The sea was beautiful. The most beautiful blue that could be imagined. That was the impression at first sight. The Côte d’Azur certainly deserved its reputation, as long as you viewed the coast and the Mediterranean from your own private terrace with a pool, a tennis court and a sauna. The house wasn’t as massive as Swanfleet Hall but what it lacked in sheer size it made up for in beauty.
The week before Louisa had arranged to travel to the villa, Pimlico Security in Paris had sent a team to secure the area. The permanent house staff had their own apartments hidden next to the villa. Anyone staying there would not have been aware of the staff inside the house, or the security team outside in the grounds or patrolling the neighbourhood. Nearly every house for kilometres around had security of some sort.
The guests decided that they would not leave if they could help it. Graham and Louisa had married in a small ceremony with close family and a few friends in the old church in Surbiton. This was the kind of honeymoon they could never have dreamt of before.
“Graham, are you happy with just sitting on the terrace reading? Andre tells me that we have the use of a large cruiser moored down in Nice, we could go for a day cruise if you like.”
“Louisa, just being here is what I need. I never felt it before, since coming here I can feel old injuries being closed up and I’m recovering from stuff that I never admitted was hurting. Next week, some cruising would be great.”
The week passed, “Leo messaged me that he has to attend a reception for Imperial College tonight. He’s not looking forward to it.”
“That’s tough isn’t it. All those people hanging around him, telling him what a wonderful citizen he is. You will have to make sure he gets a swelled head deflator for his next birthday.” Graham could deliver some pithy remarks when he felt they were called for.
Supper was excellent, as usual. Louisa and Graham took their customary stroll along the terrace to admire the sweep of lights along the coast.
Alarms sounded from the house and the security station hidden in the grounds.
Graham took Louisa and rushed her to the next terrace level down and pushed her under a stone bench.
Green flashes cut across the grounds.
Red flashes came in response, four wizards on brooms flew over the villa.
A dome of light came to life covering the villa and grounds.
All four flyers were captured on the dome surface and were drawn down to the ground.
All the lights were then extinguished.
Shouts came from the front of the villa. Five intruders ran around the pathway from the front of the villa towards the terrace. All were firing spells; no targets could be seen. Red flashes lit the intruders up.
A shorter man sprinted from the dining room doors towards the terrace. Spells were shot at him. They deflected off him and tore up the gardens and shrubs.
The runner reached a wall at the end if the terrace.
Brilliant white lights flooded the grounds, there were no more shadows.
The runner was Roland, he crouched behind the wall and aimed his pistol at the suddenly visible attackers.
A harsh voice laughed; “What do you think you are going to do with that, muggle.”
Two coughs came from the pistol. The laughing wizard dropped his wand and collapsed, clutching at his knee, screaming in agony.
A burst of machine-gun fire came from the house. Two intruders fell over.
Red flashes came from the security post. The two standing intruders were hit and collapsed.
Red flashes came from the front of the house, four more wizards ran around the pathway.
Another burst of machine gun fire came from the house and stopped the first two.
Roland aimed an MP5 machine-gun and fired a burst. Two more intruders fell.
The front doors of the villa were broken in by a blast.
When the blast noise subsided, there were a few seconds of tension filled silence.
A burst of machine-gun fire came from the front of the house.
Then there was nothing but whimpering from the wounded.
Roland scanned the lawn and terrace. He spotted Graham and signalled to him to stay down.
Security wizards carrying wands walked from the security post and started scanning the grounds.
After twenty minutes, Roland walked to the lower terrace. “It’s clear now. The wards have been restored. The clean-up teams are here now.”
The machine-gun fire, and the pistol shots, and the explosion didn’t go un-noticed.
The villa had been swarming with local police, and Ministère des Affaires Magiques de la France, and Pimlico Security. The first report was given to Louisa and Graham by Robert when the villa was secured. A Pimlico Security supervisor in Paris had been Imperioused by an unidentified wizard. He had given access to the villa to the kidnappers. The kidnapping attempt started immediately. There had been eighteen in the attack, the four flyers had been captured unharmed, six had been injured by gunshots and captured, four had been stunned and captured, two had been killed by gunshots, and two had been killed by combinations of stunning spells. Two Pimlico Security team members had been killed at the front gate. The Imperioused supervisor in Paris had been murdered.
The local police took charge of the intruders who had been wounded or killed by gun fire. Pimlico Security had hidden the rest until they were handed over to the Ministère des Affaires Magiques de la France. All the intruder’s wands had been confiscated.
Graham and Louisa watched the sunrise; “I hope this doesn’t ruin our holidays here in the future.”
Louisa turned to Graham; “Graham, as soon as every heart rate is back to normal, I’m coming back to finish this holiday.”
Louisa and Graham had been allowed to pack and had returned to Purbeck Square, guarded by a new security team. Roland and Robert stayed at the villa until the investigations were complete. The French Ministry Obliviators were busy for days.
At Purbeck Square, they were greeted by the news that Leo had disappeared at the reception. The aurors were investigating.
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