A/N… Hope everyone had a good week. Everyone's seatbelts on? I'll let you get to it.

~oOo~

Chapter 14

BELLA

Oz was eerily quiet as Rose and I walked toward the rather large pile of wood in the center of what used to be an old intersection. Flash and Carlisle were already pouring a bit of lamp oil onto the wood, getting ready to set it aflame.

Emily shifted, and I rubbed the spot a little. She was probably feeling everything I was – worry, concentration, sadness, pride. It was all mixed up in my mind and heart. I was proud of how far we'd come as a community and of how quickly we'd moved all the people of Oz, but I was worried for everyone on the other side of the walls because they were about to shake the shit out of a hornet's nest.

The resistance had gone over the walls at different places the night before. Alistair was leading the group to set the explosives around the raider barracks. Jasper, Sam, Jake, and Seth were with him. Maria, Angela, Ben, and Mr. Weber were in charge of the water – guarding, protecting – and they were going to use the dark to leave a boat for Edward's team to escape once they left Aro's building.

That team consisted of Emmett, Alice, and Edward, and those three would be meeting up with my dad as soon as this fire was lit. In fact, if their timing was right, my dad would already have Demetri with him. The only note Dad had left for us was the word "school."

Flash was using binoculars to study the front gates and beyond. Every access to Oz was rigged with explosives. There were landmines buried on our side. The deep crater was still on the Sound side of the wall of the main entrance, but even if they decided to walk through the gate, they'd encounter a world of hurt.

Edward had been emphatic that Carlisle escort Rose and me out of Oz and onto the ferry. He knew that Rose and I could protect his dad, but Carlisle was there for me. I was big and round, and there was no running. If something went wrong, then Edward's father was there just in case.

"Hey," Flash said, pulling the binoculars away briefly before going right back to watching the gate. "We're good to go in just a moment."

"Sure, Flash," Rose answered him, adjusting her backpack.

I did the same, but Carlisle walked to me, holding out his hand. "Let me have it, Bella. I'll wear it for you. At least until we're on the ferry." He helped me shrug out of it, and he strapped it onto his back. "How are you feeling?"

I huffed a laugh. "About which part?"

He grinned, and it was so much like Edward's amused smile that it was uncanny. "All of it?"

"Frazzled," I replied, my nose wrinkling a little. I opened my mouth to say I was scared for everyone, but Flash hissed a string of curses.

"Light it up," he whispered, turning our direction. "There's a Hummer on the move. It's heading in the direction of Charlie's location."

Rose struck a match, dropping it on the spot that Carlisle was pointing. They'd set up the stack of wood a specific way so that the kindling would start it all. The heat from the flames bloomed out against my skin, and I took a few steps back. Once we knew that the fire would take hold fully, we started for the back exit of Oz.

The bonfire grew, lighting our way toward the back gate. Flash let us out, slipping the gate closed behind us. The last moving truck was waiting on the other side. It was filled with boxes that belonged to Rose, Flash, and me. A few things had been left behind that Flash had been nice enough to load.

There was movement on the dock as we approached. I recognized some of Flash's people, but there were a few of the fishermen from Sector B as well.

My brow furrowed at that thought as Flash drove the box truck onto the ferry. We wouldn't have sectors anymore. We wouldn't need to group people according to their "jobs."

The ferry roared to life, and I opened the cab door to slip carefully down to the deck. I wanted to see what I could of the Sound, of Oz, of…whatever, until I couldn't anymore.

"Where are you going?" Rose asked.

"To the railing. I just… I wanna see…" I trailed off because she nodded and took my hand.

Carlisle followed behind us, simply a quiet guardian. We were all nervous. This was big – enormous, really. We'd been fighting so long that to consider an ending to it was surreal. Yet here we were.

Our future held no more walls. No more dirty buildings, makeshift farms, or early morning raids. Even if somehow Aro kept his footing in his position, there wouldn't be raiders to guard him.

We were free, and the feeling made my legs a little wobbly. It was a feeling of plummeting or that uneasy first ride on a bike without training wheels. A sudden sense of no direction whatsoever. Gravity stopped – at least it felt that way to me.

"Bella?" Carlisle asked as I sat down on a bench by the railing.

I shook my head, rubbing my stomach. "I'm…"

"Jesus, you just went white as a sheet," Rose whispered nervously.

Carlisle didn't even bat an eye. He held my face, checked my pulse, and studied my eyes. "Have you eaten today?"

"A little? Breakfast."

"Seriously, Bells?" Rose sighed exasperatedly.

Carlisle smirked her way, but he focused back on me. "I know you're worried, but sweetheart, you have to eat to keep your strength. For the baby." He gave me another onceover, saying, "You might be a little dehydrated, too."

A thermos appeared in front of me, and Rose raised an eyebrow as if I'd argue with her. I took it with shaky hands, downing several gulps of water.

"When we get to the island, I'd like you both to come home with me," Carlisle said softly. "I know you're worried, but my son would have my head if something happened to you."

Rose snorted into a soft laugh, and I grinned, nodding a little.

"Look, your dad made me swear to keep you healthy. My son knew you'd be anxious, so he begged me to watch over you…and Emily. So let me do that, okay?" he asked, making sure I was looking his way. "We'll wait this out together and get you something to eat. Tomorrow, we'll worry about showing you the houses. From what I've heard, none of them will be back anytime soon."

When Carlisle mentioned Edward and my dad, my heart sputtered. Two of the most important people in my life were putting their lives on the line to end this nightmare we'd been living. I wasn't sure what I'd do if anything happened to either of them.

Carlisle took my hand in both of his. "Please, Bella."

I swallowed thickly around nerves and tears, nodding again when Rose verbally agreed. "Okay, okay."

I glanced back out toward the Sound's shoreline. There were lights on in the hospital and the apartment buildings on either side. It wasn't glaringly obvious that there was anything out of the ordinary happening. It merely looked like a normal night in the Sound.

However, I knew that underneath that city were brave men and women getting into position. Bombs were set, and as the fire glowed in Oz, the first target of our attack was about to step into a deadly trap.

Demetri had no idea what was about to happen to him.

~oOo~

EDWARD

The rumble of an engine and chatter between raiders could be heard overhead as Emmett, Alice, and I made our way beneath the Sound. We'd slipped over the wall just after dark the night before.

Oz had stayed quiet long enough since we'd destroyed the train and its tracks that the raiders had relaxed a bit. We hadn't smuggled any slaves out, nor had we stolen any supplies since Thanksgiving. It was now March. They'd gone from double patrols and walking guards along their route back to what it had once been – two Hummers at different intervals and lookouts at their usual places. And none of that was worth a damn because we knew our way around all of it.

The raiders had relaxed too soon.

When Emmett and I had led Alice back into the Sound, we followed Alistair's team toward the raiders' barracks. We covered them from an old coffee shop while the bombs were set. Jake and Seth had stolen a couple of raider uniforms the last time they'd been inside the barracks, so they were using them now to walk between the buildings, access the commissary, and get inside the garage. It was all rigged. Every building would blow.

The three of us had guarded over that team until they were finished and they'd joined us at the boarded-up coffee shop a few blocks away. Once Alistair said they were good, the three of us left him to make our way to a safehouse to await the next night.

There was so much to set up that we had no choice but to start twenty-four hours in advance.

The sun had set yet again, and soon, Bella and Rose would light the bonfire to kick this shit off. I rolled my head on my neck, trying to keep my wits about me and my nerves in check. Maybe it wasn't nerves, but adrenaline instead. We were so close to finishing this that I could practically taste it in the air.

Emmett tapped my shoulder, gesturing to the ladder up to the street.

I climbed up, slowly and quietly opening the grate up top. We'd be exposed for a few blocks before we got to the school. Charlie had picked that place on purpose; I was sure of it.

He and I had used that school to smuggle slaves out of the Sound for years, and he was exposing it the last night to Demetri. I had a feeling Charlie would call our "capture" into him just to get his attention.

"Clear," I whispered, waving them up.

When Alice was up top, I placed a hand on her shoulder, whispering, "It's been a while and it was dark when I smuggled you out, but remember that we've got to go cover to cover."

"I remember, Edward," she vowed softly, nodding a little.

I had to give her credit. She was stronger than she looked. She was a tiny thing, but she was all sorts of pissed off enough to channel it into this mission. I hoped that it would continue all the way up to Aro's office. She could have my weapon to kill that asshole as long as a thumb drive made into his computer.

Emmett led us to the first cover just as a Hummer passed us. Slipping into the darkness of an old, abandoned neighborhood, I checked for movement ahead just beyond the crumbling playground.

Charlie was pacing outside the old portable building, and I gave a soft, shrill whistle. He jerked his chin, waving us over and into the old classroom we'd used more times than I'd like to count. The windows were boarded up, the desks – except for a couple in the middle – were scattered around the room, and Charlie stepped inside behind us, closing the door.

I shook his hand, bringing him in for a one-armed hug. "The barracks are set. And the water is guarded. Our boat is tied at the far side of the Sound in the old warehouse district."

"And Oz?" he asked.

"Empty, Charlie. Well, it'll be empty as soon as the girls set the bonfire," Emmett replied, keeping his voice low.

He nodded in acknowledgment, looking my way. "And Bella?"

Grinning, I reached into my hoodie's front pouch and pulled out what he'd want to see most. "That's the last one. The most recent."

Emily was getting bigger by the day, but this was the last sonogram before the hospital had been packed up and moved to the island. In the printout, the baby was curled up and my dad had captured a fairly detailed profile.

"Bella said for me to send her love," I said to him.

"Actually, what she said was… You tell him I love him and then get all your asses to the island in one damn piece." Emmett's voice was exaggerated and high-pitched, making Alice break into a giggle and a nod.

I turned back to Charlie with a smile. "Yeah, pretty much that."

The mustache twitched on his face, but he huffed a light laugh. As he nodded once, I saw what Alistair had been saying. Charlie was fucking exhausted. He'd been playing both sides of this shit too long.

He held up the sonogram. "Get rid of it. Hide it."

"Burn it," I countered firmly. "I have another one."

He nodded, stepping toward the door of the portable classroom. Cracking it open, he peeked outside with his binoculars. He stayed that way for a bit, finally turning our way.

"I need to know if any of you want out now. The fire's lit, which means Demetri is on patrol. Before I call him, tell me now," he said gruffly, plucking his radio off his belt.

"No one's out. Let's end this," Emmett answered firmly.

"Make the call, Charlie," I told him with a squeeze to his shoulder. "You'll be a fucking hero for about an hour. You'll get that promotion Demetri promised to whoever caught us."

"Shut up, son," he said through a deep sigh, lifting his radio to his mouth and pressing the button. "Demetri, this is Swan. Come in?"

"Go ahead, Swan," Demetri's voice crackled over the speaker.

Charlie seemed to brace himself for what he was about to say next. "I have something for you to see in Zone Six – the old school. I think it's the two you've been lookin' for."

"Roger that. On my way."

Emmett snorted. "That was too easy. Will he bring backup?"

"Probably," Charlie said, pulling out a cigar and a lighter.

He lit the sonogram picture, using it to light his cigar as he leaned in the doorway of the classroom. It seemed like a practiced maneuver, which would explain how he'd disposed of every note we'd ever left him. Once the picture was no more, he dropped what was left and scattered the ashes with his boot. He smoked in silence for a minute or two, finally meeting my gaze.

"Edward, I need the three of you to look caught, so sit against the wall with your hands behind your backs. Stay armed, but stash the rest of your stuff behind the teacher's desk," he instructed, gesturing around the room.

"We got you, Charlie," Emmett agreed, taking our things and hiding them while Alice and I slipped down to the floor.

I shifted my gun to the small of my back, and Emmett followed suit. Alice wasn't armed, other than a knife that Jasper had strapped to her ankle, so she simply crossed her legs to conceal it.

The scent of Charlie's cigar was sharp and acrid, and he'd taken to pacing in front of us, ending at the door to watch for Demetri.

When the sound of an engine met my ears, I looked to Charlie. "How you doin' this?"

He shook his head, his eyes trained outside. "Just follow my lead, Edward."

His hatred for the man approaching was all over his face, but if I didn't know Charlie, I'd say it was an emotionless expression. It was his eyes where the hatred was fiery, hot, burning deep inside. Bella's eyes did the same damn thing when she was pissed or fighting raiders. They'd darken to almost a pitch-black.

"I cornered them in here," Charlie said gruffly, his weapon now in his hand.

Two men stepped into the classroom; one I didn't know. He was tall, maybe in his thirties, with dark hair and hazel eyes. The other one I'd recognize anywhere. I'd been avoiding him since I was a fucking kid. And to see his shit-eating grin when he saw who was sitting on the floor made me want to punch his face. Hard. Repeatedly and possibly with one of the chairs in the room.

However, this wasn't about me. I'd vowed to Charlie months ago that he could end Demetri and that I'd help him get it done.

"Well, well, well," Demetri sang as he eyed the three of us. "Looks like that promotion is all yours, Swan. Just what have we got here?"

His sing-song way of gloating was full of ego and pride, and I couldn't stop the snort of laughter if I tried.

"You're amused, Cullen?" Demetri asked me with a half-grin, squatting at my feet. "The three of you are on the execution list. We have to keep you rats from the Outer Zone in check, you see. Aro's orders."

I grinned again, shrugging a shoulder. "Whatever, man. Do what you're gonna do. We all know you hide your tiny dick behind Aro." I paused, tilting my head at him. "Or does he like it from behind?"

Emmett busted into howling laughter. "That would explain so fucking much, dude."

"Right?" I asked, glancing his way and taking the opportunity to taunt Demetri, because Charlie was using it to his advantage by shifting slowly out of Demetri's line of sight.

The guy who'd arrived with Demetri cracked a smile, but he hid it quickly. For a brief second, I had a feeling he wasn't exactly on Demetri's side. In fact, he leaned back against the door as Charlie moved into position behind Demetri.

The sound of an engaging gun was loud in the small room.

Charlie pressed the muzzle to the back of Demetri's head, saying, "Don't move, Demetri."

I grinned at the man in question as he sat back on his heels, but I didn't move from against that wall. I still wasn't sure about the man at the door.

"Stand up." Charlie's order was not to be ignored, and Demetri did what he'd said.

Weapons and a radio were removed from Demetri's belt, tossed to the floor, and kicked away. His glare was pure temper and hate when he faced Charlie.

"Garrett…" Demetri started to say, but Charlie moved way too quickly, pistol-whipping him so hard that his head snapped to the side.

Garrett cracked another smile, maintaining his position at the door. The man looked happy, relaxed, and he said nothing as Demetri's nose started to bleed.

Keeping his weapon trained on his enemy, Charlie dragged a chair over. "Have a seat. I need to tell you a story, Demetri."

He did as he was asked, sitting carefully down in the old student chair.

Emmett, Alice, and I still stayed on the floor, pretending to be captured, and I was planning on staying that way until Charlie said differently. My father-in-law was finally getting his revenge, and I had zero problem with it.

Bella had lost her mother and her freedom to that asshole. Rose had lost her parents the same day, due to the RPGs they'd let loose into that bank. Two girls, both not yet teens, and they'd lost just about everything. However, putting myself in Charlie's position, having lost his wife to this man, I wasn't sure I'd have let him live this long.

All those thoughts made me so damn grateful Bella was safely away from this shit. To have something happen to her now would cause my sanity to snap completely. My wife and my baby girl on the way were the most important things to me.

If the man in the chair had done to me what he'd done to Charlie, I would've already set his ass on fire. So, I sat back to let him handle it all.

"Ready?" Charlie asked Demetri softly, who narrowed his eyes and nodded. "Good. You don't remember who I am, do you? Before walls and raiders?"

Demetri froze, not bothering to answer the question.

"Of course you wouldn't," Charlie continued, and his soft tone was honestly terrifying. "Why would you remember anyone from the bank building well over fifteen years ago? And really, you didn't see me. But you saw my wife. You saw my daughter." Charlie's gun never left the middle of Demetri's forehead as he spoke. "Let me remind you. Fifth floor. Four families simply trying to survive this new world Aro created." He paused a moment. "We'll get back to that asshole in a moment. For now… Bank building. Fifth floor. Your team blew the doors. You stole five children from that room that day. One of them was my daughter."

He paused a moment for that to sink in. "When my wife tried to stop you from touching my little girl, you put a fucking bullet between her eyes," he said through gritted teeth. "You killed my wife. You killed my child's mother…right in front of her. And then, you proceeded to turn that child into a goddamn slave."

Demetri's eyes widened, and he shot a look to Garrett, who was still leaning against the door. Suddenly, I realized that Garrett wasn't there as Demetri's partner and backup; he was there to keep the asshole contained in this room. He was a spy, a silent unknown member of the resistance. I wondered how long he'd been on Charlie's side.

"You didn't even bother to learn her name," Charlie said, tapping the muzzle of his gun on Demetri's forehead. "I got her back, though. A boy of thirteen, who was braver than all of you, brought me back my little girl. And I thought…if he could fight you…and win, then I could make your life a fucking nightmare."

Charlie glanced my way, and Demetri's head swiveled when I chuckled.

"And he did, Demetri," I added. "Every raid you sent to Oz? We were warned. Every train, every ship, every slave smuggled out? All us. Including Alice here. Aro's own personal slave. Gone in one fucking night. Poof. And you didn't even know how we were doing it."

Demetri started to get up, but Charlie whipped that pistol across his face again. This time, it split his brow.

"Don't move. I'm not done," my father-in-law warned him. "You need to know why you'll never leave this schoolroom." He sighed deeply, his weariness overshadowing his anger. "You need to understand that we weren't 'rats' in the Outer Zone. We were families and professionals. I was a damn police chief, my wife a schoolteacher. The other families you destroyed that day? There were architects, accountants, and preachers. Farmers, fishermen, and taxi drivers. Mothers, fathers, grandparents. All met their demise because we just happened to be on the wrong side of the wall. All because one motherfucker decided to place himself on some sort of pedestal."

He shook his head once. "But that ends tonight," he continued, flipping the safety off of his gun.

Demetri shifted in panic, rushing at Charlie. He wrapped his arms around his middle and tackled him to the ground. Before Emmett and I could assist him, Garrett finally moved from his spot at the door.

He landed a hard kick to Demetri's middle, essentially punting him off Charlie.

"Get up, Demetri," Garrett finally spoke. "You've made more enemies than slaves. You've created an entire network of people working against you because you decided that some people were beneath you." He gripped the front of Demetri's uniform with two tight fists, lifting him off the school room floor. Once he slammed him back down into the chair, he shot a look to Charlie. "You okay?"

"Yeah. Fine," he replied gruffly, and he jerked his chin our way.

Alice, Emmett, and I stood up, and I brought my weapon out from the small of my back.

"Meet the boy who brought my baby girl back home safely. Meet the leader of the group that's broken down your trade routes, stolen everything from vaccines to slaves, and will be the end of Aro." He chambered a round in his gun. "The Outer Zone has been evacuated. Even if it's set on fire, which you'll never see, nothing will come of it. They're gone. All of them."

Charlie finally smirked. "You're on the execution list, Demetri," he said, copying the man's words to me earlier. "We're now the ones keeping the rats in check."

"You traitorous bast—"

The sound of gunfire was loud in the small room. It made Alice squeak and jump a little, and I placed a hand gently on her shoulder. Demetri's body slumped and slid to the floor.

Charlie limped to the desk, leaning against it.

"You okay?" I asked him.

He nodded, massaging his left leg a bit. "I'm too damn old for fighting. Asshole caught me off guard." He met my gaze. "I've needed to do that for too long. I feel unstable."

Smiling sadly, I nodded. "I understand."

He gazed down at Demetri's body and then to Garrett. "We have to get moving. The very second Demetri doesn't check in, they'll send out patrols."

"Okay, then let's move," Emmett said, rushing to the desk to pick our stuff back up and give it back to Alice and me.

Garrett headed for the door, pulling out keys. "Let's do this the right way. Let's drive them over to Aro's building and walk them in through the front door."

My eyebrows shot up, and I turned to Charlie. "Call it in. We'll go pay old Aro a visit."

~oOo~

A/N… One down. One really big one to go.

You guys know I listen to music that helps me get my mind set for whatever I'm writing. This chapter and the next just happened to be Megadeth's "Symphony of Destruction." Check these lyrics out…

You take a mortal man
And put him in control
Watch him become a God
Watch people's heads a-roll

A-roll
A-roll

Just like the pied piper
Led rats through the streets
We dance like marionettes
Swaying to the symphony of destruction

Kinda fitting. Right? I didn't pay much attention until recently. But it works.

Okay… Same concept as last time. If I can get the next chapter finished on time, then we're good to go for Sunday. If not, then the next. I think we'll be okay, though. *fingers crossed*

Until next time… Mooches, Deb ;)