Chapter 4: Spilled Coffee

I went back to the museum. Took me about three hours to even find the way back. Stopping fifteen different times to check in the phone books at the nearest museums. I figured I couldn't have been dragged too far, and it was only a matter of time before I figured out where the damn thing was.

I got there and found the place practically wrapped in yellow police tape. It was aggravating. There was already a crowd and you could hear them talking pretty loud. I was watching them remove the various objects from inside of it, expected to see some CSI guys in there pretty soon while standing next to gossiping girls.

According to them there was loads of broken glass from someone smashing all the cases, but other than nothing was stolen. They also found some blood in the basement by an important Egyptian artifact on the floor so they believe it could be a possible homicide. It basically revealed nothing I hadn't already known. Dead End here.

I walked further up the street and found a coffee shop. Went in. I was feeling a bit tired so I ordered a cup and bought a newspaper. The incident had to have come up somewhere, after all. It was on page eight. I sat in the by the window as to have a view out incase I saw the stranger from the night before. I was getting a bit too hopeful. I was reading the article when the waitress brought me my coffee. I poured about ten packets of sugar into it with three containers of cream while thumbing down the page.

They mentioned a Hawkins a lot. Turns out the guy was some famous archaeologist, the kind of guy that made about twenty historical fines in the past thirty years. Some kind of legend I was guessing. Really figured. Arthur Hawkins. It was pretty obvious that I should try and track this guy down. Perhaps he'd have some information on the tablet down there. Or any more magical artifacts that could be of some use.

I was sipping my coffee when I felt the booth opposite me shift under some extra weight. I had my face completely hidden by the paper and lowered it slightly to see who exactly was paying me a visit casually.

I got a pair of blue eyes and nearly flinched.

"What brings you here?" I asked casually, lifting the paper back up, scanning over the story without really reading it. It was somewhere to hide, really. The kid kind of gave me the creeps.

"Nothing really, I just didn't expect to see anyone drinking coffee at one o' clock in the afternoon." He sounded serious, yet it was spiced with a little irritation. I wondered if Mokuba had made him come in here but didn't plan on checking. I was writing Arthur Hawkins down on the list I had made in his kitchen, after crossing off gun and bullets.

"Coffee isn't just for morning pick-me-ups, Seto. Sometimes people have them at night on dates."

He said nothing to that and actually was quiet for a few moments. After wincing once I had several big gulps and felt the sugar starting to warmly enter my system. When I pocketed the paper and replaced the pen behind my ear, I folded the paper, deciding to take it with me for a while incase I should find anything else interesting.

He wasn't looking at me. His blue eyes were pointed somewhere else away. Didn't blame him. I made myself believe he was trying to signal the waitress for something to drink. I lifted the white foam cup to take another sip when a bang and a whistle ripped dangerously through the air. Coffee sloshed out of the brand new set of holes in opposite sides of it, which I dropped immediately as I reached across the table and pulled the blue-eyed kid down out of the booth and onto the ground screaming.

"GET DOWN!"

Everyone was screaming in the shop. Didn't blame them. Wasn't blaming a lot of people today. I had the pistol out and was checking again to make sure it was loaded correctly, while looking up at where I had been sitting. Hot coffee was kluging and dripping off the sides of the table like fake rain makers you see in water fountains in the mall.

There was a nice perfect circle in the window next to where we were sitting. I moved back to safely under the table, leaning against the seat. I glanced at Seto, who was crouched in a most definitely uncomfortable way. The entire side of his head pressed against the underside of the table. He was staring at the gun in my hand with blue eyes, but he wasn't freaking out. I wondered if he thought it was me that shot since everything had happened so fast, but it seemed he had the superior intellect as well as a slow panic button.

No more shots rang out. I was starting to believe it had been a warning shot. I mean you have to have a pretty steady hand to shoot the coffee out of someone's hand without taking off any of their fingers. A sniper perhaps? I was grinning to myself, finding this getting more and more interesting. I must have looked mad.

"You know anyone who wants you dead?" I asked Seto. Better to at least try and figure out if this was some idiot who could have just gotten a lucky shot off, a jealous lover, even, though he didn't appear to be that kind of guy.

"Plenty of people." He shifted his head and tried to scrunch down lower. Then he smiled a little bit.

"Never knew any of them to be this bold." I couldn't stop smiling at that. We both knew the target had to be me.

"Well, I think you can get up if you want. This isn't the most comfortable of places, and I'm sure he won't shoot again." I was crawling out from under the desk as I said this. People around us were already starting to emerge from there hiding places after the three minutes of nothing.

We both got up and looked around I found everyone was looking at me white faced. I put the gun away and started working on some lie while I fished out the money to pay for my clearly spilt and cold coffee now. I was still trying to think of something when Seto said something completely brilliant.

"My bodyguard." I looked at him, a little dumbfounded, and figured out how that could work. Obviously he was an important figure; I got that from the moment we meant. Probably worked for a powerful company. Just didn't know his place or how powerful the organization. Guessing from the wide eyes and complete understanding looks; he was famous enough to have people recognize him.

I could fly with that.

"Er. Yeah. Nothing to be alarmed about, folks. Show's over. You can go back to your…uh…prior engagements." I took Seto by the arm, trying to make it look like I was escorting him out when I couldn't take everyone staring at me anymore.

I was out of there and walking down the street every fast. About three blocks away I let go of his arm and slowed down enough so we where walking side by side. It wasn't until then that I realized he was wearing that huge white trench coat and black clothes from yesterday. He was not looking at me again but ahead of us.

"That was good." I complimented, "I was thinking along the lines of police, but that wouldn't have worked as well…so what kind of business man are you?"

"CEO." He said quietly. I was startled. Hadn't pictured a kid, though he was a few years older than me, running an entire company by myself. I think he was a bit surprised that I hadn't heard of him. It was like I could feel it coming of him in waves from that stiff nature.

"Came in from out of country. Visiting. One of those stupid Americans, you see."

"I see." I didn't think he believed me. Yeah, I was an American; that was the truth. The rest of it was tipsy though. I wanted to get off that topic.

"Where's Mokuba?"

"At school." That was a good place to be. Nice and safe. Snug as a bug in the rug. I waved all those annoying thoughts away and concentrated on the game a little shakily, wondering if I was starting to consider these people as…

I shook my head again. Hard.

"You know an Arthur Hawkins?" I asked, stopping for a red light at a cross walk. I looked around for suspicious characters as he thought about it, not saying anything for a moment.

"No." I was tempted to open my mouth, ask him if he could call him, being so high on the business ladder it wouldn't be hard. Yes, I'd like to make a call for a Ms. Drayce. Thought about it, saw him with the phone on his ear making that call and froze.

Froze because I was going too far.

I was careful not to look at him as we walked. I wondered where this Hawkins would be and when this CEO would leave me to go back to running in company. Or what type of fate had decided he should come upon me in that coffee shop or even wake up in his house. I gritted my teeth and felt like I needed to shoot something.

"Damn this game." I snarled.