Chapter Thirty Three

Emmett

None of us could relax on the flight back thinking of the girls in danger just a few hours away but there was nothing for it but to sit and wait it out. Peter and Charlotte were sitting together talking quietly about their first contact with Maria in years while the other guys were discussing how far they could trust Maria.

"I want every communication between Maria and the rest of the world monitored and recorded Hunter. Anyone she calls, I don't care who it is or what the subject of the conversation is."

"Already on it Major."

"And before you start barking out the orders I've already got her under surveillance. It was easy enough when I got her fix. If she visits anyone or anyone even sneezes close to her you'll know before she does."

"Good, I know her too well to trust her."

He glanced at Alice and Jasper who were sitting together also talking quietly but Jasper felt Jazz's scrutiny and looked up still unsure and angry. The scene in the car hadn't helped matters between the two of them. Alice and this Jasper guy had sat in the back with Hunter while I sat up front with Jazz and drove us back to the airstrip.

"Will Bella be there when we get wherever we're going?"

Jazz stiffened and I saw his fists clench,

"Why? What's it to you? From what I hear you not only called her crazy but left her stranded in the middle of nowhere. Hardly a gentlemanly thing to do."

"Gentlemanly? You intend to lecture me on being a gentleman? You've got some nerve Major after what I've learned about your past conduct."

Alice shook his arm warningly but by that time Jazz had leaned over and grabbed him by the collar almost dragging him to the front and was talking to him teeth clenched,

"You have no fucking idea of my life, you were the one who wrote a paper calling me a coward and don't ever speak of Bella again. She might feel sorry for you but believe me she's in a minority of one. If you'd listened to her we wouldn't be here and she wouldn't be in danger and too far away for us to help her. So I'd keep my mouth shut if I were you or I'll be taking a pile of ashes back with me instead of you."

He almost threw Jasper backwards and I could see in my mirror that Alice was holding him back as he fought to get at Jazz. I turned round to look at him and smiled grimly,

"Just remember, I second that. Sorry Alice."

Since then Jasper had stuck close to Alice and watched Jazz with a mixture of hatred and fear. Of course it was water off a duck's back to Jazz, he knew exactly how to treat a newborn, even a self controlled one like Jasper. Alice was trying her hardest to calm her mate and slowly he began to relax but he knew he was in the presence of raw power and command backed by friends each of whom would be more than happy to open the plane door and boot his ass out. If he mentioned Bella again that short fall to the ground would be minus limbs and quite probably tongue too. The meeting between Bella and him would be an interesting one but my money was on this interloper keeping his distance. It was creepy having two Jasper's in the same space, the likeness was uncanny until you studied them, then the differences became only too apparent, their attitude, stance, and of course the scars. They were the scariest part of Jazz and it had taken me a long while to see beyond them. To me they were a visual warning of the kind of man he was which was misleading because when you got to know him Jazz was probably the most gentle and amusing soul I had ever encountered in our world.

I joined Hunter and Darius when Jazz left them to sit across from his double staring at him and making the other visibly uncomfortable until Alice changed places with him giving him a rest from the constant scrutiny and Jazz just smiled, he'd won another round. This was a competition to him, proving he was the only Major Whitlock in either world and he was winning hands down. His charisma and power was brought home to me today and I vowed never to get on the wrong side of him.

When the pilot called me through to the cockpit with a call I thought it was Rose checking how much longer we would be but as soon as I heard the voice I knew something was very wrong.

"Em, we hit trouble. Don't worry Bella's safe but they tried to snatch her."

"Rose? Are you OK?"

"I'll be fine but Em…...please hurry I'm not going to be able to protect Bella again if the other one comes back."

"Why? Who was it? Are you hurt Rose?"

"I have to go, we need to keep moving but hurry Em please and remember I love you."

I threw the head set down and turned to the pilot,

"How much longer?"

"An hour maybe more."

"Can you get any more speed out of this heap of junk?"

"No I'm sorry, this is its safe operating speed."

A hand came over his shoulder and Darius face was resting against his,

"I happen to know this plane will manage at least another thousand revs but if you're too chicken to fly at that speed slide over and I'll take the stick."

The pilot went white and slid over mumbling about his insurance but too scared to argue with the grim faced Darius,

"Get back there and tell the others we'll be landing in about twenty minutes and get fast cars ready. The Major's gonna kill us all if anything happens to his mate."

I was shaking myself at the thought my mate was injured but I did as he asked going back and sliding into the seat beside Jazz.

"I just got a call from Rose Jazz. They hit trouble."

His face went rigid but he waited to hear the rest,

"Rose fought them off and Bella's fine but she's worried, one got away and if he comes back she can't protect Bella, I think Rose is injured Jazz although she wouldn't tell me any more. Darius is flying now."

He got up very calmly and walked over pushing Alice aside to get right in Jasper's face a finger close to his eye,

"Because of you I'm stuck up here while my mate and Emmett's are fighting for their lives. You'd better pray they are both alive and well when we find them or I swear to God I'll make you wish you'd never been born!"

He ignored Alice's hiss of anger and walked away to sit beside Peter and Charlotte making plans for watching Jasper while the rest of us located Rose and Bella. Peter was all for teaching Jasper to jump without a parachute but he was the reason we'd gone to Mexico so this was vetoed with some regret by Jazz.

"Just make sure he doesn't go anywhere Peter. Rip his legs off if you have to and Charlotte watch out for Alice. I don't trust her any longer, not with him as her mate. Take them to the closest motel and keep them there, I'll leave Hunter with you as back up and keep in touch, if you see anything…"

"Yeah I know if I see anything that makes me nervous get moving and stay moving I'm not a novice Major."

Jazz nodded,

"No you're not Peter, sorry."

Peter looked astounded at the apology as if it was unheard of which showed just how concerned he was about the girls.