Marriage is Murder

Edward led them into a box canyon in the desert at night. He motioned for them to hide behind a large outcropping of rock. He gestured for silence and pointed out to them the multiple sentries stationed all around the canyon.

"Where are we?" Brian whispered very softly to Lee.

"Arizona," Lee said in a whisper almost too soft to be heard. "They haven't been far from here. But we lost them about 5 days ago, we're guessing. We know our werewolves, and this bunch isn't ours."

"No, they're ours," Robert said, recognizing their silhouettes. "They have to be here someplace."

"The caves," Edward said. "There is a labyrynth of caves at the dead end of the box canyon."

"How do we know they're still alive?" Brian asked.

"We don't. For all we know, they're dead or turned already," Edward said. As he was speaking, a huge explosing rocked the canyon, coming from inside the caves. It was so strong, it threw them to the ground. Lee was shocked.

"Michael," Robert said, knowing all too well. "Michael's still alive. That's his work. wait. Be ready to move to make sure they get out. He won't leave without her, but if we dont' move, they'll be killed on the way out. Kill them all if you have to but lets get Michael and Khaat out alive." The sentries scrambled--some away, and some going directly back to the cave.

"I'm going in," Brian said, heading on a dead run towards the cave.

"I thought that was a given," Robert said, running after Brian. Lee followed. Edward took a more direct tact, apparating on top of the cliff that the cave was carved into. He managed to use a spell to loosen a great deal of rock. He was ready to start a cave in at a second's notice.

Michael simply walked out of the cave, carrying a limp Khaat. That was all Brian could see in the moonlight. That, and enough werewolf sentries to overtake Diagon Alley descending towards Michael, all ready to rip him and Khaat to shreds.

"Not on my watch!" Brian bellowed, lighting his wand deliberately. "Over here, you stupid cows!" The werewolves howled in rage and dashed towards him.

"Oh, what have you done?" Robert groaned, knowing Brian didn't have the ability to protect himself against that many.

"Can you move?" Brian asked Michael.

"Am I dead yet?" Michael scowled.

"Not yet," Brian said. "Is she?"

"Then I can move," Michael replied as one of Lee's men arrived, following Lee's orders. "Does she look dead?"

"Actually, yes," Brian said. Michael shot him a foul look.

"Allow me," the auror said, apparating Michael and Khaat away.

"Feel free to kill them all," Lee ordered loudly.

"You've got your hostages out," Lee said. "Go. There's too much fire to go down into the caves tonight. I don't know how many werewolves got away, but we can't worry about that right now. Pair up with one of my men and they'll take you to our base in these parts."

When Brian and Robert got there with Lee, they found themselves in a windowless, ultra modern facility.

"Where the hell are we?" Robert asked Lee.

"Underground secret military base," Lee said, as a uniformed soldier pointed Lee to a corridor off to his left. Lee nodded, seeming to already know where he was going. He led them down a hallway through some steel double doors into a very modern medical clinic.

"You're in our wizarding sickbay. We do not use muggle means here. My men would have brought Michael and Khaat here," Lee said. "Give me a minute and I'll find them. Your qualifications as healers supercede ours, Robert. We'll certainly extend you privileges here for you family."

"Thank you," Robert said, grateful. "I presume that goes for my staff."

"Yes. It does," Lee said. A woman approached. "Celeste," Lee addressed her. "This is Robert Lupin, the British Minister of Magic, and his staff. Robert--my assistant--Celeste Andrews. We'll see to some quarters for your use and anything you want. Let me check on Michael and Khaat."

"Good evening, Minister," Celeste said in a professional tone. "I'll be happy to serve you and your staff in any way I can.

"Oh, go to hell!" Michael's voice rose sharply from a short ways away.

"I think I can find him for myself," Robert said, walking from Lee into the next room, which was merely a large open ward with beds separated by curtains. He found Michael in the last room on the right. Robert sized up the nurse quickly as a muggle who was accustomed to muggle means, and it irked Michael to no end. "May I?" Robert asked quietly. He purposely moved between her and Michael. Robert saw not only the reopened stab wounds but more bleeding wounds than Michael had had before.He was bleeding in many, many places, and he was thinner and very tired. Michael was so badly bruised he was more black and blue than not. Robert recognized it well. Michael had been tortured. Michael's irritation was more than normal, given what Robert was seeing. "Give 'em hell, did you?" Robert asked, starting to check him.

"Where'd they take Khaat?" Michael demanded. "They dont' have a right to..."

"Gently," Robert soothed his friend. "I'll find her. I promise. You happen to be the squeaky wheel at the moment..."

"I can't leave her. You don't understand..." Michael began. Robert soothed him with a bit of a calming spell without Michael's knowledge.

"I do understand," Robert said quietly and gently. "I understand very well. I give you my word. I'll find her. Rest."

Meanwhile, Brian had found Khaat in the second bed on the left--almost at the other end of the room from Michael. She had been placed on the bed and left. She seemed to be unconscious. She was battered and bruised. She didnt look much different from Michael, except that on her smaller form, it took a bigger toll. He'd seen this before. Someone had done their very best to break her spirit. Whether they'd managed it, Brian could not tell.

Robert watched his team move into place with precision and experience. The Americans who were coming to assist had to give them place. Robert knew his own team would not be moved. The American wizard healers simply began providing medical equipment to them. Robert noticed them setting out potions, bandages, ointments, soap and water...and a white plastic stick in a cellophane wrapper.

"What the hell is that?" Robert scowled, not knowing what the stupid plastic stick was for.

"Disposable wands," the nurse looked at him, acting as if Robert were the stupid one.

"Seriously--what is it?" Robert asked.

"Disposable wands," she repeated. "Certainly you don't use your own dirty, filthy wand in a sterile environment." Robert drew his own beautiful, hand carved wooden, wand with its shimmering jeweled handle.

"You cannot possibly tell me that those plastic sticks will outdo my own wand," he said, annoyed.

"Well, no, they are a bit limited, but, they're by far cleaner, and..."

"Oh, nonsense," Robert huffed. "Take it away. Disposable wands, my eye. It doesn't have much more power than a drinking straw. Our chocolate frogs have higher spell capacity. You can't possibly...." A revelation caught him. "Thats why you had the muggle nurse, isn't it? Your magic skills aren't much more powerful than muggle skills. Where do your patients go? This sickbay is triage. Where do you transfer them to?"

"There is a perfectly adequate Naval Hospital within a short drive from here, and...."

"So you patch them up with your little drinking straws and transfer them to muggles to take care of."

"Well, do you think you can do better?" she was snippy with him now.

"Watch and learn," he said firmly.

"I'm a guinea pig again, aren't I?" Michael sighed.

"Temporarily. My apologies," Robert replied. He laid his hand on Michael's forehead and began to work, and as he did, he began to dictate to Jess his diagnoses and the areas that would need attending, knowing Jess took meticulous notes.

In Khaat's cubicle, Brian had been provided the same supplies that Robert had. He too didn't understand the little plastic stick wrapped in clear plastic. He went to pick it up, and the stick broke in his hand. Brian heard a soft sound from the stick as the tiny bit of magic in it left the stick. "Toys? You bring me toy wands?" he huffed. He drew his own wand. One of the wizard healers was about to go through the same explanation with Brian, but Brian waved them away from him. He didn't want to hear it. "Get away from me," Brian said quietly, irked, trusting that Jack would handle any further annoyances.