A/N:
Thanks for positive feedback last chapter! I love hearing from all of you and hope to hear from everyone again.
As always, thank you to my betas Beautifulnightmarex and Tds88 and pre-reader Beachlover. I'm so incredibly lucky to have them on my team. I tend to edit up until posting so any mistakes are mine.
I own nothing related to Twilight or its characters. Everything else is mine own crazy musings.
Important: This chapter contains graphic descriptions of violence.
The dots are there, but I would love to hear your theories on if you were able to connect them. :) Okay, buckle in and hang on tight! It's going to be a bumpy ride…
Chapter 24: Come Undone
I can't move. Looking around the field, I search for the best escape route while struggling to free myself from the chair and the rope that holds me to it. I don't have a lot of time. I know he's close.
The bindings cut into my raw skin. I twist and turn my wrists, biting my lips to prevent myself from crying out in pain. I don't stop, knowing the temporary discomfort is a small price to pay for my escape.
"Will you walk into my parlor? Said the spider to the fly." I hear Aro's voice taunting me, but I can't see him.
I intensify my efforts to get free, my eyes scanning the tree line for his location. I look down to see if I've made any progress with the rope, only to glance back up to find Aro suddenly standing right in front of me. My breath catches at the predatory look in his eyes. He laughs as I struggle, the bindings still painfully tight. There's no escape.
My body jerks back into consciousness and it takes a moment to process my surroundings. Sitting up, I look around the dark loft and see Seth sleeping soundly on the couch. Nothing seems out of place. Glancing at the clock, I sigh at the early morning hour. My mind is too restless to try to go back to sleep. Once again, a full night's rest eludes me.
Grabbing my phone off the night-table, I tiptoe into the bathroom and quietly shut the door behind me. Switching on the lights, I slam my eyes shut when the sudden light blinds them. Blinking to help them adjust, I walk over to the toilet to sit down and make a call. My legs bounce as I wait for my salvation to answer. It doesn't take long.
"Bella, what's wrong?" Edward answers, his voice thick with sleep.
All of a sudden, I feel guilty for waking him up for such an insignificant reason. "Umm, crap. I shouldn't have called. I'm sorry. Go back to bed, it's nothing," I mutter.
"Bella, stop. You can always call me, you know that. Tell me what's wrong," Edward requests. I can hear the rustling of sheets as he moves.
"I had another dream about Aro. I'm having a hard time getting back to sleep."
"Baby," Edward whispers sadly. "I wish I was there to hold you."
"Me too. I sleep better when you're next to me," I whisper back.
"Soon, I promise," he says firmly.
Being apart from Edward was always difficult, but after our time together at the hotel, it is now torturous. Our night together was better than I'd imagined, but the hard reality of our situation came crashing in as soon as we returned to the loft. Between the constant working and lack of privacy, we are back to stealing all too brief moments. I don't know how much longer I can do it.
"Not soon enough," I mumble.
"Tell me what I can do."
"Can you talk to me until I feel sleepy again?"
"Of course, for as long as you want. I'm not going anywhere."
For a couple of hours, Edward keeps my mind occupied with mindless conversation. When my yawns start to overtake my words, he convinces me to give sleep another chance.
"I love you, Bella. Now, go back to bed," he says sternly.
"I love you too. Talk to you later?"
"Absolutely."
Crawling back into my bed, I fall asleep smiling to thoughts of Edward.
November melts into December as our team continues to chip away at James and the Volturi. Jenks is gaining more access to information and Seth is close to infiltrating the larger Volturi system, while Edward and Emmett are watching Mike closely, trying to find any information that leads us to what James wants with Jessica. With all the steps forward, we recently agreed it was time to turn up the heat. For Seth and I, this equates to a lot more planning and research.
For what feels like the hundredth day in a row, Seth and I are sitting in the loft working on our individual tasks. Looking over the most recent candidates' background checks, I am trying hard not to laugh at Seth's grumbling comments in the background. He is currently working on getting access to the pictures on the flash drive. Seth typically doesn't swear, but right now he is swearing up a storm, mumbling under his breath as he hits the keyboard harder than normal. He hoped to have this resolved by now, but he keeps running into roadblocks. This nemesis of his is proving to be a tough one to conquer. Whoever Caius bought this from really knew what they were doing. However, Seth told me this morning he refuses to give up until we have access to those pictures.
"Take that!" he suddenly yells, gesturing towards the computer.
"Did you get it?" I ask.
"Almost. I'm running it through my program now. I should have them soon," he exclaims with a confident smirk. I shake my head smiling back. I don't know what makes me happier, getting access to those files or seeing the look of triumph on Seth's face.
Unexpectedly, both our phones ping indicating a new text message. We glance at each other before grabbing them. This is not a good sign.
"Shit!" I utter looking down at the 911 text from Jenks.
"This means something is wrong, right?" Seth asks concerned.
Nodding my head, the phone pings again. The new text indicates we need to meet as soon as possible. The message is abrupt and offers no further details about the situation that has Jenks so concerned. Another ping comes through, but this time it is from Edward indicating that both he and Emmett are on their way.
My recent dreams with Aro rush into the forefront of my mind as I think about all the possibilities. Jenks would not send that message without just cause. I remind myself to not overreact until we know what's going on, but the fear and concern I've experienced in those dreams are making it difficult to stay calm. Both had a common theme that disturbs me.
Twenty minutes later, Edward and Emmett rush into the loft. "What's going on?" I ask right away.
"We're not sure. Jenks didn't give us any information, but he wouldn't have called a 911 meeting if it wasn't an emergency," Emmett says, taking off his jacket and heading towards Seth who is setting up the video conference.
Edward walks over to me and pulls me into a hug. "This is bad isn't it?" I ask, holding him tightly.
"I don't know, baby. Let's wait to get all the information before we start jumping to conclusions." His hand gently runs up and down my back.
"We're on," Seth calls.
Immediately, Edward grabs my hand and leads me over to the computer where we take a seat next to each other. In front of us is Jenks' apartment, but Jenks himself is not on the screen.
"He's almost there. I just got it up and running to avoid any delays," Seth answers my unspoken question.
Just then, the sound of a door slamming comes through the speakers, followed by a breathless Jenks sitting in front of the screen.
"They're moving Jessica tomorrow," Jenks blurts out before any of us can even acknowledge his arrival. "We need to make our move tonight."
"Fuck," Emmett hisses. "I know we discussed this option, but you really think we can pull it off so quickly?"
"We have no choice."
"Whoa, slow down. We need to think about this," I say.
"We all knew this was a possibility. There is nothing to think about unless you want to run the risk of losing track of her," Jenks counters.
"Of course not! I just don't want to lose any of you either." Edward reaches over and grabs my hand to help calm me down. He has yet to comment, but I can see his mind working.
"Ace, I appreciate your concern, but you aren't hearing me. We have no time. This is why they pay us the big bucks. If you want to help, we need to stop wasting time arguing and start finalizing our plans," Jenks says with an edge to his voice.
"Jenks," Edward warns reacting to his tone. Turning to get my attention, he continues. "I know you're worried, but he's right. This is what we discussed. We always knew that if it came to this, it would happen quickly."
"I know," I say softly, nodding my head in understanding. What they're saying is true, but it doesn't mean I like it.
"Let's get started then. What do you need first?" Seth asks quickly opening up various programs and text boxes.
"I want you to create a diversion tonight at the Volturi warehouse. We need to make sure there's no chance of James or Sam showing up at the other warehouse until we're done."
"Gotcha."
"Then you need to tap into the security system. I need you to be our eyes," Jenks directs. "Oh shit, I just realized we also need to disable video for them."
"No problem, I can easily loop the footage. I will switch it to the loop when you get there and then I can route the live feed through my computer so I can monitor things from here."
"Perfect. Emmett and Edward, we will need to go in fully wired. I want both microphones and cameras so Seth can keep us updated. We need to know exactly what we are walking into in order for this to have any chance of working."
"The plan is still going in through the roof, right?" Edward asks, now focused intently on the screen.
"Yes, I think that's still the best route," Jenks mumbles, looking around his computer and unfolding what looks like blueprints. "Seth, can you put the building specs up on one of the screens for everyone to look at?"
"Pulling it up now," Seth mutters, his fingers flying across the keyboard. The screen to the left fills with a blueprint. Edward and Emmett get out of their chairs to move closer.
"Okay, if we go in from the roof, we have access to the air ducts. Look at the fourth floor, there is a vent we can drop from right around the corner from Jessica's room."
"Yeah, we see it," Emmett says, pointing to the screen. Edward nods his head in agreement.
"That part of the hallway is usually empty. The corner will give us the advantage to take out the guards before they even know we're there."
"Did we decide how we want to take them out?" Emmett asks.
"We do this as quietly as possible. If you can take someone out without using the rifles, do it. However, we can't take the risk of being identified either, so if things get dicey, go for the kill," Jenks responds.
"I agree, we aren't taking any chances," Edward says, looking over at me. I suspect there is more than one meaning behind his words.
"We need equipment. Assault rifles, suppressors, flash grenades and vests at the very least. Can you two get that stuff?" Jenks requests.
"I can get it. The guy in the armory owes me a favor, so he shouldn't give me too much hassle," Emmett says.
"Ace, I need you to go through your files. Get me a list of the weakest candidates. I'm going to make sure they're the ones guarding the door tonight."
"Okay," I say, getting up to get the files.
A part of me can't believe this is happening, and I feel a bit numb walking over to retrieve the files. Taking them over to the couch, I take a moment to gather my thoughts. Looking up, I see everyone looking closely at the blueprint and talking about infiltration strategies. My heart clenches at the sight. They have all become so important to me. I couldn't bear to lose any of them, and I know there is a very real possibility that it could happen tonight.
"Ace, did you find those files?" I hear Jenks bellow through the speaker. Pulling myself together, I decide I can't wallow in my fears. A team is only as strong as their weakest link and I refuse to play the role of that cliché.
"Got them," I state with more strength in my voice than I had before. We will get through this, I vow. There is no other option.
Everyone works tirelessly over the next several hours; the clock is our enemy as night begins to fall. Finally around midnight, the guys prepare to leave and meet Jenks at the building across the street from James' warehouse.
I'm impressed with how prepared we are, given the short time frame. Seth sent a new virus into the Volturi system a couple of hours ago that shut it down completely and started deleting important files. The electronic disaster should keep James more than occupied. The groundwork is complete and now the only thing left to do is act.
Emmett and Edward are organizing their equipment, both dressed in black swat clothes. They need to leave in a couple of minutes. Taking a deep breath, I walk over to Edward and lightly touch his arm. He looks over with a questioning look. Acting on instinct, I grab his head, pulling him roughly towards me, attacking his lips with mine. Once the shock wears off, Edward reacts reaching around me and drawing me closer, his kiss just as frantic and passionate as mine.
Pulling back, I stare deeply into his eyes, still holding his face gently in my hands. "Edward Cullen, you watch your ass out there. I need you to come back to me. Do you understand?" I whisper gruffly.
"Believe me, baby, I know exactly what I'm fighting for, and I don't plan on losing it." He gives me a confident smirk, before leaning forward to give me another kiss.
"I love you," I say returning his smile, trying to feel as confident as he does.
"I love you too. I promise I'll see you soon."
"We've got to go, Edward," Emmett interrupts, walking up beside us.
"Yeah, okay."
Turning to Emmett, I give him a stern look. "Same goes for you, buddy. Watch your back out there."
"We totally got this in the bag, Bells," he says, grabbing me in a huge hug.
"I know you do, but for my benefit, please be careful and tell Jenks the same thing." He sets me down, playfully ruffling my hair before grabbing his equipment.
Seth and I walk them out. The room is silent and solemn. Reaching the door, Edward leans in to kiss me one more time.
"For luck," he whispers.
"Be careful," I say softly, running my hand across his cheek.
"Always," he says with a wink. Turning to Seth, he pats him on the shoulder. "Remember, you're our eyes out there. Keep a good look out."
"I've got it. You guys will have everything you need," Seth says, but I can see the underlining anxiety floating around him. This is not an easy mission and we all know it.
During the time Emmett and Edward drive to meet Jenks, Seth and I prepare our side of things. Seth sets up the screens in front of us to show everything we will need to watch for. We will be monitoring both the surveillance cameras in James' building and their individual cameras to let them know the location of James' men. As requested by Jenks, each has a microphone and night vision camera.
The speakers suddenly crackle followed by Jenks' voice. "Okay, it's go time. Turn them on, Seth."
"Check." With a click of a button, all three cameras come to life. The cameras are attached to their helmets which makes the view shaky. They are also wearing masks to conceal their identity along with standard F.B.I. body armor.
Seth and I anxiously wait and watch as they make their way to the roof of the building next to James'. With the help of equipment designed for snipers, they secure a wire rope between the two buildings, and using metal clasps, secure themselves to the wire. Hanging upside down by their arms and legs, they start pulling themselves backwards. The camera angle makes it impossible to get the full picture, however, in my mind I can see them moving stealthy along the wire as well as any spy hero I've watched on the big screen.
While I am watching them, the computer next to Seth starts beeping. "Yes!" he yells out looking at it.
"What is it?"
"I won! I can open the pictures." Typing quickly, he focuses on the screen as file after file pops up.
Looking back at the screen showing the guys' cameras, I see that they are almost across. As much as I want to look at those files, getting them through this mission is my priority. "Seth, they're almost there, we need to be ready!" The pictures will just have to wait.
One by one, all three successfully make it to the other roof. Once to the other side, they drop down into a crouched position and check their weapons waiting for Seth's all clear.
"You've got a guy to the far left by the access door, smoking a cigarette. From what I can see, he has a pistol tucked into his jeans. It looks like he's just taking a break, so you should be able to surprise him easily," Seth says closely monitoring the camera.
"Emmett, go left. Edward and I will work our way right to distract him. You ambush him from behind and knock him out," Jenks whispers.
My eyes scan back and forth between the surveillance cameras and our teams' cameras. My leg is bouncing anxiously as I watch, keeping vigilant for anything that they need to know about. On the screen, I can see Emmett's shadow creeping up slowly to the side of the unsuspecting man. I don't see Edward or Jenks on the surveillance camera yet, but through Edward's camera I see Jenks pick up something off the rooftop. Winding his arm back, he throws the object in front and to the side, where it ricochets loudly against a mental vent.
The guy quickly turns to look for the source of the noise, which allows Emmett to make his move. I sit in amazement at his speed. He rushes the guy and places him in a headlock with one arm, while his other hand covers his mouth to prevent him from yelling. The sleeper hold works quickly as the man's body becomes limp.
Emmett drags the unconscious man to a more isolated area of the roof to attach him to a pipe with handcuffs. Taking a cloth, he then stuffs it into his mouth and wraps it around his head to prevent him from easily yelling once he regains consciousness.
With the threat clear, they silently move over to a vent. Taking out a screwdriver from the large pocket on the side of his leg, Edward unscrews the nuts and bolts. Jenks and Emmett come in behind him to gently pry the lid off. After softly setting it on the ground, Jenks flashes military-type hand gestures at them. Emmett turns and slides into the vent first, followed by Edward and finally Jenks.
Switching my view to the guys' cameras, Seth switches on the night vision feature so that we can track their progress down the long, tiny, dark vent. Before he left the loft, Emmett studied the blueprints intently to memorize which turns and passages to take in order to end up at the right vent on the fourth floor.
Seth and I scan the surveillance screens trying to determine how many men are in the building and their relative location to the fourth floor. If the guys use flash grenades or one of James' men return fire, the noise will alert the other men to a problem, which means they won't have much time to get Jessica and get back to the vent.
"How is it looking, kid?" Jenks asks gruffly.
"Not bad. In fact, there's barely anyone. There are a couple of groups here and there. I would say maybe a dozen including the ones watching Jessica. I thought you said there's usually more?"
"There is," Jenks says hesitantly.
"What does that mean?" I ask, my anxiety increasing at the tone of his voice.
"Nothing, it's probably nothing," he mumbles quietly. I can tell he's lying.
"Whoa," Seth suddenly calls out. "Turn left."
"No, the map said right," Emmett hisses back.
"There are two ways to get there," Seth says looking at the blueprint. "If you keep going that way, you will travel over a room with five guys in it. The creaking of the vent will probably alert them to your presence. You need to take an alternative route. It's going to take a bit longer, but you will still get there."
"He's right," Edward whispers.
"Fuck," Emmett hisses. "Okay, turning left. Seth, let me know where I'm going."
Fifteen minutes later they finally reach their destination. Emmett stops and looks down through the vent. Taking out a screwdriver to loosen the screws, he moves towards the first one when Seth suddenly yells out.
"Wait! Two guys are about to walk right under you. Don't move," he warns.
Looking over to the surveillance video, I see the two armed men walking down the hallway. They are two of the recruits Jenks and I interviewed. Several feet from the vent they stop to talk, apparently in the middle of a discussion. Their voices are close enough for the microphones to pick up on, although the conversation is faint. Holding my breath, we all silently wait. I close my eyes briefly, sending up a silent prayer that they don't see or hear the guys above them.
"It's just fucking weird. All of us are standing outside of a door and for what reason?" the first man asks.
"I don't know, but she must be important," the second man responds.
"Have you even heard her? Isn't it strange we have been here for hours and nothing? Not even a peep."
"Maybe she's sleeping?" The second man asks.
I remember him. During his interview, I noted that he probably has a borderline I.Q. given the concrete way he approached things and his inability to understand abstract concepts. He tended to blindly follow everything without questioning the request.
"I don't know it just seems strange."
"Are you going to say something?"
"Fuck no. I'm not questioning James. That dude is crazy! But I was hoping to do something more exciting than this," the first man grumbles.
"Me too."
"Well, I guess if we have any chance of working our way out of grunt work, we'd better get back to our post before James finds out," the first man says, starting to walk forward once more.
After they both turn the corner, we collectively let out a breath. "Jesus, that was close," Jenks whispers.
"Okay, go," Seth directs.
Emmett returns to loosening the screws. Leaving one side attached to hang down, he opens the vent.
"You're clear. Jump down now," Seth commands.
Looking at the surveillance video, I see Emmett jump cat-like from the vent, landing on both feet. Holding his rifle up, he looks in both directions down the hallway before gesturing to Edward.
Edward follows suit, and like Emmett, lands perfectly. Together, they focus their rifles in opposite directions, covering both sides of the hallway, while Jenks jumps down. I'm fascinated watching their extensive training at work. Each one quickly and silently getting into position; slowly working their way up along the wall towards the corner that leads towards Jessica's room.
"All four are close to the door. Once you come around the corner, you will be in their direct line of vision," Seth says.
Using more hand gestures, Jenks pulls out one of the flash grenades. Silently counting down, he pulls the pin and rolls it toward the door. As soon as it explodes, the guys rush around the corner and take out each of the four men in a matter of seconds. Standing around the carnage, they cautiously look around to make sure no other men arrive.
"No sign of movement from anyone," Seth says looking at the cameras. "You're clear for now."
"Are they far enough away not to have heard the grenade?" I ask, turning to Seth. He simply shrugs his shoulders focusing intently on the screen.
Leaning in, I take a closer look at one of screens with three men sitting around a table playing cards. Each sits calmly, not reacting at all to the explosion. I don't see anything outside of the ordinary until I notice one of them subtly hitting a button on his watch before looking back at his hand. The gesture appears innocent enough, but it bothers me. Looking again, I realize that I don't recognize any of the men. Except for the ones guarding the door, none of the men I see are the ones Jenks' and I interviewed. Struck with fear, the hairs on the back of neck stand up. Something is wrong.
"Hey, guys," I say, not quite sure what else to say, but feeling the need to tell them my concern. "Something's not right about this."
"What?" Edward asks.
"I'm not sure, but something feels off. Almost like it's too easy."
"Off or not, we're here. Let's just get this done and get out," Jenks responds.
"On it," Emmet mutters, taking a tool out of his backpack.
Taking a closer look, I realize it's a blowtorch used to cut through steal. Since they don't have a key, they have to get in the door forcefully. Using the tool, Emmett cuts around the door handle and lock mechanism, both falling to the floor and releasing the door in the process.
Edward and Jenks, who were in the ready position, rush into the room while Emmett stands back up and guards the door. I switch my gaze back over to the guys' screen since the room does not have a camera that we can see on the surveillance feed. Another apparent precaution James took to keep the information limited about the person behind the door.
The room is completely dark, but instead of relying on night vision, Edward quickly turns on a flashlight. Sweeping the room, the light reaches the corner illuminating several objects.
"Shit," Jenks hisses.
Leaning back in my chair, my hand flies to my mouth at the shocking sight. There in the corner are three lifeless bodies. All are laying face first, their hands and legs bound. They were obviously executed.
"Emmett, get in here. Seth, watch our backs," Edward yells, rushing forward towards the bodies.
"Who are they?" I ask gruffly. My stomach rolls, this is bad. Something is very, very wrong.
"Fuck me!" Emmett says once he gets to the room.
Both Jenks and Emmett shine their light in the corner as Edward conducts the gruesome task of identifying the victims. I can tell that two of the bodies are female and one is male. I prepare myself for the identity of at least two of the individuals. The possible identity of the third victim has me at a loss.
Turning the male body over, my prediction is proven correct. "It's Mike," Edwards says.
When he turns the second body, I'm sickened but not surprised when I look at her face. "Jessica," Edwards chokes out.
When he turns the third body over, I can't help but gasp. "What the fuck?" Emmett yells.
"Who's that?" Jenks asks looking at the second female victim.
"Bree Tanner," Edward answers quietly.
"No, no, no," I chant, putting my head in my hands trying to fit the pieces together. "What the hell is going on?"
"Didn't we just see her? What the fuck is she doing here?" Emmett asks, obviously as shocked as I am.
"I don't-" Edward abruptly stops talking when the lights in the hallway turn off.
"Surveillance is down. It looks like the power is off in the whole building," Seth mutters typing frantically on his computer. "I'm blind. I can't see anything. Fuck, the system just locked me out."
"It's a set up," Jenks says. I can see him raising his gun in front of Emmett's camera.
"Get out of there!" I yell.
"Wait, what's that?" Edward asks, using his flashlight to look down at Mike's body.
In the corner of his pocket is a piece of paper. The way it is sticking up is not an accident. It was left there on purpose. Someone wanted us to find it. Edward grabs the paper, but before he can read it, the sound of gunfire erupts.
"Shit, find cover!" Jenks yells.
I try desperately to track all the movement in the chaos. Flashes of light come from the hallway; our team fire their guns in return.
"Got one," Jenks yells. "I think there are two more, each at different corners. Edward, lay down some cover fire. I'll take out the fucker on the left. Emmett, get the one on the right."
Almost before my brain processes their plan, they all move. Each hit their targets. The lack of gunfire suddenly leaves the room in a deafening silence.
"Seth, what floors were the other people on when you checked last?" Edward asks.
"One and three."
"My bet is that they came up, so we need to go down," Jenks hypothesizes. "On the count of three, move out. Go left. We need to get to the stairwell down the hall."
Moving quietly, they reach the stairwell door without any another incident. Opening the door, they start their decent down.
"Wait," Edward says breathing heavily. "This may tell us what we're up against." I watch as Edward takes the piece of paper out of his pocket and unfolds it. The night vision camera makes it impossible for me to read.
I hear Edward suck in his breath. "Bella, get out-" he starts to yell before the sounds of gunfire erupt again.
"It's coming from above," Emmett yells. Suddenly, I hear a grunt of someone in pain.
"Edward!" I shout out terrified.
"Take the asshole out!" Jenks yells.
Glancing anxiously at the screen, I look for any sign of whether someone is seriously injured. The shaky and chaotic picture makes it difficult to see anything well. Just then, the computer abruptly goes off and the loft is swiftly shrouded in blackness. Within seconds, the computer comes back to life, while the loft remains dark.
"Someone cut the power," Seth whispers. "I have the computer hooked up to a generator, but not anything else."
"They're here, aren't they?" I ask knowing the answer, but dreading the confirmation.
"Probably," Seth mutters, frantically typing.
"What are you doing?"
"We can't risk them getting anything on my computer. I'm sending everything to Jenks and then I'm going to destroy the hard drive."
"You've prepared for this possibility," I state matter-of-fact.
"I knew when I started going after them that they might catch up with me, so yeah."
I watch as he quickly sends everything to Jenks and hits a kill switch. Switching into survival mode, my emotions numb as my mind starts to organize a plan. We need to move quickly.
"Come on, Seth. We need to go now," I say, grabbing him by the shirt and running to the door. Reaching it, I place my hand over the knob but stop when I hear the sound of footsteps running down the hall. "It's too late," I whisper almost more to myself than Seth.
We step back and stare at the door. The door is heavy steel and since the electronic lock has a failsafe that keeps it engaged during a power outage, there is no easy way to gain access. However, that knowledge does not ease my mind. James has overcome larger obstacles to get to his prey. The best it will do is buy us a bit more time.
"Seth, you need to hide," I state, deciding that my first priority is to protect Seth.
"I can't leave you," he says turning towards me.
"Seth, listen to me. I need you to get out and tell Edward what happened. They're going to need your skills to find me." Seth shakes his head defiantly. "Please, for me, do as I ask," I beg.
"Okay," he says hesitantly, glancing nervously at the door. The sounds of several voices and metal clanging come through as they try to figure out a way in.
"Go to the bathroom and try to climb out the window." He looks at me strangely. "Seth, I watched you scale that building. There's gutter pipe right by that window. You need to get out and climb down. I will keep them distracted."
I'm really not sure if Seth can fit out of that window, but he has a better chance than I do. We don't have enough time for both of us to try, and saving Seth is more important than saving myself.
"Bella, I don't think-"
"No arguments," I interrupt. "They're here for me. They won't care about anyone else if I keep them focused on their goal."
The noises through the door are getting louder and now include pounding. "You have to go. Now!" I hiss, pushing him back towards the bathroom. We don't have much time.
Seth looks at me for a moment, before grabbing me in a tight hug. Surprised by his overt display of affection, it takes me a moment to hug him back. All too quickly, we pull back.
"Seth, no matter what you hear, don't come back out here. Do you understand?" He nods slowly and then runs to the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.
With Seth taken care of, I turn my attention to my own strategy as the noises continue. Running over to the bed, I dive underneath and pull out my suitcase. Throwing open the case, I move everything over to grab my guns. Shutting the suitcase again, I shove it back under the bed, hoping to keep it safe. Still in the dark, I fumble my way over to the kitchen and grab a couple of knives deciding that the more weapons I have the better.
Squinting into the blackness, I look around the room trying to figure out the best placement. The open design of the loft leaves few spots to find cover. Even the kitchen is open to the front door since the counter is to the side and not in front. Cutting my eyes back over to the living room, I see the coffee table, remembering the expensiveness of the wood; heavy and hard. That's it.
Running over, I scoot the table so that the long side is facing the door. Kneeling down, I push it over on its side providing me a barrier between myself and the door. Breathing heavily from the exertion, I sit with my back against the table, listening as the door starts to give way. They are almost in.
I place the knives on the floor and take out my guns to check each clip. Both are fully loaded, so between the two of them I have a total of twenty-eight rounds. I don't know how many are out there, but I have a feeling that every bullet is going to count if I have any chance of escaping. Scooting down so that my head is below the table, I take a deep breath, click off the safety and wait.
Suddenly, the door falls making a thunderous noise as it slams into the floor, light from the hallway spilling into the room. Apparently, they only cut power to the loft. I hold my breath, waiting for the right moment to make my move. Adrenaline courses through my veins and my heart pounds in my chest. I need to stay focused on my task and calm my shaking hands if I have any hope at hitting my intended targets.
"Isabella? Come out, come out wherever you are," James calls out in a sing-song voice.
Scooting quietly to the side of the table, I carefully peek around and see James and another person standing in the doorway. It's difficult to see any of their features, both are wearing dark hooded jackets, but I recognize James' colors.
"Go," James demands to the person next to him, pushing him forward.
Leveling my gun, I point it at the man. Taking one more breath, I pull the trigger and watch triumphantly as he falls to the floor. James dives to the side and takes cover outside of the loft, taking away any clear shot I had on him.
"Clever girl," James murmurs. "Don't be stupid, Isabella. You're clearly outnumbered. Just give up. Why waste all this time if we don't have to?"
Peeking around again, I see another man scooting forward. Aiming, I shoot and hit the man's leg. He screams and falls to the floor grasping his leg in pain. If I'm going down, I am going to take as many of them with me as I can.
"Okay. A fight it is," James declares.
Everything is silent for several seconds before gunfire explodes in the loft. Suppressors mute the sounds of the guns, so it is not the shots I hear, but the sound of the bullets flying by. Ducking, I cover my head. When the gunfire stops, I peak around the corner and shoot several times emptying the clip in the first gun.
I grab the second gun, but before I can shoot, they return fire. Cowering behind the table, the bullets fly all around me. It stops as suddenly as it began. When I go to make my move, I shockingly feel metal at the back of neck.
"Put the gun down, princess."
I recognize the voice from the audio of Jessica's abduction. Laying the gun on the floor, I slowly put my hands up. I look over my shoulder and see Sam standing behind me, an assault rifle in his hands.
"Get up," he demands. He reaches over to grab the gun and then throws it out of reach.
Jenks' voice echoes in my mind, reminding me to assess the situation. "Your size and demeanor can be used to your favor. Chances are they will never expect you to make a move. Use that to your advantage," he would say. Channeling his strength, I prepare to make my move.
Keeping my hands raised, I stand up. Glancing over my shoulder at Sam, I notice that his finger is not on the trigger. Instead, both hands are wrapped loosely around the handle. Perfect.
Taking Sam by surprise, I grab the gun and turn my body backwards. Hastily, I pull the gun over my shoulder, twisting it out of his grasp, while elbowing him hard in the sternum. I can hear him gasp as the wind is forced out of his lungs, the gun clanging loudly as it falls to the floor. Spinning again, I punch him square in the face. My fist throbs, but the pain is worth it knowing the hit was effective.
"Son of a bitch!" he yells, moving his hands up to cover his nose when it starts to bleed.
Crouching down, I prepare for his return attack. In the background, I can hear James laughing. "Come on Sam. You gonna let a little girl beat you?"
"Shut up! Is someone going to help me out here?" he asks continuing to wipe at his nose.
"Angelo, take her down," James yells menacingly.
Another man comes in from the hallway. He is about as tall as Sam, but leaner. I watch him closely as he stalks towards me trying to anticipate his move. He looks at me with a smirk, also underestimating my ability.
When he moves to strike, I step to the side just in time to avoid his punch. Using his own forward motion to my advantage, I push him watching as he falls against the table. Quickly jumping up, I see colors of determination when he moves towards me again. This time, the couch prevents me from moving quick enough. He grabs my hand to pull me forward, his other hand striking me hard against the side of my head.
My vision blurs, but I don't have the luxury of waiting for it to recover before making my next move. Quickly squaring off, I swing at the fuzzy target in front of me hitting him with the hand that is not being restrained. His face jerks to the side with the force of my punch, allowing me to turn and break the hold on my arm. Before I have the chance to move out of his reach, he swings hitting my face again. The force knocks me off-balance, resulting in my body slamming to the floor.
My head pounds and I can taste blood, but I can't allow myself to focus on the pain right now. Blinking several times to clear my vision, I get back up and face Angelo again. He smirks, but this time I strike quickly, hitting him before kicking the side of his knee causing it to snap. He drops down to the floor, grabbing it and groans in pain. The sound of his pain renews my strength.
I breathe heavily, watching him closely while glancing around. James and Sam are still standing off to the side. James is holding up his hand preventing anyone else from joining. Apparently he is enjoying the show.
Suddenly, Angelo rushes me, grabbing me around my waist and knocking me into the side of the table. The air leaves my lungs when my spine crashes into the hard wood. Lying on the ground, Angelo takes advantage and swiftly kicks me in the side. My ribs burn as I choke from the force of the hit.
Refusing to give up, I get up again. James laughs brashly from the sideline. "Come on," I growl, watching as Angelo limps, his knee obviously damaged.
"Sam, it's your turn again," James says calmly, indirectly letting me know how this game is going to go.
Turning my attention to Sam, he is already moving towards me. His nose is no longer bleeding, but his colors clearly show how badly he wants retribution for my earlier hit. I walk backwards away from the furniture to give myself more space to maneuver. With my fists bruised and sore and my head pounding, I replay Jenks instructions from his self-defense lessons over and over in my head trying to gather courage for the next round.
Sam moves quickly, but somehow I am able to move quicker and avoid his attack. James continues to laugh in amusement behind me. For several moments, we dance around each other, both avoiding contact. Finally, I am able to turn and sweep his leg, causing him to fall hard to the floor. Using this to my advantage, I kick him and then look around for a hard object I can use to hit him. My intention is to knock him out. Seeing a lamp, I rush to grab it.
Unexpectedly, I feel someone yank backwards on my foot as I am moving forward. The abrupt pull causes me to fall, my hands barely able to brace my body before hitting the floor. My wrist screams with pain upon the impact.
I can feel Sam's hands still on my feet, preventing me from moving. Looking up, I see the knives I left on the ground. Stretching my arms and fingers forward, I try desperately to reach one of the handles. At the same time, Sam starts to pull me backwards. Determined, I reach again and am able to use my fingers to pull a handle close enough to grab. Taking the knife I quickly move it under my arm. I need the element of surprise.
He continues to pull me backwards, while I try to crawl forward. Sam starts climbing over me, his body heavy on mine. I carefully push the knife under my sleeve, hiding it from view. Once he is almost completely covering me, he turns me over.
His eyes are deadly, hatred floating all around him. He wants to kill me. Reaching up with a smirk, he wraps both hands around my neck. The sudden pressure cuts off my air supply. Struggling, I claw at his hands, realizing it is now or never. Moving my arms under his body, I pull the knife out. Sam's hands continue to squeeze, and I fight hard to not pass out as I feel the blackness creeping in. I push against him with all my strength trying to get enough leverage. Tilting the knife as much as possible in the limited space, I brace my elbow with my hand and push it upwards.
I can't tell how far I was able to get, but it is enough for him to scream out in pain and roll off of me. Unable to move, I lay on the ground choking and sputtering trying to regain my breath. Sam is groaning in pain beside me. The knife is no longer in my hand. I am not quite sure where it ended up.
"Bravo!" James says clapping. "That was fun, but playtime is over. Bring her over here," James demands.
Still fighting off unconsciousness, I see two large boots walking over to me. Harsh hands suddenly grab me by the shoulders yanking me off the floor. Looking up at the person, I'm shocked to see that it is Demetri.
What is Aro's errand boy doing here? I wonder, my mind having a hard time processing this turn of events.
Demetri pulls me up roughly. I stumble trying to regain my balance as he drags me over to James. Pushing me forward, he holds my arms behind my back. I feel cold metal slapping around my wrists as he cuffs me. He squeezes them once they are secure, the metal cutting into my skin. James is still shrouded in the shadows, making it difficult for me to get a clear look at him.
"My, my, my. Little Isabella all grown up," he says, clicking his tongue in a disgustingly suggestive way. "I think you look even more delicious than you did before. I wonder if you taste better too?" he asks tauntingly.
My stomach churns at his suggestion. James finally steps forward into the room, his colors dark and menacing. I try desperately to prevent my body from shaking. The last thing I want to do is portray weakness.
Once he's directly in front of me, he moves his hand up and slides back his hood. My breath hitches, shocked at what I see in front of me. His face is clean-shaven, his hair is neatly cut and his eyes are clear and focused. The disheveled James I'd seen on-screen is gone.
"You look shocked, Isabella. Aren't you happy to see me?" he asks with a slight pout before his face morphs into an evil glare. "Or perhaps you were expecting a different version of me?" he hisses. "Did you really think that Aro wouldn't find out about your pathetic little task force?"
I'm confused by his choice of words. We are not a task force. But regardless of whether I understand exactly what he's talking about, looking at him, I realize that the behavior we've been witnessing was to lure us into a false sense of security. He never intended to leave Aro's business.
He leans in, his foul breath hot across my face. "We've worked long and hard to take that group down. Imagine our surprise when we learned we could capture you at the same time. Things couldn't have worked out more perfectly."
Reaching out, he grabs my hair and yanks me toward him until we are almost touching. "You have no idea how long I've thought about this moment," he whispers, pressing his lips roughly to mine.
I clench my mouth together, preventing him from taking the kiss further. Luckily, he pulls back quickly, a satisfied look on his face and lust floating around him. I hold my chin up defiantly and looking him directly in the eye, spit in his face.
"Always so feisty," he laughs.
Letting go, he walks behind me. Demetri turns around too, allowing me to track his movements. "Come on in boys," he yells, staring at the table with Seth's computer equipment. Glancing behind me, I watch several other armed men walk in. James obviously took this task seriously and intended to get me at any cost.
"Where's the geek?" James inquires.
"What?" I ask playing dumb.
"I was told you would be here with some sort of computer geek. I see his equipment, but where is he?"
"Left. He ran to the store before you got here."
"Hmm, I can't tell if you're lying. You're even better at covering up your emotions than you were before." He tilts his head and assesses me closely. "Search the room," James barks out, not breaking eye contact with me.
I stare back, keeping my face neutral, hoping he can't hear my pounding heart. Please be gone, I silently chant. It isn't long before I hear them breaking down the bathroom door.
"Well, look what we have here. Found him," one of the men shouts out.
I close my eyes in defeat. My head is spinning and my entire body aches. It is taking all my strength to just stand up. I don't know what else to do. Looking over, I see a man dragging an angry and scared Seth from the bathroom. Once they are close, Seth assesses me with wide eyes.
"I'm sorry, Bella. I should have come out to help you," he whispers sadly.
"It's okay. You did the right thing," I whisper back, conscious of the fact that several ears are listening, but still wanting to relieve Seth's guilt.
Desperate, I play the only card I have left. "Okay, James, I'll go with you quietly if you leave him here. You don't need him."
"Funny, I don't remember saying this was a negotiation."
"You and I both know the cops are most likely on their way. Your guns had silencers, but mine didn't. Unless you want to fail, you need to leave now. And I bet Aro is expecting you to bring me back alive."
"You know your father well. Let's just say he is very anxious to catch up," James says smirking.
"Seems to me that I can make this a lot more difficult for you. The harder I make it, the more likely you're going to get caught."
James laughs loudly. "Look at you! You're barely able to stand. Aro doesn't care about how damaged you are when you arrive, just that you arrive. So go ahead, give it your best shot, sweetheart."
Before I can respond, movement out of the corner of eye catches my attention. I turn my head just in time to see Seth do some sort of move on the man holding him, breaking free and throwing him to the ground at the same time. Another man rushes forward to attack, but Seth is quick to throw him off as well.
I can't help but smile, astonished at his ability, until I see a glint of metal in James' hand. As with so many other times in my life, everything seems to slow down as my brain processes the situation.
"No!" I scream as the gun goes off. Seth immediately falls to the floor groaning in pain. I can't tell where he was hit.
"We don't have time for this. Grab her and let's go," James says gruffly.
Demetri suddenly picks me up and carries me out the door. I strain my neck to look behind as we leave. My eyes focused on Seth's unmoving body. I can see blood slowly seeping out from under him. Please be alive, I pray.
Holding me tightly as we move, Demetri's grip hurts my damaged ribs. My injuries are slowly getting the better of me. Taking the lift down and moving out into the street, I barely have time to wonder whether anyone is watching before I'm shoved into a van waiting right outside of the building.
The door barely closes before the van screeches away from the curb. My eyes feel heavy and I struggle to keep them open as we travel to an unknown destination. James is quiet as he sits across from me, intently staring in my direction. Even in my woozy state, I can still see the lust floating around him. It just reinforces why I need to stay awake. I don't know how long we travel before we stop, but when the door opens, I realize we are at a private airport.
"Come on, Isabella. Daddy's waiting for you."
He grabs my elbow to drag me out. Pulling me after him, we walk towards a jet. I stumble several times, my legs giving out. Keeping my head down in an effort to not fall, we walk up the stairs into the plane. James pushes me in front of him, but keeps his hands on my arms. Still looking down, I see a person's feet in front of me. By the size and style, I can tell they are a man's. Slowly looking up, my breath leaves my body when I see his face.
Oh my god.
There are moments in life that don't make sense; moments you will never be ready for, that seemingly come out of nowhere. I guess everyone deals with them in their own way: some run, some fight, others cry…but me…maybe it's my mind, the one that has always been just left of center, but when faced with this moment, my vision blurs and life becomes a carnival of lights. Colors twist and turn with a melody of a carousel playing in the background, one that is a bit off tune. Part of me wonders at the weird beauty of it all, while another part is still trying to make sense of the person I see in front of me, the person I watched die, the person I believed was the love of my life. How can this be? I think as the colors finally blur to black.
Everyone still with me? Have I mentioned I believe in HEA?
The line quoted by Aro during the dream is from the poem The Spider and the Fly by Mary Howitt.