Waiting is the worse

    There were a number of cars and small vehicles in front of the Inn. They must have been here for the Tavern that was in front of the inn. A loud ruckus could be heard in from the building as I approached it. The last few buildings that I had approached had been surrounded by death. This rumpus row was the most different of ideas. Songs were sung and cheers were heard, it was almost heaven from the earlier comparisons. 

    I wanted nothing more than to go in and join the company, alas, that was not to be. The Inn’s doors were on the outside. The balcony’s railing gave a nice view of the out laid buildings and parking lot. I could see my cay and it almost appeared like there were four cloaked figures to the side of the parking lot. I heard a church bell in the distance, so maybe they were a group of monks.

Kooper made it very clear that we were to meet in room 42 of the inn. I was the last to show up. There were only four of us left.

I knocked on the door, Flo answered and welcomed me in. She then returned to her meal. 

Flo and Lance were eating chicken tenders at the single table. Kooper was on the bed with a cup of coffee in his hands sipping on it while studying an old book. I placed my small knapsack on the floor next to the bathroom door. 

“How are you doing, Kooper?” My question was easy enough. Kooper though seemed to take it especially hard. Klein was the oldest of his pupils and perhaps the one that he knew best. He just sat on the bed and sipped his coffee.

“He still needs a few minutes, Dylan.” Lance said. “He said he was trying to understand Klein’s last message.

I walked over to the table. Flo pushed what was left of her meal to the edge of the table and sat back in her chair. I took it and remained standing as I ate what was left of the meal.

“What did you guys find out?” I asked before my first bite.

“Nothing on my end.” Lance said. “I got to three of my six stops before I got the call. Nothing but a bunch of pictures that showed the mythical golden box. One place to the next nothing usable.”

“I only got to one place.” Flo said. “The farthest south place was mine. A little library in an even smaller town. Same thing. A portrait with a small book underneath it. It was the diary of Daisy McClung. She had amassed vast wealth through sheep and cattle, later in her life one of her ranches in Siberia was found to have a moderate deposit of oil under it. So she became even wealthier. It seems that she was obsessed with accumulating wealth and riches because of a silly notion that somehow she could take her wealth beyond the grave.”

“That’s interesting.” I said and I went on to tell about my adventures at the estate and at the graveyard. I made sure not to mention the robed figures, I could have just imagined them anyway. Cold and being alone can cause a sense of fear after all, fear can bring about hallucinations. Those robed figures were probably nothing but my own imagination.

Silence settled over us as we contemplated what we heard. Kooper took that moment to speak up.

“I have heard the voicemail that Klein left and it seems like gibberish to me at first, but I have had time and your stories to consider what he may have meant. His areas were focused on the east coast. He got to three locations and kept in close contact with me about everything. I know that most of us have worked by ourselves and for ourselves for so long that we have forgotten how to work as a team. We must work as a team moving forward. The reward will be the same if one of us gets it or if none of us get it.  Anyway, Klein was coming back to the inn early saying that he had found what we were looking for. He found a coastal castle that housed a golden box that was underground. He said that with multiple switches it could be reached. His last voicemail was garbled, but he did have one final word, and it was “Bypass”. Then what sounded like a car crash and then the line went dead. I called you to gather you all and go and see if we might get into that castle.”

“You think that Klein’s castle holds the treasure we are seeking?” Florence asked.

“Yes. We will rest here for the night and then we shall all head out together to where the treasure is.” 

There were two double beds and I climbed on top of one and fell promptly asleep.