It belongs in a museum.

[justice]

Devin Coal

Sitting in the office and making himself at home Devin didn’t look like someone who had just been arrested for breaking and entering. Even so there he was under the watchful eye of two museum security team. It wasn’t long before he had talked his way into wasting time waiting for the museum curator to come and decide what to do. Thankfully Devin had convinced the security that he had switched the real artifact with a fake and before being caught had hid the authentic one somewhere it wouldn’t be found.

While they waited Devin happen to find a random deck of cards. Starting to deal out some hands of poker the small group started chatting and were soon enough talking like bar buddies and sports fans. It wasn’t anything real, but the energy was. It was one of Devin’s greats assets as well as his growing charm. He had a way of making a room his own even when he was wearing handcuffs. Granted they weren’t really needed.

The small security room didn’t have much in the way of priceless objects, and even then it wouldn’t interest him. Devin came to this museum for one thing and one thing only. The compass of Marco Polo, and if he had his way he wasn’t leaving without it. Not wanting to sound clique Devin had explained to the security guys that the compass was more the map than the ‘key’. Anyways he said he would explain more when their boss came.

“Also just so you know your boss and I have a bit of a history. Not sure if she is going to slap me or…” Devin shrugged and tried to think of other outcomes “It could end up like Switzerland but I really don’t think there is enough barmaids for us to get that drunk. All the same should be entertaining.” He laughed and the two guards started to laugh with him.

[Lovelyleo]

"Well I don't know Shauna, some idiot broke into one of the exhibits and tried to steal something. For some reason they want me to go talk to him. Isn't that what security is for? I don't get paid to do this crap, honestly....Alright, later" she said as she disconnected the call and put the phone in her pocket. Her coworker had called her about what had happened at the Marco Polo exhibit, which made Jane even more furious. She was busy enough as it was, and now for some reason security were demanding that she come to their office and talk to the man who had tried to steal from her museum.

Her footsteps echoed throughout the marble halls as she descended the main staircase and entered the security department of the museum. She was so angry she could swear there was cartoon like smoke coming out from her nostrils. She had no time or patience to deal with these kinds of idiots, and she had an exhibit opening the following week which she had been curating for months. She had so much to do, and yet here she was doing the job of a security worker.

She stopped outside the room where she knew the men to be and took a deep breath. She cursed herself for wearing high heels that day, already feeling her feet forming small blisters. She straightener her blazer and moved her eyeglasses to her head. She barely ever used them unless she was reading small script or doing detailed work on pieces of art.

She pushed the door open and was prepared to go off on a tangent when she spotted the man sitting cuffed by the table, a deck of cards spread out in front of him. Her mouth dropped slightly and she just stared at him for a few seconds.

"Gentleman...a moment alone with the thief?" she said to the security guards, who nodded and stepped outside, shutting the door behind them.

"You....you complete idiot!" she said angrily, walking towards the table. "I've told you before Devin, I have told you many times...you stay away from my work!" she snapped at him, ready to jump across the table and slap him. She held herself together and stared at him, waiting for an explanation.

[justice]

Devin had stared down nearly every threat known to man. He has had more guns aimed at him than a LA cop, but he hadn't bat an eye after the first two or three. Even still he was raised by a smart family and his father gave him one cardinal rule and that was "If a woman ever enters a room with a raised voice zip your mouth and wait till you are spoken to." He followed this rule to the letter when Jean walked in and started giving orders. Before the guards left; however, Devin threw his hand onto the table showing that he indeed was bluffing and have nothing more than a pair of fives. The two guards shook their heads and left the room.

"Thief seems like a little bit of a stretch. After all I did help with finding almost half the items in that exhibit." His inner charmer had gotten the jump on his more reasonable side so he quickly backed up and regrouped. Holding a hand up to stop Jean from starting to lecture again. "Yea well you know I tired to go about this the legal way, but the board of directors denied my access request." Devin then gave a knowing look towards Jean. "On account of bad character reference from within the organization." Devin wasn't saying he knew it was Jean who had said he couldn't look at the old toys, but he was sure she was the only one mad enough to say no to his request. She was also the only one who knew who he was for that matter.

"So without any other method and a timeline needing to be followed I had to improvise." Devin used the term he always connected with breaking the law with. In the past it wasn't breaking and entering or theft it was improvised allocation. This small sentence showing a large part of him was very much the same man Jean had left all those years ago. Still he was older at least, but not in a aged way. More like in a more hefty way. The way a good pair of jeans looks after they were broken in. He was still fit as a fiddle and completely capable of doing the things required of him. All the same he was thinking far more flattering things about Jean as he gave her more and more of his attention.

"You look good Jean." He said finally. "A little more uptight then I remember, but good all the same." He looked down her long legs and noticed the choice of footwear. "Now I know you've gone urban. Jean wearing heels." He was surprised, but at the same time both enjoyed and frowned at what was in front of him. She looked great of course gorgeous even, but he still liked her better with a white tank top cargo pants and a good pair of used hiking shoes. That was the woman that kept him on the balls of his feet and sharp as a tack. Though her entrance did have him jump up straight for a moment. "Anyways I need the compass. Promise to bring it back after I am done." He smiled what was coined the con mans grin by those that knew him. It was a honest and pure smile that looked more like it came from a boy playing in the dirt than a grown man. All the same it was honest and true.

[Lovelyleo]

She hated when he tried to work around her moods. And she hated even more that he succeeded almost every time. And she knew that whatever Devin had come to get, he would leave with. She didn't doubt his capabilities or his efficiency, but she had tried her hardest to put their crazy days behind her. She had a good job that payed way more than what her and Devin made when they found artifacts. She was a famous curator, and people took artifacts to her with the greatest care so that she might look at them. And just when she thought things were looking up, here he was again. How many times would she have to try an push him away, she wondered.

"Yeah, you found most of it, but you handed it over to me" she replied sarcastically. "And what you hand over to me you may never see again...who knows" she said trying to get under his skin. If he thought he would get away with borrowing one of her most priceless artifacts, he had another thing coming. She wanted a viable explanation at least, and maybe then she would budge.

No Jane, what are you doing...Don't let him have his way. You know he always does this... she thought to herself as she closed her eyes for a brief second.

"Stop playing games with me, Devin. We're past this bullshit. What do you need the compass for?" she asked. She sat on the chair opposite of his and crossed her legs, awaiting a reply. Whatever he was up to this time, he better not think she wouldn't be a part of it. PLus what better way to keep the compass safe than take it herself? She was willing to lend it to him, just as long as she got to safe keep it and come along...And as much as she hated to admit it, she was aching for a little adventure.

She thought about her sore feet and the pair of old hiking boots she had back in her apartment, waiting to be dusted off and put to use. Her and Devin had had some good times, but it all grew to be too much for her. She wanted to settle down for a little bit, try the whole museum curator thing. And as much as she loved it, she was on the other side of things. Before she had been the one discovering the artifacts, and now she just handled them. And she had to admit, it was getting a little old.

[justice]

This time Devin was wearing a grin from ear to ear inside as the walls slowly started to chip away. The most important part of a treasure hunt is the story. A good story can have people looking for decades or in his case paying for the treasure to be found. After convincing a private collected that there was a diamond rhino horn used as a war horn in Africa that was lost during the Boar Wars he had enough money to actually start traveling beyond just work. Thankfully he was able to find the diamond rhino. It was similar and he knew how guys go crazy for horns and war. So no one loss out in the deal. Still this time the treasure had a story and it was backed with real facts.

“Marco Polo left China with over thirty ships.” He paused and then continued. “Each ship was said to hold a kings worth of treasures and knowledge and yet when he arrived back in Europe he had only 20 ships following him into port.” The tale was well known and had been the key point to countless underwater expeditions. Yet, none had bear any fruit or profit. “So the age old question is what happened to the other ten ships.” Devin picked up the small cup of water and took a sip. His handcuffs clinking against the glass.

“Most seem to think the ten ships just made a break for it and ended up getting away. It is possible, but you know Polo would have recorded that. Instead he lied and said that the 20 ships were all he brought. The crew seemed to play along and no one knew the right number so it went on as true. The problem lies in a journal discovered of one Michael Polo. The son of Marco Polo. He wrote that his father told him that the ships did not run nor did they even sink. He wrote that the ships didn’t even leave port until a week after Marco Polo did.”

That compass was the only thing that Marco Polo took as his own from the treasures given to him. That compass is going to tell me where those ten missing ships went and that compass is going to be the greatest find ever. King Tut is going to look like a kid finding an arrowhead in his back yard.” The passion in his voice only added to Devin’s believable words. “So I need that compass.” Devin said with a final thought.

[Lovelyleo]

Jane was silent for a couple of seconds after hearing his explanation, taking all the information in. Of course she had heard the stories before, but until then she had dismissed them all. Devin spoke with such conviction that it made it seem as if the missing ships would be found at once. She pondered the idea for a while, quickly going over what they would need if they carried it out. She cursed at herself for letting him get his way again.

"I know the story. Whether it has any kind of foundation... Well that I don't know" she said getting up and pacing around the room. She straightened her blazer and took a couple of breaths, knowing what she was about to tell him next could cost her the best job she had had in years. She sat back down and looked into his eyes, fidgeting with her sleeves.

"I can get that taken care of for you. I have a near perfect replica I can replace it with", she told him, running her fingers through her hair and letting out a sigh. Somehow he always managed to get his way, and it seemed she couldn't find the words to tell him no. On the other hand, she also felt like she was doing this for herself, and curiosity was taking over. She missed the old days when the both of them were known as a kind of artifact wonder team. Not to mention if he found the ships, they could both be insanely rich...

"I have one condition. You take me with you", she said as her lips curved into a smile.

[justice]

Devin clapped his hands together which showed that at some point he had actually undone the handcuffs he had been wearing. The two had a long history with handcuffs and not all of it had involved the law. A knowing smile was sent Jane's way as he stood up. Tossing the handcuffs onto the table with the cards and poker chips he started to think about their next move. Parts of the story had been left out, but for now there was some need to know and some not need to know information. The first being that they were on a time line. The sound of a window being broken changed the situation completely. Devin looked back at Jane who seemed to know that something hadn't been mentioned. "Okay so I'm not the only person who knows about the compass." He said with a shrug. "But if we want to be the one holding it we should probably go get it."

The two guards waiting outside had heard the noise and went to see what was going on. It had come from the east wing which was the center of the Marco Polo exhibit and where the compass was being held. The guards knew they were going to investigate a noise, but Devin knew they were heading towards very dangerous trouble. He couldn't stop himself from breaking into a heavy jog as the reached the corner leading to the main room. When they got there they saw that the two guards had already been subdued. A small dart sticking out from their chest showed that they had been shot with something, but the fact that their chests were going up and down showed that they were at least alive. "Crap" Devin muttered when he saw the darts. "Alright this is probably going to get messy. If I get hit just play my game." Devin said meaning back up his story. In a quick motion Devin held his hands up and walked out into the room.

Decorated like the deck of a ship there were cannons, ship wheels, and a whole mast set up. The whole thing looked amazing, but the only thing that currently held his attention was the three rather sizable gentleman surrounding the display case holding Marco Polo's journal and compass. Behind them was an almost shockingly beautiful woman, who just seemed to personify a bad ass chick, standing and seemingly attempting to crack the lock between her and the compass. Everyone in the room seemed to shift and was very much directed towards Devin. "You know viewing hours were like..." Devin jokingly looked at his watch and then continued. "At least five hours ago. But I know you can set up private viewings if you call ahead. Not that you were ever one to come up with plans Sarah." Devin cracked a smile, but it disappeared quickly as the guy closest to him walked forward. "You are a really big fella. What they feed you with a troff?" Devin then committed to laughing more just as the man punched him hard in the gut.

He fell to the ground and started to cough. It took him a moment, but finally he was able to talk after the wind was knocked out of him. "Your going to be pretty disappointing if you think that is your ticket to the ships." He said which seemed to get the attention of Sarah who until them seemed content with just letting the three guys beat Devin into the ground. She stood up and turned away from the compass. Crossing her arms and walking over she bent down and looked at Devin.

"What are talking about Devin?" She said with a very icy tone.

"I'm just saying anyone who knows anything about metal wear would tell you that compass is not from the 13th century. It is a display fake. The real one is in their storage. I got the curator here. She is going to get the one she mentioned earlier. You would be amazed at how good these fakes can be. I mean the one I have isn't bad, but believe me the best come from the museums themselves." Devin pulled out the fake compass he had planned on replacing with the real one once he had it, but now it was going to play a different role. The role of helping sell the fact that the one in the case wasn't actually the real one. Sara snatched the fake compass and started to study it.

[Lovelyleo]

Jane followed Devin into the room, drawn by the noise of the cracked window. Once in the room Jane's eyes immediately spotted Sarah. It wasn't the first time she had tried interfering, let alone stealing. Devin found the artifacts, and Sarah had the annoying habit of coming after him for it. It was so like her, to let someone else do the dirty work so she wouldn't have to break a nail.

Jane nodded at his request to play along. if there was someone who knew the rules of the game, it was him. And she didn't want to admit it, but her calm curator life had made her more than just a little rusty. She stood there, watching the action unfold. Devin had gotten himself into trouble for having a smart mouth, as per usual. She had witnessed him get into trouble the same way over and over again. Jackass...serves you right, she thought to herself, still a little angry over what he had pulled earlier.

She couldn't help but flinch when he got punched regardless. He didn't like seeing him get hit, even if earlier she had been ready to punch him herself. She watched Sarah approach him, and listened as Devin told her the compass on display was fake. Devin was always on top of his game...she had to stop herself from smiling as she heard him lie so convincingly. He was almost too good. Sometimes she couldn't even tell the difference.

Jane stepped forward and looked at Sarah examining the real compass. She could only hope she wouldn't drop it or dent it in some way. Playing along, she gave her an explanation, hoping her lies would be just as convincing.

"That's a fake. We place fakes almost everywhere" Jane said. "I'll go down and get the real one...Just...don't hurt anyone else" Jane said, her voice trembling. Hopefully they believed she was scared and would do as she was told. She exited the room, kicking her shoes off once she was outside. She would have paid a million dollars for a pair of boots right about then. She ran to her office and snatched a replica she had finished the day before, which she would have used to pass around to children on field trips. Because she had made it herself, she was sure it was nearly perfect.

She ran back to the room, barefoot, fake compass in hand. When she returned Sarah was still examining the compass, a puzzled look on her face. She may be stunning, but her smarts betrayed her. She looked at Devin, waiting for a cue of some sort to tell her what to do.

[justice]

Like a dance partner Jane found the rhythm Devin was playing a stepped right in. Even when she was angry at him there was something completely in tune between them. It made them great partners when things weren’t going well and even better when things went smoothly. Sadly, with Devin everyone had grown to learn things rarely went as planned or smooth. All the same it was under the gun that he seemed to do his best and that was nearly where they were right now.

As he and the group waited for Jane to return with the bluff compass it was inevitable that conversation broke out. Of course it was odd since this time it wasn’t Devin who started, but Sarah. “So is that your new pillow talker Devin? Seems a bit too… steady for your taste.” Sara had a tone that seemed almost boarder line jealous, but those that knew her also knew that wasn’t the case. Sara was a cat who claimed anything as hers and did not like it being used by others.

“Sara haven’t we talked about this before? You need to learn how to share. You know this Polo hunt is something I have been after for years. I even invited you to join me at one point, but you said now. Now here you are with Goons 1 through 3 trying to steal right out from under me. Just because I let you live back in Cambodia doesn’t mean it makes us friends.” Devin got very serious for a few moments. “Trust me when I say this. That woman is so much more than her current shoe choice.”

A few minutes later Jane returned with the fake compass. Sara reached out and grabbed it before a single word was uttered and began to study the two in her hands and then looked at the one in the display. “The edgings…” Devin finally said as he stood up. This prompted one of the large men to punch him once again. Thankfully this time Devin had been expecting it and was able to flex before it made contact with him.

“A watch made from the 13th century would have edgings similar to a coin. It was meant to a secret seal. The compass was dipped in ink and then rolled along a letter or map giving it the mark of authenticity. The compass in the display is something made in a factory across the world. Dime a dozen.” Sara had listened to Devin. She then threw both compasses into a small bag and then broke the display casing. “I guess I will just play it safe and take all three.”

With the case broken the silent alarm was tripped. The three goons pulled out pistols which looked like the kind that shot tranquilizer darts. “Good to know your pacifists.” Devin joked with gritted teeth. He didn’t like the way this had started to turn, but he also knew he didn’t have anything to stop or slow it down. The timeline just became a ticking clock and that was harder to beat than anything. He watched Sara and the three compasses walk out of the room and disappear.

“Shit.” He said once it was just Jane, himself, and the sleeping guards.

[Lovelyleo]

It took Jane all of ten seconds to figure out their next step. The alarm ringing prompted the red lights to go off, and Jane knew the rest of the security guards would be coming any second. She looked around, trying to find the closest digital panel. She had installed them the previous year, one in every major room, just in case the museum needed to be locked down. The panels allowed her to lock each room separately, or all at once.

She found it and ran to activate the room lockdown, knowing there was no way Sarah and her lackeys would be out of the museum already. She pressed a couple of buttons, watching every door in the room shut off except for the one she was planning on exiting through.

"Follow me!" she told Devin as she ran out the door, unbuttoning her blazer as she made her way up the large marble steps. The sound of the alarm echoed off the walls and made her all but deaf. She reached the top of the steps and turned left, pushing the door to her office open and rushing to her desk. She pulled a small handgun from her desk drawer and tucked it in her waist. From a small closed to a side she pulled a backpack which she slung over a shoulder, and then rushed back outside.

Just as she had planned, Sarah and her men had been locked in one of the rooms. She followed the noise of gunshots on metal, which she assumed was coming from her men shooting at the metal lockdown bars. They had been locked in the Egyptian room, and Jane knew just how to get in unnoticed. She looked back at Devin and handed him the small handgun. "Wait here. Use that if you need to" she said as she ran off again.

Through a secret passage only she and a couple museum employees knew, she was able to sneak in the room unnoticed. From her backpack she pulled three cans of smoke gas, which she knew would obscure their vision for a couple of minutes. She threw them in, one after the other, and when the smoke was a dense as a wall she stepped in. She listened for Sarah's coughs and found her almost at once. Taking delight in the fact that Sarah couldn't see her, she punched her in the face and grabbed the bag with the compasses that she had been holding. Her knuckles throbbed as she got back in the secret passage, closing the door behind her and heading back to where Devin was. Museum curator or not, she still had some skills left.

She reached him just as the museum guards were coming up the steps. "In there!" Jane said to the guards as she grabbed Devin's arm and pulled him into her office. She began changing out of her clothes, putting on pants and her beloved boots. "We're leaving. For all the guards know, the compass went missing" she said as she tossed the bag with the compasses towards him. "My car's downstairs. I don't doubt you have a passport on you" she said as she slung her backpack over her shoulders once more.