Chapter 3

Meg and Micky left early in the small helicopter and he showed her where he found the shiny stones. After picking for a short while Meg got the bulldozer and started to take thin layers while Micky sifted in the dirt for more stones, at 3-bushel baskets Meg dug a good slice and came up with about a 1,000 pounds and a bunch of small stones. She shut down the dozier and went outside to use the phone. Anna was 1^st she told her she had gone no more than 20 feet and what they hit. She told her she will call right back and found Tom and Steve. Tom called Linda and Marty that it was time to go. Warm it up, Arron! At 9:14 AM they went to Town Hall and bid on the property for the entire area, roads and all the county was happy for them and the extra cash income from the sale. No one fought this sale since it was like family property already. Tom was told the paper would be ready by 2:30 today and would already be filled with the county!

Meg told Tom she was close to 43 million so far today. Vickie ran a test and it was almost pure. Anna called for a meeting later with the main people, Mike also! Tom said 4:30 be ready for this one! Carol told Marty she was going to help serve. One by one everyone showed up, Tom called this to order and handed it to Anna!

She explained just what happened, Tom told all about buying the entire area. “The artifacts must be transferred. We do not want anything damaged. That’s why the move! If we could please hold the questions, Meg and Micky dug up 43 million in pieces this AM while we bought the property. We would like to keep this quiet and almost invisible, so no digging on the surface or showing dirt or rocks just being dumped. This may be only a small amount or could be a whole area, we don’t know yet.”

Why was Mike called? “Vickie said she needed 4 smelters! Also storage plus portable housing for 10. Arctic tents will do for now but once we know more we may need permanent structures for better living.”

Tom said okay. Mike nodded okay.

Meg said she needed equipment that Ron could get in Florida and ship up here so no one would know! Marty said, ‘Good I need a list!”

Tim and Jim were told to hold for a little while longer, Micky asked Arron if he was going to be paid and Arron said he would get him some hamburgers and he said, okay boss. Linda asked him and he said, “His Military pay but that was all.”

“See me later Micky.”

“Okay, Linda.”

Anna said, “I think we need to take tomorrow to go see and photograph at least 10 caves for minerals, Tim’s two can do a quick log of goods with Tim and Jim. If something needs taking care of we can arrange to have it done, move whatever to safeguard what’s there. At that point, we can number which ones have to be done now or they can wait! If no minerals are there storage may be okay for the goods from another cave.”

Arron and Mark were going out early to safeguard caves 1 thru 5, Arron pulled Meg aside to ask for a favor, they then left.

Meg went to the storage room and got a metal detector and started to check the area by the artifacts, somewhere buried was a lot more coins or something. Meg got Anna then Tim and Jim. Arron had a hunch! Meg confirmed it to Arron he called Steve so he could find a ground-penetrating radar and have his boy’s (or girl) tweak it! ASAP. Steve asked what do you think? (Arron answered Iraq).

Steve said, “You will have Meg’s drill late morning and a small bucket this afternoon.”

“Inside 2 for storage bring them inside before opening!” Said Aaron.

“Keep checking 1 thru 5 but no floor digging. See if they can work on smelters! We may need more gold? That area should be okay! No silver though or blood!” Blood meaning the rhodium.

Arron passed on the message; Anna loved the blood! Arron and Mark went into 6 and stopped. Part of this cave had water in the back and they weren’t prepared for this. No diving gear with them. They went back to number 2 for lunch also to store their gear on the helicopter to dive later!

Vickie had 2 portable smelting machines set up and was producing 16 ounces in trays of 1-ounce bars.

Micky was all smiles this morning. Linda fixed some of the problems. Not finished it was more than he ever thought. He was on a cloud. Just before Meg stopped for lunch her bit came to a halt in the wall. She called for Anna!

Anna said lunch first then the 3 of them could clear the snag with picks. Maybe a large root or bound in a rock. We will find out. Food first. They got what they wanted first then yelled Food. Tom and Steve came in on the next helicopter. Mike brought another smelter. Also a bunch of lumber he wanted to start on the building once Vickie approved. Mike had an attachment for the dozier to cut the masonry wall for a door and window pass thru!

Anna, Meg, and Micky finished lunch and left. Tom and Steve followed. After chipping at the quartz, Meg said something big is holding that bit. Fifteen minutes later, Anna said, “OMG, that’s 3 feet wide and 4 feet high.”

Tom asked, “What is?

“That Nugget,” Steve said what and looked inside the hole. It was the nugget or part of the vain broke off.

Tom said, “Get help. Get it out of there.” Two hours later it released a 6 foot long, this piece was in tons not pounds. Meg asked Tom if he wanted it in 1 piece and he said no. He didn’t want that kind of attention. Meg started to do 2 inch slices 12 inches wide and 18 inches long. Vickie couldn’t guess the value yet.

Meg as soon as her drill came free went to help Mike and left Micky to do the slicing.

Arron and Mark left with their dive gear and 3 guys, just in case Mark found a problem and fix it somewhat. The floor had a natural drain which clogged because of these stupid shiny stones. After 600 or more was picked up the water flowed better. They said they would get the rest tomorrow.

Vickie guessed the rocks’ weight about 20 tons value as of this morning, 800 million give or take. Arron and Mark came in and said they found the problem with the clogged drain and tossed 2 stones on the desk. Tom thought the girls were going to faint.

He said they cleaned the drain of about 600 out of one drain to get it draining and would finish the other in the morning. We figured 18 million each drain not counting the floor which looks like Tim’s mess was an easy 100 million.

Anna asked how much more, Arron said he doesn’t know but a lot. Most of that room is shiny and I thought it was the reflection or the light and the water but no more water.

“Hey, boss! Do we get supper tonight or do we have to find more,” Micky asked.

He looked at Mark and he said guess we could feed him and Mark said fat chance. Never seen that boy push away from a table. Everyone smiled.

Meg and Mike came in, Meg said she drilled 14 holes for the door and a bunch for the big opening, the portable concrete saw cut from hole to hole to open it up and Mike framed and put a door on it. Not wanting to leave that open tonight. She said, “I’ll finish it in the morning and Mike and Vickie can do the pass-thru part. Marty, do you want me over with you tomorrow to see what we have?”

Anna answered that with a yes. Meg then asked max weight on the helicopter? 26,000 lbs. We will be okay max on mine is 19,400.

Micky said, “Did you put on a few pounds, Meg.” All the girls gave an “OH”

Arron said to Micky, “That girl can hurt you real bad you do know this.”

“Well,” with that all you heard was 4 smacks and he went down. ‘You didn’t even see her hands move, I tried to warn you.

The group was in awe! Marty just said “WOW,” Meg said, “Sorry, boss.”

Tom said, “Do not apologize that’s why your here to back us up 300 percent. Never forget that. We sure don’t!”

Meg asked, “Boss, can we get some lid dumpsters up there to ship the blood in, this way we can send down product all day in containers. Vickie can you hold the gold as soon as the blood comes in and send me back the containers.”

Vickie asked Tom could Artamus handle the blood for resale?”

“Why don’t we call him and find out. Artamus, this is Tom! Good! Hey, if I have a very rare metal in bars could you move it?”