Piper looked at the crystal in surprise. She was surprised at how long it had taken for them to even get anything on Phoebe, but now that it had it was more vague then before.
"Ok what the hell is that?" Prue, "It is suppose to stop where she is, not flat beside the country name."
"I don't know, Phoebe is the experts in this."
"Something isn't right. I mean first look at how long it took, then it just lies there pointing at the middle of the map at the word Canada."
Piper didn't know what else to do. Prue was right. It had taken to long and it had never just lain like that. It always stood straight up to where they needed to go.
"Maybe you're right, but maybe not. I don't think we did anything wrong." Piper thought as she started towards the BOS.
Prue watched over as Piper started to flip through the pages, "What are you thinking?"
"Maybe it's demon related. Maybe a demon cast a spell or something and is blocking our magic."
"Ok I thought we gave up on the demon theory?" Prue asked as she tried to follow Pipers train of thought.
"We did. Until I found that blouse with blood on it and we both know that that rip was not a rip, it was to clean."
"Like a knife." Prue added quietly.
"Like a knife." Piper agreed as she turned another page. "Maybe it was more then a knife, maybe it was the demon she was fighting maybe he did something to her."
"Or to the knife." Prue finished, seeing what the train of thought was Piper was thinking.
"Exactly. Maybe who ever it was that attacked her had a potion or something on the knife and its effecting our ability to track or find her."
Prue stepped away from Piper and tried to piece everything together. "Maybe it's not just our magic it's stopping."
"Ok lost me now." Piper looked up from the book
"You picked up on it first. Phoebe was not herself the last few times she called. Like she was sick." Prue started as she paced the attic. "Phoebe has ALWAYS been able to hide that from us. I mean she would be sick for days before we ever figured it out."
"Yeah, one more thing we didn't know about her." Piper mumbled to herself.
"Maybe what ever it was is making her sick or blocking her magic somehow and the side effect is her sick. I don't know. But she was not feeling good I could tell."
"And now she is in Canada dressed for California." Piper put in as she saw the concern in Prues face and heard it in her voice. Their sister was in serious trouble.
&-&-&
"Any body home? The door was open." Andy closed the door and started through the house. He had been in it more then his own when he had been growing up. But now he was there on business; and not very good business either.
"Andy. Hi."
"Prue. I just came by to see how you two were holding up." He stepped towards her; "The door was open."
"Yeah we just came in. Anything?" she wanted answers. If Andy didn't have anything new then her and Piper would have to figure out everything on their own.
"Maybe. But." He wasn't sure how to go about what he had to say. Phoebe was like a baby sister to him as well. The conversation they had growing up came to his memory. How she had really gotten him to realize his feeling for her sister. And the times she had come to him when she got in a fight with Prue.
"Andy?" Piper came down the last few stairs and heard the hesitation in their friends' voice.
"Maybe we should sit down." He guided them to the living room as he felt his heart ache as they sat down. "I got a call from an old friend. I started with him at the academy. He wasn't going to make it through and he knew it. So he left after the first year. But we always kept in touch. Once we had the description of the van we sent it out everywhere. Along with her picture."
"So you found her?" Piper asked hoping.
"Not really. We have a good idea where they went. And leaving behind a carnage of other hits similar to the one here."
"Andy. Get to the point. Where is Phoebe?" Prue felt her anger rising with her concern for her baby sister
"My friend works for customs, at the US/Canada border. A van matching the description crossed their crossing yesterday, late. He hadn't even had a chance to get the information out to everyone. But when he finally did one of the other guys working for him recognized Phoebes picture."
"So why are we waiting here and not going up there to find her?"
"Because Prue, he works at a remote crossing. Finding her up there would be nearly impossible to cover all the ground."
"So what, we wait here until what? She turns up dead?" Piper voicing her own concerns.
"No, the RCMP have already started a search, but I don't want you two to get your hopes up. Those three guys are bad news. They have left bodies all up the coast and some here before the kidnapping. It appears that robbing convenience stores is not their only line of work. We got a picture from the customs office in Canada. The oldest son has a rap sheet that would circle the world enough to stop global warming." he took in each of their faces. "Most of them are assault and rape." He couldn't put it to them any clearer or softer. They had a right to know. "I'm sorry."
Argon couldn't believe what was going on. He had idiots all around him that couldn't take care of a simple witch with no active power.
"We found her. It seems some of our counterparts of mortal evil have taken her."
"Mortals. No matter how bad they seem are never are bad as they have the potential to be."
"These one do. They have been on the underworld list for some time. And are prime candidates for after life evil."
"Just tell me where she is, so I can kill her myself as you idiots can't seem to get the job done."
He glared at his minion as he felt the tug with his own power. It wasn't strong, but it was start for him to find her own his own. Concentrating on the witch he seeked, he smiled in victory as he blinked from existence. Knowing victory would soon be his.
"Yes Li Yu. You will be pleased. I believe she is exactly what you are looking for." Mr. Danielson listened to the other end of the conversation.
The man from overseas had always creeped even him out. For all his life experience he couldn't even begin to understand or want to understand the man he had been dealing with for the last ten years or more. All he did was deliver him the goods now and then when something of prime value came across his way, and this was one of those times. He knew Li Yu would be out his direction on business in Vancouver. What better way to deliver him some new merchandise?
"I guarantee you will be happy. And I promise she will not be harmed." He almost nodded as if the man was in front of him but what he was hearing he didn't like and he knew Dom wouldn't either; he had promised him a bonus.
"I understand though I had promised." He was cut off. "I understand Mr. Li Yu. No one. Yes I will see you in a few days." The conversation ending Mr. Danielson took in a deep breath. Dom had been with him for as long as he could remember. Growing up together in the ghettos of Chicago and moving around finally ending up in the rich forests of Canada's most western province.
Taking as they needed and killing for more. He was a professional and Dom had served him well over time. And he knew this was something his friend would not like at all.
Making his way through the large log cabin he tried to piece together the words that would make his friend understand.
&-&-&
Phoebe felt his eyes leering at her as she pushed herself to the other side to the bed. She felt drained physically and emotionally. She had started this game with her sisters and now look where it got her.
"Oh the fringe benefits of any job. But mine are always prime." Dom watched as she slowly tried to get as much distance from him. "You know I love the thrill of the chase. The one outside and now in here. Makes my heart almost tremble." He slid his sports jacket off his shoulder and tossed it on the nearest chair. "Don't make this too hard now will ya. I ain't suppose to leave to many marks. Mr. Li Yu gets upset when I do."
Phoebe stepped over the side of the bed never taking her eyes off of him. But she waited for her chance to get away from him and everyone else. All she wanted was to get back to her sisters.
She eyed him carefully as he moved around the bed not letting her get to far away.
"Come on honey I promise to be gentle. More so then that slob Sven would have been. You should thank me. I took care of him just for you."
Phoebe stepped back. She knew he almost had her pinned against the wall. But she wasn't going to give in that easily. Before he could say another word she found her inner strength and lunged out at him. She had only recently started to take self-defense classes, another thing her sisters didn't know about her. But she hoped the few classes she had taken would come in handy. That and what she had learned growing up with Prue and in NYC.
Her gamble paid off at first, but the second strike he got the upper hand. She felt the fist to her ribs as she bent over in pain. His words of warning lost on her as she tried to get her breath back.
She wasn't going to give up as easily as he hoped as she lunged at him again with her full body. Tackling him to the ground.
Each one rolling and jostling for the upper hand when the first shot went off from his gun. Followed soon after by another.
Staggering up and seeing the blood of the other as they stood there ready to attack again, the trigger was pulled a third time followed by the fourth and fifth and finally a sixth. Watching as the body dropped to the floor they tumbling towards the closed door knowing what would happen next. Opening the door and leaving a blood trail behind for anyone to see.
