Chapter 1 - The Oilcloth
The heavy metal object felt incredibly cold against my palms.
I carefully pulled back the layers of greasy fabric to reveal a solid titanium lockbox.
It was the kind of military-grade container designed to survive fires, floods, and explosions.
My heart hammered against my ribs as I wiped away the dust from the keypad.
There was a small piece of masking tape stuck to the lid with a single date written on it.
It was the exact date I had graduated from basic training at Fort Benning.
I punched in my military identification number without hesitating.
The lock clicked open with a heavy, satisfying thud.
Inside the box rested a stack of geological survey maps, a thick leather journal, and a sleek black satellite phone.
I opened the journal to the first page and recognized my father's hurried handwriting immediately.
He wrote that the two hundred acres of seemingly worthless woods were actually sitting on one of the largest rare-earth mineral deposits in North America.
The land was not worth a few thousand dollars as everyone believed.
It was worth an estimated four billion dollars.
I stared at the number on the page, feeling all the air leave my lungs.
My sister Skylar had mocked me for inheriting a leaking shack while she took a two-million-dollar penthouse.
She had absolutely no idea that our father had handed me an empire.
Suddenly, the black satellite phone inside the box illuminated the dark kitchen.
It began to vibrate intensely against the titanium metal.
I reached out and pressed the green button to accept the call.
I brought the phone to my ear and listened to the dead silence on the other end.
Then, a very familiar, sophisticated voice spoke through the speaker.
It was Marcus Finch, my father’s attorney.
He told me that I needed to step away from the lockbox and walk out the front door with my hands raised.
I asked him how he even knew I had the phone.
May you like
He laughed softly and said he had placed a GPS tracker inside the titanium box years ago.
A bright red laser sight suddenly swept across the kitchen wall and settled directly on my chest.
