Excerpt From 'One Flew Over The Cuckoo's N'

Chapter Twenty Three

Maria

I sent the soldiers to join their comrades and took Nathan and Peter into my cabin aware Nathan was looking at me greedily. He knew The Major was away and if he wasn't back by dark I would be calling for him to join me in my bed. He was no substitute for my Major who made me feel alive and sent me to a place no other man could, but it was an efficient way of keeping Nathan at my beck and call.

He thought I was grooming him to replace The Major partly because I had led him to believe so, but in fact if The Major were ever replaced it would be by Peter, not Nathan. While Nathan was dedicated and willing he could not control himself well enough to lead others and the men didn't look on him with a mixture of fear and admiration, like they looked at my Major.
“So, you

brought both girls with you. What does this human mean to Alice Cullen?”

“Nothing she’s just a pet the Cullens picked up along the way. Give her to me, I'll dispose of her Maria.”
I ignored Nathan and looked at Peter who shrugged,
“They are friends, Alice has been thinking about her welfare all the way.

I think she would make a commitment to you in exchange for the human girl's safety although how good Alice’s gift really is that still has to be proved.”

Dismissing both of them after upsetting poor Nathan by refusing his request to take the human. It was as well to deny sometimes, it underlined just who had the last word, something Nathan was apt to forget from time to time. I watched from my window as my army went through its drills in two sections, one led by Peter, the other by Nathan who shot glances at the prisoner's accommodation from time to time. So this human girl had him interested, there must be something about her worth looking at in more detail.

I decided to see for myself, having watched the drill a little longer. The exercise had just underlined who was the better Captain, Peter could command his men while Nathan had to bully them, not a good idea with such volatile army as mine but something stopped me from having him culled although The Major had offered more than once and when I confronted him about it. He always said the same

thing,
“Nathan is an animal with the thought processes of one. As a soldier he is acceptable, as a commander he leaves a lot to be desired.”
The annoying thing was that my Major was right much as I would have preferred to hear him admit he wanted Nathan dead out of jealousy.

I felt all eyes on me as I strode purposefully to the prison cabin and stepped inside to see the human laying on the bed while Alice Cullen sat beside her. She shot to her feet as she saw me and motioned to the human,
“She's exhausted, hot and needs food and water.”
“Why should I care what she needs? She is of no use to me except to feed one of my newborns.”
“She's my friend and you dragged her all this way. If you want my help then you will look to her needs.”
I smiled, this Alice Cullen was proving to be interesting, amusing even.
“You have a human pet? How quaint. You will help me whatever happens to her but for now it will be amusing to keep her alive. And as long as you help me she will stay alive but mark my words if you fail me she will not die easily, Nathan would love to get his hands on her and we both know what that would mean.”
“Why do you want me?”
“Your help, I almost have control of the entire region but there is one other who foils my plans each time and I weary of the constant battling with Carlos. I want you to tell me where his camp is and where he plans to strike next.”

Alice

This was dangerous ground and I had to work on the theory that Maria knew nothing about my gift.
“Very well, I will need time though and a map of the area you think his camp might be. Something of his would be helpful too.”
She looked at me eyes narrowed as if deciding if I were being truthful or not, but I kept a straight face.
“I can provide the map, as for something of his what did you have in mind?”
“Either a piece of clothing or one of his inner circle of officers.”
She laughed showing teeth gleaming white against her face, a little less pale than my own, a legacy of her tanned human body.
“You aren't asking for much then Alice. Very well you'll get what you need and I will supply what you need to keep your pet alive but do not try making a fool of me Alice Cullen, believe me my temper has no bounds if I feel I have been played for a fool.”

When she left I sighed in relief and sat back down. Well, I had won us some time and had to hope I saw something before Maria ran out of patience and gave Bella to Nathan and myself to another of her officers as a punishment. I sat beside Bella stroking her hot sweaty face hoping she would sleep the worst of the day's heat. As it was she woke up when a soldier came in with the things I had requested for Bella.

Bottled water, assorted sandwiches and snacks which looked like the booty from a vending machine. There was a change of clothes too, battle fatigues like her newborns had been wearing for both of us. He left and I picked up one of the bottles unscrewing the top and sniffing before handing it to Bella who gulped it gratefully choking at first.

“There's food here too and a change of clothes. For now we are both safe but I need to see something quickly Bella and I have no way of knowing when or what I will see next.”
“Thank you for trying anyway Alice but tell me more about yourself and the rest of the family. How you became vampires and why you choose to hunt animals instead of humans. All you know about Maria too. I have to understand.”

I told her my history and how I had joined the Cullens first,
“So Carlisle taught you all to hunt animals?”
“Yes, he values human life and wants to save them not hunt them as a food source.”
“What about Maria? Is she a typical vampire?”
I couldn’t help a small laugh,
“No there is nothing typical about Maria. She creates newborns to fight for her. Maria wants to be the queen of Central America and she can see her goal now. She has killed vampires and humans alike, all are merely incidentals, all she sees is the throne within her grasp.”
“So there are other armies that want the same?”
“There were, not so many now, she has destroyed most of the opposition, she and The Major.”
“Who is he? Maria's husband?”

“No, she created him and turned him into the most dangerous vampire our world has ever seen. Totally amoral and bloodthirsty. He creates, trains and commands her army. Some say she would have been defeated by now if not for him. You think Nathan is scary, wait till you see him.”

Bella finished eating as I explained the limitation of my gift so she could understand how much danger we were really in then washed her face and hands with a little of the water and sat back on the bed.
“It's so hot in here. Why aren't you sweating?”
“I'm a vampire, we don’t feel the heat like you or at least it doesn't affect us.”
“What else is so different?”
“Our senses are much keener, we hear see and smell much better than humans. We are faster and much stronger and we are immortal.”
“Immortal? So nothing can kill you?”
“Only another vampire, humans are powerless against us so you see you don’t stand a chance of getting free, but I will do my best to look out for you.”
“Thanks Alice, I believe that but it will take all our ingenuity to give Maria what she wants.”