A/N… I apologize for the delay. Please see me at the bottom for the explanation and an announcement or two. Off you go.

~o~H&E~o~

Chapter 14

BELLA

I wasn't sure which was scarier – the silence as we readied ourselves just behind the forty-fifth floor entry or what was on the other side of the door.

Alec and Edward pulled NVGs out of their bags, slipping them onto the tops of their heads, and the latter spun a silencer onto the end of his Glock. Emmett pulled a knife out, as did Felix. Mickey and I were to come in last, aiming at anything that moved as long as it was away from the TNT. All of us had to keep in mind not only those explosives but that another team would be coming in on the other side. Lock and Load would stay safely inside the secret stairway.

Edward didn't want to use flash disks just in case a spark started something, so this would be dark and quiet. The first step was all on Eleazar, who would be removing the two guards just outside the main stairway doors.

"In position," he stated softly over the radio.

"Roger that. We'll go in on your say," Edward called back in a whisper.

The only sound heard over the earpieces were a few muffled noises and a few breaths. A soft click of what I guessed was a door made it through just before Eleazar called his entryway clear.

"Okay, in three, two, one…" he counted off.

At one, Edward and Alec shifted through the secret door, which opened into a supply closet. They paused barely long enough to pull the NVGs down over their eyes before stepping silently out into the open space of the floor under construction.

It was more open than I'd really seen over the drone's camera. It was wide open bare concrete, with two large support pillars in the middle, along with several metal ones all over. There were stacks of drywall, lumber, and boxes, not to mention saws, dollies, and garbage bins.

They never expected someone to come in on them, I don't think, because the dozen or so soldiers down there didn't quite react immediately when Emmett snapped the first neck. Edward aimed his gun toward the windows on the left, and Alec toward the right. It was the men by the support beams who started to fight back, reaching for radios and weapons.

One stepped away from the barrier of a pallet of drywall aiming at Edward, but I slipped around Felix, pulling the trigger before he did. He fell instantly, his radio skidding across the floor. Eleazar caught another soldier reaching for the dropped radio, and he fell in a heap.

Mickey and Jasper got three on the west side of the building. Edward caught another trying to slip behind some equipment. However, even though we had all called the floor clear, the sound of shattering glass and zing of a sniper bullet had us all scattering.

"Sniper! North windows. Everybody down!" Edward commanded.

The bullets rained down on the floor, destroying every window, but they were smart enough to keep their shots away from the explosives, which were both drilled into the concrete supports and strapped to it. Mickey, Dean, and I slid behind a stack of plywood. Edward and Emmett were pinned down behind the drywall, which was taking the most bullets. Jasper was calling for a guy named Jersey over by the saw. Both had their sniper rifles planted and aiming out the now shattered wall of windows.

Some of El's team retreated to the safety of the stairs. Felix was on the floor with his back against one of the beams. He was probably safer than any of us at this point because the enemy were aiming everywhere but there. They couldn't blow the building while their leader, Kim, was still upstairs.

However, when Mickey muttered, "Oh fucking hell," my heart shot to my throat.

On the ground, sweating and gritting his teeth in pain, was Alec.

"Shit, shit… Fuck," I hissed. "Alec, honey, stop moving. We'll get there, but you gotta be still."

"Goddammit!" Edward grunted. "Jasper, you gotta hurry, man! We got a man down."

"I got 'im, I got 'im!" Felix called.

"Stand down, Felix," Eleazar yelled.

"He's as good as fucking dead if we don't get him behind something. I've got him!" Felix ignored everyone's protests and started to move but pressed back against the support beam when shots pinged around him.

How Jasper could stay calm, keep the young boy next to him focused, and still hit his targets was a complete testament to his personality, training, and experience. I swear I could hear him humming over the radio, every second or so calling the location of another enemy across the street.

As the bullets started to slow down, Felix ignored everything, running low from his spot at the beam to a stack of wood just to the left of Alec.

"Alec, please, please, please be still," I begged over the radio. "Jasper hasn't cleared them yet."

"I'm… Fuck! It's my leg."

"Alec, man, you gotta stop moving!" Edward warned.

For the first time in a very long time, I heard fear behind my husband's tone. I hadn't heard him that way since Bethy was taken and then when we lost Sam. I wasn't sure what Edward would do if something happened to Alec. They were as close as brothers.

I started to move, but Edward's sharp tone was instant. "Sweetness, don't you dare move that sweet ass from where you are! You stay down!"

"Okay, but he's losing blood, Edward."

"Fuck this shit," Felix muttered, and before anyone could stop him, he rolled onto his stomach, staying low but reaching for Alec's vest. With a firm grip, he dragged Alec across the concrete floor and behind the pallet of wood. When he did so, the movement caused him to sit upright a bit, and just as Jasper called the location of two more snipers, the eerie sound of bullet meeting flesh and bone echoed over the wide-open space.

"Ah, Christ! Jasper, hurry the fuck up! Another man down!" Emmett snapped, his gaze on Felix, who had collapsed onto concrete face first.

"Two more," Jasper said calmly. "Jersey, one floor up, fourth window over. I've got the one below him."

Two high-powered bullets fired, and Jasper called out, "All clear. We'll stand watch." However, his eyes betrayed him for a split second as he glanced over his shoulder at the two men on the floor. "Go! I'll cover you."

We all moved. Mickey and I reached Alec, who had pushed himself up against the pallet. I immediately grabbed the closest rag and practically fell on him. Mickey handed me another one, cupping Alec's face.

"You have to hang in there, Alec," she soothed him, glancing my way when I finally got a chance to look at his wound.

"Through and through," I said with relief, tying the rag as tight as I could around Alec's left calf. "He's okay. Just gotta stem the blood flow."

Eleazar and Edward had made it to Felix, but I realized they'd gone quiet. Glancing over at my husband, I knew we'd lost our friend. They'd obviously tried to stop the blood from the wound on Felix's neck, but it hadn't worked; given the amount of blood, the bullet had nicked the artery.

"Edward?" I asked, and deep green met my questioning gaze as he simply shook his head.

Off came the baseball cap, and he gripped his hair. His jaw rolled with the grit of his teeth, and he stood up when I left Alec, who would be okay, to check on Felix myself. Edward caught me up in his strong arms and walked me away from him.

"No, sweetness," he whispered, shaking his head. "Don't. He's gone, love."

Closing my eyes at the blanket of sadness that fell over me, I let my forehead drop to Edward's chest when he set me on my feet. He wrapped his arms around me again as he dropped whispered apologies and kisses to the top of my head. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone drop a painter's drop cloth over Felix.

"Emmett, get on it," he said, the sound rumbling around me. "See what you can do."

"We've got company coming," Dean stated, shaking the Koreans' radio. "Main stairs."

"Goddamn stupid motherfuckers," Mickey snapped and pulled out a grenade and removed the pin. She listened at the door, sneering when she heard approaching footsteps. She pushed open the door, tossed in the grenade up a flight of stairs, and slammed the door back, holding it closed.

"Fuck, we're losing it." I whispered, stepping back from Edward.

"It's kinda been a long fucking day," Edward countered, smirking at my eyeroll.

"I know, but that'll just bring them to us, so…" I trailed off, making sure Edward could focus beyond the loss of our friend.

"Okay, she's right." He rubbed his face before bending down to grab his hat. He tugged it back on and spun to Eleazar. "Emmett'll need time to work and protection. We need to get Alec downstairs and across to your medic. We also need to clear two more floors and then get up to my dad's office."

"That is a long fucking way down carrying an injured man," Eleazar pointed out, but Alec scoffed.

"I'm injured, not a fucking invalid. Someone wrap this shit tight and hand me a goddamn two-by-four, and I'll get out," he ranted.

"You'll get help, asshole," Edward warned, pointing a finger to him. "Or I'll just shove your Italian ass out the window for the fast way down. Got me?"

Alec grinned. "Aww, he does care." He swiped at fake tears, and I threw my hands up at the two of them. They were acting like they hadn't a care in the world, but I knew them both, and I knew they were hurting for the loss of Felix. I also knew that both were smart enough and strong enough to put it behind them while we took care of the rest of this shit storm Kim had brought with him.

Edward flipped him the middle finger and shook his head. "Fine, a two-by-four, another bandage or two, and one person to take him down."

Eleazar called one of his men over. "Landry, you'll take him down to base camp via the secret stairs. Take your time. You're clear from here down. Let them know you're comin', and have them meet you. Then, you'll get with Sweeney and take him to my sister…and his kid. Got me?"

"Sir," Landry replied, nodding once.

The mention of Abby sobered Alec up instantly. He looked to Edward. "Does she know?"

"I dunno, man," Edward said with a shrug. "But you'll be fine. Just get to her. Okay?"

"Yeah," he grunted, letting Edward pull him up. Alec then reached for Edward's neck, gripping it. "You kill every last bastard, Ed. All of them. Bring hell with you."

Edward nodded solemnly, holding on to Alec until Mickey handed over the makeshift crutch, saying, "I want you to take the dogs to my kids, Alec. Let them lead your way, and it'll keep them safe, too. This shit's too tight for them. Okay?"

Alec nodded, sending a sharp whistle. "Lock and Load, front and center." Both my dogs were instantly and eagerly sitting in front of Alec, and he added wearily, "On me, boys."

When Landry took Alec's other side, Lock gave Edward a worried glance, as if my husband would need him, but Load huffed, his demeanor all business. They all disappeared slowly and awkwardly into the storage closet.

Emmett cursed but was silently working on the timer. "We're lucky. They hadn't set this bastard yet. I just need to reverse what they've done. But it'll be all for nothing if you don't clear the next two floors."

"Roger that," Eleazar acknowledged, looking to Edward. "I say we take the next two just like this one…"

"Only without the snipers," Jasper muttered wryly. "Jersey is gonna stay here to watch Em's back."

"Okay, then back into the stairs. We'll do this again," Eleazar grunted.

~o~H&E~o~

EDWARD

While Emmett worked, we cleaned the floor of every weapon and bullet we could strip off the dead, dividing it up between us. Before we split back into two teams to take both sets of stairs, my gaze drifted to the covered body on the floor.

My nostrils flared at the loss of life, the loss of someone I called a friend, and someone who'd fought with us for years. Felix had been there with us since the beginning. He'd helped fight for Bella, he'd helped get Bethy back, and he'd been with us in Russia. I'd trusted Felix with my life and the lives of my family. His loyalty had gotten him killed.

My temper raged further at the fact that a member of my crew – my handpicked brother – was bleeding his way down forty fucking floors. He could so easily have been in Felix's place or even beside him under that fucking tarp. Goddamn Alec. I huffed a rough breath out through my nose, shaking my head.

Warm, familiar hands cupped either side of my face. "Hey, look at me, Edward," Bella whispered. When I opened my eyes to hers, she pressed a kiss to my lips. "Focus, baby."

"Ed," Eleazar called softly. "He knew the risks. He always did." He gripped my shoulder. "Felix was one of the bravest men I'd ever had the honor of working with, but he knew where this life could lead, and he always went in head first."

I nodded, gritting my teeth, but I pressed my commlink. "Alec, I want to know the minute someone – preferably Esme – is stitching your ass up!"

Alec's breathy laugh came over the radio. "Fucking hell, kid. Just go get this done. In fact, the second you get your dad, I want his ass in charge."

"Yeah? Me, too." I smirked at his chuckle, but if he could still curse me out, then I knew he'd be fine.

"I do not envy his medic, nurse, or Esme." Bella's tone was pure sarcasm, and Mickey chuckled.

"Me either," I agreed, winking at Bella, because I was no picnic either when it came to being an injured patient. I hesitated for a moment, finally making a decision. "Bethy, come in," I called, and Bella's gaze met mine.

"Daddy?" she answered back, and from her tone, I knew she'd been listening.

"Little sweetness, I need you to help Gamma. Alec's hurt, and I'm sending Lock and Load with him to you guys. Keep them safe. Let them keep you safe. And I think Abby is gonna need you. Got me?"

"Will Uncle Alec be okay?" she asked, and she shushed someone in the background.

"Yeah, baby. He'll be fine. Just…cranky," I said, grinning at the scoffs and laughter I heard from the man in question and our crew.

Bethy's giggle was one of the best sounds in my life, and Sammy's, too. It had been since they were born. When hers echoed over the radio, it was like a balm to everyone's soul.

"I think I can handle cranky, Daddy," she drawled, and I could almost see her rolling her eyes at me. "I live with you, don't I?"

My head fell back as I grinned, and I shook my head at the laughter from everyone while wrapping my arms around my wife as she hugged me. "You think you're funny, little sweetness. Just do what I ask, please."

She giggled again. "Okay, Dad. Love you."

Bella's lips pressed to my jaw. "Feel better?"

I nodded, letting out a slow breath. "Yeah. Let's get to the next floor."

We left Emmett to do his thing, but he was already pulling the timer away. He'd remove the TNT next, just to get it away from the support beams.

The forty-sixth floor held only a handful of the enemy, but the forty-seventh was ready for us. Gunfire started in the stairway Eleazar was using, which meant my crew had the advantage.

"We're pinned down!" Eleazar called. "Move in, move in, move in!"

"Edward, when you come out, aim two flash disks to the left and the right, forty-five-degree angles, but not the middle!" Alice's voice and advice were most welcomed in our ears.

"You heard her." I tossed a disk to Mickey, and we clicked them at the same time.

Mine slid to the right, and hers skidded most of the way to the left. When the pops met our ears, we moved in. Bella and Jasper were our best shots. Neither of them missed their targets, or if they did, it was rare. Bella's FBI training, not to mention experience, was perfect for this type of environment.

While those two worked away from the explosives, my targets were the stairs, where I could still hear fighting.

"El, retreat back down to the last floor. Go, go, go! Fire in the hole!" I called, pulling the pin on a grenade and tossing it into the stairwell once Eleazar did as I'd said.

The very second everyone called clear, called that they were okay, the windows along the north side of the building disintegrated. The thump of helicopter blades was heavy and close, and they stirred up wind inside the building as we all dove for cover.

"We've got company! El, you might wanna call that air support…now!" I yelled, diving behind a pallet of lumber, splinters and bullets pinging around me.

Bella slid to safety beside me, checking her weapon.

"Roger that!" Eleazar replied, calling in an airborne strike team, who'd been at the ready for hours.

Considering the tight quarters of downtown Seattle, planes wouldn't work; it would have to be military choppers. And since I used to be one of those, my guess was several Apaches and Sikorskys or Blackhawks – both were easily maneuverable and heavily armed. It was quite possible with all the military coordinating with Eleazar that transports would drop soldiers on various rooftops to cover from below. And if that was the case, they'd use some serious shit in order to take this motherfucker down.

"Sweetness, stay down," I told her, pulling my sig around to aim over the pallet and firing off several shots.

Across the way, I saw flashes from more weapons aimed our way. "Across the street, across the street! Jasper!"

"On it. I got it. Stand by!"

Jasper dropped to his stomach and found the most impossible position for them to see him. He fired off several shots, still calm, still humming to himself. I rarely saw the man get rattled. Honestly, I wasn't sure I'd ever want to see it.

"We gotta move," I said to no one in particular, though it did carry over the radio. "Those motherfuckers are going to hit this dynamite by accident and we'll all blow to hell."

"I'll cover you. Aim for the stairwell," Jasper called, getting a few shots in on the chopper just outside. The hits made the pilot pull up and away from the forty-seventh floor. "Go!" he yelled.

"El, we're retreating to the stairs," I advised.

"Ten-four. We'll meet you on the sixty-ninth floor. We'll regroup and prepare to enter the seventieth."

Jasper fired off a few more shots, double-timing it to the stairs to join us. The next few minutes were just step after step. We were quiet until we reached the sixty-ninth floor, coming out into the main corridor. Eleazar's team met us within minutes.

"Ed, how do you want to do this?" he asked, breathing heavily from the climb.

I turned to Bella. "Sweetness, how'd you get out? Tell me again."

"Through the ceiling tiles of Carlisle's bathroom. I came out just outside Angela's office and went down one floor. We can't use the penthouse because without power, the keypad won't work—"

"Guys, guys, guys," Alice chanted frantically.

"Alice, go ahead," Bella replied.

"Kim's on the move," she stated. "They're heading to the roof, Edward. Your… I mean… Your helicopter is up there, but…I think their own pilot is going to take them from there."

"Copy that," I stated, turning to everyone. "There's only one door to the roof. Main stairs to a landing and one flight up. Technically there's enough room for them to hover and load up. What's the ETA on your air support, El?"

"Minutes. And I'll have men on several rooftops throughout the city."

I shook my head. "You're risking civilian lives doing that. You try to take down their chopper in an urban setting, and shit could go all to hell. You'll hit hospitals or apartments. That's…no." I shook my head.

"Are you suggesting we push them out of the city?"

"We gotta do something. Now," Dean warned, holding up the Koreans' radio he'd been monitoring. "They're moving in on the rooftop now. They're planning to head to one of the weapons caches."

"Alice, where are the locations Carlisle is taking them?" Bella asked, leaning against the wall to check her weapons at the same time.

"One is just outside the city in an industrial area. That's the EMPs. The other?" Alice paused a little. "About halfway between here and Port Angeles."

The entire group of us stopped, going silent for a beat or two, before it was Mickey who spoke up first.

"That's where Carlisle will take him. He'll give us homefield advantage." She nodded a little. "He'd take them to the place that would be away from innocents."

"I think she's right," Bella agreed.

"Okay," Eleazar said with a single nod. "Let's get to the roof. Weapons at the ready."

We took the last two flights of stairs together and at a run. As we approached the rooftop door, the sound of raised voices, thumping chopper blades, and gunfire met our ears.

Eleazar carefully glimpsed through the window of the door. "We've got a handful of guards, two on the chopper with the pilot with heavy artillery…"

"No shit…heavy artillery," Jasper muttered. "They've got RPGs in that bastard."

"Yep, they do. And we've got the three hostages, still bound with two more guards."

El checked toward my chopper. "They're only on the north side. Your chopper is clear." He glanced back at me. "We go out in two teams. Split to the east and west. All weapons toward the north. Use the shadows to your advantage." Once we all acknowledged him, he called out, "Go, go, go!"

My team split to the left, while Eleazar's filed out to the right. We stayed low, using shadows, air conditioner units, and other shit up there to maneuver behind. Once Eleazar was close enough, he broke the silence, all weapons aimed at Kim.

"Kim Min-Jun!" he yelled, and instantly Cho was his shield with a .45 aimed at his temple. "You're surrounded, and I have military air support inbound as we speak. Let them go!"

Kim had long abandoned his ski mask, as had a few of his guards. My dad shifted Seong behind him just in case, but I saw his eyes rake over every single one of us. We were all moving in slowly, and in the distance, I'd recognize the heavy sound of an Apache anywhere. Dad tilted his head, smirking a little, but said nothing as he kept a protective stance in front of Seong.

Honestly, I wished he'd had an earpiece in so I could communicate, because I knew he'd done a mental check list. Emmett and Alec weren't there. Felix wasn't there. However, there was also relief on his face at the sight of Mickey, Dean, and Bella. When he met my eyes, his pride was palpable, because I'd done what he'd hoped. I'd stopped the execution of Twi Tech employees, and Bella had gotten away. She'd gotten to me safely, and to him, she and I made a better team together than we ever did apart.

I nodded once to him, shifting my gaze back to Kim. The asshole wasn't even breaking a sweat. He wasn't nervous or twitchy at all. In fact, a slow, eerie smile crept up the man's face as he shifted behind Cho a little, gripping him harder. The old man looked rough, that was a fact.

"So…this is the group that been working against me."

I scoffed, rolling my eyes at him. "Fucker, I've killed most of your men. I've been killing them all goddamn day. And I'll kill the rest them before this shit is all over."

Kim glanced my way, his eyes narrowing, his smirk growing. "Ah…the American with an overgrown sense of heroism."

"No, motherfucker! You got me wrong," I said, aiming higher but listening to Jasper as he set up beneath my chopper. "This isn't some flag-waving, baseball-playing, 'Star-Spangled Banner' bullshit!" I scoffed, laughing a little. "You, asshole, made this personal when you set your sights on my family."

Kim's eyes drifted to the person by my side and then to my father. "Who is he to you?"

"That's my son," Dad stated. "He's the one who's going to kill you before this all over, if I don't do it myself."

I grinned, shrugging a shoulder when Kim glanced back at me. "I realize you place the blame on my father for the loss of your nukes, buddy, but I'm afraid most of us up here are responsible for you not getting what you want. And…we'll do it again."

Kim jerked a chin to one of his guards, signaling to get Seong and my dad onto the chopper. "As long as I have them…you have to do what I want."

Dad and Seong sat down and held on, ducking behind the guards on board.

With a swift move, Kim pushed Cho hard, aimed his gun, and pulled the trigger. The old man fell forward onto the rooftop. The second Kim moved, the chopper started to pull away from Twi Tech Tower.

"Hold your fire!" I yelled. "My crew on the chopper! Now!"

"Murdock, Garcia…" Eleazar called as he checked on Cho. "He's still breathing. I want you two with this man at all times. Call for a medic." He clicked his earpiece. "I want power back on ASAP."

I ran to my chopper, calling for Alice. "Alice, you're gonna want this chopper camera up and running."

"It's on, it's on, it's on," she replied as Bella slid into the co-pilot seat, pulling on her headset.

Jasper, Dean, Mickey, and Eleazar all took their seats as I fell down into the pilot seat.

"Eleazar, let them know I'm friendly," I stated, jerking my chin as the military air support flew by.

"Roger that."

"Edward, just so you know, your dad is chipped," Alice advised. "I'm sending his location to your phone."

"Ten-four, Alice," I said, handing my phone to Bella. "How's he chipped?"

"Just like you guys," she answered.

I pulled up off Twi Tech Tower, asking, "When did he do that?"

"When you guys got back from Russia."

Shaking my head, I sighed. "Fair enough." I glanced over at Bella, who was monitoring my dad's GPS chip.

"Sweetness, you're our guide. But I think I know where he's going. He'll take them to the middle of nowhere. He'll lead them straight to us."

~o~H&E~o~

A/N… Okay, so I apologize again for the delay on this. I was in the hospital for 8 days with severe pneumonia edema. In fact, this is the first day I'm actually home alone. The ER told my husband that if I had come in any later, I'd have drowned in my own fluids, and there was talk of coma and intubations… It was scary and painful, and not at all what I thought I had, but it's left me very weak. I'm on all sorts of meds and treatments. I can't take a shower without getting winded. But I'm working on it.

So…here's what this means for H&E… not much changes, except the update schedule. I have to go with the "you get it when you get it" type of schedule for now. Until I can get back up to my normal non-medicated, clearer-headed self, I'm going to take my time on updates. I'm not abandoning anything, but I have to get my head straight. And honestly, I'd like to be able to walk one end of my house to the other without sounding like I've run a marathon. I've also got a RL job I have to get back to, as well.

Like I said, I'm not going anywhere, but I'm just slower getting to it. Please have patience, and if you want to wait, then I understand.

For all the love and support on FB, thank you so much! Until next time… Mooches, Deb ;)