Turner had been released hours ago. Charlie sat at the Chief's desk, talking to someone on his cellphone as I went through my sister's case file again, hoping some small, mundane detail would turn into our big break. Like it would tell us where Bella was.
By some miracle, I fell asleep at my desk.
"Hey, kid." Charlie nudged my shoulder and slid a cup of coffee on my desk as I opened my eyes. "I got access to Turner's records. Investments, stocks, accounts, property. Maybe something will stand out to you?"
I took the paperwork and shuffled through. I never would have been able to have access to this before. I instantly regretted not calling Charlie right away.
"Listen, Sir. I'm really sorry I didn't contact you right away. I just...they almost took my daughter. They took Bella. I was just so...angry. I didn't see straight. Tunnel vision isn't always a good thing when you're that desperate."
"I get it." He sat on the edge of my desk and sipped his coffee. "Is your daughter okay?"
"Yeah. Bella saved her. I can't ever thank her enough for doing that. Maggie is absolutely smitten with her and I can't even think about losing Bella, Sir. We're a family now."
"Let's find my kid, then." He patted my shoulder. "Bella's a tough girl, Edward. I'd like to say I taught her to be that way, but its just who she is. She's hanging on for us. I just know it. A father knows."
"So you're not scared?"
"I'm scared shitless, but I don't have time to act on it. I need to get us all the resources we need to find her and that's it. Let me know if you find anything in there."
I nodded and started through all of the documents. After a few hours, all of the words started to blend together, meshing into a blob of ink on the page.
"Anything?" Charlie asked.
"Nothing." I shook my head and took a sip of coffee.
"Well I got a hold of some records on buildings and property that Turner owns," he said.
"What are we waiting for then? Why aren't we out there searching them? Bella's probably at one of them."
"Because there are over 100. We have to narrow it down."
"And how are we supposed to do that?" I shrugged, throwing my hands up in frustration.
He pulled a chair up and sat beside my desk. "The old fashioned way. Looking through them to see if any catch our fancy."
"Fine. Go." I closed my eyes and listened to him list them off. Random properties out in the middle of nowhere, buildings for future Family First projects, old warehouses down by the docks.
"Wait." I grabbed Charlie's arm. "The docks. As in the ocean?"
"Typically a dock does indicate some type of body of water."
I reached for Kate's case file and rifled through for her autopsy report. "Salt water!"
"I don't understand."
"They found salt water in Kate's lungs, which means that she had to be near the ocean before they threw her body in that creek."
"You think..."
"I would bet on it." I shook my head. "They never saw the connection before because there was no connection. They never had anything to convince them that Turner had anything to do with it. Not anything they believed was credible anyway. They had no reason to dig deeper to find it."
"Let's go check it out then."
It wasn't a long ride to the docks, thankfully. I had that feeling. The one where you were absolutely sure of a decision, that your course of action was the right one. This was the road that led to Bella. I could feel it.
"You and I and the Chief will take point," Charlie said, parking our car down the road from the warehouses. "There are three warehouses in total, I want them checked from top to bottom. Understood?"
"Don't have to tell me twice." I hopped out of the car and strapped on my bulletproof vest. Chief and our back up pulled up a few moments later and we were ready to go.
I took my team and headed towards the first warehouse. This part of town was pretty deserted most of the time so it didn't really make sense that Turner would want to own these buildings. They weren't a good spot for any Family First venture and they sure as hell weren't getting any visible use, which meant they were probably used for other purposes. Illegal purposes.
I drew my gun and cautiously approached the door. After a quick nod from me, my guys burst through it, guns drawn.
"Clear," one of them said. I reached around the corner for a light switch. As the overhead lights came on, I noticed the warehouse was full of wood boxes. Rows and rows of wood boxes.
We moved silently down the aisles, checking each row for any evidence or trace of Bella. Once the main warehouse was clear, we started working through the doors and hallways that spiraled out from the room.
"Let's hope they're having more luck in the other buildings," one of my guys said. A gunshot rang out and he was thrown back, hitting the wall before he slid to the floor.
"Marks!" I kneeled down and raised my gun, checking the hallway for the assailant. "I've got an officer down. Please send a bus," I said into my radio.
"I'm okay," Marks said, cursing as he grabbed his shoulder. "Just got my arm. Go!" He nodded down the hallway.
I took a deep breath and crept down the hall, towards the corner where the shot had come from.
She's here, Edward. I held my breath as I peeked around the corner. A shower of bullets flew my way, hitting the wall behind me. I pulled myself tight against the wall and waited. When I glanced around the corner again, the hallway was empty. The door at the end flopped closed and I immediately took off towards it.
I pulled the door open and propped it with my foot as I checked inside. When I saw her, I nearly dropped my gun.
"Hello, Edward," Turner said.
Turner stood behind two large men, who I assumed were his bodyguards or his enforcers. He was sporting a large scrape across his cheek. There was a large tank of water; so clouded and foggy that I knew it must have been salt water from the ocean. And behind the tank, Bella was on her knees with her hands tied behind her back. Her hair was matted and wet, covering her face. A man stood behind her, his hand on the top of her head.
"So glad you could join us," Turner said. "Again," he told the man.
Bella screamed as the man forced her head down into the tub of water. Her feet kicked, trying to push herself up.
"Let her go!" I screamed, pointing my gun at them. "Pull her up! Now!"
Turner nodded and the man pulled her back. She gasped for air, resting back on her knees.
"Bella, it's going to be okay!" I reassured her.
"Is it?" Turner asked. "You've ruined my reputation, threatened my career...and you tell her it's going to be okay?"
"I will kill you. Let her go." I moved my gun between Turner and the man holding Bella, wondering where the hell my back up was.
"Felix," Turner said, smiling at me.
The man pushed her into the water again and I flinched. What do I do? I bit my lip.
"All the way, Felix."
Felix nodded and lifted Bella's body up and set her into the tank. I saw them then, the weights attached to her arms and legs. She was forced to the bottom of the small tank.
I raised my gun without another thought and fired. Felix went down. Turner's eyes went wide as he and the other two men started towards a back exit. I rushed forward, firing off another round of shots in their direction. I didn't care anymore. I wanted to kill him.
His two bodyguards fell and Turner froze, halfway in and halfway out of the door.
"Time to make a choice, Edward. Finally catch me or save her." He nodded towards Bella. "What's it going to be?"
I wanted to follow him. I wanted to finally put his ass in jail for everything that he'd done. But it wasn't even a fair fight. Bella would win every time.
The moment I lowered my gun, he darted out. I rushed to Bella and struggled to lift her out of the tank. She was completely still as I laid her on the floor. I pushed her hair back from her face and cursed. Black eye. Busted lip. Gash on her cheek. And that was just the physical damage. What was hiding underneath?
"Come on." I leaned down, checked her breathing, and started CPR. "Come on!" I yelled.
The moments ticked by and I was worried that I was too late. Did I get her killed? Did I do this to her?
"You can't die." I shook my head as I continued. "Where is my backup?!" I screamed. It echoed in the empty room. There was no one.
Bella suddenly wretched, throwing up a load of water onto the ground. As soon as she was breathing, she was crying. Hard and full of pain and anguish.
"Bella!" I took her into my arms. "Bella, you're going to be okay." I kissed her forehead and held her tight.
"Maggie?" She asked, her voice hoarse.
"She's fine. She's with Jasper."
I heard footsteps rushing down the hallway and the team ran into the room, led by Charlie and the Chief.
"Bella!" Charlie called. He knelt down beside us. "There's an ambulance waiting outside, are you okay?" He pulled out a knife and cut the restraints and the weights away from her body.
"Hi, Dad," she said. "Edward saved me."
"Let's get you out of here and to a doctor, eh?" Charlie said. "Get em in here!" He yelled into his radio.
"I got her," I mumbled. I put one arm under her back and one under her knees as I lifted her up against my chest.
"I love you," she whispered, nuzzling into my neck.
"I love you too, baby." I kissed her head as I carried her out to the ambulance. They met us at the door and hoisted her up into the back. I cringed as they poked and prodded her, setting her up with meds and IVs.
I stepped aside, assuming Charlie would insist on riding with her to the hospital.
"That's your job now," he said, seeing my hesitance. "I'll meet you guys there."
I nodded and jumped up into the back of the ambulance, immediately taking a seat and a hold of her hand.
"I'm so sorry," Bella said.
"What are you sorry for, honey? You were perfect. You did everything perfect."
"We didn't catch him. He escaped because you had to save me. We're back to having nothing. You know he'll get off. He'll say those guards acted on their own, there's no one to go against him. They won't go against him." A tear slipped down her cheek.
"Doesn't matter. You matter. Maggie matters." I nodded.
"At least I got a good piece of him." She smiled.
"What do you mean?"
"He got close to me today when my restraints weren't on. I scratched his face."
My eyes widened. "You scratched his face?" She nodded. "With your nails?" She nodded again.
"Holy shit," I mumbled. "Baby, we've got him. As long as his skin cells are still under your nails, we got him. That ties him to you."
"Really?"
"Let's hope the water didn't wash them away."
She closed her eyes and let out a sigh of relief as we pulled into the hospital. Charlie was right behind us as they took her in. We took a seat in the waiting room as they checked her over. She was dehydrated and a little malnourished, but other than that it was just scrapes and bruises.
I touched base with Charlie and the Chief about the skin cells and they had the doctors take a sample so we could check them. Chief put an APB out on Turner and he was caught heading north towards Canada. The bastard was trying to run. He knew his life was over and he didn't want to face the consequences of what he'd done. We were going to make sure he didn't get away.
Despite how badly I wanted to work around the clock to get the case ready against him, I took some time off to tend to Bella and Maggie. We needed some time together, to rebuild. Maggie was the best nurse, helping me take care of Bella while she got better.
"Bella wants Cheerios for breakfast, Daddy," Maggie said, pulling open the refrigerator. She pulled out the milk as I poured some Cheerios into a bowl.
"Be careful with the milk, okay. I'm going to grab the newspaper." I stepped outside of our brand new house, which Charlie had helped us out with much to my protests. I'd promised to pay him back as soon as possible, but we couldn't go back to that apartment. It scared Maggie and even though she wouldn't admit it, it scared Bella to go back there. This new place was the perfect new start for us.
The newspaper sat at the bottom of our concrete steps laying face up, its headline screaming at me in bold print.
Turner Charged in Kidnapping, Other Charges Pending
I stuck it under my arm as I started back inside. Despite my warning, Maggie had spilled milk all over the counter. I laughed, feeling so much lighter. Happier. Free. The burden was lifting. I prayed that Kate was watching this, watching her baby brother start a new family and give her justice.
"Daddy!" Maggie called.
"Yeah?"
"Come play!"
"Okay, Kiddo." I smiled and went into our bedroom. Bella was still in bed, enjoying her Cheerios as Maggie played with her dolls beside her.
"You get to be Barbie." She handed me the doll.
"Wow. Thanks," I said sarcastically.
Bella leaned in and whispered in my ear. "Touching another girl right in front of me?"
"It's all a game." I smirked. "Besides I kind of have a thing for brunettes...with stitches." I nodded to her stitched up brow and kissed her.
"You guys!" Maggie said, frustrated. "You're ruining the happily ever after." She thrust Ken doll into my face.
"No we're not," Bella said. "We're perfecting it." She kissed me again.
"Fine, you guys. But pay attention." She started prancing Ken across the bed. "So den Ken goes to da store and gets some...carrots. Yes, carrots. Cause he is going to make soup for dinner. And Barbie..."
"Barbie...is taking a nap. Because she was out late last night with her friends and she's hungover," I said, laying Barbie down on the bed.
"Daddy, you don't pway dis game good."
"I know, Kid."
I leaned back and put my arm around Bella as Maggie played. I had my kid. My girl. I had my life back. I wasn't a slave to my sister's murder anymore. Everything was back on track. And the view from here? I couldn't imagine anything better.
A/N: So this is the last chapter for this story. There will be a short epilogue hopefully posted sometime soon.
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I just want to say how much I appreciate all of you so much for reading this story or any of my stories or for chatting with me on Twitter or Facebook, and I especially want to thank all of you that are following me along with my journey to publish my OF. Seriously. You have no idea how special that is to me that you actually want to hear from my characters and not just me...playing...with...someone else's characters. That didn't sound right. But the point is thank you. That's a huge honor for me for people to want to follow me into that territory. I appreciate you!
I'll see you in the epi!
M
