Hey guys! I'm so sorry i haven't been around much lately! I have been busy as hell, which is annoying.
I just realized that I've never shared a fun fact with you guys: the town next to mine is called "Forks!" How funny? Lol!
This chapter is short, but only because I know you all are dying for what's about to happen happen ;)
Thanks for yout patience! Really hope you enjoy :)
EPOV:
I'm pretty sure my knee was bouncing at a rate of 100 miles per hour as I sat in the backseat of Paul's cruiser. He was actually giving us a police escort to his friend, Embry's, so Embry could fly us to Oakridge ASAP. If this was any other situation, I would have thought that it was fucking cool to be given a police escort. Now, my mind was filled with nothing but her.
Anxious. Hopeful. Relieved. Happy. Sad. Angry. Those were just a handful of the emotions that were currently plaguing my mind. I couldn't, for the life of me, pinpoint which emotions were strongest. They all seemed to be buzzing around in my head at alarming rates.
If things went well, my Bella could be back in my arms today. As thrilled as I was, I still wasn't emotionally prepared to see the fucked up shit they've done to her. Would I even be able to see the bruises and and scars that she - most likely - is wearing at this moment without losing my entire fucking mind? Well, I guess I have no choice in the matter anyway. I have to be strong for her. I failed her by basically handing her to these fuckers. I will not fail her ever again.
"Just 2 more miles until we are at the airport," Paul stated, glancing at me warily in the rearview mirror. I'm pretty sure him and Dad could easily feel the nerves rolling off me in tidal waves. I merely nodded in response.
We pulled up to a tiny airport on the edge of La Push. Apparently, everyone living on the reservation owning a private airplane - which was only 3 people - had to keep their planes here. I saw 3 small, almost-identical planes sitting in the murky grass, each pointing west. My fingers clenched and unclenched in sheer anticipation. I've never been this nervous in my entire fucking life.
"Edward, Carlisle, this is Embry. Embry, this is Bella's boyfriend and his father." Paul waved his hand around, introducing us to his friend.
Embry smiled kindly. "A pleasure to meet you."
"Likewise, Embry. My son and I are very grateful for your kindness during this terrible time," Dad said politely.
"Not a problem. I can't stand that wretched Billy Black and his son," he chuckled, motioning with his head for us to follow him to his plane.
Embry began pressing various buttons and controls while Dad and I strapped ourselves into the seats. I glanced out the window to my right, taking deep breaths and staring at the ocean in the distance.
"The flight will only be about an hour. Sit tight," Embry called. After a few more minutes of preparation, we were heading into the sky.
"How are you feeling, son?" Dad asked next to me. He was smiling, but his voice was laced with concern. I'm sure he knew that my emotions were all over the map.
"I'm feeling… everything?"
He chuckled lightly. "I could definitely understand that. Just try to relax. Take a sip of that water bottle next to you."
I did as he said before leaning my head against the headrest and shutting my eyes. This was going to be the longest goddamn hour of my entire life.
Finally, we touched down at a tiny airport just outside Oakridge. Thankfully, Paul had arranged a police officer from the Oakridge department to pick us up from the airport and drive us to their station.
"Welcome, friends. I'm Chief Alec Volturi. Follow me," he gestured towards his Ford Explorer. The side read "Oakridge Police" in bold, black letters.
"Do you know where she is?" I demanded as I strapped myself to the backseat.
"There are many cabins in this area. Luckily, this is a close-knit community. We know which cabins she is not in. We are fairly positive that we will find her very, very soon."
I leaned my head against the headrest, pinching the bridge of my nose. I wasn't sure how the human body could handle this much stress and agony without spontaneously combusting. Actually, I was still waiting for that to happen.
We pulled into the station, stepping inside to find a little over a dozen officers frantically parading around the building. Their footsteps were heavy, but somehow synchronized. Like they were working together in every single aspect, even the way they fucking walked.
They were all over the place, determined to find my Bella. The seriousness of the situation was clearly kicking their asses into action.
"Follow me," Alec crooked his finger at Dad and me, leading us to the back left corner of the station. Sitting in a small chair, wearing a tremendously serious expression, was a younger man with light blonde hair.
"Edward, Carlisle, this is Caius. He is our head detective, and he is very bright. We have utmost faith in him."
He shook our hands and motioned for us to take the other plastic chairs around his desk.
"Pleasure to meet you, gentleman."
"Likewise, friend. What do we know so far?" Dad asked.
He pointed to a crinkled map that was sprawled widely across his desk. Random spots were circled, while others were crossed out.
He pointed to the areas that were crossed out - which all happened to be near one another. "The cabins in this part of town are definitely a negative. My brother has a cabin there, and he is very close with his neighbors. None of them even know who Laurent is. There is a small handful of properties - cabins, essentially - that we don't know anything about. There is one here," he was pointing as he spoke. "Here, here, and here. I'm trying to get real estate records for these places. That's what I'm waiting for at the moment."
"Don't you know if Laurent owns one of these cabins?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.
"No, but I'll know soon."
He began typing on his giant computer, his brows furrowed in concentration. I could only hope he knew what he was doing.
After a few minutes, his phone blared in his pocket.
"What do you have, Pete?... Really… Fuck, yes! Thank you, Pete! Send it over!" My eyes were trained on his face now, desperately attempting to read his expressions for answers.
He smiled at me with relief and triumph. "We got all the real estate records that we need. My guy, Pete - from the courthouse - is emailing them to me as we speak. Apparently, Laurent is the current owner of a cabin on Bender Street - been in his family for decades. We're going to get her… today."
Before I could even comprehend what was happening, Dad crushed me to his chest. I couldn't even begin to describe the relief and bliss that was coursing through my entire being.
These past 5 days were nothing but hoping and wondering. Hoping we get her back. Wondering if we ever even fucking would. The fact that I didn't need to hope or wish any longer was the greatest wave of relief. I was finally whole again. I could actually breathe again without a searing pain crippling my already-broken heart.
"What now?" Dad asked, wearing a huge smile on his face as he broke away from me to glance at Caius.
"We go over now, SWAT first. Carlisle and Edward, you can ride with us, but you cannot even leave the cruiser until SWAT says it is clear," Alec responded as a few of the other cops shrugged into their jackets and headed outside.
"Will she be okay? Will they see us coming and hurt her?" I asked warily as Dad, Caius and I stepped into Alec's cruiser.
"Why would they? That would just add to their rap sheet."
I stayed silent the rest of the ride, my forehead rested against the cold glass window. I was wearing a smile so large that I think my face was going to rip into pieces. Just a little longer and I can finally hold her.
Slowly, the highways turned into resident roads, the resident roads turned into back alleys, and the back alleys turned into a dirt road that weaves around the thick, green forest. There was a misty fog hovering over the ground outside, small squirrels and rabbits running through it hastily.
We pulled up to a log cabin seated on a tiny lake. It wasn't too grand, but it looked perfectly fine for an Oregon lake house. It had a certain charm. From the outside, it looked like a place where a family would have water-gun fights and teach one another how to swim in the lake. It was hard to believe what was actually going on inside of the place.
Alec parked at the back of the line of cops, so far at the end of the driveway that I could barely even see the house. Most likely because Dad and I were civilians, and his job was to protect us from whatever may happen once SWAT infiltrates.
"Beware, kid, you may hear some gunshots. I didn't particularly want to bring you here, but I could see that you would have insisted."
I nodded. "Definitely."
"We should move out of sight, Alec. I know SWAT will be able to take them down, but there is always an odd-chance that they could be in line of fire right now. Park down the street, we will still be able to hear SWAT's call of clearance," Caius suggested from the passenger seat.
Alec nodded and moved the car down the street, away from any possibility at all of Phil or the other 2 causing us any harm.
I was about to open my mouth to speak when I heard the terrifying sounds of gunshots. I could tell that different guns were being used. Some were a deep, synchronized "pop" that happened about every 2 seconds. Others were consistent bangs, machine guns that shot round after round in one split second. The sounds were faint, since we were in a car parked down the road, but I could still hear them. My heart was racing with anticipation and fear. Fear that SWAT knew what they were doing, and they were not accidentally shooting at my Bella.
I couldn't stand the fact that she was actually being subjected to this horror. The thought of her in a house with a shoot-out made my stomach flip endlessly. I could very well throw up right here on the floor of Alec's backseat. I rocked back and forth in my seat, keeping my eyes shut tightly. Dad patted my knee in affection, but my mind was barely registering the thought.
Then, the sounds of the guns firing one after another stopped altogether. The 4 of us stayed absolutely silent and still, waiting for what was about to come next.
A gruff voice spoke into the radio "all clear."
I let out a mangled sob, literally getting out of the car and sprinting up to the house. I couldn't stand the thought of sitting in Alec's car as he carefully turned the car around and headed back down the road at 5 MPH.
As I stepped inside, I froze in my tracks. To the left, in the living room, 3 bodies lay on the hardwood floor, their blood all mixing into 1 huge puddle. It was Phil, Billy and Jacob. There were guns next to all of them, their blood staining them. Alcohol bottles littered the room. You could probably smell it if it wasn't for the blood overpowering the aroma. I should have been horrified to see 3 fresh, deceased bodies in front of my eyes. But, I smirked. I walked over to them and did what I always wanted to do: I literally kicked all 3 of them, individually. I knew they were dead, so they would not feel the pain, but that didn't stop the desire to attack their bodies as ferociously as possible. I spit on each of them for good measure before I walked over to one of the cops who's name I never caught.
"Where is she?"
"They found her in the basement a few moments ago. The door is in the kitchen. One of the cops is trying to get her to talk. She's unconscious."
That was all I needed to hear. I ran to the kitchen, flying down the stairs at an alarming speed.
And then, I saw her.
She was in the arms of one of the cops, her nose swollen and coated in blood. Her beautiful hair was knotted all around her pale face. She looked thinner, more frail and fragile. I gulped as the officer gingerly placed her in my arms.
The second I felt her body against mine - that same electric shock running through my system - I sobbed, pulling her as close to my chest as possible. "Oh, Bella," I cried in a small whisper, placing my shaky lips against her warm forehead. I paid deep attention to the way her soft skin felt while I brushed my lips against it.
"My beautiful Bella," I sighed, letting the tears drop onto her head in a heavy stream. "I'm here now, love. Please wake up for me, please, Bella, please!"
I was sobbing harder now, falling on my knees to the floor while keeping her crushed against my frame.
"Bella," I breathed, forcing my face into the top of her head. Somehow, she just wasn't close enough. "I'm so sorry, baby, please forgive me," I shuttered against her scalp, my heart breaking at the fact that it didn't smell right, like that ordinary strawberry shampoo that I've grown utterly addicted to.
My heart was beating so heavily that I was waiting for it to explode. The feeling of her body in my arms - where she belongs - was truly astounding. I couldn't believe how whole I felt again. I didn't realize how lost I was until I found my way back to her. I truly have no idea how I survived without her. I could never imagine not being able to hold her. Not being able to experience the feelings she brings me every second of every day, without her own knowledge.
"Edward," Dad's voice was in my ear. I hadn't even heard him approach. I was completely unaware of everything around me but my girl in my arms.
I glanced up at him with wild, tear-filled eyes. His own were swimming with water, but his expression was firm.
"Edward," he repeated, placing a hand on my shoulder. "We have to get her in the ambulance."
"I can't let her go," I croaked pathetically, shaking my head.
"You can ride with her to the hospital. But, she needs to be evaluated immediately."
I merely nodded, clutching her against my chest and hurrying upstairs and outside.
"It will be okay now, baby, please open your eyes for me. I love you, Bella. I fucking love you," I whispered against her head as I carried her outside.
"I'm so sorry," I groaned as I laid her on the little bed in the back of the ambulance. I rubbed circles into her hands the entire time, allowing the tears to fall as I watched the paramedics begin to check her over.
Now that I had her back, I will never fail her again. Isabella Marie Swan will never experience pain again, as long as I am alive.