LAST ASSAULT ON OAK ISLAND 38

Chapter 38

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The rest of the day Lauren and Maruso spent in the cave digging out the second pile of dirt that blocked the tunnel. Carlos tried to dissuade them, but they had insisted. If they could only clear the widened area of the tunnel they would be more than willing to take Sunday off. Additional help was arriving Monday from the museum and work could resume in force then. It was a personal drive with Lauren to see Brielle's deposit herself before their museum took control. Maruso agreed wholeheartedly.

The whole mound of dirt in the submerged cave tunnel proved to be no more than a couple yards before it began declining farther into the narrower tunnel beyond again. Under a flashlight beam, Lauren and Maruso could see the end of the heap dissolve onto the hard floor.

This hastened their efforts until the cleared pathway yielded yet another great mound of loose dirt. Maruso dropped his spade and sat back in the tunnel confines.

"I'm beginning to think Brielle was a very stubborn, very stupid man," he groused, wiping his forehead. "How the hell did he expect to get out? And how'd he ever make admiral?"

She shook her head and angled the light to the top of the new obstruction. "It's not a cave-in. Looks like he buried himself in twice."

"At least."

She slumped against the wall and looked to him. "You want to call it a day?"