CHAPTER SIX

ITS AN ARMY

We hung out at the Cullens house – or more so they babysat me and Bella. Tyler kept calling me. And I kept on ignoring all of them. I wasn't being a very good girlfriend. So I might as well not be his girlfriend. If I could just tell him that. And I wanted to before something went down.

I was sitting with Jasper and Alice while we all watched the news.

The blonde reporter spoke into the microphone with an alley way in the background, "Police are baffled by the escalating murders and disappearances."

Bella and Edward entered the room just as the reporter said, "Theories range from a vicious new gang to a wildly active serial killer..."

Emmett grinned at Bella, "Look who else survived the dog park. Need something for those flea bites?"

Edward looked at the newscast, "Seattle?"

"It's getting worse," Carlisle answered, "We're going to have to do something."

"Alice still hasn't had any visions about who is doing this," Edward told him.

"So we track him down and kick his bloodthirsty ass. Let's go now. I'm bored as hell," Emmett whined.

"Emmett!" Rosalie called from upstairs.

"Why are we in the mindset that only one vampire is behind this?" I asked.

"What do you mean, Callie?" Esme asked.

I looked at Edward and he nodded. "Well... vampires usually travel in packs. I've yet to see or hear of a vampire that goes it alone. I guess with the whole eternity thing..." I trailed off, "Anyway, what if there's more than one vampire orchestrating this? Like the military or police force. There's ranks of power and command."

Edward nodded, "Jasper was thinking along the same lines."

"The only thing I'm not so sure about is that these killings don't seem... very vampire like. That I've seen. Experienced vampires are inconspicuous. But these killings are causing quite the scandal and uproar and they're attracting way too much attention."

"Newborns," Jasper concluded.

I looked at him, "Like you guys... only undisciplined. Young."

"Like... new vampires?" Bella asked.

"In their first months after the change," Edward explained.

"That's when we're at our most vicious, uncontrollable, insane with thirst -" Jasper stopped.

I took the pressure off of him, "Some one is creating a lot of newborns then. Judging by the killings. But they're not controlling them. They just want the newborn strength..."

Carlisle realized what I was getting at, "Someone's creating an army."

"An army of vampires?" Bella clarified.

"There haven't been any newborn armies in over a century that I know of," Carlisle murmured.

"There is now," Jasper said, "And they've been created to fight someone."

"You guys," I said. They all looked at me, "You guys are the closest clan right? This is your territory. Why else would they be here?"

"Regardless," Carlisle began, "if we don't put a stop to it, the Volturi will. I'm surprised they've let it go this long."

Edward seemed to be thinking about something, "Maybe they're purposely ignoring it. Or even... behind it." We all looked at him, "When we were in Italy... I read Aro's mind. He didn't want me to see, but it was there. He wants Alice and me to join him. Our gifts would shore up his power. But he knows we'd never choose him as long as our family is alive... An army would solve that for him."

Bella seemed to be lost in the memory of what went down in Italy. She snapped her attention to Edward, "We can't wait two weeks for graduation; you need to change me now-"

"You'd be a liability as a newborn," Jasper shot that down, "Unable to control your instincts. An easy target."

"There's also your father to consider. And your mother. How terrible would it be for them if you suddenly disappeared?"

Bella couldn't argue with that.

When we got home that night, we found Dad looking down at a missing boy's flier. It read 'Have you seen me?' with the guy's picture under it.

"Hi Dad," Bella said as she dropped her coat on a chair, "You already eat dinner?"

"Huh?" Dad looked up, distracted, "Um... no... not yet."

Bella went to heat up something while I sat by my dad and looked at the flier. Dad caught me looking, "Riley Biers. His parents are papering Seattle with these. Fifth time they've tried."

"Do you think they should give up?" I asked quietly.

Dad looked at me seriously, "I wouldn't, if it was you. Or you, Bella," Bella froze, thinking deeply, guiltily. "Not ever." Bella swallowed and continued heating old pizza.

The next day was a day was a Friday. The day I was finally going to break it off with Tyler.

He met me by my locker and kissed my cheek as always, "Hey baby."

I smiled tightly, "Hey, we have to talk." I've never seen the point in beating around the bush. Just get it over with. Like a band aid.

By the look on Tyler's face, he knew what was about to happen. But he played dumb, "What about?"

I sighed, "This isn't going to work out, Tyler." Wrong, it already wasn't working out. "We're young. We don't know what we want. And you're going to school on the East coast and I'll be here. I don't think we can handle a long distance relationship. And I think it's best if we end this now before either of us gets to serious. I hope you understand."

Breath. I finally got out my little speech.

Tyler said he understood. And I was surprised at how easy it was to dump him. He was a good guy. Just not my guy.

I got home at around 4 and Bella was already out with Edward. Dad was at the station still pouring over the Riley Biers case. So I just heated up some of my casserole and started eating it in the kitchen while I did my homework.

There was a knock at the door. I swallowed my bite of food and went to answer the door.

When I saw it was Jacob, I almost slammed the door back closed.

Instead I blurted, "I broke up with Tyler."

Jacob smiled a brilliant smile, "Good."

I back tracked, "You shouldn't be here."

Jacob's smile slipped right off his face, "You're still on that?"

I rolled my eyes and started walking away, "Yes, Jake, I'm still 'on that'."

He closed the door and followed in behind me, "When are you going to realize that this is unnecessary?"

I turned around, "When are you going to actually listen to me and leave me alone?"

He scowled, "When are you going to stop fighting this?"

"Don't forget that you wanted to fight it too," I snapped.

"I was being stupid." Jacob defended himself.

"Well now I'm being smart," I shot back.

"How is ignoring this and causing us both pain, smart?" He asked sarcastically, yet painfully.

"Because you can get killed Jacob!" I screamed suddenly.

He almost flinched at my sudden rise in volume, "That can happen everyday. That's why we have to make the most of today."

I huffed and puffed, "You don't get it! What do you think will happen to me if you die? Do you have any idea what that'll do to me? I'll be done, gone. I'll fade away. I'd be destroyed if anything happened to you, especially because of me."

He looked somewhat shocked at my confession but prided on it.

"Don't you understand why I'm doing this? She'll kill you to cause me pain and it'll work. She'll win. It'll be over. You mean so much to me that I'm willing to hurt myself to save you."

"You don't have to do that," Jacob sighed, "I'm supposed to protect you. And if you're right about her... then she already knows. And staying away from each other now won't do anything to stop her."

I couldn't admit that he was right. I wanted to. But her face flashed before my eyes and the memory of his blood on my hands haunted me. Even though it didn't actually happen.

"I think you should go," I whispered.

Jacob deflated. He turned slowly and grabbed the door handle, pausing, "You'll have to figure out that you love me too sooner or later." And with that he practically ripped the door open and slammed it behind him.

I flinched at the loud noise it made and sighed, holding back tears. I sure do cry a lot.

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