Chapter Ninety Seven

Aro

It seemed we might have competition to reach The Major and the human girl first, apparently Darius and his merry band were closer than we expected so as soon as we landed Caius took the wheel of a large truck ready waiting for us. As he drove I explained the plan to the others.

"Jane your job will be to incapacitate the girl while Alec builds up his gift ready to be deployed. Santiago, I want you and your men watching for the others, no one gets close until we have what we came for."

Caius had been glaring at me since my first sentence and I now indicated he should speak,

"Why the girl? She's no threat to us. Jane should be sending The Major to his knees, after All he is the biggest threat."

"True, I do see that Caius but I think if Jane attacks the girl it will stop The Major from trying anything rash."

"You still believe he would do anything to protect this girl? What if you are wrong?"

"Then you will get your chance to take him yourself Caius, that is what you have wanted all these years isn't it?"

He turned his attention back to the road at this point and I smiled, Caius would love to take The Major but not in a fair fight because he knew he wouldn't win. I was certain this girl was The Majors mate, it had to happen eventually and now it had all we could do was to use her to our advantage. As a human she was under sentence of death but we could be persuaded to hold off if he agreed to change her and come back with her to Volterra.

Either he agreed and Chelsea could work her magic on him or he refused in which case sadly it would be necessary to take him down, his use to us over except that no one barring us would know, his reputation would keep any rebels at bay for years to come they were so fearful of him.

Having driven as close as we could we abandoned the truck and accomplished the rest of the journey on foot. As we got closer I heard from Felix once more, it seemed we would not be the first to find The Major, Darius, Carlisle, the Captain, Charlotte Cullen and the newborn were almost there. Still they too could be dispatched if necessary although perhaps Carlisle would see the error of his ways and keep back, not interfering in Volturi business. As for the newborn well, he was an unknown and they always made me slightly nervous, newborns had an unpredictability about them but we would see.

Darius

The Volturi were close behind us so we redoubled our efforts running up the mountain to reach this cabin and hoping fervently that the Captain wasn't leading us on a wild goose chase. If he was then the Volturi were working with the same information which was some consolation. When the Captain stopped suddenly raising a hand to halt the rest of us I joined him,

"Well?"

"The cabin is just over that ridge, once we reach there we're in the open, he'll be sure to see us."

"Right then I think we need to have Charlie make the initial approach, his daughter is likely to stop The Major making any rash moves."

"Yeah? And who is going to stop Charlie making the first rash move?"

"He won't do anything to put his daughter's life in danger."

"Oh, you think he's learned his lesson after killing her do you?"

There was a scuffling sound and Charlie struggled free of Carlisle and Charlotte to join us. I stepped between them pissed off at this animosity,

"Cut it out both of you. While you squabble like school kids the Volturi are quickly gaining on us. Now, Charlie, you go ahead with Carlisle, Charlotte, Captain you stay with me. We'll follow on but stay out of sight unless there's trouble."

"There won't be any trouble Darius. I'll grab my daughter kick ten bells out of The major and we leave before the bogeymen get here."

I sighed, Charlie had the usual supreme self-confidence that was a trait of newborns, and then motioned for them to go ahead.

Charlie

Now I would get my revenge for what that bastard had forced me to do. I'd spent all that time wallowing in guilt and self-loathing for the death of my daughter when, in fact, all that time she had been alive and well. I didn't care what the others said, I knew my daughter, I knew she would have let me know she was alive if he hadn't stopped her from doing so. He was the reason I hadn't heard from her and for that he would die. He might be a real badass but I had my shield, let him try getting past that if he could.

"Charlie please try to keep your temper when we see them. If we can work this out peaceably it will be much better and it might just enable us to keep clear of the Volturi."

I turned to him angrily,

"You keep out of this Carlisle, it's between him and me."

"Charlie you should listen to Bella first. If Charlotte is correct and I don't doubt her, then Bella may well stand beside The Major against you."

"Only if he's being playing mind tricks on her, I know my daughter."

At the top of the ridge we stopped to survey the cabin, it was in the middle of a small meadow and as the Captain has said couldn't be approached unseen. Not that I cared, face to face suited me just fine. It was dawn as we started down the other side of the ridge and approached the cabin only to see the door open and him standing there as arrogant as ever. I looked for Bella but there was no sign of her, did he have her prisoner somewhere? Well I'd soon find out. I stopped a few yards away Carlisle at my side and waited for him to say something.

"Chief Swan, I see you chose to join the vampires."

"Where's my daughter you bastard?"

"Hello to you too, so Charlotte talked after all."

"Actually she didn't, Edward read her thoughts and told us Bella was still alive."

"Not that it matters, I dare say the Volturi know it too. So once again you put her in danger, it seems to be a habit of yours Chief Swan. She forgives you of course, she's far too sweet to hold a grudge."

I stepped forward threateningly only to see him smile,

"If not for the fact she begged me not to harm you Chief you would be in flaming pieces by now, on your way to hell."

"Well you'd be joining me you murdering son of a bitch and that would make it all worthwhile."

"Really? What a shame we'll never find out. You wanted to speak to your daughter, well she's inside the cabin, go ahead."

I glanced around but Darius had been sure he was alone so I skirted him and walked on to the cabin and in through the open door while he continued to watch Carlisle. Inside it was dimly lit by the sun through the small window apertures and cold but there she was sitting in a wooden armchair with blankets wrapped around her. She stood a little apprehensively and smiled.

"Hi dad."

Then she took in my changed appearance and gasped,

"What happened? Who did this to you?"

"I was dying, care of that sadistic psychopath outside, Carlisle had no choice and I wasn't going to die until I got revenge for your murder. But it seems I was premature. Why didn't you tell me you were still alive? Do you have any idea what I've been going through while you've been playing hide and fucking seek with him?"

"We did it to save you. To keep me safe. If everyone thought I was dead no one would look for me. I could never go back so it seemed better than you finding out I survived only to lose me again."

"Why can't you come back? You're still human and Carlisle said he could talk to Aro, maybe persuade the Volturi to leave you alone in return for your silence."

"I won't be human much longer. I asked Jasper to change me. I promised to stay with him."

"Promises given under duress don't count Bella. He's an animal and I for one won't let him keep you here."

"It wasn't under duress, I love him."

Those last words were like a dagger to my heart.