AN: Bella isn't taking any prisoners - she's a woman on a mission

Thank you MeteorOnAMoonlessNight for your quick turnaround beta skills and to MissLiss15 for pre-reading.

Usuanl disclaimer applies

Chapter 24

Now, Bella

Jasper sank back into his seat from the half standing position he'd been in, rubbing the back of his neck. He sighed deeply, finally recognizing that I wouldn't allow him to stop me. "Okay, Bella," he said finally. "What do you need me to do?"

I looked at Esme, who nodded. "I'll look after Lily," she said. "Do what you have to do and don't worry about her, she'll be fine."

I looked back at Jasper, who opened one of the drawers in the desk. Taking a small locked box from it he used a small key on his keyring to unlock it. "Which car are you taking? You are taking a car?" he questioned.

"Yes, Jasper," I almost sighed. It was clear he still didn't trust that I knew what I was doing, which wasn't surprising since we had only met a short time ago. "The Audi, please."

He nodded his head and muttered, "Good choice." It sounded a little condescending but I chose to let it slide because I needed to be out of here now, without any more arguments from him.

"It's a―" he began when he handed me the keys.

"I know, Jasper and I can drive it," I snapped, pre-empting the rest of his statement, knowing he was asking me if I could drive a stick shift. "Enough, I know what I'm doing so stop questioning me, please."

He inclined his head in agreement. "They both need guns, too, Jasper," Alice piped up, sounding way too happy. No doubt she was reveling in seeing Jasper so out of sorts.

He sighed but reached under the desk with no further argument. A panel in the wall behind him opened revealing a large, locked metal cabinet. He pulled yet another key out of the small box and unlocked it, stepping back so Rose and I could take a look.

"Do you know what you're looking at, Bella? Have you ever fired a gun?" Jasper was back to being condescending and I was getting tired of his constant questions no matter how well-meaning.

"My dad was a cop, for one, and he made sure I knew how to shoot, and two, he and I went hunting every year. So yes, Jasper, I know both what I'm looking at and how to shoot." I glared at him and he took a step back, holding up his hands in a placating gesture.

I stepped forward and chose a Smith & Wesson; it was a gun I was familiar with as it was the same one Charlie had taught me to shoot with. Rose chose a Glock, which I had also used. We had both taken regular classes during our college years at Charlie's insistence; it was one of the last things Charlie and I had done together. She also grabbed extra clips just in case we met with more trouble than we anticipated once we reached the house. There was no telling what security measures Aro had put in place and I didn't want to be caught unprepared.

Jasper finally seemed to be on board now and opened the drawer below the cabinet, producing two holsters. "These might be a little big for you two, but you're gonna need your hands free where possible." He passed one to each of us and although mine was a little loose, I managed to tighten it enough so it stayed in place.

"Thanks, Jasper." I was glad he wasn't fighting me anymore. "Rose and I will be absolutely fine. Just let Edward and Emmett know where we've gone when they get here, and don't worry about anything Edward says; I'll deal with the fallout. He and I will be having words and you'll be off the hook, I promise."

No more was said while Rose and I kitted ourselves out with the , taking the keys to the Audi, we headed toward the garage, Alice and Jasper trailing behind. Wasting no further time, Rose led the way to the car after I clicked the remote to unlock it.

Alice stopped me before I stepped into the car. "Be careful, Bella," she said, hugging me tightly. "Bring back that nephew of mine; I want to meet him, alright?"

"I will, Alice, don't worry. I am absolutely sure Charlie's in that house." I paused for a second. "And I'm not leaving without him, and if anyone, anyone, gets in my way, they might not survive," I added grimly.

"You go, girl." Alice couldn't keep the giggles away and I had to laugh with her, despite how serious the situation actually was. She stepped back as I slid into the cool leather driving seat and shut the door with a quiet thunk. Fastening my seatbelt, I looked over at Rose. "Ready, Rose?"

At her nod, I slipped the key into the slot and hit the start button, quickly pushing the car into first gear, while Jasper pressed a button which opened up the garage door in front of the Audi. Pulling out onto the driveway with a wheel screech, I had to laugh at the pained expression on his face; judging by that look and his wince at the squealing tires, I was pretty sure Edward was possessive about his cars and wouldn't be too pleased if we brought it back with a few scratches and dents. Well, we'd be having a talk about that and a number of other things once we were all safely back together. The thought actually made me grin.

Once we cleared the gates, which opened without us having to get up close and personal with the guards, the seriousness of the situation crashed back in. Flooring the accelerator, the car leaped forward leaving tire marks and the smell of burning rubber behind as we headed toward Valley View.

According to the Sat Nav, It was only an hour away. Aro was a sneaky fucker, keeping Charlie right under our noses. The sky was beginning to darken as we approached the exit off the I-25 before Rose spoke.

"When we're close, we should find somewhere to park until it's full dark. We can take a look at that floor plan and then check around before we attempt to get in. I'm sure Aro wouldn't have left them unguarded, and with any luck he won't be there yet."

"Hmm, you're right," I answered. "It won't tell us which room they have Charlie in, but we should have a better idea of who and what we're up against so we can work out what to do next. If possible, I'd like to get in and out before he turns up."

We drove on for a few minutes, both of us checking out the houses on either side of the street.

"There!" Rose pointed at a dimly lit bungalow set back from the road. There were trees and bushes to both side, and no sign of anyone on guard, although it was likely they were well hidden. Driving on past, we took the next turn, parking away from the street lights.

"Okay. First, let's see those plans."

Rose pulled the papers she'd printed off at the Cullen house out of her back pocket and handed them to me. I unfolded them and spread them out against the steering wheel, careful not to push against the horn.

Turning them until they matched the orientation of the house we'd just driven past, I could see that the first floor had a large family room stretching across the back of the property There were two exits leading outside; one from the kitchen, and another, much larger, from the dining/family area. I pointed at the kitchen doorway. "That could be a way in, Rose."

She thought for a second. "Hmm, trouble with that is it's a very large, open area, and although we can see most of the room, it could be difficult to stay out of sight if someone were to come in unexpectedly. There's also the fact we would have to pass the other rooms to get to the stairs, and I would bet Charlie's upstairs."

"Then we should look for a way in through an upstairs window, maybe?" I answered. "That way we can find Charlie first and maybe head back out the same way?" I suggested.

"Sounds good," Rose answered. "We have no way of telling which room Charlie's in, so it's as good a plan as anything else." She shrugged and rolled the plan, stowing it behind her seat. "Let's take a quick look and see how many men Aro has guarding the place."

The neighborhood was very quiet so we carefully slipped out of the car, making sure the closing doors didn't make a sound. Standing still for a few minutes, I checked to make sure no one was around and headed along the road to see if there was any way other than the front drive to get onto the grounds of the house.

As we followed the fence for ten or fifteen minutes I was beginning to believe that there was no other way in other than that driveway, until a gap in the bushes showed a gateway. Carefully, I tried the handle to the gate, aware of how much any noise in the quiet evening would echo.

"Damn, no luck. I think it's locked," I muttered.

"Here, Bella," Rose said, linking her fingers together. "I'll give you a boost up so you can check if there's a lock on the other side. Maybe we can work out if it's possible to break it."

I put my foot into Rose's hands and she hoisted me up high enough to be able to lean over the gate. "There's no padlock at all, Rose," I whispered. "It's just a bolt top and bottom. Push me up a bit further so I can climb over and open it for you to come in. We can come back out this way, too, once we have Charlie."

The gate creaked under me, making we wince as the sound echoed lightly. Dropping to the other side, I stepped off of the path and behind the bushes, waiting to see if anyone had heard the sound. It wasn't a minute too soon as a dark shadow detached itself from the corner of the house. I caught a glimpse of a gun as the moon momentarily appeared from behind a cloud. Luckily, Rose hadn't asked me any questions or made a sound, although it was only a matter of time until she did.

Drawing my gun, I watched as the man, as I now knew the dark shadow was, walked slowly past the footpath to the gate and held my breath as he stopped to peer along the darkened path toward it. I didn't know if I'd shoot him if he came too close, but there was no way I'd allow him to give us away; we had only one chance to do this. Fortunately, he was an idiot, and a heavy footed one at that, and the noise of his feet dragging in the gravel would have carried far enough for Rose to know to stay quiet. He stood for a few minutes and then slowly turned and walked back along the front of the house before disappearing around the far corner. I stepped back to the gate and slid both top and bottom bolts back as quietly as I could, opening the gate slowly inward, praying it made little to no sound.

Luck was with me and it was a relatively quiet action. I managed to open it just far enough for Rose to be able to slip through without making any further noise.

"I heard footsteps so I'm guessing there's at least one guard," Rose put her head close to mine and whispered. "Did you see anyone else?"

"Only the one outside and I've no idea if there's anyone else in or out. Aro is fucking arrogant enough to leave only one guard but we should keep an eye out just in case there's another, inside or out. Let's stick to the bushes and work our way around the back of the house first, although I'd really like to follow him around the front; I don't like the idea of meeting him head on, but there's no cover. Come on."

Slowly we worked our way around to the rear of the property, sticking to shadows and bushes as much as we could. "Can you smell that, Rose? Cigarette smoke," I whispered to her.

"I think it's coming from the other side of the house," she whispered back. "Keep on going, if he's smoking it's likely he's not paying much attention.

We crept around the outer edge of the bushes, staying in the shadows as much as we were able to until we were far enough around to see clearly. There was only one man leaning casually against the wall, bracing himself on one leg, the other propped against the wall behind him. I could see the glow from the end of his cigarette now and we wouldn't have a better chance of taking him out than this.

Rose tapped me on the shoulder and a look passed between us. I nodded as she led the way back into the bushes, keeping our eyes on him all the time and working our way closer to where he was standing. He never looked in our direction, just threw his cigarette butt on the ground, stepped on it to put it out, and slowly retraced his steps back around to the front of the house.

We stood silently in the shadows and listened to the sound of his footsteps retreating. There were no voices in conversation and unless they were both quiet, we were fairly sure he was the only guard; at least outside the property.

"We should get rid of him, Bella," Rose said quietly.

"Rose," I answered in a shocked whisper. "We can't kill him, even if that's what Edward or Emmett would do. At the moment, he hasn't done anything, so let's just make sure he can't give us away to whoever's inside."

"He might cause trouble later, B. I say we take him out right now and prevent him from coming back to bite us in the ass later," she scowled at me. At my raised eyebrow she sighed. "Okay, okay. But we definitely need to take him out of the picture; we don't want him busting in at the wrong moment or warning anyone inside or out."

I had to agree. "What do you suggest, then?"

Rose stood deep in thought for a moment. "Since you don't want him dead, we only need to incapacitate him, though I wouldn't be too upset if it ended up more." I looked at her in exasperation but she just shrugged her shoulders. "Well, he's asking for it," she said unapologetically. "He chose to work for Aro; it's his own fault if he ends up dead or hurt."

Nevertheless, she crept around the edge of the house, following him and keeping to the shadows. I watched as she swung the butt of her gun swiftly against the side of his head. He sank to the ground in a boneless heap with a slight thud, never uttering a sound.

** Dangerous Secrets **