Marriage is Murder

Cassidy moved to her room and quickly added a thicker jumper and fleece under a warm winter jacket and walked back to them ready to explore. " Does mountain climbing count ?" she said as she looked at the rope and chuckled. " I did two years of it when I tracked down a mountain man who was killing animals just for the skins" she said " got him too" she moved to stand with Michael ready to explore the cave or fight to protect the main house from anything that might be inside it.

"Let's be off then. Khaat, go apparate to Brian and tell him we need him. Tell him we need a apir of guards to not let anyone into the cave, and then have him meet us there. Michael, show her the map."

"Here," he simply gave it to her. "Show it to him."

"Thank you," she said.

"We'll meet you all there," he said, taking Kate's hand and apparating out to the coordinates. When he got there, he saw nothing but brush. Bushes, trees, undergrowth. He did his best to comb through the undergrowth. He found nothing but a set of adult male footprints exiting out of, apparently, nowhere. He flicked his wand at the general area, in the side of a hill. "Reveal!" he commanded. An enchantment faded and he saw a somewhat small, manmade opening in the side of the cave. "This is not good," he told Kate. "Look at the facts. The boys still didn't tell us every thing. This has an unplottable spell on it. There is no way a second year and a third year could have simply stumbled upon it. My best guess is that they were just at the right place at the right time to see whoever it was exit the cave."

"Which means we have an intruder."

"It would certainly appear so. Remind me to take their teeth out through their noses," Robert sighed, waiting on the others.

Cassidy followed Kate and Robert drawing her wand at the urgency in Roberts voice she watched as the man made cave was reveled and looked at the foot prints in the soft ground in front of the cave . she knelt down and traced them with her finger. " best let Lee know about it then he can start the search for the intruder" she suggested to him watching as he moved closer to the cave entrance she could do little to hide the smirk on her lips when he said he would pull john and Andrews teeth threw there nose for not telling them about it sooner.

"Yes. We do need to tell him. Cassidy, the guard house is that way. Just over the ridge," he pointed to his left at about a 45 degree angle, off behind the cave. It's the southwest tower. Go there. You'll find Lee has posted a man of his, with ours, in every guard house. Go alert them and then come back, please," Robert said.

Brian apparated in, in response to Robert's summoning. He looked at the cave before him and groaned. "That was not here when we did our big sweep when we first got here."

"No, if course it wasn't," Robert said. "This could well have been done in very short order. I have a few ideas on how it might have happened, but I am far more interested in who and in where the devil this goes. Station two men outside. No one comes in or out either one. If someone comes out then they are not authorized to come here. If they had been, they'd have come in on the grounds. If one of our lot wants to go in, well, that's just not an option."

"We need to explore in pairs," Brian said.

"Indeed," Robert agreed. "Cassidy, you stay with Michael. Kate and I will pair up, and I presume Khaat and Brian will pair up."

"You've got the best lot," Brian told Cassidy. "He's the best of all of us at this."

Cassidy made her way to the guard house after finding the men she made her way back to the cave and to Michael . reaching it she stood with him as they entered it she noticed the walls were smooth " definitely man made the walls are too smooth" she said and took out her wand ready to light it if she was asked to do so. but they just kept moving deeper " wonder where this goes?" she said kicking a stone ahead of her. She looked over at Michael and was glad she was with him not that she was scared or anything.

"Excellent question," Robert said, lighting his wand, "And you're right. It was done by magic. Don't go wandering off by yourselves. Stay with your partners, Boys and Girls."

"Robert!" he heard Lee's voice shouting at them not more than one minute later. "You alright?"

"Oh, do come and join the fun," Robert said. "I haven't been groping around in the dark for no good reason for a long time."

"You are in fine form, as usual," he said, making his way to the group. He had a woman with him. A tall, willowy, stunningly beautiful blond with platinum hair. "This is Jenna. She's a liason to us from Canada. She's one of their top personal protection specialists."

"I'm honored to meet you, Minister," Jenna said, extending her hand to Robert. robert did introductions, and Lee explained that he wanted Jenna to accompany him because of how complex the security issues were for Robert and his family.

"Well, shall we proceed?" Robert asked.

"Yes," Lee agreed. "Jenna and I will bring up the rear." He and Jenna moved to the back, and Robert motioned everyone forward again.

Cassidy looked at the woman not fully trusting her even with Lee's recommendation. She moved with Michael lighting up her own wand to lead the way as they moved deeper. " we must be going down its getting colder " she said feeling water running down the walls now. her foot slipped once or twice but she righted her self " watch it it slippy in places " she told Michael but she knew he'd know about it anyway and avoid it. Cassidy moved staying close beside him making sure to note there direction so they would not get lost.

Michael reached over to the walls and touched the wet walls. He sniffed the liquid on his fingers and then tasted it with just the very tip of his tongue.

"Spring water. Fresh and sweet. That's not good," he frowned.

"Why not?" Khaat asked.

"If you wanted to gain a stronghold, to make a base right in your enemies backyard, whats one of the key things you'd look for?" Robert asked.

"Staying hidden, first of all," Lee replied.

"And, more importantly, a source of fresh, continuous water," Jenna said. "We are going downward. But do you smell what I do?"

"Fresh air," Michael said. "There are vent spaces somehow. This is exceptionally well designed. We need to be very, very careful. Whoever this is could be working on establishing a sophisticated base of operations down here."

"Wait," Robert said, raising his hand to halt them. "Look." They had just come into an intersection. There were four more hallways. West, northwest, the northbound one they were on, northeast, and east.

"Oh hell," Lee sighed. "We need at least another pair down here if we're going to split up."

"Indeed we do," Robert said. "Do you all feel secure enough to split up into pairs?"

"We're good with it," Brian answered for himself and Khaat.

"I'm in," Michael said. Kate just nodded at Robert. Lee and Jenna nodded. "Cassidy?" Michael asked. "Do you trust me?"

Cassidy looked at Michael and nodded " with my life " she said simply and looked at them all she trusted this man even with only knowing him a short time but she had grown to know any one Robert trusted she was to trust instantly and with out question. she lit her wand and waited for her orders from Michael hoping the didn't run into any men or bats that might live in the cave. those she could handle but the creepy crawlies she could not and the thought alone made her shiver a little as she walked. " do you think there will be bats in here? " she asked turning to look at Michael.

"Well," MIchael said, "that would depend on whether this cave connects to an older one. If not, then bats are unlikely. If the cave connects with an older cave system then bats could be likely."

"The only old bats you need to worry about, Cassidy," Robert said, "are the two legged ones that carry wands." Brian laughed.

"Alright Khaat and I will take the northeast. Michael, you and Cassidy go to the east," Brian said.

"Kate and I will go straight, and that Lee, you and Jenna go northwest."

"I've summoned two more aurors that I trust," Lee said. "I'll send them west."

"Excellent," Robert said. "Everyone light your wand to Lumos Maxima before you go off on your own. Stay with your partner no matter what. Those of you who work for me have medallions. Kate, give Lee your medallion so he can stay in touch. Khaat, you give yours to Lee for the other team that's coming. That will ensure we can keep track of each other." Kate and Khaat took off their medallions and handed them to Lee.

"You'll get them back," Lee smiled. "Thank you."

"No problem," Kate smiled.

"I'll wait here for my detail and send them off," Lee said. "You go ahead."

"Be very careful," Robert said. "Watch the cave structure and watch for traps. If I were them, I'd have the place loaded with them. Call if you find something. Let's go." He and Kate started down the corridor in front of them. MIchael reached for Cassidy's hand and lit his wand to Maximum.

"Hiss," Michael said. "Stay sharp now." The rope nodded. Michael led Cassidy down their assigned corridor. Brian took Khaat's hand and they started to walk down their hallway. Lee waited until the other two aurors arrived and he have them a medallion and then sent them on their way before he and Jenna started down the hallway themselves.