The Pursuit of Emma, Dave Moyer [best contemporary novels txt] 📗

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 computer 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