Crushed (27 page)

"Cleo has no influence with her. If we get found breaking in, there's a good chance we'll get shot. Tonight is the perfect excuse to slip in without being noticed. She's hosting it at one of her summer residences, so it won't even be as heavily guarded as her home."

"Again, what if she's not there?"

"Oh, she'll be there." Robert smiled, for the first time looking as arrogant as he was. "I sent her a challenge."

Sophie was too used to him to be surprised. "Only you." She muttered.

"It'll give her the incentive to be in the area. Her pride won't allow her to lose. I might not be the best, but she should be curious if I can break her system."

"Can you?"

"I don't say this very often, but no, I can't. There's no remote chance we'll escape."

"I love going into jobs I already know I'm going to fail."

"Our goal is to fail though." He reminded her.

"I'm confused." She cradled her head in her hands.

"I've already got the plan worked out in my head, you'll just have to go with it."

"Like always." She pushed herself into a sitting position. "You're positive sneaking in will get her attention?"

"Sneaking in won't, stealing from her will. She has a few relatively important pieces of art on the second level of this residence. Cleo's told me all about them. Hopefully with my challenge she'll make a personal appearance to stop me."

"I don't like your use of the word hope. I'm going to need more than that to agree with this. There's no way we'll be ready by tonight."

"Well, we'll have to be." He shrugged off the challenge. "Hurry and call Luke so we can leave."

"Leave?" Sophie's eyes narrowed.

"Our plane takes off in two hours."

Her mouth dropped open. "Plane?" She shouted.

"Not every person in this business lives in the area." He seemed amused by her shock.

"This is impossible." Sophie rubbed her eyes tiredly, still exhausted from last night. "You're insane."

"Don't try to pretend like you're not in." He stood up and offered out his hand. "Hurry up, it's time to start packing."

She stared at his hand, knowing she would be insane to take it. Only a true thief would be eager for a mission like this.

Sighing, she took a hold of his hand, allowing him to pull her up.

If she was going to be a thief, she might as well own up to it.

There was no more denying who she truly was, and where she truly belonged.

*  *  *

Six hours, one plane ride, and three hurried preparation meetings later, Sophie and Robert were in position.

The last few hours had been utter chaos, which left Sophie feeling a mix of exhilaration and exhaustion. Packing, planning, and traveling were all a blur to her. She'd been in such a rush she only remembered pieces of the days events.

She'd never considered condensing what should've taken months of work into six hours. A mission like this called for their best efforts, and six hours wasn't long enough to come up with a concrete plan.

Cleo was more than happy with the arrangement, as she wasn't the one having to do the rushing. Along with providing them plane tickets, she'd also helped book the hotel they were staying at now.

Luke wasn't able to do much, despite wanting to do anything he could. Sophie felt guilty that he hadn't been given a bigger role in their newest mission, but she hadn't had time to think of anything other than getting herself prepared.

From what Robert had informed her during their flight, this mission was to be as low-tech as possible. Their names had already been put on the guest list, so breaking in wasn't an issue. The house would have guards, but they would be positioned outside of the house rather than inside. Since they weren't planning on escaping with anything, this problem was also averted.

The target Robert had in mind was a Roman vase that was dated over 2,000 years ago. Sophie had learned by now not to be shocked when told that it was priceless. She also knew better than to be surprised that it was in the hands of Diana Apell.

Despite having been debated for the entire flight, the plan was the exact same as it'd been in the beginning. Robert still planned on attempting to steal the vase, expecting Diana to make an appearance. There was to be no technology needed, not even earpieces to keep in touch. Sophie would be disguised as his partner, and they would easily flow through the evening unnoticed.

The worst case scenario plan was the same as it'd been with Slavsky: improvise when things turn bad.

Sophie didn't have to hide that she was furious with how little they'd prepared. The majority of the six hours of preparation time had been spent simply focusing on arriving safely.

Now that they'd settled in at the hotel, she had nothing but time to worry about tonight. She felt dizzy while thinking of how many things could go wrong. The countdown had already begun. It was six-thirty and the party started at eight. From what Sophie'd picked up, only the most influential had been invited. It was a small miracle that Robert had the connections to sneak in.

Sophie was sitting on the hotel's bed, waiting for Robert to return. He'd gone to pick up what he referred to as their "costumes", which only added to Sophie's concerns.

At the sound of him entering the room, she stood up to greet him.

"It's about time." She hissed, crossing her arms. "We need to leave in an hour."

"Stop nagging, and start getting ready." Robert smiled as he offered her the long plastic bag that was covering her dress.

Sophie winced, realizing for the first time that she was returning back to being a female for this mission. She'd become used to being lazy with her appearance, and only now did she regret not bringing any makeup. If blending in was their objective, Sophie would be screwed.

Robert handed her another bag, noticing her expression. "I've got it all figured out, darling." He winked, motioning for her to enter the bathroom.

She obeyed quickly, feeling rushed now that she had her supplies. Her first task was applying her makeup, which did little to help the bags under her eyes. Pressing on, she carefully uncovered the plastic bag to reveal her dress.

It had a relatively simple design, though it was revealing enough to make Sophie's heart drop. The fire-red dress barely covered her upper thighs, and its' deep v-cut showed more than Sophie had to offer.

She thought about complaining, until she realized they didn't have time. If Robert had done this out of revenge for accepting Luke, she would have to pay him back later.

The dress fit surprisingly well, and thankfully wasn't as bad as she'd thought it would be. Looking in the mirror, Sophie found that she looked like a stranger. She lifted her shoulders, straightening her pose until she was satisfied with her appearance.

Maybe she wouldn't stand out so much after all.

Turning back to her bag, she pulled out a round box. Hidden inside was a long, auburn colored wig. While she wasn't thrilled with it either, Sophie reluctantly put it on. The straight haired wig worked better with the dress than her cropped hair anyway.

"How do I look?" Sophie asked, opening the bathroom door.

Robert had just finished donning his tux. He was struggling with his bowtie, too occupied to notice her.

She crossed the room, covering his hands with her own. "Let me." She offered, easily straightening it.

"Well, don't you look..." As he examined her, he seemed to be searching for the right words. "Different." He concluded.

"You couldn't have chosen longer dress?" She asked, crossing her arms.

"You have very nice legs." Robert smiled innocently. "It would be a shame to hide them."

Sophie scowled, raising her fist to punch him in the shoulder.

"Hey, now." Robert grinned boyishly, backing away to pull out two more boxes.

"What are those?" Her anger faded to curiosity.

"The last touches to your ensemble." From the smallest box, he pulled out a silver necklace, which held a single emerald in the center. She offered out her hand to take it, but he brushed it aisde. "I can take care of this one."

He walked forward, carefully fastcining it around her neck. The close contact momentarilly took her breath away.

"Now, for the last..." He reached into the other box and lifted out a pair of black heels.

Sophie wasn't a stranger to wearing high heels, but the ones he was holding were at least six inches tall. She'd never in her life worn something that looked so dangerous and painful.

"Do you want to kill me?" Sophie asked, motioning to the heels. "I'm going to use those as weapons, right?"

Robert grinned, having expected this reaction. "I'm sure you can handle them."

He knelt down on the ground, lifting her left foot gently. Chill bumps raced up her arms, and she tried to jerk her foot away.

"Calm down." Robert reminded her. "I'm just being helpful."

He slipped on both shoes slowly, making Sophie feel uncomfortable.

"There, all done." Standing up, he dusted off his hands, smiling proudly. "I think we're ready to go."

"I don't feel ready." Sophie complained.

"It's a good thing I don't care." He winked at her, offering out his arm. "Shall we go now, Batgirl?"

For the first time today, Sophie smiled genuinely. "I guess so." She took his arm, trying to ignore the painful protests from her feet. Even though she was uncomfortable, she hid it well.

As they headed towards the door, Sophie happened to notice their reflections in the mirror.

They both looked regal standing beside one another, like they were two different indviduals. Sophie wondered if she knew the stunning woman staring back at her. In the past, she'd questioned whether she had what it took to be a thief, but the woman she was looking at was filled with confidence.

In this dress, Sophie felt like she could do anything or be anyone.

She smiled at her reflection as Robert opened the door. Slowly turning her eyes away, she focused her gaze forward, towards their mission.

CHAPTER THRTEEN

The truth came at the moment I was least expected it, and changed everything.

Walking into the massive ballroom was like being hit by a tidal wave of flashing cameras, music, and hundreds of people.

Sophie felt like she was literally having to be swept inside by Robert, who somehow managed to keep his calm despite the chaos of the event. People were swirling around them, all searching for the best seats in the room.

From the crowd around them, Sophie wondered if coming late was no longer as fashionable as it was supposed to be. They'd arrived only twenty minutes after they were supposed to be here, and already the ballroom was half-filled with people.

Men with prominent mustaches, and women adorned with furs strutted around the room as if they owned it. Sophie and Robert immediately stood out by being one of the youngest couples attending. In many ways the event wasn't what Sophie had been expecting. Of course she'd known the type of guests in attendance, but she'd expected the atmosphere to be more formal. People were acting far too friendly, and the roar of the crowd wasn't nearly as hushed as she expected a dinner party like this to be.

"You look like a fish out of water." Robert joked at her side. The way he maneuvered through the crowd was smooth and flawless. He seemed like he belonged here.

"I feel like a fish out of water." Sophie whispered to him. She was struggling to find a character to slip into. She'd planned to act as haughty as possible, but if she laid it on too thick it would be obvious that she was acting.

"Just see this as a game. The story is that we inherited our money, which is just how Cleo came into her wealth. Try to pretend to be Cleo. I guarantee it will be fun." Robert did seem like he was enjoying himself, despite having a mission ahead of them.

"Whatever you say." Sophie knew better than to reject his advice. He was the professional.

The ballroom was filled with dozens of long tables which sat at least twenty guests. The room was decorated in rich purple colors, from flowers, to table clothes. The golden chandeliers hanging above them doused the room in a warm orange glow, and Sophie warmed to the atmosphere immediately. The decorations were simple, though it seemed like people barely noticed.

"Here's our table." Robert politely pulled out her chair, and she took it with a wide smile. The game was on and she could no longer afford to be herself.

He took a seat next to her, smiling charmingly at the elderly couple that had been seated across from them. "How are you?" He began.

"Good, good." The older man replied. He seemed instantly taken in by Robert's charisma. "I'm getting too old for events like this." He winked down at the woman, who Sophie assumed was his wife. "She won't let me miss out. She's a gossiper, this one."

"Nonsense." His wife nudged him playfully, causing Sophie to smile.

For just a moment they reminded her of her own grandparents.

Just like it always did when she remembered them, her heart ached for a few moments. Then, as always, the feeling passed just as quickly as it came.

The couple was pleasant enough, and they made polite conversation until other groups started filling in the seats around them. The closer it got to dinner, the more chaotic the conversations became. In the beginning, Robert made sure to stick with Sophie when speaking to others. However, with people constantly trying to start new conversations with them, they had to break apart to reply.

For almost a half hour they didn't say a word to each other, having been engrossed in their acting. Robert had given her his makeshift plan before entering the ballroom. They were supposed to make it through dinner while putting on a show. When people began mingling again, they would sneak away to the second floor, where they suspected the vase would be.

Sophie was already finished eating when Robert finally turned to look at her. "Darling, could you pick up my napkin? I think I dropped it by your feet." Someone across the table made a joke at his expense, and he laughed it off easily.

She bent down reflexively to pick it up, and almost handed it back to him without realizing anything. It was only when she pulled it out of the shadow of her chair that she noticed the black ink on the fabric.

It took her only seconds to memorize was she was seeing before she slipped it back onto his lap. It would've been too obvious if she'd spent five minutes staring at the detailed drawing he'd made of the ballroom.

Somehow in the last thirty minutes, Robert had managed to create the map while examining the room around him. Sophie was beyond impressed by this point. She didn't have time to be awed, because he'd just given her a small message.

The map had shown all of the doorways leading out of the ballroom. Sophie could easily see that for herself, but he'd written descriptions by each one, outlining where they led. Apparently, he was more observative than she'd given him credit for. He'd seen people coming and going through the various doors, and noted exactly what they were up to.

The doors leading to the kitchen were located to the far right. On both ends of the room were large doors that led to different entrance halls for the mansion. The left wall of the ballroom consisted of a huge glass window-like structure, with an opening that led out to a balcony. Everything was outlined as clearly as possible, and Sophie understood what he was telling her.

Slipping away upstairs was going to be difficult. A large, marble staircase was situated in the far corner of the room, though it was in full view of every guest. Sophie had immediately ruled it out as soon as she'd seen it. None of the doorways he'd scouted out led to another route upstairs, and using the staircases in the entrance halls would've been just as obvious. They could explore the kitchen, but they weren't guaranteed to find anything.

Sophie had expected to run into problems early on, knowing they hadn't had time to plan anything. Robert didn't' seem the least bit worried by their predicament, and finished dinner without ever slipping out of character.

The next half of the evening was supposed to be spent dancing and mingling, but Sophie and Robert had different plans. He helped her out of her chair, saying goodbye to the couples they'd spoken to during dinner.

"They were pleasant." She commented as they moved away from their table.

"Sure. You just have to ignore the fact that everyone in this room either blackmailed, stole, or murdered to get the wealth they have today."

Sophie's eyes widened, and she had to hold back her surprised exclamation.

"What? You think every rich individual either inherits or earns their wealth through ethical means?"

"It slipped my mind how dirty reality is." Sophie muttered under her breath.

"Well, to them money is a means to an end." Robert was watching her carefully. "They're not much different than you."

"You're saying I'm the same as a murderer?" Sophie forced her voice to stay controlled. "I'm not that greedy."

Robert leaned close to her ear; a gesture that could've been mistaken as a kiss to anyone not close to them.

"Don't forget why you're working for Cleo. Right now you might be scared she'll hurt you if you don't comply, but you started this for money. No, you're not a murderer, but let's remember that what you're doing right now is stealing." He laughed. "I wouldn't put it past you to blackmail either."

Sophie hid her scowl the best she could. "You have a high opinion of me." She mentioned sarcastically.

He leaned back, winking down at her slyly. "I don't dislike you as a person, just what your motives are."

"If you don't work for Cleo for money, what are you in this for?" Sophie shot back, feeling agitated.

"Down, puppy." He winked again before turning away. "We have a mission to do."

She should've known he would be like this.

"I'm going to go outside to have a drink with the guys." He motioned to a group of men who seemed to share the same peppery-gray mustache. "I expect you to find a way upstairs."

"You'll meet me there?" Sophie knew from the way his eyes were narrowed that he'd thought up a plan for himself.

"Of course."

"Then, I'll just slip off to the bathroom." She turned away from him, ready for her part of the mission. She'd had a feeling it would come down to her having to figure out a plan herself. Whatever route Robert was taking upstairs was probably not safest.

She exited out into the entrance hall, and darted straight for the main bathroom before she could look suspicious. The staircase leading up the second floor was in sight, but it was also being watched by the various hosts that were still welcoming people through the front door.

If she'd assumed correctly, Robert was probably going to be upstairs any minute now. She didn't want to fall behind, so she tried to rush to come up with a plan.

The bathroom was surprisingly empty, which gave Sophie a moment of relief. She stared into the mirror as she washed her hands, urging herself to come up with something. Frustrated at the brick wall she felt she was hurling herself against, she ran her hand through her wig unconsciously. The movement shifted her fake hair out of place, and she scowled as she reached up to fix it.

The first victim of her agitation was Robert, and all of his rushing and bullying. Maybe if her feet weren't killing her, she would have more room to think about a plan.

Her eyes widened instantly as an idea popped into her mind.

"That's it!" She whispered. Bending down to slip off one of her heels, she pulled her arm back and slammed the heel of the shoe against the marble counter. It took a few more blows before the heel broke in two. "Perfect." She grinned, feeling accomplished.

Returning back to the hallway, she headed for one of the many hosts.

"Excuse me?" She tapped a woman on the shoulder politely. "I seem to have a little problem."

The hostess turned towards her with a vibrant smile, eager to help. The woman assessed Sophie teetering on one heel, and put the pieces together. She flashed her an understanding grimace. "That is a problem."

"I was wondering if there is somewhere I can fix it." Sophie motioned to the entrance of the bathroom, where a group of women were hurrying into. "Somewhere private?"

"Yes, of course." The hostess helped her towards the staircase as discreetly as possible. "The second floor has a lounge area and a few guests bedrooms, but it should be empty. Are you sure you'll be able to fix it without any help?"

Sophie smiled genuinely, hoping her politeness wouldn't cause suspicion. "My grandmother taught me a trick for how to fix heels. It just takes a few minutes, and I didn't want to catch the attention of...everyone. You probably know how these old ladies gossip."

The woman nodded understandingly. "Well, if you need anything, come find me."

"Thank you. I should be down in five minutes." She waved to the hostess as she stumbled up the stairs.

The moment she hit the second floor, both heels came off. The time for pretending was over, and now she could finally get down to business.

She headed towards the right, where the hostess had told her the lounge area was. If it was a vase they were looking for, she figured it would be there.

The lights on the second-floor hallway were off, which seemed strange to Sophie. However, the moonlight coming from the windows gave her more than enough light to see. The lounge area was just as beautifully decorated as the main entrance. Expensive paintings, statues, and furniture adorned the room. Even in the dark, Sophie was impressed by Diana's collection.

Sophie shivered as she walked into the lounge, feeling the chilly breeze from outside. One of the windows in the room was open, leaving the long curtains flapping in the wind.

"Miss me?"

Sophie jumped when Robert wrapped his arm around her shoulder. It took all the composure she had not to scream.

She was too shocked for words.

"I didn't know how long you were going to make me wait." He whispered smugly "I had enough time to disable the security cameras."

"Without viruses?" She struggled to catch her breath again.