Chapter 15- Weak Link

Disclaimer- Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer.

A/N: I'm only going to put a few disclaimers in this story, but I hope you know that I'm just too lazy to stick a few more in.

They emerged one by one from the forest edge, ranging thirteen meters apart. The first male fell back to allow the first to take the front, and orient himself in a manner that displayed clearly who was the leader of the pack. However, with a look at Edward, I realized that it was all a show. There was a woman, too. She had flaming red hair and a wild look in her eyes, which were the same as the other two men; a disturbing shade of burgundy.

They closed ranks as they cautiously approached us. I saw Bella out of the corner of my eye. Her lips were slightly parted as she gazed in wonder at the newcomers. Edward shuddered in disgust.

Their walk seemed constantly on the edge of shifting into a hunter's crouch. They dressed in the ordinary gear of hikers around this area.

They all straightened into a more casual mode when Carlisle, Emmett, and Jasper stepped forward. The woman's eyes narrowed to slits as she took in Carlisle's more polished, urbane stance.

The dark-haired man smiled as he faced Carlisle. "We thought we heard a game," he said amiably, with a slight French accent. "I'm Laurent- these are Victoria and James." He gestured to the vampires beside him.

My mind raced. They wanted to play, but they hadn't noticed what Bella was . . . Not yet, at least. What would Carlisle say to get us out of this?

"I'm Carlisle," he said and pointed us out in groups, careful not to mention deliberate individuals. "This is my family, Emmett and Jasper, Rosalie, Esme and Alice, Edward and Bella." Bella shuddered, but no one seemed to notice.

"Do you have room for a few more players?" Laurent asked eagerly.

Carlisle matched his friendly tone. "Actually, we were just finishing up. But we'd certainly be interested another time. Are you planning to stay in the area for long?" Carlisle kept a straight face.

"We're headed north, in fact, but we were curious to see who was in the neighborhood. We haven't run into any company for a long time."

"No, this region is usually empty except for us and the occasional visitor, like yourselves," Carlisle said. The tense atmosphere had gradually shifted into a casual conversation. The love that coursed through my heart for Jasper at the moment was overpowering.

"What's your hunting territory?" Laurent casually inquired.

"The Olympic Range here, up and down the Coast Ranges on occasion. We keep a permanent residence nearby. There's another permanent settlement like ours up in Denali."

"Permanent? How do you manage that?" Laurent asked, curious.

"Why don't you come back to our home with us and we can talk comfortably? It's a rather long story," Carlisle invited.

Victoria and James glanced at each other in surprise at the word "home."

"That sounds very interesting, and welcome." Laurent smiled. "We've been on the hunt all the way down from Ontario, and we haven't had the chance to clean up for a while," he said as he took in Carlisle's more refined appearance again.

"Please don't take offense, but we'd appreciate it if you'd refrain from hunting on this immediate area. We have to stay inconspicuous, you understand." Carlisle was so calm, I was so sure that none of the three visitors would notice that he was hiding Bella right under their noses. I was beginning to hope that maybe it would turn out all right after all, and Edward wouldn't have to blame himself if anything happened to Bella. I checked on him out of the corner of my eye. He didn't relax, and I had no way to find out whether he was listening to my thoughts or not.

"Of course," Laurent said. "We won't encroach on your territory. We just ate outside of Seattle, anyway." He chuckled.

Bella shuddered again.

"We'll show you the way if you'd like to run with us— Emmett and Alice, you can go with Edward and Bella to get the jeep," he casually added. My gaze flickered to him and back to Bella as he spoke our names. Surely they wouldn't notice that all our gazes seemed to be centered on Bella? Then I gasped as I drifted into another vision. We would not get Bella out unnoticed. Edward stiffened as he heard my thoughts.

Then, just like my vision, Bella's hair fluttered in the light breeze and James happened to be downwind to catch the scent.

James whipped his head around and stared at Bella intensely as his nostrils flared. My eyes widened and I made a move to protect Bella until I felt Jasper's arm on my shoulder. "Edward will take care of her," he promised solemnly. His golden-bronze eyes bored into mine. "I don't want you in danger," he continued in a whisper as I began to protest.

My body turned cold (if that was even possible) and a swift rigidity fell on all of us as James lurched into a hunter's crouch. Edward snarled. The sound echoed in my head. He shifted his position to shield Bella from the attack.

"What's this?" Laurent exclaimed with his lips parted in surprise. Edward and James remained in their aggressive positions. James feinted slightly towards his right. Edward shifted in response. The noise that came from Edward's throat was filled with white-hot fury. I shivered and shifted a little. Jasper's arm tightened on my shoulder.

"She's with us," Carlisle said coldly as he watched James. Awareness dawned on Laurent's face.

"You brought a snack?" he asked incredulously as he took a step forward.

Both Jasper and I tensed. Edward snarled even more ferociously. Laurent rocked back on his heels. "But she's human!" he exclaimed, overwhelmed.

"I said she's with us," Carlisle repeated his eyes still on James.

"Yes," Emmett agreed; his gaze was on James as well. James slowly backed out of his crouch, but his eyes never left Bella's face.

When Laurent spoke it was obvious that it was an attempt to try and calm us all down. "It appears we have a lot to learn about each other."

"Indeed," Carlisle replied, his voice still hard.

"But we'd like to accept your invitation," Laurent continued, "and of course we will not harm the human girl. We won't hunt in your range, as I said."

James glared at him in disbelief. I knew at that moment that James would to hunt Bella down, no matter what Laurent said, and no matter what extremes Edward would go to defend her.

At that moment I didn't know how right I would be.

"We'll show you the way. Jasper, Rosalie, Esme?" Carlisle called. They stood together effectively blocking Bella from view. I instantly appeared at Bella's side. Emmett fell back slowly and backed towards us.

"Let's go, Bella." Edward's voice was devoid of any emotion. I suddenly felt nervous inside. What would happen to Edward if Bella was harmed? I tried to imagine my existence without Jasper. I couldn't.

Bella had been rooted to the ground the whole time, her back ramrod straight. Edward had to grip her elbow and pull sharply to break her trance. Bella glanced at me, her eyes wide with fear, and glanced at Edward, horrorstruck. Emmett and I trailed closely behind to hide her from view.

We moved at human speed to the forest edge, ready to break into a sprint anytime. Edward was extremely impatient— it felt like it radiated off of him like fumes. Once we were in the trees, Edward slung Bella over his back and we started to run. I had never seen Edward run that fast. He was driven on by pure fury and fear for Bella. Emmet and I ran just as hastily as we could after him.

We reached the jeep; Edward hardly broke his stride as he flung Bella in the backseat. "Strap her in," he ordered Emmett. I was already in the front seat while I glared out the side window, immersed in my furious thoughts.

Edward started the engine. It roared to life and we spun around to face the road. Edward mumbled a string of profanities while Bella glanced nervously around.

After we hit the main road, Edward drove the car south away from Forks. Bella noticed. "Where are we going?" she asked.

No one answered. I didn't even look at her.

"Dammit, Edward! Where are you taking me?" Even when Bella was mad, it couldn't be compared to Edward's impending fury.

"We have to get you away from here— far away— now," Edward muttered through his clenched teeth.

"Turn around! You have to take me home!" There were tears in her eyes as she yelled and struggled with the harness.

"Emmett," Edward said grimly.

Emmett secured Bella's hands in his steely grasp.

"No! Edward! No, you can't do this." Bella's voice was a mixture of anger, confusion, and fury.

"I have to, Bella, now please be quiet," Edward said in a dangerously soft tone while he never took his eyes off the road.

"You have to take me back— Charlie will call the FBI! They'll be all over your family— Carlisle and Esme! They'll have to leave, to hide forever!"

"Calm down, Bella," Edward said in a hard voice. "We've been through this before," he muttered.

However, I could see that Bella had a point.

"Not over me, you don't! You're not ruining everything over me!" Bella struggled vainly.

"Edward, pull over." I finally spoke for the first time. You don't want me to get mad in front of Bella, Edward.

He flashed me a hard look and sped up.

"Edward, let's just talk this through," I said. There was a warning tone in my voice. Just listen to Bella!

"You don't understand!" Edward exploded. "He's a tracker, Alice, did you see that? He's a tracker!"

Yes, I knew that he was something like that, but it's not as important as- I thought better of it.

"Pull over, Edward," I said reasonably. There was a ring of authority in my voice, though I hadn't meant for it to be there.

Bella stared at me questioningly.

"Do it, Edward," I wheedled him.

"Listen to me, Alice," Edward nearly shouted. "I saw his mind. Tracking is his passion, his obsession— he wants her, Alice- her, specifically. He begins the hunt tonight."

Sorry, I didn't know it was like that, but still . . .

"He doesn't know where—" I tried to comfort him a little.

"How long do you think it will take him to cross her scent in town?" He interrupted me. I felt a twinge of annoyance singe my stomach. "His plan was already set before the words were out of Laurent's mouth."

Bella gasped and finally noticed what I'd had thought of too. "Charlie! You can't leave him there. You can't leave him!"

"She's right," I said.

"Let's just look at our options for a minute," I coaxed.

The car slowed a little before it screeched to a sudden stop.

"There are no other options," Edward hissed.

"I'm not leaving Charlie!" Bella shouted. Edward didn't even look at her.

"We have to take her back," Emmett said.

"No," Edward growled.

"He's no match for us, Edward. He won't be able to touch her." Emmett grinned suddenly. He looked at our situation the way he looked at a fight. No wonder Edward was so angry.

"He'll wait." Edward's reply was curt.

"I can wait, too." Emmett smiled.

"You didn't see— you don't understand. Once he commits to a hunt, he's unshakable. We'd have to kill him," Edward snapped.

Emmett wasn't disturbed in the slightest. "That's an option."

"And the female. She's with him. If it turns into a fight, the leader will go with them, too."

"There's another option," I inserted quietly. We could make her immortal . . .

"There— is— no— other— option!" Edward yelled in pure fury.

Emmett and Bella both stared at him in shock. I, on the other hand, was unsurprised. I expected it. Bella watched incredulously as we stared each other down for a long minute.

"Does anyone want to hear my plan?" Bella asked which broke through the silence.

"No," Edward growled. I glared at him. I'd tried very hard not to be irritated, but now . . . I was finally angry.

"Listen," Bella begged. "You take me back."

"No," Edward interrupted her.

Bella glared at him and continued, "You take me back. I tell my dad I want to go home to Phoenix. I pack my bags. We wait till this tracker is watching, and then we run. He'll follow us and leave Charlie alone. Then you can take me any damned place you want."

We all stared at her, stunned, even me. I was so caught up in my anger that I hadn't paid attention to my visions. It really was a pretty good idea.

"It's not a bad idea, really." Emmett was surprised.

I looked at Bella's indignant expression. If the situation wasn't as serious, I would have laughed.

"It might work— and we simply couldn't leave her father unprotected. You know that," I said to Edward. We all looked at him.

"It's too dangerous. I don't want him within a hundred miles of her."

Emmett was confident. "Edward, he's not getting through us," he reminded him.

I thought for a while. "I don't see him attacking. He'll try to wait for us to leave her alone."

"It won't take long for him to realize that's not going to happen."

"I demand that you take me home." Bella tried to sound firm.

Edward pressed his fingers to his temples and squeezed his eyes shut.

"Please," Bella said in a much smaller voice. It wasn't the best time to think of it, but Bella could be pretty funny sometimes.

Edward didn't look up. When he spoke, his voice sounded ragged. "You're leaving tonight, whether the tracker sees or not. You tell Charlie that you can't stand another minute in Forks. Tell him whatever story works. Pack the first things your hands touch, and then get in your truck. I don't care what he says to you. You have fifteen minutes. Do you hear me? Fifteen minutes from the time you cross the doorstep."

The jeep rumbled to life and he spun us around with a squeal of the tires.

"Emmett?" Bella asked and looked pointedly at her hands.

"Oh, sorry." He let her loose.

A few minutes passed in silence other than the roar of the engine. Then Edward spoke again.

"This is how it's going to happen. When we get to the house, if the tracker is not there, I will walk her to the door. Then she has fifteen minutes." He glared at Bella in the rearview mirror. "Emmett, you take the outside of the house. Alice, you get the truck. I'll be inside as long as she is. After she's out, you two can take the Jeep home and tell Carlisle."

"No way," Emmett broke in. "I'm with you."

"Think it through, Emmett. I don't know how long I'll be gone."

"Until we know how far this is going to go, I'm with you."

Edward sighed. "If the tracker is there," he continued grimly, "we keep driving."

"We're going to make it there before him," I said confidently. I showed him the visions I'd uncovered.

Edward seemed to accept that.

"What are we going to do with the Jeep?" I asked.

His voice had a hard edge. "You're driving it home."

"No, I'm not," I said calmly, after I sifted through the barrage of new visions.

The stream of profanities started again and tumbled out of Edward's mouth.

"We can't all fit in my truck," Bella whispered.

Edward didn't appear to hear her.

"I think you should let me go alone," she said even more quietly.

He heard that.

"Bella, please just do this my way, just this once," he said between clenched teeth. I sighed. Edward was so stubborn.

"Listen, Charlie's not an imbecile," I protested. "If you're not in town tomorrow, he's going to get suspicious."

"That's irrelevant. We'll make sure he's safe, and that's all that matters."

"Then what about this tracker?" Bella asked. "He saw the way you acted tonight. He's going to think you're with me, wherever you are."

Emmett looked at her, surprised again. "Edward, listen to her," he urged. "I think she's right."

"Yes, she is," I agreed, my teeth clenched. Would you just listen already? We're not going to bite your head off.

"I can't do that." Edward's voice was cold as ice.

"Emmett should stay, too," Bella continued, as if nothing had happened. "He definitely got an eyeful of Emmett."

"What?" Emmett turned on Bella. He was obviously annoyed.

"You'll get a better crack at him if you stay," I reminded him.

Edward stared at me incredulously. "You think I should let her go alone?"

"Of course not," I reassured him, a little louder than necessary. "Jasper and I will take her." I showed him the proof.

I saw his stubborn expression and sighed quietly. Did he not trust me at all?

"I can't do that," Edward repeated, but this time there was defeat in his voice.

Our logic was working on him.

Bella tried her hardest to be persuasive. "Hang out here for a week —" seeing Edward's hard-as-rock expression, she amended "— a few days. Let Charlie see you haven't kidnapped me, and lead this James on a wild-goose chase. Make sure he's completely off my trail. Then come and meet me. Take a roundabout route, of course, and then Jasper and Alice can go home." Yes, I could see that happening. Hopefully, Edward wouldn't notice the tinge of fear in her shaky voice.

Edward considered that. Come on, it won't be that bad, I tried to comfort him.

"Meet you where?" Edward asked.

"Phoenix." I could see where this was going now.

"No. He'll hear that's where you're going," he said impatiently. Edward obviously couldn't.

"And you'll make it look like that's a ruse, obviously. He'll know that we'll know that he's listening. He'll never believe I'm actually going where I say I am going."

"She's diabolical." Emmett chuckled.

"And if that doesn't work?" Edward countered while he ignored Emmett.

"There are several million people in Phoenix," Bella said, unfazed.

"It's not that hard to find a phone book." Seriously, Edward, how stupid do you think Bella is?

"I won't go home."

"Oh?" he inquired in a dangerous tone.

"I'm quite old enough to get my own place." I could have smiled at her offended expression.

"Edward, we'll be with her," I reminded him again.

"What are you going to do in Phoenix?" he asked me scathingly. The poor guy was too caught up in his fear to care about the people—example, me—who were trying to help him.

"Stay indoors."

Edward, next to this tracker, do you think that the sun is a problem for me?

He nodded.

Good God.

A corner of his mouth turned up.

"I kind of like it." We all knew what Emmett was thinking. Emmett will always be Emmett, after all.

"Shut up, Emmett," Edward snapped at him.

"Look, if we try to take him down while she's still around, there's a much better chance that someone will get hurt — she'll get hurt, or you will, trying to protect her. Now, if we get him alone . . ." He trailed off with a slow smile.

The Jeep traveled slowly along as we drove into town. I could hear Bella's heartbeat accelerate.

"Bella." Edward's voice was very soft. Emmett and I looked out of our windows. "If you let anything happen to yourself— anything at all — I'm holding you personally responsible. Do you understand that?"

"Yes," Bella whispered nervously. She swallowed loudly.

He turned to me.

"Can Jasper handle this?"

What do you think? I was losing my temper. "Give him some credit, Edward. He's been doing very, very well, all things considered." I said it aloud for no reason at all.

"Can you handle this?" he asked.

Okay, that was it. I pulled back my lips let out a loud, guttural snarl. Bella cowered against the seat in terror. Just change her already. Will that make you happy? We'd all be safe and happy that way.

Edward smiled at me. "But keep your opinions to yourself," he muttered suddenly.

Stupid moron.