Dog-Gone Close

Barbara groaned as she grabbed the backside of the poodle, gently tugging in an attempt to free the dog from it's prison. "I wonder if all this could've been avoided if I just listened to my grandma and majored in showbiz."

After a few tugs, Barbara finally managed to pull the dog free, falling backwards onto her butt with a yelp as she held the dog in her arms. The poodle yipped and happily licked Barbara's face, causing a giggle to come from the naked security guard.

"Stop! Stop!" Barbara said with a laugh, scratching the dog behind the ear before pushing it away. "You're welcome."

Suddenly, the cargo hold shook a bit, causing both the woman and the dog to yelp. Once she calmed down, Barbara sighed and shook her head.

"Looks like we're landing." She said, turning to the poodle. "Come on, Boy. Let's get you back in your box and," she turned to the crate and sighed deeper, "I'll get back into mine. Em, you had better be on your way to Paris, France right now..."

"I want to talk with my attorney!" Emily said as she sat on the opposite side of a table from the two men. "I'm supposed to be on my way to Paris, France right now!"

"And you'll get there, Ms. Greene." The first man, an American man, said with a nod. "We just have a few questions."

"You're not in trouble, Sheila." The second man, an Australian, added. "However, you will be if ya don't cooperate."

"Oh, will you two stop scaring the poor girl already?!"

The three turned to see a woman with pale skin and brunette hair done up in a ponytail enter the room; dressed in the same black suits as the two men. The woman smiled warmly as she sat down next to Emily.

"I do apologize for them, Ms. Greene." The woman said, gesturing to the two men. "Jason and Ned can be a little... Forceful, is what I think the right word is."

"Um, what is going on, exactly?" Emily asked nervously.

"I'm Agent Amber Jones." The woman, Amber explained. "These are Agents Jason Brooks," she gestured to the American man, "and Edmund "Ned" Thompson," she gestured to the Australian, "and we're from The FBI."

"F-FBI? As in...?" Emily stammered, beginning to sweat.

"We understand you were holding an auction for one of your newest pieces. Is that correct?" Jason asked. "A piece you call, 'The Hidden Fancy'?"

"Well, yeah... But why does the FBI want to know that?" Emily asked, genuinely confused.

"That's classified information!" Ned replied sharply.

"Come down, Ned." Amber said sternly before turning to Emily again. "I assure you, it is for your best interest. What we would like to know is if you sold the piece to anyone yet?"

"Yes, actually." Emily replied, still confused. "It was sold to a woman from The Louvre and her moving women/security guards. Which is why I have to get to Paris, ASAP!"

"And what did these women look like?"

"Well, there was lanky Irish woman with what looked like a green tattoo on the back of her neck, and then there was a shorter Indian woman."

"Crikey!" Ned groaned, "It is them!"

"'Them'? Who's 'Them'?!" Emily asked.

"This might be difficult to say, but your art is now in the hands of two-fifths of The Art of Theft." Amber replied, "They're an international group of art thieves who steal the most unique and modern works of art in the world. They usually send out two of their members to be employed by the museum or gallery they intend to rob, let the piece stay on exhibit for a few months, and they swipe it when it becomes big so they can sell it on the black market. We've been trying to track them for years, and we believe that you finally found their leader."

"Great!" Emily groaned, "So I guess I'm not getting that check for three hundred nine-" her eyes widened in horror as the color drained from her face, "OH CRAP! I need to get to Paris NOW!"

"What's the rush, Ms. Greene?" Ned asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I... Uh..." Emily began, thinking up a cover story.

"Don't worry, Ms. Greene." Amber said, "You told us all we need to know. You're free to go."

"Thank you!" Emily said as she practically jumped from her chair, running out of the room and slamming the door shut.

"Huh." Ned said with a chuckle, "That Loony Leprechaun actually did a job right for once without messing up."

"Aww, is someone still upset because Cora rejected their little confession gift of love?" Jason asked mockingly.

"Hey! The sheila said she loves cats, and then goes and throws a kettle at my head when I buy her one. What the hell do you call that? Sane?!"

"And buying a woman who is extremely superstitious to the point of hysteria a black cat wasn't insane because...?"

"Will you two shut up?!" Amber snapped in annoyance, "We're just lucky that bitch didn't ask too many questions of her own."

"By the way, Boss," Jason began, "did you really have to give her our entire MO?"

"Ah, what does it matter?" Amber asked dismissively. "She bought our little act. And who's she gonna blab to anyway?"

Jason opened his mouth to argue, only to be interrupted by Amber's phone, the woman pulling it out and looking it over with a smile.

"Well, well. Cora and Kali landed in Paris. Now it's time to play the waiting game..."

"What do you mean the plane already left?!" Emily shrieked at the attendant.

"I mean just that, Ma'am." The man said apologetically. "We can refund your ticket and switch you for the next flight, if you wish."

"Yes, please!" Emily begged, "This is a life and **** emergency!"

The attendant nodded and went to work printing out the ticket, handing it to Emily who looked it over...

And nearly passed out from the time of departure.

"I'm sorry, but do you have literally any earlier times than tomorrow at five in the afternoon?!" Emily yelled.

"I'm afraid not, Ma'am. We can book you a room in the airport's complementary hotel until then, if you like."

Emily groaned and shook her head in her hand. "Barb is gonna kill me when this is over."

"I'm gonna kill Em when this is all over." Barbara thought to herself as she felt Cora and Kali carry the crate into the van, transporting her to The Louvre as they left the airport.