Chapter Twenty Four

Atiqtalaaq

When the Quileute Alpha arrived I went out to meet him with Annie who always seemed to be watching me as if I were incapable of making any decisions while Johnny H was away. As his second in command by right of birth I found this annoying but without being discourteous there was nothing I could do about it. I had heard of Sam Uley, his wolf pack was small and recently formed as a coven of leeches set up home close to their reservation. Johnny seemed to think the Cullens were different, that they were not dangerous although as far as I could see all leeches were dangerous, if not then why did we exist and why did the Quileute pack arise? I welcomed our brothers into the village but was startled when he introduced his pack. Women didn't phase, it was virtually unheard of, only in legends yet he had a female with him. At first I thought she was along to look after his charges, two children or at least that's what I took them for, but Annie, of course, knew better.

"Why have you brought a hybrid to us Samuel?"

A hybrid? I peered into the back of the vehicle where two children lay sleeping and then I smelled it, less pungent than a full leech but the sickly sweet stench hung around the boy vastly diluted but discernible.

"We need your help. Can I speak to Johnny H?"

"He is not here. I Atiqtalaaq am in command while he is absent. What aid do you require?"

"Shouldn't you bring the children in out of the cold Samuel?"

I turned to glare at Annie who ignored my annoyance and waited for Sam to act. He nodded and the children were carried inside her cabin which was closest by two unhappy members of his pack. I was glad, I didn't want that stink in my own living quarters but it should have been my suggestion, not hers.

Looking at the sleeping children I detected a chemical odor too,

"Have they been drugged?"

Sam glanced at his female before answering,

"It was necessary to get them here safely. They are escapees from the leeches."

Annie's bright eyes never left the children's faces as she questioned him,

"Escapees? What would the Cullens want with two children? A hybrid perhaps, they are very rare I suppose, but a human female child, barely more than a baby?"

We listened as Sam told us the story, horrified that the leeches could do such a thing.

"Of course we will keep them safe, they must be hidden from the leeches and found new homes."

I could see Annie was uneasy but before she could argue he asked for another favor, a temporary prison for a human male. This wasn't something we ever dealt with, humans were not our enemies.

"Why would you need a secure place to hold a human?"

"He came upon us as we rescued the children so we had to take him too. He'll be along soon with our brothers."

"I think you should speak to Johnny, Atiqtalaaq."

I frowned shaking my head at Annie's suggestion.

"He will be back in a week, I'm sure I can make a decision to shelter two innocent children and a human male until then Annie. In fact perhaps you should take charge of the man as you think he is a special case. My sisters can care for the children although the thought of a hybrid in our village is unsettling, still he is a victim not the enemy so we can make an exception in his case."

Annie

I was most uncomfortable about all this, something sounded a little off with the story and I did not approve of drugging children, nor did I like the way Leah looked at the children, especially the boy. I would not trust her alone with him and she did not seem much better disposed towards the little girl. I would take charge of the human male because I might get the full story from him once he understood I was not the enemy but drugging and kidnapping him was not a wise thing to do, especially when Samuel told us rather belatedly that he was a police chief. No good could come of holding a member of the police force against his will but it made me even more convinced there was more to the story than we were being told.

I made sure the children were tucked up in bed, the door of their room locked and then instructed my eldest son to make the basement of my cabin secure for the man. It would be cold and uncomfortable but I could make some arrangements to ensure he was fed and kept as warm as possible. We were only just in time as it was, the hole cut high in the wall to provide fresh air was fitted with a grill just as the car drove up and my son along with his friend ensured there was no trouble getting the man into his "room". He looked dazed and confused and I wondered if he had been ill treated but when I asked Jacob, another of the Quileutes he merely shrugged,

"I think he was locked in the trunk of the car but he was drugged so he wouldn't know much, besides if he hadn't come after us he wouldn't have been taken so its his own fault."

Now why were the Quileutes so hostile to the police chief? Yet another part of the puzzle I decided I would need to discover in my own way.

Once I was sure he was safely inside the basement I left my son to watch over him and went back to Atiqtalaaq's sister's cabin. She was happy enough, she loved children but couldn't understand why they must be watched closely and kept under guard. Her brother had insisted on two of the Quileutes watching the children in case they tried to escape. After all they were going to be extremely confused and frightened when they woke up in a strange place surrounded by unfamiliar faces. Seeing that the girl Leah was one of those watching the sleeping children I tried to make conversation with her but soon found it was a difficult task.

"Are they OK?"

She shrugged and continued to stare out of the window at the darkness, only the swirl of snow against the porch light breaking the black.

"They are handsome looking children. Do you know their parentage? I hear the boy is the result of an unfortunate incident."

Finally she turned to look at me and I could see the hatred in her eyes, not for me but for the two innocent babes.

"I don't care who their parents are and it wasn't an unfortunate incident, the human girl was attacked by a leech. Nor do I care what happens to them. left up to me they would be dead by now. By bringing them here we have set a target on our backs, one the Cullens won't find difficult to hunt down. He's a hybrid anyway, not human. Why would Sam want to save him from the leeches?"

"You are a very unhappy girl Leah but surely these children deserve your pity? They didn't ask to be born or to be in the middle of a conflict. The guardian tribes have a responsibility..."

She snapped, breaking in before I could finish,

"I know, to the tribe they protect. Not to outsiders."

"Oh, so that's what you think?"

"That's what I know. Even..."

She cut off suddenly and I had the impression she had been about to say something very interesting but then stopped herself and despite my continued efforts to restart the conversation she wouldn't speak again.

Deciding I might have more luck with the other Quileutes I went looking for them. Sam was coming out of Atiqtalaaq's cabin looking satisfied so I called him over and though he looked uncomfortable he did come to me.

"Are you going to tell us what is really going on here Samuel? You bring two young children heavily drugged and a human who just happens to be a chief of Police in the United States and so far your story seems incomplete."

"I've told your deputy leader the whole story, he said he'll speak to Johnny H and we should have an answer by morning."

"Oh? And what answer are you hoping for? You are prepared to risk a war for the sake of the children?"

"Those children do not belong with the leeches. Wouldn't you do the same to keep them safe?"

"That depends on what "the same" means. You said you didn't want the chief and the children to meet. You don't want him to know they are here yet he is asking about them. To me that signifies he cares about them and that worries me Samuel."

He stared at me and I could see a flicker of something in those eyes, Samuel had secrets, secrets that might tell the real story behind the kidnaps and I am determined to find out those secrets for myself if he was not willing to share them.