A Birth day

Jack and Jessie moved to stand with Robert Jack just nodding as he added a waterproof layer to his mission wear so the water would not destroy it he did the same to Jessie then moved to stand next to Michael and Edward taking hold of Jessie and Michael as they were ported to the charter house. " Jessie and I will acquire a ship " he said " preferably one with a motor" he added as he moved with Jessie over to where he knew the charter ships were to one with a motor and a large cabin for them all to be in. Jessie checked the engine while Jack checked in the wheel house before speaking to the harbour pilot about anything that could have sunk or damaged a ship.

Returning Jack looked at Robert " found one that's perfect. spoke to the port authority he gave me some tips for rifts, rocks and sand bars in the area" he said marking them on the map for them to see. " he said here is common for ship wreaks." he motioned to a spot to the west.

"Evan already has a ship for us," Edward called to Jack, motioning Jack to come back to the office. "I guarantee it'll be faster than whatever else they can drum up for you."

Evan had a map laying on the table, and he had Angus's sailing plans, all marked out already on a transparency he had laid over the map. Over that, he had laid another transparency, and it had the sea storm's path marked on it from the time Angus left port to the present.

Workers were rushing in and out of the office, bringing new information in, and Evan's clerk was marking new information in the transparencies with coded markers. Another clerk was coordinating the fitting of the ship.

"Which ship are you outfitting?" Edward wanted to know.

"The new one," Evan said. "It was already being prepped for a cruise tomorrow, so it cuts our time way back to get it ready to sail. And besides, its damned fast, the fastest we have." Edward nodded, and he looked at the others.

"This is a new superyacht," Edward said. "She's big. She's damned big, almost 200 feet long. But she's also the fastest. At top speed, she can go over 70 knots--that's over 80 miles and hour. And she's heavy. That'll cut through a lot of sea storms, and it will be a lot safer for us. She sleeps 12 comfortably, but believe me, we'll make room for more. Evan, what about the crew?"

"We have a full crew already on board double-timing the preparations. Food and medical supplies are being loaded as we speak. It's already gassed up, and its already had an initial check. I've got the captain doing a second check to make sure we have all the emergency supplies we might need..." Evan said, and as he was speaking, someone ran in with a sheet of paper and handed it Evan. The look on this clerk's face was pale and grim. Evan read the report and sat down heavily, looking like all the life had suddenly drained right out of his body. Edward snatched the paper and read it. He took a breath to gather himself before he looked up and spoke to the others. The clerk who had brought it in was making a big red X on the map transparency and an orange one not far from that. It was right in the path where the storm had been some hours earlier.

"The orange x is where we last got a signal from Angus's boat. This new report says Italian coast guard has just found floating debris on the water. Right here," Edward put his finger on the red X. And it was from one of our sailboats. We didn't have any other sailboats out today, and it's right on the path of where we heard last from Angus. It looks very much like their ship has exploded."

"Any survivors?" Simone asked.

"Not yet," Edward said.

"Do not lose hope," Robert said. "These are our trained agents, and I know their skills. We will not count them out until we have done our own search efforts. This is all the more reason for us to get there quickly. How soon can we board?"

"We can board now," Evan said.

"Evan..." Edward hesitated, wanting Evan to remain behind to command the flow of information at the charter office.

"I'm going. Tara's on her way in. She can manage this. I'm going to help look for my brother," Evan said.

Jack looked at Edward and nodded " that's the one, he pointed us to, big one outfitted for an army?" he said with a chuckle but looked at the map overlays Even placed down as each member of his staff walked in and marked new info in it " doesn't that storm look odd, the path isn't direct and its exactly over Angus path, like its deliberate." he pointed out.

Jessie stood by the door and watched until Even said it was time they had to go he stood up and moved outside walking to the ship they had checked out earlier and left eh bags on. " we put you medical bag in one of the bedrooms and made sure it was sterile , just in case, I'm hoping we don't need it." Jessie told Robert as they moved to bard the ship. Once onboard Jessie and Jack moved to the wheel house and stood behind Even.

"Come on, Boys," Robert called to Evan and Jack, Off the bridge. Let the crew do their jobs. I know you're both anxious but now is not the time for us to crowd the bridge. Move it. For now, let's all go to the dining room. We can use that big table and plan our strategy there."

"I'll set us up," Michael said, The first mate handed Michael a large map tube, and Michael took it to the dining room. Michael unrolled the map of the sea onto the dining table and found several blank sheets of transparencies in the tube, as well as markers. Evan and Michael began recreating the path of the storm, and the positions of the wreckage, as well as Angus's last known position.

Edward came in, and he opened one of the drawers in the sideboard and got out a magnifying glass. He began studying closely the area around the debris field.

"What are you looking for?" Simone asked quietly.

"Land, Dear Heart. Land. Any little dot of land. If they're too small, they won't even be charted on this map. So, just because it isn't on here, it doesn't mean it doesn't exist," Edward said.

"Do you think they're alive?"

"I can tell you one thing for certain. If Angus was trying to use the muggle radio, he knew he was in dire circumstances. He tends to try to do things on his own, but he was trying to radio, so that tells me they were in deep trouble before the ship blew. And our ships don't just blow. Not like that. We inspect them too carefully for it to have had an issue before he took it out. Besides, the fact that he used the muggle radio tells me something was wonky with his magic. Or maybe for all of them. The facts just don't add up."

"Not only that but both those boys are resilient as hell," Michael said. "Their minds will be on surviving. They'll be doing whatever it takes to keep all four of them alive. I wouldn't be surprised if we don't find them floating on a piece of debris, waiting for us to pick them up."

"I bloody well hope so," Edward said. He saw Evan turn to leave the dining room. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to check to see how many diving suits we have," Evan said quietly, turning and leaving.

Jack and Jessie heard Robert and moved down to the dining room to watch as Even brought out and laid out a map Jack heard Edward and looked to Simone " sometimes sandbars don't go back down under the water and they stay above, but sailors ignore them and don't mark them and some times they do if they have trees showing they have been above water along time." he tried to explain hoping it made some sort of sense " if they made it to one of those there would be some sort of food on it"

Jessie listened but watched Edward as he looked at the map he felt the ship move under his feet and looked to Robert . " we're underway." she said softly to him." I don't understand why Aria doesn't just fly back here , she's an Animagus after all." Jessie pointed out " that surly means magic was involved stopping them making it back,"

"Well, maybe," Edward said. "Not much damned food on a cypress tree. But, they haven't been missing for days, so they're not going to have starved to death yet. And, I think Angus could find an appetizing way to cook a wellie." That made some of them laugh.

"I'll remember that the next time I'm stranded in my wellies," Robert laughed.

"Robert, couldn't someone have bound their magic?" Kate asked.

"Well, that's a possibility," Robert replied, "but that's a damned complicated spell to cast, and it has a remarkably short range."

"Not necessarily," Michael said, deliberately cryptic in his remark, looking up from the map to look at Robert.

"Well, yeah, but..." Robert began.

"You know what I told you," Michael told him firmly. "It's possible. You can't outrule it."

"Don't you two boys talk in riddles. I don't care if it's classified or not," Kate was angry. "If you know something, spill it."

Michael was still staring at Robert, and Robert motioned Michael to the door. Michael went to the door, looked out into the hallway and came back closing the dining room door.

"I'm about to commit a crime right here," Robert told them. "This is one of the most classified things we have, and I'm about to release that information to you. If this leaves this room, then.."

"Then he could be executed for what he's going to tell you," Michael told the others. "So this conversation we're about to have never happened. Understand?"

"The Ministry has been developing a new magical device. We have had more and more problems with gangs of dark arts practitioners, and they're becoming more and more deadly all the time. And they're also getting bigger. We've been hearing some scuttlebutt that they were going to try to break into the department of mysteries, so our hope was that if we had another attempt at a ministry takeover, this device would help us to regain control in a matter of seconds."

"Our current minister is not the most brilliant fellow, nor is he even at work most of the time, so this has all been done on the QT," Michael told the others. "A prototype of the device was made about two weeks ago, and it was just being tested. However, less than 72 hours ago, that prototype came up missing. The plans have been successfully secured, but we have not found the prototype yet."

"And here's where Michael's concern comes in," Robert said. "This device fires a blocking spell not just at an individual. That would be redundant since we've been already doing that at St. Mungos for years. This device nullifies all magic, whether its a wand, a device or a wizard--within a certain, adjustable radius. I was not aware until Michael told me a short while ago that he just found out the prototype was missing."

"But this device might explain the loss of their magic and why their medallions didn't work either," Edward said.

"Exactly," Michael nodded.

Jack and Jessie moved to stand next to Robert as Michael spoke about the prototype for blocking magic " makes sense as to why they haven't contacted us" Jack said as he folded his arms across his chest " Lucian mentioned something going off at the ministry this morning when he messaged me about being unable to join me on my run."

Jessie just stood quiet as they spoke he understood what Michael had said was to stay in the room but was annoyed that the attack on Angus and the others could have been deliberate.

" Jessie stow the anger" Jack said " we all feel the same way but right now focus on finding them, then we kick whom ever did this's butt" he added looking back at Michael. " so you have any idea who took it or can we make an educated guess with their name beginning with G?" he said

"No real clue yet," Michael said. "It honestly couldn't have been done by any of Tom's current lackies. We know where they are, and we know what they can do and what they can't. But, he's got some independent contract people now, and that's rather like him stacking his deck with an indefinite number of wild cards. It's imperative that none of you get your head out of the game. Stay focused here because if you tip your hand that you know about this prototype, Robert will be arrested and executed. I cannot stress that enough. You have one mission here, and only one. Chase everything else off your radar until either Robert or I tell you different. You have one task. Find Angus, Ruby, Marcus and Aria. That's all. Nothing more. I cannot emphasize that enough."

"You have my word, Robert," Edward nodded. "Simone and I will not repeat a word of it." Robert nodded. He already knew where Kate's and Michael's loyalties lay. He actually knew where everyone else's was too."

"You have my word too," Evan nodded. There was a knock on the dining room door. Robert nodded, and Evan opened the door.

"Mr. Donohue," the steward said, "we will be entering the debris field in another thirty minutes."

"Thank you. Ready the divers just in case we need them," Evan ordered.

"Aye aye, Sir," the steward replied, leaving.

"This means they could very well still be alive," Kate said.

"Depending on how quick thinking Angus was," Edward nodded.

"Well, there's just one more bit you lot probably need to know," Michael said, not wanting to add this bit. "If the prototype has been used in a defined area, like this could have been, magic cannot be restored to that area or to the witches and wizards that have entered that area until the device's control dial has been reversed and fired into the same area. In other words, when we enter the debris field, there is a better than average chance, we'll lose our magical abilities too. We'll be going muggle style."

"Well, shit," Evan scowled. "So we wont be able to use magic, but we'll need to get the device back to get our magic back? A device we're not supposed to know about? Well, how do we do that, Sherlock?"

"I might have a wild card of my own. Excuse me for a moment," Robert said, leaving the dining room.

"This game is not going to be fun," Edward sighed.

Jessie and Jack both looked at Robert and nodded and on hearing that they too would lose there magic Jack chuckled " well I wish they made one where I could lose my were wolf side" he said and looked to Jessie who was smiling to nodding his head in agreement. " muggles what we did for years" Jack said " nothing new for us" he said with a shrug. Both watched as Edward sighed as Robert left them in the dinning room " defiantly not if I'm judging Robert right." he said as Jessie moved and sat down on a couch that curved into a corner.

"might as well make ourselves comfortable until we're told what's needed, we still have our heighten senses, so that might come in handy." Jessie sat back against the couch.

Ruby curled into a ball as she felt eh wind become colder against her skin, Aria moved against her to try and keep her warm while placing another stick on the fire. " we're going to have to make a shelter from the wind" she said looking at Marcus.

"I believe Angus already has that underway," Marcus told Aria. Angus was cutting some lengths of rope and threading it through the grommets on the scraps of sails that he'd salvaged. "Angus, what's your design?"

"Sapling framework, canvas wall, rope reinforcements. Basically a screen in front of this rock ledge for now. The frame is going to have to be driven into the ground, though," Angus said.

"Well, that will be my department. You're not going to be able to do that."

"There's a small scrap of one of the sails at the bottom of that pile. Give it to the girls to help keep the wind off them," Angus told Marcus. "It's almost too small to do much else." Marcus found a little piece of one of the sails. It was barely enough to do much good for anything but Ruby and Aria could use it as a blanket.

"Angus, you need to move closer to the fire. You don't have a shirt now, and its getting colder, and you're showing symptoms of shock from your wound."

"All the more reason I need to do what I can while I can," Angus said quietly, still very focused and working steadily. Marcus sighed, knowing Angus actually was right. Marcus cut a couple lengths of rope and went to start bending the saplings into shape and tying the together to make the frame for the screen to cut the wind that was whipping into their shelter.

"Any idea what he's up to?" Kate asked Michael.

"Not for certain," Michael replied. "But he had me do something before we left, and I think, under the circumstances, it might be important. He had me send his birthday gift to Lee while I was packing."

"Why is that important?"

"Lee's birthday is in September," Michael replied. Kate looked at him and frowned.