The Pursuit of Emma

  This was my chance. For the first time today the door was left unattended. Come on Emma, your turn. I waited a few seconds. Nothing happened. Then with a small click the locking mechanism released and the door was free to be pushed open. Alex was causing a fuss and creating a perfect distraction. I felt a tiny bit sorry for him. Sure he had probably killed countless amounts of people, but Emma’s plan involved us getting out and Alex being interrogated for hours on end. They wouldn’t be able to pin anything on him, but it would be an unpleasant experience. I looked round for a final time and then disappeared through the door. I was now in a corridor tinged with yellowing wallpaper. There was nothing impressive about this stretch of the building and it was clearly only used by the museum staff. Time to move.

  Whilst I'd been downstairs, Emma had obviously done her job upstairs wonderfully. She had used a similar technique to get past the guards up there. Covertly, she dropped her bag in a blind spot and then reported it to the guards herself. While pointing out her suspicions she had lifted one of their door cards like a professional pick-pocket. It was like taking candy from a baby for her. Within one minute of her reaching the top floor she was through the security doors and up the stairs. She had more work to do.

  When Alex’s bag was found and reported to the building’s authorities it caused a panic for them. This was the second bag found. Something was going down. They had taken Alex away by this point but they weren’t taking chances. The calls had already been made to empty room four and remove the ewer from the public floor.

  I was running at this point. Take the second left and follow the corridor round to the right. I was going through the instructions in my head. I could hear footsteps coming in the distance but had time to dip through a doorway and hide momentarily. In a flash they were gone. I imagined they were heading to move the ewer. If Emma was right I shouldn’t pass anyone else. I broke back into a full sprint and took a narrower corridor that pointed towards a staircase. Up the stairs, taking three at a time; my thighs were burning but I didn’t stop for a second. Eventually I reached room 132: the security control room. I barged through it, praying that I'd found the right room. I had.

  Emma was sat at a computer staring at several screens, all showing different areas of the museum. It was here where the chief security guards would monitor the safety of the building. Except they would find it hard to monitor anything, being bound and tied up (unconscious) on the floor. Emma looked at me cautiously; the look told me that she hadn’t wanted to do it but that she'd done what was needed. How had she managed to knock out two burly security guards so easily? I didn’t want to ask.

  ‘They have just moved the ewer off the floor,’ she said, smiling. ‘Told you they would!’

  She was a genius. Instead of trying to steal a priceless vase in front of cameras and with all the lasers, she just got them to move it. She'd known they would be on high alert, that China would never forgive them if the ewer was stolen. As a result they were bound to panic at even the smallest provocation. All we had to work out was where they were going to move it to. Jack had somehow managed to get us a copy of the blueprints for the museum; there was only one place they would be able to move it and still protect it. It was a safe room on the first floor that was normally where new artefacts would be stored while a space was being found for them. It was alarmed (and had a pressure sensitive floor) but it was no way near as hard to steal from as room four.

  ‘Right the ewer is in the safe room. Two guards outside. The police have been called. We have less than ten minutes to get out. Do you know what to do?’

  I looked at her and nodded. This was where it got complicated. Emma jumped out of her chair and showed me the computer.

  ‘It’s all set up. All you have to do is type in the code 4741 and press the red button when I say. You got it?’

  ‘4741,’ I replied. ‘Yes, I've got it.’

  Emma threw me a pair of gloves and I slipped them on. She had been wearing a pair herself to avoid fingerprints. She moved to the corner of the room and kicked a ventilation grill until it came lose. It didn’t take long.

  ‘Listen for my signal,’ she smiled and disappeared out of sight. I sat down, checked the time and hoped we would have enough. Come on Emma. She had left me with a radio transmitter and taken one with her so we'd be able to communicate. I looked at the screens and could see... everything. Room 4 was now abandoned, as were the two rooms either side of it, but the whole museum hadn't been evacuated. Rooms one and two, and most of the upstairs, were running fine. They obviously didn’t want to cause a national scandal if they could avoid it. Smart move. And good for us.

  I could see the safe room and the corridor outside it. There were men moving through most of the corridors but the safe room was constantly guarded by two guys. There was only a door separating them and the space Emma was going to be in soon.

  Three minutes passed and I heard nothing. Then her voice crackled through the radio.

  ‘Tom, are you ready?’

  ‘I’m here. Tell me when.’

  There was a short pause... ‘Now!’

  I typed in 4741 as quick as I could but I was sure not to make a mistake. I checked it was right and hammered down on the red button. This was the override code and momentarily all the alarms in the building were turned off.

  This was the only way Emma could touch the floor and get to the ewer but it had its downside. The police were instantly informed of this fault, in case a power shortage had caused it, and they would respond quickly. This was a problem because they now knew Alex wasn’t running the show: intruders were in the control room and in less than five minutes, the police would be everywhere. There was no room for error.

  ‘It’s done,’ I shouted down the radio.

  ‘OK, you know what to do,’ Emma replied and I saw her drop from the vent in the safe room. I watched her work, opened mouthed. She used her fingernails to pry the glass lid off the protective container and within seconds she had the ewer in her hands. Without the alarm it wasn’t difficult. It was too easy, if anything. She looked at it for a second before slipping it into her bag and moving back towards the ventilation system.

  It was only by chance that I looked at what the guards were doing outside but luckily I did. One had heard something and was opening the lock. In seconds he would be inside. Emma wasn’t going to make it out of there.

  ‘They’re coming in. Get out!’ I shouted as quickly as I could.

  Emma didn’t have time to think and leapt from an unbelievable distance; her hands just catching the entrance to the vent. She had incredible upper-body strength and with super-human effort she forced her body through the gap. She hadn’t been seen but we were screwed anyway. In about ten seconds the guard was going to find the ewer was missing and getting out would become impossible. They would lock the building down and we 'd be trapped like rats.

  ‘Destroy the cameras and get out. Press the button and run. Don’t look back. I’ll be fine. I love you.’ Emma’s words rang clearly through the radio. Time to not panic.

  The plan had been for Emma to get out and take the vent to room two, where she could join the crowd and leave, but she couldn’t do that. She was going to have to find another way out.

  I had my own job to do. Emma had left a USB pen-drive in the computer and all I had to do was open the screen and press ‘Enter’. I had no idea how it worked but a ‘friend’ of Emma’s had made a virus that destroys recorded files on a computer. As well as all the programme files, it would destroy any footage recorded in the last five days. The cameras would be able to see everything but record nothing. There would be no evidence we were here.

  I flicked open the screen and was just about to press ‘Enter’ when all hell broke loose. The alarms sounded and guards were running about emptying the museum of visitors. Everyone would be out in less than two minutes and we would be trapped. I jammed down the button and checked the screen was working. Something was definitely happening but I was not a co
mputer expert so I decided to trust Emma and run. I grabbed the USB drive, gathered all my things and left the room. There was nothing to prove I had been there. There was a door that led out to one of the display rooms upstairs and within five seconds I was out. There was nobody around but I was free; I could just pretend I was a lost tourist. There was no evidence on me and no proof I had ever been involved. I 'd done it.

  I wanted to move my legs and get out. I wanted to blend into the crowd, leave that museum and never come back. But I couldn’t. Emma was trapped in there and whilst she might have gotten out, she may have not. I couldn’t lose her again. I wouldn’t.

  I turned back around and ran to the security room. Please don’t let anyone be in there. There wasn’t, although looking at the monitors, several members of staff were on their way. Where was Emma? She had to be here somewhere.

  There.

  On the furthest monitor to the left she had just appeared through a vent and dropped down on to a corridor. If she turned right she was going to walk into a group of security guards and turning left would only lead her to a dead end. Just a wall with a window. Oh shit! She was going to jump.

  I set off in the fastest sprint I could muster. I knew where she was but there was no way I would get to her before the security guards. I burst around corners, gathering speed as I ran. Think, Tom. Think!

  I could hear voices just around the corner and they sounded angry so I slowed and peered around. Emma had been caught. She had reached the window but hadn’t got it opened in time and the security guards were upon her. There were three of them, all keeping their distance and aiming guns at her. She was trapped and cornered. No time to think. Just do it.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  ‘If I ever make it to an old age, I’m sure I will look back on this...fondly.’

  Con-Fi-Dence. I repeated the word over and over in my head as I walked round the corner. I clapped my hands several times together to get their attention and continued to clap as I walked towards them. The guards were startled. Two of them turned to face me and pointed their guns at me. I ignored them and carried on walking towards them, looking relaxed and in control. One guard shouted something in Dutch which I didn’t understand, but it wouldn’t have taken a UN translation expert to tell me he didn’t want me any closer. I smiled at him and spoke as confidently as I could.

  ‘Very good. No one has ever managed to catch her before. You lot will be knighted... if they do that in this country.’

  All three guards looked at me in sheer confusion. They weren’t the only ones. Emma had lost all pretence and just stared at me, open-mouthed. Although they had never seen me before, I knew they would assume a guilty man would never walk towards armed enemies. They had to guess I was on their side. It’s human nature.

  ‘Come on, who here speaks English?’ I asked, in an authoritative tone.

  ‘We all do,’ replied the one still aiming his gun at Emma. ‘Put your hands up where I can see them!’ he shouted.

  ‘Relax, Jeez,’ I laughed and pulled out my fake police ID I was still carrying.

  ‘The name’s Stephen Mills, London Police Force. I have been tracking Rebecca Bates here for three years. Our Intel told us she'd arrived here yesterday. Do you know she's the one who has stolen the other three ewers? Come on, you must have read about it.’

  The three guards stayed silent but passed around my ID. It looked real enough.

  ‘We got a call that your alarm system went off and I knew it was her. I was just around the corner. Looks like you didn’t need me though; you’ve caught her! You have no idea how good this is for your careers.’

  I could see the smiles and knew one, or possibly two of the guards were convinced. I needed to go further. I still had no idea how to get out of there but I was buying time. I walked slowly towards Emma with a great deal of distain in my eyes.

  ‘And how are you... Becky? Steal anything good today?’ I asked her, snatching the bag off her shoulder. She gave me a look that told me I better know what I was doing. I didn’t really but I couldn’t let her know that. Emma played her part well. She refused to look at me after that, as if disgusted by my presence. She didn’t speak and kept looking at the floor.

  ‘We have radioed it in and we have another ten men on their way soon. Our job is to keep her here until they come. They will be with us in a few minutes.’

  ‘Good work,’ I replied. Shit! I could trick a few people but not ten!

  ‘Have you handcuffed her yet?’ I asked.

  ‘No, we were just about to...’ the one nearest to me said.

  ‘OK, allow me. I’ve always wanted to this. Then we can ease the guns a bit. I need her alive, you see? She has to pay for what she's done. Finally.’ I held one of my hands out and a guard handed me his pair of handcuffs. I walked behind Emma, strapped one of her wrists to the cuffs and got her to hold the other behind her back. To everyone else it appeared I had restrained her, but we knew differently.

  That seemed to relax the guards somewhat and two of them put their guns down. The last guard was still looking suspicious and he kept his gun raised. I walked towards him and used all my attention to glare at Emma. I was letting her know she needed to be ready to react. She nodded slightly.

  ‘Come on friend, what is she going to do?’ I joked to him. ‘She’s just a girl.’

  He turned to look at me, smiling for the first time, and that was when it all happened. As his head turned Emma’s fist was already flying towards his nose. I heard a crunch as it broke, but I was no longer watching him. I had already turned and kicked one of the other guards in the stomach. He was instantly winded but not down. Some sort of animalistic control took over me and I charged the final guard against the wall before he could draw his gun, cracking his head against the brickwork and knocking him straight out.

  The guard I had kicked was now regaining his balance. I wasn’t ready for him but luckily I didn’t need to be. Emma had sprung forth and echoed my kick but this time to the side of his head. I had seen the ‘roundhouse’ kick in movies before but in real life it was quite a sight. Emma’s leg seemed to stretch on for eternity and connected sweetly with his temple. He crumpled to the floor with a small whimper.

  That just left the guard with the broken nose. He was dazed and disorientated, barely able to see through the blood spurting out in all directions. He didn’t really stand a chance with a broken nose and two opponents to fight. He had a choice between grabbing his radio or his gun. Survival told him to reach for his gun but he had barely wrapped his fingers around it when Emma had kicked it clean out of his hand. I threw my fist as hard as I could into his abdomen and I felt him recoil, but he was still standing. I tried again with a punch but he blocked. In doing so he had moved into Emma’s range and she floored him with what looked like a ‘karate chop’ to the back of the neck. I didn’t know they really worked! The whole fight had taken no more than a minute and three guards lay unconscious but still breathing on the museum floor. Time to go.

  ‘Come on,’ I yelled, grabbing her arm and trying to run.

  ‘Wait,’ she called out, pulling me back. ‘They said ten more are coming. We can’t go that way.’

  ‘So which way do we go?’ I asked.

  Emma didn’t reply but she looked at the window.

  ‘Are you serious? I came to save you from jumping.’

  ‘We have no choice.’

  ‘Shit... You know I hate heights!’

  ‘Quickly!’

  Emma raced to the window and pulled it open. There was just about enough room for a human to fit out and I lifted Emma up onto the ledge.

  ‘If I ever make it to an old age, I’m sure I'll look back on this... fondly,’ I muttered quietly to myself.

  ‘There is water down there. I’ll take the ewer and hold it above my head. It'll be fine. You follow straight behind. I love you,’ she shouted, and kissed me quickly. She gave me one her many looks and disappeared. I watched her enter the water. She even managed to l
ook graceful when falling from the top of a building into water. I breathed deeply and pulled myself up onto the ledge. Looking down I could see where the water came from. The museum is surrounded by deep lakes which make it appear grander if that’s possible. The water was a long way below me and I had concerns that I would mess my aim up and end up hitting the concrete. Emma had made it look so easy.

  A few seconds had already passed and I hadn’t jumped. I knew I had to but my legs were frozen with fear. Ever since I was a child the thought of heights has scared me beyond belief and Emma knew it. It had taken me three days to build up the courage to bungee-jump in South Africa. We had spent a whole afternoon arguing over whether I should go up the Eiffel Tower, last time we were in Paris. Or the last time I was in Paris. She had been there recently. Stealing.

  Just jump you coward. After everything you have been through are you honestly going to let a bit of water scare you? Then I realised it wasn’t the water I was afraid of but the huge drop into a lake that may be too shallow and just break my legs or worse. I understood why I was scared. Just jump!

  I could hear voices around the corridor. I had three seconds and then ten armed men would be here, witness their colleagues on the floor and see who was responsible for it. Three...two...

  I threw myself out of the window. I used all my strength to stop myself screaming out. I picked up some incredible speed, falling faster and faster. At first, I thought I'd misjudged it but as the water loomed in closer I knew it was fine. This was going to hurt.

  My feet broke the surface of the water and I plunged down into the lake. I felt an instant, stabbing pain in my ankle and the cold water was making breathing almost impossible. I was sore and uncomfortable but I was alive! More importantly, I was out of the museum. From under the water a hand grabbed my wrist and pulled me in the direction they wanted me to go. I followed, holding my breath for as long as possible before resurfacing. I was exhausted, emotionally and physically. ‘Follow Emma,’ was my only thought.

  *****

  The panic around Amsterdam was incredible. Emma had led us out and found Vlad before the Dutch authorities could find us. We had handed over the vase, which incredibly was still intact and Vlad gave us back our money and passports (which we'd stored in the van) before he disappeared. Alex was nowhere to be seen and after the vase disappearing they weren’t going to let him out for a while. But he had done nothing wrong and they would have to let him go... eventually. Our job was done. Now we just had to get back to London.