Chapter Seventy Seven

Rose

We knew the guys had been watching and what to expect but when we rejoined them it was apparent that Peter was seething. I pulled Emmett aside leaving the others alone.

"What's eating Peter?"

He rolled his eyes.

"He nearly ripped Charlotte's dance partner to pieces, Rose. Jealousy doesn't even begin to cover how he reacted when he saw her. Anyway, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Will you put that costume on again, just for me?"

I laughed at the eagerness on his face.

"Of course I will, later. Has anyone seen Alice yet?"

He shook his head.

"Nope but we've too busy keeping Peter from ruining the parade."

I glanced over to where Peter and Char were obviously arguing bitterly.

"I don't think he's given up on that yet, Em."

Jasper caught my eye and motioned for us to join them just in time to hear the exchange between himself and Peter.

"Keep your mind on the game, captain."

Peter whirled round to face Jazz.

"You may not care if another guy is pawing your wife, but I do."

"Peter, it was a dance and it's over now. We need to concentrate on finding Alice."

"No, you need to find Alice. I need to talk to my wife."

He grabbed Charlotte by the arm and yanked her angrily away from our small group.

She managed a quick glance over her shoulder and a few words before they disappeared into the crowd.

"You go on, Major. We'll catch up"

Jasper

Peter's angry reaction to Charlotte's costume and behaviour could prove a problem if he didn't calm down but for now, I left that job to Charlotte and the rest of us went off looking for Alice in the crowds.

I smelled her before I saw her and touched Emmett on the shoulder.

"Over there by the alley way. She's in the middle of the crowd."

He looked over and nodded.

"Got her. I'll go see to the dinghy with Rose. You follow her down to the harbour when she leaves."

I nodded and they disappeared leaving Bella and me to watch Alice's movements.

She smiled mischievously at me.

"So Jazz, what did you think of our outfits?"

"I'm not sure there was enough to qualify as an outfit but you were hot."

She smiled at me and licked her lips,

"Care to show me how hot?"

I groaned as I stiffened at her words,

"Let's get Alice sorted first then I'll be happy to show you how hot I thought you were."

She leaned in and nibbled my ear then flicked her tongue across my neck.

"I can't wait, cowboy."

Alice

The parade had been fun and it was nice to be off the yacht and on solid ground once more but I felt uneasy. I couldn't see any trouble ahead but I couldn't see much of anything and that unnerved me. Did it mean Bella was close by? I didn't see how I'd been extremely careful to stay out of sight as much as possible.

My new best friend and I were waiting for the heat to die down so I could begin to help him in his bid to wrest control of the Volturi from Aro. It wasn't going to be quick or easy but I could hardly refuse his offer when the alternative was to wait scattered and in pieces for Bella and Jazz to return and finish what they started.

I'd been startled to find my benefactor was Caius Volturi but then should I have been? In our world, it was dog eat dog and if you wanted to get ahead and stay that way then sometimes you had to climb into bed with the strangest of allies.

I had several bodyguards among the crowds and on the yacht but Bella had a way of making herself invisible to everyone with that cursed gift of hers and I wasn't taking any chances. Visiting the carnival was probably a stupid move but I was sick of sailing around and seeing no one and nothing but endless water.

I scanned the crowds, no one caught my eye, but with the uneasy feeling growing I decided to head back to the yacht and stay aboard until we reached Mexico. My plan had been to visit Rachel and Marcus with an offer Caius and I thought they wouldn't have been able to refuse but both were dead now so I would have to stay on the move to be safe. Still, travelling had its own glamour and I could go anywhere in the world that I chose. So long as I kept away from Europe and the United States. I thought I might head south, I'd not been to Chile or Argentina and travelling overland would be a rest from the endless monotony of the ocean.

The dinghy was waiting with its usual crew of two although moored slightly further along the quayside than arranged. I guessed they had found someone else using our mooring and moved up rather than start an argument.

One of the crew took my hand and helped me down the steps before the other started the outboard and headed in the direction of the yacht but there was something wrong, my uneasiness grew alarmingly and I looked more closely at the crew.

For the first time, I noticed that one had more the figure of a woman. Then she took her hat off and shook long honey blonde hair out before turning and smiling at me,

"Hello, Alice. It's been a while. Surprised to see me?"

"Rosalie," I hissed.

I stood up preparing to dive overboard but before I could make my move the other crew member grabbed my arm and pulled me back down. I should have recognized him by his bulk, I was getting sloppy and it was likely going to cost me my life. Emmett stared at me, his usual smile missing, he looked what he was, a dangerous predator.

"Going somewhere, Alice? We have someone who's very keen to talk to you."

I sneered,

"It took two of you to capture me, did it? I just hope that's because Maria did a good job on Jazz. Couldn't he face me himself?"

"Oh, she did, Alice. In fact, if it hadn't been for Bella I think he might not have made it."

I made a face although I already knew he'd escaped, more the pity.

"Oh, so he did? Shame, I thought better of her. Well, where are you taking me?"

"Just to that small jetty."

Rose pointed to a jetty just visible in the darkness and I saw two figures standing there waiting.

"So it took four of you? Pretty pathetic don't you think? To capture just little old me!"

I didn't see the slap coming, it was instinctual and it knocked me to the bottom of the dinghy.

"Shut your mouth, Alice, or I swear I'll take you apart here and now and argue it out with Bella later."

Rose was furious, her eyes flashing warningly.

"Why are you so upset? You never had much to do with Bella or Jasper, in fact, you didn't even like her."

She didn't answer me, just stood, arms folded, glaring at me.

"You do know that whatever happens to me you will never be safe, don't you? Do you really think I'm working alone?"

"Alice, I don't give a crap who you're working with and trust me, we've conquered anything thrown at us so far. Whoever you think you have protecting you, you'd better pray to them now because I have a feeling you're going to be meeting Satan pretty soon."

Jasper

I'd waited a long time for this moment, a chance to confront Alice and grabbed the rope as soon as Emmett threw it. Tying it off to a bollard I steadied it as first Emmett, then Rosalie, holding Alice tightly by the arm stepped onto dry land. I was so angry, so shocked by her actions that I could only stare at her in silence.

She, in turn, smiled at me cheerfully.

"Hi, Jazz. Has the cat got your tongue?"

Bella stepped forward and grabbed Alice's costume pulling her close and hissing in her ear.

"You almost killed my mate, Alice Cullen, and for that reason alone you deserve to die."

Alice knew how much danger she was in but she couldn't help herself.

"Oh, and who is going to kill me? You? Or him? I'm not sure he's got it in him any longer. You forget I've seen everything, he's finished, washed up. Get yourself a real man next time, Bella, not my cast off."

Before I could react Bella did. She ripped Alice's shirt off taking a chunk of arm with it and threw it in the water before taking Alice by the other arm.

"He's twice the man he was before. You may think you broke his spirit, Alice, you and Maria, but you failed. Instead, you liberated him."

She wrenched Alice's other arm until it tore away from her shoulder and threw that in the water.

"As for me killing you, Alice. You have no idea what you've helped to create here. You kindly left me the God Of War, well guess what, he created the Goddess to be his partner and she's twice as mean and violent."

She picked Alice up by the waist and turned her upside down,

"Now, I know what you're thinking, hell I can stop breathing as long as I need to so she can't drown me. This is true, but what you didn't know until now is that I have no intention of trying to drown you. Instead, we're going for a little ride."

Alice said nothing as Emmett pulled up in the truck he had rented and Bella, Rosalie, and I jumped in the back dragging Alice with us.

"Where are you taking me? I'd really like my arms back if you don't mind."

"Where you're going you aren't going to need them, Alice. Now shut up or I'll set your sorry ass alight here and now."

Alice saw the look on Bella's face and knew she wasn't joking so went quiet but she continued to look at me with pleading in her eyes. Did she really think I was going to save her? The girl was crazy if she did.

It didn't take long to reach the old dock where the launch waited and we climbed aboard, Emmett casting the ropes off while Rosalie started the engine.

"More ocean? I'm getting a little tired of all that nothingness. Can we stay on land instead? Please?"

No one spoke, we just ignored Alice and I felt her rising fear.

Once out at sea, Rosalie stopped the launch and all was silent.

Bella nodded to Emmett who dragged out a large shark cage wrapped with chains and encased in concrete except for the opening at the top.

Alice looked at it and smiled.

"No thanks, I've already dived with sharks, it was fun but it gets boring after a while."

Bella lifted her from the deck and dropped her into the cage shutting the top and padlocking it before nodding at me.

I lifted the quick setting cement bags we had ready and placed them over the open area after dropping in a couple of timed incendiary devices on top of Alice.

"Don't worry, you won't have time to get bored, Alice. This cement hardens as soon as it gets wet and will seal the opening. You should have about five minutes to think about what you've done before the incendiaries go off. Oh, and by the way, do you have any last words for your new best friend Caius? We'll be sure to relay them to him… via Aro of course."

Had she really thought we wouldn't find out she was working with Caius? Or that Caius could hide it from Aro?

Alice began screaming as the cage was dropped into the water but was cut off as the waves closed over it.

We waited to watch the surface of the ocean and three minutes later a huge geyser of water exploded from the surface of the water as the incendiaries set off the high explosives we had added.

"Sorry, it would appear that my timing was off just a little."

Bella nodded staring out to sea, there was no look of triumph on her face just relief that it was finally over.

"I think I'll just check and make sure."

Rose dived over the side and disappeared from view reappearing a few minutes later with a few twisted pieces of the cage and lodged in one was a fragment of charred vampire flesh and one familiar golden eye that reflected the light but no life within, Alice was finally gone.

Rose

I steered the launch back to the jetty and we drove back to the apartment in town to find Peter sitting glumly with a towel to his face.

I pulled it away and saw some claw marks.

"Oh dear. It looks like you really annoyed Charlotte."

He grunted and looked as the bedroom door opened and she came back out with a smile.

"Hi, guys. I guess we missed the finale. Is it over?"

Jazz nodded looking at Bella, "You were awesome."

She smiled and bowed at the compliment,

"No, WE were awesome, all of us. Now come on, I want to go home and if you..."

She looked at Peter, then at Em,

"Start anything on the flight home, I swear I'll throw you out of the plane."

Charlotte glanced at Peter.

"Oh, I think Peter will behave. He's going to sit with me."

He looked murderous but didn't say anything.

"Its, OK," I said, "I got seats together in first class for the flight back so we can keep an eye on the boys."

Jasper pulled Bella close,

"Good, I intend doing a little romancing on the way back with my beautiful, talented, and sexy mate."

She turned into him and they kissed.

"Good plan, Jazz I might even join you."

Em saw Jasper's look and hurried to explain.

"Well not join you. I mean do the same with my girl Rose."

Peter looked at Char and getting up threw the towel on the floor and grabbed her.

"Hell, it sounds like a plan. Want to join in, Charlotte?"

She threw her arms up in a "What can you do?" gesture and melted into his arms.

We were all going home, together, and this time for good.

THE END

Thank you for joining me on this adventure. I'll be taking a short break but will be back soon with a new story. Love Jules xx