Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns it all.

Rated M for several reasons.

Chpt 7 Pursuit

BPOV

After loading the shopping into the car an' dragging our attackers into a disused building I watch as Simon questions them in similar style to The Major and Gus. In other words, not in a particularly friendly way. Jared is beyond that an' I kick his body into the corner, not wanting to be reminded of Edward.

I thought there was something fishy about this bunch. Jasper an' I found no trace of them when we were in Washington an' neither did the Guard, if they are new to the area they are unlikely to have attempted to claim it as the scent of the huge number of vampires here a few weeks ago still clings to everything. Therefore we are unsurprised to discover that although someone put them up to coming here an' killing any vampires they find in the city for the next couple of months they have no idea who that someone was, only a description we don't recognise.

"We should start a fire Mistress." Simon suggests, ruefully inspecting the additional damage to his expensive suit.

"No need."

Poof, poof, poof, poof. An' nobody's any the wiser.

Simon regards me thoughtfully but doesn't say anything.

I pull out my cell an' call Jasper to let him know what's happened an' that we are about to be on our way to Wisconsin. To say that he isn't amused is an understatement but I manage to convince him to stay where he is.

Silently we clamber into the car, each lost in our own thoughts.

We've made it not much further than the border of Pennsylvania when Simon announces that we are being followed.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes Mistress. We have multiple tails."

"Oh shit."

"Yes Mistress."

He dials his cell. "Demetri?"

"Sì."

"We are being followed."

"Where? How many?"

"Pennsylvania, the turnpike, passing Bedford. Too many."

"Stay on the road. We will come."

"We will need fuel."

"Merda!"

"Sì."

"Keep me informed."

"Yes My Lord."

"Merda?" I ask.

"Shit. Mistress."

I sigh. Now here is a situation I am painfully familiar with. A shit one.

"Ditch the car an' make a run for it?"

"I know we can run faster than this piece of crap Mistress but for now we are safer on the roads. Assuming they do not wish to draw undue attention to themselves."

The Prius is causing a schism in Simon. While it is not fast enough to attempt to lose our tails on the back roads it does make it most of the way to Chicago on the Interstate before gas becomes a problem. It's been a tense ride. Of course we are still being followed.

"Are we in trouble?" I ask quietly.

"Quite probably Mistress." He informs me. "Let us hope we can keep going until we find a busy gas station."

Luck is on our side. We find a busy stop just outside Chicago. I call Jasper to let him know where we are while Simon pumps the gas.

While I'm talking, one, two, three, four, vehicles full of vampires pull in behind us.

"We're comin' darlin'." Jasper growls. "It's time to run."

Simon nods an' replaces the fuel cap. While I reach into the car an' grab my purse.

Taking my hand he leads me into the store an' we pretend to browse the shelves while looking out of the windows. We slowly make our way up an' down the aisles. Outside most of the vampires are out of their vehicles, two of them pop the hood on our Prius an' rip at the engine. Another two search the car thoroughly, crushing my cell which I stupidly left on the seat. The others look like they are just milling around but seem to be surrounding the store.

Having exhausted the shelves we queue to pay for our gas. Simon holding my hand tightly.

"Mistress." He whispers. "Can you shield our scents?"

I flip my shield up around us. "I don't know how long I should do it for, I haven't hunted for a while an' we may need it later if it comes to a fight."

"Just until I find us a way out of here. Once we lose them we will run for the Master."

We pay for the gas in silence an' Simon leads me back towards the restrooms. Winking lasciviously at the curious clerk he tugs me into the disabled toilet an' shuts the door behind us.

"Up or down?" He asks, gesturing at the mucky floor an' the dingy ceiling tiles.

"Yuk. Up."

"Can you shield the sound?"

"No. If I cover the whole building the humans an' the vamps will notice. If I try to put one around us while we work it'll just slice through the building an' make even more noise."

"Humph. Then we will have to be very quiet."

Deftly he jumps up an' knocks down the ceiling tiles before climbing onto the bowl of the toilet an' scrabbling at the concrete with his fingers. In a few minutes he's broken through an' is busily enlarging the gap.

Stretching up like a meerkat he pokes his head into the space upstairs.

"Office. Empty." He informs me before jumping up an' hauling himself through the gap.

Relieved I am no longer human I leap up after him an' we creep over to the windows.

The vampires are still outside, waiting patiently for us to re-emerge. I assume most of them are surrounding the building as there aren't many on the forecourt.

"It is too risky to break through the roof." Simon whispers. "Check around for an access panel or something similar."

Silently but swiftly we search the office an' storerooms, removing ceiling tiles until we find an access hatch. Simon carefully releases it an' we climb up onto the roof, closing it behind us.

"How long until they follow us?" I murmur.

"Not long Mistress." He points down, two of the vamps are walking towards the store entrance.

We skirt the roof looking down but any of them surrounding the building are well hidden.

"We will have to chance it Mistress. Are you ready?"

I nod. Of course I'm ready. Running for my life in the early hours of the morning, always a possibility.

He takes my hand an' we back up a few steps.

"One, two, three, GO!" He whispers.

Charging forwards we throw ourselves away from the building, roof hopping style, an' hit the ground running.

Immediately several pairs of feet are after us.

Instinctively we turn away from the bright city lights, civilisation falling behind us rapidly.

It is an indescribable sensation to run so far, so fast an' not get tired. And an even stranger one to know that despite that, unseen enemies are hot on your heels. In unspoken agreement Simon an' I push ourselves as hard as we can, desperate to create a big enough gap for our lack of scent to pay off.

After an hour or so I accept that it's not going to happen an' drop my shields, I can already feel my energy starting to drain an' I need to hold onto every bit I can.

"We should consider turning on them." I whisper eventually.

"Yes Mistress but I would prefer we are closer to the Master and the Guard first. We do not know how many others are behind our pursuers, nor their ability or intentions."

The sensation Em once called indigestion, the ache in your chest when you are away from your mate, is getting worse not better. An' I can't help but wonder why, with every mile we are physically getting closer to Jasper, maybe it's because in spite of all those miles those unseen running feet are still following us.

Human clothes aren't designed for this kind of punishment, our shoes disintegrated miles ago an' I can feel the fabric of my jeans starting to fray. I worry about it a little, being chased through unfamiliar territory by someone you can't see is bad enough but doing it with my bare ass hanging out would be an unwarranted indignity.

We run on. And on. In a curious trance like state, trees, shrubs, fields, houses an' roads flashing past us almost unnoticed.

An' suddenly the chase is over, we scale a rocky escarpment blocking our path, almost at the top when marble hands grasp our ankles an' yank us back down. I flick out my shield as we plummet to earth but must have missed our assailants as there is no sudden screaming.

We land in a tangle of bodies an' with a reverberating crash.

Afraid of hurting Simon I hold off my shield an' scramble to my feet until my back is against the rocks, he is beside me in an instant.

I flick my shield out as they advance on us but they keep coming. I try again, mentally searching my head for Hidden Bella an' Other Bella but to my utter shock they are missing in action.

Eyes wide with panic I turn to Simon an' I can see realisation dawn in his eyes. We are in deep shit.

There are twelve of them, one of whom is the biggest, scariest looking woman I have ever seen in my entire life. She must be well over six five an' probably as much across. Amazonian. Her jet black hair falls straight, framing her ruby red eyes an' thick eyebrows. Handsome is about as charitable as you could be. But it's her smile that freaks me out, if she could have filed her teeth to points they would have completed the picture nicely.

Involuntarily I shudder.

The leader, an equally tall but much slighter man, puts his hand on her shoulder, obviously restraining her.

"Your gifts are no use here. Volturi scum." He informs us. "Raisa is able to cancel out the gifts of others. You will answer my questions."

Simon nods warily.

"Which coven are you of now?" Vassili asks.

"We don't belong to a coven." Simon answers promptly.

"Don't lie to me." Vassili snarls. "We overheard your discussion with the dogs in Washington. You are of The Whitlock Coven, our new leader's coven? Or have you defected?"

Simon shakes his head.

The giant woman leaps forwards suddenly, grabbing my hand an' twisting it painfully from my wrist.

I shriek in pain an' surprise as Simon leaps towards me, but four vampires tackle him an' wrestle him to the ground.

"Remember our orders Raisa!" Vassili barks. "We are here for information, not your personal gratification."

"But she is so pretty Vassili. Look at her shiny long hair and pouty lips."

Oh yuk.

"You would do well to treat The Major's Mate with more respect." Simon's voice is hard despite his current position spread-eagled on the ground.

"The Major has a mate?" Vassili responds, looking me up an' down thoughtfully. "Interesting."

"Let me have her Vassili." Raisa purrs. "I will find out everything we need to know."

"No." He says firmly. "We are here on an intelligence mission, not to start a war by torturing the new leader's mate. Perhaps another time. We will get what we require from this one."

I leap forward to help Simon but Raisa clamps her huge arms around my chest like a vice an' lifts me off my feet. I kick back at her with my heels an' throw my head back into hers wildly but it does no good, she doesn't even seem to feel it.

She cackles. Actually cackles. An' starts chattering away to me in a language I don't understand.

Cold dread forms in the pit of my stomach.

Abruptly her chattering turns to snarling an' she throws me face down on the ground covering me with her massive bulk, arms still gripping me tightly. I manage to twist my head so I can partially see Simon an' Vassili behind me.

"Respectfully Raisa." Vassili orders over his shoulder. "I am not convinced she is his mate, I doubt someone that important would be travelling with only one Guard, however it would be prudent to ensure she is not harmed any further."

"Now you." He says, turning his attention back to Simon. "Will tell me everything I want to know about the new leader's coven."