I can't apologize enough for the length of time it has taken me to update, again. A lot of issues, including health, were a factor in my updating, but it seems that things are slowly turning around. I've got a spontaneous jolt of inspiration so I'm running with it. I've already started on the next chapter and hope to post soon. I made this chapter extra long to make it up to all of you. Lots of info in it.
We are on decline on this story, but a sequel is in the works. As always, Xtina316 and Butterflybetty were essential in helping me get this chapter done. I would also like to congratulate Butterflybetty in her book that you can now get on Amazon ( http:/ www. amazon. com/ Life-Candy-Hearts-Collection-ebook /dp / B0073OTP16/ ref=ntt_at_ep_ dpt_1). Don't forget to take out the spaces in the link to be able to get to the site.
Disclaimer: SM owns Twilight. I just use her characters to tell my story.
Coming Home
Chapter 27
EPOV
We had been at the campsite for over two days now. The search had officially begun yesterday. Several miles had been covered by the search group headed by Captain McBride. Dozens of soldiers were involved in the search for my beloved and her friend. The first couple of days, the searchers looked over the crash scene making sure that no evidence had been overlooked by the Japanese government. There was little remains of the crash itself except for the large chard remains of a mountain ridge.
I haven't actually been to the site itself. The panic attack I had from just seeing the aerial view, I had seen of it, on our flight to the camp, was too much. Ltn. Attera was escorting us on our chopper flight. We had been on the chopper for 45 minutes when the lieutenant pointed out that we had reached the site, pointing out the left side of the chopper. My breath was caught in my throat as my eyes came upon the ridge of a mountain side, a heavily wooded area had been made completely void of any trees. The land has been blacken by fire and a elongated crater sat towards the end of the area.. It looks as though a bomb had landed here. ….I guess a Boeing 747 fueled with thousands of gallons of fuel landing full speed into a mountain side could be considered a bomb.
I closed my eyes. "Oh, Dear God, No. No." I said. I couldn't look any more. I start to find it hard to breathe and I lower my head. I gasp trying to catch my breath. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop the burning in my lungs. My heart feels like it's going to explode and my head starts to become foggy. It is beating so incredibly fast.
"Emmett! Move! Take my seat, NOW!" Dad ordered him.
I felt shuffling and arm pushing my shoulders down so my head is between my legs. "Breathe, Edward. Breathe. You need to catch your breath, Son. I know it's hard, but you have to calm down."
I tried to nod my head but I can't seem to make it do my bidding. After several minutes, my head stopped swimming and I start edt o be able to breathe more steadily. I lifted my head and looked at Charlie. His eyes closed and tears were running down his cheeks as he hugged Emmett. Emmett's shoulders were shaking. I looked over to Dad and he's face is stoic.
"How much longer until we land?" Dad asked into the headphones he we were required to wear in helicopter.
"Just a few more minutes. Base is just on the other side of this ridge." Ltn. Attera answered.
I continued to feel a hand rubbing my back as I tried to regulate the burn I felt with my breathing.
What seemed like forever rather than just minutes, I feltlthe helicopter land on something solid…oh please Lord, let us be on the ground.
I was able to calm down shortly after landing at camp, but I had been on edge for the remainder of the day. Dad arranged, with one of the medics at camp, for me to have a low dose sedative given to me to help with my sleep these last few nights. I found myself back at our meadow...I looked around trying to find a trace of Bella. I heard a noise behind me and turned around. There she stood. I raced to her and went to touch her but just as my hand is about to reach her skin, Bella's form started to fade. As I pulled my hand back, her image came back into view. As I tried to reach to her, again, she started to fade again. What could this mean?
"Babe?" I asked.
All she said was, "Edward, you must hurry. There isn't much time." Bella said and then she faded completely away.
"NOOOOOOOOOO!"
I sat straight up. I looked around, taking in my surroundings. After a few seconds, I realized I was in our tent at camp." I tried to calm myself down...my heart racing and I was drenched in sweat.
"Edward?" Charlie ran over to me from his cot. "What is it, son?
"It's B. Something's wrong. I couldn't touch her. She kept fading away when I tried to. She only said that I needed to hurry...that there wasn't much time." I told him as I tried to calm down my breathing.
"What's that supposed to mean? Did she say what's wrong?" Charlie asked.
"I don't know. I don't know. That's all that happened, but I'm scared, Charlie. Really scared. The look on her face...in her eyes. Something is terribly wrong."
Charlie looked away from me and sat on the edge of my cot. We both sat in silence for a few minutes trying to take in everything that I said.
"What time is it?" I whispered to Charlie.
"Ummm...5am." He answered.
"What time are we supposed to meet Ltn. Attera?" I asked.
"7am." He replied and paused for a moment. "I am thankful that Commander North is allowing us to accompany in the aerial search, especially after your...dream. It would drive me insane to wait here."
I only nod. My Dad has spoken with Commander North every day...just touching basis, even though he gets updates from Captain McBride. He had taken a person interest in the search. During one conversation with the Commander, it seems Dad said something to the fact that he wished we could be out there helping out with the search. Later that same day, Ltn. Attera came to us explaining that Capt. McBride had been given orders from Commander North stating that as long as the weather conditions were good, we were allowed to accompany the lieutenant on the aerial search, via helicopter. Capt. McBride supposedly was not happy at all with these orders but had to follow through with them.
"I know it may be impossible, but we have at least an hour before we have to get up. Try to get some rest, Edward. Hopefully, we'll get closer to finding them today." He says. I look at him. "At least try."
I just look up at the stare at the ceiling of the tent as Charlie returns to his cot. After what feels like forever, Emmett's watch alarm goes off and we all start getting dressed. We head over to another tent for breakfast. Everyone got a plate of food, but I only grabbed a piece of toast. I looked around at everyone as they ate. As I looked at Dad, he was staring at me. He moved from the other end of the table to the empty chair next to me. I sighed knowing that he was going to be questioning me.
After he sat down and finished his meal, he took a drink of his coffee and whispered, "I'm worried about you."
"I'm fine." I answered.
"What happened this morning?" He asked.
I look away from him and I hesitate to answer him. "Dad...something is wrong. I couldn't touch her. She kept fading away. She said that we had to hurry...that there wasn't much time." I tell him as my breathing sped up.
Dad pushed away from the table and nodded his head towards the exit of the tent for me to follow him outside. I followed him out and we went and stood next to a set of trees away from camp. Dad pulled me into a hug. I hugged him back with force. His instincts weren't as good as my mom's, but he knew what I needed and I definitely needed this hug.
Dad released me from the hug and I said, "Dad, I'm scared. I can't lose her. Everything we've gone through to get to this point...I can't ….I don't..."
"Son, I can't imagine what you've gone through...all of it. I can't comprehend. But, we're getting there. We are so much closer. You just have to think positively. We will find her."
"What if it's too late?" I asked.
"No, I refuse to let any of us think that way. No. Your instincts from the beginning have been right. I truly believe that we are going to find her...and Jake. We'll deal with whatever happens as a family. We will get through this. "
I looked at him for a few seconds and nodded my head. "Okay."
"Okay." Dad said.
I notice someone coming over to us, out of the corner of my eye. It's Emmett, Charlie and Lieutenant Attera. "Hey, you guys ready?" Em asked.
I looked at Dad, he nodded his head and I looked back to Em, "Yeah, let's do this."
We walked over to one of the helicopters and we started to board it. "Lieutenant, where is Captain McBride and his team? Aren't they coming?" Asked Charlie.
"Charlie, haven't I already asked to you to please call me Quil. "
"Sorry, I forgot, Quil." Charlie said.
Quil nodded and said, "They left a little over an hour ago. Said something about wanting to get an early jump on the search today. Seems there is a storm coming later on. Captain said that as long at the weather was good that you all could come along but once things start to turn sour we had to bring you back to base."
We all nodded in our understanding and allowed Quil and this team for finish up their pre-flight check list. Soon we were up in the air...off to the area we left off the search from yesterday. Four hours into the search, one of the search teams came across a couple of villagers hiking in the mountains. Luckily, one of the seachers was fluent in Japanese and reported back to base that the villagers had set out for the next village to get help for two villagers whom were hurting.
"Quil, we must speak with them. They may know or have seen Bella and Jake." Emmett said.
We all agreed and Quil contacted the team and got their coordinates to rendevous with them. In just a matter of a few minutes, Quil's team was landing the chopper. We quickly found the team while one of them was speaking with the two villagers.
"Hey, Seth. Whatcha got?" Quil asked as we all approached.
"Hey, Quil, Emmett, Carlisle, Charlie and Edward. Let me introduce you. These two men are Takei and Daichi. They've got a couple of villagers who were recently hurt falling down a mountainside into a ravine. They took the injured pair the local monestary in their area while they set off yesterday for help." Seth said.
"Can you ask them if they have come across two Americans during their journey for help?" Quil asked.
Seth asked the men Quil's question and the men answered back what seemed to be a lengthy answer and then pointed to Charlie , Seth and Quil. "It seems that the injured people are a man and a woman and aren't actual members of the village. Takei's two sons were hunting and came across them. They say that the woman's hair and skin looks like Charlie's and the man resembles you and myself."
"Oh, Lord, please." Emmett said with his eyes closed as if to be praying..
"Seth, we need to get directions to that monestary. That's Bella and Jake. I know it!" Charlie stated.
"Quil, tell them that we have medical personnel that could help these two people. See if they would direct us back to the monestary. We'll flight them is, if that's alright, Quil." Carlisle said.
"You took the words right out of my mouth, Carlisle. Go ahead and ask Seth." Quil said.
Seth asked Takei and Daichi the question in Japanese. The two men spoke back and forth to each other. The wind in the area started picking up. The temperature seemed to be slowly falling sending a chill through me.
"What seems to be the problem?" I asked Seth.
"It seems Takei is a little wary of the chopper. Daichi is trying to explain to Takei that it is faster than walking and that the he's seen these flying machines (pointing to the chopper) before and has never seen them fall from the sky. Daichi argued that the huge winged flying machine fell from the sky not long back and is hesitant to get on the chopper." Seth answered.
After a few minutes of the men discussing the topic back and forth, Takei stated they agreed to show us to the monestary to help the two people. As we all started to board the chopper, one of the crew members whispered to Quil. "Damn it!" Quil yelled.
"What?" I asked.
"We've been ordered to return to base within the next two hours. It seems the storm we expected tonight is moving into the area faster than initially predicted. I have to get you all back to base
"NO!" We all yelled.
"What I am thinking, though. IF we use the optimum speed that the chopper can go, we might be able to get to the monestary in approximately an hour or so. If we can get there, I might be able to get camp to agree to let us wait out the storm there, while offering our help to the injured and return to base after the storm settles." Quil stated.
"It's worth the chance." I stated. Quil went quickly went back to Seth and explained what they were going to do, having Seth's team report back to base and bring Capt. McBride up-to-date on the situation. Minutes later, we were back in the air with Seth accompanying us as he was the only one of the group who would be able to translate for Takei and Daichi. Base had received the information Seth's team had called in and since Capt. McBride was out of contact with the base, the base informed Commander North of the group's plan with his approval. They also got the coordinates of the monestary from the Base, cutting down the time of searching for it by air.
The weather was getting worse the longer we traveled. Dark storm clouds were developing and thunder and lightening could be seen and heard in the distance. It wouldn't be too much longer before we were getting hit with the storm.. "We're approximately 10 minutes away. Carlisle start getting your medical supplies together. This storm is coming on fast and strong. We'll need to land the chopper and get to shelter quickly." Quil said.
"Gotcha." Dad answered.
"I'll help you." Charlie said as they both unbuckled themselves to reach the medical supplies at the rear of the chopper.
Minutes later, a loud clap of thunder sounded and a large gust of wind shook the chopper. "Everyone hold on tight. We've got some heavy winds here and were are only minutes away from landing." Takei and Daichi were speaking a mile a minute in their native Japanese obviously nervous about the weather.
"BOOOMMM!" Shrieking metal was the next sound after the loud booming. The helicopter started swaying. If it weren't for being belted into my seat, I would've been thrown out of it
"Charllie!" My Dad yelled.
"DAD!" Emmett yelled.
I looked over my shoulder to my Dad bending over Charlie. He was laying on the floor of the chopper with blood running down his face and neck. Whatever he hit with his head, he hit it hard.
"Emmett, in that bag I just put next to the door, reach in and some gauze out. I've got to put pressure on his injury to stop the bleeding." Dad instructed.
Emmett quickly did what he was told and Dad continued to help Charlie.
"We're about to land. Hold on. We have to get to shelter quickly." Seth said.
Less than 30 seconds later, we felt the chopper touching ground. Everyone grabbed bags of supplies and Emmett helped Dad with Charllie. We made a quick run to the monestary door and getting out of the storm.
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