Devil Incarnate Chapter Three

After a thorough search of the grounds, Edward called an all-clear. There definitely had been activity outside the wall, and someone had managed to breach the gate. Nobody at the house was harmed, and there was no sign of anyone hanging around. As Bella had guessed, it was a scare tactic. 

The family gathered in the living room to wait for Emmett and Jasper. In the meantime, Bella and Edward had to explain their old life to Caitriona. 

"Sweetheart," Bella began. "Twenty years ago, your father was the head of the Seattle mafia."

Whatever reaction Edward might have expected, it wasn't nonchalance. 

"Okay, and?"

"You don't seem surprised, Cat."

Rolling her eyes at her father, she said, "The internet is a thing that exists, Dad. You should try it sometime."

Though she popped her hand over her mouth, Bella's giggle escaped nonetheless. Eyes narrowed, Edward sighed. "Then why are you confused?"

"Because you got out of it. Something that isn't done, apparently. So what's going on now?"

"We're not sure." Edward looked at Quinn and then Maeve. "We told your siblings about our past when they turned eighteen. Grandpa Eleazar runs things now, though my name is still on the stationery, so to speak."

"Afton is second-in-command," Renee said. "Your mother used to be your father's counselor."

"Until you opened the bookstore. Yeah, Mom's more famous than Dad."

The very idea made Edward grin. Fleeting thoughts of the past rattled around his brain. Those were the good old days, but they were scary, too. "We made the conscious decision to step down and go legitimate. Now, someone wants us to help them do something terrible."

"But you're not in that business anymore. So why you?" 

Edward glanced at Bella. "I don't know, Cat. There's a laundry list of people who'd love to get revenge against me."

"Us," Bella corrected. "We're a team."

"So don't help them," Maeve said, as though it were that simple. 

Quinn stood, pacing to the door and back. "If your father wasn't in that casket, how do we know he's dead?"

Renee choked, coughing until Afton pulled her into his arms. "He's not dead?"

"We don't know," Bella replied, hoping her mother wouldn't fall apart. She’d grown over the years, as they all had, but occasionally Renee was still the small-town grocery manager who freaked out over the smallest thing. "That's part of the problem. There was a preacher and a few people at the grave, and then they all disappeared. A cell phone rang from inside the casket; it was otherwise empty."

Edward picked up the story. "A recorded message said we had to help them deploy a superweapon. The consequences of ignoring them would be the death of all the children, and they'd find a way to deploy the weapon, anyway."

"The fuck, man?" Emmett said from the doorway. 

Edward rose and greeted him. "Yeah, it's a mess."

Jasper walked in, and Edward repeated the story. 

"Everyone's kids? That's some bullshit."

"I know, Jasper. I don't have any desire to help them out, and we could technically hide everyone until we rooted out the problem."

"But they'll just do it, anyway. Maybe it would take them longer, but then what? We're all dead?" Emmett asked. 

"I say we agree to their terms so we can go digging." Bella moved to stand with Edward. "Afton, how long until Eleazar is back in town?"

"Tomorrow night."

"We have less than two days left to respond," Quinn pointed out.

"Might as well play them at their own game." Bella leaned into Edward. "Play to win."

Edward wrapped an arm around her and squeezed. It was a little too familiar, like the plan they implemented to take out the Santiago Family. "Sounds like a preliminary plan. What does everyone say?"

"I'm gonna miss school," Caitriona wailed. 

Quinn shook his head. "Most teenagers would be happy about that."

Bella laughed. “Your sisters have never been most teenagers.”

“And thank God for that.” Edward rubbed his temple. “Baby girl, you’ll be fine. We’ll see what you can make up ahead of time. We can tell the school it’s a family emergency.”

“Technically, it is. It’s a Family emergency because all our children are dead if we don’t comply.” Jasper sounded bitter, and who could blame him?

“That’s the lowest form of cowardice,” Renee grumbled. “I have too many grandbabies to worry about them all staying safe through this.”

She’d been Grandma Renee to everyone’s kids, as Bella had hoped she would once they made up at Quinn’s first birthday. It didn't matter who they biologically belonged to; Renee, Afton, Eleazar, and Carmen were the de facto grandparents for the youngest generation.

“Hiding isn't that great of an option,” Emmett said. “With what, twelve kids? Where the hell would we put them?”

“I don't know.” Now Edward pinched the bridge of his nose. How did a man spend decades trying his best to atone for his sins, only to be pulled back into the belly of the beast after all? His past could have chipped away at his soul until there was nothing left, but he made the choice to try. Because of Bella, because of his angel and the family she gave him—they created together—he was atoned daily. 

“Hey,” she whispered.

He gazed down at her. She would remain by his side through it all, of course. No way would she hide with the children. “Hey, to you too.”

“Don't do this to yourself.”

“Stop reading my mind,” he said with a smile. 

“It's not my fault I can read you like a book.”

“And have always been able.” He kissed her head. “I can't help but stress, to take this on and chew on it internally. It’s my fault, in the end, no matter what sort of team we’ve made. I chose the life I led before you came into it, and you adapted to what I thrust at you.”

“We also made the choice to leave that life. Don't discount that.”

“It’s coming back around, don't you see? Karma, fate, whatever you’d like to call it. It’s coming for its retribution.”

“Then we’ll figure out how to stop it. Together.”

If only he believed it would be so easy. 

Everyone agreed to bring their families to the Cullen mansion for the foreseeable future. Lieutenants from the organization showed up to fix the damage and increase security. Patrols were set up in two-person teams around the clock. It felt like closing the barn door after the horse had already escaped, but it was a necessary precaution.

With eight extra adults and nine extra kids, the house was more full than it had been in years. All things considered, it could have been worse. The youngest was Jasper’s son, Andrew, and he was fourteen. The days of toddlers running under foot were over, but that meant they had to keep a houseful of teenagers entertained instead. 

And fed. Despite Tyler's protests, Bella put her foot down and wouldn't allow him to cook every meal. They ordered in or sent guards to pick up food most of the time. She didn't feel it was right to thrust their chef into cooking for so many extra mouths without prior notice. Breakfast was a group effort, but they purchased the rest of their meals. 

They were all sick of pizza by the time they had to make contact with Zion per their instructions. They were to head to a payphone in downtown Seattle and wait for it to ring. The arguments over who would go continued until the last second. 

"I should go," Edward stated. "I'm the one they want."

"Which is precisely why you shouldn't go," Bella pointed out. "They're expecting you."

"I have to agree. It could be a trap." Quinn looked at Eleazar. "What do you think?"

"I agree with you also, but Edward is his own man. I won't tell him what to do."

"If I may," Ben started. "I think it should be someone else, like Garrett. He's physically intimidating, he's not Edward, but he's recognizable as a member of the organization."

Garrett nodded. "I'm okay with this."

"What if the plan is to kill whoever goes to that phone?" Rose asked. 

"Then there's nobody to relay the information." Angela rubbed her temples. “Who else would you suggest?”

“Eleazar and I can go,” Afton offered, but he sounded half-hearted.

“No,” Renee whispered.

“I can’t ask you to go in my stead,” Edward insisted.

“You aren't doing it.”

Edward glared at Bella. Why couldn't she see that he had to? She read him so well, and yet she couldn't see the way he felt inside.

“I know you think it has to be you, but it’s too obvious.”

“And here I thought your abilities were slipping.”

“Nope.” She stood and crossed to his side. “It may be your rodeo, but you’re not the only bullfighter in the chutes.”

“What?” Edward wanted to laugh, and it felt strange to be so lighthearted at such a moment.

“Shut up.” Smacking his chest, she said, “You know what I mean. There’s no precedent you can rely on. You’re outnumbered.”

“Garrett will need a team,” Jake said. He stood beside Leah in front of the fireplace. “He needs a goddamn army, if we’re being honest.”

“An army won’t stop a bomb,” Maria—Jasper’s wife and the Denali’s cousin—said. “If that’s their plan, you can’t stop them.”

“So basically, we’re screwed.” Quinn looked over at his parents. “What now?”

“If we don't go to the phone booth and accept the call, they gather their resources and figure out how to wipe out the planet without our help. It’ll take them longer, which is why they want us in the first place. Maybe it’ll be more expensive, too, and they want to make bank.” Edward’s gut churned at the thought of these people figuring out how to blow up the world, or whatever it was they planned.

“It’s hopeless, then?” Bella said. “That’s what you’re saying?”

“It’s never hopeless. I’m going.”

Everyone remained silent after Garrett’s declaration. He’d been a loyal man for many, many years, and Edward considered him a brother. There was no way in hell he wanted to send him to the lion’s den at zero hour.

“Do you even comprehend . . .” Edward began, pinching the bridge of his nose. He needed a cigar, but he’d made an effort not to smoke with so many people in the house. “I can’t let you die.”

Garrett met Edward’s gaze. “I have the least to lose. I don't have any children. Besides, I don't believe their intention is to kill the person who answers the phone. They serve as a messenger, and you don't shoot the messenger.”

“Goddammit, Garrett.” Edward sensed he was losing the fight. Garrett might not have children, but he had a wife. After accompanying Bella to the mall many times, he’d struck up a relationship with the saleswoman Bella favored.

“What will Kate say?”

“She’s always understood how dangerous my life is.”

There was nothing else to say. Garrett was determined, and Edward couldn't stop him. Someone had to go, and nobody thought it should be Edward.

While they waited for the feed to come online, Edward realized everyone was terrified someone would shoot him if he went, but no one worried about Garrett going.

“Why is it that if I go, it’s too dangerous, but with Garrett, it’s fine?”

Bella tore her focus from the screen in front of her. “Because it’s a different game altogether if they see you. Then you’re no longer the messenger, you’re the get.”

“The get of a lifetime,” Emmett said.

“He’s up,” Jasper said.

The monitors set up on a long, curved desk came to life. Garrett performed a mic check and asked if they could see what he saw. When they gave him the all clear, he exited the windowless van he and eight other men had driven to the site.

“Is that overkill?” Edward muttered. 

“No.” 

Bella probably meant to be reassuring, but she wasn't. Nine total men would be overkill for any other operation. It meant one of his oldest friends was walking into the most dangerous mission of his life.

Edward sincerely hoped it wouldn't be his last.