Page 35 of Rangers Mountain Rescue
The barn sits quiet in the pasture.
The wind moves through the grass.
But something still feels off.
“Mom?”
Dylan’s voice pulls me back.
“Yeah honey?”
“Can I show you something?”
“Of course.”
He grabs Buddy’s collar and heads toward the barn.
Curiosity pushes me to follow.
The big wooden doors creak when Dylan slides them open.
Dust floats through the sunlight.
Old tools hang from the walls.
Joseph’s grandfather used this barn his entire life.
I expect Dylan to show me something simple.
A bird’s nest.
A loose board.
Instead, he points to the far wall.
“Buddy kept digging here.”
The dirt floor has been scratched away near a wooden post.
Buddy wags his tail proudly.
“You found something?” Dylan asks the dog.
Buddy barks.
I kneel down.
Brush dirt aside.
And freeze.
A metal lockbox is buried under the floor.
