Chapter 18: Caught a _ and _!

Disclaimer: The characters are Stephenie Meyer's just tweaked for my crazy mind.

~(~)~ ~(~)~ ~(~)~ Merana's point of view

It was some time later, close to 10 am that we were set up at the edge of Forks. Emmett was up a tree about five feet behind me but over a mile high. Leah and Jared were spaced out – Jared behind a bush near the tree Emmett was up and Leah was in a sinkhole that I helped covered up.

Basically we created a triangle with me at the point. Though not perfectly distanced and far from being usefully but it was crazy how threes always popped up when something was up. Noting this in my mind, I just focused on sensing for any other unnatural life sources that were near by.

The boom box Alice supplied was stationed on the only solid surface, a fallen log; some feet from me and on some station playing the local hits. It was loud and annoying but not what was getting on everyone's nerves or loud enough to drown out all noises.

Except we didn't need to talk or use hand signals to communicate for the link I created was a mental one and allowed our chosen thoughts to be shared. Though another minute and Leah was going to rip into Emmett. He just didn't get that he was continuously sharing or that we didn't really what to know.

He wasn't sharing anything rude or that should remain private just his thoughts. In which Leah was not having as Emmett was thinking about how fast, strong, and near minded newborns are. Leah, and Jared at that fact, really didn't care to know or that they were not ready.

Except we didn't need to talk or use hand signals to communicate for the link I created was a mental and allowed our chosen thoughts to be shared. Though another minute and Leah was going to rip into Emmett. He just didn't get that he was continuously sharing or that we didn't really what to know.

He wasn't sharing anything rude or that should remain private just his thoughts. In which Leah was not having as Emmett was thinking about how fast, strong, and near minded newborns are. Leah, and Jared at that fact, really didn't care to know or that they were not ready.

'Emmett one more comment and I'll chop down your tree to make it easier for Leah.' I thought after he shared an image of him taking on some guy. Emmett did stop but for a short time.

'Emmett please. We all don't need those images.' I almost snapped as he started to think about Rose. Though he wasn't just thinking he was also imaging her. He was sharing personal memories. Sexual memories!

"Sorry. My bad." Emmett shouted from his perch.

'Emmett' this time I did snap as well as glare at him. Leah and Jared growled but other then that they didn't move or think. 'Please remember the link is for communication and not sharing.'

"OH…"

'EMMETT' I roared which in turned created the most perfect silence that there ever was.

Then 'Sorry, I'll just keep quite.' Emmett just about whispered through the link.

Just nodding my head and turning around to once again scan the woods, I waved to him and replied, 'Thank you'. Thus it grew quite and Emmett actually kept his word. Which was a blessing for some time later we had a bite.

Going into action I moved closer to the boom box and lowered my head, allowing my hair to obscured my face as I sat down. Picking up the book and making it seem that I was lost to the words on the page I used my other senses to tell me where my fish were. At the same time I focused on projecting a calm and clear human heartbeat.

"Now look here, a pretty girl all by herself and a Dragonian at that. It must be my lucky day." A voice rained from behind me. A very familiar voice.

Fighting the urge to freeze or even to turn around I slowly stood and strolled closer to Leah but not directly to her. For without looking or using my senses I knew exactly who was behind me and I just knew that my plan had been flawed for he was here. Which meant he knew of her, Jared, and Emmett. I didn't have to ask or look him in the eye to prove me right. I just had to ensure she didn't get near him.

So using the link, I looked through their eyes to see what was behind and where they were. Which only further ensure that indeed Jorife, a fellow and nasty Dragonian was standing behind me with three weird looking vampires. I didn't need to use the wolves' senses to know they were vampires for something about them just screamed murderous bastards and fangs. Then again it could also be that they seemed familiar but only in that their stances and clothes were familiar.

So positioning myself but not to fight, I cut the link and very fast looked to each of them. Then I turned around to face Jorife, a once very great comrade now a man of disgust and Issac's now second. Because I destroyed he's last second almost a year ago.

"What a pleasure, I caught a low-life tard of an Dragonian." Smiling as I spoke sweetly, I hoped Jared, Emmett, and Leah got my message. That with Jorife here everything had changed. That one I could not keep the link activate, two to be cautious, three that I was changing the plan. Though there had really been no real plan just that they had to be ready to capture whoever walked into our net. Except I was now in the way and talking to the prey. But then again I really wasn't sure if they were even listening let alone Emmett.

"Oh please… ah… you caught me." Jorife roared while laughing. "I was actually looking for you. See my friends here…" stepping closer to me, he gestured to the three that were now examining the boom box with great caution. Tuning Jorife out I took the moment to actually take them in.

Their clothes told me that they have been sleeping or pulled from some dungeon for centuries. Then again the style itself told me that they were from some era. If I had to guess I would say 1920 to 1940, Russia, but that was my guess.

"… Merana." Looking back to Jorife and seeing the irritation I had caused him I just smiled.

I shifted my stance to that of combat with my left hand near my armory but not on it. "Oh Jorife I'm sorry what did you say." I sweetly said as a he glared at me. I knew what he had said but I didn't care. The only thing that mattered was the fact that Issac knew and I had to find out how.

But all of that changed in a second. For as I stared into Jorife's eyes trying to gather some info, suddenly I was flooded with images. Images of people in the forest, some Issac's and some… oh my… the tribe. Issac had captured many of the wolves people and were holding them somewhere in the forest, near or not far the others but a great distance from us.

Once again everything was thrown out the window. As instead of trying to gather info from Jorfie or fighting him I was now evading.

Running at top speed I circled around the Russian vampires only to leap to a tree that was behind them. Then scaling a few ways I back flipped off going high. I really had no thought of where I was going to land only in that I had to reconnect with Leah and Jared. They had to know and alert the others, now.

Just like that Leah and Jared were up and off.

Glancing a look up to Emmett I was able to reconnect with him and show him what I had learned as well the new plan. Or what I had come up with on the spot. Which was him against the three Russians when I gave the signal.

Just as I was nearing the ground, or really Jorfie for he had moved to catch me. I used his outstretched arms to propel me to the log, which the boom box still rested upon with the Russians around it.

Landing graceful but hard, the boom box crashed to the ground causing a horrible noise to come from it as it was still playing. The Russians at first were startled but within seconds were on me.

Kicking and punching I was able to escape harm but not when one swiped at my legs as the other two lunged at me. Acting fast I jumped up but forced my body to go down so instead I was between them. Then landing on my but I just very swiftly rolled onto my back as I did a wheel-mill kick. Its hard and most difficult but I got the ideal from watching man gymnastics on the pommel horse and just had to master the move.

Yeah my fighting skills are unique, many thought me crazy when I first attempted the move and even tried to stop me when I continued to try it. But I am me and could never be someone else but me. So saying I was unique was an understatement and Jorife knew that.

So seeing that I was serious he rushed over, only to fight to get to me. As the Russians were over me antics and just wanted me stopped. It just wasn't that easy. Cause now I wasn't allowing them to even touch me as I flipped, leaped, and somersaulted along the log.

The Russians called me all sort of things in their native tongue and tried many times to hinder me. Only it wasn't working. In fact I was learning a lot from them. Like how they fought, their strengths, and the fact that they were Russia assassins. It was all good intel I just hoped Emmett got it and understood what he was up against.

Cause the next second I switched tactics and instead of evading I seized a hold of one and flung him into the others. Using that momentum I back-flipped into the air, only to come down hard on the log on all fours. Completely shattering the section I had landed on. Then within that same moment I roared completely shattering the rest of the log. Emmett landing next to me caused the pieces to fly once more into the air and cause even more chaos as the Russians jumped back to their feet and Jorfie turned to leave.

Quickly gesturing to Emmett to thrown me, I was then hurtling towards Jorife who was none to happy to find me on him.

Holding onto his shoulders and planting my feet on his back I made sure he felt the full weight of our fall. As soon as he ate dirt I flipped off of him only I didn't let him go. I kept my grasp on his shoulders as I flipped forward, taking him with me.

As I landed I rolled forward propelling him into the cluster of trees some feet ahead of me as I relinquished my hold on him.

It might have looked that I had the upper hand but truth was I just couldn't give Jorife the opportunity to react. Let alone I owned him this for the last time we fought and that sweet girl he had… he had hurt. Just thinking of her had me moving faster and more determined to end him.

Not even a second had passed when I was rounding a tree and kicking at him. Only Jorife had got to his feet and was now reacting to me.

Shit… I thought as he blocked me kick and shoved me backwards. The force of my kick though had him rebounding off the trees. Then from there we just traded punches, kicks, and snarls. Basically a dance between two evenly matched opponents, except I wasn't going to back down or give in.

"Why are you protecting these degenerates?" Jorife asked after some time.

"What does he matter to you?" I snarled back when he once again evaded my kick.

"Oh it doesn't, I just…" Jorife started then shoved me when I heard Emmett roar, distracting me. Slidding back a few feet from the force I was able to stay on my feet by grabbing a hold of a tree. "…what your full attention." Jorife finished as he turned to the side.

That's when I noticed.

Emmett.

The Russians had him and where positioning him before Jorife. Though it wasn't that that had me it was what I knew Jorife was about to do. He was going to roast Emmett right in front of me.

"It is so good you brought back up. Now you have first hand knowledge of what is happening." Jorife said before bellowing fire right at Emmett.

Lucinda… I saw her and yet it didn't click until this moment. Jorife and the Russians were here to distract me not fight.

Just as that crossed my mind I was moving. I was racing the fire and I got to Emmett first. For unlike me, Jorife can't protect another while in the midst of a blaze. Once I had a hold on Emmett I loosen my control and morped into my Dragonian form. Though I could have probably saved the Russians I really didn't care or want to. So they went up as I took off with Emmett.

Emmett and I were gone before Jorife even realized what I had done or what was happening. He thought the screams he was hearing was of us not that of his Russians. We were long gone when I heard him roar, I hated that I fled but I had to stop Lucinda. I just hopped that I would get another chance to rid the earth of that bastard.

Moving that to the back of my mind for I had to focus and there was a small problem. My anger. It hadn't dissipated. In fact it was rising and growing in my gut. Making it's way up my throat and to my mouth, where I tried but failed to hold it in. I roared only it come out as a ball of fire.

Now usually I would fly around it but I was in a hurry and didn't feel like it today. Emmett on the other hand was over fire and was punching and clawing at me, anything to release him. So I did, not caring he had a long way to go and just flew right into the fire.

Arching up so that when I exited I would be above it and heading right to the clouds. For I was already drawing too much attention, even though I didn't sense any humans in the area. I just didn't want to be seen and needed to think.

Scanning the images Jorife gave me and I looked for any and all info I could gather from them. I needed a plan and I needed help, plus to break free from this fire.

It was taking forever to break from the fire. It just never ended. Except the strange part I felt empowered, almost like the fire was feeding me giving me strength and power. Suddenly my eyesight cleared of red and I could feel the coolness of the air. Only I was already in the clouds, which was weird for I had started from the treetops and there should still be several miles till the clouds.

To say I was shock would be to right, only I didn't have time to think on that for Lucinda was somewhere below and I had to get to her. So switching directions I glided through the clouds while at the same time scanning the ground for Lucinda. It might have seem like looking for a needle in a haystack to others but nearing my focus to her made it easier for me to control my emotions. To think of the others or of anything else was too distracting and that would only lead to death.

It didn't take long. Before I knew it I was above them and could clearly see what was going on below me.

I counted eight young ladies, three elders, and twelve kids not including Lucinda, who was among them. There were thirteen of Issac's minions guarding them. From what I could see it looked like they all were sea-shifters. But until I had my hands on them I couldn't be positive.

Lingering in the clouds so I could come up with a plan, I suddenly spied movement. The Cullens were at the boundary, some five miles or so. I couldn't make out the words but knew it was Carlisle yelling.

'So Sam couldn't accept their help.' I thought then I realized that I couldn't see Sam or his pack. Shifting in the clouds till I was directly inline with Carlisle did I even spy Sam. He was in his human form and it looked like he was talking but to whom. 'Shit'. He was trying to talk the minions. Which was weird for Issac doesn't barter with others or even a patient man. So what was Issac waiting for?

Then it came to me. Edward. He was there with the Cullens and though I hated it I had to. Calling up the link with Edward I directed him to attack the far left side of Sam.

Without thought Edward was off doing as I commanded but then again he was under my control again. So not giving anyone a chance to adjust or even understand what was happening I plumped to the ground in a blaze of fire and a roar.

Then instructing Edward to throw the pieces into the fire, I dashed to the closet tree and went up. Using the branches and leaves to hide me, I evaded detection while moving as close to Lucinda as possible. The hostages are held in the direct center of the clearing, far from the trees. So the closet I could get was half a mile in front of the hostages, just shy of where Sam was standing.

Pausing to survey I notice a wolf had joined in, I didn't care who it was just glad that someone decided to help. Well that is till Sam yelled stop and then the wolf disappeared into the woods but not before helping Edward destroy his fifth minion. Which must have pissed Issac off for Lucinda was leaving the safety of the hostages and coming closer to me.

Shifting to run the length of the branch to take her down, I suddenly heard my worst fears. "NO!" Bella screaming had me stuck in my tracks. "SAM DON'T!" looking down I realized why she was screaming. Sam was trying to fight Edward only Bella was interfering and Edward wasn't responding to either of them. Then glancing to Lucinda I realized that Issac wasn't pissed but happy.

This is what Issac wanted, Bella here among her protectors. Raising her arms Lucinda or I should say Issac spoke, "Say Goodbye little one."

Not missing a beat I sprinted down the branch and leapt to land right before her, just as her arms reached their peak. Mine though snaked their way around her waist and neck pulling her close to me. Tightening my hold I used one hand to tilt her head to the side while the other yanked on her hair, exposing her neck to me.

The look on her face was one that had me smiling and my heart in a vise. Issac was horrified at the thought that I would exactly hurt Lucinda and had stalled in his thoughts, giving Lucinda time to smile at me. That simply movement told me that she was still there.

Not halting in my decision or actions I shifted into my Dragonian form. Then biting down on her neck I dug my claws into her to farther increase my venom in her system. Lucinda neither fought nor screamed. In truth her arms clanged to me as if her life depended upon it.

It took all my willpower not to shove her away. I was so angry that I actually started snarling for this was a friend. A very dear old friend that I was feeding upon but after a while my animal instincts kicked in and I was drinking everything that was her; her blood, energy, life, even her memories. It was all mine everything last bit of it.

Never in all of my long life had I ever thought of feeding off of a Phoenix. They are such peacefully loving creatures that no one would even think of harming them, let alone they are also among the strongest and most dangerous. Especially when you cross one. But none of that mattered only Lucinda mattered at this moment and time.

Ok I missed you all and this is really a good chapter. I just had to update it. Now I beg all to please review and tell me what you think. I do have the next chapters waiting to upload. But I wont for I want so reviews. I need to know what you think, want, or whatever. Please just review. I'll even accept flames, anything. I am planning on changing point of view to Bella but I don't know if you like her point of view better or Merana's. Oh plus the reason for the title is coming up and a twist. Please my Baka's respond~~ Mary Mab