Chapter 16 - The Foundation
"Knowing where the real foundation lies..." Emily repeated the words aloud, her mind spinning as she stared at the note. "What does that mean? The foundation?"
"The original estate blueprints," Daniel said, his eyes snapping to the stone wall at the back of the vault. "When the manor was built in 1890, the lower archives were connected to the old wine cellar drainage system. The wall behind the desk!"
Daniel rushed to the back stone wall, tapping against the heavy masonry with the handle of his pocket knife. Thud. Thud. Hollow thud.
"Here!" Daniel called out. "This section isn't solid bedrock! It's reinforced brick masked as stone!"
Arthur staggered over, his breathing heavy and shallow. "We don't have heavy tools, Daniel. We can't break through brick with our bare hands before the air runs out!"
Emily looked down at the silver signet ring in her hand. She noticed a tiny, sharp steel pin extending from the side of the ring’s crest—a design meant for precise mechanical insertion.
She ran her flashlight along the edge of the hollow brick wall. Near the floor, almost hidden beneath a layer of old dust, was a small, circular impression matching the exact shape and size of the signet ring's face.
"Daniel, look!" Emily dropped to her knees, clearing away the dirt.
She pressed the silver ring into the impression, aligning the tiny steel pin with a hidden slot inside the brickwork.
Click.
A hidden counterweight inside the wall shifted. The section of hollow bricks groaned, swinging backward like a secret door, revealing a cool, damp tunnel blowing fresh, crisp night air directly into their faces.
Emily let out a long, desperate breath, inhaling the fresh air. "We found it!"
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"Fresh air from the gardens," Daniel smiled, looking at Emily with intense admiration. "Your mother thought of everything."
"We don't have time to celebrate," Arthur wheezed, leaning against Daniel's shoulder. "Margaret and Vanessa are heading for the private airfield with the offshore account codes. If they board that jet, they disappear with billions forever."
