Inevitably

Written for the Daily Flash Fiction Challenge with a word limit of 300.

The prompts: This story must contain the words: Painting, Bag and Gate

Inevitably

As he hung, suspended from the ceiling, Conroy watched events unfold below him – inevitably.

The movement of the guards, the timing of the remote camera, even the bustling crowd of school children was right on schedule. It couldn’t help itself. After it happened once, the past could not be changed. History was carved in stone; it was inevitable.

Inevitable unless you were like Conroy and happened to own a time-gate.

At the appropriate time, he lowered himself to the floor. Unseen by a room of eyes momentarily pointed elsewhere, Conroy was able to walk up and pluck the priceless painting right off of the wall. He slipped it into a casual shoulder bag and walked, unchallenged, out the front door of the museum.

It happened as he strode past an alley-way, on his way to his hotel. The hair on his arm stood up and the crack of a huge static discharge drew his attention towards the darkness.

Busted!

He watched as the suit with a blaster stepped through the time-gate. There was no place to run. Even if he did, they would know. This was now all part of history. It was all known and thus inevitable.

“Citizen Conroy, you are under arrest.”

“How’d you catch me?” he asked, stunned.

“You fool, once you made your move, you became history. All we had to do was look back in time. Our catching you was…”

“Inevitable?” asked the voice from behind.

A stunning blast dropped the suit to the ground.

Conroy stood looking at himself then both broke out in laughter. Of course, they knew he’d be caught. History had said as much.

Their celebration was interrupted by a static crackle from the alley.

“Conroys,” said the suit, “You’re both under arrest.”

“Inevitably,” said a familiar voice from behind.

Word count 300