Author's note: This chapter has a more serious tone to it, but I like it! I rewrote this chapter so many times, so don't flame me about it. Spoiler: Rusty and Abby have a small fight and in the next chapter (which will be up soon) they will decide what to do about their relationship…
Disclaimer: I hate doing these, but I haven't done it for many of the other chapters so- I don't own anything to do with Ocean's 11. I own my original character Abby! I have been inspired by lines from national treasure and other heist movies.
No matter what people tell you, the most important part of any good heist is explosives and their placement. Not to say the others aren't important cause they obviously are. Without the other parts the whole thing is just something you hear on the news and wish you could have the skills to do. As I have stated before you don't hear about good heists. This heist was no different. This involved climbing through vents, connecting to the right wire, making sure not to be seen, and making sure you don't raise anyone suspicions. Along with being able to carry a cover and able to maintain it before and after you place the pinch. It's one of the most important parts of any good heist. Which is why the job to do this is often given to the best liars, thin people who can squeeze through vents, and anyone not caustrophic. Which narrows it down to Rusty and me.
"Virgil, Turk your on, Abby and me are heading off to set the pinch now," Rusty said into the small misc that was connected wirelessly to the ears of all the heist members.
Livingston was sweating profusely as usual, his eyes never leaving the TV's showing every security cam in the whole casino. Rusty turned to find me staring at myself in the wall length mirror.
"Maybe one day I'll wear this to a party I'm actually invited to," I sighed as I continued to stare at the reflection of my red dress.
"Hey, you look great Abs. Who cares if were invited or not? Your hot! Livingston isn't she hot?"
"Your hot," Livingston said his eyes never leaving the screens. I was pretty sure he hadn't even seen me since I had been wearing the dress.
"And we all know I'm hot, so shall we?" Rusty finished.
I rolled my eyes as we hooked arms and opened the door leading to the huge museum common room. The room was full of high class people. The perfume was so strong it was hard to get a good breath in. The people were milling about or sitting on huge royal blue couches that looked more like thrones that the Queen of England would sit on.
There was a huge TV, I knew was put in just for this event. It showed coverage of the event. You would think that everyone would want to watch the fight, but I knew better. It was for publicity for the casino and museum more than anything. Which was why the casino was still open and there was a party reserved for the highest ranking guests. Which was what we had just walked into.
"Darling, I didn't know you were coming!" a squeal was heard through the crowd. My mother ran to hug me, keeping a steady hand on her wine glass.
"Well, we thought we'd thought we'd surprise you mom!" I laughed, as I welcomed her hug. Rusty cleared his throat.
"Of course, how could I forget you Rusty!" Tess smiled, as she greeted him.
"You look good Tess," Rusty admitted. She blushed, and waved away the compliment.
"So, where is Linus?"
"Oh, well should we tell her?" I laughed, turning to Rusty on cue.
"She's gonna find out anyway," Rusty smiled.
"That very same day we had lunch with you, I… well I found Linus was another woman. It was very tragic you see. But I believe everything happens for a reason. Rusty and I have been dating ever since," I admitted. Tess's eyes brightened.
"I always knew you two had chemistry! Those late night phone calls and that trip to Paris!" she cried piecing things together. I grimaced remembering how Paris had turned out.
"Well that was cheesy," I said as we headed onto the dance floor.
"Relationships aren't supposed to be original," Rusty replied.
"Well they should," I stated as he twirled me.
"You're wearing the perfume I got you in Paris," Rusty said as he dipped me.
"What makes you think that? Maybe it's the flowers," I asked surprised as he pulled me up. Rusty looked over my shoulder at the flowers which were far across the room.
"I remember how that perfume smelled," Rusty replied simply as he pulled me toward him.
"So now you're a perfume expert?" I joked, an inch away from his face.
"Maybe, or maybe it's cause when I bought it I knew that was the how I wanted the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with to smell," Rusty said softly.
Our faces were close together now. I knew I had to say it. "Rusty, we decided in Paris were not good together. You bring the gasoline, I bring the fire. Were too much alike. We had our run, can't you see that?" I said softly.
"You decided that in Paris. I agreed for your sake, Abs. But I never, I never stopped loving you. Our witty banters, our long talks, all the while saying were just friends. I think you decided we could only be friends to stop yourself. Your afraid I'm gonna hurt you, cheat on you, or maybe your afraid of something else. Your afraid that what we have might not be just a friendship it's something more! I can't be friends with you knowing that I once was and still am in love with you."
"Rusty, we'll talk about this later okay," I said coming back to reality.
"When do you want to talk about this Abigail? After the heist, cause we all know what happens after. It's the same for everyone. We hug, say goodbye, spend a couple Benjamin's at a casino, lay low for a while, don't talk to anyone who worked the heist, spend the money and promise to change your life, but you never do, then someone calls, someone's in trouble or someone's bored and wants to steal something, so you agree because you have nothing better to do, then it starts all over again!"
"So what? You just laid out the whole life of a good thief in a couple sentences. I happen to love the life I got placed with Russ!"
"So you like being alone, never being close to anyone, being afraid if your too close you'll admit something, something about a certain job, something that will arouse suspicions," Rusty detailed her life.
"Hey, don't judge my life! I love it! Just because it's not like everyone else's doesn't mean it isn't perfect for me, just because you want me to want you like you want me, and love you like you love me doesn't give you right to try to make me feel miserable about my life!"
"You know your gonna have to choose one of them! Me, Turk, or the kid!"
"And how do you think I should go about doing that?" I yelled suddenly.
The whole time we had been keeping our voices low and no one had noticed, but now people were starting to stare. This was getting awkward fast. I looked at Rusty, his eyes were pleading, but there was something else I hadn't seen in a long time. Love, he was begging for me. I quickly left before we made a scene, and Rusty followed.
"How close is Basher?" I asked into my bug.
"He just arrived, and do I need to ask what's going on between you and-"
"It's nothing don't worry about it, worry about the surveillance and whatever else you worry about on a daily basis," I instructed.
"Basher wants to know where your location is," Livingston stated. I looked around and vaguely remembered entering the women's bathroom.
"Put me through to him," I ordered. Livingston tapped some buttons until I heard Basher's voice over the bug.
"Where in the bloody world are you girl! You don't have much more time before Yen suffocates!"
"I know, I know Bash! Where are you?"
"I think I should be asking you that! You and Rusty were supposed to pick up the bloody package ten minutes ago!"
"We got distracted, okay! Right now I'm in the bathroom hiding from a conversation I'm not ready to have with Rusty!"
"Which one?"
"Women's."
"Just get here!"
"Okay, I'll start heading there!" I replied reluctantly. Being in a enclosed place with Rusty continuing our conversation from the party was not the ideal next fifteen minutes of my life. Especially since I didn't know what to tell him.
I slammed the door to the bathroom shut violently causing glares from some considerably wealthy women who were standing nearby. I smiled brightly and I started toward the back entrance where Basher would be waiting.
Rusty was off chatting and drinking champagne with a group of wealthy women, but he must have realized we had to be on the move because he started to head the same way as me. We made our way together, not talking, not looking at each other. Basher met us at the doors.
"Wow, it's pretty small" I admitted as Basher pulled out a small detonator like object.
"Small but deadly, if you drop it, it goes off like a bomb and were all dead. If you let the wires tough the brass sides-" Basher explained.
"Were the last people we see," I finished.
"Doesn't sound that bad," Rusty shrugged as we both reached for it at the same time. Our hands brushed up against each other.
"I think Abby should transport it on this one," Basher suggested. I smiled. I tucked it inside my purse as we headed to a secluded hallway to perform our plan.
WITH LINUS
"It only came to our attention this morning, Mr. Benedict. Apparently he has a record longer than my arm," Linus explained.
"If he is who you say he is," Benedict replied a bit annoyed as he hailed one of his men. "Call over Mr. Ramon Escalante."
"Certainly, Mr. Benedict," the man said as he was trained to do. Benedict looked through his portfolio checking the codes. We had already placed special video cameras to capture the codes. The footage was being fed through to the expensive rooms where Livingston was waiting to receive them.
"Did you make it out?" Rusty's voice asked over the bugs we were all wearing in our ears.
"His head blocked the last two numbers," Livingston replied. "We missed it, Linus. You gotta grab the combination yourself."
MEANWHILE: FLASH TO ABBY AND RUSTY
Livingston had already set the security tapes on a loop so security couldn't see anything that was really going on.
"Candy or popcorn?" Rusty joked using the code words we had come up with a long time ago.
"I think let's go with candy," I suggested.
"You think that's wise?"
"Since when do our jobs involve wisdom?"
"Good point, let's blow it" Rusty agreed. I strapped a small bomb to the ceiling hatch and Rusty grabbed my hand as we ran for cover. The bomb barely made a sound as it blew up a small area in the ceiling connecting us to a maze of vents.
"And here's where the fun starts!" I joked as he gave me a boost into the vent. Soon we were both in the vent and ready to go to work.