It was a cold Tuesday morning when Mike was approached by a little brown animal. He was having a hot cup of coffee out on the front porch when the squirrel came by. It had a baby squirrel in her arms. It was clear that the squirrel was asking for help.
Source: Sports Spotter
Fortunately, Mike worked as a veterinarian before and he had an idea of what to do to help nurse the baby squirrel back to health. But upon closer inspection, he realized that something was not right about the baby animal.
Nursing the baby to health
Mike did everything that he can for the baby squirrel. He got a shoebox and lined it with old towels and clothes. Then, he fed the baby squirrel with formula milk for babies using a pipette. As the days went by, the baby squirrel seemed to be doing better.
Source: Sports Spotter
Then one morning, Mike woke up and found that the baby squirrel was gone. Mike was immediately stressed out. He worried that the baby squirrel was not yet ready to be out of the box and that it needed more help.
The squirrel wanted him to follow
The box was by a slightly open window so that the mother squirrel could visit it. Mike looked out the window and knew that he had no choice but to look for the baby squirrel in his garden and probably, the forest beyond it. Mike had been searching for hours when he saw a squirrel tail from a distance.
Source: Sports Spotter
Mike rushed towards the animal. It was the same squirrel that brought the baby to him. However, the closer Mike got to the mother squirrel, the squirrel would move a bit up ahead. It was as if she was leading Mike somewhere.
A fairytale scene
Mike followed the squirrel until it stopped at a small clearing in the forest. The open spot was surrounded by trees. Mike had never seen it before. It looked like a scene from a fairytale but something was not quite right despite its beauty.
Source: Sports Spotter
The squirrel stood still and waited for Mike to catch up. Then it climbed one of the trees. The squirrel was going up and down the tree frantically as if trying to say something. But Mike could not figure out what was wrong.
A special tree
Mike took a step back to take in the tree in all its glory. This tree looked normal – there was nothing about it that stood out. Mike thought that he was probably just reading too much into the squirrel’s actions. He decided to turn his back and go home.
Source: Sports Spotter
But as Mike was about to walk away, the squirrel made loud noises to call his attention. It then climbed up the tree again and disappeared inside a hole that Mike never noticed before. Then, the squirrel kept poking his head in and out of the hole.
A hollow tree
Mike moved closer to the tree. The hole was too tall and he could not reach it. There was no way to take a look and see what was inside. Whatever the squirrel wanted to show Mike was clearly inside the tree but it was impossible to take a look.
Source: Sports Spotter
When Mike knocked on the tree’s bark, he realized that there was something seriously wrong with the tree. The tree was hollow! Mike thinks that something must have been stashed inside it. He hurried back home to get some tools. He was completely curious now.
A red mysterious box
When he got back, Mike pulled out a drill and a claw hammer. He carefully created a hole in the hollow tree. When he got to look inside, his eyes widened. Mike found a bright red coolbox and it had a big hanger lock on it.
Source: Sports Spotter
He made the hole wider so that he could take it out of the tree. When he was able to take it out, he examined the lock on the coolbox. He put it on the ground and tried to break the lock with his hammer but it was stronger than he thought.
Taking the mysterious box home
Mike wondered if it was a good idea to take the coolbox home with him. But then again, he had no idea what was inside the coolbox. What if there was something in there that he was not supposed to see and it could get him in trouble?
Source: Sports Spotter
After debating with himself, curiosity won. Mike tried again to open the box with a stronger tool when he got home. But even an iron drill could not get through the lock. It was then that Mike decided to contact his friend, Rick, who works in the construction industry.
He was being followed
Rick confirmed that he may just have the tools to open the lock and told Mike to just come over. Mike took the coolbox and placed it at the back of his car. Rick lived just a few blocks away so it would only take a few minutes for Mike to get there.
Source: Sports Spotter
But on the way to Rick’s, Mike noticed that the car behind him seem to be following him. But was it just a coincidence? Could it have something to do with the coolbox he found in the woods? Mike shook his head, thinking that he was just paranoid.
The lock was impossible to break
Rick led Mike to his workshed where there was a variety of machines and equipment. Mike immediately got excited. He had no doubt that they would be able to open the mysterious coolbox now. But later on, he realized his problems were not over.
Source: Sports Spotter
Rick had tried several tools but the lock still won’t budge. He was actually impressed with how strong and sturdy the lock is. Rick had never seen a lock like it. Whoever owned this coolbox definitely did not want anyone to see the contents inside.
Giving up on the lock
Rick told Mike it looked like they were not going to be able to open this coolbox any time soon. Mike was a bit disappointed but thanked his close friend. On the way back home, he got a strange feeling that he was not really supposed to have this coolbox.
Source: Sports Spotter
He initially hoped that there would be money or something valuable inside it. Mike was unsure what to do with the coolbox but he had a feeling that whatever was in there could change his life drastically – whether it was for good or bad, he still has to figure it out.
A home invasion
When Mike got home, he was in for another surprise. His front door was wide open and the glass on it was smashed in. Mike rushed inside and found his place to be a mess. It looks like whoever did this was looking for something.
Source: Sports Spotter
He rushed to where his valuable watches and his stack of money were. Someone went through his dresser table but his valuables were untouched. Could this have something to do with the mysterious coolbox?
The police investigates
Mike immediately called the police. It was the only logical thing to do after all. It only took minutes for the police to arrive at his place and start investigating. When the police were done looking around, they told Mike that the only fingerprints they could find were his.
Source: Sports Spotter
Whoever broke into the house knew exactly what he was doing and covered his tracks well. His valuables were untouched so they must have been looking for something specific. Mike thought about the coolbox but kept silent about it.
His home was not safe
The police then told Mike that it was probably not a good idea to sleep in his home tonight in case the culprit would return. They asked if Mike had someone he could stay with for the night. Mike told him that he could stay at Rick’s place and immediately gave Rick a call.
Source: Sports Spotter
After explaining what happened, Rick told him to come over and spend the night. The police escorted him to Rick’s place. He felt safe at Rick’s place and he was able to calm down and relax a bit. Before he knew it, Mike soon fell asleep on the couch.
Another intrusion
A few hours later, Mike woke up to a loud noise from somewhere in the house. Four men all dressed in black entered the living room. “We don’t want any trouble but you have something that belongs to us.” one of the men told them.
Source: Sports Spotter
It was clear that these men intend to do anything necessary to get the coolbox. Mike realized that stalling could be a bad idea. He did not want Rick to get hurt so he told the men that what they want was in his car.
Calling the cops
The men allowed him to grab his car keys and retrieve the coolbox. They took it from him and simply sped off in their own cars. But Mike was able to secretly take some photos of their plates while he was retrieving the coolbox from his car.
Source: Sports Spotter
It was a risky move but Mike felt he needed to do something just in case he and Rick gets hurt. Once he was sure the intruders were gone, Mike immediately called the police. The same team that investigated his home earlier was the same team that came that night.
The cops were upset
The cops agreed that the incident earlier and what happened that night are connected. Although the officer in charge was upset at Mark for not telling them about the coolbox earlier. They could charge him with obstructing the investigation.
Source: Sports Spotter
Mike apologized sheepishly for his foolish mistake. He assured the police officers that he would fully cooperate with the investigation. At this point, he showed them the pictures that he took of the cars and the plate numbers of the intruders. He hoped it would be enough to track them down.
Finally getting a lead
The cops ran the plate numbers and discovered that they were plates from cars that had been stolen a few days before. They had no doubt that they are dealing with a professional crime organization this time. They were more determined to catch the culprits.
Source: Sports Spotter
Two days passed without any leads until a camera on the highway was able to spot two of the number plates. The police tracked their routes and started to patrol the area. After driving around the neighborhood, one of the teams spotted one of the cars.
Catching the culprits
A SWAT team was assembled quickly and they entered the house. Four men were inside. The coolbox that Mike had found was on the table. So, what was really in the coolbox that had caused Mike so much trouble?
Source: Sports Spotter
The coolbox contained a USB stick. It also contained a tracker. No wonder these men knew exactly where the coolbox is. When checking the USB, the cops found that it was filled with classified information and a crypto account that was used for the men to get paid.
What an adventure
The cops called Mike to tell them it was all over and that he had nothing to worry about. Mike could not believe his ears when they told him what was in the coolbox. He realized he had been irrational for thinking that coolbox would give him a good fortune but he had learned his lesson now.
Source: Sports Spotter
Mike was seated on the front porch when the cops called. After the call was over, he looked out into the forest where it all began. He could not believe that everything had started with just a squirrel. He was glad that everything was over now.
