[Lure, Expectation]
We, the Paulas Becker and Talbert, Doug and Lu were in the war room, that’s what I nicknamed a formerly empty room on our level now with a huge round table covered with blue prints, notes on guards, and security measures.
“Ok since I know nothing about any of this stuff I’ll leave you four here and go to the bakery to see what Lily recommends for a little magical assistance.”
Lu came on board as soon as I mentioned what we were doing. Neither of us knows anything about heists but Lu has the muscle and Becker has the brains so hopefully things will go fine.
“Hi Salome, how are you today honey?”
“Good Rose we went gathering this morning and I didn’t make a single mistake.”
“That’s great, I'm really proud of you. Is Lily in the kitchen?”
“Yep she is doing all the magical bakes. Go on in and say hello.”
“Hi Lily, I was hoping you could help me and if you can spare the time and you wanted to meet Paula Becker she’s at the tower right now.”
Two minutes later the three of us were on our way back to the tower, loaded with magical baked goods to make the job a little easier.
I made the introductions between Paula, Lily and Salome. A minute later Salome was peppering Becker with questions at least half involving McCracken in one way or another. Yes I’m pretty sure our little girl has a massive crush. After they’d had a chance to talk I brought out the baked goods Lily thought we might be able to use, while she explained their uses and durations.
When Salome saw what we’re up to she wanted in but both Lily and I firmly refused. I told her this was a stealth mission. Talbert and I were there as transport. Lu backup and fighting ability, Becker was handling everything else solo. But maybe Becker could come to the house warming party and recount details of the heist. Salome forgot her disappointment fast but Becker looked surprised.
I pulled Talbert aside and told her about the wand I’d acquired and said if it was all right with her I’d like to make Becker a Bibbliomancer Jr. and told her about the limitations and benefits. She seemed really pleased that I’d offered and said I think that’s a great idea. After Lily and Salome went home Talbert and I told Becker about the wand advising that she accept. She did, then Becker and I spent about an hour jumping around. The main benefit was if she was caught, she could just jump. Also as soon as the heist was over we could jump back to London then enter a police station report a robbery giving Becker an airtight alibi.
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We all felt that we might as well do it tonight, we had as much information as we were likely to get a solid plan and a great plan of retreat if necessary. A little after ten we jumped to Mexico City and walked towards our target. Target and I were kitty corner a block from each other to grab Lu and retreat if necessary. Becker would jump back to the street after taking a small slice from the bone, cutting her time in the building in half.
The only hard part was coming up now, the museum had to have armed guards stationed outside the doors we wanted to enter by. When Becker approached them they talked for a few minutes then she gave them one of Lily’s baked goods. It only took about a minute before the two guards were fist fighting each other.
Once inside Becker was supposed to have an empty corridor, but found two more armed guards. She had more cookies but thought she’d be pushing her luck trying that same strategy. So she ate the Winner Maker Tart and received a +3 to her luck. None of us knew what that meant but we knew a boost to her luck couldn’t be a bad thing.
She noiselessly followed the guards down the corridor and entered the room containing the necromancer’s skeleton. This is the part we really needed Becker for, to pick the locks on the clear plexiglass coffin that covered the skeleton. Again the information that was available to us was wrong. The locks were supposed to be high security plunger locks, instead a new keypad system had been installed and Becker did not have the necessary electronic equipment to open them. She tried another baked good Lily provided, the Open Sesame Cookies. Having eaten one she tried 3642915762 the case swung open. She retrieves the distal phalanx bone, closes the case and jumps to Talbert's corner.
I jump Lu and I to our prearranged meeting spot in London, a rare spot with no CCTV coverage, at least that's what Becker told me. A couple minutes later Becker and Talbert jumped to our spot. Becker went into the panel van we’d left here with a change of clothes for her. Ten minutes later she and Talbert walked into the police station to report an imaginary mugging that the victim refused to report. Becker felt it was her duty to report it. Forty five minutes later with a copy of her statement, Paula Becker had a rock hard alibi even if you’d made a mistake and got caught on CCTV. You can’t commit a crime in Mexico when you’re in London ten minutes later. For that matter is it even a crime if no one ever notices the missing distal phalanx.
All the bars in London are closed so I suggest we jump to Wyldwood for a celebratory drink at the Jack in the Green. Lu went up and got us all a drink.
“I can’t believe that went so smoothly, I’ve seen hundreds of heist movies and something always goes horribly wrong and some die or get caught even in the most successful of them.”
“Did you wind up using any magic besides the Love cookies, which I assume caused the fight at the door?”
“Yes, When I got inside it was supposed to be an empty corridor, it was guarded, so I ate the Luck Tart and just followed the guards to the room I needed to go to. But when I got to the plexiglass coffin the locks weren’t the kind we expected, they were upgraded to electronic ones which you need special equipment to crack. So I ate an Open Sesame cookie and just punched in a ten digit code and the thing popped open with no alarm. I popped the distal from the socket and jumped to Paula. I only wish I had all these magic baked goods when I was still a spy.”
Lu said. “Well they’d be useful for a private detective, I’d love to read a sequel.”
“Me too.” I said. “And don’t forget the housewarming party / bookclub next week. Becker we’d love for you to come to dinner and join the book club if you’d like. Also you can bring a date too. No gifts though. Hopefully we’ll be able to move Daisy to the tower before the party, then Doug and Daisy can join us too.”
Talbert said. “Thank you Rose, I’ve been wanting to meet Paula since I met you and Juliet but I was scared. Your little heist gave me that opportunity.”
“You're welcome but you can thank Daisy after we get her attached to the bone, who ever thought that a ghost would want to fall in love. Come on Paulas you never answered our questions about a sequel, your readers demand one.”
“What about you Rose are you writing anything right now?”
“Honestly no, ever since we moved to Wyldwood it’s been one thing after another. Speaking of another busy day tomorrow. Lu, are you ready to go?”
“Sure all set, sorry I wasn’t more use on the heist.”
“It’s a good thing you didn’t have to do anything. If you had that’d just mean something went wrong and we never need that. That kinda stuff just happens on it’s own.
