Disclaimer in Chapter 1

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Jean-Marc agreed to help Willow and Xander check out the crime scene.  He would be the Wicca's secondary on a concealing spell, seeing as she wasn't sure she could do it on her own.  That fact puzzled the man but he chose not to comment.  He had noticed how her companion had tensed almost imperceptivity at the mention of performing a spell.  But he had relaxed when she asked for Jean-Marc's assistance.

When they arrived at the docks the police were still removing the last of the bodies.  They parked a fair distance away attempting to remain unnoticed.  As they walked toward the freighter Willow and Jean-Marc began the spell.  I would render the three invisible to the police.

They entered the crime scene without notice.

Horatio was already on the scene with Eric when Xander, Willow and Jean-Marc brushed past them unseen.  Tim and Calleigh were just pulling up in one of the hummers.  Horatio wanted the team on hand to supervise the removal of the final bodies.  With a crime scene as large as the one they were dealing with he wanted to make sure nothing was overlooked.

"Where do you want us H?" Tim asked.

"Speed you check out the cargo hold and see if we've missed anything.  Calleigh go over the crew's quarters again.  Eric and I will work the deck."

"Gotcha," Speed said before heading to his assignment.

"If I was a magical sword, where would I hide?" Xander mused as they began their search of the cargo hold.  They needed to make sure no one had taken the sword.  Xander found a crowbar and began prying open crates while Willow held a flashlight.  "Are we sure about doing it this way?" she asked, slightly nervous.

"Well unless you and Jean-Marc can use the hocus pocus to find it. . ."

Tim was sure he heard voices as he approached the cargo hold.  No one should have been down there.  He drew his gun and cautiously approached the doorway.

Willow froze.  "I think I heard someone," she whispered.  Xander carefully place the crowbar on top of a crate and turned toward the door.  Willow turned off the flashlight.

Speed turned on the flashlight he was carrying as he peered into the dim room.  He didn't see anyone, but that didn't mean anything.  "Miami-Dade police.  Show yourselves," Tim announced as he edged into the doorway.

Willow and Jean-Marc were frozen in place, but Xander had a smirk on his face.  Willow knew him all too well.  She reached her arm out, attempting to hold him in place.  But it was too late.  Xander was tip-toeing toward the officer.

Tim strained to hear anything, but it was silent.  Nothing in the room moved.

Xander finally stopped within inches of the armed man.  He started waving his arms around and making strange faces.

Willow was glad he didn't give in to the urge to start the ghostly moaning.

Xander stopped playing and stepped aside as the CSI moved farther into the room.

Tim didn't realize he was walking past Xander, just inches from him.  Nor did he know when Willow and Jean-Marc slid by him – each on either side.  The trio moved into the corridor and left Speed to check out the room.  They hurried to the ship's deck, so they could get out of there and form a plan.

"I think I saw the sword in the last crate we were able to check," Xander whispered.

"We have to figure how to get back there and take it," Willow explained in a hushed tone.

They all stopped and fell silent as they watched three more bodies being removed from the ship on stretchers.  Xander and Willow were focused on one of the bodies as it was loaded into the medical examiner's van.  There was a thin trail of smoke rolling out of the body bag.

"Fuck it!" Xander hissed.  "Just when I thought our day couldn't get anymore fun."

TBC …