Chapter 43 – Bella is Taken, Part 1
EMMETT
A feeling of dread crept up from the pit of my stomach as I gripped my phone in my left hand. Edward was going to either fire me or kill me. I was hoping the former. Bella went missing on my watch and I had to tell him, but how. How was I going to tell my best friend his wife was gone. lost.
Pike Place was a madhouse, like it always was on any given day. Bella had agreed to stay in sight. My gazed moved around the area we had been in. I had believed she was a few vendor stalls down from where Rosalie and Alice were pursuing. Moving down the aisle, still I couldn't find her.
Damn it! Where in the hell was she?
With my phone still clutched in my hands, I brought up the Find My - Friends - app. Bella had granted me permission to track her via the app, as did Edward, Jasper, Alice, and Rosalie.
With the app up, I looked for Bella's name.
Location Not Available.
Crap! Her phone was off. I didn't think for a minute she revoked my permission. She asked me to be her bodyguard.
My eyes scanned the area again as I turned in a slow circle. She was nowhere to be seen. What in the hell was I going to do.
And, I left the GPS device for the tracker Edward gave her to wear in the car, not that she knew it was a tracker. Nothing I could do about it. Time was of the essence.
A young boy, about to my knee was standing there with a thumb in his mouth. He held up a folded-piece of paper. The moment I had it, he ran off into the crowd. Opening the paper, I read:
"See you, big brute! Even you can't protect Bella. Call Detective Hedley. I'm working with the police. Wish I could tell you where she is being taken, but I don't know. Jacob Black."
The blood drained from my face as I balled the paper in my fist. I didn't believe from one minute he was working with the police, though I would be calling the detective if I didn't find Bella soon.
I fumbled with my cellphone. Once I had it on, I jabbed the Find My Friends logo on my phone again. I prayed we had been in a dead zone. Her name was there as were the words 'Location Not Available.'
"Shit!" I yelled, causing Alice and Rosalie to turn and gaze at me.
"What's wrong?" Rosalie asked, looking around. "Where's Bella?"
I didn't know how to answer.
"Look for her," I yelled as I scrolled for Detective Hedley's number.
"Hedley," he answered after six rings.
"This is Emmett McCarty. I'm the bodyguard for Isabella Cullen. She's been taken by Jacob Black from Pike Place," I said quickly, hoping he understood me.
"Jacob's working with us. How long ago was she taken?"
Well, Jacob hadn't lied. There were so many questions running through my mind, but I pushed them aside. "I noticed she was gone five minutes ago. A young boy handed me a note, a minute ago."
"Did it say where they were heading?"
"No. I gave Bella a necklace weeks ago. It has GPS."
"Track her. I'm on my way with officers. We need to search the market to be sure she's not there."
My gaze moved around the market area again. Rosalie and Alice where in sight going up and down nearby aisles. Where the hell was Bella?
I found Edward's number and hit it. He better let me explain before passing judgment. My call went straight to voicemail. I tried again and again. Five fucking times it went to voicemail after one ring.
"Crap, why isn't he picking up?" I shouted. Two ladies near my jumped and glared at me. I had a feeling they wanted to berate me from my language, not that I cared. Pulling up the texting app, I typed: "911. Call me NOW!"
Pacing, I waited for him to call me. It was three or so minutes later before he called. Detective Hedley had arrived and were directing officers.
"Is Bella in labor?" he asked without preamble.
Edward knew, as well as me, Bella could have the baby any day. We both had tried to talk her out of this excursion. That made what I had to tell him even harder, so caution was needed. And he was going to murder me when I told him she wasn't.
"No. Are you sitting?"
"Why should I be sitting?"
"She's been taken by Jacob," I replied, glancing again at the balled up note in my hand.
Silence met me from the other end of the line and shocked glares greeted me on my end. I pulled the phone away from my ear as Rosalie and Alice both moved in opposite directions finally doing as I asked ten minutes ago. The call was still connected to Edward.
"Edward?" I said tentatively.
"Are you sure?" he asked his voice muffled causing me to think he was talking through clenched teeth.
My gaze went back to the note in my hand. "Positive. And her phone is off." I started walking toward the car, seeing out of the corner of my eye, Alice and Rosalie doing the same. "I'm heading to the car to get the GPS device. I've already called Detective Hedley. He and several officers are searching the market now."
Again silence.
'Call Edward's parents and Charlie Swan,' I mouthed to Rosalie when we got to the car.
She pointed to Alice, who was standing a short ways away with her phone pressed to her ear. She gave me a weak smile. She was worried and had every right to be. Bella was like a sister to her and to Rosalie. Hell, she was my little sister too.
Rosalie leaned into the car and retrieved the GPS device from the glove box. The frown she gave me made me fearful.
Was the tracking device defunct?
I reached out and angled the device so I could see. The green dot was moving further away from Pike Place Market and toward the ferry terminal.
How in the hell did they get to the ferry terminal so fast?
I was not sure if Edward was still on the line or not, but he needed to know what was going on. "Edward, she still has the tracker. I am going to hang up and find Hedley."
"Don't hang up," Edward yelled.
Alice was standing with Rosalie and me. Alice took my phone after handing her phone off to Rosalie.
"Detective Hedley," I shouted after reentering.
He turned. "Emmett?" he asked.
"Yes." Glancing at the GPS device in my hand, I added, "Bella's still moving. They are on water. Either a private boat or the ferry."
A long pause with more typing. "Shit! I'm contacting the FBI. With them on water, the case might fall under federal jurisdiction."
Crap, I thought.
"I want to be part of the rescue team," I stated. "Bella knows me and will less likely panic with me present."
Hedley said he would relay my request to SWAT and the FBI. He did not sound hopeful however when I told him I was a retired Navy Seal his tone changed to it being a possibility.
"I cannot guarantee anything. Let's hope they are taking a pleasure cruise and will come back to Seattle. Getting other jurisdictions involved takes time and we might not have it."
"If you need someone to coordinate, Edward's office is not far away."
"I have the address. Head there. I follow shortly." He said, walking away and pressing a few buttons on his phone before putting it against his ear.
"Get in the car," I shouted, rushing back to the exit. "We're heading to Edward. The police and the FBI are on the way."
"Edward, we are heading to your office," Alice relayed as she got into the backseat. "No! Stay at work. Right now, you need to stay calm. Keep your cellphone near you in case Bella calls. Seattle PD is on their way to help. Hopefully the FBI will help." She was silent a moment. "I think that would be a bad idea. I will see you soon. We can talk more then."
Alice hung up and sighed heavily. "He is beside himself, guys. If Bella or the baby is harmed in anyway, I have no idea what he'll do."
Inhaling a deep breath, I nodded. If our roles were reversed, Jacob would be dead just for touching Rosalie. Stomping the accelerator, the car lurched forward. I didn't push it faster than the speed limit. I knew we were pressed for time, but a traffic stop would have Bella in Jacob's hands that much longer.
We might have twenty-four hours. Maybe longer given Bella's pregnant. Unless the baby comes before Bella's found, I thought, gripping the steering wheel. Oh god, I hope she does not go into labor.
There were cop cars and black SUVs in the parking lot near Edward's office when we arrived a half later. Damn traffic and construction. Pike Place Market was not far away from his office.
Rosalie, Alice, and I were separated the moment we walked into the boardroom. I knew it was so we could make statements. For me, there wasn't much I could tell anyone.
"Bella was there with us one minute, although she was moving to the next vendor stall but still in eyesight. I was somewhere between where Alice and Rosalie were and where Bella was headed. It was like I blinked and Bella was gone," I told the officer who did not bother introducing herself.
"Did you look for Bella?" the agent asked.
I took a deep breath. "I did. I had thought she had moved down the aisle and into the crowd." The tracker clearly showed me she was not in the market and I trusted my wife and Alice. They looked and did not find her. "I was there to protect her from Jacob, if he showed up. Edward and I agreed she could move freely when shopping as long as she stayed in sight, and she always stayed in sight," I replied as I reached up and rubbed my face with my left hand. "Had I seen Jacob, she would not have been taken."
I was pissed at myself. How could I have let this happen? I should have been at Bella's side, not keeping an eye out for Alice and Rosalie too.
The officer consulted her notepad. "You mentioned to Detective Hedley that Bella has a tracking device on her."
"She does." I pulled out the device and handed it to her. "Did he also tell you of my request?"
"He did. And if it were not for the fact that you are a former Seal and know Bella, the answer would have been no. We are going to make an exception as long as you let us do the heavy lifting."
I got what she was saying. Guns come out, you take cover.
Looking over my shoulder at Rosalie, I thought about whether or not I could follow the order. My gaze moved to Edward. He was sitting in a rolling, leather chair with his head in his hands. If I did not agree, I would not be a part of the rescue team and that would hurt my best friend and he would probably do something stupid. "I will stay back until Jacob is dealt with," I agreed, facing the officer again.
"We will be leaving as soon as travel arrangements can be made." The officer showed me the GPS. The green dot was idle.
I paled.
Forks.
Bella was in or near Forks and a good three hours away by car.
How in the hell did they get so far so fast? Jacob must have had a plane on standby on the other side of the Sound.
"Edward has a private jet. He might insist on coming with us. Let him. His parents live in Forks. They will be able to convince him to let us bring Bella back to him."
"I will talk to him," the officer said. "But I would rather have him stay here in Seattle."
That will not go over well, I thought as the agent moved toward Edward, I caught Rosalie's eye and motioned for her to follow me. Once we were in Edward's office, I faced her.
"You're going," she said, knowingly.
"Yes. It was my job to keep Jacob away and I failed. I have to bring her home."
"Good," Rosalie remarked. "What can I do to help? I know the cops and FBI have the recovery covered, but there must be something I can do."
"Call Mike Newton. I don't know if Edward is together enough to make the call. Have Mike put in a flight plan for Forks. Then we need to come up with a way to talk the police into letting Edward go with us."
She nodded. "Carlisle and Esme asked Alice to keep them informed not being able to come right away. They can drop everything if needed. He hasn't asked for them yet. I believe he hasn't thought about calling them or Charlie yet."
Charlie? Did someone call him like asked? I couldn't remember if I asked.
"Don't worry. Alice called him, too. He wasn't thrilled with the news. Alice told me he sounded concerned, pissed even. But Bella hasn't forgiven him for kicking her out, thought they are talking. Alice invited him to come here."
Rosalie was giving me a headache with this story. I needed facts. "So, is he coming?"
"He should be here soon."
I glanced out into the corridor. The agents were milling around. There wasn't much that could be done until we were in Forks.
"Have Alice call Carlisle and Esme once we're in the air. Bella is somewhere near Forks."
Rosalie's eyes widened. She was looking at someone behind me.
Slowly turning, I found Edward standing there. How much had he heard?
"Forks?" he questioned. His voice was strained and his eyes were shining with unshed tears.
My chin fell to my chest.
"Yes," I whispered.
It took Edward a couple of heartbeats before he acknowledge the truth of Rosalie's statement. I was with him when he bought it.
Edward drew his phone out.
"No, Edward. I will take care of the travel arrangements," Rosalie said.
There was venom in Edward's strained voice when he spoke. "I cannot sit here and do nothing, Rosalie. Lord knows what Jacob has done or is doing to Bella."
I put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm going with them, Edward. I'll bring her home alive. I promise," I said.
He glared at me. I wasn't fazed. He was hurting, and I was a better target than Rosalie or the expensive office furniture.
Edward's eyes didn't hold me responsible. He gave me a tight smile. I watched as he dialed and a few moments later, he was talking to his pilot. "Mike, prepare the largest jet. I need to get to Forks as soon as possible. There will be eight state police officers and FBI agents with me along with Rosalie, Emmett, and Alice."
He paused briefly.
"Bella life depends on me getting to Forks." Again, he paused. "Jacob took her!" he yelled. "Make it happen. And there might be two more passengers."
Edward hung up and walked out of his office with Rosalie and me in tow.
"Esme will be at the Forks airport when we land," Alice remarked, slipping her phone into her purse.
Edward glanced over at her. I could not tell if he was confused or silently thanking her for calling his mom. "Charlie?" he asked.
"Someone say my name," someone said from behind me.
Edward and I turned. Charlie was standing in the doorway of the boardroom still in uniform.
"Glad you are here," Alice said.
"I love my daughter. She and I might not see eye to eye. I will never stop loving her." Charlie stepped further into the room. "And if the bastard who took her harms her, he will be answering to me."
"Get in line," Edward and I said at the same time.
Charlie nodded and a tight grin on his face as he looked around. His eyes were hard and determined, maybe even a little impressed by all the law enforcement in the room.
The Cullen name carried a lot of weight. Not that kidnapping was a small crime.
It was long aft Charlie arrived we were heading out of the building. Edward said nothing as we were ushered into the SUVs and, with sirens blaring, headed toward the Seattle–Tacoma International Airport. We arrived in record time. A half hour opposed to an hour or more. Mike and his co-pilot were finishing the preparations when we boarded.