Chapter 13

Unfortunately Sue found that her patience had to last a little longer because no sooner had Ana got back than the door opened again and Lionel walked through. If he was surprised to find all of them there he didn't show it.

"Just to let you know coz," he began, looking directly at Alex "I'm taking Frances to the Isles of Scilly for a few days. She has a hankering to visit the gardens at Tresco so I said that as the weather forecast was good I'd take her. Don't worry, we'll be back in time for your party"

"No problems," replied Alex "Is Aunt Judith going with you or Richard?"

"Richard is meeting up with friends in Truro and Frances is hoping to give Judith the slip. You know how it is." Lionel grinned giving Alex an exaggerated stage wink. Alex nodded his head a look of annoyance flitting across his face which surprised Sue a little. Whistling a tune Lionel left the room.

"Are you having a party?" asked Jack.

"Yes, on Saturday as it happens. Mother started the Bluebell Ball back in the day and it's become quite a tradition. All the local people and estate workers are invited it's tremendous fun even if it feels a little hectic," explained Alex "Didn't I mention it when I invited you to visit? You will still be here on Saturday won't you?" he added. Jack and Sue exchanged a glance, as much as Sue would have loved to attend she hadn't brought any suitable clothes for a ball. Jack gave her a smirk and said that they would still be there on Saturday.

"Don't worry…," began Ana but Will quickly interrupted.

"No clothes talk," he said "We have things to discuss about more serious issues." Much to Sue's amusement, Ana stuck her tongue out at Will then put on a suitable serious face. Will grinned.

"I pulled in a few favours," began Will "Following the FBI's identification of auction websites as a means to pass on information we've been monitoring them quite avidly. According to those in the know, this is no longer the preferred way to pass on orders. However, there have been one or two online dating sites which have come to our attention. I spent a few hours trawling through these…" he glared at Ana who was giving him a dirty look whilst trying hard not to laugh "…with a colleague of mine and we found a possible source of information. He is going to keep watch and let me know if anything comes up. All we know at the moment is that something big is about to happen and soon."

"That's pretty much what my snitches have said to me," confirmed Ana "Dessa hasn't been specifically mentioned but they all say it isn't a local group and that there are a lot of tense people with terrorist links looking very busy."

"There is still no news about Dessa's whereabouts," said Jack "He appears to have vanished off the face of the planet. The FBI think that he is still in the US but we know he is a skilled yachtsman. My bet is that he has got himself a boat and is somewhere on the ocean."

"All the ports and harbours are being watched," said Alex "But we are an island and there are plenty of places he could land without anyone noticing. In the meantime, everyone is on alert and we'll do everything we can to stop whatever it is that is about to happen." The room went silent as they all sat and thought about the implications. They knew something was about to happen but where, when or to whom was still a mystery.

"I hear that you have been having adventures of your own," said Jason to Sue, changing the subject quickly "Alex says that you have found another tunnel. I can't believe that we spent years of our childhood looking for them with no luck and you manage to find two in as many days!"

"Technically," replied Sue "I only sort of found one and both times it was with the help of a canine sleuth." She grinned and ruffled Levi's fur.

"Can we go and explore?" Jason fluttered his eyelashes at Alex who threw a cushion at him.

"Don't you have anything better to do?" he demanded "We are supposed to be thwarting terrorists."

"All work and no play…" began Jason "Are you up for it Sue? I don't want to push for it if you feel at all uneasy." All eyes turned to Sue.

"I'll be fine," she answered "and it isn't as if I will be on my own this time!" Levi huffed in disgust. "I know Levi, if it wasn't for you I would still be there; probably." Sue tugged on his ear affectionately.

Trying to be as inconspicuous as possible they agreed to enter the tunnels through Sue's room. Everyone had a powerful torch and a bottle of water, just in case. Jason led the way and Sue smiled at his enthusiasm as he practically skipped down the narrow stairs to the passageway below. It took a while to locate the new entrance as it was almost invisibly cut into the wall but they were soon opening the door and wandering through. It was then that Sue noticed a heavy object in Alex's hand which he used to stop the door from closing fully. "Cannonball," he explained "A remnant from the civil war. The house was laid sieged by the Royalists and this is one of the gifts they threw at us!"

A short distance down the tunnel the corridor opened up into a wide cave. It looked as if it was a natural cavern as the walls varied in height and there were several rocky ledges and crevices. Curiously they explored the area and in one corner found a small collection of barrels which proved to be empty. Jason swore that he could smell tobacco in them and that this cave had to be a storage space for smuggled contraband from centuries ago. Everyone agreed whilst bursting into laughter. Then Will found another tunnel, just as narrow and as high as the one they had come down into the cave, this showed signs of being worked and Ana commented that the smugglers or whoever had probably widened a natural cleft in the rocks. Again they entered the passageway and found themselves going downhill for quite a distance before the tunnel opened up again into a smaller cave which was damp and covered in green slime and ferns where a soft light touched the walls. Alex shone his torch upwards and they saw a small colony of bats nesting on the ceiling. "We must be near to the entrance," he whispered.

Sue pointing to one side where a shaft of light appeared through a gap in the vegetation and she quickly went in that direction and away from the bats. The other followed as the light got brighter and the cave became wetter and wetter with large puddles collecting in the dips in the floor. Trying to keep their feet as dry as possible they came to the entrance and blinking their eyes against the glare of the sun saw the river a few feet away from them.

"I think your smuggling idea is right," said Alex "The smugglers could come up river to here, unload the stuff and sail away without anyone being the wiser. Looking at the water though I would say that the tide is coming back in and it would appear that it comes well up the tunnel. I suggest we have a leisurely stroll back." Everyone turned and followed, now their curiosity about where the tunnel led to had been appeased they spent time looking at the walls for more hidden entrances but without any luck. Jason was determined however to come back later for a more thorough exploration.