The Guard
by Laura Spudzmom
Chapter 07
Charlie had just entered the station and was standing at the small coffee station pouring his first cup when the rookie handling the front desk flagged him down with a wave.
His cheeks puffed as he blew out a breath and prayed for patience while turning toward the rookie with narrowed eyes. It wasn’t wise to mess with him before that first cup, and everybody knew it; everybody, that was, except the new kid. Today was only his third day and he obviously didn’t know any better. So, being the long-suffering boss that he was, he let him slide with a glare…this time.
Said glare was lost on the kid though, who was busy jotting notes with the phone clamped between his ear and hunched shoulder.
He held up his notes and read them back to the caller, finally asking, “Those the correct coordinates? Yes…yes, I’ll relay the message as soon as this call ends…”
While waiting on the kid to finish, Charlie blew on the pungent brew and took a careful sip. His nose wrinkled as he swallowed and not just from the scalding temperature; more often than not, you could pave a road with cop-shop brew, and today’s offering was no exception.
God knew he needed it, though; he hadn’t been sleeping well since Bella’d been staying with Jake. Something about the whole situation wasn’t sitting well with him, especially since her daily calls to check in had stopped three days back.
He’d eventually called a few times and spoke to Jake who assured him Bella was fine, just too busy to come to the phone. Billy, Jake’s dad, and Charlie’s best friend, had also assured him there was nothing to worry about, which had eased his mind for a couple of days, but now? He just wasn’t buying it anymore.
He knew his daughter, and she would’ve called him back by now.
Nope… Something wasn’t right, and he’d been too swamped with missing persons and alleged animal sightings and attacks to do more than call. Today though, he was damn sure gonna make time. Today, he’d find out even if he had to drive to the rez and bust some ass for some answers.
With another healthy sip from his coffee, he tuned back into the rookie’s conversation. “…Uh, right, uh huh… No, wait! Please! Won’t you at least share your name? This is important. What if we need to speak with y…” His sentence was cut short and he grabbed the handset, hung his head and nodded. “It’s disappointing, but I understand. But, please, if you think of anything else, or change your mind, call us… Yep, we’ll be sure to check it out. Thank you for the information.”
He hung up and rubbed his brow before meeting Charlie’s gaze. The kid’s expression was solemn, his pallor somewhat grey as he stared, the notes he’d taken in one hand as he nervously tapped with the fingers of the other. “Chief,” he began, his voice weak and thready as he looked down at the paper, “Chief … is your daughter missing, sir?” He looked back up in time to see the color drain from his boss’s face. Then the man’s eyes narrowed to slits.
“Quit him-hawin’ around and tell me, damn it.”
The Rookie’s eyes went wide and he laid the paper on the counter, turning it so the Chief could read as he quickly began explaining, “These are my notes from an anonymous tip. They claim the cabin located at these coordinates is the scene of a crime. Said the place was torn up and there was blood, but no sign of a body.”
Charlie looked up, his gaze boring into the young cop as he snapped, “So, why ask about my daughter?”
“The caller said they found a small duffel there with some clothes and her I.D. in it, sir.”
“And they refused to provide their information,” Charlie stated, and got a nod. “All right,” he said and snatched up the paper. “Make a back-up recording of that call immediately. We may need it later, and I don’t wanna risk it.” He started toward his office but turned back. “Better yet, make two. I need to send one to the FBI lab, anyway.”
“Yes, sir.”
He turned to go but stopped again and pointed at the kid. “When you’re done with that, check the phone logs on the computer. If we’re lucky, we might have the location of the caller, at least.”
“Yes, sir.”
Charlie made it into his office and closed the door before gasping on a sob. The fear he felt was choking him, making it hard to even breathe, and he stumbled to his desk and leaned on it with both hands as his body trembled.
“Bella …” he rasped past the lump in his throat, “…oh God, baby girl…” This fear and pain was paralyzing, and he struggled…
He’d had no idea when he woke this morning that in little more than an hour, he’d be living his worst nightmare.
‘My baby…’
‘My daughter…’
‘Oh, God…please, no…’
A choked cry, barely above a whisper, escaped his throat and he struck the desktop with a fist, his jaw clenched and eyes squeezed shut against hot tears. He wanted to scream and rage, and destroy something, but he couldn’t; not now. So, with every ounce of willpower he possessed, he beat back the fear and grief and rage that could so easily consume him. He couldn’t allow it. Bella needed him and he sure as hell wouldn’t be any use if he broke down.
With a harshly cleared throat, he took a deep breath, and forced himself to stand and circle the desk to take his seat.
There, he paused just long enough to dry his eyes, then snatched up the phone and dialed. He would have liked to handle it himself, but the cabin wasn’t in his jurisdiction. Also, the drive to get there was four-and-a-half to five hours, easy, and he had other things to take care of locally.
Like hunting down Jacob Black.
He just hoped like hell when he found the boy, Bella would be with him. Then he could yell and scream and — God in Heaven — breathe again, without this soul-deep, gut-wrenching pain…
“Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office, how may I direct your call?”
“This is Chief Swan, Forks P.D. Put me through to Lt. Smith, Major Crimes division. It’s urgent.”
“Right away, Chief. Please hold a moment while I connect you.”
The call picked up and Charlie explained the situation while using the fax machine on the credenza behind him to send the notes. After hearing this may be about Charlie’s daughter, the Lieutenant promised to handle it personally and call as soon as he and his crew checked the cabin out. Charlie thanked him and hung up only to immediately dial Jake’s number.
When it went straight to voicemail, he swore and dialed Billy who answered on the fourth ring.
“Hey Charlie, what’s up?”
“Where’s Jake?” he snapped, “And don’t give me any run-around bullshit, either, because this time, I’m not asking as your friend. I’m asking as the Chief of Forks P.D.”
“Jesus, Charlie, slow down. What the hell’s going on?”
“You answer me first, god damn it! Where’s Bella? Where’s Jake?”
“Well, let’s see… I, uh, got a call from Jake a few days back, saying they were camping. Not sure where, exactly, but he said Bella called you and you were fine with it, so I didn’t think anything of it. Now why? What’s going on?”
Cold dread washed over Charlie, leaving him weak and numb as he, once again, fought for control.
How could this happen? To him…to his daughter… He was a cop for fuck’s sake and he’d been so careful over the years; always lecturing on safety, making sure she knew how to protect herself, making sure she knew what to watch for…
She’d gone to spend a few days with his best friend’s kid; to take a break from that starched, pompous ass she’d agreed to marry.
He nearly snarled as a picture of the uptight little prick formed in his mind.
Edward…
If anyone raised Charlie’s red flags, it was that smarmy, self-absorbed creep.
He was suspect.
He was the narcissist… The sociopath… The weirdo…
Not Jake.
Jake was a good kid, his best friend’s kid. Charlie’d known him all his life and thought of him as family.
Jake was a known entity.
Jake was safe.
Right?
Charlie’s gut twisted and he fought back nausea as he thought of the changes he’d seen in the kid over the last few months.
His irrationally short fuse, the way he tried to order Bella around, the way he tried to force her affections…
He closed his eyes as his heart sank. ‘Christ, why didn’t I see it before now?!’
Jake was the last person known to be with Bella.
And now … nobody knew the whereabouts of either one.
“… Charlie?! Damn it! Answer me! Hello?! You still…”
He looked at the phone in his hand and ended the call, not caring that he’d just cut Billy off mid-sentence. The man could wait and worry and wonder, for all he gave a shit. After all, it was his kid that probably had Bella, and now it turns out the not-so-little shit was being shady as hell about it.
He caught himself tensing up as he imagined what could be happening to his daughter, and with a slow, deep breath, made himself relax. Then, with a shove, he pushed back from the desk and grabbed his tactical vest.
Standing, he shrugged into the vest and pressed the com button on his phone to bark out orders, “Have Johnson and Carson drop what they’re doing and report to my office immediately.”
Without waiting for an answer, he released the button and worked on fastening his vest while muttering, “I think it’s time I visit the Cullens.”
Charlie had just entered the station and was standing at the small coffee station pouring his first cup when the rookie handling the front desk flagged him down with a wave.
His cheeks puffed as he blew out a breath and prayed for patience while turning toward the rookie with narrowed eyes. It wasn’t wise to mess with him before that first cup, and everybody knew it; everybody, that was, except the new kid. Today was only his third day and he obviously didn’t know any better. So, being the long-suffering boss that he was, he let him slide with a glare…this time.
Said glare was lost on the kid though, who was busy jotting notes with the phone clamped between his ear and hunched shoulder.
He held up his notes and read them back to the caller, finally asking, “Those the correct coordinates? Yes…yes, I’ll relay the message as soon as this call ends…”
While waiting on the kid to finish, Charlie blew on the pungent brew and took a careful sip. His nose wrinkled as he swallowed and not just from the scalding temperature; more often than not, you could pave a road with cop-shop brew, and today’s offering was no exception.
God knew he needed it, though; he hadn’t been sleeping well since Bella’d been staying with Jake. Something about the whole situation wasn’t sitting well with him, especially since her daily calls to check in had stopped three days back.
He’d eventually called a few times and spoke to Jake who assured him Bella was fine, just too busy to come to the phone. Billy, Jake’s dad, and Charlie’s best friend, had also assured him there was nothing to worry about, which had eased his mind for a couple of days, but now? He just wasn’t buying it anymore.
He knew his daughter, and she would’ve called him back by now.
Nope… Something wasn’t right, and he’d been too swamped with missing persons and alleged animal sightings and attacks to do more than call. Today though, he was damn sure gonna make time. Today, he’d find out even if he had to drive to the rez and bust some ass for some answers.
With another healthy sip from his coffee, he tuned back into the rookie’s conversation. “…Uh, right, uh huh… No, wait! Please! Won’t you at least share your name? This is important. What if we need to speak with y…” His sentence was cut short and he grabbed the handset, hung his head and nodded. “It’s disappointing, but I understand. But, please, if you think of anything else, or change your mind, call us… Yep, we’ll be sure to check it out. Thank you for the information.”
He hung up and rubbed his brow before meeting Charlie’s gaze. The kid’s expression was solemn, his pallor somewhat grey as he stared, the notes he’d taken in one hand as he nervously tapped with the fingers of the other. “Chief,” he began, his voice weak and thready as he looked down at the paper, “Chief … is your daughter missing, sir?” He looked back up in time to see the color drain from his boss’s face. Then the man’s eyes narrowed to slits.
“Quit him-hawin’ around and tell me, damn it.”
The Rookie’s eyes went wide and he laid the paper on the counter, turning it so the Chief could read as he quickly began explaining, “These are my notes from an anonymous tip. They claim the cabin located at these coordinates is the scene of a crime. Said the place was torn up and there was blood, but no sign of a body.”
Charlie looked up, his gaze boring into the young cop as he snapped, “So, why ask about my daughter?”
“The caller said they found a small duffel there with some clothes and her I.D. in it, sir.”
“And they refused to provide their information,” Charlie stated, and got a nod. “All right,” he said and snatched up the paper. “Make a back-up recording of that call immediately. We may need it later, and I don’t wanna risk it.” He started toward his office but turned back. “Better yet, make two. I need to send one to the FBI lab, anyway.”
“Yes, sir.”
He turned to go but stopped again and pointed at the kid. “When you’re done with that, check the phone logs on the computer. If we’re lucky, we might have the location of the caller, at least.”
“Yes, sir.”
Charlie made it into his office and closed the door before gasping on a sob. The fear he felt was choking him, making it hard to even breathe, and he stumbled to his desk and leaned on it with both hands as his body trembled.
“Bella …” he rasped past the lump in his throat, “…oh God, baby girl…” This fear and pain was paralyzing, and he struggled…
He’d had no idea when he woke this morning that in little more than an hour, he’d be living his worst nightmare.
‘My baby…’
‘My daughter…’
‘Oh, God…please, no…’
A choked cry, barely above a whisper, escaped his throat and he struck the desktop with a fist, his jaw clenched and eyes squeezed shut against hot tears. He wanted to scream and rage, and destroy something, but he couldn’t; not now. So, with every ounce of willpower he possessed, he beat back the fear and grief and rage that could so easily consume him. He couldn’t allow it. Bella needed him and he sure as hell wouldn’t be any use if he broke down.
With a harshly cleared throat, he took a deep breath, and forced himself to stand and circle the desk to take his seat.
There, he paused just long enough to dry his eyes, then snatched up the phone and dialed. He would have liked to handle it himself, but the cabin wasn’t in his jurisdiction. Also, the drive to get there was four-and-a-half to five hours, easy, and he had other things to take care of locally.
Like hunting down Jacob Black.
He just hoped like hell when he found the boy, Bella would be with him. Then he could yell and scream and — God in Heaven — breathe again, without this soul-deep, gut-wrenching pain…
“Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office, how may I direct your call?”
“This is Chief Swan, Forks P.D. Put me through to Lt. Smith, Major Crimes division. It’s urgent.”
“Right away, Chief. Please hold a moment while I connect you.”
The call picked up and Charlie explained the situation while using the fax machine on the credenza behind him to send the notes. After hearing this may be about Charlie’s daughter, the Lieutenant promised to handle it personally and call as soon as he and his crew checked the cabin out. Charlie thanked him and hung up only to immediately dial Jake’s number.
When it went straight to voicemail, he swore and dialed Billy who answered on the fourth ring.
“Hey Charlie, what’s up?”
“Where’s Jake?” he snapped, “And don’t give me any run-around bullshit, either, because this time, I’m not asking as your friend. I’m asking as the Chief of Forks P.D.”
“Jesus, Charlie, slow down. What the hell’s going on?”
“You answer me first, god damn it! Where’s Bella? Where’s Jake?”
“Well, let’s see… I, uh, got a call from Jake a few days back, saying they were camping. Not sure where, exactly, but he said Bella called you and you were fine with it, so I didn’t think anything of it. Now why? What’s going on?”
Cold dread washed over Charlie, leaving him weak and numb as he, once again, fought for control.
How could this happen? To him…to his daughter… He was a cop for fuck’s sake and he’d been so careful over the years; always lecturing on safety, making sure she knew how to protect herself, making sure she knew what to watch for…
She’d gone to spend a few days with his best friend’s kid; to take a break from that starched, pompous ass she’d agreed to marry.
He nearly snarled as a picture of the uptight little prick formed in his mind.
Edward…
If anyone raised Charlie’s red flags, it was that smarmy, self-absorbed creep.
He was suspect.
He was the narcissist… The sociopath… The weirdo…
Not Jake.
Jake was a good kid, his best friend’s kid. Charlie’d known him all his life and thought of him as family.
Jake was a known entity.
Jake was safe.
Right?
Charlie’s gut twisted and he fought back nausea as he thought of the changes he’d seen in the kid over the last few months.
His irrationally short fuse, the way he tried to order Bella around, the way he tried to force her affections…
He closed his eyes as his heart sank. ‘Christ, why didn’t I see it before now?!’
Jake was the last person known to be with Bella.
And now … nobody knew the whereabouts of either one.
“… Charlie?! Damn it! Answer me! Hello?! You still…”
He looked at the phone in his hand and ended the call, not caring that he’d just cut Billy off mid-sentence. The man could wait and worry and wonder, for all he gave a shit. After all, it was his kid that probably had Bella, and now it turns out the not-so-little shit was being shady as hell about it.
He caught himself tensing up as he imagined what could be happening to his daughter, and with a slow, deep breath, made himself relax. Then, with a shove, he pushed back from the desk and grabbed his tactical vest.
Standing, he shrugged into the vest and pressed the com button on his phone to bark out orders, “Have Johnson and Carson drop what they’re doing and report to my office immediately.”
Without waiting for an answer, he released the button and worked on fastening his vest while muttering, “I think it’s time I visit the Cullens.”
DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended.