Chapter 14: Rescue

After I told Emmett everything, we parted ways. I was being too moody for him, so he left me to my own entertainment while he took off, thinking of his own shenanigans. I had to make sure, though, that he didn't do anything too terrible, so I kept an eye – so to speak – on his whereabouts.

He was just headed west to Seattle with no particular plan, for the moment. I ran north instead, seeing a hill that would be satisfactory. I just needed to get to higher ground. The wind against my face helped some; when I allowed my more animalistic instincts to take over, my head calmed down to where I could focus on the easy things. My hair blowing behind me, the grass and leaves swirling underneath me, and the tree branches whizzing by me all helped distract me from everything that had happened that day.

I ran. And ran. And ran until I reached the top of the tallest hill in the region, where I would be higher than everything else around. Then I paused to catch my breath after running for nearly fourteen miles – not that I needed it. I just wanted to breathe in the musty, earthy smell of the forest. Whether she was here or not, I decided Washington definitely held some benefits over other places. I could smell the brisk, refreshing scent of the sea. I could walk around in the daytime without blinding every human in sight. I had easy access to the ocean – Emmett and I had already taken several swims in the Pacific, which were highly enjoyable.

Breathing deeply once more, I climbed up the tallest tree on the hill, slowly. I wanted to enjoy it as much as possible. I reached the top of the hundred-foot monstrosity of a pine tree in thirty seconds. I could have gotten up in about three, but where was the fun in rushing?

The night was abnormally clear, and I was immensely grateful. The stars this far north seemed to have a sharpness about them that made me feel like I could grab a handful of them. I thought about this. Technically, I didn't have to breathe, and I was impervious to the cold – could I survive in space without a suit? The idea had merit, but I decided to keep it to myself. No doubt Emmett would want to try it sometime.

Draco. Castor and Pollux. Orion. Sagittarius. Every constellation was easily distinguishable to me ever since I had gotten my degree in astronomy – one of my favorites. I picked out two stars and stared at them, holding on to the tree with one arm and absentmindedly crushing pinecones with the other. I got an eerie feeling, like the stars were staring back.

I couldn't look away as an image started to form around the stars. Gradually, I went from seeing stars to seeing eyes with deep brown irises. Slowly, a face formed around the eyes, a face I recognized all too well. My eyes were transfixed, unmoving, trying to see into her eyes. But it was impossible. They stretched for infinity.

"It's rude to stare, you know," the apparition said with Bella's voice. Then the face disappeared. My mouth fell open in surprise, and then I threw my head back and laughed at the absurdity of it. Here I was, stargazing on a clear night, feeling emotions I had never felt before, seeing faces etched in the cosmos, and all the sky had to say to me was "It's rude to stare." My mind was definitely playing tricks on me.

But what was I expecting? A puffy storm cloud that looked like my dead father saying, "Look inside yourself, Edward. You are more than what you have become. Remember…" Right. And a baboon with a blue butt was going to come up and hit me on the head with a stick.

I told myself to stop being so stupid. She was just a human, who happened to attract me, instead of the other way around. Normally, my prey would be drawn to me by my scent, my voice, and my looks. But she was doing just that to me – nevertheless, there was no reason to start seeing celestial phantoms on starry nights. Anomalies like this happened, didn't they?

I had just reached the conclusion that such mysticism was absolutely ridiculous, even laughable, when I saw it. Far off in the distance, coming from the Pacific, there was a storm approaching. I glanced at my phone, seeing that it was about one in the morning. I looked back at the grayish-black clouds rumbling nearer. A faint breeze, a mere token of what I could tell would come, brushed my face.

I strained my eyes to see as far as I could. Even with my enhanced vision, making out storms from a hundred miles away was no easy task. It looked like the storm was heading fast toward Seattle, and I decided it was time to catch up with Emmett so we could book a hotel room for the night. Though we wouldn't actually sleep, I didn't particularly feel like getting soaked.

I jumped down the tree, landing on branch after branch silently. I took off for Seattle, once again checking to see what Emmett was doing so I would know where to find him.

What are you doing at the marina, brother?

-X-X-

"Whaddayou think of this cool jacket, Edward?" Emmett said in our hotel room. A movie was generating a quiet murmur on the TV.

Looking at the bright orange vest, I shook my head. "It's very…noticeable."

"That's the point. Duh." He once again began posing with the vest on, flexing the muscles in his arms, shoulders, and back.

"Don't you think the Coast Guard will miss it, though?" I reminded him. Entertaining as it was, the jacket still belonged to someone else.

"Nah. I got it out of a storeroom that had nearly a hundred of these babies in it. I think it's a chick magnet for sure."

"Yes, Emmett, a neon orange reflective vest is most definitely the secret to getting women. Although any of our kind might think you got the vest by killing a member of the Coast Guard while he was on duty."

"Well, that's impressive, isn't it? Maybe we can accidentally-on-purpose run into Tanya and her bunch," Emmett said, with a cunning look coming into his eye. "We can go look for them, and when you hear them coming, you can motion to me and I'll put the vest on and… BOOM!" he clapped his hands together, "We have girlfriends!"

"Emmett, shush!" I whispered while trying to suppress a chuckle. "There are people here who are sleeping."

"Right, sorry," he said through clenched teeth, also trying to keep from laughing.

"Besides, killing a serviceman might not be appreciated by everyone. Remember Tanya is very humanitarian, probably more than we are."

"Well, I didn't kill anyone for this. I just snuck it out of the Coast Guard station at the marina." I gave an exasperated sigh. Emmett could think up the most random ways to have fun. At least this time it didn't involve destroying property.

"But the best news is…" he continued, reaching into the travel bag we carried with us, "that I got you one, too!"

I rolled my eyes. I already knew that Part Two of his fun involved filching a tee shirt from the Seattle Volunteer Fire Department for me, but I was hoping he would forget it.

"Edward," he said pleadingly, "just try it on! At least it's clean."

Seeing myself in Emmett's mind, I understood what he was talking about. My jeans and tank top were covered in mud from the stream and grass from my run. There were even pine needles sticking out of my hair. I was a bit of a mess.

"Alright. Give it to me."

"Yesss!" Emmett pumped his fist in the air, and I took the navy shirt from him. Reaching into the bag again, he also gave me a clean pair of jeans, and I took them into the bathroom so I could shower and change.

Once I had finished the shower and put on the tee shirt and clean jeans, I glanced at myself in the mirror.

"Emmett!" I called into the other room. "Did you get one size too small on purpose?" I knew the answer already.

"Yup. I gotta give you all the help you can get," he jeered. "You look like a wimp standing next to me, so I thought some muscle definition might give you a chance against my awesome orange vest."

He was right. I normally wore a size large to avoid notice, but in the medium shirt, I couldn't help but show the unnaturally strong muscles in my shoulders and torso.

"Very funny, Em," I said, walking out of the bathroom.

"You know it is." He grinned at me, sitting on the bed closest to the window.

I couldn't help but agree. "Yeah, it is funny. Almost as funny as the footy pajamas you wore during that Fourth of July."

I got a pillow in the face for my humor.

"Emmett, stop. If we get too rough, we will tear up this entire building." He put the pillow down, pouting, and we turned toward the TV.

Emmett picked up the remote and started flicking through the channels. After going through at least two times, he finally left it on the local news. Apparently three-thirty in the morning was not the best time to watch television.

-X-X-

The first crack of lightning came at about 3:45. There had been a light drizzle before that, but it started really pouring now. I wondered what Bella was doing, whether she enjoyed the rain, if the lightning startled her. I glanced over at Emmett, lying on top of the covers on the other bed. He was remembering Rose, and I decided to let him be. I didn't want to explore those thoughts, anyway.

My mind once again wandered to Bella. How could I be with her and not kill her? Even though she would never be my intended victim, it was possible that I could lose control. If she cut her finger while I was there, I could snap and attack her. Or it could be an accident; I could crush her if I didn't pay enough attention.

I thought more and more about Bella. She couldn't be changed; I wouldn't let that happen. We would just have to grow old together.

Well, she could grow old. I would be stuck, forever, in this stupid, perfect body – never aging. I could just imagine the rift it would cause if Bella and I did go so far as to get married. At thirty, would she find me immature?

Edward…

At forty-five, would she find me tiring?

Edward.

At sixty, would she find me simply too young?

Edward!

At eighty, would she think of me more like her son, not her beloved?

"Edward!"

Maybe even her grandson?

Emmett started shaking me. "Edward, wake up! Before I start slapping you!"

"What?!" I sprung up from the bed and jumped to the floor. Emmett was pointing at the television, still tuned on the news. His face told me that something was wrong.

I think we have a Katrina-repeat on our hands.

On the TV, a stern-looking black man was reading something off a teleprompter.

"Maintenance workers have not identified the cause for the breakages yet, but the Coast Guard and Fire Department are moving as fast as they can to block the openings and drain the water. Our on-location correspondent Victoria has details for us. Victoria?"

The screen flashed to show a woman with fiery red hair standing on a hill and speaking into a microphone. Below where the news team was standing, a torrent of water was rushing down the streets. Rain was still pouring down, and signs and flags were whipping around in the fierce wind.

"Yes, Laurent," she was saying. "As you can see, the water from Puget Sound is coming into the city. The first report of this came at about 5:30 this morning when a local storeowner noticed a couple of inches of water in the streets. Authorities do not know exactly how the crack appeared in the subterranean tunnels, but water is already several feet deep near the beach, and has even reached the edge of the Seattle University Campus. Police are saying that evacuations will need to begin in the event that the water cannot be stopped."

I quit listening. Seattle University. Bella is at Seattle University! My head whipped around to Emmett.

"Emmett! We have to help!"

He gave me a puzzled look. "Well, yeah. We helped during Katrina, didn't we?" He didn't understand my urgency.

"Emmett, she's at Seattle University! Bella! She could drown, or get hurt! We've got to go. Now," I pleaded. I couldn't stand the thought of Bella's fragile human body, swirling in a torrent of dirty water, bouncing off cars, light poles, or something worse. Glancing at the clock, I saw it was nearly 8:00. I started pulling Emmett towards the door.

"Okay, okay. Calm down! She's probably still asleep, and the water is only a couple of inches deep at the campus." As he was prying my fist off his newly acquired vest, something occurred to me.

"Em, did you know this was happening?" I asked, gesturing at the TV.

"No, why?" he replied with curiosity.

"Well, last night you just happened to get the Coast Guard vest and Fire Department shirt. Rather handy, don't you think?" If we were going to get anywhere near the evacuation effort, we would have to look like we belonged there. It seemed too coincidental that Emmett had already gotten the appropriate attire for just that.

"Yeah, that was kind of handy," he only said.

"Sometimes I wonder if you can't see the future."

He grinned boyishly. "Nope. I'm just lucky, I guess," he quipped.

I rolled my eyes. "That you are. Let's go." Emmett grabbed our bag and we went downstairs to check out of the hotel. Many people were already hurrying to leave before the flood reached this side of town. Rain poured outside.

-X-X-

Once we got to the Fire Department, we got in the group that was preparing for aerial evacuations. It seemed that there was no way to keep the water from coming in, and even as we listened to the instructions from the Director, water was swilling around our ankles.

I had to concentrate to keep from running away to search for Bella. Emmett kept silently encouraging me. Even if you aren't the one helping her into the helicopter, someone else could. Any extra set of hands is help, and we could be freeing up someone else to help her.

I was bouncing on the balls of my feet, impatient to get moving. Emmett and I could have gotten to the campus in a matter of minutes by just running, but it was broad daylight, and it was imperative that we acted normally, but efficiently.

"Okay." The Director's tone of voice had become one of conclusion. I sighed with relief. "We will dispatch to the campus and other flooded areas, and those of you who do not know how to fly the helicopters will assist the evacuees, helping them up the ladder and such. Alright, move out."

Emmett and I, as well as thirty other men, hopped into city SUVs, all of which were speeding toward where the helicopters were waiting. Since Seattle University was closer to the Sound than the Fire Department was, the water there was bound to be deeper – maybe even two feet. I glanced at my phone again. It was 9:08.

The landing point, where all the helicopters were going to be dropping off the evacuees, was east, a couple of miles from the edge of the suburbs. For a moment, I wanted to suggest to Emmett that we get out and run, but we had to be patient. She would be fine. She was smart enough not to leave if she saw water creeping up to the doors of her residence hall.

It took what seemed ages to get all the way past the residential areas. When we finally got there, scores of helicopters were waiting for us. Some were from the Army, some the Navy, some the Coast Guard, and I even saw some that must have been civilian or corporate ones. I had to hand it to the city of Seattle. They mobilized fast. The SUVs came to a screeching halt and all the men, and a few women, piled out, jogging through the heavy rain toward the choppers.

A voice boomed over a set of loudspeakers. "Quadrant one to bayside residential. Quadrant two to northwest business. Quadrant three to Seattle University," I nodded my head at Emmett, "Quadrant four to southeast residential."

Emmett and I changed course slightly so we were headed for the helicopters stationed in quadrant three. We split up once we reached them, Emmett shouting, "I know I'm Army strong, but you can take that sissy black one!" He stepped up into the Army craft and motioned towards a shiny, wasp-like chopper that looked like it could carry all of two passengers.

I laughed over the noise of the blades that were beginning to spin and headed instead for the one that said 'Coast Guard' on it.

My chopper was held up, waiting for one more crewman. I tapped my foot furiously as I saw Emmett's chopper lift off. At least one of us was on his way. I started counting the seconds for something to do. I resisted the urge to say "Finally!" when a medium-sized, blonde kid, looking like he was fresh out of high school, climbed aboard twenty-one seconds later.

"Hey, my name's Mike, Mike Newton." I looked up from my seat to see the kid holding his hand out to me. I shook it with my gloved hand while the pilot lifted us off the pavement.

"Edward Masen."

"Fire Department, huh? I'm from the reserve down in Portland. Flew in at seven this morning." I tried to be polite, not an easy feat since I wasn't feeling particularly chatty. And this boy seemed annoying, like an overeager puppy ready to prove he could do anything the big dogs could do. Not to mention I was worrying my head off for Bella.

"Have you ever done anything like this before?" I asked. He looked too fresh and excited to have any real practice.

"Naw. Just simulated deep-sea rescues. But they gave us a briefing before we left, so I know what to do. It can't be nearly as hard as deep-water stuff, though. How 'bout you?"

I gave him my stoniest expression. "I was at Katrina." That shut him up. I was glad; I knew I could count on him to defer to my experience. I didn't need to try to train a greenhorn and save everyone else. We flew the rest of the way in silence.

Once we arrived at the campus, there was no way we could have landed. The water was already three feet high, so we climbed down the rope ladder and onto the roof. Mike and I, the only ones who were not helping fly the chopper, went through the door into the top floor of the dorm. We proceeded down the stairs.

"You take the first, second, and third floor. Knock on all the doors, and make sure someone answers, even if you have to beat the door in. I'll take the top two floors and get everyone organized so we can get them out of here efficiently. Tell them all to be ready to leave in fifteen minutes."

We split off, Mike heading down to the first floor, and me setting off down the corridors of the fourth floor. I pounded the doors, several at a time, telling everyone who opened to be ready to evacuate in fifteen minutes. I wanted to make sure there wasn't too much of a jam on the stairs. I delegated a burly guy who was already dressed to wake up the rest of the floor. I went up to the fifth floor, repeating the process. It soon became apparent that this was an all-boys dorm, and I kicked myself for picking the wrong helicopter, but there was nothing to be done about it now. I could only hope Emmett got to the right building.

I positioned myself at the door to the roof, waiting for the first set of guys to show up. Some of them came fully dressed and showered, some looked like they rolled out of bed and came straight up without bothering to put on deodorant. I didn't have to wait long for a queue to begin. It started backing up all the way to the stairs.

"Guys! We'll go onto the roof in groups of eight. You will have to wait for the next helicopter to come before the next group can go! Now if the first eight of you will follow me, and make sure you don't slip on the roof; it's still raining outside." I repeated the instructions as Mike jogged past everyone to stand by me.

I led them on the roof, and when we reached the rope ladder dangling over the center of the building, I climbed up to help the evacuees into the chopper while Mike waited below to get them on the ladder. The first eight guys climbed up, and I handed each of them a headset so they wouldn't go deaf from the noise of the choppers. Once they were all inside and seated, Mike gave a thumbs-up, and the chopper took off toward the landing point.

I briefly wondered if Mike would be able to handle everything by himself, but soon turned my thoughts toward Emmett to see if he was having any luck. I closed my eyes to concentrate more easily, and I found Emmett's mind. He definitely picked the better helicopter. The people up on the roof with him were mostly guys, but some girls were mixed in. They were clinging to each other with fear, walking nervously across the slightly sloped roof of their dorm.

I could feel my body drooping in disappointment as we flew over the suburbs of Seattle. None of the faces matched Bella's or any of her friends. But we had just started. There were plenty more people to come. We would be at this for hours yet.

I don't know if any of them have been her, Edward, but we're getting 'em out pretty quick. Don't worry. Just do your job. It would be pretty bad if someone died on your watch 'cause you were fretting about Bella.

Emmett didn't need to remind me of that, but I was glad he was keeping me up on what he was doing. I checked my phone again. 9:57.

This routine continued. Dorm – lead groups of guys up to the helicopter. Air – watch Emmett's crew to see if Bella was among those he helped. Landing point – direct the evacuees to the holding area. Air – watch Emmett's crew again.

Rescue, watch, repeat. Each time I returned to the dorm, the water was noticeably deeper than when I left.

Returning from the landing point for the fourth time, I once again searched Emmett's rooftop and what I saw nearly made me yell in horror. As it was, I sucked a lungful of air through my teeth and held my breath, watching my greatest fears unfold.

No!

She took a large step across the roof, and her foot slipped on the wet shingles. She fell to her knees and slid down several feet. I could tell she was trying to get up, but she kept going down, towards the edge of the roof.

A word that would have made sailors blush exploded in Emmett's head as he saw her slip, mere inches from the roof. Water foamed angrily six stories below.

Emmett reached his hand down to her, and she grabbed it. I thought for a moment she would slip because both their hands were wet, but Emmett held on and heaved her back up to the ladder. Through him, I watched Bella grasp the rope ladder.

"Thanks. A Lot," she told him over the noise of the choppers.

"No problem. It's what I'm here for," he replied. I wonder if that's her?

Yes, yes, yes, Emmett! She was Bella! I could kiss Emmett – I was never happier that he existed. She was in the helicopter, and she would head to the landing point. Hopefully her friends would be safe, too.

I opened my eyes and realized my hand was balled into a fist, as if I was the one pulling Bella up from her dangerous proximity to the edge of the roof. I let the breath out of my lungs slowly, consciously telling my muscles to relax.

Just to be on the safe side, I watched her through Emmett's eyes the whole time they were flying to the landing point, even when I was helping people on my end. She made it safely, and suddenly the day was looking very much brighter than it had since I first saw the news earlier that morning.

The only hitch was when she was getting out of the chopper. She looked Emmett dead in the eye, and it seemed like she was looking straight through him and staring at me. A glint of recognition flashed underneath her pupils.

She knew. She had to. She had to realize that Emmett was somehow related to me, or at least similar. I didn't care, though. She was on dry ground, and I could finish the rescue of the people in my dorm without worry.

I sighed, relief washing through me.

She was safe.