A Birth day

Jack and Jessie walked with Angus as Michael joined them then Anise join them. Jessie looked at Jack who listened to Angus then looked to Annise " stay with Jessie and I, if we say duck you duck, if we say jump you ask how high" he said " he is not one to give any sympathy for a youngling" he said " if you do that Im good with her coming, she has held her own before." Jessie looked at Angus and then to Jack before he folded his arms across his chest.

"she can pair with me" he said " I promise she'll be safe, first sign of anything going wrong I'll bring her back." Jessie told Angus looking to Michael and Angus.

Angus understood Jack's point, but he knew exactly what Anise was feeling. He knew her well enough to read her face. He put his arm around her shoulder.

"You can do it," he told her quietly. "Stay focused. Do your best." He kissed her forehead. She looked at him, and she nodded. Then Angus looked up at them all. "Let's go."

"Let's apparate up to the fifth floor, to the lobby outside of Khaat's office," Michael said. "I'm guessing that's where we'll catch up with Marcus."

"Fair enough," Edward said. "And, no, I didn't bring my axe. I figured the patients would not understand someone of my height walking around the hallways with a double bladed battle-axe. I can still handle him if need be, with or without the axe."

"The only one who would ever be stupid enough to question your abilities would be James, and he doesn't count," Angus teased. Angus took Anise's hand and Edward joined them, and they apparated out to St Mungo's. Michael didn't need to attach. He certainly could apparate on his own.

Angus, Anise, Michael, and Edward all apparated in to the outer office on the top floor of St. Mungos. Marcus heard the sound of apparating, and he left Robert's office and saw help arriving.

"Ah good. The cavalry," Marcus grinned. "Nice of you to join us."

Jack and Jessie followed suit with Angus and the others aperating to St Mungos. Jessie stood behind Anise as Jack stood to her side they both saw Marcus walk out of Khaat's office with Jess close behind him. Aria stayed inside the office with Khaat to not show what was going on but she did wish she was outside with them.

Jessie looked at Anise and smiled "You'll be okay" he said softly to her. Jack looked across at both of them as He heard Marcus talk to Angus.

"you did well on your last outing," he said softly in his way giving her a compliment and a sly smile. " use your sight and smell, if it smells wrong it usually is" he added.

"Oh, I know what he smells like," Anise said. "I'd recognize him a mile away, I think."

"Doesn't one werewolf smell like another?" Angus asked.

"Not so I've ever been told," Edward replied.

"And not to another werewolf, no," Anise clarified. "And that one? He smells worse than any other one I've ever smelled. I don't know if he's ever used a bar of soap in his life. he has a stench that is horrendous."

'Well, I must admit I have noticed that odor but probably not nearly like you smell it," Angus laughed.

"So, the sick werewolves are supposed to be isolated in a ward one floor down from here," Marcus said. "When there are several cases of something contagious, they do create isolation wards, and apparently the werewolves have been hit hard. So here's the deal. There was a fire here at 2 am down in the laundry room in the basement. We found a wad of dark werewolf fur in the laundry room, and i found a single muddy boot print on the inside of the supply cabinet down there. I put a strong locking spell on that cabinet so if someone came in that way, they won't be bringing friends in that way or leaving that way. I'm the only one who can open it. I'm hoping I'm over reacting, but we need to know if he or any of his pack are here."

"That's not overreacting, not in James's case," Michael said, "that's just smart."

"Okay, so we have actually seven floors plus the roof, and we have eight of us," Marcus said, "I suggest we work in pairs, and that every pair checks two floors. Since I have pretty much full access, how about I take this floor and the subbasement--with whoever wants to come with me. "

"Jack or Jessie, how about one of you take the next floor down where the sick werewolves are located?" Edward suggested. "Your senses will be keener than ours. So whichever of you wants that floor, pick a partner. And what about taking the basement, with some special attention to the laundry room--minus the supply cabinet, unless Marcus meets you there and unlocks it for you."

"That leaves the ground floor where the A&E department is, the first floor where the outpatient clinic offices are for another pair. And then, lastly the second floor where injured and noncontagious patient rooms are, and the third floor, where the obgyn is and ICU. So, who wants the ground floor and first floor, and who wants floors 2 and 3?

"We'll go wherever we're needed. Jessie? Jack? Either of you have a preference?" Angus asked.

Jack listened to Anise and Angus and nodded "Well you got that right" he said and chuckled "To us each smells different Anise smells like lavinder where as Jessie smells like old damp woodland." Jack explained but then heard the plan being outlined as he saw Jess smile as she walked down from an office on the other side of the corridor towards them.

"okay here are your clearanc badges " she said and hung them around every ones necks " do not lose them or you'l not be alowed in the wards, you all have full clearance to acess all areas" she told them handing Marcus and Angus theirs along with one for Edward. Jack smiled as she placed his around his neck "don't so anything stupid" she tld him and he nodded. "I know you jack remeber that" she added as she turned and stepped back Jack listened to Angus as did Jessie.

"I'll take where ever you need me" he said and Jessie nodded he agreed " but I can take Anise with me" Jack said " if you want." Jessie looked at Edward then to Marcus " looks like Im with Marcus or Edward" he said waiting to find out whom he would be paired with.

"I'll take Evan with me," Edward said, figuring that since Evan was one of the newest ones and Edward was the oldest one, it might provide a bit more protection for Evan. "We'll take the second and third floors."

"Then you and I are together," Marcus told Jessie. "That leaves us with this floor and the fourth floor. So, you all check the floors thoroughly and then we'll meet back here. Don't miss anything--closets, little bathrooms, stairwells, check everything. Any place where someone could hide. If you find anything, hit your alarm and we'll back you up. Don't take him on alone. Jess, if you hear more than one alarm, call for ministry aurors or for backup from Owens. Your choice. One alarm is us. Two or more alarms mean we've got more than one perpetrator. Get more help if that happens. If we're good, let's go."

"Come on, Evan. Let's go downstairs," Edward told him, heading for the stairwell. "Jack, I think that leaves you and Anise with the sub basement and the basement. Happy Hunting, you all."

Jessie moved to Marcus's side and nodded Jess nodded her head and stepped back from the group to let them head to check each floor. Jack took hold of Anises hand and they walked to the lift " We'll take the sub-basement and the basement." he said as the lift doors opened and they stepped inside "Don't worry we'll stay away from the laundry room cuboard." he added as the doors slid closed. Jessie looked to Marcus as he followed with him to check the rooms on that floor opening each he took a deep breath in finding nothing but the smell of cleaning fluid and bleach.

Jack moved out of the lift as it stopped on the basement floor and he walked out taking a deep breath he smelt the residual smoke in the air and the chemicals and he looked at Anise "You getting anything?" he asked moving to a door next to him and opening it to find the merge he closed it as the smell of death filled his nose. He moved to the next door one eye watching Anise and the other watching for any movement around him.

Marcus took Jessie into Khaat's office and the closet that had been converted into a sort of changing room for her. They checked every possible hidey hole there. Marcus was not expecting to find any sort of intruder already in Khaat's office, but he was glad to have checked it anyway. He told Aria it was clear, and then he took Jessie to check Robert's office.

He went to check the fireplace, and Robert's snarky little teapot bit him and hung on, painfully, to the edge of Marcus's hand.

"Beulah," Marcus said calmly, not wanting to upset the rude little teapot any further, "you know what Robert said. You don't want me to have to tell him that you bit me again, do you? Now, be a good girl, and let me go. You let me go, and I'll give you a good polishing, and you know how good that always makes you feel...." He petted the little pot, and she finally let him go. "This is Beulah," Marcus told Jessie. "She was a gift to Robert from Michael several Christmases ago. She can have a short temper but she really does make bloody good tea. Now, Beulah, have you seen anyone stranger in here last night or so far today?" The little pot whistled at him, and Marcus nodded. "Thank you. If you see someone, you speak up and let us know. It could be very important. The teapot gave a bit of a salute with her lid, and Marcus smiled. "That's the spirit. Good girl. I think we're clear from this space, Jessie. Let's check the other spaces. There are two conference rooms, the owlery, the daycare for hospital employees, the healers' lounge, the sunroom, and the roof garden. And that's just this floor.

Anise walked the basement corridors with Jack. It reminded her in some odd way, of the catacombs under the Tyler house. She was not going to let herself be thrown. "Not yet," she told Jack. "Humans, disinfectants, sickness, death." When they opened the door to the laundry room and walked in, she took a breath and then wrinkled her nose.

"There's that stench again. He's been in here. But--its not fresh. My seer's stuff says it's been a matter of hours ago. Could be as old as the fire, even."

Jessie followed Marcus into Khaat's office and looked around checking everywhere he could think of but found nobody following again he saw the teapot in Roberts's office bite Marcus "Wow fisty, nice to meet you  Beulah" he said and chuckled as Marcus spoke to it again. " okay nothing in here" he said as they walked out and over to one of the conference rooms where Jessie opened the door for Marcus.

Jack looked around and listened to Anise "You have right been a while since the scents faded" he said and moved "Let's continue to look around just becuse his scents are fading doesn't mean he couldn't be hiding and just not moved in a while" he added as he opened a potions cupboard then closed it again. Returning to the cupboard Marcus had found he looked at it closer " hum, your right somethings off about this" he said and looked at the cupbard closer even he could smell something and he touched it using his claw to ratch away some paint. Under neath he found something he didn't expect , colored paint " hum" he said again " this is not an ordinary cupboard" he said to Anise.

Jessie walked around the large conference room table and then looked under it "Nothing in here so far, I don't smell him in here" he added as he pushed a chair in under the table as he watched Marcus "Maybe We should check the other room"

Anise walked over to the supply cabinet and laid her hand on it.

"Weird," she said quietly. "This isn't the laundry cabinet. This was made especially for last night's event. This was made...by someone...I don't understand it. A shop--near that London street for wizards--you know. Its in that neighborhood, but for dark arts. This was specially made and paid for. This is a gateway of some sort. A passage way in and out. It was made to look like the laundry cabinet so no one would suspect. It..it was made...for payment, I think. Payment of a debt that was owed. Does that make any sense at all?"

"I don't smell anything either," Marcus said to Jessie. "Let's keep moving."