CHAPTER 17

APOV

We had been in Abbotsford for 2 days and had found only one trace of Bella at a gas station.

Edward suggested, "What about Walmart?"

"Seriously Edward!! Bella would never go there!!" I said.

"So we're checking Walmart then" he smiled

"Edward you can't seriously expect me to go into a WALMART???" I gasped

"Bella always seems to be where we least expect her so we're checking Walmart." he said firmly.

"I may be scarred for life." I muttered quietly.

We pulled up to the dreaded discount superstore and made our way to the door.

"Oh no she di'int" I said under my breath as I caught her scent. "Seriously she'll never learn!! You give the girl $100 000.00 and she goes to Walmart."

We checked the entire store. Her scent was all over the place, even in the baby section. It made me wonder momentarily but since she didn't go near the maternity section I knew it was just an errant thought. We made our way to the exit.

"Have a nice day guys." the greeter said as we left.

Edward was seriously frustrated now. He actually growled at the man.

"Okay what else do we know that Bella would never do?" I asked.

"Sell her truck." he said.

"Off to the nearest car dealership we go." I said. We got in the car and Edward drove to the nearest dealership.

"Excuse me sir." I said to the first salesman I saw, "You didn't happen to see a young girl in a red '53 Chevy pick up did you."

"Bella? Sure did! We bought that little beauty from her and got her into a nice new Jeep. Sweet little thing. Did she send you our way? Are you looking for a car?"

I screamed in my head for Edward to be silent as I knew the best way to keep the guy talking and get more information would be to shop for a car.

"Yes. I am looking for a car, This one is just a rental and far from practical since we are on our way to join Bella."

"Ahhh so you're heading north too?" he asked

"Bingo." I shouted in my head to Edward

"Yes. That's the plan." I told the salesman.

"Did she tell you where we were going?" I asked him

"She just said north but I was telling her about the cabins I used to rent when we went hunting in the Williams Lake area."

Edward and I were both doing a silent touchdown dance in our heads. We told the salesman we would be back in the next day or two to get a Jeep, fully loaded. Emmett could always use an upgrade. We left him a large deposit and prepared to hit the road. We would reach Williams Lake after midnight on November 2nd, but we would be able to sniff around no worries.

Edward and I jumped in the car and headed north. He smiled as he thought about Bella and I concentrated on her trying to get something. I finally got something, it wasn't good. Bella screaming in pain. It was a fuzzy picture like viewing her through too much static. Edward saw it too and he tromped the gas pedal even harder.

I begged Edward to pull over at a pay phone and he did. I called Carlisle and asked him and the others to meet us in Williams Lake. We were dealing with something more than Edward and I could handle alone, of that I was sure. He told me that Rosalie and gone hunting and he couldn't reach her cell phone but the 4 of them would be on their way shortly. We would call his cell when we got to town and arrange to meet. We would find her together.

As we spoke I got another vision of Bella. She was looking at herself in the mirror, with golden eyes and vampire features. She was a little clearer, but not completely. She smiled happily, liking what she saw.

I looked at Edward who motioned me to the car. I said a quick bye to Carlisle and we were off again.