Chapter Seventy One

Charlie

When I woke up I wasn't in the car any longer, nor was I on a plane, in fact I had no idea where I was. It was dark and cold and the floor was hard, it felt like concrete. Perhaps I was dreaming but I didn't think so, it all felt too real and I had the mother of all headaches. I sat up and groaned as the floor seemed to undulate sickeningly. My mouth tasted as if a herd of cattle had walked through on their way to tap dance in my skull. I tried to stand up but found I couldn't, the ceiling was too low and I cracked my head on it painfully. I explored the rest of my surroundings with my hands. I was in a concrete or stone room about five feet high and about ten foot wide. It smelled damp and the walls were slick to the touch. What the hell had happened to me? I felt around and discovered a torch against one wall. Praying that it had batteries in it I pressed the button and a weak light illuminated my prison, for want of a better word. At the furthest point was an iron door streaked with rust but looking strong enough. There was a blanket, a bucket, packs of food and bottles of water and that was it. Nothing else, and no clue as to where I was or who had done this to me. I sat down wrapping the blanket around me, and opening one of the water bottles drank deeply hoping to get rid of the taste at least. I must have been drugged by someone, but who? And why?

Bella

I stared in disbelief at the picture on the screen. It showed my Dad in a concrete room, sitting with a blanket around him and a torch in his hand. He looked terrible, as if he was sick, and the caption at the bottom of the screen read.

You have exactly ten minutes to leave the house and run to the end of the drive before I flood the room and drown your father.

I looked around in panic and finding a pen scribbled a note for Jasper, leaving it so it would be the first thing he saw when he came in from the hunt. Then I grabbed my jacket and ran as fast as I could up the drive. At the end stood a car with its engine running and as I approached the driver got out, taking off his cap,

"Bella Swan?"

I nodded and he opened the rear of the car for me. I looked in warily but it was empty, that is empty of a person, I could smell Charlie's aftershave though and I stepped back.

"I think I'd rather travel up front."

The driver merely nodded, "As you wish Miss"

and he opened the front passenger door for me. I got in slowly looking around and hoping against hope that Jasper would be back early and see me,. I knew who was responsible for Charlie's plight, Alice Cullen who else? My door slammed and the driver came round to the other side slowly. As he got in the car I looked at his profile, it seemed to have changed but the light went out and with no moon it was too dark in the car to see him again.

"Where are we going?"

He just shook his head.

"Will it take long?"

Again there was silence, he'd obviously been given his orders not to tell me anything. We drove for at least an hour in complete silence, I looked out of the window but it was black so we must still be in the country, away from town or city lights.

Jasper

I got back to find Bella gone. Her note was stuck to the computer screen which had been turned to face the door.

"Jasper, Charlie's been taken and now they want me. They threatened to drown him so I had to go. Find us please darling. I'm counting on you. Love always Bella".

On the screen was what appeared to be a real-time camera shot of Charlie in some kind of underground cell. I cursed roundly, this had to be Alice's work. As I headed back out a car pulled up and the passenger door swung open.

"About time Major, get in we've got to catch the car up."

Charlie

I was shivering now, it was so cold in here and the water was still trickling down the walls as if there were a river or something like above my head. I'd drunk most of the bottled water and I still felt sick and dry. I tried the food but I couldn't swallow the crackers or biscuits. As I looked around I noticed a small round hole high up on one wall so I decided to check it out. As I got closer I could see it was a camera lens. So someone was watching me, or recording me. No f way I thought, and I stuck one of the bottle labels over it.

"Now come and see what I'm doing ass hole" I croaked.

Moving back to my seat on the upturned bucket which was the only thing keeping me from sitting in water I noticed a small slot in the door which was slid open. As I watched, more bottles of water were pushed through along with another blanket, some more torch batteries and a note. As the slot shut again I crawled over and picked the things up, welcoming the blanket most of all. Taking it back to my corner and opening another water bottle I unfolded the note.

"Charlie, Stop with the silly tricks. Take the cover off the camera or there'll be no more supplies".

It wasn't signed but I sighed and pulled the label off the camera lens, then wrapped myself in the other blanket and leaning against the wall tried to sleep, hoping the headache and sickness might be gone when I woke next.

Bella

The car was slowing now outside tall iron gates. As I watched they swung silently inwards and the car drove through. All of a sudden I heard a thumping from the rear of the car and the driver cursed quietly before stopping and getting out.

"Stay Miss" was all he said as he went round to the trunk.

I heard a muffled squeal and a thump before the driver got back in adjusting his gloves as he did so.

"What was that?" I asked not expecting a reply but I heard a low answer,

"Mice"

and couldn't help a smile.