****
Original Sin
- Part Four
Disclaimer: See Part 1
Rating: PG
--
Detroit MI, January 2002
The Morning After The Break-In
Donovan looked at the file in front of him through bleary, bloodshot eyes. The photographs told the entire story. This assignment was going to be difficult at best. He looked again at the photos. The thief broke into the room without even tripping the alarms and heisted the jewels without so much as leaving a fingerprint or footprint and left the one guard unconscious, but alive. Very few that he knew of had that sort of bravado and ability.
He rolled his eyes and dropped the glossy photo of the items missing. Now came the fun part of determining who would want them, why, where they were at, and how he and his team were going to get it back before the curators and the top levels went off the deep end.
He and his entire team had been called at 'Gawd-awful' in the morning as Alex put it and pushed onto a flight to Detroit. They were met at the airport and escorted, without stopping, to the Museum. He had yet to figure out why it was him and his team. Maybe it was because they brought back the Hope Diamond from that heist a long while back. He didn't really care right now. All he wanted was sleep, food and coffee... not necessarily in that order. Needless to say, when the Curator of the Museum sat down in front of him looking very nervous and angry in the same breath, Donovan didn't have the patience to deal with him.
"Mr. Donovan, you don't understand. We HAVE to get this back before word gets out!"
Donovan cut him off quickly. "I'm well aware that time is of the essence here. But we have nothing yet to go on. My team and I will be on this as fast as we can, once we get some sleep. If we start now, chances are that mistakes will be made, possible evidence missed and that could lead to never recovering the jewels. I know of only a few people with the skills to pull off a theft like this and my team is already making inquiries. Please, stay out of our way and let us do our job!" With that, Donovan picked up the file and exited the office, intent on heading back to the hotel to get some sleep.
By now, the sun had risen on Detroit and another day was starting for the people here. He stood on the steps and watched the workers of the Museum entering into the buildings. This was entirely too sophisticated for the ordinary docent or even an experienced cat burglar. He stood there for a few more minutes, thoughts of random nature flicking through his mind. He pulled out his cell phone and called Cody to see how the search for those specific few burglars was faring.
As he was talking, something caught his attention, why he wasn't sure. He watched as a woman moved through the sparse people. She was actually leaving the building. Frowning, he followed her. She was dressed in a pair of black spandex running pants, a black parka over a black turtleneck and a ballcap over the long rope of black hair that was pulled into a low ponytail at the base of her skull. It was entirely possible that she was an early arrival and wanted to get her morning run in before starting work, but instinctually he doubted it. Something just didn't fit about her.
"Miss, wait..." He called out.
She ignored him and turned down a side street. Here the crowd of people was heavier and he had to push past them to keep up with her. He saw her step into another side street, looking over her shoulder as she did. That... couldn't be... Frank's steps faltered a moment until he realized that apparently the woman knew she was being followed. That just pushed his instinct that she was dodging him. Quickly he followed her into the alley... just in time to see a hand disappear over a 12-foot tall fence. Fluidly he sprang up the stacked boxes and peered over the top. But she was gone, there was no one in the alley and nothing to give evidence that she was even there to begin with. Silently cursing himself, he climbed back down and found a cab to take him back to his hotel.
****
Original Sin
- Part Four
Disclaimer: See Part 1
Rating: PG
--
Detroit MI, January 2002
The Morning After The Break-In
Donovan looked at the file in front of him through bleary, bloodshot eyes. The photographs told the entire story. This assignment was going to be difficult at best. He looked again at the photos. The thief broke into the room without even tripping the alarms and heisted the jewels without so much as leaving a fingerprint or footprint and left the one guard unconscious, but alive. Very few that he knew of had that sort of bravado and ability.
He rolled his eyes and dropped the glossy photo of the items missing. Now came the fun part of determining who would want them, why, where they were at, and how he and his team were going to get it back before the curators and the top levels went off the deep end.
He and his entire team had been called at 'Gawd-awful' in the morning as Alex put it and pushed onto a flight to Detroit. They were met at the airport and escorted, without stopping, to the Museum. He had yet to figure out why it was him and his team. Maybe it was because they brought back the Hope Diamond from that heist a long while back. He didn't really care right now. All he wanted was sleep, food and coffee... not necessarily in that order. Needless to say, when the Curator of the Museum sat down in front of him looking very nervous and angry in the same breath, Donovan didn't have the patience to deal with him.
"Mr. Donovan, you don't understand. We HAVE to get this back before word gets out!"
Donovan cut him off quickly. "I'm well aware that time is of the essence here. But we have nothing yet to go on. My team and I will be on this as fast as we can, once we get some sleep. If we start now, chances are that mistakes will be made, possible evidence missed and that could lead to never recovering the jewels. I know of only a few people with the skills to pull off a theft like this and my team is already making inquiries. Please, stay out of our way and let us do our job!" With that, Donovan picked up the file and exited the office, intent on heading back to the hotel to get some sleep.
By now, the sun had risen on Detroit and another day was starting for the people here. He stood on the steps and watched the workers of the Museum entering into the buildings. This was entirely too sophisticated for the ordinary docent or even an experienced cat burglar. He stood there for a few more minutes, thoughts of random nature flicking through his mind. He pulled out his cell phone and called Cody to see how the search for those specific few burglars was faring.
As he was talking, something caught his attention, why he wasn't sure. He watched as a woman moved through the sparse people. She was actually leaving the building. Frowning, he followed her. She was dressed in a pair of black spandex running pants, a black parka over a black turtleneck and a ballcap over the long rope of black hair that was pulled into a low ponytail at the base of her skull. It was entirely possible that she was an early arrival and wanted to get her morning run in before starting work, but instinctually he doubted it. Something just didn't fit about her.
"Miss, wait..." He called out.
She ignored him and turned down a side street. Here the crowd of people was heavier and he had to push past them to keep up with her. He saw her step into another side street, looking over her shoulder as she did. That... couldn't be... Frank's steps faltered a moment until he realized that apparently the woman knew she was being followed. That just pushed his instinct that she was dodging him. Quickly he followed her into the alley... just in time to see a hand disappear over a 12-foot tall fence. Fluidly he sprang up the stacked boxes and peered over the top. But she was gone, there was no one in the alley and nothing to give evidence that she was even there to begin with. Silently cursing himself, he climbed back down and found a cab to take him back to his hotel.
****