Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all.
Rated M for a reason. Gus has got a red hot poker, it might get nasty.
Chpt 25 Plot Holes
BPOV
To make sure we are all on the same page Gus recounts the night's events, checking the facts with everyone.
I watch Jasper as he listens, about halfway through he stands an' begins pacing and by the time Gus is finished The Major is back.
"Vladimir has information that we need." He states, his eyes on Gus.
"Yes." Gus concedes. "I don't like the idea because he is extremely dangerous but I have to agree."
"And Vladimir is Stefan's brother?" Davis queries.
"Yes." Harry explains. "Some covens, even if they don't form family units, refer to each other as brothers and sisters but Stefan actually was Vladimir's younger brother as a human."
"And you are sure" Davis presses "that what he told us about an attack from The Volturi isn't true?"
"Yes." Gus answers him. "There are about forty members of the guard, hardly enough for an assault on an entire country and what would they gain? Vampires have fought in the past for feeding grounds, before modern communications became widely used, but they could not do it now without risking exposure, something like that would be on the internet before the second blow was struck. Jasper, Peter and Charlotte fought in the last one I am aware of."
"Why is it important that vampires remain a secret?" Davis asks, quite sensibly in my opinion. "I understand why the government wouldn't make it public, there would be panic and all manner of pale people would be staked in the streets. But why do vampires not want that freedom?"
"We have almost total freedom because we are a secret." The Major informs him. "We are virtually indestructible but there are not many of us. It is safer for us to remain unknown. It is the only rule that The Volturi regularly enforce, the penalty for exposing our existence to a human is death."
Davis eyes the nine vampires crowded into the room with him but keeps his own council on whether he thinks there are a lot of vampires or not.
"And The Volturi are like the royal family?" Davis's American distaste for the concept is written on his face.
"Yes." Gus answers. "Self-appointed, which is the usual historic method of establishing a monarchy. The Romanians were regarded as something similar, before The Volturi overthrew them, although they were far less involved, their leadership was more of a 'if we ever ask you to do something, do it immediately otherwise do not bother us' type of thing. It was more a reign of casual tyranny.
The Volturi brothers, who were somewhat idealistic at the time, felt that vampires needed more positive rules and a bit of organisation as humans were becoming more populous and better organised themselves."
"So how did they become the evil regime they are today?" Davis wants to know.
"Is that what Stefan told you?" Gus chuckles. "I would not say they are evil. They have been in power for a long time, they do not seek dominance over the world, if they did they would have begun working for it a long time ago. Their only interest is to dominate vampires, they are acquisitive, drawing the brightest and best to them, which in turn enables them to ensure their place at the 'top of the food chain'. They do not wish to lose their grip on power, no one does once they become accustomed to it and therefore they can be quite ruthless in protecting their position. However I cannot conceive a scenario where protecting their interests would extend to making an enemy of the most powerful nation on earth."
"So what would Stefan hope to gain by lying?" Davis wonders aloud.
The million dollar question.
"It's not like we would attack the Italian vampires directly." He continues thoughtfully. "That would start a war, probably with us on one side and the rest of the world on the other. I'm no politician, but I sort of imagine a conversation with Italian diplomats implying that a bunch of vampires are intent on world domination, not ending particularly well."
"Exactly." Gus confirms. "What indeed could be gained?"
Everyone is wearing their best serious an' thoughtful expressions when I suddenly start laughing. "It's kinda obvious isn't it?"
Is it? Nine sets of raised eyebrows all seem to say.
"What is the only thing that would realistically defeat The Volturi?" I ask.
"A vampire army." The Major responds.
"Exactly an' what has Stefan given the US government and potentially others around the world?"
"The ability to create a vampire army." Jonathan laughs, catching on. "And he's given them a reason to want to. Bella you really are good at solving mysteries."
"I'm not so sure." I huff. "There has to be more to it than that. There's no guarantee that it will work on its own, that's why I don't understand why he'd get so far an' then disappear. We've managed to work out what he might have been up to but it doesn't seem like everythin' is in place for it to actually happen. Even if we were inclined to follow through with it we have no idea what to do next and neither do the humans."
"Perhaps he's assumin' the humans, who let's be honest are an aggressive bunch, will do the rest on their own." Pete offers.
"No, Bella's right." The Major states. "I know Stefan, he would not have spent millennia plottin' to usurp The Volturi, as he clearly has done, to leave it so open to chance at the last minute. Somethin' has gone wrong."
Again, Davis, showing his credentials as a long serving Agent asks another sensible question. "And what would Stefan and Vladimir gain from all this?"
"They clearly would gain world domination, of a sort." Jonathan laughs. "The humans would have removed The Volturi for them. Powerful governments would have access to their own cadre of vampires and all that access would be controlled by the Romanians. I know vampires could never take an' hold a whole country, well maybe Luxemburg, but they could manipulate governments. Think about it, vampires popping up unexpectedly and taking things out would be far more effective than the nuclear deterrent ever would be."
"Which makes it all the more bizarre that Stefan is MIA." The Major muses.
"But what if the vampires were loyal to their country and not the Romanians?" Davis asks.
Gus treats us to his best movie star laugh, a rich deep rumble that even has Davis looking a little star struck. "Agent Davis, I am nearly two thousand years old, what use have I for loyalty to a nation that will not last as long as I will? My loyalty as a human was to the Roman Empire and Nero himself. What side would I pick in any dispute now?"
"I hear what you are saying Gus but that isn't entirely true for all of us." Jonathan points out. "Jasper, Pete, Char, Matty, Carla, Bella and I are all much younger and probably still regard ourselves as Americans."
We mostly nod in agreement.
"For the time being, yes." Gus agrees. "But over time that will change, I can assure you. Jasper I can tell, is already beginning to regard himself as more vampire than American."
The Major nods.
"And nomads will make that emotional change far more quickly." Gus continues. "Because they have far less connection to the human world. I am sorry Davis but I do not think things would work out the way you suggest. I am afraid that the essential differences are too great, there are vampires and then there is food. You, are the food."
"But you all seem so, normal, civilised, American." Davis stammers. "Most of the time."
"We choose to live a settled existence." Gus explains with a sad smile. "We spend enough time around humans when we are not feeding to retain an element of our humanity. But believe me when I say we are a minority. Most vampires would drain you before you could explain your concept of national loyalty, someone who could command a vampire's obedience through fear of repercussions would be essential for any association to work. Someone like the Romanians or The Volturi. Remember, you are food."
Davis looks like he's forming another question when Harry gently takes his hand and pulls him to his feet. "You need to sleep, come on, I'll tuck you in."
He looks at her in surprise but follows her out of the room. Immediately we switch to talking at our normal speed.
"So do we still need to go poke Vlad in his cage?" Jonathan asks happily.
"We need to do somethin'." The Major growls, indicating the twitching garbage bags piled in the corner.
"Shit." Pete growls. "With everythin' we've worked out so far now would be a good time to implement operation run an' hide. Stefan's set the ball rollin' an' disappeared who is to say it won't all calm down again an' go away?"
"It might." The Major sighs. "Unfortunately Vladimir is on the rampage an' while we might not know what happened to Stefan he is goin' to want to know what happened to his men."
Rustling from the garbage bags in the corner seems to indicate agreement with that statement.
"So we're still involved whether we want to be or not?" Jonathan asks. Does he ever stop smiling?
"Perhaps," Gus suggests "we could start by questioning one of his men?"
The Major smirks an' stalks over to the frantically twitching garbage bags, sniffing delicately an' selecting one. When the bag tears Cheese Face's head, along with sundry other vampire parts tumble out onto the rug.
Still smirking The Major sets his head down on the coffee table.
"Hello." He says cordially. "We have some questions for you. Pete, body. Char, fire in the hearth please."
For a few seconds Pete sifts through the bags before emerging with Cheese Face's torso and a selection of his fingers and toes.
"Isn't this going to annoy Vlad?" Jonathan asks with a grin.
"I would imagine so." The Major replies flippantly.
Gus sighs heavily before getting to his feet an' joining The Major. "He was very rude in his method of attempting to ask us questions." He says seriously an' then he winks at The Major. "And I am coming to appreciate that he is not currently the only dangerous thing at large on this continent."
"Your mate is having a very bad effect on mine." Harry whispers to me with a naughty smile on her face.
"I'm sorry." I whisper back. "I guess no man is very happy about an unprovoked attack on his family."
"Gus hides it well but he is still a praetorian guard at heart." She giggles. "For all his feigned disapproval he would never let Vladimir get away with attempting to harm his family or his friends."
"Are you worried he'll get hurt?" I ask her quietly.
"Of course. But he's a tough old bird, it isn't very likely. Especially not if he and your Major are working together. They are very similar, don't you think?"
I nod but before I can comment Cheese Face emits a ghastly scream as his head begins to fuse back onto his torso.
"I hate this part." I mutter.
"Charlotte my dear." Gus asks pleasantly. "Would you be so good as to put a poker in that lovely roaring fire for me?"
Smiling Char shoves the poker into the flames.
Gus nods in satisfaction. "Carla, Jonathan, would you be kind enough to sit next door and keep an eye on Davis? I think he has had enough vampire action for one night."
Smiling an' relieved the two of them dart into the bedroom, closing the door firmly behind them.
"Matthew, a guard outside the cabin if you will?"
Nodding he slips outside.
Cheese Face's eyes have followed all these preparations and a stoic look has settled on his face.
"Shall we begin Major?" Gus asks finally.
"What is your name?" The Major asks.
"Gregor."
"Gregor you attacked my mate this evening. This makes me very angry. Would you like to explain why?"
"I know who you are, Major." He growls.
"Thank you, but I already know who I am. Why did you attack our coven?"
"My Lord Vladimir is searching for his brother. We know from Jenks that you have had contact with him."
"Did you kill Jenks?"
"Not personally. My Lord wanted to send a message to whoever had Stefan."
"Did you hear all of our conversation tonight?"
Gregor nods.
"And is it true?"
Silence.
The Major leans down with a growl an' sinks his teeth briefly into Gregor's shoulder. "I said, is it true?"
He shudders and screws his eyes tightly shut as The Major's venom seeps into the bite. But he doesn't answer and for the first time I notice that he has quite a few scars of his own, maybe I shouldn't be so hung up on his defeating me so easily.
"He's got very stubby fingers an' thumbs." Pete observes casually.
"Perhaps you should burn one?" Gus suggests.
A stangled cry escapes Gregor as Pete tosses one of his fingers into the fire where it flare's briefly before falling to ash. And then suddenly he looks surprised an' relieved.
"Oh sorry." Pete says happily. "That one musta belonged to the guy who ripped my wife's head off."
In the corner one of the bags is in the throes of a particularly frantic twitching session.
"This one's yours." Pete laughs, tossing a toe into the flames.
Gregor howls in pain.
"Is it true?" The Major asks again, sadistic smile in place.
Gregor grunts unhappily
"Este adevărat?" The Major growls.
"Oh dear." Gus sighs. "Hand me that poker Peter. Major, perhaps you could remind me, will a red hot poker start a fire with all that venom running free or will it simply burn the skin where it touches?"
"It's been a long time, I'm really not sure."
Smiling coldly Gus takes the poker from Pete an' presses it briefly against Gregor's chest.
He screams.
"Not here." Gus ponders quietly as moves around behind Gregor. "Maybe here?"
"Da! Da! Este adevărat!" Gregor shrieks before Gus can try out the new position.
A/N Who knew The Major spoke Romanian? He's such a talented man. Este adevărat, is it true. Da! Da! Este adevărat, yes, yes, it is true.