Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all.
Rated M for a reason.
Chpt 16 New Mexican Standoff
BPOV
After updating Pete an' Char and a long rambling debate which blamed everyone from Alice to the Dali Lama for our secret service visit we finally agreed that going ahead with our Albuquerque trip was the best option. Perhaps discovering if the covens Jenks was watching had anything in common with us or any contact with our long list of suspects would clear the fog as Pete put it. Besides apparently his BFF is telling him to get some sun. Jasper will just be grateful to don cowboy boots an' a hat again.
And so here we are in a suite at a rather swanky hotel just outside Albuquerque. It should have been a motel but I believe Char nipple twisted Pete until he caved an' popped for something better. There's a pattern developing here, I'm beginning to suspect that my brother is a bit tight with his money.
We're waiting for sundown before we head out to meet the local coven.
Pete is flipping through Jenks's file on them an' reading out the salient points, Char is knitting, a vice I accidentally introduced her to in LA and Jasper an' I are lounging on the couch holdin' hands.
"The last set of IDs is two years ago." Pete summarises. "There are five in the coven, that's quite big, an older man who passes for about forty five, two younger guys about mid-twenties and two women. An older one 'married' to the first guy an' a younger one. Looks like the younger ones usually pose as the 'kids'. Name of Jones, not very original. There are no photos, they must add 'em themselves same as we do.
They seem to be a settled coven, much like us an' the Cullens. Properties all over the US but mainly in the south."
Jasper snorts. "Hard to track a proper nomad."
"Don't care J." Char huffs. "Not livin' in the woods pickin' twigs outta my hair for the next millennia."
"Doesn't look like they play at bein' human." Pete continues. "No high school diplomas or college records in the file. They don't seem to change their name very often either, looks like the IDs are mainly for travellin' an' property ownership. All very normal lookin'." He flips the file onto the coffee table an' picks up the other one.
"Big Cypress, currently goin' under the name Stein. There are four of 'em, two males an' two females, all about our ages. These ones have photos." He passes them across even though we've already seen them. "Last changed their IDs four years ago, looks like they've mostly only lived around the Florida area. Nothing remarkable or strange about them either. From what I can tell both covens were introduced to Jenks's Pa about the same time you were J."
"An' they know each other?" Jasper queries.
"Don't seem to." Pete shrugs. "I asked 'em but they wanted to wait until we meet before revealin' anythin'. I don't know if every coven member is comin' but I did tell 'em there'd be four of us."
"Could this be a trap?" I ask as it suddenly dawns on me we're off to meet nine strange vampires in the middle of nowhere.
"Well, duh." Pete smirks.
"Up yours El Teniente." I say sweetly. "Not every Whitlock has to be a military genius."
"They sure don't." Char snorts. "Enough egos tryin' to run the show in this family already."
"I thought I ran the show in this family?" Jasper asks with a smile.
"Exactly, oh great sire." Char laughs. "You thought you did. Now I've got me a sister you know you don't."
Sigh, I love it when Jasper really lets go with his laugh.
"So what's the plan tonight then?" I ask when he's settled down again.
"Tonight lil' sis" Pete begins dramatically "I will of course do all the talkin' an' you will get to meet big dumb an' blonde."
"Huh?"
Pete chuckles. "When we don't want anyone to know about our secret weapon J can do a very good impersonation of a harmless doofus. An' since you, sweet thing, look like a cute little kitten, if things get nasty they'll make the natural mistake of goin' for me first. Just make sure to dress to cover your scars."
"That's the plan?" I ask in obvious disbelief.
"I don't think it's a trap darlin', we'll get there early to check things out, if we find anythin' we don't like we'll just leave." Jasper drawls. "Besides, Pete can be very charmin' when he wants to, there probably won't be any trouble. An' if there is I'm pretty sure we've got it covered."
Several hours later, with Jasper an' I suspiciously overdressed for the New Mexico heat we head out to the Manzano Mountains State Park in our rental. It's quiet in the car, the others are probably thinking about the up and coming meeting but I'm drinking in the landscape and the heat, I feel at home, so close to Phoenix I can almost touch it. As everyone warned me my human memories are fading but being here is dragging all kinds of stuff to the surface, images firing behind my eyes at random as if from a paint gun. Sensing my melancholy Jasper gives my hand a reassuring squeeze, we're so closely bound now he doesn't need his gift to know what I'm feeling, he just knows.
Pete pulls into the camp ground an' parks up in a secluded corner. We all pile out and breathe in the scents. Multiple humans, most of them cooking dinner an' settling in for the evening, sundry scavenging animals waiting for their nightly bonanza and no vampires except us. Silently we melt into the darkness getting out of sight as quickly as possible. We spilt up into couples immediately and circle the park checking for other scents, meeting back near the camp ground.
"Nada." Pete reports.
"Likewise." Jasper agrees. "Let's get to the meeting point an' settle in."
Adopting our roles for the evening Pete an' Char take the lead with Jasper an' I running behind. The meeting point is a couple of miles east of the main campground, in the middle of the trails. We traipse round after Pete for a few minutes until he finds a spot with good visibility an' a reasonable defensive position, then we stand and wait.
Like meerkats all our heads swivel north at the sound of five sets of feet approaching slowly. I glance up at Jasper, his normally alert intelligent expression has been replaced by a pair of wide innocent eyes an' one of those smiles that says I'm nervous but luckily I have no idea why. I supress a giggle an' he winks down at me.
Pete an' Char step slightly in front of us as five vampires walk slowly into view. I study them intently as they glide to a stop about twenty feet in front of us. The forty five year old is the oldest vampire I've ever met in terms of human years, being changed at that age an' boy does he wear it well. He looks like a quintessential leading man, tall, with slivering hair and perfect symmetrical features, a little craggy round the edges an' as sexy as hell. His wife is also tall with shoulder length brown hair and although much younger she has a motherly manner which reminds me of Esme. The two other males are tall and lean with brown hair and could easily pass as brothers. One is holding the hand of a statuesque blonde who would give Rosalie a run for her money and the other is hovering in the background a little looking around warily and scenting the air and I realise he is trying to work out how we got here without leaving a scent trail.
The older vampire speaks, his voice rich and warm. "I'm Gus, this is my wife Harry. These two fellas are Matthew and Jonathan." He nods to each in turn. "And this is Jonathan's wife Carla."
We nod in greeting an' Pete takes another step forward. "I'm Peter Whitlock, this is my wife Charlotte, my sister Bella and her mate Eric."
As he speaks I can see the others carefully taking note of their scars before flicking their eyes briefly over Jasper an' I but like poker players they show no reaction. The air is thick with caution and distrust.
More footsteps approach and this time nine sets of eyes turn to greet them.
Two couples step up from the other side completing a loose circle of thirteen vampires. The new arrivals are similar in age and appearance and could easily pass for brothers and sisters, all slightly built with light brown hair and regular if not spectacular features. They are incredibly tense and very nervous.
Pete performs the introductions with his friendliest smile.
The smallest female responds in a small quiet voice her eyes darting nervously over Pete's scars. "My name is Felicity, this is my husband Marc, my brother Nathan and his wife Petunia."
So now we are thirteen vampires in a mexican standoff, stood stock still in loose circle sizing each other up in total silence.
I wouldn't know where to start with what needs to be said but fortunately Pete has no such qualms.
"We asked you to meet us here as we've been experiencing' some issues which seem to be related to our human lawyer, one Jenks, formerly of Seattle." He begins. "We believe he was workin' for your covens too."
"As you explained on the phone." Gus responds. "What leads you to believe that we knew him?"
"We found files on your covens at his storage facility." Pete answers calmly.
The other vampires tense visibly.
"You're spying on us?" Nathan growls.
"No." Pete responds quickly, lifting his hands in a soothing gesture. "Please, let me explain some of the history to this.
Last year we had some problems with another coven. Our sire was killed. Since then we have had other people come looking for us, finding us when the only person who knew our location was Jenks. When we went to confront him about it we found him dead."
This doesn't seem to surprise the Albuquerque contingent but Big Cypress all hiss.
"He was killed by vampires and we were suspicious so we went to his archive facility to see if we could find out who he was betraying us to. We found files on your covens and one other already known to us. We just want to talk to you about your association with him so we can try to work out who is threatening us."
"We have also had some issues recently." Gus says thoughtfully. "We will talk with you."
"We haven't." Felicity says as all eyes swivel to her. "I will confirm that Jenks was our lawyer but I have the safety of my coven to ensure and we do not wish to be involved in any of your problems. We will leave."
"I understand." Pete responds. "May I ask before you do, who introduced you to Jenks?"
Her eyes flick to her husband who answers. "I was briefly part of a different coven. Our leader was introduced to his father by Stefan the Romanian."
The Big Cypress coven begins to move away.
"If I may." Pete calls. "Marc, were there any gifted vampires in your former coven?"
He pauses for a moment before deciding to answer. "Only one, he was a tracker, his name was Demetri."
I feel Jasper react beside me and at the same time Harry gasps.
"Whose coven were you a part of?" Pete presses.
"Rutilio Asturias."
"Thank you." Pete says formally.
Marc shrugs an' the Big Cypress coven take off into the night.
"So." Gus says in his rich movie idol voice. "I think we have much to discuss, shall we sit?"
I raise my eyebrow an' he chuckles pleasantly. "It is a sign of trust young one. We will all sit, together, and trade information until a bond of trust is formed." Another chuckle. "Or not."
"He's right lil' sister." Pete confirms with an easy smile. "This is how it's done."
At a silent count of three we all sink to the ground gracefully in our now smaller circle. All except 'Eric' who is smiling happily at everyone. I tug his hand until he folds himself down next to me.
Everyone laughs lightly.
"You can drop the act now." Jonathan says with amusement in his voice. "I know who you are, Jasper Whitlock."