Chapter 13 - The Rusted Derrick
The abandoned oil derrick was surrounded by an old chain-link fence rusted green by decades of Texas weather.
A yellow warning sign hung askew on the gate: PROPERTY OF THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT - NO TRESPASSING.
Elena pulled a pair of heavy wire cutters from her canvas pack, cutting through the lock mechanism with two hard squeezes.
She pushed the gate open, her heavy boots crunching softly over the dry limestone gravel.
At the base of the rusted derrick sat a heavy iron hatch secured with a massive four-digit combination lock.
Elena pulled the yellowed 1972 land grant from her mahogany box, examining the handwritten serial number on the border.
She turned the iron dials of the combination lock: 1 - 9 - 7 - 2.
With a loud, metallic clunk that sounded like a gunshot in the quiet country air, the heavy iron lock released.
Elena pulled the iron hatch open, revealing a narrow vertical concrete shaft descending into total darkness.
A cold, damp draft blew up from the shaft, carrying the distinct smell of old motor oil, wet earth, and metallic decay.
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She clicked on her tactical flashlight, shining the beam down into the depth, revealing a rusted iron ladder attached to the wall.
Securing her mahogany box inside her backpack, Elena grabbed the cold iron rungs and began her descent into the earth.
