To Catch a Thief

Chapter 12 - It's a Lollipop Without a Stick

Two weeks of training and practice have gone into this moment. That sounds like a lot until you consider they're about to break into a museum and waltz out with a $50 million diamond. Though professionals in their own right, they're mostly a ragtag group of amateurs when it comes to grand larceny. Alex remembers when they told a nervous Ruby that the feeling in her stomach was just butterflies and perfectly normal before you go on stage to perform in front of all of the parents. However, right now, Alex feels like they've eaten Mothra.

They pull out their cell phone, checking the time. A whole minute has passed since Alex last checked. It's like watching a pot on the stove. It never seems to boil.

"Why are you so nervous?" Maggie leans against the side of her police car, her phone in her hand as she finishes up a game of sudoku.

"Why aren't you more nervous?" Alex snaps back, instantly regretting their response. "Sorry, I've been working on my temper."

"Why, I think it's working fine. Maybe you need to switch to decaf or give up nicotine."

"I don't smoke. You know I don't smoke."

"Then maybe you should start." Maggie grins, and Alex immediately relaxes. Their ex has always been easy going, the laid back accessory to their own Type A personality. It's why they worked so well together... well, that and the sex.

"Humans, museum security says their last guest is headed toward the exit. Sixty seconds to go time."

Maggie pockets her phone and taps at her earpiece. "Roger that."

"It's Winn, not Roger."

Alex can feel their temper rising at the stupidity of the comment, at the unprofessionalism, at the— But Maggie is laughing. It's a sound they've missed. So they smile too and shake their head, remembering something Maggie always says. 'You can have fun while being serious. They're not opposites.'

"Roger, Roger," Alex says. "Give us a countdown at five seconds."

"You got it, boss."

"You are working on your temper," Maggie says. "I thought you'd snap at Schott for that little joke."

"Me? Nah. I'm not that tense. You remember what you need to do when we get in there?"

"Sure, wave my badge around and flex my authority even when I don't have any. Don't worry. They teach us that in the academy." She's probably only half kidding. "I'm more worried about the main attraction. If they get caught—"

"You mean Edge?"

"Right, Edge." That moment hangs in the air between them, the unspoken truth of what's about to happen and who's about to do it. "Anyway, if Edge gets caught before I catch him, this all falls apart."

"I know, but I think Edge has enough experience to pull this off."

"What about Edge's friend?"

It's like Maggie's reading Alex's mind. Lena is an old hand at this, but Kara has spent her career on the other side of security. Will she be able to make the transition, even for a good cause, to the dark side? And now Alex is annoyed that a stupid Star Wars reference came to mind. They really need to make some new friends.

"The friend will do fine." She'd better. "Are you sure they'll call the station after I alert them? If the museum doesn't—"

"Alex, chill. We went over the timetable like a dozen times. Standard protocol is to make a non-emergency call to the station if there's a non-confirmed threat. Dispatch will alert all units, and I'll respond because I'm right across the street. None of the plain clothes want to spend the afternoon doing a walk through. It will be fine."