The Room Upstairs

Chapter Seven

With the combine genius of Reid and Garcia, the BAU deciphered the pendant's map, gathered tools, saddled up Dolly, and headed out to the edge of Cassidy's pasture.

"Should be buried three feet underground somewhere along this fence line between the twisted post and here," Reid called, looking at the pendant.
"There's eight of us and about nine yards to cover," Hotch said.
"Nine of us counting Buck," Cass spoke up. "Dig three feet apart."
The agent set Buck digging away at the end of the stretch, then started a hole of her own three feet from there. Her teammates spaced themselves out, driving their own shovels into the earth.

Nearly an hour later, everyone was sweaty and about to given up when Derek's shovel clanged against metal.
"Guys!" he called.
Hotch and Prentiss rushed over to widen the hole, and they pulled out a metal chest with a little help from Dolly. The box was roughly two feet by three feet, and a foot deep. There was a padlock, but it was rusted through and crumbled away under Derek's touch.
"Cass, do the honors?" he asked, brushing away dirt.
Cass put a hand to the chest lid, took a breath, and opened it.

The chest was filled to the brim with several gold bricks, precious gems, and valuable coins and jewelry. A faded piece of paper lay on top, and Cass hesitantly picked it up, reading it first to herself.

The pendant deciphered
The treasure is found
The fortune of Hills
Left safe in the ground

If pendant you claim
And our blood is yours
Then take the gold freely
And add to your stores
--Christopher Hill

Cass reread the poem, then recited it to her team.
"You fit the criteria," Reid nodded.
"That's good, 'cause I'm keeping this pearl." Cass decided, picking up the large, white sphere.
"What about the rest of it?" Derek laughed.
"I dunno," Cass shrugged. "All of you take something."
"Cass, we can't do that!" JJ protested.
"Yes you can," Cass told her. "Reach in the box, and pull something out. Use it as a paperweight for all I care, but I want you all to take part of it."
"Are you sure?" JJ checked.
"There's like a million things in there," Cass said. "I won't miss seven."
JJ nodded, then chose a simple but stunning diamond necklace. Prentiss selected a gold bracelet studded with rubies, and Hotch took a gold brick to keep in his office. Rossi decided on a silver pocket watch, Derek took an uncut sapphire, and Garcia carefully removed an ivory swan with emerald eyes.
"Reid, I want to choose for you," Cass said as the agent stepped towards the chest.
She sifted through the box of treasures, finally deciding on a statuette of a man on a horse galloping after a pack of hunting dogs. It was made of bronze, and carefully detailed with gemstones of every kind.
"It's a bit of an analogy," she explained. "It's basically you on a case, charging after leads until you solve it."
"Thank you," Reid smiled, taking the statue and turning it over in his hands.
The chest was shut and carefully tied onto Dolly's back for the walk to the farmhouse. Once there, Reid would gather his belongings from upstairs and everyone would be heading to their own houses, leaving Cass to sort the chest of riches.