Since it was nearly 11pm, the doors were locked so that only exiting through the side entrance was permitted. For some reason, still undetermined, the security guards took the longest possible route and ran around the outside of the building, so that their arrival to the scene of the action required reentry into the building. Through the locked doors.
Now, while the struggle between good and evil was taking place on the Ritz floor, Daniel and Jonathan had alertly moved to guard the exit doors, both standing with their backs to the exit to stop any further attempts at escape should (Allah forbid) the crook wriggle free. As they stood there in shock and awe, watching their two friends struggle for their lives and helpless to offer any true assistance, their minds were equally on edge with the thought of the escaped felon who was on the loose outside the hotel. For all they knew, he could be lurking in the shadows just outside the exit, waiting for his friend to escape, or even worse, devising a plan to come back and rescue his waylaid companion.
It was at that very moment that the security guards encountered the locked doors.
Jonathan and Daniel nearly wet their pants.
Knowing the doors were locked, the guards had made no attempt for peaceable entry, but booked a beeline for the doors and immediately began pounding with all their might, demanding that they be let in. For Jonathan and Daniel, this was none other than the sound of the escaped crook, angered by what had happened and returning with a posse of bandits, armed with assault weapons and burlap sacks.
The justified fright was soon overcome, and Jesse H., the head security officer, busted through the exit, grabbed the crook from Sleuth and Chris, and body slammed him against the wall. The thief was escorted away to an interrogation room in the back of the hotel.
Our heroes crowded around the suitcase to examine the objects of the crooks attempted robbery. The scene was photographed, and the Fab Four helped the Ritz staff clean up the spilled jewels. They did not look like much, but they would soon learn that the jewelry was valued at a total of nearly $15o,000. After answering some questions and filling out their contact info, the Fab Four were anxious to be on their way. The events of the last 20 minutes were still surreal, and the four men were more concerned about missing out on the hanging out at Nixon's than they were with what had just taken place. As they prepared to leave the Ritz for Nixon's, they came across a group of lovely young ladies who were likewise about to head back to the bar. Concerned for their safety, given the fact that a criminal was still on the loose, the Fab Four offered their protection (and their arms) as they escorted the women to Nixon's.
It's been said that there are only two things that are guaranteed in life: death and taxes. I would add, while perhaps not a guarantee, you can bet on two more things: news travels fast, and when it reaches its destination, it's generally only about half true. For example, note the following account of what happened next in this story:
Meanwhile, word of the foursome’s heroics rippled in to the front of Nixon’s, the official bar of Blackstone. I had the privilege of being the first in the bar to hear about the melee due to my proximity to the door. The news came in: “[Sleuth], Jonathan, Chris, and Daniel tackled a couple of guys that were stealing from the Ritz! But one of them got away.”The majority of that account is true.
The news quickly spread from the front door of Nixon’s to the nearby tables: "[Sleuth], Jonathon, Chris, and Daniel beat up a couple of criminals in their attempted heist of the Ritz! I think one of them had a knife.”
At the bar, the above words combined with a few Hoegaardens to create the following: “Dude! Our four heroes beat up two armed robbers. Lit caught on to their plot and immediately called Chris, [Sleuth], and Daniel for backup. [Sleuth] gave one of them a roundhouse so hard that it slammed him into the wall! Chris immediately stepped in like Rocky on a Russian in the 3rd round. And Daniel and the other crook wrestled out of a fourth story window, landing in the pool. The impact stunned Daniel just enough so that the robber could get away for a second and grab the skid of a helicopter. As he held on with one arm, he fired his machine gun back at Daniel in the pool with his other arm. One of the bullets brazed Daniel’s arm—it kind of looks like rug-burn.”
Needless to say, when the four arrived at Nixon’s, some clapped while others applauded. A few cheered with vigorous merriment, all vowing to name their firstborns after the heroes.
As the four opened the door to Nixons, with the ladies by their side, the entire bar, packed shoulder to shoulder with interns, staff, and local yokels, erupted in applause - a standing ovation. Never before in all of Blackstone had such hootin' and hollerin' been heard. Like the Red Sea, a pathway parted through the crowd from the doorway to the bar. Like a presidential candidate on a campaign stop, the four made their way through the crowd, shaking hands and posing for pictures as they went. The bar was abuzz with the news of their heroics, and the rest of teh night was spent retelling the story of the biggest foiled robbery in Blackstone history. With the Ritz paying their tab, the Fab Four spent the rest of the night enjoying the fruit of their labors...
to be continued...
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