Chapter 4
I bolted upright in a cold sweat, gasping for air. Alice was lying on my legs and jumped in fright. "Are you okay?" she asked.
"Yeah, I just had a bad dream." I shook my head a couple of times to rid my brain of the thought Edward could be involved in our situation. He was the kindest, gentlest person in the entire town.
"Bella," Alice whispered as she moved closer. "We really need to get out of here. I'm afraid they are waiting it out until the guys come. I think they know our plans and they know exactly when the guys show up."
The thought of Emmett's huge muscles gave me a little relief, but what good would it do if they had weapons. I nodded to Alice in agreement.
"I can't stand the thought of Jasper being hurt," she said sadly. "And frankly, I'm a little surprised he hasn't shown up here already to see why I haven't called."
I looked into her frightened eyes and knew she was thinking the same thing I was. Jasper may have already come and was just another innocent victim caught in this sick game. He would never let Alice go this long without checking in. He would drive up here and lecture her for making him worry.
"If we split up, it leaves the others more vulnerable. We know they have at least three people and it would take all six of us to fight them off." I didn't tell them one was a woman.
"But it also gives us our only chance for rescue," Alice pointed out. "What if we have the other girls barricade themselves in the two bathrooms? You know, make it a real fortress. They would only have to make it through one night….if we make it."
I nodded, thinking it was worth a shot. We couldn't sit here, waiting for them to either pick us off, or force us to watch our boyfriends being killed.
Rosalie opened her eyes and looked at us. "I can handle it; I'll keep Angela with me. What about Lauren and Jessica together, do you think they can be a team?"
I wasn't sure if that would work or not. Jessica was already falling apart and I didn't know how strong Lauren could be if she was left alone. Alice and I were two of the strongest emotionally, and we would be leaving together, making Rose deal with the terror going on here, alone.
I was trying to think the entire plan through looking at every angle, but my thoughts kept returning to Edward. When Alice saw my eyes tear up she rubbed my leg. I couldn't stop my feelings from spilling out.
"This was supposed to be the time….I mean we were ready….um, we were going to try to move forward." I couldn't even form the words properly.
"Edward loves you," Alice said softly.
"I know," I smiled and wiped my tears. "He has been through so much. Why can't it be Tanya here?"
"Because, when we get out of this every newspaper in the state will be printing pictures of you and Edward running into each other's arms to spite the bitch," Rose laughed. "And if she was here, I would be joining those bastards in the woods and cut her up myself."
I looked at them both and figured if we were going to die together they could at least know Edward was not the person the town thought he was. When psychos were waiting outside it made the Denali family seem not so scary.
"There was never a baby," I whispered.
"What?" Alice asked, leaning in to hear me better.
"Tanya was never pregnant," I explained. "She faked the whole thing so Edward would lose his scholarship and have to stay in Washington."
"So, did they really marry?" Rose asked.
"Yeah, for two days; Carlisle got it annulled after he saw her health records. And I never went on a single date with Edward until it was well over. Tanya's whole story about me breaking them up is just another lie."
"Jesus Bella, how can you stand to look at her?" Alice said shaking her head.
"I can't, but I have to keep control for Edward, causing more drama for the town to gossip about doesn't help him. Plus, it just makes Tanya want revenge, you would not believe everything she does to harass him, he has really been damaged by her."
"Bella, you so need to kick her ass, and if you can't bring yourself to do it, let me," Rose offered.
"Well, if we survive this I will let you," I laughed.
"Promise?"
"Yes, promise."
"Listen," Alice began. "Maybe there is some clue in what they keep saying to us. Finders Keeper, what does that mean?"
"If you find something you can keep it, even if it belongs to someone else," I offered.
"So, are we the something?"
"Let's suppose we are; then who are the weepers, our guys, our parents? They specifically mentioned Charlie. If he arrested them or something, they would want him to be the weeper, right?"
"I don't know, Bella, it seems like a lot of trouble to get back at a small town cop. It has to be bigger than that," Rose mused.
"Okay, let's look at what we have; your dad is a banker, well known in this town. Angela's dad is the pastor, again, well known for a small town. Lauren's is the school principle, well known. Alice's dad imports textiles," I frowned at that connection, "Most of the logging people around here don't even know what that is."
"Yeah, but Jasper's dad is the mayor," Alice threw in, "And I am at their house almost more than my own."
Rose waved her hand to dismiss the conversation. "In a small town everyone is well known. You can't say we are a target because we have high powered parents. They are average, but prominent because Forks is so freaking small."
I saw her point. In Seattle nobody would even notice our parents, but in Forks, they were the leaders in the community.
"I think," Rose cut in, "Tanya may be involved in this. Her family is practically the mafia. If she is pissed at you, and wants Edward, I can totally see her freaky brothers calling in a few favors."
"I thought about that, but she has never threatened me, only Edward. I can see her kidnapping Edward and tying him to her bed in a deserted cabin somewhere, but not killing someone. Whoever is doing this murdered Mrs. Klein."
We all turned to look at the front door, knowing full well what was on the other side of the thick piece of wood.
"When we break it all down it comes to this…we have no idea who they are and what they want, and it really doesn't even matter… we just need to get out of here," Alice observed.
"Okay, let's talk this through. We barricade Lauren and Jess in the bathroom at the end of the hallway and we give them the board with the nail sticking out. We can break some glass from the pictures and wrap tape and material around the ends to use as knives. Rose, you and Ang will be locked in the main bathroom, with the hammer and screwdriver."
"What are we going to use as the diversion?"
"It has to be big," I said as I thought. "Are there any flares in the road kit?"
Alice grabbed the kit to find a single road flare.
"I know," I said excitedly. "Where is that ammo box?"
Rose jumped up and grabbed it from under a chair. I opened the lid and pulled out a small grey pouch with a huge smile on my face. "We're going to make a bomb!"
"How?" they both asked in unison.
"I have a tennis ball in my jeep. My dad used to tell me about a guy who would fill a tennis ball with gun powder and set it off on the fourth of July. He said it sounds just like a bomb."
I was feeling hope return and began making plans. Alice and I would dress in black and use the briquettes we found to smear on our faces and hands. I would even rub it all over the bat we would take with us.
We were going to head into the forest at the closest point it met up with the house and then head north. We would have to cross the fast moving stream, but once we were on the other side it was a straight shot to the other road.
We spent the day getting supplies ready. We stocked food and candles in the bathrooms and planned to light one to give them access to a flame if they lost power. We added blankets and pillows in the tubs to make it somewhat comfortable for them.
When it came time to get the tennis ball I was terrified. I knew I would have to walk past Mrs. Klein's body, but it was the only way.
I held tightly to my bat and Rose stood over me with the hammer ready. We slowly opened the door and peeked outside. We tiptoed as quietly as possible to the jeep. I noticed what a beautiful sunny day it was. Under any other circumstances we would love this day.
As I got to the jeep I saw something over the steering wheel. It looked like a simple yellow t-shirt. I looked at Rose and she only shrugged. I opened the back door and climbed onto the seat to look into the cargo area. I had to almost climb into the space to reach the ball, but I got it. When I turned to get out my eye was drawn to the shirt again, something was written on it and it looked like it was written in blood.
I pulled on the shirt to straighten the cotton so I could read it. My hands went instantly numb. I took several shallow breaths to stop myself from screaming. Rose moved closer and I shook my head at her before grabbing the shirt off the steering wheel and running back into the house.
Once the door was locked and the chair was firmly in place under the doorknob I held up the shirt for Rose to see. Written in blood it said, 'Jasper said Goodbye.'
Rose gasped before she threw her hand over her mouth as tears instantly fell from her eyes.
Alice had walked up behind her, obscured by Rosalie's tall body; she looked at the shirt and looked at me. Her face was unreadable and she had absolutely no reaction.
"Alice, are you okay?"
She only nodded and reached out for the shirt. She looked at the label and mumbled, "It's his." She walked over to where a blanket was tossed onto the floor and crawled into a tight ball, holding the bloody shirt to her face to catch the tears.
Angela walked over and wrapped her arms around Alice and whispered in her ear as they rocked and cried together.
"I'm still going," I said to Rose. "You keep Alice with you."
"No," Alice said adamantly. "All we know is this is Jasper's shirt and he was bleeding. That's all we know. If he is hurt I have to help him. I'm going with you."
I tried to look like I totally believed what she was saying. I had to give her hope, I owed her that much.
As the light began to fade into the trees we sat huddled together holding hands. We were sleepy and emotionally drained. I wasn't sure we could make it much longer if we didn't get help soon.
"I guess I should admit I love Eric," Lauren said.
"I knew it," Angela screamed. "I knew it wasn't just a casual thing. You lied to me."
"I lied to myself," Lauren said as tears formed. "I want a chance to tell him."
"I should have listened to Jasper." We all turned to Alice. "He begged me not to come."
"Alice, he begs you every time you see him. I'm surprised he didn't take girls gym with you, so he could stay by your side the entire day.
"There's a reason," she said quietly.
"What?" I asked, not quite sure what she said.
"There is a reason Jasper has a hard time with separation," she said a little louder. "Please don't tell anyone, Jasper will be so mad at me if he finds out I told."
Rose, Lauren and I looked at each other thinking the same thing, that Jasper most likely wasn't alive to find out Alice said anything, and that we would most likely die, too.
"Jasper isn't really a Hale. He was adopted after spending years in a really abusive foster home. His mom died when he was three leaving him stuck in the Texas foster system and he was rescued at the age of nine."
I felt sick to my stomach. All the rude comments I had made about his clingy nature and his over possessiveness towards Alice, now it all made sense. "Does Edward or Emmett know?" I asked.
She shook her head back and forth. "He just wants to be one of the guys. He doesn't want people feeling sorry for him."
Rose put her arm around Alice and assured her we wouldn't tell a soul.
"How are things going with Emmett?" I asked Rosalie. She always seemed so tough and so put together, but I was sure there was a side of her falling apart just like the rest of us.
She smiled and rolled her eyes. "Emmett is Emmett, he never gets upset, he never complains, he never has a bad day, he just enjoys the moment." I saw her begin to blink back tears. "I really need to appreciate him more."
"I think you pretty much have his undying devotion," I laughed.
"Emmett told Mike he's going to marry you some day," Jessica revealed. "Mike told him you would dump his monster ass before he could ever propose."
Rose laughed lightly and wiped away a tear as she said, "I'll decide when I see the diamond."
Angela sat up straight and asked, "Can we say a prayer? I'll say it, and I know some of you don't believe," she looked at Lauren. "But it would really make me feel better."
Alice reached out to take Angela's hand. "Pray for Jasper," she begged.
We huddled in closer locked hand in hand and just when Angela went to open her mouth the awful screaming of the rabbits began. We all jumped and I grabbed the tennis ball filled with gun powder.
"Here we go," I said as I crawled toward the washroom.
Jessica and Lauren ran to the bathroom at the end of the hallway as Rose took their candle in the kitchen to be lit. Once inside they shut the door, pounding loudly as they nailed the door shut.
I placed the wick we dug out of the flare in the tennis ball and set it carefully in the dryer.
Rose had Angela by the hand dragging her into the main bathroom next to the front door.
I stopped as our eyes met. Rose had been my friend since the day I moved to Forks after my mother died, the thought I might never see her again was almost too much to bare.
"You do this, Bella," she instructed sensing my hesitation. "You go get help and come save us. DO NOT give up!"
"I love you, Rose," I yelled as the door began to shut.
Alice had on the back pack we had loaded with the flashlight, map, food and water. She was holding one of the homemade knives we had fashioned and was ready to go. I grabbed my bat and lit a candle, carrying it to the mud room. I put the flame to the fuse, then shut the dryer door and ran. I made it to where Alice was squatting by the back door when the explosion hit.
It rocked the house breaking glass and causing the lights to flicker. My ears were ringing and couldn't hear anything. I opened the door as little as possible and we crept out onto the deck. I was searching the woods desperately looking for any shadow that could be someone lurking.
Keeping low and hugging the wall we made our way to the edge of the house closest to the tree line. I peeked around the side of the house and could see flashes of light, like someone walking with a flashlight. I grabbed Alice's hand and we ran for the cover of the forest.
I dove behind a tree and planted my back against the bark as Alice did the same. My knees were shaking and I slid down onto my heels to steady my breathing. My ears were still muffled from the explosion, so I was imaging the sounds of footsteps all around me.
I looked over to see Alice peeking around the trunk of the tree she was behind, she looked over at me and gave me a thumbs up. I motioned for her to give me a second as I wiped my sweating hands on my pants and tried to dry my grip on the bat.
Something caught my eye. I don't know if some leaves had blown naturally aside or if the moonlight was reflecting off the surface, but a tiny, obscure flash of metal drew my eyes to the ground about a foot from where I was crouched.
My heart sank, I knew what I was looking at….a trap, a large bear trap covered in pine needles and leaves. We would no longer be able to just run for the stream, we were going to have to slowly, painstakingly, maneuver our way into the forest.
Chapter 5
Rose
It felt like the roof was going to come down onto our heads when the explosion hit. I panicked at bit when the lights flickered, but relaxed when they remained on. I looked over to see Angela staring wide eyed at me as we sat on opposite ends of the bathtub.
"Bella's in charge of all fireworks from now on," I winked at her. She smiled halfheartedly and took at deep breath.
I began looking around to make a mental list of things in the bathroom, I noted where the towel rack was located, and that the curtain rod around the shower was made of metal and not plastic.
I was nervously tapping my nails on the rim of the tub when we heard footsteps on the roof. Angela closed her eyes tightly and buried her face in her knees. I kept my eyes trained on the door and picked up the hammer to keep it at the ready.
A loud bang sounded on the front door, and the incessant singing began again. I let my head fall back and closed my eyes. They were not coming in, they were just playing with us. It was a good sign that they didn't believe anyone left the house. I had to keep the faith that Alice and Bella would make it.
"Hey," I called out to Angela. She looked up with startled eyes. "You still want to say that prayer?"
She nodded and reached out for my hands. "I haven't been to church in a long time," I admitted so my hypocrisy could be out in the open. "And, Emmett and I don't participate in Christian activities."
She knew Emmett and I were sexually active and I wasn't going to pretend to be sorry about it. I loved him and he treated me better than any guy I had ever dated. He wasn't the smartest guy, but he had a huge heart, and that meant a lot to me.
"It doesn't mean God stops loving you," she smiled.
I watched in fascination as she closed her eyes and began to pray. I was touched when she asked God to help me make the right decisions when I needed to make them. I wasn't sure if she meant in our situation, or life in general.
She prayed for everyone except herself and I realized how lucky Ben was to get a wife like Angela. Most people would envy Emmett because of my looks, not for any redeeming personal qualities. I vowed right then if we made it out alive, I would try to be better, for Emmett.
The night was dragging on and the sudden interruptions of pounding or screaming were making my nerves raw. I was hoping Alice and Bella were making their way to the main highway and it would be over soon.
"Rosalie," Angela said. "Do you think we will survive?"
I looked into her angelic face and couldn't lie to her. "I don't know, sweetie, but we will never give up. We will fight with our very last breath."
"How do you stay so brave?"
I chuckled. "I guess it's guilt, I mean, look at all the advantages I have; I don't want to be remembered as the spoiled princess who fell apart when it got tough. Just like you're not going to be the preacher's kid who ran out of faith," I said as I nudged her.
She sat a little taller and took a deep breath. "I think you have an advantage, because you see the world from a higher viewpoint."
I laughed and assured her the world looked the same at 5'10" as it did at 5'4".
We went back to our quite waiting for awhile. Both our heads snapped towards the door when we heard the knob turn. We froze and stared unbelieving at the door. We were not even breathing for fear the door would fly open. I felt my hand grip the hammer handle tightly.
I finally stood in the tub and quietly tiptoed to the door and placed my ear against it. I could hear sounds further down the hallway and was mentally begging Jess and Lauren to hang tough.
The sound of footsteps running down the hallway ended in a loud bang against a door and the horrible screaming from the girls in the other bathroom.
Bella
I took a tentative step toward another tree and motioned for Alice to remain where she was. I ran my toe along the ground in front of me looking for any gleam in the dirt. I finally waved her over.
"What's wrong?" she whispered.
"There are traps set; we have to be very careful."
We began making our way from tree to tree towards the sound of rushing water. The further we got from the house the better I felt about moving faster. We began picking up our pace and I started to have hope.
We reached the stream, looking for an easy path to cross. A cropping of fallen trees looked promising but none of the trunks were large enough to walk on. I was afraid if we tried to cross we would get tangled in the limbs.
I was searching though the branches for a steady bough when Alice covered her mouth and tried to stifle a scream. I followed her eyes to see a body just barely under the water snarled among the twigs. My mind screamed only one thing to me, "Please, don't let it be Jasper."
I stepped into the frigid water to get a better look and saw the swollen, pallor face of an older man. I lunged at Alice, who was shaking with fear, and pulled her close to me speaking directly into her ear. "It's not him, it's not him."
I knew I had to get her out of there, so without thinking, I kept my arms around her and pulled us through the ice cold stream. We splashed noisily as we tried to keep our balance over the smooth rocks.
The water hit Alice just above her knees and she began shivering from the cold along with the terror. I knew I had made a mistake by getting her tiny frame so wet, but I had panicked.
As soon as we made it to the other side I handed her one end of the bat as I pulled her with the other. Dirt and pine needles were sticking to my wet shoes making my feet heavier, and heavier, but I wouldn't let up on the pace we were setting. Soon her labored breathing from exertion stopped the shivering of her arms.
It had been two hours since we left the house and we were getting closer and closer to the road. I felt a sense of dread. It would be so much easier to run along the grated path of the road but it would leave us exposed. I kept battling with myself, back and forth between the need to get help quickly and the need to stay hidden to make sure we could get help at all.
When we finally spotted the wide flat path with the moon shining brightly upon it I made up my mind. We would have to move as quickly as we could, staying just inside the tree line. We fought our way through the brush never stopping for food or water until Alice fell.
I quickly helped her up and noticed how heavy she was breathing. "Let's take a break," I suggested.
"No, I'm good," she insisted.
I nodded but stayed still. We stood trying to calm our breathing down when we both heard something at the same time. We immediately dropped to our knees and lowered our heads. The sound was soft moaning and it was coming from an area right in front of us.
I crawled at a snail's pace forward trying to see in the dark long grass. I stretched my body as far as I could when a heartbreaking scream echoed throughout the forest coming from the direction of the cabin.
Rose
Jessica and Lauren were screaming and trying desperately to keep the door closed as it splintered from the hinges on impact. I could hear the commotion at the end of the hallway as they screamed and begged for help.
I quickly turned my hammer and used the claw end to pull the long nail from the door. I raised my hand in the air ready to strike as I pulled the door open. Nobody was near the door, so I looked down the hallway to see a large black man with dreadlocks pushing in his way into the bathroom.
Without thinking I grabbed the curtain rod from the shower and let the rings fall to the ground. One of the rubber stoppers had stayed attached to the wall, leaving a round sharp edge exposed on the metal.
I stepped into the hallway just in time to see the broken door pushed to the floor and the man's fist making contact with Jessica's face. She crumpled like a doll to the ground. I pulled the rod to my side like a spear and ran with all my might toward the man stepping into the bathroom.
He spun around to see me right before I made contact, driving the rod through his stomach and out his back. He reached for me, catching my arm, so I rammed the palm of my hand as hard as I could into the end of his nose. I felt the bones crunch and move with my hand upwards. His knees buckled and he fell forward, held upright by the rod in his body. I kicked him sideways and watched as he fell in slow motion.
My mind finally caught up with my body and I screamed as if my life depended on it. I screamed as the feeling of pushing the rod into his body reverberated in my head. I screamed as the thought of killing another human being pulsed through my body.
I finally turned to put my face against the wall and moved away from his body. I needed the wall to keep me upright, to steady me as my mind spun in confusion. I needed to feel something real and solid as everything around me felt like a nightmare.
"Rose, Rose," someone was yelling. I could hear them, but I couldn't respond to my own name. I wanted Emmett, I wanted to be far from this place, and I wanted what I had just done to be a dream.
Bella
The screaming sent a shiver down my spine. We needed help and we needed it fast. I was overcome by guilt for leaving the house. I wasn't going to be fast enough. They were being slaughtered and all I could do was stand in the distance and listen.
A sliding sound brought my attention back to the darkness in front of me. Somebody was there, in the shadows. I heard a moan again and wondered if somebody was wounded or if it was a trick to get Alice and me to come closer.
I raised my bat into the air and ran towards the moaning sound. I could barely make out a huddled form in the grass and moved in to hit it as hard as I could.
As my arms came down, I was able to make a split second decision, and moved the bat just enough to miss my intended target. The sound of the bat making contact with the ground caused his eyes to shoot open. Alice cried out and fell onto the bloodied, broken, body of Jasper.
I collapsed into the dirt. My body was shaking so badly and I couldn't think clearly. I wanted Edward; I wanted my father to come running in with his guns blazing to save us from the nightmare we were trapped in.
Alice was kissing Jasper and close to hysteria when I pulled out of my fog and realized he was hurt. I crawled to his side and began looking for injuries. I almost vomited when I saw the mangled flesh on his leg. He had stepped in a trap. I grabbed the belt he was using as a tourniquet and loosened it for a few moments letting blood reach his foot before tightening it again.
He was wincing in pain, but his main focus was Alice.
"Jasper," I whispered in hope. "Where's your car?"
"They pushed it over the cliff," he said trying to sound angry but only his pain was coming though.
"You saw them?"
"Yeah, and from what I could hear there are only three. Where's Rosalie?"
"They're at the house, Alice and I snuck out for help."
He tightened his hold on Alice. "Did the house blow up? I heard an explosion."
"No, that was our diversion," I said proudly. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to see why I couldn't get through to Alice." We all knew he would come, Jasper was so predictable.
"Does Edward know you came?" I instantly felt confident that Edward would call my dad if he never heard back from Jasper.
"No, I didn't want to hear about what a pussy I was being. That's why I used this road and stayed away from the house. I just wanted to see if Alice was okay. I wasn't going to intrude on your girl time."
His explanation was just so Jasper, stalking Alice, but thinking it was okay because he kept his distance. I wasn't sure if the trap saved him or doomed us all.
He continued on with his story, "I had binoculars, and when I saw the body by the door and the hood up on the jeep, I knew something was wrong. I was headed back to my car and saw someone messing with it. I stayed hidden and watched as they pushed it over the ledge."
"How did you get hurt?" I asked, already knowing it was bear trap.
"I was heading back to the cabin and stepped in a trap. It didn't shut all the way so I was able to get it off, but had to crawl my way back here."
I suddenly had so much respect for Jasper. I had used most of my energy getting to this point and he had crawled the whole way not knowing if Alice was alive or dead.
Rustling leaves shocked us all into silence. We laid flat to the ground and listened as footsteps headed right for us. We could hear them talking, and when they got closer I could see it was the man and woman and they sounded very agitated.
"I tried to flash him several times and he never responded," the man said.
"Are you sure you used the right code?"
"Three fucking flashes, it isn't rocket science."
"Do you think something happened to him?"
"If he doesn't come back by midnight I'm assuming he's dead, and we're burning the place to the ground."
They passed within ten feet of where Jasper, Alice and I were lying as we held our breath in fear.
Chapter 6
All of our plans just changed. We were running out of time and couldn't chance making it to the main road and back in time to warn the others. I couldn't let them be burned to death and had to head back to the house.
"We don't have much time." I said in panic. "I have to go back and get them."
"Jasper can't move," Alice protested.
"You stay with him." I picked up my bat and decided to go the way the man and woman just came from. Obviously they weren't worried about running into traps.
"Alice," I instructed. "If I don't come back, wait until the man and woman head back to the house and then run as fast as you can down this road to the highway. Don't come back for us; get Jasper help before he loses the leg."
"Be careful, Bella, they seem crazy," he said to me.
"Do you know them? They wrote your name on a t shirt."
"No, but they took shit from my car. They have my wallet," he explained and then hissed as Alice released the tourniquet for a moment.
"Did you have anything they could use as a weapon?"
He thought for a moment and then said, "A tire iron, but I never saw them open the trunk."
"Okay, stay hidden," I said before taking a deep breath and heading off into the dark.
I had hope that if the other man was not responding to his partners the girls took him out or have him captured. I was imagining plans where we could trade him for our freedom. I stumbled my way in the dark, moving a lot faster going downhill. When I finally came to the road I took off in an all out run.
The cabin looked exactly like I left it, the lights were still on and the door was still shut. As I got closer I could see the window on the roof was open. The pane was broken, but it was still raised.
I ran to the back deck and found the door opened just slightly. I pushed it and waited. Nothing happened. I stuck my head in the door and listened, but didn't hear anything. I moved into the room and called out softly, "Rose, Jess, Lauren, Ang."
I didn't get any response so I headed towards the hallway and saw the main bathroom door closed. As soon as I turned my head I screamed at the sight of a man impaled with some sort of stick.
"Help us," voices yelled from behind the door.
"Rose, it's me, Bella," I called out to them.
A bunch of commotions was coming from behind the door and it finally opened to reveal Lauren and Angela's swollen, wet faces. I dove into their arms and thanked God they were alive.
My joy ended when I saw Jessica lying on a pillow with a blood covered face and Rose sitting in the tub looking totally lifeless.
"What happened," I yelled as I ran to them.
Jessica turned her head, but one eye was swollen completely shut. Rosalie didn't move. I reached out to touch her cheek with my palm, but she didn't respond in any way.
"Rose," I called to her as I shook her lightly. "Rose, you look at me right now."
She continued to stare forward without blinking and I was so terrified she was damaged forever. Rosalie was always strong and confident, she bolstered me whenever I needed a bit more courage, but the girl I was looking at was only a shell.
"What's wrong with her?" I cried.
"She killed the man in the hall. I think she went into shock," Lauren answered.
"We have to get out of here. We found Jasper." Jessica sat up. "He's hurt. We heard the other two talking and they know something happened to their buddy. They're going to burn the house down."
"We can't carry Rosalie, she's too big," Angela gasped.
"We can't stay here, help me," I said as I pulled Rose forward. She didn't fight us and easily stood as we pulled her to her feet.
I wrapped a blanket around her shoulders and led her from the bathroom making sure to angle her away from the sight down the hallway.
"Grab my bat," I yelled to Lauren. She grabbed the bat and the hammer and followed us out onto the porch.
Angela began to cry again when she saw Mrs. Klein's covered body again and I had to shush her.
We were moving slowly and just made it to the shadows of the trees lining the dirt road when we heard the other two coming. I pulled Rosalie behind a tree and we all stood perfectly still. They passed unconcerned, until they saw the open front door.
The man bent down as the woman sprinted into the trees on the opposite side of the road from us. I felt like all was lost and slowly lifted my hand for my bat. When Lauren reached out to hand it to me I noticed light reflect off the lacquered finish.
I spun around to see car lights winding down the road towards the house. I looked over at the man to see he was looking at the car, too. His eyes turned to scan the forest and locked onto mine. We stared for a second, sizing each other up, until I shot from the trees onto the road; running with all my might towards the car.
I could hear him behind me, matching me step for step. I considered stopping to swing my bat at him, but adrenaline kept me moving forward. I could hear his pounding stride getting closer, and closer, but my eyes were focused on the car heading my way.
When the headlights came around the final bend, the driver had me illuminated right in his sight. The bright beams kicked on to elucidate the forest eerily around me. I continued to run straight for the car…so did my pursuer.
When the car skidded to a stop, someone jumped out and ran towards me. I suddenly realized I could be running into a trap. If there were more than three I just ran right to them. I began frantically swinging the bat at nothing but bright light.
I heard someone run past me, so I turned to see a huge body running after the man with a ponytail. I fell to my knees as I tried to understand what I was watching. I felt someone pull the bat from my hand and drag me into a tight hug.
I recognized the cologne and clung to Edward as I cried in relief. I couldn't speak coherently and Edward kept trying to pull away to check me for injuries, but I wouldn't release my strangle hold on him.
When I heard footsteps coming towards me I scrambled, pulling Edward with me, trying to back away. "I caught the sucker," Emmett said as he held the man's hands behind his back.
I looked up to see the object of all my hatred standing in front of me, and I lunged at him, growling like a wild animal. Edward held me back trying his hardest to understand what was going on. I was dirty, and sweaty, and so exhausted it was hard to think straight.
"They killed Mrs. Klein," I screamed. "And Jasper's hurt."
"I knew he came up here," Emmett said.
I suddenly remembered the woman and began pulling Edward to the car. "There's a woman with him, they're killers."
The sound of footsteps behind Emmett caught my attention; I looked up to see Angela and Lauren leading Jessica and Rosalie toward us. Emmett turned slowly and his head leaned to the side as he worked out in his mind that something had happened to his Rosalie.
When realization hit him, he spun the ponytailed man around and punched him hard right in the face, knocking him unconscious.
He let the man fall to the ground and ran to pick Rosalie up in his arms. "Did he touch her?" Emmett was yelling. "Did he fucking touch her?"
Edward was standing stunned, trying to process what was going on around him. I pulled his face to mine and spoke slowly. "We have to get help, we need the police, now!"
He jumped into action and led me to the car as we all climbed in on top of each other. "What about him?" I said pointing to the man passed out in the road. "Alice and Jasper are still out there and he has a woman helping him."
"Open the trunk, Edward," Emmett instructed. He got out of the car and pulled the man by the hair and shirt to the car, easily lifting him into the trunk and closing it.
I was sandwiched in between Edward and Emmett. I stroked Rosalie's hair as she lay curled against Emmett's chest. The road seemed so long even though Edward was speeding and sliding around the turns. When we got to the highway Lauren screamed that she had cell coverage.
I grabbed her phone and dialed my dad's private number.
"Chief Swan, Forks PD," he answered and his voice, which I wasn't sure I would ever hear again, pushed me over the edge. My dad, my protector, my everything was just on the other end of the line.
I couldn't talk and sobbed loudly until Edward took the phone from my hand. "Chief Swan, this is Edward, we need your help. Bella's fine, but they've been attacked at the cabin. We need an ambulance and more police."
I heard Edward call out a mile marker and we pulled over as he continued talking to my father. When he hung up the phone, he handed it back to Lauren and pulled me close.
"Bella was amazing," Angela said from the back. "She saved us."
I shook my head in disagreement. I wasn't fast enough to save Rosalie from the trauma she endured, and Alice was still out there with a seriously hurt Jasper.
Emmett began rocking Rosalie back and forth and looked at me questioning. I felt my tears fall as his concern racked me with guilt for leaving her.
"Where's Jasper and Alice," Edward asked still confused.
"Jasper got caught in a bear trap. His leg is messed up and Alice is with him. They are still in danger."
I saw Edward and Emmett look at each other wondering if they should leave us to go after him. I grabbed onto Edward's shirt, unwilling to let him leave me.
A set of flashing red lights was headed towards us so we all got out of the car. Within minutes the entire area was flashing as we were separated and questioned by various officers. When an ambulance drove by with its siren blasting an officer assured me it contained Jasper and Alice.
It was a good hour before my father came to see me, not as an officer, but as my panicked dad. He pulled me against his large police jacket and buried me in his massive chest. I sobbed and let my legs give way as he held me up. He led me to his cruiser and we passed a car containing him….the man with the ponytail who did this to us.
I broke free from my father's grasp and ran up to the car window pounding on it in rage. "Finders Keepers you son-of-a-bitch. You're done, we beat you," I screamed into his sickening face through the glass.
His eyes flashed in anger and he spit at the window I was pounding on. My dad pulled me away as he turned to take one last look at the cars occupant. I could feel how much control it was taking for him to remain calm and walk away.
"Bella," the man yelled out in a muffled voice from inside the car. I stopped and turned to look at him. He gave me a deranged smile and yelled, "It's not over."
I wanted nothing more than to kill him where he sat. If any officer there would have let me use his gun, I would have walked up to where he sat handcuffed in the car, and blown his brains all over the back window.
Instead I stood glaring at him as Emmett walked up to join me. "Losers Weepers," I mouthed hatefully.
We stared at each other as the patrol car drove him away.
"How's Rose?" I turned and asked Emmett.
"They took her to the hospital, nobody will tell me what happened," he said in frustration.
I could tell how irritated he was by the way he sighed loudly and kept his hands pulled into tight fists. I wished I had something to tell him, but I only knew my version of events, and was having a hard enough time dealing with the guilt I had over leaving Rose to handle everything at the house.
"All I know is she saved the others, but I wasn't with them," I told him.
Edward walked up, talking on his phone to Alice, and put his arm protectively around me. Charlie shook his head, still not a big Edward fan even during duress, and went to check on the progress with finding the woman.
"Is he okay?" I asked Edward, meaning Jasper.
"He's just arrived at the hospital. I think Alice was trying to be brave for Jasper. Can you leave now? Edward asked.
"Yeah, let's go by the hospital and check on Rose and Jasper."
We pulled into the hospital parking lot and most of the senior class was there. I was draped around Edward, still in my dirty clothes, when I saw Tanya look me up and down and laugh.
I had nothing left inside of me to keep my composure, all of my control was gone, and I was no longer responsible for my actions. The thought of Tanya tormenting Edward for years, when I only went through two days of hell, pushed me over the edge.
I lost it!