Chapter Twenty

Bella

I had done as instructed and stripped down to my underwear which was only a little soggy wrapped the blankets around and I soon felt warmer although the cave itself was cold and damp. A small amount of light came from a torch that sat on a ledge where Garrett had left it for me and I was glad of it exploring our tiny shelter. It was about ten feet deep and four feet wide with mossy walls that dripped with rain that seeped through cracks in the rock. The floor was raised in the centre and dry here where Garrett had sat me down. My arm was sore but I could move it so I didn't worry too much, I was more concerned by what he'd said. Someone had engineered the accident and herded us to this cave but why? I could easily have been killed in the crash and probably would have if not for Garrett's help but what good would that have done? Who was doing this and why? Nothing made any sense.

I heard a sound and looked up to see Garrett standing looking at me with concern,

"Are you warmer now?"

"Yes thank you. I was trying to make sense of what's happened."

"You and me both then, I just don't get it. There wasn't much time to set this up but someone went to a lot of trouble to get us here."

"How could they know I wouldn't be badly injured or dead?"

"That occurred to me. I think perhaps they knew more about me than is safe."

"I don't understand Garrett."

"I know and now is really not the right time to be telling you, trust me Bella."

I looked around then sat down on the pile of blankets again pulling them close around me.

"I think now is the perfect time for you to tell me. We aren't going anywhere and I have nothing else to do"

He sighed heavily and sat cross-legged beside me shaking his head,

"This is not a good idea Bella but just remember it was yours not mine."

I listened in growing shock at his tale, one that came straight from a horror story and was almost as unbelievable but as he turned and I caught his face in the torch light I could see he was serious. This wasn't a story meant to terrorise or entertain but the tragic story of a young man whose life had been transformed for ever by a supernatural being.

"You aren't saying much Bella and that makes me nervous. Do I scare you?"

I shook my head,

"I guess if you wanted to kill me you'd have done it by now."

"Depending how long we are in here this is going to get increasingly dangerous for you. Although the scent of fresh blood has receded I am thirsty. I want you to know the truth Bella, if we are in here too long I might not be able to stop myself drinking your blood. Our captors have left me with no alternative"

"So you think they know what you are?"

"Yes its possible."

"Is it more vampires?"

"Again possibly but if it is I don't understand what they hope to achieve."

"Do you have many enemies?"

"No, my enemies don't usually live long Bella"

It was bluntly put but I appreciated his honesty.

We heard noises at the entrance and Garrett tensed breathing deeply,

"What is it?"

I held his hand tightly for safety.

"I think our captors were just checking we are still here."

"Where would we go? Is there another way out? I didn't see one."

"Neither did I. None of this makes sense but for now you should drink and rest, you're still shivering with shock."

He was right, I felt very thirsty and weary so I drained a bottle of water and leaned against him closing my eyes.

"It's nice to know you feel comfortable enough to sleep this close to a vampire."

"I'll just pretend you're still my gladiator Marcus Aurelius."

Garrett

This was not what I'd planned at all, I just wanted to spend time with Bella, try to find out more about her but it seemed I hadn't made a good start with the chocolates and now the accident. The accident that hadn't been an accident at all but deliberately planned. I didn't know why or who by but the essence of the matter was that they had put Bella's life in danger not just with the crash but by imprisoning her in here with me. Was that their idea, to get her attacked or killed by me? By a vampire? If so why? I had answered Bella's question honestly, I didn't have any enemies, I killed any I knew about and anyway why would another vampire try to force me to feed on a girl? It wasn't as if I were a Cullen living on animal blood or had I been mistaken for one of them? It was something to think about but it wasn't going to help our situation now. I felt guilty lying to Bella about the smell of blood receding only because to tell her the truth would have only frightened her. In fact the smell was as strong as ever and with it my thirst.

Jasper

The storm was a real bitch but I kept watching as the Quileutes tried to save their cabins and the Cullens had a visitor. I listened in, so the Police Chief's daughter was missing in company with the vampire Garrett and he was asking the Cullens for their help in finding her. Well that was an interesting development and perhaps my way in to the family. If I could find this girl and get her home safely I could prove my worth to the Cullens so I turned and ran back the way I'd come towards Seattle, through the soaked forest which would, along with the strong wind, disguise my own scent although I had my suspicions that the Cullens might use the monster truck to get as far as they could. Possibly a mistake because they might miss a clue, overshoot their target.

I ran fast but I looked and listened often and eventually I found the crash site and smelled the weak diluted blood on the broken window, so the girl was bleeding and the vampire she was with would have been subjected to the fresh scent, was he strong enough to resist temptation? If he was very fond of her I guessed it was possible but I had my doubts. I stood looking about me and sniffing the air then I saw the faint traces of others who had come down the muddy bank and studied the car themselves. There were two of them and as I followed their tracks I saw they were fast, a little too fast to be humans, but if not then what? More vampires? No, I didn't think so. Guardians? It seemed as likely as anything what they were doing here in this storm was a puzzle unless they had been following Garrett but if so then why? He was no danger to their tribe this far from any reservations.

I stopped again a few miles ahead and studied a tree overhanging the thick muddy track and found clinging to one of its twigs a small tuft of long dark hair, human hair. Was this Bella's? I was on the right track but I knew I wasn't alone. There were at least two guardians in front and they seemed to know where Garrett was headed, he was being herded and that could only mean trouble for him and his human friend. I speeded up knowing the Cullens wouldn't be in time to help at all. Slowing down as I caught the scent of the wolves, so it was the Quileutes!. I climbed a tree and swung myself forward to see what was up ahead.

In a small clearing four wolves paced and in the distance I could see a dark smudge against the wet rocky wall. There was a cave up there and I would put money on Garrett and Bella being trapped inside. Unable to concentrate properly for whatever reason, the pursuit, the smell of blood, the distraction of a weak injured human, Garrett had allowed himself to be hounded into a trap but why? Why a trap? What did the wolves hope to achieve? They weren't there to kill either of their prisoners immediately or they would have already done so. I decided to wait and watch, I didn't fear the Cullens arrival, whatever was going down would be over by the time they traced their friend.