Double, Double Cross

It was way past midnight and Anton and Rodel almost grinned from ear to ear as they walked towards the city’s most prestigious museum which hold the country’s most valuable treasure, the diamond crown of their ancient monarch, King Alfonso III.

They easily made their way up the roof of the museum and opened a secret one way trap door which lets people in, but not out of the museum. But they weren’t scared, the old man who sold them the blueprints to the museum showed them that there was a secret way out of the museum.

Being professional thieves, they easily cracked the safe where the crown was hidden at night. Of course they know that within a few minutes the security personnel of the museum would already discover that the crown was missing, but they didn’t care.

This was because they were already in front of the hidden exit door of the museum. It was located at the basement of the museum and is impossible to detect unless you have previous knowledge that there was a secret exit door there.

Anton and Rodel removed a giant painting which was hanging in a large wall of the basement. It was heavy and it seemed to be glued in the wall. But they persisted, the old man told them that the painting was indeed heavy and was firmly secured on the wall, but it’s not attached to the wall.

After a great deal of effort, they were able to remove the giant painting from the wall. The closed exit door was quickly exposed. On top of it was a small hole where only a small man can fit inside.

Anton and Rodel tried to pick the lock of the exit door, but both of them failed to pick it. It seemed that their picking skills and their picking tools are no match for the exit door’s locks. They tried to force it open, but this too failed.

Both of them began to think of a solution. Then it dawned on them that someone should enter thru the small hole on top of the exit door so once inside, they can open the exit door from the inside.

“I should go up the hole since I’m the only one small enough to fit in that hole,” sighed Anton, “you would not fit inside the hole, Rodel.” “Then you should leave me the crown, Anton. So I can be sure that you would really open the door.”

“Agreed,” smiled Anton, “I trust you and you trust me, right, Rodel?” “Of course, I trust you, but we’re dealing with a crown worth millions of dollars.” “Okay, Rodel. Hoist me up the hole since you’re taller and bigger.”

Once I’m inside, I’ll open the door for you and the crown,” smiled Anton as he quickly entered the hole, “just make sure that you don’t let the crown out of your hands.” In just a few minutes, Anton was already inside the tunnel which leads out of the museum.

Then, he and Rodel heard loud noises. They both heard the loud shouts of the museum’s security personnel making their way towards the basement and into their location. Anton began to have second thoughts about opening the exit door for Rodel.

Rodel began banging on the exit door, “Open the door, Anton. Otherwise, the museum’s security personnels would catch me.” “I can’t open the door, Rodel. It’s also locked from the inside. Just throw the crown in the hole.”

“You’re lying. You just want to trick me into handing you the crown, Anton.” “I’m not lying. I can’t really open the door from the inside. Throw me the crown and I’ll make sure that I’ll use our millions to set you free.”

Rodel can see that the security personnels were already approaching. In his panic, he threw the crown in the hole towards the waiting arms of Anton. Rodel quietly surrendered to the security personnel with the hopes that Anton would free him soon.

But Anton was by now half-crazy with happiness. He knew that he could have easily opened the exit door so that Rodel can escape with him, but he didn’t. Greed overcame him. He was now the sole owner of the million dollar crown.

Anton was happily walking towards the exit of the tunnel when he saw a few four legged shadows. He can’t be mistaken. What he saw were the shadows of lions and tigers. Before he can react or even retreat, the lions and the tigers slowly came close to him, he was their prey.

All the greed for the crown evaporated in his mind. All that his mind contained was terror. In mere seconds, the lions and the tigers were already feasting on his now dead body. The crown was laying beside him as he got devoured.

When morning came, the old man who sold the blueprints to Anton and Rodel leisurely walked towards the lion’s den which leads to the exit door of the museum. The old man actually works as a caretaker for the lions and animals in the zoo.

Without fear or difficulty, he easily found what remained of Anton’s body. But he was not concerned about Anton or even of Rodel, he picked up the bloodied crown lying on the bloody ground.

He smiled, “This is the last job. Now I can securely retire in Monaco living like a prince.” He looked at the lions and the tigers in the den and handed them their ration of meat, “At least I can be sure that you won’t double cross me.”

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