Chapter 14 - The Oak Tree
The cold night air hit David’s face like a physical blow as he scrambled across the slanted shingle roof, his leather shoes slipping slightly against the morning dew. Below him, the dark expanse of the backyard stretched out toward the old oak tree standing like a silent sentinel near the property line.
"Dad! Over here!" Elena’s terrified voice whispered urgently from the shadows near the base of the chimney stack.
David scrambled down the wooden gutter pipe, dropping heavily onto the soft grass beside Elena and Mia. The heavy metal lockbox sat on the dirt at Elena’s feet, its latch gleaming faintly in the moonlight.
"Are you okay? Did they hurt you?" Elena asked frantically, her hands flying over David's arms to check for injuries.
"I'm fine. We don't have much time. Arthur and his men are right behind us," David panted, looking back up at the attic window where shouts could already be heard. He dropped to his knees in the damp dirt beside the massive roots of the old oak tree. "The letter said the truth is buried here."
"Use this!" Elena said, handing him a heavy garden trowel she had pulled from the nearby tool rack.
David began digging furiously into the dark soil beneath the sprawling roots. The earth was packed tight, tangled with thick wooden roots that resisted every thrust of the blade. Metal scraped against something hard underground with a sharp, echoing clank.
"I hit something!" David grunted, dropping the trowel and using his bare hands to claw away the remaining dirt.
A large, weathered wooden crate emerged from the earth, its lid secured with a heavy iron padlock that matched the keyhole on the metal lockbox Elena was holding.
"The key..." David muttered, looking up at Elena.
Elena’s eyes widened. She reached into the pocket of her trench coat and pulled out a small, old-fashioned brass key that had been tucked inside the lining of the documents she brought to the wedding. She handed it to David with trembling fingers.
David took the key and slid it into the padlock on the wooden crate. With a satisfying click, the mechanism turned, and the heavy iron latch sprang open.
Before David could lift the wooden lid, the bright beam of a heavy tactical flashlight swept across the grass, blinding them in an instant.
"Freeze! Don't move a muscle!" a harsh voice shouted from the edge of the yard.
Heavy footsteps thundered across the lawn as Arthur and three armed agents emerged from the shadow of the house, surrounding the oak tree with weapons drawn. Arthur walked to the front of the group, a triumphant, cruel smile carved across his face.
May you like
"It's over, David," Arthur said smoothly, raising his hand to signal his men. "Open the box."
---
