Diana
Aime Sullivan checked her watch for the last time. Avery Hanson was extremely late. She was going to have to call the Hanson's.
Pulling out her cell phone, she felt around her bag for her address book and dialled the number of the Hanson's.
"Hello, Diana? This is Aime Sullivan."
On the other end, Diana was wiping the sleep out of her eyes. "Oh... sorry, yes, Hello Aime. What can I do for you?"
"I was just wondering where Avery is. She hasn't shown up yet, and I guess I was just seeing if you'd forgotten."
"Avery? No, Taylor took her earlier this morning. They should be there by now."
"Well, we'll wait another twenty minutes, maybe they got stalled, but after that, we have to leave."
"I understand. I'll get in touch with Taylor and get back to you. We have the number."
"Ok, well I hope they turn up soon. Bye."
"Bye." Diana hung up the phone, a really bad feeling welling in her chest.
"WALKER!"
Walker
Hearing his wife yell, and remembering the episode with Jess, Walker bolted from his bed and down to where the phone was.
Not seeing anyone but Diana, he relaxed somewhat. But he had a bed feeling about this...
"Honey?" he began, "something wrong?"
Diana
"I don't know yet. But Taylor and Avie haven't turned up yet. I tried Tay's phone but it's not on. It could just be nothing, but I have a bad feeling." Diana had a worriedlook on her face.
Walker
Walker checked his watch, then the clock on the wall.
"Well if I'm not mistaken, they should have been there an hour ago. Taylor wanted to get there early to see her off because this was her first year."
He hesitated, worriedly.
"I've..." he hesitated again, a hand on his hips, "I'll check with the boys. I think one of them knows a telepath or someone who might be able to find them. If they were broken down on the side of the road Taylor should have his phone on."
He made his way back upstairs, and toward Isaac's room.
Knocking, he opened the door.
"Ike? Sorry to wake you. Taylor and Avie haven't shown up at the bus, any idea why?"
Mouse
Mouse woke up to the sound of frantic barking. She'd fallen asleep on the lounge. She shook the muzziness out of her head, rolling her shoulders to work some of the stiffness out of them. What's wrong, Fafnir?
Taylor! Oh, something is very very wrong. The wolf howled. Pack is worried, pack is frightened, pup is scared as well. Something happened and they fear.
What?! Mouse got up and ran to the phone. You havta be quiet, please, Fafnir. A deep worried feeling had settled into her gut and she started biting her nails as she rang Taylor's mobile. Please pick up, oh, please pick up, she prayed silently. In the background, Fafnir was having hysterics and infecting Sidhe with them as well. He didn't pick up. Now more sure then ever something was wrong, Mouse rang the Hanson household. Maybe they had heard from Taylor, and she could dismiss Fafnir's fears. Dear God, she hoped so.
Diana
Diana answered the phone to hear Mouse's worried voice on the other line.
"Jane... you haven't heard from Tay, have you? He didn't stop back at your house after he dropped Avie off? Well actually, he hasn't called you, right? Because he and Avie haven't shown up for the bus Avie needs to catch for her camp and I guess you were our last hope."
Diana poured out the whole story, hoping she'd understand.
Mouse
Mouse started to hyperventilate as Diana told her that they hadn't heard from Taylor, and that he and Avie hadn't got to the camp. Fafnir's howling reached fever pitch. "No, and Fafnir's going nuts. He says that the pup and packmate are frightened, that they're scared and lost. And he knew when Taylor crashed too. I think something bad has happened." Mouse dropped down to the ground, knees going weak. "I think I have a few phonecalls to make. Oh god..." Mouse whimpered almost silently. "Something is so wrong." Fafnir, shut UP!
Wrong, something's wrong! We need to get hunting, make them pay, whoever's got them. Make them pay and pay and pay. They looked at each other in accord.
"I've got to go, Mrs Hanson. I'll call Nyx. She'll help me find him. Magic is so useful sometimes." Mouse hung up on that note, and bared the arm with the mark of Bastet's claiming on it. Well, here goes. She pressed down on it and called out to the godlings through the link.
Zoe
Diana hung up the phone just as Zoe came into the room.
"Mommy... what's happened to Avie and Tay? Did something bad happen?"
"Baby, you're up a bit early. Do you want some breakfast?"
"Mommy..."
"Zoe, we don't know anything yet, but the moment we do, you'll know, alright sweetie?"
Zoe nodded and sat at the kitchen table, feeling scared and unhappy.
Nyx and Sabre
Nyx's head snapped up and her eyes narrowed as she felt Mouse's frightened call through the link. "Sabre!" She snapped out. "Mouse is in trouble, and I think it's big time. C'mon, bro." She got up from the table where she had been talking with Logan and the twins, and headed outside. Sabre followed her without another glance at the female students he'd been chatting and flirting with. Nyx stood outside, in snow up to her ankles and then Logan burst out of the doors after Sabre.
"I'm coming too."
"I don't think that-"
"Look, you either take me now, or I follow you on the bike. And I'll be rather angry after a few days on the road when you could have just taken me." Nyx frowned, then nodded.
"Ok. Weapons coming up. What do you want, Sabre?"
"Sword, those two throwing daggers, pistol, ax. Stakes. That should about cover us, don'tcha think?" Nyx conjured the items he'd requested and he started hiding them about his person. She thought about what she wanted and a small crossbow, a quiver of bolts for it, a few daggers, and a Browning rifle dropped at her feet. She considered them, and then a needle gun along with a fletchette of darts dropped next to them. The two cats rapidly armed themselves.
"Want anything Logan?"
"You normally take this much stuff with you?" Logan choked out.
"Sexy, Mouse wouldn't call us unless there was something drastically wrong, so we're going loaded for bear." Nyx slid two cartridges into the rifle and tucked it under her arm. "You still wanna come with?"
"You bet." Logan nodded. "Let's go then." Nyx grinned, and then a swirl of white light burst into being around them. Higher and higher the snow swirled and then the three disappeared from Westchester, New York and dropped in on Mouse in her apartment.
"Hello, sweetie. You called?" Nyx said dryly.
Mouse, Nyx, Sabre and Logan
Mouse nearly fainted with relief and rushed into Nyx's arms. "Taylor's gone missing!"
"What? Your boy?" Nyx felt Mouse's terror through the link.
"He took Avery to a camp for telepaths, and they just never got there!"
Let's go hunting. Fafnir snarled. Who the in the bloody hell's that, cat?
"Fafnir, this is Logan. He's a friend." Nyx inroduced Logan to the wolf.
What are we waiting for? Let's go.
"I'll need something of Taylor's for a scry spell," Nyx informed Mouse. She nodded.
"We better get over to the Hansons then."
"But I'll need to rest up for a few days before I do." Nyx swayed on her feet and both Logan and Sabre leapt to catch her. "God, that 'port took it out of me. I shoulda just got Mordred to lift us, but I don't want the twins involved in this. They're too young. And it's not their fight."
"True. It's not yours either, Logan. We'll understand if ye wish to withdraw," Sabre told Logan. Logan shook his head.
"Nah. I don't go back on my word. And you two are my friends, I don't have many of those. I'm in. No matter what happens." Sabre nodded and lifted Nyx easily into his arms.
"Let's get a'movin' then."
Mouse called a taxi and they all got into it and drove over to the Hanson house, drawing a few stares from the driver at their obviously heavily armed state, and the wolf that insisted on accompanying them. The thousand dollars Sabre handed him very quickly quelled all concern with the weird people in his cab. They arrived at the Hanson house and Sabre lifted Nyx into his arms once more as they made their way up the front porch. Nyx cast a quick spell of invisibility and they slipped past the police who were already on the scene. Once inside, Nyx released the illusion and stood on her own two feet, head held high in pride. Logan and Sabre flanked her, the three of them looking very imposing.
"The calvary's arrived, people. Mouse, go find something of Taylor's, something he uses a lot. Sabre, I'll need a few spell items. You know what. Logan, help me over to the couch before I make a fool of myself and collapse," Nyx said clearly, and then Logan helped her over to the couch. Sabre nodded and went to look in the kitchen for a few things, and then slipped out the backdoor to find a few others. Mouse looked around with worried eyes, every survival instinct she owned telling her to run. Fafnir stood in front of her, hackles raised and occasionally howling with distress.
"We'll find him, Fafnir. you'll see," Mouse reassured her wolf. Nyx chuckled as she put the Browning on the floor.
"You ain't seen nuthin' yet, ya know, sweetie. Give me a day or two to rest up from the 'port, and we'll find your boy. Easy. They won't be guarding against magick." Nyx chuckled, eyes gleaming malevolently. "That's the one mistake they get. And then," she spread her hands, "we get to do the lesson thing, so no one does this again. They wouldn't be fool enough to."
"That sounds like fun," Mouse said slowly, then she nodded. "Sounds like a lot of fun."
Isaac
Isaac rubbed his face and yawned.
"Well, they could have been caught in traffic. Or maybe the car broke down part way there. Or maybe a freak tornado picked them up and now they're singing songs with Munchkins. Or maybe they were abducted by aliens."
He yawned again, louder this time.
"Bed... sleep..."
Walker
"Aliens don't abduct aliens Isaac," Walker shook his head, "well if you hear anything from Taylor, please tell us. He and your sister have gone missing."
With that, he left the room.