A Birth day

Radagast stood and watched as men arrived and one mentioned being Angus brother he looked to Kate and gave a slight bow with a smile " Robert , your femme is a fiery as a hot bowl of Cajun gumbo" he said but was hit in the back by a cushion from Aria.

"Her ain't available, so hush it" she told him as she stood and transfigured her clothing to mission wear standing in her tight trousers and black top and daggers shining against her thigh her wand slid into the thigh holster that Marcus had given her , her hair now braided around her head and down her back. Ruby returned also dressed in mission wear her clothing more modest a she saw Edward and Even.

"Fae are watching them, now whats the plan" she asked frowning at Radagast.

All listened to Robert but it was Radagast spoke " pier six , three barges plats, flat bottom boats" he said " i have six but three are out of service " he admitted with a slight tilt of his head letting his long hair fall over his shoulder as he spoke " de bayou is treacherous" he said but seeing the look on his face he stepped back " but you've seen it already." he finished crossing his arms over his chest under the flamboyant cloak he wore.

Aria looked at Marcus and nodded she was ready " we'll get him back" she said taking his hand in her own then looked to Robert. " hes not lying he has a fleet just for this , its an old family business." she explained. Radagast looked at Marcus and then to Aria then turned to face Robert.

As Radagast was talking about the barges, Lee Shepherd apparated in.

"Give me the nutshell version," Lee told Robert.

"What does this tell you?" Robert tossed the vial with the black smoke to Lee, as the sounds of lots of apparating began happening out in the front yard outside the duplex..

"Well, shit. That's not good. Let me guess. Priscilla's got him again, and we're going back to that little sandbar of an island that Priscilla owns in the swamp. And, all that company arriving are your fighters."

"Bingo," Robert said. "Correct on both counts, and on the first try." 

"Alright. I can dispatch a team to help, and to take custody of anyone we capture." Lee checked his watch. "You have less than 90 minutes to get there, get some boats launched, get to that little speck, and find Angus before any ritual would begin. Do you know what they're planning? Or need I ask?"

Robert drew the death charm out of his pocket, and he handed it to Lee. He had sealed it in a clear epoxy resin to reduce its ability to keep robbing life essences from anyone who touched it. Even so, he had it sealed in a small zip lock plastic bag. 

"I strongly advise that no one try to touch it except by the edges of the bag," Kate said. "It could be quite lethal."  Lee took the bag and looked at the little coin shaped charm.

"I've seen these before, but usually on a corpse," Lee said. "Angus gave this to you?"

"Yes. Minos found it outside."

"Then we know exactly what they're planning," Lee said, laying the charm on the coffee table. "And the sooner we move, the better. What's your plan?"

"We're going to mount an effing war in the swamp so Marcus can slip through."

"No, wait. What's the real plan? They're going to know you're coming. They'll be ready for you."

"Yes. We're going to take every freaking fighter we have and you have, and we're going overwhelm them and rain pure hell on them. Someone's going to get us through their protection grid, and we're going to demolish that cemetery if we have to, but we will get Marcus through."

"And how do you plan on raining down pure hell?"

"Well, for starters, I'm going to unleash Kate to do whatever she bloody well feels like, and I'll probably unleash the rest of my team to do the same."

"I do not need that sort of fireworks in the swamp, Robert."

"Too late. That's been Kate's plan if we ever had to go back there, and I'm going with it," Robert said. "Unless someone reason to object. If so, they need to speak now or forever hold their peace."

Radagast listened as they talked and moved to stand next to Aria " do they always talk like this?" he asked and she nodded.

"yep" she said watching Lee take the charm from Robert then place it on the table . She felt her father move and make the charm levitate in front of him turning it over his fingers as he held it.

" charme de la mort" he said softly then looked at Robert "Marie Laveau, you have met her." he asked holding the coin tight in his fist " I know where she will be" he said " there's an old plantation house deep in the bayou, she will be there." he said walking over he handed the coin to Kate with a slight bow " Guérisseur d'esprit gardien des ti-malice" he said placing it gently in her hand.

Aria walke dover to Kate " he said spirit healer and protector of children." she said " its his way of showing respect" she said and elbowed him in his ribs making him look at her . " your being creepy" she said threw gritted teeth.

"Thank you," Kate said, taking the coin and putting it in her pocket. "It's alright, Aria. I've seen creepy. He's just being cajun. They're two different things."

"Angus was sure he would be taken back to the cemetery," Marcus said. "He was positive."

"Then I say we might need to split up," Lee said. "Send part of the team to the plantation house. Send another to the cemetery. Cover the bases."

"Makes sense. Wherever we find the action, we can draw off the other team to back them up as a second wave," Robert nodded. He looked at the rest of them. "Does that work for the rest of you?"

Marcus nodded, and so did Edward and Evan. 

"Let's waste no more time. Let's do something," Edward said.

Radagast looked at Aria and sighed stepping back and listening to Robert as he spoke . He nodded but kept quiet " would you mind if I come with?" He asked and looked to Robert " I know the area where the cimetière are" he told them " the planation is way back in the bayou its quiet so they can do what they must there"

Aria looked to Radagast and then back to Robert " I'll go with the team to the plantation." she said and looked to Marcus " I'll send word immediately if we find him there." he told him then looked back to Robert as Ruby walke dover.

"I'll go with the group that's going to the cemeteries ." Ruby said looking to Kate " the longer we're hanging around the more she could do to him." she said balling her hands but taking deep breath.

"Caprice," Kate called, "I know you're here. We're going to find him. You have my word. We'll find your boy." She looked at Edward. "She's here, and she's angry, Edward."

"That makes two of us," Edward replied. "I'll bring him home, my dear," Edward called, not really feeling her energy but feeling sure that she would be here if Angus were in trouble. "If you can find him, go to him, and stay with him. Maybe that will help us zero in on him if we can zero in on you." There was a momentary pause, and Kate looked at Edward and nodded.

"She went to try to find him," she told Edward. 

"Fine," Robert agreed for Aria to go with the plantation team and Ruby to go to the cemetery. "Be careful. If they know we're coming, we could well be walking into traps in both places. Keep your wits about you."   

Kate went to the front door and stepped outside, seeing the fighters that were assembled. She was counting about fifty of them. 

"Alright, you lot," she called. "The New Orleans trouble has returned, and they've taken Angus right out of his bed a short time ago. We have two possible locations in New Orleans to go to. We have to work fast because he may have only about an hour's time before they do some sort of ritual. Divide yourselves into two team. One will go back to the cemetery in the swamp. The other team will be going to a plantation house in the same basic area. I need two sharp teams that are willing to go and do whatever needs to be done to find him and to do it fast."

She picked out Michael's face in the crowd, and she motioned to him. He came forward to stand beside her. 

"I think Marcus is going to the cemetery," she said. "He will try to do the extraction if Angus is there. Can you accompany the plantation team to do an extraction if he's there?"

"Of course," Michael nodded. 

"Lee is going to try to add as many as he can to our numbers, and we have another new team member. It seems Aria's father is here to lend a hand if he can."

"That means nothing to me. Can we trust him?" Michael asked.

"He's on the plantation team with you. I think at this moment, we should accept any help we can get. That, and I think we should trust that if Aria thought there was a reason we shouldn't trust him, she'd have told us by now. He's clearly a womanizer but that's not our concern at the moment."

"Agreed. Who's commanding the teams?"

"Robert hasn't said. I'd like to go to the cemetery, though."

"Alright. Well, if I need to run a team, I'll run a team," Michael shrugged. 

"If anyone sees Angus's gran on your team, send for me immediately. I think she'll try to find him to help us."

"Understood," Michael said. "I'll brief them accordingly.

Edward heard footsteps behind him, and he turned to see all four girls standing there, ready to go, as Sam and Victor came down the stairs, also dressed to go.

"You can't all go," Marcus said. "Anise, Ginger, your dad would have a panic attack if he knew you were going on this."

"Besides, we need someone to stay and take care of Poppy, and I hear you're both very good with her," Robert said.

"And you two need to stay and keep them company," Evan told Faith and Evie. "You haven't had the training yet. We can't take you on a mission."

"Sam and Victor," Robert said, "we don't know if anyone will return here and try to take Diamond. Sorry--Amari.  Can I make you bodyguards for the women and for the babies? There aren't going to be a lot of people here. And if danger comes to this house, you both are going to have to apparate Poppy and the babies to the main house and make sure that Tara and Simone and the girls are all safe too. That means I am putting the lives of eight people in your hands. It's a serious thing. This would be a perfect time for them to come and try to take Amari. Can you handle it?"

"Yes," Victor said, not wanting to question Robert's judgement. 

"Do your best to work in cooperation with Minos," Marcus said. "Minos and his people will do their best to help you."

"We've got it," Sam said.

"I'll meet you with my people at the pier," Lee said. He drew his portkey out of his pocket and ported out. Kate came back inside.

"The fighters are dividing into two teams," she told Robert. "Michael will take the plantation team if you need him to. I'd like to go to the cemetery."

"Aria, are you comfortable co-commanding a team with Michael?" Robert asked her. "We need to send an extraction agent with each team. If Marcus goes with the cemetery team, that leaves you free to take Michael as the extraction agent with your team. Your team will need to get in, destroy the place if you have to, but find out if Angus is there or not. If he's there, you make enough chaos that they have to pull every man they've got from the ritual so that Michael can get to Angus. The cemetery team will need to do the same thing so that Marcus can find Angus. Same plan, two different locations."

"Kate," Michael called from outside. Kate went to the door, and she saw Fenrir and the pack apparating in.

"How in the world did they know?" she frowned.

"I...might have given my dad a medallion--in case they got into trouble," Anise said very softly, afraid of getting in trouble.

"Good girl," Robert said, pleased with her

"Lupin, this thing of Dennis's just keeps going off. What sort of shit are you into tonight?" Fenrir shouted. Edward went to the door, his axe still in hand. The pack backed up seeing the axe.

"Dark magic practitioners took my grandson, Fenrir," Edward said. "We think they took him to New Orleans. And if we're right. he's only got about an hour to live uness we find him first."

"You need every hand you can get, then," Fenrir said. "Your grandson has earned respect amongst this pack. We will stand with you if it helps."

"It does," Robert said. "Thank you. We have two missions teams. Can we send half with one team and half with the other?" Fenrir looked at his pack, and they nodded.

"The pack agrees," Fenrir said. 

"Then that will give us close to two 50-person teams," Robert said. "

"And it's also a lot of people to port across the Atlantic in bad weather," Michael said, coming close to the door. "And most of them have no portkeys to get there. Those of us with portkeys are going to have to make several trips unless someone has a better plan. It takes more time than we have to conjure that many portkeys."

"Most of us in this house have our portkeys from last time," Marcus said, "And I know where Angus's portkey is too."

"That gives us about twelve or so, then," Robert said. "Okay. If my basic math is correct, we should divide the portkeys, six to each team, and then have 8-10 people porting per portkey. That should be perfectly do-able. We'll meet at the docks them. Aria and Michael, go meet with your team, make sure they're all well armed and equipped, pocket patch kits, at least one per team member. Michael, make sure everyone has a pack of both sizes of bubbles to take along. This is a perfect use for them."

"Come on, Aria. Help me get to the main building and those supplies out to both teams. There are pre-packaged packs of small and large bubbles and then there are the pocket patch kits. Let's go," Michael called. "Time's a- wasting."

"I'll help," Evan said. "Ruby, come help. the sooner the teams are armed and ready, the quicker we leave. 

Kate looked at Radagast and thought she saw him questioning packages of bubbles. Marcus opened the desk drawer and found one of the small size bubbles still in there because Angus had had it left over from a mission. It was a really beautiful iridescent and clear hot pink. Marcus handed it to Radagast. 

"A bubble. I suggest you don't drop it," Marcus said. "Its appearance is deceiving."

Aria and ruby heard others porting in and saw Jack and Jessie walk over in mission wear each ready to fight for Angus. All stood and listened to Robert turning as Dennis ported in with the men of the pack Aria stood with Marcus and nodded when Robert gave her an order to kit out the men who didn't have any weapons or bubbles. She nodded to him " will do" she said then looked to Ruby as Robert said she was to help too.

Radagast stood watching at the back of the group he listened and was impressed at how organised they ere. His brow raised at the mention of a bubble not having heard of it , ever. He watched as Marcus walked over to him and held out his hand with an iridescent bubble in his hand and placed it in his own " hum interesting" he said turning it and letting it flow over his fingers as he held it "A beautiful and deadly incendiary device, devious" he said softly with an equally soft smile, He heard Marcus mention that its appearance is deceiving.and looked at him " as is most beautiful things" he said as he slipped it into his cloak pocket.

Aria and Ruby quickly headed down to the armoury and began kitting out the men who needed equipment each handing out the items they needed, kits and weapons and a water bottle as Aria knew it would be hot in the bayou even at night.Ruby finished kitting out the last man and showing him how to place his wand before heading back up seeing Jack double checking every man who stood in the yard as did Jessie. Yu had taken Chris to the Duplex and now strode towards them in his gear , a black kimono with a large sword resting against his back, his hair tied up in a top knot looking ominous and threatening to all but those he thought of family.

Radagast watched the new comer seeing the red sash that matched one of a young man who wore one around his wrist and whom kept looking over at the new comer. Now with all men equipped Ruby and Aria headed up to the yard Aria seeking out Marcus while Ruby went to Edward.but not before letting Robert know all were equipped and instructed on proper use of the equipment.

"And they make a wonderfully loud noise and an efficient smoke screen," Marcus said. "You might want to go see Aria or Ruby and get yourself a package of both the small ones like that, and the large ones, and a pocket patch kit, like everyone else.

"Glad you can come," Michael told Jessie and Yu, trying to bring them up to speed in a very short time. "Pick a team, each of you. We're heading to New Orleans, and we're already short on time. We only have one hour to get there and find Angus and get him back. My team is going to a plantation. Kate's team is going to a cemetery in a swamp. We don't know which place Angus has been taken to, or if he's at either of those places at all. And I don't even want to consider what happens if our time runs out before we find him. But, largely, your job is going to be about speed to clear the way for Marcus and me to try to extract him, and making a lot of noise and chaos. Ruby and Aria are making sure every fighter has a package of small bubbles, one of large bubbles and a pocket patch kit. See them for your gear, and then saddle up with one team or another because the clock is ticking."

Evan brought Marcus some bubbles and a pocket patch kit, and Marcus put on two wand holsters--one with his wand, and one with Angus's wand. He believed that Angus would be doing everything in his power to stall for time or to fight his way out, and, if he was still able to wield a wand when they found him, Angus could be quite helpful in his own defense. 

Robert walked outside now, wanting one final word to them while the fighters were putting on their gear.

"One final word while you're getting assembled before we go," Robert spoke clearly. "I won't tell you how to do your jobs. You wouldn't be on this team if I needed to instruct you. But you need to know this much: we have evidence that Angus was taken by a dark elemental, which means there is a witch or a wizard with substantial powers behind what's happening tonight. I know most of you have never even run into an elemental. An elemental is a kind of spirit being that has never ever been a living being. It is fueled by one of the four major elements that make up our world--fire, water, earth or air. This being, was an air elemental that is being influenced by dark magic. We know Suzanne can't be the one controlling it. If you see Suzanne tonight, do not be fooled for one moment. It has to be a polyjuice potion at work, and that means you don't have any idea who or what you're dealing with. e very careful. We suspect that this is someone working for Priscilla. 

"You also need to know," he continued, "that voodoo itself is not a dark art form. Every dark twist on it we have seen is some barmy idea that Priscilla has thought up or some variation on a muggle stereotype of it. So, largely, you can take what you think you know about what we're going out into and toss it right out the window. We're all going in blind, so keep together. Keep your teammates in your sights. Know where they are. Help each other. We leave no one behind--ever. If you seers happen to see Angus's gran, she's more than likely being drawn to him. She will help you if she can. If a team mate goes down with injuries, get him back to the airboat pronto. We do not want any of Priscilla's thugs getting any of our team. When you leave here, you're porting to the pier and dividing into airboats to go to your team's mission point. We'll see you at the pier. It's very likely Kate and I and Lee will be trying to apparate from one team to the other, but that could change. Any questions?"

"Let's get going," Sergio called loudly. That got vigorous shouts from the fighters. Most of these men and women were people Angus had helped hire and train. None of them were willing to see harm come to him. They were chomping at the bit to go.

"Good luck. See you on the other side," Robert said. And then he gave the final 'go' command. "Both teams--Engage." The team members joined with those who had portkeys and began porting out to the pier to get to the airboats.

Jessie and Yu walked over to Robert and heard him talk they both nodded and headed to Aria who handed both of them two kits and the bubbles large and small. Hearing Robert talk again they both put away the items and Jessie stayed next to Yu. Hearing his rousing words Jessie looked to Yu who stayed stoic while Robert spoke once done he nodded to Robert and turned to Jessie , accioing something he then opened his hand to show a tiger tooth on a leather string . Gently Yu placed it over Jessies head.

" The tigers tooth is for protection against bad spirits and magic , my mother gave it to me but I give it to you" he said as Jessie kissed him his hand resting on his cheek.

"we will finish this and be together after" Jessie said with a smile Yu smiled back and nodded as Jessie tucked the tooth into his shirt.

Aria nodded they under stood Robert and listened to the men as even Jack stood to the back of the yard , Jess stood at the main house knowing she would be needed if there was any wounded after and so readied herself with six nurses and readying the med bay . Once Robert finished . Ruby and Yu moved to one group porting with them to the pier where the boats stood climbing on they took off as the second group with Aria , Jessie and Radagast appeared on the shore by the second boat.

Robert and Kate stood on the pier, hand in hand, watching the fighters boarding airboats and barges. Robert's fighters didn't need to speak. They were well trained, well organized. Any conversation seemed to come from Lee's fighters, and Robert didn't want to say it but they were far less organized. And, besides that, they didn't have the emotional drive that Robert's fighters did. Robert's fighters all knew Angus, and for them, they were going to rescue a brother, a family member, one of their own. Lee's men were dedicated to helping get Angus back, but they were doing it because it was the job. 

Lee joined Robert and Kate on the pier, and he had Nigel with him. Nigel was wearing a sharply tailored, expensive tux.

"Fancy meeting you here," Robert said to Nigel. "Did he drag you away from something important?"

"Not really. The concert with the philharmonic was done. I was taking my date home."

"You had a date?"

"I'm old, not dead, Robert," Nigel quipped. "Why are we back in New Orleans? Are we pursing that batshit crazy old crone again?"

"Well, indirectly, yes," Robert said.

"Lovely," Nigel said. "She got combative with me after we arrested her last time, and I swore I'd yank both of her brain cells out of her head through her ear with a coat hanger. She shouted a lot of creole mumbo jumbo, hoping she could conjure some boa constrictors in my shorts, but she effed it up and ended up damned near choking herself with her own bra."

"You're kidding," Robert laughed. "Well, Suzanne couldn't cast her way out of a wet paper bag."

"Oh, this wasn't Suzanne Gelding. This was the other one. The one that thinks she's a priestess reincarnated."

"You're kidding! She actually pretty formidible."

"Far less so when her bra is wrapped around her neck about six times," Nigel said, unimpressed. "At any rate, I'm on one of the airboats with you lot in case someone needs immediate assistance, according to Lee. I'm on whichever boat you're not on."

"I'll send you with Michael, then, because I think kate wants to go to the cemetery first," Robert said.

"Alright. See you later," Nigel waved, and  he and Lee headed to board the boat that Michael was on. Kate and Robert boarded the boat that Marcus was on.