M. Banner - Stone Age

“I’ve always loved this bookcase. Did, you get a new art piece or book?” Bill asked, glancing over each of the shelves for something new he didn’t recognize.

Max said nothing, reached behind a book on the top shelf with his right hand and pulled something that made a clicking sound. Then he knelt down, reaching into the bottom shelf with his left hand and once again pulled on something that also made a clicking sound. The whole bookcase appeared to shift slightly.

“No one knows about this, not even the workers who built this house. The few that knew of or considered its existence thought that this area is one of those safe rooms that Gringos hide in when the crap hits the fan. But, you’ll see why the secrecy in just a moment.”

With this, Max pulled out on the right corner bookshelf molding and all six hundred pounds of bookshelf and its contents swung open like a door to reveal another regular looking door behind it.

From around his neck, Max withdrew a 3-inch metal rod with delicate silver teeth-like objects at its end and slid it into a hole in the door, just below the door handle. He turned it clockwise until a smooth, but solid sounding lock disengaged. He turned toward Bill, “This door looks mostly normal, but it weighs 500 pounds, because like the walls, it’s reinforced steel, making it impenetrable to everything but a tank and C4, neither of which we’re likely to ever see in Rocky Point. However, it was procuring and installing the locking mechanism that was nearly impossible in Mexico. These latches are masterpieces of craftsmanship. Made of titanium, they slide up into the frame, also steel, and down three feet into the floor. Unless you have the key, there is no way to get in.”

Max pushed the door in and they both stepped through. A flickering neon light twinkled for less than 5 seconds and then flooded the hallway they were in with light which ended in what looked like a large unlit room.

“Now once in,” Max paused to make sure Bill was paying attention, “to make sure no one sees the doorway, you simply grab this latch on the back of the bookcase and pull in until the latches engage on the outside. Then just push this button here to unlatch the bookcase from the inside and push it open. You’re not saying much, my friend. Are you in shock?”

“Uh, yes, I think I am. This really is amazing, Max. I can’t believe how you did this without anyone else knowing.” Bill was doing his best to take it all in. He had been throughout Max’s house hundreds of times, and he never would have suspected the secret passageway, hall, and the long looking hallway before him, although his interest was mostly in the unlit room beyond.

“It did take a lot of mordida, but mostly it was because I used different workers from different trades, each of whom had a different job, so that no one really knew this existed. It took loads of money, planning and patience too,” Max said as he walked past Bill and headed down the hallway to the dark room. Motion sensors caused the lights in the room to flicker and go on in similar fashion to the lights in the hallway.

“I cannot wait to show you my new toy. It was damn hard to get down here. I had to bribe one of the top dogs of both the Federales and the Ochoa drug cartel to have them close their eyes.”

The room they walked into was very large, about the size of a two-car garage. It was two stories high, and didn’t appear to have any outside windows. Three of the four walls were covered in floor to ceiling shelving and wall mounted storage. On one wall were a slick looking desk and a comfy office chair on rollers facing several flat screen monitors and other devices, their purposes Bill could not possibly guess. The whole area looked very high-tech, something that Sally would love to see. In the middle of the room was a large workbench, mostly clean except for something that looked like a cannon on top of it.

Bill no longer felt like he was walking on his own power. It was as if he was watching this from somewhere else. It was all just too incredible to believe that his friend had built this in Mexico and stored all of this under everyone’s collective noses, including Bill. Now he was sharing this with him.

Max didn’t wait until Bill turned his way. “Here it is.” He stood behind the center workbench, on which rested the largest looking gun Bill had ever seen.

“It’s a Barrett .50 Caliber sniper rifle. It can hit a target 2600 meters away.” Max picked it up by a handle connected to the middle top of the rifle.

“Holy Christ! That’s like a mile away.” Bill had already forgotten the secret passage and room, which was obviously, where Max kept a lot of supplies. Now, he was completely focused on the monster gun. “A little jackrabbit hunting?” He joked.

“Ha. Not unless you like your jackrabbits in little tiny clumps. This is for killing someone a long way away, before he or she becomes a threat to you. Before the Barrett, only death and taxes were sure things,” Max grinned at his quip, but then continued with purpose.

“It’s box fed.” He detached the magazine and pulled out a bullet although Bill thought it looked like a mini missile. “I keep these here with the rest of my ammo,” pointing to an enormous steel safe. “All my other weapons are there as well and work on the same key I used to open the door.

“See, you just push the magazine into the rifle until it clicks and pull the hammer back and… Velado. This baby is ready to take out the bad-guy.”

“Max, why are you showing me all of this, and how you load your sniper rifle? Not to mention the location of all your other guns, which I suspected you might have, and ammo and the fact that it works on the same key,” Bill asked, both puzzled and very worried.

“You’re my best friend, Bill. If the shit hits the fan, I want you and your family to be protected.” Max had already left the Barrett on the bench and walked around it so that he was facing Bill. “No one knows about this room or what’s in here, except you. Not even those I bribed know what’s here.” Max paused a moment and then looked into Bill’s eyes.

“Bill, if something happens to me, I want to make sure that you have access to this place.”

“Max, first, nothing is going to happen to you. Second, even if it did, none of this would help me without your magic k-” Bill stopped and looked down as Max had already thrust that same key in his hand.

“This is yours. There is a lanyard on it so that you can put it around your neck. I have my own. Do not lose this. Promise me, you will keep it with you at all times whenever you are in Mexico.”

“Okaaaay.” That’s all Bill could say as he was still processing all that he was been told, trying to figure out what this meant.

“Promise me, Bill.”

“Okay Max… I… I promise”

“And do not tell anyone, not even Lisa what is here. You can tell her that you have a key to my house, which of course, works all the doors as well, but do not tell her about this room. No one must know, unless of course, you need what’s here. I’ll leave that decision to you.”

“One more thing,” Max continued, “in the event of my death, I have left the LLC that owns the house to transfer to you and Lisa. Of course, as you know, like with your home, a Mexican bank trust owns the house, but you would essentially own it. I would also leave you some additional assets to make sure you can keep the place up. It’s a bit expensive to run. Here is a business card to my notario who has all the details.”

“I’m really starting to freak out here. Why all this? Why are you telling me this now? Are you ill?” Bills eyes were wide and full of concern. He still held the key outward in his hand, with the lanyard dangling down.