Chapter Six

Professor Whitlock

I knew two things for certain, Bella Swan believed every word she had spoken, and I was being followed, but I seriously doubted the two were connected. I didn't believe in ghosts and ghouls and things that went bump in the night, I'd stopped believing in those about the same time I found out Santa and the Easter Bunny didn't exist. I did think Bella Swan had become mentally ill at some time in childhood and had fixated on a fictional family of vampires although why they should include a man she should know nothing about I had no idea. Nor could I explain how she had recognized me and named me when as far as I was aware there were no pictures of Major Whitlock in existence that she could have seen.

As for looking after myself I thought I could do that pretty well. I was a black belt in judo, knew a variety of other martial arts, and I was pretty handy with my fists. It was time to stop this journey into Bella's dark side though before it got totally out of control,

"I want you to stop this car right now Miss Swan. We're going back to Portland and I suggest you make an appointment with your doctor."

Bella

I had half expected this but I still cursed myself for not waiting until we actually got to Forks. I considered just driving on but instead I pulled over to the side of the road and turned to face him.

"You really should listen to my friends Jay."

"Bella, I think your friends are probably just voices inside your head and I am not comfortable with this any longer, I should never have agreed to come with you on this trip and I'm calling it off now."

"I don't think I can let you do that Jay, for Jasper's sake."

I got out taking the keys from the ignition as I did so,

"Its not far now and you'll need keys to drive back so I suggest you go on with me, I promise you'll find it interesting."

He got out walking round the car towards me and suddenly I could see the Jasper I knew in his eyes and a chill ran down my spine. I found myself backing away and the keys fell from nerveless fingers at which he stopped, bent down, and picked them up looking at me coldly,

"I don't have time to play games Bella and I really expected better of you but then again if I'd listened to my gut instead of going with my head I wouldn't be here. You played me just right, using Major Whitlock to draw me in now get back in the car and I'll drive us back."

I shook my head,

"No, I'm not going back and you shouldn't either, I'm not lying to you I promise. Please Jay just take a couple more hours to listen to my friends on the reservation."

I knew even as I pleaded with him that it was too late, I'd lost him. He shook his head, got in the car, and started the engine. Then he wound down his window and looked up at me.

"Are you coming Bella? I don't want to leave you here alone on the side of the road but I'm not prepared to go any further with this."

I turned and started walking towards Forks hoping he would follow me, what else could I do? Then I heard as he turned the car round and drove slowly away from me, well I had gone as far as I could with warning him, now all I could do was hope Alice got back to me with a fresh idea before the stalker decided to act.

I'd only gone a few hundred yards when suddenly I was grabbed from behind and pulled from the road into the bushes, a hand over my mouth to prevent me screaming. At first I thought I'd been attacked by an opportunist, a lone woman on a deserted strip of road was easy prey but then the cold fingers registered and I knew this was far, far, worse. Jays stalker must have been following us and now he'd attacked me instead. I couldn't fight, he was a vampire for Gods sake! Still I had to something so I tried struggling only to hear a voice in my ear,

"If you don't stop struggling I'll knock your head off, I'm on your side so just cut it out. Sit there and keep quiet."

I stopped struggling and sat where he'd pushed me, into a tangle of briars and weeds feeling their thorns scratching my skin as I did so. Great, I'd be bleeding and my would be rescuer was a vampire! I heard scuffling and then nothing, had there been more than one vampire following us? I couldn't think of any other explanation for what just happened.

I stayed where I was until I heard the same voice telling me to get up,

"Its OK the coast is clear now, he's gone. I guess you weren't his main target today after all."

I got up wiping my scratched and bloody hands on my jeans and scowling at the stranger who stood there regarding me suspiciously.

"Who the fuck are you?"

"What?"

"Your name. It's not rocket science, you must have heard it at least a million fucking times. What's your name?"

"Bella Swan, what's yours?"

"Peter Whitlock."

"Whitlock? Any relation to the professor?... No of course not, so you must be related to Jasper."

"Who was that? I nearly crapped myself when I saw his face, it was fucking scary. If I didn't know better I'd say The Major had a twin."

"What? Who? Look, what just happened and why did you grab me? You know you dumped me into the center of a briar patch."

"Are you deaf girl? Who was that guy?"

"Professor Whitlock, Jasper Whitlock."

"Nope, there's only one Major Whitlock and I know him. That was an imposter."

"He is one of Jasper's descendants, named after him. He's a history professor at my college."

"Why was he being followed?"

"I don't know, I tried to warn him it was a vampire watching him but he didn't believe me."

"Do you blame him?"

I shook my head wrapping a tissue around the worst of my cuts and I saw Peters eyes darken momentarily but seeing my sudden fear he smiled reassuringly,

"Don't worry, I'm one of the good guys or at least where you're concerned although I don't have the faintest idea why. So how do you know The Major?"

"You mean Jasper? He was with the Cullens when I knew them but he's not any more."

"No thank fuck, he finally took his head out of his ass and saw what I'd been telling him for years, Alice Cullen wasn't right for him. It doesn't explain why I'm here though, or why The Major has a double who just drove away leaving you stranded out here in the middle of nowhere with a vampire ready to see you as lunch."

I tensed,

"Not me idiot, the other one. He took off after your friend rather than fight and I have to wonder why. You say you don't know?"

"No, I don't."

"Then I guess we'd better find out hadn't we Bella Swan. Which means we follow the doppelganger back home."

"How? I don't have any transport."

"Lucky for you I do but its a few miles away so I guess you'll be wanting a lift. Ever travel vampire style before?"

I nodded remembering how sick it had made me feel when Edward had taken me up the mountainside but before I could say anything I found myself on Peter's back and moving fast along the deserted road back towards Portland.