"And good luck."
"Don't need it," he says, and the line goes dead.
30
THE LAND OF THE LIVING
SEVEN
"Elijah is in position." Atticus's voice comes through the earpiece, gruff and focused.
Here we fucking go.
Without weeks of careful planning, we agreed that the only way to succeed tonight is to do thisloud.
My favorite way to do things.
It also makes a statement. We reenter the art theft scene with a proper bang and a giantfuck youto Ambrose. Our collection had several Modiglianis, so it absolutely makes sense that we'd want this one. Italsomakes sense that Ambrose would want to expand his stolen collection from the artist.
Or at least, that's how I rationalized it to Atticus when he mentioned how using intel so quickly might lead to suspicion.
This sort of thing may not be the end goal, but fuck if it won't be like Christmas morning once I get that vault open.
"On the move," I announce, yanking my mask over my face as I slip from my perch high in the rafters of an exhibition room. I've been here for hours, waiting patiently for Atty's green light, and it's downright delicious to move my stiff muscles as I swingfree from my hiding place to the adjacent wall and climb down to the floor.
"Hold," Atty barks, and I flatten myself inside the opening to the main hall. "Coming now. Twenty seconds."
As he says it, I hear the footsteps of the patrol guard approaching and rise to the balls of my feet, electric with unspent energy.
Come on,come on.
"Ten," Atty says, and I lick my lips.
"Five."
I shake out my hands, wait until the guard passes the opening to the hall, and then step out. He can't even get out his gasp of surprise before I have my arm around his neck, bicep flexing as he fights uselessly against my hold.
"Easy, Sev," Atty warns in my ear. "No deaths."
I control my strength, dragging him into the exhibit hall, lowering him to the ground as he goes limp. I check to make sure he's still breathing.
"Get the key card,move. You have one minute until the next rotation."
I catch my reflection in the glass covering a large gouache by Henri Matisse. The Ghostface mask looks as dope as I thought it would and I make finger guns at my reflection.
"Seven,focus. And I'm never leaving you in charge of masks again."
"But you look so good in your skull mask, Daddicus."
"Sev." He draws out my name, and I sigh, adjusting the mask before I move down the hall double time, pausing for only half a sec to moon Atticus watching me through the hijacked camera feed.
"Real mature, asshole."
I swipe the card on the reader to the main elevator, then swipe it again inside to hit the button for the underground level,where Eli should already be waiting in a full security uniform. I hike my pants back up, tighten my belt, and adjust the shotgun across my back.
"Showtime, Sev. Make it good."
"Always do."
