Chapter 20 - BENEATH THE CHECKERED MARBLE
At midnight, Carter descended the spiral staircase leading into the subterranean wine cellars beneath the estate.
Using a schematic map found inside the vintage manuscript, he walked to the far brick wall behind the reserve racks.
He pressed a concealed mechanical brick, triggering an ancient hydraulic mechanism that slid the wall open smoothly.
Behind the brick wall was a reinforced steel vault sealed with an old mechanical combination lock.
Carter dialed the combination numbers provided in his father's journal, holding his breath as the heavy gears turned.
The vault door swung open with a heavy metallic groan, revealing an underground archive room untouched for decades.
Inside the vault sat steel filing cabinets containing original land deeds and historical government contracts.
Among the papers was an original land grant signed by George Washington in 1781, transferring the estate to the Sterling lineage.
The immense historical value of the documents proved that Sterling Manor was a protected national heritage site.
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Carter realized his father had spent his entire life guarding a foundational piece of American history.
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