Part 4
"So that's a no for Homeland Security and the FBI… where to next?" Anne asked as they left the building.
"Is it really so hard to believe that someone's going to steal the Declaration of Independence?"
"The FBI gets 10,000 tips a week. They aren't going to worry about something they're sure is safe."
"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."
"What's one step short of crazy?" Anne asked.
"Obsessed?"
"Passionate." Ben answered.
"That's us."
"Dr. Chase will see you now, Mr. Brown." The secretary said.
"Mr. Brown?" Riley asked.
"Our family name doesn't get a lot of respect in the academic community." Anne answered for Ben.
"So you're being kept down the man." They filed into the office where a pretty blonde sat behind the desk. "Very cute man."
"Wow." Anne muttered. Riley shot her a withering look.
"Good Afternoon. I'm Abigail Chase."
"Paul Brown." Ben said, shaking her hand.
"Nice to meet you."
"Bill." Riley said.
"Nice to meet you Bill." She said skeptically.
"Lynn Brown. His sister." She clarified. Better to not have them thinking they were married.
"How can I help you?" Abigail asked.
"Your accent? Pennsylvania Dutch?" Ben asked.
"Saxony-German."
"You're not American?" Riley asked. Anne hit Riley on the arm and gave him a look.
"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 said, though in a slightly condescending tone. "Now, you told my assistant this was an urgent matter."
"Yes ma'am. Well, I am going to get right to the point. Someone's going to steal the Declaration of Independence."
"It's true." Riley added.
"Yep." Anne agreed.
"I think I better put you three in touch with the FBI…" Abigail grabbed her phone.
"We've already been to the FBI." Anne said.
"And…"
"They assured us that the Declaration could not possibly be stolen."
"They're right."
"We're less certain." Anne said. This woman was bugging her.
"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?" Anne could tell this woman wasn't going to be any help.
"Um… a cartograph."
"A map?"
"Yes ma'am."
"A map of what?"
"The location of hidden items of…" Ben cleared his throat. "… historic and intrinsic value."
"A treasure map?"
"That's where we lost the FBI." Riley said.
"You're treasure hunters, aren't you?" Abigail asked.
"We're more like treasure protectors." Ben said.
"And it's becoming more difficult by the hour." Anne added.
"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." Anne and Ben finished.
"Yes ma'am." Ben added to be polite.
"But no map." Abigail concluded. Anne looked at Ben and shrugged.
"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 said matter-of-factly.
"May I see it?"
"We don't actually have it." Anne replied.
Abigail leaned in conspiratorially.
"Did Bigfoot take it?"
"It was nice meeting you." Ben said, losing all tolerance of this woman.
"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 commented.
"If it's any consolation, you had me convinced." Riley said as they neared the Declaration.
"It's not." Ben snapped.
"I was thinking… what if we plaster the story all over the internet. It's not like we have our reputations to worry about…"
"Erm… I do!" Anne said. Turning around she saw Ben in front of the Declaration.
"Ben?" she asked softly, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"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.
"It means…" Anne said, looking up at Riley. "That those who have the ability to take action have the responsibility to take action."
"I'm gonna steal it." Ben said suddenly.
"What?" Riley asked.
"I'm gonna steal the Declaration of Independence." He said walking off.
"Um… Ben…" Riley and Anne said, following him.
"This is huge. Prison… huge. You will go to prison, you know that, right?" Riley asked as they sat on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
"Yeah, probably."
"That would… bother most people." Riley stated.
"In case you hadn't noticed, we aren't most people."
"Ben, for god's sake, it's like… It's like stealing a national monument. It's like stealing him." Riley pointed at Lincoln. "It can't be done. And it shouldn't be done but it can't be done. Let me prove it to you." Riley said.
"Okay, Gates siblings, pay attention. I've brought you to the Library of Congress. Why? Because it's the biggest library in the world. Over 20 million books. And they're all saying the same thing. Listen to Riley." Riley began.
"I'm listening. Not hearing anything interesting but I'm listening." Anne commented.
"What we have here is an entire layout of the Archives. We've got builder's blueprints, construction orders, phone bills, water and sewage. It's all here. Now, when the Declaration is on display, it's surrounded by guards… and video monitors… and little families from Iowa… and little kids on their 8th grade field trips. And beneath and inch of bullet-proof glass is an army of sensors and heat monitors that go off if someone gets too close with a high fever. When it's not on display, it is lowered into a 4 foot thick, concrete, steel plated vault that happens to be equipped with an electric combination lock and biometric access and denial systems."
"Amazing." Anne said cocking an eyebrow.
"Did you know Thomas Edison tried and failed nearly 2,000 times to develop the carbonized cotton thread filament for the incandescent light bulb? He said 'I didn't fail, I just found 2,000 ways not to make a light bulb.' But he only needed one way to make it work." Ben handed Riley a book. "The preservation room. Enjoy, go ahead. Do you know what the preservation room is for?"
"Delicious jams and jellies?" Riley guessed.
"Wrong preservation." Anne laughed.
"That's where they clean, maintain, and repair all the documents and storage housings when they aren't on display or in the vault. Now when the case needs work…"
"They take it to the preservation room." Anne finished.
"The best time for us, or Ian, to steal it would be during the Gala this weekend, when the guards are distracted by the VIPs upstairs. But we'll make our way to the preservation room where there's much less security." Ben concluded. Riley thumbed through the book, looking for some glitch in Ben's plan.
"Huh…well if Ian…Preservation room… The gala… this might be possible." Riley said stunned.
"It might."