that what she saw was a mistake. But when Esme confirmed that no one had heard anything out of me yet, Alice feared the worst and voiced her concern.
"Bella overheard everything," Esme explains with round, sorrowful eyes. "She thought you were gone, Edward. We all did. The look on her face... well, it was just heartbreaking. Then the poor thing's legs gave out on her and she fell straight to the floor."
Too impatient to hear the rest of what Esme has to say, I run upstairs to the room where the freesia scent is strongest. I push open the door but stop myself before I can take another step forward.
Bella sits slumped down in a chair by the window. My denim jacket is still wrapped snugly around her, swallowing her small frame. I would smile at the sight if it wasn't for that empty expression on her face. Her catatonic gaze is directed at the floor instead of the picturesque view outside. It's as though she sees and hears nothing going on around her.
"She's been this way for almost two hours," Esme whispers at my side. "She won't talk. Won't eat or sleep either. The only thing she can do is sit there." Esme glances up at me. "Alice called a while ago to let us know you were OK. She saw you running here. I tried telling Bella the good news but... I don't think she heard me."
I swallow down the hard lump in my throat and try to sound positive, because the alternative is too bleak to consider. "Bella is in shock. I'm sure it will wear off soon. I'll take care of her now." She nods and begins to turn away, intending to give Bella and me some privacy. However, my voice stops her. "Esme? There's something I need to tell you."
She listens to what I have to say quietly, yet her mouth drops open wider and wider the more she learns. If what I am telling her didn't just happen to me, I doubt I would believe my story either.
Less than a minute later, Esme kisses my cheek goodbye and flies out the door. Her destination: Forks. It must be that maternal instinct of hers that makes her willing to clean the messes her children leave behind.
Now alone with Bella, I slowly cross the room. Some of the floorboards squeak underneath my shoes. I drop to my knees in front of her. Those big brown eyes, which ordinarily sparkle like stars in the dark sky, are flat and dim...almost lifeless. But, she is in fact very much alive. Her heart and respiration rates are normal, which is the only reason why I haven't begun panicking yet.
I place my face in her line of sight and hope for the best.
"Bella? I'm here."
Nothing. Not even a blink of her eyes.
"It's me...Edward. How are you feeling?"
No response.
I reach out and stroke the back of my hand down her cheek. She feels so gloriously warm, yet her skin is paler than usual. It honestly scares me. And she doesn't shiver or lean into my touch either. She just sits there, like an empty shell of the person I know and love.
Blinding fear grips my dead heart. What if this is it for her? What if Bella is doomed to stay this way for days?
Weeks?
Years?
"Bella," I gasp weakly. "Please, say something."
Her lips remain frighteningly still.
Overwhelmed by the silence and despair, I pull her limp body into my embrace. It's like I am holding a rag doll. The side of her head flops to the side and lands on my chest. I hold her in place there so I can comb my fingers through her tangled hair. Even during times when she was asleep, if I were to touch her like this, she would often have some sort of reaction. A soft smile. A sigh of contentment. But this...this nothing is devastating.
She doesn't even know I am here.
I close my eyes and press my lips to her scalp. I rock her in my lap and hum along to the song I often hum to her at night. It has always relaxed her. Though, I suppose what I am doing now comforts myself more than it comforts her.
As the song nears its end, I hear Bella draw in a deep breath. Then another. I stop humming. Without warning, she turns her nose to my chest and sniffs.
My hand goes still in her hair. This is the first time she has moved a muscle since I came into the room.
"Bella?" I say hopefully.
Almost by reflex, her fingers dig into my shirt. A whimper passes across her lips. No other sound follows.
"Will you talk to me? Please?" I am begging...not that I care much about my pride, of course. I am willing to do much worse than this just to hear her voice again.
Another whimper is all I get from her. I lift her chin up. Her eyes are squeezed shut. Since she is moving and making sounds - no longer staring off into the oblivion - I consider this progress.
I brush a finger lightly down her neck. She shivers but keeps her eyelids locked stubbornly tight. I fight back a frown.
"Are you OK?" I ask.
She emits a nearly soundless sob. Then, she shakes her head, sending wisps of hair flying around her. I interpret that as a clear "no".
"Tell me what's wrong, Bella. Maybe I can help."
She drags in a sharp breath of air. "You can't." Her voice sounds so very small, and it cracks towards the end.
Hands down, it is the most beautiful voice I have ever heard.
"Why not? Why can't I help?" I ask her.
"Because... because you're not real."
I can't help it. My mouth quirks up on one side. "Oh, really? And what makes you think that?"
She swallows before speaking. "Y-you're not really here. You're...dead."
"I've been dead over well over sixty years, Bella. This is as 'alive' as I will ever get," I retort dryly.
Her forehead wrinkles in confusion. Or maybe she is upset by my sarcasm at a time like this. Who knows? I certainly don't. Her mind is more complicated than a Rubik's cube.
One brown eye cracks open. The next follows soon after. She stares at me with a look of absolute wonder. It's endearing. But what she does next truly confounds me.
"Bella? What are you doing?"
She is pinching herself, leaving tiny fingernail marks up and down her arm. "This dream is too lifelike. I'm trying to wake up," she says.
I tamp down a grin. That is such a Bella thing for her to say.
While she is busy pinching her skin, I slowly lean forward. "Here. Let me help you wake up, then."
My mouth meets hers. She jumps as though she's been hit by a bolt of lightning. However, she does not pull away. She gradually sinks in deeper and loses herself in the kiss, just as much as I have. I only back up once I estimate her oxygen supply is in danger of running out.
Her panting lips are wet and red. That sparkle in her eyes has returned too. It's truly a remarkable sight. Yet there remains an odd look on her face as she stares up at me.
"Edward? You really are here?" she whispers, uncertainty still evident in her tone.
I tuck a lock of her hair behind her ear. "I am."
"But Alice said that James had..." She chokes on another sob, unable to finish her thought.
"Alice misunderstood what she saw. It happens sometimes."
Bella wipes a tear on the sleeve of my jacket that she wears. Slowly, she tilts her face up to me again. I can almost feel her eyes gliding over my skin, soaking in my image. Then her actual fingers touch my jaw and begin to wander. It feels heavenly.
Following that affectionate gesture, Bella's eyebrows slant down at me. "Don't you ever scare me like that again," she scolds. "You jumped out of a moving vehicle and ran off to fight him on your own! I thought I lost you!"
I gather her up in my arms and hold her close. She is angry and rightly upset with me, but she is behaving like herself again. That is all that matters. I wouldn't even care if she threw in a few choice words about me. She can call me a jerk, or an idiot. Whatever she wants. I'm sure it would be cathartic for her.
"What happened?" she mumbles into my shirt.
I take a moment to form a response. She is still fragile. If I am too forthcoming with information, it may send her back into that catatonic state.
"James and I fought," I confess. I carefully leave out the part where I was almost beheaded.
"And?"
"And...he won't be bothering you ever again."
"Why? Where is he?"
"James met the same fate as Rory."
Bella's stiff shoulders relax. She looks up into my eyes. "So, it's over? We can go back to Forks now?"
"Yes. You can."
Her face scrunches together, making her eyes squint slightly. "What do you mean by 'you can'? Where's the 'we'?"
I let out one long breath before answering. "I made a mess of things, Bella. It will be several decades before I can be seen in Forks again."
"Why?"
I meet her gaze reluctantly. "I set James on fire inside of the Thriftway." Bella's eyeballs bulge, but I continue on. "The store caught on fire too. The last time I saw it, the roof had just collapsed. More than half of the building is gone."
"You...burned down the Thriftway?"
"Yes. Though not intentionally. Burning it down just so happened to be the cost of getting rid of James for good."
Bella gazes at me, eyes wide and unblinking. Fear creeps back into my heart. Did I just put her into shock again?
I take her hand and rub my thumb over the network of veins underneath her skin. "Please say something," I murmur.
Her mouth opens and closes several times as she collects herself. "I...I can't believe it," she mutters. She remains silent for a short period. Then, her face lights up. "But maybe we can fix this. Since nobody can really pin the blame on you and-"
"I was seen, Bella. Over fifty people saw me leaving the Thriftway right as smoke began billowing from it. They know who started that fire." I give her a sad, half smile. "And not a soul among them was surprised. I have those rumors of me being a serial pyromaniac to thank for that. If I had known back when I first moved to Forks what I know now, I would have told everyone my parents died in a plane crash instead of a house fire. That story has been a thorn in my side from day one."
Her face falls. "What are we going to do?"
"You are going back to Forks tomorrow."
"But what about you? And Esme, and Carlisle?"
"They are at this very moment stripping the house of our most personal possessions before the police show up. Everything else can be replaced. At least it will give Esme the excuse to go furniture shopping again once they find a new house somewhere."
Bella lets out a soft gasp. "You're moving?"
"They are, not me. I'm staying behind." I squeeze her hand a bit more for reassurance. "I told you I would never leave you again."
"How will you manage that? The police will be looking for you."
"Well, now that James is out of the picture, I can go back into hiding. I've been in Forks for the past month. No one was the wiser except for you and my family. I'll just have to be careful about not being seen around Forks...or anywhere else near here. I can't risk being recognized."
"For how long?"
"It depends on you. If you decide to attend a university out of state, I'll probably be able to resume some normalcy again. But it would have to be far away from the Pacific Northwest, just to be safe."
"Are you saying that you plan on hiding and creeping around like a ghost until after I graduate Forks High? That you'll avoid all human contact for an entire year?"
"Not exactly. I'll still see you...at night...when you're alone... wherever you end up living."
"And where will you live?"
I shrug. "I don't know. I'm sure there's an abandoned house somewhere I could borrow. I doubt anyone would think to check for me there."
Silence comes between us. Bella's eyes have practically glued themselves to my face.
"No," she says.
"Excuse me?"
"I'm not letting you do that, Edward. That's a terrible idea."
"What else can we do? Do you have any other suggestions?"
"Actually, yes. I do."
"Then, please, do tell."
She bites down on her lip until it turns a pale shade of pink. When she releases it, blood surges back. "Umm... you and I could leave with your family...if you don't think they would mind."
Now it is my turn to be shocked.
I shake my head. "No. You don't understand. Leaving Forks with us means giving up everyone and everything you have ever known. The Cullen family will be disappearing off the face of the earth as far as the authorities are concerned. You would have to do the same, and trust me - it's not pleasant. Nothing from your old life can cross over into the new. You wouldn't be able to phone an old friend just to say hi, or...or even stop by the cemetery to visit your parents' graves. That alone would eat at you."
"No, it will not. I haven't been to the cemetery in years, Edward. I prefer remembering my parents the way they used to be... not as they are now. Yeah, it sucks to know I can't say bye to Ms. Linda, or give one last hug to my neighbor across the street, but I promise I can deal with it."
"It isn't as easy as you seem to think," I grumble.
"Nothing ever is."
I huff out a breath, frustrated by her dismissal of my concerns. "Be that as it may, there is absolutely no good reason why you should leave Forks."
Her little nose wrinkles at what I brought up. "No good reason... What? Are you serious right now? Do you really believe I can just waltz back to Forks and everything will go back to the way it was? It won't. I'll have the police breathing down my neck just as much as you. I'm sure they already have a ton of questions waiting for me to answer. Like, where I was when my dad died, and why I went missing for well over a day. What would I say? A vampire tried to attack me and she's the one who killed my dad? And then I had to go on the run because another member of the Undead was after me? Who would buy that! I have no alibi except for you!"
I frown at the truth of what she is saying. "We can think of something to explain what happened."
"Like?" She lifts her eyebrow and patiently waits for an example.
I take time to think. An idea comes to me rather quickly. "You could tell the police I kidnapped you and you somehow escaped."
Her eyes flash, like lightning before a clap of thunder. "I am not saying that," she snaps.
"Why not? The instant they receive that tip about you and I engaging in a 'long distance' relationship, they will automatically assume I must have blown up your house and then done something to you. You may as well take advantage of it."
She crosses her arms and sends me a pouting frown. "No."
"Don't be stubborn, Bella. Say whatever it takes to get you out of trouble. I don't care. All I want is for you to go home and resume a normal life."
She rolls her eyes. "That's just it: Forks has never been my home. Sure, I live and go to school there, but I've never felt attached to the place. I mean...how could I? People my age looked down on me. Dad ignored me for literally years. Even my house wasn't a home. I couldn't be myself there. It was just a building where I went to sleep at night. And now I don't even have that anymore.
"The only place I ever really felt comfortable was the meadow. For years I considered it to be the closest thing I would ever have to a home." She stops to place her nose at my neck and inhales. Her eyes are closed as she speaks. "Do you know what you smell like? It's warm and kind of sweet, like sunshine heating the grass during springtime." She meets my gaze again. "You smell like the meadow, Edward. So, I figure as long as I stick with you, I'll always be home."
That look of yearning in her eyes is my muse. Without even trying, I can easily picture us building a new life away from Forks. It will be in a place where she can sing and dance to her heart's content. She will do what she wants, whenever she wants. Nothing will be out of her reach. When strangers meet her, they won't dismiss Bella as being merely the daughter of a strict police chief. Instead, they will be charmed by her wit and blinding smile.
All of my objections crumble to dust.
I place a kiss on the inside of her wrist. Her pulse continues to play that siren's sound I know far too well. I slowly lift my lips from her skin and gaze deeply into her eyes.
"Before I agree, I should warn you about something," I say seriously. "There is no telling where my family will want to go. They could move anywhere from the capitol of Peru to the wilds of Alaska. Are you sure you can handle living in a place so different from what you are accustomed to?"
She surprises me with a soft snort. "Is this your way of saying I can finally get out of Forks, and we'll be in some faraway land I once could only dream about visiting? Uh, yeah. Sign me up."
I can't help but chuckle at her snarky enthusiasm. Emboldened by my positive reaction, she wraps her arms around my neck and melts into my embrace.
"All right," I hum into her ear. "How does the name 'Bella Platt' sound to you?"
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A/N-
Next Chapter- All that's left of James is a pile of ash down at the Thriftway. *Clean up on aisle ten, please!* And Bella is set to begin a new life with the Cullen family. So, everything should be just peachy now, right? Wrong! Edward faces another battle...and this time his entire family gets to have a part in it.
Thanks for reading. :-)