Chapter 46 - Shootout

RENEE

The whoooooooooooOOOOOOoooooooooooo of the cops approaching startled me. I looked out the cracked window and saw five police cars speeding down the single lane dirt road. Drawing the blinds, I cursed and yelled for Felix.

Felix put two fingers in the blinds and shifted the slats, peering out. "Fuck," he shouted. "Arm yourself. Don't shoot until we know why they're here."

I nodded, hoping they didn't know we kidnapped Bella. Grabbing several guns, I joined Felix outside while stashing them in my pockets and behind my back.

It was drizzling when the cops pulled up. One officer got out but he didn't approach. He addressed Felix and me from behind the open door.

"We know Isabella Cullen is here. Let her go," he said.

How in the hell did they know she was here?

I looked down and ball my fist, seeing red. I didn't saying anything trusting Felix to handle the cops.

"She's not here," Felix replied. "I haven't seen her since I fired her."

Looking up, I saw the hard, cold eyes to the cop. He held up an iPad. The screen was large enough that I saw a map and a red dot.

"The GPS tracker tells me she's somewhere nearby. So, you want to tell me where we can start looking."

I took a step forward, reaching for the gun in my waistband. Felix stopped me with a hand on my shoulder. It was as if he was telling me 'to keep my cool and let him talk our way out of this.'

I shook him off as he said, "If she is, that's news to us."

"Mind if we look around?"

I took a deep breath, my fingers itching for the gun at my waist. I needed the money. We needed it. The Cullens' were our best bet on getting it.

A scream from behind the house tore through the rainy afternoon. From the bunker. It wasn't in the best building on our land, but it was the most secure. Although it have some holes in the siding.

Shit!

The officers moved closer to the house. We both drew our weapons and fired at the cops.

The shots missed them, and I heard them ping against the metal sign on one of the trees.

Felix moved to block the side one the house. I jumped off the porch and blocked other way.

Another scream echoed from behind the house.

The cops drew their side arms and returned fire. One bullet grazed my left arm. I yowled out in pain and pulled the trigger again and again. Emptying the gun, I tossed it away and drew another from my waistband.

The cops continued to shot at us and get behind us, and I wasn't having it.

"You'll never take me alive," I shouted as another bullet struck me in the shoulder. The pain burned but didn't stop me from my mission. If anything, it pissed off even more. I wasn't going back to prison.

"Granny!"

I turned to see April, my granddaughter running toward me with her brother, Davey, right behind her. There was tears on their cheeks and in their eyes. I didn't care about that. I grabbed April, lifting her in my arms and pushing the barrel of the gun to her temple. Felix did the same with Davey.

The cops froze, their guns still trained on Felix and me.

"Let them go," the closest yelled.

A maniacal laughed escaped me. "Don't count on that," I shouted back. "Take another step and we'll kill the kids." I cocked the gun.

April wailed louder in my arms, kicking her feet. She hit me hard in the gut. There was nothing I could do to stop her without dropping my gun.

A shoot rang out and Felix went down. I stared at him, and he didn't get back up. Swallowing hard, I tightened my hold on April.

Another shoot. The bullet hit me. My head reeled back and I fell to the ground.

BELLA

A scream left me as a contraction hit. It was painful, more painful than the ones I've been having off and on all day. I tried to stay calm, but I was terrified. There was no way I could have the baby without Edward at my side. He was my rock. And no matter how I tried to control my breathing, my fear and the pain was overwhelming. I should have told Jacob when the pains got stronger.

A gunshot rang out, at least I think it was a gun going off. It had been awhile since I'd been to the firing range and with the pain I was in, I could be hearing things.

When I heard more gunshots and shouting, I knew I wasn't hearing things. What was being shouted was another thing.

Another sharp pain cut through me. I arched my back and screamed again.

"Bella, breath," Jacob said, taking hold of my hand. "You can squeeze as hard as you want, just breath slowly. It might sound strange, but pant like a dog."

More gunshots. Then two rang out clearly, silence followed.

The contractions increased in intensity and were coming faster. I swallowed my scream, trying to control my breathing, doing as Jacob suggested.

The crunch of gravel had me pulling at the restraints. I had to get free before Renee or Felix came back.

"Isabella," an unfamiliar voice called.

I didn't respond, thinking they could be testing me.

Another unknown voice called out, "Isabella."

Once again, I didn't respond and neither did Jacob.

Another contraction cut through me. I bit my lip to keep from screaming. A coppery taste trickled into my mouth.

"Bella," a familiar voice yelled.

Emmett.

Trusting it was really Emmett, I started shouting. Soon, the bunker door was flung open and Emmett came running in.

"I found her," he yelled.

"Did they hurt you?" he asked, taking the bolt cutters being held out to him.

I shook my head as I took hold of his hand squeezing it as another contraction hit.

"Get an EMT in here now," Jacob shouted to someone behind him. Turning back to me, he said, "Breathe, Bella."

I wanted to strangle Jacob. Breathing like a dog was the easy part. The pain was not. It felt like a knife was being inserted repeatedly in my lower back. It was worse when a contraction hit, but never let up after the contraction ended.

"Dizzy," I said in a hoarse voice, as Emmett's phone rang.

"I'm ignoring that," Emmett said with a smile, exchanging places with Jacob. "I'll call Edward back once I know you and the baby are fine." He winked at me as a woman in a blue jumpsuit with a red and white cross on it took my wrist and looked at her watch. "Bella told me us she's dizzy."

"Chris, get an oxygen mask on her," the woman said. "Then switch out the IV bags. Keep the original for the detectives."

"I know, I know, Sally." Chris slipped a mask over my face and said, "This might sound strange right now, but I need you to breathe as normally as possible."

I glared at the top of Chris' head, not believing she said that to a pregnant woman who's in labor.

It's wasn't much longer before I was loaded in the ambulance. Emmett climbed in after the EMT.

"Call," I said.

"Edward," Emmett remarked less than a minute later. "She's okay, but in active labor. I'm in the ambulance with her and we're on the way to Forks hospital."