What's your Price?

Chapter 9- Stealing Hope

The Hope Diamond was in the Gems & Minerals Hall on the second floor. I walk up the stairs as normally as I could when I wanted to bolt up them. Once up there I saw that the tour guides still had a few groups up here so the scene might not be as noticeable.

I look around for Fran’s face before realizing that was a fruitless endeavor seeing as she had one of her many disguises on. I dial her number and go to the side while the phone rings.

“Got it?”

“Yeah, I’m by the exhibit, if I can time it right I can input the code just when I’m passing one of the groups so the signal will be even harder to track.”

“Good thinking, call Iris.” She closes the phone and I dial Iris’s number.

“I’m good?”

“In a few minutes, wait about ten feet away from the exhibit until I give you the go ahead, we don’t want to risk the guards finding out about an unknown source that was in the air ducts at the time.”

“Kay just text me and I’ll go when I feel the buzz.” I shut the phone and tap my foot impatiently as I wait for the tour guide to finish up her speech.

The students look bored listening to her little schpeel and were probably more than happy when she wanted to go back downstairs to visit another exciting spot.  Once they started moving I did too. I looked around like any tourist would do. I pulled out my phone as if I had gotten a text. I opened it and clicked on the internet button that opened the Smithsonian website. I went into the security database and typed in the code quickly. The group was five feet away from me.

CLOSE EXHIBIT?

ACCEPT               DENY

Just as I got to the middle of the group I accepted and that’s when all hell broke loose.

Fran POV (I wanted a mix of POV’s during the stealing so you can get a view of what everyone is doing )

Location: Bathroom Stall

Time: 11:03 a.m.

I locked the stall and yanked out my cell phone from my bra. These people were strict. I got here at around 7 a.m. and they gave me a two hour debriefing just to tell me to make sure no one was harming the exhibits. I didn't need to spend all that time listening them on good scanning procedures. Then you had to wear this uncomfortable uniform that was even more uncomfortable because I was wearing the disguise. No electronics on you at all so I had to stuff my phone in my bra.

But I can’t complain, at least I’m not the one crawling in the filthy air ducts like Iris. My job was the easiest of them all, well except for John, he just had to sit in the car. I was worried for Aura though, she has never done anything like this and one mistake on her part can cost us all big time.

“Hello?” Aura’s voice said through the phone slightly shaky.

“Kay Aura it’s almost time for Iris to make her entrance I need you to put in a code that will shut down the Hope Diamond exhibit.”

“On it.”

I stay on the phone with her waiting for conformation so either she or I can tell Iris to move in. I hear her fingers click the keys at a speed I couldn’t ever do before they slow and then finally stop. She must have done it.

“Uh oh.” She says and immediately every muscle in my body tenses.

“What’s uh oh?” I ask through gritted teeth. I wasn’t angry I was panicked but I usually sound angry at those times. Uh oh is never ever a good thing when you are stealing a priceless jewel.