The Safe
The safe was in the wall in front of him. It was covered in thick layers of dust and cobwebs. It was in poor condition, its reddish-brown paint chapped and flaking away. Rust had eroded the metal frame.
He used all of his energy to force the crowbar deeper into the crevice in the safe's door, yanking it sideways. The safe made a loud screeching sound as it opened. But inside, he found more than he had expected.
Renovation Company
Darren Walters loved his job at a renovation company that turned warehouses into office spaces. His job was to run quality assurance on warehouses chosen by clients. He did this before his company came in to renovate.
He was experienced in this industry as he had spent two decades working in it. But in all those years, he had never experienced anything like this before. What he would find that day would make him consider changing careers.
Brooklyn, New York
His company had landed a new client who wanted a warehouse renovated in Brooklyn, New York. Just by looking at the building, it was obvious that it was almost half a century old. As usual, Darren was sent to assess its quality before the company could take any further steps.
He was delighted to visit such a unique and old building. He got to work, completely unaware that what was in that building would shake his life.
No One Had Been There
Darren got ahold of his quality testers and set them to specific parts of the beautiful building. The place was covered in thick layers of cobwebs and dust, making it obvious that no one had been there in years.
Darren proceeded to make his way to the topmost floor where management offices stood while his team worked on the lower levels. That was when he discovered it.
Caught His Attention
There was a maroon safe neatly fused into the wall. At first, Darren couldn't recognize what it was because the walls were all the same color as the safe. When he took a step closer, he noticed the handle.
He had a smile on his face as he took a step closer to the safe. This wasn't his first time finding one of these, he had found two or three while on the job. But something about this particular safe caught his attention, and he didn't know what.
It Was Locked
He got closer to it, trying to see what he was dealing with. Whenever he had found a safe before, they were always unlocked, but that wasn't the case for this one
He gripped his hand around its dusty handle and gave it a tug. "Locked," he mumbled to himself. He bent down, taking a closer look as a smile spread across his face. He had an idea.
Covered In Rust
The safe was as old as the building was. It had barely any of its paint left and its entire metal frame was covered in rust. Darren knocked against its door, a thick sound coming from within it.
It didn't sound hollow like the ones he had found before. Why was this one so different? His curiosity grew and so did his excitement. He grinned, the thought of a hefty prize inside flooding his mind.
Compromised
.Darren knew that rust on the safe's frame means that its integrity was probably compromised. But with the proper technique, Darren would be able to open it
He always had a crowbar with him, in case he ever had to pry locked doors open. He went to get it and set to assessing weak points on the safe’s door. He was ready. If anyone decided to lock valuables inside, he would find them.
Crevice
Darren noticed a crevice on the door. He then decided to jam the crowbar's claw in, tugging at the tool to test the safe's integrity.
“Firm,” he muttered to himself, tugging one more time. He sighed, the safe wasn't budging. What was he supposed to do now? How could he work around it? He looked down at his toolbox, spotting something that could come in handy.
Small Knife
He spotted a small knife among his equipment and quickly picked it up. He worked carefully as he fit it into the safe's keyhole.
He slowly and gently moved the knife from one side to the other, listening closely for the tale-tell snap of the locking mechanism. It took a minute or two and he hadn't made any progress in opening the safe. He was about to give up, but then the lock clicked.
The Moment He’s Been Waiting For
Darren took a step back, waiting for the safe’s door to slide open. He’d unlocked it, yet nothing was happening.
He yanked at the handle, and the safe groaned in resistance. He almost groaned. He’d already wasted an hour on this safe, an hour he should’ve spent assessing the warehouse. He crossed his hands over his chest. It seems whatever was in that safe would stay inside.
Is It Worth It?
Darren turned away from the safe. He was supposed to be working on the warehouse, not wasting time here. But what if the safe had something valuable inside it, he could sell it and start life anew.
Darren’s lips curled, and he snatched his crowbar and forced it through the safe’s door. He pushed with all his might, and the safe sprung open. He couldn’t believe what was staring back at him.
A Haul Like No Other
Stacks of dollars and gold bricks filled the safe from top to bottom. Darren’s jaw slackened, and his body burned with adrenaline. He tried to formulate words, to rationalize what he was looking at.
He ran a hand against his lips, not knowing he was grinning at himself. “Millions,” Darren whispered, already contemplating quitting his job. “Breathe,” he said to himself. “Who’d leave all this money here, and why?”
Answers
A brown envelope caught Darren’s interest, and he quickly reached for it. Maybe it held the answers he so desperately needed right now.
“Receipts,” he said, skimming through the dozens of slips. They were payments from a movie production house that used to be in this warehouse. “No,” Darren whispered, wiping his face as he realized what the payments were for.
He Learns The Truth
“Movie props, these are movie props,” Darren sounded out what his mind was thinking. He grabbed one gold bar and weighted it in one arm. “Plastic,” he said.
He also checked the dollar bills, disappointed when he found out they were regular paper. Darren returned the items to the safe and closed it. “Back to work,” he said with a smile and returned to his post.