That White Bread Picket Fence Girl | Chapter 2 "The Lure of Adventure"

Previously: The gang of thieves are forced to work together to find all the pieces of the puzzle to find the treasure. But first they needed to steal the 8th clue from Elena Fisher.

*Note: Spot the easter eggs and let me know in the comments which one you found!

Chapter 2: The Lure of Adventure

The Rooster and the Kitten is a bar run by Ulvic, he is a large man with compassion for his customers. He wants the bar to a place of refuge to people of different classes. The thieves had arrived early and with hour intervals to complete their cover. Nate was standing by the jukebox, Samuel flirting and sharing seats with women he just met, Charlie on the table next to him for easier 'accidental bumping' for later. Sully is waiting by the car with Harry, their getaway driver, an exact thirty minutes timer before his entrance. Chloe is seated on the counter at the very end, drinking small sips to keep herself company.

Rafe is in the middle, also on the counter. He checked his watch, seeing that the journalist did not arrive in their designated meeting time.

"This woman is a joke, she's 15 minutes late." Harry says over the earpiece.

"You're not the one standing next to the jukebox for the past two hours, so you don't get to complain, Harry." Nate mumbles, leaning coolly next to the jukebox, winking at girls and picking the next song to play for her.

"My butt is getting cramped sitting for two hours, mate." Harry continues to complain.

There was a static. "Guys can we just chill? She's a woman. She's probably taking her sweet time doing makeup, picking the best ballgown and pairing her bag and her shoes." Samuel interjects, there was a flush sound on his end.

"Are you in the bathroom?"

"Yeah, had to take a break. I was drinking too much water." Samuel replies.

"He's implying the journalist is hitting on you, Rafe." Chloe butts in but Rafe was quiet. As if he was too mature to join their silly conversation.

Sully cleared his throat over the earpiece. "Heads-up boys and girl. She's here." He announced when he saw the blonde entering the bar. "I'm coming in in 5. Look alive."

Everyone went to their battle stations, attentive of the blonde walking from the entrance looking for Rafe. Samuel hurried to zip his fly and went back to his seat, bumping into her on his way out. "Whoa hey sorry." Nate hits his forehead on the jukebox now. Chloe gulps down her drink. Charlie facepalms. "I didn't see you."

"Oh Samuel, ever so eager to meet the lady already." Harry rolled his eyes knowing what had happened already.

"It's okay, I wasn't looking either." She flashed him a smile and Samuel smiled back.

When they parted ways, Samuel went back to his post, still smiling ear to ear. Nate was scratching his head, hiding the fact that he was trying to adjust his earpiece. "Wipe off the grin, brother. She's the target, not some lady prop for our schemes."

"I know that. I wasn't hitting on her, she was giving me the look."

"Can we all focus on that shiny little thing around her neck?" Charlie tried to get their attention.

Chloe snickered aloud to get their attention. They all turn to see the blonde now sat down next to Rafe after her very, very short bathroom visit. Rafe was calm and composed, he does not smile but he acknowledges her presence, moving the chair for her to sit down on.

"Way the go Rafe, that's the first step to becoming a verified gentleman." Nate teases.

"Eyes up buddy." Charlie murmured. The rest of the gang laughed to themselves at the double meaning.

Rafe merely glanced at the ring around her neck, quickly looking to catch her eyes. "You're late." He tells her. He eyed her clothes if any of what Samuel said was true. She isn't wearing a ballgown like he said. Just a pair of jeans, sneakers, white buttoned-up shirt and a brown sling bag. No earrings, no makeup. The only accessory she has is an old vintage watch and a black multilayer bracelet on the same wrist.

Elena noticed the way Rafe was eyeing her, "You see something you don't like?" she asked.

"Not like I'm dressed any better." He countered. He himself wasn't dressed formally. It was a public bar. There was no need to stand out in the crowd. "Let's discuss the article over drinks. My treat." He offered.

Sully enters the bar behind them, making his swift entrance and pretending to ogle the ladies and eyeing Chloe at the corner. Big smiles, a cigar in his hand and strides to Chloe's side. "Hey sugar. How's he doing?" he whispers as he leaned close to her, leaning on the counter.

"Straight to the point." Chloe replies. "If this were a bed setting, I doubt there's even foreplay with how straightforward he is."

Nate and Charlie snorted, heard by everyone in the earpiece. Samuel tries to hide his laughter by smiling so wide that the woman beside him thinks he was giving her a cue for something. Harry on the other hand just can't stop being disappointed at them, bored and impatient as he waited in their getaway car. Chloe's voice was soothing him and suddenly he forgets he was annoyed at their little thief band.

Rafe can hear all their voices and laughter from the earpiece but he was pretty good at ignoring them like they are background noises not meant to be listened to. "Margarita for the journalist." He offers and pushes the glass towards her.

"Thanks but I'd rather focus on writing down important details with a clear head." She pulls out a recorder, a pen and notebook from her bag.

Nate noticed she didn't take the drink. "Guys, she didn't drink it. Let's go to Plan B."

"Right ahead of you." Charlie replies.

Standing up on cue, Charlie walks to the exit and Nate timed his walk to purposely bump into him and spill his drink on Charlie's shirt. "Sorry man." Nate acted cool. "I'll get you a tissue."

"I love this shirt."

"It's just beer man. You can wash it off."

With the commotion starting, Chloe was aware that she needed to walk and snatch the necklace around Elena's neck when things get heated up. Charlie landed the first punch and Nate stumbled on Samuel. The punch was real and he really felt his jaw ache. Samuel catches him but pretends to be angry because beers were spilled on the dresses of the girls he's with.

"What in the world?!" Samuel growls at them.

"Listen man, he started it. Tell him that his shirt can be washed. You know, like this." Nate grabs one of the drinks and threw it in Charlie's face.

Charlie initiated more punches this time. Nate ducked and Samuel's face receives the end of Charlie's fists. Now the bar fight really begins.

"This is why I don't like bars." Elena mumbled at the scene. "People here are fighting over the smallest of things."

"Liquor does that to you." Rafe entertains her, waiting for Chloe to swipe the ring now. "We should discuss another time. I lost my appetite to share what I know." He takes the recorder and gives it back to her. "In a better location too."

"Whoa wait, you can't—" he stands up and Elena reached for his arm.

As if their timing was rehearsed, Chloe was already stomping from Sully, bumping into Elena, her face frustrated because of the touchy old man tailing her.

"Stop following me!" Chloe hisses at him.

"Come on sugar, you liked it earlier."

"Hey, lady, do you have a phone? I'm calling my father." Chloe tells the blonde. "This guy just won't stop bothering me, I already said no."

"Leave her alone." Elena tries to step up.

"Do you want some of me too?" Sully attempted to reach her hand but Rafe steps between them, grabbing Sully's wrist. Nothing was part of the script now. It was all improvisation because they still do not have the ring and Elena could walk out of the bar now.

"The ladies said no." Rafe says firmly and Sully uses that as an opportunity to push Rafe towards the ladies. The three stumbles back and the physical contact was all Chloe needed to swipe the ring faster than Elena would feel it gone from around her neck.

The bar fight continued and has spread with other customers thanks to the three who started raising their voices now. They were later kicked out and each of them leaving the bar one at a time to enter the getaway car. The last to ride the car was Chloe, raising the ring she had taken from the journalist. "The final clue." She exclaimed.

"Nice lift, Chloe." Nate compliments, reaching for the ring but Chloe pulled it away.

"No touching."

"We're all thieves here." Nate reasons.

"Let me see." Charlie reaches for Chloe's wrist. Chloe gives it and Charlie examines the ring, patting the nearest person and asking for light. Samuel stretched his hand, giving him a lighter and Charlie stares at him. "I mean light—flashlight so I can examine this clue."

Samuel shrugs, taking his lighter back. "Whatever works for you."

Sully provides the flashlight as Harry turned the engine on. As he turned the headlights on, he and Samuel stared at the blonde standing in front of their van, arms crossed, looking right into their eyes.

"Oh crap. Mate, look who we have here. Should I run her over?" Harry asked.

"Nathan, that journalist—I thought you said you made her go away." Samuel announced to the group.

"She's good." Sully compliments.

"I believe you boys have something of mine." Elena says from outside. They heard her either way. Harry was tempted to just run her over but Sully and Nate were ready to stop him if he dared.

They exchanged looks as Charlie continues his examination.

"I think we should renegotiate our shares guys." Nate says. "She knows."