A/N… I hope everyone is safe, healthy, and surviving either their essential jobs or staying at home. I can't even explain the delay. I won't try, either. I'll just let you get to it.

We left off with Boris down and Kim Min-Jun holding Bella at gun point, calling Edward and his dad to come out.

~o~H&E~o~

Chapter 29

BELLA

"Ah, two for the price of one." Kim turned, facing my husband and father-in-law and gripping me harder at the same time.

I struggled in his grasp, but it was fruitless with the muzzle of the gun pointed at my temple. When Edward spoke, Kim shifted the gun to my jaw.

"All right, asshole. What do you want?" Edward asked, sounding way more confident than I knew he was at the moment. He was assessing me, gauging my mood, and looking for our crew, all while putting off an air of bravery.

Carlisle, however, was calculating, counting Kim's men, checking Boris's status, and biting his tongue. His eyes were fiery and sharp, especially when I hissed in pain at the grip that Kim had to my hair. I couldn't fight him yet, though. My captor was too close, too on-edge to take him off guard, but the asshole wouldn't stay that way, not when he started to speak to Edward.

"Cullen, we're a lot alike," Kim stated with a small chuckle.

Edward snorted humorlessly, shaking his head. "Motherfucker, I can't think of a goddamn thing we have in common." He started to step closer, but his dad stopped him.

"We're both military men, Edward. Warriors. Assassins. We fight for what we believe in," Kim went on to explain.

Edward outright laughed, but it was a frightening sound. "And that being said, you think it's a fucking genius idea to put a gun to my wife's head?" he asked rhetorically. "What the fuck do you want, Kim?"

"I want access to every weapon your father can get me. I want my nukes back. I want Dean in trade for this bitch right here." Kim jerked me around a bit when someone shifted behind Edward. Pressing the gun back to my temple, he added, "And I want Ji-Yun right here."

Edward was shaking his head before Kim had even finished his list of demands. "Who? Dunno who you mean, and even if I did, I'm not trading two people for one. Not happening. Not when I know you're surrounded."

My husband was using that taunting tone of his, the one I'd channeled the entire time this man held us captive in Carlisle's Twi Tech office.

"I know you have Ji-Yun. Bring her to me!"

"Kim, I've personally tried to kill every single one of your people myself, so I don't know who the fuck you're talking about, but you're not getting any-fucking-thing!"

We would protect Ji-Yun and Dean from this asshole; that was a fact. The former simply wanted to protect her little boy. The latter was one of us, despite the trouble he'd been in, and Edward would fight to the end to keep them safe from Kim. Everyone started to get twitchy, though – myself included. However, on my earpiece, activity was calm and precise.

"I've got a lock on the men at the fence," Mickey advised, talking about Kim's men who had ambushed Boris and me.

"I've got no solution to the main problem. I need Bells to shift, duck, headbutt him…somethin'!" Jasper muttered calmly.

"Beta Team is closing in on the west fence," Emmett piped in. "Aunt Kate! We need you at the barn with that rifle!"

"I'm almost there," she replied.

"Kid, keep your shit together. Eleazar is working his way to your right flank. Em is bringing his team to your left flank," Alec advised Edward. "We need the doc to look at Boris ASAP."

My eyes drifted to Boris as best I could from my position in front of Kim. The older man still wasn't moving, and Jasper's sniper rifle lay discarded at his side. Before I could study whether or not he was still breathing, Kim shifted me roughly again.

"Fuck," I hissed, my nostrils flaring in hate and anger.

I needed an opening, and I wasn't getting one. I locked gazes with Edward, trying silently to communicate just how badly I wanted to kick this man's ass.

"Here's what I can do for you," Edward started, giving a half smile and a sarcastic tone. "I can kill every last man you have, give you a chance to run, and I'd still catch you, rip your arm off, and beat you to death with it, simply for having touched her. What do ya say?"

Kim actually chuckled aloud, and I felt him shake his head. "No. Edward, I need my demands met, or I end her here."

Carlisle stepped forward. "Kim, those nukes are gone. They were taken into possession by the US government well over two years ago. They were supposedly shipped off to be converted into medical-grade radiation. There's no bringing them back, but my son is right. We don't have the two people you want. However, the Twi Tech weapons are negotiable." My godfather's face hardened when he said the last thing. "But I'm not doing a motherfucking thing for you while you're holding a gun to her head."

Somewhere in the darkness around us, a wolf howled eerily, which in turn caused answering howls to echo back, and those seemed to come from all around us. Kim's men shifted uneasily, and some even muttered to one another.

Edward, however, took advantage, giving a small whistle that I don't think even Kim heard. All four huskies shot out of the barn at a run, some going under the fence and some clearing it with a leap. It was the distraction I needed, because Kim's gun pulled away from my head just enough for me to shift.

I brought my head back hard, catching the man on the chin with enough force that he let me go completely. Bringing my hand down across his forearm, I knocked the gun from his grasp, but I didn't stick around long enough to finish him because gunfire came from every direction.

Kim had taken my weapon, so I was unarmed as I ran for cover to a stack of hay bales. I flinched when my ankle gave another twinge, but it was manageable. I chanced a peek around the hay, shaking my head at the chaos that had ensued. Bullets flew every way possible.

The darkness concealed everyone. It was hard to determine where my crew was versus Kim's. Edward was gone from his spot in front of the barn. Kim was nowhere to be seen, which meant he'd run from my husband.

"Good luck with that," I muttered to myself, turning again to see if there was a weapon I could get to without getting myself killed.

My nine mil was about four yards out. Boris still lay unmoving a little closer to me, and Jasper's sniper rifle was looking pretty damned tempting. With a glance around, I started to get ready to run to Boris, when someone grabbed my leg.

"Fuck!" I hissed, collapsing back against the hay and trying to catch my breath. "Dammit, Jasper, you scared the shit outta me!"

His grin was lopsided and flashed quickly in the dark night. "My apologies, Bella. I was going to cover you. I can't run, but I can set up somewhere to cover the house and barn. I just need my rifle." He gestured to the one by Boris. "I'll cover you and then trade you." He held up the AK in his hands.

Nodding, I turned again. "Okay. On me."

Jasper set up on the hay bales, popping off several rounds as I ran low to Boris. One look at our old Russian friend, and I knew the doc couldn't help him. Someone took him out in one perfect shot. That fact alone would send my crew into a bloodthirsty frenzy. For a split second, I let it get to me.

"Bells!" Jasper hissed. "You gotta move!"

I sniffed back the sadness, letting it shift into anger and hate. Then the sniper rifle was in my hands and I was running low back to the hay bales. Leaping over, I landed next to Jasper.

He didn't ask the question, but I answered anyway, saying it for everyone to hear. "Boris is gone."

Nodding sadly, Jasper traded weapons with me as soft, angry curses echoed from just about everyone over the radio. He also handed over a few clips for my weapon, jerking his thumb back toward the barn.

"I'll make my way to a good spot. Maybe out through the attic of Aunt Kate's house."

"Roger that," I replied, tucking the clips into the back pockets of my jeans. I was just about to ask everyone to check in, when Alice's voice called over the earpieces.

"Someone, anyone! Come in!"

Jasper and I locked gazes, but I called back, "Go ahead, Alice."

"Heads-up, heads-up, heads-up!" she chanted in her usual excitable way. "I've got inbound vehicles. One, two…no, four! They'll be coming through the front fucking gate at top speed. All ears on me. Do you copy?"

"Motherfucker," Jasper grumbled. "How many assholes does this guy have working for him?"

"Too many. Get to the house, and get on that fucking roof," I ordered him and then acknowledged Alice when he limped away, staying low. "Alice, we're spread all over hell, so we need as much help as we can get."

"Gotcha, gotcha, gotcha," she said, adding, "Give me a second to get a grip on where you all are."

"Gravity!" I called over the radio, staying low as I ran toward the barn and diving beneath Aunt Kate's tractor for cover. "I need every last one of you to check in. Now!"

"Beta Team has reached the westside fence," Emmett replied. "We've got a few stragglers, but we're on it."

"Miss Bella," Ned called. "We're falling back to the main property. Fuck the gate."

"Dean and I will cover them," Eleazar stated.

Mickey's voice was next. "I see your position, Bells. I'll meet you there."

"Copy that," I mumbled, frowning at the two missing voices I needed to hear the most. "Edward, Carlisle, check in!"

"Easy, sweetheart," Carlisle soothed over the radio. "I see your position, too. I'm right behind you. Go!"

Slipping out from beneath the tractor, I ran into the barn and behind the doors, flinching at the sound of shots landing in the wood and dirt around me, not to mention the return fire, which I assumed was Carlisle. With a quick glance around, I noted the horses were okay, Tom and Obie were okay, and the bunker door was covered by hay and Goliath's giant back hoof. I turned to roll the barn door closed.

Just before they slid closed, Carlisle slipped in, with shots piercing the barn walls and door. He helped me slam the lock home.

"You okay?" he asked breathlessly, and I nodded.

"I'm sorry about Boris," I mumbled sadly.

Carlisle kissed the middle of my forehead, whispering, "Later." He pointed to Tom and Obie, saying, "Stay where you are. I want one of you aimed at each end of this barn."

They both nodded, and Tom touched his brother with the back of his hand, saying, "I've got the open door toward the house."

"Edward?" I asked again over the earpieces.

"He may not be able to answer you, Bellissima. I'm looking at his location on the map, and it seems he took off after Kim into the woods back toward the mountains." Alec sounded worried.

"Shit," I said through a deep sigh, flinching and raising my weapon when someone entered the open door of the barn that faced the house.

"If you shoot me, I'll be so pissed," Mickey grumbled sarcastically, leaning back against the wall of the barn as she tried to catch her breath.

Carlisle chuckled briefly but motioned for the two of us to huddle up. "We've got incoming. I need you two at your sharpest. Edward took off after Kim."

Nodding, I ran to the weapons cache in the barn. It was a false door in the wall next to the first stall – the very stall my kids' litter of kittens had been born. One of Edward's black bags hung on a hook, and I grabbed it, stuffing into it everything I thought would be useful. Mickey took her own supplies, as did Carlisle. The last thing I grabbed was a compound bow and as many arrows as I could fit in a quiver. I wasn't sure if they would be needed, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

"Bella, come in," Harry called low over the earpieces.

"Go ahead."

"We've got about twenty-five to thirty men making their way on foot toward the house through the trees."

"Copy that, Harry," Carlisle stated. "Emmett, bring your team from the west to flank them."

"On it, Papa Bear," Emmett acknowledged.

"Jasper, how's your progress?" I asked, running to the open barn door to take a peek at the house and the trees Kim's men were in.

"I'll have eyes in the sky in thirty seconds – okay, well…ninety. Gimme a fucking break, will ya?"

Mickey snorted, shaking her head, and Carlisle's smile quirked up on his face, but Aunt Kate was the next voice to pipe up on the radio.

"You'll have two eyes up there. Each end of the house. Both aimed at the front."

Carlisle nodded, turning back to the weapons cache. "Roger that." Once he found what he was looking for, he held it out to Mickey and me. "Here. Use this. We're going to handle these assholes coming in through our fucking front door."

Mickey voiced my inner thoughts as she took the container of face paint, quickly swiping it across her face. "What about Edward?"

Carlisle sniffed, his face grim but thoughtful. "My son knows these woods better than any of us, and he took off after Kim with my blessing. He's also got Lock and Load with him."

"I think he has all four dogs with him," I told him.

"Even better." Carlisle kissed the side of my head, taking the face paint from Mickey and placing it in my hand. "Let's deal with the problem at hand, and then we'll deal with helping Edward, if he'll even need it."

"He'd better be careful, that's all I'm sayin'," I muttered, swiping dark streaks across my face.

Once Carlisle had applied his own cover, we stepped to the open end of the barn, armed and at the ready. We were about to use Aunt Kate's front yard as a battleground. Trees, hedges, and cars would all be our cover. My kids were safely below the barn, which gave me a bit of control of my emotions, but Edward was still silent out in the woods with probably the most dangerous asshole we'd ever encountered. My mind was made up to clear the yard and go help him.

~o~H&E~o~

EDWARD

It was too late to send Zeke and Ada back to the house, and as young as they were, I wasn't sure they'd actually obey the command. Lock and Load would have, but I needed them for their tracking, so I was letting my dogs lead Aunt Kate's two younger ones. It was probably better that I had all four, considering I was the only motherfucker who'd followed Kim.

The very second Bella had left his grasp and was safely away from the muzzle of his gun, I raised my weapon, but so had every-damn-body. Just before I'd dropped for cover, I'd caught sight of Kim taking a few of his men back toward the east, which meant he was heading into the mountains.

Voices called over the radio in my ear, but I couldn't break silence. I was trying to stay quiet as I used Aunt Kate's fence line to catch up to this enormous asshole. As I neared the east gate that faced the mountains, I climbed the fence, giving a soft whistle and smirking when all four dogs leaped over the fence without even struggling. With all the intel we had, my hunch was that Kim was aiming for either the Triple Lakes Trail or the Eielson Visitor Center. The latter had plenty of vehicles parked over there when my son had flown the drone over it.

The thought of my kids was a double-edged sword. Knowing they were safe and tucked away from all this bullshit was a comfort, but knowing there was only a small door between them and all this hell was pissing me off. Anything could happen. I had faith in my crew, in my dad, and especially my wife, but so far, Kim had proven to be a resourceful motherfucker. And that thought seemed to cause the next explosion over my earpiece.

"Heads-up, heads-up, heads-up!" Alice yelled frantically. "I've got inbound vehicles. One, two…no, four! They'll be coming through the front fucking gate at top speed. All ears on me. Do you copy?"

"Shit," I barely breathed aloud, coming to a halt at the entrance to the trails. I glanced back in indecision – go back and help or keep following the cause of all of this.

Lock and Load snuffled around the trail ahead of me, the latter giving a soft "boof" to get my attention. He'd caught the scent we needed. Up until now, the moon had been my light, but I'd lose it in the cover of the trees. With that thought, I kneeled down, taking a bit of dirt and mud and raking it across my face to remove any shine. I glanced back to the farm one more time before following Load on the trail and deeper into the woods.

"Edward?" Bella called, but I stayed silent. If anything in the world could've made me go back, it was her voice, her worry, and her need, but I wasn't sure how close Kim was. However, Alec was watching, and he explained it to her.

I smiled at the last thing she said over the radio. "He'd better be careful, that's all I'm sayin'."

Giving a small nod to the dogs, I slipped into the darkness of the woods.

The sound was different inside the cover of the trees. It was closer, a little muffled. The dogs' panting and sniffing at the ground was all I heard at first – until I really listened. Frantic movements and whispers came from ahead of me. Once again, the howl of wolves – though distant – echoed from closer to the farm. Lock and Load lifted their heads from their sniffing to glance around. Load's growl was low as he locked in on the trail ahead of us.

"Lock and Load, on me," I whispered, picking up speed on the trail.

The path would split soon. Left would lead to Triple Lakes, and the right would lead to the visitors' center. It was that fork in the trail where I would need Lock and Load the most. If I took the wrong direction, these motherfuckers would get away, and I needed this shit to end now, on this mountain, deep in the woods, so that no one would hear from Kim Min-Jun again.

Once I knew which direction we were heading, I could call back to the farm for backup – if there was backup to take, considering the wave that was currently hitting Aunt Kate's front yard.

I'd grown up around these trails. Before my mother passed away, we'd stay at Aunt Kate's for weeks. I knew this area, these mountains, and I knew how to navigate without the trails – and that was what I was what I was counting on. If Kim went right, then I'd be out in the open, but I could cut the distance off-trail. If the asshole went left, then there were creeks and deep woods I could use, but in the dark it would be way more dangerous.

Either way, I had the advantage of knowing my surroundings, where Kim did not.

Running low, I kept to the trail until the split. Lock and Load split apart from each other for a brief moment to check the trails on the left and right. However, it was Ada who found the scent a bit ahead on the left trail.

"We're going into the fucking woods," I muttered to myself and the dogs, tapping my earpiece. "Alice, come in," I whispered.

"Finally!" she said, sounding relieved. "Go ahead, Edward."

"Kim took the Triple Lakes Trail, and I'm heading in. Give me an update on the farm."

It was Alec who answered. "Kid, it's a mess over here, but your dad is… Well, he's kinda pissed, so he's taking it out on these assholes."

My eyebrows shot up. "Okay?"

"We lost Boris, Ed."

My heart thumped to my stomach, and I grit my teeth in anger and sadness. "Goddammit," I said through a sigh, thinking that Bellaand my dad must be heartbroken.

"Yeah," he agreed. "As of right now, we're holding our own against about two dozen men. Talk to me, kid. What'cha plannin' to do?"

"I'm gonna kill this motherfucker." I glanced up the trail, knowing I was about to go off-trail.

"You need backup, Ed?" Emmett's voice queried over the radio.

"Not at the risk of removing you from the issue at hand," I countered roughly, still keeping my voice low.

"Emmett!" Dad called over the radio. "Get your ass to the front of the house. Bring your team through the barn for ammo. You'll relieve Bella and Mickey, and they'll take to the mountain trail."

"Copy that, Papa Bear," Em said through a chuckle. "Damn, sending the meanest ones to Ed."

I grinned evilly, shaking my head, until Mickey's voice added in, "Carlisle, Bella's not going to be able to run."

"The ATV is at the east gate, but you'll only get so far on the trail," Emmett advised.

"Fine, Bella will stay with me. Emmett, you and Mickey take to the trails. Austin and Junior can come to me," my dad ordered.

"Roger that. Mickey meet me at the gate."

"On my way," she said.

"Edward, you'll have backup ASAP," Bella said, and I flinched at the sound of gunfire over the radio.

"Ten-four, sweetness," I replied. "Emmett, take the left trail at the split. I'll be going off-trail to cut the distance."

"Understood." Emmett was already running.

I gave a soft, sharp whistle for the dogs. Load took the lead, with Ada and Zeke behind him. Lock stayed at my side as we started to run. My goal was not far up ahead. A part of the trail cut through the slope of the mountainside. While the trail wound around and down the mountain, the slope would help me close the distance between Kim and me. It would have to be taken carefully, but it could be done.

It had been years since I'd truly lost myself in these woods and trails. As a kid, it had been no big deal. However, way too much was riding on me to fuck this up. I needed to find the perfect spot to slip down the slope. A spot that wouldn't earn me or the dogs a broken leg – or worse, a broken damn neck.

Coming to a stop just before the trail veered to the right and into some more trees, I found an opening in the underbrush descending downward. I'd have to take it a bit slower, but I could make it to the next level of the trail without having to wind all over hell and back.

I braced a hand on the closest tree, starting to take the first sidestep. Before I could even put weight on my foot, the dogs all lost their shit behind me, and I was suddenly slammed into the same tree I was using for a brace. He'd been hiding, waiting, and he'd moved too fast for even the dogs to help me.

"Fuck," I grunted, seeing stars for split second and almost losing my balance.

I needed to get away from the slope, and I wanted to see just who the hell was ballsy enough to come at me from behind, especially since I was surrounded by four dogs, who were losing their minds trying to pull my attacker off me but couldn't quite get a grip on anything but the man's clothes. Using the tree I was being slammed into, I pushed off, bringing my elbow back to my attacker's face. When I turned around, I was blindsided by a roundhouse punch to the face.

My attacker was smart; he wasn't giving me a chance to get to a weapon or give the dogs a command to truly attack. He rushed at me again, and my back caught the punishment of the tree trunk this time. Blindly and with hardly any strength to them, I landed punches to his face, head, and ribs. Bringing a knee up, I caught him in the balls, which finally gave me a chance to catch my breath.

My Glock was in my hand instantly, and the guy came at me again. He deflected the hand that held my gun, pinning it back to the same tree. If I got free, this asshole would be food for the forest floor. He was trying to push me down the mountainside.

"Goddammit," I grunted when he punched me repeatedly – head, ribs, stomach.

Struggling in his grip, I was able to bend my arm just enough to point my gun over his shoulder and down his back. Gunfire echoed through the mountains, as did my attacker's scream. I'd caught him in the back of his calf.

Finally I was able to focus, giving a soft whistle as I leaned against the tree.

Lock and Load, who had been frantically circling around us, rushed to my attacker. Lock latched his teeth on to his arm, while Load tried to go for the man's throat. The asshole panicked a bit, stumbling back a little, but due to his gunshot wound, he lost his balance. I almost felt sorry for him when Load's large teeth finally caught the man's throat, and he shook his head back and forth.

"Clear," I said softly when I was certain the guy had hardly any life left in him, but I spotted exactly what I needed hanging on his belt.

The dogs released him, sitting back on their haunches and waiting for my next command. The guy wheezed when I snatched him up by the front of his shirt that was now covered in blood. Finally able to get a look at him, I could see he was Korean and too damned young to die for Kim's ridiculous agenda. Dragging him over to the edge of the slope, I pulled the pin of his grenade and pushed him off the edge. He tumbled roughly a few yards down before the grenade finally exploded.

I'd just cleared my path down. Glancing up and down the trail, I caught my breath for a second, finally taking the step down the steep descent. I took it slow, making sure my footing was solid on the way down to the trail below. I needed to catch up to Kim. I'd had my time wasted enough.

I didn't know if I'd catch him before he got to the end of the trail. I didn't know if Emmett and Mickey would arrive in time to help me, but there wasn't anything stopping me from following that psychopath.

Once I landed on the trail below, I glanced up the way I had come down, saying, "Lock and Load, on me."

~o~H&E~o~

A/N… We've had another casualty – Boris. :( I know. I'm sorry. Edward is still in pursuit of Kim Min-Jun with Emmett and Mickey on the way to help.

I'm hoping the next chapter won't take as long. It's crazy times and I've been furloughed from my job of twenty years. I don't even know what to do with myself. Honestly. And it's hard to find writing inspiration in such weird times.

Please, please… Everyone stay safe, stay home if you can, and if you can't stay home, then you're a freaking hero for braving this crazy world. Until next time… Mooches, Deb ;)