Golden Eights

by Nigel Seed

  Ivan looked up “We thought we’d better wait for you, boss. Wouldn’t want you to miss the great reveal would we?”

  “Too true. Right then, Peter, how about you showing us the way in to your big secret? How’s the nose by the way?”

  “It’s fine, Dr Potts straightened it out for me. He says it will be as good as new.”

  Peter climbed to his feet. He walked around to the side of the ruin and started to pull stones and nettles out of the way. The others watched as he tossed these to one side until a metal ring was revealed in the base of the old wall. Peter leaned in and grabbed the ring. He squatted down and heaved slowly backwards. The ring seemed to be solid but after a moment or two of heaving, it gave way and pulled backwards revealing a length of greased cable that led into the wall. He continued pulling until they heard a crack and a groan from behind them. All of them spun round to see a small, low door opening in the hillside away from the depression in the ground.

  “Well, damn me,” said Geordie, “that’s five quid I owe you Ivan.”

  “What was the bet?” asked Helen.

  “I said the entrance would be in the bottom of the depression where the old miners had been digging their tunnel. I reckoned they would have the gold stashed in the tunnels of the caverns below us.”

  “And I said that was just too obvious for these guys,” smiled Ivan. “I reckoned they would have done something a bit cleverer. Never mind, Geordie, you can bet me double or quits for the next one.”

  “Can you and your hooligans mount a security cordon around us while we see what’s going on,” said Jim to the leader of the Special Forces team. “I’ll make sure you get a look inside before we empty it.”

  The four soldiers moved outwards without a word and in seconds had dropped out of sight.

  Helen watched, astonished. “How do they do that? I didn’t see anywhere to hide and they’ve vanished.”

  Jim smiled down at her “Magicians never reveal their tricks. Come on, I think you may find the next bit more interesting.”

  He took her hand and led her to where Geordie and Ivan were now standing with their new companion by the slightly open doorway. Ivan seemed to have forgotten about having a private word with his shooter. Peter was pulling away the overgrowth that had built up over the last seventy years.

  “Best you let me go in first,” he said. “My old Dad told me where the trap is to stop people stealing stuff.” He pulled the door slowly open on the stiff hinges. “Mustn’t pull it more than half way to start with or we’ll be in trouble.” As he spoke the rust in the hinges gave way and the door swung fully open. “Oh shit!” Peter said as he stepped forward to pick up the grenade that had been pulled out of the recess in the wall.

  As he stooped, Ivan leapt forward and smashed into him with his good shoulder, pushing him violently behind the now open door. Jim grabbed Helen by the arm and swinging her around flung her to the ground away from the doorway, making sure to land on top of her. Geordie saved himself by diving the other way just as the grenade exploded. Jagged, white-hot fragments of metal flew in all directions. Luckily none of them were wounded, although Jim had a large tear sliced across the back of his jacket by a piece of flying shrapnel.

  Geordie sat up first. “Looks like all that safety training on the grenade range paid off, eh?”

  “Anybody hurt?” said Jim, rolling off Helen onto the wet grass.

  “We’re fine,” said Ivan, “but I think I’ve opened up that wound again. I’m leaking.”

  “It’s a good job I wasn’t wearing my good shoes,” Helen said. “All this rough foreplay would have had the heels off them for sure.”

  Jim helped her to her feet and watched her brush the wet grass from her hair. “Quite remarkable,” he said.

  They waited until the smoke had cleared from the small entrance before them. The shrapnel sizzled in the wet grass as it cooled, but none of them felt the need for a souvenir.

  Then Jim said, “OK, Peter any more surprises that you know about?”

  “That’s the only one that Dad told me about.”

  “Good. OK, Geordie, I think we need your mining expertise again if you don’t mind.” Jim gestured to the entrance. “Peter, you might want to sit over there away from the doorway.”

  Geordie moved forward, pulling a small flashlight from his pocket. He started to enter the tunnel.

  “Remember what I keep telling you,” said Ivan. “Check the corners and make sure of your footing before you go forward. Take it easy and don’t get complacent, the old man said that Peter forgets things so there could be more nasty things in there.”

  Geordie smiled over his shoulder at the big Sergeant Major. “Yes, Mum, and I’ll be home before dark.”

  “See that you are you cheeky bugger.”

  Geordie moved slowly into the narrow tunnel. The smell of the grenade was still strong in his nostrils as he checked carefully for any further unpleasant surprises. After a slow, careful fifteen feet, he was confident the first part of the tunnel was safe. He found himself facing another low metal door let into the side of the tunnel to his left. The rusty metal handle was by his shoulder and he reached up to grip it with his right hand. He pressed down gently increasing the pressure until he felt the judder as the handle started to move. Once it reached the vertical position he pulled gently and was surprised how easily the door opened.

  With the door barely open he peered inside to check for any trip wires on cables linked to explosive devices to catch the unwary. Satisfied that there was nothing waiting for him he opened the door in slow, careful stages checking repeatedly as he did so. It took him a good four minutes to swing the door fully open. He leaned into the space beyond.

  He was about to move forward into the low, dark chamber when he looked down to see the wooden plank, across the bottom of the low doorway, that had no business being there. In a world of rock why would there be a need for a wooden doorstep? He slid back into the passage and lowered his chin to the floor until he could peer under the edge of the plank where it had rotted away. He shone the flashlight in and could just make out the ugly shape of a fragmentation grenade lying in the dust and debris that had accumulated around it over the last seventy years. After all this time it was perfectly possible that the explosive would be inert, but the one at the doorway had been effective so there was no way he was taking any chances in this enclosed space.

  He shuffled backwards away from the grenade and contemplated his options. Making his mind up he rolled onto his shoulder and called down the tunnel to Ivan whose face he could see, watching his progress.

  “Ivan! Found another little surprise package in here. Can you get me a length of string or wire or something similar?”

  “How long do you need it?”

  “Only a few minutes.”

  “Hell of a time for old jokes, Geordie.”

  “Sorry, couldn’t resist it.” Geordie looked along the length of the tunnel and worked out how far from the outer door to the booby trap. “I guess about five meters or a bit more should do it.”

  “Back in a minute.”

  Ivan’s face disappeared from the tunnel entrance and Geordie lay on the cold stone looking around him. No markings were obvious, all he could see were the chisel and pick marks where the tunnel had been expanded. There were faint scrape marks in the floor where he guessed the gold crates had been dragged in. Certainly the tunnel was too low for anything that heavy to have been carried.

  Ivan reappeared and crawled into the tunnel dragging a length of wire. He passed it to Geordie’s outstretched hand. “Here you go. Part of an electric sheep fence. What’s the problem?”

  “Grenade lying on the floor just inside the tunnel where it turns into a chamber. Looks like the pin is out and the lever is being held down by what is supposed to look like a doorstep.”

  “Be nasty in here with all those fragments bouncing off the rock. The old boys obviously wanted the pride of Germany to get shredded, if they ever came in here. Got t
o admire them. I’ll get out of your way.”

  He shuffled backwards out of the tunnel, leaving Geordie alone.

  The big ex-miner slid himself towards the booby trap and stretched out his arms. If this all went wrong, he hoped that by being flat on the floor and as far back as possible he might avoid the worst of the blast and most of the fragments. He formed a loop in the end of the wire and gently hooked it over the far corner of the wooden plank. Satisfied it was firmly in place he slowly shuffled backwards out of the tunnel, careful not to touch the wire lying alongside him.

  He slithered out through the doorway into the wet grass and stood up. “Best we all move to one side of the door. In fact, the rest of you might want to get well clear. I have no idea what the shrapnel is going to do as it bounces around in there.”

  Helen looked puzzled. “Shrapnel?”

  “Nasty sharp edged bits of hot metal flying at high speeds,” Jim said, “it’s usually the casing of the shell or grenade that gets sent flying by the explosion. Named after the officer who invented it during the Napoleonic wars. Very effective but not nice, if we are on the receiving end.”

  “I know what shrapnel is. I just wasn’t expecting it to come flying out here.”

  Helen quickened her step away from the tunnel mouth and caught up with Jim and Ivan. They saw Geordie slip behind the outer tunnel door and pick up the wire. He pulled and a second or two later they saw a short plank of wood slide out of the entrance. Helen sighed and went to stand up. Both her arms were grabbed by the men either side of her and she was dragged down again.

  “Never trust explosives, Miss. Especially not old explosives. The rule is to give it a minute and then another one for the wife and kids.”

  The fuse in the old grenade finished burning and did its work. The sound of the explosion was muffled, but the smoke boiled out of the tunnel and they heard Geordie coughing behind his door. They stood and walked forward.

  “OK, Geordie?” Ivan called.

  “Yeah, no worries, but that stuff does stink.” Geordie appeared from behind the door and peered into the tunnel. “Hell! That was effective. The shrapnel is scattered all along the tunnel. It would have made a hell of a mess of anyone in there. Unkind minds our friends had back in the day.”

  Peter walked up behind them as they contemplated the tunnel.

  “Good job my old Dad never let us go in there for a look round. Not sure why Granddad didn’t tell us there were two surprises in there.”

  Ivan nodded slowly. “Two so far. Geordie, don’t assume anything. There could be more booby traps in there. Take it slow and careful.”

  “I’ll crawl around like I’m on egg shells.”

  Helen smiled up at Jim. “Ivan really is a Mother Hen, isn’t he?”

  “No. Not really. He is a highly professional and experienced soldier. As a senior NCO his first priority is to look after his people, to try and make sure they all come home.”

  “Well, that told me,” she said.

  “I didn’t mean it that way. There is no way you could understand without serving in the military. All people on the outside see is the shouting, they don’t realize it has a purpose and isn’t bullying.”

  They watched as Geordie’s feet disappeared into the low tunnel. Peter turned to Jim. “Do you think they’ll have those bombs at the other entrance?”

  “Do you know where there is another entrance?”

  “Yes. A bit. Dad says there is a way in from the Peak Cavern underneath. But he says it’s hidden so none of the Blue John miners or any of the tourists will stumble across it.”

  “Do you know where it is? Can you show us?”

  “No. I know it’s there, but Dad has never shown it to me. He is the only one left who can find it, but his old legs are not strong enough to climb around in the caverns. It gets pretty rough once you get off the tourist paths.”

  “We’ll forget that one for the time being.” Jim walked to the tunnel mouth where Ivan was peering in as Geordie’s feet moved out of sight into the side chamber. “Is he still checking as he goes?”

  “He is. He knows if he kills himself in there I’ll make his life a misery.”

  They waited and watched, listening to the sounds of Geordie moving around carefully out of sight of the entrance. Then his head and smiling face reappeared, in the tunnel and he crawled towards them. As he emerged from the tunnel into full daylight he looked at the four people now clustered around him.

  “Well, it’s cramped in the chamber but at least you can turn round. And Helen, this is for you.”

  He passed over a small rectangular block wrapped in what looked like oilskin paper. Helen took it and was surprised at how heavy such a small package was. She opened it and looked at the three soldiers who were now smiling at her.

  “Is this what I think it is? How much of this is in there? It looks like solid gold.”

  Jim nodded. “It is. That’s part of the haul your Granddad helped to load during an air raid in 1940. That’s one of the smaller bars. We thought you might like to show it to him when you get home. It might be nice to close the circle for him.”

  “I think he will be thrilled to see it. I guess I’m not allowed to keep it?”

  “Sadly, no. It all has to get back to the Bank of England. But no reason that bar can’t travel through Sussex on the way to London.” Jim turned back to Geordie. “So what is the situation inside?”

  “Not sure yet, boss. There was a stack of five boxes in the chamber off the tunnel and one had been broken open, so I could bring that bar out.”

  “That’s a lot less than we found at the first site. I thought we had been told there were four equal loads.”

  Ivan nodded his agreement “I wonder if this is another bluff? If they left just a part of the haul here then maybe a German search party would be satisfied and not look any further?”

  “It’s possible. Did you manage to look any further in there?”

  “Not yet. I’m going to need better light and some heavy hand tools to search properly.”

  Chapter 33

  Geordie set about dragging the five boxes of gold bars through the narrow, awkward entrance tunnel. Ivan helped him to stack them a few feet from the entrance, while Jim and Helen completed a large circuit of the site looking for any signs of a further entrance. As they returned Geordie was sitting on the pile of boxes easing his thirst from a plastic bottle of water.

  “Been back inside, boss, now that the chamber is empty, but I can see damn all that looks like another exit. As far as I can see it’s solid rock with no joins anywhere. Don’t know what to suggest.”

  “Could it be a double bluff of some kind?” Ivan said. “They make a hide like this with all these traps and build another one somewhere completely different to put the real haul in?”

  “It’s possible of course,” said Jim, “but why pass down only the phoney site to the Guardians? Unless Peter’s Dad is holding out on us for some reason?”

  “Could be. What do you think, Peter?” said Ivan, turning to the shepherd sitting beside them.

  “I dunno,” he said, “this is the only place he ever told me about. He’s not a liar.”

  “He didn’t strike me as a liar either. Ivan, you and Geordie take a walk back down to the village and tell him what we have found and see if he has any ideas. You might pick up a sledge hammer while you’re down there so we can see about tapping the walls and floor of the chamber. Any void behind the rock should sound hollow.”

  The two soldiers turned to go. “What will you be doing, boss?” said Geordie.

  “I think Helen and I will go and have a look round your chamber to see if we can see anything you missed. See you later.” He turned to Helen and held out his hand. “Come on. I have to justify having a fresh pair of eyes on this job.”

  She smiled and followed him back through the entrance and into the tunnel. They climbed into the chamber where the gold had rested for so many years and slowly, inch by inch, they tracked the flashlight bea
m around the walls and the floor. Nothing.

  After a moment Helen said, “Shine the light up here in the corner will you? I’ve just had an idea.”

  Jim shone the flashlight beam into the top right hand corner of the chamber and watched as Helen ran her fingers across the rock.

  “There’s a crack here, very thin, but it runs in a semi-circle right up here in the corner.”

  “I saw that but it’s way too small to be a doorway.”

  “You are tired, aren’t you? Not sure I should keep you up so late tonight.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You said, in both the hides you have explored, there has been a metal ring for you to pull to release a secret door or hatch. What if there was a ring concealed behind that small piece of stone? Maybe that’s the answer?”

  “Damn me! I must be tired. If you could move into the other corner I’ll try and pry it out with my penknife.”

  Helen shuffled past to give him room to work. As she passed he leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

  “We’ll see how tired I am after dinner.”

  She grinned as she settled into the corner. Jim got to his knees and opened his penknife to the largest blade and proceeded to work it into the crack. It took a few moments to find a place where the blade could slip in, then he levered against the stone. After a few seconds of effort, the stone gave way and a piece of rock, about a hand span across, tumbled to the floor of the chamber. Behind it was the metal ring they had been hoping for. As he sat back an object fell from a recess above the ring and rolled out into the chamber. It took a second for the knobbly shape to register.

  “Down!” he screamed as he threw himself across the chamber pushing Helen into a ball in the corner with his body wrapped around her as far as he could.

  He cringed, waiting for the jagged white hot fragments of the Mills grenade to punch into his exposed back and legs. After twenty seconds, which felt much longer, Helen started to move.