Chapter Twenty Eight

Charlie

Jacob was looking decidedly uncomfortable now, not half as uncomfortable as he would be if I didn't get some straight answers.

"It was me who told her where we'd been but the other guys invited her along and when I tried to stop her as I said it just made her more determined, she was giving Alice Cullen an alibi I think, it was mutual. Anyway we went and the first night she had fun. I rented a motel room for her and stayed, in the chair, to make sure she was safe. The next night there was a special fight and I didn't want Bella to see so arranged somewhere for her to go, she had her book and I was going to pick her up as soon as the bout finished. Anyway she went exploring and she found the fighter who'd won, in a cage. I don't know what happened but she was really weird after that. She wanted to get him out but it was too dangerous so I brought her home, Alice met us along the road and Bella came home with her. I went back to pick up the others."

"Who was he Jake?"

I only know him as The Major, a real scary mother."

"And he was in the cage because?"

"He's dangerous"

"Then why did Bella want to get him out?"

"She's got a thing about them Chief"

"A thing about who Jacob?"

"His kind"

Billy cut in then,

"Charlie were getting into dangerous territory now, in order to tell you about The Major I need your word you wont tell another soul what you are about to hear."

"Is this something to do with drugs?"

"No, no drugs, no guns, nothing like that"

"But something illegal?"

"Not even that or at least as far as I know there's no law against them"

"Should be"

"Jake interjected and Sam nodded his head but Billy glared at them and they subsided into silence.

"OK if it's not illegal I can keep quiet."

"The Major is a rather dangerous creature, he's a vampire".

"A what? A vampire? Aren't they a myth?"

"I wish they were Charlie but unfortunately they are real enough and some live among us, even here in Forks."

"You're telling me there are blood drinking vampires in Forks? Billy have you been drinking moonshine again?"

I could see Billy was in deadly earnest,

"Listen, if there are vampires here in Forks how come they haven't slaughtered the whole town by now?"

"These vampires are different, they live on animal blood"

"Right, but this Major doesn't I take it?"

"No, nor his friends"

"I'm confused, why would Bella want to free a vampire? Especially if he drinks human blood or doesn't she know about him?"

"She knows, Bella's something of an expert on vampires Charlie"

I looked at Sam who had spoken.

"Bella an expert! How?"

"She was going out with one."

I frowned,

"Are you telling me that Edward Cullen is a vampire too?"

"Yes Charlie, all the Cullens are. Haven't you ever noticed how pale skinned they are? How cold their hands? You must have shaken Carlisle Cullens hand a few times, did it not strike you how cold and hard it felt?"

"I can't say it did but I'm confused again, Carlisle Cullen is a vampire working at a hospital that treats bleeding humans?"

"Yes, he lives on animal blood as we told you."

"OK, ignoring the Cullens for a bit. Why is Bella interested in this Major?"

"We don't know Charlie, just that she is and its my belief that Alice Cullen has given her enough information to hunt for him, possibly with friends of his"

"More human blood drinkers?"

"Yes"

"Why don't they just drink her blood then?"

"Again we don't know. They could transform her though"

"Make her a vampire too? How?"

"By biting her. It would never have happened here because we have a treaty with the Cullens. We keep their secret as long as they don't bite any humans."

"This so bizarre, its crazy"

"That doesn't stop it being the truth though."

"So what do I do now? I don't know where she is and the phone number she rang from isn't switched on any longer"

"Don't you have any way of tracing the location the last call came from? Surely with your contacts Charlie."

"I could try but its going to be awkward without giving a reason."

"Tell them its a personal problem with your daughter, won't a friend understand?"

When I got back I sat behind my desk with orders I wasn't to be interrupted for anything other than an alien invasion which was ironic after what I just learned! I couldn't quite grasp this vampire business but there was something going on and Billy and the guys believed it so I rang Bill Evans, a friend of mine from way back who worked for a communications company and gave him just enough information to satisfy his sense of what was legal and he promise to try, "but no guarantees." Then I rang a friend on the Seattle P.D, Andy Watson, we'd been at college together and met up a couple of times a year for drinks.

"Charlie good to hear your voice. Everything OK? I guess not or you wouldn't be on the phone, what is it you think I can help you with?"

"I wondered if you could tell me anything about the underground fighting circle"

He laughed,

"Why? You thinking about making a few extra bucks? Believe me there are some mean mothers in that game, why do you ask?"

"I have a slight problem with my daughter and it seems she was at one of those fight nights in Seattle a couple of weeks ago ."

"You mean Bella? Who the hell took her? He wants shooting, it's no place for a young girl although as I remember it the last one we found out about was supposed to be tamer than most, unfortunately our Intel came too late to stop it going ahead but I did hear strange rumors afterwards that there had been something special on the card."

"Special?"

"Yeah, only rumors, but I think they had a real killer on board"

"You don't happen to know his name Andy?"

"Name? They use stage names mostly but I think his was The Major. I don't know any more, none of my usual informants would talk about him why? Don't tell me she's run off with one of the gorillas?"

"I'm not sure what she's done but do you have anyone who might be willing to talk to me about that weekends fights?"

"There's only one guy who might talk but he'll expect paying and I'm not going to strong-arm him, He's too valuable."

"If I come up there will you hook me up with him? I'll pay for his information. I have a day off tomorrow if that's possible"

"You are eager. OK Charlie give me an hour, sorry about Bella, kids are a worry."

So there was a fighter called The Major although whether he was a vampire or not remained to be seen. Now what I needed was for Bill to come up with a location.