Chapter 2
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"Ms. Chase, a man called he says it's an emergency and he needs to talk to you. I told him you were away but he is coming. Is that okay with you? Again he says it's an emergency." Her secretary tells her. My cousin looks at me.
"Go ahead, I want to see what you really do." She smiles and nods at her secretary.
"Just let them in when they get here." She says. At that she looks at the ground blushing.
"Well, Ms. Chase they already are. They are in the waiting hall outside. I told them that you were taking a break so I'll just go and get them." She says and hurries off. Abigail smiles and rolls her eyes. She then sits in her chair and i sit in a chair agianst the wall looking at her pictures and things. Suddenly two men come in one of them muttering.
"Good afternoon, I'm Abigail Chase."
"Paul Brown,"
"...Bill."
"Hello, Bill. This is my cousin Lillia."
"Hello, Lillia." I shake his hand and nod.
"Thank you so, wait your accent, Pennsylvania Dutch?"
"Saxony German."
"Oh."
"Wait, so you aren't American?"
"Oh, I'm an American, I just wasn't born here," she says, "Please don't touch that," she says looking over atPaul who was examining a button collection on Abigail's mantel.
"Sorry. Neat collection. George Washington's Campaign buttons. You're missing the 1789 inaugural though," he says tapping the place where the button should be, "I found one once."
"That's very fortunate of you," Abigail says not very impressed, "Now, you told my assistant that this was an urgent matter," she says, more seriously.
"Ah, yes ma'am," saysPaul sitting in one of the chairs in front of her desk.
"I'm going to get straight to the point. Someone is going to steal the Declaration of Independence,"Paul says VERY seriously.
Dr. Chase's mouth drops open slightly, then she shifts her gaze to Bill.
"It's true," says Bill.
"I think I better put you in touch with the FBI," says Abigail reaching for the phone.
"We've been to the FBI," says Paul.
"And?..." Abigail provokes.
"And they assured us the Declaration could not possibly be stolen," saysBill mocking the FBI person.
"They're right," she says leaning back in her chair.
"My friends and I are less certain. However, if we were given the privilege of examining the document, we would be able to tell you for certain if it were in any danger," explainsPaul using a lot of hand motions.
"What do you think you're going to find?" asks Abigail.
"We believe that there is an encryption on the back," says Bill.
"An encryption of what?" asks Abigail.
"Uh, a cartograph," says Bill.
"A map?" Abigail goes on.
"Yes, ma'am," says Bill.
"A map of what?" she asks some more.
"The location of..."Bill clears his throat, "of items of historic and intrinsic value."
"A treasure map?" She asks, disbelievingly. I snort.
"That's where we lost the FBI," says Bill, sighing.
"I can see why..." I sigh. They all look at me and I shrug.
"You're treasure hunters, aren't you?" Abigail asks, again leaning back in her chair. I look atthem interested.
BillgivesPaul a strange sideways glance.
"We're more like...treasure protectors," says Paul.
"Mr. Brown, I have personally seen the back of the Declaration of Independence and I promise you the only thing there is a notation that reads original Declaration of Independence dated..." she explains.
"...of Independence dated 4 of July 1776. Yes, ma'am," finishes Paul.
"But no map," she says.
Paulwants to tell her why she can't see it. He stutters then looks at Bill.Bill looks at the floor and shakes his head no. I watch them glaring and shake my head deciding they are insane.
"It's invisible," saysPaul finally.
"Oh...right," Abigail says in disbelief.
"And that's where we lost the Department of Homeland Security," says Bill, sighing.
"Agian, I can see why," I tell them agian.
"Lillia hush." She says turning to me. "What led you to assume there is an invisible map?" Abigail goes back to questioning.
"You know what happens when you assume, right?" asks Paul.
"Yes," replies Abigail.
"We found an engraving on the stem of a 200 year old pipe," says Paul.
"O-owned by free Masons," says Bill.
"May I see the pipe?" asks Abigail.
"We, uh, don't have it," saysPaul looking from Abigail toBill and back to Abigail.
Abigail leans on her desk.
"Did Big Foot take it?" she asks. I laugh but the man named Ben glares at me.
"It was nice meeting you," he says to Abigail with a smile and standing up.
"Nice to meet you too," says Abigail not moving from leaning on her desk.
Bill starts heading out the door but Paul stops in the middle of the room.
"You know that really is a nice collection," saysPaul referring to the pin collection, standing by the door, "Must have taken you a long time to hunt down all that history." I watch them leave and then stand suddenly.
"Dude, are they insane?" I ask. She shakes her head still staring out the door.