A/N… I want to wish everyone a happy new year. Don't drink and drive, don't take candy from strangers, and don't blow off any appendages with fireworks. Be safe. I'll let you get to it.

~oOo~

Chapter 6

BELLA

"Fuck," I grunted, squeezing my eyes closed against the nausea that rolled over me as I kneeled in front of the toilet in our apartment.

"Here, love," Edward said softly, sitting on the edge of the bathtub and gently wiping my face with a warm, wet cloth.

He didn't say anything else, just simply sat with me until the queasiness subsided. When I rolled my eyes up to his, he smiled sadly.

"Sorry, Bella," he whispered, leaning in to kiss my forehead. "I know you don't want it, but I made breakfast."

Grimacing, I stood up on shaky legs. "I think the smell…" I waved a hand around me and the bathroom, and he flashed a sweet smile. "I'm okay. Sue said the morning sickness won't last. She said hers kinda stopped around her second trimester."

He held up a book on what to expect when expecting. "Sounds about right."

Sometimes, he was not what the people of Oz thought him to be. He was a leader, a fighter, and he was determined to keep us all safe. He could strategize and plan with almost no emotion to it. He'd kill a raider without hesitation, and he'd guide slaves back to safety without a second thought. However, the guy reading a book about pregnancy was too adorable for words. That side of him – the side of him that liked to sing songs against my skin or read dirty novels out loud to me just to make me laugh or drive me crazy – he was the one I couldn't live without. He would be the one our child would need more than anything else.

"You're so cute, I can't stand it, which is why I'm in this predicament," I mumbled in a weary tease, leaning against the bathroom vanity. I wiped my face again with the cloth he'd given me, finally using the sink to brush my teeth. Again.

Edward's chuckle was deep and sweet, but he ignored my jab. "Try to eat a few bites of something, love. We'll all regret it later if you don't, because a hungry Bella is a fucking scary Bella."

I snorted a little, saying, "Pregnant or not."

"Pregnant or not," he agreed with a light laugh. "Yes, ma'am."

I followed him to our little kitchen, where he'd set the table with two plates. It was just eggs and toast with some sliced apples. All those things were in Sector B, where they'd taken over a large building that used to be a hardware store. The garden section was now…well, a garden. The fenced-in area behind it was now a fully functioning farm – cows, chickens, goats, and pigs. It kept Oz in fresh food. Across the street from that was several acres with apple trees and wheat and corn.

But it was the residents of Sector B who were amazing. They baked bread, canned vegetables, and made pasta and dairy products. They fished and hunted, and there were men who knew how to dress all sorts of meats. They monitored a market and an old restaurant, where anyone was welcome to take what they needed. In return, the rest of us would bring things we thought they could use – flour, yeast, seeds, wild fruits. With any raid we did, everything we obtained would be distributed where it needed to go throughout the whole Outer Zone.

As well as it worked, it was still not an easy life.

I slid into my seat, and Edward kissed the top of my head before he sat across from me. I picked up a piece of toast and took a nibble to test my stomach, and when it didn't revolt against the food, I added eggs into the mix.

I glanced across the table, saying, "Before this meeting today, Edward, I need you to tell me where you really want me for this train."

He nodded but didn't look up from his plate. He was thinking, and I let him have the quiet to do it. Under normal circumstances, I would've been by his side on his team, whether it was taking the train or blowing the bridge. Now we needed to approach this differently.

He ate a few bites of his breakfast, finally gazing across to me. "I don't know, Bella. I'm conflicted. Maybe I need to see where this will all go down before I make that decision. I know we need you, but…"

When he trailed off and focused on a few more bites of toast, I nodded. "Okay, so we'll get with Al…and maybe Flash."

Edward nodded again, and his brow furrowed. "I can't let anything happen to you. You know that, right?"

"Yeah, baby. I know," I answered softly, taking a few more bites of eggs and toast.

When I was finished, I took my plate to the sink to wash it and rinse it. I took Edward's when he stood and handed it to me. Once both plates were in the drainboard, I turned around and leaned against the counter. I was waiting to make sure that my morning sickness didn't return before we made our way down to the auto shop.

He'd gone into the living room to put his boots on, and when he returned, I was still leaning against the sink.

I met his gaze. "This mission scares the shit out of me, Edward. I'm not gonna lie. It has nothing to do with me not being with you, but everything to do with the raiders who guard the damn thing and that bridge. Everything is different now, and… I just… You're…"

I shook my head, folded my arms across my chest, and glared at the floor. "When we were kids," I went on, "there was no fear, no hesitation. Now, hesitation will get us killed or caught. And I…"

Edward gathered me to his chest, wrapping his arms all the way around me and burying his face into my neck.

"I hear you, love. All of it. I see your fear." He nuzzled my skin just below my ear. "Fear needs to be set aside, because we still have so much to fight for…more now than ever. And we're so fucking close, Bella. So close." He pulled back, cupping my face and kissing my forehead. "With Alice's knowledge of Aro's living space, with the destruction of this railroad bridge, and with the possibility of getting my parents out… We are way more dangerous than they ever considered. We outnumber them, my Bella. We have a few more strategic strikes in our future, and let's not forget what Charlie could've possibly sent us. So…I need you to relax. I need you calm. For me and for the baby. Okay?"

I nodded, squeezing him closer. "Okay," I mumbled into his chest. "It's hard to light a candle, easy to curse the dark instead." I said it as a reminder to the two of us. But it was something Sue always quoted when we were younger, when things seemed hard.

Edward smiled against my skin. "Exactly." He pulled back to kiss me soundly. "C'mon. We'll make better decisions as a group, as a team. We'll also be able to see what we're up against when we can scope out the area."

I tugged on my boots and jacket, and Edward linked our fingers together as we headed downstairs and out onto the street. Some kids were kicking a soccer ball around in the street, and a shot went in a wild direction toward Edward, who kicked it right back to them.

"Thanks, Edward!" a few boys yelled as they continued their game.

It wasn't uncommon during slow times to find all the boys of the resistance with the kids of Oz in a full-on game. Sometimes it would be in the street, but occasionally they'd head over to one of the parks where there was an open field.

The auto shop was pretty full when we stepped inside.

"Finally!" Emmett taunted. "Sleeping in?"

"Shut up, Em," I grumbled. "You deal with morning sickness and tell me how fast you can move first thing."

He grimaced, shooting a glance toward Edward, who merely grinned.

Jasper chuckled. "Baby Cullen already giving you hell. Who'd a thunk it?" he drawled out, leaning on that Texas accent of his.

I grinned at the laughter as I took a seat between Rose and Alice, but this room felt like family. It always had. Rose, Emmett, Sam, and Jasper felt like siblings. We fought like them, but we also protected each other like blood. Jake and Seth were the rowdy cousins who seemed to look up to us all, but they spoke their own language, almost like twins. Sue and Alistair were the calm parental figures. And even though he did it from the other side of the wall, my dad was definitely included in this family.

Reverend Weber was attending this meeting, which wasn't a shock. His daughter, Angela, was on the resistance with us. She monitored the gate, along with a few others. She was in attendance as well.

This was going to take everyone.

Flash walked in carrying one of his laptops, and his face was filled with concern. With the darkness around his eyes, I was pretty sure he'd been up all night going through the things my father had sent us.

He silently went about setting up his stuff at the table, but he met my gaze. "I don't know how your dad got this stuff, but if they find out he stole it, then he's a dead man."

"Flash," Edward said with a warning to his tone. "We all know where Charlie sits in this scenario. Why don't you just tell us what you've got, yeah?"

"Yeah. Sorry." He looked to me, wincing a little. "Sorry, Bells. I've maybe had two hours sleep."

"I'm aware of how dangerous my dad's part in all of this is, Flash. I've all but begged him to come back to Oz."

"Yeah, well, not yet," he mumbled back. "We're gonna need him to stay on that side for now. Before this is all over, we'll need him at the ready."

Shaking my head, I met Edward's gaze as he stood off to the side with Alistair. His worry matched my own.

Alistair pushed off the wall, walking to Flash. "Okay, son. Before we talk about this train, tell us what you've got."

"I've got…Aro. I mean…really big damning shit here."

That shut the whole room up. Flash typed a few things and then set the laptop down onto the table, spinning it to face us. Everyone who wasn't sitting at the table came to stand behind us. Edward set his hands on my shoulders, pressing a kiss to the top of my head.

It seemed to be some sort of video meeting. I recognized Aro immediately – pale, dark hair, malevolent smirk. There were several faces I didn't know. A woman with blonde hair who was sitting with a man with darker hair. Another couple – she had bright-red hair, and he had long blond hair. There were a few more, making a grid of six. Below each window were names and cities: James and Victoria – Los Angeles; Alec and Jane – New York; Caius – Atlanta; Heidi – Boston; Santiago – Washington DC; and of course, Aro – Seattle. Standing behind Aro was his brother, Marcus.

In the far top corner, the date was before any walls were built, before viruses, before Oz. The year was 2016. Most of us in this room would've been babies.

"This meeting has been a long time coming," Aro started. "As most of you are aware, my company has been working on vaccines, but I have something in my possession that will free us all from this low-class, capitalist, overtaxing nightmare. I've called you all to give you a chance to step up, to secure yourself a comfortable position in the future."

Aro held up a vial filled with a yellowish liquid. "Meet the answer to this overpopulated planet. Pulmonis Mors Pestis."

Caius leaned forward. "You invented a plague, brother? Lung Death Plague?"

Aro smiled. "I've sent each of you a forecast as to how this will remedy our situation and how each and every one of you will not only survive, but you'll also rule the city in which you're standing."

The video played. The virus he'd dubbed PMP was released in all the major cities. And it spread. And spread. And spread. There were dots on a global map that showed what I assumed were human beings. They started white, turned red, and then evaporated completely. And the map showed billions of people wiped off the planet.

Aro focused on his little vial, finally smiling back at the computer screen. "And it'll even remove the government," he sang softly. "We'll strip this world down to its basics, and we'll rebuild it better and more…malleable."

"And just when do you plan on releasing this nightmare, Aro?" Caius asked.

Aro chuckled evilly. "It's already been released."

There were gasps throughout the video, but Aro held up his hand.

"I suggest you follow my plan if you want to survive it. Santiago, I'm assuming you're already in place?"

"Yes, sir. I'm in position," a man with dark features answered him.

"Perfect. Then let's change the world."

The video ended, and I shook my head. They'd changed the world, all right. Santiago had to have been responsible for removing Washington DC. He looked military or something.

Sue and Alistair stared at each other for a heartbeat or two. "Well, that explains why our protesting and outcries went unheard. It explains how voting stopped counting, because they put people where they wanted them. Aro killed billions of people so he could rule the world."

"It doesn't change much, except we now have proof of what we'd always assumed," Alistair countered.

"It kind of changes everything," Edward argued, pointing a thumb over his shoulder. "If some of those people in the towers knew just what a maniacal, manipulative bastard he was, they may just rethink their positions in the Sound."

"You mean your parents?" I asked gently.

"Well, yeah, definitely. But I'm thinking of just the average person – the lab tech, the computer guy, the asshole who fixes their Hummers. Never mind the slaves still trapped over there. Some of them are as young as us, which means they have no memory of life before the walls. I'm totally willing to bet that they've been brainwashed just as much as everyone else. They've been fed lies and bullshit." He sighed deeply. "I believed every fucking word until I met Emmett and then Bella. The Outer Zone was sick, the Sound was helping find a cure, and the world was depending on doctors like my dad. I believed all that shit because it's a constant running mantra."

Jasper nodded and started to pace. "You pump that video into their network on repeat, and you'll see some people start to rethink shit. Maybe they'll wake the hell up."

"Wonder how many of those in that meeting are still alive?" I mused aloud. "I mean, they clearly got their asses in gear and built walls around their cities, but I'm curious as to if they did it quickly enough." I glanced over to Alice. "You recognize that Caius guy?"

"Oh, yeah. He was still alive when I got shipped here," she answered softly. "He held some sort of political office, which was why the south was such a mess. Pro-government versus anti-government… And then everyone started fighting against each other. But he was the face of who was in charge inside the Atlanta walls."

"The problem we have is…" Flash started, holding up that thumb drive of my dad's. "In order to send it out, we'd need to be inside the Sound. Like…their networking system. As in, take over their servers. I can't do it from here. I could, but they'd track my signal."

"Could you do it remotely?" Al asked him.

"Yes, I could send it in like a computer virus. But I'd need time, and then I'd need coverage, because they'll be on it. I'd have to counter what they do and at the same time hide my location."

"Aro's computer has connections to all the walled cities," Alice piped up.

Alistair's head spun toward her. "You're shitting me."

"No. Not at all. I've… He… It's in his home office," she said softly, looking down at her fidgeting hands in her lap.

I reached over to put my hand over hers. Alice had survived some terrible things at Aro's hands, and she was slowly starting to realize just what an asset she could be.

"You know," Flash said, staring at Alice for a moment. "I could create a virus that uploaded as soon as it was plugged in. It would instantly access Aro's files, contacts, and overtake every server in every walled city. Maybe even other countries, depending on how connected they are."

"But someone would have to physically plug it in?" Edward verified.

"Physically plug it in to Aro's computer," Flash countered. "That, my friends, will not be easy."

Alistair paced a little, nodding and giving Flash's shoulder a squeeze. "Okay, that's something I'd like to discuss. What I need to know from the people in this room is…are we still taking this train? Are we still removing the bridge?"

"If we want to send a message, we do," Jasper stated with a shrug.

"I don't want to make a single decision on this train until we see where we need to set up," Edward stated firmly. "I need to know where it'll be, how we're unhooking the engine, and exactly what the bridge team will be using as an explosive." He ticked that list off with his fingers, but he wasn't done. "And I need to know escape routes, safe houses, and where we stand on weapons and ammo. I'm not saying I won't do this, but this will be a huge fuck you to Aro, and if we're caught, they will not be lenient."

I squeezed my eyes closed at that thought, fighting nausea that had nothing to do with morning sickness.

"Shit," I barely said out loud, shaking my head.

Rose glanced down at me. "He shouldn't go."

I scoffed, rolling my eyes up to hers. "Then no one should."

That brought the room up short.

Edward grimaced, kneeling between us. "Bella, I—"

"She's right," Sue piped up. "If we can't agree on the details of this train, then I don't want anyone going."

Alistair paced a little, walking back and forth in front of us. "I can live with those terms." He looked to Flash. "Talk about this train. Give me the times, Flash."

Flash nodded, walking to the main map. This was the resistance map. It showed both sides of the wall, which included safe places to hide, weaknesses in the walls, meeting places for Charlie, and all of the raiders' routes, housing, and storage. And it showed train tracks, unloading stations, and the train station. That last thing was where the raiders' main barracks resided, which included the slave processing center.

"Since the destruction of the old Amtrak station, which you guys did several years back, they've since switched to bringing all trains from south of the Sound and through the old industrial area. Meaning, they have to cross over Salmon Bay Bridge. That being said…" He trailed off, using his finger to follow those train tracks on the map to just outside the city. "We can hit them here. It's an old park. And it lines both sides of the tracks. We can use the trees for cover."

Edward walked to the map, following the tracks with his finger like Flash had done. "That cuts it awful close to the bridge. To attack, unhook, and escape. And escape with slaves." He kept following the tracks. "It's coming from the south, so…they have to pass by us. They have to pass by all those old shipping docks just outside of Sector C."

"You want to board at the docks?" Emmett asked, pushing off the wall and walking to the map. "We sneak on there, work our way from caboose to engine, taking out all the raiders."

"You gotta slow that bastard down first," Jasper added. "Something on the tracks, something to make them put on the brakes."

"Blow it there," I said, and all three boys turned my way. "I know you wanted to use the engine to kill the bridge, but why do we need to do both? If we blow the train, it'll not only tear up the tracks, but it'll also stop them from ever going that way again."

I stood up, walking to the map. "Guys, we've killed this railroad station here," I said, tapping the map. "We took out this bridge here." I tapped again. "And taking this one? Well, that just means they'll have no more ways to get their shipments other than sea."

"They're doing that with one less ship," Jake muttered, grinning when Seth laughed loudly.

"Yes, yes. You two made awesome pirates," I told them sarcastically, and they gave each other a fist bump.

"Air," Rose stated.

"When was the last airplane you saw? Seriously. I think we were all living with Sue the last time I saw a plane in the air. And a helicopter was maybe two years ago." I tapped the old Sea-Tac Airport. "That airport is grown over; hell, you couldn't land anything there if you wanted to, and I'm pretty sure a pack of wolves are living there. A herd of deer… Maybe a bear or two."

"Wonder why…" Reverend Weber mused softly. "Wonder why they're not using the air."

"They can't." Alistair walked forward with Flash's laptop in his hands. "Houston, Atlanta, New York, Boston… All have their airports outside their walls. Aside from Atlanta, all of those cities reside on the water. In order to trade, trains were their best bet."

"Yeah, but a helicopter could land anywhere," Rose pointed out.

"I'm sure between Boston and New York, it works. But we're too far without a stop to refuel. Where you gonna stop? You can't guarantee there would be any fuel between them and us." Al countered. "And LA? Hell, they'll just send a ship. Nah, air travel is no more. Bella's right. I can barely remember the last time I saw something flying."

I faced the map, trailing a finger along the railroad tracks from the Salmon Bay Bridge to the spot Edward had suggested, which was an industrial area. It was just outside of Sector C. However, the closest safe house was between the two – an old Goodwill outlet.

"One team needs to bring the slaves here," I said, tapping the safe house. "It's big enough to hold however many you get. But we need another one somewhere in here." I tapped the space between the tracks and Sector C. "The team picking a fight with raiders will possibly need a place to hide until things cool down or if the raiders give chase."

"Blow the tracks here," Emmett added, tapping at the very far point of the industrial area. "All of them. All the way across. There are a few merging tracks, so kill 'em all. And that will bottleneck the whole shebang because that spot puts buildings on either side. Set up four snipers – both sides, here, here, here, and here." He pointed to four different buildings, which would give the shooters plenty of sight to take out raiders. "Then…your boarding party will start their attacks front and back, and with the snipers, it won't matter how many are guarding that fucker."

Nodding in agreement, I turned to Flash. "Any idea how many cars on this train?"

"If history repeats itself, then about five or six. Two for food, two for weapons and ammo, and one or two for slaves, depending on how many they send," he answered.

"We're going to need a way to take it all," Edward piped up, raking a hand through his hair. He tapped the safe house I'd pointed out. "That safe house has a loading bay. If we have a truck in place, we can load it and drive straight inside. Slam the door and hide everything, slaves included, until nightfall."

"We got the truck," Al told him. "In fact, we have vests for everyone on the ground, rifles for everyone on the rooftops, and before we even attempt this, I'm with Bella on an additional safe house."

"Vests?" Seth squeaked in protest.

Sam didn't even bat an eye. "You'll wear them, or you can sit this shit out. Pick, boys. I'm not even fucking joking. These raiders will be vigilant and pissed the fuck off. In the last couple of weeks, we've destroyed a ship, stolen a water truck, freed three slaves – one who belonged to Aro, mind you – and stopped two raid attacks on Oz. Because they must send the train this way, these motherfuckers will be rabid." He raised an eyebrow at Jake and Seth. "Pick, boys. I'm not playing, because we're pushing our luck doing this so close to the last raid."

"Okay, fine. Vests," Jake said, slapping his cousin's chest with the back of his hand. "We'll take the back of the train, though."

Sam rolled his eyes to Edward, who was more amused than he could help. "Guess we're the fucking caboose."

Emmett grinned. "Ed, Jasper, and I will take the engine."

Finally, I looked to Edward. "Where, Edward?" I gestured toward the map. "Where in all of this are you putting me?"

He narrowed his eyes my way, taking a deep breath and letting it out. "Not the ground team or the snipers. Too close to the heat of this shit, Bella."

"Fine. She's with me in the damn truck," Rose piped up, and she held up her hand before Edward could argue. "With vests. And armed. We'll take the payload to the safe house – the big one. We'll stay dark and quiet until nightfall."

Edward's expression made everyone eerily quiet, and I snorted. He gave off such a giant fucking attitude, when really, he was just damned worried.

"It's the safest option, Edward, unless you want me to stay here and just waste away." When he still didn't say anything, I added, "We'll take one of Flash's drones with us so we know when things settle down."

That last suggestion seemed to help him because he finally nodded. "Okay, you and Rose in the truck, but you won't move until you're sure all is fucking clear."

"Fine," Rose and I said at the same time.

"But, Edward Cullen," I said, tapping the map forcefully. "You are responsible for setting up another safe house in case those raiders start to chase or call for back up or someone gets hurt or…whatever."

He studied the map, nodding a little. "Fine, we'll scope out that area tonight. We'll find something and set it up so it's ready."

Alistair turned to all of us. "Okay, let's get organized back at the warehouse. We check gear, weapons, vests, explosives, and drones. Once we have a basic plan together, we'll get everything in place ahead of time. This train pulls in four days from now. I want to be ready. And since it's during the day, I want us invisible, a part of the damn background. So…let's get to work."

~oOo~

A/N… Ah, Aro… Isn't he a peach? And he did it all on purpose…

Please don't forget to check out In Pursuit of Safety by me and JenRar. It's on Amazon. Or if you follow me on FB and X, then you can sign up for a signed copy. You can search Amazon by the title or by Deb Rotuno or Jenny Rarden.

Okay, until next week… Mooches, Deb ;)