Red Notice (2021 Thurber) Oneshots

Unexpected

Nolan and John save Sarah

•

Nolan Booth placed a glass of champagne to his lips, feeling the velvety, intoxicating liquid fill his mouth as he watched John lead Sarah out onto the dance floor. Why they had brought him along on this mission, he would never know. He'd done his part, crafting the replacement item for the one they planned to steal. It was one of his best, the elegance of it, the attention to the detail he'd placed onto it.

He'd told them that they could go on their own, that he would stay back in the apartment, arranging their meeting with their buyer. He also wanted to browse some ancient artifacts online, picking out what he thought they should steal next.

But the Bishops had insisted, saying that he had been trapped in the apartment for too long. They'd pointed out how well they all worked together when they were all there. John had said it was always a pleasure to watch Nolan try and flirt with people in the room.

Nolan finally agreed, knowing they'd keep pestering him anyway until he decided to come. Because he'd left the actual stealing part of the artifact up to the Bishops, he planned to relax, sip champagne, and wait for the spectacle to unfold. His comm was placed in his ear. It didn't feel so weird to have it in now after he'd spent over seven months working with the Bishops.

They'd gotten good at working together, working as a cohesive unit. Sarah gathered information, John got the plans, and Nolan did his thing. It was a team effort. But Nolan knew at some point he'd have to stop working on this with them. There was only so long he could stand.... People. He was good at stealing, and sure, working as a team was fun and a new experience, but he did miss his solidarity, his months of planning, and brilliant escapades.

He did know that he would miss the time he'd spent getting to know the Bishops, breaking down their hard exterior walls. He'd learned so much about them, more than anyone, besides the two of them, probably knew. Sarah's fascination with the game of chess and tea, her history with her father, what drove her to such lengths in heisting. John's relationship with his father, and more about how he met Sarah, was so much more than just a twisted love story. They'd also begun to break down Nolan's walls, and he allowed himself to be more open in the short amount of time they'd worked together than with anyone else.

Setting his glass down, he asked for another, watching out of the corner of his eyes to see John dip Sarah as they danced. The song ended, signaling that it was time for their heist to begin. Nolan smiled quietly as the bartender handed him another glass.

"Booth, we'll signal you when it's time to turn off the security," Hartley mumbled into comms.

Nolan gave a slight nod in Hartley's direction as he watched them slip away. How could he have forgotten? He'd also been asked to hack into the security mainframe, which he had done gladly. "I'll be ready, as always," he murmured. He pulled out his phone, unlocking it, so it was ready. He'd gotten even better at hacking after a little more experience and a quick crash course.

He continued to sip his champagne as he waited, his eyes scouring the massive room. It was white and gold, the ceilings high. It was a ballroom and a bar mixed into one. Many people wore masks, including him. He appreciated that, with the surge of masquerades. The room was full of criminals, and he had a Red Notice on his head. He was pretty sure if they saw him, they'd try to turn him in for some amount of cash.

Another song had begun playing softly in the background. People were dancing and chatting, while he continued to watch. The ease of their movements made him giddy in some way. He wished to be able to move, to run, to steal something. But he chided himself, it was his night off. His only intention here was to drink a lot, flirt, and pray that the Bishops screwed up so he could rescue them and laugh in their faces. The latter would never happen, though. The Bishops had a million different backup plans in case anything, and he meant anything, went wrong. He knew that it was highly unlikely that anything could happen, so, yeah.