CHAPTER EIGHT.
RULE NUMBER TWO
Though I waited until the last minute to leave, my speed was such that the sun was still shining merrily as I neared Port Angeles. With the sun remaining so high over the horizon, it was too bright for me to continue on into town. Light would reflect from my skin right out of the windshield - even with the added tinting Edward had installed. As much as I would like to drive directly to the department store the girls intended to go to, it was too much of a risk.
Alice had been sure the three of them would go directly to the store, stay for a while, then go straight to dinner. Considering there weren't very many places they could go, I wasn't terribly worried about finding them when the time came. I still needed to figure out how I would explain my presence in Port Angeles, should I actually decide to show my face. Maybe I could buy a gift for Alice and pretend that had been my plan all along?
In an effort to eliminate the possibility of exposure, I stopped on the outskirts of town to wait out the sunset. There was a handy, disused, gravely turn-about just north of the 101, next to a small, family owned winery. It made me antsy to be so close, yet unable to see or hear the women in question.
There isn't much trouble to be found here, I reminded myself, though it didn't soothe the anxiety. I turned up my music, and thumped the beat on the steering wheel in frustration.
At nearly six o'clock the sun was finally began its descent to the west. It wouldn't be long now until it was properly dark. Through a gap in the trees ahead I could see dark clouds building, slowly drifting their way ever eastward. They would be over Port Angeles soon, hastening the sunset. I wished they would get a move-on. The sooner I could park the car near 1st Street, the better.
The song switched to a fast paced psychobilly cover of an 80's favorite. The frantic base and wailing guitars made me feel more anxious so I skipped ahead until I found a calmer selection by Carl Perkins and sang along.
My thumbs thumped the steering wheel in time with "Gone, gone, gone," creating a soft, hollow noise. I peered at the clouds again and checked the clock. 5:50pm.
Tomorrow I would be able to return to class and this dreadful waiting would be over. I would ask her to join me for lunch, then bombard her with the hundreds of questions that had been floating around in my skull- especially since that conversation with Peter and Charlotte. There may even be a chance to find out if she'd come up with anymore theories about my family.
I didn't want to wait that long. I wanted to see her tonight, though faking a casual run-in might be awkward. Perhaps I should call Alice and invite her to join me for a meal in the same restaurant? It would be fully dark by then, so no glowing vampire problems. Alice and I could pretend to just happen to be in the same place at the same time. I reached for my phone, and even opened the speed dial to call, but then remembered Alice would want to talk to La. The likelihood of Alice enthusiastically describing my obsession of La to the woman herself was too high of a risk. I cringed imagining it.
"What do you mean you didn't know my brother was watching you sleep?" Ugh.
My phone rang in my hand before I had a chance to replace it in the dock. It was Alice. I hit the green accept circle on the car display and waited for the tell-tale click that signified the connection had gone through.
"No way, Munch-"
"Where is La?!" Alice cut me off frantically.
"What?" I asked stupidly. "What do you mean? She's with-"
"Something has changed."
Without a second thought I tore out of the gravel turn-about where I had been parked. Tiny rocks banged against the undercarriage as I swerved backwards and forwards coming out of a tight turn that pointed me back towards town. I mowed through intersections, plowed through stop signs, and ran several red lights in my haste to get closer.
"What have you seen?" I asked tightly.
"A dark street, she's alone, and extremely uncomfortable."
"Where?" I took a sharp left turn that put me on Lauridsen Boulevard. I had to slow down now because there was traffic concentrated on this road heading to and from the 101. I peered around the street looking and listening. I even cracked my window, hoping a glimpse of her scent would reach me so that I could follow it.
"I don't know, I can't see anything I recognize. It looks run down, and sort of industrial. She's walking next to a chain link fence."
I cursed and hung up on Alice so that I could concentrate. The sun was glinting off of my hands where they clenched the steering wheel. Hopefully anyone that looked over would think it was a glare off my windshield. It wouldn't be too much longer before I could get out and search on foot, but those few extra moments might mean I was too late.
Too late for what, though? I didn't want to think about it.
Of course she went off on her own. How did I not expect something like this? La was a strong-willed, independent person on a trip with a girl she barely tolerated. Of course she took a break when she needed one! She probably hadn't thought twice about it, especially in a dumpy little town like this one. The idea of possible danger probably hadn't even occurred to her.
Thankfully, I was very familiar with most of the streets in and around Port Angeles. Alice had said La seemed to be in an industrial zone, that meant she would have to be on the southwest side of town. I drove through it slowly, alert for any sign that might point in the right direction.
Eventually I reached 1st Street and knew I had gone too far. At a stoplight waiting to turn back south I overheard La's name in a familiar voice.
"Do you think La will be looking for us, though?"
It was Angela Webber. She and Jessica Stanley were standing on the corner at 1st and Peabody, laden with their bags of shopping.
"She'll be fine," Jessica huffed impatiently. "We'll get to the restaurant in plenty of time, even if we go back. Besides, I think she wanted to be alone in that book store."
She sounded exasperated with her friend. Not even remotely worried that La might have disappeared. I would remember her disregard later. What an awful friend. At least this gave me a hint. There were only two bookstores close by and one of them was more of a new age shop. La would have no interest in that, so I would go straight to the other one.
The light finally turned green allowing me to tear off in the direction of the bookstore. This store was still along the friendly face of the welcoming port town. Even if she'd walked all the way down here, she should have been basically safe. There was no reason for her to have ended up in the industrial zone from here.
As I drove I judged the angle of the sun against the buildings. The clouds were closing in fast, and the sun was rapidly sinking. If I stuck to the shadows along the western side of the street, I may be able to sneak down the block on foot.
When I arrived the shadows had lengthened enough for me to get out of the car. As soon as I approached the store, however, I discovered La had definitely not been on this part of the block. There was no trace of her scent anywhere on the sidewalk and nothing near the bookstore. Jessica must have meant the mystic store, though why La would go there was beyond me.
This store was a couple of blocks away from the waterfront. The street had very few tall buildings and was still bathed in sunshine. It would be harder for me to get out of the car to search, but luck was with me- there was one parking spot left on the north side of the street. It had enough shade that I wouldn't immediately catch the sun. One long deep shadow cast by a single tall building at the end of the road led from the parking spot directly to the new age store. If I was careful I might be able to get close enough to catch La's scent if she had been there.
This was immensely dangerous. I could catch the reflection off a car, or- as unlikely as it was- stumble into the sunlight and someone could see me.
Fuck it. I didn't know how else to look, and I wasn't going to fucking stumble. I got out of the car, stepped carefully into the shadow and jogged toward the store front.
I caught just a wisp of La's scent from the door. She must have touched the handle, maybe even gone inside. On first glimpse the store was completely empty, but on second look a tiny woman with multitudes of fly away gray hair was behind the counter. She looked at me hopefully as I opened the door, but there was no trace of La's scent inside so I flitted back along the shadow to the safety of the car.
The clouds were starting to obscure the sun. Flashes of alternating shadow and sunlight slid across the windshield as I drove back and forth through the streets. I had the window rolled down just a little further, hoping to hear something or catch a scent. As the minutes rolled by with no luck I became more and more frantic. I stopped several more times but only caught her scent once more- further south than she had any right to be. The urgency of Alice's vision was crashing through me. Somewhere close by, La was lost, alone, and scared.
I felt so powerless, locked in my car, unable to get out and look properly with my heightened senses.
When I didn't find anything south, I drove back to the restaurant, hoping she may have found her way back, though I doubted it. She wasn't there, and didn't seem to be on any of the routes there from south Port Angeles. I drove even further south and a little west, toward the lumber yards hoping beyond hope for any sign.
The clouds had finally done their job by completely obscuring the sun as I approached the industrial complexes. I was looking for a place to park and leave the GTI when the display lit up with Alice's face again.
"I've got a road!" She said without preamble. "Angel Industrial Boulevard. She's going to pass it in less than a minute, and she's not alone."
"What do you mean?" I growled.
"I mean there are four men, and if you don't get there in time, Emmett…" Alice's voice broke on the end.
"I'll get there," I muttered darkly then hit the gas, pulled the e-brake, and turned the wheel sharply to the left. I knew where Angel Industrial was. If La was down there, it was the perfect opportunity for predators. It was a long road of old mills and factories with plenty of dilapidated driveways and dark corners to hide in. Since it was basically devoid of through traffic there would be no one to hear any screams.
Alice didn't have to say what would happen if I didn't get there in time. I was well aware of what four predatory men would do with one lone woman on a dark road given the chance. I'd known many men of their ilk over the years. I could only hope Alice had gotten a good glimpse of their faces in her vision and was already looking for them.
Fairmont Avenue approached on my left. I only slowed enough to take the 90 degree turn without flipping. I did the same along the next street, panic lending weight to my foot on the gas pedal. Again I slowed only enough to take the turn, my back wheels spun out behind me, and the clutch burned as I forced the shifter into third at sixty miles per hour.
Something was wrong.
There was no one here. No one standing on this street, and no one at the intersection of the next.
The street forced a right turn only a block ahead. To the left was a driveway that lead nowhere. I squealed around the corner to the right. My headlights flashed over five people almost frozen in pantomime.
Relief flooded me for less than a fraction of an instant. La was there, and she was alright, but not for long. The four men had her surrounded. They were using their larger bodies to block any hope for escape.
All of them were laughing viciously. One of the men, standing closer than the other three, was already taking a step forward, shirt untucked. He kept gripping his hands in and out of fists with anticipation. This looked like a practiced game to him.
La stood between them, the strap of her purse was wrapped around her hand twice, and clenched in a tight fist. Rather than cower, or try to run, she seemed to be crouched into a fighting position. Her lips were drawn over her teeth in a ferocious hiss.
For a moment I forgot she was still human. In that frozen second I believed she could take all four of these bags of shit on herself. She showed no fear. I saw her strong and unbreakable with transition- no help required or wanted.
The image dissipated as the lead attacker took another step forward. While he seemed to be taken aback by her lack of fear, he was also eager to receive his perceived reward. There was only a little hesitation in his step, as if he was wondering whether she would be worth the fight he was about to have, but not concerned enough to stop. Lucky for everyone, he wasn't about to find out.
At the sound of my car La jumped into the road. I slammed down on the break and the clutch at the same time, and pulled the e-brake which forced the car into a spin that stopped right beside her. One of the henchmen dove out of the way in a panic.
I pulled the handle on the door, pushed it open, and growled, "get in."
The leader covered his eyes from the glare of my headlights, and reached out a hand as if he would grab her before she could flee, but La didn't hesitate before leaping into the car and slamming the door shut behind her.
Men like this one were exactly the type I spent my days hunting during the fifties and sixties. Some of the things Edward and I saw elicited such a rage that the men did not die peacefully. I imagined some of the tortures we were made privy to, searching for the worst of them, imagining the best ways to exact revenge.
This man would never hurt another woman again. He would suffer. I would watch him writhe in agony, drink in his cries for mercy, and let him beg for a death that would not come. He would know the true meaning of fear and regret, and just before he had the opportunity to come to terms with his impending death, I would kill him so he would die without knowing the peace he craved.
It would have to wait, though. As soon as La was in the car I knew I couldn't ask her to sit there and watch as I beat a man within an inch of his life then stuffed him in the trunk for future torture.
What would I tell her? No, you need to wait here while I nearly kill this thing then pack him away for a midnight snack. No, don't get out of the car, and don't worry about it! I promise to not kill you, too.
Somehow, I didn't think that would make a bad situation any better.
I was also fairly certain asking her to wait in the car while I dragged the men around the corner out of sight to gleefully committ murder wouldn't work either. The idea that she would listen to my advice and stay away was laughable. Besides, I didn't want to leave her alone out here, anyway. While it was unlikely there was another shitbag wandering the desolate streets of Port Angeles tonight, it had been unlikely there was even one to begin with. I wasn't taking any chances. Not with La's bloody luck. She would probably find a clutch of the assholes, like falling into a nest of vipers.
Worst yet, it probably wasn't even a good idea for me to run him over. That would likely scare her as much as anything else. It was decided, I would have to come back for him later.
All of this shot through my mind in less than a second. La wouldn't notice the pause as I hammered my foot down on the gas and took off toward the abandoned driveway I had been waiting in earlier.
It wasn't my greatest idea, but I couldn't resist clipping the leader in the hip on my way out.
The three other men scattered in different directions. One of them flew over the chain link fence on the other side of the road in his haste to be away. The leader was rolling around on the pavement behind us. I hoped I broke his hip. It would be easier to find him when the time came.
If Alice was watching as closely as I thought she might be, and Edward was anywhere near her, he may have seen his face, too. Hopefully, the two of them working together would get me a name I could use to find this guy. In fact, it might be best for me to drop La off with her friends, then circle back and take him out before he has a chance to get away.
I burned with the need to find and kill that man. As much as my brain told me to get La out of there as quickly as possible, my body told me to slam on the breaks, leap out of the car and take him out before he had the chance to find haven. Anger rang in my ears, and coiled my muscles. Like a poison, it covered my vision and made my skin crawl.
This feeling of craving death was something I had put behind me in the sixties. I hadn't felt this need to kill someone since Edward and I returned home. This time, though, as soon as La was safe, I would give in.
La pulled the seatbelt over her shoulder and drove it home securely. The latch made a tiny click that pulled me out of my murder planning. Images of revenge vanished. I had to be here for La, she was probably suffering from trauma and in shock. I couldn't leave her with that horrible hyena of a woman called Jessica and take off into the night. Not while she needed me.
"Are you okay?" She asked hesitantly into the quiet. The question startled me.
"Am I okay?" You've got to be fucking kidding me. When I looked over at her I realized she had been watching me as I sat here festering in rage. She didn't seem troubled by any of the things that had happened, not the near assault, or the angry get away driver.
"Yeah, you look…" She let the sentence trail off, but she didn't need to finish it, really. I could well imagine how I looked. La, on the other hand, looked perfectly fine. Her brow was lightly pinched with concern, but it was clear the worry was for me, not for herself.
I took her question seriously and thought about my answer before speaking. Was I okay?
No, I'm not. Not even a little bit. I was shaken to my core. Not only had I nearly failed to protect her, but I'd taken off in such a rage that I had injured another human in front of her, then driven like an absolute madman- putting her in danger myself, and gotten so wrapped up in my own feelings that I didn't even bother to check on her. Tonight had been a massive fail so far.
Instead of answering immediately, I pulled into the drive I had used earlier and parked. When we were safely stopped I turned toward her so I could better see for myself she was unharmed.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah," it sounded like an automatic response. She shuddered a little and her gaze withdrew. It was clear she was taking brief stock of how she was feeling, as I had, before finishing her answer. "I mean, I am now."
Now that she was away from those men, she meant. I watched her face as she continued to evaluate herself. She looked like she wanted to both cry and scream at the same time. It almost looked like she could use a hug. I would have scooped her up into my lap right then if I thought she would let me, but didn't think she would appreciate a cuddle from an ice cold giant.
"They didn't get a chance to hurt you then?" I clarified. It was possible they had been able to get a few swipes in at her before I turned the corner.
La shook her head adamantly and shuddered again. "Thanks to your timely arrival. How did you find me?"
Shit. Of course she went directly for the question I had no interest in answering. Because why wouldn't that be the first thing she wanted to know? I had to deflect, I wasn't ready with a back up story, and there was no reason I could think of that I would be on that out of the way road unless I was looking for her.
"Let's go find Angela and Jessica," I suggested instead. "They'll be worried." At least Angela would be. I had my doubts about Jessica. I dropped the brake and clunked the gear shift under first into reverse and backed swiftly out of the space until I was pointing toward town.
The ride was mostly silent due to my thunderous mood. La seemed perfectly content to let the silence continue. She leaned back in her seat and gazed out the window as we flew past the industrial zone where she had been attacked.
I glanced down the road in question as we passed but La's attackers seemed to have moved on. Everything in me wanted to stop the car and chase them down before they had the chance to get away, but the only thing in the world I wanted more than one highly justifiable murder, was to be good enough for the woman seated beside me.
What would she say if she knew I planned on committing murder the very same night I spent time with her in such close proximity? How would she feel knowing a portion of her night was spent in the company of a killer?
I had to be better than that. Better than my instincts dictated or she would be lost to me forever.
"What's wrong?" The whispered words words caught me by surprise, again. I should be used to this by now; La never did what I expected.
Being so near, in an enclosed metal cage, made it impossible to get away from her scent. Her words puffed little shots of adrenaline through my body. My mouth flooded with venom like a human's mouth will water at the prospect of a tasty meal.
Coffee, coconuts, wood, and spices. Even if I were human I would love the way she smelled.
I glanced over at her, and found her waiting for an answer expectantly. Where should I begin? I didn't want her to know how hard it was for me to abstain from committing murder, no matter how much the victim deserved it. On the other hand, I had agreed, even sworn to "rule number two: be honest."
"I'm talking myself out of hunting those men down," I couldn't help the wry smile that curled my mouth with the admission. "Because it wouldn't be helpful to leave you alone right now."
Contrary to my words, simply thinking about what it would be like to hunt those things down nearly convinced me to stop the car, give La the fob, and take off into the night after them.
"Oh," she breathed, but didn't offer any other thoughts on my dark confession. Her gaze returned to the buildings flashing by.
With every block we passed it grew harder not to leap from the car. I had to repetitively remind myself that I had a higher purpose tonight- being worthy of a woman that would never do what I planned on doing. La would never kill someone, she was too good for that.
So I wouldn't give in and kill those men, but there had to be another option. It would be just as horrible for me to leave them out there on the streets to accost another woman. I would have to discuss this with Carlisle and Edward. Together we would be able to come up with something that would remove them from the streets of Port Angeles.
The restaurant loomed into view halfway down 1st Street. I found a parking space near the store front and swung into it smoothly. La looked around in confusion as she unlatched her seatbelt.
"What are you doing?"
I made a snap decision. I wasn't ready to leave her presence, and the nearly silent ride had not satiated my need to hear her thoughts. Besides, I was fairly certain she was in shock and needed to get some food in her, stat.
"I'm taking you to dinner," I told her with a mildness I did not feel.
She gave me a look that cut me to the core, then smiled. It was a tiny private smile that spoke of secrets and knowing.
She knows, I realized. La has figured out what I am.
I soon found out just how much she knew. Somehow, though I had been so sure it was safe, she'd managed to bamboozle a young man on the Quileute reservation into telling her the tribe's entire history. I supposed this meant the treaty was now technically broken as they were only allowed to share those stories with fellow tribe members- not that I would make any fuss about it. Better to let a sleeping dog lie, heh heh.
In the end it wouldn't have mattered. Whether she'd gotten the stories from their source or from the internet, once she'd gotten them, it was only a matter of fitting together the things she'd already seen. With all her first hand experience over the last couple of months, it wasn't a very difficult puzzle to build.
By the time I had visited her in her home the Sunday after my hunting trip with Edward, she'd been perfectly aware of what I was.
After dinner, the beginning of the car ride back to Forks had been tense. In the restaurant she made it very clear she knew more than she was willing to say in a public space. While I appreciated the discretion, by the time we got to the car I was positively bursting with curiosity.
Worse, she seemed reluctant to share at all. I had to pull it out of her in stages, even suggesting my own ludicrous possibilities to get the ball rolling. Eventually she began to speak with the growing hesitation of someone that thinks they've done something wrong.
"It was Saturday at the beach. Actually, I ran into an old family friend, Jacob Black," she told me as a diffident beginning.
The name didn't ring a bell. She had to further explain that Jacob was in fact the son of the only living male on the reservation, Billy, that would remember a wolf transition personally. The last known wolf, Ephraim Black, was Billy's grandfather.
"Shit," I barely managed to say. Obviously, if she'd gotten her information from Jacob it would be accurate.
"So," she went on without my goading. "We went for a walk, and he reminded me about some of the old tribe legends…"
Hang on, reminded? Did La already know those old stories? I looked at her from the corner of my eye. Between her complexion and some of her features I could see the possibility… Was La Quileute? This would have to be a question for another time, though an important one. If La was of Quileute descent, the treaty may not have been broken by Jacob, but it may be broken in a much more shattering way if La chose eternity with me.
"One of them was about…" La halted abruptly with a loud, phlegmy cough. I could see she was struggling with what she wanted to say, but I didn't feel any need to help her. If she really had figured this out, I wanted to hear it from her.
A vibrant flush suffused her cheeks as she forced the next words out. "Cold ones, er, rather… Vampires?"
Her discomfort was palpable, but it was almost a relief for me. Everything was out in the open now. No more hiding, and honestly, it could have been worse. For one thing, the fact that she wasn't screaming or trying to escape a moving vehicle was a win in my book.
The more I thought about it, the more I came to understand that while this night had looked terrible for several long moments in the beginning, it had ended spectacularly because this conversation would effectively remove any secrets between us.
In the car La went on to explain how she'd gotten the story out of Jacob, what she'd asked, and how he had responded- even over explaining. I think she wanted to protect Jacob in a way, to express that her knowledge wasn't his fault. Not that I would ever blame him. If I couldn't help but give her everything she wanted, how could I expect someone else to deny her?
"What brought it together?" I asked.
"I like to look at things written out, so I wrote it all down and tried to look at it objectively… and then… I decided it didn't matter." The way she'd said it had been so astoundingly nonchalant, as though myths dropped into her life on a daily basis. As if it was totally normal to be having a conversation with a dead person. I pulled the car over so I could look at her properly. Part of me wanted to shake some sense into her.
"It doesn't matter?" I huffed.
"No, it doesn't matter to me what you are or aren't."
I could have flung myself out of the car and done a jig. I wanted to crow with happiness and twirl her around until she wept with laughter. I wanted to say I love you right then and there.
Take it down a notch, man. I took a deep breath and turned a severe look on her, but I had to fight to keep the grin off my face the whole time.
"You don't care if I'm not human." I clarified instead of making a fool of myself.
"Well, you look human."
Smart ass.
"You don't care if I'm a monster?" I tried a different tactic.
"Monsters don't save lives, Emmett."
I would have argued the contrary, but I was so happy I couldn't be bothered. The questions rolled in after that. Now that there were no huge looming secrets hanging over us, she spoke freely. It was my first real look into her head.
Her questions were rapid fire and succinct, equal parts good humor and kindness. She wondered about the mythology versus the real thing, why we couldn't go in the sun, what we ate, and where we slept.
With every answer she had another question ready, but she seemed to roll with every punch. There was no reason for her to be so calm about these revelations, but nothing seemed to take her out of her comfort zone.
It wasn't until I brought up her behavior during the attack that I saw the calm veneer crack. I asked what her plan had been, surrounded by four men, most of which outweighed her, with nothing but a purse in her fist.
It didn't even look like she planned on running away, so I asked, "Were you going to fight them?"
Her answer scared me. Not because she was frightening in anyway, but because it gave a horrific glimpse into her past; the contusions on her brain that hadn't healed, an abject fearlessness that bordered on insanity, the monotone she used when she spoke about her past, even the missing medical records.
"It probably wouldn't have done any good," she'd stated. "But neither would have running, not with four guys behind me. And I was just so mad. I don't think I've ever been that angry in my life. I just wanted to hurt them, to punish them for being the reason women fear walking alone at night. I wanted to see them suffer for every woman that's ever been traumatized by a man."
Her voice wavered and cracked with passion and she shook with anger. There was no mistaking it. Those words came from a place of experience.
Now, as I watched her skip into the halo of light cast by the bulb on her front porch and pulled away from her house, I was left in mute reflection of the night's events. It seemed that whatever my worry had been about her choice- it was now just a matter of taking the time to ensure she was confident in whatever that choice ended up being; lifeless existence with me, or growth.
My thoughts lingered on our goodbye.
"See you tomorrow?" It almost sounded like a plea. Her gaze had locked onto mine, beseeching, before she'd gotten out of the car.
"Promise." I gave her the scouts honor salute so she would know how seriously I took this promise. La lifted her middle finger to show her appreciation of my thoughtfulness before ducking inside.
It had been painful to leave her, but I had work to do now. First, I needed to get with the family. At this point I was sure they already had a plan in place for locating and dealing with the four men on Angel Industrial Boulevard. Before I could spend my night peacefully watching La sleep, I would be making one more trip to Port Angeles.
I took a circuitous route home, attempting to let the tumultuous nature of my thoughts die down before I had to face the curiosity of my family. It was such an incredible boon to have the truth out. The absence of the ever present fear I had been suffering under was akin to having the weight of an 18-wheeler lifted from my chest. No more fear, no more worry, no more need to be careful. Now I would be able to have some fun- assuming I didn't kill her in the process.
Assuming she felt about me the way I felt about her. Although, at this point it was clear there was some kind of reciprocation.
For a moment I let myself imagine what it would be like when she transitioned. It was wrong of me to think of that as a foregone conclusion, but it was also so gratifying to finally be able to hope there was a chance.
It would be such a relief to not have to worry about her vulnerabilities anymore. To not feel the need to frantically search a city when I couldn't find her, or constantly be vigilant about touching her with too much pressure, as right now it would be so easy to snap her in half.
These thoughts about vulnerabilities turned my attention to the matter at hand- the monster that was currently stalking the streets of Port Angeles. To leave him free and capable would be an unforgivable oversight. I couldn't kill him, but there were other options.
Alice was waiting for me on the front porch when I pulled up. She had her slender arms wrapped around her shins, with her chin resting on her bent knees. Her mouth was puckered into an apologetic frown.
"That was close," she said, clutching her legs more tightly into her body.
"Yep," I slumped onto the steps next to her and tousled her hair.
"I'm so sorry I didn't catch it sooner." Her breath hitched as she spoke, and she took a deep, steadying breath. I peered down at her. It still surprised me how invested Alice was with the girl's wellbeing.
"Don't be," I assured her. "You can't catch everything all of the time. No one expects omniscience from a munchkin."
I smiled and drew her in for a tight hug. She made a strangled muffing noise and batted me away.
"I'm not a munchkin!" She groused. "But thanks."
"You know," I went on. "I nearly invited you out to dinner tonight. Did you catch that before everything went to hell in a handbasket?"
"Ooh," she cooed. "No, I wish I had caught it! I definitely would have gone."
The little smile that was beginning to form on her face abruptly dropped off.
"And then I might have been there to help when La wandered off." She let her head fall back onto her knees with a dejected huff.
"Forgive yourself, kid. La is fine," I opened my mouth to continue speaking but shut it again when my stomach made a little flop.
"What?" Alice hadn't missed the falter.
"Well," I shrugged self consciously. "We ended up having a pretty good night."
Alice sat up and kicked her feet out over the steps. " Does that mean I can-"
"Whoa," I held my hands out to deflect her enthusiasm. "It doesn't mean anything yet, but-"
"Oh my god!" Alice squealed. Her eyes had the misty look she got when she was gazing into the future. "It means everything! The meadow is clear as day. The two outcomes are back; one of joy and one of horror."
Well, if that wasn't one sure way to kill a mood.
"My money is on joy, Emmett," she said gently.
"I hope you're right."
"I am," she said comfortably. It was a good point. It would be madness to bet against Alice on anything.
"What were you concentrating so hard on you missed all the drama tonight?"
She grinned devilishly. "Jasper is trying not to think about our anniversary. I keep getting little flashes of his gift ideas, but I think he's trying to keep from deciding."
"Wow, Alice," I reprimanded. "You are absolutely shameless."
"Oh yes," she tinkled a little laugh then sobered. Her lips pressed into a fine line as she stared up at me. "Are you going to tell them she knows?"
"Yep," I grunted. I was fairly certain everyone would be okay, but Jasper might take some delicate maneuvering. He would only see the risk.
"La took it pretty well," she continued.
"Too well," I agreed.
"Il Divenire…" Alice mused.
"You think those are real?"
"Jasper says they are." This was clearly enough confirmation for her. "It would certainly fit La, wouldn't it?"
"Mmm."
"You better get going if you're going to get back to P-A," Alice stood and brushed off her jeans, then pulled me up next to her. "Carlisle is in his office."
"Alice-"
"Yes, yes, of course." She cut in before I could form the thought. "She sort of requires twenty-four hour supervision, doesn't she?"
"At the very least, it would seem."
"She'll be fine tonight, I'm keeping better watch now." She tapped her head knowingly then opened the front door and held it for me to step inside before her. "You'll be with her soon enough, anyway."
More beautiful words had yet to be spoken. They were like a balm on my anxious heart.
"Go on," she motioned up the stairs with her chin. "Get this over with."
I took the stairs at a run and was inside Carlisle's office within a second. He was waiting for me, a book closed in his lap. Edward was seated across the desk from him, calmly flipping through the pages of his own large volume.
"Alice told you what happened to La tonight?"
"Almost happened," Carlisle amended as Edward nodded.
"Right, yeah, almost…" I agreed hastily. "So, I've got a dilemma. I'd like very much to rip the head from these guys' shoulders, carve 'rapist' into their dismembered torsos, then leave them out to be found as an example but I realize that would be an act of vengeance, not justice, and I recognize that it would be very wrong for me to do, if extremely satisfying."
Edwards eyebrows lifted higher and higher as I continued to ramble.
"The thing is, it would be equally wrong to knowingly leave a serial rapist or three on the streets of Port Angeles. What if they decide to fix the pounding their pride took over the loss of their first victim by attacking some other girl? It would be my fault for leaving them free, and I just can't do that."
Carlisle smiled widely. "You've come a long way, son."
"I- what?"
"Fifty years ago you would have killed them without question," he said. "I couldn't be more proud of you. This woman must be very good for you to bring out so much compassion and control. I am very impressed."
I frowned. "I'm not here for compliments, Pops."
"No, of course not." He gave me another brilliant smile. "You can rest easy. No one will be hurt in La's place."
"You have a plan?"
"Yes," Edward said. "I can find him. His name is Lonnell Becker, but he goes by Lonnie."
"He?" I clarified. "Only one of them?"
"Yes," Edward nodded as he stood and placed his book on Carlisle's desk. "This would be the person that was initiating the assault. He was the only one we could readily find due to his priors, which are… extensive."
"I think 'person' is a bit generous. What about the others?"
"It is my hope we will be able to find more information about them when we apprehend Lonnie."
"And if we don't?"
"We will," Edward said mildly.
"I've packed a bag for you," Carlisle reached down beside his chair and lifted a plain, black leather bag. It was the same one he used to carry emergency medical supplies in.
"You won't be coming with us?"
"No, I have a shift in emergency tonight so I won't be able to accompany you," he admitted apologetically. "I have full confidence in your abilities to handle this matter discreetly. Edward knows the plan."
I looked at Edward from the corner of my eye. A part of me had been relying on Carlisle to come with us to be a voice of reason. Without him I would have very little present motive to hold myself in check. Edward avoided my gaze, and took the bag from our father.
"I'll make sure it goes smoothly," he said. By that he meant he would make sure no one died. As much as I wanted to be the good guy for La, I was wary of any such promises. Without Carlisle's assuring presence all my ideas about justice versus vengeance would be dust in the wind.
"Take my car," Carlisle went on, oblivious to my internal argument. "He may have gotten a better look at Edward's than we know."
Carlisle's sleek black Audi was parked next to Alice's Porsche on the bottom level of the main garage. Edward threw the medical bag into the back and slid into the passenger seat, leaving the driver's side open for me.
I threw the fob into the center console and pressed at the start button with more vigor than necessary. The car whispered to life. I backed out of the garage and did my best to navigate carefully down the mostly gravel driveway to the main road. Kicking up rocks that might put a hole in the radiator would only delay us further. Once we were on the road, I kicked the gas to the floor, flicked the headlights off, and tore down the 101.
We made it back in just under thirty minutes. Lonnie was drowning himself with cheap alcohol in a seedy pub off Marine Drive. The night was still relatively early, yet Lonnie's head was already slumping toward the bar in his drunken stupor.
As soon as we were within striking distance rage overtook me and I pushed passed my brother to get to the man first. Edward gripped my shoulder, shook his head, then pointed across the street toward a vacant dock. I nodded grimly and crossed the road to wait.
There was an abandoned shack at the water's edge that would provide an adequate amount of cover. I broke the lock off and opened the door. Inside was a run down, threadbare, stinking palate, several bottles of chemicals, needles of every gauge, and a plethora of empty plastic baggies.
It smelled of fear-sweat, and sickness. The scents of several different humans hung about the place, though the scent of one human in particular seemed to be the strongest. I recognized this particular human. Somehow, it seemed I had inadvertently stumbled upon the hidey hole of our man in question.
Edward, I thought loudly. Take a look. I found his drug den. This is where he takes his girls, and from the smell of it, some of them didn't make it out again.
There was a dense cloying scent I associated with death within the layers of decay assaulting my senses. Hurry up, I added to Edward. I didn't know how long I would be able to wait, especially after finding this nightmare.
I paced the small square room, syringes crunching beneath my feet as I retraced the same steps. Eventually came the sound of two sets of footsteps approaching. I stared at the door impatiently, listening to the sound of them making their way slowly across the street. By the time they entered the shack I had worked myself into an uncontrollable fury.
The door was opened in inches by shaking hands. Heavy, hitched breathing accompanied the welcome sound. Lonnie seemed to have a very good idea what awaited him inside. I managed to hold off long enough for Lonnie to step through the doorway, but I was on him before Edward could get between us.
My first punch unhinged Lonnie's jaw. I felt the satisfying crunch under my knuckles as I made contact. The second swing broke a set of his ribs. They cracked loudly in the dank air of the shack in a satisfying way. Lonnie started to fall but I caught him by gripping a shoulder so tightly a collarbone snapped beneath my thumb. Lonnie screamed frantically, but he'd chosen his lair well - there was no one to hear his cries.
Edward pulled me off and managed to throw me bodily out of the door into the darkness outside before I could snap the man's neck. I landed on my back in a puddle of muck that splashed up spectacularly and caught me in the face.
It was too soon, I wasn't finished with my prey. With a roar, I launched myself back toward the shack, intent on finishing the job.
Edward tackled me sideways. "Go to La, brother," he said firmly. "I can handle this."