"Their pack has 73 members without Fenrir, they told us," she told Jack quietly. "38 adults, 17 adolescents, 12 children, and 6 babies. Every one of us is going to bring 14 or 15. There are already people searching the forest, so we're going to try to bring them all in one trip for each of us. It looks like the men have packed things to carry everything they own. My guess is they don't have a lot to begin with but they surely don't want to leave any clues or evidence behind."
Back in the forest, Edward and Marcus helped Andrew get a group together and helped them to attach to each other and to Andrew. He had the rest of the adolescents and children along with a couple of women. When they were all together, Andrew ported them to the back yard. Victor saw this bunch come in as he was bringing medical supplies from the main house.
"Where are they?" Andrew asked Victor.
"This way," Victor said. He noticed the teens and the children were looking at him, surprised to see a fellow kid here. "Hi, Guys," Victor said. "It's cool. You can chill. We're on your side, okay? Come on. Your camp is this way, so follow us." The kids fell in line and followed Victor, seeming to bond quickly with someone their own age. He and Andrew brought back the second group.
"We've got the rest of the kids, Jack," Victor called when they arrived.
"Good work, Victor," Kate called. "There are a lot of hot drinks if you all could use a warm up. Coffee and tea over at that fire on the left, and cocoa and hot cider at the fire on the right. And there is meat in the coolers on the table if you're hungry." The kids headed for the hot drinks first. "Victor, can you stay with them and see if you can't help them to feel a little less frightened? Just being here may help."
"Sure," Victor said.
Marcus had chosen the weaker one of the ones that were left, wanting to get them out of harm's way immediately in case they were discovered before everyone could port out. Angus and Edward and the stronger men helped them to group around Marcus and to grab hold. Then Marcus ported them out. Angus and Edward split the rest of them between them, and they were hearing voices of the Ministry aurors who were gaining on them.
"Go, go, go," Edward told Angus. "They're here. We're out of time." Angus ordered everyone to hold on for all they were worth, and they complied as Angus ported them out. The remaining group were the strongest, the fighters, and Edward got them to latch hold and he ported them out just as he started to see the aurors in the distance. He got the last bunch out without a fraction of a second to spare.
Marcus and Edward and Angus all arrived in the yard at pretty much the same time. The pack's men were agitated to not see their women and children. For his part, Marcus was wishing Jack had been here in the yard to reassure them that everyone was safe. Edward and Angus's strategy was simple--they decided to just keep them moving, rather than to let them stop and get their bearings from being ported. The moment they had landed, Edward was issuing them into a march so they couldn't get too worked up, and Angus was urging his bunch and Marcus's to just follow along to the base camp.