Chapter Twenty One

Peter

What the fuck had we got involved in here? Could it be true, The Major on the brink of madness and his mate an unknown human girl? I couldn't see any other conclusion that fitted the facts but I was deeply uneasy about taking Bella with us, once we found him she could too easily lose her life. The power that made her search for him without even knowing anything about him pointed to a mating pull but The Major and a human girl? That one was a puzzle. I made a few enquiries but no one knew anything or had seen him since he left Garrett and came back to us. I hadn't tried him yet so I rang his number, leaving a message when his phone went unanswered. The other possibility was the cabin he'd brought but I had no idea where it was. He'd brought it legally so there must be a paper trail somewhere but finding deeds was notoriously difficult and time-consuming. I'd put my lawyer friend on it, maybe he'd find something. I'd just started to dial his number when my phone rang.

"Peter, you left a message,"

"Thanks for returning the call Garrett. I've got a problem"

"Yeah I thought it might be about her. So Bella Swan contacted you?"

"I need to find The Major, do you have any ideas?"

"No and I tried Alice but she just shook her head, whether she doesn't know or won't say I couldn't tell you. I'm happy to help if I can though. I'm at a loose end right now. Where are you?"

"Seattle, I was going to start where he was last seen but Alice already told Bella he'd escaped. Join us if you want but what about Alice?"

"We're through, amicable split, we just want different things from life. I like The Major but I guess I let Alice dazzle me for a while. You could say I owe him."

"Well I've got feelers out but so far zilch, he's like a fucking ghost. The only concrete thing we know is that he bought a cabin some years back in the mountains so I'm putting my lawyer on the paper trail."

"I'll meet up with you in Seattle in a few hours, I just have to say my goodbyes, give me the address, if you have to leave just text and I'll catch up with you"

"Appreciate it Garrett."

I dialled Hooper, the lawyer who did some work for me on the QT. He had a new secretary who was unwilling to put me through at first,

"I can take your number and have him return your call when he's free."

"Listen to me, you get off your pretty little ass and go through to Hooper, I don't care if he is with a client right now, and you tell him Captain Peter Whitlock would like a word. I guarantee if you don't and he finds our later you'll be looking for a new job."

I heard her curse, very unladylike, as she got up and went to his office as I'd told her.

Within seconds she was back,

"I'm very sorry Captain Whitlock, Mr Hooper says he'll be just a second if you'd be so good as to hold on."

I smiled, I bet Hooper was wetting his pants at the sound of my name, and sure enough he came on a minute after that,

"Captain Whitlock so sorry to have kept you waiting. How may I help you?"

"I need to trace a land deed."

"Certainly, if you'll just give me the details..."

"I don't have any, it's a cabin in the mountains"

"Which mountain's Captain? I need you to be a little more specific than that."

"Well how about this for specific, this cabin was bought some years ago by a Jasper Whitlock, possibly..."

"Major Whitlock?"

"That's right Hooper, you know him?"

"I did the work on the sale, he came with your name as recommendation."

"Good. All I need is the address."

"I'll find it and ring you back later shall I?"

"No, I'll wait, you find it now, I'm in a hurry."

I knew if I let him off he'd take hours purely to make it appear he'd been working hard for his fee but I wasn't playing that game today and he knew it. When he came back with an address I smiled,

"Thank you Hooper. Send an account to the usual address."

"That wont be necessary Captain, consider it a favour for a special client."

I gave him a hard time but he did the business exactly the way I wanted so I would send him a thank you check. Stick and carrot worked every time! The girls were back soon after, Bella too impatient to find out if I knew anything to focus on the mundane.

"Bella, how long do you have?"

"Away from home? About a week tops, after that my dad will start kicking up a stink."

"It's not long enough. We have to get there and if things don't go according to plan we might be there a while."

"Once you find him I'll leave. I just need to know he's OK"

She really didn't get it did she? If things were as they appeared she wouldn't be able to leave.

"Well for now it will have to be long enough. Garrett's joining us by the way"

"Garrett? Why?"

"He knows The Major and like you he cares. I found out where he might be but it means a long drive. You up for it?"

She nodded

"Yes, I'm fine. I can sleep in the truck"

"Yeah thinking about your truck it might be best to put it in the airport long-term parking lot, it'll be safe and out of the way. I've organised an off roader for where we're going. We pick it up in Whitefish, his cabin is in the Glacier National Park, Montana. It's about nine hours drive, so we wait for Garrett and he can play chauffeur. You sure you're comfortable with being that close to three vampires?"

"I work on the principal if you were going to attack you'd have done it by now"

"Maybe we weren't thirsty then"

"And you are now? Then I guess I'm the picnic basket"

He roared with laughter at that.

"I'm liking you more and more Bella,"

Although I couldn't say anything I was liking him too, he had no airs or graces but he was honest and I felt he really cared. I wondered how long we'd have to wait for Garrett.

"Shall I get some supplies for the journey so we don't have to stop too often?"

"Stop? what the fuck for?"

"I'm human remember, I'll need a couple of comfort breaks, sorry"

Char hit him on the shoulder,

"Peter,"

He turned so fast it made my head spin,

"What? What the hell was that for woman? I was only asking, Jeez, stop using me like a fucking punch bag. Sorry Bella if I embarrassed you. You need to stop, you just holler."

About twenty minutes later there was a knock on the door and Peter opened it to the familiar face of Garrett. The guys shook hands and he went to give Char a kiss then turned to me.

"Why the hell are you roaming the country with this reprobate Bella?"

"Hey, if you are going to insult me at least do it in language I understand. You academic sorts get right on my wick."

"Sorry Peter I forgot any word with more than four letters makes you nervous."

"Fuck you Garrett."

Peter looked out the door.

"Where's the car?"

"What car?"

"The one you arrived in"

"I didn't"

"You didn't arrive or you didn't bring a car?"

"I ran"

"Great, I was relying on you for wheels, now we have to rent a car."

"If I'd known I'd have borrowed one on the way. Never mind Peter, I'll find you a nice set of wheels."

"Garrett let's stay legal, at least for a while."

Garrett looked at me as Peter said this and nodded,

"Yeah it wouldn't be a good idea to be stopped in a stolen car, not with the Chief of Police's daughter in it."

There was a deathly hush,

"What? Bella, your dad is Chief of Police? I think maybe you forgot to tell us that little nugget of information."

"Yeah he's Chief of Police in Forks".

"Great, well lets find The Major so you can go home before he sends the National Guard out looking for you."

"I'd be more worried about the wolves he might send looking for her"

"Wolves? Oh the Quileutes. Yeah things could get interesting."

In the end Peter and Garrett hired a car and with the two guys in front and Char and I in the rear we set off. It was an adventure but I knew it could very well end in disaster, at least for me.