Chapter 35

Several cars pulled at the house almost simultaneously. Damon had given orders for them to go in with lights flashing and siren blaring, hoping against hope that they would be in time and scare him off.

He drove like a maniac, praying as he had never prayed before. He didn't care if they missed this chance to catch him. Please, God, let them scare him off. Don't let him be in the house. Don't let him have already been and gone. God, please. Not Bella.

He slammed the gear into park, the car rocking violently on its springs. He was out and running before the motion stopped. The house was dark. God, no.

Something heavy hit Damon in the back, sending him sprawling on the ground. He roiled to his feet with a savage snarl; his lips pulled back, his face a mask of horror

"Get control of yourself!"

Liz roared, her face savage

"You won't help her by going in blind! Do it the way you know it's supposed to be done!"

A horde of people were swarming around the house, surrounding it. Liz was directing the werewolf pack to stay outside as it was a full moon but all Damon could think of was Bella inside.

He shook Liz off and plunged at the door. It was locked. He threw himself at it like a maddened animal, the force of his weight making it shudder in the frame. It was a solid door, reinforced with steel. The dead-bolt lock was one of the best made. It held. The hinges didn't. The screws ripped out of the wood with a tortured shriek, metal twisting.

Seeing he couldn't stop Damon, Liz began shooting at the hinges and let him wrench the door out of the frame. Hoarsely screaming Bella's name, Damon pitched himself into the dark bowels of the house.

He stumbled over something soft and heavy, and crashed to the floor. His heart stopped beating, for a long, agonized moment that froze in time. Refusing to rely on his vision he screamed

"Oh, God,"

He said the voice not recognizable as his.

"Get a light."

One of the semi-retired officers took his long, heavy flashlight out of his belt and thumbed the switch. The powerful beam illuminated Damon, crouched on the floor with a look of frozen horror on his face.

In the center of the beam sprawled a black-clad figure, the shaven skull gleaming dully. He was on his back, and his sightless eyes stared upward. The stench of blood and death was overpowering. A black pool of blood had gathered around the body.

"Jeremy?"

Liz gasped. Everyone fell dead silent as all eyes, human and non human, were trained on the still form of the youngest Gilbert. Everyone had a different opinion on him but 'cold blooded killer' wasn't it.

The flashlight beam swung wildly toward the hidden room, and Bella flinched from the light, closing her eyes and turning her head away. She was still crouched half under, half in front of the heavy desk and dark wetness glistened on the white of her top. She still held the pistol, both hands clasped around it pointing at the ground between her knees.

Damon couldn't manage to get to his feet. He crawled to her, his mind still unable to believe that she was alive. He cupped her cheek in a shaking hand, and smoothed her hair back from her face.

"Baby. Oh, God, honey."

"He cut me and he killed Kitty,"

She said, as if apologizing. Her voice had a faraway tone.

"I shot him, but he didn't stop. He just kept coming. So I kept shooting."

"Good,"

He said with barely restrained savagery. His hands were trembling wildly, but with the utmost tenderness he lowered her to the floor.

"Just lie down, honey. Let me see how bad you're hurt."

"I don't think it's serious, it's the top of my shoulder, and my left side. But it's just cuts; he didn't stab me."

He was barely holding himself together. Only the knowledge that she needed him now kept him from throwing himself on the body and tearing it to pieces not caring to whim it belonged. God! How could she be so calm, when he was shaking apart?

"He cut the wiring, I'm very tired. If you don't mind, I'll tell you all about it later."

"Sure, baby. Go to sleep. I'll be with you when you wake up."

He pressed the heel of his palm over the oozing cut in her side. She gave a little sigh, and her heavy eyelids closed. Damon was aware of the house filling with people, but he didn't look up.

"Damon."

It was Liz, kneeling beside him her face strewn with tears.

"The medics are here, honey. You need to move back so they can help her."

"I'm stopping the bleeding,"

He said in a hoarse voice.

"I know. It's almost stopped. She's going to be all right, honey. Everything's going to be okay."

In a trained, motherly motion, Liz wrapped her arms around the vampire, easing him away from Bella. The medics moved to take his place.

"We'll go to the hospital with her, but she's going to be fine"

"Promise?"

"Promise"

Damon closed his eyes and let the shorter woman lead him away. No one spared a second glance at Jeremy.