LONDON CALLING

Jack listened to Michael and nodded along with his words. " I agree we should tell him asap, its way to important." Jack said as he hit the table " damn it." how many has he managed to sneak in using this method, thats what annoys me the most, im here to protect them and we couldn't even do that right, we're slipping, and slipping bad." Jack said. When Michael said they should get back quickly he nodded " I'll try St Mungos, if you want to go to the farm and ranch. " he asked knowing he would have possibly gone to check Kadens work with Burrito boy.

"We could race all over the planet and not find him," Michael said. "Let's take a more direct approach. How about you go to the farm and very quietly talk to your wife and then gather up Kate and Brian and Khaat and bring them to the farm. I'll go to the farm and page Robert using my medallion. If he doesn't respond to the medallion, then we can run all over the planet looking for him. You do realize that we're going to have to get him to agree to having a bodyguard for a bit, don't you? He is not going to like that one iota. I think we need to have round the clock security for him, whether he likes it or not. You and Jesse can take some shifts, but we'll need at least a third man. I think we ought to consider bringing Marcus Belby back. We don't want to have you and Jesse working 12 hour shifts on an endless basis. If you and Jesse each work 8 hour shifts, Marcus can pick up the third shift. You've always gotten on with Belby pretty well. What do you think?"

Jack calmbed down and nodded " okay, to the farm and get the others, and yeah hes not going to like that one bit." he said some what agreeing with Michael. He ported back to the farm and walked over to Jess, whispering in her ear he needed her to get Kate, Brian and Khaat together as he needed to talk to them. He asked Jessie to do a patrol getting him out of the house for a short time.

Once gathered he waited with them pacing, Jess could tell something was not right. " Im going to let Michael tell you all but its important." he said simply to them all hoping not to get too many questions as he could not awnser them at that time.

"Thank you, Jack," Michael said. "I paged Robert. He needs to join us for this."

"I'm here," Robert said, coming in the back door. "What's all this? What's going on?"

"Sit," Michael told them all. He put the kettle on, using a large kettle for a large pot of tea.

"He's using the big kettle," Robert said, looking at them. "Looks like he's planning on this taking awhile."

"It may take a bit," Michael said. "Jack and I have some new information, and it involves all of us."

"All of us?" Kate frowned. Michael turned the fire on under the kettle and went to the table and sat down with them. "We found Phoebe's apartment. Our male shapeshifter's real name is Augustus Ironwood..."

"Ironwood?" Robert frowned. Michael saw it rang a bell immediately with Robert.

"Yes. Recognize it?"

"I'll say," Robert said definitively. "Simon Ironwood as been in prison in Azkaban for nigh onto twenty years. He had children, as I recall, but I don't remember their names. I bet Augustus is one of them."

"What's he in for?"

"In his time, he was the highest paid wizarding assassin. As the muggles phrase it, he was a 'hitman.'"

"Oh, bloody hell," Michael sighed. "It just gets better and better. Robert, we found this." He reached in his pockets and put handful after handful of jewelry on the table. Robert frowned.

"Damn! What did you do? Rob Gringotts?" Robert asked.

"No. It was in 'Phoebe's' jewelry box. And there's more. We also found a copy of a contract between Ironwood and Gelding. Gelding's contracted to pay him a million galleons to kill you." He handed Robert the contract to show him.

"Well," Robert said, reading it, "well done. You've just saved Tom Gelding a bloody big sum of cash."

"This is serious, Robert," Kate said. "This is not a joking matter."

"I know, I know," Robert said. "So, what do you all think I should do? Let me hear your ideas."

Jack waited for Robert when he arrived Jack moved to block the doorway incase some one wanted to enter. As Michael spoke about what they had found Jack scoffed "Thats putting it mildly" he said Jess looked at him and looked puzzled at him Listening further he heard Kate scold Robert. "My sugestion, as Michael said earlier ...A body guard, bring in the one person we can trust, Marcus Belby." he said his arms still folded across his chest.

"At least untill the vetting has been done and we know who we can trust are trust worthy." he spoke with a snap being angry at Gelding " and then snap that son of a...witch's neck so he can never bother us again" he knew he had snapped alittle but it was how he felt he wanted Robert and Kate to have a quiet life not one filled with assholes gunning for them at every turn.

"Belby," Kate said, thinking. "That's a good thought. I like Marcus. Where would we ever find him?"

"I know how to find him," Khaat said.

"They've stayed rather close mates," Brian smiled. "I've actually missed having him around, in all honesty."

"If he thought guarding her was difficult, wait til he has to guard her father," Michael said sarcastically.

"I have some handcuffs in my basement," Brian said. "We could chain them together."

"Wizard, remember?" Robert said. "I can make them disappear. Anyway, the vetting is a must. We don't have a choice, but I have a mountain of things on my own plate as it is. Brian, teach Jess and Jack how to do the vetting and give them our contacts. They can help you and Khaat get it done." He looked at Jess and Jack.

"You've both been with us long enough," Robert said to both Jess and Jack, "that we certainly can give you some of those advanced permissions and responsibilities, and, of course, we'll increase your salaries accordingly. Brian, you and Khaat do the vetting on Gabe, Mira, Edward, Angus, Jessie and Owens. Do those first. We have about the same number of women on our Paris staff as we do men, so Khaat and Jess, you vet the women. Brian and Jack, you vet the men. That will split it in about four equal ways. In the meantime, presuming Marcus rejoins us, I'll debrief him on our situation."

"I can help guard Robert until you finish the vetting. I know how long that takes," Michael told Jack. "It could take you all two or three days to get through all that."

"If they work quickly, it will take them two or three days. It takes time to authenticate identification and all those past records and credentials. It isn't easy to do all those record checks and research all those archives. Remember, wizards do not have computers. We have to do things by hand, by looking up things in file cabinets and books in the ministry archives. It is not a quick process," Robert said.

"Jess and I can go to the archives together," Khaat smiled at Jess. "And maybe we can have Sparks send us lunch over to the archives so we can keep working and see how much we can get done. What do you think, Jess?"

"Did you see how quick we got uninvited for lunch, Jack?" Brian teased.

"You should be glad," Kate said. "They'll probably be doing one of Sparks' new summer chef salads for lunch, and Jack won't like it anyway."

"She got you there fair and square," Michael laughed.

"I could help with vetting," Kate said.

"I have plans for you, my lovely," Robert said to Kate.

"You do?"

"You and Michael and Marcus can help me start the reconstruction spells on the headquarters. We have to get our people back to Paris and back to work as soon as they're vetted. We have to see how many children we can get back to their families or out to foster homes," Robert said. "Once Angus is vetted again, he can help with some of the foster placements, but we have to vet all those families again too before we place any children there. He knows those people, and that will help to move things along."

"I think it is worth a thought for me to check these pieces of jewelry to see if any of them are noteworthy pieces or stolen ones," Michael said. "I don't know if there is any connection with them or not, but I'd like to find out."

"How much time do you need?" Robert asked.

"Til morning?" Michael asked. Robert nodded.

"Fine," Robert replied. "Much as I like Jack's idea of wringing Gelding's neck, we do need to make sure we're safe in our own homes first."

"And then we'll ring his neck," Michael teased.

"Pretty much," Robert agreed.

Jack and Jess nodded at the ideas and Jess chuckled at the salad for lunch " oh he hates those" she said as Jack pulled a face at them.

"you can keep those, steak all round for me, and yeah nothing better than getting back to normal, well as normal as it can be" Jack said.

Jess stood up and looked to Khaat " okay shall we start, soooner we do the sooner we can finish, dinners already to just put on the bbq to cook." she said waiting for Kate and Khaat. They listened to the banter at Jacks exspence but he took it well knowing it would lighten the sour mood that hung around them.

"Right Brian shall we, and Robert no need for an increase , Jess and I do this because your family and we keep family safe." Jack told him his hand resting in Jess's as she nodded to Robert.

"Are you done with them, Dear?" Kate asked.

"Dunno. Wasn't my meeting," Robert said. "Jack? Michael? Did we cover everything?"

"Only one thing left that I can think of," Michael said. "Kate and Khaat, you two and Abbey would be handy pawns for Gelding. Keep your eyes open. Don't let yourselves go anywhere alone. Keep yourselves within eyesight or earshot of one of us at all times, at least until we're sure we have security tight enough for you to be safe."

"We will," Kate reassured him.

"Jack, let's go with them to the archives. We can work on our list while the girls work on theirs. That way, we can make sure they're safe," Brian told Jack. "I don't think that splitting up is the best idea right now."

"That's fine, so long as you don't distract us," Khaat said.

"Distract you? By what?" Brian said.

"By the two of you not knowing your way 'round the archives," Kate said.

"I'll have you know we can certainly manage," Brian insisted.

"Meeting adjourned, then," Robert said.

"Can I get you to stay home and lay low for one day, just until morning so I can check the jewelry out, Robert?"

"He'll be fine," Kate said. "I'll keep an eye on him for today. Besides, hopefully Belby will come quickly."

"I'll send him a message through the floo before Jess and I go," Khaat said. "Hopefully he'll come straight here."

"Then we'll wait for him for a bit," Kate said. Khaat was as good as her word. She sent the letter, and then she told Jess she was ready to go to the Ministry archives. In the meantime, Brian was getting a list ready of the organization members and what they knew about them. He duplicated it and handed a list to Jess so the girls would have an identical list.

"I think we should get going," Khaat said. Khaat offered to port Jess to the archives, and Brian offered to port Jack. Michael took his leave to go check on the jewelry, leaving Kate and Robert at the farm.

Jack nodded and so did Jess. " agreed we should go, Abby needs stability and this is not giving it to her nor garenteeing her safty." Jess said and moved to Khaat " all right." she said and took hold of Khaat.

Jack moved to Brian and stood close to him as every one who was ment to leave ported to the archives. Jack lent on his knees as normal as Jess looked around seeing it was her first time in such a building "okay where should we look first?" she asked Khaat knowing the boys would be going on there own to do their own research.

"Well, we have plenty of people around right now," Brian said. "I don't have any doubt that Angus and Edward and the others that we're close to will pass a vetting with flying colors. So, Im sure she's safe with them, but i will feel better when force Gelding to give up this craziness."

"This way," Khaat said, pointing to a room down the hallway. "The first room on the right. It can be a bit daunting looking, though. Remember, it has log books recording details of all sorts of magical beings going back hundreds and hundreds of years. We'll be looking at the books more towards the front of the archives. The farther back you need the years to go, the farther back through the shelves in the archives you need to look. The most current records will be right up close to the doorway."

She led Jess down the hallway and into the room on the right, with its endless shelves of log books and the enormous, heavy walnut tables and chairs.

"I love these antique tables," Khaat told Jess. "I'd love to have one of them, but I don't know where I'd put something so large. Ah well, we'd best get to work, shouldn't we?"