Chapter 2: In the Wrong Place at the Wrong Time

I forced my suddenly weak body to get out of bed as I trudged over to my closet, throwing on my usual attire and left to go meet up in with Bentley who was in the conference room. He had to give a name to just about every room in the house. For instance, the house was called the cave. He was just creative in odd ways.

Upon entering the room I took my normal seat and the meeting was augured.

"So, what is on tonight's schedule?" I yawned with a lack of interest.

"Please, don't be so enthusiastic about the mission." Bentley retorted as he emphasized the most important word of all.

"Hey, you just woke me up; forgive me if I'm not so chipper." I babbled as I yawned again.

"Fine, I will now towards the mission. You are to recover an ancient memorable statue of the great Longhorn, one of many of Hades' minions." Bentley described with great visual detail.

I tried to at least pretend that I was interested but I was just too exhausted to even think straight, my mind kept on repeating the dream over and over again as though it had some significant meaning but at the moment I wasn't very interested. All I really desired to do was go back to my room, crawl underneath my covers and try to have a more pleasant dream but I don't think that was going to happen any time soon as Bentley carried on.

My head suddenly felt heavy so I rested my chin in the cup of my hand, at least supporting the heavy object that seemed somewhat foreign to me, probably because I hardly ever sat in this particular fashion.

"So, Sly, do you understand on what you are supposed to do for the mission?" Bentley asked as though I didn't already have the common knowledge in my line of work.

He seemed to be trying to engrave the word, mission in my mind but I was less then thrilled about the mission anyway. I guess that dream really did take quite a bit of energy out of me even though I got the unusual seven hours rest. Maybe I over slept passed my allowed limit, I just shrugged at the possibilities that came to my already flooded mind.

"Yes, sir." I responded as I quickly sat up and saluted him with just a hint of sarcasm of course.

"good, now good job and keep me posted along the way will you." Bentley smiled and I couldn't help to respond back to his gesture.

At times he could be annoying and overbearing, actually most of the time but he really, without a doubt one of my best friends. I could always count on him when the time came for it; I knew he would be on my side.

I grabbed the headset that was on the table and placed it inside my ear, bringing the mouthpiece lower so it was within range of my words being heard to Bentley and Murry if I needed some back up or something terrible went wrong.

Exchanging farewells with my fellow comrades in the crime I hurried off the museum that with held the object that I was searching for.

"Bentley, exactly how big is the statue?" I asked out of curiosity, hoping that it wasn't a clausal item.

"Not big at all, it is rather a small statue but the artwork was a rarity in the era that it was made in that it is one of the museum's most valued expedition and certainly popular." Bentley concluded as he clicked away on the computer, more than likely hacking into the security system.

"Security is going to be pretty tight, huh?"

"You bet, I'm trying to get through their protective barriers but don't worry about a thing, it is nothing that I cannot handle." Bentley said with confidence. He had broken into countless systems before, so the mission should be a piece of cake.

"I'm not." I whispered as I neared the museum, only a rooftop away from it. I could never be too careful about lurking guards that seemed to hide in the shadows of their surroundings were always ready to pounce.

I glanced about the building not eying any guards on the roof top so I leaped over the rather large roof and landed gently on the hard flooring. I spied over my shoulder and all around me as I skidded next to an open window right above the object.

"ok, Bentley , I think that I am right over that statue thing." I stated quietly.

"yep, you are right on top of it. I'll need you to wait a second while I shut down their security system." Bentley rushed as he typed faster on the computer.

"all right." I replied as I sat there, looking up at the beautiful night sky. I never tired of seeing the same endless universe every night.

"ok, you're good to go." He said somewhat out of breath.

"I'm going in." I said as I discarded my red backpack that I rarely took on missions anymore.

Unzipping the larger compartment I took out a harness belt and put it on. After that major obstacle was conquered I grabbed a rope, tied it around one of the posts that sat on the roof, I double checked to make sure that the knot was tight enough to help support me on my deed.

I softly cracked open the window and lowered myself down below, I inched closer to the object as I lowered myself steadily and slowly.

Once at the desired level, I gazed at the statue for a moment pondering on how the tiny piece of stone could be worth so much but I soon realized that I didn't have the luxury of wasting time so I hurried on with my next task.

"sly, be careful the statue is sitting upon weight sensors that I was unable to disconnect so use the book that I gave you to quickly switch places with the statue and hurry up. We're running low on time." Bentley warned with urgency.

"Ok! Ok!" I repeated getting the message already.

I grabbed the heavy dictionary that I had stashed inside my shirt before I lowered myself into the hell pit. I took a light hold of the statue and swiftly switched places with the needed article of hardened matter.

I sighed a breath of relief for a moment, finally feeling clear of the mission.

Suddenly, alarms blared everywhere, echoing throughout the entire building, blowing off the entire mission. Every fiber of my being tensed as the lights spun around, the horrible siren that reverberated right through corridors.

"Bentley, what went wrong?" I inquired hastily.

"It looks like the museum had a back security that I missed. Sly, you need to hurry out of there, the cops are on their way and you have about thirty seconds to get the hell out of there!" Bentley yelled.

Abruptly the double doors that had been the entrance to the more prized acquisitions was burst through by bulky cops in their blue uniforms with their guns loaded and ready to shoot at me if I threatened them in any way or disobeyed any of their commands.

"Make it zero." I mumbled under my breath as the cops yelled at me to keep still and don't speak and so on.