Marriage is Murder

Steven watched as Cassidy picked up a holster and strapped it around her waist and leg he accioed his own gun a stainless Beretta 92. He strapped it on and stood with Cassidy his steadson floating to his hand as he slipped it on much to Cassidy, jack and Jess's amusment. Steven just rolled his eyes.


"you won't be doing that when the hot sun's on your head" he said and tipped his hat to her. Cassidy chuckled again but ran her finger over the brim.


" ow it suits you." she said " just don't let the kids see you they will want one" she smiled at him as he nodded.

" we're ready Robert" he said smiling at Cassidy as he eyed her gun strapped to ehr thigh, leaning down he tied the strap making sure it was tight as he as did his own.

Once they'd ported to the beautiful courtyard of Michael's Moroccan villa, Michael looked at them all, "Meet me outside that door..." he pointed to the door to their left, "in two minutes. Don't be an instant late." He left quickly.

Robert knew exactly what Michael was up to, and he said nothing. He motioned the others to the door Michael had just gone out of. He went to the door and flattened himself against the doorway, opening the door just a crack to peer outside.

The moment Robert saw Michael pulling the enormous white SUV out into the street, Robert motioned to them all.

"Move, move, move," Robert ordered, running for the vehicle. He slid into the passenger seat in the front beside Michael. Edward slipped quickly into one of the back seats, wasting no time. Edward was looking to see if anyone was spotting them, but he saw no one.

Steven and Cassidy followed Robert on hearing Micahels order he nodded grasping Cassidy's hand moving with her he staid behind Robert hearing him say for them to go he ran pulling cassidy with him but was suprised when she over took him and slid in behind Robert and Micahel before he did. "Ok were in" Steven said shutting the door behind him as he felt Michael drive off down the road " so what was that all about?" he asked as he strapped into the back of the SUV.


Cassidy sat looking out the window at the scenery around them both " so is this the way they would have gone?" she asked just wondering in her mind as she scanned the rolling hills and feilds.

"Didn't you figure it out?" Edward frowned at them. "This isn't Michael's car. It's 'borrowed.'"

"We'll bring it back," Michael shrugged. "Its not a big deal."

"Just don't get caught, Michael," Robert said.

"I won't, if you all dont' do anything stupid," Michael said, wasting no time. "There are only as many directions as there are compass points," Michael said, "I'm just making a calculated guess. I found a photo album in the caretakers bedroom. There were a great many photos in the territory to the north. There is some fine dining in the next village. Small, expensive, quiet places, and there are some lovely views after dark that overlook the countryside. A number of photos of the landscape. It makes sense to me that Brian would have asked the caretaker for a dining idea and that the caretaker might have suggested one of his personal favorites."

"Makes sense," Robert said.

"And there is a receipt in Brian's bag. He bought two designer original Moroccan caftans for a woman. One is white with pearls and the other is indigo blue and set with moonstones. The white one is in their room and appears to have been worn once. The blue one isn't in the room. My guess is that they went to dinner and never returned. Unless you all have better ideas," Michael said.

Steven and Cassidy looked at each other and chuckled knowing they should have known. they listened to Michael and steven nodded. "Sounds a plausable plan." he said looking out the window on his side m ing sure he didn't miss anything but he saw little as they sped down the road to the village michael thought they had gone to. Both Cassidy and steven sat quietly looking out for any signs of what could have happened to them.

Cassidy sat with her nose pressed against the glass as she glanced behind them as she thought a car was following them but it pulled off onto a side road its headlights dimming as he drove off away from them.

They had driven for over an hour when Robert pointed to skid marks in the other lane, skid marks that drifted over an embankment, breaking a guardrail and going down into a steep rocky ravine.

"There," Robert said, pointing. "Stop the car. I need to know."

Michael didn't even want to consider that the luxury black sedan that usually was in the garage was now perhaps at the bottom of the ravine. He pulled the car across the road and parked it facing the wrong direction. Robert had leaped out of the car before Michael had even brought it to a stop.

"Robert, wait," Edward said, getting out as quickly as he could. He didn't want Robert perhaps finding his family at the bottom. But Edward wasn't moving as quickly as Robert was. Robert had looked down into the ravine and was already running down the hill to the bottom.

Michael got out of the car and looked off the edge of the road. Deep at the bottom was the wreckage of a black car.

"Robert, wait!" Michael said, fearing Robert would fall down the treacherously steep bank. Robert wasn't listening. "Hiss! Go! Give us a line down!" The rope slithered quickly out of Michael's pack and anchored around the broken guardrail and dropped a long line down the bank. Michael laid out climbing clips next to the rope, clipped on a climbing clip and rapelled to the bottom.

Steven when the car stopped jumped out he too grasped the rope and reapelled down behind Michael Cassidy stayed at the top as look out. Steven found his footing by the car and waitied for Michael to tell him if it was them or not and wether they could be moved to safty. Steven caught Robert's medica bag that he had grabbed from the car as he had left.


Casidy had seen a large flash light and reatched in taking it she ficked on the switch that imuminated the car for them so they could see better. "that better?" she called down. She was not sure why the guy who had the car had such a powerful lamp in the boot of his car but who wasshe to complain.

"Better," Michael called to Cassidy, glad for the light.

Robert began calling for Khaat and Brian. He listened closely. Michael had let go of the rope but the rope, ever helpful, slapped Michael across his cheek. Michael glared unhappily at the rope, but the rope was pointing off into the distance.

"Robert! At your ten o'clock! Hiss hears something!" Michael called. Robert perked up and looked. He saw, though the brush a large section of the car that had rolled through the trees and over the rocks. Michael held his breath as Robert risked his life to try to run through the brush and over the rocks, calling for Khaat and Brian. Then he recognized a voice, a muffled voice. It was Brian's.

"Brian!" he called back. "I've got Brian! Over here!" he said

Steven moved lower on the rope and then let go moving to Roberts side "Here your bag, you left it." He said handing it to him and kneeling down beside Brian. " I'll look around for Khaat shes not inside " he said having looked on his way past the wreakage to give him the bag as ohe passed by. Steven moved away from the car and looked around he saw no sign of any one else and ws about to head back when something caught his eye it was a bead from a shawl glinting in the light.


Steven moved over to it he ws about to bend down and pick it up when his foot slipped, down into a hole." Robert over here" he shouted as he took out his wand he glanced around as he spoke " luminos" he said and the tip grew bright.

Edward and Michael scrambled towards where Steven had shouted from.  They looked to see that Steven was on the edge of a deep pit. Michael could already see the telltale glimmer of gemstones from deep within the darkness.  

"Hiss," Michael said.  "Get me down there. Nice work, Steven. "  The rope fastened itself around a tree, and Michael rapelled down the rope into the pit. He lit his wand and saw her lying on the floor of the pit.  

"I've got her!" he called back, hurrying to her to see if she was conscious.  He knelt beside her and found he was semi conscious. "Khaat," he called, brushing the hair from her face.  "Sweetheart. Can you hear me?"

"No more," she said in a dazed whimper. "No more. Please..." Michael immediately knew she was in a huge amount of pain and had been for a long time.  She was definitely hurt.  

"Where do you hurt?" he asked. "Is it your shoulder again?" She nodded. "Do you hurt anywhere else?"

"Make it stop," she whimpered. In the wandlight, he could see that this was definitely going to need Robert's expertise.  

In the wreckage of the car, Robert had rooted around enough that he had found Brian--under the car.  Brian was pinned from his chest down. He was conscious, and frantic--worried about Khaat and the caretaker.  

"Are you hurt?" he asked him.  

"Get me out," Brian said, desperate. "I need out of here. I have to find her. Get me out."  

"Calm yourself," Robert said, touching his forehead and casting a calming spell. "I'm not leaving without both of you. We'll find her. Steven, Michael! We need to get this off! Its going to take more than one of us!  Let's go!"

"Michael," Edward said. "Let me do what little I can do here to make her comfortable. I can do that. You go two help Robert."