Chapter 12
Lana
“Your great- great-grandfather?” I exchange a glance with Caleb, whose steady aim hasn’t wavered despite this revelation.
“Yes,” Danny snaps. “Thomas Wolf was my maternal great- great- grandfather. The gold he mined rightfully belongs to his descendants.”
“If that’s true,” Caleb says, his voice level, “then Margret is also his descendant, more so than you. Yet you seem willing to threaten your own aunt over it.”
Danny’s jaw tightens. “She doesn’t understand what’s at stake. She wants to donate everything to some historical society—let them put it in a museum.” His voice drips with contempt. “That gold is worth millions in today’s market.”
“So it is about the money,” I say, feeling Scout press against my leg protectively.
“Of course it’s about the money,” Danny retorts. “What else would it be about? My business is failing, my kids need college funds, and meanwhile, there’s a fortune buried on land that should have been ours.”
I study his face, looking for signs of deception. Despite his aggression, there’s a desperation in his eyes that seems genuine. I’m not sure what to make of this family drama we’ve stumbled into.
“Where’s my aunt?” he asks suddenly, his gaze shifting toward the back doorway. “I know she’s here somewhere.”
“She left,” Caleb says. “And you should too. Without your rifle.”
Danny’s eyes narrow. “You don’t understand what you’re getting involved in. This isn’t just about gold. There are maps in those journals—maps to mineral rights worth far more than a few gold bars.”
This catches my attention. “Mineral rights?”
“Wolf didn’t just find gold,” Danny explains, his voice taking on an almost evangelical quality. “He discovered one of the richest copper deposits in the region—maybe in North America. The mining company never found it because he kept it hidden. Those rights alone could be worth billions.”
I can see Caleb processing this information, his mind working behind those intense eyes.
“So that’s why the county suddenly wants to build an access road through Jake’s property,” I say, the pieces falling into place. “Someone’s found out about the copper.”
Danny nods. “Exactly. Why do you think I’ve been in such a hurry to find those maps? Once the county gets involved, it’s all over. They’ll seize the mineral rights through eminent domain, claim it’s for the ‘public good,’ and my family will get nothing.”
Despite myself, I feel a twinge of sympathy for him. If what he’s saying is true, he’s fighting not just for gold, but for his family’s legacy—for what he sees as their rightful inheritance.
“Put the gun down, Caleb,” a voice calls out from behind us.
We all turn to see Margret standing in the back doorway, her own revolver pointed at her nephew.
“Aunt Margret,” Danny says, his voice softening. “Be reasonable.”
“I am being reasonable,” she replies, her hand steady despite her age. “You’re the one who’s lost his mind. First, your father, now this?”
Danny’s face darkens. “Dad’s death was an accident. How many times do I have to tell you that?”
“I was there,” Margret says, her voice cracking slightly. “I heard you arguing with him about the treasure. I saw you coming down from the ridge alone.”
The tension in the room is palpable as Danny’s expression shifts from anger to something more dangerous—something cornered and desperate.
“Where’s the journal?” he demands. “And the map? I know you found them.”
“Safe,” Caleb answers, his gun still trained on Danny. “And they’re staying that way.”
A commotion from outside draws our attention—the sound of vehicles approaching, tires crunching on snow.
“That’ll be the police,” Margret says grimly. “I called them before I came back in.”
Danny’s face contorts with fury. “You had no right!” He lunges suddenly, not toward Caleb or Margret with their guns, but toward me.
I barely have time to react before he slams into me, knocking the wind from my lungs. We tumble to the floor in a tangle of limbs, Scout barking frantically nearby. I hear Caleb shout my name, but Danny already has his arm around my neck, using me as a human shield.
“Back off!” he yells, dragging me to my feet. “Or I’ll snap her neck!”
His arm tightens around my throat, cutting off my air. I claw at his forearm, trying to create space to breathe, my vision already starting to darken at the edges.
“Let her go,” Caleb says, his voice deadly calm despite the fire in his eyes. “Now.”
“Drop the guns,” Danny counters. “Both of you.”
I lock eyes with Caleb, silently pleading with him not to comply. If they drop their weapons, we lose all leverage.
“Three seconds,” Danny tightens his grip further, and I gasp involuntarily. “One...”
“Okay!” Margret lowers her revolver to the floor. “Just don’t hurt her.”
Caleb doesn’t move, his aim still fixed on his target. “The moment you hurt her is the moment you die,” he says, each word precise and measured. “I don’t miss, Danny.”
The standoff stretches for what feels like an eternity, my lungs burning for air. Then, suddenly, Scout launches himself at Danny, teeth sinking into his calf.
Danny howls in pain, his grip loosening just enough for me to drive my elbow hard into his ribs. As he doubles over, I twist away, gasping for breath.
Caleb moves with impressive speed despite his leg, closing the gap between them in two quick strides. The butt of his gun strikes Danny’s temple, but not before Danny swings his fist into Caleb’s injured leg, causing the man to crumple to the floor with Scout still biting down on his leg.
“Fuck!” Caleb hisses, limping towards me as he calls off the dog. I stumble backward, my hand at my throat, sucking in precious air. He’s at my side instantly, his arm going around my waist, steadying me.
“Are you okay?” he asks, his eyes scanning my face with an intensity that makes my heart skip.
“I’m fine,” I manage, my voice raspy. “Just... need a minute.”
The sound of car doors slamming outside grows louder, and moments later, five uniformed officers burst through the mill entrance, weapons drawn.
“Police department! Everyone freeze!”
Margret steps forward, hands raised. “I’m Margret Holloway. I called you. That’s the man I told you about,” she points to Danny’s bleeding, unconscious form on the floor.
The next hour passes in a blur of statements and explanations. The captain, a stocky man with a weathered face and kind eyes, listens intently as Margret recounts her suspicions about her brother’s death and Danny’s increasingly erratic behavior regarding the treasure.
“We found these in his truck,” one of the deputies says, bringing in a box of dynamite and blasting caps. “Looks like he was planning to do some unauthorized excavation.”
The Captain’s eyebrows rise dramatically. “Well, that’ll add to the charges. Assault, illegal possession of explosives...” He shakes his head. “You folks are lucky you called us when you did.”
Julia, who had been keeping watch outside, joins us once Danny is handcuffed and secured in the back of the patrol car. She rushes to my side, eyes wide with concern.
“Are you alright? I saw him grab you through the window!”
I nod, still massaging my throat. “I’m fine. Scout played hero.”
The dog in question sits proudly at my feet, accepting ear scratches from both Julia and Caleb.
As the officers prepare to leave with Danny, the Captain turns to us. “You might want to consider pressing charges for the assault, ma’am.”
“I will,” I say firmly. There’s no room for sympathy now, not after he tried to strangle me.
“And about this treasure business,” he continues, “if there really is gold or valuable minerals on that property, you’ll want to secure the legal rights properly. I can recommend a good lawyer who specializes in mineral claims.”
Caleb nods, his hand still resting protectively at the small of my back. “We’ll look into it.”
After he leaves, the four of us—Caleb, Julia, Margret, and I—stand in awkward silence among the mill ruins.
“I owe you both an apology,” Margret says finally. “I should have been honest from the beginning. But after what happened with my brother, I didn’t know whom to trust.”
“We understand,” I say, though my throat still aches from Danny’s grip. “But no more secrets. If we’re going to figure out what to do about this treasure, we all need to be on the same page.”