Chapter Twelve

Bella

I had no idea what Jake was going to tell the others, he'd left them stranded in Seattle unless he was going back after he took me home. That was my next problem, what did I tell Charlie when I arrived home with Jake not Alice. For an instant I thought about that then the face of the vampire in the cage came back to haunt me. No one, not even a vampire should be treated in that way, like a wild animal. Jake screeched to a stop as a car slewed to a halt across the road in front of us. I saw with relief it was Alice's sports car and I wrenched the truck door in anger.

"Let me out Jake, right now."

He glared at Alice as she stood in the road smiling at him then pushed the central locking button and I threw the door open, the hinges groaning with the force. I grabbed my bag and slammed the door shut again showering the road with rust. Alice opened the passenger door for me then skipped round to the other side of the car and we headed back towards Forks in silence for a while.

"Calmed down enough to talk Bella?

"No. Yes. Alice I have to do something"

"I know"

"How do you know? Have you been following me?"

She gestured to the back seat of the car which was piled high with shopping bags from stores in Portland.

"Hardly Bella but I saw what happened last night"

"You saw the cage?"

"I saw the cage, I saw the fight, I saw you try to talk to him. You never cease to amaze me Bella going in where angels fear to tread."

"Alice I have to do something before they kill him"

"That might prove difficult"

"I know but I can't just forget him"

"Not that Bella, them killing him. I doubt they have the faintest idea what or who they have there. They've caught a tiger by the tail but they can't let go without getting mauled themselves. They're too scared to touch the cage."

"Why? I did"

"I know, I saw. It was very brave and very stupid of you Bella. You could have lost your hand."

I looked at the hand he'd grabbed, it was still numb and there was a red mark in the shape of his fingers.

"Was it venom on his hand?"

"Yes. The marks will fade quickly."

I could still feel his cold fingers grasping me and see those eyes.

"What are we going to do Alice?"

She turned to me with a sour smile,

"Well hello Alice. Did you have a nice time with your friend? Thanks for picking me up so Charlie won't know where I really went and for the clothes as cover."

"Sorry Alice. Thank you for everything."

"You're very welcome Bella"

"Now what are we going to do?"

"I don't know, I'm not sure we can do anything. Don't forget Bella you'll need an excuse to go to Chicago, for Edward and Charlie and then if you do, where do you find him? Where do you take him if you can get him free? Do you have any answers?"

"Alice you're the one who sees all, you tell me."

"Bella I only see once decisions have been made"

"Right I'm making the decision to go to Chicago. How do I get there?"

"It doesn't work like that."

"Alice how did you see me today? Were you looking?"

I looked at her, guilt was plastered all over that pretty face of hers.

"What did you know Alice? There was no Carrie was there?"

"I didn't know anything for sure and yes there is a Carrie. She did the shopping for me, I just lied about where I would meet her. She flew to Seattle instead."

"You were in Seattle? Alice what's going on?"

Alice pulled in to a cafe car park and dragged me in, ordering coffee for both of us and a meal for me as we got comfortable in a booth away from the few other customers about at this time of the morning.

"Start talking Alice. I want answers"

"I'm not sure how many I can give you Bella but here goes. Do you remember me telling you about the other man I saw myself meeting in Philadelphia?"

"Yes, you said he wasn't ready for the Cullens yet and you and Garrett came on alone"

"I didn't see much for a long while after that then when you turned up in Forks..."

I interrupted her,

"Alice you're telling me things I already know."

"Stop complaining, eat, and listen."

I took a mouthful realizing just how hungry I was and waved the empty fork in her direction urging her on.

"What I didn't know and I'm still not sure about is if the two are related. I saw you going to the fight with Jake and meeting someone important."

"Alice I met half the Quileute guys, not to mention half the male population of Seattle, can you be a bit more specific."

"Stop hounding me Bella. I saw you meet someone important to you. Someone who would, could, change your future."

"Someone who would or could? There's an important distinction."

"Could, and would if possible. Bella I think the person I saw was the vampire in the cage."

"You think he is important to me? Well done Alice, haven't I been telling you for the last hour that I need to help him."

"No. You told me you wanted to."

"That's what I just said."

"No, you just said, and I quote, I NEED to help him. Why?"

"Because he's being treated like an animal and the men holding him plan on killing him."

"So? He's a savage, a trained fighter. Well not trained so much as natural but I don't think the distinction matters."

"What do you know about him Alice?"

"Bella, I think he's the other vampire we were travelling with, Garrett and I."

"The vampire who wanted a new way to live? The empath? What's he doing in a cage?"

"I don't know, I can only guess but he was very depressed when he left, lonely and frustrated. I think perhaps he looked for something that didn't exist at the time and when he didn't find it he gave up trying. He became one of the underground fighters and as he became submerged in the blood and violence he lost himself."

"What was he looking for? What could drive a man into such a state?"

"Man, Bella? He's a vampire and a very dangerous one, do we qualify for person status? I'm not sure. To most of mankind we are a savage monster to be killed."

"That doesn't stop him being a man Alice"

"Did he look like a man to you Bella or a wild animal? Would you have stepped in that cage with him?"

"You didn't answer my question Alice. What couldn't he find?"

"The only thing that could have kept him from insanity. Love"

"Love? I don't understand"

"I know and its very hard to explain but I'll try"

I listened in horror as she told me what she knew of Jasper Whitlocks past, that was his name, Major Jasper Whitlock.

"So he escaped from this Maria and went looking for something, love?"

"Bella he's an empath. Imagine going through life feeling everyone's emotions all the time, being bombarded with them. Then imagine becoming a monster so all you feel is rage and fury and thirst. Then you escape but you can't escape who you are and still you feel the hatred and fear of everyone you meet. Wouldn't you be looking for the one person in the world who would feel love and compassion for you? And if you couldn't find that person wouldn't you go mad?"

"Why couldn't he find her?"

"Very simply Bella because she hadn't been born yet. His mate didn't come along until very recently and the chances of him learning about her were a million to one, but fate plays funny tricks on us sometimes."