DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN TWILIGHT OR ANY OF

S. MEYER'S CHARACTERS… UNFORTUNATELY.

I JUST PLAY WITH THEM.

Blood In The Snow Chapter 18

Previously:

JBPOV

"Will you come back… ?"

"Jessica." She looked at me again. "Yes, I will." She slipped out of my room, quietly closing the door behind her.

Hmmm… this night is certainly looking up. A pretty girl's company and if I'm lucky… I just might get lucky. I chuckled as I sit down to eat dinner and then wait for pretty little Miss Jessica to come by. Business can wait until tomorrow.

JBPOV

The harsh buzzing of the hotel alarm clock jolted me awake. Groggily, I lay here for a few minutes, trying to remember where I am. Oh, yeah. Seattle. Rolling over, I see that Jessica has already left. She must have left right after I fell asleep. Lying back against the headboard, I smile, remembering the sweet, gentleness that was Jessica. She had a child-like innocence about her. I knew that I was not her first, but she gave so freely of herself without coming across as hard or trampy… just a sweet and loving person. I hope I can have another night with her before I have to go back to Chicago.

A soft knock at my door gets me moving. Grabbing on a pair of sleep pants, I open the door to find a smiling young man standing there with a breakfast tray for me. "Jessica said to bring this up to you." He smirked knowingly, then set the tray on the coffee table before going out the door. I pushed it closed behind him.

Lifting the dome, I find eggs, bacon, hashbrown potatoes, butter and jelly. There is an insulated carafe full of coffee with a mug and all the fixings. Bless her little heart. Making myself comfortable on the sofa, I turn on the TV, finding a local morning news channel and dig in to my breakfast.

Looking at my watch, I realize that Charlie will be here to pick me up in about half an hour. I need to get dressed. I figures jeans and a flannel button up shirt should do just fine for fishing. I didn't really expect to have to really go fishing. I hate fishing. But how could I stand in Charlie's office after having used my cover story and then refuse to go fishing with him. Really dug yourself a hole there, Jake.

Gathering up the fishing gear I have with me, I stack it all by the door. Grabbing the breakfast tray, I open the door and set it out in the hallway for pickup. Just before I could shut the door, I hear the elevator ping. Glancing up, I see Charlie coming down the hall with a big, happy grin plastered all over his face. "Mornin' Charlie."

"Hey, Jacob. Ready to get out of town?"

"Yup. Just let me grab my stuff." I gather up my stuff, pull the door shut and turn back to him. "All set. I'm gonna need to stop in at a sporting goods store."

"Why's that?"

"I need a few pieces of equipment. I brought some, but I didn't want to wrestle a rod on to the plane."

"No need to buy a new one, unless you just want one. I've got extras and you're welcome to use one."

"That'd be great! Then I won't have to wrestle it home." I slapped Charlie on the back. I could see his SUV parked just outside the front door. We got everything loaded and hopped in. "So, where are we going?"

For the next hour and a half, Charlie regaled me with the wonders of the small cabin he'd found out in the middle of nowhere, but close to the perfect fishing spot. Apparently it was a two-room cabin, complete with two sets of bunk beds so he could sleep four. A sofa and chair is the extent of the living room/kitchen combination. Best of all…. The kitchen had a real wood-burning stove. Thrilling. NOT. What really surprised me was that he seemed awfully proud that it did not have a bathroom… he had an honest to goodness outhouse. Oh. God. Think I'm getting a headache.

As we came around another bend in the gravel, tree-lined road, the cabin came in to view. I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised. It was an authentic log cabin and looked like it had been there forever. After we got everything unloaded and a roaring fire going in the fireplace, Charlie handed me a beer and motioned for me to join him in the sitting area.

"All right, Jake. Spit it out." He stared at me with an accusation in his eyes. "You know as well as I do that this is the wrong time of the year for any good fishing."

I shrugged my shoulders, shaking my head.

"Come on… what's got your panties in such a knot to get you on a plane to come clear across the country instead of just a phone call?"

"All right Charlie. You got me." I rubbed my face while I decided how to broach the subject the least threatening way. "I found out something disturbing in my department this week."

Charlie cocked his head at me and waited for me to continue.

"We have a mole."

"Damn!" Charlie jumped up, pacing the room.

"I know who it is… but I think you've got at least one, too."

Charlie stopped his pacing, looked at me for a minute, then flopped down on the sofa. "Yeah. We do." He took a long pull on his beer, then set it on the coffee table in front of him. "I knew someone in my department is feeding the Volturi information, but I'm not sure who."

I get up and go over to the cooler, pulling us out another beer. Walking back over to the sofa, I hand Charlie his and sit at the other end, taking a drink of mine. We spend the next few hours trading information and trying to figure out a way to expose the mole or moles in his department. Finally, in the wee hours of the morning we come up with a plan.

Charlie is pacing around the room, still waving his arms about like he has been for the last hour. "Jake, I'm telling you, it WILL work."

Charlie's plan was surprisingly simple. He had four guys in his squad. One of them, he was absolutely certain was clean, his partner James Hunter. The other three, he wasn't so sure. He proposed to bring the men in, one at a time, to meet with him and James. He'd give a different set of information to each one and then watch to see how the Volturi reacted.

The plan could work, but I didn't think he should blindly trust his partner, James. Jeez. Sam was my partner and they got to him. But I couldn't convince Charlie. I sure hope he's right.

"I hope you're right. 'Cause, if you're wrong, it could cost two more lives."

Charlie stopped, turning to stare at me. "What do you mean 'two' more lives?"

"Jasper and Edward."

"Who is Edward?" Charlie sat across from me on the chair, leaning forward.

"Edward Cullen." Charlie shook his head. "He's the guy that found Jasper and saved his life."

"Where are they?"

"Don't know, Charlie. Jasper called me last week, told me about Edward, but didn't say where he is and the number was blanked out so I can't even call him back."

"You said his name is Cullen?" Charlie cocked his head, thinking hard.

"Yeah. Why?"

"There's a Carlisle Cullen that's a surgeon here in Seattle…at Seattle Mercy." He wandered over to the cooler, pulling out more beer. "Wonder if they're related…"

Handing me one of the beers, he sat back on the sofa, just looking at me. "Wouldn't be hard to find out. Maybe we can find out where they are."

"Charlie…" warning sounding in my voice, "don't rush into that. If we can find him that easily with a name, so can the Volturi." He nodded in agreement. "We need to keep this just between us for right now." He didn't answer me for a few minutes and I could see his mind working. I just stared at him. "Charlie."

"Yeah, yeah. I know." He took a long pull on his beer. "But, you know… if we knew where they are, we could give them some protection", he hedged.

"NO! Jasper is like a brother to me and I will not take chances with his life." I reached behind me, to the gun I always carried, tucked in the small of my back. "We are going to do this my way, Charlie. Agreed?" I sat very still, watching him closely. Was he the mole? Did I really screw up by trusting him? I could see in his eyes, he knew I had my gun in my hand. "Charlie? What's it gonna be?"

AN: Writer's block is a real pain in the ass! Thanks so much for all your reviews! Sorry I took so long on this chapter.