Continued Duties

By my count, we eliminated all the guards I spotted during my exploration mission with little injury. We hold up in a small room and take about an hour breather. Well earned if you ask me. The party is is cooperating on a level I could not have predicted. All seem to take an interest in everyone else's well being. This is good, and can be detrimental. I have seen others try ans save those not savable, only to die themselves. This level of concern is something I never really had to deal with in my past adventuring. Additionally, Weston put me in charge of this expedition, and the safety of all the others is weighing heavily on my conscience. Am I to die trying to save someone not savable?
 
After about an hour, we head into the catacombs of the mansion. We enter an antechamber and discover a fountain. Aelar and I search the fountain and find that there is a satchel at the bottom. It is about a 12 foot depth. Through our investigation, we also find a strong current. Probably and underground water resource used for the mansion when it was in its heyday. WE retrieve the satchel to find a couple of potions. One is a healing pot, the other we give to Aster to determine its contents later. His alchemist abilities will come in handy.
 
In the meantime, some further investigation finds a secret door. We discern its mechanisms and enter a room where dust on the floor shows nobody in the area in years. At the end of the hallway, there are double copper doors, green with age and a relief of an Angel. These typically signify a mausoleum of some sorts, and usually, undead. I do at 10 by 10 foot search for traps and find a pit trap. Using rope harnesses, we are able to traverse the pit. The doors are open and there are several stone sarcophagi. Once again, doing what Aelar and I do, we search each sarcophagi for traps and find none. We are able to open them and find a few trinkets and just the skull of a resident.
 
The room also has two doors and I hear conversation behind one. We open them and partially surprise a few guards with prisoners in cells. We easily dispatch the guards without injury to ourselves and the locks on the cell doors are simple and easy to pick. There are 3 women in the cells. One shares a story of kidnapping and murder. She shares the kidnappers still have her kids in the tavern we were in days ago.
 
I don't remember seeing kids. We release the women, search the last doors and find an armory with a couple of well made weapons which we keep. On the way out, we are ambushed by 3 more guards. Again, they are no match for our coordinated effort. If we operated any smoother together, our party name would be diarrhea! *I chuckle to myself at the thought*
 
Once again the trap is an obstacle. This time, we remove a coffin lid and it is big enough where we can all traverse the trap safely. It takes us a bit, but we get back into town. We put up the women in an inn and go to rescue the children at the bar she identified.
 
Upon arrival, the large door guard immediately refuses our entry. Weston puffs out his chest and intimidates the guard. "We have reports there are children being held captive. Are you hiding something?!?!?!!"
 
The guard immediately backs down and lets us in. A thorough search reveals nothing. More questioning of the bartender and guard reveal nothing. We head back to the inn and all the ladies are gone.
 
I stand at the lobby with my hands on my hips. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I think we have been had".
 
We decide to take the night. While in my room I start to wonder.. Did those ladies return to the hideout and warn them of us? Are things going to be much tougher? Double guards, moving watches, patrols?
 
Did I just make a fatal mistake? I lay my face in my hands. Maybe tomorrow, I will pass lead back to Weston.......