A Birth day

"No," Angus replied to Jack. "That's not it. It's not lining up with Tom's pattern of activity tonight. There's something important to this pattern." He kept looking.

"What is it you see so far?" Robert asked.

"Paris. Paris is rather circular, and the streets and underground reach out, rather like spokes in a wheel," Angus replied.

"Yes. Go on," Robert said. 

"What if he's used Paris, rather like an analog clock, and rather than mapping out hours on a clockface, what if he's mapping out something else?"

"Possible. Like what?"


"Not hours. Months," Angus said. "What if the 1 o'clock position is January, 2 is February and so on."

"Okay. Go with it. How is that relevant?"

"His first movements are down here, straight south, at the six o'clock map position. So what if that's June?"

"You have two movements in the south, close together," Robert said.

"Yes. Exactly. And when did Jessie and Ruby first come to us."

"Almost two years ago now," Robert replied.

"In June," Angus nodded. "Exactly. And look here. You have two more movements, together--due west."

"September," Marcus was following him. 

"Yes. When we got Sam and Victor. Exactly right. Angus said.

"November?" Marcus asked, looking at the next location. "That doesn't track at all."

"It most certainly does. Reginald's death," Angus replied.

"Dear God, I think you have it," Robert said, seeing it now too.

"And, December--when we got Diamond," Angus concluded. "This is about revenge. His wife is in jail and his son is facing the death penalty. This is entirely about revenge tonight."

"I think you might be entirely right--except you have a few locations that don't fit with your timeline," Robert said.

"I'm still working on that part," Angus replied.

Jack stood and listened quietly as Angus figured out Toms movements on the map he watched as pins were placed at each attack and how it corresponded with each thing that had happened " so where is the next hit" he asked hoping if Angus was right they could clear out the area and be ready for them.

Lucian took a piece of clear plastic and laid it over the map drawing as Angus spoke he marked off the directions and locations of each auction and attack " you might be spot on , look" he said and motioned to the map with the plastic over it. " if your right the next hit will be here.." he placed a mark on the map and looked at Angus ,

"Yes. May, for the attack at the ministry when Elliot and Suzanne were both arrested," Angus said, 'but we have other hot spots tonight. You're right about the next movement, but the night is far from over. There will be more skirmishes. How do you want to play this one here in the southeast?"

"I believe Angus is right," Robert said. "Jack, I just saw Sergio come in. Why don't you and Lucian take a couple of the other lads that are just finishing a quick bite of supper in the kitchen and go see what you can head off down there. Focus on the kids, not on Tom's people. We're short handed, so if we have to let his thugs get away this time, then that's what we do. We need to stay focused on the kids. We'll try to see what we can make of the rest of the intel and see if it matches the pattern."

LUcian looke at Robert and then to Jack stepping back from teh table and walking over to him as Robert spoke " on our way" he said and with Jack they left to find sergio. Entering the lkitchen Kucain rounded up the men who still could fight as Jack spoke to Sergio. Togther they headed to the point they ahd been told to go and saw several kids all tied togther.

Jack motioned to the men to take the kids quietly so that's what they did.

sneaking over the used the crates to hide them selves as quietly they took each child and passed them down the line of men till they were out side finally there was one child left she sat hands tied behind her back and on a box two guarsa stood ether side of her, Jack motioned two men to take the guards down just as he grabbed the girl and carried her out the window they had come threw.

" okay back to base " he said as each man took a child and ported them back to the HQ. Jack place the girl down and cut her bonds as Jess walked over and took her to get something to eat and check her for injuries. Jack walked back to the captains room " twelve kids no guards killed and no alarms raised." he reported.

"Very well done," Robert said, impressed that they got in and out so quickly without raising alarms. As the staff was starting to rout these kids elsewhere, staff started running memos, lots of them back to the office, where Marcus was taking them and mapping them out as fast as they could. 

Angus was not seeing a pattern at first, but these new movements were all in the northern most areas of Paris. North, Due north. December. December. Angus was wracking his brain looking for the connection, and then he heard Edward's voice as he spoke to a little kid who had just arrived. And then it hit him. Not anniversary dates now. These were birthday dates. And Edward's birthday was in December. 

"Jack, this one. Tom's particularly trying to get our attentions. We might need to go, but, honestly, I'm questioning it. This isn't a warehouse or an auction venue. This is a public park, a woods, to be exact. And I think there is a very direct connection here that raises the risk. I think he's changed his pattern. He's not looking at event dates now. I think he's targeting birthdates. And the person in our team that has a December birthday is Edward. A werewolf slayer being targeted in the woods on a full moon night. I'm not willing to wager that its coincidental, and I don't know if we should be going on this one at all, but we're getting stacks of intel on it. It looks like he really wants to draw us there. I think, if we go on this one, we really need to be smart."

"You need werewolves," Anise said. "Now, he's on our turf. We'll go."

"If you've had your wolfsbane, you're not going to be able to transform," Robert said. "That's just the way it goes."

"Granted," Anise said, "but we still retain some flexibility and a bit of speed. And, it isn't like any werewolf there could turn us."

"No, but they certainly could kill you," Robert said.

"As much as I want to protect Edward, he won't be left behind on something that involves werewolves. Nor will Sergio and Ana," Angus said. "And, I still have some skills of my own."

"And I can still bind your behind to a chair and tape your lips shut," Robert scowled at Angus for even thinking he could go along to fight werewolves.

Jack nodded to Angus then listened to Anise and Angus " Fenrir" he said simply " we could call on Fenrir" he said again and looked to Anise " good thought , bad execution" he said and shook his head then looked at Edward " he owes you a favour" he added and then turned back to Angus " but its your call I can get a note to him telling him where to be and how many to bring." he stood with his arms folded again as he waited on Angus say.

Lucian watched as he looked at Angus he was about to say Angus was not going into battle with his busted shoulder but Robert stepped in before he could say anything and so he just stepped back and listened .

"Fenrir. Good," Robert said, focusing on Jack right now. "He would come, I'm sure. Let's not take chances though. This is a set up, clearly, so let's be extra cautious. We want to keep our casualties to a minimum. Why don't you and one other fighter go and scout it out first, if you think you can get in and out without tipping them off. Then come back and make a final plan to go handle whatever the task is. If you call him, as him to use stealth until we know if there are kids. If there are kids. you lot focus on the kids and let Fenrir be the distraction until you get the kids out. Then you make sure they can get out safely. What do you think?"

"Marcus," Angus said quietly. "I haven't seen Ruby since we got here. Go check and make sure she's good, will you? I'm hardly going anywhere."

"Will do," Marcus said, setting some of the new tips down on the desk. Robert picked them up to keep mapping, and Marcus left the room to try to find out where Ruby ended up.

Jack listened to Edward and Angus and nodded he agreed with Edward " kids first guards last" he said then looked at Anise " you coming, scout only no contact" he added.

Ruby when she had arrived had jumped in to cleaning up men and tending to wounds but now she looked after the kids immediately helping with the younger children. " I have to go" she said and stood up some of the younger kids awed but after a hug let her head to the captains office she saw Marcus and breathed out " sorry got caught up helping the wounded then the younger kids Jack brought in" she said as Aria joined her .

"sorry scouted a possible site" she said out of breath as she headed to the captains room and placed a piece of paper on the table as Ruby and Marcus entered. " he's on the move" Aria told Angus.

"Of course I'm coming. I did not come all this way to diaper wee ones," Edward said. "Let's go."

"I just wanted to check and see what was going on with you," Angus said. He led her into a small office where there was no one else around for the moment. He went in and closed the door. "Sit for a minute," he said. "We know a few things. This looks bigger and feels bigger because Tom is trying to get my attention. He's launched multiple events because he's created a pattern specifically to get my attention--using dates about you and your siblings and how you all came into my life. And now he's adding birthdates to continue adding events to his calendar tonight. I have a sneaky feeling that he's going to keep launching events until I show up. And you and I both know Robert won't be having any part of it. So bloody frustrating. Right now, Jack and Edward are going out on a hunch that he's launching a werewolf set up to try to draw out Edward as a means to draw me out. He's pissed, and i get it. Suzanne and Elliot are behind bars, and I have his daughter. As Suzanne sees it, I destroyed her family, and I think Tom thinks I've destroyed his as well. Just so you know, this job has always been ugly, but tonight, I think it's going to get a lot more ugly before morning."

Ruby heard Angus and sighed shaking her head " shesh she still won't stop" she said " I'm good with what ever " she added and listened to him talking about what had happened that night she listened and nodded " okay so what do you want me to do?" she asked him " clearly he's after you and that's a no go for fighting from me and I assume Robert too" she added as Aria stood with her.

Jack looked at Edward and headed to the woods but not before he had sent word to Fenrir to meet them there and explained about what was going on. As they exited the building a runner ran over and handed him a note " okay he's game and will meet us there" he said looking at Edward " you bring your Axe??" he asked