LONDON CALLING

The others quickly joined the formation with Jack and Jessie and took up positions, returning fire. Khaat watched as she saw Angus apparate out. Marcus cursed out loud, thinking he'd gone rogue.

"He's anticipating them," Khaat said quickly. "He's reacting to whatever he saw before. He's inside. He's gone in and gotten behind their defense line. Give him a minute." They heard some violent wand fire being exchanged, and then all inside the mill was silent. No one else came out the front, but Marcus thought he still saw a couple trying to run out a back door somehow. Angus appeared in the doorway to the front door.

"Front's clear," Angus said, motioning to them. "You'll have to step over them." Edward went up the steps and inside and saw three bodies in disarray on the floor.

"You meant business, didn't you?" Edward laughed.

"Darned right," Angus said.

"So where do we go next?" Edward asked, seeing there were steps going up, and also two doors to choose from.

"That way," Angus pointed to the door on the left. Edward opened the door, and saw steps going down. Of course they were going down.

"Any idea what's behind the other door?" Edward asked, his hand on the right doorknob now.

"Mill office. Not much useful there," Angus said. "I remember I took a key ring from there, but we've got Michael. Who needs keys?" Edward opened the door just out of curiosity, and a moment later, he came back out holding up a key ring.

"You were right. Mill office--and key ring," Edward said. "Someone's been in your head, Boy. Stay close to us."

Ruby watched as Angus aperated out she heard Khaat and focused on what she had to do. Once they were all dead she was glad to see him step out. " you know for a guy with a bad arm you sure do go rouge a lot" she said and smirked " guess I should get use to that." she watched as Jack and Jessie walk into the building following the others. She followed behind them watching their backs as they moved to a door . She watched as they found keys to unlock them and confirmed it was indeed the mill office.

Moving past she looked inside seeing it some what in disaray. Walking around she looked at the desk it was big and heavy but also clean. " does it strike you as odd that all this dust and dirt yet the table is clean?" she asked looking at them all. lifing her wand she used it to open one of the draws and as she slowly did she heard a snap. " huh, that old trick again" she looked at Angus " dart in the draw..again"

"You know, if Ruby were any other girl, you'd have scared the daylights out of her for leaving her behind," Edward said as a gentle reprimand. Angus looked up, and for a second, he reminded Edward of a deer in the headlights.

"What?" Angus asked, his face blank. Then he looked at Ruby. "Oh! Sorry. Wasn't intentional. I only remembered it just a split second before they started to fire. I didn't want them taking you or anyone else out."

When Ruby opened the center drawer of the desk and the spring trap activated, firing a dart, Michael scowled.

"No bloody imagination at all. The spring traps are getting old. Good catch, Ruby," Michael told her. "Angus, did you actually find the kids in the vision you had of this place?" Angus frowned, trying to remember.

"I'm...not sure," he frowned. "I heard them. I had a good idea where they were...I don't know..."

"We'll find them," Michael reassured them.

"Angus, did you see this in the daytime when you were awake, or at night in your dreams?" Khaat asked.

"Might have been at night," he told her.

"Makes sense, then. I think one of his seers might have tinkered with your sleep somehow," she said. "Did you lose any of your personal possessions recently? Like since this mess all started?"

"Not that I...well," he frowned.

"What?" Khaat asked.

"Nothing important. Just a button off a jacket I was wearing a couple weeks ago."

"That's it, then. Someone used that button to be able to make a connection with you. Sometimes that's all it takes," she said. "Just be careful about repeating the exact sequence too closely. It might not be safe."

"Okay," he said. "Don't you all think we should get going?"

"After you," Michael told Angus, motioning to the steps going downwards.

Ruby nodded to Michael " yeah, you'd think they come up with something original by now." she then looked at Angus. " its okay, just please don't do that again." she said but let him continue when Khaat asked about anything going missing. she looked down at her neclace and noticed a faint glow about it.

Jack and Jessie moved with Michael towards the stairs as Ruby hung back again. moving to Khaat she showed her her necklace that now had the faint glow. " could that be the seers influance?" she asked walking with her but looking at Angus as they moved down the stairs. She could not help keep her hand on her wand not suspecting Angus but something that could jump out at them as they moved.

Khaat looked at Ruby's necklace when Ruby asked about it.

"Could be," Khaat agreed, "although, I'm not sure i understand what the goal would be in targeting him, but yes. You could be right."

They started down the stairs, and it seemed like they were going down steps for much longer than Angus felt they should have had to. And then he heard it. The faint sounds of the kids shouting for help.

"There!" Angus said. "There! I hear them! They're down there!" He started to run down the steps now, thinking only of the kids, and in his haste, he felt something hang up for just a moment across his shin. And then he realized what it was. It was a trip wire. "Don't move!" Angus shouted to them. "Give me a minute."

"What is it?" Marcus asked.

"I triggered a trip wire," Angus said, beginning to hear a distinct ticking sound.

"Oh, shit," Marcus said, with dread.

"I...remember this, sort of," Angus shouted to them. "It's a timer. As long as I stand on this step, I buy you all time. If I step off, we're all out of time. If I remember right, you have maybe three minutes to get down the steps, find the kids and get them back up the steps, but you can't step on this step or, I think, it all goes. I think I must have gotten out after you all got the kids out. I must have followed you all out. Hurry. You're going to need every second."

Ruby listened to Khaat then froze hearing Angus talk of a trip wire booby trap he'd just triggered " go I'll stay with him" she said to the others then she looked at him" im not leaving you" she told him " besides when there clear we can port out together...right." she said taking his hand in her own.

Jack moved carfully down the hall to the room " there here!" he called out Jessie wondered how they would open the doors but then shook his head , michael of course if he didn't have the key he surly knew how to open them as Jack would. " Jack, stand back kids, Alohomora!" he said aiming his wand at the door as the lock popped open. " okay your safe" he said to them as Jack stood back waiting for Robert and the others.

Ruby stood looking at Angus as he stood still on the trap. Moving to him her arm now wrapped around his waste. " I'm not losing you...your the best thing that happend to me...Im not losing or leaving you" she kept saying softly.

"Ruby, listen," Angus said, "Someone has to find Emily. She hides when she's afraid. She won't come out for Jack or any of the guys. They're too big. She'll look for the smallest little hidey hole she can find and she'll tuck herself right in there. I can't go. If I leave this step, I damn the kids and all of us too. I'm not leaving this step while any of the kids or any of us are down there. I know a way you could talk her into coming with you, though. Edward taught her a password, that if someone used the password, they were safe to go with. If you use the password, she'll come with you. It's worth a try.

"Edward used to sing 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' to her when he would be the one tucking her into bed. He called her Twinkle as a nickname. If you can get some general idea where she's hiding and you call her Twinkle, I think she might just come out of her hiding place and come with you. I know it sounds silly, but she's just three. It all sounds silly if you're three, I guess. I can't leave her behind. She's the same age as Abbey."

"Go," Marcus said, from behind Ruby. "I'll stay with him. Maybe I can find out how to disable the timer or whatever thingamajig it triggers. I'll work on it."

"If you go, Ru, you've gotta come back. I don't want to lose you," Angus said, looking at her.

Ruby looked at Angus not wanting to leave him but she couldn't leave a chaild ether. " your making this hard" she said to him her hand caressed his cheek as she let a tear roll down hers. " you'd better come back." she said softly then lent forward to kis him gently. She faultered in her step but with a look back she let go of his hand and walked down to the rooms. in one she saw a small cupboard. Walking over she slowly opened the door. Thereshe found a small girl tucked right into the courner.

"hey twinkle, you ready to get out of here and back to your mum and dad." she said softly "Uncle mucheal is waiting " she said sitting down as Jack and Jessie filtered the others out the door. " I know its scary but I promise, nothing will happen to you." she held out her hand to the girl who slowly moved to her. Ruby pulled the girl in to her arms and breathed out that she had trusted her enough to go to her. Now she glanced back to where she knew Angus was.

"Let's get this figured out," Marcus said to Angus, skipping the step to go below Angus so he could look at this trap. Angus began to hear some sort of growling from deep, deep underneath them. "Why don't I like the sound of that?" Marcus frowned.

"It means we're running out of time," Angus said. "Ru! Hurry up! Come on!" He shouted. "Get her and come on!"

"Angus," Marcus said, looking at him. "I'm going to grab hold of your good hand, and you're going to anchor your feet against the wall, just in case this stairway gives. Got that?" Angus nodded. "We came together, and we're leaving together," Marcus told him. "Just in case, ditch the sling in case you need both hands. Nigel can just get over himself later." Angus had been thinking the same thing.

"Michael!" Marcus called.

"Yeah?" Michael shouted back.

"You got that smart-alecky rope with you?"

"Hiss? Yeah. Why?"

"Get it ready in case I need it," Marcus said.

"Certainly," Michael said.

"Hurry up, Ruby, so I can get him out of here!" Marcus shouted at Ruby.

Ruby heard his voice but so did the little girl and she pulled back slightly from her. Ruby sang twinkle twinkle softly to her untill she could hold her around her waist and pull her against her. Standing she hurried back to Angus and looked to Micahel. She said " see you out side, I love you" she said to Angus holding Emily against her. She heard the growl and felt Emily cower against her quickly she ported herself and Emily out.

Now she stood waiting for Angus to show. She'd placed Emily happily sitting on her hip as she rocked her into a sleep she knew the girl needed.