Brice Saunders and Rebecca Tarlington Part Five: Angels Doorstep

Brice was waiting for what was coming but he could guess it already, "What you told me was true you grand father did kill my grand father but it wasn't over the clock it was over the map piece right?" Rebecca wished it was simpler than that but it wasn't, "Well it's true but it's not, see my grandfather was from the agency that was looking for the gang, he was the snitch from within, but he did have one last piece of the map he never gave anyone but family." Brice didn't really care but acted like he did anyways, "So what are you going to back shoot me when we find it?" Rebecca was stunned that was a jab at her she didn't expect, "No I just don't want you to get attached to the gold I'm taking it back to the agency it's been a blight on my family for years and I can't go on like this anymore I can't get a job with the agency because of it." Brice finally got this was a redemption thing for her family, but now he was going to help the family of the man that was responsible for killing a member of his, a peaceful man who made clocks all day long, who gave up his life of crime. "You know what kind of man your grandfather was Rebecca a vindictive man who robbed and tried to get the gold for himself in the end when his career with the agency was over, a kind of early retirement plan." Rebecca never considered this but that was unthinkable, "So where does that leave us we are talking about a couple of men that died years ago with gold that could clear my families name just laying out there." Brice was angry he'd traveled over half the continent to find this gold and now he was supposed to leave with nothing that was too much to ask for. "How badly do you want the agency Rebecca, enough to ruin me and my job so you can get yours, enough to lie to a man who drove all the way here to find this gold, you don't realize what you have done to go this far and now..... Fine.." Rebecca couldn't understand, "What are you saying?" Brice couldn't believe what he was saying, "Let's find the gold redeem your family and forget the memory of my families father." Rebecca felt like scum she didn't expect he would take it like this and now that she heard what he said she felt worst she thought he would be happy with the recovery of the gold, "Fine lets go find it." They walked back to the car drove over the bridge parked on the side of the road and started walking to the shore line of the river but they stopped when they came across an old church of the town that had to be a neighboring town but what was it called. "Angels doorstep" said Brice when he saw it we'll have to start at the entrance and then trace the steps from there and that's it. Rebecca was still ashamed of how she had treated him but even more embarrassed that she was putting him through all this, "Your right it's at the door step, and it's 64 steps from there but which way?" Brice didn't think too long about it, "Down stream remember Turn left facing down stream, and it's 64 steps from there. Brice walked from the doorstep and started counting with each step taken, then turning right after the 64 steps counting out another 60 steps, which led straight to a grave yard, "Well what was the other part we're in a grave yard now this can't be right." Rebecca recited the next part, "It's 100 from Kendal but which way?" Brice finished it "And then you'll be right, so you turn right again." Rebecca was realizing he was doing most of all the work and again she felt even worst, "You're right again, listen Brice I"m.." She was cut off by Brice, "Let's just find it!" Brice said this in a harsh tone with no considerations to Rebecca's feeling who began to tear up. So Brice went into the grave yard and began looking for Kendal "Kendal had to be a person buried in this grave yard so all we have to do is find him." It didn't take long and Rebecca found the stone "John Kendal is right here, says he was buried 1889 which would have been right that was just a year before the robbery." So Brice started walking from the right of the stone counting again each step taken and when he got to 100 he stopped looked at Rebecca "There wasn't anything else your not telling me, no other part of the riddle?" Rebecca looked at him and just shook her head no and Brice started digging, it was getting dark and had the lantern lit so he could see when he finally hit something hard he reached into the cold dirt and pulled a heavy box out of the ground, "Rebecca I'm going to need your help to pull this out." Rebecca jumped into the hole and lifted one side but it was very hard for her to do so it was an extremly heavy box, "So what do you think would you like to open it Brice?" Brice glared at her "You open it." Brice just turned around he didn't want to see it. Rebecca was shaking as she pried the old rusted lock off the box and raised the lid she had her eyes closed and when she opened them she looked up to Brice and yelled. "Brice come here quick."

To be continued...