THE MAGICIAN.
chapter three
—♞—
Take deep breaths, Catalina. The medium sized blonde sniffs in a deep breath, holds it for a few seconds, and the releases it through her mouth. She repeats the process three more times hoping to ease the current anxiety she is feeling. Catalina has never been one to get nerves before a show but in a way this isn't just any regular old show she's performing on the street. This is a whole new ballgame.
A knock on the door breaks the girl out of her current freak out. "You ready?" Jack asks her a nervous smile on his face.
Over the year of planning and getting the proper supplies to pull off what the blue prints showed that fateful day last year, the two young magicians have gotten quite close. Even labeling each other best friends. Of course, on Catalina's part, Reid will always hold the title of her ultimate beat friend but that didn't mean she didn't enjoy the young man's company. Especially when he gets flustered, the blonde magician thinks. His blushing cheeks and lazy half-smiles always seem to give Catalina a warm fuzzy feeling that she definitely welcomes. After all, I haven't truly liked a guy in awhile, she acknowledges. Sure a few hookups with some magic groupies every once in awhile but all of those were for just release. The young girl wants to settle down, feel true fulfilling passion and late night cuddles. Things she can definitely picture happening with Jack.
"Yeah, I'm ready," she tells him, her nerves slightly soothed with his presence.
"Then come on," he says while reaching his hand out for her to grab. She quickly grabs it and follows him out, hearing the announcer starting to announce their names. The two quickly run hand and hand towards the stage.
"Merritt McKinney, Daniel Atlas, Henley Reeves, Jack Wilder, and Catalina L. Atlas! Arthur Tressler and the MGM Grand proudly presents The Five Horsemen," A man announces the audience cheering at the sight of three out of five horseman. Jack and Catalina quickly bursting through the curtains seconds after.
"Thank you," Merritt tells the crowd. "Tonight we would like to try something that will, well, set us a bit apart."
"For our final trick, we're gonna do something never before seen on a Las Vegas stage," Henley tells the crowd.
"Or any stage for that matter," Jack adds.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Catalina says, her arms raised. "Tonight," she pauses for dramatic effect. "We are going to rob a bank," she announces, the crowd following her announcement in cheers and screams.
"That's a lot of excitement for a crime," Jack refers to the rowdy audience.
"I'm getting excited. What about you, people?" Henley says, pumping the crowd up even more.
"One, two, three!" Jack and Merritt chant before doing a jump high five randomly.
"Okay, okay," Daniel says trying to calm the wild crowd. "Now, please, please, settle down. Now who here has a bank they would like us to rob?" Daniel asks, everyone in the crowd standing up and waving there hands.
"That's a lot of people with a vendetta," Catalina comments her eyebrows raises. These guys have balls. "So I guess we'll have to choose one at random then."
"My associates will make sure it's random. Right?" Daniel asks rhetorically as Jack, Henley, and Catalina hand bowls full of pingpong balls to three fans.
"Elvis, help me out, bud," Jack tells a man in the crowd, handing him a bowl.
"In Jacks's bowl, are ping pong balls with sections of numbers," Daniel informs the crowd.
"Jack, could you hand me a section number?" Daniel asks, which Jack throws.
"Thank you," he says catching the ball. He looks at the letter on it. "We are looking at section B. Where is that?" He asks, a section of the theater cheering. "Okay, there. It's gonna be one of you guys, get ready."
Catalina laughs. "I don't know why everybody's happy, it's only them."
"And Henley, can I get a row, please? Thank you Henley," Daniel says as he catches another ball. "We are looking at row number 5!" He announces. "And little sis, can I please have a random seat number?"
Catalina rolls her eyes and huffs at Daniels nickname for her. She throws the ball at Daniel, succesfully hitting his forehead which causes a wave of laughter fill the theater. "Oops," she smirks.
"Haha," Daniel says through a tight lip smile. "Ooh lucky number 13, so that leaves us with B-5-13," he announces the winner. "Where are you, B-5-13?" He asks looking through the crowd. "Sir, please, stand up. Ah, there you are. Hi. Could you just confirm for me that this is, in fact, your seat? B-5-13."
"Yes," a man from the audience says, his French accent prominent.
"Okay, wonderful," Daniel says before quickly throwing the balls to the side. "Now, could you please tell us your name and the name of your bank?"
"Well, my name is Etienne Forcier," the man tells him. "And my bank, it's Crédit Républicain de Paris."
"Ooh French," Catalina says smirking. "My kind of man."
Daniel rolls his eyes at his sisters comment. "We were hoping for something a little more local, a kind of mom-and-pop credit union with no security but that's fine. A promise is a promise. Could you please come up to the stage and we'll rob your bank," Daniel says, the crowd cheering.
"And while he does that," Daniel starts. "There is someone here tonight without whom we would just be five magicians working the circuit, trying to get... Well, actually, trying to get here."
"You probably know this man," Catalina adds while walking to the front of the stage, her hips swaying with each step. "If not from one of the many, many companies he puts his name on. He is our friend. He is our benefactor. Mr. Arthur Tressler!"
"Please, stand up, Art," Daniel tells Arthur. "Please, stand up."
"The only man here with the Queen's cell phone number," Merritt says pointing to the old man who is now standing.
"Actually, please, stay standing, Art. I want to say that when we came to Mr. Tressier, we promised that, as a unit, we could become the biggest name in magic," Daniel monologues.
"So we wanted to say, thank you." Henley tells Mr. Tressier. "And by the way, Art, you notice on the sign out front, we made sure we put your name on top."
"If you turn out to be as good as you think you are, dear girl, that won't be necessary much longer," Arthur tells the red-head in reply.
"Oh, but we haven't done our closer yet," Catalina adds, a mischeviois smile on her face. "Why don't you watch it
and then you can decide for yourself?"
"Ladies and gentlemen, Arthur Tressler!" Henley tells the crowd.
"Thank you," Daniel says. "And, of course, once again, the Cardinal of Clairvoyance, Merritt McKinney."
"Etienne," Merritt calls them man. "What Jack is bringing to the stage now, is what we in the magic world call a teleportation helmet," he informs him as Jack walks towards them with an odd looking silver helmet. "You will need to wear this, as it will allow you to literally fold through space and time to your bank in the...9th?" Merritt guesses.
"Oui, yes ," Entienne says.
Merritt nods. "Now, once you are there, we will be able to speak with you through this helmet. Now if...oh, my god, that's beautiful," Merritt says as he watches Jack put the helmet on Entienne's head. The audience chuckles. "It has the added attraction of being very stylish. It's about time the French learned from America on that subject. Is that a beautiful piece of headgear? It is."
"Thank you, thank you very much."
"But before you go anywhere,
could you please, pick a card, any card," Daniel says, walking up to the French man with a pile of cards. "Not that card. No, that's an old American joke. You can take that one."
"Okay, this one?" Entienne asks.
"Show it to your friends in Section B, but not to us," Daniel says as the five magicians turn their heads away. "Okay, great, now if you could just sign your name there."
"Yes," Entienne says taking a pen from Daniel's hand.
"In English, if possible."
"Nice penmanship," Catalina compliments him.
"Thanks."
"Put it in your pocket," Danny tells him.
"And now for one tiny detail," Henley and Catalina both say as they throw black cloth into the middle of the stage, which then turns into a machine.
The audience gasps and claps. "Now, Etienne," Merritt says leading the French man towards the contraption. "Let's step into this cockamamie contraption and I'll step off of it. Bonne chance. It's 11:50 p.m. here in Vegas. That's 8:50 a.m. in Paris.
Your bank opens in less than 10 minutes. One."
"Two," Catalina says, smirking.
"Three," Henley says pushing a button.
The crowd gasps as Entienne's form dissappears.
"What the fuck?" Merritt says.
"Wow! Etienne?"
"Aunty Ann?"
"Oh shit."
"It wasn't supposed to happen
like that, was it?" Merritt asks.
"Etienne?" Henley calls out.
"I liked that little French guy. Where did he go?" Merritt asks the crowd.
"Wait, there he is," Daniel points out. "No, no, no, no, please, please, please," he tries to calm down the clapping crowd. "This is Daniel Atlas. Can you hear me?"
"Little French man? Are you okay?" Catalina asks.
"Yes," Etienne replies.
"Perfect, what do you see in there?"
"Money," the French man replies, a lopsided grin on his face. "Is this real?"
"Yes, looks like three million or so Euros' worth. Okay, now, here's what we're gonna need you to do. I want you to take the card that you signed out of your pocket. And I want you to take the ticket stub from tonight's show and I want you to put it right there in the middle of the money," Daniel tells the man, who does exactly what he says. "Now drop it. Now, on the side of your helmet you should feel a button. Don't press it just yet. That button activates an air duct that connects Paris to Las Vegas. Okay, good. Now you can press it."
"All right, now, Etienne, hold on tight," Jack tells him. "You might feel a bit of a vacuum."
Catalina smirks as they all watch the money blow around the bank.
"Whoo!" Entienne yells.
"Oh, wait a second." Daniel says.
"Oh my," Catalina says as she watches the money fall from the ceiling. The crowd yells and cheers, quickly grabbing the money.
"Thank you, Etienne. Thank you, everyone!" Daniel tells everyone.
"We are The Five Horsemen and good night!" The five magicians yell as they all walk to the middle of the stage. They grab each others hands and take a bow.