A Birth day

"Good thinking. That's a much wiser choice," Angus told her. "She'll need more taking care of when she gets here." When Ruby was in the bedroom, he looked at Aria and Jess. "Thank you," he told them. "I appreciate it. It won't do any good for both of us to be drained when Anise gets here. I will try to sleep a bit if I can, but I am feeling her pulling at me, so this just doesn't feel like the right time for me to try to sleep."

He listened to Jess suggest that perhaps he was trying too hard. Maybe she was right. Her illustration of flowing water made sense. He drank his firewhiskey pretty much in one go, and then he sat the cup aside, and he tried to relax and open his mind to hearing from Anise.

It wasn't what he expected because what he saw was Priscilla's husband, Dominic, and Dominic was slamming a haymaker punch into her jaw. He saw the blow was strong enough to throw her completely down. He saw her try to move to rally, and then he saw Dominic kick her. After that, she was motionless.

"I think she's unconscious," Angus said quietly. "I think I just saw Dominic punch her with a haymaker and knock her out."

"Any idea where they are? Did you see any sort of room or background?" Marcus asked.

"No. I didn't. I didn't see anything else but her and Dominic," Angus said.

"You may have to wait until she wakes up," Marcus said. "Take a little break until you can reach her again." Marcus picked up his coffee cup and put more whiskey in it and brought it back. The concierge arrived with a variety of beverages and snacks, including some bread and cold cuts, cheeses, and condiments, some crisps, and some other things. At least they could make some cold sandwiches. The concierge also brought them some menus from some of the local restaurants that the concierge could bring in food from if they wanted. The concierge put the groceries away in the kitchen, and Edward paid the concierge, who thanked Edward and left.

Marcus, meanwhile, opened the radio, and he spoke with Michael.

"I know this doesn't change your mission, but Angus just had a vision of Priscilla's husband punching Anise in the jaw with a big haymaker punch, and he says it knocked her out. We don't know anything different about where she might be, but we do have a bit of a confirmation about who is with her, and that she might be hurt."

"If he hurt her, I'll hurt him," Sergio told Angus firmly. "You have my word."

"Make sure you make it count, my friend," Angus told him.

"If he doesn't get an opportunity to, I'm sure Jack will be glad to take a crack at Dominick," Michael told Angus.

"Good," Angus said.

Aria smiled to Angus and nodded " that was my thought too" she said Jess watched as Angus drank his fire whisky and lay back with his eyes closed . she watched him closely and smiled knowing he had seen something , when he woke and told them she nodded.

"That's good , even if the image was not, the fact you did it with out force shows you can do it" Jess said placing her nad on his shoulder letting some of her energy flow into him " Marcus is right, rest and relax , build up your energy again" she added a she too sat back down and accioed a cross stitch patter that she focused on making.

Jack chuckled and looked at the water fall " shit I must be losing it" he said and looked to Edward as he got a call from Marcus . He could not help growl as he spoke of what Angus had seen . when Michael spoke of letting him have a go at Pricilla's husband Jack nodded " oh I'll crack pummel and grind his bones to dust if he hurts her any more" he said his fists balled and his muscles tensed ready to smack the man that hurt Anise.

"Thanks, Jess," Angus said. "Jack, go for it. So far as I'm concerned, you can all have a crack at anyone who participated in taking her or holding her. Do whatever you like to them but bring my daughter home."

"We'll find her, Angus," Michael said. "Just try to keep in mind that this is what we do. We find missing kids and bring them home. Robert told me we can use the full resources of the organization if I need to, to come and help us get her back. I just think, so far, we're best with our own first stringers."

"I trust you lot. You do what you feel is necessary," Angus said.

"Michael--look," Ana said.

"What?" Michael asked.

"Up on the rise, at the top of the falls, to the right of them. I see something. Looks like smoke."

"She's right," Sergio said. "It's cold up here this evening. There is some patchy snow up here. Ana's spotted what I think could well be a small campfire. I think they're trying to stay warm, but they don't want us to know where they are. But Eagle Eyes here saw the smoke."

"Good. We'll check it out straight away," Michael said. "We'll be in touch, Angus. I want to find us a good place to climb up that won't put us right on their doorstep. I'd rather have some cover when we get to the top."

Jack smiled and nodded when Angus said he could have at 'em. " oh I will don't you worry about that" he said then glanced up as Ana did smelling the faint hint of smoke he looked at Michael and spoke " so climb?" he asked making his claws longer so he could grip the rock better. He looked to the falls and frowned " I'm guessing you'll want the right side as its covered to hide our approach. " he said waiting on both men.

Jess listened to Angus talk to Michael before resting back in the seat and food was delivered. She smiled as she heard jack and dished up the food for every one " okay eat, like Ruby you need your strength too" she said handing him a plate of food and one for Marcus.

"Don't rush me, Jack," Michael said. "Yes, that's the general area, but I want to find the best place to go up. Let me get closer so I can look at the rock itself. Then I'll know."

When they got up to the rock face, Michael looked for what he believed was the best way up. He saw some of the cliff face wasn't as solid as he liked.

"Michael," Sergio said, "you're the most experienced but we might do well if we went up over there, just to the right of that sapling. We could go up there about a third of the way, and then we could scale across to the left about ten feet, and then go up the rest of the way from there. It won't be an easy climb but the rock looks more solid that way."

"I was just debating the same thing," Michael said. "Look, I'll go up first, and I'll lay some v threads and stakes. You can follow me as I get those laid in."

"I'll be your belayer and your anchor," Sergio said. "Jack and Ana can go in between us--if you two are good with that?"

"Its fine by me," Ana nodded. "Jack if you go after Michael, you can help double tap any stakes or v threads in. I can go third, and that leaves Sergio as the belayer and the anchor. Does that work?"

Jack listened to Michael and nodded he stood back and kept quiet listening to them and matching there rout on the water fall. Hearing his name he looked back at them again " sounds good to me" he said " you okay with that Ana?" he asked looking over at her.

He looked at the water fall and saw the whisp of smoke at the top " I hope we catch them by surprise less change they will take off with her if we do " he said picking up some rope and carabiners readying himself to climb when Michael said they needed to head up.

"Absolutely," Ana said.

Michael put on his harness and shouldered his climbing pack and got out Hiss. He hammered in the first couple stakes and headed up, hammering in stakes and laying in v threads as he went. He was picky about where he put in the stakes as he went up. When he got about a third of the way, he saw a bit of a small ledge, only a few inches wide, but it seemed like a good place to cross over to the left to get to the better stretch of rock. He settled himself with one foot on the ledge and started to lay in the first stake to go crossways across the rock. He turned and looked back at Jack and motioned that it was fine for the rest of them to space themselves and start up.

Sergio and Ana had put on their harnesses, and Sergio attached them both to a new line of rope, towards the bottom half of the rope. He handed the top half of the rope to Jack.

"Here. I think we should tie in a second line as a backup safety line. Hopefully Hiss holds out, but we don't know what nonsense Dominic or Priscilla will try to pull. Ana and I are already attached. You feel secure in attaching it as you go up, Jack?" Sergio asked him.

Jack Watched as Michael climbed ahead of them then motioned for them to follow. He heard Sergio and took the line from him " yeah I can do that" he said and started to climb up behind Michael attaching the rope as he went. soon he stood on the ledge not far behind Michael and looked at Anna and Sergio and motioned for them to start up as he moved out of their way to follow behind Michael further up the water fall.

Jack put another teak in the rock and tied the rope to it hitting it with his fist to drive it into the rock until it was far enough in that it would not be pulled back out should any one fall. adding the rope he knew Ana and Sergio would be safe if they fell.

Ana followed up after Jack, and Sergio went up after Ana. Michael was extremely careful that he chose solid place to lay in the stakes and that he had hammered them in firmly. When he got to the top, he unhooked himself from Hiss, and stayed low until he got a chance to check out the area a little. He saw the smoke was coming from up on the top of the cliff, meaning they were certainly going to have to go up the steep hill to the top. Michael saw that the others were not having any trouble, so he started to find the safest way up the hill so they wouldn't be sitting ducks for Dominic and Priscilla. It was getting dark, so that would actually help, so long as they didn't buggar up their trip up the hill. He found what he thought was going to be the best direction and he went back to give the others a hand if they needed help getting up on the surface from the climbing lines.

When Ana got to the top, she turned back to offer a hand to Sergio to help him up.

"I think I see the best way for us to go up the hill," Michael told them when they were all up. "There's an easier incline or a harder one, but I think the easier incline will help us stay shielded longer. And, I expect, we will be in complete darkness in just about fifteen minutes. Now, we could wait and light one wand minimally to guide us, but an element of surprise certainly wouldn't hurt. What do you all think?"

Jack made his way to Michael and crouched with him and watched Anan and Sergio as they made their way to them both. Listening to Him Jack nodded " agreed , I love the element of surprise" he said smiling to Michael as he saw the sun setting behind him. Staying low he sat on the grass waiting for the sun to set further so they could continue up the waterfall.

Aria felt herself become tired and looked to Marcus and Angus " okay I'm heading to sleep, see you guys later, Jess" she said and Jess nodded as she watched her head to the room where Ruby was. Jess staid with Marcus and Angus and smiled.

" Il good before you ask." she said " I'm use to late nights and all lighters" she told them with a chuckle