CHARMED
"THE HEIST"
by J. B. Tilton
Rating: G
Disclaimer: "Charmed" and all related characters and events are
the property of the WB television network, except for those
characters specifically created for this story. This is a work of fan
fiction and no infringement of copyright is intended.
* * *
The Charmed Ones are blackmailed into stealing a priceless
work of art by a thief who knows their secret.
* * *
ONE
"Phoebe," called Paige from the bottom of the stairs, "Phoebe,
come here."
"What is it?" asked Phoebe, coming down the stairs.
"Those friends of yours," said Paige, "the ones who live down
the street. Isn't their name Blackmon?"
"Yeah, why?" asked Phoebe.
Paige motioned her into the living room as Piper and Leo came
out of the kitchen to see what was going on. The television was on
and the anchorman from one of the local stations was talking. A
telephone number showed at the bottom of the screen.
"Amanda Blackmon was reported missing by her mother on
Thursday afternoon," said the reporter. "The six year old has a
mild heart condition which could become life threatening if she
doesn't take medication for it regularly. Anyone having any
knowledge of Amandas' whereabouts is asked to call the number
on the screen or to contact the nearest police."
"He said they think someone abducted her," said Paige.
"Oh my God, why?" asked Phoebe. "Mike works for a delivery
company. They don't have any money. Why would anyone want
to kidnap Amanda?"
"There could be other reasons for the kidnaping," said Leo.
"Money is only one possible motivation."
"You sound like Darryl," said Piper.
"We have to go help," said Phoebe.
"Sure, sweetie," said Piper, "no problem. But just calm down.
You aren't going to do anyone any good if you get all worked up."
"Okay," said Phoebe, calming herself. "I'm going over there and
see if I can help. Maybe I can get a premonition or something
where she's at."
"Good idea," said Piper. "Paige, call the television station and
find out everything they now."
"Right," said Paige.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" asked Leo. "This isn't
exactly what THEY had in mind when THEY gave you your
powers."
"Leo, honey," said Piper, "we're supposed to protect the
innocent, right? Well, what could be more innocent than a six year
old girl?"
"Point taken," said Leo. "Only, let's be careful. If Phoebe is
their friend, this could be a ploy to draw the three of you out. That's
all I'm saying."
"Then God help the demon or whatever that took her," said
Phoebe, "because they'll get no mercy from me."
"The station didn't have anything more than they reported," said
Paige, putting the phone down. "She just disappeared the day
before yesterday right out of her back yard."
"Okay," said Piper. "Let's go see what we can find out. Maybe
Phoebe will get a premonition. If not, let's get something of
Amandas' that we use to scry for her with. At least we might be
able to find out where she is."
The sisters and Leo left eh manor and started down the front
steps. As they did, a man wearing a suit came walking up the
sidewalk.
"Perfect timing," said the man. "Just the four I wanted to speak
with."
"Sorry, mister," said Phoebe. "Whatever you're selling, it will
have to wait. We're kind of in a hurry right now."
"I'm not selling anything, Phoebe," said the man. "I'm trading."
At the mention of her name, Phoebe stopped cold and looked at
the man. He reached inside his coat and removed a photograph.
He handed it to Phoebe. She looked at it and a look of fear
crossed her face. She showed the photograph to the others.
It was a picture of Amanda Blackmon. She was holding a
newspaper that clearly showed todays' date. Nothing in the
photograph suggested where she might be.
TWO
"She's safe," said the man, "for now. I suggest we all go inside
and discuss this like rational adults."
"If you've hurt her, you son of a . . . " began Phoebe.
"Now, now," said the man. "That's no language for a lady. I
said she's safe. If everything goes as planned, you'll have her back
safe and sound before midnight. Shall we?"
He gestured toward the front door. They all filed back into the
house and took seats in the living room.
"My name is Harry Paine," said the man, taking out a lighter and
setting the photograph on fire. He then threw the photograph into
the fireplace and watched as it burned. "I make a living acquiring
certain objects for certain people. People who pay quite
handsomely, I might add."
"He's a professional thief," said Paige unceremoniously.
"Thief is such a harsh word," said Paine. "I prefer to think of
myself as an acquisitions experts. Providing a valuable service for
a not so modest fee."
"What do you want?" demanded Piper. "You mentioned
something about a trade."
"So I did," said Paine. He removed another photograph from his
coat. "It's very simple. You get this for me, and, in return, you get
the girl back unharmed."
The photograph was of an exquisitely carved green dragon
studded with precious gems. It sat in a glass display case. The
backdrop appeared to be that of a museum.
"The Mind Dragon," said Leo. "Hand carved from about twenty
pounds of pure jade."
"Twenty five pounds, actually," corrected Paine.
"It was carved in the twelfth or thirteen century," continued Leo,
"as a wedding present for a Chinese emperor. Since then, it's
become a Chinese icon. It's worth a fortune."
"You want us to get this?" asked Paige. "That shouldn't be
hard. We just catch a slow boat to China."
"Actually," said Paine, "it's right here in San Francisco. For the
past six months it's been on loan to the United States. It's been
touring museums in various cities. This is the last stop for it. In
approximately seventy two hours, they crate it up and send it back
to China. I want it before that happens."
"You're the thief," said Phoebe. "Why not just steal it yourself?"
"I don't have the time to get around the security on it," said
Paine. "That shouldn't be a problem for you. At least two of you.
A witch and a whatever it is that Leo is."
They all just stared at him in surprise.
"Oh, don't be so shocked," said Paine. "You'd be surprised
what you can learn about someone if you watch them long enough.
I'm sure you remember a while back when your oldest sister, Prue,
rest her soul, saved a young woman from committing suicide. I
found it amazing how she just happened to be on the roof of that
building at just the right moment. Then, when the woman fell, Prue
was suddenly back on the street again. And with a wave of her
hand, the woman landed unharmed."
"You're imagining thins," said Piper.
"Am I?" asked Paine. "I don't think so. I remember thinking
how useful those abilities would be for someone in my line of work.
Not to mention your other abilities.
"Piper Wyatt. You have the ability to freeze things. All sorts of
things. Including motion detectors, heat sensors, surveillance
cameras, that sort of thing.
"Phoebe Halliwell. Proficient in the martial arts and often has
visions of the future. And recently acquired the ability to self
levitate, I understand.
"Paige Matthews. Half sister to the others. I'm not sure what
you can do just yet. Presumably, you inherited Prues' powers once
she passed away. I understand that's how it works. But you're
probably too new with your powers to be really effective with them
yet.
"You see, one of my previous clients claimed to be a warlock.
He had some unusual powers himself. When I discovered what
Prue could do, I had a little chat with him. He called you the
Charmed Ones. Witches with special powers.
"Now, Leo Wyatt. The warlock didn't mention you. What are
you? Some kind of angel or something? The way you can just
disappear and reappear somewhere else almost instantly is
amazing. I wish I knew that little trick."
The Charmed Ones and Leo just stared at Paine in disbelief. It
appeared he knew almost everything about them.
THREE
"You seem to know a great deal," said Piper.
"I do my homework," said Paine. "I knew if I waited long
enough, I'd find a use for your abilities. Now seems as good a time
as any. I'll make enough on this one piece to retire comfortably."
"Assuming we buy all this," said Phoebe. "If we do agree to
help you, how would you suggest we get this Jade Dragon for
you?"
"I have it all planned out," said Paine. "Leo and Piper phase
into the museum, or whatever you call it. With Pipers' ability to
freeze things, she just freeze everything in the room. Then you just
pick up the statue without setting off any alarms. After that, Piper
unfreezes the room, and she and Leo can phase out of the
museum. No one will ever be able to figure out how it was done,
and there will be no connection to me."
"And we get Amanda back?" asked Phoebe.
"Safe and unharmed," said Paine.
"You're crazy," said Leo. "We can't do that."
"You really have no choice," said Paine. He handed Leo a
piece of paper. "Be at this address at precisely ten forty five
tonight. I will tell you that if you don't show up, you will never see
me again. Or the girl, for that matter. In addition, I'll have a chat
with a journalist friend of mine. I'm sure he'd find my tale of your
abilities very enlightening. Who knows? You might even make the
front page."
Paine didn't say another word. He just stood up and left the
manor. No one made a move to stop him. Each knew that if they
tried anything, Amandas' life would be at stake. They would have
to think of another way to save her.
"What do we do?" asked Phoebe.
"I say we meet him and beat the daylights out of him until he
tells us where she is," suggested Paige.
"That's a good plan," said Piper sarcastically. "What if he won't
talk? Or if he's working with someone else who's watching
Amanda? Amanda could be dead before any of us can get to her."
"Besides," said Leo, "we can't risk him telling anyone about you
or me. We can't take the chance that someone might actually
listen to him and come snooping around."
"Good point," said Phoebe. "One close brush with reporters is
all I can handle. Especially considering the cost."
They all knew what Phoebe meant. If that reporter hadn't
caught them using their powers on tape, Prue might still be alive.
None of them wanted to risk that ever again.
"We don't have a choice," said Piper. "We're talking about the
life of a six year old girl. All we can do is do what Paine wants and
hope we can stop him somehow."
"I'll go see what I can find out about Mr. Paine," said Leo. He
orbed out.
"Well, he has the right name," said Paige. "He's a real pain in
the . . .."
"Let's just keep our heads," interrupted Piper. "Let's try to think
of some way out of this."
FOUR
It was ten forty five and Leo and Piper stood at the corner where
Paine had said to meet him. A car pulled up next to them and
Paine smiled at them from the drivers' seat.
"Punctual," he said. "I like that. Get in."
Leo and Piper did as he said. They sat in the back seat. In the
front passenger seat was a satchel.
"What's that?" asked Leo.
Paine opened the satchel and removed what looked like the
same dragon as the one in the photograph.
"A cheap knock off," said Paine. "But it does weigh exactly the
same as the original. It should take them days to notice the switch.
Time enough for me to disappear forever."
He opened a polled up paper and spread it out on the front seat.
It looked like the floor plan to a building.
"The statue is here," said Paine, indicating one large room.
"You two will phase in here." He indicated a smaller room next to
the larger one. "It's a small anteroom next to the main room. Piper
will freeze everything in the room. Then you can make the switch.
Once that's done, you go back to the anteroom and unfreeze
everything. Then you simply phase back here."
"Sounds simple enough," said Piper.
"Except that it won't work," said Leo.
"You're not trying to pull anything, are you?" asked Paine
suspiciously.
"I'm only pointing out," said Leo, "that I'm forbidden from
knowingly perform an evil act. There's no way I can steal the
statue, since stealing is considered an evil act."
"Make sense," said Paine. "Okay, then she'll get the statue."
"The minute she does," said Leo, "she'll be stripped of her
powers. Everything will unfreeze and the alarms will go off."
"Then you just phase her out," said Paine, his patience wearing
thin.
"Once the alarms go off," said Leo, "she'll be caught on tape. If
I phase her out, it would be considered my helping her to escape
prosecution. Again, it's considered an evil act.
"There's only one way to get that statue. You'll have to get it
yourself. I can phase us all in. Then Piper will freeze the room.
You switch the statues, then I phase us out. No violations of the
code and no one looses their powers. And you get your statue."
"And you conveniently forget to phase me out with the both of
you," said Paine. No deal."
"I give you my word," said Leo, "I will bring you out with us."
"And I'm supposed to just trust you?" asked Paine.
"I'm an angel, remember?" asked Leo. "I can't lie. And I can't
break my word."
"That sounds reasonable," said Paine. "But if you phase me
out, wouldn't that be considered helping me to escape prosecution,
too?"
"Not until the police suspect you," said Leo. "Unless you're
seen, I'm not helping you avoid anything. And like you said; there's
nothing to link you to it."
"Okay," said Paine. "What you say makes sense. But I'm
warning you. You try anything funny and you'll never see the girl
again."
"No tricks," said Leo. "You have my word."
Piper and Paine took Leos' arm and he orbed them into the
museum. They appeared in the anteroom that Paine had indicated
on the floor plan. It looked to Piper like any other museum she had
seen.
In the center of the next room sat the Jade Dragon. It was as
beautiful as it was in the photograph. It sat in a glass case, lit up
with lights around the inside of the case. In the corners of the room
where the walls joined the ceiling were four video cameras. Piper
raised her hands but nothing seemed to happen.
"Are you sure everything's frozen," whispered Paine.
"I'm sure," said Piper, nearly shouting. "All you have to do is go
get the statue. Then give us the girl."
Paine just smiled. Cautiously, he walked into the room a step.
He looked at each of the cameras but nothing happened. No bells,
no whistles, no alarms. Confidently, he walked over to the display
case holding the dragon.
Carefully, he removed the glass case, then froze as if he
expected the alarms to go off. Nothing happened. Smiling, he
picked up the dragon and admired it for a moment. He put it on the
floor, removed the copy, and put the copy in the display case. He
replaced the glass case, put the original in the satchel, then walked
back to where Leo and Piper waited for him.
"Okay," he said. "Let's get out of here."
"No," said Leo.
"What is this?" demanded Paine. "We had a deal."
"I'll keep my end," said Leo. "I'll phase us out. Once you tell us
where the girl is."
"How do I know I can trust you?" asked Paine.
"How many times do we have to go over this?" asked Leo. "I'm
an angel, remember? Tell us where the girl is, and you have my
word. I'll take us out of here."
Paine thought for a moment. He knew he couldn't get out by
himself. Piper had frozen only that room. Still, Leo was an angel.
And everyone knew that angels can't lie.
"An apartment building on Lexington," said Paine. "It was
gutted by fire a few months ago. They're renovating it. She's on
the first floor, third door on the right. And as I promised, she's
unharmed. Maybe a little frightened, but that's it. Now, keep your
word. Phase us out."
"Just a minute," said Piper. "I need to unfreeze everything."
She raised her hands, but again, nothing seemed to happen.
Then she nodded to Leo, who orbed the three of them out of the
museum.
FIVE
When they finished orbing, they weren't by Paines' car, as he
had expected. Instead, they stood in what appeared to be a
janitors closet. Cleaning equipment and chemicals filled the room.
"Piper," said Leo, smiling slightly.
Paine started to say something but was frozen by Piper before
the sound could escape his throat.
"Wait here," whispered Leo. "I'll be right back."
He orbed out leaving Piper and the frozen Paine alone in the
closet. Tentatively, Piper cracked the door to the closet and
peered out. They were in the middle of a police station. She
quickly closed the door and waited patiently for her husband to
return. Leo orbed back in a few minutes later.
"Amanda is safe," he said. "I orbed her to Phoebe and Paige."
"What's going on?" asked Piper.
"I'll explain," said Leo. "But first, I need you to freeze everyone
out there."
Piper made a sweeping motion with her hand toward the door.
Leo cracked the door and peered out. Everyone in the outer room
was frozen in place.
"What's going on?" asked Piper.
"I promised I'd orb him out of the museum," said Leo. "I didn't
say where I'd orb him out to."
"Sneaky," said Piper.
"Help me get him out there," said Leo.
He and Piper picked Paine up and carried him from the closet
out to the police filled room. They sat him on one of the waiting
benches facing the desk sergeants' desk. Leo then removed the
statue of the Jade Dragon and placed it on Paines' lap; directly in
view of everyone in the room.
"When you unfreeze everyone," said Leo, "he'll be in full view of
two shifts of policemen. With the dragon in plain sight. I'd like to
see him talk his way out of this."
"Did I say sneaky?" asked Piper. "I take that back. You're not
sneaky. You're devious. Maybe I'd better keep my eye on you
from now on."
Leo just smiled.
"I wasn't always a White Lighter, you know?" he said. "Come
on. Let's get back to the closet."
They moved back to the janitors' closed and Leo closed the
door, all but a crack. They smiled at each other, then Piper unfroze
the room filled with cops.
"Hey," said Paine, now able to say what he had begun to say
when Piper had frozen him, "what's going on here?"
Everyone in the room looked at Paine who was sitting on the
bench with the dragon in plain view. An officer wearing a suit and a
badge hanging from the breast pocket stepped up to him.
"Well, well, if it isn't Harry Paine," said the detective. "What's
that you've got there? Looks like that Chinese statue they have on
display at the museum. Come on, Harry. Let's have a little chat."
The detective picked up the statue while two uniformed officers
escorted them back to an interrogation rooms. Paine didn't say a
word, he just kept looking around as if he had lost something. Leo
smiled and Piper actually giggled. Then, Leo orbed them back to
the manor.
SIX
"The look on Paines' face was priceless," said Piper, after she
and Leo had explained what had happened. "You should have
seen it. He was totally lost."
"I wish I had been there," said Phoebe, laughing. "It serves him
right, using a child like that."
"Aren't you afraid he might tell everyone about us?" asked
Paige.
"I'm not worried," said Leo. "I don't think anyone will take him
seriously once they find out he stole the Ming Dragon. He'll be too
busy trying to explain how he got the dragon."
"So," said Piper, "what about Amanda? How's she doing?"
"Great," said Phoebe. "She got her medication and there
doesn't seem to be anything wrong with her. At least Paine wasn't
lying about that. I told her mother I found her on the street. They
were so thankful to get her back, they didn't ask a lot of questions."
"Good," said Leo. "And if she tells them about me orbing her
out, they'll just think it was her imagination."
"Well," said Piper, "it's nearly midnight. I think I'm going to bed.
This has been one heck of a day."
"I'm with you," said Paige.
The next day Paige called everyone into the living room. The
television was on and one of the local news magazines was
playing. A man and a woman sat behind a desk giving the local
news, and commentaries on the news.
"Amanda Blackmon," said the man, "whom we reported as
being abducted, was returned safely to her parents yesterday by a
neighbor who found the six year old wandering the streets.
Amanda claims an angel rescued her from her abductors. She is
find and doing well."
"Speaking of angels," said the woman, "the Mind Dragon, on
loan from China, was stolen last night. However, the thief, one
Harry Paine, was quickly apprehended when he apparently walked
into a local police station with the dragon in plain sight. The
authorities don't know how Paine was able to bypass the state of
the art security on the dragon, but he apparently missed one of the
surveillance cameras. He was caught on tape red handed stealing
the dragon. When questioned by the police, Paine claims he was
framed by, are you ready for this, Mike? An angel and a witch.
Paine is being held without bond pending a psychiatric evaluation."
"I guess our secret's safe," said Phoebe. "Whatever he tells
them now, they'll think he's delusional."
"Missed one of the cameras, huh?" questioned Leo, poking
Piper in the rib.
"Those lights on the cameras don't flash or blink or anything,"
said Piper. "I figured he wouldn't know if one of them was still
active."
"And you called me devious," said Leo, smiling.
"Anyway," said Paige, "I'm glad that's over. Maybe now we can
have a nice, quiet, relaxing Sunday afternoon for a change."
"Hear, hear," said Phoebe. "Who wants popcorn?"
The End
If you've enjoyed this story, you can find more of my stories for a
variety of shows and subjects at
http://pub57.ezboard.com/bjerrysfanfictionsite. You can also post
your stories if you like to write fan fiction.
"THE HEIST"
by J. B. Tilton
Rating: G
Disclaimer: "Charmed" and all related characters and events are
the property of the WB television network, except for those
characters specifically created for this story. This is a work of fan
fiction and no infringement of copyright is intended.
* * *
The Charmed Ones are blackmailed into stealing a priceless
work of art by a thief who knows their secret.
* * *
ONE
"Phoebe," called Paige from the bottom of the stairs, "Phoebe,
come here."
"What is it?" asked Phoebe, coming down the stairs.
"Those friends of yours," said Paige, "the ones who live down
the street. Isn't their name Blackmon?"
"Yeah, why?" asked Phoebe.
Paige motioned her into the living room as Piper and Leo came
out of the kitchen to see what was going on. The television was on
and the anchorman from one of the local stations was talking. A
telephone number showed at the bottom of the screen.
"Amanda Blackmon was reported missing by her mother on
Thursday afternoon," said the reporter. "The six year old has a
mild heart condition which could become life threatening if she
doesn't take medication for it regularly. Anyone having any
knowledge of Amandas' whereabouts is asked to call the number
on the screen or to contact the nearest police."
"He said they think someone abducted her," said Paige.
"Oh my God, why?" asked Phoebe. "Mike works for a delivery
company. They don't have any money. Why would anyone want
to kidnap Amanda?"
"There could be other reasons for the kidnaping," said Leo.
"Money is only one possible motivation."
"You sound like Darryl," said Piper.
"We have to go help," said Phoebe.
"Sure, sweetie," said Piper, "no problem. But just calm down.
You aren't going to do anyone any good if you get all worked up."
"Okay," said Phoebe, calming herself. "I'm going over there and
see if I can help. Maybe I can get a premonition or something
where she's at."
"Good idea," said Piper. "Paige, call the television station and
find out everything they now."
"Right," said Paige.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" asked Leo. "This isn't
exactly what THEY had in mind when THEY gave you your
powers."
"Leo, honey," said Piper, "we're supposed to protect the
innocent, right? Well, what could be more innocent than a six year
old girl?"
"Point taken," said Leo. "Only, let's be careful. If Phoebe is
their friend, this could be a ploy to draw the three of you out. That's
all I'm saying."
"Then God help the demon or whatever that took her," said
Phoebe, "because they'll get no mercy from me."
"The station didn't have anything more than they reported," said
Paige, putting the phone down. "She just disappeared the day
before yesterday right out of her back yard."
"Okay," said Piper. "Let's go see what we can find out. Maybe
Phoebe will get a premonition. If not, let's get something of
Amandas' that we use to scry for her with. At least we might be
able to find out where she is."
The sisters and Leo left eh manor and started down the front
steps. As they did, a man wearing a suit came walking up the
sidewalk.
"Perfect timing," said the man. "Just the four I wanted to speak
with."
"Sorry, mister," said Phoebe. "Whatever you're selling, it will
have to wait. We're kind of in a hurry right now."
"I'm not selling anything, Phoebe," said the man. "I'm trading."
At the mention of her name, Phoebe stopped cold and looked at
the man. He reached inside his coat and removed a photograph.
He handed it to Phoebe. She looked at it and a look of fear
crossed her face. She showed the photograph to the others.
It was a picture of Amanda Blackmon. She was holding a
newspaper that clearly showed todays' date. Nothing in the
photograph suggested where she might be.
TWO
"She's safe," said the man, "for now. I suggest we all go inside
and discuss this like rational adults."
"If you've hurt her, you son of a . . . " began Phoebe.
"Now, now," said the man. "That's no language for a lady. I
said she's safe. If everything goes as planned, you'll have her back
safe and sound before midnight. Shall we?"
He gestured toward the front door. They all filed back into the
house and took seats in the living room.
"My name is Harry Paine," said the man, taking out a lighter and
setting the photograph on fire. He then threw the photograph into
the fireplace and watched as it burned. "I make a living acquiring
certain objects for certain people. People who pay quite
handsomely, I might add."
"He's a professional thief," said Paige unceremoniously.
"Thief is such a harsh word," said Paine. "I prefer to think of
myself as an acquisitions experts. Providing a valuable service for
a not so modest fee."
"What do you want?" demanded Piper. "You mentioned
something about a trade."
"So I did," said Paine. He removed another photograph from his
coat. "It's very simple. You get this for me, and, in return, you get
the girl back unharmed."
The photograph was of an exquisitely carved green dragon
studded with precious gems. It sat in a glass display case. The
backdrop appeared to be that of a museum.
"The Mind Dragon," said Leo. "Hand carved from about twenty
pounds of pure jade."
"Twenty five pounds, actually," corrected Paine.
"It was carved in the twelfth or thirteen century," continued Leo,
"as a wedding present for a Chinese emperor. Since then, it's
become a Chinese icon. It's worth a fortune."
"You want us to get this?" asked Paige. "That shouldn't be
hard. We just catch a slow boat to China."
"Actually," said Paine, "it's right here in San Francisco. For the
past six months it's been on loan to the United States. It's been
touring museums in various cities. This is the last stop for it. In
approximately seventy two hours, they crate it up and send it back
to China. I want it before that happens."
"You're the thief," said Phoebe. "Why not just steal it yourself?"
"I don't have the time to get around the security on it," said
Paine. "That shouldn't be a problem for you. At least two of you.
A witch and a whatever it is that Leo is."
They all just stared at him in surprise.
"Oh, don't be so shocked," said Paine. "You'd be surprised
what you can learn about someone if you watch them long enough.
I'm sure you remember a while back when your oldest sister, Prue,
rest her soul, saved a young woman from committing suicide. I
found it amazing how she just happened to be on the roof of that
building at just the right moment. Then, when the woman fell, Prue
was suddenly back on the street again. And with a wave of her
hand, the woman landed unharmed."
"You're imagining thins," said Piper.
"Am I?" asked Paine. "I don't think so. I remember thinking
how useful those abilities would be for someone in my line of work.
Not to mention your other abilities.
"Piper Wyatt. You have the ability to freeze things. All sorts of
things. Including motion detectors, heat sensors, surveillance
cameras, that sort of thing.
"Phoebe Halliwell. Proficient in the martial arts and often has
visions of the future. And recently acquired the ability to self
levitate, I understand.
"Paige Matthews. Half sister to the others. I'm not sure what
you can do just yet. Presumably, you inherited Prues' powers once
she passed away. I understand that's how it works. But you're
probably too new with your powers to be really effective with them
yet.
"You see, one of my previous clients claimed to be a warlock.
He had some unusual powers himself. When I discovered what
Prue could do, I had a little chat with him. He called you the
Charmed Ones. Witches with special powers.
"Now, Leo Wyatt. The warlock didn't mention you. What are
you? Some kind of angel or something? The way you can just
disappear and reappear somewhere else almost instantly is
amazing. I wish I knew that little trick."
The Charmed Ones and Leo just stared at Paine in disbelief. It
appeared he knew almost everything about them.
THREE
"You seem to know a great deal," said Piper.
"I do my homework," said Paine. "I knew if I waited long
enough, I'd find a use for your abilities. Now seems as good a time
as any. I'll make enough on this one piece to retire comfortably."
"Assuming we buy all this," said Phoebe. "If we do agree to
help you, how would you suggest we get this Jade Dragon for
you?"
"I have it all planned out," said Paine. "Leo and Piper phase
into the museum, or whatever you call it. With Pipers' ability to
freeze things, she just freeze everything in the room. Then you just
pick up the statue without setting off any alarms. After that, Piper
unfreezes the room, and she and Leo can phase out of the
museum. No one will ever be able to figure out how it was done,
and there will be no connection to me."
"And we get Amanda back?" asked Phoebe.
"Safe and unharmed," said Paine.
"You're crazy," said Leo. "We can't do that."
"You really have no choice," said Paine. He handed Leo a
piece of paper. "Be at this address at precisely ten forty five
tonight. I will tell you that if you don't show up, you will never see
me again. Or the girl, for that matter. In addition, I'll have a chat
with a journalist friend of mine. I'm sure he'd find my tale of your
abilities very enlightening. Who knows? You might even make the
front page."
Paine didn't say another word. He just stood up and left the
manor. No one made a move to stop him. Each knew that if they
tried anything, Amandas' life would be at stake. They would have
to think of another way to save her.
"What do we do?" asked Phoebe.
"I say we meet him and beat the daylights out of him until he
tells us where she is," suggested Paige.
"That's a good plan," said Piper sarcastically. "What if he won't
talk? Or if he's working with someone else who's watching
Amanda? Amanda could be dead before any of us can get to her."
"Besides," said Leo, "we can't risk him telling anyone about you
or me. We can't take the chance that someone might actually
listen to him and come snooping around."
"Good point," said Phoebe. "One close brush with reporters is
all I can handle. Especially considering the cost."
They all knew what Phoebe meant. If that reporter hadn't
caught them using their powers on tape, Prue might still be alive.
None of them wanted to risk that ever again.
"We don't have a choice," said Piper. "We're talking about the
life of a six year old girl. All we can do is do what Paine wants and
hope we can stop him somehow."
"I'll go see what I can find out about Mr. Paine," said Leo. He
orbed out.
"Well, he has the right name," said Paige. "He's a real pain in
the . . .."
"Let's just keep our heads," interrupted Piper. "Let's try to think
of some way out of this."
FOUR
It was ten forty five and Leo and Piper stood at the corner where
Paine had said to meet him. A car pulled up next to them and
Paine smiled at them from the drivers' seat.
"Punctual," he said. "I like that. Get in."
Leo and Piper did as he said. They sat in the back seat. In the
front passenger seat was a satchel.
"What's that?" asked Leo.
Paine opened the satchel and removed what looked like the
same dragon as the one in the photograph.
"A cheap knock off," said Paine. "But it does weigh exactly the
same as the original. It should take them days to notice the switch.
Time enough for me to disappear forever."
He opened a polled up paper and spread it out on the front seat.
It looked like the floor plan to a building.
"The statue is here," said Paine, indicating one large room.
"You two will phase in here." He indicated a smaller room next to
the larger one. "It's a small anteroom next to the main room. Piper
will freeze everything in the room. Then you can make the switch.
Once that's done, you go back to the anteroom and unfreeze
everything. Then you simply phase back here."
"Sounds simple enough," said Piper.
"Except that it won't work," said Leo.
"You're not trying to pull anything, are you?" asked Paine
suspiciously.
"I'm only pointing out," said Leo, "that I'm forbidden from
knowingly perform an evil act. There's no way I can steal the
statue, since stealing is considered an evil act."
"Make sense," said Paine. "Okay, then she'll get the statue."
"The minute she does," said Leo, "she'll be stripped of her
powers. Everything will unfreeze and the alarms will go off."
"Then you just phase her out," said Paine, his patience wearing
thin.
"Once the alarms go off," said Leo, "she'll be caught on tape. If
I phase her out, it would be considered my helping her to escape
prosecution. Again, it's considered an evil act.
"There's only one way to get that statue. You'll have to get it
yourself. I can phase us all in. Then Piper will freeze the room.
You switch the statues, then I phase us out. No violations of the
code and no one looses their powers. And you get your statue."
"And you conveniently forget to phase me out with the both of
you," said Paine. No deal."
"I give you my word," said Leo, "I will bring you out with us."
"And I'm supposed to just trust you?" asked Paine.
"I'm an angel, remember?" asked Leo. "I can't lie. And I can't
break my word."
"That sounds reasonable," said Paine. "But if you phase me
out, wouldn't that be considered helping me to escape prosecution,
too?"
"Not until the police suspect you," said Leo. "Unless you're
seen, I'm not helping you avoid anything. And like you said; there's
nothing to link you to it."
"Okay," said Paine. "What you say makes sense. But I'm
warning you. You try anything funny and you'll never see the girl
again."
"No tricks," said Leo. "You have my word."
Piper and Paine took Leos' arm and he orbed them into the
museum. They appeared in the anteroom that Paine had indicated
on the floor plan. It looked to Piper like any other museum she had
seen.
In the center of the next room sat the Jade Dragon. It was as
beautiful as it was in the photograph. It sat in a glass case, lit up
with lights around the inside of the case. In the corners of the room
where the walls joined the ceiling were four video cameras. Piper
raised her hands but nothing seemed to happen.
"Are you sure everything's frozen," whispered Paine.
"I'm sure," said Piper, nearly shouting. "All you have to do is go
get the statue. Then give us the girl."
Paine just smiled. Cautiously, he walked into the room a step.
He looked at each of the cameras but nothing happened. No bells,
no whistles, no alarms. Confidently, he walked over to the display
case holding the dragon.
Carefully, he removed the glass case, then froze as if he
expected the alarms to go off. Nothing happened. Smiling, he
picked up the dragon and admired it for a moment. He put it on the
floor, removed the copy, and put the copy in the display case. He
replaced the glass case, put the original in the satchel, then walked
back to where Leo and Piper waited for him.
"Okay," he said. "Let's get out of here."
"No," said Leo.
"What is this?" demanded Paine. "We had a deal."
"I'll keep my end," said Leo. "I'll phase us out. Once you tell us
where the girl is."
"How do I know I can trust you?" asked Paine.
"How many times do we have to go over this?" asked Leo. "I'm
an angel, remember? Tell us where the girl is, and you have my
word. I'll take us out of here."
Paine thought for a moment. He knew he couldn't get out by
himself. Piper had frozen only that room. Still, Leo was an angel.
And everyone knew that angels can't lie.
"An apartment building on Lexington," said Paine. "It was
gutted by fire a few months ago. They're renovating it. She's on
the first floor, third door on the right. And as I promised, she's
unharmed. Maybe a little frightened, but that's it. Now, keep your
word. Phase us out."
"Just a minute," said Piper. "I need to unfreeze everything."
She raised her hands, but again, nothing seemed to happen.
Then she nodded to Leo, who orbed the three of them out of the
museum.
FIVE
When they finished orbing, they weren't by Paines' car, as he
had expected. Instead, they stood in what appeared to be a
janitors closet. Cleaning equipment and chemicals filled the room.
"Piper," said Leo, smiling slightly.
Paine started to say something but was frozen by Piper before
the sound could escape his throat.
"Wait here," whispered Leo. "I'll be right back."
He orbed out leaving Piper and the frozen Paine alone in the
closet. Tentatively, Piper cracked the door to the closet and
peered out. They were in the middle of a police station. She
quickly closed the door and waited patiently for her husband to
return. Leo orbed back in a few minutes later.
"Amanda is safe," he said. "I orbed her to Phoebe and Paige."
"What's going on?" asked Piper.
"I'll explain," said Leo. "But first, I need you to freeze everyone
out there."
Piper made a sweeping motion with her hand toward the door.
Leo cracked the door and peered out. Everyone in the outer room
was frozen in place.
"What's going on?" asked Piper.
"I promised I'd orb him out of the museum," said Leo. "I didn't
say where I'd orb him out to."
"Sneaky," said Piper.
"Help me get him out there," said Leo.
He and Piper picked Paine up and carried him from the closet
out to the police filled room. They sat him on one of the waiting
benches facing the desk sergeants' desk. Leo then removed the
statue of the Jade Dragon and placed it on Paines' lap; directly in
view of everyone in the room.
"When you unfreeze everyone," said Leo, "he'll be in full view of
two shifts of policemen. With the dragon in plain sight. I'd like to
see him talk his way out of this."
"Did I say sneaky?" asked Piper. "I take that back. You're not
sneaky. You're devious. Maybe I'd better keep my eye on you
from now on."
Leo just smiled.
"I wasn't always a White Lighter, you know?" he said. "Come
on. Let's get back to the closet."
They moved back to the janitors' closed and Leo closed the
door, all but a crack. They smiled at each other, then Piper unfroze
the room filled with cops.
"Hey," said Paine, now able to say what he had begun to say
when Piper had frozen him, "what's going on here?"
Everyone in the room looked at Paine who was sitting on the
bench with the dragon in plain view. An officer wearing a suit and a
badge hanging from the breast pocket stepped up to him.
"Well, well, if it isn't Harry Paine," said the detective. "What's
that you've got there? Looks like that Chinese statue they have on
display at the museum. Come on, Harry. Let's have a little chat."
The detective picked up the statue while two uniformed officers
escorted them back to an interrogation rooms. Paine didn't say a
word, he just kept looking around as if he had lost something. Leo
smiled and Piper actually giggled. Then, Leo orbed them back to
the manor.
SIX
"The look on Paines' face was priceless," said Piper, after she
and Leo had explained what had happened. "You should have
seen it. He was totally lost."
"I wish I had been there," said Phoebe, laughing. "It serves him
right, using a child like that."
"Aren't you afraid he might tell everyone about us?" asked
Paige.
"I'm not worried," said Leo. "I don't think anyone will take him
seriously once they find out he stole the Ming Dragon. He'll be too
busy trying to explain how he got the dragon."
"So," said Piper, "what about Amanda? How's she doing?"
"Great," said Phoebe. "She got her medication and there
doesn't seem to be anything wrong with her. At least Paine wasn't
lying about that. I told her mother I found her on the street. They
were so thankful to get her back, they didn't ask a lot of questions."
"Good," said Leo. "And if she tells them about me orbing her
out, they'll just think it was her imagination."
"Well," said Piper, "it's nearly midnight. I think I'm going to bed.
This has been one heck of a day."
"I'm with you," said Paige.
The next day Paige called everyone into the living room. The
television was on and one of the local news magazines was
playing. A man and a woman sat behind a desk giving the local
news, and commentaries on the news.
"Amanda Blackmon," said the man, "whom we reported as
being abducted, was returned safely to her parents yesterday by a
neighbor who found the six year old wandering the streets.
Amanda claims an angel rescued her from her abductors. She is
find and doing well."
"Speaking of angels," said the woman, "the Mind Dragon, on
loan from China, was stolen last night. However, the thief, one
Harry Paine, was quickly apprehended when he apparently walked
into a local police station with the dragon in plain sight. The
authorities don't know how Paine was able to bypass the state of
the art security on the dragon, but he apparently missed one of the
surveillance cameras. He was caught on tape red handed stealing
the dragon. When questioned by the police, Paine claims he was
framed by, are you ready for this, Mike? An angel and a witch.
Paine is being held without bond pending a psychiatric evaluation."
"I guess our secret's safe," said Phoebe. "Whatever he tells
them now, they'll think he's delusional."
"Missed one of the cameras, huh?" questioned Leo, poking
Piper in the rib.
"Those lights on the cameras don't flash or blink or anything,"
said Piper. "I figured he wouldn't know if one of them was still
active."
"And you called me devious," said Leo, smiling.
"Anyway," said Paige, "I'm glad that's over. Maybe now we can
have a nice, quiet, relaxing Sunday afternoon for a change."
"Hear, hear," said Phoebe. "Who wants popcorn?"
The End
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