Cullen - Origins [English Version - FINISHED]

Chapter Seventy-One

The four policemen went down the stairs to the basement. Charlie had taken the lead, and the other three followed in silence. Their footsteps echoed on the metal floor, the only steady sound in the empty hallway. Charlie was nervous ; after his phone call with Bella, then with Carlisle, he had gone to join the three policemen. Phones in hand, they were still wondering what to do with them.

- As much as I don't like it, we're going to have to take pictures, the sheriff told them. It's a big case, and obviously we're going to need evidence. The judges aren't going to go for a walk in the basement of a park.

The others nodded, understanding their sheriff's intentions better. The latter was reassured that they wouldn't ask too many questions ; for this excuse was only a cover to be able to burn any evidence of the existence of vampires.

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Adam sighed as he ran his free hand over his face. Gina's reassuring hand was still resting on his, holding it tightly.

- It's been seven years now. he murmured with pain.

- The year you came here, Gina remarked gently.

He nodded.

- Yes, I arrived in September, following a tragedy that happened that summer. He confirmed. In fact, I had a little sister, and I had been taking care of her since the premature death of our parents. They had died in a car accident years earlier, and I was old enough to take care of my sister by myself. I was sixteen at the time ; Mila was ten. Despite the sadness, this event had brought us both very close. When I revealed to her what I really was, she was very understanding. As I went along, I even introduced her to my pack. There were about ten of us, and... And it was pretty cool, to be honest. Even though we had lost our parents, we still had a family, who accepted us as we were ; Human or Werewolf.

And that summer, seven years ago now, I had to work night shifts at the hospital for the whole month of July. So I left Mila with two friends who were part of my pack. Every night they went to the beach to grill, and my sister was thrilled. Everything was going well, and I signed up for a second month with these hours. But after two weeks, one Thursday night, something happened while I was in the hospital. As usual, the boys had taken Mila to the beach. It was just the three of them because the others had stayed in the warmth of the rain forecast for that night.

The other boys in the pack didn't realize what time it was when they left. But after midnight, they began to wonder where Mila and the boys had gone. That's when they felt the emotions of the two werewolves who were with my sister. In the pack, it is normal to feel each other's emotions ; it makes it easier for us to communicate. That Thursday night at midnight, I too felt what the two boys were feeling. There was... It was a mixture of panic and anger. I immediately called my sister, but she didn't answer, so I called the leader of my pack, who had stayed inside with the others. He never hung up, all the way through the forest to reach the forest, even when they found them on the beach. They were surrounded by vampires. Much nastier than the Cullens. They had smelled my sister and they were hungry... That made them decide to brave two werewolves. The others tried to help them but they were too late for my Mila... The vampires were too many for the two boys and they were outnumbered. They couldn't protect my sister. When I heard the others screaming, I knew it was too late.

In rage, I left my post and went to join them. I found them alone, with my sister in their midst. The vampires had fled when the whole pack had arrived.

Adam's voice broke and he couldn't hold back the tears that were rolling down his cheeks. Gina clutched his hand even tighter in hers, holding back tears as well.

- That's why... I left. And I cut the ties with my pack. I couldn't take it anymore. At the end of August, after my Mila's funeral, I decided to look for a job somewhere else, then to pack my bags. I thought that going far away would ease my pain... Unfortunately, it took me a long time to recover...

- Did you succeed ? The pretty redhead asked gently.

- I didn't think I could do it, but... But you, you Gina, you helped me a lot.

The young woman looked at him with surprise.

- What do you mean ?

- Your joy of life... Your simplicity... It took my mind off things and helped me to get better, little by little.

- And to think that in your second week here I called you a grump... I'm sorry.

This remark made Adam laugh, and he wiped his face with a backhand.

- Yes, I remember, I think I almost told you to go to hell that day...

- If memory serves, which it always does, you didn't just fail...

Adam gave him a look of astonishment.

- Did I ?

- Yes, you did.

They exchanged a knowing look and started laughing. But at no point did their hands let go.

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The closer they got to the death chamber, the harder it became for Charlie to breathe. Twice, his colleagues had asked him if he was okay ; and twice, Charlie had told them that he was fine but just a little nervous. At least that was the truth ; the rest... a little less so. The sheriff hoped every two minutes that the plan would work as he had agreed with Carlisle, otherwise he really didn't know what he was going to do.

When he saw the door that had been blown open earlier, Charlie instinctively slowed his pace.

- Are you really sure you're okay ? Rogers asked suspiciously.

Charlie grumbled and resumed a normal pace.

- And it is my duty to accompany you since I am the sheriff...

A gigantic explosion cut him off in the middle of his sentence. A huge plume of smoke escaped from the death chamber as the four policemen instinctively dove to the floor, covering their heads with their arms. Smoke detectors screamed and echoed throughout the basement, and the black smoke began to fill the hallway dangerously. Charlie masked a victorious smile, and began to shout over the detectors.

- Fall back ! Stay together !

Neither one nor two, the four policemen got up as one man and rushed toward the basement entrance, before they were completely intoxicated by the smoke.

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Meanwhile, Garrett was also running belly down, to an emergency door not far from the room, the one they had used with Astrea and Alice during their first escape. His mission was accomplished, all he had to do was to make himself scarce to reach Forks. Charlie Swan's plan had not been very complicated : he had to sneak between the policemen, and reach the death chamber as quickly as possible, before the sheriff and the others arrived in their turn. Once this was done, he simply had to install explosives in the room and light them once he heard Charlie and the others. Simple, effective, but not very discreet and a bit dangerous. A perfect Garrett plan, according to the ex-nomad himself. Now that the evidence of the vampires' existence had been blown up and burned, nothing would bother them for the next ten decades with any luck. Once outside, Garrett once again slipped through the police ranks and exited the park. When he was finally on the road, he started to run, taking out the cell phone Esmee had lent him. He unlocked it and sent a message to Carlisle.

Mission accomplished, I'll be there in a few minutes. Tell my Astrea to prepare a bed with lots of candles. It's going to be a party, especially since it's just the two of us tonight...

The answer was not long in coming.

Garrett, I'll have you know that I read the message before my daughter...

So what ? It's not like you didn't know we'd already done it. Besides, you're a doctor.

That has nothing to do with it !

Of course it's not. Besides, do you have any neighbors around here ? Maybe we should warn them in case they hear things...

That's enough !

The ex-nomad chuckled. If there was one thing he loved after Astrea, it was annoying her father.

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