RED: Really Evil Deeds

Chapter 6 - Bad Deeds Undone

The street was silent, the world spinning through the dark void in space, the only light given was that of the few diamond stars that dared peek their light toward the twirling sea-green marble in the universe.

Perfect night for a workout, at least, in Red's opinion.

She vaulted over a crumbling wall, into an alley splashed with neon graffiti and illegible writing. She could show these amateurs how graffiti was done, but no, that wasn't what she was here for, not tonight.

Looking up, she locked her flashing eyes on her target: a third floor window, pristine white painted trim with the curtains drawn tight.

This would have been a difficult feat for any average thief. Even experienced bandits would think the better of it.

But Red wasn't ordinary.

She had more than just experience.

She was the master of this sort of thing.

With a running start, she launched herself off the ground, stretching her arms and hands to their full length, her finger tips catching the sill of the window, her legs dangling below her.

Definitely not as graceful as she'd hoped, but she had made it, and that was what mattered.

Her black combat boots caught the siding of the Newfellon Office Building, and she kept slowly working her way up until she was able to bend her knees far enough to propel herself through the window, which she had worked open while working her legs into place.

With a single soundless tumble, she was inside.

The floor's brittle carpet did nothing to silence nor amplify her foot falls, and she slithered on. Shadows danced across awards sitting, shining and perfect on shelves. Red wanted to smash these golden nothings so, so badly.

But no, that wasn't what she was here for either.

A the back of the room was a massive desk of polished maple wood and carvings of birds swooping across the front. A small golden plaque on the desktop heralded the name of Mr. Grale, Museum Director in delicate script.

Reaching a gloved hand into the pocket of her cherry-colored jacket, Red carefully pulled out a bundle wrapped in creamy silk.

"It's been an honor, my friend," she whispered, placing the parcel on the desk.

Then she crept past the trophies, plaques, and awards and out the window, back into the cool night air.

Two museum guards burst into the room, accompanied by Mr. Grale just moments later.

"Blast, we missed her," Mr. Grale growled. Then, turning to the guards, he barked abruptly, "Count my awards! Make sure nothing's missing! And if you don't get two thousand, eight hundred, and forty three, someone's going to get fired!"

"Is he always like this?" Elijah whispered to Annie as he started on one shelf and she tackled the table a few feet away.

"Pretty much. All he cares about are his awards and the treasures in the museum," She muttered back.

"But how did he guess that Red was going to be here?" Elijah asked, eyeing the open window to his left uncertainly.

"Well, that's the strange thing about Red." Annie paused her counting to look at him. "No one knows who she is, no one knows what she does, or why she does it. We're probably the only people who have ever seen her in flesh. But usually, a couple days, weeks, or months later, she returns whatever she stole. One time, she stole the Irish crown jewels and then slipped them into the museum's donation box two hours later, right after the news did a television special on it."

Elijah couldn't comprehend what he was hearing.

It seemed like Red loved to steal and wreck havoc, but it was almost like she did it for fun. Didn't most thieves steal for the objects they were stealing?

"PREPOSTEROUS!!!" Mr. Grale bellowed, making them both jump in fright.

Going to his side, the found him looking at a small bundle of cream-colored silk, which lay open on the desk top. From the bed of silk, the Sunshine Ruby glinted its scarlet hue.

In the dim alley below, Red laughed.