Eye of the God (29 page)

The mini-electro magnetic pulse only allowed ninety seconds of blackout, and his time was running out. Isaac followed the green residue from the phosphorescent light through the ductwork.

As he slithered on his belly through the maze of air-conditioning vents, Isaac Weld felt the weight of his greatest conquest resting beneath his shirt.

When the lights came on, it was not the muted lighting of the staged event, but the full, harsh, fluorescent glare produced by the emergency generators. The hundreds of panicked guests stood, relief evident on their faces. As they turned toward the stage, their expressions told Abby what she already knew. The diamond was gone.

The crowd's confused murmur grew into a cacophony of exclamations and gasps. Abby stood before the crowd, fully clothed, yet feeling totally naked. She shrank into Alex, seeking what protection she could find in his embrace.

Dow and DeDe remained seated the entire time, knowing full well what had happened the moment the lights
went out. Their eyes remained fixed, unmoving during the ninety seconds of darkness as they held hands. When harsh light flooded the room, they saw the look of panic etched on Abby's face. Alex stood behind her, arms around her waist.

DeDe attempted to stand, but Dow laid a hand on her arm and pulled her back into the chair. A smile stretched the corners of his mouth. “Sit darling,” he said.

“Shouldn't we—”

“No,” he interrupted. “Let's see how this plays out.”

Blake Marshall's heart pounded as he counted down the seconds before the emergency lights kicked back on. He knew what had happened the moment the security cameras went white ten seconds before the power outage. He knew, and he was helpless to stop it.

As the generators clicked and chugged in the distance, building power, he shuffled in the dark toward the main security console, eyes focused blindly on the blank screens. When power returned to the small room, chaos played out on the monitors.

“Daniel is going to skin me alive,” he gasped, throwing himself into the chair before the consoles.

“The cameras reverted to their default positions,” Marshall yelled at the security crew. “Get her on the screen now! I don't care about anything else; I want to see Dr. Mitchell.”

Technicians scrambled to adjust cameras throughout the Rotunda. A few seconds later Abby's panic-stricken face appeared on the screen. Her hands fluttered around her bare neck as she spoke with her date.

Marshall gaped at the screen. The diamond was gone. It took a moment before he regained control of his thoughts to insert his security card into the main processor. His fingers flew across the keyboard, typing in the distress code. Three seconds later, dozens of alarms went off, echoing down the halls of the Smithsonian Institute's Museum of Natural History, and every exterior door and window immediately locked. No one was going anywhere for a while.

Isaac Weld slipped through the door leading from the HVAC maintenance shaft onto the roof a mere two seconds before the alarm sounded. A steel rod jammed into the deadbolt, effectively locking him from the building. His original plan was to be clear of the door by twenty seconds. When Alex hesitated, it cut into Isaac's escape plan. Now the thief raced across the roof toward the back corner of the building.

Daniel Wallace plowed through the Rotunda like a bull at Pamplona, ready to charge anyone in his path. His bloodshot gaze locked on Abby. One hand pressed against his earpiece and the other held a small bullhorn.

“Cut the sirens,” he ordered.

With nostrils flared, he took the stage steps two at a time and confronted Abby. She stepped back into Alex's protective embrace.

“Dr. Mitchell, do you want to tell me where that diamond is, or do we need to go about this the hard way?” Daniel challenged.

Abby gasped. “Daniel, you don't think—”

He leaned closer. “I'll tell you what I think—” His hot breath hissed against her ear. “—I think you are a very smart woman, Dr. Mitchell. And I think you have a great deal of explaining to do.” Daniel locked glares with Alex, warning him not to interfere.

“Daniel, I … surely, you can't—” She shook her head in disbelief.

“I'm not a patient man. Talk to me now, or I can make this difficult. You don't want that to happen.”

Tears welled up in her eyes, and she blinked them back.

“Okay, Dr. Mitchell, just remember that this was your choice,” the security chief growled.

Daniel turned to the crowd and lifted the bullhorn to his mouth. His harsh voice echoed off the arched ceiling. “Ladies and gentlemen, we are in lockdown. We will remain so until we have recovered the Hope Diamond.” He glowered at Abby's bare neck. “What that
means
,” he continued, “is that every one of you is a suspect.”

Stunned shouts of protest erupted from the guests.

“As suspects, you will be subjected to a body search and interrogation before leaving the Smithsonian tonight.”

Daniel lowered the bullhorn and questioned Abby. “Am I correct in assuming that this is going to hurt the bottom line of your little fund-raiser?”

“You think I still care about that?”

“I think you planned this entire thing.”

“You can't be serious!”

Daniel ignored her and spoke into the bullhorn again. “This is how it's going to work, ladies and gentlemen. Men will be escorted to the left into the Hall of Mammals. Ladies will be taken to the right into the Dinosaur Room. There you will undergo a physical search. Men will be searched
by male security officers; women will be searched by female security officers.”

Cell phones materialized among the guests; attorneys would earn their retainers tonight.

Horrified, Abby tugged at Daniel's arm and pulled the bullhorn down. “Are you insane? Do you know who these people are? You are looking at some of the most well-connected attorneys and politicians in the country. This will open the Smithsonian up to a class-action lawsuit that could destroy it forever.”

“Then why don't you start talking, Dr. Mitchell?”

“Because I don't know anything!”

“I don't believe you.”

“Daniel, think about what you're doing.”

“The choice is yours, Abby. Where is the diamond?”

“I've already told you. I don't have it!” she yelled. Alex squeezed her arm in support.

“That's funny. You were the one wearing it five minutes ago.”

Alex stepped forward. “What are you insinuating?”

“This is none of your business, Mr. Weld.”

“I'm making it my business. You just accused Dr. Mitchell of a felony.”

Daniel turned to Alex and eyed him closely. “Do you mind telling me what you were doing when that diamond magically disappeared from around her neck?”

“Standing right here with her.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, it is, as a matter of fact,” Abby said. “He found me as soon as the lights went out.”

“How convenient.”

“What are you saying?” Alex gently moved Abby aside, shoving his face inches from Daniel.

“I'm saying that the Hope Diamond is gone. She was wearing it. And you were standing right next to her. You expect me to believe that neither of you know where it is now?”

“Alex had nothing to do with this!”

“And how do you know that, Dr. Mitchell?”

“His arms were around me the entire time. He came up here to keep me safe, not to steal the diamond.”

“Safe from what, Dr. Mitchell? Are you afraid of the dark?”

“He's a gentleman, Daniel, unlike you.”

“Apparently not. He stood there and let someone make off with a $250 million dollar necklace while it was hanging on your neck.”

“Now wait just a minute! I had no idea—”

“You didn't know someone was taking it off her neck?”

“No.”

“And what about you, Abby?”

“I felt someone unlatch the necklace, but it wasn't Alex. I'm telling you, he was right here. His arms were around me the whole time.”

“Don't go anywhere,” Daniel said. “I'll talk to you two later.”

“We need to start the search, Dr. Trent,” Daniel said. The head of the museum looked stunned. “The longer we wait the greater the possibility of losing that diamond.”

“You can't be serious, Daniel. Do you know the lawsuits we would face by searching our patrons?”

“Someone in this room stole the diamond. If we don't search them, they could walk out of here, and you will never see it again. Are you prepared to let that happen?” Daniel ran a hand over his face. “It may already be gone.”