Chapter 82

 

Gracie froze at the sound of the male voice. She held out a hand behind her, signaling the others to halt. A guard, right at the door to the mausoleum. They hadn’t expected one although the thought flashed through her mind that it made perfect sense. This had to be where the treasure was kept. When she heard a lengthy yawn, she ventured a peek around the corner.

One man with a rifle. He sat on the stone step with his back to the heavy wooden door, his weapon lying on the ground but within easy reach. She whipped out of sight when he turned his head. He didn’t look terribly alert.

The other three ladies stood in place, barely breathing. Gracie gathered them close, breathed the words: “One man, gun, sleepy. What shall we do?”

“Lure him out, seduce him,” Amber suggested.

“Not me—you seduce him,” Gracie whispered back.

Pen cupped her flashlight to diminish the light, aiming it at the ground. Staying to the soft grass, she backed away.

A groan came from the guard as he shifted position on the hard stone surface. Gracie risked another peek.

From the other side of the building, Pen emerged with a hefty tree limb in hand. The man blinked, noticing Gracie for the first time. Pen raised the branch and, without a second’s hesitation, gave the guard a quick whack to the head. His body went limp.

“Wow,” Pen said. “I’ve written that scene a bunch of times but never knew what it would feel like to do it. Kind of icky.”

“Considering he was reaching for the rifle, kind of good you did it. Go, Pen,” Gracie said.

“Come on,” Sandy said. “He didn’t have time to alert anyone but that doesn’t mean they don’t check on him.”

“She’s right. Throw his weapon into the bushes and get him out of the way,” Pen said. She tossed the tree branch aside and pulled her lock picks from her pocket.

The ancient lock on the heavy door posed no problem at all, but the modern deadbolt above it took an excruciating amount of time to open. Pen worked patiently with the tiny torsion wrench and hook pick while Sandy held a light for her. Amber and Gracie watched their unconscious guard while keeping alert for any lights or movement at the house.

It was the longest three minutes of their lives.