A/N: A quick thank you to everyone who added this story in their alerts and/or added it to their favorite list. It truly means a lot to me.
Chapter 26- The rescue mission
Paul's POV-
"What the hell is happening here? Will someone bother to explain?"
Pin-drop silence fell upon us, the high and mighty supernatural beings that honored this house with their presence unable to understand how a mere human could have gone unnoticed and unheard.
For, let's see, we had supernatural hearing- check. The ability to scent the air and guess who was walking in our direction- check. Our instincts that kept us well prepared for every difficult situation that could take us by surprise- check, check and check!
Then how the fuck was this even possible?
How had Charlie Swan gone unnoticed, walking into the lion's den without the dangerous and hungry lion even realizing this?
Crap.
We had three vampires and eight shape-shifters in here, not to mention the fact that Charlie Swan wasn't the lightest at his feet. He made more noise than a blender in an abandoned kitchen, and that is saying something!
Yet, none of us had been any wiser of his presence, not until he shouted it off the walls making it as obvious as could be.
It was insane.
Maybe- just hear me out on this- maybe Charlie Swan was a wizard or an alien or something on those same lines.
Making people forget his presence being his noticeable power.
It would make sense if it were; the man was pretty forgettable.
Heck, people often forgot that he was in the same room as them, his habit of sitting in silence for hours at stretch pushing him into that not so prestigious category!
Ask Billy. He would admit to leaking out important secrets and then realizing, oh shit, Charlie Swan had never left to go home!
Anyhow….
"Charlie, what are you doing here?"
"Let's cut the bullshit, Billy. I don't have time for that."
Oops. The man is angry.
I am so scared!
If you didn't quite get it, that was a piece of sarcasm. Obviously.
Ten Charlie Swan couldn't scare me a damn inch.
"I don't understand."
Really, Billy?
Really?
You want to play this card?
Seriously?
It is a pretty dumb move, calling a spade a spade.
"You know exactly what I mean."
He does.
"Where is my daughter? What have you done to her?"
Was the man about to cry?
Jeez, I did not pay to see this.
Though, on a serious note, I would never have come here, had I to pay to be here. I did value my reputation, you know?
"I…" Billy stumbled over his words, about to deliver an award-winning masterpiece….at the art of bullshitting. "I am equally worried about Bella, Charlie. Hence, this meeting. We are trying to find her, using every resource possible."
And, delivered!
"Why is Edward Cullen here?"
Yea, the man is no fan of her ex, if the way he is glaring at him is anything to go by….
"I am here to help them, Chief Swan. I will always care about Bella." The leech gave his best possible smile, his eyes throwing out buckets of honesty in Charlie's direction.
Nah. Not so impressed. Rather the man looked pissed to a whole new level.
"Aren't you on unfriendly terms or something?"
Jeez. This gets interesting by the minute!
Where is the popcorn when you need it?
"I…We…we have decided to work together and get her back."
"So, you do know where she is! Where is my daughter?"
Seriously, where is the popcorn?
And while you are at it, get me some nachos, too.
I am kind of hungry, as always!
"Charlie, the thing is…."
"Not now."
Oops.
Did he just silence that tiny midget like female leech with just two seemingly unimportant words of his?
Damn.
I take back my words. I would pay good money to see this shit.
If my ribs didn't ache as much every time I laughed, I would have been rolling on the floor right now.
But as it stood, I wasn't completely out of the woods yet. My supernatural healing had finally kicked in, and I was getting there….to how I had been before all this shit occurred, having 'woken up' the same day as Bella was taken away- imagine waking up to this shitstorm!
Anyhow, for now, though, we had more important things to concentrate on.
"Where is my daughter, Edward Cullen?"
What's with all the glare?
"Do you have something to do with her disappearance? Have you kidnapped her, coming back here to make sure that we were on the wrong track? Do I need to take out my gun?"
It won't work, Charlie!
Try harder next time.
"NO." The leech shouted the word out, trembling at his place is visible pain. "I love her. I have nothing to do with this. I don't support this. I am going to get her back. You have to believe me, Chief Swan!"
Jeez, Boy!
Why don't you tell him the entire plan while you are at it?
Also, don't forget to mention the fact that vampires have kidnapped her- and that the majority in this room are shape-shifters.
That is important.
Charlie needs to know that. It used to earlier be on need-to-know basis, but, eh, times have changed….and what do I know?
"Carlisle and Esme…they have taken her…" Did I just predict the future? "I don't support them. I don't agree with them. I want to bring her back…safe and human…"
"Edward, that's enough!" the midget scowled, glaring at her brother, her arms comically placed on her waist. The constipated one with the scars pulling her closer to him.
"No. No." Charlie Swan threw a glare her way, dramatically pulling out his gun and pointing it in Edward's direction- directly at his head. Shoot, Charlie. Shoot! Not that it would do any good, but I could do with the free entertainment. "He will continue speaking."
"Charlie, I think this is enough." Billy sighed, trying his level best to save the situation from going out of hand. A situation that was already out of hand by miles and miles in front of us. "We will get Bella back. We know where she is. It is just….we need a proper plan to go ahead."
Wrong move, Billy.
"I am the fucking police chief of Forks, Billy." Charlie Swan gave him an expressionless glance. "You think I can't get my daughter safely back home. I will get her back. The entire police force will get her back."
He started to storm out of the house, having said his piece, the footsteps left in the aftermath so fucking loud that I almost cringed.
"There is nothing the police can do in this, Charlie."
"What did you say?"
Gosh.
Could this get any worse?
"What Billy meant is that…."
Apparently, it could. For Sam Uley just spoke up!
"Okay, while this has been fun and everything," I offered the room at whole a smile, "my imprint is in danger. And I really need to save her. So, I will see you all at a later date."
I took the first step ahead, only to stop when a gun came to rest directly on my forehead, the owner of said gun ready to shoot and kill.
"Damn, Charlie. I am the good guy!"
Jeez. Does no one value the good guys anymore?
Have we lost all respect?
"Where is my daughter?"
"You have asked this very question four times already." I pointed it out, the good Samaritan that I was. "And to answer your question- vampires have kidnapped her. No human will be able to do anything in this matter."
"Paul!"
"What?" I rolled my eyes as I turned to look at a pissed off Sam. "He already knows more than half. Blame the bloodsuckers for that!"
"And you just told him the other half!"
I did.
"Is…is this a joke?"
Charlie Swan looked shaken, well, as shaken as a man in this situation could ever look.
"Charlie, my boy," I grinned wide, wrapping my arm around his shoulder. "It is time for your education to begin."
X-X-X-X
"So, Carlisle and Esme Cullen- who are vampires- have kidnapped my daughter?"
"Yup." I nodded my head in agreement, still smiling- always smiling when there was free entertainment around.
"And…you all are shape-shifters?"
"Yup, again."
"And Carlisle wants Bella to become a vampire so that she can spend eternity with Edward, but Edward here wants her to remain human. Have I got it correct?"
"People these days have all sorts of misconceptions." I shrugged at the man; my eyes wide in disbelief.
I mean, imagine, Edward Cullen and BELLA SWAN!
Carlisle Cullen was probably on some hardcore drugs that gifted a person with massive delusions….
"Now?"
He looked truly helpless, staring at the room at whole as he waited for someone- anyone- to respond, the others simply staring back at him with equal cluelessness visible in their eyes.
Stupidity is probably contagious.
"Now we go in and save the day!"
"How?"
Am I expected to give every answer now?
Are the rest of them playing some ridiculous game of statue?
Why are they even here if they have no valuable suggestions to provide?
Maybe they don't have any work to go back to.
Would make complete sense if it were so….
"I have an idea…"
"Nope." I cut the scarred leech off with a wave of the hand. "My imprint. My plan."
"What is your plan, son?"
I smirked in response, turning to look at Charlie, ready to disclose my masterplan.
My imprint was coming back home…safe, healthy and human.
And that was a guarantee.