Misdirection is a very powerful tool. When someone says something is happening here, the real trick is happening in the opposite direction. And the more fear, the more panic and uncertainty you have, the easier it is to fall victim to a trick.

Making my declaration, I had set up a trail for them to follow. Each step would be harder and more enticing than the last. And it all starts with the first step of the journey.

“Officer Dunn! Where are you!” the chief had called out on the radio.

“I’m currently engaged in a-” I said in a panicked voice before stopping abruptly. This would undoubtedly cause confusion amongst everyone. As their anxiety increased, so would their desperation.

“Engaged in what?” the chief called out. “Officer, respond!”

I didn’t respond for a while. It would make the path they were chasing seem like it was the best one.

After a few tense seconds, I chose to respond. “I’m engaged in a-AH!” With an abrupt scream, I closed my mouth and kept pressing the button on the side.

“Officer! Are you okay?!”

As those words were being uttered, I threw the walkie-talkie to the ground. After chasing a ghost, they’ll have no choice but to split resources. One would be a team to search the Tower and they would find the unconscious guards. Getting information from them would take valuable time away.

Turning to the right, I looked at the unconscious officers. Their body cameras were all pointed towards me. With the quality of the camera and my distance to it, it would be hard to recognise or make out my face. I smiled and put my finger over my mouth in a hushing position. I couldn’t help but taunt them. Plus, it would make the media go crazy.

But as much as I’d love to stay all day, I had to leave soon. Grabbing my backpack, I navigated my way through the long and desolate hallways as I headed west of the room. I was jogging at a slower pace until I turned into an extra long hallway. In the middle were a group of officers chasing down the false lead.

It looked rather odd when I joined the chase.

“What is this, school? Where the fuck have you been?” he asked in anger.

“E-exploring the other hallways, sir!” he responded in distress. “I came as soon as I got the message.”

“Why are you wearing a backpack?” an officer nearby asked in a whisper.

“Undercover unit,” I answered in a whisper. The officer nodded his head at my prepared reply.

“Useless!” the chief exclaimed. His anger was evident as we were about to turn the hallway. I couldn’t help but have a knowing smirk. His anxiety was palpable. When they turned, their disappointment was immense. It made perfect sense; chasing after a ghost only leads to failure.

When we turned the corner, everyone’s eyes widened. The hallway leading to the outside was completely clear. The only people were the Army Reserve, who were still valiantly guarding the Tower. No handcuffs, no weapons drawn, just standing there.

When we reached the outside, the chief looked around in a final desperate attempt.

“Where is he?!” the chief demanded.

“No one left the building,” one of the men said.

“You mean to tell me that the thief was running through the west hallway just to stay?! No, there’s no way. He had to have left!”

The Army Reserve man was intimidated by the stern and loud voice of the chief. “M-maybe some of the other soldiers caught him.”

“They would’ve radioed it in if they did,” Charles pointed out calmly, trying to deescalate the situation. The Army Reserve person just nodded.

Everyone watched as the chief huffed and puffed in silence. He was pacing around. His anger was visible and audible. The officers whispered among themselves about what the chief was thinking.

“Chief, what are we going to do?” Charles asked. “We’re losing valuable time.”

“I need to think!” the chief exclaimed as he closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead.

I knew his next thought. After all, it was protocol. If you knew someone escaped, the only way to have a chance of catching them is to lock down and search the entire area. Putting down a so-called cage.

“Alright, we’re going to set up a cage operation.” he began as he listed off other measures that we would take. I inwardly smiled as he uttered those words.

“That’s too many people to check,” I said, giving him a dose of reality. “Scotland Yard doesn’t have that many resources.”

“Scotland Yard doesn’t, but the country does,” the chief replied. “This is an attack on the nation! The Army is at our disposal!”

“That’ll take too long to coordinate,” Charles said.

“Leave that to me, but I need teams out right now,” he said before walking to the side and making some calls.

I raised my hand into the air and spoke in a loud and commanding voice. “Operation Cage with me!” Around twenty officers branched off from everyone else and walked towards me. This was enough people for now.

“Alright, so this is what’s going to happen,” I said. “Five will go west, five will go east, etc. Go three kilometers aways and monitor all exits. No one is to leave without being screened thoroughly. Understood?”

“Yes,” they all said in unison as they looked at my nameplate. “Officer Locksley.”

“I haven’t had the pleasure to be acquainted with most of you, but I look forward to it too,” I said, reducing tensions. A few more formalities later, we began to move towards our assigned positions.

I entered a car with four other officers as we raced to the west quadrant of the perimeter. Well, as best as we could. The streets were still littered with people grabbing money. However, more importantly, many were beginning to leave with their loot.

“This is a shit-show,” an officer said. “Who would make money rain down from the sky?”

“The thief dimwit,” another one said.

“But why would a thief rain down hundreds of thousands of dollars?”

Should I do it? Should I tempt fate? My heart raced with excitement.

“Robin Hood,” I said, getting stares from all the officers. “What? Robin Hood stole from the rich and gave to the poor.”

“Bah! Robin Hood steals from the wicked and last I checked, her majesty isn’t that.”

“Hm, never mind I suppose,” I replied as I slumped into my seat. None of them got it. The rest of the car ride was filled with speculation as they chatted about the events. None of them got the reference.

I was staring out of the door window, looking at the crowds of people. They were carrying handfuls of dollars while cheering and running around. It brought a small smile to my face, especially when I saw the disheveled and homeless people smile and hop around.

It took us six minutes to finally navigate through the crowds of people on the streets and arrive at our location. We got out of the vehicle and met a military van waiting for us.

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“Hello, I’m Officer Robin Locksley with Scotland Yard. I was tasked with leading this operation,” I told the soldiers.

“Pleasure to meet you, Officer Locksley,” the soldier said. “We’re already establishing roadblocks on all exits within three kilometers per your instructions and disallowing people from exiting.”

“Good,” I replied. “And you’re following the protocol of expanding it?”

“O-of course. Two kilometers per half hour.”

“That’s good gentleman. We don’t have to worry about expanding for the first hour, but after that start to,” I ordered. I turned to look at the soldiers. “We’ll assist the Army Reserve with their efforts until we get the order to leave.”

“Yes sir!” they said in unison.

“I’ll join you guys in a few moments. I have some calls I need to take.”

They nodded their heads before dispersing and beginning to cover the exits. And as for me, I was able to just walk out of the perimeter. No one stopped me or even batted their eyes. They had bigger problems to worry about than ‘one’ of their men walking away. Namely the crowd of disobedient people.

A thief always has friends that he can rely on. Ones with questionable morals, willing to cross the line, but are loyal. A truly good theft can rarely be done by one person. Luckily for me, I have a small band of merrie men willing to help.

I turned the street to get out of the view of the officers. The neighborhood I walked into was desolate. There were no pedestrians or moving cars. I walked to an odd, run-down house. Compared to its well-maintained neighbors, it was an oddity.

I walked onto the driveway and entered the car. As you know, the person in the front passenger seat was Blake. However, in the driver seat was a man in his mid twenties. His hair was black and his face, despite looking youthful, carried a look of sadness. An old family friend.

“Did it go well?” Marcus asked me. He turned to look at the passenger seat.

With a smirk, I took the backpack off. Unzipping it, I turned and showed them the contents. A scepter and a brooch. Their eyes widened as they saw the gems in person.

“What happened to the Stuart Sapphire?” Blake asked, noticing the missing jewel.

“Funny thing about that,” I began. My voice was laced with outrage and anger and my hand was shaking. “Imagine my surprise when I examined it under a loupe only to find that it’s A FAKE! ZIRCON OR SPINAL INSTEAD OF SAPPHIRE!”

“C-calm down Zack!” Marcus said. “Keep your cool.”

My fists were clenched. I closed my eyes and took a deep inhale. “Sorry, I’m a bit angry.”

“Why didn’t you take it as well?” Blake asked. “The object’s importance is more valuable than its parts.”

“What do you think will happen when he gives it to them?” Marcus asked. “They’ll think it’s a fake.”

“Exactly,” I replied. I brought my watch up to see the time. “We’re getting off-topic. We need to leave now.”

Marcus nodded in agreement and started the car. I began to take off the cop clothes and wig I’d been wearing for more casual ones. I wore a green shirt, jeans, and a jacket. Staring into the rear-view mirror, I held my eyelids open with my right hand and used my left to take out my contacts. My eyes changed back to their golden amber color.

When I had finished changing, Marcus began driving. It was slow at first as he drove through the empty street. Turning the street, the roadblocks were on full view on our left. We were outside, but we could still be stopped.

We were anxious as our car came in full view of the soldiers. I saw them look at each other as they saw our car. It was make or break now.

They kept looking at each other and their mouths moved as they conversed. The worst thing to do would be to book it. Instead, we had to take it slow. The soldiers looked at our car with keen interest as they kept on debating.

It seemed like an eternity as we waited for their reaction. The atmosphere was as thick, almost requiring a knife to cut through. But finally, they turned back to face the inside of the perimeter.

We all released a collective, shaky breath. I saw Marcus’ grip on the wheel tighten as he began to drive faster out of the way.

“And we’re out,” Marcus said joyfully. We all shared an elated laugh that lasted for minutes, helping to calm down our nerves. In the meantime, I opened up my laptop. Connecting to Project Archer, I began to track the chief and Charles.

I watched as they argued for a bit and began to drive to the airport. As soon as he did, I called the press and leaked the real story. Like dominos, their hopes began to fall.

I watched as the chief entered with a team of people searching for the culprit. As they went down a familiar hallway, they saw the unconscious body of the two cops.

I watched as he took the bodycam off of the officers and replayed the footage, seeing that they were knocked out. Immediately afterwards, he radioed Charles to let them know. But by then, it was too late. They had no leads to follow and their resources had just been wasted.

As I looked out the window, I examined the strange piece of paper that I found on the display case. It felt old, rough, and delicate. It was a tiny fragment of a larger piece, looking like it had been ripped off.

“What’s that?” Blake asked.

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “Maybe some sort of defense mechanism? Or a hidden treasure?”

“It looks like paper,” he commented. “But from the olden days.”

“There's a small text in Latin on the front,” I said as my eyes narrowed.

“You know Latin?” Blake questioned.

“I’m not a nerd. It just looks like it.”

“Okay, so just google translate it?”

“It only works for simple phrases. I want to know exactly what it says.”

“Why?” Marcus asked. “It’s just some text.”

“Tell me you aren’t the least bit curious on why this paper was hidden with the Koh-I-Noor diamond,” I said. “And I get this odd premonition that it’s important.”

“I don’t think that India cares,” Marcus said. “They’re not going to give you a reward or anything.”

“I told you when I recruited you; the theft itself isn’t for my profit but for the people.”

“I remember. The first theft where the items are returned to their owners.”

I chuckled. For me, this wasn’t about the money but instead the message. And what way to get the message out far and wide than doing the one thing that hasn’t ever happened in history.

As he continued driving, a nearby pier came into our vision. I gazed at it for the rest of the ride, the cruise ship never leaving my eyes. When he got closer, we began to say our goodbyes.

“You two have grown in ways I couldn’t have imagined since I last saw you two,” he said as he pulled up to a nearby staircase. “I’m sorry for what you had to go through.”

“And we’re sorry for what you have had to go through,” Blake said. “We should’ve reached out a long time ago. Maybe-”

“No, don’t say that,” Marcus said softly. “It’s not your fault for my life choices. But you have my thanks for setting me on the right path.”

“That’s a bit too dramatic,” I said with a chuckle. I opened the door to the car. “As promised, your payment.” I brought out a small diamond inside an envelope worth $500,000.

“Zack, a small piece of advice,” Marcus called out before I left the door. “Quit while you’re still ahead. One day, you’re going to run out of luck and the world will lose one brilliant mind. You’ll spend the rest of your life inside a cell surrounded by regrets.”

I looked up to Blake who got my silent message. He left the car, giving the two of us alone time. I closed my eyes to collect my thoughts. When I finally did, I let out a small and continuous breath.

“I’ll be honest, I’ve tried to quit before. But there’s this … feeling inside me that keeps on nagging at me to steal. The high from it all too is just surreal. I don’t think it’s something I can give up.”

“You want my theory?” he asked. I nodded. “This is just a coping mechanism for you. A way to distract you from the grief. But let me tell you that you’re better off just embracing it. Don’t be like me, living in denial. I promise you that once you stop your addiction, the pain will be great at first, but once you get over it, it’ll be liberating.”

“Interesting theory,” I said, sounding detached.

“You know what the problem is with being smart? It’s that your brain is too good at rationalizing. We keep rationalizing our self-destructive behavior. It keeps doing it, moving on from one reason to the next. You’re right in that when I stop, I feel the pain; it’s just that, unlike you, I don’t have anyone to guide me. Blake is the only person I trust, but we’re still grieving.”

Marcus nodded his head as he listened to me.

“I hope things go well between you and Amalia,” I said, hoping to conclude the conversation.

“Two things,” he said. “First: find something that comforts, not distracts, you. It’s … a hard distinction to make, but it’s the difference between overcoming grief or succumbing to it.”

All I did was nod. He was right in that I wanted to stop, but I always kept relapsing.

“And second: be careful about Project Archer. Julian wanted it to keep you safe, but he underestimated the danger that came with it. He didn’t even expect you to solve the one problem that limited its capability. So I implore you to not let it fall into the wrong hands.”

Silence. It was the only thing present in the air. His words were morose and heavy on me. Marcus had been Julian’s childhood friend, so hearing him talk was like hearing my father talk. It was eerily similar.

“You always were one for the dramatics,” I said with a small smile. “But I’ll keep everything in mind. Have a great life Marcus and till we meet again.”

“Godspeed Zack,” he said before I finally closed the door. Blake saw the expression on my face, one that indicated that I was in deep thought.

“What’s wrong with you?”

“I’ll tell you about it later,” I responded. “For now, we’re on vacation.”

Looking down from our position, we saw a giant cruise ship. The way that the greatest thief would escape was on a vacation! Who would’ve thought!

But it was a perfect way to escape. You were surrounded by hundreds of civilians. There was virtually no security that thoroughly searched your belongings. And best of all, it was a place to unwind!

“Let’s enjoy our winter break,” I said with a smile as I looked into the distance.

“Amen to that.”