4.
~ Arthur didn't wake Ariadne when he left. He sent an IM to her iPad because he knew her well enough to know it was always the first thing she checked for the time, emails, Facebook and everything else.
It was much more efficient that leaving a Post-it on the bathroom mirror.
He didn't bother with socks or even a better shirt. He pulled on some jeans and his running shoes and was out the door. Careful to re-set the alarm again before locking the door.
~ A bombing at the museum and he had no clue. This was horrible. This was the kind of thing that would bring homeland security on everyone who worked there, visited there or had a grudge against art in general.
'It's alright.' he told himself. 'You've made digital copies of all the threats to the museum in the past year and you've stored all security footage in the cloud. If there is anything to find, it'll be there.'
He was glad he was so anal about procedures. Glad that he made everyone go through the metal detectors and wear their ID tags at all times. He was glad he had taken the initiative to create digital patrons list. It would narrow the field of suspects if the bomber had been to the museum more than once in the past year.
No, everything was fine. Let homeland security come. He was ready.
~ What he wasn't ready for was the blinding lights of the fire trucks and police cars blocking the streets.
The Point Man had to leave his car two blocks away and walk to the museum where he was met by Lee and the other of the night security guard.
"Was anyone hurt?" he asked.
"No, sir." Lee said quickly.
"What happened?" Arthur demanded.
"We had just done the midnight sweep. Tony had left the international wing when there was this blast." Lee explained.
"Couldn't see for a few seconds and my ears are still ringing." Tony Montoya said.
Arthur nodded at the other security guard who looked shaken but otherwise alright.
"The blast doors?" Arthur asked.
"They went down." Lee nodded. "I made sure the chemical fire suppression was working before we evacuated the building."
"Good." Arthur said.
"Firefighters are in the international wing right now, securing everything."
Arthur was looking at the outside of the wing that had been bombed. There was no smoke, no signs of damage.
"How bad do you think it was?" he asked Lee.
"Honestly, sir?" Lee said with raised eyebrows. "I was in Iraq and it sounded like a flash bang to me."
Arthur nodded. A flash bang grande was a favorite weapon in modern warfare. It surprised the enemy by being very loud and very bright. It's purpose was to stun the opposition enough to gain the upper hand, escape or disperse a crowd. It was useful because it was effective, but not deadly.
"So it wasn't a real bomb?" Arthur asked.
He was still looking at the building. No fire, no smoke.
"Sir, I wanted to follow procedure. I know it's what you would do." Lee said worriedly.
"You did the right thing." Arthur muttered. "No, you did the right thing."
He nodded but a nagging fear was eating at him.
"There's the chief." Tony nodded at a beefy man coming towards them.
"You head of security?" the chief said gruffly. He reminded Arthur of a walrus turned human, in build. But his expression was not be trifled with.
"Was it a bomb?" Arthur asked as more police cars were coming onto the scene. This was turning into a nightmare.
"No, sir and you'll be happy to know that there's no damage aside from minor smoke. It appears non lethal attack devices were employed to trip the blast doors and activate the fire suppression system." the chief said.
"Thank God for that." Arthur muttered. "Was the culprit inside? I mean if it was a flash bang, it would have had to be done by someone close by."
The chief looked angry and waved at one of the firefighters.
"You seen one of these before?" the chief asked. His tone was as if Arthur had knowingly set the explosion.
The other firefighter jogged up in full gear next to the chief and held out at toy truck. It was burnt, broken and it's rubber tires melted.
"What is that?" Arthur asked.
"Homeland security's problem now." Chief grumbled. "But I know a delayed device when I see one. These tech kids attach a flash bang, smoke grenade, or even tear gas onto one of these little fuckers and drive it out into a crowd of people. The can remote detonate it with something as simple as magnates from a mile away."
"Yeah, using a disposable cell phone. There was a rash of these in New York. Some people were hurt when they got too close." the younger fire fighter with the broken toy truck said.
"I have extensive security footage and even a digital patron tracker. If someone left that in the museum, we'll find them quickly." Arthur said.
"You better talk to the feds." the chief said and nodded behind Arthur.
The Point Man turned and saw men in suits coming to him.
This was going to be a long night.
~ "You're night watchmen never saw the toy truck before now?" the FBI man asked the Point Man.
"If they say they didn't. I just got here so I can't be sure what they saw." Arthur shrugged.
"It's funny that a toy truck was able to guide itself to the international wing without anyone seeing it." the FBI man said.
"Not funny, Agent." the Point Man said angrily. "Nothing about this is funny."
"When I said funny, I meant strange." the FBI man said.
"It's strange, but achievable." Arthur said. "There are only two security guards during the night. The cameras are on all the wings and motion detectors are on all floors. It's very possible a savvy tech could drive a toy car with a camera mounted to it down the halls and not set off the motion sensors or be caught by the cameras."
The FBI man shook his head.
"You only have two men watching priceless art work at night?" he asked.
"It was all I was budgeted for." Arthur said. "Although after tonight, I'm sure that will change."
"I'm sure a lot will change about your job after tonight." the FBI man said.
The Point Man felt incensed.
"Agent, the cameras and the motion detectors did their job. The blast doors and the fire suppression did their job. My men, did their job. Now it's time to do your job and find the punk who did this." the Point Man said.
"How did a toy car even get into the museum?" the FBI man said casually.
"Sorry?"
"I mean, how did a toy car get into a national museum? I saw the metal detectors, don't you monitor things like that? Did a kid come in with his toy car and leave it? Was it in the lost and found?" the FBI man asked.
Arthur was ready for this. Mind games.
"Agent, I'm sure if you check the security cameras, they will show where that toy car came from. I left the museum at five o'clock." the Point Man said.
"What did you do after that?"
"I went home."
"Can anyone confirm that story?"
"It's not a story, it's what happened. I live a very boring life. My girlfriend can confirm that I was at home from five twenty till Lee called me." the Point Man said.
"What's your girlfriend's name? She'll need to come down here and give a statement." the FBI man said scribbling down notes.
Arthur took a deep breath.
"Ariadne Richards." he said stiffly.
The FBI man scowled and looked over a printed stack of papers.
"She's an employee here?" he asked.
"Yes." Arthur said cooly.
"You live together? You and your girlfriend?" the FBI man asked.
Arthur sighed. So much for discretion.
"Yes. For over a year now." he said.
"Is this your girlfriend's phone number?" the FBI man said and pointed out the phone number next to Ariadne's name and address.
"Yes. It's her cell. Call her." Arthur said. He was feeling embarrassed by the word 'girlfriend'. It was a word kids used and it made him feel like his relationship with Ariadne wasn't serious. Arthur wasn't the type to have a girlfriend.
"We have tried to call Miss Richards all night. " the FBI man said.
"Is her phone off?" Arthur asked. Ariadne knew better than to keep her phone off. Number one rule in the house, keep your phone on and with you at all times.
"No, there is just no answer. Maybe she left it in another room."
"No, she keeps her phone by her night stand it was there when I left." Arthur said. "I need to go and check on her."
"We're sending a unit to pick her up now." the FBI man said.
"Sir, I need to-" Arthur started to argue but his own cell phone buzzed angrily in his pocket.
With relief, he pulled his phone out. He was sure it was Ariadne calling him. She would be angry some cop was at the house wanting to take her to the museum and why didn't he wake her up, and how could he hate the wallpaper?
"Ariadne?" Arthur asked into his phone without checking the caller ID.
Silence…
Silence so heavy and wrong Arthur crouched still for fear of it hurting him.
"Ariadne?" he asked again.
"She's gone, secret service." a deep, computer modulated voice said. "If you want the senator's daughter back in one piece, you won't tell the FBI about this phone call. You won't say a word. I've got the senator's daughter safe for now. She's very cozy. Play it cool, secret service, and she'll be alright. Tell the FBI agent sitting across from you, and her body won't be fit for an open burial. I'll be in touch when the smoke clears."
The voice clicked off and was gone. Arthur's heart was beating so fast there was a rushing sound in his years.
"Who was that?" the FBI man was asking. Arthur couldn't hear a thing.
The bombing, the bombing that wasn't a bombing at all but a distraction to leave the house. To abandon Ariadne in the house so she could be taken without his interfering.
"Sir, who was that on the phone?" the FBI man demanded.