The Diamond Fool (1)

“It really is beautiful, isn’t it?”

As Annie leaned against the mezzanine, her arms resting on the wooden railing, she gazed down at the frenzy below. She was enchanted by the scene that was unraveling in front of her. A crowd of people, like a pack of vultures, hovered around the centerpiece of tonight's event, all vying for a glimpse of what could be the newest and perhaps the greatest addition to their collection - The Diamond Fool. Inside a plexiglass display case stood a thick and yellowed tarot card, boldly stamped with the emblem of the fool arcana. Brimming with craftsmanship that seemed otherworldly in nature, the artifact was enveloped with a thin, precisely cut diamond. The coating perfectly reflected all the light in a room, blinding anyone who would dare to peek at it.

What was equally interesting about the artifact was the mystery behind its origin. The letters meticulously inscribed on the card were in a language that couldn’t be found anywhere else in our history. Written records claimed that the card was created in Italy during the Renaissance period. This claim, however, was quickly disputed when a group of scientists were hired to appraise the card. Their work proved that the card’s history went well beyond our own and could even be extraterrestrial in nature.

But while much was unknown about this mysterious card, one fact about it was about to be set in stone at tonight’s event - its dollar value.

The auctioneer stepped onto the stage and gently tapped his microphone to get the audience’s attention. The auction was set to begin in a few minutes, and while the Diamond Fool was a remarkable item, it wasn’t why Annie was at the event. What Annie was so mesmerized by wasn’t the card, but the illusion of the auction she had set up. Annie glanced at the auctioneer, scratching her arm as a sort of signal, an action the auctioneer mirrored back to her. She proceeded to act out the same action to multiple guests in the crowd, who, just like the auctioneer, repeated the gesture back to Annie.

Scattered footsteps approached Annie, revealing a timid figure. A man, wearing a three-piece suit, was fidgeting with his earpiece as he began to speak in a firm voice.

“Ma’am, everything’s ready to go on your signal.”

A disturbing smirk tugged at the corners of Annie’s mouth, sending a chill down the man’s spine.

“Great job Agent Bradford. Let’s get this show on the road.”

Annie strolled to the spiral staircase, her heels clacking against the mahogany wood, before skillfully disappearing into the crowd below.

She let her eyes drift across the room, cataloguing every and any behavior that looked out of place: a nervous cough from the man in the corner, repeated glances at the emergency exits, hushed conversations that ceased on her approach.

Murmurs from the guests had made their way to Annie, and it seemed like there were others who, like herself, were here for more than just the auction.

“Do you think the rumors are true, honey? Is the Ace really going to show up for the diamond tonight?”

Whispered a man, casually caressing his wife’s hair as he gazed upon her. His wife swatted the hand away, hesitant to show any kind of affection in public.

“God, he'd better show. My friend Betsy got to see him steal a Monet just last week in Paris! She even got to take a picture with that card he left behind! Ugh, I’m so jealous.”

“Oh, I’m sure you’ll get one too, honey. Perhaps the gentleman would be kind enough to sign the card for us?”

Annie struggled to keep a straight face. The thought of civilians fawning over a criminal was disgusting to her, especially when it was a criminal that she had been chasing for years. She knew that stories about the infamous criminal, dubbed “The Ace”, had already become an urban legend. Museums, galleries, anything with a vault - The Ace had robbed them all. The only trace of his existence was the playing card he left behind: The Ace of Spades. Despite being far up in the mezzanine, Bradford noticed the discomfort in Annie.

“Are you okay, Ma’am? You look a little pale.”

“I’m fine… It’s just, I’m starting to doubt that The Ace will show up. Our sources said that he was after the diamond, right?”

“That’s right, Ma’am. I overheard the Chief talking about it. He also said that he had money on you screwing the whole thing up again and he was tired of your obsession with him—”

”I’m not obsessed with him!”

A vein spawned on top of Annie’s forehead. She had only been working with Bradford for a few months, and while he had many strengths, situational awareness was not one of them.

“We’re going to get him tonight, I’m sure of it! If you check your notes, you’ll see that the Ace is known to make use of elaborate disguises. That means we have to look for anyone that seems a little off, anyone that could have elevated access to the artifact: a waiter, a nervous guest–.”

“A janitor pushing a suspicious cart towards the display?”

“–a janitor pushing a suspicious cart towards the display… well, that one’s a little specific but–“

“No! Ma’am, look!”

Bradford hastily pointed at the old janitor who was cruising through the guests.

“I checked with the venue, Ma’am! There shouldn’t be any cleaning staff scheduled for today!”

Annie’s eyes lit up, as if she had just struck gold at a mine that had been empty for years. She turned on her earpiece and immediately began barking orders.

“This is Agent Annie. I’ve spotted the target, it’s the janitor, I repeat, it’s the janitor! Neutralize him now!”

Like a shiver of sharks circling its prey, the agents dropped their act and set off in a swift, coordinated motion towards the suspect. A wave of gasps swept through the guests as they witnessed the janitor, a frail old man, being tackled to the ground by a swarm of Interpol agents.

Annie sprinted across the room, shoving aside everyone who was in her way. After years of ridicule and doubt, she had finally caught her Moby Dick, and half of the agency was there to witness it. But in the midst of her celebration, Annie took a quick pause - something was off.

When she took a closer look at the old man, she couldn’t find any discrepancies in his getup. No hints of makeup. No sign of prosthetics. Nothing but a scared and confused old man. Just as Annie tried to make sense of the situation, the lights went out.

“Shit! Get the emergency power! Does anyone have eyes on the artifact?!”

Annie tried to take control of the situation, but chaos erupted and panic broke out amongst the guests: a series of screams, followed by the sharp sound of shattering glass.

When the emergency lights finally came online, it was too late. A look of disbelief had spread across the room as all eyes were now focused on the display. The Diamond Fool was gone, and left in its place, was an Ace of Spades.

Annie frantically looked back at the old man, shocked to see him still pinned to the ground.

“Did you have eyes on the janitor the whole time? Did any of you see him move?”

The agent who had the old man pinned shook his head in refusal.

“No, Ma’am. He’s been here the entire time.”

“Damn it! That means he’s still on the loose. Agent Bradford, lock down every exit! I want a blockade on every road in a 10-mile radius!”

All the agents exchanged glances, bewildered at Annie’s orders. Agent Meade, the operative disguised as the auctioneer, walked up to Annie and began whispering into her ear.

“Umm, Ma’am, Agent Bradford is gone.”

“What do you mean he’s gone?”

“He said he had a flight to catch, but he told me to give you this note.”

Annie yanked the piece of paper that Meade was holding up and began to read it.

Hey gorgeous, I had a blast with ya on our date tonight! But let’s be real, this whole thing between us isn’t gonna work out. It’s not you, it’s me, along with the dozen international warrants in my name. You know how it is.

Until next time,

- ♠️

P.S. Could you hand this note to that couple from earlier? I left a signature on the back for them. Always great to hear from the fans :)

The agents took a step back as they felt the surge of anger radiating off of Annie. Her terrifying scowl was followed by a fit of hysterical laughter, and ended with unsettling silence. Annie shredded the note into tiny little pieces and handed her pile of frustration to Meade. Her demeanor took another drastic turn as she forced a smile on her face, a smile that rattled Meade more than any scowl ever could.

“Agent Meade, would you kindly initiate the Delta Protocol?”

“Delta Protocol? Ma’am, isn’t that strictly for purposes involving national security? There’s no way we’d ever get approval -“

“I said. InitiATE. THE GODDAMN. DELTA PROTOCOL!”

“Y-yes Ma’am!”

Agent Meade briskly took his phone out of his pocket, making whatever calls he had to make in order to carry out Annie’s order. In a small way, Meade pitied The Ace, because whatever came next was something he wouldn’t even wish on his worst enemy.