Chapter 5
The absence of sound in the room was suffocating. Riley's train of thought immediately derailed. He couldn't seem to string one simple thought together. Lost in a thick, impenetrable fog, Riley's mind was frozen. All cohesive ideas and coherent notions slipped through his fingers and lingered just beyond his grasp. Panic threatened to consume him as he reminded himself how to breathe, only acutely aware of the cold sweat trickling down his back. Rigid and stiff, his body felt numb. Riley was shutting down.
Get a grip! Riley's brain was just like a computer. If too many programs were running at once, it would slow and freeze up. All he had to do was restart; cool down and go back to the beginning. Focusing on his heart rate and breathing, Riley grinned with relief as sensation slowly began to return, starting from his feet all the way up to his head.
Having calmed down, Riley closed his eyes. Forcing his back to straighten, he let his mind race. At first, he had thought the voice belonged to another security guard or that the pair he just encountered had doubled back, seen him enter the staff lounge, and called for backup. Both ideas had gone out the window the minute the stranger had addressed him by his name. He knows my name… Next, Riley hadn't heard the man enter. If the man had followed, the lock on the door would have given the same shrill beep and click it had after Riley had scanned his access card, which only left one option; that the man had been there first.
The only staff left in the building this late was security, and none of them knew his true identity. So why was this man waiting for him? He must have known that this was Riley's only escape route, but to know that he had to either be the person who hacked him and thrown him into this mess in the first place, or worked with whoever did.
"I'd prefer to speak face to face if you'd be so kind."
Riley opened his eyes. He was still facing the exit. Turning around slowly, he was met with the silhouette of a man sitting in a dark-colored lounge chair to the right of the doorway. The darkness shrouded his face from view. From what he could make out, Riley guessed that the man was around 6'1" with a medium build. His left leg was propped up on his right knee and judging from the way his polished black shoe reflected to moonlight cutting along his stomach and legs, he wore an equally expensive suit. A glint to his left caught Riley's attention. The gun was held in the man's right hand, his arm laying idly on the armrest. The barrel was aimed directly at Riley's chest.
"Much better. Now have a seat Mr. Poole, we have much to discuss." The stranger's voice, occasionally showing signs of a faint English accent, held a certain tone. Not exactly snide, but it was close and Riley was instantly annoyed.
"I think I'll stand," Riley replied calmly. Leaning against the nearby countertop, he channeled every action movie he could think of and tried his best to look completely unintimidated by the situation. "In case you hadn't noticed, I'm a little short on time so can we make this quick?" Though he couldn't see it, Riley could practically feel the sinister smile spread across the man's face.
"Ah yes. Well, my associate has tampered with the signals and radio frequencies around the building. Law enforcement will be a little late but, I'll make this as brief as I possibly can. I am here to warn you to stay away from matters that are none of your concern."
"The hijacking attempts," Riley stated, not missing a beat. "Those were all you're doing."
"Not directly. I hired a group of men to do my, you could say, dirty work. I admit that was my mistake. Those idiots almost ruined me! Good help is so hard to come by these days," he sighed. "To be truthful, I had considered enlisting you and your friends for the job. I mean with your reputation, who wouldn't? But after the second failure I came to a conclusion. I have to be the one do this. What is the saying? If you want it done right, you have to do it yourself."
"Why would you go to so much trouble?"
"I'm simply taking what's rightful mine," the man hissed, his voice taking on a more serious tone.
"So, why are you here? You risked getting caught. There has to be a reason," Riley asked.
"I guess you could say that you've piqued my interest, Mr. Poole." And just like that, he was back to the same conservative attitude as before, as if he had not a care in the world. "I've heard rumors of Benjamin Gates. How he seems to have a knack for finding lost treasures and forgotten artifacts. His ability to decipher messages left behind by those of the past. There is even talk of his blonde girlfriend. 'Smoking hot' is the term they used to describe her, I believe. A real brain from what I understand. Then, there's you; the piece that doesn't fit, the outlier. You see, I'm the type of person who demands a certain amount of order. I like to see everything come together." He leaned forward slightly. "Now you Riley, you confuse me. It is alright if I call you Riley, isn't it?"
Riley didn't answer. What's he getting at?
"Oh! It would seem I've gotten ahead of myself. Where are my manners?" The man leaned forward even more, extending his hand. The stream of dim moonlight that seeped in from the window to Riley's right illuminated his face. The man had a clean shaven head and face split by a devilish smile. A long, faded scar ran down the side of his face, trailing from his left temple down to his chin. Knife wound Riley guessed. What immediately caught his attention was the man's tattoo. There was a small jet black scorpion encircling the outer edge of his right eye. "I'm Masson Scott."
Not really seeing any other option, Riley pushed himself off the counter and moved forward to shake Masson's hand. He winced inwardly as his sleeve fell back and revealed another tattoo. The head of a snake peeked out. This guy just screams poisonous doesn't he? Moving back, Riley hopped up onto the surface of the countertop and waited for Masson to make the next move.
"As I was saying, I believe that everything should have a place, a purpose. Tell me Riley, what is your role in all of this?"
Riley stared at him for a moment. Seeing that the question wasn't rhetorical, Riley briefly explained what he did to ensure that he and his friends didn't end up in a jail cell. It was all pretty simple. He got Ben and Abigail in, took down security, got them out, put everything back, went home, and depending on the time either went straight to bed or had his brain melted with Ben and Abigail's historical rambling and old married couple wourthy bickering. All the while, Masson listened to him calmly; his face neutral, giving nothing away.
When Riley was finished, Masson raised his eyebrows. "I understand why you would come to that conclusion, but a certain rumor has made me see you in a new, albeit quizzical light. You see, you are not just a puzzle piece that doesn't fit, you are an extra piece. With these new facts, I have drawn the conclusion that your significance is invalid. You aren't a missing peace, there is simply no room for you."
Riley narrowed his eyes. "What's that suppose to mean?"
"I overheard a certain rumor. Apparently, Benjamin Gates infiltrated the White House with the help of his partner Abigail Chase whose seductive looks paved their way; even setting foot in the Oval Office. Of course no one could prove it, the man in question not willing nor stupid enough to step forward. So the story is now nothing more than a that, a story. I, on the other hand, know that they are more than capable of pulling off such a feat. And now I am left with a few questions. The first of which is quite simple. Where were you, Riley?" Not waiting for the man to answer, Masson continued. "I'll admit that your skills can be convenient in some instances, but they aren't really needed, now are they? For example, tonight. Aside from the fact that my associate bypassed your efforts, you did a pretty good job disabling the security system and granting your companions access to the basement, but it wasn't necessary. Think about it Riley. Young Abigail could have just strutted into the security office and gone with the same act she used at the White House; showing off her body as a distraction while Mr. Gates slipped past undetected. Your assistance wasn't needed then and it isn't needed now.
"My second question is more hypothetical. Say that instead of technical support, you served the same purpose as your friends; a more hands on method. Would you be able to handle, not only the responsibilities, but yourself? It must be very frustrating for those two, especially Benjamin. Having to constantly look over his shoulder to make sure you haven't caused any trouble. I don't know how he does it! You see, my colleague has a very lethal set of skills that insures me that no one will get the jump on him. On the off chance that someone does, they certainty won't be the one walking away. Even Abigail is capable of taking care of herself to a certain extent. Granted she could be more equipped to handle curtain situations, she somehow manages. This has made me realize another thing about you. You're dangerous Riley. One day you will get Mr. Gates killed."
Riley was speechless. The venom from Masson's words stung. Even worse, they held a good amount of truth. Riley had gotten Ben and Abigail to safety, but it was his inefficiency to keep them undetected that had put them in danger in the first place. On more than one occasion Ben had come to his rescue and always had his back, but did Riley have his in return? It was Masson's last statement that made his heart stop, put ice in his veins. Ben was Riley's best friend. He had seen something in Riley that no one else did. He would do anything for Riley, even at the risk of his own life. Riley knew all of this, but when Masson threw it in his face in such a blunt manner, it made him feel sick.
"Well, it would seem we are all out of time." Masson stated. Riley was so immersed in his musings that he didn't notice the sound of voices coming from further up the hall.
Masson stood and crossed the room as Riley slowly jumped down from the countertop. He then stopped short, placed a heavy hand on Riley's shoulder and whispered into his ear. "I'm only going to warn you once. Back off," Masson hissed. Riley couldn't hold back the wince as Masson's grip tightened painfully. Dropping his hand, the man grinned; the glint in his eyes at odds with the gaze of the snake on his wrist. Then he continued towards the exit and pausing in the doorway. Masson didn't turn around. "Although, I'm fairly cetain that our paths will cross again," he chuckled.
Riley stood frozen, the click of the door his only indication of Masson's departure. The voices in the hall grew louder.
Riley...
Ben's voice echoed in Riley's head, reminding him of his friends that were waiting outside. He had to go. He couldn't get caught and dragged off to jail after coming this far. Riley forced himself to move. If not for himself, then for Ben and Abigail. He had a job to do.
Quickly gathering his bag from the trashcan, Riley rushed out the backdoor.
"That's it! I'm going in to find him," Ben exclaimed, reaching to unbuckle his seatbelt.
He and Abigail sat in the car, parked down the block from the museum. They had front row seats as police cars came racing down the street and skidded to a halt in front of the building. The two watched nervously as several officers made their way up the front steps and in through the front doors.
"Wait," Abigail said as she reached forward to stop him. "Then we'll all be split up. Just give it another few minutes. If he's not out here by then, we'll both go."
Ben sat back with a sigh. He knew Abigail was right. If he ran back in half-cocked, he would be putting their entire mission in jeopardy. However, it did nothing to ease his worry. It had been over ten minutes since he had last spoken to Riley. What if he got caught? He was not leaving his best friend behind.
Ben looked down at his watch. "Times up. Let's g-"
The driver's side door burst open and Riley scrambled into the car.
"It's about time! We were just about to drive off without you," Abigail laughed. Riley stilled, his body tense. She frowned, but before she could call him on it Riley tossed his bag back and started the car. With no snide comment or snarky remark he pulled out onto the street.
Ben had noticed the odd behavior too. "You alright Riley?"
"Just fine," he answered stiffly. "Let's get out of here."
Ben's brow furrowed in concern and he turned to meet Abigail's gaze. It mirrored his own, but neither of them inquired further, both missing the look on their friends face. Riley's knuckles turned white as his grip on the steering wheel tightened. His eyes suddenly ablaze with determination. Scott doesn't know what he's talking about. He doesn't know me! I'll prove that arrogant bastard wrong. Just you wait!