The damp chill in the air is weaker than earlier as Edward follows Jacob and Heidi out of the building. The storm clouds are gone revealing the twinkling stars watching the three move across the grass with rapt attention. The glow of the half moon feels noticeably brighter as it begins its decent to the horizon. Long, blue-tinged shadows extend over the overgrown, forgotten field.
Without looking at his watch, Edward senses the coming dawn. It's only a couple hours away.
"What was Vicky doing out in the woods?" Jacob asks. His voice comes across genuine though with a hint of disinterest.
"Hunting," Heidi says, her eyes wide and alert. She furtively tugs against the plastic cuffs restraining her wrists. Holding her head high, her gaze pivots from left to right, watching. "It's chilly out."
"What's she hunt?"
"Food. We need to eat." Suddenly, Heidi jerks around. Her wide eyes are bright in the darkness, looking desperately at the buildings behind them.
The quick motion catches Edward off-guard, and he instinctively brings his rifle level as he aims it at her chest. The end of his finger throbs as he puts pressure on the trigger.
"Don't do that," Edward says. She doesn't flinch. The unnerving stillness as her focus remains behind him makes him keep his weapon level.
"Edward," Jacob says, looking the same direction as Heidi, "I think I hear Emmett."
A deafening rush of wind preludes the crack that rings through the night as Bella, seemingly from nowhere, dives from the air and slams the stock of her sniper rifle into Heidi's chest. The impact sends the two women flying, a tumble of wings and limbs sliding along the wet grass.
"Bella," Edward shouts, sprinting to the tussle. His heart pounds with confusion.
Before reaching them, his question is answered as Heidi flings Bella away. She jumps to her feet, the plastic cuffs around her wrists easily snapped apart. Thick twines of hair dangle in front of her eyes, a ring of white-hot rage encircling her simmering irises. Dirt stains her dry, flaky skin. Her every muscles is tense. A savage stance of intimidating fury.
Without a word, the rhythmic roar of Jacob's machine gun fills the air. Ignoring the cacophony, Edward runs over the Bella, still laying facedown in the grass. Gripping her shoulder, he flips her over, her limbs tossed with the motion.
"Come on," he screams. "Come on." He sees her exhale, the trembling heave of her chest as she breaths in. A storm of terror and relief forces him to smile as he takes her monstrous face in his hands. His wide eyes see nothing but hers. "Are you okay?"
The sight of him doesn't ease the anger and ache throbbing through Bella's body. But he's okay. And she's thrilled to see him. She nods in response, and let's him help her to her feet. Each bend of her joints grinds within her. The pain fans the inferno within her, sparked by Vicky, kindled by Clear Water.
Let's kill this bitch, she thinks as she grabs her rifle.
The ceaseless volley of Jacob's blasts do nothing as each round bounces futilely off Heidi's skin. A snide smirk crosses her face as she tosses her hair back, nonchalantly. She widens her stance, both hands at the ready.
"Save your ammo," Emmett yells at Jacob as he runs by, his sword drawn. He aims the tip of the blade at Heidi's neck and lowers his shoulder. The sword clangs off her flesh as he slams into her, the sound overpowering the loud click of his arm popping out of joint. Ignoring the surge of pain running down his arm, he instinctively wraps it around her thigh. Allowing his momentum to carry him over, he flings her to the ground.
With a thud, she falls beside him at Bella's feet. The cold steel of Bella's rifle barrel burns into her fingers as they clench tight around the around the cylinder, the weapon raised high above her head like a club.
Before Bella can bring weapon crashing down on to Heidi's face, Heidi digs her nails into Emmett's chest and tosses him at his teammate. A deep, body-filling sting of a cracked rib overtakes her as Emmett hits her.
Heidi is on her feet before the Bella and Emmett land, a crumple of limbs and wings. Her eyes begin to glow an unearthly orange as glances between Jacob and Edward. The color of skin is unnatural now; an uneven gray the color of a storm.
"Heidi," Edward shouts, unsure of what else to call her.
Her lips curl in disgusts at the name.
"I'm not leaving." Her voice rumbles and pops like rolling rocks. With lumbering bounds, she heads back towards the building behind Jacob.
His eyes narrow with determination, Jacob runs to meet her. He cocks his fist back over his shoulder. His teeth clench.
Heidi quickly grabs his tactical vest with both hand, the reinforced pouches crushing in her fingers, and spins. Before his punch can connect, he's airborne. He lands hard on the back of his neck, the impact quaking every fiber within him.
"Sonuva..." he moans.
"You good?" Edward asks, kneeling over Jacob. The young soldier coughs violently, and instinctively slaps his hand against the collapsed pouch strapped to his chest. Tucking his fingers into the canvas, Edward feels the dull stab of broken plastic. The gritty dust of former pills stick to his sweaty finger. Scowling with a tight jaw, Edward gently pats Jacob's chest. "Breath, man."
"I'm good," Jacob says, meekly. "Nothing's broke. Just hurts like hell."
"Well," Edward says, not mentioning the destroyed painkillers, "Take a moment." The hard ground digs against his kneecaps, the moist grass soaking through to his skin as he stays down, guarding the young soldier. He looks back to his teammates and sees Emmett's eyes return to normal after healing himself. "You two okay?"
"In a second," Emmett says, lifting Bella's shirt to reveal her abdomen. "Need to heal her."
"Then Jacob," Edward orders. His brow drops as he looks in the direction of the building, where Heidi was heading. She didn't try to kill them. Why won't she leave?
"I'm fine, sir," Jacob says, his breathing slower. He reaches his fingers into the pouch briefly before angrily dropping a fist to the ground. "Goddamnit."
"Calm down, Jacob," Edward says.
"Shit." Jacob laboriously sits up with Edward's help. He wraps his forearms around his knees, averting his eyes from his team leader. His voice a loud and sad mixture of disappointment and fear. "I haven't changed without painkillers in years, sir."
"It's fine," Edward says, his eyes still in Heidi's direction. The state of his team fades from his mind as desperate plans and contingencies flood his focus. She, it, manhandled them. They weren't prepared for this. He's not prepared for this.
"We're going after her," Emmett says, a blend of question and fact as he continues to heal Bella.
We are, Edward thinks to himself. He taps his radio. "Alice, come in."
"Sir."
"Tell us something about the utlunta."
"Is everyone okay?" she asks. "I can't see Emmett."
"He's here. Utlunta."
"Right." There's a pause as she finds her place in her research. "The last data I can find on utluntas from that area is a couple centuries old. Northern Kentucky. Looks like its left wrist was the weak point."
"That's good," Edward says. The weight gathering in his stomach lessens. "Thank you."
"Edward, wait." Her voice is a little shakier, cautious. "There's another story. Older. It may be nothing, but this one was stabbed under its chin."
The words cause Edward to absently press his fingers along below his chin where the jaw bone forms a V; a soft surface protected by two walls of hard bone.
"That's a really hard place to shoot," Edward says. With a sideways glance, he meets Jacob's incredulous eyes.
"I know." Her voice is confident but apologetic. "I felt like you should know it."
"Thanks. Really. I'll check back in soon."
"Roger."
"Out." Edward stands as he deactivates his radio. He turns as Emmett and Bella join them. Using the time it takes to sigh, he composes his thoughts.
"Do you know where it went?" Emmett asks. His typically stern face is far more severe now, a burning frustration behind his eyes.
"That way," Edward says, tossing his head towards the building behind him.
"Thanks."
"We need to find it." Edward says, an effort to consolidate his thoughts. To think. But there's no doubt in his voice. No doubt in him. The team looks to him, ready to listen. To follow. His team. His soldiers. The beginning of this mission feels so long ago. The life before Lilim seems like it never existed. All that matters now is stopping the creature and getting the team home.
He focuses on Bella. The anger billowing within her is evident in her face. Edward never felt unnerved by her appearance. The ridges, the fangs, the claws, it was always Bella to him. But the intensity of her being rages now. Her eyes glistening with fury. Her hot breath thick clouds of steam around her. Now, she looks like a monster. For the first time, she's terrifying.
"Find it, Bella," he says. "Flare the fuck out of it." There's no change in her expression as she takes flight. With a tinge of excitement and pride leaking along the edges of his heart, Edward watches her fly towards the building. Picking up his weapon off the ground, he looks to Jacob and Emmett and nods. "Ready?"
"Been ready," Emmett says, as he reaches out a hand and helps Jacob to his feet.
"Fuck yeah," Jacob says, breathless with fearful confidence. Machine gun in hand, he takes point as the three of them double-time after the utlunta, the rhythmic clicking of their gear filling the air warming with the coming dawn.