Chapter Twenty Eight
Peter
I heard a commotion and then three shots, something had happened at the reservation and I determined to find out what so I went in cautiously keeping downwind. There was chaos outside one of the cabins, four bodies down on the floor and another in a wheelchair, slumped over but still clutching a gun. As the figures moved around I got a clearer look at the bodies, one was a young guy only partially changed from wolf to man or the other way, I had no idea. Two were older, quite clearly from the reservation and the last in the middle was Charlie and it was clear he'd been killed by the wolves. I cursed and backed out as silently as I'd come taking my phone out but hating the news I would have to relay to The Major and Bella. He received the news in silence then,
"I'll tell Bella. Pull back to a safe distance Peter and wait for us. They killed Charlie so its open season on the wolves now."
Bella
I heard the phone ring as I came back in the house and Jasper's words and I knew what had happened, the Quileutes had killed my dad. Jasper pulled me into his arms as he explained what Peter had seen and I wished I could cry, an outlet for my overwhelming grief but it soon turned to a cold hatred for all the Quileutes. Someone would pay for Charlies death, and I would be there handing out justice in person. While Jasper made flight arrangements I stood looking out the window trying desperately to calm myself and my phone rang. It startled me because apart from Charlie only Jake and Jasper knew this number, was it Jake trying to explain their actions?
"Yes"
"Bella? It's Seth Clearwater"
"I've heard"
"I guessed as much but do you know how it went down?"
"No. Tell me."
He did, how he and Jake had tried to protect Charlie at the end, how Sam killed Jake and the wolves killed my father then Billy's act in shooting Sam and Harry.
"I won't say I'm sorry your father's dead Seth, I wish I'd been the one pulling the trigger."
"I know, I just wanted you to know that Jake stood up for Charlie at the end and died for his actions, I couldn't override Sam's order's or I too would have stood firm between them. I guess you'll be coming for us now"
Jasper
I'd heard Bella's conversation as I made our arrangements, part of our job was already done but the rest of the wolf pack would die for their deed and we needed to move fast, before they called on reinforcements from other tribes. I rang Carlisle and warned him that the Quileutes had broken the treaty and to watch themselves then got in contact with a few of our own friends who would be good in a fight but only Garrett was close enough to be of any assistance. I thought with Peter and Charlotte that would probably be enough and then my phone rang again.
"Jazz, Em here. Where do you want us to meet you? Carlisle just told us and Rose and I are in."
I gave them instructions happy to have two more to add to our numbers. When it rang again I half expected Carlisle and Esme to be offering to help but it was Alice.
"Jazz you need to move now before they get reinforcements. Use Bella she's your greatest asset."
"What? How?"
"She is a shield, it's instinctive. If she's with you her shield will automatically come into play, you don't have time to teach her to control it but tell her to go with her instincts, you can win this fight. Good luck"
The connection was broken, Bella a shield? I'd explain the call to her on the plane, we didn't have time to waste now, every minute was critical.
Bella
When Jasper told me Alice had rung I was surprised, when he told me what she'd said I was stunned,
"What's a shield?"
"She means you can protect us from the wolves but you can't control it yet, just let your feelings take over. After this is over we can experiment but the Quileutes die first."
I sat back thinking about Alice's disclosure, I was a shield? I had a gift like Edward and Jasper? How powerful was it? Would it be enough to protect us? Alice seemed to think so and I would trust her judgement. I kept seeing Charlie laying dead at the feet of the wolves, how could they kill their best friend? How could Harry have countenanced such a deed? Harry, the one person I would have liked to kill myself but Billy had done that for me, leaving Old Quil and the wolves, many of whom I knew personally. Did they think that might stay my hand? Might save them from my wrath? If they did they were badly mistaken, they were going down, every last one of them except Seth. I would spare him for his attempt to protect Charlie even if it was useless, he had tried and he'd lost his father in the process.
Peter met us at the airport in Seattle looking very guilty and started to apologise,
"Don't Peter, you did all you could. I don't blame you for Charlie's death. Where's Charlotte?"
"She's watching the Res, just in case they try to sneak in reinforcements but so far its just the wolves guarding the perimeter and looking really fucking mean."
"What have they done with Charlie? Surely he's been missed by now?"
"Yeah, there's a search going on but he hadn't told anyone where he was going so the Res isn't under any scrutiny. They buried him in their grave yard with Harry and Billy."
"What about Sam?"
"He's alive, he was phasing to wolf form when Billy's bullet hit him and he took it in the chest but he's recovering, they must be like us when in wolf form, almost indestructible"
"Yes but only almost. Emmett and Rose are joining us"
"Yeah they're already here and Garrett, eager for a good fight as always."
"Then as soon as we get together and decide on action we go in. I want this over quickly before it attracts attention from the town."
"Well I think a score of dead Quileutes is going to be noticed anyway Major."
"I don't care as long as we're gone before word gets out."
"Are we taking on just the wolves or the whole tribe?"
He looked at Bella,
"It's your father, you get to say"
"All the wolves barring Seth who is going to hide on my orders. Any other Quileute who stands with them is fair game too, but no children. I won't kill children, they're innocent."
"If you say so but they grow up to be wolves themselves and they will come looking for us in time"
"Let them. We'll be waiting. No children Peter."
