Chase strolled around the outside of the relatively simple, light brown building. She held up a cell phone and snapped a picture. When a guard looked at her she smiled at him, snapped her gum, and then turned and took a selfie, throwing a peace sign with her fingers. The guard waved at her and continued his general patrol.
“Chase,” Krampus spoke through a tiny comm in her ear.
She turned and pretended to thumb through her photos as she spoke. “I’m here. Getting in will be tricky, but I think I can do it.”
“I’m sure of that. What of the shards? Have they all arrived?”
She gave off a bubbly laugh and then pretended to text on her phone as she said, “No. Soon, though. They just raised security to prepare for something in-coming.”
“Good. I have been scanning BADGE channels with our hack, they are aware of this movement. No doubt, they will try to get those shards before us. Don’t let that happen.”
Just then several large military vehicles rumbled down the road going around the compound. They turned and headed for the main gate. “Gotta go, time to make my move.”
Chase hurried over, as casually as she could appear, and took dozens of pictures of the vehicles and the people gathering around to protect them.
That same guard approached her. “Ma’am, what are you doing?” He held a hand up.
She turned on the ditsy attitude. “Oh, hey there cutie. I was just wondering what was going on here? I’m, like, from L.A., and I always wanted to see all this super-secret stuff. Like a spy movie and all. Really cool. You know, I’m going to be in movies and will try out for a part as a super-secret spy. Like, so cool. Thought I’d come to a big super secret place and, like, see it for myself.”
Though mildly charmed by her, he said, “Sorry. This isn’t a spy place, it is just a storage facility. Civilians aren’t allowed without special permission.” He kindly took her arm and directed her away from the current caravan making their way in.
She turned with a shot and nailed him in the face with a well-placed punch. Before he could respond, she did a backflip, and caught him in the chin with her feet, sending him down. “Like, totally sorry.” She giggled at the unconscious dupe and ran for the caravan.
Five Knox guards and a few agents from the UN caught sight of her approach. She came to a stop, smiled, and took a bunch of pictures again. “Like, so cool.” She mused aloud.
One of the UN agents called out, “MA’AM, YOU NEED TO LEAVE, RIGHT NOW!”
“But, I need to learn about this for a big movie part.” She whined and then took more pictures.
All the Knox guards became alerted and ran over to her. They seized her by both arms, took her phone, and pulled her away from the entrance. The guards she hit came over, rubbing his bruised face. “She’s no actress.”
Another man said, “Looks like we caught the jewel thief. BADGE and the President will be glad. Detain her inside, do not take your eyes off her.”
***
The BADGE shuttle landed just outside Fort Knox. Gar and Quark sat in the two seats while Chromatic lounged on the backbench, restringing his guitar.
“I can’t believe you made us stop at that music shop,” Quark muttered.
Chromatic strummed the strings that were now replaced. “You’re lucky I don’t blast you to Pluto for doing that to my precious baby.”
“Baby?” Gar looked back.
Chromatic burst out laughing. “Boy, you’re dumb as a rock.”
Quark growled, “Don’t make fun of him!”
“Cool it, bluebell, you tell bad jokes all the time. At least I’m funny.”
Quark stood up, ready to give this guy something to laugh about, but the holographic screen appeared with Nova staring at them. “Quark, what are you doing? Sit down. I have a special report.”
Quark sat down, the daggers in his eyes still present. “What?”
Nova ignored the attitude and continued. “It appears our friends at Fort Knox have helped us. They have captured someone suspicious. They think it’s the jewel thief, but we can’t be sure. Get in there and find out what is going on. Get the shards, and if this is the actual thief, bring them in for questioning.”
Chromatic called out, “if the thief has been found, can I bugger off?”
Quark answered, “By all means, leave.”
“No,” Nova stated.
Both Chromatic and Quark said, “What?”
Nova said, “If this isn’t the thief, then we’ll still need your help in finding them. Besides, three heroes present are better security for this mission.”
“Whatever.” Chromatic sat back and strummed out a song.
Nova ordered, “Get in there and get to work.”
Quark answered, “Understood.”
The holoscreen vanished just as the door opened for them to leave. Quark led Gar, and a disgruntled Chromatic, out of the shuttle. A team of combined Knox personnel and UN representatives met them.
“Hello, I’m General Horace, you must be the representatives from BADGE.”
Quark greeted him, “Yes. I understand you caught the jewel thief.”
“Earlier today. We have detailed her inside one of our most secure rooms.”
“Take us to her.”
“At once. Follow me.” General Horace led the trio into Fort Knox.
***
Chase sat at a metal table with five men staring at her, as well as a host of cameras bolted to the walls. She was quiet and still, only her foot tapping. Her hands were behind the back of the chair with cuffs tightly binding them. She still gnawed on that same piece of gum.
“Hey, what happens when I need to go to the bathroom?” She asked.
No one answered.
“I see.”
The silence continued. She casually looked up at the clock on the wall. She snapped her gum and then said, “You know what’s interesting? I’ve been here before. Yup, got away with a whole brick of gold, and no one ever knew. It’s hilarious, but there is a perfect fake down there, in the vault. Why did I do it? Just because. Wanted to see how hard it was. Kinda disappointed that it was so easy.” She blew a bubble and popped it. “Want to know what else is interesting? Your systems are all extremely precise. Amazingly so. Every bit is timed in a practically perfect way. So much so that I know in less than two minutes your people will have finalized putting those shards in a secret vault. After that, it is only a matter of getting into that vault and out of this place before the cycle of your system again. Oh, and it is so much easier nabbing something from a vault rather than trying to steal it from a team of couriers.”
The guards all became that much more alert, holding their guns tighter.
She smiled at them. “You know what else is interesting. Metal tables.” She suddenly slid right under the table, pulling the chair over as her arms nearly slipped out of their sockets.
The men responded, but she flipped the chair around using their attempt at restraining her. The metal chair legs cracked right into the shin of one man and hit another in the groin. When they went for their guns, she popped up with her back, shoving the table over. They shot, but the table deflected the bullets. She jumped back up, dodging another bullet, sat in the chair again and this time flipped backward so she fell with her back against the ground and the chair under her. She scrunched up her body and kicked the chair seat, sliding it out from behind her cuffed hands and right into the legs of two men. All this was done in such a quick flurry, they couldn’t get a shot at her.
Rolling over, she dodged bullets and tripped a man, sending him into another. Once the first hit the ground, she got the keys to her cuffs in her smiling teeth.
Just then two more guards came in the door with their guns ready while three of the original guards regained their posture.
“STAND DOWN!” The leader commanded with his gun aimed at her head.
She laughed at him.
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