A/N...I'm so glad you liked Bethy's POV, because there's another one in this chapter. Like I said, it will rarely happen, so enjoy.
Okay...fight's over... it's time to get down to business. I know you're all wondering what's in that email. This chapter is full of info, so go on with it...
I'll see you at the bottom...
CHAPTER 7
EDWARD
"I was wrong," Benny stated angrily when we rushed into Gravity's office. "I totally expected a phone call, but she emailed Gravity's office account," he huffed, typing furiously on the computer.
Alice was right beside him, working just as hard, and from what I could tell, she was tracking the origin of the email, whereas he was researching what looked like a bus or train station.
I looked around the room, and though no one was saying anything, the room was slowly filling with people. Alec, Sam, and Emmett took seats around the conference table. A bleary eyed Jasper was standing next to Makenna, both stirring cups of coffee. Eleazar leaned against the wall in the back of the room. The only one I didn't see was Wes, and for a moment, I wondered if he had already left to go talk to Walter Bridges' parents.
"Benny, please!" Bella begged in a whisper. "Give us the email..."
"Here," my dad said softly, pulling a page from the printer. He looked to me, his gaze fierce, pointing to the paper. "I want you in the air for this."
That being said, I was nervous when I sat in a chair, tugging Bella to my lap so that we could read Lilith's email together.
Oh Bella,
I know that being the spoiled rich bitch that you are, the ten million I'm asking for isn't much, so I've decided I need something else. You. I think it's high time that we saw each other again, because there's so much I'd like to say to you.
If you want to see these two girls ever again, you'll follow the steps below to the fucking letter, or I'll personally see to it that these kids end up in a shallow grave. Now that I have your attention, you have two days.
1. Come to the train station in San Francisco at noon on Wednesday.
2. Come alone – no Feds, no cops, no handsome husband. Alone. The first sign of someone with you, and I'll put a bullet in the closest girl's head.
3. Bring the ten million in unmarked bills, placed in an inconspicuous bag, with you. No tricks!
4. No weapons!
5. Leave your cell phone behind.
6. Sit down at the north end of the waiting area and wait until someone approaches you.
7. Come quietly, or the two girls will not be released from a different location inside the train terminal.
If you follow these simple rules, the two kids will be left at the train station to be found by the authorities, because that Amber Alert is still in full effect. Deviate even once from this plan, and not only will you live to regret it, but those two kids will pay the price...along with everyone at that train station. I will destroy the entire building and all that's in it if you don't follow my rules. Don't bother searching for a bomb. You won't find one. Bella, you will pay for what you've done.
Email back once you've received this notice. Don't bother tracing the IP address. You won't find anything.
Good luck.
Bella took a deep breath, but looked to Benny, holding up the paper. "This isn't Lilith."
He turned around to look at her. "What makes you say that?"
"Because... She's not this smart and organized. And not once did this email say anything about the past – only that I'd pay. Lilith would have thrown details in my face," she stated, looking back to the letter, and then up at me. "Carlisle's right. You have to fly for this," she whispered, her brow furrowing. "You have to be close, whether Lilith knows it or not. She'll know you have a pilot license, but not your own means of flying."
My first instinct was to protest, because I wanted to be by Bella's side, but she had a point; my chopper was registered like my house was: for privacy.
"You might be right," Benny stated with a shrug. "About it not being Lilith. Someone else may have written it for her." He spun to Alice. "Any luck with the IP address?"
"No," she sighed, shaking her head. "They were right. It bounces and bounces all over the place, only to end up at a free email account set up in a net cafe. Could be anyone, anywhere."
"The chopper is a for sure thing, Ed," Benny said, giving me a pointed look. "If this drop goes smoothly, we can move in on the whole crew and take them down..."
"No!" Bella and I interrupted.
"No," I groaned this time, shaking my head. "Fuck. They'll spot your men, Benny!"
"And they'll spot all my girls," Bella groaned, getting up from my lap and beginning to pace. "Rose, Alice, Mack...Lilith will know them all, because they were all present at the time of her arrest."
"She'll know me, but she won't know the boys and Mickey," I added, looking up at her as I leaned my elbows on my knees. "We could plant Mickey in that train station."
"The whole wedding party was in the paper, Edward," she reminded me, her nose wrinkling. "It wouldn't take much to remember someone like Emmett, and a Fed can be spotted a mile away, especially by people who are used to running from the cops."
I looked to Benny, raising an eyebrow at him, because she was totally right. "Me in the air is fine, because I can land to get the girls. I could have Jasper and Alec with me, but I can't get the girls and follow Bella," I pointed out, looking up at my dad.
"I will have a crew there," Benny snapped, "because we can catch these fuckers! I can't have a fucking terrorist threat on a public building, Edward."
I sighed, sitting back in my chair and running a hand through my hair. I shook my head, looking up at Bella, whose face had gone dark and angry.
"This..." she huffed, shaking her head. "This could go so wrong," she mumbled as she studied the email. "I just have a really bad feeling about this. She picked a public place for a fucking reason."
"Bellsy...what about..." Alice spun in her chair, her eyes wide, but Bella stopped her with a single shake of her head and a furrow of her brow.
I was just about to ask both of them what the fuck that was all about, but Benny jumped up from his chair.
"Here," Benny said, pulling several sheets of paper off of the printer and walking to the conference table. He sorted them in a specific order, and suddenly, the plans for the train station terminal appeared before our eyes. "This...is the north end of the station. This is where you're suppose to wait. Here and here," he noted, pointing to two different spots on the plans. "Those are two employee entrances. I could plant men there. This is the garage. Carlisle, you could be there with Emmett, Eleazar, Felix, and Eric in different levels. Depending on which escape route they take to get away, we could be prepared." He looked around the room, his eyes landing on me. "Ed, you're right. If you take Jasper with you, he could spot them from the air, using his scope."
His eyes finally landed on my father. "I'll call the San Fran office, get them in there now, so that they won't stick out like a sore thumb. I'll have bomb dogs do a sweep of the whole area. They'll wear employee uniforms, blend in. They'll already be there when everyone shows up."
"So we're just going to do everything the exact opposite as what they're telling us to, with my wife's and daughter's lives in the balance? With innocent civilians' lives at stake?" I seethed, standing slowly up from my chair. "Benny..."
Bella's hand landed gently on my chest, and she stepped in front of me. "Wait," she muttered, giving me a warning glance, before turning her beautiful, but stern face to the room. "I'm okay... I mean, I can handle Lilith taking me. I just want those kids in Edward's possession. Finding me can be later. I think we can...come up with a way around these rules...these steps, without having the entire FBI show up at the train station."
"Jesus, Bella!" I snapped, shaking my head. I wanted to fucking grab her and shake her. My hands were in claws in order not to steal her away from the room. My heart couldn't wrap around my wife and daughter walking into this fucking bullshit.
My dad held up his hand, his face sympathetic, but he turned his attention to Bella. "What do you suggest, sweetheart?" he asked, leaning against the table and folding his arms across his chest.
"The email said no cell phone, so I'll wear a radio earpiece; something I can dump if I had to," she stated with a shrug. "Alice has a few ideas that will allow us to mark the money and will load me up with some things that can be hidden on my person. I want to prepare for this going completely wrong. I need to assume that all of hell opens up at that train station, and I can't...I won't allow Bethy and Abby to get caught in the middle."
Her breath hitched when she said that last sentence, and I couldn't help but reach out and wrap an arm around her, kissing the back of her head. She was so very brave and strong in many, many ways, but I knew this was hard for her. She was basically suggesting walking in there and handing herself over to this bitch in order to get the girls back – in order to get our daughter back.
The whole room froze in anticipation, but my dad stood up straight, biting the inside of his cheek before he spoke. "I'd like Eleazar in the chopper with Edward and Jasper, because he's just as good behind a sniper rifle. I think Bella is right," he sighed, turning his gaze to Benny. "This is a trap. Lilith wants Bella, the money, and total control. Have we found the drunk driver yet?"
"Nope, Christopher Douglas is still missing," Alice piped up.
"So we have to ask ourselves, where the fuck is he? Because it's not coincidence that the other person that has offended Lilith in some fucking fashion would go missing at the same time an attack on Bella starts." My dad shoved his hands into his pockets, studying the plans for the train station again, taking a deep breath. "They are way too fucking comfortable in thinking that they can just...take Bella. They've got some place that will hide them all..." he muttered, rubbing his mouth with his fingertips.
The room was silent with that last statement, but Eleazar spoke softly from the back of the room. "You can't send a bomb squad, or even the dogs, Ben. We have to step outside of the legal box that you're stuck in. We need to treat this with military precision. A black-op, if you will."
Benny started to protest, but El held up his hand and walked slowly to the front of the room. He pinned the train station plans to the board so everyone could get a good view of it.
"You've got to consider the absolute worse case scenario here," he sighed, facing the room. "There's an unstable woman out for revenge. She's killed before, and I have no fucking doubt she'll kill again. You've got two ex-cons solely out for money." He pointed to the pictures of Kenny and Rusty. "And a young man that may be in this without a choice," he continued with a sigh, pointing to the picture of Kurt Vernon. "Last, but definitely not least... the unknown player in this game... Walter Bridges." He turned to Benny. "Son, you don't know what that man's motivation is yet. That's our problem. Yes, Lilith wants Bella...or even Bethy, too, but Walter may have ulterior motives, another fucking agenda, using Lilith as the driving vehicle, and I can't see any other way but to treat this like...a crash and grab."
"Or we wait to see what Wes comes back with," Alice suggested.
"There's no time for waiting," Alec stated gruffly. "We've got two fucking days to figure out how we want to approach this, get to San Francisco, and set the whole thing up."
Bella spun in one spot, her gaze landing on Alice as she bit a her bottom lip. Her eyes were glazed, but she finally blinked. "Alice...do another search on the Bridges. Dig deeper. Maybe there's some connection between Twi Tech or my father or something. See if Walter has a juvenile record... There's more there than meets the eye. There's got to be a damned good reason parents just up and disown their son."
"On it, on it, on it," Alice sang, pulling two keyboards to her and using them both to type furiously. "Mack," she called over her shoulder. "Come tell me who we see..."
Makenna said nothing, but launched up from the chair she'd been silently sitting in, taking her place at Alice's side, their conversation now hushed and focused.
"We have to make this plan contingent on what Wes finds out," my dad said, narrowing his eyes on the bulletin board. "Ben, the arrest is yours – if you have someone to arrest – but the operation is mine."
"Shit, Carlisle," Benny groaned, shaking his head. "I need this as legal as possible. I've got two missing minors, a ransom, and five suspects in a fucking kidnapping! It was a fucking miracle that Royce King's trial was legit, after all the shit we did."
"I'll cover for it," Eleazar said, not even looking at the room, waving a hand over his shoulder. "This shit..." He suddenly turned around. "I'm telling you, there's more to this shit than we're seeing."
"El," Ben sighed, almost whining, because truly, his ass was on the line if this went horribly wrong.
"If we fuck up," Eleazar growled, his gaze turning fierce, "I'll take responsibility, Ben. I have more...leeway than you do. I have more resources to cover shit up, and I can do it without the public ever knowing."
My eyebrows rose high at that statement. Eleazar's position at the CIA made him a strong fucking ally to have, but his time spent as a Navy Seal made him fucking deadly. I couldn't imagine what he was thinking, what he could be planning, but I could see that he was already setting shit in motion in his mind. It was written all over his intense face.
Bella snorted, rolling her eyes up to mine. "Don't we have any normal friends?"
"Normal friends won't go to war for us," I snickered, pulling her to me. "Normal people are boring, sweetness," I teased in her ear, loving the small light feeling for just the moment.
As Eleazar sent Emmett to go get Eric and Felix to start the planning, Bella's forehead hit my chest. I wrapped my arms around her, kissing the crown of her head, because I knew she was scared and sick with worry.
"I want to do this so you don't get taken, Bella," I said, my voice only meant for her.
She nodded against my chest, pulling back to look up at me. "For Bethy, I can do this..."
"I'm worried at what it will do to you!" I hissed, shaking my head and running my hand through my hair. "It seems like you just now got better from Miller, baby."
Bella cupped my face, forcing my gaze to hers. "There's nothing that could be worse than what he did, Edward. Nothing. So I can face this, if it happens. We need Bethy home."
"I know..." I groaned, but she grabbed my hand and tugged me out of the office. A few paces away from everyone, I unleashed my fear. "I can't let them take you! I just can't! If I lose you both..."
"Do you trust me?" she asked in a barely there whisper.
"Of course!" I hissed back. "It's everyone else, baby! If this shit goes wrong, and I can't follow you..."
"Please, just trust me," she urged, still whispering. "If I've got to do this, Edward, then I need you to really trust me to assess my situation on the fly, and not panic if I deviate. I need to be able to trust that you'll follow through with the plans they're making in there, so that we can do what we need to in order to get Bethy home. We have to put our faith in everyone in that room."
"What are you planning, Bella? I saw that look you gave Alice. Tell me!"
"I want to see what Carlisle and Eleazar plan first," she said, whispering when one of the Feds walked by.
"Bella, please!" I begged, tugging her closer to me. "Tell me now!"
"It's not a plan, but precautions," she admitted, reaching up to run her fingers through my hair. "I just think maybe there are some steps I can take just in case I do get taken, in case they double cross us, or if the threat of innocent people at that train station becomes too great."
"Please," I whispered, slipping my hands into her hair and pulling her forehead to mine. "I trust you explicitly, but there's a part of me that thinks you're going to put yourself in danger to prove some point, Bella. None of this shit was your fault. I know I said..."
"Stop," she breathed against my lips. "Just stop, Edward." She pulled back, eying me intensely. "I just want Bethy back," she whispered, tears filling her eyes. "Whatever it takes to do that, I'm in."
"Me, too," I said, surrendering, because in so many fucking ways, she was right. If the roles were reversed and it was me that was the focus of this bitch's revenge, I'd throw myself in front of the oncoming train that seemed to be barreling straight for us. However, there was a nagging feeling in my stomach that was telling me that my thoughtless words I'd spat at Bella had created a monster. She now felt the need for penitence. "B-but w-why d-does it f-feel l-like I'm b-being p-punished?" I muttered, looking across my lawn and shoving my hands into my pockets before I grabbed her too hard. "I won't survive losing you both, Bella. I just won't."
"Sit," she ordered, pointing to the steps of the tree house. She stood between my legs and grabbed my face more roughly than usual. "Edward Cullen, look at me," she huffed, tears still trickling down her cheeks. "If I know anything, I know that you can find me. That you'll fucking fight for me. Don't you dare give up on Bethy and me. Don't you dare!"
I pulled her to my lap when she released a heartbreaking sob. She nuzzled into my neck, gripping my shirt as I kissed her forehead over and over.
"Why are you keeping this shit quiet, sweetness?" I asked her, because it seemed that she was only telling me and Alice.
"Because I don't want Benny to rely on anything. He's out for justice. Carlisle's out for revenge. None of that makes a fucking difference to me...I just want those girls safe at home. And I have a really, really bad feeling about this drop off, Edward," she whispered. "Eleazar is right...we know nothing about this Walter Bridges. That note..." She sniffled, sitting up to look me in the eye. "That note was written like a political threat. The focus was my wealth...not personal revenge. To Lilith, this would be personal. Don't you think?"
"Is that why you ordered Alice to dig deeper?"
She nodded, sniffling again, and swallowed thickly. "We have to do what they say, because we have to try, but there's something else at stake here. Something feels...bigger than Lilith. We may get outmaneuvered at that train station. If I'm wrong, then great, but I'm telling you, my gut feels a shit storm coming." She cupped the side of my face. "We have to...set our emotions aside, baby, and I'm having a really hard time doing that, so you have to help me."
I ran one hand through my hair and pulled her closer with the other, because my girl's gut was rarely wrong. Armed with that knowledge, I was scared for her, for me, for Bethy, and for our crew. Bella was tough, smart, innovative in tight situations, and I trusted that gut feeling of hers. And there was a part of me that had to figure out how to turn off the personal feelings backing my decisions and focus on the logical way to tackle this shit. Thinking emotionally in this would only cause us to make terrible mistakes that would have devastating fucking consequences.
With one shaky breath and a nervous nod, I tried my fucking best to help her. "You will wear a earpiece," I stated firmly, but softly. "The small one that you can toss if you need to. I want to hear you the entire fucking time I'm in the air. I assume that Alice has some sort of...idea as to how to help you?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at her.
"Yes," she answered simply with a nod.
I took a deep breath, steadying myself for the next words. "I'm with Eleazar on this," I sighed, shaking my head. "Military style operation, civilian clothes, heavily armed. A crash and grab. I'll be in the air with him and Jasper, monitoring all movement with that new camera Alice installed," I said, pointing to where my chopper was under a tarp, but it was the new plexiglass bubble underneath that I was referring to.
Alice wanted to be able to see what I saw when I was in the air, and the idea was intriguing. It took a hideous amount of research to find exactly what we both wanted. The damn thing was expensive as all fuck, but well worth it, because it could zoom in on someone's fucking nostril hair, if we wanted. It also had night-vision and infrared, and it was all connected to Alice's computer equipment. The little fucking genius could zoom in on someone, record them, or run them through a database, all while I was still fucking flying.
Bella nodded, brushing my hair from my forehead. "Doing that...going against what they say... Edward, we could get innocent people killed in that train station."
"They aren't my concern," I growled, shaking my head, because despite the fact that it was the truth, it made me feel like an asshole for saying it out loud. "You and those girls are my priority. Let Benny, Wes, and Eleazar worry about civilians. Okay?"
With reluctance, Bella nodded. "Okay," she sighed.
"Umm, guys?" Makenna called softly just a few paces away from us, and we both looked up at her. "Alice told me to get you both, and that she needs what you're going to wear the day of the drop off, Bells."
"Got it," Bella said, getting up from my lap and tugging me up with her. "Go start planning. I'll be right there."
I pulled her to me, grasping her face in both of my hands. "I love you. Please don't do anything dangerous just because you think you owe it to anyone – especially me. Just...be smart, get those girls out."
A small smile ghosted across her face, but it didn't reach her eyes. "I'm counting on my flyboy to help me. I'm pretty sure he'd fly to the sun for me..."
With that said, she walked away toward the house. With one more nervous hand through my hair, I walked back into Gravity's office to start planning the most important mission I'd ever take part in.
~oOo~
I unlocked the cable that tied the tarps over my chopper, yanking it hard so that it zipped through the eyes threading them together. The two pieces fell in a soft swish down onto the helipad. I needed to run through my checklist, fuel her up, and load up all the supplies Jasper and Eleazar would need for this flight to San Francisco.
We were leaving in twenty-four hours, and I'd never been more nervous about a mission in all my life, because my reasons for living were in the center of it all. Everyone was still planning, except for Wes, who said he'd be back in time to leave and that he had huge news.
"Want some help?" I heard behind me, and I turned to see Emmett standing just off the slab of concrete.
"Yeah, sure," I said with a nod. "Grab the tarps, store them behind the wood shed."
"Okay," he agreed, starting to roll up the large piece of covering. "You kinda shot out of the office, bro. You all right?"
"I don't need to go over and over the same thing. I've never needed that fucking shit," I grunted, sliding open the cabin doors. "You know that. To me, it just makes shit worse, makes the crew nervous about making mistakes."
"Captain Fletcher from Saudi Arabia," he chuckled, shaking his head. "That asshole must've thought we were all imbeciles."
"He was good in a fight," I laughed with him, "but damn... repeat, repeat, repeat."
"That day you snapped on him was priceless," Emmett snorted as he dropped the first tarp to the ground behind my work shop. He turned around and started on the second. "Jazz and I were convinced that you'd get Court Marshaled for calling the guy 'Captain Fucking Memorex.'"
I grinned, shaking my head. "KP duty in the Mess Tent for a month was my punishment," I chuckled. "Not to mention he made me transport prisoners to Abu Grahib, no matter what pilot was available. It was a threat..."
Emmett snorted and nodded. "You're just lucky your Dad knew him from basic," he pointed out with a raised eyebrow.
"Fletch was an asshole," we heard behind us, and I looked up to see my dad leaning against the closest tree. "He was an asshole at basic and stayed that way all the way up until his term was over."
"He was that," I agreed, "but he could really fucking fly. One of the best Apache pilots I'd ever seen."
"And he knew it," Emmett added with a laugh. "Pompous bastard."
I opened the pilot door, pulling myself up into the seat and starting my check list. Emmett tossed the next tarp on top of the other one and began refueling her for me. He knew as much about my chopper as I did; he just didn't fly. My dad joined in, setting the sniper equipment that Jasper had gotten ready into the cabin.
We worked in silence as we got her ready. By the time I had started her up and shut her back down, my wife was standing just off of the helipad.
"Hey," she said, waving me down. "Come eat something."
"Yes, ma'am," I told her, jumping down from the pilot seat and slamming the doors. I walked to Bella, kissing her forehead.
"She ready?"
"She is, but I don't know if I am," I admitted to her. "What did you make, sweetness?" I asked, sniffing the air, because something smelled fucking amazing.
She giggled slightly, grabbing my hand. "Charlie's barbecue chicken," she said, tugging me along. "Cooking in mass quantities was proving daunting. The grill was the only way to go. Alec and Esme helped. Come on."
After an amazing dinner – eaten outside, of course – and another round of "what if" scenarios tossed around the dinner table, I found myself helping Rose with clean up.
"You okay?" she asked, glancing up as Emmett breezed through the kitchen with a happy, gurgling Caleb in his arms.
"Yeah," I sighed, putting away as she washed and rinsed, though it was only the big shit, because we'd used as many disposable plates as we could to keep clean up to a fucking minimum.
"I wish I could go with you," she said softly, looking behind her to make sure we were alone. "I never blamed Bella for her hatred for Lilith. That bitch stepped up in my face the day we found her and Ashley."
I snickered, looking over at a woman that most men would consider a beauty queen, but she was tough and smart – deceptively so. "Smack her down, did you?"
"Oh, I wanted to," she huffed, rolling her eyes and shutting off the water. "I'll be in the computer room with Alice and Mack, but I need you to do something for me, Edward."
"What's that?" I asked, putting a large pot away in the bottom cabinet.
"Make sure my Caleb's father comes home to me," she whispered, her worry practically palpable. "He's determined to help you, because he gets it... Hell, we all get it. But he's looking for a fight. I just need him to stick to the plan and..."
"We all feel that way, and he'll be with my dad, Rose," I said, leaning against the counter and folding my arms across my chest. "He's in the best of hands, I swear it. My dad hasn't lost a man since Uncle Garrett, and that was a health issue, not a lack of safety."
Rose nodded, pulling me into a hug. "I'm glad you and Bells are better. I was worried for a moment, because you two need each other more than you think. Good luck tomorrow," she whispered, stepping back. "She's asleep in Bethy's room." A small, but sad smile played on her face. "Go...be together before we all scatter tomorrow. She says she sleeps better when you're with her, and she'll need all the rest she can get."
I nodded, taking a deep breath and letting it out. "Thanks, Rose," I whispered, gripping her shoulder before heading down my hallway.
I crept into Bethy's room, shutting the door behind me. Bella was curled up in a little ball on our daughter's bed, sound asleep. I kicked off my shoes and socks, tugging my t-shirt off over my head. There wasn't a lot of room, but I managed to crawl in between Bella and the wall.
She whimpered in her sleep, her body automatically snuggling closer to mine. I wrapped an arm around her, pulling her back to my chest, and her hand immediately sought out mine, linking our fingers together. Tucking my hand under her cheek, my girl sighed the sweetest, deepest, most contented sigh I'd heard from her since all this shit started.
I closed my eyes, inhaling the flowery scent of her still damp from the shower hair. As just her nearness calmed me, I silently prayed to God – or Whoever was listening – to keep us all safe, to bring my girls home, and to give me the strength to keep my emotions in check and my mind sharp. All our lives depended on it.
~oOo~
BELLA
"Here, love," Edward muttered, handing me one of his black bags at the same time Wes and Alice exploded from the computer room.
"Guys! Get in here!" Wes called.
He'd just gotten back, but hadn't said a word except to Alice, who he'd pulled away from us to do some research. It was so damned early that the sun wasn't even up yet, but the house, the yard, and the office were frantic with movement, hushed conversations, and the sounds of weapons being checked.
I shoved some clothes, my gun, and my cell phone into the bag and zipped it up. I grabbed the another bag just like it and slid it to Makenna.
"Put the money in this," I ordered softly.
"But Carlisle's already got it in a bag," she countered, looking at me like I was crazy.
"Humor me," I huffed, leaving her to it and joining them in front of Alice's screens.
"We have a few issues," Wes said, turning his back to the computers and leaning on the desk to face everyone in the room. "First thing... I have zero doubt in my mind that Walter Bridges is in charge of this shit. Second... There's a reason they picked the train station."
A collective groan rumbled through the group of us as we waited for him to continue.
"Walter Bridges' parents have enough money to have his record cleared," he started, pointing to the screen. "While Walter was in college, he became associated with a small, on-the-fringe militant group known as the D.O.A. – or Disciples of America. They aren't big and don't seem to have any real manifesto. Instead, they focus on whatever hot topic is in the news at the time. They're anarchists that like stirring up trouble, but hold themselves away from the rest of the country. And they don't do anything really violent, but will occasionally show up at events and bully people around."
"A cult?" Emmett asked. "Like Jim Jones?"
"I suppose you could call them that, but they don't have any real beliefs that they follow. From what I can tell, they're basically a group of antisocial people that have removed themselves away from society," he explained. "Like I said, they're small, so they weren't even a blip on the FBI's radar. They like their guns, they like disruption of people's lives, and they like living away from large cities.
"Walter was arrested for drunk and disorderly, disturbing the peace, and assault just prior to his graduation. His father made it go away, but it was then that his parents cut him off from their support. He was an embarrassment to them." Wes pointed to the screen again. "Walter Sr. told us that his son has access to a piece of property that he can't control, because his son inherited it from his grandparents. It's a rather large cabin set up in the mountains of Northern California, just the other side of Oregon."
"Look," Alice stated, pointing to the large screen above. "It's not just for camping. It's a compound. What was a farm, kind of like Aunt Kate's, is now set up like Army barracks."
"Walter's father thinks his son has taken charge. Even worse, that his son was using his position at Shady Glen to recruit new members...which may explain young Kurt. But that's just a guess," Wes said with a shrug. "However, there's a reason he's using Lilith as the vehicle to this shit," he sighed, his eyes landing warily on me, and then Edward. "They've asked for ten million dollars and Bella in trade for those two girls, but I'm willing to bet that the next amount he asks for will be more in exchange for Bella back."
"Why?" Edward snapped, taking my hand and gripping it.
"Because Walter has mouths to feed, followers to take care of, and a shit-ton of taxes to pay on that rather large piece of property, or he loses it. His father thinks he wants to expand up there, but the price of land is steep, and he's repeatedly told his son no."
"That's where he's heading to," Carlisle muttered, almost to himself, but Wes nodded in agreement. "If they get away today, that's where they'll head. It's where he'll feel comfortable and where he'll have backup."
Eleazar took a deep breath, his eyes never leaving the satellite image of the mountain compound. "And the second issue we have today?"
"Senator Ruiz is speaking right across the street from the train station," Wes stated, raising an eyebrow. "You know, the one that's hiking property taxes throughout the state..."
"Oh damn," Jasper huffed. "So the angry little bullies have their target today..."
"Exactly," Wes grunted, folding his arms across his chest. "There's more at stake here than we thought."
Eleazar's sharp, keen eyes landed on Benny, who looked beyond pissed. "Outside the legal box, Ben," he stated gruffly. "Tell me now..."
Benny sighed, shaking his head as he glanced around the room. "The plan stays the same. Nothing changes. Carlisle..." he said, gesturing to my godfather in a sign of surrender.
Carlisle walked a few paces, standing at my side, and placed an arm around my shoulders. "Emmett, Eric, Felix, and Alec...you're with me on the perimeter and the garage. Mickey and Sam, you're shadowing Bella from a distance. Edward...the air is yours with Jasper and Eleazar. Benny, you and your men can set up across the street to protect the attendees of this...political thing, but I need you low profile inside that damn station. The arrest is yours...if this goes smoothly."
Alice spun to Edward. "I have to set you up as media again, Edward. You won't be the only chopper in the air, so watch yourself, okay?"
"Thank you, Alice," he said softly, his thumb rubbing a circular pattern over my knuckles.
She stood up, walked to her little work table that she used for small electronic projects. "Bells," she called, turning to hand me a few things. "Here. This is ready, and so is this," she said, handing me Mr. Bunny and my earpiece as everyone around us broke away to load cars and the chopper.
"Thanks, pixie," I whispered, tucking Mr. Bunny under my arm and placing the earpiece in my ear. I held up the stuffed rabbit, asking, "Calibrated?"
"Calibrated, but not activated. You do that when you're ready...same with the one in your boot. Squeeze them 'til you feel it click," she whispered back. "Why two?" she asked.
"Call it a hunch, Alice," I sighed, shaking my head. "Can you tell the difference between them?"
"Yup, yup, yup," she chanted, but her brow furrowed. "Please be careful," she begged, wrapping me in a hug.
"I will," I breathed, kissing the side of her head. "Stay sharp and do your thing, Alice."
With hugs to Rose and Makenna, I left my office after shoving Mr. Bunny into my bag. I stepped out into my yard to a shit load of activity. Feds were loading up in black sedans and SUVs. Carlisle was having one last word with Benny and Wes. And Edward was giving the chopper one last check.
I walked to my Mustang, where the trunk was already open and the bag of infernal money was already there. I dropped my personal bag on top of it and slammed the lid. I was to drive alone, followed by...well, everyone else, not to mention the angel in the air over me.
Warm, strong arms wrapped around me from behind, and I turned in Edward's arms. He was already wearing his black baseball cap backwards, but his eyes were guarded, fierce.
"You be so safe, sweetness," he ordered, swallowing thickly.
"I will, I promise," I vowed, leaning up to kiss him. "You focus, Edward. Please."
"I don't know what I'll do if something goes wrong today," he groaned, his head falling back with his stress.
"You'll find me like you did the first time," I stated cryptically, raising an eyebrow at him.
His gaze snapped sharply to mine, his mouth gaping just a bit. "You didn't," he gasped.
"I did...or Alice did," I whispered to him. "If something goes wrong...you get with Alice, but stay close. Got me?" I asked, using his same command.
He smirked, nodding, and took a deep breath. "Yes, ma'am."
"I love you, Edward," I breathed against his lips. "So fucking much."
"I love you, too, baby," he said, capturing my mouth with his. "And we'll get her back, love."
I nodded, trying my damnedest not to let my heart run things. We both turned when Carlisle called our names.
"Let's go! Load up!"
One more kiss, and I let Edward go, watching him walk gracefully to his chopper. Once the purr and whine of his engine and blades started, I fell into my driver's seat, cranking up my car.
~oOo~
The whole lot of us sped towards our destination, unhindered by the fear of getting caught for speeding. I was pretty sure that the caravan behind me containing the FBI and the CIA wouldn't allow it anyway. Occasionally along the way, I caught sight of Edward's chopper off to my side, and I was pretty sure that he was doing it on purpose – speeding ahead, only to fall back to keep an eye on me.
My radio was filled with activity in my ear, communication with each other, with Edward, and with the local police to let them know we were coming through. By the time I pulled into the parking garage at the San Francisco train station, the sun was up and I had about forty-five minutes to be in the waiting area. I listened intently as everyone called in with their locations, stated their observations, and Alice and Makenna played eye in the sky with Edward. The three of them lived for that fucking camera mounted underneath his chopper.
"I've got a fairly large crowd gathering across the street, but most of them are making their way towards the stage that's been set up in the park," Alice stated. "The train yard looks convoluted. How the hell does anyone know where they're all going? It just looks like chaos..."
"Mack, anything?" Edward called over the radio.
"Let me zoom in on the faces around the entrance and the atrium of the station, Edward," she answered him. "Give me a few."
That was what I was waiting on. I wanted to see if Mack recognized Lilith, Walter, or any of the others that were working with them. What I really wanted to know was if she spotted Bethy and Abby.
I was parked on the roof of the garage and watched as Edward slowly drifted by several yards in the air. I stood up out of driver's side, slamming the door behind me.
"Carlisle?" I called, looking up when he stepped lightly from the steps that led to the next level down. "Waiting on Mack," I told him, and he stopped, giving me a brusque nod.
"On it, Bells," she sang softly in my ear. "I've got Benny and Wes...north entrance. I've got Mickey and Sam stepping through the food court. I've got you and Poppy on the top shelf of the garage," she snickered, which caused Carlisle to shoot a wink my way from across the parking lot. "And Emmett on the first level of the garage." She paused as Edward swung her around one more pass, though this time, it was along the short term parking lot along across the street, followed by the drop off lane outside along the front entrance. "There it is!" she squealed. "The minivan that was stolen in Olympia. Tan ugly thing pulling up to the entrance now."
"Inside, Mack," I growled, losing my patience and time before I had to have my ass seated in the north end waiting area. "Who's inside?"
"I've got Lilith stepping out, along with...Rusty and Walter. The driver looks like it may be Kurt, but... Shit!" she hissed. "No girls...no Bethy, no Abby. What now?"
"Fuck," I snapped, pushing away from my car where I'd been leaning and walked back to my trunk. "I fucking knew she'd fuck me over..." I grabbed my bag, slinging it over my shoulder. "Alice!" I snapped, slamming the trunk.
"Yeah," she answered sharply.
"Check every hotel that would be en route between here and that fucking compound of Walter's. They've stashed the girls...most likely with Kenny the statutory rapist, but it would have to be close by. Do it now!" I ordered, spinning on my heel to walk toward Carlisle, whose face was fierce as I tossed him the keys to my car.
"What are you..." he started, catching the keys deftly.
"You might want to drive that home. Your money is in it," I sneered, pissed off to no end, beyond reason, because my maternal instincts were saying I was going to kill this bitch to get my daughter back, but the PI in me wanted to fight fire with fire. "If she's going to double cross me, then turnabout's fair play," I grumbled, taking the steps downstairs at practically a run.
"Bella, no!" Edward hissed in my ear.
"Bella," Carlisle said, catching up to me and pulling me to a stop on the next landing. "Are you sure this is the way you want to go? They could follow through with this bomb threat... or...or take you!"
"No matter what they fucking do, they're going to do it without that money," I stated, pointing a thumb behind me. "That still leaves me and the girls as a bargaining chip. From what Wes said...this ridiculous D.O.A. group isn't high violence, but they need this fucking money..."
"Bella...Jesus Christ," Edward groaned. "Baby, don't do this..."
I sighed, trying not to hear the sheer anger and terror in his voice because he couldn't be down on the ground with me. "What do you suggest, Edward?" I countered. "Anyone? Because if we capture them, let Benny arrest them, then we have no fucking clue where Bethy is, and they'll hold out that bit of information. And just what will we have them on? Anyone?" I asked again, but the radio stayed silent in my ear. "Right...nothing. So, let's see what they say when they ask for payment for the girls they didn't bring and I don't have it to give them."
I looked up at Carlisle, who seemed to be running every scenario in his head, but was coming to the same fucking conclusion that I had.
"You're chipped," he stated, giving me an approved once over as I nodded.
"Those girls will need me," I urged, silently begging him to let me go. "They'll take me, but at least I'll be with Bethy and Abby..." I paused, closing my eyes. "Edward...you know what to do..."
My godfather's free hand clenched and released at his side, just like his son's did when he was pissed off and stressed out, but he released my arm. "Go, Bella...your time is drawing close..."
"Bella," Edward called one more time over the radio. "Be safe, love."
"I will," I whispered, squeezing my eyes closed, before grabbing the door that lead into the train station.
~oOo~
BETHY
Abby scooted closer to me when Kenny jumped up from his chair. He walked back and forth by the window of the hotel over and over. He would look at his phone, let out a big breath, and then sit back down again.
We didn't want to be left with Kenny. We liked Kurt, but the mean lady and the new man, who told us to call him Walter, took Kurt with them. Kenny was grumpy and said mean things to us. He'd take away our food if we cried, complained, or spoke out loud at all, but at least he left the TV on.
I missed my mommy and daddy. I wanted to go home. I wanted my Poppy and Gamma, my tree house, and my room. I wanted movies on the couch with Mommy, where she brushed my hair and braided it. I wanted to help Daddy cook, because he let me try it before it was dinner time. And I wanted my own bed, because I couldn't sleep without goodnight kisses from Daddy, without him telling me to have good dreams.
I jumped when Kenny's phone rang and he slammed the door to the next room over.
"Did Kurt mean it?" Abby whispered, keeping an eye on the door.
"I hope so," I whispered back. "He said he was going to get my mommy before we went to the last place."
Kurt had been angry when the lady wanted him to go with her. He wanted to stay with us, but I really thought it was because he didn't like Kenny. At all. They fought all the time.
"I have to potty," I told Abby, scooting down the bed.
"Don't leave me!" she squeaked, grabbing my hand and following me into the bathroom.
We tiptoed to the bathroom, remembering to leave the door open, because the last time we shut it, Kenny got really mad. I went first, and then Abby went, and we both washed our hands.
Something slammed behind us, and we turned around to see the window in the shower bang against the wall. It was loose, and the wind outside was slamming it over and over.
This was the scariest place we had been so far. The rooms were icky and old. They smelled funny, like smoke and the cleaner that Mommy used to mop the floors. The beds were covered in an ugly blanket with funny looking yellow and orange flowers on it. And the bed was lumpy.
When we walked back into the room, Kenny did, too.
"What did I fucking tell you about getting up?" he yelled, and we ran back to the bed.
Abby started to cry, but I shushed her. "Don't cry...it makes him yell more," I whispered to her, and then looked at Kenny. "We had t-to p-potty," I told him.
"I d-don't c-care," he said back, making fun of my voice. "I said don't move and just watch the fucking TV. You little runts make me nervous. Be still and stay the fuck quiet."
"I want my mommy," I told him, trying not to cry.
"We all want your mommy," he sighed, falling into the chair again and looking at his phone. "Soon, you little shit. Soon."
A/N... First thing...the DOA and that train station are completely fictitious...they are all from my rather disturbed brain. So there's no real group out there that I'm writing about...it's all from my imagination. Just wanted ya'll to know that...
Now...there's nothing more dangerous than a pissed off mom... I just gotta tell ya. It's the mother bear thing. So Bella's hell bent on getting Bethy back. I can't say that I blame her, and there's not a protective mother on this earth that wouldn't do the same thing she's about to do, especially with the resources and backup that she has behind her.
Coming up is the ransom drop off...minus the ransom. But you know me...these things never go smoothly, now do they? LOL :)
I need to thank JenRar for her beta'ing this story. Thanks to GooberLou for pre-reading it. And to MedusaInNY for all things blog-ish. Heehee And extra loud I love you to MedusaInNY and les16 for love and all the hugs sent my way. I'm getting there, I promise! ;) Phone communication is open, so that makes things better. Mm'kay? O_o
We're back on schedule for Wed posting. Let me know what you think, how you think it will go down, and I'll see you Wednesday. Until then...Later.