Chapter 35

"That makes perfect sense." Carlisle stood, pacing every so often and everyone could see that his mind was rattling off rapid thoughts and scenarios.

"So, who do you think is behind this then?" Edward asked him, "If Aro's children are still young, then they have to be using their shielding gifts to hide behind."

"They must know we're alive," Alice said, looking at Carlisle.

Esme tried to hide her complete dissatisfaction with the idea, but took it in stride.

"Maybe that's motive for all of this," Edward finished.

"And I can't see what they're doing this time," Alice added.

"What about the body?" Rosalie asked, chiming in. "The one Carlisle and Emmett found?"

"I think whoever is behind this was lurking in the area because you were all down there. For whatever reason they followed the six of you the night, they did, and I think we came to the conclusion that the Volturi were looking for people to replace the roles of Felix and Demetri."

"Right..." Rosalie said, following along with a nod.

"So, maybe they were in the process of changing Tyler and then saw the altercation on the beach between Caleb and Carter," he continued, "And rather than deal with a stranger who they'd have to convince to do harm to our family, there was already a base for them to work with because he fought with Caleb."

"So, then they just killed this Tyler kid?" Emmett asked.

"Human lives mean nothing to the Volturi," Carlisle said, stating the obvious. "So, yeah, they probably finished the job rather than let the change happen, then changed Carter."

"But we thought Carter was dead," Caleb explained, "He couldn't have been changed if he was already dead."

"If his heart was still beating, there's always a chance," Carlisle explained. He looked toward Esme briefly as he spoke.

"So, we should position ourselves and find this guy," Jasper said, "If he's going to definitely come back."

"This could be any one of the Volturi members," Esme said, "What if it's Jane? What if there are more than just one or two of them? We can't completely separate."

"Something's going to happen at the reservation," Nicole said, speaking up for the first time.

Everyone stopped and stared at her.

"I can see it..." she said, swallowing hard, "Some of it..."

"What's going to happen Nicole?" Jasper asked her, decreasing the distance in between them.

"I-I don't know exactly," she told them, "But we need to warn them; the packs, Masen, Leah, Jacob..."

Esme, Bella and Edward all got on their phones simultaneously.

"I'll call Lucy," Nicole volunteered.

"Should we go over there now?" Carlisle asked.

Alice waved for her daughter to hand her the phone, "I'll call, explain what's going on."

"My visions are blotchy; in and out," Nicole explained, "But I think should head over there now." She stopped for a moment and listened to the rain as it struck the roof and sides of the house, "It'll be on the clearest night this summer. The moon will be out, you'll even be able to see the few, scattered clouds in the night sky."

"So that leaves tonight out," Jasper concluded.

"The next full moon," she told him with a certain nod, "That's when it will be. I've seen it in the sky."

Carlisle rushed to grab the day's newspaper with the moon phases listed on the back, accompanying the five-day weather forecast.

"That's this Friday night," he said, making them all aware, "Friday and Saturday are both projected to be the only two sunny days this week."

"Two days," Jasper announced, shifting his eyes to Alice for a moment as she continued her conversation with Luciana.

Esme and Bella were equally frantic on the phone calls with their children, though Edward was calm and mellow in his chat with Jacob.

"They probably don't expect us to know anything," Carlisle told everyone, "Even though only parts of Nicole's vision are there, it's enough to keep us prepared. We'll just have to stay alert, work together and keep our eyes open."

"What if they want to start a war?" Rosalie asked.

"I've seen Aro's bond with Lucy," he explained, "In the centuries I've known him he's never formed that type of feeling for anyone; Sulpicia included. If his newborn child is in the area that they're using for a shield, I don't believe he'd be here to do what they've done in the past. Whatever they're looking for, we'll be prepared to defend, but I don't think they are going to come full force."

"I wouldn't hold your breath."

Carlisle looked at Rosalie, "If he cares for his newborn children the way he does Lucy, he won't put them in harm's way."

"He knows you would never hurt them," she argued.

"But he would never trust the wolves."

Everyone seemed to agree on the final point. Someone was going to come to the reservation that Friday, but they weren't exactly sure who. Nicole couldn't tell if anyone was hurt, or people attacked, though she did recognize some frantic, fast-paced dialogue and lots of running around.

"We have to get together and come up with a plan," Carlisle explained.

"What if we just all left?" William asked, "We could relocate again."

"And go where?" Emmett asked his son. "Friday is his day. Whatever he has planned is going to happen that day."

"Unless we stop it," Jasper finished.

They all looked around at one another.

"We have to go down to the reservation in case he shows up," Carlisle told them.

"I don't want him to show up," Caleb said, appearing to be slightly frightened for the first time.

"This is our chance," Emmett said, "We could catch him. We have a time; a location."

"It's our best shot," Carlisle agreed. "We need to know who's behind this."

"Agreed," Edward chimed in, hanging up the phone and sliding it back into his pocket.

They all looked around at one another.

Carlisle looked around to them all, "We need to go to the reservation."