Chapter Fifty Eight

Bella

I was relieved when the masked man opened the door of the van and handed me an envelope containing an airline ticket and a rental agreement for a car in Seattle. As soon as I was on the side walk outside JFK the van shot off into traffic once more and I walked through the doors to find my flight. I was lucky, I only had to wait an hour and I prayed that no one would realize I was missing before my flight left.

Would Darius see I was on a flight for Seattle? Would he stop me the way he stopped Renee from flying back? I looked at my ticket and smiled, someone had thought of that or been very careful, the ticket was in an alias and pulling out the rental agreement I saw a drivers license attached also in the same alias, Belinda Sanchez, well I could pass for part Mexican with my dark hair and brown eyes although my skin was far too pale. But then no one was looking for me, there was no reason for anyone to take any notice of a woman traveling alone, especially in such a busy airport. However I was still relieved when my flight was called and settled in my seat closing my eyes and trying not to think what I was flying into.

I couldn't help wondering about this Major though. What kind of a man had he been? A hero from the little Carlisle had told me, yet now he was a monster whose only job was to kill. How had a man been turned into a killing machine? How much had he suffered to become such a creature? Was I feeling sorry for him? That was crazy, the bastard was torturing my father, I hated him but I would stand before him and hold my head up high, ask him to kill Charlie quickly as I had made contact and come of my own free will. Would he listen to me? Would I even get a chance to speak or would he kill me straight away? The more I thought about The Major the less I feared him, in some way deciding to give myself up to death I had robbed him of his power over me. Sure he would kill me but I wouldn't cower or beg for my life, I would stare him straight in those murderous eyes and defy him to scare me.

The Major

I had to smile when I received the text message, I'd almost made a blunder when I destroyed her father's phone but some instinct made me retrieve the sim card and slot it into one of the disposable's I always carried. It wasn't like me to be careless, something strange was happening, still the girl had balls, she wanted me to arrange a way to get her here without the Cullens knowing. Well I didn't mind taking my time with them but I knew they would follow her, their precious human, try to save her. I looked over at her father sitting propped against a tree shivering in the evening air and crying out whenever he was forced to cough jarring his broken ribs and collar bone. Still he should count himself lucky I still needed him or he'd be dead by now. I took the phone over and dropped it in his lap,

"I see your daughter has as much brain as you Chief, but a little more courage perhaps."

He picked up the phone with his good hand and squinted to read the message before dropping the phone.

"Nothing to say? Aren't you going to beg me to spare her life?"

"Would it do any good?"

I laughed,

"No. But you really should try, it shows you care. Maybe you don't care though. Maybe she isn't yours at all."

He slumped back and closed his eyes unwilling to play word games with me,

"Well she'll be here soon and maybe I'll ask her. Or maybe I'll just snap her neck in front of you."

He licked parched lips but didn't speak and bored I moved away. I'd had it with this place, he wasn't willing to speak, the guardian wolves slunk away from us, what I wanted was a challenge. Once I'd finished with the girl I'd let the Cullens loose one at a time and hunt them down. If they delivered themselves to me even Aro couldn't complain, or at least he could but I'd take as much notice as if he'd kept quiet. Although I would never admit it I was looking forward to confronting this human, she had guts and that intrigued me. I'd never met a human who would willingly give themselves up to a murderous bastard like me. My name terrified vampires never mind a human.

Charlie

I wish the bastard would just finish the job instead of watching me suffer, the pain from my ribs and collar bone were tolerable so long as I kept perfectly still but this cough, a result of the cold and damp plus the fact I had only a light jacket on and nothing dry to sit on. He wouldn't answer any questions, I had no idea what he wanted with Bella, why he had singled her out but I hadn't been surprised to find she was coming to try saving me. Did she have the faintest idea what she would be facing when she got here? How could she?

I wasn't sure myself what he was, or his associates who appeared from time to time to report on the movement of the wolf pack. I'd heard them howling and I knew from the odd words I caught that they were watching the group but I had no idea why, or why they didn't attack. Did they somehow know what they would be facing? What did it mean the wolf turning into young Quil Aterea? Had I been hallucinating? Was this all some crazy nightmare I would wake from relieved and in a cold sweat? Somehow I didn't think so, this hurt too much to be anything but real.

Bella

The car broke down on me just as we hit the steepest part of the track and leaving it I started to walk. It was cold and dark but I had a torch from the emergency kit in the trunk and a florescent orange jacket which kept me dry. Something told me I was headed in the right direction although the track was only marked at the very start on the map I had been given by the masked man in the van. I could feel I was getting closer to my dad, a kind of tugging in my chest I'd never felt before, maybe because I was scared for him, knowing he was hurt and in the hands of a sadistic killer.

The higher I climbed the more tired I became, I couldn't remember the last time I'd had a good nights sleep but then soon I would be sleeping permanently so I should stop complaining. My feet ached, my heel was sore from my shoe rubbing, they were hardly hiking boots and I had a headache. I was even beginning to wish I were there, that it was all over. Suddenly I heard a rustling in the bushes to the left of me and stopped shining the torch only to pick out a pair of amber glowing eyes. I was being tracked by a wolf! Great! Not only was I on a vampires hit list, I was also on the menu for wolf chow! Things couldn't get any worse now could they? Of course I underestimated nature as the heavens opened and it chucked it down in sheets that soaked my hair, legs, and shoes in seconds. I wondered if my dad were under cover, if not he would be sick by now with the cold and pain.

Charlie

It started raining heavily and I hoped it might stop Bella from driving up here, keep her away from this sicko. As if he heard my thoughts he strolled over as if the sheeting rain meant nothing,

"Feeling optimistic Chief? Think this will stop your daughter? I doubt it, she's worried about you, if she wasn't then she wouldn't be coming here to her death now would she?"

"Go to hell."

"Oh, I've already been there. I was too mean for the devil, he kicked me out. Not that I suppose that surprises you."

He stood staring at me and I saw a frown cross his face before he turned away.

"What's up? Worried she might change her mind after all?"

He looked up, red eyes burning with some emotion and squatted down looking into my face,

"What is it about you Chief? Why are you different?"

I didn't understand what he was talking about so I kept quiet but he pushed against my bad arm and I groaned and started coughing which made the pain far worse. Suddenly he stood up and ripped the sleeve off his jacket dropping it in my lap,

"Tie it up, it'll hurt less."

I looked at him dumbfounded but he looked as puzzled by his actions and words as I did.