THE HUNT chapter 1

                                                       1

Sunlight made its way through the cracks in the stone, illuminating the walls and bringing the light of day. Dr. Mark Stuart, a widely known Canadian archaeologist, had been living in the Arch for over  two years  now. Huge stone pillars made their way to the rotunda-like ceiling, elaborate sketches millions of years old etched into them. To Mark Stuart, they were more than just cave drawings; they were his whole career and life. 

Although it was rare for anything to turn up, the procedure stated that he had to scan the area for metal. Breakfast could come after work. The whole area of the Arch was underground, with only a small area of it above ground as an entrance. It was likely the whole place was natural, as cavemen couldn't mine, and it was highly unlikely for another animal to have dug it in. Thus, when this place was released to the world, Dr. Stuart would become famous, but one part would not be shared with the world. 

That part would be searched again and again by his employers, until they found what they wanted, and then the entrance to that section would be sealed up with rock and never be entered again. Stuart's job was to find it.

The metal detector was a little big in his hands, which may have not seemed like a problem at first, but after two or more hours of searching, he got cramps. Thus, Stuart expertly lightened his grip on the detector, and slid his hands down to a comfortable spot. Still not heaven, but close enough.

Mark Stuart was glad to be part of the Hunt. His employers promised him ten percent of the money at the end of the search, and likely, that was enough for a nice retirement. 

When you use metal detectors, you have to take your time, being careful not to miss anything. Going by just enough light to see, Mark Stuart turned down an intersection he had never been in, careful to remember all his surroundings. The Arch was big, and getting lost could be lethal. 

Five minutes into the tunnel, he heard a slow metallic chime. 

Had he, after searching for so long, finally found what he was looking for? Or was the detector just detecting metal beneath the stone, one piece, lost and insignificant. 

Stuart hovered the detecteur back and forth, locating the loudest chime to the left. With the naked eye, he could see a small metal grove. It could have been just a scratch from a bear, but his work always told him there are often no coincidences. 

He ran a finger within the grove, feeling it for anything significant. He nudged the grove a little to the left, triggering the stone to slide. The old rock moved with no ease, but Mark Stuart had muscle on his side. WHen he pulled it all the way to the left, a small square appeared to be cut out from the stone.

Below, was a crooked staircase.

An incoming call buzzed in the scientist's pocket: His employer had set up a cell in the Arch to sweeten the deal. He recognised the caller immediately and pressed except without any hesitation. 

                                                                  ***

Five minutes later, Dr. Mark Stuart was gone, and six men in expensive suits were there instead.

They had needed the doctor at first, but he had located the Desired Location. From here on out, they could fare on their own.