Part 3
"Is it really so hard to believe that someone's going to steal the Declaration of Independence?" Riley asked as they left the FBI building.
"The FBI gets 10,000 tips a week. They aren't going to worry about something they're sure is safe." Ben replied.
"Yeah well they're gonna be sorry when the Declaration is gone." Katie huffed.
"That doesn't count for much right now, Katie." Etta said.
"What we need is someone that will help us." Abby stated, walking backwards so she could see all of them at once.
"Anyone who can do anything is going to think we're crazy. And anyone crazy enough to believe us isn't going to want to help." Riley pointed out.
"We don't need someone crazy. What's one step short of crazy?" Ben asked.
"Obsessed?" Riley guessed.
"Odd?" Erica tried.
"Erica?" Etta asked.
"Passionate." He replied.
Erica glared at Etta.
"That's so funny I almost forgot to laugh."
An hour later, they all sat in the office of Dr. Chase at the National Archives, flipping through old magazines. Well, everyone except Erica and Etta, who opted to wait in the car.
"Dr. Chase will see you now Mr. Brown." The assistant told them.
"Mr. Brown?" Katie asked.
"My family name doesn't get a lot of respect in the academic community." He explained.
"Oh…"
"So you're being kept down by the man." Riley said, nodding. Then he caught sight of the girl behind the desk. "Very cute man."
Katie and Abby stifled laughs.
"Good Afternoon. I'm Dr. Chase."
"Paul Brown." Ben said, shaking her hand.
"Nice to meet you."
"Mary Freemont." Katie said.
"Grace McBride."
"Nice to meet you both."
"Bill." Riley piped up.
"Nice to meet you Bill." She said doubtfully.
"How can I help you?" Dr. Chase asked.
"Your accent? Pennsylvania Dutch?" Ben asked.
"Saxony-German."
"You're not American?" Riley asked.
"I am an American, I just wasn't born here. Please don't touch that."
"Sorry. Neat collection. George Washington campaign buttons. You're missing the 1789 inaugural though. I found one once."
"That's very fortunate for you." She replied unimpressed. "Now, you told my assistant this was an urgent matter."
"Yes ma'am. Well, I am going to get right to the point." He paused, looking directly at her. "Someone's going to steal the Declaration of Independence."
"It's true." Riley added and the two girls nodded in agreement.
"I think I better put you three in touch with the FBI." She said reaching for her phone.
"We've already been to the FBI." Katie said.
"And?"
"They assured us that the Declaration could not possibly be stolen."
"They're right."
"We're 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." Ben said.
"And what do you think you are going to find?"
"We believe there is an… encryption on the back."
"An encryption of what?"
"Uh… a cartograph."
"A map?"
"Yes ma'am."
"A map of what?"
"The location of hidden items of…" Ben shifted in his seat uncomfortably. "… historic and intrinsic value."
"A treasure map?"
"That's where we lost the FBI." Riley said.
"You're treasure hunters, aren't you?" Dr. Chase asked.
"We're more like treasure protectors." Ben said.
"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-"
"July 4th 1776." Ben finished. "Yes ma'am."
"But no map." Dr. Chase concluded.
There was a silence in the room. Riley looked at Ben an gave a small shrug as if to say, 'she already thinks we're crazy so go ahead.' Katie and Abby nodded in encouragement.
"It's invisible."
"Oh…"
"And that's where we lost the Dept. of Homeland Security." Riley said.
"What led you to assume there's this invisible map?"
"We found an engraving on the stem of a 200-year-old pipe." Ben said.
"Owned by Freemasons." Riley added.
"On a ship that we inadvertently blew up." Abby finished.
"May I see it?"
"We don't actually have it."
Dr. Chase leaned towards Ben.
"Did Bigfoot take it?"
"It was nice meeting you." Ben said standing up.
"Nice meeting you too."
"You know that really is a nice collection. Must've taken you a long time to hunt down all that history." Ben remarked.
As they left the office, Abby and Katie couldn't help but feel slightly defeated. Not only did they have the information of that conversation somewhere in their subconscious, but they hadn't been any help in there.
"If it's any consolation, you had me convinced." Riley said as he followed Ben.
"It's not." Ben replied.
"Riley, do you ever say anything helpful?" Abby asked.
"Ow…"
"Sorry. I'm just frustrated. Infuriating woman…"
"I was thinking. What if we plaster the story all over the internet? It's not like we have our reputations to worry about."
"Speak for yourself." Katie piped up.
"Ben?" Abby asked, laying a hand on his shoulder. She looked down at the Declaration trying to see what he saw in it.
"180 years of searching and I'm 3 feet away. Of all the ideas that became the United States, there's one line here that's at the heart of all the others. 'But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, its is their duty, to throw off such government and provide new guards for their future security.' People don't talk that way anymore."
"Yeah… I have no idea what you just said." Riley said.
"Me either." Abby agreed
"It means that those who have the ability to take action have the responsibility to take action." Ben said. "I'm gonna steal it."
"What?" Riley asked.
"I'm gonna steal the Declaration of Independence." He repeated.
"Did he just say what I think he said?" Abby asked.
"Um Ben…"