Dad, Derek, Austin, Jackson, and a few others went running toward the cave, where the roadheader had come to a complete stop. I glanced at Robin and without saying a word, we both jumped up and went running after them. No way were the boys going to have all the fun.
Eighteen narrow inches separated the massive roadheader from the sides of the storage-cave door, so we were able to slide past and enter the cool, dark space.
The dust was just clearing as Robin and I joined Derek and the others at the far end of the room where they stared at a jagged, gaping hole in what had been a solid stone wall a few minutes ago.
It looked broken, like an egg that was dropped and cracked open. Fissure lines radiated out from the large gash in the middle of the wall.
“We don’t know how stable the walls are,” Austin said to the small crowd, “so I’d like everyone to leave the cave for their own safety.”
The commune members walked away, whispering quietly to one another. No one knew what this new development would mean to the tasting room plans, never mind the structural viability of the underground space.
I was too curious to leave. I noticed Robin wasn’t going anywhere, either. But I sort of wished we’d both been given hard hats to wear. In lieu of that, I stuck my hand in my pocket to make sure my mom’s little herb packet was still there. It was probably silly, but I felt better carrying it.
Derek flicked on a small flashlight and studied the open gash. About two feet wide and about four feet off the floor, it was just low enough that I could climb up and through it if I were brave enough. Was there some space back there? A tunnel, maybe? There had to be something.
Thanks to the beams from Derek’s flashlight, I could see that the wall itself was at least four inches thick.
I moved closer and touched the grainy surface. “Is this concrete?”
“Looks like it,” Derek said, exchanging a look with me. A wall of concrete meant that it was manmade. The excavation crew must have thought the concrete had been applied to the surface of the storage-cave walls and figured that behind the concrete were natural rock and packed earth.
“Can you see inside the hole?” I asked.
“Barely,” he said, aiming the light directly into the hole in the wall. He leaned his head inside to take a look.
I held my breath. What if some wild creature was living in there? I shoved my hand back into my pocket and touched that small bag of herbs again. It gave me the oddest sense of well-being.
“Idiot,” I whispered under my breath. “It’s just some weeds in a bag.” But I continued to rub the thin muslin packet anyway, hedging my bets while briefly considering slipping it into Derek’s pocket.
Derek pulled his head back and handed the flashlight to Austin, who leaned in to take a look. “Holy Mother.”
“What is it?” Robin demanded.
“You’ve got to see it for yourself.”
“Let me see,” I said, sounding like a typical younger sister. But Austin handed me the light without comment. I took another deep breath, not knowing what to expect. What in the world could survive in such a small, airless space?
I stuck my head inside to take a look for myself.
“Can you see well enough?” Derek murmured in my ear as I swung the small beam of light around.
I had to blink a few times before I could make out what I was looking at. The light beam didn’t illuminate the entire space, but instead landed on small objects that were indecipherable at first. Slowly, though, things began to take shape. “What in the world?”
“What is it, Brooklyn?” Robin asked.
“It’s a whole bunch of . . . stuff. Different things. Furniture. A big inlaid wood wardrobe with a beautifully beveled mirror built into its front door. There’s an antique table with a fancy candelabra on it. A bookshelf with lots of things on all the shelves. Silver candlesticks. A silver teapot. At least, they look like silver from here.” I leaned in farther. “There’s more over in this corner. Another table with some small statuary. A couple of busts. I can’t tell who they are. There are two bronze horses. Oh, the horses are bookends. And there are books.” I flashed Derek a quick smile, then returned to scan the space. “A glass-fronted cabinet. It’s got some more silver pieces inside. Another set of candlesticks and . . . is that another silver pitcher? On a tray of some kind. It all looks like hammered silver. It must be a set.”
“And there’re some gold pieces over there,” Austin said, pointing. He towered over me and was able to gaze around without my blocking his view.
Robin, shorter than me by almost six inches, asked Austin to give her a boost up. I stepped aside so she could take a look.
“Here you go, baby,” he said, holding her by the waist and easily lifting her up to see through the opening.
Derek handed the flashlight to Austin, and he held it steady as she took a look around. “It’s an old curio cabinet.”
“Can you see the silver inside?” Austin asked.
“Yes. It all looks beautiful.”
“Do you see the bookends?” I asked.
“Yes. And books, too.”
“I know,” I said, grinning. “How cool is that?”