The Heritage Paper

Chapter 28



Veronica gripped the steering wheel as Bon Jovi’s “Runaway” played. It was the first good advice she’d gotten all day.

They drove past Victorian homes with piles of leaves dotting the spacious front yards, before eventually turning onto a secluded, dirt driveway. They passed a weathered, red barn that sat peacefully next to a calm pond. The rural landscape was very Norman Rockwell, not to mention a good spot to hide out if you were a Nazi war criminal.

Flavia parked her Jeep in front of a cozy-looking farmhouse with an inviting front porch, which was shouting distance from the barn. Eddie skidded to a stop beside the Jeep, tossing dirt and gravel in all directions, and receiving a giggle from Jamie. In more sedate fashion, Veronica placed the Tahoe behind the police car.

“This place is beautiful,” Zach gushed, stepping out of the vehicle.

“It looks peaceful, but the ghosts are just resting,” Flavia said. Veronica couldn’t decide if she was attempting to be funny or cryptic.

After helping Youkelstein out of the Jeep, their guide was on the move again. She began walking toward the horizon at a brisk pace. The group followed her. The rain had stopped, but the terrain was still muddy.

As they got further and further away from the house, the barn began to look like the tiny red dot of a laser pointer, and Veronica started to become unnerved.

Even Eddie looked a little apprehensive, his hand positioned in striking distance of his gun. Zach tried to give Veronica one of his comforting smiles, but she saw right through it. She grabbed Maggie’s hand and found it clammy—a rare sign of nerves. The only ones who seemed to be enjoying the experience were Youkelstein and Jamie.

Flavia stopped suddenly. There didn’t seem to be anything special about where she stood, an open field a few acres from the barn. She knelt down, balancing on her heeled shoes, and wiped away some hay. It exposed what looked like a sewer or drainpipe.

“I stumbled upon this when I first moved in—and I mean literally stumbled. I’m a Miami girl, so I was born in heels, but I found they don’t work too good on a farm, especially when I caught them in this thing and almost broke my ankle.”

She attempted to dislodge the protective cover atop the sewer. When frustration grew, she turned to Eddie. “Officer, I know you don’t want to chip a nail, but can a girl get a little help?”

Eddie jumped. But if he didn’t, Veronica was sure the other males would’ve stampeded over her to perform the manual labor for the princess. After a couple of grunts, he removed the metal grill and they stared down into a dark nothingness. Always prepared, Eddie pulled out a flashlight and shined it down what looked like a mineshaft. The light reflected off a ladder that was attached to the sidewall, leading into the abyss.

Flavia cautioned, “We have to go down about a hundred feet in the dark, if you’re afraid of heights, the dark, or the Boogie Man, I suggest you wait up here.” She paused for a moment, but nobody stepped back.

She looked at Youkelstein, who leaned frailly on his umbrella. Just the walk across the yard had worn him out, and his breathing was labored. “Ben, it might be best for you to stay up top.”

A gleam formed in his eye. “I have a feeling I’d regret not seeing what’s down there for the rest of my life.”

Veronica was impressed by the John Wayne act, but wasn’t sure how long that life was going to be if he made a habit of climbing into caves. But she could tell that there was no way he could be talked out of it. So one by one they descended into the dark. Veronica instructed Maggie and Jamie to go between her and Eddie—she would keep them as close to her as possible.

Just when she started to get the sinking feeling that there was no end, she heard Flavia’s heels click on the ground, followed by the sound of Youkelstein’s umbrella pecking at the terrain. When she reached the bottom, the darkness had turned to light—Flavia had lit torches that lined the walls. The flames illuminated the jagged stalagmites of the musty tunnels.

It reminded Veronica of Howe Caverns, a tourist trap near Albany that was made up of subterranean caves. And like Howe Caverns, the temperature was mild, regardless of the weather outside.

Eddie took control, doing a head count like a camp counselor, and asking, “Is everyone okay?”

Nobody responded, but Youkelstein didn’t look too good. Everyone stalled to give him a minute to catch his breath.

Once he was stabilized, Flavia hurried down a winding cave corridor. She continually warned, “Watch your heads,” as she expertly maneuvered through the caves. Veronica actually found the caves peaceful.

But then the tranquility was shattered.

Maggie screamed.

Everyone scattered as a bat flew past them.

Veronica took a deep breath. Be calm for your children. That’s what Carsten would do. She put her arm around an embarrassed Maggie and pulled her tight to her side.

“Bats are cool!” her brother tossed a little salt onto his sister’s wounded pride and began chasing after the bat until Eddie horse-collared him.

After putting their hearts back in their chests, they soldiered on, struggling to catch their breath in the thin air. Their path ended at a thick, steel door built into the cave wall. It looked like an airtight door that might be found in a submarine. This time Eddie didn’t need to be asked, he twisted a steering-wheel-type device on the door like he was making a hard left turn. After some more grunting and groaning, the heavy door unlatched and opened inward.

This room was not dark, in fact, it was glowing. Veronica took one step inside and her mouth dropped.