Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
-oOo-
This time on The Magic of Amber:The church investigates their destroyed abbey in England, Jurassic Park takes it next step to opening, and the next group of magicals come to the island.
-oOo-
November 26, 1993Somewhere over the Atlantic…
As much as Harry wanted to get out of the country, it had been decided that they needed to see the Creevey's before they left. If the church was aware of them now, there was no telling what may happen if they got to the family first.
Hermione had called up her parents, but like with Owen, they didn't understand why she had run and told her she had to go back to the special school the church had. Hermione was in tears, wanting her parents, but they knew she couldn't go back. In the end Sirius and him had agreed they had to have been obliviated and compulsed. Neither of them knew what to do about that.
"That's why there are Obliviators and mind healers. Aurors and Hit Wizards weren't trained for that," Sirius had said during their discussion.
In the end, it was decided Hermione had to go to Isla Nublar. It just wasn't safe for her with her parents, and she had nowhere else to go. It was also decided that Lex had to go home as well. Thus, Harry was on a plane heading towards the States with Lex leaning her head against his shoulder, her hand in his and looking at a book in his hands.
"This reads like a body bind you've told me about," Lex said. "It's like a prayer though."
"I think it is," Harry said gently.
Hermione had turned in the seat before them and was looking at them. Being in a smaller private jet allowed them to do things that they wouldn't be able to otherwise.
"What is that?" Hermione questioned. "I know French and Italian."
"I think it's a spell book, but from what I can understand, it's teaching prayers or how to train your mind to use cantrips to cast what you want. It's rather complicated," Harry told her. "How do you know what it does Lex?"
"I need to learn Latin to read that," Hermione said excitedly. It was the first signs of her old self since yesterday.
"My mum is starting to enter some of the books into a translator. I think we should get everything into a database for the future," Lex said. "This looks like a prayer, and here describes what it does."
Lex understood Latin better than him.
"Oh, then we could look things up and cross-reference. Imagine being able to find all the spells that do the same thing? Are there multiple spells that do the same thing? Are all the spells you know Latin based?" Hermione questioned.
Harry couldn't keep the small smile off his face to hear echoes of his old friend. "There are multiple spells that do similar things, but I haven't found any yet that do the exact same. All the spells I know use Latin, or a bastardized Latin. They are short and usually truncated."
Lex leaned more into him. "Will you teach me to defend myself?"
Harry turned his head to kiss her forehead. They had hardly been apart since yesterday afternoon. "Yes."
Yvonne was with them and came into the front cabin where they were. Harry looked up to her. "Did you hear from Sirius?"
"Simmons and him made contact with the Creevey's. They've agreed to come out to the island," she told him.
Harry let out a breath. He figured Colin would be twelve or thirteen and Dennis almost eleven by now. He was happy that the boy wouldn't be all over him from the word go, but if he was still the same, he figured Colin would soon be all over him. He didn't miss the looks that Hermione had been giving him over the last twenty-four hours or how Owen, Daphne and Astoria looked at him. It made Harry uncomfortable.
"We still have another four hours before we touch down in Washington. Why don't you all try to get some rest or something," she told them.
"Are we staying?" Lex asked.
"Washington? We are going to the west coast of America?" Hermione asked, sounding excited.
Yvonne smiled at the girl. "Washington, D.C. It's where Lex grew up. We aren't staying this time. Two more guards will be joining us and then we are off for Costa Rica."
""I can't wait to see the dinosaurs again," Hermione excitedly said, then she looked a little sad. "Dad loved that trip."
Harry still saw the girl as his sister. "We will do what we can to help them. I know you'll see them again."
Lex squeezed his hand.
Hermione nodded before sliding back down into her chair. Yvonne gave them a look. "Do you want anything? I can have the stewardess get you something."
Harry shook his head. Seeing Hermione down just brought up what he had done yesterday. Lex moved to kiss his cheek. "It's alright, Harry," she said, as though understanding him.
"Sure," he replied.
-oOo-
November 29, 1993Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales
The Welsh countryside was a dichotomy of the old and new as they drove down the winding road towards the main compound of the Order in Britain. Word that it had burned down had reached him three days ago, but he was involved in something that he couldn't break away from right away.
The reports he had gotten concerned him. Many of the local residents and police reports said it looked like a dragon made of fire had consumed the old ruins. He knew that most would see only ruins. The church had some blessings and aegis's that protected their secrets. Those blessings seemed to have failed though, and he didn't understand that. Not since the days the heretics were powerful enough to stand against the church had there been rumours of something like this happening.
There were too many things of troubling concern happening lately. Rumours of monsters in the pacific, people disappearing in areas that the church thought once dead, extinct animals being resurrected by science, rumours of heretics with tools long thought gone… Father Reginald was worried, as was the council.
Because of this, he was flying around the world on a weekly basis. Him and two others were trying to follow up on all these leads as the Order found more heretics. Six in the last four months in England alone was more than the last decade. And for two of them to have wands… the devil was on the rise again and the church was weaker than ever. The council was trying to convince the pope to increase their funding and recruitment, but he still didn't believe that the demons were real or that it was important. He was concerned with far more secular issues with the church, especially with the reduction in funds that were causing talks of closing diocese in some of the countries that were once their largest supporters.
His thoughts were deep into his concerns when one of the men in the front seat said, "We are in Caernarfon, father."
"Thank you, Brother O'Malley," he replied. The town was dense with the Welsh mountains in the distance and the Irish sea lapping at the shores. The yellow police tape was still across the drive when the car pulled up to the crumbling stone wall and mangled wrought iron bars of the front gate. He had been to Caernarfon Abbey just two months ago. It had been an old stone abbey in good condition. "Father Reginald, we are here," a man with a shaved head and dark eyes said from the front seat.
He didn't need to be told. He had been looking at the burned headland for the last few minutes as it came into view. The team he had been given by the Invisible Hand to deal with the latest find, led by Father Ricardo, were supposed to report in three days ago about two witches. The little bit of information they knew was that they had been found with wands. He was frustrated to not know who they were.
Brother Sean O'Malley got out of the car and opened the door for him. He would usually do this but being a senior member of the council had him waiting. When he stepped out, the acrid smell of the fire still lingered in the air. A breeze was blowing off the water and wafting the smell right to them.
He surveyed the area. The entire peninsula was just char. The Abbey of St Christopher, originally built in the fourteen hundreds, was now just a hole in the ground. Rock on the stone wall next to him looked to have melted and cracked.
Brother Samuel Brown made the sign of the cross. "What happened here?"
Father Reginald pursed his lips. He took the Rod of David into his hands and stepped up to the edge of the walls. He was very careful not to touch any of the ash. Something felt wrong about the whole thing. Holding the rod up, he began a cantrip of cleansing. It was a long Latin cantrip that would clean the taint and allow him to enter the grounds that had been cursed.
As he continued, he felt the Divine Hand wrapping him in its presence. The curse lain upon this place was strong and as he tried to clean its foulness so he could determine the type of demon that did this, he felt the Divine power struggle. He chanted the sacred prayer louder. After a moment sweat built up on his brow. He kept at it if for a few more minutes before the Divine power suddenly broke. He let out a cry as he fell to his knees. The foul magic that infected the land could not be cleansed and he knew he was one the most powerful priests of the Order.
"Father Reginald!" Brother O'Malley yelled, rushing to his side.
Father Reginald gently pushed the man away. "I am fine. The evil here is stronger than the power God has granted me."
"Do you know what happened?" Brother Brown questioned.
He stood up, swaying a slight bit. The power granted to him by God felt weak and strained. "This was a work of a greater fallen angel," he told them. "Did you have any other word from the brothers and Father Ricardo?"
"None, Father. He didn't tell us who they had. We generally don't know so that if we are found we cannot give the information," Brother O'Malley said.
Father Reginald frowned.
"We do have a report that one of the way houses was attacked by three people. Two of them had wands and swords and they were looking for two girls," Brother Brown told him.
"Where?"
"Reading, England. It's about five hours away."
He looked at the charred expanse of land. He doubted that there was anything left here, and if there was, it was now marked by the devil and no longer of use to the Order. "Take me there," he ordered. The diocese in Boston and Rome would need a report as soon as possible. This was even more troubling than the rumours of magic with what turned out to be dinosaurs made by science a few weeks ago.
-oOo-
November 30, 1993Isla Sorna, Costa Rica
Owen hopped out of the helicopter then turned to help Charlotte. Her father, Doctor Bones and Doctor Wu were with them today.
"Don't go running off," Mr Lockwood yelled at them when Owen wanted to go running for the main building past the small town. The man still had some bruises and stitches on his face from the car accident last week.
Harry was the last one out of the helicopter with them today. Owen was excited to show him his new friends. Harry had his giant tyrannosaur. Owen had his new raptors. If things worked out, Harry was going to show him how to talk to them today. He felt he could understand the small things, even if they were still just hatchlings.
"Harry, come on," Owen urged him on.
"Owen, wait," Harry told him.
Charlotte was just as excited as him. "Do they really listen to you?" she asked.
"They won't let anyone else near," Owen told her. "Doctor Wu has said he will probably have them taken to Isla Nublar soon. He wants to keep an eye on me and the raptors. So does Doctor Bones."
"I am telling you that they are not as aggressive," Dr Wu was saying to Mr Lockwood.
"Henry, none of the others were before about three months either. John and I are not comfortable having them on Isla Nublar after what happened last time. We have guests arriving in a few weeks and we will start tours for the investors in February. Can you assure me they will not try to escape? The new compound for them is being delayed to complete construction on the new hotel, expanded dock and the last two exhibits," Mr Lockwood told Dr Wu.
Harry was on his heels as Owen rushed towards the gates to the small town outside the factory. Charlotte wasn't letting his hand go. "Hold up. Don't get ahead of everyone," Harry told them.
Owen stopped, huffing at the hold up.
Charlotte giggled. "You'll be able to show me in just a moment," she told him.
Dr Bones was indicating to a few workers where some cases would go. Mr Lockwood and Dr Wu were still in the same conversation they had been in since leaving Isla Nublar.
"Benjamin, this could be the breakthrough we need. We are already running tests on the mutations, but it's still a month or so before the changes are mapped. If you could approve the funding to allow us to establish a new computer bank of CRAY's here instead of on Isla Nublar, then the research could go faster," Dr Wu replied.
"You have plenty of computer capacity to run eight genomes at a time," Mr Lockwood replied.
"We are still prioritizing the sequencing on the samples from Doctor Gym and the findings of those creatures," Dr Wu stated.
"I still think that mental," Harry muttered.
"Henry, you have what you need. I agree that we need to finish the sequencing on the acromantula and sea serpent, but how is that taking up so much?" Mr Lockwood asked.
"They are proving more difficult than expected. We are having to devote three computers to each one and the first two samples failed," Dr Wu answered. "Or if you want to provide our programs to her research group, it could move things along."
"No. The technology we use to sequence and edit everything is proprietary to InGen. You know this. Why weren't we informed that you were having issues? You are supposed to report on all your projects once a week, Henry," Mr Lockwood told him.
"Things have been busy. You have my team developing six new dinosaur species, the excitement of the magical animals and now what is going on between Harry and the tyrannosaur XX-B-52 and now Owen and the latest batch of velociraptors is taxing our resources. Not to mention the increase in hatchlings to start building stock for the plans for Japan," Wu stated.
"Japan is still five years away," Lockwood told him. "The latest 3.0 and later models only need three years to get to a proper maturity for most species."
"We are trying the slower growth hormones to see if we increase the yield on each clutch," Wu reminded Lockwood. "As you know, we are still only at a sixty to seventy percent success rate on the 3.0 or later models. For the money my group puts into those wasted assets we could be doing more research and development."
Charlotte leaned in. "Dad doesn't seem happy with Dr Wu."
"Do you understand what they are talking about?" Owen asked her.
"Some. Before you can do any cloning or sequence modification, you must map the genome. I am just starting to learn about some of this, but it's advanced biology," she told him.
Dr Bones came up to them. "Doctor Bones. Do you need a hand?" Harry offered the pretty redhead woman.
"I think the technicians have it. If you want, we can head towards the labs and get setup. I want to see how the raptors interact with Owen and everyone and then we can look at the monitoring and experiments," she told them kindly.
Owen gave a broad smile. "This way," Owen said. He had been here every other day in the last week and knew where he was going now. He pulled Charlotte along through the compound and factory until they were at the windows of the white lab at the front of the factory building. The raptors had been moved off the factory floor into the labs after they had bonded with him. Four of the nine in the clutch were in a small cage. They had already grown some and were already running around. Muldoon had said they would be lethal by six months, but Owen didn't see it. They were about the size of a large grey squirrel right now. Doctor Wu said it took about two years for them to fully mature and grow.
The second he entered the lab, the four small raptors turned to him. Excited chirping filled the lab. The worker turned and smiled at him. "I should have known it was you."
Harry cursed. Owen looked towards him. Charlotte smiled and moved towards the cage. "What's wrong?" he asked. Dr Bones watched them.
"Bloody hell, I can hear them," he said.
Owen was excited. "Really? I want to hear them too. Can I try the creature talking spell now?"
He missed Harry's reticence. "I don't know."
"You don't like them?" Dr Bones enquired.
"There big sisters did try to eat me," Harry told her.
"What are they saying?" Charlotte asked.
"'Mommy'. 'I'm hungry'. Careful, Charlotte, they think your fingers look like food," Harry warned.
Charlotte squeaked and pulled her hand back.
"No, you don't eat people," Owen said at the small raptors. They all quieted and looked at him. The one with the blue markings made a single chirp.
"Bloody hell," Harry muttered.
"What?" Owen questioned.
"At least that one is your familiar. It agreed," Harry said. "Alright, do you remember what we have been practicing the last few days?"
Owen gave a huge smile as he pulled out his wand. "I have to think I want to talk to them and then say 'commcucreaturis'."
Harry sighed. "It's not that easy. You must want to communicate with them. It may not be like talking. I can only hear them because this batch must have snake DNA in them."
"How did you know that?" the technician asked. "That's supposed to be classified."
Harry didn't look impressed. "Ask your boss."
"Harry, is this something only you can do?" Dr Bones asked.
"I can talk with snakes and any dinosaur that has any of their DNA. Others I can communicate with this spell. Sometimes it's like feeling their emotions and wants. Other times it's like using signs between us. Owen, don't be disappointed if you can't talk with them," Harry said.
Owen wasn't fully paying attention. His wand was pointing towards the four little raptors that were starting to squawk again and hop around to get his attention. Harry put a hand on his just before he was about to say the words. "Owen, look at me for a moment."
Owen looked up in the green eyes of the older boy. "You have the pronunciation. The wand movement isn't as important, but it will help you concentrate. The important part is the want and need to communicate with them. If you don't feel it, it won't work. It's a rather advanced spell for what you have been doing."
"I got this," he said with the typical bravado of a thirteen-year-old that knew he could do anything. Harry frowned before nodding.
"If this doesn't work, we will practice it more," Harry told him.
Owen knew he would get it. He wanted to hear what his little friends were saying. Waving his wand, he hurriedly stated, "Commcucreaturis". Blue sparks shot out of his wand, but all he kept hearing was the squawks and chirps.
"It didn't work," Owen said confused.
Charlotte was looking at him confused. "But sparks came out your wand."
"If it works, it's a lavender spell that looks like a small ball. I've been telling you this is a complicated spell," Harry told him.
Owen gave the older boy a glare. "I can get this." He waved his wand in a very uncontrolled way. "Commcucreaturis!" Nothing happened that time. The raptors became more excited and demanding of him to come closer. "Commcucreaturis!" Red sparks. He was getting frustrated. Harry got every spell he cast every time. Harry had done this and gotten Rexy. "Commcucreaturis!"
"Owen, let it rest for now. We can practice more later," Harry told him.
"I can get this. Commcucreaturis!" This time a purple light shot out of wand that hit the cage. It made a disturbing clang that had the raptors scurrying away in fear. He could feel it from the one with the blue markings.
"Owen, stop!" Harry cried out.
"Blue, no! Commcucreaturis!" His need to talk with that one was all he ever wanted. Harry moved at the same time he shouted out the spell.
This time it was a lavender spell that passed through the bars. A white spell hit his hand. He let out a small yell at the sting and then his wand was ripped out of his hand. "When I say don't, don't!" Harry yelled.
RUN!
He heard the words clear as day. He stopped shaking his hand in the air, looking wide eyed at the raptors. They were all yelling in fear.
He didn't hear the chirps and squawks as he said, I didn't mean to harm you. Don't run. I won't hurt you.
Harry had been about to grab him but stopped. Charlotte was looking at him with a gaping mouth. The technician was looking at all of them a little frightened. Dr Bones was looking at them curiously.
The four raptors all turned to him. Blue chirped. Alpha?
Owen felt confused for a second until he understood. He pointed to his chest, Alpha?
Alpha! Blue agreed.
Food? the one with green markings asked.
Food! Food! Food! the others all chirped excitedly.
"What are they saying?" Dr Bones asked.
"They say Owen is the alpha and they want food," Harry said with a sigh.
"That is wicked," Charlotte said with a smile on her face. "Can I do that?"
Harry shrugged. "That spell only really works if you already have a talent for creatures and beasts. I will teach you, but don't expect anything. I want you to learn more of the basics though. Owen, you must stop when I tell you. You could have hurt them when you struck out in your frustration."
Owen was only half listening, loving that he could talk with the raptors. Blue led them back to the bars.
The technician muttered, "Fuck me. I don't get paid enough for this."
Harry sighed. "That makes two of us."
-oOo-
That night…London, England
Father Reginald was looking at the sketches made of the three that had assaulted Vicar Murphy. They didn't seem that distinctive except for the young man with green eyes and a scar on his forehead. He found it curious how the vicar had said more than a dozen times the young man's eyes seemed to burn. He was curious if that was a sign of the demon possessing the wand carriers. He knew that if the person wasn't converted that there could be signs.
Almost as concerning was the apparent violent nature of the three. Two had wands and swords. The green-eyed young man had pulled his sword and threatened to use his. He thought only those serving the Order still knew the old ways like that.
He was waiting for his plane to board when a man in the uniform of a British Airways employee came up to him. "Excuse me, are you Father Reginald?"
"I am. May I help you?"
"There is a call for you. If you would follow me," he said.
"My plane is set to board shortly," he told the man as he stood up.
"We'll make sure that the plane does not leave without you, father."
"Thank you," he said as he followed the man to a room by the gate. The man closed the door after indicating the phone. There were only a few people that knew he was leaving today. He felt there was nothing else to learn here. With the apparent death of the team here and the destruction of the abbey, he had no record of who they had found. Sometimes the secret and old-fashioned nature of the Order irked him. God would not have allowed computers to be invented if it wasn't his will. But wasn't it his will for humans to have free will to invent things? Picking it the receiver, he said, "Hello, this is Father Reginald."
"Good day, father. I'm Vicar Ericks from Wolverhampton. I was given your information from Vicar Murphy when I tried to contact someone about abnormal activity," the man on the other end of the line said.
"Indeed, brother," he said, taking out a small notebook from his pocket.
"I was told that there is a family with two boys and a girl. One of my parishioners came to me with concerns. They said sometimes they see strange things," the vicar stated.
"What type of strange things?" he asked.
"This woman said she saw them make a rose bush bloom in the winter and one of them saved a cat that got hit by a car. She said she thought it dead, then after one of them touched it, there was a blue light and then it ran away. She was asking if these were miracles. I don't know what to think of this, but it is odd, and we were told to contact the abbey in Caernarfon, but that just burned down," the man said.
He was jotting this down. This would make nine in four months. That was very unusual. They had already lost two of the ones that wouldn't convert, and two others were now in the States at the convent and seminary. "It may be a miracle or may not be. You have done the right thing. Do you have an address for these children?"
He jotted it down, knowing he would not be on the plane now. When he hung up, Father Reginald stood there for a moment, trying to decide what to do. With the team here killed, he would need others. The brothers that helped him the last few days were not able to use the Lord's gift. He needed to make a call.
Next to the phone he found instructions on how to call out. He opened the front cover of his small hardcover notebook. Finding the number he wanted, he called and waited for the phone to be picked up. An Italian man answered. "Ciao. Chi è questo? Questa è una linea privata."
He replied in Italian. "Ciao. This is Father Reginald of the Washington, D.C. diocese. I am currently in England and need three Inquisitors."
"What is your ID, Father?
"Alpha-Omega-Chi-four-four-six. Passcode 'The son of David'."
He heard the man on the other end paging through some papers. "I confirm your ID, Father. I will put in your request to the council. Do you have a number I can reach you at?"
"You can contact Vicar Murphy in Reading, England at Saint Bartholomew's. I am at the airport and will need to travel back. If the Inquisitors are approved, they are to be dispatched right away. There is a report of either a miracle or heretics," he told the man on the other end before giving him the number.
"Very well, father. I will get this to the council right away. God bless and God speed."
"And to you, brother."
When he hung up, Father Reginald called the number to Saint Bartholomew's. He would need a ride back and to prepare for the Inquisitors.
-oOo-
December 2, 1993Isla Nublar, Costa Rica
Daphne wasn't sure what had happened over the last week, but it was obvious that Lex and Harry were now far closer. She scowled to see him working with her. They were at one of the targets and he was pushing her to hit it with stunning spells and some spell he had refused to teach them yet, but he would teach her. It looked like a small white arrow that left little holes. She knew and understood magic far better than the blonde girl that was practically throwing herself at the most powerful magical person around.
Her mother came up to her. "It is not a good look to wear your jealousy on your sleeve."
Daphne huffed. "I am not jealous."
Her mother rose an eyebrow at her. "You have a poor way of showing acceptance then. Are you jealous that she is learning magic you aren't, or do you desire Harry?"
Daphne couldn't keep the flush from her face. "I don't get it. She doesn't understand magic and look at the way she dresses. You told us that a woman should only dress like that for our husbands in our private chambers."
Her mother looked at the girl. "Daphne, we are in a place different than where you grew up. When I was young, that was acceptable for young woman to dress like that. You know I didn't grow up in Voldnord. I met and fell in love with your father and the way he lived. It is up to you if you wish to adopt the ways of those around us or keep with how we have taught you."
Daphne looked at the green-eyed boy. She felt that he never really looked at her. Not like he did the blonde he was talking to. Her shorts seemed to go high today but was wearing a more modest shirt that didn't show off her mid-section.
"Do you think he will notice me if I dress like that?" she asked. She desired Harry. Her papa thought it would be a good match. Her mama hadn't said either way.
There was a long pause. "I think it better you do not change yourself for a boy. As you can see, he is taken with Alexis. If he tires of her, then you will have a chance."
Daphne made a face to show her disappointment. The massive wingless dragon that Harry controlled shifted behind him. It was laying down on its stomach. She looked to it to see its eye open and looking towards her. She swallowed, afraid of what it would do if she approached. The wingless dragon had been rather protective of Lex and Harry since they had come back to the island.
She was finally accepting that Harry was out of her grasp for now. Looking towards Owen, she frowned to see him surrounded by three girls. Dr Bones' daughter was laughing as Charlotte was animatedly telling the others something. Granger was being quiet. She had been that way most of the last few days. Owen was trying not to laugh as he focused on levitating the rocks before him.
"I do not think you will do yourself any favours chasing that one either, my daughter," her mother said.
Daphne huffed. She was fourteen. Old enough to consider boys. Her mother was married to her father at nineteen. That seemed like years away, but to see how Harry and Lex kissed at times, she found she wanted that as well.
"Stay for a few years. It is important you learn what Mister Black and Harry can teach you. Others will come, even if they don't have magic," her mother said.
She looked forlornly back to Harry. Until him, she had never thought about boys. To see how he used magic, and his enticing smell, had her wanting him. She didn't really want Owen, except that it would show the other girls that she was the dominant one here. Owen had a pleasant smell, but it wasn't the same as Harry's.
"Yes, mother."
"Good. Now do your work. Mister Black is coming back around," her mother told her.
She rose her wand, feeling bored as she worked through the list of transfiguration spells. She would work hard to master them, but it wasn't the fun she enjoyed in what Harry called charms. She found she enjoyed seeing what charms she could make items hold. She also enjoyed the runes that were in some of the books that he and Mister Black had. Neither of them understood them, so Daphne was learning them mostly on her own. The important thing was that she had found some in her family book. She had also realized that some the spells and other stuff in the book that her family had lost the ability to use, where soon going be available to her.
-oOo-
December 5, 1993Just outside Wolverhampton, England
Father Reginald was looking in the window of the empty house. It had taken a few days to get the Inquisitors here. In that time, it appeared the Creevey's had disappeared. It wasn't a holiday, so he couldn't understand why no one wouldn't be here.
"Father," a man with longer brown hair and hazel eyes said.
"Yes, Brother Samuel?"
"I talked with the neighbour. They said the family left two mornings ago. They looked to be packed for a journey," the man said.
Father Reginald frowned. The uneasiness that had been growing in him since hearing about the abbey fire grew. "Did they say if the family was with anyone?"
"They said that they saw a man a few days earlier. He had shorter black hair, grey eyes and they thought he was from London by his accent. They were visiting the Creevey's when the stranger visited."
"Did they get a name?"
"Mister Black," Brother Samuel told him.
That meant they had a name. Vicar Murphy had remembered that one of them men had been called Sirius. It belonged to the man that matched the description of the man the neighbours knew. "Sirius Black," Father Reginald said.
"What do you want to do, father?"
"I want to have you and Brother Thomas monitor the house for a few days. Brother Emmerick is to come with me. We need to make a call to some of our contacts," Father Reginald told him.
"And what of the family?"
"Convince the family to send all their children to the seminary. We need to contain this," he told Brother Samuel. The man nodded and moved to go talk to the other two inquisitors that were still in the other car. They would move to the end of the neighbourhood to keep an eye on the house.
He looked at the house again. There was a new player on the board. One that may be linked to the missing Grady boy. The man in that attack matched the appearance of the man here and in Reading. The coincident was too much to be anything but related.
-oOo-
That same day…Isla Nublar, Costa Rica
"Mummy! Mummy! Look," a young girl squealed in excitement.
John chuckled to see her excitement as the family saw the dinosaurs down in the valley. After his trying last month, he had wanted to join the people picking up the Creevey's. The number of magicals on the island was starting to get too large. He would have to divert some more resources to Isla Matanceros.
"Dear god, are those real?" Martha Creevey asked.
John gave her a winning smile. "Welcome to Jurassic Park."
"I thought those adds were just for an animatronic park," the woman said.
"I want to ride on one," the little girl yelled.
"They aren't tame or horses," John told her. "It's more like a zoo."
"Collin has to have his camera going like crazy," Edward Creevey commented.
His wife shook her head. "I'm not taking that bet."
"It would have been an easy win for me," Edward replied. "How did you do this?"
"We have a tour you can go through when we get to the Visitor Center, and you can meet with Mister Black later," John told them. He wanted to see the reactions of the family. This was a big reason why he made the park.
"Mummy, I want one!"
"Elizabeth, we are not taking one of them home. How big are they?"
"The brachiosaurus are about three stories high and the parasaurolophus are about the size of a draft horse," he told them.
"We definitely don't have the room in the yard for that, pumpkin," Edward told his six-year-old daughter.
She pouted as they pulled away. "You will have a chance to go on the tour later and there will be other opportunities to see the dinosaurs."
When he left them in the hands of one of the new tour guides, John was surprised to see Robert coming up to him. He was holding out a folder. "What's this, Robert?"
"Cambridge just sent these in an email. They are pictures of a priest and a few others visiting our guests' home. John, I am getting uncomfortable with this. You hired me for security and to be a game warden of Jurassic Park. If the church sends armed forces, or more people like Harry and Sirius, I don't have the means to defend everyone," Robert told him.
John frowned and opened the folder. There were some grainy printed pictures, but it was obvious the men were in outfits that said they were from the church. "I don't think it would come to anything like that, Robert."
"I don't know, John. From what Sirius and Harry said, they faced off against ten men that knew how to use magic. If they sent more, and special forces, I just don't think I can defend everyone," Robert stressed.
John nodded. "I understand. Please just focus on the park and the plans for our Japan park. I will talk with Benjamin."
"I should be involved if it concerned Jurrassic Park or our other islands," Robert told him.
"You will be, Robert."
When Robert left, John continued to the Control Room. He wanted to watch the tour. The folder in his hands was overly concerning though. He would have to have a talk with Benjamin, and then Sirius and Robert. He didn't want anything to happen to his island. Even more so, he didn't want anything to happen to his family. Lex and Lynne were already struggling with her kidnapping. They didn't need something else.
He sat in his normal chair, deep in thought as the Creevey's went on the tour of the centre.
"John, are you there?"
"What is it, Raymond?"
"I wanted you to review the stress test I want to do on the park systems next Saturday. All the sensors are now installed and active. The updated vision recognition system seems to be working, but I want to run it on Isla Sorna's free zone. See if we can track and identify what we have there. I know Wu and Rogers wants to know what they have for total assets since some of the tracker IDs don't work all over the island," Raymond told him.
"Give it here. I'll look at it. What does Robert think?" he asked. John was missing Bennings to act as the general manager. He would have to hire a new one soon.
"Muldoon wants to do it one paddock at a time and have a team available each time. He was hoping Harry or Sirius would help," the man said before sticking his cigarette back in his mouth.
John nodded. "That should be fine. Tell Robert he can ask them. Raymond?"
"Yes, John?" the man said in his deep, calm voice.
"Would you make sure that all our other security systems are working properly? I don't want anything happening to my grandchildren or Lynne. I don't want anything else to happen to anyone here," he said, sounding tired.
"Sure, John. I'll draft a stress test for that with Muldoon," he said.
"Work with corporate security as well. I don't want anything or anyone getting here that doesn't belong," he told the man.
"Of course, John," Raymond agreed. "You know, I like the kids too. We won't let anything else happen to them."
"Thank you, Raymond."
Raymond nodded. "I need the approval no later than Wednesday. Also, the crew of the aviary is looking for an inspection next Monday, the thirteenth and I was hoping to give half the staff off the week before Christmas, and the rest Christmas week. It would be a good test of the automated systems."
"That's fine. You can give the notices tomorrow. Will that impact Grant and Sattler?" he asked.
"Shouldn't. Harding is out this week. He went back home to the States but will be back in time for their team to arrive," Raymond replied.
"Has Grant sent you the final list?"
"Six. Him, Sattler, three graduate and one undergraduate students."
"Good. Good. Let's put on the typical show when they get here and then settle them into the lower staff apartments. I want them to go through the standard safety training with Robert and Wu if they are going to use the labs. No more deaths," he said with finality.
Raymond jotted something down on a pad. "Done."
"Thank you. I see you are bringing the cars around to the front?"
"Yes. They still need to have the safety locks installed, but that will happen before the first real tours in February," Raymond confirmed.
"Anything else?"
"I have hundreds of items on my list, but these were the most pressing. I think we will have the bugs worked out by June when the park opens."
John let out a long breath and smiled. "Just make it happen. If you need funds, the board has greenlighted anything we need. No expense spared."
Raymond took a big swig of his cigarette before turning back to the screen he was monitoring. The four others in the Control Room were monitoring the park and the tour for the Creeveys.
As he watched the monitors, his thought drifted to the church. Margarette had been very religious, but they had kidnapped Lex and Miss Granger. He was believing everything that Sirius and Harry had told them about the old church bringing down the wizards. He loved his daughter and grandchildren to much to let that happen again. The only reason he had not reported this was the destruction of the abbey and it would bring up questions he wasn't sure he wanted exposed yet.
He did agree with Sirius, the church, and whatever this Order was, had to be stopped.
John just didn't know how.
-oOo-
Ciao. Chi è questo? Questa è una linea privata. (Italian)= Hello. Who is this. This is a private line.
-oOo-
Next time on The Magic of Amber: The church gets closer to Jurassic Park. The group works to decide what to do with the Church while Grants team comes to the island.