Finished chapter 9 very disappointed that the last review was almost 2 years ago clearly indicating that you're not going to finish the story  or at least have not at this time   Extremely sad for this great loss the story really is fantastic please reconsider thank you

  Harper's spy act blindsided me.  He seemed to fit so well with Jasper and the others.  And that without mentioning Camebria.        *tsk*

  As for Joseph...  I definitely don't buy the humble act he pulled in front of the rest of the Tribunal.  We all know he is behind the vampires in leather vests and the zombies.  Whatever he's up to, it won't be pretty.        B-(

  Speaking of his victims...  I was really hopeful that feeding from animals would work for Mr. Daniels.  All that is left is for animal blood not work against the bite Emmett received.        *glares at the author*

  "We're alone. Now answer the question." He shoved Jasper in the chest repeatedly, punctuating his words. "What did you do to her—my wife, your sister—the one I trusted you with?"        Jasper's careless shrug angered his brother. "She and I had a difference of opinion."        A difference of opinion...  That's a way to put it.  A totally bland and it-doesn't-cover-the-half-of-it way to put it.        :-/

  "Where's Lumberjack?"        Silence drifted through everyone, giving Diane her answer.        "He saved me." Camebria clutched Harper's hand, her voice breaking. "Once the army split up, Lumberjack told me he'd look after me since…" Her eyes flickered to Harper. "When we got jumped, one of those things had me down and Lumberjack pulled it off me. Next thing I know, three of them pounced on him. He told me to run, so I did."        Who would say?  The brute wasn't a lost cause, after all.  I confess I didn't expect any heroics from him.

  'His bloodlust was rising, but not out of control. In an unexpected turn of events, he hadn't been struggling as much since leaving the arsenal.'        Interesting.  The "bull" having the chance to "flex his muscles", I imagine?

  'Locked together by their telepathy, the pace of their conversation began to race.(...)        Harper's hands went to his head and he let out a shaky breath, not sure of what was happening.(...)        Before any of the Cullens could yell out or ask him to wait, the Major had his hands around Harper's throat.        "Traitor!"'        Those of you who read No Way Back know what happened here.  If you didn't, just wait till next chapter.        ;)

I WANT TO READ MORE!!!! Please update soon! I know I'm coming into the game late but I couldn't review without catching up. I love the secrets and drama that is at play in this story, and Jasper's alter ego The Major... oh my... please tell me that he will come back he is hurting his family with this cut throat, no bullshit, if you mess up i'll terminate you side of him.. and poor Diane, I mean I know that she is a strong independent woman, but reading how she is changing... is there any hope that Jasper's and Diane's relationship will mend? Will the relationship of all four Cullens mend????

Author's Response:

Your review made me smile. Thank you for that. The next chapter is ready for polishing and will be sent to Twilighted by the end of the week. The time it takes to get up on the site, after I submit it, is out of my hands,

If you enjoy Spinal Cord, perhaps you will like the story that came before it: No Way Back. If you haven't already, please take at look.

Thank you for your kind review.

~MA

  One zombie volunteer for non-abusive studies, check.  I didn't think Mr. Daniels would have such a deep role in the story when you began with him.  He seemed to be just an example of zombiedom then.

  "Joseph? Is that you?"        He put on a smile he hadn't truly felt in years, and peered through the small opening in the door. "Hello, Sarah."(...)        "Please." Her voice sweetened again as fingers—still delicate despite being mottled with black—reached through the bars. "Please, my Lord, you know what I need."(...)        A feral shriek ripped from the cell as the fingers gripped the bars. "Why? Why do you hate me so?" Colorless eyes bore into Joseph's. "Kill me!"        Wow!  Another little piece Joseph keeps only for himself, I bet.  She isn't your regular kind of zombie, is she?        :-{

  'The kitchen door opened—slightly—but enough.        In a delicious wave, the scent of human blood wafted into the room, causing Xander and Blake's heads to snap to the door as their eyes went black.(...)        Xander flashed into the kitchen, following the scent of flowing blood to the back office where four humans were huddled into a corner. Behind a man and two women, a small girl clutched her bandaged arm.'        Darkness!  But, then again, what could be expect from those two dunderheads.        :-/

  'Alice looked around at the vampires around her, sporting bright red eyes and slight flushes to their cheeks. Screams were still coming from the prison as Taban's squad fed, and Alice—for the two hundred and forty second time—wished the whole mess was just a bad vision she could shake herself out of.'        This reminds me of what Edward and Carlisle were thinking about PTSD.  I don't know if I'm more affraid of the war, or of what comes after.        :-(

  In the meantime, I'm really curious to learn how Joseph ended up unleashing this on the world.

Author's Response:

Mr. Daniels started out as just a passing character, a snapshot of the undead to walk across the screen, slowly--perhaps leaving a bit of two of himself on the road as he went--never to be seen again.

But then I began to like him. Not to mention, I found someone that gave me inspiration for the character, and after that, I couldn't leave Mr Daniels alone.

She? Sarah? Why Costa...whatever are you talking about? *evil grin*

Dunderheads! This is such a beautiful word for the Claytons. May I steal it from you? Yes? Why, thank you, my dear Costa. You are too kind.

PTSD is a teriible thing. War is horrible. The effects it has on those who serve, and their families, are deep and last a lifetime.

Thank you, as always, for you lovely review.

~MA

 

This story is so good! I love your characters of Scott and Diane. Also how much they have bonded with Alice and Jasper. While Alice was always included in the SM originals jasper wasn't, so I love how you are including him now. I can't wait to find out more about what is going on. I hope there will be more updates soon :-) I am sure you are busy and have better things to do other than updating purely for my reading pleasure, but I would like some more chapters please, lol. Seriously though Thank you and I will wait patiently for more updates :-) 

Author's Response:

Thank you for your kind review. It's simply wrong that I have let your encouraging words go so long without a response. My apologies.

I am still plugging away at Spinal Cord, and will--someday--finish it.

Jasper would haunt my dreams,, should I fail him.

~MA

I'm really loving your story, and the one before was amazing too. Just wish this one was done already so I know what happens, lol. Thanks so much and ill be looking for your updates 

Author's Response:

My apologies for failing to reply. I seemed to have missed you kind review.

Thank you for taking the time to leave a few words for me.

~MA

  'Everything around him went still and quiet as Jasper's protective nature demanded he assign blame for his mate's distress.        She should never have come here. Alice is right—it's all too much for her. If it weren't for Diane, she'd still be at home.(...)        Diane—if not for her, Alice would be safe with the family, far away from here and all the horrors that awaited them. Diane was to blame. Jasper was sure of it.'        *sad shake of the head*        X-(

  'Horror was clear in Xander's expression as his hands motioned over his body. "I look like frickin' TINKERBELL!" He pointed at the sky. "This is my punishment for stealing from that donation box at the homeless shelter, isn't it? It was a Nintendo DS! Come on! How's a homeless guy supposed to charge a Nintendo DS?"(...)        "Shut it, Blake. There's nothing funny about this. We sparkle. You cannot possibly be all right with this. Have you no dignity? No sense of shame?"        "Oh, I ain't got no problem with it, Sir Glitz-A-Lot."'        LOL!!  These two...  I like the reference to Chip and Dale, by the way.        X-)

  'What happened next turned out to be one of the oddest sparring matches between newborns that any of the Cullens had ever seen. The Claytons were missing every hit as if they lacked the skill to fight. When one would swing, the other was out of the way before the blow struck.        Only then did the Major realize that this was the first time the brothers had ever fought each other.'        Heheh!  A downside for everything.

  'Without further comment, the Major's hand snapped out and ripped the right sleeve from Jim's shirt.        There on his lower arm, Jim had a long, narrow wound. The edges were jagged and the gray color they bore was slowly darkening. Jim's eyes widened when he looked at it. "It's bigger."'        Hmm, I wonder what happens to a vampire if it spreads too far...

  'She pulled the trigger.        The creature at the end of the pack stumbled under the force of the bullet…        And kept going.        "See! What made you think—"(...)        The creature burst into flames. Parts flying in all directions.        Every vampire stilled in a mixture of shock and disbelief, including the Major and his Captain who stared slack-jawed at the burning, headless corpse as it fell to the ground.(...)        "Other women read or shop when their husbands are gone. You design ammo? Jeez, Diane."'        Heheh!  Indeed.  Creative her, huh?        ;)

  'Not liking it, Jasper knew what needed to be done. "Jim."        "Yes, Major."        He jerked his chin after the retreating human. "Looks like a man. As long as he's alone he's all yours." He snapped out his arm to stop Jim's takeoff. "I mean it—only him. If he has a woman or a child with him, you let them go. Can you handle that?"'        I definitely would want to be in his place.  But he does the best he can, I admit.        :-|

  The Claytons making me laugh and the revelation of the "mystery of the black cases" were the high points of this chapter.  Very good Ariel.  And, as we know, things will begin to warm-up from here on.        :-P

Author's Response:

Costa,

Your reviews continue to make me smile, sometimes an evil grin, but still, a smile.

Hopefully I am doing my storyline justice. I must admit that, more than once, I have wondered if I mave made my story too complicated once again. It may take some doing but the twists and turns will be ironed out eventually, but only after I toy with things a bit more. (See I'm grinning evilly right now.)

Right now, I am writing chapter 14 with 11-13 in various stages of the pre-read, beta, polish process. It look like this will wrap-up by chapter 20.

Thank you again for your review.

~MA

Awesome!  It's been a slow build up... but we're finally getting there!

Author's Response:

Hi, JRPatz.

Glad to see you are still reading. Hope you enjoy the rest of the story.

Thank you for the review.

~MA

  'The Major stood on deck, arms crossed, weighing his options. There weren't many, and they were all just as bad. The army still had to be fed once they left, and they only had a taste for human blood. Either way humans died. But once the army left the Tribunal's arena, the choice of which humans died would rest on the Major's head.        There was no good way to make a bad decision.'        Well put.

"National security required that we keep things under wraps for as long as possible. The early cases were handled—messy, but handled. They weren't as fast then."        "Hold up," Scott demanded. "Are you telling us these things are different now?"        "Faster, stronger, harder to kill."         Evolution. Weird.  I wonder if this is happening naturally, or if someone *suspicious look to Joseph* is working on it.  Also, they are already half a vampire in power.  If this continues...        :-[

  "It really hit the fan here, at the Truman Medical Center. Once we locked it down, we thought things would be contained, but we were wrong. Next thing I know, I've got sightings and killings all over the place. Then without explanation, they were…"(...)        "Were what, Colonel?"        "Contained. Look, I know it sounds crazy, but a perimeter has been established."(...)        "There is one thing I don't understand, Colonel. What keeps the creatures inside of this perimeter?"        "Body parts—from those things. The perimeter has body parts strewn along it. Every few yards. An arm…a leg…you get the picture."        Intriguing.  Why would it contain them?  It's not like they were trained to obey this signal, right?

  'The armrest crumpled under Joseph hands. "Who are you to keep that information from me? I don't think you understand exactly who you are dealing with."        "Right now, he's dealin' with me.(...) Get the Colonel's number, Captain."(...)        "Now, I'm goin' to be callin' my new friend here now and again. He'd better be alive and well to answer my call, or you'll be dealin' with me in a much harsher manner."'        LOL!!  I really like Colonel Holmden.  The guy have guts.  I just hope Jasper doesn't have to deal with Joseph 'in a much harsher manner' on his behalf.  Not that I would't like to see that.  I'm sure Joseph will provide another reason, however.        ;)

  "There's one more thing that may not be in the file. The only way to kill those things is to sever the spinal cord. You can shoot them, stab them, run them over. Hell, you can even set them on fire, and they'll keep coming as long as they have their head. Cutting them in half with a machine guns works, too. Now that I've seen. Anything connected to the brain keeps on ticking—no matter what. Once the spinal cord is severed, they drop."        I guess it means the old bullet in the head still works?        :)

 "I need to know where to take them to feed."        "How would I…" Her eyes went wide in shock. "You're asking me to use my visions to decide who will die—to feed them? Is that what you're asking?"        Jasper's eyes went to the dirt. "Yes."        I wonder if the four of them will ever heal from the consequences of this conversation.        :(

  One of these days, Ariel, you should tell us Holmdem's story.  How did he get involved in this mess, his first contact with the Tribunal, things like that.        :)

Author's Response:

Oh, Costa, I look forward to each one of your reveiws. It seems my other reviewers have jumped ship but not you. ;) Thank you for that.

The story continues to unfold, and I hope you are enjoying the ride.

If Colonel Holmden's story does not make it into Spinal Cord, it will definately become a charity one-shot. If you have a fandom charity you favor, let me know. I will be glad to contribute to it.

Thanks again for your support.

~MA

  “I screwed up, and two humans died at my hand.”(...)        “I wasn’t going to go, but then I heard them calling for help and before I knew it, I was there. The man had fallen down and hit his head, and he was bleeding…so much blood.”(...)        “I killed them. Drained them both dry. Wasn’t gentle about it either—I’d let myself get too hungry that day—broke most of their bones.”        :-(        If there's a good side in it, her remorse will help her to cement her resolve.

  “I promise both of you…” Diane’s gaze turned hard as a very familiar edge crept into her voice. “…you think I’m fighting now. Well, you ain’t seen nothing yet. You’ll have to take me apart and mail my pieces home in a box to make me go.”        Heheheh!        X-)

  'Bodies and cloaks burned together.'        I confess I don't get why Gabe did that.  Was he trying to protect the Major's secrets?

  'Seeing who was next in line, Harper stood a little straighter as he opened the door.        Camebria tossed in her “trash” and turned to go—much too quickly for Harper’s liking.'        *sing-song*        Harper have a giiirlfriend...        ;-3

  'Skirting the edges of his group, Lumberjack sulked. No one noticed when Xander and Blake caught him from behind and quickly removed his head(...) Blake put the head in one of the transformation rooms and the body in another. Mission accomplished, they gave each other a celebratory high-five.'        LOL!!  These two...        X-)

  'Seeing Eleazar was content to let the debate go on angered Marcus. He stood, capturing everyone’s attention. “I think we need to clear up a misconception. Diane, please inform the Tribunal who killed Jane Volturi.”        “I did.”        “And Alec Volturi?”        “Me.”(...)        “How many did you end on the day the Volturi fell?”        “I lost count during the first battle after seven.”'        Interesting to see Marcus taking Diane's side.  One can even forget that, technically, he was on the other side of the fence during the mentioned battle.        :) 

  “Look.  The only reason I have a bird on my shoulders—and not a few stars—is because that’s the way I want it. Being a mid-level officer keeps me out of the limelight. I made this…” he waved his hand at the room around him “…happen because it is in the best interest of my country.”        Colonel Holmden is an interesting addition to the plot.  Never thought I would see vampires bargaining with human authorities.  I wonder what is his role in all this, and if the rest of the tribunal is aware.        :-/

  'Near-white blond hair blended with skin that was pale, even by vampire standards. Eyebrows and eyelashes were barely noticeable, setting off deep ruby eyes—the only color on his face.  The complete lack of emotion didn’t help, either.        With a sweep of his hand, Joseph said, “This is Vincent.”'        Now we know where Vincent holed up.  When Jasper and Diane finds out...

  So many questions yet to be answered...        :)

Author's Response:

Gabe is a true blue guy and protected what his Major hadn't revealed yet. He's stuck right now, but he'll show up later...maybe.

Xander and Blake are based off of two RL family members. In fact, writing this started off as a joke when I threatened to make them vampires.

Marcus is my wildcard. I reserve the right to use his freedom from his brother to make him do all kind if things. ;)

Ah, the Colonel...he just came to me as I typed, and I adore him.

Did you think Vincent would stay gone? Bwa ha ha!

Thank you for another review.

~MA

  '"What can I tell you, my friend? Any tasks regarding the research have been given to Joseph."(...)         Looking around at the plethora of unused equipment, Carlisle’s frustration renewed. "This is madness. What reason would the Tribunal have for denying us?"'        More to the point, what is it Joseph doesn't want Carlisle to figure out? I imagine he wasn't in on it when Marcus asked Carlisle to research a cure for the "disease".        :-/

"At least Rose and Alice have hobbies to occupy their time and their minds. Rose has rebuilt the engines on three cars already. She’s thought about them so much, I’m sure I could do the next one myself.(...) "And Alice! She’s become an online shopping addict—worse than ever.(...) I know way too much about this year’s winter fashions."         *sniggers*         X-}

  'Zipping up her bag, Diane went over her mental checklist. "Rose, the cases?" "In the Mustang."(...) "I also put a set of the specs in your bag. I sure hope you can convince them to use it." A smirk, nothing short of evil, graced Diane’s face. "Oh, don’t you worry, I will."'         I'm very curious about these cases. What sort of weapon could give a vampire a meaningful edge?         :-]

  "Leave it alone, Edward."         Edward looked up, mid-dial, and returned his sister’s glare. "He needs to be told. They both do."(...)         "And what about your safety?"         "What?"         "I’ll tell Jasper you were in on it."         "He’d know you’re lying."         "His gift doesn’t work over the phone. Tell me, Edward, just how mad do you think Jasper would be if he thought you helped Alice and Diane leave, unprotected, and walk into that place."         HAHAHAHAAHH!!         X-D

  '"You haven’t touched your food. Something wrong with your burger?"         "I’ve decided a change of menu is in order."(...)         He took a large bite from Jeff’s neck and groaned in satisfaction.'         Eeewww...         :-P

  'Marcus waved them in. "They have had the best of training. I am sure you will find their skills more than adequate." He moved aside, hiding his smile. "Please let me know if you have any complaints."'         Ah, the old scoundrel...         :)

  "I’m not sure anyone who has to hide behind a uniform will fit in here." He scoffed, hoping to convey his displeasure. "Looks like our women might be tougher than these two."        Heheheheehh! That would be tricky.

  And now things get more interesting.         P-)

Author's Response:

Look at how neglectful I have been of you, dear Costa!

My apologies.

Thank you for your lovely reviews.

I'll admit, I've had a bit of fun with Marcus. Now that he is free of Aro, he can find pleasure in some things.

Hope the arrival of the wives doesn't dissapoint.

~MA