Chapter Seven

Stranger

Bella Swan

March 2005

When night came, Maria and Archer joined me in the dinning room again. Maria seemed nearly giddy with excitement as she pulled Archer along with her.

"Alright, it's time. Do you feel prepared for your mission?" Maria asked cheerfully.

"As ready as possible." I nodded, my spirit soaring in anticipation to make it to Washington. I didn't know how I was going to get rid of Archer, but I still had time to think of that later.

"Perfect. Archer will guide you to an area that you'll both be able to hunt before you start the length of your trip. You'll need all of your strength for when you reach the Major and the coven." Maria smiled. "Well then, you have your orders, good luck."

I was only mildly surprised when Maria kissed Archer sweetly on his lips. I had assumed she had various ways of keeping him under her thumb when he had a talent to convince everyone around him to do his bidding. She had to have some way to hold power and not have him use his extra talent against her, and I guess she'd found it. Archer smiled back at her before he motioned for me to follow after him.

I waved goodbye to Maria as I headed out the door behind Archer. It felt so abnormal to be out of the house, nearly alone, with only Archer beside me. Apparently, my decision to lose my fight to him was the right one. He seemed to trust that I wouldn't be able to escape. That, or he trusted me not to want to desert him after defending the army so well.

We traveled to an area of our territory that we had never been allowed close to before. It was a fairly well populated area for the middle of nowhere we inhabited.

"Stay close to me, and don't breathe until I tell you to. I can't have you losing control and exposing us." Archer smirked at me teasingly.

It was going to take some time to get used to this new, friendly version of Archer. Hopefully, he'd be dead soon and I wouldn't have to ever learn to adjust to his sudden personality change.

Archer led us to a seemingly poverty stricken area, to an alleyway barely lit by a dim flickering streetlight, and motioned for me lean against a wall beside him.

We hadn't been standing there long when a small group, three men, staggered into the alleyway. They were all chuckling and moving in a way that clearly told me they were drunk.

Archer suddenly turned and gripped me tightly by hips, keeping me pushed up against the wall, and I couldn't help the surprised noise that came out of my mouth. I struggled against him, but he wouldn't stop holding me down.

"Hey!" One of the men called out. "What'd you think you're doin' to her?" He slurred angrily as he and his friends marched towards us.

"Ready?" Archer spoke in my ear. "Breathe." He told me.

I launched myself towards the closest man. I had snapped his neck and began to drain him before I even realized what I was doing. Archer managed to kill the other two men before they could even work up a good scream. After the blood ran out of my victim, Archer kicked a second man towards me and I latched onto him as well while he finished off the third.

Once I returned to my right state of mind, when my victim had run dry, I was once again horrified of the level of carnage I was capable of. One single lungful of air with the scent of blood in it and I had lost all resemblance of my humanity. How could I ever attempt to see my dad without doing something terrible to him?

"Did you get enough?" Archer asked me as he gathered the men and pulled them over to a nearby dumpster. "I hunted a few days ago, so the one was enough for me, but you've gone over a week now. You're still young too."

"I'm good." I nodded, not wanting to cause anymore devastation tonight. My eyes burned and my throat felt tight, my usual feeling in place of tears, since I could no longer cry like I wanted to. I felt the usual sense of euphoria that came with feeding, the sense of relief was so welcome after being so thirsty for days, but it was dampened by the grief and horror I felt.

"Okay, then we're off." He nodded and motioned for me to follow after him.

We ran all through the night, staying entirely in desert areas and away from all major cities and any populated areas in order to not be seen. When the morning light started to color the sky, Archer found us a seemingly abandoned house on the outskirts of a city somewhere in northern Arizona.

Still, it wasn't in terrible condition, and the living room had no windows to expose us to the dangerous light outside. Archer had even managed to find some board games under the tv console. It was surreal to sit there on the concrete floor playing The Game of Life, of all things, with Archer. The man that had tormented me since the moment he realized I was immune to his prized talent, was now acting as if we were old friends. The change was honestly giving me a bit of whiplash.

"Sorry about the alley, by the way. I didn't mean to freak you out or give you any kind of impression, but I thought it might be the best way to get them to come closer to us." Archer actually apologized sincerely.

"It's okay, it did freak me out for a minute, but it worked out well in the end." I agreed with him as I moved my game piece to its next spot on the board.

"Yeah, I figured they would either come to the rescue or want to join in, so I went for the ploy." Archer laughed. Of course I should've realized his methods were still twisted, despite of our strange new truce. "Well, regardless, I'm glad you didn't take it the wrong way."

"The wrong way?"

"Yeah, like I was trying to come on to you." Archer shrugged. "I didn't know if you knew about me and Maria, and I felt bad if I gave you the wrong impression."

"You absolutely didn't." I shook my head, not seeing how Archer could think I'd ever want such a relationship with him. "But, I didn't know about you having a relationship with Maria. I mean, I saw her kiss you before we left and assumed there might be something going on, but I didn't know."

"We've got something special. She's just as crazy about me as I am about her. Maria says she couldn't do anything without me." He smiled smugly as he moved his piece along the board.

"Yeah, I can see that." I nodded. "Your talent is certainly icing on the cake, I'm sure."

"It's more than that." Archer disagreed quickly. "We had something going since the minute I awoke really. Even when I was a new recruit, I noticed the way she looked at me." He was completely smug now. "When I matured, she dismissed her right hand at the time in order to promote me."

"Where did they go off to?" I asked, curious to know how someone could move on to a different army. I knew now that the Major had left, and apparently Maria didn't agree with his decision, but I was left wondering just how many soldiers had come and gone in Maria's charge. I had assumed the only way out was death, but there seemed to be a secret second option available to her chosen few.

"Oh, he went to the east somewhere." Archer shrugged nonchalantly. "He wasn't very impressive to me or Maria, not much of a fighter at all, and was really just a glorified babysitter for the army."

I looked at him for a moment, stunned that he honestly didn't seem to see the glaring truth. He had just described himself, or at least my perception of him anyways, all except for the talent that he claimed Maria wasn't solely focused on.

"Also, he wasn't very good at disposing of the newborns when their year was up."

"What?" I gaped at him and thought there was no way I'd heard him correctly.

"He was messy about it and just freaked the others out by the way he didn't even try to hide it. Of course, I knew I was safe headed into my year mark, Maria had sworn herself to me already and had promised my safety, but the others were always terrified." Archer continued and smiled at me like it was some funny joke between friends.

I was completely stunned, "You're telling me that at the one year mark of our change we're just disposed of? We're killed once our newborn strength starts to lessen?"

"Well, not you, not now that you've gotten into Maria's inner circle, and of course not myself." Archer laughed. "Maria was considering keeping Sequoia for her talent, it's kind of useful sometimes, but she's so untrained in it and uses it a little too freely for Maria's liking. Regardless, once we bring the Major back to her, she'll have his talent and won't need Sequoia at all."

I couldn't process what I was hearing. I felt it must be a mistake, a complete misunderstanding, until I realized that it was entirely believable in the grand scheme of things.

I remembered the first few hours of my new existence, how I had wanted so badly to buy into Archers charisma. My talent had protected me from such a thing, thankfully, but I could easily see how the others could blindly follow him...even to their deaths. Archer had reminded me so much of my father when I first met him, about his same age with similar crinkles around his eyes when he smiled, and I remembered wanting to feel safe in his presence. Now, I didn't think there was ever a chance for me to feel even slightly at ease with him.

"Come on, Bella." Archer laughed again, as if it were all so funny to him. "You had to know that not everyone Maria changed got to stick around for long. You never questioned why all of you were still young?"

"Roland-"

"Is dead now, thankfully. He was supposed to reach his year mark at the end of the month, just two weeks or so left, and I wasn't really looking forward to disposing of him. Someone big like him, it is always difficult to get their head off in one blow." Archer shook his head. "Abbie hits her mark in four more weeks. I'll have to end her here soon."

"I see." I nodded while trying to process all of the terrible information I'd just been given.

I began to strategize seriously about how to ditch Archer permanently. I felt I couldn't allow someone like him to go on an egotistical power trip any longer. I'd have to surprise him at the most opportune time, but it would have to be close to Washington. I couldn't risk accidentally going through a populated place and slaughtering more innocent people. I couldn't get caught in the dangerous sunlight either, and he was much more skilled in finding hiding places than I was currently.

I realized that we might run into other vampires or armies at some point as well, and, as much as I hated the fact, I would need Archers aid in that situation. Still, we might find a coven that wasn't entirely hostile. Maybe I'd be able to somehow get them to target Archer while I escaped?

As we set out to continue our path that night, I felt keenly aware of my dwindling time. Every small change in the atmosphere, the increase in slight rainfall, the landmark cities we passed, all were adding sand to the bottom of my hourglass. I'd have to bide my time until just the right moment, the moment before my chance was gone forever, but I had no idea when that might be.

We reached Nevada, somewhere near Carson city, I guessed by the other city signs we'd passed, just about midway through the night. I had fallen slightly behind Archer and was trying to catch up while also giving myself a wide range. I caught the scent of two vampires, a male and a female by the huge difference in their scents, and nearly stopped running before Archer called for me to hurry up.

Suddenly frightened, I picked up the pace until I was just behind him and slightly to his left.

"There's a lone vampire up ahead, a male, I'm going to see if he'll be accepting and speak with us. I want to see if there's any problems to expect between here and Washington. It's been a little too easy for my liking thus far." Archer explained to me.

I was about to tell him I had scented two vampires, but, as soon as I opened my mouth, he was slowing us down in order to move into an area of trees nearby.

There he was, the lone male vampire, sitting causally with his back against a tree, carving at a piece of wood with a small pocket knife. He didn't even look surprised or intimidated when we approached him. He didn't smell anything like the vampires scent I had smelled a moment ago, but I shrugged it off as some misinterpretation. It seemed I still need more work to learn to separate scents.

"Hello, hello," He greeted us, "take a seat why don't you."

Archer motioned me to sit down and I decided to mirror the male vampire and put my back to tree before sitting down. Archer, surprisingly, sat slightly between myself and the vampire. I could still see the seemingly friendly vampire easily and I relished not being forced to stay in Archers line of sight.

"Hello," Archer greeted him in turn, "I'm Archer and this is my friend, Bella."

The vampires eyes widened just slightly, as if he were surprised by something, "I'm Garrett." He smiled slightly, still concentrating on his woodwork. "What brings you through here? We're quite a ways away from anything too interesting."

"Bella's still young, and hasn't seen much of the country, so I thought I'd take us on a tour." Archer spoke causally, almost too casually to believe his words. "It's been awhile since I've been through these parts though, so I was hoping you might give us a tip about any dangers."

Garrett nodded in understanding, glancing up to make steady eye contact with Archer, "Where are you headed to?"

"Up through the west coast and all the way through Canada to Alaska." Archer smiled, turning back to smile at me. I tried my best to smile too, but I wasn't sure I was being convincing by the look of Garrett's doubtful expression.

"Well then," Garrett grinned, "there's not much between here and there. Some nomads occasionally, they shouldn't be difficult as long as you avoid them. The only coven in America in that direction right now would be the Cullens, but they won't give you an ounce of trouble." Garrett made direct eye contact with me and I sensed he was trying to make some sort of point to me. "There's a coven in Canada right now, near Montreal somewhere, so you should be safe there. In Alaska there's a coven, but again, they aren't much trouble from what I've heard of them."

"Thank you for the information. We really appreciate it." Archer smiled widely.

"Happy to help," Garrett smiled back, though it seemed forced, "now then, why don't you two visit with me for a bit? It's been awhile since I've had any kind of company. I'd like to be able to tell other nomads that you aren't any threat to them."

"Oh, of course, that's very kind of you." Archer agreed quickly.

"Great. So then, how long have you two been running together?" Garrett asked as he returned to his woodwork, but his movements seemed slower now.

"Since Bella's start. I changed her, accidentally really, but we've been close since." Archer smiled at me over his shoulder again and I could only manage to nod in response.

"A quiet one, aren't you, Bella?" Garrett asked.

Archer looked at me, his eyes clearly telling me to speak, "Yes." I agreed with Garrett. "I usually don't have much to say is all."

"Same here." He smiled at me, genuinely, since Archer wasn't looking at him. "There's a reason I run on my own."

"It must get lonely." I frowned at him. "Aren't you ever afraid of being attacked or targeted by someone?"

Garrett chuckled, "I haven't found anyone I couldn't handle so far." He winked at me, and Archer bristled a little at the action.

Archer shifted the subject, "Any good haunts around here? Bella might need a hunt soon and I might be due here in a bit myself."

"Oh, sure," Garrett nodded, "any city, take your pick. Just be sure to stick to alleys and burn your evidence." He advised before his eyes drifted off to something else, his eyes following an object as it moved to the far left of us. "What's that moving off through the trees? Some kind of animal?"

Archer turned to look, his face turning to where he couldn't see either Garrett or myself, and before I could turn to look for myself, Garrett waved his knife and caught my eye contact.

He mouthed a single sentence to me that would change my life forever, "Are you in danger?"

I nodded immediately, not even hesitating, and Garrett nodded back to me. His face was serious and intense.

"I don't know. I think it's some kind of bird. A sparrow maybe?" Archer shrugged with his head still turned.

"No, definitely not, look way back over there, it's walking through the trees near that pond." Garrett explained.

Archer twisted around further, his back turning to a point that he could no longer possibly see either Garrett nor myself, and I realized this was our moment.

Garrett moved first and grasped Archer around his neck tightly as he brought him up to stand with him. I launched myself after them, grasping at Archers legs and ripping them away one by one as he howled in pain.

"Let go of me!" Archer ordered and I panicked as Garrett's hands dropped to his side.

I didn't hesitate, I couldn't after helping Garrett attack Archer. He would never trust me again regardless of any story I could spin. Also, I couldn't let Archer hurt Garrett after he'd been so kind to help me. Archer attempted to crawl to his legs, but I pounced onto his back and got my hands around his neck. My grip slipped slightly as he attempted to throw me off, and his teeth bit painfully deep into my wrist. I threw myself forward and tore his head off in an instant.

His head rolled away from his body, his limbs going slack, and I realized I'd done it.

I'd gotten myself free.