Treasure Hunters: Book of Secrets

Chapter Four: Breaking and Entering

"I can't believe you have to break into your own house," Riley muttered as the three walked across the spacious grounds of the mansion that Abigail and Ben used to share and up to the front entrance. "Can't you just ask Abigail to help?"

"Yeah, are things really that bad?" asked Alex.

"She changed the alarm code on me guys, she's not going to help us."

"Yikes..."

"Alright-" Riley removed his backpack. "We have thirty seconds to disable the alarm - go!"

The three entered the house. Riley went over to the alarm pad which was beeping and began to work his magic. "So, I know I'm probably going to regret asking this," he said over the ringing of the alarm. "But what happened between you and Abigail?"

"I don't know, you know, I don't know," answered Ben. "She started using the word 'so' a lot. Like, 'so, I guess my opinion doesn't matter. So, you seem to always know what's best. So, I guess I'm invisible.' So now I've moved out, back living with my Dad, and we're dividing up the furniture." He finished with a shrug.

"I'm sorry Big Brother," Alex said. Ben only shrugged again.

"Alrighty, and we're good." Riley pushed a button and the alarm fell silent.

"Hey, you did that in twenty-five seconds," Alex said, impressed.

Riley grinned. "That's why I tell people to get a dog."

Ben led the way upstairs to Abigail's office. He opened the top desk drawer and withdrew her ID badge.

"First stealing Abigail's fingerprints, now her ID," Alex said. "Some things never change."

Just as they were about to leave the office, they saw lights out in front of the house. A sleek black car pulled into the driveway.

"That's not Abigail's car," remarked Ben. The three watched as a man in a suit got out of the driver's seat and went to open the passenger side door. Ben sighed. "She was on a date." Alex put a hand on her brother's arm apologetically. She knew he was still crazy for Abigail, despite what he might say.

"Hey, isn't that the guy, the White House guy?" said Riley of Abigail's date.

"Yeah, Conner," said Ben.

"Conner," repeated Riley. Then he chuckled. "He's weird! She must really like him-" Alex gave him a nudge to shut him up.

"Come on," said Ben. "Let's go."

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"Oh - that's actually really weird," remarked Abigail when she entered the house but the alarm didn't sound. She had set it before she left.

"Oh, Abigail." She turned at the familiar voice and saw Ben enter the hall, a box under his arm.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded.

"Oh I just needed to grab some things." He turned to Conner. "Conner, nice to see you again."

"Gates," replied Conner.

"How did you get in?" Abigail demanded. When Ben didn't answer she heaved a heavy sigh and placed her hands on her hips. "Riley!" she called. "Come out here! You too Alex!"

Moments later both Riley and Alex emerged, looking like guilty children. Abigail knew them too well - where Ben was, Riley and Alex usually followed.

"Hey Abigail," said Riley. "Nice to see you. Love what you've done to the house by the way. Oh, and I sent you a copy of my book, have you had the chance to-"

"No I haven't read it yet," she cut him off.

"Oh, yeah, no problem. You've been busy, I get it." Then he turned to Conner. "Hey, I know you, you're the White House curator." He shook Conner's hand. "I'm Riley, we met before."

"Right, you're Ben's assistant."

"What?"

"And you're Ben's sister?" Conner turned to Alex.

"Yup, that's me. Alex."

There was a pause. "Uh, maybe I should go," Conner said, turning back to Abigail. It wasn't hard to miss the height of tension in the room.

"Awkward," mumbled Riley in a sing-song voice, as though it would help.

"I'm really sorry," Abigail apologized.

Finally, Conner left. Now Abigail fully turned her attention - and anger - to Ben. "I cannot believe you broke in! What did you take?"

"Just my things-" She snatched the box from his hands and then held out her hand. "Hand it over Ben." She was so smart. She knew exactly what they had been up to.

He reluctantly gave her her ID badge. "I need to see the Booth diary page."

"You saw the page yourself there is no treasure map on it!" Oh Abigail, you know him so well.

"No it's a cipher leading to a treasure map," Ben explained.

"Huh, this is sounding awfully familiar," piped up Riley.

"Did anyone spectral-image the page?" Ben asked.

"No need to," she said, storming past him. "The ink is clearly visible."

"It could have been erased, or faded. It has been over a hundred years, so it's possible. You're the Director of Document Conservation you know all this."

"It's not up to me," argued Abigail. "It's not my department."

"That department reports to your department! Come on Abigail, just one look under infrared." A pause. Nothing. "You can have the Boston Tea Tables," he tried.

Abigail stopped walking. Slowly, she turned around, a sly smile on her face. "Both of them?"

(Yay the whole gang is back together again - sort of! ;) Thanks so much for reading, hope you enjoyed!)