"The law locks up the man or woman who steals the goose from the common but leaves the greater criminal loose who steals the common from the goose." – Charles Kingsley
Recalling the night of the museum I must thank Waldo… for everything after that night revealed…. the LIES of humanity… the friends I trusted, the system I believed in, the MALICE that is hidden between the cracks of power… they were all just a game of lies that they forced the general public to participate in! So… that night… that night is probably the only thing that is fueling this body…
After a few nights of preparation, we managed to craft the necessary tools and utilize the information I gained to infiltrate. Waldo had eyes on the north and west while Paul covered the south and east side. I stood in front of the museum with my Arshan Yuured attire, under the cover of darkness I had disabled the burglar alarm from the windows and doors and made sure no one saw me, so I commenced to pick the lock and slip inside. I quietly closed the door but it echoed in the quiet of the museum. It was almost deafening as I made my way down the hall. Moving silently through the corridors, rooms, stairs, and any other architectural obstacle I noticed there is an unusual amount of guards. I made sure there were only 10 guards; however, there are roughly 30 to 35 of them tonight. However, I had to shove my worries down the bottle as I finally reached the exhibit hall with the language cipher, hiding behind a large jade vase I could see the glass case that held the cipher. My heart began to race with excitement as I could already feel the treasure in my hands. With a keen eye and a steady hand, I took out my tools and started to carve the glass case. The tension in the air was palpable, I could feel the sweat rolling down my forehead behind the mask. My fingers worked quickly and with precision, and soon the case was open.
Carefully lifting the cipher out of its cradle and stowing it away in my coat pocket. A rush of joy ran through my bones and a grin formed, knowing that the hardest part is down my nerves and beginning to relax. Strolling past all the artifacts I turned the corner and that's when my heart dropped. I clutched the cipher with all my might. Seeing face-to-face with Cogoro unplanned was the last thing I needed… However, I needed to stay calm. Although I must admit it was hard, the young detective's eyes darted at my every move watching. He grinned knowing he won the game.
"Ah, Mr. Arshan Yuureed," Cogoro said with a smirk. "I've been expecting you."
"Why thank you, but I am in a hurry!"
I waltz past him, but I knew something was wrong he didn't move a muscle
"Yuured, let's make a deal"
I halted and listened
"Good, you actually stopped, well after all you are a gentleman thief, but anyway hand over the cipher and I will let you off the hook this time, deal?"
My thoughts were all scrambled, a deal like that? Preposterous! What benefit will either side gain!?
"My, that is a deal, but I must refuse it… Now if you will excuse me"
"As expected, curiosity killed the cat"
Before I knew it, I fell into a pit with no way out…
Cogoro appeared at the edge of the hole, grinning triumphantly. It is over…. "I knew you'd try to steal the cipher," Cogoro stated. "So I set a trap for you." I cursed myself for being so careless. HOW DID HE KNOW? WHAT GAVE IT AWAY? DOES HE ALREADY KNOW MY REAL IDENTITY? ARE WALDO AND PAUL IN DANGER? But it doesn't matter… I should be more worried about what was about to happen to me, Cogoro signaled for his team to come over, and they quickly dragged me out of the pit and slammed me on the floor knocking the air out of me, they secured me with handcuffs. Even though I got caught I couldn't help myself but smile and admire the cunning of Cogoro, so I had to ask how did he know?
"Well done ace detective Maximilian Cogoro! WELL DONE!! I must ask, how did you know of my arrival? This was my first job in which I didn't send a calling card!"
Waiting for his answer, my skin began to crawl and sweat became visible, my muscles tensed as I saw him open his mouth only for him to whisper in my ear, "Don't think about it…"
"What?"
"A thief does not deserve answers. For that will be justice. But does a thief believe in justice? Of course, he does not! All are rotten to the core… you might have the façade of a gentleman; alas, you are still nothing but a thief…"
The feeling of fear and stress vanished and instead have been replaced with anger and rage, but I must conceal it, one false move and they pull the trigger in the name of self-defense. So as I was being led away by the detective's team, I knew that he couldn't let them take me in. I HAD to find a way to escape, no matter what. Waiting for the right moment, biding my time as they led me down the hallway. I had to make a move
"You there, would you mind handing me a cigarette?"
"Let him" replied Cogoro
The brute placed the cigarette in my mouth and lit it, that was when I knew all the pieces fell together
"W-what? FIRE!!"
The two grunts pushed my on-fire body away as I begin to scream in pain and ran off
"AAAAAAA MY FACE!!!" I took off my mask and continued to run
"QUICK! DAMN IT! I FORGOT TO REVEAL HIS IDENTITY! AFTER HIM, NOW!"
Waltzing through everything my actions were happening faster than my brain could process them, I eventually reached the 3rd floor of the museum I turned the corner, and seeing that there is no escape I shielded my face and jumped in the window landing in the water
"DAMN IT! NO! HE COULDN'T HAVE ESCAPED! QUICKLY, GO CHECK THE RIVER!" shouted Cogoro at his men while I merely walked out of the front door of the museum. It was my brother's favorite trick, the fake fire dummy… I held the cipher up to the sky and smirked, the thrill of being on the run while achieving my goals is what drove me to escape…