Thieves and Magicians

Chapter 1

It was just another evening in the bustling city of Miacaster. People were going on about their business, enjoying the late-night atmosphere and nice weather they were having. Lizzie too was one of those people in the bustling crowd and though she did admit the weather was extraordinarily nice that night, she had other things to think about. More specifically, she was observing an entrance to an apartment complex, waiting for a certain couple - Gemma and Jason Thornhill, two business people - to get out. She'd gotten a tip from one of her informants that the couple was loaded and they just so happened to be giving a speech during a gala that was taking place in the city that evening - which meant that the apartment would be empty. "Come on, you don't wanna be late now, do you?" she muttered to herself, getting a bit impatient. As she said that, the door flew open and the couple walked out and started to hurry toward the gala.

Lizzie smiled and walked up to the door. She plucked out a hairpin from her bun and swiftly picked the lock. She clicked her tongue quietly as she entered the building. She headed to the second floor and started to pick the lock on the couple's apartment door. Though this lock was a tad bit more difficult than the one at the entrance door, it was still no match for Lizzie. "Too easy," she said as she closed the door behind her. She wiped her boots on the doormat and started investigating the flat.

Her informant was correct - the couple was, indeed, wealthy. After just a few minutes of going through their living room drawers and closets, Lizzie managed to find some cash and some jewellery. Though jewellery was more of a nuisance to deal with than cash - finding out the worth and then finding a buyer all took time - she put the more valuable-looking items in her bag. Done with the living room she headed to the master bedroom.

When she was about halfway done with digging through their wardrobe she heard the exit door clicking and someone muttering something about a forgotten bag and leaving the door open. To make matters worse, Lizzie could hear quick footsteps coming toward the master bedroom. The thief panicked, not knowing what to do. She tried to hide behind a desk but before she could do that she heard a voice yell out "Thief!". No point in hiding now.

Lizzie turned around and saw Gemma Thornhill standing at the door. She tried to make a run for the bedroom door but before she could reach it, Gemma slammed the door shut in her face and locked it with a key resting in the keyhole, which Lizzie didn't notice when she came in.

Since she couldn't get out, the thief pressed her ear against the door and listened. The footsteps departed but no door-clicking shut sound could be heard. Instead, she heard talking and the words she heard set off all the alarms in her head. "Hello, police, there is an intruder in my apartment." The couple had a landline so the call was most likely real. Despite the panic, she tried to do the math to figure out how much time she would have. The nearest station was just a few streets down the road, so there was a chance - a slim one but a chance nevertheless - they would show up in five minutes. In short, she was royally fucked. She figured she was not gonna be able to pick the lock since the key was still in the hole. She went to the window and looked down. There was an open dumpster. She gulped, opened the window and climbed on the windowsill. Jumping out from a second-floor apartment window was not something she expected to be doing that evening, but there she was. She took one last breath, closed her eyes and jumped.

Though the dumpster softened the landing a bit, it still hurt like hell. As she climbed out she could hear sirens. She attempted to run but it seemed like she had injured her leg. Despite the pain, she still tried to limp as fast as possible. After limping through a few alleyways, she made it to a quiet side street where she leaned against a wall and took a moment to catch her breath.

"Excuse me, do you need help?" Lizzie's head shot up upon hearing a foreign voice. The voice belonged to a young man, who was dragging along a black chest with wheels and a long handle. "No, I'm fine," Lizzie grunted, clutching her injured leg. "Are you sure? You look hurt, maybe you should go to a hospital." The man suggested, seemingly genuinely worried about the stranger. "No, it's going to be fine." Lizzie pulled a face and kept clutching her leg. The guy was about to say something else but was interrupted by the sirens. "Shit," Lizzie muttered, pushed herself away from the wall and started to limp away, her face distorted with fear and anguish.

"You on the run from the police?" the guy asked. "None of your business," the thief snapped back. As Lizzie passed him by, the man opened the chest that he had been dragging and pointed at it. "Get in, I'll take you somewhere safe." "Pardon?" Lizzie turned toward the guy, sure she didn't hear that right. "You can't outrun them like this. I know the chest is pretty small for a humanoid but don't worry, you won't be stuck there for long." The guy went on. Lizzie knew this was absurd - trusting a stranger you just met, letting him just take you away like this who even knows where while hoping he had your best interest in mind. But he did have a point - outrunning (well, more like outlimping) the cops with an injured leg was not gonna be easy. She took a good look at the guy - he was about the same height as her, perhaps even a bit shorter and he seemed rather skinny.

She took a few steps toward the chest and looked inside - there were wands, cards, deflated balloons, a top hat, a white sheet and a few other props. "I'm a magician, I just finished a show nearby," the man explained when Lizzie looked at him with a puzzled expression. She took another look at the chest - it had a heavy lid but no locks or anything of the sort. Hesitantly she climbed inside, thinking if the guy tried to do anything funny she could jump out and take him on in a fight. The man covered Lizzie up with some props and a sheet, closed the chest and started walking.