their cups.
“
I’m right!
” Travis said to himself when he saw the elevator doors open and the keeper of the Stanley Cup step out. The man looked slightlymiffed. He had the key card for his room in his right hand and was impatiently tapping it on the thumb of his left hand.
The keeper of the cup crossed immediately to the reception desk. There was a face behind the desk that Travis hadn’t seen before – a man with a white goatee and wire-rimmed glasses. He looked like a kindly doctor, Travis thought. But he knew different.
Travis could not hear what they were saying, but he didn’t need to. The keeper of the cup handed over his key, and the white-bearded man, obviously apologizing, took it down to the far end of the long mahogany desk.
Travis moved closer to the desk. The keeper of the Stanley Cup wasn’t watching his key being reprogrammed. He was scanning the sports section of
USA Today
. But Travis saw what was happening. The man behind the desk reprogrammed the keeper’s key, then slipped a second plastic card into the machine, waited a moment, and removed it. There were now two keys to the room that held the Stanley Cup.
With another apology, the man handed over one of the keys to the keeper of the cup.
“Not to worry,” the keeper replied with a smile.
But Travis knew there was plenty to worry about.
He took out Fahd’s phone and sent the others a message.
“They have a copy of the key!”
17
Sarah was watching the room. Sam walked by her, relayed what Travis had reported, and kept walking. Sam would set up watch at the far end of the hall, where the stairs for the fire escape were.
Sarah stood, flipping through one of the newspapers stacked on a small table near the elevators. It wasn’t long before one of the elevator doors opened and the keeper of the cup got off. She waited until he had turned down the corridor before following. He tried the key by waving itnear the lock on his door, there was a quick buzz, and he opened the door and stepped in.
If this key worked, then the copy would also work.
Sarah stayed down at the far end of the hall, kneeling, as if she were retying her shoes. Very shortly, the door to the room opened again and the keeper stepped out and headed for the elevators. He was going to brunch downstairs. He would return for the cup later, as the final was scheduled for 1:00 p.m. at Heinz Field and the cup was to be on display for the fans to take photographs. The winning team would then pose with the cup for their championship photo.
Sarah knew this was never going to happen unless the four Owls could stop the thieves from making off with the cup. She walked quickly down the hall to where Sam was waiting, and Sam sent Travis a message.
Travis and Nish were together in the lobby when the message arrived. “Room now empty.” They watched as the elevator doors opened and thekeeper of the cup stepped out. He went immediately to the dining area, which had just opened for the Sunday brunch.
As the keeper of the cup passed by the two Owls, two men passed them in the other direction. One was short and heavy, the other tall and skinny. They made an odd couple. The tall one had long hair, the short one no hair. The tall one wore all black, the short one a rainbow of colors, a bright-green down jacket, and orange track pants. Pretty dumb, Travis thought, if you want to pass unnoticed.
The two men waited to make sure the keeper was indeed going into brunch, then pushed the elevator button to go up. Travis noticed that the short, stumpy man carried something folded tightly and wrapped in plastic. He knew what it would be: a brand-new hockey equipment bag.
Travis sent a quick text message to the girls: “They’re coming.”
He and Nish watched as the numbers on the elevator rose, finally stopping at the floor where the girls were keeping watch.
“Let’s go!” Travis said.
The boys moved toward the back of the building and pushed through a rear door that overlooked the
“
I’m right!
” Travis said to himself when he saw the elevator doors open and the keeper of the Stanley Cup step out. The man looked slightlymiffed. He had the key card for his room in his right hand and was impatiently tapping it on the thumb of his left hand.
The keeper of the cup crossed immediately to the reception desk. There was a face behind the desk that Travis hadn’t seen before – a man with a white goatee and wire-rimmed glasses. He looked like a kindly doctor, Travis thought. But he knew different.
Travis could not hear what they were saying, but he didn’t need to. The keeper of the cup handed over his key, and the white-bearded man, obviously apologizing, took it down to the far end of the long mahogany desk.
Travis moved closer to the desk. The keeper of the Stanley Cup wasn’t watching his key being reprogrammed. He was scanning the sports section of
USA Today
. But Travis saw what was happening. The man behind the desk reprogrammed the keeper’s key, then slipped a second plastic card into the machine, waited a moment, and removed it. There were now two keys to the room that held the Stanley Cup.
With another apology, the man handed over one of the keys to the keeper of the cup.
“Not to worry,” the keeper replied with a smile.
But Travis knew there was plenty to worry about.
He took out Fahd’s phone and sent the others a message.
“They have a copy of the key!”
17
Sarah was watching the room. Sam walked by her, relayed what Travis had reported, and kept walking. Sam would set up watch at the far end of the hall, where the stairs for the fire escape were.
Sarah stood, flipping through one of the newspapers stacked on a small table near the elevators. It wasn’t long before one of the elevator doors opened and the keeper of the cup got off. She waited until he had turned down the corridor before following. He tried the key by waving itnear the lock on his door, there was a quick buzz, and he opened the door and stepped in.
If this key worked, then the copy would also work.
Sarah stayed down at the far end of the hall, kneeling, as if she were retying her shoes. Very shortly, the door to the room opened again and the keeper stepped out and headed for the elevators. He was going to brunch downstairs. He would return for the cup later, as the final was scheduled for 1:00 p.m. at Heinz Field and the cup was to be on display for the fans to take photographs. The winning team would then pose with the cup for their championship photo.
Sarah knew this was never going to happen unless the four Owls could stop the thieves from making off with the cup. She walked quickly down the hall to where Sam was waiting, and Sam sent Travis a message.
Travis and Nish were together in the lobby when the message arrived. “Room now empty.” They watched as the elevator doors opened and thekeeper of the cup stepped out. He went immediately to the dining area, which had just opened for the Sunday brunch.
As the keeper of the cup passed by the two Owls, two men passed them in the other direction. One was short and heavy, the other tall and skinny. They made an odd couple. The tall one had long hair, the short one no hair. The tall one wore all black, the short one a rainbow of colors, a bright-green down jacket, and orange track pants. Pretty dumb, Travis thought, if you want to pass unnoticed.
The two men waited to make sure the keeper was indeed going into brunch, then pushed the elevator button to go up. Travis noticed that the short, stumpy man carried something folded tightly and wrapped in plastic. He knew what it would be: a brand-new hockey equipment bag.
Travis sent a quick text message to the girls: “They’re coming.”
He and Nish watched as the numbers on the elevator rose, finally stopping at the floor where the girls were keeping watch.
“Let’s go!” Travis said.
The boys moved toward the back of the building and pushed through a rear door that overlooked the
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