Author's Note:
Happy 4th of July from here in Philly where the Declaration was signed. Not that I'm really doing much. Just a party and hopefully watching the unaired episodes of Drive, which was not given a fair amount of time to prove itself. But I am celebrating by updating, (ironically this is also the 4th chapter). It's not all that long, but I thought that it made sense to put something up. Happy holiday!
Chapter #4:
"This better work," Riley commented.
"Yeah," I agreed, "because otherwise how will I get my job back?"
"Well I was a little more concerned about a criminal stealing the Declaration and destroying it."
"There's that too," I allowed. We waited a few minutes, hoping that everything was working out well.
"How's it going?" Riley asked.
"It's working," Ben whispered back, "it's working."
"Unbelievable," Riley mused.
"Okay," Ben said, "I'm going to go to the elevator."
"Just act confident," I suggested, "as if you know what you're doing and no one has any right to try and stop you."
"We're in the elevator," Ben said a few minutes later.
"All right!" I cheered.
"Okay," Riley said in a much more subdued voice, "I'm gonna turn off the surveillance cameras. Ready? In five, four, three… Now. Ben Gates, you are now the Invisible Man."
"Congrats," I added.
"I'm here," Ben said once he'd reached the keyboard where a password was required.
"Give me the letters for her password," Riley told Ben. "What do you got for me? Hit me with it."
"A-E-F-G-L-O-R-V-Y."
"Anagrams being listed," Riley informed us.
"Remember," I said, "we've only got one shot. We don't want to put the system into lock down mode."
"Got it," Ben answered.
"Top results," Riley announced, "'A Glove Fry.' 'A Very Golf.' 'Fargo Levy.' 'Gravy Floe.' 'Valey Frog.'"
"Those don't sound likely at all," I commented, "unless Fargo Levy is the name of a boyfriend or a pet."
"There's also 'Ago Fly Rev.'," Riley suggested, "uh… 'Grove Fly A.' 'Are Fly Gov.' 'Era Fly Gov.' 'Elf Gov Ray.'-"
"It's 'Valley Forge'," Ben interrupted.
"Valley Forge? I don't have that on my computer."
"Psh," I said, "who can trust a computer."
"It's Valley Forge," Ben repeated to forestall the immanent fight between Riley and I over computers, "she pressed the E and the L twice." There was the sound of typing and then a second later Ben was saying, "We're in."
"You've been saying things like that a lot," I pointed out, "I guess that means we're doing something right."
"Hello," Riley said.
"Can I come into the van?" I asked Riley over the communicator in my ear, "I'm tired and hungry. Also I want to watch Ben steal the Declaration. I think it's one of those things I may only have one chance to experience."
"Just do your job Maggie," Riley answered. "Ben you're doing great," he said a second later. "Ben," Riley cautioned a minute later, "pick it up."
"There's no reason to hurry," I assured them, "I would have seen if anything was about to go wrong. I am on top of things." But of course the universe hates it when I get cocky, which is why at that exact second Riley said something that contradicted my statement.
"I lost my feed!"
"What?" Ben exclaimed.
"Impossible," I countered.
"I lost my feed," Riley repeated. "I don't know where anyone is. I have nothing. Ben I have no- Ben I have nothing! Get out of there," Riley ordered, "get out of there now."
"I'm taking the whole thing," Ben told us, "I'll get it out in the elevator."
"What are you talking about? Is it heavy?"
"Now listen," I reasoned with them, "these things happen. Maybe it was just some sort of power surge, or something fell out of place. I mean it's not as if Ian is about to burst in at any second. I would have noticed."
All of the sudden several loud cracks came over the earpiece.
"What was that?" Riley asked.
"Sounded like a gun," I answered. "Ben is there a gun being fired in your vicinity?"
"Who's shooting?" Riley asked. "Are you still there? Ben?"
"I'm in the elevator," he notified us, "Ian's here. There was uh, shooting."
"I hate that guy," Riley muttered.
"Me too!" I added.
"Why didn't you notice him?" Riley demanded.
"Well maybe you should have given me a better idea what he looked like," I snapped. "So anyway Ben, a quick and quiet exit would be just the thing right about now. After all, gunshots tend to get noticed. Especially by security people."
"Maybe you should get in the van and you and Riley should get ready to go as soon as I'm out," Ben suggested.
"All right," I agreed, "good luck and I'll see you in a second." I didn't add, "if we're lucky", but I might as well have. We were all thinking it.