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Trey approached the door and instantly knew he was talking to another ‘military’ man.
The way the man stood at ‘resting’ ready position and the confident way he held himself made it more than clear. Not to mention Trey could spot a side arm from one hundred yards; anyone carrying usually meant they might be military. “Hello.”
The man gave him a speculative glance. “Are you the son of James Stone?”
Trey didn’t think the guy had mal-intent and, if he was here, he probably had done a bit of research. “I am.” He put his hand out. “I’m Trey Stone. And you are?”
The man took his hand and shook it. It was a firm handshake. “I’m Porter Cross and our fathers served as SEALs together.”
This took Trey by complete surprise. “Oh.”
Porter hesitated, then pulled out a piece of paper from his back pocket. “I know you were a SEAL.”
Trey nodded.
“I, myself, have served in the Airforce until recently.”
Trey nodded, not exactly sure what to say.
Porter looked slightly uncomfortable. “I didn’t want to call in regards to this matter,” he said, glancing over his shoulder. “Would you mind if I come in?”
Trey felt like an idiot. “Of course. Come in.”
Porter stepped inside and Trey waved him back to his office. “This way.”
When they got inside the office, Trey offered him a chair and he went around the desk and sat. “We have privacy in here.”
Porter sat and nodded. “Thank you. I … honestly don’t know how to ask this, but …”
Trey waited, getting that feeling. The same feeling he used to get on opps when something big was about to happen.
Porter let out a long breath. “My father passed away a month ago. My mother has been gone for a long time, and, anyway, he left his ranch in Wyoming to me.”
Trey didn’t know what to say, he thought about the fact he’d been on the other side of this conversation so many times. “I’m sorry to hear of your loss.”
“Thank you.” Porter was quiet for a few seconds, then he opened the piece of paper he’d pulled out of his pocket. “You see, it’s been an interesting time, not just because of my father’s recent passing, but because … well, I’m the oldest of five siblings and … I haven’t been the one working the ranch for a long time. So, the fact my father left it to me has been … a slight point of contention within the family.”
Trey knew exactly what he was facing. “That’s rough.”
Porter nodded, again. “Anyway,” he said, holding out the paper to him. “I’m here because I found this letter among my father’s things.”
Adrenaline pumped into Trey’s veins; this whole situation felt very familiar. Trey took the paper and immediately recognized his father’s writing.
“I’m having a hard time understanding what the letter means. It doesn’t make sense at all, but it dawned on me a couple of days ago that it could be written in some kind of code.”
Trey instantly knew that Porter was right, it was a nonsensical letter; it must be written in some type of code. Every part of Trey knew this had something to do with the gold.
It had to. Hadn’t his father’s video to the family told all of them that he’d gotten rid of the gold with some of his buddies’ help. And, Porter’s father had been a SEAL. Well, it wasn’t hard to put it all together.
“Would you be able to help me figure out what the letter says? I mean, I figure it must be something important if it was with my father’s important documents in his safe?”
Trey stared at the man in front of him, then back to the letter, wishing he knew the right thing to do.
Finally, he pulled out his cell phone and called his brother, Brooks. He would let him make the decision. After all, he was the only one who could figure out this cipher in a timely manner.
***
Thank you for reading,The Stone Family Treasure!
