The Death of 1977 (Book 3)

The four German Shepherds barked ceaselessly as the billowing smoke engulfed the small space within the cave. Both small and medium sized rocks were still tumbling to the ground as the coughing and gagging of human beings could be heard clear outside the mouth of the cave.

"Alright, everyone, follow me!" Livingston shouted as he carefully marched back into the cave's entrance, waving noxious smoke and debris away from his face.

One by one Livingston's henchmen and the workers all filtered back into the cave. Once enough smoke had been cleared away Livingston knelt down to the ground and shoved as many rocks aside as he could before spotting something shine out of the corner of his right eye.

"Bring the light down here!" Livingston feverishly panted.

At once, one of the workers shined their lantern towards the ground. Livingston's heart dropped to his knees at that very instant before he shoved and scattered even more rocks away that ended up revealing a cluster of sparkling diamonds.

"My God," one of the female workers joyfully screamed.

Everyone behind him all rejoiced in song and dance, but Livingston remained on his knees in a stunned storm. Yes, he too was elated; his face was blushing so much that it resembled a ripe tomato. But expressing his ecstasy was akin to squeezing blood from a stone, it was beyond impossible. The man just couldn't bring himself to leap out of his shoes. He was too jolted to even utter a simple grunt.

"We've done it, mon!" Philippe yelled into Livingston's ear. "We've finally done it!"

Livingston scooped up a mass of tiny diamonds into his jittery hands before standing to his feet. "You see?" His body shook. "You see what happens when you work hard and never give up? This be the fruit of all labor!"

The crowd hollered for joy as the dogs barked and howled. Soon, everyone, with their own bags in hand, got down to their knees and began gathering as much booty as they could before throwing it into their separate cloth satchels. Livingston stood and studied both the diamonds in his warm hands and the people on the ground collecting their work.

He looked back and forth until he managed to concentrate solely on the shiny treasure in his hands. The smoke from the explosion was still prevalent inside the cave, but as hard as it was for him to breathe, the rampant thoughts and aspirations of what his wealth could bring him overwhelmed Livingston to where he couldn't stop shaking.

The men and women were all hooting and hollering with their newfound fortune before Livingston. The man had gone deaf for a few moments. All he could see was smoke, people dancing and the fire of his existence. Every so often his eyes would glance back down at the ground where more diamonds just happened to be lying. Nearby was the line from where more dynamite was still connected. There was so much shininess on the ground that gathering as much as one could seemed nearly impossible. He never realized just how much was actually hidden within the cave's walls.

shouted as he picked up his own bag from off the ground and dropped his handful into the satchel. "Listen, get as much as you can and head out

filled their bags with as much wealth as they

I'll make double sure no one is coming up the mountain!"

He poked his head out while glancing behind him to find everyone doing as they were told to do. They all carelessly placed their bags into the wheelbarrow, and like giddy young people

resting. He picked up the box and listened until the barking of the dogs became more distant before he sparked the fuses on the trigger, one, two, three times, which in turn activated a second explosion that caused the rear section of the cave to rumble and collapse. Livingston picked up the wheelbarrow full of satchels and hurriedly carted it out of the

brightly lit lamps. The man gathered and tossed every bag of diamonds into the back of the truck before he looked back at the top of the trail where a plume of smoke was still curling

For the first time in years the man had not a care in the world. The night in all its sprinkling glory was perfectly still. The flowing waterfall beside him looked so effervescent in the lamplight that it was nearly poetic. Livingston then turned the wheelbarrow over onto its side before making his way back around to the driver's side of the truck. However, just before he could even climb inside, there erupted a moving sound right behind him.

Arthur was a soggy, soaking mess of a man. Gone was the dapper, well-trimmed

waiting for you."

Arthur uttered not one word; he just began walking about in the lamplight until he managed to stand right in

you and your crew have at last unearthed heaven." Arthur steadily

Livingston replied, "Oh yes, finally got the dynamite to work. The

Arthur nodded his head with a curt grin. "Were you planning on

you serious? Even I know better than that. I was waiting for you to get back so

million dollars' worth

he reluctantly rummaged through the bags. "Let's hurry and split this up before the

was unnerving to the point

"Is dere a problem, Mr. Livingston?"

body immediately tensed up so much that he could hardly even move at that instant. "I...I was just

Arthur still standing there, but with fangs drawn and a pair of white eyes