The Cost of Truth and the Fall of the Richards Family Dynasty
“He was an inventory specialist,” Eleanor said. “He always wrote down part numbers.”
“These aren’t standard military supply codes,” I said.
I opened a blank document on my computer and typed out the numbers in a single line.
*34.5518, -120.4822*
The numbers sat on the white screen.
“Those look like coordinates,” I said.
“Coordinates to where?” Eleanor asked.
I opened a secure military satellite mapping program.
I typed the coordinates into the search bar and pressed enter.
The map zoomed in, passing through clouds and terrain until it focused on a dry, brush-filled valley in Southern California.
The camera resolved into a high-resolution image of a fenced compound.
There were three metal warehouse buildings inside the perimeter.
“An old military depot?” Eleanor asked, squinting at the screen.
“No,” I said. “It’s a private commercial storage facility.”
I zoomed in closer on the main gate.
A small sign was visible on the chain-link fence, but the resolution was too low to read the text.
“Why would Daniel leave coordinates to a storage lot?” Eleanor asked.
“Because he hid something there,” I said.