I am SO SORRY it's been so long since I've updated. Life has hit me so hard...I got laid off at work, found a new job, managed to get through the holidays, then I got a promotion at my new job that includes a lot more work. To top it off, I'm going back to college so I've been applying for scholarships and getting all of that stuff in order. AND I started a side job...so yeah...it's been crazy. But I'm still here!

I feel like this chapter is a little rushed and a sort of filler but I wanted to have something for you guys, if only to give you assurance that I'm not abandoning this. Again, this might seem like a complete copy of the Cahill vs Vespers plot. But I promise you that it will veer. When I first read the series I had an idea of where it would go, and I was totally wrong. So basically this story is similar to what I thought would happen ;)

(Oh, and like the authors of the book series, I took some liberty with the historical facts of the object mentioned in this chapter. There's some debate online, so I'm going with one opinion and altering the rest to make it Cahill-y.)

—

When the email came, they were all in the room. It had been almost fourteen hours since the last contact, yet no one had slept a wink.

Dan was the first one who made it to the computer terminal, his eyes landing on the screen as his fingers moved to open the message.

By the time the email loaded, the others had crammed around him, their eyes also glued to the screen.

Are you ready for the trip of a lifetime? You have until this Thursday to obtain the DeBeers Diamond. And since I'm such a nice guy, I'll give you until midnight. -V1

The words washed over him, only Dan was at a blank. What was the DeBeers Diamond? But his sister's hiss made his stomach drop.

Turning to her, he caught the panic in her eyes.

Hamilton was the one who broke the silence. "Amy? Do you know what that is?"

"Only one of the rarest diamonds in the world," she emphasized, and Dan prepared himself for the lecture. She didn't disappoint.

"It was a diamond in the famous Patiala Necklace created in 1928 and named after Bhupinder Singh of Patiala."

"That makes sense," Dan quipped, but his sister ignored him.

"It was extremely expensive to make, containing over 2,900 diamonds, which of course includes the DeBeers Diamond, the 7th largest in the world."

Hamilton let out a whistle, but it didn't stop Amy. "It weighed 234.65 after cutting, and had a 428 karat pre-cut weight. Unfortunately, it was stolen from the royal treasury in 1948. It wasn't until 1998 that a Cartier representative named Eric Nassbaum stumbled upon the necklace at an antique shop in London. He purchased it, restored it as best he could, and now it travels from exhibit to exhibit."

"Okay," Jonah said easily. "So we find out where the crown's at now and go snatch it."

"There's one problem with that." Amy's tone was dull. "It won't be there. When they recovered the crown, they discovered that the diamond had been removed."

For a long moment, no one said a word.

Then Erasmus spoke. "If I may offer a suggestion?"

They all turned to look at the Cahill agent. His face was grave, but something in his expression gave Dan a flicker of hope.

"Of course," Amy replied.

"I suggest we split into groups. Part of us can go to London to talk to the antique shop owner and try to figure out where it came from. If we can trace it back to the original thief, we may be able to find the diamond. Meanwhile, another group can find out where the necklace is now and steal it."

"Steal the necklace?!" Madison said in dismay. "How would that help? The police would be after us and we still wouldn't have the diamond."

"We can get around the police. We have connections. And the necklace might lure the diamond thief out. If anything, it will create a diversion, stir up the story all over again, and maybe give us some leads."

Dan frowned. "It seems like a long shot, but…" his thoughts went to Natalie, who, at the moment, could be dead or being held captive. They wouldn't do anything bad to her, like torture her for information right? He shuddered at the thought.

"We need people to stay here too, in case Vesper One contacts us again," Amy said, and Dan could tell by looking at her that she was considering Erasmus' words.

"I don't mind staying," Hamilton volunteered. "And with Ned and Ted on the way, that should be enough to manage things."

Dan's thoughts flew to the Starling boys, who were about to board a plane to come help. Though they had their limitations, there had been pain behind their voices as they insisted that they "needed to help find their sister" and no one had attempted to argue with them.

"You shouldn't stay by yourself," Nellie objected.

"I can stay here if the rest of you want to split up," Erasmus spoke up. "But it's up to you. I can help wherever I'm needed."

"Erasmus," Amy inserted. "I really want to go to London to check out that antique shop—

More like she doesn't want to be responsible for 'breaking in' to a precious museum, Dan thought but didn't voice it.

—"but I promised I would keep the other leaders posted. What if I reported everything to you and let you inform them? You're a lot better at that kind of stuff than I am."

"You're referring to keeping the peace between the branch leaders?" Something that resembled a smirk graced the agent's face. "I think your faith in me is a little misplaced, but I'll do it."

"Thank you." It looked like Amy let out a breath, then she turned to Dan. "Do you want to go with me to London?"

He paused, but just for a second. While the museum sounded more like something his forte, he always stuck with his sister. His mind flashed back to the Clue hunt, and how well they balanced each other out. "I'm in."

"I've totally got the 'breaking and entering' stuff," Nellie said. "Who's with me?"

"Me!" Madison chimed. "Breaking is stuff that Holts are good at."

"Madison, please be careful," Hamilton inserted, not looking too happy. Dan wasn't sure if it was because the diamond heist would be the most dangerous thing, or if it was the thought of his little sister helping in general.

"I'll be fine," she assured him, flashing a grin in his direction.

"What about you Jonah?" Amy asked.

The celebrity hesitated. "Wherever you think Amy, I trust your judgment."

The Madrigal frowned, then said slowly, "Well, you're a Janus. It might be good for you to go to the museum. You would be good at creating a distraction, either by asking questions or by…well…"

"Revealing my identity and creating a mob scene?"

"Exactly. Not that I want to use your—"

"Sinead is in danger. I don't care about anything else right now except finding her and the others."

Silence fell over the room at his words, and Dan saw the sadness reflected on every face. But he felt the same way. He would do anything to get Natalie back. And Fiske. And all of the others he had grown to care about.

Erasmus cleared his throat, then said gently. "I think we should depart as soon as possible. We have a time limit here, and traveling takes time."

Nellie spoke then. "While everyone was talking I looked up this necklace thingie. Right now it's being displayed at the Art Gallery of Ontario."

"I've been there before," Jonah said. "It's in Toronto right?"

"Yep."

Amy took over again. "Okay. Everyone meet back here in fifteen minutes. Dan, Nellie and I will need to pack—"

"Already done kiddo."

They all turned to Nellie, who shrugged. "Hey, I had time to kill earlier, and figured we would want to be prepared."

"Hey my plane is here," Jonah said. "So if Dan and Amy want to use that, then the rest of us can get a commercial flight to Toronto. My dad can call and get us one ASAP."

"Alright." Amy smiled at the Janus, though her brother could see the worry behind it. "It looks like we're off."

—

Natalie Kabra opened her eyes and immediately knew that she wasn't at home in London, or anywhere else she was accustomed to waking up, like in a fine hotel. For one, the smell was horrid, reminding her of the time she had been forced to use an outdoor toilet. It took her several weeks to forgive Dan for that one. Also, she was looking up at a peeling ceiling that had definitely seen better days.

"Natalie, you're awake."

It was Reagan's voice, full of relief, but the Kabra couldn't remember why she was here. Actually, she had no idea where 'here' was.

"Reagan? What's going on?"

"Stay calm and I'll explain. Do you need help sitting up?"

It was then that Natalie realized she was lying on a small bed, though the term bed might be pushing it. It was more like a cot.

Wrinkling her nose, she managed to sit up and came face-to-face with not only her cousin but also Alistair Oh and Fiske Cahill. Before she could question it, Reagan was speaking.

"I think we all got kidnapped."

Natalie sat there, stock-still as the three told their respective stories, and as she did, her own memories came back. In a shaky voice, she told the three how she and Ian had been tracked by Vesper agents, and then she remembered being hit on the head after she tried to rescue her brother.

"So, we're being held for ransom or something of that sort?" she questioned.

"That's the only thing that makes sense." Fiske's face was grave but gave her a kind smile. "We did get food earlier and we each have a bed and some clothes, so maybe everything will be okay until the others come get us."

He didn't appear as hopeful as the words sounded though, Natalie realized, and dread filled her stomach. The only thing that made her feel better was this: They didn't get Dan. Or my brother.

It was strange. A few years ago, her main concern would be for herself, but she had changed a lot since falling for Dan Cahill. Not only had he brought out her soft side, but he had taught her how to care about other people.

"Natalie? You seem to be taking this really well. Are you okay?"

She glanced at her cousin, who was frowning at her in concern. "I'm fine Reagan. I was just thinking about Fiske's words. The others will find us."

But even as she spoke the words confidently, she wondered just how easy it could be. The room was simple. No windows, only one door (made of iron, no handle, with a barred opening that was too small for anything to get in or out), and 4 beds. There were also a few small buckets, and Natalie tried not to think of what they were for.

They'll find us. They simply must."

—

Ian tapped the steering wheel impatiently and glanced again at the plane that had just landed on the private airfield. It had seemed like days had passed since Amy had called and asked him to pick her and Dan up and take them to an antique shop, and he was beyond ready to go find the diamond and get his sister back.

Finally, they emerged, only one small suitcase in tow. Normally he would scoff at their minimalistic pacing, but today he was grateful for it as they quickly climbed into the car.

"How was your flight?" he felt compelled to ask.

"Simply wonderful. Can you drive faster?" Dan asked. Ian was going to make a smart retort in return, but one glance in the rearview mirror stopped him. The Cahill looked worn out, his forehead creased, and was currently running a hand over his face like he was trying to shake the exhaustion off.

Ian could relate.

"It was smooth. No sightings of any Vespers or anything like that."

Ian's gaze flew to Amy, who had just spoken the words. Like her brother, she looked tired, but she seemed steadier, her eyes focused on the road in front of them. The Lucian wondered if she was already making plans of what to say when they got to the antique shop.

Somehow, even through his worry and frustration, he had the urge to reach out and hold her hand, to touch her shoulder, to tell her that it would be okay. But then he scoffed at himself for even thinking it, who was he to offer comfort? Besides, it wasn't like she would welcome anything like that—not coming from him.

"Good," he said, glancing away from Amy, away from her jade green eyes, away from her smooth skin, away from—the mission. I have to focus on the mission.

—

The antique shop looked exactly how Amy had expected it to. Painted a pastel mint color, it was in a storefront, located on the corner of the street they had parked on. Crowded shelves could be seen through the glass, and more antiques cluttered the doorway, almost blocking the entrance. In fact, as Amy walked in, she almost knocked her head into two plants that were hanging from the low ceiling.

From behind her, she heard Dan mutter, "I feel like I'm in an old person's house."

Amy didn't even bother chastising him, her focus was on the stocky man standing behind the counter, near the rear of the store. She headed straight for him but slowed as she approached, giving him what she hoped was a friendly smile. "Hello."

"Hello young lady. What can I help you with?" the man replied, his smile warm and open.

She relaxed some at his greeting; maybe this wouldn't be so hard. "I have a question. Is this where the Patiala Necklace was found in 1998?"

The man didn't flinch or change expressions. "It is, though most people don't know that fact. I'm impressed. Are you history buffs?"

"Yes, we are," Ian's voice came from Amy's side. She glanced over to see him standing there, his arm almost touching hers.

"We are doing a research project on India's culture, and knew of course that the Patiala Necklace was one of the most magnificent pieces in their history," the Lucian went on. "What can you tell us about it?"

"Unfortunately, not much," the shop owner admitted. "I'm Dave by the way."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Ian, this is Amy, and this is Dan."

They all exchanged nods and smiles, then Dave continued. "It turned up here. Someone brought it in when I was gone and my nephew was filling in for me. He knows a bit about jewelry, but not enough to recognize the masterpiece. He bought it from the woman, and when I returned a day later, it was too late to track her down."

"Woman?" Amy's heartbeat picked up. "What was her name?"

"Her identification said Tricia Whitaker. However, when we tried to find her, we found out that the address, phone number, and probably even the name were phoneys. We gave up the search after a few weeks when it became obvious that we were wasting our time." He shrugged. "Some things will always remain a mystery. But I'm glad that it turned up, though it's unfortunate that the famous diamond was missing from the necklace."

"What a shame," Ian tsked. "Barbarians, that's what those thieves are."

"I agree," Dave said, then gave them an apologetic look. "I'm sorry that I couldn't help you more."

"It's not your fault," Dan said, but Amy could hear the disappointment in his voice.

"Do you still have a copy of the identification?" Amy asked, unwilling to give up. They only had today and tomorrow left to meet Vesper One's deadline, and this was one of the only leads they had.

"Of course. The authorities and several detectives have already gone over it, but I don't mind showing you."

He disappeared for a few seconds, then came out again. "Here, you can have this copy."

Amy gave him a grateful look. "Thank you. It will be an interesting addition to our project."

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, they exited out of the shop and into the warm England weather. The traffic had picked up on the street, and it seemed like everyone walking past them was enjoying their day, happiness floating around them. But Amy felt as low as the storm drain they were walking over.

"Well that went great," Dan said sarcastically. "Now what?"

Her brother was saying what she was thinking, but it irked her. They had to stay positive, and not let the fear they were all feeling take over. "Now we look at this ID and see if there are any clues there. Then we contact the others and see how things are on their side. Then…"

"Then we pray for a miracle," Ian finished with a sigh as they climbed into the car.

—

Jonah hated this.

Being around a crowd of people normally gave him an adrenaline rush. But today, it only added to the dread and fear that was swirling in his stomach like acid.

"Okay, so let's go over the plan one more time," Nellie said, her tone upbeat. "I'll go distract the security guard by claiming someone stole my wallet with all of my money and identification in it. While he's busy with my meltdown, Madison is going to go in and swipe the necklace. The alarm will go off, but Jonah will have already started a mini-concert between the display case and me, so Madison should have time to put it in my purse that's hidden without the cameras catching it. You two said there are only two cameras in the room, right?"

"Right," Jonah nodded. "One isn't pointing to the necklace, and one I can block with no prob."

"Great. If anything goes wrong, that's where our walkie-talkies come into play. And remember, if we get caught by the police, Erasmus can get us out."

Great. And my face behind jail bars can be plastered all over the magazines.

But it really didn't matter. Jonah knew that he would already be in the magazines for the show he was planning to put on. And he was sure that when his fans saw it (primarily the ones he had canceled on), they would be disappointed. He hated it, but he would hate it more if anything happened to Sinead. In fact, at this point, he would hand over his entire career if she could be standing here with him.

That's stupid! his brain lectured him. You've worked your whole life to build your image, and you've only known her for a few months.

But it was true. As he positioned himself next to a display of famous Indian pottery and waited for the cue from Nellie, his mind went over the last week he had with his girlfriend. From their date in Seoul to sneaking around to keep their relationship hidden, to their surprise dinner on the balcony of his hotel room in Hong Kong, to him confessing his feelings for her, all of it replayed, reminding him of just how important she had become to him.

You'll get her back. She'll be okay. You just have to do your thing here, lure the diamond thief out, snatch the diamond from him, and then hand it over to the Vespers. They'll be happy, hand over the hostages, and then everything will be fine.

Just then, he saw the security guard frown at his walkie-talkie, say something into it, then head for the doorway. His heart beating fast, he waited. It was several tense seconds before the signal came, but when it did, he was ready.

"Ladies and gentlemen, are you ready for a show?" he lifted his hat and glasses, hoping that some of his fans were in the building.

At first, all he received from the crowd was bewildered frowns. Then, one squeal erupted, then another, then another. Soon, as Jonah started singing part of his latest hit, a small crowd had gathered. In about two minutes, it was a stampede, and though Jonah caught sight of the original security guard trying to make his way through the crowd, he wasn't having much luck.

Awesome. I hope Madison hurrys up though. He won't be alone for long, no matter what kind of fit Nellie throws.

As if on cue, a high-pitched alarm sounded from behind him, but Jonah didn't falter, stepping forward and throwing a few dance moves in. It worked, the crowd went crazy.

At the back of the room, the security guard was pushing forward, and another one was bursting through a door that was a few yards to the right of the other.

Uh-oh. That door isn't as crowded with fans as the one I'm facing.

Thinking quickly, Jonah shifted to that side, calling out, "Hey shout out to my fans in this corner!"

The crowd shifted with him, and the security guard was temporarily thwarted. But he suddenly shouted, "Make way, there's been a robbery! Move, or I'll have you all arrested for interference. This is an emergency!"

A few of the teens ignored him, but many frowned and moved, confusion on their expressions.

"Yo, a robbery?" Jonah again tried for a diversion. "My fans aren't involved in this!"

"Sir, I don't know who you are"—the guard pushed finally pushed through the crowd, heading for the necklace display that was still partly hidden—"but you need to take your little show elsewhere, or I'll see that you're arrested too!"

"Well, you heard him peeps, we gotta roll. It was great to sing and dance for you all, catch ya on Twitter!"

With that, Jonah beelined for the door that was now unblocked. It was a tight fit, but he managed to squeeze through. When he felt a hand tug at his arm, he immediately dropped his hat and glasses, and just as he figured, the grip loosened and he heard shouts of "it's mine!" behind him. That should give him time to get out of here. He hated leaving when he didn't know if Madison pulled off the heist, but there was another part of the plan that he was responsible for: the getaway car. As he ran out the doors of the museum, he simultaneously pulled his other disguise gear out of his pocket. Thankfully, he was a pro at this stuff.

Ditching his jacket, he slipped the glasses and fake eyebrows on and then rushed to the car. Once inside, he could see the doors open and a crowd of fans pile out. Muttering under his breath, he eased the car out of the space and hoped that he could get to the back employee parking lot without anyone seeing him.

A minute later he was back there, but knew he would only have a couple of seconds before he was either questioned or forced to leave. The police would be on their way, as well as security swarming every inch of the museum. Finally, after several tense moments, he saw two figures practically fly out the door. Pushing the accelerator pedal to the floor, he met them at the sidewalk.

"Go, go, go, go!" Nellie growled. "And head for this address."

She rattled it off to the GPS system, then explained, "Erasmus has another car for us there, as well as several policemen that will cover for us. But we aren't in the clear until we get there."

"I'm hurrying!" Jonah snapped, trying not to panic. But soon his instincts took over (as well as all of the driving courses he had taken for a few movies) and they were on their way.

Thirty minutes later, after a car swap and a quick phone call, they were sitting on a deserted Canadian runway, waiting for a private plane to fly them back to Massachusetts, with the Patiala Necklace tucked away in Nellie's purse.

They had pulled it off.

—

"Erasmus received the ID and is working on investigating it now," Amy announced from the front seat.

Dan nodded, but his attention wasn't on that. Something was bothering him about this whole ordeal. Why hadn't the antique shop owner seemed surprised about their questions? Were there really that many people who visited him, interested in the lost diamond? He felt bad for being suspicious about someone who had seemed so nice. Still...his mind kept going back to the shop, mainly, the design on the painting behind the counter. It was a simple painting of a bunch of symbols, nothing special about it, yet something seemed familiar…

With a start, he realized what it was.

"Turn around!" he shouted, his mind racing.

"What?" Ian sputtered.

"We need to go back to the antique shop, now."

"But why?" Ian asked, even as he was doing what Dan said.

"Because"—a grim smile crossed the Madrigal's face—"I have a hunch."

—

;)