Chapter 5: Battle on the Lake
A few days after their arrival at Smith Mountain Lake, Jacob received a cryptic text from Carlisle: Captured. Family safe. Do not reply – Volturi watching us.
"Do you think if we did reply, it would alert the Volturi to where we are?" Seth wondered.
"Doubt it. Vampires are trackers, Seth, not satellites. Carlisle's just being extra cautious."
Weeks went by. There was no sign that Jane or any other vampires were in pursuit or even just passing through the area. A few nights a week, Jacob would take Renesmee out hunting to quench her thirst for blood. There was a plethora of deer in these woods along the lake's shore, which made for good feeding. The werewolves would feast on whatever meat scraps were left over once Renesmee had drained the carcass.
As the first signs of spring showed, Renesmee and the guys would take the Swans' boat out for a spin in addition to swimming around the dock. So it was one day when Jacob returned from the house with lifejackets in hand. Renesmee was in the boat, lowered in the water and ready to go.
"All right, honey, I got the…." Jacob stopped on the gangplank, his blood running cold when he saw the look of terror in Renesmee's face. Spinning around, he saw Jane eyeing him evilly.
"Jacob! Playing games, are we?"
Jacob tensed, ready to phase if he had to. "Yeah. Yeah, we're playing games," he growled low. The two circled each other along the narrow gangplank, sizing each other up.
"Took me long enough to find you after your disappearing act on the plane. Picking up the brat's scent was easy, but it had me going around in circles!"
Jacob smirked, grateful that he had complicated Jane's trail without even realizing it. "I've been taking her out hunting a lot." He didn't dare alert Seth, who was in the bathroom, for fear he would overplay his hand.
Jane frowned. "I was never much good at hunting. Always hated to lose…. my prey." She readied her stance. Unnoticed by her, Jacob pulled a switchblade out of his back pocket.
Then he made his move.
"Me TOO!" He ran around Jane, stabbing her in the thigh with the knife. Jane howled and stumbled back into the lake as she tried to pull the blade out of her leg. Jacob leapt into the boat and started backing out.
Seth! Get your ass out of the bathroom and into the boat! Jane's here!
Seth came racing out of the house. Just as Jane was pulling herself back onto the dock, he leapt over her, off the structure and into the boat as it began to pick up speed and pull away.
Jacob gunned the engine. "Why aren't we going as fast as I think we should?"
"Don't look now," Seth groaned. Jacob threw his head back.
Oh great. He had forgotten to detach the towable inflatable raft that he often pulled Renesmee around in from their last outing. And now, by sheer dumb luck, Jane had leapt aboard it. She sneered at them even from several yards back.
"Try to unhook the towline!" Jacob roared as he slammed the boat through high wake. Seth pulled at the brass ring where the line was attached.
"It's stuck!"
Just then, Jacob sent the boat careening through a powerful headwind…. which lifted Renesmee into the air and flung her overboard with a scream.
"Nessie!" Jacob screamed. Renesmeé landed on the inflatable, where Jane was kneeling on the rear platform.
"Stop fiddling with that thing and take the wheel!" Jacob ordered, pushing Seth back.
"Where are you going?"
"Fishing," Jacob grimaced. As the boat continued to scream through the water, Jacob lowered himself over the side and began to crawl across the towline inches above the water.
"Hold on, Renesmee! I'm coming to get you!"
"Jacob!" Renesmee was actually fighting Jane off as the evil vampire grappled for her, screaming her head off. Jacob winced. Any more sudden movements and both girls would be in the water….
Seth started to steer the boat from side to side, and the centrifugal force began rocking the inflatable raft over the edges of the boat's wake. It did not throw off Jane's balance, though.
Meanwhile, Renesmee had hooked her legs into the raft's handholds, preventing Jane from pulling her off. As Jane reached for her again, the little girl dodged and bit into the Volturi guard's neck. Hard. Jane screamed. In perfect harmony, Seth rocked the boat, further loosening Jane's grip and then Renesmee pushed. Jane went flying off the raft and crashed into the water. Moments later, Jacob climbed aboard.
"Nessie, come on!" He flung Renesmee over his shoulders and scrambled – much faster this time – back across the towline.
"We're OK, Seth. Let's just keep going – watch out for that wake!"
Too late. Seth plowed right into the unusually sharp waves, so forcefully that the entire boat capsized. Jacob held Renesmee close to his chest as they were flung into the water.
Meanwhile, far away in the Volturi's underground lairs, Alice let out a scream as she saw the disturbing vision play out in her head.
"The boat flipped over! I can't see them…. Oh God, I think they're dead!"
Bella let out a wail and sobbed into Edward's shoulder. "Renesmee…. my dear, sweet girl…."
"They got rid of Jane, love. If they are dead, at least nothing can touch Renesmee now," Edward tried to calm her. Still he prayed. Please let them be alive…Please….