Chapter 6: Suits

"I'm the one who led the Rebellion."

Jasper stares at me, shocked, his eyes raging with conflict. I meet his gaze, raising my chin defiantly. Our staredown continues until we hear a voice calling for Jasper, probably wondering where he is with the Grey. Instead of saying anything, he stalks off with my suitcase, forcing me to follow him through the house and out to the town car.

Of course, I'm forced to ride in a car with the Senior General, but he sits in the front with Jasper while I sit in the back like the prisoner I really am. They chat and laugh and ignore me, but I hear what they say - the jokes they make about a battle in the North, the way they get hushed when they talk about the United Kingdom, and then louder, angrier when they talk about Canada. I catalog it all and I play the waiting game.

One day, I'll win.

The drive is long, and I eventually pretend to sleep, listening to them talk. At this point, it's one-sided gossip about other men they work with - the Senior General gossips and Jasper grunts in acknowledgment occasionally. Suddenly, a silence overwhelms the car, and the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. I can feel his eyes, and I have to force myself to keep breathing deeply, the illusion of sleep.

"Who knew that fucker Swan could make such a fucking stunner," he says, and he sounds wistful, or lustful, or both. "Thank God he was dead by the time I found her, I doubt he'd have let me keep her. Selfish fucker." His words give me chills, and I resist the urge to hold my breath, my ears straining for Jasper's response.

"Find her?" Jasper asks, his Texas twang quiet, his voice low.

"Yeah," the Senior General snorted. "Found her in nothing but her underwear, handcuffed to a radiator. She was being held prisoner by the Rebellion. We got her in that big raid last year, brought her back. I had her transitioned into a Grey, made sure they let me keep her. I was hoping she'd put out sooner, but she's a timid little thing."

My eyes clench as he speaks into existence what I've already suspected. Senior General James DuBois may act like a holier-than-thou bible thumper, but he's just as dirty and disgusting as the rest of them. His wife may have been onto something, although her anger was directed the wrong way.

Jasper coughs, and I wonder what he's thinking. Is he drawing connections to me and the rebellion? Is he remembering whisperings of her? Does he recall hearing about the girl inside? Or have they blacked out my name, telling no one about me, waiting for me to return, if I ever do? A distant beacon of hope for the Rebellion, the leader dismantling this disgusting regime with meticulous care from the inside? I wonder and wonder and wonder….

"Figured taking her out of that house might loosen her up, make her more receptive. I've been dying for some young pussy. My wife just ain't cut out for me anymore."

My stomach turns, and suddenly Jasper cuts in. Even I can hear how tense he sounds, his warm Texas voice suddenly cold. "You need to be careful with this. We're going to the Capitol." I can sense he wants to curse, but he's respectful. He has to play a role.

The Senior General laughs. "Those fucking idiots do it too! You don't even know the depraved shit they do. Plus, this girl owes me. There's no telling what those heathens would have done to her if I hadn't saved her."

It's time for me to wake up.

I can't take this.

I need to find a way out of this.

I suddenly stretch and mime waking up, blinking rapidly. I catch the Senior General glancing back and I feign a shy smile.

"Sleeping Beauty awakens!" He exclaims boisterously and I cringe. "We'll be at the Capitol shortly. Be ready to present yourself. This is a very big trip for you, Miss Grey."

My body is frozen, my heart is in my throat. This is one of the few times I've been genuinely scared since going under. I glance up to the rearview mirror where Jasper is looking at me. I meet his eyes, and it seems we've reached our agreement.

We're working together.

….

Before, I always hated stuffy men in suits. I hated how slimy they looked, even the attractive ones. Slicked hair, shiny shoes, dull shoes; fat ties, skinny ties; poorly fit white shirts. I hated it all.

That still hasn't changed.

Walking into the Capitol, I realize I'm the only woman here, aside from the receptionist who I recognize as another key figure's wife. I wonder how hard she must have fought to get that job. I wonder what she deals with here. I wonder if I can talk to her.

And I'm being swiftly led away.

Back to the stuffy suits - there are dozens in this building, running around, pretending to be important as they lead this country to whatever new hell they can concoct in their self-righteous minds. I wonder what's happening to bring the Senior General here so suddenly, but then remember I have my own things to worry about on this trip, and perhaps I will not be able to gather as much information as I originally thought.

"Jasper, please lead Miss Grey to the woman's visiting room so she can drop her bags, then bring her into the Washington Hall. I have a meeting that I need her to take notes for."

Jasper stops walking, and I follow his lead, watching as the Senior General continues on, his disgusting swagger causing his shoes to squeak even louder against the marble floors. Once the Senior General and his other team members are a respectable distance away, Jasper begins to walk the other way and lead me to an elevator. He was silent and refused to look at me, but I followed his gaze to a camera in the corner. I assumed this was his way of telling me we were being watched. Arriving on the third floor, I follow him through the halls of the Capitol, which apparently holds rooms for visitors, including one - only one - specifically designated for women visiting. Upon entering, I realized it was completely bare- not many women visit the Capitol like this. Jasper lingered in the hall for a moment, looking both ways, before he quickly stepped into the Women's room, shutting the door behind him. I open my mouth to speak, but he shushes me with a finger to the lips, taking out what looks like a little phone, but I quickly realized that he's searching for bugs. Once he deemed the room safe, he looks at me in a way I have never seen from him before, suddenly earnest, slightly desperate.

"Listen, we don't have time to go into the details of how you're so deep into this, and I may end up regretting this, but I trust you. You haven't ratted me out for being in the house the other night, and I can see how you may have been transplanted in here, especially considering who your father was." He takes a deep breath, shaking his head like he can't believe that he is talking to me with so much candor. I grab his hand, urging him to continue. It's stupid how easy it is for me to default to his words, whereas Before I would have taken charge of the situation before Jasper even had a chance to speak. Just another reason I need to get out of here.

"We'll be staying at Commander Volturi's house tonight. I'll be doing some work while everyone is sleeping, but we both know that the Senior General's intentions are less than honorable for you. Luckily, I'm close with the person who runs night security in Volturi's house - I'll make sure someone is always in the hallway you're bedroom will be off of. This should deter the Senior General, but if it doesn't, we need a backup plan."

"I have a steak knife," I admit, quickly untying my coat and showing Jasper the cut in my jacket. He smirks at me, temporarily amused at my weapon, but then digs through his suit pants and produces a folded tactical knife, making my steak knife look flimsy and plastic in comparison.

"Take this too," he urges, and I quickly slip it into my coat, wrapping myself back up again and tying the knot on its belt. "If it comes to this, I'll make sure you get out of there."

His eyes are on me, searching, and after a moment, he nods, prepared to lead me to our next destination. I quickly stop him by grabbing his arm, pulling him around to face me.

"Who do you report back to?" I ask, and he hesitates, glancing away from me. I sigh, frustrated.

"Alice? Emmett? Leah? Come on, I need to kn-"

"Leah," he tells me, and I sigh in relief. She's alive. And if she's alive, then…

"Do you know of Edward?" I demand, and he shakes his head, but I only grip him tighter. Desperate is too mild a word to describe me at this moment. "Do you know about Edward?" I feel my eyes tearing up, feel your name on my tongue, foreign-sounding, it's been so long since I've uttered it. Jasper simply looks at me, and I can tell he believes me now. This isn't something I could fake, not about you.

"No," he whispers, gently removing my hand from his arm. "I haven't heard anything from or about an Edward."

And he leads me out of the room, and I pretend I'm not devastated.

A/N: Long time, no see, everyone! Who knew it would take state-wide lockdown to get me to finish the next chapter, huh? This has been a super crazy time for my husband and me, but we're pushing through, and I hope you guys are too! At first, we were really down about lay-offs and the current economy, so writing a super depressing chapter was not my first priority. BUT I feel much better today, so here's to more good days and lots of writing! What are you guys reading right now? I'm in need of a good fic as I wait for my faves to come back with updates. Also, please let me know what you thought of this chapter! I love hearing from you guys. xx orionsnights