A lantern’s glow suddenly appeared from the far end of the tunnel, casting long, distorted shadows toward Derek and Olivia. Three figures approached, led by a tall man with graying hair and sharp features that reminded Derek, with a jolt, of the stranger in his grandfather’s photograph.
“Marcus Cross,” the man introduced himself, his voice carrying the same authority that had echoed through the barn floor. “And you must be Samuel Langston’s grandson. You look just like him.”
Unfortunately. Derek instinctively stepped in front of Olivia, shielding her slightly.
“Your grandfather cost my family a great deal of money, Mr. Langston. For nearly fifty years, we’ve honored the agreement to let this land appear to belong to one family. But the contract clearly states that when the original signers were dead, their descendants would divide the profits equally.”
Marcus gestured to the two younger men flanking him. “My sons have been taking care of this place. Maintaining the tunnels, protecting what’s hidden in the sealed chambers. We’ve been living in shifts down here for months, waiting for Miss Harrow to make contact, and for you to finally discover what your grandfather left you.”
Derek’s mind reeled. “You’re the ones who’ve been living down here?”
“Someone had to protect the assets,” Marcus replied coldly. “Especially once we learned that Miss Harrow was preparing to claim her family’s share. We couldn’t risk her accessing the sealed chambers without proper supervision.”
Olivia spoke up, her voice tense. “What exactly is in those chambers that requires such protection?”
Marcus smiled, but it wasn’t a pleasant expression. “Your grandfathers were very clever men, Miss Harrow. They discovered something on this land that the territorial government would have confiscated immediately. Something worth enough money to support three families for generations, if managed properly.”
He walked to a section of the tunnel wall that looked identical to all the others. But when he pressed his hand against a specific wooden beam, a hidden panel slid silently aside.
Cool air flowed from the new opening, carrying a distinct metallic scent that made Derek’s stomach tighten.
“Silver ore,” Marcus announced. “A vein running directly under this property that your grandfathers decided to mine in secret. They built this entire tunnel system to extract and hide the silver, without filing claims with the territorial authorities. No taxes, no government oversight, no legal complications.”
Derek stared at the hidden opening, understanding finally washing over him. “That’s why they needed the secrecy. Why they divided the land between three families but made it look like one property.”
“Exactly. And for fifty years, that silver has been accumulating in these chambers, waiting for the contract to expire so it could be properly divided.” Marcus’s expression hardened. “But first, we need to determine whether you and Miss Harrow are willing to honor the original agreement, or whether you’re planning to claim the entire treasure for yourselves.”
One of Marcus’s sons suddenly whispered something urgent in his ear, and Marcus’s face went white. “Impossible,” Marcus breathed. “You’re certain about what you saw?”
“The back chamber is completely empty, father,” the young man said, his voice tight. “Someone else has been here before us.”
Marcus Cross led them through the hidden panel into a chamber that stretched far beyond what Derek could have imagined. The walls were lined with wooden shelving and heavy metal containers, all of them starkly empty. Tools for mining lay scattered across the floor, and deep gouges in the rock walls showed where silver ore had been systematically extracted over decades.
“Fifty years of work,” Marcus said bitterly, running his hand along one of the empty shelves. “Generations of secret mining… all gone. Someone knew exactly what they were looking for and took every last ounce.”
Derek moved closer to examine the mining tools. “These look recently used. The metal isn’t rusted, and there’s fresh dust on the handles.”
“That’s because someone has been working down here within the last few months,” one of Marcus’s sons said. “We found evidence of recent digging, fresh tool marks in the walls, new support beams that weren’t here the last time we checked.”
Olivia picked up a piece of paper from the floor. It was partially torn but still readable. “This is a transport record. Someone was moving large quantities of raw silver ore, too.” She squinted at the faded writing. “The signature is too smudged to read, but it’s dated three months ago.”
“Three months?” Derek felt a chill run down his spine. “That’s exactly when you said you started waiting for me to discover the tunnel.”
Marcus turned to face Olivia, suspicion darkening his features. “Very convenient timing, Miss Harrow. You arrive claiming to want your family’s share just when the silver disappears.”
“I had nothing to do with this,” Olivia protested. “I’ve been researching my grandfather’s papers for over a year, trying to understand what the contract meant. I only learned about the specific location of this property three months ago.”
“From who?” Derek demanded. “Who told you where to find me?”..
