We walked into the display room of the National Archives building, stopping to look at The Declaration of Independence. I stared at it wondering how it could cause so much trouble. I was out of it while Riley and Ben talked. I came out of it when I heard Ben say, "It means if something is wrong, those that have the ability to take action have the responsibility to take action. I'm going to steal it."

I look up. "What?" Riley and I say in unison. We look at each other and then at Ben.

"I'm going to steal the Declaration of Independence." He says simply, turning to walk out of the room.

"Umm, Ben!" Riley calls out, grabbing my hand, and following Ben. I have to jog to keep up with Riley. He was walking fast and taking long strides, trying to get to Ben, who standing on the steps of the building.

"This is huge. Prison huge. You're going to go to prison. You know that?" Riley tells Ben, not letting go of my hand.

Ben nods. "Yeah, probably." He glances down at Riley and mine conjoined, and then looked at me. I half shrugged, smiling.

"That bothers most people." Riley told Ben. I let go of Riley's hand and turned to look at him in the eyes.

"Look, if we don't do anything to stop Ian, he is going to steal the declaration, and destroy it. It would be easier if we got to it first, because it is going to be in our hands. We'll get the clue and return it. That way Ian won't get to it and we can find the treasure that Ben's family has been looking for."

"Yeah. But I would not like to go to prison for it. Come on, it's like stealing a national monument." He pauses, and then points to the statue of Abraham Lincoln. "It's like stealing him. It can't be done. It's not that it shouldn't be done, it's that it can't be done." He sighs and runs his fingers through his hair. "Let me show you."

He grabs my hand again, leading Ben and I to the Library of Congress. He walks in and walks toward a section of books, picking up some and dropping them on a desk. Riley sits me down in a chair and Ben in the chair next to me. He then opened a book to a page on the security of the Declaration of Independence.

"Okay, Ben, Caylen, pay attention. I've brought you to the Library of Congress. Why? Because it's the biggest library in the world. Over 20 million books. And they're all saying the same thing. Listen to Riley. What we have here, my friends, is an entire layout of the Archives. We've got builder's blueprints, construction orders, phone bills, water and sewage. It's all here. Now, when the Declaration is on display, it's surrounded by guards, and video monitors, and little families from Iowa, and little kids on their 8th grade field trips. And beneath and inch of bullet-proof glass is an army of sensors and heat monitors that go off if someone gets too close with a high fever. When it's not on display, it is lowered into a 4 foot think, concrete, steel plated vault that happens to be equipped with an electric combination lock and biometric access and denial systems." Riley told us, looking proud of himself.

I shook my head. "All I think you are trying to tell Ben and I is that you are right, and we are wrong." Ben nodded, agreeing with me. Riley scowled at us, sitting down next to me at the desk.

"You know Thomas Edison tried and failed nearly 2,000 times to develop the carbonized cotton filament for the incandescent light bulb." Ben told Riley and me.

"Edison?" Riley asked. I looked at him, like he was crazy and turned to Ben who laughed at me. He nodded his head at Riley and then continued what he was saying.

"And when asked about it he said 'I didn't fail, I found out 2,000 ways how not to make a light bulb', but he only needed to find one way to make it work." Ben grabbed the book that was open and flipped it to a page and put it in front of Riley. "The preservation room. Enjoy, go ahead and read it." Riley brought the book closer to him. "Do you know what the preservation room is for?"

Riley looked up at Ben, looking confused. "For delicious jams and jellies?" He asked. I put my head on the desk, laughing. Ben chuckled along with me.

"No Riley, that's where they clean, maintain, and repair all the documents and storage housings when they aren't on display or in the vault. Now when the case needs work…"

"They take it to the preservation room?" I guessed.

Ben nodded, smiling at me. "You got it, Caylen. Yes, they take it to the preservation room. The best time for us, or Ian, to steal it would be during the Gala this weekend, when the guards are distracted by the VIPs upstairs. But we'll make our way to the preservation room where there's much less security." Ben finished. Riley flipped the pages of the book.

"Well… if Ian… preservation… gala… this might be possible." Riley looked at Ben.

Ben smiled, nodding. "It might."

A/N: The next chapter is where the real action and the romance begins. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and a thanks in advance for the people who will review.