It was about two o'clock when they gathered outside.
"Okay. We are definitely ready. Let's go over the plan again."
Nick unfolded the paper. Then he stopped.
"We can do it without that floor plan." Rocky said.
"We leave at midnight…" Colt started, and they started to tell the plan.
Nick slowly watched and listened carefully. When they were done, he said:
"Very impressive. Grandpa, we are leaving!!" He shouted. His three brothers laughed.
Grandpa, who had been watering his bonsais came nearer.
"Good luck boys!" He hugged them.
"Bye Grandpa! See you in a few days!" They cheered and ran to the car.
"Bye Grandpa. Wish me luck." Nick said.
"Good luck my boy. You can do it. You all can do it." he said and hugged Nick.
Nick smiled and slowly walked back to the car.
"Come on!" Colt, who was in the back next to Tum Tum, yelled.
"I'm coming!" Nick said and jumped into the drivers seat, next to Rocky. He inserted the key and the engine started. He put the car in first gear and slowly drove off. When they reached the road he speed up a little and about five minutes later they were cruising west, to the city.
They drove into the city at half past six.
"I'll show you tonight's playground." He grinned and drove in the direction of the business part of the town. Few minutes later they stopped at a large shiny grey building. Nick wore a cap and sunglasses, in case anybody should notice him. But no-one did. People, on their way home, passed by the parked car with the four boys without even glancing at them.
"You'll get a better view tonight." Nick laughed and put the car in back rear. They drove off to the hotel.
"Wow! Cool place!" Tum Tum said when he pushed Colt in his back so he almost fell through the revolving doors.
"Watch we're you're going!!" Colt said angrily and picked up his bag.
"Watch yourself dork!" Tum Tum said, with a candy bar hanging out of his mouth.
"Guys, behave!" Rocky said and they walked to Nick, who was at the check- in.
"What's your name sir?" the clerk asked.
"Douglas."
"Ah yes. I have here, a room for four people?"
Nick nodded.
"Room 1012." He handed him the key. "Those people will handle your luggage." He pointed.
"No thanks. We'll manage." Nick said.
"As you please."
"Come on guys, let's go to the room."
They picked up their bags and walked to the elevators. Tum Tum was looking at the high ceiling and almost bumped into a man who dropped his keys.
"Oops." Tum Tum said and picked up the keys.
"Give it." The man said icily and grabbed the keys out of his hand. Tum Tum noticed a strange picture on it. The man didn't pay attention to him anymore.
"Tum Tum! Where are you??"
"Coming!" Tum Tum hurried in the direction the others had gone.
Nick opened the door, walked into the room and threw his bag on the bed. Colt, who was last, came in and shut the door.
"Turn the key Colt." Nick said. Colt turned the key twice and then tried the door.
"Locked." He concluded.
"Okay guys listen up. I think it's unnecessary to go over the plan again now. We'll have a rest. Someone will have to wake me up at eleven." He laughed. "But maybe let's get to eat something first."
"Awesome!" Rocky said when he saw what was listed on the menu of the room service.
It was dark in the room. Cold moonlight shone through the curtains and sharpened figures in the room. Nick listened to the sound of the three boys sleeping. He smiled. He laid back next to Tum Tum and silently dozed off to sleep.
Suddenly he was wide awake when he heard a click next to his ear.
"Don't move." A dry voice said. "You think we're stupid Douglas? You think we didn't expect you?"
Nick recognised that voice. Aran, the dumbest of Parish' two bodyguards.
"Mr. Parish owns this hotel. Not surprisingly the clerk phoned us after you checked in. But I didn't know you were coming as a babysitter."
He laughed dryly but suddenly cried out when Nick pinched his wrist.
"Drop the gun!"
Aran cried out louder in pain and woke up the three boys who didn't know what was going on.
"What's wrong!??"
"Nick!! Where are you??"
Aran suddenly dove under Nicks arm who had got up and got out of the hold. He pointed the gun at Nick but a second later Rocky kicked it out of his held.
"Say hi to Parish from me." Nick grinned, turned around and kicked Aran on the side of this head. He fell to the ground like a brick.
"Nick are you okay?" Rocky said. He flashed on the light.
The four boys shut their eyes from the sudden light.
"I guess our plan starts now."
"Okay. We are definitely ready. Let's go over the plan again."
Nick unfolded the paper. Then he stopped.
"We can do it without that floor plan." Rocky said.
"We leave at midnight…" Colt started, and they started to tell the plan.
Nick slowly watched and listened carefully. When they were done, he said:
"Very impressive. Grandpa, we are leaving!!" He shouted. His three brothers laughed.
Grandpa, who had been watering his bonsais came nearer.
"Good luck boys!" He hugged them.
"Bye Grandpa! See you in a few days!" They cheered and ran to the car.
"Bye Grandpa. Wish me luck." Nick said.
"Good luck my boy. You can do it. You all can do it." he said and hugged Nick.
Nick smiled and slowly walked back to the car.
"Come on!" Colt, who was in the back next to Tum Tum, yelled.
"I'm coming!" Nick said and jumped into the drivers seat, next to Rocky. He inserted the key and the engine started. He put the car in first gear and slowly drove off. When they reached the road he speed up a little and about five minutes later they were cruising west, to the city.
They drove into the city at half past six.
"I'll show you tonight's playground." He grinned and drove in the direction of the business part of the town. Few minutes later they stopped at a large shiny grey building. Nick wore a cap and sunglasses, in case anybody should notice him. But no-one did. People, on their way home, passed by the parked car with the four boys without even glancing at them.
"You'll get a better view tonight." Nick laughed and put the car in back rear. They drove off to the hotel.
"Wow! Cool place!" Tum Tum said when he pushed Colt in his back so he almost fell through the revolving doors.
"Watch we're you're going!!" Colt said angrily and picked up his bag.
"Watch yourself dork!" Tum Tum said, with a candy bar hanging out of his mouth.
"Guys, behave!" Rocky said and they walked to Nick, who was at the check- in.
"What's your name sir?" the clerk asked.
"Douglas."
"Ah yes. I have here, a room for four people?"
Nick nodded.
"Room 1012." He handed him the key. "Those people will handle your luggage." He pointed.
"No thanks. We'll manage." Nick said.
"As you please."
"Come on guys, let's go to the room."
They picked up their bags and walked to the elevators. Tum Tum was looking at the high ceiling and almost bumped into a man who dropped his keys.
"Oops." Tum Tum said and picked up the keys.
"Give it." The man said icily and grabbed the keys out of his hand. Tum Tum noticed a strange picture on it. The man didn't pay attention to him anymore.
"Tum Tum! Where are you??"
"Coming!" Tum Tum hurried in the direction the others had gone.
Nick opened the door, walked into the room and threw his bag on the bed. Colt, who was last, came in and shut the door.
"Turn the key Colt." Nick said. Colt turned the key twice and then tried the door.
"Locked." He concluded.
"Okay guys listen up. I think it's unnecessary to go over the plan again now. We'll have a rest. Someone will have to wake me up at eleven." He laughed. "But maybe let's get to eat something first."
"Awesome!" Rocky said when he saw what was listed on the menu of the room service.
It was dark in the room. Cold moonlight shone through the curtains and sharpened figures in the room. Nick listened to the sound of the three boys sleeping. He smiled. He laid back next to Tum Tum and silently dozed off to sleep.
Suddenly he was wide awake when he heard a click next to his ear.
"Don't move." A dry voice said. "You think we're stupid Douglas? You think we didn't expect you?"
Nick recognised that voice. Aran, the dumbest of Parish' two bodyguards.
"Mr. Parish owns this hotel. Not surprisingly the clerk phoned us after you checked in. But I didn't know you were coming as a babysitter."
He laughed dryly but suddenly cried out when Nick pinched his wrist.
"Drop the gun!"
Aran cried out louder in pain and woke up the three boys who didn't know what was going on.
"What's wrong!??"
"Nick!! Where are you??"
Aran suddenly dove under Nicks arm who had got up and got out of the hold. He pointed the gun at Nick but a second later Rocky kicked it out of his held.
"Say hi to Parish from me." Nick grinned, turned around and kicked Aran on the side of this head. He fell to the ground like a brick.
"Nick are you okay?" Rocky said. He flashed on the light.
The four boys shut their eyes from the sudden light.
"I guess our plan starts now."