-:- PART II -:-
Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.
The important thing is not to stop questioning.
—Albert Einstein
CHAPTER 20
-:- Forewarned is Forearmed -:-
2016 -:- Present Day
Once I calmed down, Jasper was willing to talk. I was impatient and desperate, but he was just as willful as I was, and made it quite clear this was going to be done his way. He said there were reasons why he was protecting me from the truth, which served only to compound my anxiety further. He assured me she was whole, and safe, and perfect. That was all he would tell me, and although I was grateful for even that small bit of information, I was frustrated with him for keeping details from me.
"Where is she?" I asked.
"She's safe, Edward. She's close. I took her to Montana, to a place Alice and I knew well. We lived some very happy years there before we found all of you. It's a good place, and the only place I could think of that I had access to. It's a little rough around the edges, but the cabin was still standing." He tried to reassure me, but his words skimmed in and out of my head like a sieve. "Alice and I had some very happy times there."
"Alice." I hadn't even thought about how the family would have reacted to my outburst. "The family—" I knew of this cabin, I could make it there myself without him. I started to protest, but he quickly cut me off.
"You can forget it, I'm not leaving you. They'll be fine. Really, don't concern yourself with them. I gave them a brief explanation before I left. They're full of questions too, but they understand, Edward."
"But I've taken you from Alice, again. I'm sorry."
He looked at me with remorse in his eyes. "Edward," he said quietly, "a few more weeks for Alice and I is nothing. It's not ten years, now is it?" He gave me a sad smile.
My anxiety started building. I was nervous, pacing around the clearing, running my hands over my clothes and through my hair, trying to clean away the evidence of our previous tussle. My stomach was tied up in knots at the prospect of seeing her. I had dreamt of this moment for over ten years, but I never thought this day would come, at least not while I was alive and still walking this earth. I was having a hard time believing this was real, that it wasn't some sick and twisted trick my mind was playing on me. I knew I wouldn't survive it if it was.
"What's she like?" I asked, toying with the edge of my sleeve. I needed to hear more, to convince myself this was really happening.
Unable to hide my emotions from him, he started to chuckle, and his grin was even wider if possible. "You're nervous?" He shook his head and continued to laugh. "Afraid you've put on some weight? Grew a bald spot?"
"Yeah, laugh it up," I said, walking away from him. "It's not funny. What if she doesn't …" I couldn't bring myself to finish the sentence. To say it out loud would bring the possibility to light. Frustrated, I let out a scream and it echoed through the hills.
"She's truly remarkable in every sense," he said sympathetically. "She's a fighter. A survivor and you'll definitely be surprised by her."
"Is she …" I hesitated, afraid to ask, "different?"
"Yes. But how could she not be. I'm not going to lie to you, and I won't spare you any of the details. You need to know all of it so you can understand who she is now. She's not the same, well , and neither am I. I was only there for a few months, but she … she was there for years, Edward."
I looked down at his bare feet, and saw the missing digits. His mind was fractured too. Whatever happened down there, broke him, he was changed.
"It should have been me. I should have been the one to go, not you." I was scared to know what she had endured. If Jasper had suffered this badly in such a short amount of time, what could have possibly happened to her? The thought terrified me.
"I never should have left," I cried out desperately, my fists balled at my sides. "I never should have given up." I crouched down with my head in my hands.
"We can't take back what happened, it's done, just like we can't take back the last ten years. I have to believe this all happened for a reason. All this pain and suffering both of you have lived through has to have served a higher purpose. This is a miracle, Edward, in every sense." His voice was full of awe and wonder.
"It should have been me." I stood up, with my back to him. His thoughts were curious as to what I meant, whether I meant it should have been me in his place, or me in her place. Regardless, it was true for both. It should have been me either way.
"But it wasn't, and rightfully so. Neither one of you would have made it out alive. And that's the honest truth. It had to be me." I heard him turn and walk a few paces away. "All this time you didn't think I knew what you were doing? You didn't think the family knew what you were doing? You had nothing to prove to us, to anyone. You are my brother in every sense. I owed you this. I robbed you of a life with her. It was me who took her away from you in the first place. I would gladly sacrifice a few toes and some scars to return what I stole from you." His grief was emanating from him, and up until this moment, I never knew the full extent of his guilt.
"Is that what you think? Have you carried this with you all this time?" I asked, my voice incredulous with the knowledge of his confession. "Jasper," I sighed, "I really don't know what to say." He had carried this guilt for ten years. He sacrificed himself for me when he did nothing wrong. "I have never held you responsible for the decision I made," I said quietly. "I made that choice and me alone. Against all the protests of the family, I am the one responsible for walking away from her and no one else."
"I was the catalyst. My inability to control my urges. Urges Maria instilled in me. I hate her, Edward, more than ever. If I had destroyed her all those years ago …" The horror I felt stem from him was startling. Jasper was always the strong one in the family. Rarely did he let things affect him like this, but what he had gone through had definitely changed him. It was unsettling.
"It's as you said, we can't change the past. What's done is done." I tried to reassure him, even though I had a hard time believing that myself.
"I'd believe you a little more, if you didn't doubt that so much." He chuckled as he grasped my shoulder. "I guess we both have our burdens to bear. We've been given second chances, and bringing her back to you, was one of mine."
"I'll be forever in your debt. I don't know how I'll make it up to you, but I will," I said with complete sincerity. He pulled me into a hug. It was unexpected, but it was what we both needed. I didn't know what he had witnessed, but it was enough to shake him to the core and doubt himself. He was scared, I could feel that from him, but more importantly, I could also sense a kind of obligation he felt he owed me, which I couldn't understand.
"There's nothing more I need," he said, patting my back before breaking the embrace. "Besides, you may change your mind once you see her." He chuckled and felt the nervousness flood my body again. I had so many questions that I wanted answers for.
"Relax," he said as he sent a calming wave my way. "She's still the same in many regards. Remember how stubborn and self-sacrificing she was as a human? Well, now she's a vampire. I'll let you put two and two together." He laughed a little, shaking his head at a few of the arguments they had endured in the last few weeks.
"Montana, huh?"
"Yeah. It's peaceful and isolated. Something she desperately needed," he said.
His thoughts switched to the man I had seen in his head earlier, the same man in Alice's vision that seemed familiar to me.
"Who's the tall man?"
"His name's Garrett," he said quietly, a little too quietly, which made me suspicious, but the name didn't trigger any memories.
"Do you trust him?"
"With my life. But more importantly, she does too. He saved her in every sense." He looked me directly in the eyes and there was something there that caused my stomach to clench again.
"What? What are you not telling me?"
"Let's start moving and I'll tell you all of it."
I couldn't argue, but I was dreadfully impatient. He was still keeping things from me and I was trying hard not to rush him, to let him tell me everything at his own pace. There was some reason for his hesitation, and right now, I was at his complete mercy. I would follow him to the depths of hell for this story, and if he wanted me to wait, I had no choice but to abide by his wishes, no matter how painful it may be.
"I'll start with what happened when I left all of you. We have time, and you really do need to know all of it if everyone's going to survive this." His thoughts switched to Maria, and I saw how venomous they were. "Make no mistake, I will end Maria's life. If it takes me eternity, I don't care. She's ruined too many lives not to have to pay for what she's done."
He opened up his mind and let me in, the details playing like a movie and all I could do was sit back, wait and watch with trepidation and wonder as Jasper's voice narrated everything I was seeing...
2016 -:- Memories of Jasper's Past
The Districts to the South were much different than the Districts to the North. While both were always fortified, only the Southern Districts actually had numerous armed guards patrolling along the tops of the walls. It was extremely difficult to get inside them, especially as a man travelling on his own. They didn't trust anyone, and rightly so. They were extremely hard pressed down here, and they wouldn't let anyone pass through their gates unless they had something to offer. Warmer temperatures seemed to make people bolder, and the Districts tended to be more hostile. Everyone was on edge with the rumors of Ravagers coming and stealing people in the night.
My ability made it a little easier to gain access, but getting them to trust me took a lot of energy and influence, but thankfully I had the supplies Esme had insisted I take, which helped greatly. She had packed my bag full of seeds of all kinds of vegetables, knowing it was the easiest thing to carry. The humans were grateful for the supplies. It was difficult to manage the sunshine, but I was careful to stay fully covered and stuck to the shadows most of the times. The sun never did shine as brightly as it had before the bombs.
Once inside a District, I spent nights around hearth fires listening to the whispers and tales of those who could not die, didn't age, and didn't get sick. Rumors insisted these people were sick from the radiation and it did something to their brain which drove them mad, turning them toward cannibalism.
It had taken me just over a week to find a District which had been visited by these "Ravagers." It was located near the border of what was formerly known as Texas. I had to give them the remainder of my supplies in order to be admitted through the gates, and once inside, they were extremely skeptical to talk with me. The smell of these places was something I still could never get used to. Human waste and refuse was everywhere, as I was sure disease too. The Districts the family had visited over the years were never as bad as this. It had been a long time since we had visited the Southern Districts. For the past few years, we had spent most of our time on the east coast, or in the north. There was always filth and disease, but most of the Districts struggled together and did the best they could. Over the years, they started rebuilding. They were far from being towns or even villages, but at least they were trying.
Down here, it was like the people had given up. The air was rife with despair and discord. It was difficult for me not to be fully absorbed within it. The humans did not look healthy, and there was a definite hierarchy as to how they lived. There were distinct areas which clearly did better than some. It was a shame to see so many people struggling, while their neighbors flourished. I wasn't sure how or why this was happening, and frankly, I didn't care. I wasn't there to make friends, I needed information, and then I could be on my way.
Dusk was setting in, and my presence was clearly causing tension in the air. It buzzed around me like it was alive. I wasn't much for talking; I always had Alice for that. I forced myself to put on a friendly face, and sat down at one of the burning fires. I sent a wave of calm to everyone around the area and watched the effects as they settled in to their nightly routines. There was a young boy, around the age of six, across the fire from me. He was staring curiously at me, or I should say, my belt buckle. It must have been shining from the fire light. I smiled at him, and he smiled back. He slowly started to make his way over to me, cautious at first, holding his lip between two dirty little fingers. His mother looked up from the pot she was stirring, and fear caused her to lash out at the young boy.
"Christopher! You leave the young man alone."
"It's no trouble, ma'am. He's not bothering me."
She looked at me hesitantly and I did my best to ease her worries. It worked as I expected, and she eventually smiled.
"Are you sure? He's always been a curious one, especially with strangers. He's never been outside them walls," she patted his head affectionately, "so anyone comes through those gates, he attaches himself to them. Well and," she dipped her head and her skin flushed, "no disrespect, but I don't trust strangers." She pulled on the small towel she had resting on her shoulder and started to wring it in her hands, clearly nervous with my company.
It had been a long time since I was around humans on my own. The family was always there to deflect any of the attention, and with Edward, we always knew what they were thinking. Like most humans, she was curious about my looks, her flushed skin betrayed her, and her heart beat signaled to me that she was slightly anxious. She loved her son, and wanted to trust me, but something was making her hesitant.
"I can understand that. I've seen a lot of things in the last ten years, but my wife keeps me sane." I smiled back at her. The word 'wife' did not escape her notice, and I saw her shoulders relax a little.
"Wife? You look too young to have a wife," she said with a little laughter.
"True, but these days, why wait, right? You never know what will happen. Why not enjoy the days while you can. Life's precious." I picked up a small piece of wood and threw it on the fire. The sparks flew up around us, and the fire crackled and hissed in response.
Her emotions settled down somewhat while she contemplated her next words. "She's not travelling with you." She said it as a statement, rather than a question.
"No, ma'am. I didn't want her to come. She's with her family up North. I'm here looking for some distant relatives of mine. I got wind they were living down here in former Texas."
"I sure am sorry, Mr…" she paused, realizing she didn't know my name.
"Whitlock. Jasper Whitlock." I wasn't sure why I gave that name. I hadn't used it in years. I was always 'Hale' or 'Cullen' depending on what new story the family needed to spin. Down here, I had history. I had always been Jasper Whitlock, so it just felt right. "But please, call me Jasper," I finished, but didn't extend a hand. She was still wary of me and I didn't want to force her into doing something she wasn't comfortable with.
"Abby," she said. "Abigail Campbell, and this little man, is Christopher." He grinned widely, displaying a large gap where his two front teeth should have been.
I nodded my head, acknowledging the both of them.
"I'm sorry to tell you, Mr. Whitlock, but there's not much left of Texas. Civilized, anyway." She had a slight drawl to her voice that reminded me of my past. It was easy to slip back into the same cadence.
"What're you saying?" I had been hoping someone would eventually open up to me and share some information. I had been unlucky this past week. It seemed no one wanted to even mention what was happening, like it was taboo or something.
"Well, with all the oil and such, they been fighting for years. There's talk," her voice lowered, "they're building armies down there. They've been taking people to fight in their wars." Her voice cracked slightly, and I felt her sorrow. I took it in, and let her collect her thoughts, before I sent a wave to counteract her emotions. "They're some real bad people down that way. I'm not sure if your people would have survived that."
"We've heard talk of these bandits, or Ravagers, as some call them." She flinched when I mentioned the word 'Ravager.'
"Have you seen 'em, Mr. Jasper?" Christopher was excited and moved toward me. "They've razor-like teeth and blood for eyes!"
"Hush, Christopher. Those are just bedtime stories old Noah likes to fill your head with. It's nonsense." She turned to me. "I'm sorry. He gets a little carried away sometimes," she apologized.
"No, I seen 'em! They're the ones that took daddy!"
"Christopher! Enough! Mr. Whitlock doesn't want to hear your silly tales."
"Mrs. Campbell, it's okay really," I tried to reassure her. So that's where the sadness was stemming from. These 'Ravagers' or vampires, took her husband. "Is it true? Did they take your husband?" She could only nod in response, as she turned back to the pot to stir it. "I truly am sorry." I sent another wave of calm to her and her son.
"Thank you," she said earnestly. "Would you care for some stew? There's not much to it, but there's some meat in there. You're welcome to it," she offered even though I could tell there was barely enough in the pot for her and her son.
"Thank you, but no, ma'am. That's very kind, but I already ate on the way here. Didn't know I would find a District before dark."
"You sure?" she offered again, and I raised my hand in protest as she dished out the meal into two small bowls. "They took a lot of good men and women," she continued. "It all happened so quick. One minute we were all sleeping, we heard the shouts and screams, and Jonathan ran out to see what was happening, and," she swallowed her tears, "he never came back."
"Noah says they're ghosts!" Christopher said. "But I saw one through the crack in the wall. He wasn't a ghost." Christopher had moved closer to me. He was right in front of my knees now. "His eyes were red, like the devil in one of them stories. Noah says they'll suck your blood!" The child was excited, but I could sense he was terrified. He didn't want to believe the stories were true, and he looked to me for confirmation.
"Nonsense! People don't drink blood." I tried to pass it off as nothing and poked him in the belly. "Those stories were created to scare you kids into listening to your parents." I laughed, and Abigail laughed along with me. She threw me a grateful look, even though she was just as terrified as her son. There was such sadness in her eyes. She had lived a hard life, and now she had to face it alone, trying to take care of a child in a world that didn't make sense.
"You know, I might have something in my pack here that you and your mama can use." I pulled out the compass Alice had insisted I pack. She knew I never needed one, but she was adamant I take it. I smiled as I thought about her and what an amazing woman she was. "My wife gave me this, but I don't really see the need for it. I can find my way by the sun and the stars. I want you to have it." I opened the shiny brass compass for him, and the needle danced around the face until it finally rested on North.
"Mr. Whitlock, I'm sorry, we can't take that," Abigail objected.
"I insist. My wife would love to hear that someone was getting some use out of it. She's always collecting stuff, and I'm sure she probably has a half dozen of them back at home." I smiled warmly at her.
"What's her name?" Abigail asked softly.
"Alice. Her name is Alice, and I tell you," I chuckled, "she's a quite a woman." I knew exactly what the compass was meant for. She seemed to always know, with or without her visions. "She would also want me to tell you there are better places than what you have here. I don't mean to judge, but how you're living, well it isn't right," I said. "I've seen a lot of places, and there are far better Districts for you and your son." I looked her directly in the eyes and continued in a hushed voice. "You find someone you trust to go with you, and follow that compass North, on up to Washington. Look for a town called Forks. It'll be tough, but I promise you it'll be worth it. You'll find my family there. God willing, I'll be there too, but if not, you tell Alice I sent you. You'll have a home." Tears welled up in her eyes, and she quickly looked away.
I placed the compass in the little boy's hands. "It's heavy, mama!" He grinned at me, while he held it up to the fire, watching the flames in its reflection.
"Well, what do you say to Mr. Whitlock?" She sniffed a few times, while she dabbed her eyes. "Lord, child. He's gonna think I've raised you without manners."
"Thank you," he said, still in awe with the object. "Is it really mine to keep?"
"Sure is," I answered and ruffled his hair in return.
"Now, go wash up, it's time for bed," Abigail stated. He started to turn away and scuttled around the fire, but not before she scolded him. "Well, say goodnight, child!"
He turned back to me. "Will you be staying with us?" he asked curiously, looking from me to his mother. I could tell he was a little bit torn as to what my answer would be.
"No, sir. I won't be. Just passing through." I felt his sadness but I felt the relief there as well. He wasn't ready to let go of his father, and by admitting he liked me probably felt like a betrayal of sorts.
"Goodnight, Mr. Jasper. It was a pleasure to meet you." The words came out forced, like they were rehearsed and I couldn't help but laugh at his effort.
"Same to you, Christopher. I hope to see you again." I sat staring into the fire for a moment, trying to think of the best way to ask Abigail the questions I needed to ask. "He's a great kid, and I meant what I said, there's a place for you up North." It wasn't often I came across people who were honest and good these days. And I could tell Abigail was inherently good. She didn't deserve the hand that was dealt to her. If I could guide her toward a different path, she could live a life to proudly hold her head up high again. In exchange, hopefully she would give me the information I needed. The reason why I had come down here.
"Mrs. Campbell, Abby, I need to ask you some more questions about the people who took your husband."
.
IT WASN'T TOO DIFFICULT to get the information I needed from Abigail. She eventually opened up to me and we spent the evening talking well into the early hours of morning. She was a proud woman, and I had done my best to convince her to take the chance and leave this dreadful place. I promised I would keep a look out for her husband. She had shown me a picture of his face, and I memorized it in detail.
The Ravagers were said to be in the area that was formerly San Antonio, an area I was greatly familiar with having come from Houston. I had my suspicions as to who was responsible for these madmen, and knowing they were near Houston pretty much confirmed what I had suspected in the first place. The territory wars were starting again, but on a much larger scale. I was pretty sure, Maria, my maker, was responsible for all this terror. It wouldn't be easy, but I would lay eyes on her as proof before heading back to my family.
Once I had the general location, it wasn't hard to find what I had been seeking. I arrived on the outskirts of the District near mid-afternoon. It was erected close to the side of an escarpment, almost as if it was built directly into the side of it. It wasn't very large, but what I noticed first was the lack of guards posted on the walls, and as the wind shifted, the only thing I smelled was blood and death in the air. This had to be it, the question was, how did I get inside? I just needed a quick look, and then I could be on my way, back to my family, back to Alice. In total, it would have been two weeks, which was definitely a lot longer than what I had planned to spend apart from the others. Alice would be fraught with worry, so the sooner I got in and out, the sooner I could be on my way.
The front gates were open, which I found odd. District gates were never left open. The place almost looked abandoned from the outside, but my ears and nose told me differently. There were people inside, vampire and human. As I approached, two heads popped up from the wall above me. They were wearing large brimmed hats and both were wearing reflective sunglasses, hiding their eyes from me.
"What brings you here, traveler?" one of them called down to me.
I raised my hand over my brow, shielding my eyes from the lightened grey sky. "I'm hoping for shelter for the night, and I've come to seek an audience with the person in charge," I yelled back.
They asked me the typical questions that were asked when one tried to gain access to a District: my name; where did I come from; was I armed; did I have anything worth trading; how long I planned on staying? Everything seemed on the level, but my senses were running rampant throughout my body. Something was blatantly wrong with this whole set up.
When the gate opened wider, I stepped inside cautiously, my entire body alert and ready. The two men jumped down from above, more than a twenty-five foot drop, which didn't surprise me. I knew they were vampires. They were standing in front of me within seconds, and both hissed at me as they realized what I was. They grabbed me by the elbows, dragging me along with them and I didn't struggle. They weren't hostile. Their emotions told me they were more afraid than anything.
The District wasn't really a District. It was abandoned. I had expected to see more people. This was the only thing that made me question whether or not I had the right place. From the stories Abigail had described, it should be teeming with people inside these walls. The few scattered humans I saw wore heavy chains around their necks as they carried on with their duties, digging holes, chopping wood, and a few of them were tending to a small pitiful garden. There was no life in this place, no color. It was as vacant as the eyes of the humans who glanced my way. It was eerie, with the only sound being the wind howling through the cracks in the walls and the clinking of the chains.
Neither of the men who held me said anything to me. I could only assume they were taking me to whomever it was in charge. They kicked aside a metal corrugated sheet and shoved me through the opening. The stench of blood and death immediately intensified, and I choked a little.
"Wait here, Jasper Whitlock," one of the guards said, mocking my name. "I'll see if you're granted access." He took off his hat and sunglasses. Even in the dim light I could see the color of his eyes. It was obvious we did not share the same dietary restrictions.
I was left alone with the smaller of the two guards and he was fidgety. He couldn't stand still, so I did what I could to calm his nerves, and possibly get him to open up to me. So far, I hadn't had a need to panic, but with his growing agitation, it was hard to suppress an intense ominous feeling.
"What is this place?" I asked.
"Just shut up, okay? Don't talk. She doesn't like it when I let them talk." He spoke quickly, and his hands twitched as he pronounced each of the words.
He didn't seem right in the head. I was sure I could have fought him if I had wanted to leave this place, but it wasn't an option at this point. I had to see with my own eyes.
"What are you so afraid of?"
"I said no talking!" he screamed and kicked the corrugated metal sheet, denting it beyond repair. The sound echoed and vibrated off the walls.
I held my tongue, and instead eased his troubles as best I could. It was sometime before the other guard returned, and with him were two large vampires who definitely meant business. They waved me forward, pushing me down the dark, damp corridor. As we walked, the dirt floor started to slope downward, and I realized we were going underground. The sense of foreboding returned. This was all too familiar to me.
We walked for quite a while, the air dropping in temperature the further down we went. The walls seeped with moisture and it was dark, but torches lit the way every so often. We rounded a corner and I stopped in my tracks. There she was just as I had suspected, the tiny dark-haired woman who still looked like a girl, her porcelain face glowing in the soft light of the cavern. She smiled viciously.
"Jasper Whitlock." Her voice was as I remembered, soft and musical, but sharp all at once.
.
MARIA WAS A WICKED creature. She agreed to have an audience with me, her curiosity getting the better of her, but it was obvious she did not trust me. As she led me around the inner sanctum, I was filled with a myriad of emotion. It was beyond anything I could have imagined. The horrors buried beneath the ground, far outweighed any description of the realm of Hades I had read in any mythology book. 'Misty and gloomy abode of the dead, where all mortals go,' was quite possibly an understatement. The scattered belongings of human refuse covered the floor wherever we walked. This was years and years worth of belongings. How long had she been doing this? There were vampires everywhere I looked; vampires of all shapes and sizes. And I had a strong feeling I wasn't seeing the full extent of what she had hidden down here. She was extremely careful to keep me away from certain areas, but that didn't mean I couldn't feel the horrific emotions that were screaming at me from every direction.
My entire body was itching to get out of here. I had seen and gathered enough information to share with the others, and now it was time to leave before my life was at risk. We had turned the corner of the inner chamber, and my plans of departing became all but a fleeting thought. It isn't possible, was all I could say to keep myself from panicking. But my eyes were not deceiving me. I know what I felt. I know what I saw in that cage. It isn't real. I had to keep calm, but it was almost impossible, and as Maria continued to talk to me, I had to fight hard to keep listening. I need a closer look. Just one look, and all my doubt and fear would be satisfied. But Maria had seen through my façade. She saw the disgust written on my face and she saw the panic. It was going to take a lot more than just a visit to get her to trust me. There was no way I could leave now, not until I saw what was in that cage and I knew for certain that my eyes were not misleading me. It was like some morbid, cunning god of this underworld was toying with me, and now it was up to me to see the truth behind the deceit.
Maria ordered me back to her room, while she had 'other matters' to attend to. Her guards led me back along the dark tunnels, but only one stayed behind to watch over me. The same guard I had noticed earlier who had seemed to recognize the name 'Cullen.' He was tall, taller than me even, and his hair was long and tied back with a piece of leather. He would have been a little intimidating if it wasn't for his emotions. He was calm, almost at ease with me, but I also sensed his curiosity that was mixing with my own.
"Why does she stay down here?" I asked, trying to feel him out. He gave me a puzzling look as he felt the effects I could project.
"I know what you can do. I was warned about you." His voice wasn't hostile, just direct.
"Well, Maria and I have … history."
"She told me you were a major in the Civil War." He lowered his head in respect.
"I was before she took that life away from me," I said bitterly, hoping my honesty would mean something to him. "What about you? Did you fight?"
"Nah, not that war. I was a Patriot, though. War of Independence."
We stood in front of Maria's chamber across from one another, each of us eyeing up the other, soldier to soldier. It was a brief moment, but there was a new level of respect between the two of us.
"Garrett." He extended his hand.
I gripped it, shaking it firmly before adding, "Jasper."
He eyed me skeptically, before asking me another question. "I heard you mention the name 'Cullen.' Would that be Carlisle Cullen?"
My eyes narrowed as he said Carlisle's name. I wasn't sure if I could trust this man, but at the moment, I didn't have any other options. I could only hope he knew Carlisle and in some way it would be helpful to me.
"You know him?" I answered his question with a question. Neither of us was willing to give an inch in terms of trusting the other.
"I know of him, met him once or twice." He pursed his lips, nodding, hesitating for a second. "Good man."
"He is." I tested the atmosphere, deciding if I should press it further. "He's like a father to me," I said quietly, staring him directly in the eyes, waiting to see his reaction.
His nostrils flared, and his mouth formed a hard line. My confession had done the opposite to what I had hoped to achieve. It seemed to have angered him. But then he let out a deep sigh and relief washed over him. "You're one of them," he said to himself. A smile spread across his face, before the shock settled in. "But what are you doing here?"
A million questions popped into my head, and I tried to speak, but I couldn't form a coherent sentence.
Garrett apologized right away. "I'm sorry, I should have known just by looking at the color of your eyes, but I've been here so long, it's hard to know what's real and what isn't anymore."
"I know the feeling." Finally my brain and my mouth had caught up to each other. "Sorry, I'm still not following you. What did you mean by, 'You're one of them?'" I shook my head, trying to get both of our emotions under control. I let him drag me by the elbow into the Maria's chamber, away from prying eyes and ears.
"The coven. 'Vegetarian vampires' that call themselves a family. Carlisle's family," he said in hushed whispers.
"How do you know about us?" I asked with a slight edge to my voice.
"It doesn't matter, how I know. I just do."
"How do you know about us?" I said again, more forcefully this time.
"Listen, Tex, I don't have time to explain how I know about you. I just do. What I want to know is why the hell you're here? Why now? And where's the rest of your family?" He said the words quickly, through clenched teeth.
"You think I'm going to tell you anything about my family?" I was directly in his face. "You need to answer my questions first."
"I don't have to do anything. Unless you've forgotten, you're not here freely. None of us are." He turned to walk away, but I grabbed him shoving him up against the wall.
"Who's in that cage?" I demanded. The shock and anger that was registering in my system from him, was not something I was prepared for. His fierce determination to protect something or someone rang crystal clear through my system.
"Tell me," I growled.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. I told you, Jasper, your inability to control yourself is extremely disappointing." Maria's snide voice echoed off the walls. "What's this all about?" she snapped at Garrett.
He bowed his head like a servant. "Nothing, Maria. I was explaining the rules down here, nothing more." He looked over at me; his face was void of all emotion.
She was silent as she eyed us up knowing full well we were hiding something. "Leave us," she commanded, ordering Garrett out of the room.
"Jasper, really, you won't make any friends this way." Her voice was cat-like, almost like a purr. "If you want to stay here with us, you're going to have to learn some manners." She laughed, walking closer to me. She trailed her finger down my chest like she had earlier. "If you are back for good, I expect all of you back." I felt her lust burning through me, and I couldn't help but turn my head, sickened at the thought of her that way.
She threw her head back, and laughed wickedly. "You are going to have to do better than that to convince me you want to stay here."
I knew exactly what she was implying and my stomach roiled at the thought of her in the way she wanted. We had shared a bed long, long ago, but that man didn't exist anymore. For the first time in decades, I almost wished he did. I would need him if I was going to get through this alive and back to my family, back to Alice. Alice. I couldn't afford to think of her down here. It would drive me to madness. I had to push them all away and dig to the deepest parts of my soul for what I had long buried all those years ago. I could do this. I would do this for them.
"Maria, I'm here anyway you would like me." I gave her a wry smile, hoping I was convincing enough. I pulled her to me, my mouth inches away from her own. "I'm here to stay."
She licked her lips, her tongue darting dangerously close to my skin. She held us there for what seemed like minutes, and all I could do was hold my breath, so I wasn't disgusted by the smell of her.
She leaned back, examining my expression, and then without warning she shoved me with both hands as hard as she could. I hit the wall with a crack echoing around the cave. A cackle escaped her lips.
"You really think I would accept you back into my bed just like that?" she taunted. "Greater men have begged me for the chance. You'll be no different." She flipped her hair behind her shoulders. "You have to earn a spot in my bed, Jasper, and from what I've seen, it'll be a while before you get that honor. I'm disappointed in you. You're not the man I fought alongside years ago. I see you. You're weak. That little bitch softened you. I bet you haven't even been in a fight since you left me." She laughed maniacally and held her hands up in the air. "The great Jasper Whitlock a lover now, not a fighter." She lowered her arms to her side and spat venom on the ground next to my feet. "That's what I think of that. I don't need lovers. I can find plenty of those. I need fighters! And believe me … you'll fight, Jasper."
I had to get control of my emotions, I wasn't exactly afraid of her, I was afraid of what I might become while I was around her. It was true, the only fight I had been in since I left her all those years ago was with James, and there were five of us to take on that one vampire. I was confident in my abilities as a fighter, but there was something not right about this whole scene. There was more to it than she had allowed me to see. My only hope was to get the 'lay of the land' so to speak, and find out all I could. That was the only way I was going to make it out of here. I needed to placate her in every sense. I didn't know how far I was willing to go. It would depend on what was in that cage. Everything was dependent on that. If I was right, I would probably do just about anything to make it out of here alive.
"Are you going to take me on a proper tour? I figure if this is going to be my new home, I deserve to see what's here." I grinned at her, using all the charm I could muster, trying to influence her to say yes.
She eyed me warily. "No. You need to meet someone first," she said curtly. "I want to see something. Well, test more like."
My stomach flipped a little, hoping she was taking me where I so desperately wanted to go. I pushed down all the sensations I was feeling. She was right in one regard, I was having a difficult time controlling my ability, and I needed to get a better grip on things if I was going to be useful at all. I hadn't experienced this range of emotion in years, and it was like I was learning things all over again.
"Whatever you wish, Maria. So who is it you want me to meet?"
"You'll see soon enough. And then I'll know where your place is with me once you meet her."
Her. This is it. I masked all my anxieties and kept the emotion from my face. I knew once I saw her, it would be impossible to hide what I was feeling. I wondered if she would recognize me.
"Come with me," Maria said almost singing, waggling her finger at me as if I was her dog.
I held back the disgust I was feeling toward her, and tilted my head in acknowledgement. We walked to the right this time, away from the area where the cage was. Maybe they had moved her. The corridor was dark, but there were random light bulbs strung up along the ceiling of the tunnel. It was damp, and the smell of blood intensified the further along we went. My body was singing to me, fixating on the smell of human blood. I had to hold my breath to control the desire. This was going to be a true testament as to how far I had come in the last ten years. I had not tasted human blood or had a need for it since the bunker. Edward and Emmett had sacrificed the two humans for me, and I couldn't bring myself to taste another since.
We turned the corner which opened into a larger area. I quickly shut my eyes, turning my head away from the scene. My stomach clenched as I continued to hold my breath. I reached for the wall to steady myself.
"What's wrong, Jasper?" Maria asked mocking my reaction. This was just another test, but I hadn't prepared myself for this. "You know, there was a time when you wanted this." She spread her hands out in front of her.
"I never would have wanted this," I responded through gritted teeth.
"Oh, that's right," she said in a child-like voice. "You always were too sensitive. Especially when it came to human emotions."
I straightened the hem of my shirt. It was the only thing I could do to distract myself from trying to take a deep breath. I would be done if I did that. The most I could afford to do was breathe through my mouth so I could talk if I needed to, but his meant I would taste the scent on my tongue.
The room was lit by one small light bulb in the far corner, but I didn't need the light to see what was in here. There were about a dozen humans of all races chained up half-naked along the walls. I could see some of them were dead or close to dead as they hung limply from their chains. Their eyes empty, their souls long since departed from their bodies. My eyes drifted past them, their grief and pain reminding me too much of a past I had left behind. I could feel it taking over, just like before. I struggled to gain control; I couldn't let it overtake me, not again, not here.
I focused on the middle of the room. There was a platform like structure, with something resembling a bed built on top of it. It was laden with some type of coverings, but I couldn't make out what they were, but my interest waned as soon as I laid eyes on what was sitting in the middle of them.
"Jasper, this is my Emilia. Emilia, this is Jasper." Maria's energy was buzzing around her. She was overjoyed with it all. "Isn't she simply wonderful!" She wriggled her eyebrows at me.
The vampire raised her head my way, her eyes shone bright as rubies. She was a devil-child, one of the immortal children, no more than seven years old. Her appearance was pristine, a complete contrast to what was around her and in this wretched room. She had shiny, blonde hair that lay flat on her back almost to her waist; it almost seemed to glow in the dim light. It was held back from her face by a satin ribbon which matched the color of her eyes. She was wearing a simple yellow dress and apart from a few droplets of blood that spilled down the front, it was crisp and clean.
I watched in horror as she braided the hair of a fully grown female vampire who sat in front of her. It was one of the most natural acts to witness, in the most unnatural settings. My stomach churned as I tried to comprehend what this meant.
An immortal child.
"What have you done?" I turned to Maria, my anger building. "They are forbidden!"
"Jasper, you need to loosen up. Emilia is gifted. She's my child." She said it simply, with no apparent concern. "I already told you, there's no one to stop me anymore." She walked toward the child, and stroked her hair, letting it fall through her fingers. "Emilia, I want you to show Jasper what you can do." She smiled sweetly at her.
The child looked up at me and hissed. I was caught unawares and jumped back a little, fully not expecting that reaction from her. The devil-child giggled at my actions, and the two women joined in.
"Oh, Jasper, that is rich. You really have gotten soft over the years." Maria shook her head. "Emilia? Show him."
"No," she pouted.
Maria grabbed the child's hair and yanked it backwards.
"Do it," she said irritably. "I want to see if it works on him." Their eyes were locked, neither one of them giving in. Eventually the child turned her eyes on me.
I had no idea what this vile abomination could do, but I could only guess it wasn't going to be pleasant. I started to feel apprehensive with what she had planned. The horror and anger in the room, mixed with the grief and despair of the humans, was not a good combination for me. I didn't know how far my limits were anymore, but I was quickly being overwhelmed by all the emotion in the room. I grabbed for the wall again, using all my energy to hold on to myself. The pressure was building. I was just about to leave the room when it all stopped. Everything had stopped. It was like all the extra emotion had been drained away, and the only thing left was my own anxiety. I stood up straight, looking back and forth between Maria and that 'thing' in the middle of the room.
"Well, did it work?" she demanded, waiting for my reaction.
"What is it?" I asked.
"Emilia? Or what she can do?" She laughed at her own joke. I didn't respond, but fixed my eyes on hers instead. "I don't know how or what she does," she said flippantly. "All I know is any vamp in her vicinity loses their extra abilities when she turns on her juice. So it's working then?"
"Yes, it's working. What happens to the powers? How long can she keep it up for? Can she—"
"Uh-uh, Jasper." Maria held up a finger. "You have to earn the privilege to ask questions."
.
MARIA LED ME BACK to her chamber, and I was actually grateful to her for taking me away from the repugnant madness at the end of the corridor. Maria had created an immortal child. She truly had gone mad. Her desire for power was sickening. That child was an abomination, forever stuck at the age of seven; always treated as a child. Never growing, never learning.
I wondered how long Maria had been recruiting. From the looks of this place, it would have been years, possibly even before the bombs. She would be building an army unlike anything I had ever witnessed. If this was only the surface, I didn't want to know what lay in the underbelly of this place. I started to second guess my reason for being here. My eyes had surely played tricks on me. She couldn't possibly be involved in this. What if she was a willing participant? How would I tell the others? I had to leave. It was that simple. I couldn't stay here a moment longer. I needed to get out of here and take the family far away so we could stay untouched from the horrors of what Maria was planning.
I stepped through the door, and collided with the tall soldier I had met earlier.
"Whoa there, Tex. Where do you think you're going?" He grabbed me by the shoulders, looking down at me.
"I need to get out of here. I can't stay here." I removed his hands, and tried to step by him but he blocked my way.
"So you're just going to run again?" Garrett shook his head. "I should've known." I looked up at him, confused by his statement. He simply stepped aside, and said, "Go then. I won't stop you." His face was sad, and it felt like I had dashed some sort of hope he might have been feeling. He thought I was a coward.
"I don't understand. Why do you care if I leave?"
"I don't."
"You do, I can feel it."
He glared down at me. "We don't need you."
"Who's we?" I was feeling his trepidation as I continued to press him. "I know it's not Maria. So who is we?"
"Forget it. You were running out that door, so don't let me stop you."
"There was a girl in a cage…" I let my voice trail off.
He took a step back. His face was filled with shock momentarily before it turned to steel. "There's no girl."
"It was a girl. I saw her," I said with as much compassion as I could gather.
"What's it to you anyway?" he challenged, stepping back toward me.
"She looked like someone I knew from a long time ago."
"You don't want to go there, Tex."
"Someone I care about greatly needs to know. I need answers."
"Walk away, man. Cause I'm not letting you near that cage." I could feel his anger and in turn it raised my own.
"Who's in the cage?" I grabbed desperately at his shirt. "I've people who need to know."
"You don't deserve to know."
I let him go and dropped my head. "You're right. I don't deserve to know, but others do. Please, tell me," I said, my voice defeated and full of grief.
He sighed deeply, and I felt his acceptance as he finally agreed to tell me. "To most of us around here, we call her Phoenix, but you," he tilted his head, "well, you probably know her as Bella Swan."