~Because the last update literally gave me nightmares all night, I realized how unfair it was to end it there. I have an update ready to go.

Chapter warning: Character death, disturbing images, and extreme emotional turmoil.

Chapter 18: Hell Hath No Fury

Jacob felt it, a pain so sharp and intense, he had to pull over. As quick as it seized him, it passed almost as fast. Fuck, it was Bella. Why had she had a surge of adrenaline so high, it damned near put him into cardiac arrest?

She could overreact when it came to the kids. Maybe AJ fell on his head or something and scared her but then he jumped up laughing, hardly phased by the accident. It was a common occurrence at the house. His son was rough and tough except for that 'Momma, Momma' crap he pulled when he was tired.

It didn't matter that it was probably nothing and he was almost to the PA office, he wasn't getting back on the road until he double checked.

Bella's phone went to voicemail, not completely unheard of. She was busy all the time. When both Embry's and Linx's did the same, he felt a cloud of dread start to cover him. Still, both could be phased. He started to drive again. He doubted the hoe-bag in the cabin paid attention but he called there as well. When none of his calls were answered, he moved on with Quil, Seth and Paul. Fuck again. Not that many of them would ignore him without reason. He placed a call to Charlie. He said Seth had just shot out the door like a bat outta hell when he was there to get the little ones.

Jacob told him what he'd felt. He had already made the adjustment in his route so that he was on the road straight to the house, less than fifteen minutes out, the way he was driving. Charlie said he was walking out the door as well and making the necessary calls. They'd decided long ago to get police involved if anything else came up. Traditional bars couldn't hold Edward but maybe he wouldn't so easily escape the country if he was on a watch list. They had dropped his name as a person of interest when the Avery investigation was wrapping up with regards to Jacob. The bloodsucker needed to be under the radar to carry out whatever plans he had in mind. The more trouble they could cause him, the better.

Jacob and Charlie might be getting ahead of themselves. He hoped it was huge misunderstanding but his gut told him otherwise. He wasn't concerned about work in the least but when his phone went off, he answered without hesitation or checking who it was.

"Bells."

"No, Jacob, you said you'd be here by now."

"Ross, I have an emergency... handle it."

"But."

"No, you're the damn vice president's son. Figure it the hell out." He hung up before that needy, incompetent poster child for nepotism distracted him anymore. Jacob couldn't wait anymore, he needed out of the truck to phase. He'd only started back up to get out of town and attempt his calls. He also sent the emergency group text out which alerted the Cullens there might be serious trouble.

As soon as he exited, he saw a tiny plume of smoke drifting high above the trees. He was unbuttoning his shirt, but abandoned that thought immediately.

He couldn't be bothered with his dress clothes. He shredded them on the side of his road next to his truck.

Jacob fled to the forest and started running. His mind was assaulted with what they saw. The pain, torture and agony consumed him. Linx. The only way he was able to visualize it was because of Embry, who was still alive thankfully, but barely.

Embry was patrolling the woods behind the lake when he was caught by surprise and actually fired on. It was no ordinary weapon. A mere bullet in the leg shouldn't be a problem for any of them, but it was so much worse than that.

Linx was attacked at the same time. Obviously, not by Edward. A blood red-eyed demon with blonde hair came out of the lake and ripped through the kid's middle. It happened in a blink of an eye. There was no way to heal from that. All his internal organs and blood vessels were all shredded at once. He didn't understand how he even had the chance to breathe out his last warning to Bella. Poor Bells, she loved that kid with all her heart and he hated she was a witness to such gore and tragedy firsthand. Jacob had to turn away briefly and shut his mind down from seeing and feeling it through the pack. They were all severed for one brief moment.

Jacob had no time for grief. The smoke, the leeches there to do their worst were all he could see the rest of the way home. His family's lives were at stake. He had to get into the house and save them. He heard sirens way off in the distance so he made an executive decision. He ordered Grif and Mark to get Linx's body out of there. They couldn't explain the state it was in or why. He requested Quil and Seth meet him because they were in the lead. He wanted three sets of hands for his family. The Cullens were to be intercepted by the others and led to Embry. Hopefully, Carlisle would make it in time to save him. He didn't appear to be healing at all.

Jacob met the guys at the base of the outdoor stairs. The fire was already really bad, no way they could save the place. Nothing mattered but Bella and the kids. They all three split up, but didn't make it very far. A large beam fell in front of them. Jacob didn't care about the pain he felt along his arms and legs. None of them had time to put on any clothing. He'd heal from the burns he felt singeing his skin. He also could hold his breath for long periods of time. It was hard to distinguish smells with all the smoke and fumes, but he knew it was Edward that grabbed Bella. He wasn't sure who killed Linx or shot Embry but the leech had Bells.

He knew she was out cold and already far away from the property as soon as he got inside. His kids were his sole priority those few seconds. That was literally all the time he believed they had in that inferno. The stairs that led to the bedrooms disintegrated in front of him. He had to find a way up.

Quil grabbed him. Jacob threw a punch, "Get the fuck off of me." It took both Quil and Seth to get him out of there.

They all fell out into the yard gasping and choking for air. Jacob planned on sucking up as much oxygen as possible so he could go back in.

Paul ran towards them with spare shorts. Jacob pushed them aside. He wanted back in that house.

Paul yelled that he needed something on. The firetruck, police cars and ambulances were already there. He soon heard Charlie's anguished screams in the distance. Jacob knew his family was not dead. No way was he losing them all at once. He found the strength to get back on his feet.

Quil was normally his right hand man but he was pushing all the wrong buttons with Jacob. He was determined to restrain him and they both knew that couldn't be achieved.

"I'm sorry. It's too late. You have to listen to me Jacob. We tried."

"Shut up! Don't say that. I'm still standing. You know what you're grandfather said. Bella's alive because I am." Jacob was feeling odd. "He must have drugged her." There was no way with all that turmoil, her pulse would be so even and slow if he hadn't. "My heart is her heart."

"Okay, I believe you with regards to her, but take a look at the house." They both looked back. The house was entirely ablaze. All that work and so many precious memories were being engulfed in flames. It hurt and he already hurt more than he thought was humanly possible. Linx was dead, Embry might not make it and he didn't know where his wife and children were. He still couldn't accept their children were in the house when it was fully consumed. The bloodsucker had been a father at one point. If he loved Bella, however, distorted it was... certainly he wouldn't kill her children. What was the point of the fire at all?

The fireman and paramedics were on them as soon as they exited their vehicles. They were insisting they be checked for burns and tried attaching them to oxygen. All three were coughing and gagging. Charlie was eventually allowed through because of people he knew.

Jacob pulled off the mask. "She's not in there. Trust me Charlie, I know. Cullen has her."

"How... how in the hell did he get the jump on your men? Where are they by the way?"

"Ralph's dead."

"Who?"

"Linx." Jacob told him who took the body and where.

"You removed a body from a crime scene? Dammit, Jacob. You've already been under suspicion before."

He stated to Charlie, that the local police wouldn't have any idea that the incidences were connected. Who knew? Maybe Edward was setting him up again and that was one of the reasons for the fire, that and the huge distraction. All the emergency personnel made it more difficult to rush off and hunt for him at the moment.

"What about Alexander and Brooklyn? Where are the kids?"

Quil was shaking his head in a grim manner. Jacob stopped him. "That's enough. My kids are fine."

Seth was collapsed against the ground, taking slow deep breaths into his mask. Jacob saw him wipe away a tear. They'd been moved a safe distance from the house and the firefighters were attempting to douse the fire with no real progress.

"So that's it, you're with him?"

"Jake, it's not like that but Edward did all this after years of planning. He seeks the ultimate vengeance against you. Bella is alive, for now. I know it too but would Edward save your children? Be realistic, would he?"

"They're Bella's too." They fought like hell for them. Bella had buried one child. He would not fail her in such a way. He regretted ever being away from them even one second. She wanted a normal life and he'd done his best to make it happen. The reality was being a target by vampires was never normal.

Seth made another point, he didn't want to hear. "Yeah, but that wasn't a regular fire. I almost choked on the chemicals. It was strong, not gasoline, maybe jet fuel or something. Look how fast it burned."

Charlie whispered under his breath like he was tearfully mourning them already. "My poor Bells, she'll be devastated. Those beautiful children."

Jacob had enough. He was fine. He needed to get out there and expand the search. The rest of them were trying to accept a tragedy that he wasn't willing to believe. A captain from the fire department stopped him.

"Mr. Black, this is your residence?"

"Yes."

"We need a list of the occupants as well as who you believed was inside."

Jacob told him who all lived there, even about Abby and Linx being guest at the cabin. He said he thought his wife and children were home, but after being inside, he no longer thought so.

"Why would you think they're not? Is her car still here? Have you heard from her?"

Jacob looked over to the driveway and admitted her car was there, but he countered that they always had close friends in and out. Maybe his sister took them for a day trip.

The captain continued to hold Jacob up. He picked up on how distraught they all were. He didn't believe any story or excuse that came out of Jacob's mouth. It was obvious he thought he was in denial.

"You have any enemies Mr. Black?"

"Why?"

"Because this was not an accidental fire. I've been doing this for a long time and this is one of the worst fires I've ever seen. So again, help me out here... you got any enemies?"

"Just one. Edward Cullen, my wife's ex."

The captain stepped away and talked to the officer that was in charge. They talked back and forth. The detective pulled out his phone. Jacob heard him spelling out the name to whoever was on the phone with him.

The questions got tougher. Charlie came over and told them to back off. "My son-in-law just lost everything. His family is currently unaccounted for. He'll give a statement later. This is getting obscene, boys and you know it's not necessary."

"Chief, you know we have to do this. This is a possible murder scene. By the way Mr. Black, how'd you get here?"

"I drove, I was on the way home and saw smoke." There were so many cars filling up the roads by then, they had no way of knowing he left his truck miles away.

"What's with your attire? Were you coming from the gym?"

"No."

"Well, where were you?"

"I worked in Seattle the past couple of days."

They looked at him again with speculation. Jacob was not volunteering any information he didn't have to. The next question he expected but he played dumb.

"Any idea why there appears to be a large amount of blood down by the pier?"

"None, like I said, I wasn't here."

"Where are your guests? I'd like to speak to them as well."

"They come and go as they please, I have no idea." Jacob walked away. He was done with the questions and insinuations.

"Stop, wait you're going to need to be transported to the hospital for those burns."

Jacob turned around and held out his arms. "What burns?"

"How? I could've sworn at first." The captain looked shocked and confused. Jacob, Quil and Seth all had multiple blistered burns when they were first given oxygen.

Charlie ran interference for him and Jacob slipped away. The guys followed him. He told them they were going to split up and comb the woods. Paul had first been alongside Embry.

"How is he?"

"It's bad, man. The worst. The leech doctor is trying, but the bleeding won't stop. He wasn't conscious." Since Paul knew exactly where they were, he told him to go back and check on him.

"Tell Carlisle, whatever it takes, save him. We can't lose another." Embry and Jacob had been tight since elementary school. He couldn't imagine losing him. Quil came up to him again.

Jacob was prepared to cut him off, but Quil had changed his tune.

"I can't imagine what you're going through. I'm sorry for what I said earlier. You're right, if it was my kids, I wouldn't give up either. Tell me where to go, what to do."

There was a large cracking and popping sound. They all turned back and saw the house completely collapse on itself. It was a flattened mass of flames and smoke. No matter how much water they pumped over it, the house just kept burning.

Jacob heard all the words Quil, Seth and Charlie had said about the children in his mind again. Earlier, he'd been operating off adrenaline, but seeing it all destroyed in the distance was hitting him like a ton of bricks.

He fell to his knees. The pups had made it back from hiding Linx's body. They all surrounded their alpha as the pain became so intense, Jacob couldn't move or start the search.

He was sobbing heavily. "She's gone. I have no clue where to start. If I can't have Alexander and Brooklyn waiting for her, will she even want to come back? They were asleep. I saw Emb's last check-in with her. Brooke was confined to her crib. Someone would have to lift her out. I'm a fool to think, the bloodsucker would have that sort of compassion."

Seth put his arm over him, "We know. I'm so sorry, Jake."

Jacob yelled out, his throat burned from smoke and despair, "AJ, Brooke... My babies!" He had finally broken. It all came crashing down on him at once.

He had never felt so much hopelessness in all his life, but then as fast as all hope was lost, hope was renewed when he heard a faint sound off in the distance.

He looked up, "Did you guys hear that?"

"No, what was it?"

He held up his hands close to his ears. "Listen, it's so soft." They waited until they all heard it.

"It's my dog." He knew that bark anywhere. "I hear Tiki." Jacob had been so overwhelmed with what was happening, he failed to consider the dog was also missing. That sweet animal, that Bella insisted they get so their children would grow up with a pet was barking somewhere far off in the woods. She never left his son's side and he knew if Tiki wasn't in the house, that could only mean one thing.

Jacob sprinted towards the sound. Their sense of smell had been dulled by the fire, but the barking was becoming clearer and louder.

"Tikaani!" he shouted over and over as well as his kids' names. Finally, she was in their sights. The dog would normally run to her alpha when he called her, but she was otherwise occupied. The dog was resting on a soft patch of grass. Her eyes met Jacob's and she yipped once more. Both kids were curled into her side, sound asleep. He knew they were fine because the most melodic rhythm hummed inside both their chests.

They were safe. Then next order of business was bringing their mother back to them. He hoped Bella didn't know about the fire or she'd be worried sick. I'm coming Bells, he spoke to her in his thoughts. An image of the bloodsucker also entered his mind, and Hell's coming with me.

~Thanks for reading.

Who had hope? Don't lose hope, so much more to come.