Treasure Hunters: A National Treasure Fanfiction

Chapter Seven: Keeping Our Promise

Alex got as much work done as she could in the days leading up to the gala, all while helping Ben and Riley prepare for what Riley called 'their evil plan.' Then she told her boss that she had a 'family emergency' to attend to, and wouldn't know when she would be back. Uh yeah, my brother stole the Declaration of Independence.

They had a busy week ahead of them. While Riley prepped all the tech stuff, like video surveillance, and Ben worked out how he was going to get in and out of the gala without seeming suspicious, Alex helped out with whatever needed to be done. She went to the Archives and pretended she was just another visitor taking photos, when really she was keeping track of security and the guards' positions. She took a zoomed-in photo of one guard's ID badge, which Ben replaced the photo part of with a photo of himself to create a fake ID. He would enter the building dressed as a maintenance worker, with his tuxedo underneath.

Ben also got her to help him search for his George Washington inaugural button to send to Doctor Chase as a thank you, to complete her collection.

"Awww!" Alex cried when he told her of this idea. He'd just rolled his eyes.

"You know I really don't mind making a donation if you want to come," Ben said, speaking of the gala after they'd found the button - Alex wished she could see the look on Doctor Chase's face when she opened her gift from Mr. Brown. Now they were trying to decide whether or not it would be better for Alex to go inside with Ben or stay in the van with Riley.

"I'm happy to support the Archives."

"Yeah, I know, but it's okay, really. Besides, you need to focus on getting in and out, you don't need me there to slow you down."

Ben nodded. "Alright. Besides, you'd rather spend the evening with Riley." He grinned. Payback for her earlier comment about him giving a gift to Doctor Chase. This comment earned him a punch in the arm from his blushing sister. He only laughed.

"Besides, I don't have anything fit to wear for a gala."

"And you'd rather be with Riley." Again, this earned him another punch in the arm. Having known each other since college, Ben had quickly seen the attraction between his friend and sister. Evidently, he loved to tease them about it.

"So what's this chemical for?" Alex asked as she peered over Ben's shoulder, watching as he dipped the button in a certain chemical. 

"It's for getting Doctor Chase's fingerprints," Ben explained.  "If all goes as planned, when she touches the button the chemical will rub off on her hands.  Then when Riley sets off the sensors on the Declaration case and she has to enter her password into the computer the chemical will show up on the keys, giving us her password.  The chemical becomes visible under this light here, see?"  He drew a smiley face on the table surface with his finger.  The drawing was invisible.  Then he shone a little light over the drawing, and it appeared in a neon yellow colour.

"Cool," said Alex.  "I want to try." 

After helping her brother as much as she could Alex turned to helping her friend with his preparations. She went to her favourite diner and got some sandwiches to go and headed to the National Archives building where a familiar worn-looking red van was parked. She knocked. "Open up Mr. Poole, police. We suspect that you might be plotting to steal one of the most important documents in our history, which is a federal crime."

The door slid open moments later to reveal Riley. "Haha very funny."

"I can't believe we're actually doing this," she said, stepping into the van.

"Me neither. And that it might actually work." He slid the door closed behind her.

She held up the to-go bags. "I brought some lunch, thought our tech expert might have worked up an appetite."

"Thanks Al."

"So how's everything going?" she asked, passing him one of the bags.

"Good. I think I'm almost done setting up-" She looked at his laptop to see security camera footage from the Archives. Cool. Riley was such a genius. She wished she was as good with computers and tech stuff as he was, but then he'd said he wished he had a knack for history like her. They'd helped each other in college, she filling him in on any history facts he needed to know (though there were very few) and he always helping her when she ran into technical problems, which with her was often. She was technologically challenged and often said she was born in the wrong era.

"Good timing by the way, I just came back from setting off the heat sensors." He nodded to the computer screen. They sat and watched as a couple of workers removed the Declaration from the vault and carefully carried it to the Preservation Room. The friends exchanged an excited glance.

"Our evil plan is working," exclaimed Riley. They shared a mischievous smile and high-five.

(Pretty short, I know, but they'll get longer! Thanks so much for reading :) And please let me know what you think of my character so far!)