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battlefield. If we're going to play in the big league, we need to act like big leaguers."
    It was the closest Claber had ever come to chastising Truman, and he bristled. Yet Claber was right. He couldn't make the money he needed without breaking a few arms. And that meant stepping out of the comfortable mold he'd made for himself.

 
    Chapter 7
     
    "Here's the new plan,” Truman said, his voice echoing over the speaker function of his phone. He leaned nearer the microphone. “Is everyone listening?"
    "We're all here," Claber said.
    "Here, Boss," Grey said, his words distorted by the speaker on Claber's cell.
    “Here,” Eli echoed.
    "All right." Truman inhaled through his nostrils, feeling the burn of the cold air. Heating the giant manor was an unnecessary luxury at the moment, and so he and his men wore their gloves and jackets inside the thick stone walls. They grumbled, but Truman ignored their veiled questions.
    Claber’s group had stopped in a cheap motel somewhere in Virginia, but they wouldn't be there long. "I've made some decisions,” Truman continued. “We’re going back to jewelry. It’s what we know best. But not just any jewelry. Museum pieces."
    A bed creaked on the other side of the phone, and Truman knew they weren’t thrilled by the idea. They'd probably prefer never to step foot into a museum again.
    "Don't worry.” Truman spoke before anyone could object. “Even you can do these ones.” The insult in his words would be like fire to their egos, propelling them forward to the next task. “These museums aren't as protected. I'm sending you to Texas."
    "Texas?" Eli asked, surprised.
    "Houston, to be exact," Truman said. “There's a special art exhibit this week only. The Swan Lake necklace. Worth almost two million." He’d found the special exhibit after just a few internet searches. Then it hadn’t taken much to bribe a contact into visiting the museum and scouting out the security. Between the expensive exhibit and the lesser security, the Houston museum was the best combination for his men.
    He heard scribbling on paper, and then Claber asked, "What's security like?"
    "Tight, but not too. I've got a rear entry point with only two guards. Should be really quick. If you're lucky, they'll be in another part of the museum. If you're not, gas them. It shouldn't be too hard."
    “One of us can even create a distraction,” Eli said.
    "We got this,” Claber said, repressed excitement in his voice. “When do we leave?"
    "In the morning. Give yourselves two days. I want you there by Wednesday at the latest. Get the necklace, then head west to the Rockies. Come up into Canada through our Montana route.”
    “The Montana way?” Grey interrupted, his voice closer to the phone. “But the museum’s in Texas.”
    Truman rolled his eyes. Better if Grey stuck to sewing and cooking. “The police won't be searching for suspects that far away. Get across the border as quick as possible. No stops, got it? Get back here with that necklace. That's all that matters." Two million. That would go a long way toward his debt. At least it would be something to show McAllister, an indication that he took this threat seriously.
    "Yes, sir," Claber confirmed. "We'll be back within the week."
    "I'll text you the address to the museum. Oh, and Claber," Truman paused. "This mission cannot fail. You have to get that necklace. Do whatever it takes."
    "Understood," Claber said.
    Truman knew Claber had been chomping at the bit for some time now, wanting something bigger than ring-napping.
    Well, he was going to get it.
    #
    “I have a possible identification on one person from the photographs you gave me,” Fayande said, his voice particularly nasal this time of the morning.
    Truman switched the phone to his other shoulder and did another pull-up. Sweat dripped down his chin, dampening the white tank he wore. “Go on.”
    “We have him on our wanted list as well. We have identified two aliases for him. Gregorio and