FAGE Six Pack
Title: Lighthouse in the Storm
Written for: mama4dukes
Written By: Bell 1 (Aunt Bell)
Chapter Word Count (minus A/N): 3,657
A/n - An extra special thanks to hlsmithfor their beta work, to MarieCarro her amazing banner work and patience, and finally to hlsmith and MarieCarro for their help with pre-reading. Thank you also readingmama (vampmama) for managing this gift exchange through writing.
Unfortunately, I did not create these characters, but thanks to Stephenie Meyer I am allowed to play with them for my enjoyment and mold them to my imagination.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~ LitS ~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chapter Four – Answers
BPOV
The last time I saw Emmett was before my best friend's funeral. Alice died instantly from a hit and run on the way home from her custom clothing boutique. The man I fell in love with six years ago has been put through the ringer in the past three years. The loss of his only remaining blood relative was the final breaking point, draining the once good-humored and energetic man with a promising future.
Thankfully, Emmett contacted Ben immediately after Alice's accident before James was notified. Per Alice's instructions in the event of her untimely death, updated a mere seven weeks prior to the day she passed, Ben was able to begin the process of moving all of her monetary assets and put an injunction on all items within her residence, including Emmett's possessions. He expedited everything through Judge Carlisle Cullen due to his help when we were having trouble on visitor weekends, unable to see Emmett.
Emmett was not fully aware of her instructions for him, but did go with her to sign the necessary paperwork to protect his property and finances in the event Alice and James divorced. He had been trying to convince Alice to do this since before she got married and was finally successful five months after his release from jail while living with her.
With the Sherriff, Ben served James with the mandated freeze of assets of one Mary Alice Brandon Deschamps and one Emmett Nathaniel McCarty at noon after her accident and discovered Emmett was not there.
No matter how many countless messages Ben left for Emmett within the week leading up to the funeral, Emmett never called, or stopped by the office. It hadn't even been twenty-four hours since her death before James kicked her brother out. He didn't even allow Emmett to get his belongings. The only things Emmett had were the clothes on his back, his vehicle, and anything within it.
The day of the funeral it no longer became coincidental, we became highly suspicious. We haven't seen Emmett since before Alice's hit and run.
Ben and I have been scouring the city ever since, neither having been able to reach him. By the time we figure out where he has been staying, he is no longer there. The landlady tells us he was going to stay with a friend.
Every effort to contact Emmett since has been unsuccessful. Every time we return his calls, there is no answer. Why we only received voicemail alerts without hearing our phones ring whenever he calls is a mystery. We can't even understand why he isn't stopping by Ben's office.
I have been here every spare moment available, leaving my café in the hands of my associates every Friday and Saturday; closed on Sunday, as always.
I have been so desperate in the last ten months that I have worn myself ragged. Between running my business and the beginnings of expanding, I am also going to Seattle every third day after closing the café's books, desperate to find Emmett. Fortunately, I currently have a good staff to take care of things while I am away. Leah Clearwater tends to my books when I am not there.
Having settled into my hotel room after a long day of scouring the streets, I am just getting ready for a Calgon® moment when the phone begins to ring. Remembering my mother teaching me all about those commercials, I quickly wrap my bathrobe around myself and jog through the room to the phone on the other side of the bed, tripping over the bedspread in the process.
"Hello." I answer breathlessly, reaching my phone on the fourth ring.
"Hey, Bella." Ben replies. "I was hoping you have a moment to meet with me."
"Sure. Should I meet you at your office?" Knowing Ben has been searching for Emmett also, "Have you found him?"
"No, not my office. Sorry to disappoint you, but I do have other things to discuss with you. I have left an item in your favorite place. It will have the information you need."
"Ben? What –" He cuts me off.
"Don't. Just trust me, okay?"
"Okay." He hangs up without another word.
We set up a system during Emmett's trial. Ben knew enough about me and shared enough of the same interests in literature and music as I do that one would think we were an item. However, it wasn't to be. Once he found Kate it was it for him. We parted amicably. Two years later, they were married. Our close bond became quite useful though for leaving secret messages.
Getting dressed, I head out with only some cash in my pocket and follow my usual routine, making it seem as though I am doing some random shopping and browsing. On the third stop, I make my way to the back where the second hand music and books are located. Finding a copy of Mansfield Park, I purchase the book. In my car I flip to page 204 and see the tiny instructions written in the margin.
Arriving at the location, I see a plane sitting on the Puget Sound and without a word climb aboard. The engine starts up immediately and we are air bound. Within minutes, we are landing in American Lake, Tacoma. Walking up the dock, I see an old Nova waiting for me and climb in. Within seconds, Ben is speeding away.
Five minutes later we are hiking up an unknown path through the woods until we reach a clearing. I recognize this instantly. It is the place we had tracked Emmett's cell phone ten months prior, with no sign of the man himself. We even had a search party of all his friends, those who knew him and Alice when they were younger, and anyone we could find. Due to his status prior to the arrest and the broadcasts we were able to put out there, many people turned up. Two weeks after his disappearance, the search is over. No signs of animal attacks, or questionable activity within ten square miles.
I'm surprised to find Seth waiting for us, a distressed, but pleased look on his face.
"What's going on, Seth?" I ask, instantly on edge.
"I have several things to tell the both of you."
"Go on", Ben says when Seth doesn't continue immediately.
"As you know, I have been working around the clock to find answers about everything entailing what has been happening to Emmett since before his trial. I have implemented myself on the inside of James' work, which lead me to discovering his involvement and status in the Unione Corse criminal organization. It turns out the Corsicans decided to relocate and take up residence in Seattle, wanting to reestablish the organization. They have been steadily building their numbers since the 1970s.
"It is highly secretive and extremely tight knit. It took me weeks to get on the inside, doing some underhanded things such as taking on the appearance and personality of one of their own. When I was looking into the visitation issues, I had a feeling Caius was involved. After weeks of following him and learning his routines, his niece approached with Victoria.
"Through the listening device I implanted on the gold medallion he only removes during recreational activities, I overheard Victoria telling him she was pregnant, claiming him to be the father. He denied her allegations and claimed she was nothing but a common whore, so it could be anyone's child.
"Victoria pulled out a gun and threatened him, but he wouldn't back down. Severely distraught, she pulled the trigger and ran realizing what she had done, pulling along a devastated Rosalie.
"It was the opening I needed. The shot didn't kill him, but I did arrange for him to be secretly kept alive. Carlisle arranged for a doctor friend, Eleazar Denali, to care for Caius under a medically induced coma. Using my highly advanced disguise equipment, I became him two weeks ago. Within two weeks I have learned everything I need to know."
"You know where Emmett is?" I ask.
"No."
"Then what do you mean by everything?" Ben inquires.
"What happened to Emmett before the trial… the truth."
My mouth falls open in shock. "What! How? What happened?" During the trial, the proof of the truth is what we lacked. Without evidence, or witnesses, we couldn't provide the necessary information we needed to show the jury what we already knew… Emmett was innocent.
"It turns out they are still trying to ensure all the loose ends will not become unraveled. The private detective you hired before the trial was being paid to give you false leads. Felix would call an untraceable number anytime Ben learned of a new lead, which is why you were unable to track down any of the witnesses, or they were found dead. Those who choose to stay were paid off if they refused to testify. By the time your subpoenas were issued, they were given extended vacations to exotic and under populated locations, thereby disappearing.
"Several of his neighbors heard the girls across the street in the early afternoon and watched them break into his place. One of the especially nosy neighbors hasn't been found since she went missing decided to investigate after they went inside.
"Apparently they put Rohypnol into his orange juice container before wiping their prints free from anything they touched and leaving."
"Wait, what is Rohypnol?" I ask.
They both look at me. "Didn't your dad ever warn you about not leaving your drinks unattended?" Ben asks. I nod. "Well, have you ever heard of roofies, or the date rape drug?" At my nodding, he continues. "Rohypnol is the official name for the most commonly used drug used to incapacitate a victim."
My blood began to boil. They drugged him!
Seth continues. "When he returned from his run, they were in the middle of breaking in once more, but saw him coming. Rosalie wanted to take off before he saw them, but Victoria insisted they confront him.
"After they left, he went inside. They pulled up again and waited in their beat-up Taurus ®. About twenty minutes after the lights went out they broke in again. Five minutes later, the bedroom light turned on again.
"The neighbor, Mrs. Stanley, watched in horror videotaping the events as Rosalie and Victoria took advantage of his motionless body. Between the two of them, they manipulated his body into whatever position they needed before one of them took photos.
"Rosalie even rode Emmett, inserting him into her center. Thankfully, Victoria never took a turn and no penetration occurred. Just before his release during Rosalie's playtime, Victoria forced her off, orally retrieved his seed, and spit it into a container. I can only imagine how it came to be discovered within both girls. The girls redressed, left him lying there, replaced the covers over his body, and left. Had Mrs. Stanley not seen it with her own eyes, no one would have believed either girl could maneuver his solid form, which is exactly what happened at the trial.
"Mrs. Stanley was found face down in the Puget Sound only two weeks ago. All other witnesses have suddenly returned from their two and a half year vacations in various locations around the world. With your key witness and physical evidence gone, they know any attempts to appeal will be denied without even having to pay off any judges even after the other witnesses returned."
"I could kill those girls right now."
Ben is in complete agreement. "I know exactly what you mean. I have never been angrier than I am now. How could two teenage girls get by with something like this? Better yet, how could they come up with such an evil ploy?"
"James is Victoria's brother. He made sure all the events were covered up and did everything in his power to make sure Emmett was convicted and put away. He is second in command to Demetri, the leader of Unione Corse.
"The video didn't just disappear from your safe, as I'm sure you are aware. Chelsea, your secretary, took the video to Demetri. James and Victoria are his first cousins.
"Every call you made, every time you asked your secretary to do something, it was reported back to the Corsican organization. James then used one of his many ties to maneuver things to his liking. They have connections in many areas. They find very talented people in technology, law, medicine, and even government and use them in any capacity they need."
"Then how was Carlisle able to fix what was happening in Monroe Correctional Facility?" I ask.
"It turns out Carlisle's power supersedes the Unione Corse, though he is extremely adverse to it. His mother was born into the Bonanno family, so he has been highly protected by the Five Families all his life. Wanting to get places on his own, he doesn't utilize the power they could grant him, but often without his knowledge things will happen. They know how important it is for him to do things peacefully and on his own, so they work in the background by using common people when necessary, paying them extra for each service."
"You found out all of this from the Unione Corse?"
"No, I found out about Carlisle from his mother's brother, Marcus Volturi. He has been keeping tabs on Carlisle all his life. He approached me after the fourth day of being Caius. He's been watching the Corsicans for years. The Unione Corse is typically known for their secretive ways, but in the past six years the entourage working for James has become well known for racketeering, trafficking, smuggling, and many other illegal activities.
"He has several police officers in his pocket also, which is how Laurent was able to get out of charges of 2nd degree manslaughter against Alice and her unborn child." Seth stops talking at this point.
He still loves her, even after all these years. The day Alice left him for James is a scar he carries with him. Like Emmett and I, he tried to tell her James is bad news, but Alice wouldn't hear of it. She insisted they were meant to be, once more relying on her so-called premonitions.
When he heard she was with child at the time of her death, he became enraged. It was something they often spoke of while they were together, even though they were still too young. He knew how much she wanted to have children, so the loss of her and her child tore him apart.
It took him a long time after she left him, but he finally moved on two years ago. Alice's passing did put a strain on his relationship, but his fiancé was extremely compassionate and understanding. Jade is a beautiful woman with a pure soul. Their wedding is planned for this summer, but it is also tentative on finding Emmett. Seth has always thought of him as his older brother since he was five and began spending time at the McCarthy's. Their parents were close friends and would often get together, letting the children play while the adults socialized. He couldn't get married without his best man, his brother.
Learning of Alice's pregnancy was surprise to everyone, except me. Alice had called me, excited and nervous, when she discovered she could be pregnant. She even drove back to Forks so I could go with her for medical confirmation. She was eight weeks gestation and planning to surprise James over the weekend, but he was busy with work over the next several weeks. The day she was killed, her unborn child was fourteen weeks.
Seth continues after regaining his composure. "They were able to convince a homeless man to come forward with promises of a place to stay and food to eat. It was easy for them to give him a new identity with the added promise of protection while he serves a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
"What I've told you so far isn't even the worst of it. Not only did they compromise the trial and ensure Emmett served time for something he didn't even do, but they also arranged it so he couldn't be found."
I gasp, shaking my head and chanting quietly. "No, no, no, no. Please no." Seth comes up to embrace me… holding me tightly and quieting me down.
"Shhh. Bella, no. I am sure he is still alive. Please calm down."
"Go on… please."
"We already know what Ben put into motion as soon as Emmett called him about Alice's murder. Unfortunately, the timing couldn't have been worse. Since James kicked him out the following day. Ben had already begun the process of reorganizing finances of Emmett and Alice, Emmett was caught in the middle and left penniless. The only thing he had on him had been the clothes on his back, the cash in his wallet, and his vehicle.
"I discovered Emmett had gone to a hotel and not only were his credit cards no longer valid, but his bankcard did not have sufficient funds. The next stop he made was to his credit union, where he was informed his account was closed by his financial representative. Emmett went to Ben's office afterward. I assume because he either recalled Alice's instructions if she passed away, or to seek his assistance in figuring out what was happening.
"Unfortunately, Chelsea informs him Ben is out for the rest of the week. He left a note, but it was quickly shredded. This is bad enough, but James also has people working in several telecommunication outlets.
"James has a master hacker named Eric on his payroll who has been able to manipulate Emmett's incoming and outgoing calls. Any time someone called him, it was rerouted to a burner cell phone mimicking his. Therefore, you would think you were leaving him a voicemail message and couldn't suspect anything was wrong until he could no longer pay his bill.
"Emmett received an edited and manipulated voice message from Ben, notifying him of Alice's funeral date and time. However, the time was set a full day prior to the actual event. Since James insisted Alice attend his church, he was able to pay off his minister to perform a mock funeral with only Emmett in attendance. He called each of us and everyone else he knew would be there to pay their respects prior to the service.
"Every time he called someone, they would reroute the call to a burner number mimicking any number he ever called with his cell phone. When the message was left, they would route it into the voicemail of the owner. This is why you never heard the phone ring, even though you were receiving messages.
"Even his online accounts were compromised. Any account Emmett had online was disconnected, every message he sent from any account was returned as undeliverable.
"Several days later, he was found selling his jeep, purchasing a pre-paid phone, and contacting his pastor for a place to stay. He was still looking for employment and went to places hiring by the hour, paying cash, but soon James found out his people were hiring Emmett and put an instant stop to it.
"Two months later he was no longer able to afford the low rent studio apartment and left. The week prior, he was busy stopping by Ben's office multiple times and the public library. The message he left at the New England Patriots coincidentally was with a member of the Unione Corse, sent by James. As much as I'd like to place blame on James for his message not reaching Edward, the fault is solely on the school's administration and staff."
Tears have been flowing freely down my face throughout the evening, but I begin to sob once I learn he tried to contact everyone in his desperation. I received his message ten days after it was left and called him immediately. Unfortunately, I only received his voicemail and told him to call me. We had been trying to locate and contact Emmett for months without any luck. The one time he contacts us and includes his location, he is gone before anyone can arrive.
I even involved Charlie then, asking him to put out an APB on him. Without probable cause, he couldn't help. He did call each precinct in Seattle and ask them to notify him if they found him, placing him on a missing person registry. I don't blame my employee because we haven't exactly been working the same hours lately, but I was highly disappointed he waited so long to make sure I got the message. It was buried under a stack of papers needing to be filed.
"As you know, he informed Mrs. Cope he had somewhere to stay; this is where our trail ended. He hasn't been to see his pastor again. Because Ben was the only one in town he could turn to, he stopped by every few days until Chelsea informed him the police were on the way the last time he showed up."
We have known for some time James couldn't be trusted, but hearing this recent news is practically beyond comprehension.
"The best part is –"
"There's a best part?" Ben and I say simultaneously.
"Yes. Two months ago Laurent, Alice's killer, was sent to the penitentiary for a twenty-year sentence. He was shanked in the kidney last night. He didn't make it."
With relief came an unbearable pain in the center of my chest, sending me crashing to the ground in a fetal position. Both men rush to my side, full of concern and confusion. I just knew it had something to do with Emmett. I've received these feelings only twice before, each time when Emmett had been abused in the correctional facility.
"BELLA!" I hear them shout.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~ LitS ~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N – I really hope mama4dukes enjoys this fic written for her.
I love seeing readers favor and alert my stories, but I REALLY LOVE hearing how much you enjoyed it, or what you enjoyed about my story by leaving a review. I LOVE connecting with all my reviewers to thank then and maybe even discuss things, so please allow me the courtesy of logging into FFn to leave a review.
If you see grammatical errors, please PM (private message) me.
Posted: 10-17-13