Marriage is Murder

Michael had seen that Khaat's seer's skills were returning quickly but her memories weren't catching up with her. He went over to her.

"We'll bring him back," he told her softly. "I give you my word." He kissed her forehead. "You father will be back as son as he can. Be patient. We think we know who took him and where he is. This guy believes he's smarter than he usually is. It'll be alright. We'll be back." He went back to the others.

"Let's go." He ported them to Paris, but his portkey went to the organization. They would have to apparate from there. "You remember how to get to Gelding's estate from here?" he asked. "If I were you, I'd hide in the woods across the street and not try to get onto the grounds until we've looked that over well. Gelding's been away for awhile because of Robert. Gelding has to know we'll be coming. I refuse to let us walk into a trap."

Jess smiled at Michael and then to Khaat " we all know he will be back soon" she said softly watching as they left. Jack moved quickly crouching in the forest Steven along side him as they waited both had drawn their wands Jack's eyes now fixed on the guard house he saw in the distance but he saw no movement. he sniffed the air.

" I smell him Michael, hes definitely in there but its faint like its being blocked or weakened " he said softly as he look at Michael Steven gripped his wand tighter.

" How do we look over that wall?" Steven asked seeing the high stone wall in front of them.

"You don't," Michael said. "I do. Look over there at the far corner. Not the closest corner on the right--look to the back corner on the right. See there is a streetlight and several bikes. Blow out the streetlights and knock over the bikes. Do it in a way that will alert Gelding's security but without alerting the muggles. I'm going over to the closest left corner. I'll see if we can get in, but I don't want to be spotted. If I signal you, amp up what you do on that far corner so we can get onto the grounds. We'll have to be very quick and silent. The front of the house opens onto the other street, so there should be an entrance to the wine cellar on the outside of the house in order to get the grapes downstairs .

"Wait," he frowned. "Look, the Eiffel Tower is that way." He pointed off to the right. He's going to be on that side of the building when we get into the wine cellar--close enough to be next to an outer wall. That will help. He'll be guarded, so be ready to get rid of them. We have to do this as quickly and silently as possible."

He pointed to where he wanted them to cast their spells, and then he slipped across the street and down to the closest corner of the estate on his left and waited for Jack and Steven to draw the attention of the outside security. He expected that some of the guards would race over to see what was going on. He also suspected that there might be a couple that might come to see what was going on, on this side of the estate, but the numbers would be far smaller and easier to manage. And he doubted they'd think about the rear diagonal corner. They'd think about the corner most immediately opposite them.

Jack and Steven moved quickly pausing as Jack fired a bolt that blew out the bulbs in the street lights as Steven knocked over the bikes making the clatter to the ground. Both men dove out of sight and moved to meet up with Michael again " done " Jack said softly but he stopped and held up his hand as a guard rounded the corner grasping him around his mouth to silence him Jack knocked him out cold and tied him up placing him in a broom closet out of sight . " all clear" he whispered "you said the cellar" he said and pointed to a locked door " that could be the way down" he looked at Michael " or is it too obvious?" Steven watched their backs as he looked around the area.

"No, Michael said. "That's a back door. We're looking for an outside cellar door. He scanned the outside of the building and saw the small ramplike shape covered with snow. "There. That's what we want. Those doors raise up and open and lead us right down into the cellar. I can open them, but you two need to go in first and be prepared to get rid of at least two guards. I'll work on getting Brian out, if you two just keep me covered. If he can't walk, Jack, you'll have to carry him, but if he can still walk, we're getting the hell out of there fast. I presume that works for you both."

Michael went over to the snow covered basement doors and used his wand to blow the snow off of the center where the handles to lift the doors had been chained and locked with a huge heavy padlock. Michael shook his head. Amateurs. He merely snapped his fingers at the simple muggle lock, and it yielded to him and opened. He slid the padlock silently out from the chains. Hiss thread his way through the chain and slid it off the opening of the door and then returned to Michael. Michael motioned Jack to take one side and Steven on the other. He didn't want either of them standing in front of the doors when they were flung open. Michael himself flattened himself against the wall of the house.

When he saw Jack and Steven were in place. Michael fired a spell at the doors to fling them wide open, snow and chains scattering assunder, providing an additional moment of cover for Jack and Steven. Michael was prepared to follow them right at their heels when they got the guards out of the way.

Jack looked embarrassed and chuckled " ow right and sure" he said noting the doors Michael brushed the snow off " no wonder I didn't see them" he said and saw Stevens look and shook his head " I don't need glasses" he said " it was covered in snow" he moved over to the door and with Steven entered two men ran at him and he grabbed one hitting him out cold as Steven took care of the second dragging him to a cupboard and locking him inside it Jack just dropped his man in a corner and waited for Michael." all clear" he said .

Michael ran downstairs and lit his wand, and began scanning the rooms on his right, looking for Brian. In the room halfway down the hallway, he saw Brian. Brian was frantically chipping away at the mortar around the bars in the cellar window and had not been able to hear anyone enter.

"Brian!" Michael called. Brian snapped around and looked to see Michael's face through the window in the wooden door. Michael had the door open before Brian could even get his mind wrapped around the fact that Michael was really there.

"How did you find me?" Brian frowned.

"Can we discuss that later? Get your happy little ass out of there," Michael said. Brian did as he was told. Michael saw that Brian was bloodied and bruises in several places. "Did you lose?" Michael asked him.

"No, actually, I sorta won that one," Brian grinned. "Is Khaat alright?"

"FIne. Let's go, Boys!" Michael called. "I think our portkeys to Venice should work here."

"My wand. My keys," Brian called.

"Accio!" Michael called for them. Brian's belongings snapped to Michael's hand, and then Michael looked at Steven and Jack. "Your portkeys to Venice. We're going out easier than we came in."

Jack and Steven took out their port keys both smiling now that Brian was safe with them again " I know some one who will be happy to see you mate" he said and stopped he could hear feet running in their direction " crap there coming we'd better move it" he told Michael as Steven ported out first. He waited for Michael and Brian to port out before he left waving as the two men ran on just in time to see him leave. Appearing in the hotel he walked over to Jess and kissed her cheek she just smiled at him and continued to walk to the balcony leaving Brian with Robert and Khaat knowing they needed time alone.

"My magic is gone," Brian said.

"Temporarily bound, no doubt," Michael said, wrapping his arm under Brian's shoulder. They apparated back to the hotel suite. Robert was glad to see them all arriving back. When Michael arrived back with Brian, Robert went to them quickly.

"You really do need to stop hitting them with your face, Boy," Robert laughed, Michael acciod'd a towel and put it against the back of Brian's head. "You really are quite a mess, aren't you?" Robert scowled. "Let's get him into the bathroom and clean him up." He checked him very briefly. "Jess, tell Khaat. Its minor--well, minor for him. Tell her he's alright. She needs to know that they're both safe." Michael and Robert took Brian to the bathroom because he was such a bloody mess.

Jess nodded and walked to the bed room siting next to her she smiled an signed to her " they found him, hes ok, just a minor wound, but hes ok, Roberts cleaning him up now." she said and smiled to her " he'll be through in a moment." she said and hoped he would she could sense the anticipation in Khaat as she held her hand in her own. Jack walked in and stood by the door smiling.

" hes ok, bit miffed but hes ok" he told her also smiling at her hoping to settle her nerves as Steven walked over " why did they want him?" he asked " and you know he will be out for revenge"