Escape!

The ring hung in the air for what seemed like minutes, spinning in an arc just over the cat burglar’s head. She watched it float and rotate and shifted her weight to be able to make a leap of faith. The timing had to be perfect.

A crash echoed from the next room and the clatter of footsteps filled the stagnant air of the museum. The cops were finally moving in. She had only a split second. But that was all she needed.

She pulled a rope and hook from her belt and noted that the ring was just reaching the zenith of its arc. It paused briefly before beginning its decent.

The cat burglar swung her rope into a tight circle and tossed it up toward the ceiling. Using Gerard’s head as a step – an act he protested – she launched herself up into the air. She caught the ring in one hand as her other yanked hard on the rope, setting the hook into the skylight. She slipped the ring onto her finger and pulled herself up the rope quickly and deftly.

The cops burst into the room and found only Gerard and a slack rope.