SECRETS AND SPIES

Chapter Twenty-Six

Bella

"Get her out of here," James shouts as Drew barrels into the office. He's appeared responding to a yelled command and I can tell he's uncomfortable. Drew and I worked closely together in the past, including on the day of the incident when Jack, his good friend and my boyfriend, was killed. I'm finding it difficult to believe he's crossed sides and is working for this asshole as some sort of henchman. At least I'm doing what I've been trained for.

"Throw her in with Cullen and keep her there until the helicopter arrives." James barks and turns his back on me to look out the window. "I want all of them off this site within the hour. Understand?" Drew can't look me in the eye as he walks towards me.

My ears prick up at the word 'all'. If James was referring to me and Edward, he would say 'both'. He must mean Carlisle as well which is hopeful.

"Yes Sir," Drew replies to James's order as he grabs hold of my arm and manhandles me out of the room. I attempt to grab my backpack on the way but it's out of reach. "Damn," I hiss under my breath as I'm pushed along a dark corridor where I attempt to check out the layout of the villa for future reference. Kitchen ahead of me, no door. Room to the right; door closed, probably a bedroom. Door-sized gap in the wall ahead on my left - must be where the steps to the basement are.

"Ouch," I complain loudly as Drew is gripping my arm tighter than he needs to. "Is this really necessary, Drew?" I turn to look at his face. "What the hell's happened to you?"

"In here," Drew says ignoring my question as he steers me through a door and pushes me over to where Edward is sitting on a sofa. Edward immediately jumps to his feet and backs away from me which I should have expected.

"Get that traitorous bitch out of here," he spits at Drew. "I don't want her anywhere near me."

His eyes flash with hatred and his hands have balled into fists. I'm positive he won't hit me but I don't dare go any closer. He's angry at my betrayal which is totally understandable after what I've done to him.

"Too bad, she's all yours," Drew replies and laughs.

My heart is breaking and I try my best not to cry. I have to stay strong in front of Drew and the guard. My hope that Edward picked up on my lie about Yorkie, and realized everything I said was an act to get James to trust me has been in vain. He didn't see through the charade and now he hates me. Worse still, I'll have to stick to my story until we're alone which I don't think will happen for a while. He's going to hate me even more by the time we're rescued. When he finds out he's been used as bait I'm sure he'll never trust me again.

Drew is giving the guard an order not to let either of us out of his sight or 'his ass will get fried'. Drew's words shock me. There's no way he would have spoken like that to anyone of a lesser rank in front of others when I worked alongside him. James would've fried his ass for saying it. I feel embarrassed for the guard and would've made my feelings known if I wasn't in the situation I'm in.

My first impression of the guard is he's more than a little scared of me and everything going on around him, even though he's the one with the gun. He's certainly very young, which means there's a possibility he hasn't had military or any other type of combat training. I could probably take him out with one hand tied behind my back but I'm not going to try. The location of the house isn't conducive to a quick getaway so there's no point even trying to escape unless it's life or death.

"I need my backpack," I say to Drew as he goes out the door.

"Not a chance," he replies arrogantly as he leaves the room.

"I said, I need my backpack," I yell after him. "I'm a girl. I have my period. Either you get me my backpack or I'll tear this fucking room apart. You know what I'm capable of, Drew. Multiply that by ten times when I'm fucking hormonal."

Drew's eyes widen and his face noticeably reddens. Like every other man on the planet, if you mention a woman's menstrual cycle they fall to pieces. It has the desired effect in that he heads in the direction of James' office without saying another word.

Edward doesn't say anything either. The guard looks amused so I raise my eyebrows and give him the 'Yeah' expression. He backs away from me like I have the plague and stands by the door with his hand on his gun.

It's at least five minutes before Drew reappears. Edward and I have stood in silence for the duration. Drew throws the backpack at me and smirks.

"We found your weapon so don't even bother looking for it."

"As long as you haven't found my tracker, the grenade, and a suicide pill, that's fine," I quip in response. "Bathroom," I order assertively and head for the door without waiting for an invitation.

Drew escorts me along the corridor, past the gap where I rightly guessed there are stairs leading down to the basement, and opens a door. "No windows," he says and flashes a sarcastic smile. "Don't be long."

"I'll take as long as I want, you traitorous asshole, now piss off."

Edward

Holy crap! Bella's feistiness is off the scale. When she exits the room with Drew, the guard watching me visibly relaxes. Even though he's technically my enemy, we definitely have a supportive man-to-man moment as it's obvious we both know what the other is thinking.

I'm sorry I yelled at Bella so aggressively now. I'm no good at acting and definitely went over the top with the vitriol. Somehow I'll have to let her know it's not for real as the pain in her face when I called her a bitch for the second time is an image I'll never forget. If we get out of this in one piece and she forgives me I'm going to so make it up to her.

Witnessing Bella becoming Combat Barbie again while dressed in feminine hippy clothing brings a smile to my lips. Even though I like seeing the feisty side of her, I'm hanging on to what she said before we were caught, which was she didn't want to be part of this world anymore. At the time I presumed she meant working for James. I'm not so sure now whether James is her only employer. If those bikers were from Bella's old unit, which is what I'm guessing, does this mean she's working undercover and is still technically in the military? If so, would she be willing or able to give that up too? Would it be wrong of me to ask that of her?

I've jumped ahead of myself as I'm imagining life continuing after this is all over, and that is not assured. We're in the darkest, most dangerous part of the journey now. Unless rescue comes quickly I can't see how we're going to survive this. Dad warned me in his note there'd be danger if I tried to discover what happened to him. Even if that had been a flippant remark at the time, I really didn't take my own survival seriously until Laurent shot at Yorkie's car and I saw the men with guns in the woods. Okay, the motorcycle chase to the hideout and the hovering drone was scary for a while, but nothing like seeing a firearm aimed at you.

As I wait for Bella to return I realize I've totally lost track of time. Looking outside at the light, it's what romantics would describe as twilight. I'm guessing it must be between eight and eight-thirty so should be getting dark very soon. What the evening will bring I have no idea but these twenty-four hours will probably turn out to be the most significant day of my life so far. It started in the best way ever; sleeping with Bella for the first time which happened after midnight. Breakfast was awesome. It went rapidly downhill from there and who can predict how it's going to end?

Carlisle

It's plain to me there's something going on upstairs. LBJ, whose actual name is George, has been disappearing and reappearing on a regular basis over the last two days and is becoming more and more agitated. I haven't seen Hunter since yesterday when he again accused me of deliberately stalling, which is true to be fair. He can't prove I am though which only adds to his frustration. Ha effing ha!

Hunter also repeated his threat to abduct Edward and bring him here and harm him if I wasn't able to produce something by the end of today. I now believe he'll do this as you don't need to be a mind reader to see he's run out of patience. I tried assuring him another few days would be enough but I'm certain he hasn't bought my story this time as I've promised this before. This means I may have to take drastic measures to keep Edward safe, like suicide. I had hoped I would've been rescued by now and it bothers me why I haven't. It makes me wonder whether anyone is looking for me at all?

Working backward to the day I was abducted, I estimate I've been down here for almost three weeks. I haven't had much to smile about during this time, but I do when I recall the events of the second day, even though for about ten minutes I thought Hunter was going to kill me. After he made clear what he wanted from me, I took great pleasure in explaining to him, calmly and succinctly and in words of one syllable, that work on the brain link would take many weeks to complete.

Hunter exploded when it sunk home. He's an ugly bastard when he's calm. When he's angry his features distort weirdly and he reminds me of a cartoon rabid dog. LBJ let slip he and Hunter are ex-military. If this is what our armed services are turning out then questions need to be asked in high places.

He accused me of lying and threatened to kill Edward so I threw that back at him, promising if he laid a finger on my son I'd kill myself rather than hand anything over to him or whoever he was working for. He reminded me then that I'd agreed to cooperate when he'd threatened Edward before. I reminded him that I'd just come round from being clubbed on the head and had been unconscious for hours, so wasn't entirely coherent, and anyway, he didn't ask me then how long I would need. Hunter threatened to shoot me on the spot but I held my nerve and he backed down. This proved my value and was the confirmation I needed to show that I was holding a good deck of cards.

My next delaying tactic gave me immense pleasure and a huge amount of amusement. I laugh to myself when I think about how gullible these idiots are.

LBJ showed me where I'd be working, which before I filled it with crap was a dingy basement containing only a workbench and a couple of stools, similar in size to my own basement but with a bathroom attached and a bed in the corner. That afternoon I wrote down a long list of the items I needed so I could carry out my own 'experiments' and produce a 'working device'. I know the rudimentary details of how to create a microchip but I'm not a technician. That is a highly-skilled profession and a process that cannot be replicated in a poorly-lit basement. Hunter or LBJ didn't have a clue what I was talking about so I'm afraid I took advantage of their ignorance and had a bit of fun.

To start with I demanded a newly purchased Mac laptop computer with a pristine hard-drive, several specialist books on microchip technology that I know cost a fortune and, best of all, and I don't know how I kept a straight face when I asked for this, an EEG machine which would have to be stolen from a hospital. I didn't need any of these items. My objective was to make Hunter believe I was actually attempting to create a working link and that would give me more time to be rescued. I couldn't believe it when one of LBJ's minions actually produced an EEG machine and all the accessories that went with it. I felt guilty then because the hospital they stole it from would've needed it more than me.

Hunter was disappearing for a few days at a time so during those periods it was just me and LBJ and some armed guards for company. Without Hunter hassling me every five minutes, it gave me time to think about my situation, including a self-preservation plan. After I'd been underground for about ten days, Hunter threatened me and Edward again as I wasn't working fast enough. His face was a picture when I demanded visual proof that Edward was alive and well before I proceeded any further. I don't know how he did it so quickly but photographic evidence of Edward on a building site arrived within a few hours of asking, and the next day he showed me a dated picture of Edward and Mitzi walking along the street near The Yard and one taken two days ago locking the gates in the evening. What bothers me though is that in the pictures they showed me, Edward seems to be getting on with his life as normal, almost as though I'm not missing. I find this very strange.

I suppose it's possible I wasn't missed for ten days, or maybe two weeks. Sue would've got back from her sister's place at the latest around the 11th and I'm sure would've raised the alarm quickly. If Edward read the note and saw my message on the computer, it's possible he's following my orders and hasn't attempted to try to find me. I find this difficult to believe and I wish now I'd confided in him or Jenks.

Prizing information out of LBJ has been like getting blood out of a stone. He obviously has a scientific background but lucky for me he doesn't know the first thing about microchips or computers, apart from constantly looking at porn sites. To be honest the only light relief I've had during my incarceration has been winding him up and pretending to let him think I believed he was as knowledgeable as me. He's got very adept at nodding his head sagely when I've discussed with him the intricacies of microchips and 'neurological circuits.' The funniest gag I pulled was asking him to order twenty electronic toys so I could extract their microchips and convert them. I couldn't believe it when a huge box of talking teddy-bears arrived, along with soldering irons and more totally useless electronic equipment. The man is a weapons-grade moron.

His cough is almost as bad as mine now. I'd guess he's roughly the same age as me so being confined in a damp basement in artificial light isn't the best place for anyone in their mid-sixties. His skin has been getting grayer every day which means mine probably has as well. There's no shaving mirror in the bathroom to check myself over because Hunter had it taken out. Broken glass can be used as a weapon he said. Idiot! I'm still getting severe headaches from where I was hit on the head and my scalp is tender to touch where it was stitched. LBJ eventually found some painkillers for me. I don't know what they are but I suspect they're codeine-based as they make me feel nauseous. All this on top of severe anxiety and a diet of re-heated fast-food - I'm basically a wreck.

I know I can't stall Hunter for much longer. Consequently, I'm coming to terms with the fact that the chance of me being released unharmed is zero, especially if I hand a working device over to Hunter. There's no way he's going to release me so I can tell the world what's been going on. I'd given a possible insurance policy some thought. A few days ago I informed Hunter that when my work was complete I would give him the device with one vital piece of information missing. This would be released when Edward and I had been reunited, thus ensuring neither of us would be harmed. Hunter was furious but had to agree, or pretend to agree probably. Whether he intended to stick to his side of the bargain is moot as I'm not giving him anything apart from a dud microchip and a massive hole in his bank account because of what this pointless exercise has cost.

All the time I've been down here my thoughts have constantly turned to Edward and what he must be thinking and doing. I was abducted on May 28th. Today must be the 17th, 18th or 19th. I've lost track of the days. LBJ sat next to me when I used the internet which prevented me from sending emails to anyone. However, I managed to rig the EEG machine to send messages to Edward which I still feel smug about. With luck, the machine that Hunter's minion stole was a model that sends test results to Hospital Doctors automatically over the hospital's internet rather than printing off a paper report. I worked out how to program Edward's email address into the memory and managed to send about twenty emails off just saying the word Lychees, which wouldn't mean anything to anyone but Edward if they were spotted. I don't know whether any of them got through as the message part of the email was set up to interpret EEG results which are in code, so heaven knows what Edward received in his inbox. I'm surprised I got away with it. If LBJ had found out, I doubt whether he would've told Hunter as I think he would've killed him for being lax.

The question now is when do I tell Hunter that I cannot produce what they're demanding of me? That is what I've been asking myself for the last few hours. My instincts are telling me that matters are coming to a head upstairs. Whoever is leaning on Hunter must be running out of patience and my impression of Hunter is that he isn't the type of man who likes to admit defeat. This is a shame as he was on a losing ticket the minute his goons grabbed me outside the house. I was never, ever going to cooperate. My survival is important to me, but not as important as Edward's survival, or that a device like the one I could give them falling into the wrong hands.

I've been playing a dangerous game but stalling had been my only option. I know, and I'm sure Hunter knows, the longer I strung this out, the more chance there was that he would make a mistake and I'd be found and rescued.

So do I wait for Hunter to grab Edward and harm him, or do I choose to stick my fingers in something electrical and end my life quickly? Am I brave enough to do this in the first place? I can't risk Edward being harmed, so wiring myself into the microwave it'll have to be.

Crap!

Yorkie

"Colonel Henderson, this is …"

"I know who you are, Detective Yorkie. Isabella said you'd call when you dropped her at the villa. I only need to know whether Edward is with you or with Isabella.?"

"I dropped off both of them but Edward wasn't happy before they set off. What the hell's going on, Colonel, and more importantly, where the hell are you?"

"Nearby. We're watching the house from a distance. Have you been in touch with your superiors?"

"No."

"Good. Leave it that way."

"Am I allowed to ask why Colonel?"

"Because Hunter is one of ours, Yorkie. The military prefers to clear up their own mess and if possible keep regular law enforcement out of it until the job's done."

"But Hunter's a civilian now. He's …"

"Just leave it, Yorkie. I'm not saying your superiors don't know what's going on. I'm saying they're turning a blind eye. Public confidence in the military is vital, and that includes ex-military personnel. Hunter has been working for people and organizations contrary to the interests of the United States. Shall we leave it at that?"

"Understood, Colonel. What do you want me to do now?"

"I could tell you to go home, put your feet up and watch TV, but I've a feeling you'd ignore me."

"You got that right."

"Stay put then. If we need you I'll call this number."

"Before you hang up, Colonel, is Carlisle Cullen in that house?"

"We're counting on it, Yorkie. If he isn't, then Isabella and I have probably just signed his death warrant."

Colonel Henderson

"Neil, are you in position?"

"Sir."

"We have Intel of a chopper in the vicinity; should be overhead in five minutes. The pilot filed a night sightseeing flight plan around the Bay Area but has gone off course. Air Traffic Control suspect he's heading our way."

"Any Intel which rooms Swan and the son are being held?"

"Our agent indicates the middle window on the east side."

"What about the basement, Sir?"

"Only access is from inside the building. The door is locked and guarded on the outside. We believe only Cullen and one unarmed man are down there. Rudolf will be taking out the basement guard so should be able to keep out your way."

"Anything else, Sir?"

"No. Wait for my signal to move unless you witness an emergency situation. Remember Li is the target, Hunter is secondary. Both alive if possible."

"Sir."

Bella

You've got ten minutes max in the bathroom, Bella. Focus now. James didn't give anything away. You shook him to the core telling him about Laurent and the money, only there's still a chance he didn't believe you. Half a million dollars definitely rang a bell in his head though so the chances are the Colonel was right and Laurent has ripped him off.

I know James will never admit defeat, so calling Yorkie and coming clean like I suggested he should is never going to happen. I'd sewn the seed though. He's definitely panicking as he's realized that whichever way this ends tonight, he'll be a suspect in an abduction case. If Carlisle, or evidence of Carlisle, is discovered below the house, he'll be going to prison for a very long time. Assisting in the capture of Mr Big would be a plea bargain if he cooperated, but I would stake my giant TV on him not complying. Unfortunately for James he only thinks he's dealing with Yorkie and local law enforcement. He has no idea the house is surrounded by guys from my old unit. Well, I hope it is.

My backpack was a lot lighter when Drew threw it at me, which confirmed my gun and ammunition had been removed. What surprises me though is all my other toys are still here. Drew had the same training as me so he knows what goodies can be disguised as everyday items and concealed in a backpack. My shoes as well. They would've been the first things to be searched as all sorts of implements can be hidden inside the soles. I've always liked Drew and I'm as shocked now as I was when I saw him in the woods. I'd no idea he'd joined Hunter's organization as he was straight as an … ah! He's another plant, like me. Christ, he's taking a risk.

Hunter must trust him implicitly if he let him search my bag. Let's see what he's left me.

Perfume spray – excellent.

Cigarettes – yep.

Pens – I don't believe it.

I could start a war with these. I hope I don't need them though. James mentioned a helicopter so either Mr Big is coming here that way or Hunter's taking us somewhere else. Good thing is I'll hear it coming and so will everyone in the woods. My main task when the shit hits the fan will be getting Edward to trust me again. It's not going to be easy. I'll have to think of something to say to him to let him know I never was working for Hunter. Think Bella, think.

Best not let Drew know I've sussed him. I might be wrong. No, I've got to be right. Who else would've gone through my backpack?

Jesus! I've got to go back in the room now. I don't know if I can take much more of Edward hating me. Words spoken can never be retracted. I'll try to hang on to what he said to me in bed last night. There were no words of love, only 'nobody has turned me on like you have' type mumbles. The feeling is mutual and if last night ends up being the first and only time I had sex with Edward Cullen, then at least I had that night. Depressing thought but I've got more important issues on my mind now.

Damn it, no I haven't.

James

Concentrate, James; for once don't be impulsive. How does Bella know about Laurent? Her story could be bullshit, but half a million dollars landing in his account last month is too much of a coincidence. He had more dealings with the Cartel than me, so it's possible they paid him rather than me. If I find out that's true, I'll kill him myself.

What to do now? Li's on his way here and will put a bullet in my head when he finds out I've tricked him to come here. I'll have to rely on my security detail in the woods preventing him from doing that, but I'll be looking over my shoulder forever if I don't settle this to his satisfaction tonight. If I hand over both Cullens to him, with luck he'll let me keep what he's paid me. Li can take Bella as well. Laurent is right. She's a liability - she knows too much. I don't want to be responsible for silencing her, so if I can get all three off-site before the police turn up, there's no evidence I've done anything illegal as long as I have a chance to clear the basement. Yorkie can go fuck himself then.

If we end up having a gunfight with Li, I'll make sure a stray bullet finds its way into Laurent's chest. Without my fake-Rastafarian friend, I might have more of a chance with Victoria.

Colonel Henderson

"Neil."

"Sir."

"I can hear the chopper so handing over to you now unless there's a problem or I hear from Rudolf. Wait until Li's inside the building and then go in when you see fit. Radio silence until then."

"Understood, Sir."

"Good luck."

Victoria Rudolf

"My report, Colonel. I've got to be quick. It's really kicking off in here."

"Go ahead, Rudolf."

"I'm able to confirm Carlisle Cullen is alive and in the basement. My guess is he's been here since he was abducted. Sorry for the lack of Intel before this, Sir. I couldn't get back here from Tennessee until last night without it looking suspicious. James hasn't filled me in completely with what's going on but Laurent has told me a guy called Li is on his way here to pick up the Cullens. If I'd asked more questions about what they were up to, that also would've looked suspicious. James ordered me to keep tabs on Cullen's son and Swan today and then to get them here, which Swan's done herself for some reason. She's nuts because Hunter is in a murderous mood. Laurent wants to get his hands on her as well so you'd better get here quick."

"You've done well, Rudolf. This will be all over soon. How many persons are we dealing with?"

"Hunter, Laurent, and four armed men are inside the villa. The guy guarding Swan and Edward is young, inexperienced, and very frightened. There's an older man in the basement with Cullen. I caught sight of him this morning and I'm sure it's someone we know. I've no Intel on whether he's armed. Seven security guards of varying competence but all ex-military are on the perimeter. Swan is now unarmed but still has options if you understand what I mean. I have Swan's gun and will take out the basement guard. Li's helicopter will be here soon. I'm unclear how many souls are on board."

"Good work, Rudolf. Keep your head down. My men know you're the good guy."

"Good luck, Sir. I hope you finish off every one of these traitorous fuckers apart from the boy."

"Now now, Victoria! This is America. We have a Constitution."

"When did that ever stop you, Sir?"

So, Victoria is a good guy and has been working on the inside, like Bella. The Colonel has definitely been keeping his cards close to his chest if he hasn't told Bella about Victoria, but why? Lots of secrets and intrigue, even at this point in the proceedings.

Li's helicopter is on its way. Is he on it, and will Carlisle emerge from the basement? You need to strap yourself down for the next chapter. Have a stiff drink ready as well.

Joan xx