Chapter Forty Seven

Jasper

It was a sobering thought that Bella might have been witness not only to Renee's death but this girl Sophie's too, what would that have done to her? I hated to think about the answer to that question and now when I found her there was also the fact that not only was I and my family all vampires but her father too. I couldn't begin to imagine how all this would hit her on top of all she had been forced to endure over the past four months. The only good thing were the four addresses the guy had given Peter. There was of course no guarantee that Bella was actually at any of them but it gave us a focus for our search and if we came up empty then I would be visiting Mr Mendoza personally and I wouldn't be leaving until I knew the whereabouts of his brother. Finding the girl's body at one of his places showed us we were on the right track at last. I could feel the tension growing inside me and knew I was on the very edge of madness.

Darius

The addresses were split between us and Peter and I drew the short straw, watching The Major. We knew we had to keep The Major moving and focused or we were likely to see a bloodbath where he took down anyone who stood in his way as he searched. Soon we were out on the road and hoping this time we would be coming back with Bella. Unfortunately we had to wait for the sun to go down before we could search the addresses, for now all we could do was to watch for any signs of life there. The Major was getting agitated again and I didn't want to be stuck in the car with him if he blew which could be at any moment so I was relieved when the sun finally dipped behind the houses and we were free to check the address out. It was a bust, no one had been there in a while, a thick layer of dust lay over everything and it didn't even have a cellar or basement. Reports came in from Carmen and Eleazer and Kate and Irina with the same disappointing news. Which just left Emmett and Rose.

Jasper

I decided to walk the streets close to the address we had checked as it had turned out to be empty, hoping against hope to feel something that would tell me Bella was here and alive. I let instinct take over and passed many of the street walkers all offering their services "real cheap to a cutie like you." If only they knew what they were inviting in! The pimps watched from the doorway of bars or the hoods of their cars smoking and watching, ever vigilant for a police patrol or a rival impinging on their turf. How a man could make his living forcing young women to sell their bodies was beyond me but while there were men prepared to pay for sex there would be those willing to supply it.

I was turning from one bleak run down street to another when something urged me to turn around. I looked, my eyesight as good in the dark as during the day but there was no one following me, lucky for them, I wasn't in the mood to take prisoners right now and I'd told Darius and Peter to stay away. I wanted some space. The road I had just walked up was long filled with run down single story houses, chain link fencing abounded and the yards were full of old car parts, broken down garden furniture, rusting barbecues and mostly dead scrub grass. Dogs patrolled several of the yards but knew better than to bark or growl at a predator far more dangerous than themselves. Instead they cowered in their kennels or slunk away into the darkest part of the yard hoping to avoid my gaze, animals were far better than men at sensing real danger, they were not beguiled by pretty faces and tempting words, they knew the danger lurking behind such masks and self preservation drew them away.

The houses were alike, drapes ripped or missing, paint peeling, fly screens sagging dangerously, all unkempt and neglected, mere habitations not homes. Something told me I should stay on this street, not where, no number, but just this street. It was long from end to end, about three hundred dwellings, did one of these hold my mate? I took my cell phone out to call Darius and Peter to join me but doing so I caught sight of a couple of young guys who had approached while I was distracted.

"Got a light?"

The one who spoke had long greasy hair and a pock marked face, his nerves jangling from the craving for more of his drug of choice. The other looked more dangerous, his eyes were clear and he held a knife to his side thinking I couldn't see it.

"No."

"Pity, then hand over your money and watch."

I lifted my arms up to show I wasn't wearing a watch, what did a vampire need with such a thing?

"Sorry, you picked the wrong guy. I'd beat it if I were you."

The knife came into view now, they hoped to intimidate me with it but I just stood there waiting, one move, just one and I would kill both of them. They seemed to sense this wasn't their usual kind of victim but once started they couldn't or wouldn't back down.

"Hand over your wallet, now. Your jacket too."

I looked down at the leather jacket I was wearing, it was one Bella liked and I wasn't giving it to these scum bags.

"Fuck off."

They looked at me then the one with the knife lunged forward aiming to stab me in the chest or belly but I snatched it from him blade first holding it in my hand then dropping it to the ground.

"I warned you."

They looked at my hand, unblemished where I'd grabbed the knife and exchanged a worried glance. They were going to run, or they thought they were but I had other ideas. I grabbed them both by the neck and lifted them from the ground.

"Mistake number one was choosing me as your victim. Mistake number two was ignoring my words. There is no mistake number three."

I brought their heads together with enough force to crack their skulls then squeezed the life out of them, holding on until I heard both heart beats stop then I threw them over a fence into one of the yards occupied by dogs and heard the animals move forward to inspect the bodies. Maybe they would be found before they became dog meat but I doubted it hearing the sounds now coming from the yard. Uncaring I picked up the knife, slid it carefully into my pocket and walked on back along the street completing the call they had interrupted.

Further along the street was an alley which I'd noticed on my way down. Three young men were down there talking and sharing a bottle of some alcohol but I smelled chemicals too so assumed they had been taking some kind of drugs. Hopefully they would be too stoned to worry about a lone male but of course they didn't. Instead they came at me and by this time my patience was at an end so I simply snapped their necks and left the bodies where they lay after taking their wallets. I'd used up my store of warnings and they paid the price. A little further down the road I hesitated feeling that just maybe I'd gone too far so I went on a ways then turned, no the feeling, nebulous though it was, certainly strengthened when I walked back the way I'd come. Somewhere down this dirty, depressing street Bella was being held and I was about to start ripping out windows and kicking down doors to find her when I felt a strong hand on my shoulder,

"You go all Incredible Hulk on the place you'll have the cops here in minutes and maybe lose Bella her life if the fucker panics so take it easy, relax and follow me Major."