As Jasper headed the truck East across Washington, Bella curled up in the seat, using the armrest as a pillow, and with some influence from Jasper, fell into a troubled sleep. It was obvious just glancing at the girl, how little sleep she had managed since her argument with Edward. Again, he felt himself overcome with a need to protect Bella.
If there was one thing Jasper excelled at, it was strategic thinking. He focused his mind towards planning out their next moves. The property he had mentioned to Bella, belonged to the Whitlock clan. Although Jasper fully considered himself a Cullen, Peter and Charlotte (and later Alice) had viewed him as the head of their small band. The Whitlock's had purchased the rustic cabin located in the Kootenai National Forest shortly before Jasper had left Peter and Char to strike out on his own. They had hoped that the remoteness would provide relief from Jasper's empathetic powers when he wasn't feeding.
Now, it would provide the perfect place to secret Bella. Its existence was never intentionally kept from the Cullen's, despite the decades he and Alice had spent with them it had just never come up in conversation. The cabin itself had been built by a fur trapper who had selected its location for the defenses it provided against attackers. The Whitlock's owned a significant amount of surrounding acreage, so unannounced guests would be easily noticed by any of them running a perimeter. Of course, the surrounding forest would provide an abundance of meal options for a newborn vampire.
Quickly discarding the notion of leaving Bella at the Montana cabin while searching out Peter and Char, (no doubt his wife would jump at the opportunity to rescue the girl), Jasper turned his thoughts to his best friends.
While technically nomads, Peter and Char trended towards staying near cities. Disappearances would pass unnoticed, thereby allowing them to spend a longer period of time in one area. Having visited Forks only last year, Jasper suspected his friends would still be in the Northwestern States, taking advantage of the cloudier skies. Remembering a vision from less than a month ago that had both amused and disgusted Alice, Jasper headed the truck South for Boise.
Wanting to put distance between them and their family, as well as ensure Bella recouped some of her missing sleep, he deepened his influence over her.
