Beyond The Dragon

Chapter One

I finish typing the newest document for my PR agent and hit send on the email. Finally, now I just have to check the locks and leave. I grab my keys and walk out of my office locking it behind me. I walk my dad's museum examining all of his paintings. I lock each door and stop when I see his last painting. He called it the grand before piece. I sigh as I look at the gorgeous meadow of flowers. He wasn't usually much for landscape paintings. In fact, this was the only one. But he said he had to paint this. He always said it would tell anyone who asked everything they ever wanted to know. I remember thinking he was crazy at the time. But maybe there's something to it. After taking care of all his paintings I can appreciate the heart and soul that artists put into their work now.

"I'll be back tomorrow, dad," I whisper as I graze my fingers over the gold frame around the painting. I lock the front door behind me and head for my car. God, I'm exhausted. I'm so ready to go home. Dammit. I have to go check on dad's house and make sure they fixed the hole those termites put in the floor. I groan and start to head to his old home. I get a call and use my steering wheel to answer.

"This is Katherine Stevens," I answer and hear a bit of typing. "Hi, Ms. Stevens. This is Lucas with Eye in the Sky Security. I just wanted to inform you that your alarm went off exactly one minute ago. Is this you?" He asks and I gasp. The museum! "No! Send the police immediately. I'm on my way there!" I deny and hang up as I flip a U-turn. I can't believe this! I slide into park and race to the front door. They kicked it down. No! I race inside and run through the museum looking at each painting. No, no, no, no, no! I cry as I fall in front of the exhibit and hold my hands to my face. His final piece is gone! It took them five minutes to take it from me. 

I hear sirens and see the cop lights along the walls as they storm the building. Five minutes and my father's final piece was gone. The last thing he ever did. How could I lose something so precious? I thought I had done everything to protect these. I was so sure everything here was safe.

"Ms. Stevens? Is this the only missing piece?" An officer asks and I nod silently. "It was my father's final piece and it was priceless. He died two months after he finished it." I answer and he helps me to my feet. "Come with me. Detective Clay has some questions to ask while we search the crime scene." I open the office and go to sit at my desk. A brunette man in a suit walks in and sits in front of me. Must be the Detective.

"Hello, Ms. Stevens. I'm Detective Clay. Can you tell me what you were doing up until the theft?" He asks and I nod. "I stayed late to type out another press release on my exhibit. I only finished the museum two months ago so my PR Agent thinks we should slam everyone with the news of my father's museum to get the business going. I... I locked my office after I finished and started my walk through the museum to make sure everything was locked down before I left. I got the call about the alarm five minutes after I left and came straight back." I explain and he hums as he writes all this down. "And why don't you have security guards?" I scoff and shake my head. I'm an asshole for one. "Because I'm picky. I wanted to be very rigorous about who I hired before I opened the museum. The opening was supposed to be next week but until his final piece is returned I, unfortunately, don't want to open. So, how long until you can find it?" I ask and he sighs as he sits back in the seat. I know that look. I'm not going to like this.

"I'll be honest Katherine. Only because I know how much this museum means to you. There is a high probability that we will not find this one. Purely because of who this thief is. He's been making his way through the world stealing paintings, sculptures, and artifacts alike. The FBI is in town trying to locate him. He's very good at what he does and there's only been a couple of paintings recovered... I tell you this so that you won't get your hopes up on something that probably won't be coming back. Perhaps you should continue with the opening." He warns me and I laugh. As if it's that easy. What an asshole. "Get out. Now. I'm done. Find the painting." I snap and go to open the door for him. I slam the door shut behind him and clench my fists as tightly as I can. My father's last work is just gone! How can I simply let that go?! I toss everything off my desk to the floor and scream in rage. My most prized possession is just gone. I groan and start to pick everything up to put it back. Goddammit, all to hell. What is this?