Chapter Ninety

Edward

I was smarter than they thought, I needed time to plan an escape, running blindly was just what they wanted, expected me to do, so I did just the opposite not that I wasn't aware I was in acute danger. With both Carlisle and Charlie on my trail now and threatening to take me apart piece by piece I needed a sanctuary. I tried the Volturi first although they had already thrown me out once. This time I offered them my gift as a guard, in return for my safety but first Caius laughed in my face, followed by a simple no from Marcus.

My last hope was Aro although he was the least likely to help me bearing in mind his long standing friendship with Carlisle. As I feared he too refused to help me,

"If only you hadn't betrayed your sire Edward. After all how could I possibly trust you after that?"

"Use Chelsea, she could ensure my loyalty."

"You are desperate Edward, what on earth happened to you?"

I told him, looking at my bandaged hand, I could hardly go around with my fingers missing in front of the humans.

"I see, well I think perhaps you should think on this quote from Shakespeare,

"If you prick us do we not bleed? If you tickle us do we not laugh? If you poison us do we not die? And if you wrong us shall we not revenge?"

So I would get no help there which left only my old friend Hector. Not that I wanted to go to Paraguay but beggars couldn't be choosers and at least there I could disappear into the jungle if I found myself pursued, or should I say rather when I found myself pursued. My greatest strength was my ability to read minds and so hear my enemy before he arrived.

Except for Darius of course, who would have thought that athletic man could be the computer nerd Carlisle told us so much about, his treasured friend! But Charlie and Carlisle were different, their minds might sometimes be closed to me, Carlisle's in any case but it wasn't an absence of thoughts so much as a black hole that I could still detect. When I contacted Hector he was out so I left a brief message and hoped he would get it soon. Staying here among hosts of humans was safe enough in the short term but I didn't want to be spotted and find them laying in wait when I left.

When the fire alarm went off I thought it was just a drill, they were a tedious but necessary exercise according to the humans but I ignored it until I heard staff in the hallways calling and checking doors. Deciding in order to keep my cover I should join the cattle below I went to my door after they had moved on to the next floor only to find it jammed. My key card wasn't working and I wondered if it was a security feature when the fire alarm went off, a way of ensuring thieves didn't ransack rooms left unlocked in the panic.

I froze when I heard a quiet knock and recognized Charlotte's voice, but what was she doing here? How was she even alive and how had she traced me?"

I realized my danger too late as the black hole that was Carlisle's thoughts appeared, but no Charlie. Could it be that Carlisle had forgiven me and finding Charlotte had come to take me back, keep me safe from Charlie's wrath? I wanted to believe it so badly but I couldn't make myself approach the door. The words Carlisle had written came back to me, he wouldn't forgive or forget.

Suddenly the door burst open and there stood Charlie! How could that be? I hadn't heard his thoughts? How did he hide them from me? I backed away towards the window to see Darius standing there smiling,

"I don't think so Eddy boy, you should have listened to Charlie the first time."

I looked around frantically but there was nowhere to go. Then I heard the sirens and heaved a sigh of relief, they wouldn't do anything with fire-fighters in the building, they wouldn't dare. As Charlie moved forward I understood I had underestimated his speed and determination. He knocked me over and I felt a terrible pain at the side of my head and neck.

"Don't stop running Edward, you are making it way too easy."

As he finished hissing in my ear he got to his feet wiping venom from his mouth and pulled a lighter from his pocket touching it to the objects in his other hand. I screamed as I saw my right ear and a chunk of flesh from my neck burn as he dropped them flaming to the carpet. He really did mean to destroy me one piece at a time and i when I turned to beg for help from my sire, my father, Carlisle he looked away.

As I fell, to my knees in shock they turned to leave and I understood my life was over, all I had left to me was to run and keep running because the moment I stopped I would find Charlie there waiting for me, lighter at the ready. How had I been so blind? So stupid as to believe I could betray my sire, my family and get away with it but arrogance had blinded me and now it was too late.

Then something struck me, an errant thought in Charlotte's head and I couldn't help a smile. It wouldn't stop what was coming bit it would give me a little payback and that was all I could hope for now.

"Wait a minute. Charlie, I can hear the guilt in your head, the guilt that comes from knowing you killed your own daughter and that you will never know where her body lies. Well I have news for you. Bella isn't dead."

They looked at me as if wishing a lightning bolt might crash through the roof and incinerate me. Charlie strode forward arms outstretched and grabbed me by the shoulders,

"Shut your lying mouth you bastard."

"Its true, she's alive, she's with The Major. If you don't believe me ask her."

I pointed towards Charlotte who stood open mouthed with shock.

As they all turned on her I realized this was my chance and I took it, I leaped from the window landing in the parking lot venom streaming down the side of my face and shirt from the wounds inflicted by Charlie Swan. Fading into the shadows I made my way to my car unsure where to go only that I had to keep moving, if not they might still be here watching and waiting to attack again. Feeling in my pocket for my keys I found a note instead,

"You should be more careful Edward, I should get moving now if I were you."

My keys were missing and something told me to get away from the car quickly and I started to run but I hadn't gone far before my car blew up leaving black smoke and orange flames leaping into the air. As I ran I heard my phone ring and stopped to answer it praying it was Hector with good news but instead I heard the cold hard voice of Darius,

"That was close, but it could have been closer, much closer just remember that."

He disconnected before I had time to reply and I understood I would be under surveillance until the day I died.

When it rang again I was tempted to ignore it but I decided I couldn't be afraid of everything or my life would be even more a living hell than it already was. As I heard Hector's voice I relaxed a little,

"Thank God, what took you so long?"

"Hello to you too Edward."

"I'm sorry, I'm just having a really bad day. So can I visit?"

"I…..I'm sorry Edward but I can't afford to get on the Volturi radar. I've heard rumors that you are in serious trouble. Is it right? I heard you betrayed your coven to the Volturi and tried to steal from your sire? I could hardly believe it after all Carlisle has done for you."

"Who told you that?"

"Is it true Edward?"

"Not entirely, I do have problems with Carlisle at the moment but it was all started by a human girl and now her father who has become one of us it trying to kill me."

"I see, so you didn't give Carlisle and the others up to the Volturi?"

"No, well yes, in a way, but it wasn't intentional."

"I see, I'm disappointed in you Edward, I expected better. I really thought you would be honest with me. I'm sorry my friend but I cannot help you. May God help you because no one else will. None of us likes a traitor."