Coven

P3 was deserted, quiet; the club didn't even open until noon. Piper usually

took advantage of that to sleep in, but they'd told Cortez to meet them

here.  Paige was staying at the Manor, while Phoebe, Leo and Piper

waited for him.
He arrived at precisely eight.  "Good morning," Piper greeted him.
Cortez looked around. "Huh. You'd never know this place was anything

out of the ordinary."
"For a club? I like to think P3 is anything but ordinary. Most of my

customers certainly seem to; we have a full house almost every weekend."

"Oh. I thought...I assumed you also used this place for your other work."


Piper's forehead wrinkled in bafflement. "Here? This is a public place. I don't

think so. P3 is just what it looks like, a legitimate business. After all, my

'other work' doesn't make money appear out of nowhere. I have to pay for

stuff like groceries and cable TV and gas  like anyone else." She shrugged. "You

wanted to talk to us about a case?" she prompted, leaning forward. She set her

cup of coffee down on the table.
Cortez hesitated, then sat across from her.
He looked tired, Piper thought. Tired, stressed out, worried.
"You need to start listening to your cardiologist, Inspector," Leo said.

"...What?"


"I'm.....a bit more observant than most people. You've recently had a heart attack?"


Cortez chuckled. The sound held no mirth. "Yes. Four weeks ago. My doctor's been

after me to take a sabbatical from work. Quit, even, if need be. "

 "Then why....?"

"Because no one is looking into the ...the supernatural angle on this case, and I'm

convinced that what's happening isn't normal criminals, or even insane ones. If I

don't find an answer, no one except perhaps Detective Morris will pursue it...and

this particular case is being handled by the Special Crimes Unit, not the Homicide

Division. He's not on it. Out of his jurisdiction completely."

"Tell us," Piper said. "Start at the beginning. Darryl mentioned there have been

two unsolved murders--?"

"As of last night it's up to five.  All within the last two months, and happening the

same way. The first one, we believed the victim was attacked by an animal--perhaps

a large dog, or a coyote. The body was....torn up, and partially eaten. But the ....the

marks on the body didn't match canine tooth or claw shapes. Whatever did it has a

mouth full of nothing but triangular teeth, round, more like a shark's than anything."

Cortez opened his briefcase and took out a manila folder. He offered it to Piper.

. Phoebe and Leo peered over her shoulders as she read through the

contents.
"All of them died at night," Phoebe realized.
"The first three were each alone. The last two--a paramedic and the patient he was

rushing to the hospital....wait. Wait a minute. It says 'patients' here. Plural. That....

should be six or more, not five."

"There were two EMTs in the ambulance," Cortez said. "One survived. He said

there were two patients. They'd been at a bar, drinking, and apparently got into a

fight. One stabbed the other,  and got knocked out....so they took them both in.

He doesn't remember everything that happened clearly...he got his ass kicked over

most of the parking lot, from what the doctors say."

"The other......patient.....wasn't in the ambulance when it was all over?"

"No."

Piper raised her eyebrows. "Ladies and gentlemen, I think we have a winner."

"I'm sorry? That was a little too fast for me."

"Cortez, how did the attacker get in the ambulance after it was moving? "

He whistled softly. "So, we're only looking for one--creature?"

"Or two," said Phoebe. "Where's this other patient?"

"In the morgue," Cortez said.

"Uhh-- that may not mean he's dead, if he is really an 'it', Inspector. First thing to

do is check and make sure the guy's still in his cubicle there or whatever, not out

looking for a free lunch."

"You're not kidding."

"Wish I was."

Cortez  took his cell phone out of his jacket, placing a hasty call to the City Morgue.

Several minutes passed. Phoebe fought down the urge to smirk, as they listened to

him try to convince the morgue workers that he wasn't joking, and come up with a

good reason to explain why he wanted them to check on the body.  How's it feel

having the shoe on the other foot, Inspector?  she thought at him.
Her amusement stopped when Cortez stiffened and said, "I see......No, I don't

doubt you did. No.  I really don't think that's very likely.  More probable that our

suspect is trying to hide the evidence. You might want to work on tightening your

security, but that's your call. I'll have my people keep an eye out.....You have the

worst job though: trying to explain this to the next of kin. My sympathies. Yes, I

will. " He hung up.

"He's-- it's-- not there." Piper's voice was tight.

"No. The supervisor swears it was placed in a secured area immediately after the

autopsy was completed. That was less than an hour ago."

"Where could it have gone?" Phoebe asked. "It's daylight. If this is what we think,

he couldn't have left the building....oh, damn."


"You already have an idea what this might be?"

The sisters and their Whitelighter exchanged a look.  "Ghouls," Piper said. "Flesh eaters

who prey on humans, especially weak or injured people. All the attacks happened

near the hospital, while people were leaving after treatment or being brought in. If I were

forced to guess, I'd say they see San Francisco Memorial as their personal buffet."

"How do I kill one?"

"You're not going to want to hear this, but  I don't think  you can. Or not alone. One of

our.....acquaintances had a run-in with these guys last night, Inspector. I suspect she's the

main reason why there were any survivors. And it took everything she had to accomplish

that much....almost  took her getting killed. She's in bad shape."

Cortez glanced at Leo. "Can't you--?" He gestured, touching his back. "You healed me. You

can't do it for witches?"

"I can normally. There are...complications.  I have to agree with Piper. This is going

to take a joint effort. So now we have to ask which matters more to you, putting a stop to these

killers, or your belief that we're evil."

Cortez snickered. "It's a bit late for me to start worrying about that. I'm in. What do we need to

do?" he asked, meeting Piper's eyes.

After some discussion, it was decided that Cortez would  go back to the police station and

look up the home addresses of the "missing people." Leo and Piper thought it unlikely that the

ghouls were in the hospital itself-- wandering around the halls would draw attention to them. Their

research had implied that ghouls tended to sleep during daylight hours, even if they were indoors.
"More likely they're hiding somewhere on the grounds-- storerooms, the parking garage, maybe

the sewers beneath the building. We can scry, determine if they're in the building, but if not--they'd

go to someplace familiar. From when they were....."

"Were still human?" Cortez finished. "Is this....condition of theirs, reversible?" 

"Not now," Phoebe said flatly. "There's a spell that can cure someone who's been bitten, yes,

but it has to be done before the infected person kills anybody. After that, the victim's body

--changes. Technically, they're not alive anymore. They'll die if they don't feed, and they can't

live on the sort of food that will sustain a human life. There's nothing we can do except make

sure it ends with them."

If the ghouls had left the hospital altogether, the Halliwells would call Cortez and they would go

search the residences. Leo had advised Cortez to bring a shotgun, as well as a Kevlar vest. "Bullets

may not kill them, but they'll still hurt. Slow them down."

"Silver bullets?" asked Cortez, frowning. "I--could  get some. It'd take a few hours."

"No. Ordinary bullets will work , it doesn't make any difference if you use lead or silver."

He left, muttering to himself . Piper watched him go.  "Would 'cold iron' be effective too?"

she asked Leo.

"Yes, as far as I know."

"Thinking maybe Phoebe could bring that sword...of hers," Piper bit her tongue. She'd been about to

say "that Cole gave her." She didn't think Phoebe would appreciate the reminder. "You have a cane

sheath for it, right? So you could carry it hidden."

Phoebe nodded. "Yes. I could borrow a couple knives or swords from my old sensei, too," she offered.

"He collects antique weapons."

"Piper--" Leo began to object.

"We'll try the spell Phoebe found, first, Leo, but if there's a warlock protecting them, we may need to have other

options. "

"You don't know how to use a sword, Piper," he pointed out.


"I'm sure you and Phoebe can show me a few moves. We're not going for fancy or advanced skill, just 'swing it

without cutting my own head off'. "

"And Cara's a martial artist too," Phoebe added. "She might have had even more training than me."

"She told you that?"  Leo sounded pleased, if mildly surprised.

"I can see it, Leo. The way she moves. She's got calluses and scars on her hands, the kind you get from sword

practice, too. Do you know what school she follows?"

:"Jujitsu. I think she's a-- green belt?"

"Not  bad. Not a master,but not a novice either."

They returned to the Manor. Cara was awake, sitting at the kitchen table with Bane and Paige.The young

woman looked much better. She'd changed into clean clothes; a Hard Rock Cafe T-shirt and

jeans. The bruises she'd had last night were faded to yellow.  Her face was no longer so deathly pale.

  Piper filled them in on the plan. Cara listened attentively.

 "Yes, I'm still studying jujitsu. I don't own a sword of my own yet, just

a couple of daggers. I hope we don't have to get that close to them,"  she said.

"Do you feel up to scrying? You've had the most contact with the ghouls."

Cara gulped. "Yes. All right. " She stood.


"I can bring a map and some crystals down here," Paige said.

"Hmm? Oh, no. I mean, yes, a map would be a good idea. I don't often use crystals. I prefer

water- or fire-based spells-- those are a bit more informative. We should try to see them, not just get

a location. We don't know for certain how many there are. Could be they're splitting into smaller

groups to hunt, and this is only the first group to be noticed. Three's kind of small for a pack."

"Cara, do you really need to scry for them?" Leo's voice was quiet.

Cara winced. "I think I do. I've been...trying to look around, but there's too much demonic

activity in a city this size. I can't differentiate. Plus that warlock must know I'm in San Francisco

by now.  We need to use a passive spell, not something that involves direct contact with them."

"If he were more powerful than you and  these three, we'd have heard of him before now."

"Leo. You should be able to sense that my shields are like wet confetti. I'll do everything I can to

help, but I don't see how handing myself over to this creep on a plate is part of that."

"Everything?"

Her green eyes hardened. "Yes. You're confusing me with my mother. I don't make a habit

of not keeping promises. You know that."

"I do," he agreed.

Cara twisted in her seat, noticing the bewildered looks everyone else wore. "You haven't told

them?" she asked, startled.

"That's not my place. I hope you'll feel safe enough here to confide in them, but that takes

time."

Piper shut her mouth on the questions she wanted to ask. "Paige," she prompted.

The youngest Charmed One left to get the map.  Cara fidgeted, tugging at the French braid that

held her black hair.

Bane put a hand on her arm. "Hey. It's ok to be scared. Hell, you'd be plain stupid if you weren't.

You don't have to face them alone this time. " He waited until she smiled crookedly. "You mentioned

knives?" he asked. "Any chance I could borrow one?"

"You been in knife fights before?"

"Oh  yeah."

"Then, sure. They're in my bag upstairs--take a look if you want."

He went upstairs, passing Paige on her way down. Cara filled a  bowl with bottled water. She

set it on the table beside the map.
"Keara, lady of the waves, I call upon thee. Bring light to darkened waters, reveal what I would

see." She dipped a finger into the bowl, and touched that finger lightly to the map.

The water began to glow softly. It flowed off her skin, and slid in a bubble over the paper, to

pool over a single spot.

"29th and Hanson," Phoebe read off the map.

Cara tapped the bubble. It slid back into her hand.She dropped it back into the bowl.  "Currents

flow, far and wide; show us now what passes inside."

She bent over the bowl, gazing into it. Piper and Phoebe copied her example.

An image appeared in the water. The interior of an apartment. Four....people-- no. Not people.

Ghouls. They were lying on couches or sprawled on the floor. Piper could see one's teeth as

his mouth opened slightly while he breathed.

"Only four. "Phoebe sighed in relief.


"That's plenty," Leo said.

Cara murmured something. The image went dark. Then they were looking at nothing but water.

She picked up the bowl and poured the contents down the sink.

"Time to call Cortez," Piper said. "Good job, Cara."

Bane came downstairs. He handed Cara one of the two sheathed knives he was carrying.
She took it, strapping the sheath onto her forearm.

"He'll meet us there," Piper said, hanging up the phone. "Let's go."

"I'll go on ahead in case he needs help," Leo decided. He orbed.
Cara, Paige, and Bane grabbed their jackets off the coatrack as they followed Piper and

Phoebe out to the SUV.