The Last Stand at the Museum
The Last Stand at the Museum
Another night at the Museum
Ken had been working at the Museum for the last forty years. He was just a year away from retirement. Ken was looking forward to his days of rest, and the cruise around the world, he had booked for his wife Imelda and himself. Ken had never traveled around the world and this was something he was looking forward to doing.
The Museum had a special exhibit of curios, artifacts, and art pieces that had come from Japan. It had the jewelry worn by the Empresses and Emperors. Also among the exhibits were the military uniforms worn by the soldiers and warriors, like the Samurai and the Shoguns. These were all authentic items and every piece was worth more than a million dollars and the collection would be a staggering amount. The items including statues of medieval warriors were all in glass cases, mounted onto pedestals, that were part of this large exhibit, that filled three large halls of the Museum. The art gallery pieces were moved out to make place for this special showing called “The Great Kingdom of Japan”.
The exhibit was to be on display for a month. Special Security services were to be joining the next day. Tonight, Ken, the fifty-nine-year-old museum guard was on his own. The Museum closed at 5 pm. Ken checked all the doors and windows to make sure that everyone had left the large building. He then proceeded to switch on the new alarm system that was installed a week ago.
The elderly security guard looked around at the museum and he knew he would miss the place, once he retired. He could not reminisce any longer and he decided to make himself a cup of coffee and eat the sandwiches Imelda had prepared for him. He sat in front of the CCTV monitors and opened his latest spy-thriller novel, “The Spy Who Froze in the Cold”.
It must have been an hour later when Ken woke up from sleep. He was very tired after such a busy day. It was dark outside, although it was just after 6 pm. It was winter and the roads around the museum were deserted. He looked at the monitors, for the cameras, that were in all the halls of the museum and noticed shadowy figures moving around. Ken rubbed his eyes and thought he was imagining things, but he noticed shadows moving in the three rooms where the Japanese exhibits were on display.
Ken was ready to spring into action. He took his baton and switched on his flashlight as he entered the large hall where the exhibits were on display. He was scared, nervous, not knowing what to expect. Were these criminals here to steal the exhibits? They must have remained hidden on the premises, when the museum closed. He wished that there was another security guard with him, especially on a night like this.
There was movement in the next room, there seemed to be someone removing the glass cabinet, where a jeweled crown was on display. The alarms were all disabled in the museum, so the thieves would have a field day, he thought to himself. On the left of the room, Ken saw another shadowy figure in a cat burglar’s uniform removing the gold emerald and ruby-encrusted necklaces.
Just as Ken was about to rush towards the two criminals, he saw some Japanese warriors dressed in medieval outfits attack and overpower the two burglars. Ken was shocked and he could not believe his eyes. This looked like a scene from the Ben Stiller movie, “Night at the Museum”.
He switched the lights on. He saw the men in the Samurai uniforms coming towards him, having bound the criminals with thick ropes. They removed their masks and they smiled at him.
“Do not be afraid, Officer, we came with the shipment to protect the artifacts,” said the Japanese man.
“We just had to make sure that the items were safe. We were hired to do the job, by the Museum in Japan,” said the second man, with a smile, as he nodded his head at Ken.
Ken bowed his head and said with a smile, “And I thought the Museum had come to life. I was ready to make my last stand here to protect this museum that I love.”
The museum alarms rang loudly and the sound of police sirens could be heard arriving.
Ken would get that long retirement holiday he was looking forward to with great joy.
