LONDON CALLING

Jack nodded his okay when Michael spoke of all the men left behind , it ws now Michael let Hiss wrap around the tree and he decended down, Jack moved to the edge and looked down " shit thats how good " he said , I'll send down teh litter , put him in and we can bring him back up that way" he attached it and let Hiss take it down to Michael.

As he waited he rote a note and shaped it into a bird " robert" he whispered and sent it off to find Robert at Angus's house, in it it told him what they had discovered. Back at the house Jess felt the ugancy and moved to watch the duplex.

"Kaden wake up we might have a situation be alert." she said softly and felt him stirr awake, before heading down to find Ruby who dispite her wanting to go to the duplex and be with Angus she stayed at the main house but watchful of her surroundings.

Michael rolled the body into the litter, and then took a look around for any sort of additional clues but he didn't find anything.  He climbed back up so he could help Jack haul up the litter.

"I did try to look for any other clues but I didn't find any. Not down there, at least," Michael said, looking around the ground where they were standing. "Jack, don't move. Hold still." He went around Jack, and on the other side of him, there were muddy footprints. Shoe prints that a good deal narrower than Jacks, and having a distinctively different trainer tread to them. "Look. muddy shoeprints. We need a plaster kit up here to take some casts. And...one more thing. Caught on a nettle. A blue nylon thread. Somebody snagged his jacket on this nettle. Can we get a couple of our own outdoor guys to take a cast of these shoeprints?" He his handkerchief and carefully removed the blue thread with his handkerchief and tucked the thread inside. "If I had to guess, he's sort of stocky, just based on how deep these shoes went into the mud. Stocky and with canoes for feet. Long and narrow. I wonder if these trainers were some sort of special order since they're such a weird size. Ah, well, we need to get this poor bloke up off that ledge." He helped Jack pull the man up.

Robert looked at Lee and then passed him the note. Lee read it, and, as much as he tried to hide it, he was upset. Angus saw it clearly.

"Robert," Angus prompted.

"One of Lee's agents has been found dead on the grounds. We thought he had gotten hurt falling off that cliff on the northwest sector, but Michael found he was stabbed before being thrown off the cliff."

"Careless disposal," Angus frowned.

"Or arrogance," Lee said.

Jack helped Michael pull the lifless body up the side of the drop and back onto flat ground but when he was told to stay still he did as Michael like a bloodhound cercled him then pointed outthe shoe prints " trainners perhaps?" he sugested then he sniffed the air again " who ever it is had bad taste in aftershave its still lingering a little." he said he also saw Michael take a thin blue thread off a plant and wrap it in his hankerchief before putting it in his pocket.

Jess and Ruby watched the grounds carfully from the house seeing men moving around they didn't know. Jess knew Lee's men and shook her ehd " those are Lees men so don't panic" she told Ruby who just nodded siting back down she opened her book and started to read to take her mind off what was going on.

Michael gave a loud whistle, and it brought Archangel to him in a hurry. He scribbled a note and he wrapped the handkerchief in the note.

"Find Robert," Michael said, knowing that Archangel would take the note and the handkerchief and would hopefully then send men with plaster kits. "It sounds like a cheap thug to me," Michael said. "And that sounds very much like Tyler. A cheap, two bit thug." At that moment a gunshot rang out, winging Michael in the upper arm. "Hit the deck," Michael shouted at Jack, jumping behind a huge oak tree. "Our cheap thug has a hot temper, I take it." Michael drew his pistol and peaked out from behind the tree but he saw nothing. A moment later, he heard the crackle of apparating that faded away the distance--someone was apparating out. "I'm guessing he's gone."

At the duplex, everyone had heard the gunshot from the northwest sector. Robert was now angry. He knew his men. They would use wands first. Someone was taking a shot at one of the team, and Robert was pissed. Angus had reacted instinctively, as he was used to reacting, trying to leap to his feet, but the only thing it caused him was to fall in a limp heap to the floor.

"Nice try," Andrew said gently, hurrying to him. Robert and Lee went over to him as well and got him up and into the recliner.

"Go," Angus told Robert and Lee."

"Not on your life," Robert said. "if we have an intruder, we all know who he's really gunning for."

"Then use me as bait and let's get this bastard," Angus said angrily.

"Not on the fly. If we decide on that plan, we're going to do it right," Robert replied.

Ruby, Kaden and Jess heard the gun shot quickly she aperated to Jacks side then knelt beside Michael her wand out at the ready as she placed her hand over his arm healing the wound from the inside out " there, it will scar, now get that pratt" she said aperating back out leaving Jack smiling " thats Jess for ya" he said peeking around the rock " yeah hes gone. let me go first" he said and slowly stood up sniffing the air he smelt gunpowder and cheap calougne. " hum.. yep cheap thug indeed" he looked back at Michael " you okay now?" he asked " best we get back and let them know what happened. " makes me want to rip him to shreds but I think even teh wolves won't want him"

Jess arrived back at the house with Ruby pacing " calm Michael and Jack ran into a prat of a tug, he left to god knows where" she told them " both are fine" Ruby nodded but still held her wand at the ready. Kaden walked down with his wand at the ready , he wore jeans and a tee shirt with black loafers on his feet his hair some what disheveled but not that it couldn't be fixed with a quick brush or tidy spell which is what Jess cast on him.

"Thanks," Michael said to Jess. "I heard him leave. He's gone for now." Michael had a boatload of questions, though. "Yeah, I'm fine now," Michael said. "I'm ticked. Not only is he a cheap thug, but he's an eavesdropper. Can you and Jess head back? I'll wait for the men with the plaster kits so they know where they're going."

Lee had sounded an alarm, and he immediately had the entire rest of the men that he had brought--all eighteen of them, including the two that he had sent for, asking them to bring forensic kits. Robert and Lee left the duplex long enough to meet the men in the yard. Lee sent two additional men to guard the duplex, and Robert summoned Archangel, who flew over and landed on his shoulder.

"If I send the eagle up to the crime scene, can you lot follow him? He's quick."

"So are we," one of the men said. "We'll keep him in sight."

"Be very careful. We know of one armed intruder on the grounds, and we have one dead agent. We've also had shots fired. The sector you're going to has some sharp cliffs and drop offs. Be careful. Keep your eyes open," Lee told them. They nodded. Robert launched Archangel, and the men followed quickly.

When they got there, they were professional about it, but it was hard for them to lose a member of their team so senselessly. Michael showed them the footprints, and they told Michael they would do a full forensics sweep. They sent Michael back to the house, and said they would bring their fallen comrade back. Michael knew Robert had done a lot of coroner work and would probably take care of this one too.

Michael started to think about the ratatouille and the pork tenderloin. He had to get back and get that out of the oven and get the dining room set up for supper before supper burned in the oven.

Ruby moved to the ktchen and removed the food from the oven placing it on the side to cool slightly as they waited for Michael and the others to return but Jack was first and alone."don't panic Michael has some detective woirk he wants to do and me and my big feet would just get in his way" Jack said and smiled seeing the tenderloin, Ruby shook her head and covered it with a glosh to stop him helping himself. She placed a lid on the ratattuie so keep it warm and began to lay teh table for every one for lunch.

"well once Michaels back we can all sit down for dinner." she layed out a tray ready for Angus and Andrew when the leal was dished up. but now she waited for the others to return.

Michael headed back alone, leaving Lee's men to do the forensics. They sort of looked at him strangely when his rope coiled around his shoulder like a sash, but they said nothing. Michael started his walk back and laughed.

"They think one of us is weird, Hiss," Michael laughed. The rope pointed at Michael as if to tell him they surely thought Michael was weird, not the sentient rope. Michael laughed out loud. "Oh, you think its me, do you?" The rope seemed to nod at him and then stroked his cheek affectionately. "I like you too," Michael smiled. "Don't know what I'd do without you." They walked back to the house. When they walked inside, Abbey was putting Fudge back in his tree, and she turned to see Michael with Hiss.

"Unca Mikey, I play wich your snake?" she asked.

"You want to play, Hiss?" Michael asked. The rope nodded. "Be careful with her. She's only a baby. Look after her." The rope nodded, slithered off Michael and they went off together. "Suppose we'll be able to lure her back to the table so she gets something to eat before she goes to bed?"

"That child has never missed a meal in this house," Kate laughed. "You alright? We heard gunfire."

"I'm fine. Jess took care of it," Michael said. "Where are we on supper, Ruby? Are we ready to get Angus's and Andrew's tray ready soon?"

Ruby looked at Michael and nodded " raratui is done im not sure how to tell if steak is done or not, and I got the tray ready incase it is." she told him as she lifted the gloch off the food to show him. " hope its okay." she said glancing at Jess who smiled and nodded. Ruby had watched Abby walk away with Hiss following her and smiled. Placing the plates on the table she looked over " did you get teh guy?" she asked fearing to awnser was going to be a no.

Jess looked at Michael and to Jack who sihed " he could still be around , but if its that prat he'll... I hope be at home " she said Ruby shook her head.

"Nowing my father hes got something planed, shooting at you guys and killing that man was a warning, a warning he can come her when ever he wanted, though I guess the good part is he didn't get close to the duplex so he must have been scared off." Jess glanced at Michael then back to Ruby who gave a sigh " or not."

"Meh, he apparated out," Michael said. "I heard him leave. I don't know how far he went, but I'm hoping he left the property. I'm not overly worried about that, Ruby. He's just being arrogant and boastful. If you think about it, I think I know how he got here. James still comes and goes as he likes from here. We haven't been successful at stopping that for some reason. My guess is that since they both have the same ally, he got in because of James. And I might have an idea that might be helpful if I can refine it enough to be actually useful. We have our protection grids that are always in place, but, what if we could add another layer that is an alarm layer, so that if anyone apparates in who is not part of our household--friend or not, the alarm goes off? It would at least alert us when someone comes. I dont know that it keeps someone from creeping around in our woods, but at least we wouldn't be taken by surprise. I've been tinkering around trying to create a really good alarm spell. I don't quite have it yet, but I'm working on it."