whispered Clancy, crumpling to his knees.
‘I’m sorry kid,’ was all that Hitch could say.
But Ruby Redfort was lucky: in fact she was lucky twice.
Firstly, because the power-lines broke her fall, and secondly, because the explosion at the bank had extinguished the power.
After she had checked that she was still alive, Ruby inched along the cables until she was dangling over a large, leafy shrub. She let go – not a cushy landing exactly, but she was at least all in one piece, although she seemed to be missing a shoe.
Nice going Rube! A super great time to lose footwear.
She couldn’t see a thing, let alone a small size 3 lost in a thicket.
Having got her bearings she picked herself up, then half ran, half limped towards the building. The place was totally deserted and all she could hear as she made her way down to the museum vaults was the commotion outside. Every last person was watching things unfold at the bank.
Ruby wasn’t greatly surprised to find the basement door unlocked. It was just as the Count had promised – the lasers securing the entrance looked like they were active, but the locks had failed and no doubt someone was already inside. Carefully, she pushed open the door and stepped into the dimly lit passage.
Bang!
Another explosion. More alarms. More sirens.
And then the emergency lighting in the museum basement went out.
Hitch was trying to pull himself together. It wasn’t easy. He was also trying to pull Clancy together, which was harder.
‘Clancy, listen to me. I have to get to the museum basement – to the vault. You go alert your dad’s security team – tell them it’s all about the Buddha. You have to convince them that the bank is a decoy – I know it doesn’t look that way but it is.’
But Clancy wasn’t moving.
Hitch clicked his fingers in front of Clancy’s face. ‘You hearing me kid? I need your help.’
Still nothing.
Hitch slid over to the broken figure that was Ruby Redford’s friend, and put his hands on his shoulders. ‘Kid, this shouldn’t have happened. It’s my fault, I realise that, but I think I know who did this and I think I know where to find him. I want to make sure he pays for what he’s done to Ruby – and I need your help.’
Clancy looked up, his face grey and his eyes hollow.
‘Can I count on you kid?’
The boy nodded and got to his feet.
‘Here,’ said Hitch, ‘take my lucky lighter, it’s never let me down.’
Trying to navigate the dark passageways was not easy – not without a flashlight. Ruby had memorised the basement plans, she knew them inside out, but the blackness was disorientating and she had little idea where she was or where she was going.
But she hoped that wherever it was, she was going to make it in time.
She felt a wave of panic as claustrophobia swept over her.
Deep breaths Rube – it’s just a little darkness, nothing else…
Darkness and some crazy Count who just tried to bury you alive.
She moved as silently as she could. Don’t warn him. You have the advantage – he thinks you are dead. RULE 43: IF YOU’VE GOT THE ADVANTAGE – MAKE SURE YOU KEEP IT.
She rounded the corner and there, bathed in a dim but beautiful light, sat the Jade Buddha of Khotan. More precious than gold. Even from where she crouched she could see that the carving was exquisite, the jade itself perfect translucent stone. She felt drawn to move closer, but she resisted, knowing the Count couldn’t be far away. She was right – seconds later he appeared like magic from the pitch black, holding the glass key.
Carefully, he pushed the key into a slot in the glass cylinder and the door slid open. In his left hand he held a silver metal tube. What was that? Then suddenly she saw a tiny beam of light shoot out. He seemed to be studying something – was it the eyes of the Buddha that interested him? Was he just marvelling at the beauty of it or was there something else he was looking for?
He reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a notebook and fountain pen.
He was writing something down.
Why?
‘Well, well if it isn’t little Ruby slippers, the snoopiest kid on the block.’
Without even turning around Ruby recognised the sweet voice of Baby Face Marshall.
‘Oh cripes! Not you again.’
By now Hitch was standing outside the museum basement door. He pushed the transmitter button his watch. ‘Blacker, you there? Blacker, are you receiving me?’
Nothing. It was the same with the other agents. OK, one last try – you better be there LB.
Five seconds later LB came on the line. ‘Speak.’
‘The explosion at the bank – it’s a bluff, a distraction. They are after the Jade Buddha, and I’m pretty sure we are dealing with the Count. It has all the hallmarks of his work. He’s got his hands on the key. He’s the one who took Ruby, I just know it.’
‘Where is she now?’ said LB.
Hitch paused. ‘I’m afraid the kid…’ His voice faltered. ‘She didn’t have a chance.’
LB took a sharp breath, but didn’t say anything.
‘Look, I’m going after him – find me some backup.’ His transmitter cut out.
Clancy, meanwhile, was lost. Galleries stretched in every direction and with only the flame from Hitch’s lighter it was difficult to work out where the nearest exit might be. Every door seemed to lead him to another. For all he knew he could be running in spirals – destined never to find a way out, like a fly trapped in a jar.
Hitch switched on his Agent issue flashlight. It had a powerful directional beam and he was able to sweep light across the main corridor – passageways zigzagged every which way.
He recognised the various twists and turns from the museum plans he had studied. It was no trouble navigating, he was trained to find his way in impossible conditions. The tricky thing was second-guessing any surprises that might come along the way. In the maze of passageways it had been deathly quiet, but as he moved further and further into the museum vaults he thought he heard a voice – or rather voices.
Two of them.
Clancy flicked on the lighter. There it was:
EXIT TO MUSEUM GARDEN.
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