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CHAPTER THREE
John and Nancy Biers sit in Charlie Swan's cramped office at the Forks police station. Their eyes are hopeful, even after all this time. It's been a year since their son, Riley, went missing, but they refuse to stop looking for him, refuse to believe that he's dead. They're convinced someone must know something, and until they get those answers they're not going to give up hope that Riley will one day come home to them.
Charlie doesn't blame them. If it was Bella that had disappeared under strange circumstances he'd still be looking for her, too.
He wishes that he had something to tell them; some new lead from his colleagues up in Seattle. The truth is, a missing small-town kid isn't exactly a top priority, especially when there hasn't been any news on the case for many months. He knows they did their best, but there simply wasn't much to go on.
It's like Riley just vanished into thin air.
"I'm sorry I don't have more for you," Charlie says sadly. He knows they will be back next month, same as always; asking, hoping. As morbid as it sounds, he just wishes someone would find the body so at least the family could have some closure.
"I just don't understand," Riley's mother says, with tears in her eyes. It's the same thing she says every time they come to see Charlie. "Riley was such a good boy. He would never get into any kind of trouble."
Five or so miles from the Forks police station, at the Cullen's house, Alice suddenly stops moving. Her family can tell from the faraway look in her eye that she's having one of her visions.
Edward watches as an image forms in her head. A scarlet-eyed vampire - his face somehow familiar. The image pulls away like a camera panning out. It's not one vampire. There's at least a dozen; all with red eyes and a wildness to their demeanor.
Newborns.
Alice gasps, the vision clearing as she forces herself back into the room to face the worried expressions of her family.
"What is it?" Carlisle asks. His normally calm face is concerned, and he places his hand gently on his daughter's arm.
"They're coming here," she says. Her voice is small and frightened as she glances at Edward.
He wishes he could think of something to say to ease her fear.
The name comes to him. "Riley Biers. He's a missing person, originally from Forks. I've seen the posters at Bella's."
"That's who Alice saw?" Carlisle asks, confused.
"He's a vampire now. And he's not alone. There's a group of newborns with him."
"They're coming here," Alice says again, this time in a whisper.
A hushed silence falls over the room. Newborns aren't like normal vampires; they're volatile, much stronger, faster. Dangerous. A group of newborns could easily wipe out the entire family. Even with the talents their coven possesses, any confrontation will be difficult at best. Disastrous at worst.
"What do they want?"
It's Jasper that speaks, but it's the question that is on the tip of everyone's tongues.
"Revenge." Edward doesn't hesitate. Riley might be the one pulling the newborns together, changing them even, but there is no doubt in his mind an older, more experienced vampire is behind this. A vampire with a reason to hate him.
"You think Victoria is behind this?" Carlisle's voice is alarmed. They've been aware of Victoria's presence in the vicinity for some time now, but even with Alice's gift she has continued to elude them. Killing another vampire is not something the Cullens take lightly, but Victoria is a threat that must be eliminated. She's more talented than they had initially assumed, and if she is gathering an army of newborns together, she's also more dangerous than they had anticipated.
"I killed Victoria's mate. She wants revenge." Edward sounds resigned, rather than worried. He didn't take any pleasure in ending James's life, but he knows that Victoria won't stop until she kills him. If it is a battle to the death, he is prepared to face her, and will do whatever it takes to protect his family. Anyone close to him is a potential target for Victoria's wrath.
Edward groans as he finally realizes the real intent of Victoria's plans.
She's going to kill Bella.
"When?" Edward is no longer calm as he frantically rushes to his sister's side. Alice hesitates, and he grabs her around the top of her arms. "When are they coming, Alice?"
"I don't know. I don't think it's been decided." Alice's eyes are sweeping over his face like she is trying to read his mind. Then it occurs to her.
"Bella." Her voice is a whisper that Edward barely hears as he rushes from the room, running out the door and heading to Bella's house.
Under the cover of night, he can run as fast as he likes, but it's still early afternoon so he takes the car, driving well over the speed limit to get to her house in under five minutes.
He sighs with relief the moment he hears her moving inside the old weatherboard house. She's safe.
For now.
Now that he is here, and she's inside - safe and well, he doesn't know what he's going to say or do. They haven't seen each other since she got back from her visit to the Reservation with Jacob the day before. He often finds himself hesitating around her now. It's like he's forgotten how to be himself, or like she's somehow different now.
He waits for a moment, trying to decide what to do. In the end, he simply has to see her with his own eyes and be absolutely certain that no harm has come to her. Slowly, he gets out of the car, walks up to the door and rings the kitsch bell that dangles from the porch roof.
When Bella opens the door, he is almost overwhelmed by the scent of vampire.
"Bella? Are you OK?" Edward rushes inside, holding her tight to his chest, looking around as if the intruder might be standing right inside the kitchen.
"Edward!" Bella pulls away in a huff. "What is going on?"
"Someone has been here." His voice is hard like ice, and he can see the fear begin to settle over his girlfriend's features.
"Victoria?" Bella is clearly frightened; her lip is trembling and there is something shaky about her voice. Edward feels another pang of guilt at her vulnerability. It makes him feel helpless and inadequate. He wants to protect her, keep her safe from harm. Be her defender. She should never have to feel fear. Not again.
He runs up the stairs, following the vampire scent trail to Bella's bedroom. The smell is heavy, clinging to every surface in the room. Whoever it was, was here recently.
Bella has followed him up the stairs. Her eyes are wide with fear as she watches him flit about the room at vampire speed. He's trying to make sense of what the other vampire wanted, what they touched, where they stood.
"You need to come up to the house." Edward's tone doesn't bear arguing with, and Bella nods as she chews on her fingernail nervously. It's an unhygienic habit that Edward despises, but he doesn't say anything. "Bring some clothes, whatever you need, but we have to go. Now."
For once, Bella complies willingly, too afraid to question or argue. She slings the hurriedly packed bag over her shoulder and follows Edward down the stairs.
"Charlie..."
"Don't worry about your father. We'll take shifts to watch the house." Edward takes the bag from Bella's shoulder and hustles her into his car. All he can think about is getting her as far away from that house, and the smell of hate and danger, as quickly as he can.
The drive back to the Cullen's house seems to take longer than normal. Edward is too concerned about getting Bella away from the house to notice the awkward silence that fills the space inside the Volvo. It isn't until Bella is safely ensconced inside with seven vampires that he finally relaxes. He knows his out-of-character behavior has upset her, but he had to get her to safety as quickly as possible.
"Someone tell me what is going on!" Bella looks around in frustration, as the Cullens have sub-consciously formed a protective circle around her.
It's Jasper who speaks in the end, an unwillingness to burden Bella with any further trauma making everyone hesitate. Edward, especially, finds himself lost for words – how does he tell Bella that he is, once again, responsible for putting her in mortal danger.
"Alice had a vision. It seems Victoria is making new vampires. She's going to bring them here."
Jasper's southern drawl is more pronounced when emotions are running high, and he's finding it hard to keep a lid on the fear and anxiety that is quickly engulfing the room. Most of it is coming from Alice, whose gift can sometimes be more of a curse than a blessing, and Bella, who has blanched the color of parchment paper. Jasper can see the tremor in her jaw as she processes what he's told her.
He takes no pleasure in being the bearer of bad news, but he knows that ever since the 'incident' when his instinctual vampire urges almost resulted in Bella's death that he will always be somewhat of a villain in her mind. He doesn't want it to be that way, and he hates himself for losing control, but he knows there's little chance he can ever repair the fledging friendship he once had with his wife's best friend.
Edward moves closer to Bella, reaching out his arm as if to touch or hold her, but he drops it. She's asking all sorts of questions now, and Carlisle, always the diplomat, is calmly answering her as best he can. It seems somewhat farcical that they're standing in the living room, on what could be any ordinary night, discussing a raging homicidal vampire intent on killing her, but they continue to do just that for several minutes.
Bella's concern seems mainly centered on her father, and once again, Edward can't help but think that her disregard for her own safety must surely be symptomatic of more deep-seated suicidal tendencies. Briefly, he considers that is the very reason that she is interested in him in the first place.
Quickly he puts this thought from his mind and reassures Bella that he and his family will take turns to keep vigil over her father. It takes several reassurances that her father's safety is top priority before she stops panicking.
"So…how do we beat this army of baby vampires?" Emmett's booming voice breaks the tense atmosphere in the room.
The Cullens turn to Jasper who has experience fighting newborn vampires. "It won't be easy," he says, but there is a fierce determination in his voice that puts the others at ease, "but it can be done."
There's a discussion that follows. It's hard for Bella to understand most of it because the Cullens are speaking so fast. It's almost like they have their own language - they leave sentences unfinished, and someone else finishes them. Half the time it doesn't even sound like English. Edward and Alice communicate without speaking, an unnerving flurry of facial expressions that convey whole conversations without a single word being uttered. Jasper can feel and manipulate all the emotions in the room, keeping a sense of urgency about the proceedings while still keeping everyone calm. It's like watching a foreign language film on fast forward.
They don't direct any of the conversation at Bella.
In the end, she blurts out, "I want to help, too."
Edward looks at her, aghast. "No."
She ignores him, focusing on Jasper and hoping that some sense of guilt or regret will help her cause. "There must be something I can do."
"No!" Edward is emphatic. "You're going to stay here, where we can keep you safe."
"What about when you need to feed?" Bella's reply is instantaneous and abrupt.
"We'll take shifts." Edward knows his tone is akin to a teacher talking to a small child, but he can't help it. Bella's foolhardiness is exasperating.
"You can't keep yourself fed, guard me, and watch Charlie, all at the same time."
"She's right. You'll need to make sure you're fed. You'll need every bit of strength to fight Victoria," Jasper intercedes.
"I won't leave you on your own, Bella!" Edward says impatiently.
"I won't be on my own." Bella's admission is a whisper, like she's almost guilty of something. "Jake will help."
Immediately, an argument ensues. It's nothing that hasn't already been said before. Bella insists that she is perfectly safe around Jake and Sam, and the rest of the pack. She knows in their wolf form there is little that would stand a chance against them, not even vampires. After all, they didn't seem to struggle to kill Laurent. Edward argues that the werewolves are volatile and dangerous. She's fed up with his open dislike of her friends and his unwillingness to see her point of view, and he is just as tired of her stubbornness on this subject.
Around them, Edward's family look on, trying not to appear like they are watching, and yet finding themselves compelled to see the argument through to the end.
It's Jasper's intervention that eventually decides it for them.
"I think it's a good idea."
Edward doesn't even need to voice how wholly unsuitable and…wrong…this idea is. He glares at Jasper, contempt and anger rolling off him. Jacob Black cannot be trusted, and as much as Edward wants Bella to be safe and for Victoria to be eliminated, he can't bring himself to see any positives in this foolhardy suggestion. Bella is his girlfriend - he can ensure her safety. Jasper might know about newborns and how to fight them, but he doesn't know Jacob like Edward does.
Jasper pretends not to notice Edward's menacing stance, and explains that the last thing Victoria and her army will be expecting is for the Cullens and the Quileutes to be working together. She knows about the wolves, but she doesn't know how many there are in the pack, and they will have the element of surprise on their side if they form some sort of alliance.
There is a cautious agreement amongst the Cullens. Though they don't relish the thought of working with "The Pack", whose reputation for arrogance and secrecy precedes them, they have already shown their usefulness when they killed Laurent. Perhaps the fact that they have already saved Bella once before will mean they'll be agreeable.
Bella seems relieved to have made a contribution to the plans and promises to visit Sam and Jake in the morning. She knows Jake will not hesitate to do anything to protect her, but Sam is the leader and Jake can't make decisions for the pack.
Edward, livid and angrier than he has ever been before, storms out of the room.