Marriage is Murder

"Just get Brian back," Michael said. "Quietly. As quietly as you can. Khaat, where were you, specifically?"

"Behind the Leaky," she said. "We were going to go out through the Leaky and go finish the errand we started. It wasn't supposed to take us more than a few minutes, and then we were coming home--together..."

"They'll find him," Marcus said, reassuring her.

"And what if they can't! What if..." she began.

"We are not going to leave him behind," Edward said. "We are not going to come back here and sunbathe on the beach while he's missing. We'll find him." He turned to Jack and Steven. "How about one of you go to the estate and find Escobar? I'll go with the other one to the alley behind the Leaky, and we'll look for clues."

"If this safehouse has been compromised," Michael said, "You let us know immediately so we can leave. We'll let you know where Robert moves us to, if that should happen."

"I know my job," Edward said. "We are not going to willingly compromise anything." He looked at Jack and Steven. "Who's going to find Escobar, then?"

Jack looked at Steven and Steven nodded " I'll go to the estate Jack goes to the Leaky hes better at scents as I am tracking animal tracks" he said and Jack nodded moving to where Edward now stood

"Stealth and with out being seen I know" he said smiling as he waited for Edward to be ready. He saw Steven grab his jacket and slip it on.

"Okay be right back " he said and ported back to the estate leaving Jack and Edward still in the living room.

"I'm ready when you are Edward " he said and looked to Khaat " we never leave a man behind." he told her.

"Alright," Edward said, agreeing they weren't going to leave Brian behind--not if they could find him. "To Diagon Alley, then. Khaat, if Escobar has left England, how do I find him?"

"He'll come," she said. "He'll know. He's got some sort of seers' skills. I don't know how he knows, but he'll know. If he's left England, he'll find you."

"You're sure you didn't see this werewolf?"

"Just a glance. It was a male. A sort of a big male."

"We'll do what we can," Edward said. Robert nodded. He wanted Brian home. Edward drew his wand and his port key for Diagon Alley. "Let's go." He activated the port key and headed for Diagon Alley.

Jack stayed with Edward as they ported to diagon alley is wand was out and ready " so where first "he asked and looked around but sniffed the air " difficult to get anything now its all mixed " he told him and moved in a circle trying to get a bearing on Brian " this way its faint but this way." He said pointing to their right as he then waited for Edward to confirm or so signs of him going another way he would wait knowing listening and being part of a team was better than going out alone.

Steven moved around the grounds of the estate as he looked for Escobar "ESCOBAR!!" he called out "WE NEED YOUR HELP" he looked up in the trees and the sky hoping to see the black form of the vampire appear.

"Not so fast," Edward said to Jack. "There's a mix of clues here." He was looking in the opposite direction from Jack and saw some footprints in the slush--footprints from Brian's tennis shoes. Brian had apparently tried to go the other direction. "If the werewolf went that way, and Brian went the other way, then perhaps he got away. Odd."

Escobar came calmly walking out of the trees in the melting March snow, wearing his long charcoal grey winter cloak, with his hands shoved in his pants pockets.

"Lord, you're noisy," he scowled. "I am undead. Not dead. I'm also, mostly, bat. In other words, I have quite keen hearing. Bellowing is not required.

"However," he continued. "I heard Khaat's SOS a few moments ago. She is in quite a panic, isn't she? So what is it this time? James again? He's annoying as hell. I need to just kill him and get it overwith.

Jack paused and looked where Edward was looking and frowned " yes its confusing and sorry I get kinda anxious at these things I should slow down " he said and took a long deep breath in as mich as the scents made him want to sneeze.

Steven looked up and breathed out " sorry didn't know now I do I'll just shout softly, um yes we think so but shes not sure it was a large were she saw but she can't say if it was him or not , Brian's missing too , Jack and Edward went to see if they could find him" he told Escobar. " has it been quiet here?" he asked hoping it had.

"Let's not get off on the wrong trail," Edward said. "Or we'll be chasing the wrong werewolf. There as more than one here but I don't know when. There's different footprints, some different colors of fur." He picked up a few tufts of fur of different colors. "And...here's blood. Fresh. Still warm. Not a lot, but somebody got hurt."

"Things have been quiet," Escobar said. "Until now. So, we're hunting a werewolf and rescuing Khaat's groom. I'm always up for a good monster hunt. Two questions. Where are we starting, and can I kill him when I find him?"

Jack was now glad he had stopped himself and nodded " I agree" he said looking at the blood well if I'm right the drops point that way, they have a tail that points the way it was moving with it fell right?" he asked noting they pointed towards deeper into the alley and he looked back to Edward " anything else , we know he had to have left under his own steam no drag marks and the blood says hes hurt" he said as if reviewing what they had found.

Steven sighed and nodded " Diagon alley and I'm not the one to ask " he said and looked at Escobar " I personally if you were asking me I would say yes be my guest" he told him feeling much like himself as he had begun to hate weres but not Jack.

"Let's go, then," Escobar said. He drew his wand and his portkey and ported to Diagon Alley.

"Well, the good thing in it," Edward said, "that if they're still moving, so was, presumably the wounded person. And since there are no bodies, I refuse to presume Brian is dead."

Escobar found his way to Edward and Jack. "Do please keep from presuming anyone is dead with that little bit of blood. Let me see it. If there's anyone here who knows blood, it would be the vampire, would it not?" He went over and examined the blood and tasted it. "Very fresh. Very male. Human. Werewolf is disgusting, actually. It's not from a deep vein. There's not enough oxygen to it."

He started following the trail. "He's running. "I don't know if he's running from the werewolf or running to chase him. Its hard to tell." He kept following the trail and then quickly stopped and doubled back.

"Definitely Brian. Look. The blood trail doubles back. And...goes...where does it go?" He looked closer, looking to find where the trail suddenly disappeared to.

"Here," Edward said, pointing to the top of a fence.

"What?" Escobar frowned. "What self respecting wizard jumps a fence when he can apparate?"

"One who's running," Edward said dryly. Escobar rolled his eyes at Edward.

Jack watched Escobar move and talk taking in his words and experience as he followed him down the alley as he followed him. He saw the fence and as much as he wanted to jump it he held himself and spoke " we can't go over because don't know what or whose on the other side, and we don't want to jump into a fight we don't need Right? " He said looking to Edward to confirm or correct him now he felt a little like a rookie on his first day out but he knew he as relearning new skills as a human and part of a team, something he he truly wanted to do. Steven smiled and looked at Edward.

" hes learning , slowly but hes learning" he said and smiled at Jack then looked at the fence " so now what Escobar can you fly over and check it out?" he asked