Chapter 17- Tracked Down

It was extremely silent in the car. I could tell that Bella was suffering from sleep deprivation—the circles forming underneath her eyes were my first clue.

All I could make out was the muffled purr of the engine, Bella's loud heartbeat and shallow breathing, and Jasper's quiet muttering. Sorting out the information I'd dug up, I realized that I didn't know much.

I knew which hotel we would be staying at, that was all.

It was all so frustrating.

Bella's head was on my neck. Her warmth and fragrance was making it hard for me to concentrate. The wet sound of her heart pumping blood was driving me crazy. I relaxed as Jasper sent waves of calm over to me.

The front of my 100% cotton shirt was stained with her tears. Strangely, I didn't really mind.

Thanks to my special power, I knew she wouldn't be sleeping anytime soon. Bella was so strange; she probably even knew she was tired—but for some reason she was straining to stay awake.

"Which way to the airport, Bella?" Jasper asked. Bella flinched. I wasn't the only one who noticed the uncomfortable silence. I shot a meaningful look at Jasper, something in the lines of a "let-her-get-some-sleep" face.

"Stay on the I-ten," Bella replied automatically. "We'll pass right by it." She didn't realize it, but her voice was lifeless and cracking. I wondered what she was thinking about now.

"Are we flying somewhere?" Bella asked me, her large eyes questioning.

"No, but it's better to be close, just in case."

We had barely started searching for the hotel suite that fit my visions, when Bella fell asleep. We found the hotel all too soon, and I didn't want to wake Bella up, but the sun was already falling behind the horizon. She could sleep in the hotel suite. I got out of the car, her arm draped over my shoulder and my arm around her waist, and drug her along as she stumbled.

I reached into my bag and pulled out several bundles of unused bills. I had sorted them out just the day before. It was probably enough, due to the stares I received. It was only about a few thousand dollars.

Jasper took our bags while I paid the fee in the lobby. The man at the desk kept staring at me with wide eyes as I walked upstairs, half-carrying Bella. Jasper growled and shot a glare in his direction.

The hotel suite was large in comparison to others I'd been to. The bedroom was acceptable, just lacking the right design. The room had a major lack of color. There was only brown for the blankets, pillows, and curtains—the rest was all white.

I set Bella down on the bed, placed her head on the pillow, and covered her body with the heavy blankets. She sighed in her sleep. I closed the door upon exiting the room. Jasper was already lounged on the couch, his eyes on me. The television blared in the background as I stepped towards him, uncertain.

He grinned before beckoning to me with his finger to join him on the couch.

"What, Jazzy?" I asked.

"She's not going to wake up soon, is she?" He asked me with a twinkle in his eyes. While I was trying to find out, his right hand started inching up my shirt.

My eyes widened, startled. "Um, she's going to wake up when it's still dark, I…" I trailed off as his hand kept getting higher. "Jasper!" I told him off, annoyed.

He laughed. "Just kidding, Alice."

I smacked him playfully. "If she's going to wake up at three, then I think we should order her something to eat at two-thirty. Is there even room service in this place?"

"Don't worry, Alice." He chuckled. "I'll find a way." He opened the door and walked out, leaving me alone on the couch.

I watched CNN for a while and tried to call Edward. The phone rang forty-two times before I ended the call. Was there something wrong? I nearly called to Edward via my mind. For a moment there, I forgot I was in Phoenix.

Jasper returned, smugly. "I ordered Bella's food—it's going to be delivered at two-thirty, and at breakfast, lunch, and dinner time."

"Thanks," I sighed. That was one thing taken care of. I rubbed my temples. I hugged Jasper because I was so nervous and I desperately needed a hug.

"It'll be okay, Alice. I promise," he comforted me, his voice slightly muffled.

I laughed and jumped back. "I know, Jazz."

"Yeah, of course you know," he said.

"Hey!" I pouted. Abruptly, my good mood vanished. "But the others haven't called me back," I admitted.

"They're probably just taking precautions. After all, you know they wouldn't risk having the tracker overhear."

"I guess," was my reluctant answer.

We watched CNN for a few more hours. I started to wonder what time it was. I had just opened my mouth to ask Jasper when an image flickered into my mind. In the image, Bella's eyes opened and she pulled back the drapes.

I sighed. She would have to know that we couldn't risk even pulling back the drapes, but since she would be waking up soon, I would just save that for later. I returned to the couch and waited.

I heard a creaking noise, followed by a moan. There was a moment's silence before I heard footsteps and the sound of curtains swishing.

"Bella's awake," I informed Jasper. "I'm going in to check on her." He nodded and took out the food we'd ordered for Bella.

I tapped on the door lightly. "Can I come in?" I asked.

She took a deep breath. "Sure."

I walked in and looked her over cautiously. "You look like you could sleep longer," I said. The circles under her eyes looked worse than they had the day before. Her hair was messed up, and she let out a yawn. Bella just shook her head slowly.

I drifted to the curtains and closed them securely before turning back to Bella. "We'll need to stay inside," I informed her gently. I hoped she wouldn't be bored to death.

"Okay." Her voice was hoarse, like I'd expected.

"Thirsty?" I asked her lightly.

Bella shrugged. "I'm okay. How about you?"

"Nothing unmanageable." I smiled. I hadn't even thought of my thirst before she said that. "I ordered some food for you; it's in the front room. Edward reminded me that you have to eat a lot more frequently than we do." As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I regretted it.

Bella sat up straighter. "He called?"

"No," I said, watching her face fall. "It was before we left." I caught myself before adding the fact that I did call him, but he didn't pick up the phone. I took her hand carefully and led her through the door into the living room of the hotel suite. Jasper now sat at the desk in the corner, still watching the news. Bella sat on the floor next to the coffee table and began picking at her food slowly. I perched on the edge of the couch and stared at the TV like Jasper. Edward had to call soon—what was I going to tell Bella?

The Bella in question was eating slowly, watching my every movement. Before long, she pushed the tray away. I looked down at her.

"What's wrong, Alice?" she asked.

"Nothing's wrong." I tried my best to assume an innocent expression. It didn't seem to work—Bella still looked warily at me.

"What do we do now?"

"We wait for Carlisle to call," I said, choosing my words carefully.

"And should he have called by now?" Bella asked suspiciously. My eyes flitted from Bella to the phone and back.

"What does that mean?" she asked when she knew she wasn't getting an answer. Her voice quavered, and she fought to control it. "That he hasn't called yet?"

"It just means that they don't have anything to tell us." I tried to keep my voice soothing.

Jasper was beside me, closer to Bella than usual. "Bella," he said in a calm voice. "You have nothing to worry about. You are completely safe here."

"I know that."

"Then why are you frightened?" he asked, confused.

"You heard what Laurent said," Bella whispered. "He said James was lethal. What if something goes wrong, and they get separated? If something happens to any of them, Carlisle, Emmett . . . Edward . . ." She swallowed loudly. "If that wild female hurts Esme . . ." she continued, her voice getting higher and higher, a note of hysteria beginning to rise in it. "How could I live with myself when it's my fault? None of you should be risking yourselves for me —"

"Bella, Bella, stop," he interrupted her. "You're worrying about all the wrong things, Bella. Trust me on this—none of us are in jeopardy. You are under too much strain as it is; don't add to it with wholly unnecessary worries. Listen to me!" he ordered her roughly, for she had looked away. "Our family is strong. Our only fear is losing you."

"But why should you —"

I cut in, touching her cheek. "It's been almost a century that Edward's been alone. Now he's found you. You can't see the changes that we see, we who have been with him for so long. Do you think any of us want to look into his eyes for the next hundred years if he loses you?"

She looked into my eyes, which were probably dark by now.

Jasper and Bella stayed in the room. I called down to the front desk and asked them to ignore our maid service for now. The windows stayed shut, the TV on, though no one really watched it.

At regular intervals, food was delivered for Bella. She ate silently, obviously not very hungry. The feeling of unease began to grow in my stomach. My eyes followed Bella as she fidgeted and paced. She was probably bored, but I was too focused with my visions to ask what she wanted to do.

When she went to the bedroom, I followed her casually. She lay across the bed, and I sat next to her, legs folded. She curled up into a small ball, wrapping her arms around my legs.

"Alice?" she asked me in a small voice.

"Yes?"

"What do you think they're doing?" Her voice was calm.

"Carlisle wanted to lead the tracker as far north as possible, wait for him to get close, and then turn and ambush him. Esme and Rosalie were supposed to head west as long as they could keep the female behind them. If she turned around, they were to head back to Forks and keep an eye on your dad. So I imagine things are going well if they can't call. It means the tracker is close enough that they don't want him to overhear." I wondered if I had said too much.

"And Esme?" She asked anxiously.

"I think she must be back in Forks. She won't call if there's any chance the female will overhear. I expect they're all just being very careful." I stressed out the word think—after all, it was just a hunch.

"Do you think they're safe, really?"

"Bella, how many times do we have to tell you that there's no danger to us?" I felt like chuckling; she was so stubborn.

"Would you tell me the truth, though?" That caught me off guard. Hadn't I been telling her the truth just now?

"Yes. I will always tell you the truth," I said, not sure where she was going.

Bella deliberated for a moment, and decided I meant it. "Tell me then . . . how do you become a vampire?"

Oh. Her question caught me off guard again. I was quiet. She rolled over to look at me questioningly. "Edward doesn't want me to tell you that," I said firmly. But you should know, really.

"That's not fair. I think I have a right to know."

"I know." I would have told her . . . if I could have.

She looked at me, waiting.

I sighed. How could I refuse her if I wanted to say it as well? "He'll be extremely angry."

"It's none of his business. This is between you and me. Alice, as a friend, I'm begging you," Bella said quickly.

I looked at her, choosing whether or not to back out of this. "I'll tell you the mechanics of it," I said finally, "but I don't remember it myself, and I've never done it or seen it done, so keep in mind that I can only tell you the theory."

She waited.

"As predators, we have a glut of weapons in our physical arsenal—much, much more than really necessary. The strength, the speed, the acute senses, not to mention those of us like Edward, Jasper, and I, who have extra senses as well. And then, like a carnivorous flower, we are physically attractive to our prey."

Bella was pondering that. I wondered what Edward had told her already.

I smiled widely. "We have another fairly superfluous weapon. We're also venomous," I said, making sure my teeth were in full sight. She stared at them, dumbstruck. "The venom doesn't kill—it's merely incapacitating. It works slowly, spreading through the bloodstream, so that, once bitten, our prey is in too much physical pain to escape us. Mostly superfluous, as I said. If we're that close, the prey doesn't escape. Of course, there are always exceptions. Carlisle, for example."

"So . . . if the venom is left to spread . . ." she murmured.

"It takes a few days for the transformation to be complete, depending on how much venom is in the bloodstream, how close the venom enters to the heart. As long as the heart keeps beating, the poison spreads, healing, changing the body as it moves through it. Eventually the heart stops, and the conversion is finished. But all that time, every minute of it, a victim would be wishing for death."

She shivered.

"It's not pleasant, you see." If you want to become one of us, you'd better accept the ugly bits.

"Edward said that it was very hard to do… I don't quite understand," Bella murmured quietly.

"We're also like sharks in a way. Once we taste the blood, or even smell it for that matter, it becomes very hard to keep from feeding. Sometimes impossible. So you see, to actually bite someone, to taste the blood, it would begin the frenzy. It's difficult on both sides — the blood-lust on the one hand, the awful pain on the other."

"Why do you think you don't remember?"

"I don't know. For everyone else, the pain of transformation is the sharpest memory they have of their human life. I remember nothing of being human." My voice was wistful. I wish someone could have answered all my questions about myself. But there was no one there. I didn't even know who changed me.

I floated into an abyss of darkness, the present world going hazy and disappearing altogether. This wasn't like any other vision I had. There was a blinding white flash before I saw a long room. It had mirrors everywhere on its walls, and the floor was wooden. There was a gold stripe on the mirrors. The tracker, James, was there, waiting, with a twisted smile playing at his lips. Something felt terribly wrong . . . Even though I knew that this would happen soon, the picture was too dark, too fuzzy. Something wasn't complete.

It was over almost as suddenly as it began.

I leaped from the bed, landing lightly on my feet. Bella's head jerked up as she stared at me, startled.

"Something's changed." Jasper, can you feel my fear? I'd forgotten, in my panic, that Jasper didn't read minds.

I reached the door at the same time Jasper did. He had obviously heard our conversation and my sudden exclamation. He put his hands on my shoulders and guided me back to the bed, sitting me on the edge.

"What do you see?" he asked me intently, staring into my eyes. My eyes were focused on my visions, struggling to find something more about the strange room. Bella sat close to me, leaning in to catch my voice, which was low and quick.

"I see a room. It's long, and there are mirrors everywhere. The floor is wooden. He's in the room, and he's waiting. There's gold . . . a gold stripe across the mirrors." Bella's lips quivered.

"Where is the room?"

"I don't know. Something is missing—another decision hasn't been made yet."

"How much time?" he asked seriously.

"It's soon. He'll be in the mirror room today, or maybe tomorrow. It all depends. He's waiting for something. And he's in the dark now."

Jasper's voice was calm as he questioned me. "What is he doing?"

I sifted through a few visions. "He's watching TV . . . no, he's running a VCR, in the dark, in another place."

"Can you see where he is?"

"No, it's too dark." I repeated, slightly dazed. Never had this happened to me before. My visions had been fuzzy before, but never dark.

"And the mirror room, what else is there?"

It almost hurt, thinking so hard. A few more images popped up in my mind just in time. "Just the mirrors, and the gold. It's a band, around the room. And there's a black table with a big stereo, and a TV. He's touching the VCR there, but he doesn't watch the way he does in the dark room. This is the room where he waits." My eyes focused on Jasper's face.

"There's nothing else?"

I shook my head, disappointed. I stared into the depths of his eyes.

"What does it mean?" Bella asked.

Neither of them answered for a moment, then Jasper looked at her. "It means the tracker's plans have changed. He's made a decision that will lead him to the mirror room, and the dark room," Jasper explained, glancing back at me.

"But we don't know where those rooms are?" Bella asked.

"No." Jasper clarified.

"But we do know that he won't be in the mountains north of Washington, being hunted. He'll elude them." My voice was bleak. That was obvious.

"Should we call?" Bella asked. I didn't think that was the best idea.

A vision showed me the cell phone Carlisle had given me would ring a split second before the phone actually rang, so I was already starting across the room to pick it up.

I answered the call and held the phone to my ear.

"Alice?" Carlisle asked.

"Carlisle," I breathed.

"Alice, you probably know this, but we lost him." He paused for a second. "Is Bella fine?"

"Yes," I said, glancing at her.

"Has anything happened? Do you know anything we need to know?" Carlisle's voice was very urgent.

"I just saw him." I described again the vision I'd seen. "Whatever made him get on that plane . . . it was leading him to those rooms." I paused. I'd figured out that he was going on a plane a few moments ago.

"Okay, I'll tell that to the others. Edward wants to speak to Bella—can he?" I noticed that he said "can" instead of "may".

"Yes," I said into the phone, and then I spoke to her. "Bella?" I held the phone out toward her. She ran to it.

"Hello?" She breathed.

"Bella," Edward said.

"Oh, Edward! I was so worried." She sighed.

"Bella"—he sighed in frustration—"I told you not to worry about anything but yourself." My lips twitched upwards into a smile.

"Where are you?" Bella demanded.

I decided that we should at least give her the illusion of privacy. I flitted over to Jasper's side and filled him in about what just happened.

"What should we do now?" I whispered, still on my tiptoes.

"Maybe try drawing the room." He lifted me up and carried me to the desk. On it was a piece of hotel stationery. I started to sketch.

Bella flopped on the back of the couch, looking over my shoulder.

I drew a room: long, rectangular, with a thinner, square section at the back. The wooden planks that made up the floor stretched lengthwise across the room. Down the walls were lines denoting the breaks in the mirrors. And then, wrapping around the walls, waist high, a long gold band.

"It's a ballet studio," Bella said.

We looked at her, surprised.

"Do you know this room?" Jasper's voice was calm. I bent her head to my work, my hand flying across the page now, the shape of an emergency exit taking shape against the back wall, the stereo and TV on a low table by the front right corner.

"It looks like a place I used to go for dance lessons—when I was eight or nine. It was shaped just the same." She touched the page where the square section jutted out, narrowing the back part of the room. "That's where the bathrooms were—the doors were through the other dance floor. But the stereo was here"—Bella pointed to the left corner—"it was older, and there wasn't a TV. There was a window in the waiting room—you would see the room from this perspective if you looked through it." Good God. If she knew that room, I could make out what he was thinking.

Jasper and I stared at her. I wasn't sure if this was good or bad. "Are you sure it's the same room?" Jasper asked calmly.

"No, not at all—I suppose most dance studios would look the same—the mirrors, the bar." She traced her finger along the ballet bar set against the mirrors. "It's just the shape that looked familiar." She touched the door.

"Would you have any reason to go there now?" I asked urgently.

"No, I haven't been there in almost ten years. I was a terrible dancer—they always put me in the back for recitals," Bella admitted. This was confusing.

"So there's no way it could be connected with you?" I asked intently.

"No, I don't even think the same person owns it. I'm sure it's just another dance studio, somewhere."

"Where was the studio you went to?" Jasper asked casually.

"It was just around the corner from my mom's house. I used to walk there after school . . ." she said, her voice trailing off. Jasper and I exchanged a look.

"Here in Phoenix, then?" His voice was still casual.

"Yes," Bella whispered. "Fifty-eighth Street and Cactus."

We all sat in silence, staring at the drawing.

"Alice, is that phone safe?"

"Yes," I reassured her. "The number would just trace back to Washington."

"Then I can use it to call my mom."

"I thought she was in Florida," I commented, puzzled.

"She is—but she's coming home soon, and she can't come back to that house while . . ." Her voice trembled.

"How will you reach her?"

"They don't have a permanent number except at the house—she's supposed to check her messages regularly."

"Jasper?" I asked.

He thought about it. "I don't think there's any way it could hurt—be sure you don't say where you are, of course."

Bella reached eagerly for the phone and dialed the familiar number. It rang four times, and then I heard a woman's breezy voice telling me to leave a message.

"Mom," Bella said after the beep, "it's me. Listen, I need you to do something. It's important. As soon as you get this message, call me at this number." I was already at her side, writing the number for her on the bottom of her picture. She read it carefully, twice.

"Please don't go anywhere until you talk to me. Don't worry, I'm okay, but I have to talk to you right away, no matter how late you get this call, all right? I love you, Mom. Bye."

Bella closed her eyes and settled into the sofa. She reached out her a trembling hand and grasped a piece of leftover fruit before nibbling on it. She concentrated on the news.

For a while, I sketched the vague outline of the dark room from my vision, as much as she could see in the light from the TV. When I was done, I simply sat, looked at the blank walls, and didn't think about a thing. Bella fell asleep on the couch. The touch of my cold hands woke her briefly as I carried her to the bed, but she was unconscious again before her head hit the pillow.