Chapter fifteen
The Southside Museum of Art
The burglars around me cracked out laughing (well the one's who weren't picking themselves off the floor), pointing towards me and nudging there neighbours.
"Something funny?" I asked.
"Ha, ha, ha" Laughed one "you're a woman!"
I raised an eyebrow.
"Well done, I figured that out years ago and I didn't get no medal for it." I snapped sarcastically.
"What are you gunna do? You're just a girl; I'll bet you're not half as bad as they say you are. Some Robin Hood."
"She could kick all your lots arses single handily." Said Will confident in his friend's capability.
"Thanks for volunteering me." I said shaking my head at Will.
"What's the matter, don't be such a girl, Opse sorry too late." The guy I took to be in charge said "come on just you and me, one on one, even you can handle that."
"Fine." I said, at my word the other burglars surrounded us and the main guy raised his fists. I imitated him. Without any further warning he ran and took a swing at me, punching me round the face, losing my balance I landed on the floor holding my cheek. He and the others just laughed, my blood raised in temperature.
The 'leader' type guy, deciding me beat, took a lap of honour around his circle of colleagues. I might be down, but im not out. The new found confidence The Crusader gave me pulsing through my body I stood up.
"Back for more are ya?" Asked the guy "Come on little girly, girly show me what you got."
If you say so. I swung my leg high into the air and kicked him round the face, I watched as he reeled backwards. He ran forward for more, ready for him I threw out my leg at just the right moment, tripping him up and sending him skidding on his stomach across the polished floor.
"Do you give up?" I asked.
"Never!" He replied lunging at me once again. I dogged his attack with a duck to the left, and retaliated with a punch of my own, straight into his gut.
Too busy watching the main guy (waiting for his response) I didn't see the other burglars abandoning the circle and homing in on me, these guys didn't like losing. I turned around just in time to see one of burglars take out a crow bar (he had used to open crates of art) a few feet from me (violent).
"Robin!" The other five yelled.
My world spun in slow motion, Will, Jack, Mark and Jhon broke free of their captors and ran to help me pushing aside and potential treats on the way. But they wouldn't get here in time; I knew that, they were over at the other side of the hall. It looks like its lights out for me; I couldn't bring myself to react. Suddenly two legs appeared from nowhere, and the guy with the crow bar abruptly fell forward. What the? I suddenly felt someone's strong arm slip around my waist and I was lifted of the floor.
The Crusader had jumped off the balcony, grabbed the rope I abandoned earlier kicked the crow bar guy in the back, and grabbed me. We both sung forward and his hand slipped from the rope, ever the gentleman Crusader twisted his body so he took the impact of the fall.
"Arr." We both moaned in pain.
I had landed on top of Crusader, worried about my weight, and how much of unacceptable position I'd found myself in (again) I made a move to get up, Crusader (who was still holding me) kept me in place.
"Are you ok?" He asked.
"Yeah." I said still conscious I might be hurting him (im not fat or anything but I do have bony hips).
"Good." He said, and then he was kissing me.
To say he took me by surprise would be an understatement, but to say I didn't like it would be far from the truth. Reacting to his lips I kissed back, it felt familiar, natural, normal, I felt as if I'd known him for years not days, like we'd done this before.
I suddenly snapped to my senses. Here I was kissing him, when my friends were out there fighting to help me. I pulled away, at first he looked concerned, worried he'd done something wrong, but then he followed my gaze and said.
"Come on, let's get back out there."
He helped me to my feet and we walked out of the little corridor we'd fallen into (convenient). The others were out numbered, four to ten, but that'd never stopped us before. We ran to join the fray.
I looked round, where to go? Aha, some sneaky burglar thinks he can attack Mark from behind, I think so. Reaching the place where Mark was stood I turned to the sneaky guy, and motioned with my hand, bring it.
He did, but I was a woman on a mission, energy surging through me from Crusaders kiss. He was soon running away with his tail between his legs, tumbling over the crates of art scattered around the room.
I looked around, everyone was doing fine, and none of them really needed my help, the five of them could take the seven of them any day, wait seven? I thought there was ten of them. Where were the other three?
I looked around they weren't the only things missing. The art. I ran from the room, they'd done a runner and if I hurried I might just catch them.
"Robin?" The Crusader asked as I ran past him.
"No time, they've done a runner." I called back passing the others and bursting through the doors into the next room, they weren't there. I ran the length of the corridor then into the main room. There, three of Baxter's hired burglars trying to make off with the museums art.
"Where do you think your going?" I shouted across the massive room, hearing my voice they ran for it. So that's how it's going to be then? I don't mind. I ran after them.
"Get them in the van! Now!" Ordered one guy as the other two struggled to lift two crates into the white van. Heading down the museum steps I wasn't sure what I was doing, but I couldn't let them get away with the paintings.
The van doors slammed and the engine started, come on, think, think. I watched as the van started to pull away, hum, a step and a handle on the side of the van, time for a little reckless behaviour again.
The others came running out of the museum as I started to chase after the van. I was soon level with the back of the slow moving vehicle; I had a split second to decide, will I or wont I?
"Robin no!" The others shouted in unison realising what I was doing.
When I reached the right speed I jumped a strange sensation hit me as my feet left the pavement, adrenalin guiding me I landed safely on the step and grabbed the handle. Ok genius now what? I really should have thought this through.
The burglars sat in the front were none the wiser to my unique hitch hiking skills; we drove through the calm night and reached the end of the street and a set of traffic lights, relived at the brake I looked for a way to get in the van. I tried the door. It wasn't locked; sometimes the simplest way is the best.
Now in the van I stopped, now what? I'd caught the van, jumped on the van, got in the van, how was I supposed to get the paintings safely off? As if reading my thoughts the others pulled up behind us in Will's dad's car. Once the crates were safely in the car it was time for me to vacate the vehicle, well I should have done. My luck ran out and the traffic lights changed, I fell backwards further into the van and we drove off.
With the back door open I wasn't in a good position, with each jilt of the moving van I slipped down closer to the doors and the main road beyond them. Sliding downwards on my stomach I scrambled desperately for something to hold on to, my feet inches from the end of the van I wasn't doing too well, crap, crap, crap. A handle! I reached out and grabbed the black plastic handle on the inside of the van and pulled myself to my feet, phew. The van jilted and gained speed, I let out a scream nearly falling again and immediately shushed myself, the very last thing I needed was those guys knowing I was here.
I braved a look behind me, it didn't look good the others weren't there anymore; I took in the scenery why did this look familiar? We were heading to Baxter's house, oh that was just perfect.
"Guys where are you?" I wondered aloud "I need you."
As if reading my mind Will shouted.
"Robin!"
I saw the car speeding along not that far in the distance, desperate to get away from this crazy van ride I waved to them. They were so close now, I could almost reach the car, Jhon opened the door and Crusader popped out arms outstretched, at the same time the mad oblivious driver put his foot down, holding on with on hand I slipped and went flying. Landing safely in the arms of The Crusader I was pulled into the car and bombarded with the yelling of my concerned friends 'how could you be so stupid?' they asked, well it comes naturally, I knew they cared really and sat there my crazy heart still pumping away furiously waiting for it to calm down but I had to ask myself, was my heart acting this way because of the adrenalin, or because The Crusader was next to me his arm wrapped tightly around me terrified to let go?
Robert Baxter, still dressed in a suit even though it was gone midnight, walked casually down the steps of his mansion house confident his latest scheme had gone to plan. He was a firm believer in the saying 'if you want something done right, do it yourself.' Rather than trust Conner, who had let him down one too many times, Baxter had organised this scheme himself, he had hired the best in the business, top notch burglars. Not even the famous Robin Hood could stop them.
He looked up and saw a white van driving up his private road, they were on time. As they pulled up Baxter noticed something odd, why was the back door open? Especially when they were carrying such precious cargo.
"Did you drive the whole way like that?" He asked them as they left the vehicle. They looked confused and went to investigate. What he heard didn't please Baxter, cursing and muttered whispers. He strolled round the side of the filthy van, he gritted his teeth as he looked into the empty boot.
He felt the men next to him flinch as he spoke.
"Hood?" He asked curtly.
They nodded there response, petrified at having failed the most powerful man in Locksdale.
Baxter looked away, he couldn't bare to look at this failure, he looked upwards towards his son's bedroom and noticed the light was still on, through the window he could make out the shape that was George moving across the room, what was he doing up at this hour?
Still frustrated Baxter flung shut the van doors and the men sulked away as Baxter read the writing in the dirt; he would deal with them later, he glanced back at the writing, he was busy.
"Robin Hood 'n' HER outlaws were ere 08!"