Team Jon: A Chain Is No Stronger Than Its Weakest Link (cont'd)

part 2

“Today is an observation day,” Spencer said, the blueprint of the Smithsonian rolled out on the bed between them all as they sat around it.
 
Jon was at Spencer’s side, his eyes lingering on the entrances and exits to the building. Ryan sat near the head of the bed, far away from Brendon and searching the map for electrical wiring. Brendon listened closely, focused on the mission.
 
“You need to be casual. You need to be invisible. This isn’t some candy store robbery. This diamond is worth upwards of two-hundred million dollars.”
 
Brendon let out a low breath and Spencer nodded.
 
“We need to know everything about this place; who the security are, where they patrol, their weak spots, their distractions. Look for the cameras, mark their positions. We’re concentrating on the precious gems room, but we need to know it all, just in case.”
 
His eyes flicked to Ryan, but for once, Ryan didn’t react, only stared hard at the blueprint.
 
Brendon and Jon nodded in understanding and Spencer folded up the map, glancing around at them all.
 
“Ready?”
 
“As I’ll ever be.” Jon smiled and climbed off the bed and grabbed his shoes from the floor. Brendon sat for a minute, thinking it all over. He was good at watching, observing. It should be easy.
 
Ryan didn’t speak, but slid off the bed and retreated back to his and Brendon’s room, grabbing his jacket. Spencer watched him go and turned back to Brendon.
 
“Brendon, you know how serious this job is?”
 
“Yeah,” Brendon assured him. “I get it.”
 
Spencer paused, glancing back at the open door to their room and lowering his voice. “Do you really?”
 
Brendon frowned for a second. “Well, we could go to jail if we get caught, and Gabe might kill us if we don’t get the diamond but do escape.”
 
Spencer was silent for a moment and Jon watched carefully from behind him, checking the door for Ryan alternately.
 
“Brendon, you’re here for two reasons,” Spencer said quietly, continuing to watch for Ryan at the door. “One is because you’re the best pickpocket I’ve ever been picked by, and two, because I’ve seen the way you watch Ryan and the way he pretends not to watch you.”
 
Brendon frowned again. “What does that have to do with anything?”
 
Spencer just shook his head and rose from the bed, tugging on a warmer jacket. “You like to watch people. Figure it out.”
 
Brendon hated when people gave him his own advice. He couldn’t ask for more information, though, because Ryan appeared at the door then, not looking at him, but raising an eyebrow at Spencer.
 
“Are we going?”
 
Spencer pushed away from the bed and nodded, grabbing his hotel key from the table and stuffing it in his back pocket.
 
The trip to the Smithsonian didn’t take long by car since Spencer refused to take the Metro, muttering something about dirty hobos. Brendon didn’t mind, but did enjoy looking out the car windows as the city of Washington D.C. rolled by.
 
They were dropped off just off the Mall and filtered onto the dead lawn covered by a thin layer of snow. The sky was a mottled grey color and it reminded Brendon of Seattle. They made their way across the lawn, past the Metro entrance that was empty for the moment except for a man strumming a little guitar with his case open for coins.
 
Spencer ignored him and passed right by, slowing as they reached the right Smithsonian museum. Glancing back at the other three, he climbed the steps inside to where people were waiting to check bags. He had nothing, so they just greeted him and he stepped inside with the others.
 
Looking around, Brendon caught Spencer’s eye and nodded before wandering off casually towards the gemstones. He saw Ryan move off in the opposite direction and didn’t let him feel disappointed by it.
 
He didn’t know what he’d been expecting from the night before, but he’d hoped that Ryan might warm up to him a little. As much as Brendon avoided getting to know people in his job, he did enjoy being around them. He liked talking to them, staying awake late into the night and finding out things others didn’t know. He liked knowing the person trusted him enough to tell him things.
 
Ryan was not like that. He was quiet and thoughtful, careful in his actions. He didn’t let anyone in until he was sure it was safe.
 
Pushing the thoughts from his mind, Brendon wandered around the museum carefully, pausing on certain displays as he entered the precious gem room. The room was full of glass cases, behind which were all sorts of stones; diamond, ruby, tanzanite, in all shapes and sizes. There were purple diamonds, pink diamonds, yellow, green, blue. Brendon had never seen so many different types.
 
He wasn’t just looking at the diamonds, though. Every movement of his eye caught something new; the security guard standing at the entrance door with his walkie talkie at his side going off every few minutes about something happening elsewhere, the door that nearly blended into the wall just behind a case of onyx pieces. He saw the camera in the corner of the room that surveyed the entire right side, and behind him, caught sight of another pointed the opposite direction. It didn’t move with his motions as he crossed the room.
 
Very few people were milling around the room since it was a weekday morning in the middle of winter. Brendon continued down the rows of glass cases, not pausing too long on any one exhibit.
 
He watched the security guard when he had the chance, watching the man standing with his hands clasped before him, his hat tilted down. His shoes were scuffed and Brendon paused on them for a moment before he glanced away as the man looked up.
 
Brendon moved to the middle of the room where a single gem sat on a pedestal surrounded by a glass covering.
 
Stepping forward, Brendon circled the case to the front, stopping as his eyes fell on a stunning diamond at least an inch across in diameter, if not more, and a beautiful deep blue color. White diamonds circled around the blue diamond on the necklace. His eyes flickered to the little card accompanying the display that read, “Hope Diamond.”
 
The diamond sparkled on its pedestal, glinting up at him. He lingered on the stone itself for a few moments before sweeping over the case that held it, knowing that was why he was really here, not to marvel at some famed diamond.
 
The case was made of a sort of Plexiglas material, difficult to break, but easy to remove if it wasn’t bolted to the base. The base was a standard wood platform covered in fabric to match the room.
 
Brendon inspected the base of the Plexiglas carefully, seeing how it was fused to the base. He didn’t linger too long, though, moving away from the case as a couple came up behind him. He slid from the room, looking only vaguely interested in the case of opal and turquoise jewelry.
 
He passed through the other display rooms, his eyes traveling wonderingly like a lost tourist over the rooms, while he was really searching each room for cameras and weak spots. He found unlocked doors in a few and lax security. The door to the stairs opened silently and he noted the lock type for later as he climbed up to the animal rooms.
 
On the floor above, he found himself immersed in informational wall displays about insects and arachnids. He peered into the ant hole model but didn’t crawl inside, backing out only to run into someone.
 
Turning to apologize, he found himself face to face with Ryan.
 
“Oh, hey,” he said instead, straightening up.
 
“What were you doing?” Ryan asked, a bite to his voice as he looked from Brendon to the child-size tunnel behind him.
 
“Looking around.” Brendon shrugged, glancing at the security guard who strode past at that moment.
 
Ryan watched the man go silently, but then turned to Brendon. “That’s not part of our plan.”
 
Brendon glanced at the hole. “Maybe not, but we need to know everything.”
 
“Spencer just says that to be careful,” Ryan dismissed easily. “You don’t need to know everything.”
 
Brendon just shrugged. “Better safe than sorry.”  He glanced around again, seeing the guard disappear around a corner into another area of the exhibit. There was no one upstairs with them at the moment and Brendon wondered how they could be so careless with all their artifacts.
 
Ryan had his arms crossed and was frowning at Brendon, almost as though Brendon was intruding on his part of the job by coming upstairs.
 
Brendon paused for a second as he looked back at Ryan. Backing him up, he moved so that Ryan was forced to stumble backwards against the plastic ant hole.
 
“What are you doing?” Ryan asked, his voice hard but tinged with something a little more than anger.
 
Brendon didn’t hesitate, glancing around for security one more time and leaning into Ryan’s ear, his mouth brushing against it as he spoke. “I’m watching you. You can’t stop it. And I don’t want to.”
 
Then he pulled away and turned, heading down another way and leaving Ryan frozen against the ant hole.
 
*
 
They ordered in that night, all four clustered in Spencer and Jon’s room, sitting around the round table, Chinese take-out boxes littering the top of it. Jon’s feet were propped in Spencer’s lap as he grabbed a box off the table and dug his chopsticks into it.
 
“So how’d everybody do?” Spencer asked, popping a piece of chicken into his mouth.
 
Brendon swallowed his mouthful of noodles. “There are two cameras in the diamond room and a security guard patrols the doorway. The case is made out of Plexiglas and plywood and stands about five feet tall at the top.”
 
Spencer nodded, satisfied, and looked at Ryan next.
 
“The security system is behind a locked and coded door on the second floor past the insect exhibit. A guard is always there, but they’re changed out every three hours. Two people came in and out of it all day, both men in suits. They punched in a six-digit code, the first three numbers were six, nine, and one. I didn’t get the last three.”
 
Spencer nodded again, slower. “We’ll need the last three.”
 
Ryan didn’t reply, but grabbed Jon’s box from him. Spencer looked to Jon last.
 
“Each exhibit has a security guard night and day. Their walkie talkies are their means of communication and it’s hard to hear anything from room to room. Cameras are stationed over the entrance and exit of each room but are stationary. The guards rotate rooms, but a new team doesn’t come in until just before closing.”
 
“Oh,” Brendon added suddenly. “There’s a lock on the stairs too, locked from the outside on both ends.”
 
Spencer looked thoughtful. “Good.”
 
Brendon smiled and picked up a box of pork. Ryan wasn’t looking at him as he ate quietly, watching Spencer and Jon beside him.
 
Spencer set down his chopsticks and took a swig of his drink for a second.
 
“So tomorrow, we can’t go back,” he said. “I will, but you three can’t.”
 
“Why not?” Brendon asked curiously.
 
“To be invisible, you have to be invisible,” Spencer pointed out. “They can’t learn your faces, and in a time like this where not many people visit the museum, the likelihood is much higher. So you three will lay low, go hang out in the city, whatever, and I’ll go back, try to get the rest of the code, find out more about the security and the locks, figure out what tools we’ll need.”
 
Brendon was surprised, but it made sense, so he just shrugged and smiled at Jon across the table.
 
*
 
Brendon awoke gloriously late the next morning, no phone ringing obnoxiously loud in his ear. The curtains were shut tight and he sighed contently as he rolled over to look at the little red clock that read nearly ten in the morning.
 
Moving from the clock to the next bed, Brendon was surprised to find it empty. He listened hard but heard no sign of Ryan. Sitting up, he glanced around the dark room. It looked normal except for Ryan’s empty but mussed bed sheets. The bathroom light wasn’t on, and the second room key was missing from the table.
 
Frowning slightly, Brendon lay back down, staring at the dark ceiling. He hadn’t heard Ryan get up or anyone leaving. In the end, he just sighed and slipped out of bed, taking a long shower and reveling in the warm water hitting his skin. He knew it would be another nippy day and wanted to take advantage of the warmth as long as he could.
 
When he emerged from the shower, a towel wrapped firmly around his waist, he came out to find both Jon and Ryan sitting on Ryan’s bed.
 
Jon smiled at him as he entered, water dripping down his flushed skin. Ryan caught a glance and quickly looked away.
 
“Morning,” Jon greeted him cheerfully.
 
“Hey,” Brendon mumbled, blinking and wondering why Jon was there. Then he remembered that Spencer had gone alone to the museum and he just went about changing into jeans and a shirt.
 
Jon watched him unabashedly, but Ryan turned away and didn’t let his eyes scrape down the contours of Brendon’s back as he leaned over, tugging up his jeans.
 
When Brendon was finally dressed, he flopped down onto the end of Ryan’s bed, rubbing his hair with the towel.
 
“So what are we doing today?”
 
“I thought we could go out, see the city,” Jon suggested. “I mean, we’re only here for a few more days, and unless we get caught, we won’t be seeing much of this town for a while.”
 
Brendon laughed, although he wasn’t sure if it was really funny to joke about getting arrested. His normal pulls were fairly safe from being arrested unless it happened to be a cop he was stealing from.
 
“Sure,” he agreed. “I’ve never been here before.”
 
“No?” Jon raised an eyebrow. “Ryan, we have to show him this great capitol of ours.”
 
Ryan just mumbled something and didn’t meet Jon’s enthusiastic gaze. He did glance at Brendon, though, if not briefly and carefully.
 
Jon just shrugged, taking it as a yes. “Awesome. Okay, so, Brendon, grab your jacket and put on some shoes. We’ll get food on the way.”
 
Brendon smiled and stood up from the bed, putting on more clothes as Jon talked to Ryan about all the things they could see.
 
*
 
Jon’s version of showing Brendon the city turned out to be a lot of riding around on the Metro and taking pictures of monuments. Ryan tagged along behind, sometimes sighing as Jon pushed him and Brendon together in front of statues and snapping pictures, talking about composition and lighting.
 
Brendon didn’t mind and took the opportunities to brush his hand against Ryan’s carefully, pretending not to notice the shivers that Ryan gave and the slight jerk. By midday, though, the jerk had stopped and Ryan hardly moved when Brendon’s hand slid against his to point at something or grab something on a shelf.
 
Jon was having a great time, taking Brendon to all the obligatory monuments like Washington monument, Jefferson, Lincoln, the World War II memorial, the Vietnam wall. They walked a long ways to the White House, and as Brendon stared through the white metal bars, he wondered if the president really knew what was going on inside his country, in his own backyard.
 
Lunch was at a small café that Jon claimed had the best sandwiches that side of the Mississippi. They were good, Brendon had to admit, but they weren’t spectacular.
 
He took the seat next to Ryan, ignoring the frustrated look Ryan got for a moment as he slid into his seat.
 
While they waited, Jon sat back in silence, merely glancing around the place at the framed pictures on the wall, watching the server across the room take someone’s order.
 
Brendon played with the salt shaker with one hand while the other pressed gently against Ryan’s thigh. His fingers moved slowly, slipping one by one onto his leg, but not applying any pressure.
 
He knew Ryan could feel it. He could tell from the small twitches at the corners of his mouth, the way his blinks seemed stuttered. Ryan sat with his hands above the table, clasped firmly together. His lips was sucked into his mouth as he chewed on it and fixated on the dark hall in the back leading to the bathrooms.
 
Brendon’s hand rested warmly over Ryan’s thigh, comfortable and easy as he glanced around innocently. Jon reclined in his chair, his hands behind his head as he gazed out the window to where people were bustling down the street, wrapped in warm coats, their breath puffing in clouds before them as they walked.
 
Brendon’s fingers slipped for a second and he felt Ryan tense in his chair. Brendon left his fingers for a moment before rising from his chair.
 
“I’m going to the bathroom,” he said casually, his eyes flicking to Ryan. “I’ll be right back.”
 
Jon just nodded, watching a mother and son outside waiting for the crosswalk intently.
 
Brendon left the table, heading to the bathroom and slipping inside. It was empty and he moved to the sink, washing his hands and contemplating his reflection. He was unsurprised when the door swung open behind him several minutes later and Ryan was there.
 
He didn’t look happy, his mouth set in a frown as he stared at Brendon.
 
“What?” Brendon asked innocently, grabbing a paper towel and drying his hands.
 
“You know what,” Ryan replied, his tone hard but tired. “I don’t want to play this game, Brendon.”
 
“It’s not a game.” Brendon threw away the towel and took a step towards Ryan. “It’s simple. You’re making it complicated.”
 
“I’m making it complicated?” Ryan repeated incredulously. “Just listen for a second. There should be nothing to complicate. There isn’t anything between us. It’s just you. You wanting something that isn’t there. Don’t you get it? I don’t want you. I want this job over with so I can get back to my life.” He stared at Brendon, his eyes pleading for him to get it, to leave him alone.
 
Brendon just paused, staring at Ryan intently until he stepped forward, raising a hand to Ryan’s jaw slowly, brushing over the skin and seeing the slight flash behind his golden irises.
 
He shook his head slowly, cupping Ryan’s jaw and ignoring the look of fleeting panic and anger in Ryan’s eyes.
 
“No, you don’t,” he whispered, bringing their lips together for a kiss that lingered a few more seconds than necessary until Brendon pulled back slowly and left Ryan standing in the bathroom, dazed and more than a little confused.
 
*
 
Ryan was not happy. He endured the rest of the day of sightseeing while Jon pointed out places and morphed into a tour guide as they traipsed through the city. Ryan ignored his lecture on the architecture of the buildings and concentrated on walking.
 
Brendon stuck by his side mostly, which didn’t make Ryan feel any better.
 
He was annoyed. He was annoyed with Brendon, with Spencer, with himself, even a little bit with Jon, who had suggested the day’s outing. He knew his anger with Jon was irrational, but he could be annoyed if he wanted.
 
By the time they returned to the hotel that evening, Ryan wanted nothing more than to set Brendon straight once and for all.
 
As the door shut behind them and Jon headed to his own room, Ryan slid in the upper lock and turned to where Brendon had sat down and was pulling off his shoes and jacket with a relieved sigh.
 
“That was a long day,” Brendon commented, tossing his shoes over by his suitcase and flopping down backwards on the bed.
 
Ryan’s eyes just narrowed as he approached the bed.
 
Brendon glanced over, frowning at Ryan’s expression, and sat up. “What?”
 
“You don’t know anything about me.”
 
Brendon sat up completely, pausing. “What?”
 
Ryan took a breath. “Just because you have some stupid obsession with watching me doesn’t mean you know what I want. You don’t know what I’m thinking. Maybe I’m planning the best way to kill you without anyone noticing. Did you ever think that? Maybe I’ve got it all worked out and I’m just waiting for the perfect moment. You don’t know.”
 
“You wouldn’t kill me.”
 
“How do you know?” Ryan demanded. “You don’t know what I’ve done in this business. Spencer didn’t tell you about the time we stole a high-security computer chip worth millions of dollars and Brent had to kill three security guards just to get us out of there. It isn’t just reaching in and taking things without people noticing. People notice and then they go after you. You live in secret for months, waiting for it to be safe to come out. You have aliases, people who never know your real name, IDs with names you don’t even remember when people ask for it.”
 
Ryan was staring at Brendon. He just didn’t get it. This business wasn’t easy and sometimes it wasn’t fun. In order to even stay alive, you needed to be focused on yourself and the team, not you and someone else. Brendon didn’t understand that.
 
Brendon paused. “Okay,” he said finally. He didn’t quite understand where Ryan was going with this.
 
Ryan huffed for a minute, shaking his head. “So you don’t know me. I’m just Ryan to you. I’m not someone you should want to be with or think about. After this is over, you’ll go back to Seattle and forget about us. You’ll forget that you know us and what we do.”
 
His eyes were hard and Brendon stared at him for a few minutes, blinking slowly before rising to his feet and standing before Ryan.
 
“Ryan,” he said slowly. “I know that this job is important to you and Spencer and Jon. I’m not here to ruin it for you. Can’t you just give me a chance?”
 
“No, you don’t get it!” Ryan threw up his hands. “I can’t. I can’t because it’s dangerous for everyone.”
 
“What do you mean, dangerous?” Brendon was confused, and Ryan just groaned.
 
“I’m the problem, Brendon. Me. Not Spencer, not Jon, not you. Me. They got you because of me. I can’t be distracted at all during this.”
 
“Not all distractions are bad.”
 
“They are in this business,” Ryan insisted, rubbing his forehead and sighing. “So will you just stop watching me?”
 
Brendon was silent for a second while Ryan waited for his answer. He just needed Brendon to stop his approach, to let him concentrate on the job.
 
He did admit that Brendon intrigued him. Brendon was attractive and smart, sharp and inquisitive. Ryan admired those qualities, and had they not been on this job with the stakes this high, he would have considered dragging Brendon to him and pushing him down on the bed. He’d already made the mistake once of letting Brendon in.
 
“No.”
 
Ryan’s eyebrows shot up as Brendon answered.
 
“Excuse me?”
 
“No,” Brendon repeated. “It isn’t just your life and your decision. I’m involved too.”
 
Ryan stared. “I don’t want you.”
 
“You don’t want me to keep pushing,” Brendon corrected, “because then you might just give in. And you don’t want to, do you?”
 
Ryan wasn’t sure what was happening, but Brendon sounded logical. “No,” he replied slowly.
 
Brendon closed the gap between them slowly and Ryan frowned.
 
“I want you to,” Brendon said honestly. “I want you to give in and try. What’s the worst that could happen?”
 
Ryan scoffed quietly. “We could screw up the job, get caught, not get caught but then get killed by Gabe… It could work out.”
 
“You’re afraid of it working out?”
 
Ryan shrugged, looking away from Brendon. “I would screw it up.”
 
Brendon sighed. “What if I told you that I would protect you from Gabe?”
 
“Then I’d think you a very stupid person,” Ryan replied, looking back. He met Brendon’s eyes and caught his smile. “But an honorable one anyway.”
 
Brendon smiled. “Then, I’ll protect you from Gabe.”
 
Ryan rolled his eyes, but didn’t scoff again. “Or we could just steal the diamond and not worry about that.”
 
“We could do that too,” Brendon agreed, reaching for Ryan’s hand slowly.
 
Ryan glanced down when Brendon touched him, but allowed him to pull him closer.
 
“Can I watch you, then?” Brendon asked quietly, his expression hopeful yet serious.
 
Ryan hesitated, knowing he would probably regret this in time to come. Getting involved with Brendon wasn’t a good idea, despite what Spencer and Jon thought. Ryan knew what might happen if he did, but wasn’t sure he could resist Brendon much longer.
 
Finally, he sighed. “Yeah, I guess you can.”
 
Brendon’s smile was wide and Ryan couldn’t help returning it as Brendon leaned in for a kiss.
 
*
 
Spencer gathered them all for another go-through the next day at breakfast in some small café around the corner from their hotel. Brendon and Ryan sat next to each other, Brendon’s hand brushing against Ryan’s discretely under the table.
 
Ryan pretended not to notice as he listened to Spencer’s enumeration of the many cameras within the Smithsonian.
 
“I got the last of the code,” Spencer said, popping a slice of melon into his mouth. “It’s seven, four, two.”
 
Ryan nodded, scribbling it down on a napkin and stuffing it into his pocket for later. He glanced at Brendon for a second as Brendon’s hand touched his briefly as his hand went to his pocket. His mouth quirked into a barely visible smile before he turned back to his plate and pushed at his eggs.
 
Jon was drinking his orange juice in silence as he listened to Spencer list off the number of night security.
 
“So Saturday night?” Brendon asked quietly, drizzling syrup over his pancakes.
 
Spencer nodded. “It’s the busiest day and we’ll be less likely to be noticed.”
 
Brendon nodded, taking a bite and chewing thoughtfully.
 
Ryan leaned back, pushing away the mush of eggs uninterestedly. “You’re sure this is going to work?”
 
Spencer glanced at him. “Of course. Everything is planned.”
 
“You can’t plan everything,” Ryan muttered, his eyes flicking to Brendon, who hid his smile behind his water glass.
 
Spencer arched an eyebrow, looking between the two slowly. “Don’t worry. It’s under control. You all know what to do and that’s the important part.”
 
Brendon yawned as Spencer finished. It was still too early to be up, he thought as he glanced around the café. There weren’t many people inside aside from the occasional tourist and man in a business suit.
 
Excusing himself from the table, Brendon headed for the bathroom, interrupting the content silence around the table.
 
Spencer watched him go and turned back to Ryan once he was out of sight.
 
“Still nothing to tell us?”
 
Ryan sighed and glanced away while Jon smiled knowingly.
 
Spencer leaned forward over the table. “Come on, Ry. We’re your friends. You can tell us.”
 
Ryan scowled at Spencer’s smirk. “Tell you what?”
 
Spencer chuckled. “Maybe that smile Brendon just gave you.”
 
“I can’t control him.”
 
Spencer shared a glanced with Jon and grinned. “Maybe not, but what about you?”
 
“What about me?”
 
“Not everything is planned. You’re right. It isn’t. So what happened to make you change your mind about Brendon?”
 
“Who said I did?” Ryan turned away resolutely, and Spencer scoffed.
 
“Just admit it, Ry. You like him and he likes you. It’s obvious.”
 
Ryan just sighed and opened his mouth to reply, but Brendon returned, smiling and sliding back into his seat, his fingers brushing against Ryan’s under the table as he did. He looked from Ryan’s tired expression and Spencer and Jon’s knowing smiles.
 
“What’s going on?”
 
Spencer just shrugged, still smirking at Ryan. “Nothing. So are you ready?”
 
Brendon smiled. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
 
*
 
The next few days passed in a blur of planning and blueprints, lists and codes, guns and tools. Brendon had never seen so much work put into stealing something. He paid close attention to each thing Spencer pointed out on the map, every technical tidbit Ryan had to offer about the cameras and their angling. He listened to Jon detail how security guards worked. He was impressed and a little overwhelmed by all the knowledge it took to break into a museum.
 
He forced himself to focus on the plans and not get distracted by Ryan, who sent him small smiles now and didn’t push away his hands when they touched his arms, his hands, when they walked together or sat next to each other during the meetings.
 
He was pretty sure Spencer and Jon knew from the looks they exchanged when they thought he and Ryan weren’t looking. Brendon still noticed everything despite his eyes lingering on Ryan more than usual.
 
The night before the job was to take place, they all stayed in. Spencer stayed in his room with Jon, going over the guns and finalizing plans to smuggle everything inside the building.
 
Brendon shut the door to their adjoining rooms and clicked the lock. Sighing, he flopped down onto his bed and grabbed for the remote. Ryan was in the bathroom. Clicking on the TV, Brendon shuffled through the channels uninterestedly.
 
Ryan emerged from the bathroom and paused, his eyes falling Brendon spread across the bed, a pillow behind his head as he changed the channel again. Hesitating a minute, Ryan came over, crawling on the bed with Brendon, pleased when Brendon shut off the TV and smiled at him.
 
“Hi,” Brendon murmured, shifting and pulling Ryan on top of him.
 
“Hey,” Ryan replied softly, meeting Brendon’s lips for a kiss.
 
Brendon sighed contently as they pulled apart. Ryan settled on top of him, in between his legs, pressing soft kisses to his neck as Brendon smiled at the ceiling.
 
“So tomorrow’s the big day,” he commented, his eyes closing as Ryan’s mouth moved down, licking behind his ear slowly.
 
“Mm, yeah,” Ryan agreed, his hands sliding underneath Brendon’s tee shirt and resting against the skin lightly.
 
“Are you nervous?”
 
“Little.” Ryan’s voice was muffled against Brendon’s throat as he nipped at the taut skin and shifted slightly above him.
 
“How many times have you done this?” Brendon asked, his hand moving to Ryan’s back and resting in the small of it as he felt Ryan’s tongue slide over his skin.
 
“A lot,” Ryan murmured, his hands sliding up Brendon’s torso, bunching up the shirt as he went. Brendon’s back arched as Ryan’s hands pushed the shirt up and pulled it over his head.
 
Brendon sighed as he glanced down at Ryan, smiling when Ryan met his eyes and moved up for a slow, lingering kiss. Ryan’s fingers splayed over Brendon’s jaw as he kissed him slowly, his tongue sliding against Brendon’s, nipping at his bottom lip and pulling away with a sigh, biting down his jaw.
 
Brendon’s hand slipped under Ryan’s shirt as Ryan moved, pressing kisses down his neck and collar bone. Ryan’s hands fiddled with Brendon’s belt, tugging it undone and sliding the zipper of the pants down slowly.
 
Brendon’s eyes were closed and he let Ryan’s hand move down, flicking the button open on his jeans. His fingers tightened on Ryan’s back when Ryan’s hand slid under the fabric, circling his cock before grasping it lightly.
 
Brendon groaned softly, shifting into Ryan’s grip and letting out a low breath. Ryan’s mouth was still on his chest, teeth scraping over the skin, a soothing tongue following carefully.
 
Ryan’s hand moved slowly, a slow build-up of tension as his hand slid over the hard length. He paused in his movements above as his hand pumped. He listened to Brendon’s harder breaths, felt his fingers dig into his back alternately.
 
Brendon’s hips jerked into Ryan’s grip slightly as the heat spread through his body, tingling on his skin, tightening the knot in his stomach until he was mumbling words above Ryan, his hand pressing down on Ryan’s back.
 
“Ryan,” he murmured, his breath hitching slightly as Ryan’s speed increased and he squeezed Brendon’s cock carefully. “Shit, Ry.”
 
Ryan didn’t stop, his hand moving quickly now. He felt Brendon’s pants fluttering his hair as he watched his own hand. He saw Brendon’s hips jerk into his grip, flicked his thumb over the head of the leaking prick and smearing pre-come over the length. Ryan shifted forward, dragging his hips against Brendon’s thigh and feeling the same rush shoot through his body at the friction.
 
Brendon came amidst hard pants and soft, mumbled words in Ryan’s ear. His hips stilled slowly and he let out a long breath against Ryan’s neck, pressing a fumbling kiss to the skin as Ryan moved over him, his long body aligning with Brendon’s.
 
Brendon smiled at Ryan, finally opening his eyes and feeling Ryan’s erection pressing against his leg.
 
“I like that,” Brendon murmured, rolling them over so that he was on top, and pressing a kiss to Ryan’s lips.
 
Ryan smiled, groaning softly as Brendon’s hand slid into his pants and curled around his cock, jerking him off quickly.
 
“Yeah?” Ryan asked breathlessly, thrusting into Brendon’s hand.
 
“Mmm,” Brendon mumbled, his nose pressed against Ryan’s cheek and his mouth open slightly. He left a kiss there as he felt Ryan stutter forward into his grip.
 
Ryan twisted around, pressing his mouth to Brendon’s, kissing him hard as he gasped and his hips surged into Brendon’s pumping hand.
 
He came after a moment, groaning into Brendon’s mouth, biting his lower lip and finally sliding away, panting, and slipping onto the bed, breathing hard.
 
Brendon pulled out his hand, feeling Ryan relax against him, his body slack below him. Smiling, he slid down, tucked neatly against Ryan’s side, his mouth fitted against his neck.
 
Ryan leaned into Brendon as Brendon continued to brush kisses over his neck softly, smiling against the skin.
 
“Are you ready for tomorrow?” Ryan murmured, pushing back Brendon’s hair lightly and letting his fingers fall to the back of his neck.
 
“Hope so,” Brendon mumbled into his neck, sighing slightly.
 
“I’m sure you’ll be fine.”
 
Brendon nodded softly. “You will too.”
 
Ryan hesitated. “And if something goes wrong, you’ll get out of there?”
 
“As long as you do,” Brendon replied, tucking his face tighter against Ryan’s neck and sighing contently.
 
Ryan didn’t reply, only reached over to flick off the lamp and snuggled down beside Brendon, listening to his quiet breath flutter over his collar bone.
 
*
 
They entered the museum at three-thirty on Saturday afternoon. Outside, the air was nippy and the clouds threatened a dusting of snow. The sky was dim already when they entered, all going in separately. Jon’s gun was taped, safety on, to his leg and he merely smiled at the security guard nicely as he passed inside. Not all the museums had metal detectors.
 
Brendon came second, passing inside without a second glance from the guards. He lingered out of the way for Ryan to enter, and walked with him up to the second floor where they pretended to be interested in the ant exhibit as they kept a close eye on the security guard and the cameras in the corner.
 
Distracting the security guard and successfully blocking the camera, Brendon asked the man politely where he could find the dinosaurs since he only had a half an hour before closing and he’d really wanted to see the T-Rex before he left the city.
 
The guard had pointed him out the exhibit and down a floor, but Brendon engaged him in a light conversation about the different time periods as Ryan punched in the code on the door behind and slipped inside. When Brendon heard the tiny click of the door, he thanked the guard and left in the direction he had pointed.
 
His heart beating slightly, Brendon climbed down the stairs to the gem room. The guard wasn’t at the door and he knew Jon had taken care of that already. Earlier in the week, Brendon had been instructed to grab one of the walkie talkies from a guard, which Brendon had done easily, just like stealing someone’s wallet. Spencer and Jon had modified it and Jon had used it to lure away the guard from the doors.
 
Glancing around, Brendon saw that Spencer had already taken care of the cameras, covering one and cutting the wires of both.
 
“Brendon,” Spencer whispered as Brendon entered from the closet behind the Hope Diamond case.
 
Brendon hurried inside and Spencer shut the door firmly, locking it from the inside and jamming the lock carefully. Sliding back, Brendon let out a breath, feeling his heart climbing into his throat.
 
It was dark inside the closet, but Spencer had a lighted watch that told them the time.
 
“Everything went right upstairs?” Spencer whispered through the darkness and Brendon nodded, though realized seconds later that Spencer couldn’t see him.
 
“Yeah. Got in no problem. I just hope there wasn’t anyone in there.”
 
“There is,” Spencer replied, “but Ryan knows what to do.”
 
Brendon was silent, looking at the ceiling and hoping that Ryan was all right up there.
 
There was nothing to do but wait now that they were in position.
 
The hours passed and Brendon lost a little of his edge as he sat on the floor beside Spencer. They heard nothing outside their door as time passed. Spencer checked his cell phone constantly. It was on silent but he was waiting for a message from Jon and Ryan.
 
It was ten o’clock when the phone lit up, a text message from Ryan flashing across the screen.
 
security off. diamond free
 
Spencer struggled to his feet and Brendon followed. Digging into his back pocket, Spencer pulled out a cutter to cut through the Plexiglas. Pressing his ear to the door, he listened carefully, glancing down as the phone lit up again, a message from Jon now flashing onscreen.
 
guard gone. 2 mins
 
Unjamming the door quickly, Spencer pushed it open and snuck out, checking for any guards, and nodded Brendon forward. Brendon already had the gloves on as Spencer cut a hole just big enough for Brendon’s hand in the plastic.
 
Brendon could feel his heart climbing into his throat as he reached through the Plexiglas, sure an alarm was going to go off. But nothing happened as his hand clasped around the large diamond and he pulled it out.
 
He heard Spencer’s relieved breath as he handed him the diamond and stuffed it in his zipped pocket.
 
Spencer froze as he heard a noise from the hall and pushed Brendon forward. They snuck from the room, Spencer shooting Brendon a look and heading in the opposite direction while Brendon headed for the stairs.
 
He jimmied the lock open using primitive methods that would never be guessed and crept up to the second floor. He had the floor plan memorized as he stopped at the second door. He knew once outside the door, he had to wind around an exhibit of early man to reach the door behind which Ryan was.
 
Swallowing his pounding heart, he pushed the door open, catching sight of the security guard to his left, gazing down the hall. Taking a breath, Brendon stepped out the door and made for Ryan.
 
*
 
Ryan paced behind the security door, staring through the peephole at the insect room. Behind him, a guard lay unconscious and bound to the base of the security station. The camera screens were blank and all the lights were green.
 
He’d received a text from Spencer saying he was outside with the diamond. Brendon was coming and Jon was still inside, luring guards from their posts.
 
Ryan froze as he saw the security guard outside his room pause and glance down at his walkie talkie. The guard pressed a button and murmured something into it before heading off in the direction of the early man exhibit. Ryan was glued to the peephole, watching as another shadow came creeping in, sliding along the wall and knocking quietly on the door twice.
 
Carefully, Ryan slid the door open, relieved as Brendon slipped in and the door was shut again.
 
“Thank God,” Ryan muttered, grabbing Brendon into a quick hug before letting go.
 
“Everything’s off?” Brendon asked immediately, going through the checklist Spencer had given him. “The cameras, the door locks, all parts of the security system?”
 
“Yes, yes, yes, and yes,” Ryan replied, turning back to the computer system, his eyes sweeping over it as he made a mental check. The guard on the ground lay motionless, but Ryan didn’t pay him any attention.
 
Brendon paused, glancing at Ryan for a moment before kissing him hard, catching him off guard.
 
Ryan pulled away, panting, his heart pounding, and it had nothing to do with the security guards prowling around outside the door. Blinking at Brendon, his mouth quirked into a smile, but Brendon just grabbed his hand and pulled him to the door.
 
The guard was still gone from the door, and Brendon nodded at Ryan, opening the door and slipping out.
 
The museum was dim with only the lighted cases and exhibits bringing light inside. The city sparkled outside the windows but Ryan and Brendon ignored it, sneaking out the door to the next-door exhibit. There were many panels here showing pictures and artifacts.
 
They moved carefully, flat against the wall, listening for any movement other than their own.
 
Brendon’s grip was tight on Ryan’s hand as they crept along. “You’re sure the guard was down?” Brendon whispered as they moved around a panel and paused, peering around for guards.
 
“Yeah. I’ve done it before, you know.”
 
“I know.” Brendon glanced around, but froze as he heard the sound of muffled yelling coming from the room behind them.
 
“Shit.” Ryan seized Brendon’s hand and dragged him forward.
 
“I thought you said—”
 
“I did. I must have used the wrong dose.”
 
“Wrong dose?” Brendon asked, his voice rising as Ryan dragged him through the room, flattening against the wall as a security guard ran past on the other side. Ryan’s hand was over his mouth in seconds as they stood motionless against the panel.
 
“It’s supposed to last twelve hours,” Ryan whispered, sneaking around again once the guard passed. “But, I don’t know. Shit, I always fuck something up.”
 
“It’s fine,” Brendon tried to reassure Ryan and himself. He could hear the sound of rushing guards and Ryan’s phone lit up.
 
wtf is happening came the text message from Jon.
 
Ryan didn’t bother texting back, biting his lip. Brendon could hear his quickened breaths in the dark, practically feel his heart pounding along with Brendon’s.
 
The yelling had stopped and they heard more guards running in their direction.
 
Ryan seized Brendon’s arm and made a run for it, dodging panels and hurtling for the stairs. They clattered down it, not even bothering to keep their feet quiet as they heard guards running behind them.
 
“We’re gonna get caught,” Brendon whispered as they ran down the stairs. “We need to split up.”
 
Ryan glanced at him for a second, frowning and opening his mouth, but then they hit the bottom floor and Brendon was off in the opposite direction.
 
Ryan stopped, staring after him and then to the hall that would wind through the gem room and out to the wide open entrance area. He heard the guards running after him and knew Brendon would never get out. As he thought that, he caught sight of a guard emerge from the elevator and take off after Brendon. Biting his lip, he hoped that Spencer and Jon were already out.
 
“Fuck,” he muttered to himself as he heard a guard come around the last hurtle and yell out. Glancing back, he took off, running after Brendon, skidding around displays and hearing the guards closing in on him.
 
Brendon was halfway to the door, struggling against a guard when Ryan caught up with him, panting and skidding to a stop. Brendon was fighting with the guard, but Ryan snuck up behind and punched the man across his face hard. He was down in a second
 
Brendon spun around, ready to punch whoever was behind him, but stopped as he saw Ryan.
 
“What the fuck are you doing?” he demanded. “They’re going to catch you.”
 
“We’re almost to the door,” Ryan panted, tugging Brendon’s arm.
 
Brendon stared at him for a second before running with him towards the door. As they came hurtling around a corner, they ran smack dab into a line of guards, who seized them.
 
“Shit,” Ryan cursed, struggling against the hands tight around his arms. Brendon wasn’t far away, fighting the guard who had him in his grip.
 
“We caught them,” came a rough voice from Ryan’s left and he saw a man talking on a cell phone.
 
Ryan stopped struggling, knowing that if he had any chance of saving Jon and Spencer, he had to act fast. The guard holding him was distracted as he watched the guard holding Brendon yank back his hair painfully.
 
Ryan slid his hand into his pocket, barely grasping his cell phone. Maneuvering it in his pocket, he managed to slip the memory card out and crushed it between his fingers. The guard gave him a sharp jerk as he saw his hand, pulling it out and pinning it behind his back.
 
Both he and Brendon were shoved onto the ground on their knees, their heads bowed forward and their arms held tightly behind them as the police were called.
 
Ryan glanced over at Brendon, seeing his heavy breathing as he stared at the ground. He glanced over after a second, though, seeing Ryan looking, and quirked a tired smile.
 
“They got out?” he murmured quietly. His voice was lost to the din of the guards around him and only Ryan caught it.
 
Ryan nodded just barely, wincing as his guard shoved his head forward. “Don’t say anything to anyone. You don’t know them.”
 
Brendon’s gaze was enough confirmation for Ryan and they fell silent as the police arrived and they were handcuffed, shunted into cars, and taken to the station.
 
At the station, they were both shoved into a holding cell as the officers whispered together and waited for information from the museum.
 
Ryan slid to Brendon’s side, his hands handcuffed behind his back. “I’m sorry,” he said and Brendon glanced at him. “This is why we needed you.”
 
Brendon paused, then sighed. “Guess I wasn’t much help.”
 
“You were,” Ryan replied softly, smiling carefully.
 
Brendon returned the smile, leaning in for a kiss before the officer knocked on the bars obnoxiously.
 
“Hey,” he called loudly. “Break it up. You.” He pointed to Brendon. “You’re first.”
 
As the officer unlocked the door, Ryan moved to Brendon’s ear.
 
“You don’t know Spencer or Jon or anything about what they took tonight.”
 
Brendon nodded as the officer got the door open. He caught Ryan’s eyes as the officer grabbed him by the handcuffs and steered him from the cell.
 
“Glad I could help,” he said as the officer punted him past. “I’ll see you.”
 
Ryan watched him go before smiling slightly. “Yeah, be seeing you.”
 
He watched the door shut after Brendon and sunk down on the hard bench, gazing at the clock and wondering how many more years he’d be staring at a clock much the same.
 
*
 
Spencer stared at his cell phone as he sat on his couch. Jon came in from the kitchen and sighed.
 
“Three to five years,” he said quietly, taking his place next to Spencer and sliding an arm over his shoulder. “And no more Gabe. The diamond’s gone.”
 
Spencer groaned, leaning into Jon and staring out the window. “Do you ever feel like it’s your fault?”
 
“No. Because it isn’t.” Jon sighed and hugged Spencer tightly.
 
“I should have made sure everything was done. If he’d given the right dose, that guard wouldn’t have woken up. They wouldn’t have gotten caught. I wouldn’t have had to live in Florida for eight months. They nearly got you because of Ryan, because of me.”
 
“Don’t beat yourself up for it.” Jon slid down on the couch, pulling Spencer against him. “He’ll be out soon enough, Brendon too.”
 
“We lost so much time and money on this, Jon.” Spencer shook his head. “You ever think we should replace Ryan?”
 
Jon frowned. “Of course not. Do you?”
 
“No, just, it’s a team effort, and he is the weakest. They’ll be watching him now.”
 
Jon laughed slightly, kissing Spencer’s neck softly. “Yeah. But they’re already watching us.”
 
“So lay low?”
 
Jon nodded. “Lay low. He’ll be out in a few years. And by the sounds of it, Brendon’s going to be coming back too. Maybe he’ll manage to fix it.”
 
Spencer scoffed. “Wasn’t he part of the reason they got caught?”
 
Jon shrugged. “Maybe, but I think it means something that Ryan cared enough to go back for him.”
 
Spencer made a noise. “So the three musketeers becomes four permanently?”
 
“If you’ll let them,” Jon murmured against Spencer’s neck.
 
Spencer sighed. “I guess there’s not much I can do. Besides, they seem to work well together. Except next time, I am definitely going with Ryan. Save us a hell of a lot of trouble.”
 
Jon grinned. “That’s probably a good idea.”
 
Spencer nodded. “So I guess all we have to worry about now is the police bugging the house and Brendon coming back with prison tattoos.”
 
Jon laughed, snuggling into Spencer. “As long as it’s not a diamond, I think we’ll be okay.”
 
Spencer snorted and sighed tiredly, glancing up at the clock above the mantle, knowing that in three to five years, Ryan and Brendon would be sitting around this same couch, only this time, Spencer would be the one double checking Ryan’s progress and hoping for the millionth mission that nothing went wrong.
 
*

Return to LJ/Vote