A Rumor of Peace

CHAPTER 37

SUMMARY :  A child is kidnapped to bring about the long awaited final confrontation between Tom Riddle and the Peverell Potter brothers.

Harry and Roark were in their office, each sitting at their desk working in companionable silence, speaking to each other when they needed clarification on something they came across in the files they were each working in.  Hearing the door slide open both looked up just as a grim looking Payton and Kili entered followed by...  

"Siress Malcolm?"  Roark asked, getting immediately to his feet and coming around his desk, seeing the tear tracks on her cheeks.  "What has happened?"

"They've taken my baby!" she exclaimed, surging forward to meet him.

"Easy now," he said calmly, catching her in his arms, then leading her to a chair before his desk.  "I need you to calm down for me.  Here, sit down," he said.

Harry was there then, squatting down on the other side of the chair, laying a hand on her forearm.  "Take a deep breath," came softly as he reached up to wipe away her tears.  "Good.  Now release it slowly...that's it, do it again for me...and again."

Roark gave his brother a smile before turning his attention back to Siress Malcolm.  "Better?" he asked, saw her nod as she gave Harry a warm smile.

"Thank you, Lt. Hadrian."

"You're welcome.  Tell us what happened."

"Kody was outside playing in the front yard--Thank you, Lt.," she said as Kili brought her a steaming mug of tea.

"You're welcome.  My Sire is always telling us tea is the best thing to give someone that needs to have their nerve's settled."

"Your Sire would be correct," she said, taking the mug he handed to her and sipped.  "Kody was out front playing with his new puppy.  I told him I was going to go inside to check on supper, and to stay away from the front gate.  When I came back out, the puppy was dead and Kody was gone," she reached into the side pocket of her dress to pull out a slip of paper.  "This was laying on the puppy."

Roark took the crumpled paper.  Smoothing it out, he looked at the words written there in barely readable words.  "We have the boy."  He looked up, anger blazing in his silver eyes as he looked up.  "Pay, Ki, call everyone in using the emergency code.  This ends.  NOW!"

Payton and Kili immediately pulled their communicators from their belts, punching in the emergency code and hitting send as Siress Malcolm began to cry again.  "But why?  Why take my Kody?"

"Because Riddle, or one of his people will likely have seen us with him.  He'll know we'd come after him.  Siress Malcolm, I want you to go home and wait.  I realize how hard that will be on you, bit for now it will be the best place for you.  We'll bring Kody home to you."

She gave him a smile, a nod,  wiping her eyes with the cloth Payton had handed to her.  "Thank you, Lt.," she said as she got to her feet, handing the mug back to Kili.  "Please, Lt. Roark, Lt. Hadrian, bring my baby back to me."

"That is our intent.  Would you like an escort home, Siress Malcolm?  I can--"

"No, Lieutenant.  I'll be fine.  You will need all your people to take that monster down," she told him, giving those who filed through the door a smile, threading her way through them to leave the office.

"What's happened?" Severus demanded of the grime looking Peverell Potter brothers.

Looking around his office and seeing that everyone had arrived, Roark began, "Here's our situation.  Riddle has had a five year old boy taken.  We are going to get him back and end this once and for all."  He moved to the map pinned to the office wall.  "Now...Riddle has had several new warehouses set up somewhere in the warehouse district," he said, pointing to the area in question.  "These warehouses are so new he hasn't even told our informants about them yet.  Jordan, I want you to take ten Intelligence officers, begin to search this area here," he pointed to the south district and Jordan nodded.  "Tyler, take another ten with you to this area here," he pointed to the east and Tyler nodded.  "Aiden, I want you to take another ten and search this area," again he pointed, this time to the west.  "Harry and I will take the North."