Chapter Eleven

Jane

I was under strict instructions to keep Bella safe, from Edward as much as The Major but I knew she was well able to look after herself. Edward was concerned because Bella had known Jasper Whitlock when she was human, was he worried she might recognise him and refuse to kill him? It seemed highly unlikely to me, she had never faltered when we were sent to dispense justice and always been loyal to Aro and the Volturi. I was more concerned that Edward would get into trouble because unfortunately Aro also valued his gift, the likelihood of him going off the rails was far more of a worry in my opinion. Felix agreed with me and had arranged to stay at Edwards shoulder which was a relief. I hated taking out such a good fighter but unfortunately The Major had always refused to become one of the Volturi. It would be interesting all round and I knew Felix fancied his chances against Major Whitlock, his fighting skills were legendary as was his toughness and I think Felix saw him as a rival.

Bella

I pumped Felix during the journey, not only because I was curious but also to keep Edward at bay, I was sick of turning round and tripping over him and would be happy when this mission was at an end so I could get away from him. Talk about thick-skinned, I'd done everything bar rip his head off and he still thought he stood a chance. "When hell freezes over" seemed to mean nothing to him and it was only Aro's instruction that I was not to kill Edward that had kept him alive for so long. When the idiot finally sat down and opened a book I relaxed and went back to my own seat deciding where I would go first from Mexico when my cell phone rang. I answered expecting Aro, no one else ever rang me except Jane and she was on the plane across from me. The line was dead and I was about to put it back when I saw I'd received a text message. Opening it I read the message

"Bella. Be careful. Alice Cullen"

I hadn't heard from Alice in years, and hadn't even thought about her for so long she was only a distant memory. I had nothing to say to any of the Cullens really after they had slunk away in the dark leaving me to Victoria's tender mercies. The memory of the torture Victoria had inflicted on me before she bit me was still fresh in my mind even after so long and the frustrating thing was there was nothing I could do about it. Victoria was dead and Edward Cullen was out of bounds. All I could do was distance myself from the Cullens because if I met them away from Volterra, there I had to be polite, I might be tempted to make them pay for the pain inflicted on my fragile human body and the pain of my transformation. Revenge was a strong emotion in the vampire world. Alice's warning was vague and I dismissed it as nothing deleting it straight away. I wondered at Alice and her ex mate Jasper. I had never enquired after him because I knew he had left the Cullens and I didn't blame him for what happened to drive the family away, I hoped Jasper Hale had found peace somewhere. Maybe I would trace him once this was over, speak to him, then again perhaps I wouldn't, why would he be interested in the girl who lost him his mate and his family, however tenuous the connection.

When the plane landed we picked up the car Aro had already rented for us and Felix drove us out to Maria's old compound where rumour had it The Major and a few of his friends were still camped out. As we got close we left the car and travelled on foot through the scrubby brush and I noticed my companions were acting more cautiously than usual. This Major really must be something but how could he stand against the might of the Volturi? With Jane, Edward, and Felix, he didn't stand a chance and that was without Alec and myself, he was dead he just didn't know it yet. The compound looked like a battle field with scorched areas where vampire flesh had burned and the wreckage of buildings torn apart by vampire muscle. I saw the small group condemned to death by the Volturi, they didn't look like much, five men and one woman waiting for us as if they knew we were coming which didn't make any sense, why didn't they run? Try to save themselves by retreating?

We came to a halt a few hundred feet from them and Jane stepped forward as our spokesperson. I didn't recognise any of them and then the group split and another figure strode out to face her. His dusty blond hair was tangled and whipped by the wind and as he came closer I saw he had the same golden eyes as Edward Cullen but more than that I knew those eyes, that face, from my human days. As I put a name to the face my senses went on high alert. No wonder Aro had sent his best fighters, this was Jasper Hale otherwise know as The Major. I remembered what Edward and the others had told me about his history and I understood why he had taken Maria out. His words to me in Phoenix echoed in my mind,

"I can feel what you're feeling now - and you are worth it."

These weren't rebels trying for the overthrow of the Volturi, they were a group of fighters who had decided enough was enough, Maria's time was over. I looked at Edward expecting that he might try to defend his one time brother but he wore a cruel smile, he was enjoying this far too much. I turned to Felix who stood ready to react but unhappy, he felt they weren't what he had been told they were seeing how small the party was. Alec looked blank as always, ready to act as his gift built up around him. Jane smiled and spoke,

"Aro is most unhappy Major, you killed a good ally of the Volturi."

"I killed a psychopathic monster who was a threat to all of us"

The voice was as I remembered and it tugged at my very core. I kept my hood up for now waiting and watching anonymously.

"That wasn't your decision to make Major and Aro requires payment for your deeds."

Alec's gift started to creep forward invisible to all but Alec and I, a dark swirling fog reaching greedy tendrils to suck the reason and senses from the group of brave warriors. They knew it was coming, I could see the fear in their eyes but not one of them broke formation, they stood at his back ready to die with him.

Jasper

We knew there was no time to get away and if we had escaped it would only to be hunted down by Demetri and the Volturi guard. My life since leaving the Cullens had been hard and lonely but I struggled on until I found that Maria and her army were looking to recapture Peter and Charlotte and use them to force me back to her. Friends Garrett, Adam, Rex, and Jonah, had joined Peter, Char, and myself to finish off the evil bitch knowing it might well bring Aro's wrath down on us, and it had. The only guard who intrigued me was the one still cloaked and hooded. I knew it was someone I should know, someone I shouldn't kill but that was impossible, it was them or us.

"I did what I thought was right to protect myself and my friends Jane."

"Aro doesn't accept that as an excuse for destroying one of his allies so I suggest you say your farewells while you still can.