Chapter 25 - Breaking the SlabMidnight on the newly poured concrete patio was a surreal experience. The night air was cool and silent, broken only by the sharp, rhythmic thud of a heavy sledgehammer striking solid gray stone.
CRACK.
Sparks flew as the steel head hit the reinforced concrete in the exact corner indicated on my father’s old blueprint. I swung again, sweat pouring down my forehead, my muscles burning with every impact.
Julian stood nearby, holding a high-powered flashlight and scanning the surrounding treeline to ensure our security perimeter remained uncompromised.
“Right there, Connor! Hit it again!” Julian urged, pointing to a hairline fracture spreading across the slab.
With one final, thunderous swing, I drove the sledgehammer down into the concrete. The slab gave way, revealing a dark, hollow cavity beneath the foundation.
I dropped the hammer, fell to my knees, and pulled out a heavy iron pry bar. Wedge by wedge, I pried away the broken chunks of concrete until a heavy, rusted steel access plate was exposed to the night air.
Using the pry bar for leverage, I heaved upward.
SCREEECH.
The rusted metal seal broke with a loud pop, releasing a rush of stagnant, subterranean air that smelled of old dust and forgotten secrets.
I clicked on my flashlight and shined the beam down into the dark cavity.
Resting on a concrete shelf inside the hidden vault was a heavy waterproof military-grade ammunition case.
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“We found it,” I whispered, reaching down to lift the case out of the dark.
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