And then she slams down the receiver, and the three of us run like hell. We duck into the Fens so that the trees will hide us. Three people dressed all in black running down the road at two in the morning are bound to attract some attention. We reach Boylston Street and make a right, then finally slow down when we hit the Berklee College of Music. Good enough. Students are still roaming around, and most of them look like we do. It’s safe.
My heart is racing as we try to hail a cab.
“Oh my God,” Violet whispers.
“Oh my God,” I agree.
“That was the fire mission to end all fire missions,” Yellow says.
“Who tripped the alarm at 1:55?” I ask.
“Me,” Yellow says. “It was an accident. I backed into the Early Italian Room.”
I nod my head as the cab pulls up in front of us, and I hold the door open for Yellow and Violet. None of us says a single word the entire ride back. I’m so shot full of adrenaline that I’m dizzy. Headlights of oncoming cars blur into balls of dancing light, so I close my eyes and try not to think about what just happened. It’s still too new, too real.
Zeta is waiting for us when we get back to Annum Hall. “So?”
“Success,” I say. “Nothing was stolen from the museum.”
Zeta smiles and leads us into Annum Hall. “I’m sure you’re exhausted. Yellow and Violet, go upstairs to bed. Iris, wait here.”
Neither Yellow nor Violet turns to look at me as they head up the stairs, and I’m a little hurt. I don’t know why. What was I expecting, that we’d all get matching BFF tattoos after this?
I turn to Zeta. “Yes?”
“Excellent job.” He’s smiling. Actually, genuinely smiling. “I’m very proud of you. I know I’ve been hard on you, but it’s because I see leadership in you. I’m going to be making my full recommendation to the DOD tomorrow that you be promoted to full and permanent Annum Guard member. I know Alpha is doing the same.” He holds out his hand. “Welcome to the Guard, ma’am.”
I shake his hand and don’t try to hide the smile that spreads across my face. “Thank you.”
A full and permanent member of Annum Guard. Maybe it’s the adrenaline, but I like this. I actually like this. I feel pride beaming from my chest. This feels right. So right.
I let go of Zeta’s hand and head toward the stairs.
“Hang on,” Zeta says. “You’re skipping the best part.”
I turn my head back to look at him. “Which is?”
He points to the library. “Don’t you want to see what history has to say about you?”
My mouth drops open. I didn’t even think about that. I run into the library, open a search engine, and type in ISABELLA STEWART GARDNER MUSEUM BURGLARY.
I click on the first link, which takes me to an encyclopedia entry on the attempted burglary of the museum. My heart skips a beat when I read the word attempted. In the wee morning hours of March 18, 1990, two thieves dressed as uniformed police officers knocked on the service entrance door to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and were let through the door by one of the security guards. A second guard came downstairs, and the thieves overpowered the men and locked them in the basement. At just after 2 a.m., the Boston Police Department received an anonymous phone call from a female a block away from the museum that tipped them off to a possible burglary occurring inside the museum. When police arrived on the scene, they found two men handcuffed and unconscious in the museum. The Concert, a painting by Johannes Vermeer valued at over $200 million, was found lying on the floor of the museum’s Dutch Room, but no other artwork had been taken. Police believe a third person was involved in the heist, despite the fact that the security guards testified that they only let two men through the door. The police reached their conclusion after discovering that the service door had been pried open, probably by use of a crowbar. In addition, numerous alarms were tripped in close succession minutes before the phone call to police. A popular theory holds that a third person who was well known to the thieves betrayed them the night of the heist. Both men apprehended adamantly denied this theory, and police were unable to follow any additional leads. Perhaps the most puzzling piece of evidence left behind is a note that appears to be a detailed timeline of how the thieves planned the burglary. The note details when certain alarms should be tripped and when the thieves should appear in each room. The police have not been able to make sense of the note, and both men charged with the crime deny having written the note or having seen it before.
I gasp and jump up, then plunge my hands into my pockets. And that’s when it hits me. I don’t have my cheat sheet. I must have dropped it in the scuffle.
CHAPTER 15
No one says anything to me about the missing cheat sheet, so I guess either it’s not a big deal or no one knows. Neither Yellow nor Violet say a word to me. Not one. It’s like no matter how hard you try to bend them, the rules of physics are set. We’ll all go back to the place we were meant to be. And that place has me as the outsider.
Indigo shows up for breakfast the next morning. I slide in next to him, remembering that our last interaction involved me body slamming him to the ground and muttering several choice words.
“Hey,” he greets me. He doesn’t even make eye contact.
“Hey,” I say back.
I’m sorry, I say in my head. Before I can get the words to my lips, Indigo plops a heap of potatoes onto his plate and turns so that he’s facing Green, not me. Point taken.
But then Alpha clears his throat to start making announcements, and I forget Indigo for a second and sit up straight. Here it comes. He’s going to say something about the museum heist. I’m beaming with pride. Maybe people will start to see me as an equal around here for once. And then maybe I’ll get my clearance codes.
“Big announcement this morning,” Alpha says, and I bite my bottom lip in anticipation. “Our funding has come through, and it looks as if we’re going to be adding a second gravity chamber in Los Angeles. And there are plans to add a third in Chicago, hopefully within the next five years.”
There are cheers and hoots and hollers, and I guess that’s okay. A second gravity chamber is big news, but I can’t help but feel a little disappointed. Come on. I completed my first mission last night. They’re going to make me a full member of the Guard.
“Second big announcement of the morning,” Alpha says, and I scoot around in my chair. Here we go. “Red has been promoted to senior team leader. He’s going to start designing some of the missions.”
Okay, I guess that’s pretty important news, too. We’ll get to me next.
“And those are the announcements for this morning,” Alpha says. “You will all be meeting with Zeta and Red for the remainder of the day to discuss a very important matter.” And then Alpha’s looking right at me. “Except for you, Iris. You’ll be with me.”
Alpha’s voice sounds reserved. He doesn’t make eye contact with me. Suddenly it hits me. They know about the cheat sheet. If it was important enough to make that stupid encyclopedia site, it’s important enough for me to have a face-to-face conference about it with my boss. Shit. I mean, crap. No, I do mean shit.
Breakfast ends, and everyone piles out of the dining room except for Alpha and me. He takes a long time folding over his napkin and setting it next to his plate. Then he stands and pushes his chair into the table before finally turning and facing me.
“We need to talk,” he says.