Sam uses my burner phone to call the Res. I don't know who he calls as he doesn't say a name, just thinks of the number. He just tells the male on the other end that an emergency meeting has been called and everyone currently working for the boss on his 'special project' needs to be in the rec hall in an hour.

He makes a second call and this one is answered by a woman who says she is in reception at the school. He tells her there needs to be a practice of the emergency plan immediately. He tells her to make the announcement as soon as he hangs up.

"I'm the principal," he shrugs as he dials again.

He makes call after call to the innocent people he knows will spread the word quickly and as we approach the boundary, and my waiting family, we can already see groups of people making their way towards First Beach.

"Well done," I tell him as he hands me back my phone.

"I can't guarantee that everyone involved will be in the rec hall anymore than I can guarantee that anyone not involved will be at the beach," he says solemnly.

"We can work out who belongs to which group," I reassure him. He's sceptical but nods, taking me at my word.

I make introductions once our groups join up. Jasper also assures him that we'll be careful and that we've got a way to distinguish between the players.

"When this is done I'll come find you," I tell Sam who is nervously searching the groups for his wife and children.

"You will?" he asks, eyes wide with fear.

"We won't hurt you," I tell him with a smile. "We'll clean up our mess and then we'll find you so we can work with you to make all this go away."

He holds out his hand for me and after I've given it a good shake he does the same to Jasper and then to Emmett. He nods respectfully to the women in turn and then he runs over the boundary line and joins up with one of the last groups making their way towards the water.

We wait, watch and listen.

A little later I check my watch as I listen to the stragglers thoughts passing us by. "Ten minutes," I tell the others.

Bella tugs on my hand. "Are you sure we can't kill him?" she asks. She looks so disappointed that I'm sorry to have to nod. "Fuck," she growls.

"I'm all set for this," I grin before kissing her pouting lips. She knows the plan but I can't help but smile at her wanting to deviate from it. "But we can change our minds," I hedge.

"No, we swore to Sam that we wouldn't," she pouts.

"You'll have to let me have my win after all," I shrug, hoping she won't be pissed.

She stares at me for a long moment, still weighing the new plan in her head. "Fine," she huffs.

Then we split into pairs as planned.

"I don't need to tell you to be careful because you can't be hurt, but I want to," Bella grins up at me as I take her chin into my hand.

I kiss her lips softly and cup her cheek. "Same," I say simply before kissing her again. "Take your cues from Jasper; he'll be able to tell if anyone in the building is innocent."

"I will," she promises.

"I'm sorry," I tell her.

"I know. But I want this to end more than I want to be the one to end it," she pouts again, playfully this time.

"You'll enjoy this outcome too," I promise. "And we'll get years and years to watch it play out this way."

"You'll be quick?" she asks and I nod.

"Time," Jasper says as each pair parts. "Spill no blood," he warns his group as they start for the road that will lead them to the rec hall. "Crush them. Smother. Strangle. Snap some necks. Whatever you like. But no blood," he insists as they begin to run.

I watch them go and when I'm sure they are within sight of the rec hall I run up the boundary line, sticking to the trees a little longer.

The house I want backs onto the line and I can hear his thoughts as I enter it from the back porch.

He's in a small room to my right and he's counting money. A lot of money. A whole lot of dirty, dirty money. He's putting half into a bag at his feet for himself and the other half into another bag, that is for the tribe. He's making and selling drugs and ripping off his own tribe at the same time!

My rage and my need to toy with my prey is strong inside me then.

He doesn't even register that I'm there before I've reefed him from his seat, my hands wrapped around his throat.

His thoughts race. His panic is palpable. His greed is all consuming.

I squeeze a little harder.

He squeaks a little more.

I crush his throat but leave him breathing. I remember my promise to Sam and let him go.

He collapses to the floor. Grateful that I've spared him. He's so, so very wrong.

I pull at the front of his shirt until he's sitting up, his eyes goggling out of their sockets at me.

"I swore to your next tribal leader that I wouldn't kill you," I hiss into his terrified face. "But I really want to. It would be terribly satisfying," I growl.

"Please don't," he begs though the words are rasped through his already damaged throat.

"I won't," I smile.

It is a simple thing to bring one hand around his throat and use my thumb to crush just a little. The satisfying crunch is music to my ears.

He'll never speak again but when I'm finished with him it won't just be his voice box that won't work correctly.

I pull him up until he's on his feet and then I wrap my arms around him.

He thinks I've spared him. Again. He thinks I'm going to take him from his home and get him medical assistance.

He's thanking me for letting him live as I crush his spine.

There is a final, gurgling pop and then I listen. Listen hard.

His heart is still beating, though it's truly racing now. His lungs are still functioning and his throat is open enough to receive the oxygen.

He's cursing me as he realises what I've done and as he falls back to the floor the terror of having to live his life without the use of his body begins to creep into his mind.

He tries to speak. He tries to shout for me not to leave him like that. He attempts to put a hand to his throat to massage it, desperate for his brain to reconnect whatever is necessary for his thoughts to become words once again.

But his brain no longer recognises his hands. Or his legs. Or his torso. Or his voice box.

Or his cock.

He's trapped.

The realisation that I'm going to leave him to live this way comes to his thoughts quickly. He's screaming internally and his face is contorted into a grotesque mask of anguish.

He begins to beg his god to take him.

"You're staying right here," I hiss as I lean over his ruined body. "You'll stay right here and suffer the indignity I've given you."

He'll live out his days like this.

But he'll live.

I leave him where he falls, ignoring his mental pleading. If we were planning to stay in the area I'd kill him outright, regardless of my promise to Sam. I couldn't spend my days listening to his thoughts.

As I reach for the two bags of cash he'd been stuffing his thoughts switch to the rest that he had hidden. I throw him a quick thank you and head out of the room and down the hall to his bedroom.

I take careful steps until I locate the lose floorboard by sound. His thoughts curse me again as he hears the squeak of the timber as I lift it and toss it aside.

Sure enough there are a dozen bags of cash in the small space.

I empty them and condense all of it into a single bag. I put the empties back into the hidey hole and slide the board back into place.

I shout out a hasty thank you and then I'm out the door and running.

I'm at the rec hall within seconds, ready to assist should there be anyone left standing.

There isn't.

A dozen bodies lie on the floor of the large open building.

Bella is at my side, her hand in mine, as I come inside properly.

"It's done," Jasper tells me with a nod.

I give my wife a quick kiss and then she runs off with my sisters to retrieve the jeep from where it had been stashed, half a mile from the Reservations front gate.

"All good?" Emmett asks me as he raises his hand for a fist bump.

"All good," I tell him, returning the gesture.

I drop the bag at my feet and ignore both my brothers and their curiosity over what it might contain.

Each of us slings a body over each shoulder and we take the first six to the hut at the front gate. We prop them against it and run back for the rest.

By the time the jeep comes into view we are ready to load it up.

Emmett and Rose will take it and the bodies to the farthest reaches of the Reservations land and set the whole sorry lot, car and all, ablaze.

I am saying goodbye to car number three.

Jasper and Alice will head home and gather their things in readiness to leave and close up the house. Bella and I will sort out Sam.

We wave the two couples off with good wishes that their individual chores will be achieved without fuss.

I dial Sam and tell him we'll meet him where the sand meets the trees at First Beach.

I duck into the rec hall and retrieve the bag and although Bella raises an eyebrow at it she doesn't ask of its contents and I don't offer an explanation.

We meet Sam at the tree line a few minutes later.

"Everyone who should be safe is safe?" I ask as he approaches warily.

"They are," he says very quietly.

"You and your people can go about your business now," I tell him and watch his shoulders relax as he gives us both a small smile. "You'll find this is more than enough to continue some of the good works and programs you've got going here," I tell him as I hand over the bag. "It's dirty money but the tribe deserves to use it all the same.

"I don't want you to ask any questions about this, and I won't answer any if you do, but Billy is in his home with non life threatening injuries. He won't recover but he is alive. I don't want you to worry about his care. I will take care of that personally. So you use that money to find some new industry to keep this place thriving."

His thoughts are filled with ideas how to achieve that, with the odd thought to the state of Billy Black. He stares at me for a long moment then stares at the bag now dangling from his hand, then back to me.

He holds out his hand and I shake it eagerly. He nods to Bella who returns it with a smile.

"Thank you," he tells us and I know from his thoughts that it's sincere.

He has hundreds of questions but he won't ask them. I let him think for a moment and then I take Bella's hand into mine.

"There will be smoke from the southern boundary shortly. Ignore it," I tell him as we turn to take our leave. "It was great to meet you Sam. You'll make a fine Chief. Call if you ever need anything."

"How much was in the bag?" Bella asks once we're far enough away not to be overheard.

"Judging from its weight, and I'm only guessing at that to the nearest pound, around half a million," I tell her as we begin to really run.

"How the fuck do you know what half a million dollars weighs to the nearest pound?" she laughs as we hit our stride.

"I'm ancient," I cackle. "I've had a fucking long time to learn a lot of useless things."

"Don't suppose you know anything about boats?" she asks out of the blue.

"As it happens I do," I smirk. "Would you like me to buy you one of those massive yacht thingy's?"

"No!" she laughs, turning backwards so I can see her beautiful face. "You asked me a few days ago what I'd like to do once this was done. I think I'd like to go to the beach," she grins before turning back around and resuming her run beside me.

"Well, we did say we were going to the beach," I chuckle. "What does boating have to do with that?" I ask as we come to the back of our land.

"I want to go somewhere where there isn't a human for miles. I want to lay on the warm sand and fuck you in the waves. Maybe the only way to achieve that is if we stay on a boat? Go to shore at night?"

I stiffen immediately. "There is a place..." I tell her as we slow to a stop at the back of the yard.

"I do like places," she giggles. "No humans?" she asks.

"Not for a hundred miles in any direction. Totally secluded. We'll need a boat to get there. An island," I tell her as we make our way onto the decking.

"Waves?" she says with a cheeky grin as we go through the glass doors.

"A few small ones," I tell her as I pull her to me before ravaging her pouting mouth. "There's a waterfall with a small grotto behind it where I'd quite like to fuck you, though. If that will suffice?"

"Ewww," Alice grimaces as she trots down the stairs with a suitcase trailing behind.

"We're going to the beach," Bella giggles as I let her go with a last kiss to her throat.

"I heard," Alice says before running back up the stairs again.

"Is there anything here you want to take with you?" I ask as I follow my sister.

"Just that phone so Sam can reach us," Bella calls, still in the living room.

I take our collection of identity documents from the safe box in my closet and another spare burner phone just in case and then I join my wife on the back deck to wait for Emmett and Rose.

They aren't long and by the time I hear their approaching thoughts both Alice and Jasper have joined us, luggage at their feet.

"Where are you two heading?" Bella asks and I groan as I read the answer from my brother's thoughts.

"Milan. Fashion week," Alice says excitedly.

"Lucky you," Bella says with as much enthusiasm as she can muster, which isn't much.

Jasper does not feel lucky. I throw him a small grimace and he echoes the movement along with some rather explicit thoughts on how he felt about Fashion Week.

Emmett and Rosalie appear in the yard a moment later and I fist bump my brother as they come up on the deck to join us.

"Easy as," Emmett tells us. "Stinks but it's done."

"Where is everyone headed?" Rose asks of us all.

"Milan," Alice chirps and for a split second Rosalie thinks she might like to join her.

"We're off to Yellowstone," Emmett grins widely as Rosie huffs.

"We're off to Isle Esme," I tell the group.

"Lucky bastard," Jasper grouses as he takes up his suitcase.

"I so am," I agree as we bid the couple farewell. "We'll be three months. See you in New York for Christmas?" I call as Alice and Jasper run down the yard.

"Christmas in New York," Alice agrees.

"Christmas in New York," Rosie waves as she and Emmett go through the house and out the front door on their way.

"Three months?" Bella asks me, eyes wide.

"I figure three months on our own might be nice," I grin as I swoop down and kiss her hard. "Run with me, beautiful girl?" I ask as I hold out my hand.

"What the fuck is Isle Esme?" she asks as we hit the yard and start to run.

"You tell me where you keep getting cigarette lighters from and I'll tell you all about it," I chuckle.

"My dad always told me never to go into the forest without one. In case I got lost and had to spend the night," she shrugs.

"Smart man," I tell her with a smile. She missed her dad terribly. "So, Isle Esme..." I begin.

So, this is the end.

As I said at the beginning I am toying with a short epilogue. More a drabble about how Bella and the family interact once they are all back in New York for Christmas.

I don't think its absolutely necessary, but if the majority think it might be worth reading I'll post it later.

Cheers, as ever, for reading and for the lovely reviews.

See you in the next one,

Maxi

xxxx