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I.D. Tech
Chapter 10: Shades

Chapter 10: Shades

It's 9pm and the 2 art thieves in the making finished eating their blueberry pancakes.

"The museum opens in an hour. It's not that far away from here."

James and Michael get in the SUV. Michael isn't wearing his seatbelt. James doesn't notice this.

They get down the road after 10 minutes and all of a sudden they see police lights behind them. The cruiser bleeps it's siren 3 times. James is forced to pull over.

The officer walks over to the passenger side of the SUV but as he's walking he has his hand on the gun. He's shaking.

"Guys do you know why I stopped you? It's cause your passenger here isn't wearing his seatbelt. I'll let you guys go but just warning you," the officer says in a shaky voice.

Michael realizes he's an idiot and puts his seatbelt on.

"Thanks for your cooperation."

The officer walks away.

"Well that was a close one Michael."

James pulls out onto the road. He turns on the radio and there's nothing but French. They can't understand a single word. The 2 men are like aliens in a different world.

"Well anyway we're here. Museum is larger than it looks online. I'm going to drop you off here. Here's some money to buy glasses and a cheap camera at the store just down the street and this will also cover the museum entrance fee. I'll make my way back to the hotel to monitor you and record what you see."

"Right. Sounds good."

Michael is standing in a line of at least 50 people ahead of him. The line is so long that it extends out of the museum onto the sidewalk. It's snowing too and the wind is gusting.

Michael puts on his sunglasses.

"God damn Michael. I thought I told you to buy glasses, not shades. Take it off. I can't see anything on the computer."

"But I like wearing sunglasses."

"I don't care."

The line moves at least 10 people ahead all of a sudden. Michael's now in the building. He takes the sunglasses off. Eventually he makes it to the front counter where the lady speaks in French but then switches to English, once she realizes Michael can't understand any of the blabber.

"And can I get your name?"

"Mi-...." Michael is interupted.

"Don't give them your real name you idiot," James is quick to point out.

"Joseph. My name's Joseph."

"Okay. The fee is $20. This is good for the whole day," the lady says with a smile.

Michael gets his ticket. He looks all around him. There's one security guard at every counter. He looks up at the ceiling. One camera there, one camera there, and you guessed it; another camera there.

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He makes it down the first hallway. This leads to an exhibit. The exhibit is titled LaPland. There's about 30 paintings in the exhibit. Michael continues looking everywhere. He whips out the orange camera and starts taking pictures of every painting.

Michael breathes a deep sigh. "Where is the Van Dough painting?" he says.

"Should be in the next exhibit according to their pamphlets."

Michael enters the next room where he sees different paintings by different artists. But in the middle of the room his eyes are fixated on one painting in particular. It's a landscape painting of a farm surrounding by grassy hills. Michael takes out his camera and snaps a photo of it.

"Michael I think this is it. It's Grassy Roots by Van Gogh. I need you to look everywhere in the room.”

Michael looks at the ceiling. There's a dozen cameras at least and there are 2 security guards standing beside Van Gogh’s painting. Michael notices a janitor using a mop. The janitor is cleaning up after one of the tourists has spilled a drink.

“I want you to follow the janitor,” James tells Michael.

The janitor is hobbling down the hallway into the next room where there is a door on the right. The sign above the door says ‘janitorial’. Michael is moving closer to the janitor. The janitorial room is password protected and requires a number combination to enter. Michael realizes this and moves even closer. The janitor enters the number 1-3-5-2-5. James jots this down in his notebook.

“At some point I’m going to need you to enter that room.”

“I was thinking the same thing. I wonder what’s in there.”

“Probably just cleaning supplies. But you never know if there’s anything else.”

Michael walks away from the janitorial room, but he notices that there’s numerous vent ducts protruding from the walls. The ducts are 1 meter from the ceiling and are high above the floors. It would take an extension ladder to reach them.

“I wonder where these ducts lead?”

“Outside most likely.”

Michael is next to an emergency exit that if opened will sound an alarm. He faintly hears banging and drills coming from outside. He looks outside the window and sees construction going on.

“Hey James I have an idea. What if I posed as a construction worker. I could gain access anywhere in the building without raising alarms. I’ll just tell them I’m doing inspections or something.”

“That’s a good idea actually.”

It’s 12pm. Michael has been walking around the museum for an hour and a half.

“Do you think it’s time to call it quits? I’m starving.”

“Yeah that sounds alright. I think I have enough information uploaded for now. I’ll meet you there in 40 minutes.”

James shuts off the I.D. Tech software. He walks to the parking lot and doesn’t see his SUV.

“Where’s my freaking SUV?”

“It’s been towed. We had to call someone to move it because it was blocking a fire hydrant.”

“Just freaking great. Where the hell is it now?”

“132 LaLouce Street. It’s a block away. You can walk there actually.”

James puts a cigarette in his mouth, unzips his jacket a bit and uses his coat to shield the cigarette since the wind is blowing. He lights the cigarette and then zips his jacket back up. He eventually makes it to what he assumes is LaBla towing, as he reads the neon sign.

“So I heard my SUV is here.”

“The blue one?”

“Yeah.”

“In order to get it back you have to pay $335.”

“300 dollars!!! That’s a rip off.”

“I’m sorry but it’s higher than the usual cost because you blocked a fire hydrant. If you just parked in a no parking zone it would only have been 100 dollars.”

“Just give my SUV back. I’ll pay it.”

James whips out 340 dollars in 20 dollar bills. He has about $20000 in cash he withdrew from the bank back in Toronto. He can’t use his credit cards or debit or else he will be tracked and located by police.

“Thanks. Here’s your keys.”

The whole ordeal of walking an entire block and getting his SUV back takes 20 minutes. “Sorry Michael I’ll be running a bit late,” James says in his mind.

Eventually James makes it to the museum. Michael has been waiting in the lobby. James honks his horn and Michael walks over. “Where the hell have you been?”

“My SUV got towed. I parked in front of a fire hydrant.”

“Wow, so I’m not the only idiot.”