Security - 23. Chapter 23

Dave called and wanted me to go with the guys to see the General. He needs reassurance that I was still in charge of the project. I guess not seeing me for a while, he thought I had abandoned the project. I told Bobby that evening and made arrangements to meet David and the guys at the Palace the next day.

“Hello Charles, I thought you abandon us. Although your people are doing a good job, it’s nice to know you still, as you say, have your fingers in our project.”

“General, it’s good to see you. You needn’t worry, I have been following the project and conferring with David. I was glad to hear that you are going ahead with the original project. David and I talked about a way to allow your people to open certain rooms in the palace to the public. Moving the offices and residents to the second and third floor helps significantly.”

I toured the palace with the General and the guys. The outside security was finished, it went well and fast. I looked at David, he whispered, “He had them working twenty-four hours straight, three shifts, seven days.”

“I guess if he can stop them on the outside, he doesn’t need to worry much about the inside.”

“We have a prototype set up inside in case one of their visitors gets sticky fingers. I’ll show you.”

Walking inside the palace, I followed David to a vase that was sitting on a pedestal. It was quite ornate and looked very old. “Pick it up as if you were going to steal it.” I did and a very loud alarm sounded, loud enough that two guards came running in with guns drawn. I looked at David, he was laughing. I didn’t think it was a laughing matter, I’ll probably be deaf for a few minutes.

“What do you think?”

“What did you say. I can’t hear you.”

He indicated we should walk outside. I followed and by the time I was outside, the ringing stopped. “My god David, that made one of the most piercing sounds I have ever heard. Any more time in there and I would have gone deaf.”

“I think it is an effective deterrent. It works off a battery that is hidden in the pedestal.”

“But anyone in the vicinity will become deaf as well.”

“If you were going to steal that vase you wouldn’t do it in front of people.”

“That’s true, it won’t fit in a shopping bag.”

“I think the first time it goes off, the word will get out and people will not try and take anything.”

“Is there a way to disconnect the alarm?”

“No, unless you steal the battery. It isn’t wired, it works through some sort of magnetic connection. The way it was explained to me, as long as there is a magnetic field the alarm will be silent. As soon as the magnetic field is broken the alarm goes off.”

I had to think about that a little. From what David said the magnetic field must keep some sort of connection from being united. Clever, but if I had a magnet in my pocket, I probably could steal it. I wonder if that would work. I guess I’ll have to try it.

Later that evening I went and bought a powerful magnet. I wanted to see if this would work. So after dinner, I went and placed the magnet on the podium next to the vase. Then I hesitantly picked up the vase. No alarm. I walked off with the vase. I wondered what would happen tomorrow when they saw the vase missing. I took the vase to the General’s office and places it on his desk.

The next morning when I arrived at the palace, there were a lot of people hovering around the pedestal that once held the vase. The General was very upset, David couldn’t figure out what happened and he was holding the magnet that was found on the table. “What’s the problem?

Where is the vase?”

“It has been stolen?”

“Couldn’t have been, the magnetic connection would have sounded.”

“No, whoever stole the vase knew about the connection and left this magnet there to prevent the connection from being broken.”

David looked at me, I could see the wheels in his mind working. “Where is it?”

“In the General’s office” He looked at me and just shook his head as he walked away. I think that the concept would still work. Not everyone would think about creating a secondary field, particularly if they didn’t know how the system worked.

David, the General, and I walked to his office to discuss a different alarming system. When the General saw the vase, his mouth dropped open. “General, did you take the vase.”

“No, no I did not. I don’t understand how it got here.”

I started to laugh, he looked at me. “You did this, why?”

“I wanted to show you that no system is a hundred percent foolproof. Now the system that is installed for this vase will work and prevent someone from stealing it. I knew how the system worked and I knew how to circumvent it. If you think about it, you’ll know-how as well.”

I went and reviewed the project. David and the team were right on as far as the job was going. I knew they could handle it, it isn’t their first job like this. I stayed three more days, made like I reviewed it all, essentially held the General and Prime Minister hands. “Dave, you are all doing a great job. Let me know if the General figures out the disappearing vase trick.”