Chapter Sixty Seven
Jasper
I could feel Anamarie's rage at being thrown to the lions and knew she felt betrayed by her masters whoever they were. I didn't think even she knew because whenever I had mentioned the subject she had just shrugged and I felt no deception. She was a fool who was going to die for her arrogance and I would have been happy to take her straight out but I sensed Caius was suspicious, perhaps I was acting just a little too much like myself.
Well Anamarie's death would help to show I wasn't. I tried to think like Jay and decided he would want to show off his fighting skills one on one, his martial arts training would push him in that direction and Caius would understand that. I hated playing with my enemy but I had no choice here and the pain of separation from Bella which had been eating me up would finally get an outlet. The best thing to do would be to forget everything but my adversary and humiliating her as well as punishing her before the coup de grace.
As I attacked I could see she was determined to defend herself and I smiled, this would make it even more believable, allow her just a little leeway before crushing her completely. I closed my eyes and let instinct and habit take over but only to a degree, remembering I needed to show off.
Everything went fine, for me at least, until I suddenly had a feeling of dread, luckily I fought for concentration and won but I knew I had to finish things more quickly than I had anticipated. The feeling of dread was growing stronger and I knew it had something to do with my mate.
Was Bella in danger? How could she be with Peter and the others watching over her? I came back to find I had Anamarie's head in my hands, while her body lay squirming at my feet. This time there would be no second chances and I flung the head straight into the compound fire ignoring the screams and followed it with her body before turning and walking back to my cabin. I needed to be alone to compose myself before facing Caius.
Bella
It all happened so very suddenly that I barely had time to brace myself or utter a scream. We went round a bend only to find another car headed straight for us on our side and moving very fast. Jay acted as quickly as he could but even vampire senses couldn't force a car to do its bidding on a slippery road surface and I could see mud flowing across the road, there must have been a landslide and the mud was being washed across the road by the torrential rain. Jay fought the steering but I just had time to see he wasn't going to make it before my side of the car was hit by the other and all I could hear was a screeching of metal and breaking glass.
I felt a sharp pain in my chest and blood running down my face but I couldn't move. The other car had slammed into my side and bent the body into the interior. I tried to breathe but couldn't get my lungs to work properly and as blood welled up into my throat threatening to choke me I knew it was bad.
I coughed and the pain became worse but I had no breath to cry out and I couldn't see anything through the mixture of rain and blood now cascading down my face. All I could think of was Jasper, how I wished he were here with me instead of miles away.
Jasper
I had just shut the door when it hit me, Bella's pain, something had happened to her and I wanted to leave, go find her and assure my self she was going to be OK but I had a job to do here. I had to find out what Caius had planned and who his partners were. I was a soldier with a mission and I had to trust that whatever was happening the others would be there to make sure Bella was safe.
I had just straightened and composed my features when Caius came walking in, a huge grin on his face.
"Well done Major. You showed off a little more than the real Major would but no one seemed to notice. They really believe you are him and now I believe I have my partners where I want them. They wish to meet you face to face so I suggest you get yourself cleaned up while I arrange it.
Bella
I drifted in and out hearing a voice that seemed familiar yet one I couldn't put a name to and then as I lifted the one arm that hurt but wasn't trapped and wiped my eyes I saw him. Jasper was here, somehow he'd known I needed him and he'd come to help me. I tried to speak, to call his name as he leaned in pulling at the twisted metal that had been the two cars but stopped as he saw the pain become unbearable.
I tried to beg him to stop but could only manage a gurgle in my throat and coughed again. Why didn't he make the pain go away? Why was he trying to pull the metal away when he could see how much pain I was in?
Jasper
The feeling of dread had been replaced by a strange feeling of detachment, what was going on? Then I noticed the ache in my chest growing, was she being taken further away from me? Could they have decided to move Bella somewhere safer? Maybe the dread had been fear, had Caius tracked Bella down? Was she even now running for her life?
The feelings were almost unbearable but I had a job to do, an important task and I couldn't just leave without putting us all at risk, Bella, Jay, and myself plus our very world as we knew it if Caius plan succeeded.
Jay
I was panicking, I couldn't avoid the collision but I had tried to turn the car so the impact was my side, unfortunately on the wet road I just slid and the other car hit Bella's side with tremendous force buckling that side into the interior space. I extricated myself and ran to Bella's side but it was obvious from the scent of blood, even diluted with the pouring rain, that she was badly injured. Her heartbeat was ragged and she was having difficulty breathing so I tried to get her out.
I could run the rest of the way to Carlisle's if I could just get her out of the wreckage but when I tried I could see she was in too much pain. What was I going to do? The Major and the others had entrusted her to me and I had almost killed her, the other driver was already dead. I could hear no heart beat from his body which hung out of the windshield, he hadn't been wearing a seat belt, and his head was crushed between the two cars.
I rang Peter in panic and explained the situation.
"Get her outta the fucking car Jay and to Carlisle."
"I can't, I'm worried if I do that I'll cause more damage, I think she might die. She's bleeding so much."
"Hey, keep your head in the game, this is The Major's mate, she is not going to die. If you can't get her out then you change her."
"Change her? Hell Peter I don't know how. I've only ever fed on a human. What if I can't stop?"
"You will, it's Bella remember, besides you drain her you'd better start running and never fucking stop."
"OK I'll try, how long do I need to do it for?"
"Not long, just enough to get your venom in her bloodstream, that will do the rest. Just get on with it then get her out of the car and start running. I'll ring Carlisle and he'll meet you. How far out are you?"
"Not far, about twenty miles but the weathers causing mudslides the roads gonna be closed soon."
"Keep off the road and out of sight, they'll find you. Now get on with it."