Finally Free
Dale and Mike put their hands on their knees as they emerged from the underground bunker and took several steps forward while inhaling the crisp, clean air. It was already night, and they could only make out the dim glow of the stars through the branches of the trees. The sight of the backpacks that they had left at the entry were still there, and it was as if they were reuniting with members of their family after being absent for a very long time. They needed to regain their breath, so they laid down on the dead leaves. After then, Dale suddenly recalled the reward that he had unearthed earlier.
In order to get a better look at it, Dale shone the flashlight at it. It was cumbersome, and engraved on it were some digits that read 999,9 in sequence. Then it dawned on him. The object that he was carrying in the palm of his hand was a bar of pure gold weighing five hundred grams. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing before him! How long had it been down there, in the forgotten bunker, languishing in the putrid water for him to locate it? How long did it take him to find it?