"Thank you, New York!" I called as I waved to the huge crowd packing the arena.
"We are the Four Horsemen! Good night!" Atlas yelled before the four of us ran off the stage and into the wings.
It had been five months since we'd been personally assured by the Eye that something big was going to go down, and at the center would be us. So, with every passing day, we grew more restless and impatient, but that only fueled our desire to improve. And week in, week out we practiced and performed, all the while managing to stay under the FBI's radar.
"Great crowd." Merritt said, loosening his tie before pulling on a thick coat.
"I'm just glad they didn't notice my slip up." I added.
"They were too busy appreciating your beauty." Jack said smoothly and I rolled my eyes.
"Okay, Romeo. I bit sentimental for my taste." Merritt chuckled, as I pulled on a black, dress coat.
"But we did well tonight. We know the Eye has something planned, and it can't hurt to impress them as much as we can." Danny reminded us, as we headed out the backstage door.
"And from the way Louis was speaking, it sounded big." I added, recalling our last conversation with the wizened, old man, who'd owned the Eye's magic shop in Paris.
"I wonder how big we're talking." Jack said. "Like, global scale, saving the world kind of big?"
"I doubt that." Danny said scornfully. But if he knew what was to come, he wouldn't think it was such a crazy suggestion.
"Has anyone else noticed the lack of FBI suits?" Merritt asked.
"It's strange. For the past few weeks, it's like they've given up." I said.
"Don't get to comfortable. Just because we can't see them, doesn't mean they're not there." Danny said, ever the control freak.
"I know." I replied, as I unlocked my car.
"See you back at the hotel." Jack said to the others as he climbed into the passengers seat. Merritt and Danny climbed into their own car as I started the engine.
"Just because we're wanted 'criminals' doesn't mean we can't travel in style." I said to Jack as I pushed the button beside the wheel and the roof of the car folded back into the boot.
I checked my mirror before roaring out, into the street.
"You know what we haven't done in a while?" Jack said, resting his arm on the back of the seat.
"What's that?" I asked.
"Had a night where it's just you and me." He answered, a little longingly. "Danny's had us rehearsing every night since the meeting with the Eye."
"I know. If we keep rehearsing like this we're gonna run out of fuel." I replied, turning left at a set of lights. "Man, this guy needs to back off." I said looking in my rear view mirror at a black four wheel drive, which if it got any close would be in my back seat.
Just as I said this a police car with it's lights flashing, sped past us.
"What's going on." Jack wondered out loud.
"Let's take the long route home." I said and swung the car round in a u-turn. I watched in the mirror as the four wheel drive turned too.
"Okay. You wanna play like that? Let's play." I said and shifted the car into a lower gear and pressed my foot further against the pedal.
Behind me the dark car sped up too and a pair of red and blue lights flashed on it's grill.
"Found the FBI." I said to Jack as he pulled out his phone to warn Danny and Merritt.
I looked back in the mirror as three more cars joined the original.
"Look out!" Jack yelled, and I looked ahead to see ten FBI cars creating a blockade in the middle of the road. I swore as I slammed my foot against the break, stopping with a few meters to spare.
In front of us, lights flashed in out faces and we were soon surrounded by a swarm of FBI agents.
"Both of you get out of the car with your hands in the air!" A man yelled and I turned off the car and climbed out. As soon as I stepped out, three men rushed forward and pushed me up against the side of the car.
"Taylor Court. Under the legal constitution of 1987 you are hear by under arrest by the FBI for felonies including theft and assault." Another man said, stepping out of the bright lights as a pair of handcuffs were locked around my wrists. He had short, greying, brown hair and a strict, but understanding face.
One the other side of the car, Jack had decided against going with the FBI on this occasion and had pushed away from the men, but was soon tackled by even more.
2 Hours Later
The sound of loud, muffled voices outside my interrogation room met my ears and I looked over to the one way glass. The chains around my wrists rattled as I sat back in the uncomfortable chair.
I, and the others I'd assumed, had been brought to the FBI's head office in the city, locked into the handcuffs on the table and then left alone for the past couple of hours.
"I don't think I heard you correctly. Did you say magicians?" I made out the skeptical voice of a man ask. However, it wasn't the voice of our usual friend Agent Cowan. This man sounded like he was the type of person you'd ache to prove wrong, to see his smug façade crack and to leave him completely speechless and at a loss to what had just happened in front of him.
It was at this point, the door opened and the same agent who'd arrested us walked in, followed by a tiresome looking man who, I assumed was the owner of the skeptical voice. He had short, brown, curly hair, a slight beard and looked to be in his mid forties.
"I'm Agent Rhodes." The man said. "Senior officer, deputy constable and sergeant detective."
"Taylor Court. MIT class of '09." I replied.
"This is Agent Fuller. And I really don't have time for this." Rhodes continued, ignoring my comment. He gestured to his partner, Agent Fuller, who looked like he had been dealing with this man for many years.
"And before we continue, let me just tell you. I'm not like Agent Cowan. I don't have the patience or the time to be worrying about kids doing magic tricks. So you had better not waste my time." Rhodes warned before looking down at his notes.
"Good. I hate wasting time. Besides, I can't stay long anyway…" I started.
"Stop talking." Rhodes interrupted.
"Yes, sir." I replied and smiled at Agent Fuller.
"There a two ways we can do this." Rhodes said.
"Let me guess. Is one of them the easy way?" I asked slightly patronizingly.
"No." He deadpanned. "It says here that you've been charged with theft, assault of government agents and failure to assent arrest." Rhodes read out.
"Probably not great on a resume." I said to Agent Fuller who gave a weak smile.
"And I don't know if I'd call them skills, but it says you're a hacker…" Rhodes ignored my remark.
"…such a crude term." I noted.
"…and a ... magician." Rhodes finished and stared at me.
"Am I meant to say something?" I asked as he continued to stare at me.
Finally, he nodded thoughtfully and looked back at his notes.
"You ever hacked a bank?" he asked.
"No." I answered.
"A government building?" he asked.
"Nope." I replied.
"How about a casino?" He said.
"Should I be offended?" I asked.
"Come with me." He decided and stood up as Agent Fuller undid my handcuffs.
I followed the two agents out of the room and down the corridor. At the end of the hall was a type of meeting room, with a long white table and office chairs on either side of it. Sitting at the table was Jack, Danny and Merritt, and as I sat down beside them, Rhodes locked the door and the pair sat opposite us.
"We have a proposition for you." Rhodes said.
"We need your help." Fuller added.