"Diamonds Are Forever" Part 3
Scene 11, 2019, South Market, that evening
Logan had been trailing Aaron all day, thanks to the small tracking device Max had planted on him at lunch. And now, Max was perched on a rooftop in the South Market, waiting for Aaron to meet with Booke again.
Aaron paced nervously and checked his watch. Max wanted to sleep, but she settled for a yawn. Finally Booke appeared, with Shreck. Two other men Max had never seen before arrived a few moments later.
"Mr. White and Mr. Red," Booke greeted them. Aliases, obviously. Max rolled her eyes at the originality. And they were dressed appropriately. "Have you reviewed our proposal?"
"Yes. Do you have the cash?"
"Of course," Booke smiled, and motioned to Shreck. Shreck stepped forward and opened a brief case.
"Excellent," The one in red said, "You know how to do business, Mr. Green."
"So we're on for Saturday night?"
"No, Sunday. The museum is closed on Monday and I want the breathing room," Red said.
"Fine. Here's the schematics of the alarm system," Booke said slipping a CD out of his coat pocket and handing it to Red.
"Who's he?" White finally spoke, pointing to Aaron.
"The jeweler's son. He knows the stone's specifics," Booke answered.
Scene 12, 2019, Logan's
"So the scumbags from South Africa are going to steal the Vesper from the museum on Sunday," Max summarized back at Logan's. The meeting had been in a different part of the South Market, so Max had been forced into eavesdropping through unelectronic measures. "Are you sure Lydecker's involved?"
"Yeah," Logan looked at her, "That reminds me, be careful, Max."
She smiled at him, "Aren't I always?"
"I'm serious, it wouldn't hurt to be extra careful," he replied.
Max was subdued by Logan's tone. "Okay, I will. But if Lydecker gets the Vesper, he'll cut it into smaller pieces, sell it for twice it's worth, and he's doubled his repulsiveness."
"That's why we have to steal it first," Logan said, "Would you mind doing the honors?"
"Mind? I was hoping you'd say that," Max's eyes were glinting in anticipation.
"But, unfortunately, you don't get to keep it," he told her.
"Well, the thrill will have to be enough," she said, the sparkle fading.
"Just don't go to far with this thrill. You'll need my help on this one, you can't do it alone."
"You, Logan Cale, are going to break into a museum and steal a diamond? Is the world ending?" Max teased.
"Technically, you'll be doing the breaking and entering. I'm just an accessory."
Scene 13, 2019, Mitchellson Jeweler's, the next day
Aaron was sitting at his father's worktable, examining the stones that had been scattered on it during the robbery. He was beginning to wish he'd never met Booke and Shreck, that he'd never lost the bet to them. Then he wouldn't be in this mess. Aaron had bet everything on a card game, and now his ass belonged to the South Africans.
"Hello, Aaron," the voice of his father's banker drifted to his ears. The man walked into the room. "Your father would be touched to see you at his worktable."
Aaron looked up at him. "Somehow, I don't think so," he replied.
"Ah, yes, you're playing fooseball with those South African loonies." Donald Michaels smiled. Aaron was repulsed; it made him think of a snake.
"You know Booke?" This was bad. Capital B, in fact.
"Well, I do read," he smiled that serpenty smile again, "Sorry, couldn't resist. Actually, I own Booke. He works for me." Michaels leaned in, "And now I own you."
"What do you want from me? I can't do any more!" Aaron squawked.
"I don't want you to do anymore," Michaels said, picking up a sharp cutting instrument, "I want you to do less."
"Less?"
"As you might have guessed, my name is not Donald Michaels. It doesn't matter what my real name is. The thing is, I've left footsteps in the ether. I know my trail has been followed and by whom. A beautiful woman. You already know her."
Aaron's eyes widened as Michaels continued. "Ask her for help. She seems to think that needing help is a strength. She won't admit it but she does." He put the tool on the table. "Good day, Aaron."
As soon as Michaels was gone, Aaron went to the bathroom and splashed water on his face. He was in too deep and nothing was clear. Only that Booke wanted the diamond, and Michaels or whoever he was wanted Maria. Aaron had a feeling that even she wasn't who she said she was.
Scene 14, 2019, Aaron's Apartment, later
Aaron unlocked the door and walked in, with Max right behind him. He put his tennis racket down and took hers from her, placing it next to his.
"What's your secret?" he asked.
"What?" Max instantly tensed, sensing danger.
"How are you so confident? Your feathers never get ruffled," he said.
"I don't have feathers," Max stated.
Aaron smiled, "Come on, you can't tell me that was beginner's luck, beating me in straight sets."
It wasn't, but Max smiled and said, "Oh, but it was. I've never played before."
"Alright, I'll give you that," he handed her a glass of water. His tone changed, he became serious, "Wanna try your luck at a diamond heist on Sunday?"
"And then Monday we can rob Ft. Knox. You're kidding," Max laughed. He motioned for her to sit down. She folded her legs under her body and settled on the couch and looked up at him. "You're serious?"
Aaron exhaled and rubbed his face. "Um, ok. I got mixed up with these South African thugs."
"I hate South Africans, " Max muttered, thinking of the Reds.
" I lost to them in a card game and I owe them big," Aaron continued, "So I told them about this diamond, the Vesper diamond. They wanted me to get it for them. My father was a jeweler, and I told them he kept it in his shop. So they went and killed him to get it."
"Did they?" Max asked, pretending to know nothing about it.
"No," Aaron explained, " My father had put it in a museum shortly prior to his death. Now they want to steal it. But I've realized my mistake, and thought it's too late to bring my father back, I'd like to keep them from getting the diamond."
"Settle the score," Max said, nodding.
"Yeah. So, I'd like your help, if you can," Aaron entreated.
"Sure, no big dealio," Max responded, "What's your plan?"
"Well, my father would be ashamed to admit it, but he had a large piece of Cubic Zirconium that would make a nice Vesper fake," Aaron said.
"So you want to replace the Vesper with a fake and let them steal it," Max continued, "Like I said, no big dealio. I know someone who can help. You get the Cubic Zirconium, I'll do the rest."
Scene 15, 2019, Logan's, that night
"I'm not so sure about our boy, Aaron," Max said, "He's running real scared, and I know from experience that people who run that scared usually bail."
"That is a possibility," Logan said, "But we should be out of there before he can bail."
"Whatever. As long as I get a big, sparkly rock, it's all good. I just wouldn't confide in the first stranger to walk in off the streets, you don't know who's a playa-playa and who's not."
"Baby browns," Logan told her.
"What?"
"One look into those eyes of yours and it's bye-bye secrets," he explained.
"Oh, really?" she said arching an eyebrow at him.
He ducked his head. "Anyway, I've got the disable parameters and the workhorse program for the alarm system. I'm working on the mass spectrograph and the laser refraction alarms. Everything should be up and online for Sunday night. Tomorrow, you've gotta get the Cubic Zirconium. You'll have to get into the lab at the University to make a copy of the diamond. But otherwise we're all set."
"Coolio," Max said, "It'll be cake."
"That's what I'm afraid of," Logan replied.
Scene 11, 2019, South Market, that evening
Logan had been trailing Aaron all day, thanks to the small tracking device Max had planted on him at lunch. And now, Max was perched on a rooftop in the South Market, waiting for Aaron to meet with Booke again.
Aaron paced nervously and checked his watch. Max wanted to sleep, but she settled for a yawn. Finally Booke appeared, with Shreck. Two other men Max had never seen before arrived a few moments later.
"Mr. White and Mr. Red," Booke greeted them. Aliases, obviously. Max rolled her eyes at the originality. And they were dressed appropriately. "Have you reviewed our proposal?"
"Yes. Do you have the cash?"
"Of course," Booke smiled, and motioned to Shreck. Shreck stepped forward and opened a brief case.
"Excellent," The one in red said, "You know how to do business, Mr. Green."
"So we're on for Saturday night?"
"No, Sunday. The museum is closed on Monday and I want the breathing room," Red said.
"Fine. Here's the schematics of the alarm system," Booke said slipping a CD out of his coat pocket and handing it to Red.
"Who's he?" White finally spoke, pointing to Aaron.
"The jeweler's son. He knows the stone's specifics," Booke answered.
Scene 12, 2019, Logan's
"So the scumbags from South Africa are going to steal the Vesper from the museum on Sunday," Max summarized back at Logan's. The meeting had been in a different part of the South Market, so Max had been forced into eavesdropping through unelectronic measures. "Are you sure Lydecker's involved?"
"Yeah," Logan looked at her, "That reminds me, be careful, Max."
She smiled at him, "Aren't I always?"
"I'm serious, it wouldn't hurt to be extra careful," he replied.
Max was subdued by Logan's tone. "Okay, I will. But if Lydecker gets the Vesper, he'll cut it into smaller pieces, sell it for twice it's worth, and he's doubled his repulsiveness."
"That's why we have to steal it first," Logan said, "Would you mind doing the honors?"
"Mind? I was hoping you'd say that," Max's eyes were glinting in anticipation.
"But, unfortunately, you don't get to keep it," he told her.
"Well, the thrill will have to be enough," she said, the sparkle fading.
"Just don't go to far with this thrill. You'll need my help on this one, you can't do it alone."
"You, Logan Cale, are going to break into a museum and steal a diamond? Is the world ending?" Max teased.
"Technically, you'll be doing the breaking and entering. I'm just an accessory."
Scene 13, 2019, Mitchellson Jeweler's, the next day
Aaron was sitting at his father's worktable, examining the stones that had been scattered on it during the robbery. He was beginning to wish he'd never met Booke and Shreck, that he'd never lost the bet to them. Then he wouldn't be in this mess. Aaron had bet everything on a card game, and now his ass belonged to the South Africans.
"Hello, Aaron," the voice of his father's banker drifted to his ears. The man walked into the room. "Your father would be touched to see you at his worktable."
Aaron looked up at him. "Somehow, I don't think so," he replied.
"Ah, yes, you're playing fooseball with those South African loonies." Donald Michaels smiled. Aaron was repulsed; it made him think of a snake.
"You know Booke?" This was bad. Capital B, in fact.
"Well, I do read," he smiled that serpenty smile again, "Sorry, couldn't resist. Actually, I own Booke. He works for me." Michaels leaned in, "And now I own you."
"What do you want from me? I can't do any more!" Aaron squawked.
"I don't want you to do anymore," Michaels said, picking up a sharp cutting instrument, "I want you to do less."
"Less?"
"As you might have guessed, my name is not Donald Michaels. It doesn't matter what my real name is. The thing is, I've left footsteps in the ether. I know my trail has been followed and by whom. A beautiful woman. You already know her."
Aaron's eyes widened as Michaels continued. "Ask her for help. She seems to think that needing help is a strength. She won't admit it but she does." He put the tool on the table. "Good day, Aaron."
As soon as Michaels was gone, Aaron went to the bathroom and splashed water on his face. He was in too deep and nothing was clear. Only that Booke wanted the diamond, and Michaels or whoever he was wanted Maria. Aaron had a feeling that even she wasn't who she said she was.
Scene 14, 2019, Aaron's Apartment, later
Aaron unlocked the door and walked in, with Max right behind him. He put his tennis racket down and took hers from her, placing it next to his.
"What's your secret?" he asked.
"What?" Max instantly tensed, sensing danger.
"How are you so confident? Your feathers never get ruffled," he said.
"I don't have feathers," Max stated.
Aaron smiled, "Come on, you can't tell me that was beginner's luck, beating me in straight sets."
It wasn't, but Max smiled and said, "Oh, but it was. I've never played before."
"Alright, I'll give you that," he handed her a glass of water. His tone changed, he became serious, "Wanna try your luck at a diamond heist on Sunday?"
"And then Monday we can rob Ft. Knox. You're kidding," Max laughed. He motioned for her to sit down. She folded her legs under her body and settled on the couch and looked up at him. "You're serious?"
Aaron exhaled and rubbed his face. "Um, ok. I got mixed up with these South African thugs."
"I hate South Africans, " Max muttered, thinking of the Reds.
" I lost to them in a card game and I owe them big," Aaron continued, "So I told them about this diamond, the Vesper diamond. They wanted me to get it for them. My father was a jeweler, and I told them he kept it in his shop. So they went and killed him to get it."
"Did they?" Max asked, pretending to know nothing about it.
"No," Aaron explained, " My father had put it in a museum shortly prior to his death. Now they want to steal it. But I've realized my mistake, and thought it's too late to bring my father back, I'd like to keep them from getting the diamond."
"Settle the score," Max said, nodding.
"Yeah. So, I'd like your help, if you can," Aaron entreated.
"Sure, no big dealio," Max responded, "What's your plan?"
"Well, my father would be ashamed to admit it, but he had a large piece of Cubic Zirconium that would make a nice Vesper fake," Aaron said.
"So you want to replace the Vesper with a fake and let them steal it," Max continued, "Like I said, no big dealio. I know someone who can help. You get the Cubic Zirconium, I'll do the rest."
Scene 15, 2019, Logan's, that night
"I'm not so sure about our boy, Aaron," Max said, "He's running real scared, and I know from experience that people who run that scared usually bail."
"That is a possibility," Logan said, "But we should be out of there before he can bail."
"Whatever. As long as I get a big, sparkly rock, it's all good. I just wouldn't confide in the first stranger to walk in off the streets, you don't know who's a playa-playa and who's not."
"Baby browns," Logan told her.
"What?"
"One look into those eyes of yours and it's bye-bye secrets," he explained.
"Oh, really?" she said arching an eyebrow at him.
He ducked his head. "Anyway, I've got the disable parameters and the workhorse program for the alarm system. I'm working on the mass spectrograph and the laser refraction alarms. Everything should be up and online for Sunday night. Tomorrow, you've gotta get the Cubic Zirconium. You'll have to get into the lab at the University to make a copy of the diamond. But otherwise we're all set."
"Coolio," Max said, "It'll be cake."
"That's what I'm afraid of," Logan replied.