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Magnus took off his helmet inside the vault room. His eyes widened at the glittering array of gorgeous stones spread across the grading table. Never had jewelry or gemstones interested him. But looking at these stones, he could see how someone might become greedier than normal.
When Magnus glanced over at Carter, he was greatly disturbed and slightly taken back. The glint in Carter’s eyes was dark, lustful, and sinister; something he never expected from the doctor. If a picture of what pure greed looked like were in the dictionary, it would be exactly what he witnessed on Carter’s face.
Magnus grabbed a handful of the stones and poured them from hand to hand. The rattling sound was equivalent to clinking a bag of glass marbles together. Across from the vault were small cabinets. Each drawer of MarQuebes was labeled according to the number of carats per stone. On the tabletop in the center of the vault were open trays of stones that had yet to be sorted.
Carter set his briefcase on the table and picked up one of the MarQuebes. He held it up and examined it beneath the lights. The ruby-red stone flickered and its inner deep violet hue shimmered as he turned it under the light. “They leave them out in the open like this?”
“Why not?” Magnus asked. “It’s not like any of the prisoners can steal them. Except us, of course. But even if the others managed to gain the freedom of their minds and robbed a vault, the outside terrain would kill them or they’d be shot on sight.”
Carter’s eyes stared at the gems. “I’m a bit worried about getting shot myself.”
“We’ll be careful. Once we get the mechanic jumpsuits from Sylvia, we’ll get out.”
“I’m not so certain,” Carter said.
“Don’t let your nerves get the best of you. Our lives depend upon our ability to stay bold and calm.”
“How many MarQuebes should we take?”
“Two dozen will be more than enough,” Magnus replied. “Don’t take any of the largest stones though.”
“Why not?”
“Uncut stones will raise questions, anyway. Anything more than two to three carats will draw suspicion from a jeweler or pawn shop owner.”
“That makes sense, I suppose.”
“But we will only succeed in our escape by remaining out of sight and under the radar.”
“It’s worked so far,” Carter replied.
“Mind if we put the stones in your briefcase?” Magnus asked.
Carter shook his head. “No. There’s no room.”
Carter grabbed the briefcase and tucked it against his side.
“Okay. Not a problem,” Magnus said, eyeing Carter with suspicion.
Magnus counted out twenty-four of the best-colored stones and slid them into his pocket.
***
Magnus peered out the vault door with Carter slightly behind him. Before stepping out he forced the helmet back onto his head. Outside the vault, he shoved the door closed.
“I’m signing out for the night,” Boony whispered into his ear.
Although Magnus didn’t know her, and they had only talked for a few minutes, he ached at her sudden departure. He liked the mystery of talking to someone new and unseen, the euphoria in learning more about her. He found himself filled with sudden disappointment that he’d not hear her voice for quite some time or ever again. His chest felt heavy.
He was ready to plead for her to stay on the mike, but before he could reply, she said, “You could meet me at The Vortex in a half hour if you’d like.”
Eagerness overshadowed any worry that she might be setting him up. He loved the softness of her voice, her sultriness whenever she teased, and more than anything, he wanted to put a face to the beautiful voice and hoped he wouldn’t be disappointment. Usually people fell for one another based upon first sight, but with her voice . . . he really didn’t care about her outer appearance. She had already won his interests.
“That sounds great. How will I recognize you?” he asked.
“I’ll come to you,” she replied.
“Very well.”
“Heads up,” she said.
“What?”
“Guards are changing shifts. You and your secret friend need to get out of the tunnels now.”
“Where should we go?”
“Damn,” she whispered.
“What?”
“I have to go. My supervisor is coming up the stairs. Hurry and find somewhere to hide.”
Sudden bumping static crackled in his ears. She had apparently yanked the headset off her head. The transmitter went dead.
“Come on,” Magnus said. “We have a problem.”
“What?” Carter asked.
“Guards are heading our way.”
“How do you know that?”
“Trust me. They are headed down this corridor.”
Carter looked both ways down the tunnel. “Which way are they coming from?”
Magnus shook his head. “I’m not certain.”
“We have nowhere to hide.”
“This way,” Magnus said, heading for the darkest part of the tunnel.
“If you don’t know which direction they’re coming from, how is it that you even know they’re coming?”
“I just do,” he replied.
Carter shook his head and grunted.
Magnus hurried toward the left side of the tunnel. He wished that Boony had at least told him from which direction these guards were coming.
He ran his hand along the polished corridor wall. Voices came from ahead of them. Others from behind. He and Carter were caught in the middle.
Magnus winced. Had Boony set them up?