Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction

Blood And Steel

By BetterInTexas

Chapter 04:

Ontario Canada

Beth did not understand what the problem was. She had met him in the library. He was standing next to a shelf smiling at her. In the dimness she could not make out his features well but she knew he was beautiful. Tall, lean body and wavy, sandy blonde hair. His eyes were dark in contrast to the rest of him. His pale complexion told her he did not enjoy the sun any more than she did.

She had always been shy and looked away, but her gaze kept being drawn back to him. He eventually came over and asked if he could share the table.

Before she knew it, she was talking to him in a low whisper, not wanting to disturb the other patrons. She answered all his questions. He never answered hers beside his name.

Edward.

A classic name. It fitted him. He seemed to be from another time, like his name. Like her name.

He complimented her on her lovely brown hair. She had always thought it to be plain but he seemed to love it. She had never felt such at ease with a person, much less a man as beautiful as he was.

He asked her to come with him to the Starbucks. Starbucks was two miles away so she agreed to ride with him, despite knowing the dangers of getting into a car with a man she hardly knew.

His scent. She could not get enough of that scent. His eyes and smile. She did wish his eyes weren’t so dark. They were the only thing on his face that seemed out of place. He laughed at her attempts at levity making her feel good. She had always been socially awkward.

She was so lost in these thoughts, she never noticed the very nice car she was in had driven past the Starbucks ten minutes ago.

As he parked the car, she realized he had driven them to a scenic overview. At that moment Beth began to feel something inside herself. Something screaming to get out of the car and run.

Still she felt drawn to him.

He asked to kiss her.

The question caused even greater hesitation but she allowed it. She had only kissed three boys in her 17 years. This was more than she dreamed.

Her lips brushed his.

His lips traveled gently over her ear and then down her neck. They were cool and dry, not wet and sloppy like the other boys she had kissed. Edward obviously knew what he was doing.

She cried out when she felt the two sharp pains in her neck. His lips were no longer soft and cool. They clamped onto her like a vice.

She tried to pull away. Her mind finally breaking through the haze she had been in and begging her to run. She was afraid.

Soon though she relaxed. The pain went away and only the feel of… was he sucking on her neck? His arms were like steel bars and she relaxed into them instead of fighting.

Her head became light and she felt euphoria.

Sixty seconds later she had passed out. Thirty seconds after enough blood had left her body that her heart no longer had any to beat. Her body went rigid but she had passed out long ago.

Without a sound, Beth died.

Edward drew his lips away and stepped out of the car. He was proud to see he had not spilled a drop. He had given her a merciful end to her drab life. Edward opened the passenger seat and unbelted her. Throwing her body over his shoulders he walked into the forest. He came back once more to grab a shovel from his trunk. No need to get dirt on his outfit. Alice would not approve of him digging with his hands to bury a body.

As he threw the last shovel of dirt onto Beth’s final resting place, he waited for nightfall. Once the sun had completely fallen he would be strong enough to move a nearby boulder over her shallow grave and Beth would be simply another missing person. A girl taken in the night. He would return to the library then and take care of the security tapes.

He had done this so often it had become a routine.

“Was she good?” Rosalie asked walking up to him. Edward knew she had been watching. She loved to watch others feed, getting a perverse thrill out of watching others die. Ironic considering the circumstances of her turning.

“Yes, quite tasty.”

“You do have a thing for brown hair. I suppose if you ever do find Bella you will have Carlisle turn her? I doubt very seriously that you would be able to stop.”

“I drank her blood for over a year. I know exactly when to stop.” Edward said defensively.

“Yes but she is like a drug to you. Her blood? Nothing topped it. You are a junkie who hasn’t had a fix in a long time Edward. This is the longest you have gone since Carlisle made us leave her, thinking she would be even more dependant on you when we returned. That worked out so well for everyone. No it’s probably best to leave the turning to Carlisle. He has so much control.” Rose said, thinking of the state she was found in, when Carlisle forced her to drink his black filthy blood instead of letting her die like she begged for.

“Why are you here? Aren’t you supposed to be in Florida watching Bella’s mother? Carlisle will not be happy knowing that you and Emmett are here.”

“Emmett isn’t here. I came alone while he stands vigil over your mother in law. Oh wait, that didn’t happen did it? Regardless I became tired of the beach.”

“I would imagine lying in the sun all day in a tiny bikini would suit you?”

“It did, for a while. But you know how I hate feeling weak. I needed some darkness in my life. Plus I missed you and Carlisle. Haven’t you missed me?” Rose asked, pouting.

Although vampires could not be enthralled by other vampires, Rosalie had a gift. She was a succubus, the same as Tanya, Kate and Irina in Alaska. Edward had enjoyed them all at one time or another.

Enjoy may not be the correct word. Like her cousins, Rose viewed sex as a weapon. A weapon used to control those around her. Although she was correct in her observation that he loved women with brown chestnut hair, Edward found that he could not resist her when she decided she wanted him. The thoughts in her head were too enticing to ignore. She had turned Emmett and married him, keeping him satisfied in exchange for the protection he provide her.

The poor bastard had no idea what a whore his wife was.

“Actually I haven’t missed you.” Edward told her dismissively, doing his best to hold her off. Although she was beautiful, she was a viper.

“But I have missed you.”

“Sounds like your problem.” he told her, wondering why he bothered. She always got what she wanted. Except for one thing. Carlisle would not let her kill Bella. Something about Bella struck a cord with Rose. Perhaps it was Bella’s innocence. Perhaps it was her beauty which in Edward’s opinion matched Rosalie’s. Perhaps it was that Carlisle held Bella in such importance, even over Alice and especially Rose and Esme.

“True. I wonder what Jasper is up too tonight.” Rose pondered. Edward cringed internally. As he thought, Rose always got what she wanted.

“Of course he is loyal to his mate to a fault. I wonder what the famous God of War would think of his beloved wife, fucking his coven mate? How have the two of you been doing? You and Alice I mean. I understand from Esme that Jasper has been traveling often, searching for your former fiancée. Have you been keeping your little sister company?”

Edward sighed and pulled off his shirt. He felt Rose’s hands unbuckling his belt.

“Why do you do this Rose? I know you hate me.” Edward observed.

“Because I like to remind you that I can.” She answered honestly. Edward felt, no he knew, that Carlisle would be receiving a visit from Rose tonight as well.

Wonderland, Cheyenne Wyoming

“Chris?”

Chris woke with a start. Turning he saw it was 2 AM. Harris was on the intercom. He pressed the button to speak.

“Yes?”

“It’s Shelby. She just hit her alarm. She had an episode and she wants you.”

“An episode or a nightmare?” Chris asked. Shelby was a ten year old girl who could see the other side. See past the veil that protected the souls of the living from the souls of the dead who had not passed on to either Heaven or Hell or whatever names people called those places. She had to learn to control this or she could be a conduit for those souls to enter this world. There were many ways ghosts could inhabit this world. Possessing others for a short time being the most prevalent. Doing so by means of a child was not uncommon. Demon possession was the greatest risk but they usually preferred adults who had played with forces they had no control over and gave little thought to. Luckily Chris had never encountered a demon.

He had been working with Shelby since she was six. Her parents brought her to a psychiatrist after her great grandmother had used the child to speak to her granddaughter. After numerous tests the psychiatrist called the phone number he had been given by a government agent long ago. The same number certain psychiatrists and clergy all over the country had and never spoke about. His number.

Her mother and father were so afraid it was a simple matter for Chris to convince them that Shelby could be cared for here at his ranch. He gave them a brief tour, explaining it was a boarding school of sorts for those who are different. He expected resistance.

After thirty minutes they were begging Chris to take her.

She was a sweet child but seeing the pain and regrets of the entities that resided between realms was difficult for her. Still she learned and had not had an episode in a very long time.

“I think it was an episode Chris. When she called she sounded… flat. Same tone she uses every time she comes out of one of those… things. She refuses to go back to sleep until she talks to you.”

“I’m on my way.” Chris told him and began to dress.

Five minute later he strode into Shelby’s room and found her sitting up in bed, back against her head board.

“Hey sweetie. What’s got you worked up tonight? Bad dreams?”

Shelby looked over quickly at Chris, relief obvious on her young face, at his appearance.

Even in the dim light Chris could see her face was abnormally pale. He knew this had been no nightmare. Shelby did not scare easily.

“Chris I didn’t mean to.”

“You didn’t mean to what pumpkin?”

“I went to sleep and I… I felt I was being pulled… and then I opened my eyes and saw…”

“You saw the other side?”

“Yeah…”

“Who was pulling you Shelby? Did you see who it was?”

“No. But Chris I have to show you. It was so strange. Chris there aren’t supposed to be doors there. I mean you can visit but… Chris there were so many…”

“So many doors?”

“No, so many people. So many souls. Why don’t they understand they are dead? They are supposed to go the other way. Not here. They can’t come here.”

“I know sweetie. But we talked about this. Some souls aren’t ready to move on. They aren’t trying to come back. They are just stuck, either scared of what’s comin or they got too many regrets to move on to a better place.”

“Not like this. They were banging on the doors Chris. I’ve never seen so many. The noise they made. Chris these were the bad ones. They are the ones who felt drawn to the bad place. They are trying to escape. I don’t know how the doors can hold. I have to show you.”

“No.” Chris said calmly, doing his best not to raise his voice. While he wanted his charges to grow in their abilities they had to do so slowly. The fact that Shelby felt pulled meant someone or something on the other side could use her. He wouldn’t allow it.

“Chris please. You have to see. It’s different. If you come with me I will be safe. I have to show you. I won’t feel safe until I do. You have to see. You have to keep them from breaking down the doors.”

The conviction in her young voice nearly broke his resolve. But no… he would not do that to her. He would tell her a story or sit up with her until exhaustion gave way to sleep but…

“You have to see.” Shelby said in another voice. A voice that sounded like an elderly lady, cracked and scratchy. Before Chris had time to react, Shelby grabbed both his hands and her eyes rolled up in her head.

Chris had never felt power like this radiating off of her before.

He knew this wasn’t Shelby. Whatever had drawn her was drawing both of them back. As powerful as Chris was he could not stop it.

The room disappeared around the two. They were in darkness, hands still clasped together.

A thunderous noise rose from beneath them. Chris looked down and what he saw sent genuine fear into his heart. He had walked here many times over the course of his life. Nothing prepared him for the horror he saw below.

Seven large stone doors were standing on the floor far below him, lighting up the darkness. In front of each door ten wide at least, a line of what must have been millions seemed to stretch forever. The doors should not be here. The souls were climbing over each other to get to the stone doors, beating on them. The noise was horrible. Chris looked closer and saw other creatures mixed in with the souls. Foul creatures Chris had never seen before but he knew what they were.

“Chris? I’m scared. Can we go now?”

Chris looked at the little girl whose hands still clutched his. Her eyes were wide and darting up and down the line of these damned souls and the… creatures.

Chris closed his eyes and focused on Shelby’s hands and home.

The darkness and the noise rushed away quickly and Chris found himself back in Shelby’s room his hands still being held by hers.

“Do you see? They are trying to get out. What were those… things, Chris?”

“Nothin for you to worry about little one. You showed me. I will handle it. Okay?”

Shelby nodded and laid back into her pillow.

“I know you will Chris. The good guys always win right?”

“That’s right.” Chris told her with a smile.

“Leave the hall light on Chris. Please?”

“Of course Shelby.” Chris kissed her gently on the forehead and walked out, leaving her door open and the hall light on. Turning to check on her once more he saw she was in a sound sleep. He wondered if she would remember this in the morning. He hoped not.

Chris walked directly to Harris’s office. Harris was one of the doctors who helped Chris monitor his young charges, along with three others. They took shifts, one always being awake while the children slept, monitoring the room with listening devices but keeping cameras turned off unless the child hit the panic button as Shelby did tonight.

“She okay?’ Harris asked. Chris nodded but Harris recognized the concern on his face.

“Put all the mediums on dream suppressants.” Chris ordered.

“I thought we talked about this. Unless it is absolutely necessary we decided…”

“I’ve decided that it is absolutely necessary. All the mediums. Let Shelby sleep and start them all in the morning. Keep her camera on in her room. If she so much as stirs around too much I want to know immediately.” Chris told him.

“Yes sir. You’re the boss.” Harris said, shocked at the tone of Chris’s voice. He was normally calm in every situation. Right now he had a definite edge to him Harris had never seen or heard before.

Chris stopped at that statement and realized he needed to calm down.

“I apologize if I seem harsh Harris. Shelby showed me some things that have me worried. I am afraid our children may be in danger of being pulled across the veil against their will. Something is going on. I don’t know what but I will find out. Until then I need to know my kids are safe.”

“I’ll have the meds started at breakfast.” Harris told him. He was a man of science but Harris he had seen many things here at Wonderland the proved to him science couldn’t explain everything. He also had absolute faith in Chris.

Chris walked across the ground to his small house in the center of the complex where he lived alone. Walking to his study he picked up the phone and dialed the number of an old friend.

After four rings, a sleepy voice answered.

“I wouldn’t have given you my direct line if I knew you would actually use it.” President David Rodriguez answered. “Do you know what time it is? I know you live on a ranch but unless we are invading a nation I prefer to sleep until at least six, Chris.”

“Dave I need you to contact you priest friend in New York. He served with you right? Francis something?”

“Yeah… I thought you didn’t like organized religion Chris? I believe narrow minded and rigid were some of the terms you used.”

“I need an expert or at least someone who can get me in contact with an expert. He’s friends with you. He must have friends in the Vatican. I need to see their archives. The real ones.”

“Yeah, I’m not sure the Pope could get you in there. What sort of expert do you need?”

“One in demonology.”

“You serious? What has Winter got into? I thought she was taking some down time while her new partner…”

“This isn’t Winter, Dave. I need to speak to an expert who can keep his mouth shut. Is your friend the man for the job?”

“Yeah. Francis… I’ll call him. Get him on a plane to you first thing in the morning.”

“I wouldn’t ask you if it wasn’t important.”

“How important?”

“End of the world important.” Chris told him

Dave sighed.

“It always seems to be, doesn’t it? I guess if the jobs were easy we wouldn’t have been given them. Okay, I’m calling him now. You going to tell me exactly what this is about?”

“As soon as I am sure you will be the first to know.” Chris told him and ended the call.

Walking over to his library he started his computer and began a search in his personal archives. He had no history of dealing with demons other than seeing the stray one dragging a soul into the darkness on the other side of the veil. He knew enough to be worried though.

Death Valley California

When Bella had exited the barracks she was prepared to hike. To run if necessary. To do whatever it took to succeed.

She was not prepared to be taken to the base’s airfield. She was not prepared to climb into a helicopter and she was most definitely not prepared to be dropped off in the middle of nowhere. Literally.

“Where are we Jason?” she asked once the helicopter had flown far enough away to hear. She knew it was hot. Mountains and rough terrain surrounded the two of them but they were in a desert of some sort. It reminded her of the Arizona deserts she loved but harsher. Everything here seemed desolate. No, seem was not the correct word. Everything was desolate.

“Death Valley. Our new home for the next few weeks.” Jason answered, already beginning to walk away.

“You brought me to Death fucking Valley for a hike?” Bella asked in disbelief.

“You think we were going on a nature trail? I figured you would be happy. Look around. No ocean.” Jason pointed out. “Let’s move. I want to find a good place to set up shelter before sundown.”

“There is a good place?” she asked doubtfully.

“Yep. We don’t want to get caught down here in a flash flood. We are headin to the Eastern border. See that short mountain range? Those are the Funeral Mountains. We are going to hike up as high as we can get before dark and set up there.”

“Did you say Funeral Mountains?”

“You seem to have a knack for restating what I say. Are you okay? Sword not working right or what?”

“Yeah. I’m fine.” Bella told him. She had thought hell week was over. She had a feeling by the end of the day she would be missing the cold ocean water. He had brought her to the closet place resembling hell on Earth.

The two hiked without a word all day. Around noon, Connolly stopped and handed Bella an energy bar and a canteen of water from the pack he carried. They stopped for approximately five minutes and then they began again.

An hour before sunset and Bella’s legs were screaming. Connolly tossed her a thin sleeping back and rolled out on for himself. They were both light brown and blended with the mountain.

“No tent?” she asked.

“You want to share a tent with me?” he asked back with a grin. Bella could feel herself blush and had no idea she could still do that. Luckily her face was so red from the sun all day he wouldn’t notice.

“Nope.” Bella responded as soon as she had he bearings, lying through her teeth.

“I don’t suppose you brought any pillows?” she hoped.

“Yeah there are some fluffy pillows in your backpack covered in satin covers. Go ahead and pull them out.”

Bella looked doubtfully at her backpack. She had yet to open it and figure she should at least see what was in this beast that weighed as much as she did.

Bella saw weapons. Guns, ammo, knives. She saw handguns and rifles and the kind of small machine guns she only saw in gangster movies. She also saw hunks of what looked like clay in bags. At the very bottom was a milk gallon full of water with a canteen next to it.

Taking out a package of clay she showed it to Connolly.

“What is this?”

“Explosives.” He answered nonchalantly, leaned back and taking in the setting sun.

“You had me walking around in this heat with explosives all day?”

“They aren’t dangerous. At least not until you make them dangerous. Relax.”

“I am relaxed.” Bella told him. “I was just wondering.”

The two sat in silence. Bella pulled off her boots. She had worn a light long sleeve camo shirt and beige pants with multiple pockets running up both legs all day.

She winced at the smell of her feet when she took off her boots.

“Oh my God.”

Jason looked over and saw her feet. A few busted blisters, more hard callouses and the bottoms of her feet resembled leather.

“Don’t put anything on them unless something looks infected.” Jason advised. “Once the blister goes away and the pus dries it likely won’t blister again. I got some socks for you to change into but we only got one pair and there ain’t a lake for a very long ways. So don’t plan on clean clothes or anything else clean for a while unless it is in that pack.”

“Uh… okay. Are we hiking tomorrow as well or…?”

“Tomorrow we get up when the sun rises and begin training. Every morning we start with and two hours PT. Stretch and run. At least two miles, ending back here. We do as many push ups and sit ups as we can. By the end of week 6 of your training I expect you to be able to do as many as I can in five minutes and run 5 miles in less than 30 minutes over this terrain. Then we will hike along the mountains. There isn’t a smooth trail so we are going to be going over loose rocks and rougher terrain than you faced today. After PT we start a ten mile hike to that peak over there.” Jason told her, pointing to a mountain that seemed to be far enough away to be on another state. Come to think of their location it could be in Nevada.

“Why? What’s over there? More dirt?” Bella asked.

“Our next supply point. A chopper will drop off supplies we will need. Targets, water, rations. Everything we need to survive. It’s cheating but bringing you out here with nothing but the clothes on your back would be suicide for damn near anyone.”

After sitting in silence Bella began to notice it was growing cooler. Her body started to relax and she lay back on her bag. Soon the stars were in the sky and she had something to draw her attention from the man who was next to her.

“Can I ask you a question?” Bella asked, finally breaking the silence.

“You can ask me anything you want.”

“Why do I have to learn to use these weapons? I mean if I get into battle it is going to be natural for me to want to draw my katana. What does it matter if I am an expert at handling these weapons?”

“Bella do you know much about real Samurai?”

“I know they were warriors in Japan’s past.”

“True. In battle the samurai never used their sword first. They always used a bow to kill the enemy from a distance. When that failed they used spears. Only when the enemy was close and all else had failed did they draw their blades. They believed their soul resided in their sword. To a samurai, drawling their blade was equivalent to unleashing their soul. To do so meant there was a danger of being overran and they would fight to the death.

Now I imagine Winter has told you what happened to Summer correct?”

“Yes.”

“Imagine a scenario where Winter saw Jane drop Summer and she was too far away to use her own blade. But in this scenario, Winter pulled a .45 and shot Jane between the eyeballs before her mouth could get near her sister’s throat.

When that happened, we did not have a weapon capable of doing that. Now we do. Weapons just like those you will be training with. Only the ammo is different. If Winter had those weapons, those bows and spears you might say, her sister could still be alive. Do you see?”

“Yes.” Bella admitted. It made sense. But…

“But I feel natural with the sword. Like it’s an extension of me.”

“I feel natural with any weapon. So will you, by the time I am done with you.” Jason told her.

“Then why are we wasting time at sun up running and doing push ups? Shouldn’t I spend all day practicing shooting?”

“We start every day with the same routine. It’s part of being disciplined, even when you don’t have a drill sergeant standing over you. Besides your endurance sucks. Running, push-ups, learning hand to hand combat. These are all things you need to learn. Your balance needs improving. Your sword may feel natural but you don’t fight naturally, with or without it. This has to change.”

Bella felt anger at his bard about her endurance. The rest she freely admitted to being faults.

“If my endurance is so bad then how did I survive last week?” she asked, doing her best to keep her anger in check.

“You think you survived last week because of your endurance? You weren’t in good shape. How many packs of cigarettes did you go through a day before you arrived at Coronado? The sword gave you strength at times but it wasn’t enough over the hours and hours of training you went through. No that was your heart and mind that kept you from quitting. Both those told your body to keep going, to keep fighting, to run on bone when the muscles failed.

A warrior needs to be emotionally, mentally and physically prepared. You were prepared emotionally and mentally. Now in addition to fighting skills, you need to develop your body to help your mind and your heart. That is what we are doing here in this hell hole.”

Bella said nothing, understanding creeping in her heart and beginning to mentally prepare herself for the physical exhaustion that would have no end in sight.

“I understand.” Bella told him finally.

They both lay back, six feet away from each other on a rocky outcropping looking at the stars in silence. It was Jason that broke the silence first.

“I owe you an apology.”

“For what?” Bella asked, confused.

“Last week. I should have been the one who put you through that. Not Jack. They should have been there but I should have been the leader. Those guys hated every second of what they had to put you through.”

“Even Hawk?’ Bella asked doubtfully.

“Okay maybe not Hawk. But still, it should have been me. Don’t hold it against those guys.”

“I don’t.” Bella said immediately, surprising even herself. Away from the week at Coronado she felt none of the hatred she had at the time.

She did remember Ty Gavin and Jack Webb’s muddy faces as they crawled under the wires with her, through mud.

“Good. Like I said, it was my fault. It should have been me. This is my team and my responsibility and I let you down. Here I will be training with you. Here everything we do, we will do together. Here I can think more clearly. Last week…”

“Why? Why didn’t you train me last week?”

Connolly sighed and continued looking at the stars. Bella figured she wouldn’t get an answer so she left it alone. Perhaps he had fallen asleep. She did her best to keep her gaze on the stars and not on the man next to her.

“Because I knew you were going to hate your instructors for the majority of that week and the idea of you hating me at any time bothered me more than it should. I couldn’t stand the idea. I shouldn’t say this. I never felt anything more than lust for a woman until the first time I saw you. I only tell you this because I owe you the truth, not to make some half assed pick up attempt on a mountain.”

Bella couldn’t hold back the smile on her face and hoped it was dark enough that he wasn’t able to see it.

“I forgive you. Just promise me that you won’t hold back on me. You are right. I need to learn everything you know. I know it will be difficult. I will only hate you if I think you are holding back on me. I’ve been taken care of enough in my life. I don’t want mercy.”

“I promise. Besides it’s getting easier every day.” Jason said quietly. Bella rolled over and looked at him.

“Why do you say that?” she asked, the hope that the feelings his first look had stirred in her may be returned, fading.

“Your face is beat red, your feet look like leather and I know for a fact you haven’t shaved your legs or armpits in over two weeks. By the time this week is over Gavin is going to seem more attractive than you are.” he said seriously.

Bella lay flat on her back and gritted her teeth.

Until she heard him laughing.

“I’m just fuckin with you Bella.”

“You’re an asshole.” Bella said, fighting back the smile creeping onto her face.

“You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. I ever will see. But I promise you, I won’t hold back on you. I’ll give you everything I got.” he said quietly, causing her heart to flutter more than it should in her wretched condition.

Bella felt sleep threatening to overtake her. She was not ready for the conversation to end.

“Jason can I ask you a personal question?”

“Sure. Why not?”

“Is It hard… to… I mean I’m sure you have done it a lot… is it hard to kill people?”

“That depends on a couple things Bella.”

“Like what?” she asked.

“How fast they are running, if they are shooting back, line of sight, cover…”

Bella started laughing before he could finish.

“That is not what I meant asshole!” she told him, once her laughter had died down.

“I know. For me, no, it’s never been hard. I am a Marine. A Navy Seal. I was born to do what I do and I am at peace with that. There are people and things in this world that need killing and I take a certain amount of pride that I am one of the chosen instruments who get to accomplish that task. Some people are born to be doctor’s, nurses, social workers, spies, school teachers, craftsmen. I was born to do what I do. I’ve accepted that.”

“What do you think I was born to do?” Bella asked, almost afraid the answer might be blood donor. She didn’t know if she could take a shot like that from him,

“You were born to fight by my side. By Winter’s side. You were born to be here with me standing between the forces of evil and the innocent people who just want to carry on with their everyday lives and do what they are meant to do. Of that I have no doubt. You are doing exactly what you were meant for. I wouldn’t be here in this damn place if I thought I was wasting my time. I ain’t one to waste time.”

“You ain’t?” Bella quipped, ignoring the pride that swelled in heart at his words. “Where the hell did you learn to speak English? Where are you from? You know all my dirty secrets. You know my life. I want to know yours.”

“I don’t know your life except that there is nothing dirty about it. I know what was given to me in a file. To know you would take more time than just reading a file. But no worries. I have a feeling by the time this is over, we will know everything about each other. Right now we need to get some sleep. If you get cold do not come crawlin to me for body warmth.”

“Why not?!’ She asked, faking shock.

“Because the quickest way to warm a body is for two people to get naked and I already told you I know you haven’t shaved your legs in two weeks.”

Bella smiled and rolled over on her stomach. She eventually took her shirt off leaving her only in a sports bar and pants and crawled inside the sleeping bag, trying to use her shirt as some sort of pillow. She glanced at Connolly and even in the dark she saw he was still lying flat on his back staring at the sky with his eyes closed.

Before she knew it the sun was up peaking over the mountain tops. She cracked her eyes open and saw him.

He stood near the edge of a cliff, shirt off. At first she thought he may be doing Tai chi or yoga of some sort until she realized he was fighting. Fighting an invisible enemy it seemed only he could see. A part of her wondered what that enemy looked like in his mind.

Once he finished, she tried to not let her eyes linger on his sweat covered chest and flexing abs. He noted she was awake.

“Mornin beautiful. Time to get to work. You said you would only hate me if I held back on you. Can’t take a chance on that. Get your ass up. We are goin for a three mile run. First mile and a half will be uphill over the rough terrain so watch your footing. When we get back it’s pushups for five minutes and sit ups for five minutes. Then we do one hundred dive bombers. At least I will. We will see what you got in you. By the end of the week I will have you doing pushups on one hand.”

Bella stood and stretched.

“What about the rest of the day?” she asked with a yawn.

“I’m going to teach you to fight. Hand to hand. You learn that we move to knives, then firearms, handguns, rifles. I’m going to teach you to be a sniper when necessary. How to blend in with the environment. How to survive. At the end of two weeks we leave. Then you learn how to skydive. You learn how to strap on an oxygen tank and blow shit up underwater. You learn about explosives on land. Then we will go to a different environment. You will learn how to survive there. How to use what nature has given you to live and kill.

After that I am going to teach you how to use that sword on your back. Then you will be ready to meet back up with Winter and the rest of the team. There are more guys than just the ones you met already. We will meet up at a base in Nevada and start to learn our new weapons. The ones we are going to kill vampires with and any other nasty thing out there. By the end of that we will be ready to start to take down our enemies wherever they may be found.

But the first thing we have to do is get out morning workout in, have an energy bar and a shit load of water and then hike ten miles to our next supply point. If we don’t make it we are going to start getting really thirsty very quickly. Understand?”

“Yes sir. Got it.” Bella told him, ready to begin. The pain in her muscles and feet no longer mattered to her. She had a job to do and she would not fail in front of him. Not with him beside her.

Plus the sooner this day was over the sooner the sun would set and she could begin asking him about his life. She sensed he didn’t like to talk about it but she had to know. She had to know everything about the man.

“Good. Let’s get our fine asses in gear Swan. Lot to do and not much time to do it. Vampires are killing more people every day. Sooner you are ready the sooner we can all put a stop to it.”