Looking for Love
The Twilight world belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I just like to play in it.
Chapter 5 – Helpers
"Or were you thinking about their phones?" the stranger asked.
The blond stranger disappeared into the darkness. Bella heard the sound of glass breaking and a woman's scream. To her horror, she saw the white mini-Cooper slide into the lake, the stranger pushing it. Bella fled back to her car and locked the door.
The stranger reappeared at the other side of the road. He held up two phones to Bella before crushing them with his bare hand and dropping the scraps of glass and metal on the ground.
Then he was gone. She looked around frantically. As terrible as it was to see him, it was far worse not knowing where he was.
There was a tap on the truck's window. She turned to see that he was now next to the driver side window, inches away. She screamed and slid across the seat toward the passenger door. He had just put his hands on either side of the driver's side window and leaned in to smirk when she heard the sound of an approaching police siren. The stranger leaned back, looking pissed. "See you later, sweet Bella," he whispered, blowing her a kiss before vanishing into the darkness.
A police car pulled up across the 101 and an officer got out. Bella climbed out her truck and ran to him, sobbing.
"My name is Officer Rodriguez," the young policeman said. "What happened, Miss?" Another policeman exited the car from the other side.
"My car broke down. There was this man. He had stolen my phone then he pushed that car off the road. I heard screams, there was someone inside…" Bella stopped, realizing she wasn't making any sense.
"There's a damaged guard rail here, Joe," the second officer said, shining his flashlight toward the lake. "Ask her what happened." He leaned over the broken guard rail.
"I'm so glad you got here quickly," she said.
"Fortunately, we were in the area and heard the alarm so we were able to respond," Officer Rodriguez said. "Now, start again."
"Joe, get over here," the second officer called. "We've got a car in the water."
"Can you wait in your car, off the road?" Officer Rodriguez asked.
Bella nodded. She wasn't sure what they would find, but feared the worst for the occupants.
The two men conferred for a few minutes then came back to Bella's truck. Officer Rodriguez introduced his partner, Office Jones. Officer Jones left them for a few minutes and sat in their patrol car, talking on the radio before returning to the truck.
"The ambulance has to come from Port Angeles, so it will take a few minutes," Officer Jones said. "While we're waiting, can you tell us what happened? And take your time." He pulled out a small notepad.
Bella smiled at the familiar gesture as Charlie used a small notepad as well. She couldn't decide what to say. Could she say a man did what she had seen him do? Would they believe her?
She decided to just report what had happened. "I was in my car, pulled over after my engine stalled out."
Officer Rodriguez patted the truck. "I can't believe these trucks are still on the road. Yet, when they run, they run. So it stalled?"
Bella nodded. "This other car passed by. It stopped, and a man got out. I recognized him from my job at Gottschalks in Port Angles.
"He was a co-worker?" Officer Rodriguez asked. "What was his name?"
"No, I saw him the parking lot a few times," Bella replied.
"So did you know his name?" Officer Jones asked.
"I had never spoken to him," she replied. "He had been in the parking lot and then he showed up right after my car broke down."
"Just a moment," Officer Jones said. "You look familiar. Have we met before?"
"I'm Charlie Swan's daughter," she replied. "He's the Chief of Police in Forks."
"Of course," Officer Jones said. "We met at a picnic a few summers ago. I'm sure you don't remember me, there were so many people there."
Bella shook her head. She remembered Charlie taking her to a picnic and introducing her to at least twenty thousand people.
"I'll call Charlie," he said. "You continue with Officer Rodriguez." He left the two at Bella's truck and crossed the 101 to the patrol car.
He was calling Charlie. It's going to be all right.
"So this man, he had my cell phone!" Bella continued. "I mean, I don't know how he got it, but he had my phone. He pulled something out of my engine, then when I tried to stop another car, he smashed the glass and pushed the car into the Lake. He was right here. Blond hair." She stopped. She wasn't making sense again. Officer Jones came back to the truck and she saw the two policemen exchanging glances.
"Your father is on his way," Officer Jones said.
"Why don't you sit down for a minute," Officer Rodriguez said. "Are you feeling OK? Are you sure you weren't injured?"
Officer Jones gave her a bottle of water and Bella drank it, not realizing until that moment how thirsty she was.
Charlie arrived before the ambulance, barreling down the road in his patrol car, lights on and siren blaring.
"Bella, are you OK?" he asked. He pulled her into a hug, then stepped back, patting her shoulder and looking her up and down before she could answer.
"I'm OK now," Bella said.
"Thank you for calling me, George," Charlie said to Officer Jones. Jones introduced him to Officer Rodriguez and handshakes were exchanged.
He looked back at Bella. "So what happened?"
"My truck stalled," she replied. "The man who stopped may have been following me as I had seen him several times hanging out in the parking lot in Port Angeles. He disabled the truck by pulling something out of the engine."
Charlie opened the trunk's hood and looked inside, stroking his chin. Officer Jones joined him.
"Something got ripped out right there," George said, pointing into the engine. "I'll call for a tow truck. You take her home. It could take a while to get two tow trucks out here. Where do you want the truck taken?"
Charlie wrote down Dowlings information and the two spoke for a few minutes then Charlie climbed into the car and they drove off.
Bella told the story to Charlie, everything that happened after she left the Gottschalks' parking lot.
"I'm sorry Bella, but that just doesn't make sense," Charlie said.
"I know, Dad, I know."
"I don't ask this, but did you take something?" he asked.
"What? No," Bella replied.
Charlie leaned over and looked into her eyes. "Hmm, they look normal."
"Watch the road, Charlie!" she exclaimed.
Charlie swerved, narrowly avoiding a deer that had come crashing out of the forest and run across the highway.
"What was that?" Charlie asked. "A deer? Something must have been chasing it to make it run like that."
"Almost a who," Bella whispered. She could have sworn she saw two figures watching her from the side of the road, both tall, one muscular. Almost like the two guys who had been with Alice, Emmett and Jasper. What would they have been doing out that late, in the middle of nowhere?
Whoo-hoo! New story for Valentine's Day. Thanks for reading! And it looks like it may go on a little bit longer into the month. I had planned to post the last chapter on Valentine's Day, but every time I tried to edit it, I kept adding words instead of editing. So I guess it isn't done yet. I should finish posting it this weekend.
(And yes, I know Gottschalks is closed. But I couldn't see setting this story at the Port Angeles Walmart…)
Please leave a review. Reviews make my heart go pitter-pat. I will send a preview of the next chapter to all reviewers…