Chapter 15: Protocols

Bella

Slipping my phone into my pocket, I whirled to confront Bo and Sam, my heart pounding a frantic rhythm against my ribs. "What the hell is happening?" I gasped out, my voice slicing through the oppressive silence.

"The threat wasn't a drill," Sam's voice reverberated in the cavernous room, his tone grave, eyes dark with concern.

"Explain, Captain," I demanded, my hands balling into fists, the knuckles white with tension.

Sam shared a weighted glance with Bo, whose jaw was clenched tight, a muscle ticking in his cheek. "Captain Uley contacted me directly, Bella," he began, his voice a steady drumbeat in the charged atmosphere. "He gave the all-clear after detailing what was discovered in the HVAC system on my orders."

My eyes narrowed to slits, my fingers curling into my palms, the nails biting into the flesh. "What was found, Admiral Frakes?" I whispered, the words barely escaping the tightness in my throat.

Bo gave a subtle nod to Sam, who extended a tablet toward me. The screen displayed a grainy image of the HVAC system. I pinched the screen, zooming in on a chilling detail—a doll, with 'Bella Swan' scrawled across its forehead in a childlike script. But it wasn't the name that stopped my heart. My knees buckled as the rest of the scene came into focus. I dropped to the ground. The doll was... oh, God. "Jacob Black," I breathed, the name a horrified whisper that seemed to echo endlessly.

Tears stung my eyes, blurring the harsh fluorescent lights as I lifted my gaze to meet Bo and Sam's solemn expressions. In that moment, their silence, their protective stance, all made a terrible sense. A silent prayer of gratitude for their vigilance flitted through my mind, even as a pang of regret for the message I'd sent to Edward clawed at me. Something pressing had indeed come up—something far darker than I could have ever imagined.

"My squad is on high alert, Bella," Bo's voice cut through my spiraling thoughts, grim but unyielding. "The disfigured state of the doll—it's a clear message. Jacob intends to harm you."

I nodded, my mind racing through the protocols—threat assessment, secure relocation, protection detail, liaising with the command center and local law enforcement. The list was exhaustive, but the reality was stark—I was a marked woman in Forks. Going home was no longer an option. And Edward... being with him now would only paint a target on his back.

"Where am I going? And who's accompanying me?" I asked, my voice a fragile thread of sound.

Bo crouched before me, his presence a solid anchor in the storm. "For now, you'll be housed in temporary quarters on base. Security personnel will maintain a vigilant watch. No further restrictions," he assured, his tone brooking no argument.

At that moment, my phone chimed. With a trembling hand, I passed it to Sam without daring to glance at the screen. "285536," I murmured, the digits a cold reminder of the threat lurking just beyond reach. As Sam took the phone, his eyes briefly widened in recognition before he masked his reaction, securing the device with practiced ease.

"It's a text from Edward. He's still waiting," he informed me, his voice a solace to my frayed nerves. "I can bring him here. You shouldn't be alone tonight."

"But will we be safe?" The question lingered, heavy with the weight of our unvoiced fears.

Bo's hand settled on my shoulder, a gesture of reassurance. "Yes, Bella, you both will be. The base is sealed off once more. And remember, my team is on high alert—security patrols have been doubled. We'll increase them threefold if that's what it takes until Jacob is in custody."

"Captain, bring Edward to me," I commanded, a newfound determination steeling my voice.

Sam nodded, his smile a fleeting touch of warmth in the chill of the room, and turned to depart.

I fixed my eyes on Bo, expectant. "We'll delve deeper in the morning," he promised, his words a lifeline in the uncertainty. "Tell Edward everything."

As Bo and I sat in silence, the gravity of the situation settling around us, I couldn't help but reflect on the passcode I'd given Sam. Each number, when translated on a phone keypad, spelled out 'Cullen.' It was a secret acknowledgment, a silent shout into the void of my connection to Edward, to the life I was being torn away from. And now, it was a stark reminder of everything at stake.

Edward

The sound of footsteps reverberated through the empty hangar, and I instinctively looked up, expecting to see Bella. The pressing matter she'd been called away for couldn't have resolved so quickly, could it? But the figure approaching wasn't Bella. Dressed entirely in black, the individual stopped in front of where I sat in wait. What could be taking so long? I wondered, a knot of worry forming in my stomach.

"Edward," they called out, a hint of urgency in their voice.

"Yes," I responded, my heart sinking slightly with disappointment. It's not her, I thought, my heart aching.

"I'm Sam Uley. Bella is still being detained," he announced, and I felt a twinge of concern. Detained? What could possibly be happening?

I sighed, the weight of the night settling on my shoulders as I considered just leaving as Bella instructed. But then came the words that halted any thought of departure. She asked to see me. Relief washed over me, but it was quickly replaced by a wave of anxiety. Why would she need to see me if it was just a drill?

Sam led me into the locker room, where I immediately noticed Bella rising from her knees—an image that set off alarm bells in my mind. She looks… terrified.

An officer, clad in a uniform mirroring Bella's, leaned in to whisper something to her. She gave a subtle nod in response before he gestured for Sam to follow him out, leaving us alone. What could have happened to make her look so scared?

As she turned to face me, the worry that had been simmering within me boiled over. I closed the distance between us in swift strides. Tears streaked her cheeks, and for a moment, their cause was irrelevant. All that mattered was enveloping her in my arms, offering whatever solace I could. I need to protect her, no matter what.

"The threat was real," she whispered against my chest, her voice quivering with the weight of her words. "Jacob… he's not going to stop… he's after me. He's made threats." Jacob? Threats? This is worse than I thought.

Upon hearing Bella's whispered confession, my arms tightened around her instinctively, as if I could shield her from the danger with my embrace alone. My jaw clenched, a visible sign of the anger and fear that surged within me at the thought of her being threatened. My eyes, usually warm and inviting, now mirrored the gravity of the situation—hardened and resolute. I pulled her closer, my stance becoming a fortress against the unseen menace, a silent vow that I would do whatever it took to keep her safe. I won't let him hurt her.

There was a hitch in her voice, betraying her fear as she spoke again. "Given my rank, I'm being assigned temporary quarters on base." She's being relocated. This is serious.

"I'll stay with you, if it's allowed and what you want," I offered, the silent prayer that I wouldn't be sent away heavy in my heart. I was ready to pitch a fit if necessary. I can't leave her alone in this.

Her tone lifted the weight off my chest, giving me the answer I needed. "That's exactly why I asked for you to be brought back. I need you with me." She needs me. I won't let her down.

Relief flooded through me, and I pressed my lips to her head in a silent promise. "Good, because I wasn't planning on leaving," I whispered back. I'm here for you, Bella. Always. I love you.