A/N... PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE STARTING THE CHAPTER...Here are the warnings... This is violent and bloody. This is a black-op with stealth; not only are guns involved, but hand to hand annihilation, as well. This is both sides of the fight, too, so it's every emotion known to man, I'm sure. I've been told this needs a TISSUE warning by both JenRar and GooberLou. I've also been told by the both of them that it's the best fight I've written. I don't know about that, but I do know that this was the hardest chapter that I've ever put down. It's details alone were difficult... Well, anyone that writes, understands that your characters are like your own children...you love them endlessly. Okay?
I know you're worried. And when this chapter is done...I ask that you read the bottom A/N's, too.
Strap in, hold on...
CHAPTER 20
EDWARD
The truck was eerily quiet as we trundled down the road. It had been that way since we'd left the farm. The only sounds I could hear were weapons checks, the shifting of boots, and the occasional sound of velcro ripping open as someone made sure they had all their gear.
I watched without really seeing as Mickey taped her wrists with black tape across from me, only to tug on the gloves she always wore. The fingers were exposed, leaving her knuckles and palms protected from the heat and kick a gun could generate. She silently offered me the tape, but I shook my head and waved it off. However, Jasper took it. He liked giving his fingers a non-skid surface when it came down to his sniper. It kept sweat from making his grip slippery.
My eyes traveled down the line, and memories of missions before this came flying to the surface – both military and mercenary. I snatched my hat off, running my hand through my hair, and tugged it back on. I'd been a cocky, ballsy motherfucker then. I'd been single, young, confident in my abilities, and I'd had absolutely no fucking fear.
Now, I wasn't any of those things.
I was a father and husband – two roles that took precedence above all fucking else – but for one night, I needed to shut it all off. I needed to lean on my abilities, find the confidence that I still carried, which was currently hiding behind my fear of leaving my girls and my new little one on the way.
Grimacing and swallowing thickly at that last thought, I turned my head when Sam nudged my shoulder. He offered me the face paint, and I took it. Mickey held the mirror for me, and with every swipe of the greasy shit, I let go of what was most important, what I'd left back at the farm. Otherwise, I'd get myself or someone else killed. It really was all I could do not to jump out the back of the motherfucking truck and walk back to the goddamn farm.
Once my skin was covered, I dug around in my pockets, pulling out a small plan that we all had of the layout of the cabin. I clicked on a small flashlight, memorizing it. Not that I hadn't already done it, but it gave me something to focus on.
"We should take that trench by hand before we do anything," Sam rumbled as he loomed over my shoulder.
"I was thinking the same thing," I murmured back, pointing to the front entrance, which was my team's entry point. "El and J can take this one on the east, Em's got the back, so in order to let Ned and Harry take these turrets, we're going to have to give them this opening," I told him, and he nodded in agreement.
"I'm not so sure that we all shouldn't take the trenches like that," my dad added, and suddenly, everyone was leaning forward. "Stealth, quiet... Clear the forest before we even come close to the fucking fences."
"Okay," El grunted in agreement. "We'll go in silent. Knives only."
I grunted and nodded, folding my map that I'd probably never look at again and tucking it and the flashlight back into one of my side pockets.
"Once we do that," Alec said, sitting back in his seat, "once the outside perimeter is clear, then I say light the fucking place up. Take that far bird's nest out with a big ass boom."
Emmett chuckled and nodded. "Oh, hell, fuck... Yeah."
"Fine," Eleazar said, a small smirk gracing his features. "Do it. We'll alert the girls of the change when we stop to unload, because that can be the beta team's signal to get into position."
The truck fell silent again as we accepted the change in plans. By the time we came to a stop, everyone was completely camouflaged, wearing faces of determination and pure hate. This type of group, this cult type situation never made sense to people like us. Yeah, sure... We loved our guns, but we didn't hole ourselves away from society. We didn't have an agenda to take out some company or its building. And we never, ever wanted to harm or destroy innocent lives. There were no innocent lives at this cabin, as far as we were concerned. Everyone was guilty, and we were the judge, jury, and executioner.
It ended tonight.
The engine shut off, and we all piled out of the back of two trucks, falling in around Eleazar. I tugged my bag across my chest, unzipping it for one last check. Grenades, plastic explosives, and detonators were just a few things I'd made sure to bring. I secured my automatic rifle across my chest, as well, spinning it to my back. It wouldn't be needed just yet.
"Okay, ladies," my dad said over the radio. "Talk to us."
"Hello, boys," Alice sang slowly through our earpieces, and the men chuckled a hello back. "I need to hear a hello from all you, please. One at a time."
Twenty-one men checked in, calling their names over the radio. That was everyone that would be in contact to the girls back at the farm.
"Perfect," Bella chimed in, and just hearing her voice put my mind at complete ease. "Everyone is loud and clear. Cameras... Sam, I need yours higher. Emmett, your shoes look good, but I need to look straight out, big guy."
We all chuckled up at Emmett, who grinned like a kid as he straightened his camera.
"Spike, please make sure yours is on, because I'm not getting anything," she continued. "Jasper and Harry, yours are perfect."
"I try, Miss Bella. It's hard to be humble when I'm this perfect," Harry said haughtily over the radio, which only resulted in a punch to his arm from his brother, Ned, and a glorious laugh from my girl.
"I know, Harry, but do try to tone down your awesomeness for just one night, okay?" she snarked right back at him, and we all laughed. "Manny?" she called.
"Yes, ma'am?" Reyes answered, his eyes wide. He'd been the man on the beta team I'd suggested to Bella to put a camera on.
"You're either sweating to death, or you got face paint on my lens, sweetie. Can you wipe it down?"
I grinned, because she could command a whole group of men with just that sweet voice. Sam and Alec chuckled beside me at Reyes' pink face.
"Oh, shit, sorry," Reyes gasped, tugging the camera off of his shoulder to wipe it down. "Better, ma'am?"
"Yes, thank you," she chuckled. "And it's Bella. Relax, Manny. You don't answer to me, so no ma'am necessary."
That broke the last of the tension quickly, because those of us that really knew her understood that she just wanted to be a team player. Her calm demeanor was helping me relax, even though I knew she was practically sick with worry. She had officially put herself in work mode, and if she could do it, I could do it, too. I would've loved to have her right beside me, but she could run the info team like no one's business.
I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding as the tension slowly eased into the groove I'd always found during a mission.
"Got me now, Miss Bella?" Spike asked, clipping his camera back in place on his shoulder.
"There it is," she sighed. "We're good here, El."
"Thanks, Bella," Eleazar answered her. "And just to let you know, there's been a slight change in plans."
Once he explained what we were doing, what they needed to watch out for, Bella's voice came back over the radio.
"If that's the case, then we'll do our best to watch your background via thermal and the cameras. And all teams check in when you get to your entry point, yes?" she asked.
"Yes, ma'am," we all grunted back to her.
"Fine... Ma'am, it is," she sighed dramatically, but I could hear her smile through the earpiece.
"You heard her," Eleazar barked. "Get to your point and check in."
"Sir," we grunted, breaking off into our teams.
The night was cool, almost chilly, as Alec, Sam, and I double-timed it through the woods. It was actually a relief that it was a bit cooler, considering how much equipment we were wearing. It was a little over two miles to my team's entry point, though we stopped way outside the line of sight from the cabin.
"Alpha One is in position," I breathed over the radio.
"Okay, Edward," Alice stated. "Hang tight."
"Ten-four," I answered, giving silent signals to Sam and Alec, because I'd just caught movement in the trench right ahead.
Two more teams checked in – Eleazar's and my father's – but they were the closest entry point. Emmett's, Harry's, and the Beta team had farther to run.
"You've got three heat sources in your trench, Edward," Alice advised. "Jasper, you've got two, but you've also got three up top in that nest. Carlisle, I'm looking at four...and one taking a leak by a tree not far from where you are. I'd wait until his ass is back in that trench before moving."
We all answered her immediately, but waited to move until we finally heard the rest of the teams check in.
"Alpha Four on target," Emmett whispered.
"Good," Bella answered. "And Manny, I see your team behind Alpha One. Perfect. Don't move."
"Ma'am," Manny whispered.
"On my mark," Eleazar grunted over the radio, "clear the first stage."
I nodded to Alec, and he started his slow, silent approach toward our trench. He was taking the right, while Sam was taking the guy in the middle, leaving me the man on the left. We had to navigate around the trees to make sure we were coming up behind them, between the trench and the cabin fence line.
Our job was to clear the trench so Harry's team could make their approach. They would use that to get inside the compound and take out the turrets, while we took care of the front gate guards.
"Now," El ordered. His command was quiet and calm, but there was no mistaking the urgency in that single word.
Alec and Sam split away from me as I used the trees to hide out of sight. I dropped to the ground behind some foliage, pulling my knife from my boot. The trenches were dug like old-school military – deep enough to hide a man if he crouched down when he walked. I could see the closest man stationed behind an automatic weapon aimed out toward the forest. Movement from my left caught my peripheral vision as a guard walked the fence.
"Alpha One stand still," I ordered quietly. "On me," I grunted, pushing myself along the ground until I was right behind my target. With one last check to the fence behind me, I looked to my left, this time seeing that my team was in place. I nodded to them both, slipping silently into the trench behind the guard.
He didn't hear me land behind him. He didn't hear me breathe. But he did struggle once when my hand wrapped around his mouth, bringing my knife to his throat. With one quick jerk, his blood spilled to the dirt of the trench. His body thudded softly, as did the other two bodies down the ditch line.
"Alpha Five," I grunted, kneeling down to look toward the cabin. "You're clear to proceed," I hissed.
"Ten-four," Harry called, and it didn't take long until we were joined by him, Ned, and Phillip, a fairly young agent of Eleazar's, although he was holding his own just fine.
"Beta Teams One and Two, move forward into your second positions and fucking hold them," I ordered.
"Ten-four," Manny answered, as did Beta Two's leader.
"Edward, hold your position," Bella ordered in my ear. "You've got a pair of heat sources walking the fence line and what looks like two more coming out the gate."
"On it," I answered her, snapping my fingers to Alec and Harry, because they were the farthest down the trench and could easily sneak up behind the two walking the fence.
Sam and Phillip took the two coming from the gate, and in less than thirty seconds, four more bodies fell to the bottom of the ditch.
"We're clear, sweetness," I told her, unable not to speak to her that way. Having her in my ear was giving me the same team feelings as if she were in the fucking trench with me.
"Good," she grunted. "Carlisle's still clearing his trench. El's is clear, but they're taking the first nest now. Emmett has cleared his, but he still needs to set up in position to take out that second nest."
"Am I clear to take the gate?" I asked her.
"Yes," Alice chimed in. "You've got two at the gate...two in the guard shack. Go, go, go."
Alec, Sam, and I crawled up out of the trench, leaving Harry's team to watch our backs. There were two guards on either side of the gate and one guard station. My next goal was to get us inside that fucking shack for cover first. Someone would notice if the two at the gate suddenly were no longer there.
We paused just on the other side of the treeline at the same time that Eleazar called the first nest captured.
"Alphas One, Three, and Five..." he barked. "You're covered. The southeast end of the compound is completely clear," he stated, which meant he not only killed the men in his assigned trench, but he'd taken out every guard on the bird's nest and whoever was walking the fence line. He would be able to cover my team, my dad's, and Harry's from his high perch.
"I've got a gun turret in my sight," my dad stated, which meant he'd finally finished clearing his trench. "I've also got movement in the tents closest to my fence line."
"Don't move, Carlisle," Alice snapped. "Every last one of you needs to watch those tents once you're inside. Got me?"
"Ma'am," Eleazar answered for us. "I don't want to make a single fucking sound until the last minute, because if we can clear the trenches, the fence, and that guarded gate, then we can let Emmett take that last bird's nest." He waited long enough to hear every team answer him, and then said, "Alpha One...take that guard shack. Now!"
Running at a crouch, Alec and I made our way to the back door of the guard shack. Two men inside were seated on stools, drinking coffee. They were sitting facing the gate itself, but weren't paying all that much attention to just who was coming in the door behind them; their conversation about the last women they were with was more important.
"The bitch was pissed that I'd tied her up and left her there," one chuckled, and I rolled my eyes to Alec, who was shaking his head.
"Aw, hell...the hotel's cleaning lady would've found her. What the fuck was she worried about?" the other one chuckled.
"The Do Not Disturb sign I left on the door," the first one laughed.
I smirked, because I knew Alec well enough to know that he just couldn't let that conversation go without saying something, and I was so fucking right.
"Tsk, tsk, that's no fucking way to treat a lady, boys," he told them in a low voice, and as soon as the words were out of his mouth, we snatched them off of their stools, cutting their throats so that they couldn't make a fucking sound. We dropped their bodies to the shack floor.
"Nice," Jasper chuckled over the radio, which meant he'd watched the whole thing through his scope. "Alec, is rudeness punishable by death?"
"It should be," he chortled softly, looking out the guard shack window with me.
"If that's the case," Bella chuckled, "there's this girl at my doctor's office..."
I grinned, shaking my head. "Bella..."
"You name the time, Bellissima," he snickered, squeezing my shoulder.
"Okay, Alpha Five, get ready to cut the fence. I want you ready to take out those turrets. Okay?" Eleazar stated, and for a split second, I envied his overlooking view of the entire compound.
I turned to Alec, pointing out the window. "Sam's in position on the other side of the gate. When he moves, we move. Got me?" I asked, and he nodded. I turned back out the window. "Sam, on you."
This would be the touchiest part of the first phase. We knew this. We knew that as out in the open as the the gate was, we were taking a chance at being seen.
"Everyone, brace yourselves," Eleazar warned. "When Alpha One takes that gate, Emmett, you blow that bird's nest away." Again, he waited until we all agreed, and then said, "Now, Edward."
Sam stepped from the shadows at the same time we walked out of the guard shack. Before either of them could react, someone from inside the compound called out.
"The gate! The gate!"
"Aw, fuck," I groaned, taking my Glock from my shoulder holster, and pulling the trigger at the man's head in front of me at the same time Sam snapped the neck of the guard in front of him.
"Now, Em. Now!" Eleazar said, and our silence was completely shattered.
The sweet, hissing sound of the RPG that Emmett fired was followed by a huge explosion and screams for backup. Men poured out of the cabin, the shed, the tents, and even the fucking tractor trailer at the back of the property. Gunfire sounded from every direction, including the machine gun turrets at three different locations.
My team dove for cover behind a fallen tree, lifting our automatic weapons into position at the same time Harry called that his fence was open.
"Go, Harry," I snapped, firing off several rounds at the men piling out of the house. They fell immediately to the porch floor. "We'll cover your asses. Go!"
Alec aimed toward the turret in the middle, taking out the gunner, who was quickly replaced by the man beside him.
"Emmett, that next nest! Fire, now!" Eleazar ordered, because my dad's team was being held down at the fence line, due to the fire that was aimed his way.
"On it," Emmett growled, and then grunted, as a fiery trail arched sweetly through the canopy, finally destroying a tree at the far end corner of the property.
Harry's team made it to the guard shack, and he pulled the pin on a grenade, tossing it at the closest turret.
"Alpha One and Alpha Four," Eleazar called. "I need those tents and that back shed cleared. Go, go, go."
It was smart thinking on El's part, really. He was sending my team in from the front and Emmett's team in from the back, catching the trailer, some of the tents, and the shed in the middle. Harry's team, who was going straight up the middle, launched another grenade at the third turret at the same time my father called out that he'd taken the second. All the machine guns were ours.
Bullets zinged in from every direction, coming mostly from the house and the shed, as my team ran from safety point to safety point. However, there were calls from the Beta team that they were catching a few runners.
"Fuck this shit!" Mickey growled, and I watched from my location just east of the guard shack as she threw a grenade through the cabin window so hard that a professional baseball pitcher would have envied her. A whole bedroom was now exposed, as well as several enemies.
"Got 'em," Eleazar called, taking down three men at the same time Mickey and my father took down the rest.
"Edward, watch yourself," Bella warned. "You've got too much movement in that shed and behind it. Emmett, watch that trailer, but watch that friendly fire, too. You don't want to kill each other!"
"Ten-four," we both answered her, my team sending a spray of bullets all through the treeline, fence, and tents surrounding the shed.
"Em, stand your ground and watch the back side of the shed and trailer," I snapped, pulling the pin on a grenade and tossing it between two sets of tents, which took out a few hidden enemies, as my team and I took cover behind some trees. "I'm working my way to you. We'll take that shed at the same time. Got me?"
"Got it, Eddie," he answered, calling out orders to his own team.
"Take out that trailer, Emmett," Eleazar order. "Blow the whole thing to hell."
"Carlisle!" Bella called over the radio. "You've got movement out the rear entry of the house. Beta Team Two, watch it!"
"I see 'em," Spike answered, and something small exploded inside the cabin.
"Sam, I see movement on your right," Alice advised. "Forty degrees east. The clump of trees. See him?"
"I do," I answered her, mainly because I was just fucking used to her over the top details. To me, they were fucking perfect. "Right...there," I growled, aiming at the spot Alice was talking about. The three of us fired into the brush, ducking when a grenade went off, but a body fell forward, no longer moving.
"Asshole was going to blow us up," Alec scoffed, shaking his head.
"Can't imagine why," Sam said wryly.
I grinned, ignoring their sarcasm. "Em, what's the status on the trailer?"
"Thirty seconds and counting," he grunted. "Everyone, brace yourselves."
"Jasper, the second floor window," Bella advised.
"And would you look at that?" Jasper drawled. "If I don't see our little cowardly friend Walter up in there..."
"No shit?" Bella gasp. "Take the fucking shot," she ordered.
"Oh, Bellissima's out for blood," Alec sang, grinning as we worked our way closer to where a handful of enemies were hiding behind a few old cars.
"No shot, no shot, but..." Jasper paused when the trailer that Emmett had set with explosives lit up the night sky and the surrounding forest.
"Damn, that's pretty," Emmett crooned over the radio. "Makes me want to hum Glory, Glory, Hallelujah," he chuckled.
"Jazz?" Bella called again. "The shot?"
"Fuck, no need," he gasped. "Someone just put a gun to his head inside that top room and pulled the fucking trigger. I don't have a line of sight for who, but Walter's down...out. Gone."
"Do not underestimate Lilith," Bella snapped. "Carlisle!"
"I know, Bells," he said, trying to soothe her. "We're closing in on the house. I need Beta Team Two to rush forward...watch the back."
"Ten-four," one of them said.
"Beta One, go ahead and close in on the front gate," Eleazar ordered. "We're pushing through the front part of the compound. Edward, Emmett...I need that shed taken."
Shots zinged around us, and I growled. "Hang on! Fuck, we're held down temporarily," I grumbled, taking the RPG that Sam was handing me. "Maybe I'll luck the fuck out and there will be gas still left in those old beater cars."
I loaded the weapon, locked my sight on the first car, and pulled the trigger. The old Buick bowed up, sending three men scattering and four dead. Metal and glass, rubber and seat cushions rained down all around us, but at least the fuckers could no longer hide behind the fucking car.
"I've got strays," I ordered, and Alec and Sam opened fire, as did a sniper shot from behind me.
"You're clear to that fucking picnic table, Ed," Eleazar grunted. "Right, girls?"
"Yes," Bella stated, "but you've got a shit-ton of activity in that shed. There's no telling what's in it. Watch yourselves."
"Yes, ma'am," I stated, weaving with Sam and Alec to the overturned table. I knelt behind it for cover. "Emmett, we're on point."
"We are, too," he answered right back.
"Bella, give me an update on everyone else. What do you see?" I ordered.
"Spike's setting charges on the cabin. Carlisle and Mickey are working through every room of the house, coming through the front, with Beta Two coming in the back. Beta One is working their way to you, catching a few strays here and there, but your back is covered. Emmett is now at the back of the shed. Harry's team is about forty yards from you, but is in position to help you," she rattled off, and that shit couldn't have been easy.
"Perfect, sweetness, thank you," I sighed, giving the shed door a wary glance. "Harry, move in toward the shed. We'll take it at the same time. Watch for Em on the other side when we crack this bitch open like a lobster. Got me?"
"How you want to do this, Ed?" Emmett asked.
"I want you to turn the lights on in the kitchen. My team and Harry's will step on the roaches," I ordered, pulling my rifle around from my back and setting it on the edge of the table. Alec and Sam followed suit. "On my mark, Em!"
"Sir," he grunted, and I knew him well enough to know that his RPG was already loaded. He usually kept it that way.
"El! Two snipers my way," I called. "Keep one on that fucking cabin!"
"We've got you, Ed," Eleazar stated, and then ordered Beta One to move in and spread out behind me.
"I'm blowing this cabin the second you crack open that shed," Spike advised.
Shots rang out from inside the house, and we all froze for just a moment, looking that way. My father and Mickey came tumbling out the doors, Mickey ordering, "Blow it now! That bitch is hiding inside somewhere!"
One or the both of them were hurt, I couldn't quite tell, but they fell to the ground inside one of the machine gun turrets behind the safety of the sandbags.
"Dad?"
"I'm okay, son... Go! Finish this shit!" he snapped.
"Em, Spike...on three," I growled, turning my head back to the shed and aiming my weapon. "One...two...three!"
It looked like fucking World War III when the entire place fucking blew. Em's RPG not only shattered the back wall of the shed, but it blew open the front, as well. The cabin, which Spike had rigged with plastic explosives or TNT or some shit, actually shifted on its foundations. A ball of fire billowed high in the air when the rooftop of the cabin collapsed in on itself.
"Fire at will!" I ordered, because anyone that was inside that fucking shed started to run, firing at us with handguns, shotguns, and rifles.
Eleazar and Eric picked off plenty with smooth precision. Alec and Sam opened fire on a group of about six men that decided to head for the woods. They didn't make it past the edge of the shed. Four men ran blindly – and shot blindly – straight out the shed's front door, and I fired rapid shots, taking them down in a heap in front of me. Harry's men caught another wave, and the place fell quiet.
"Don't fucking move, Edward," Alice and Bella both barked into the radio.
"You've still got heat sources inside. Got me?" Bella snapped.
"Ma'am," I panted, not from weariness, but from the adrenaline that was coursing through me.
A few shots rang out from the back of the shed, Emmett calling, "I've got movement!"
"They're heading your way, Edward," Bella stated. "Two...from behind the door."
I'm really not sure exactly what the fuck happened next. My team got ready to take the two sons of bitches out, but the two that stepped into the doorway of the shed caused a panic in Sam. One man raised a rocket launcher at the same time the other opened fire with an automatic rifle. The table we'd been hiding behind disintegrated.
"Eddie, get down!" Sam yelled, knocking me to the ground, his heavy body covering mine.
A whirlwind of bullets opened fire all at once in a fairly short burst, and stopped just as quickly as it started. It was then that the pain hit me full force, and when I noticed that Sam wasn't moving.
~oOo~
BELLA
It seemed the whole dining room had stopped fucking breathing, because all communication over the radio had gone eerily silent.
My eyes scanned the cameras. Jasper's team was suddenly on their feet, climbing down out of the bird's nest. Spike's camera showed that Carlisle and Mickey were wounded, but okay. Manny's camera shook as he and his team ran toward the shed. Harry was holding his position. Emmett was still holding steady at the back of the property, but Sam's camera showed...nothing.
"Christ," I breathed, pacing behind my girls and Aunt Kate, where I'm pretty sure I'd worn a groove in the carpet. "Someone better start talking...and I mean right fucking now..." I muttered, mainly to my girls, but I'm pretty sure the sound traveled over the headset.
At that point, the radio exploded with activity.
"Report in! All of you!" Eleazar ordered as he followed Jasper's running form.
"Beta One is fine...one minor injury," Manny breathed heavily, and I could see by his camera that he was kneeling over a man that was holding his arm.
"Beta Two...fine."
"Alpha Three...two with minor injuries," Carlisle snapped, and from the look of his face through Spike's camera, he was pissed, but his attention was aimed elsewhere.
"Alpha Five...clear," Harry added.
"Alpha Four...all accounted for. No injuries," Emmett panted, running through the destroyed shed. "My section is clear."
I could practically see Rose's body sag in relief, but then we all realized that Alpha One hadn't checked in.
I shook my head. "Someone better give me a status on Alpha One..."
"Clear," Alec's voice came over the radio, and it was soft, subdued. "One casualty, one injury."
The girls forced me into a chair when my knees gave out, my voice almost a squeak when I said, "Edward?"
"Answer her!" Edward growled over the radio. "Christ!"
"Shit, Bells," Emmett sighed. "Eddie's hurt, but Sam...he didn't make it."
My head fell to my hands as I wasn't really sure what I was feeling. There was panic at the thought of Edward hurt, there was relief at the belligerent tone of his voice, and there was the ultimate sadness at the loss of a man that I had truly come to love.
"How hurt?" I asked over the radio.
"Give me my fucking earpiece, for fuck's sake," Edward snapped, and I almost smiled at his crankiness, if it weren't so fucking serious. "Baby, I'm fine, okay? It's just...fuck, shrapnel."
"Emmett, show me!" I commanded, leaning in toward the screen when Emmett knelt next to Edward.
Edward had Jasper, Eleazar, and Alec holding his leg and tying a tourniquet around his upper thigh, where what looked to be a piece of wood was lodged. Edward was in pain, but the wound was on the outside of his leg, not near the femoral artery, and he was cursing like a fucking sailor.
"Fuck, baby," he growled, fighting off everyone that was near him. "I swear I'll be okay. Please, please don't panic..."
I nodded, though I knew he couldn't see me, because he was more worried about me than his own personal well being. "And Sam?" I whispered, though I knew he could hear me.
The radio went quiet again, but this time, I could see Edward give pointed looks to everyone, and Alec answered, "Sam died...protecting Ed... He saw them step from the shadows, shoved me out of the way, and launched himself at Edward. He took the bullet aimed for Edward at the same time we dove from the RPG."
I shook my head, tugging off my headset and throwing it down onto the table. I turned around to see Esme leaning in the doorway, practically gnawing on her thumbnail. I flew to her, because I didn't know what I wanted more – to throw up, or scream.
"Kate," Esme said softly as her arms wrapped around me, "I know they need to clean up, sort through things at the cabin. But you tell them I said to bring all injured men back to this house ASAP."
"I got it," Alice said softly, and she switched the radio on to speaker. "Eleazar, come in."
"Yes, Alice," he sighed.
"Esme wants all wounded back here immediately," she told him.
Through Jasper's camera, I watched as Eleazar stood up, surveying his surroundings. He scratched his head, and then nodded. "Fine. I'll see what I can do. Ed's losing some blood, and I think Carlisle needs looking at. And they're not the only ones."
"Come on, sweetie," Esme sighed. "You can help me get ready for them."
I nodded, but turned to my girls. "Keep watching the thermal. And tell me the second they're heading this way."
"Got it, Bells," Mack said, her own nasty habit coming back as she practically chewed her nails down to nothing. Hell, I didn't even have it in me to stop her.
Rose and Aunt Kate got up from the table to join us. With Obie's and Tom's help, we pulled out every towel, every medical supply, and every blanket Aunt Kate owned, not to mention Esme's own supplies. Rose cleaned whatever equipment Esme handed her, disinfecting it with alcohol. The living room furniture was all moved aside, and Obie set up folding tables.
"They're on the way," Alice said, peeking in the door. "They said to tell you that you've got three with minor injuries, and two not so minor." She winced when she looked at me. "Edward's bleeding pretty badly, Carlisle and Mickey have some pretty bad bullet grazes, a man named Smith got caught in the arm, and Felix was hit...they didn't know it when Em checked in for his team. He's got a through and through, they said."
Esme nodded, spreading sheets over the tables. "We'll handle it," she stated, calmer than I'd expected her to be, though she always handled emergencies better than any of us.
"They also said to tell you that they're sending Jasper and Alec with them to help you," Alice continued. "The rest are going to clean up the compound before heading back."
"Fine," I sighed, sorting through bandages and meds. "I need one of you to stay on the radio and monitor the video as best you can, and one of you out here when they come in."
"No prob," Alice stated. "I'll see what Mack wants..."
"And shit," I sighed, glancing up at the clock. "By the time they get here, the sun will be coming up." I spun to look at Esme. "Bethy can't see her dad hurt or Carlisle. She'll freak the hell out."
"We'll figure it out, Bells," Rose said calmly. "Caleb will be up by then, too."
It was the longest fucking wait I'd ever had to endure. I paced, I threw up – twice – and then I paced some more. Alec checked in two times on the top of each hour as he drove, but he couldn't give updates on anyone, because Jasper was in the back with them all. I needed to fucking see my husband, needed to fucking touch him. I knew he was worried more about me than himself, but every time they said he was losing blood, my heart sank.
I was rooted to the front steps of the house as I wrapped my arms around my middle.
"Child, you need to calm down," Aunt Kate soothed, plopping down next to me. She pulled me to her, whispering, "You can't make yourself sick, Bella. You have to stay calm for the baby."
"I know," I sniffled, fighting with all that I had not to panic. "It's harder when he's not in front of me."
She smiled, kissing the side of my head. "Right, when he's fighting you tooth and nail."
I chuckled, biting my bottom lip. "Yes, well... At least then I know he's okay."
"Exactly," she chuckled, and we both looked up when one of the trucks pulled into the drive.
We were up off the steps together instantly. Aunt Kate ordered Alec to back up to the front door, which he did, practically tearing up the front lawn in the process.
Tom and Obie bolted out the front door, with Esme close behind them, as Jasper slung the back door of the truck open. Inside was fucking chaos.
"I can fucking walk, Obie," Mickey growled, pointing behind her. "Help Jasper get Edward in the house. Tom, help me with Carlisle."
"You got him?" I asked, stopping them all to look at Carlisle's leg, and she nodded. "Talk to me, Carlisle."
"I'll live. It's just a graze, sweetheart, but if my son doesn't set eyes on you soon, he's going to tear the fucking truck apart," he said, rolling his eyes.
I dove inside the truck, narrowly missing Felix and the man from Beta One. Falling on my knees beside my husband, I grabbed his face. "Hey," I said, giving his leg a glance.
Two rough hands grasped my face. "Love, I'm okay. I promise."
I kissed his palm and nodded, but he was pale and a little shaky. Jasper started to move him, with Obie at his shoulders, but I said, "Wait! Don't move him yet. Let me see this leg."
I wasn't Esme; I couldn't look at a wound and see just how bad it was, but even I could tell the shrapnel in Edward's leg was lodged in the muscle. I could also see that even though he was losing blood, it wasn't in spurts. I tightened his tourniquet a little tighter, causing him to wince.
"Sorry, baby," I soothed, rubbing his arm. I looked to Jasper. "Get him inside onto one of the tables. Carefully. Try not to jar him too much, because I don't want that...thing moving until Esme can look at it."
"Got it," Jasper said, his face grim. "Hang on, Ed." With a nod to Obie, they lifted Edward up by his shoulders and lower legs.
I turned around, my heart sinking when I saw a covered form at the very back of the truck behind the cab.
"Sam," Felix said sadly, slipping off the end of the truck and offering me a hand. "Edward wouldn't be here without him," he stated, waving me forward. He was holding his arm, but he seemed okay. "Come on, I'll help you out."
I took his hand and stepped down. "Let me see," I said, reaching for his shoulder.
"No," he grunted, moving away from me. "I've had worse. Go inside. I'll let you look after you've taken care of Edward."
"Goddamn it!" my husband's foul mouth echoed out the front door, and I bolted inside.
The living room was a mess. Rose and Mickey were cleaning up Carlisle's leg. Aunt Kate was tending to the Beta team member, but it was taking three people to work on Edward. I darted around everyone, grabbing his paint covered face again.
"Hey, let them look at you," I growled low, yanking off his hat and tossing to the floor. "I know it hurts, baby, but your daughter is asleep right down the hall. You do not want her seeing this."
He flinched, but nodded as I wiped the sweat from his brow.
"I need to see this wound," Esme ordered, "and I need to see if he's hurt anywhere else."
Edward winced, hissing at the movement when we started removing his vest and his boots. Jasper and I worked efficiently and as quickly as we could, while Esme cut his pants up the leg at the same time I cut his shirt off. She was just about to remove the tourniquet, but gave me a pointed look first.
"Edward, eyes on me, baby," I said, cupping his face with one hand and running my fingers through his hair with the other. "She's going to give you something for the pain, okay?" I asked him as Esme got a syringe ready, and he nodded slowly, deep, pain-filled eyes boring into mine.
"I'm sorry about Sam," he murmured, reaching for my face.
"Not now, baby," I sighed, shaking my head at him. "It wasn't your fault, sweetheart."
"You're keeping him calm, Bells," Jasper whispered in my ear, stepping just close enough to block Edward's sight of his own leg. "Keep it up, because she's about to take that shard out. Hangin' in there, Ed?" he asked, and Edward nodded sharply, his mouth in a tight, thin line.
Edward's face scrunched up in pain when Esme plunged the needle into his leg. She pulled away the belt that someone had strapped around his upper thigh, and with one last glance to me, she proceeded to work the piece of wood out of his leg.
I nodded, taking one of Edward's hands in mine. His eyes were now a little glazed, but he must've been able to feel something, because his whole body shook and a low, grunting growl escaped him through gritted teeth.
"Squeeze our hands, baby," I whispered to him as I placed kisses on Edward's jaw, the face paint be damned.
Jasper picked up Edward's other hand, both of us wincing at the strength Edward squeezed against us, his knuckles white with the pressure he was putting on us. I could almost feel when Esme had gotten the biggest part of it out of him, because his whole body relaxed.
"Jasper, reach back and apply pressure for me," Esme ordered.
Jasper did as he was told, pushing down on Edward's leg with a clean towel with one hand, while still holding Edward's hand with his other.
"Good job," I breathed against his skin. "Look at me," I told him, and his tired eyes rolled my way. "She's cleaning you up, Edward, and then you'll get stitched up. It's almost over, baby."
"'Kay," he sighed, and I could tell that the morphine that she'd shot him up with was now really starting to work, because his eyes were a brilliant, but glazed over green. "Love you, sweetness," he mumbled.
I snickered, kissing his nose. "Love you, too, Edward. Keep still for me, okay?"
Esme numbed his leg in order to clean the wound of all debris. Just before she made the first stitch, she glanced up to me.
"No major blood vessels, but his muscle will have to heal on its own. He'll be fine, sweetie," she soothed. "No running for a while."
I smiled in relief and her teasing of him, even though he was pretty out of it at this point. My body sagged with it, and I leaned over Edward, fighting my tears and letting out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding.
"Oh, shit, Bells," Jasper gasped, his eyes wide as they looked behind me.
My head spun and my heart sank, because my daughter was taking in every-fucking-thing in that living room, with tears coursing down her face.
"Bethy," I breathed, letting go of Edward's hand. "Jazz, stay with him, please," I begged, and he nodded as I scooped her up as quickly as I could and took her into the kitchen.
"D-Daddy?" she gasped, tears filling her eyes. "What's wrong wif Daddy? Why's he bleedin'?" she asked, her voice getting louder.
"Shh, pretty girl," I soothed her, setting her on the counter. "Daddy got hurt, but he's okay."
"I want to see him," she cried, fighting me to get down, but I held her fast. "I want Daddy!"
"Shh, baby," I said, my own tears threatening to fall. "Not now, but soon, Bethy. I promise."
"Poppy," she sobbed as Carlisle hobbled into the kitchen, his face unreadable. "I want Daddy," she told him, reaching for him.
"Easy, little one," he soothed her, coming to stand beside me. "Give Gamma and Mommy a chance to fix him up, and then you can see him."
"No!" she wailed, and not for the first time was I fucking grateful that Edward had made it home, even though he was hurt, because my daughter couldn't live without him.
"Let's go for a walk," he told her, and my head spun to look at him. He chuckled when I raised an eyebrow at him, glancing down at his leg, before he kissed my cheek. "I'm fine," he snickered, pulling back to look at me. "I'm okay. Get back in there. Bethy and I are going to get some air."
"Poppy, no," Bethy argued, shaking her head.
"Elizabeth Renee," I said, cupping her face. "I promise as soon as Gamma says so, you can see Daddy, but he's sleeping right now, okay?"
She hiccuped a sob, sniffling a little, but finally wrapped her arms around Carlisle's neck, letting him pull her off the counter. He seemed to be walking gingerly, but made his way out the front door.
I walked back into the living room and checked on Edward first.
"He's out," Jasper chuckled. "Like gone. Esme gave him a little more morphine after she finished the stitches and wrapped him up. Want him in his room?"
"Let him stay for now," I sighed, running my fingers through Edward's hair. "We'll move him in a bit, and I'll have to clean him up before his daughter sees him again."
"Right," he agreed with a nod. "That face cream shit will take this off," he told me, pointing to his own painted face.
"Got it," I murmured, catching a glimpse of Felix in the doorway. I pointed to him and the closest table. "You next. Sit."
He grinned and nodded, obeying me instantly. "I'm yours to command."
~oOo~
I wiped the last of the face paint away, gazing down at my husband's strong features. His long eyelashes rested against his skin. His stubble was thick and prickly. His mouth was almost in a pout as he continued to sleep.
With Jasper's and Alec's help, we'd moved him into our bed, where I stripped the rest of his ruined clothes off, leaving him in his boxers. I'd washed his face and his hands, and still, he slept on. The bleeding had stopped once Esme had cleaned his wound and stitched it, and I knew without looking that underneath the covers was a wide white bandage that wrapped around his thigh from just above his knee almost to his hip.
It had been several hours since everyone had been patched up. Eleazar had checked in, stating they were pretty sure they'd gotten everyone, and that even Johnny Thornhill – the man behind my husband's wound – was dead. They were still cleaning up, having called in some extra agents to wipe the area clean.
Carlisle had eventually handed Bethy over to Esme, who'd fed her, dressed her, and calmed her down. If I wasn't mistaken, they were out with Tom, feeding Goliath and the rest of the horses.
"I will make sure Edward makes it home to you. I swear it."
Sam's last words to me echoed through my mind, and my tears couldn't be stopped. He'd fulfilled his promise to me by sacrificing his own life so that mine could come home to me. I traced Edward's features, thinking that he was my life – him and Bethy and my new little one. But Edward was a gift to me, because it could just as easily have been him under a sheet inside that truck.
With that last thought, my tears came unhindered and unstoppable. I crawled up on my side of the bed, aching to wrap myself around my husband, but not wanting to disturb him. I closed my eyes, fighting tears and aftermath hysteria and panic and grief and all hormone related freakouts.
"What's this, sweetness?" Edward's raspy voice met my ears, as a calloused finger wiped away a tear.
My eyes opened to see his head turned my way, and all I could do was shake my head.
"Come here," he whispered, and as gently as we both could, we wrapped around each other. "I'm okay, baby."
"I know."
"Then please don't cry," he begged, and I felt kisses drop to the top of my head.
"Can't help it," I sniffled, nuzzling his neck and drowning in his pulse, his scent, and his warmth.
He chuckled slightly, kissing my head again. "Hormones?"
"Among the many reasons," I said, unable to not smile when he was teasing me.
"Let me see your face, baby," he requested, pulling my chin up with his fingers. "Tell me the damage."
I smiled at his nonchalance, but I sat up a bit and faced him. "You're out of commission, sir... At least for a little while. Your leg was easy to stitch, but the muscle will take time to mend itself, according to Esme. The bleeding has stopped, I just about had a nervous breakdown, and if it weren't for Sam, you wouldn't be here."
A flicker of pain crossed his features, and he shook his head slowly. "Fuck," he sighed, his head falling back to the headboard. "Sam. What was he fucking thinking?"
"He was thinking that he'd made me a promise to me," I sobbed. "I didn't ask him to, but he did it anyway."
Edward's head lifted, and he reached for my face, wiping my tears away. Warm, still a touch hazy, green eyes gazed at me with sympathy and love. His thumb traveled under my eyes, and he tilted his head at me.
"I'm sorry, love," he sighed. "I'm really fucking sorry."
He pulled me to him, and I finally let it all go – the worry, the panic, all of it – because Edward was safe, his arms wrapped around me. He was whispering that he loved me, that he was okay, and that he was sorry about Sam, because he knew really I'd liked the gruff, dangerous looking man.
When my tears finally came to somewhat of an end, I sat up straight. I grasped his face, kissing his lips roughly. "Never fucking scare me like that again," I growled against his mouth.
He snorted a bit, but kissed me back. "Yes, ma'am." He winced when we both shifted, and I pulled completely away from him. "No, don't go," he begged, sounding like a child. "I'm okay. You didn't hurt me. And shit, love...you need to rest."
I shook my head and sighed. "No, you need to see someone that wants to make sure you're okay. Are you up for visitors?"
"Christ! Bethy," he whispered, his face paling. "What happened?"
"She woke up right about the time you got knocked out," I told him, scrambling off the bed. "She saw you, Edward."
"Shit," he hissed. "Just her...no one else right now. Okay?"
I nodded, opening the door and heading down the hallway. I found her in the now clean living room, sitting on her Poppy's lap. They weren't alone; they were surrounded by Jasper, Alec, Rose, and Makenna, all watching baseball, and he was teaching her the game.
"Mommy, Poppy's telling me what a h-home r-run is," she struggled.
I grinned, but waved her to me. "Someone wants to see you, pretty girl," I told her as she scrambled down from Carlisle's lap.
"Daddy?" she whispered, her eyes wide.
Heads spun my way, but it was Carlisle that asked the question. "How is he?"
"Sore and weak, but awake," I said simply, turning back to Bethy. "Yes, Daddy," I told her, scooping her up and stealing her from the room. Just before I opened the door, I made her look at me. "He's very sore, baby, so no bouncing on him or jumping on the bed, okay?"
"Okay, Mommy," she said softly, her eyes a touch fearful.
I set her down and opened the door to our room. Bethy bolted in, but stopped just before the bed.
"Hey, little sweetness. Come here," he told her, pointing to the spot I'd just left at his side.
She scrambled up onto the bed, crawling to him. "Wh-What happened, D-Daddy?" she asked him, letting him pull her as close as he wanted. Her tiny hands touched his face, his chest, even his hair, giving him her own examination.
"I got hurt, but I'm okay, baby," he told her, pulling the covers away a bit so she could see the bandage. "My band-aid is bigger than yours," he teased her, pointing to her knee from where she'd fallen in the barn.
She giggled, looking from his leg to his face. "You want princess or camo?" she asked him, and I couldn't help but laugh.
"Gamma didn't give me a choice," he chuckled, kissing her head. "Mommy said I scared both of you. I'm sorry about that," he whispered against her head, but his eyes locked with mine as I stood at the edge of the bed.
"You were bleedin'," she told him, tilting her head at him. "Like when I falled."
I smiled at her, because that meant she didn't see all of the damage. "Does he pass inspection, pretty girl?" I asked her, and Edward chuckled as she sat up on her knees, grasping his face.
"He looks okay," she told me seriously. "Can you walk, Daddy?"
"Not yet," he said, still chuckling at her.
She was about to say something else, when Edward's stomach gave a fierce growl.
She gasped, and then giggled, pressing her ear to his stomach. "Angry bears, Daddy," she teased him. "Like Mommy's did!"
"I'm starving," he laughed, picking up her arm and pretending to gnaw on it, which only resulted in her squealing into laughter.
I could have smothered them both in kisses. Seriously. I could already see that this wasn't like he'd described getting hurt in the Air Force. This time, he had two people to take care of him.
"Bethy, go tell Aunt Kate or Uncle Alec to get something for Daddy to eat, okay?"
She turned to her dad, leaning on his chest. "I had a sandwich and tater chips," she told him. "Want that?"
He grinned and nodded, wincing just a bit when she bounded off the bed.
"Okay, be wight back," she yelled, bolting out the door and down the hallway.
I watched his face as the smile fell, and he looked up at me. "In pain?" I asked, and he nodded, but reached out for my hand before I could go get Esme. "You need to rest, baby," he pleaded, pulling me close enough to place a warm hand on my stomach. "Please?"
I took a deep breath and let it out, but finally nodded. "When you've had something to eat and something for the pain, I'll relax, Edward," I vowed to him, leaning over to kiss his forehead, nose, and chin. "Until then, I just... I can't."
He frowned and huffed out a frustrated sigh. "I promise to behave, to eat, and to stay still if you stay with me."
"You? Behave?" I scoffed, rolling my eyes. "I sincerely doubt it, mister."
He grinned, looking up at me through long, dark eyelashes. "Okay, well, I'll eat and be still."
I giggled, because I couldn't help it. He was safe and alive, silly and sweet, and not at all going to behave, I could see that much. In fact, I could well imagine he was going to be a hellacious patient.
I nodded, suddenly needing to do something. "Let me check on our girl and get Esme to give you something for pain. I'll be right back, okay?" I asked, kissing his lips softly.
"Sure, love," he said with a small nod.
I walked down the hallway, glancing out the window to see just who I needed to. As I ran through the kitchen, I caught a glimpse of Bethy helping her Uncle Alec make Edward's lunch. I flew out the front door just as Tom and Obie were about to move Sam's body under the direction of Aunt Kate.
"What are you—" I asked, but Aunt Kate stopped me.
"Easy, child," she crooned, tucking my hair back. "He has no family. I thought we'd put him next to Garrett. They were friends, you know." She pointed toward the back field where Garrett was buried.
I nodded, stepping closer to the truck. "Can I..." I huffed, turning to look at her with begging eyes.
"Of course, Bella," she said softly and sadly, waving both men to her. "Come, boys. We'll see what we can dress him in..."
I waited until they left me alone, and then crawled into the back of the truck. I swallowed thickly, tugging the sheet away from Sam's face. He looked like he was sleeping, like a slumbering gentle giant. I reached out, touching the scars that frightened most people but had endeared him to me during a time when I needed to not feel so alone. He'd taken on a protective fatherly role in my life – a guardian. He'd been kind and comforting, when most people wouldn't have talked to him. He'd told amazing stories about Carlisle, Alec, and Edward, making me laugh at their antics from years and years ago. But his most recent feat was his most noble one, and leaning down over him, I placed a kiss to his forehead.
"Thank you, Sam."
A/N... Some of you stated that if we lost Sam...or Alec, or if anything happened to Edward...that you'd stop reading. I understand. And if that's what you choose to do, then that's totally your call. Though, I will tell you the story isn't over. I'm looking at about 4-5 more chapters. I understand reading a story where you're so emotionally involved that it's upsetting when it doesn't go the way you want it. I get it. But I can't force you to stay with me...
Okay...to sum up... The cabin is dust, though a body count is still up in the air. Edward's wounded, but fine, Carlisle's fine, Mickey's fine, and Felix will live. There's still the clean up, recovery, and an all around deep breath of relief. As you can figure out, they will be in Alaska for a few, just until Edward can fly.
And I'm sorry for the loss of Sam. However, this is how the story went from the beginning. For such a small part, he was a big deal...
These round of thanks will be different...
JenRar...yeah, yeah, that little addition you suggested NAILED it. As I'm sure the next suggestion will too. Thank you...for making me laugh when I didn't think it was so damn funny.
GooberLou...Thank you, even though Sam was your man to begin with and you actually threw shit at me. Despite the fact that you were hating it, thank you for walking me through this part...you'll get what you want in the end. I promise.
MedusaInNY... I've been told that les16 is sending you my way should something like this should happen. Okay...I'm ready. LOL I can't change it, nor do I want to, because this was how the story goes. But thank you for all that you do for my blog, BEFORE you kick my ass. ;)
As I'm writing this, I'm still working on chapter 21. IF that is finished in the next day, then THIS will post early. Tuesday, if I reach my goal. If not, then Wednesday as usual. Either way, I'd love to hear what you have to say...and I can take the yelling. I'm sure it's not the first time, and probably won't be the last. Review please...and until next time, later.