In the middle of an old west town, a man and a young girl wandered into a saloon, where the man located a chair and sat down. The girl stood next to him, leaning against the bar.
"What'cu doing out here?" asked a young man, walking over, "never seen you anywhere 'round here before."
"I'm on the trail of an elusive bandit! Known only by her last name, SanDiego!" the man said.
"Her?" the second man asked in shock and confusion, "a female!?"
"Yes. One of the best at her game as well," the girl commented, "she's been going many western towns around here stealing what she can."
The first man nodded, and with a slight laugh he slapped down a wanted poster, showing hispanic girl who was long, curly hair and wide, shining eyes. On the top there was the text: Miss Sandiego, wanted dead or alive.
"They'll take her either way," he said, and a few others gathered around to look at the poster.
"So you two bounty hunters?" asked one of the men, "my name is Graham, but most people call me Gray, by the way."
"You bet, in our town, the sheriff wants her more than anyone else does! So she's willing to pay pretty pennies to see her in handcuffs," he replied, "I'm Chase, she's Julia."
"You Ever encountered her, face to face?" asked another man.
"Yeah, she was in my town's prison for a few months before she just seemed to vanish into thin air. While she was still there, the sheriff branded her left wrist with this symbol, so anyone can recognize her." Julia said and she showed a piece of paper with the image of a 'A', she had a light voice with a british accent.
'It stands for our town, Acme." Chase said at the men's curiosity.
"I knew her once," gray said after a moment, "and let me tell you, boys it's one story that's never been told, and never will, and as for her first name… It's Carmen."
I've never seen such a lovely view," a girl dressed in a black jumpsuit and red leather coat said as she looked over the side of a cliff overlooking a small western town.
"You see them everyday, Carmen and yet this one is the best?" a young boy's voice came from behind her and he walked over.
"I never get tired of looking at places like this.." the girl murmured, mostly to herself, "We should get going, Jase."
The young boy nodded and Carmen got back on her hose to ride down to the town.
"Hey! Carmen!" a female voice came as two twins, a boy and a girl, rode down toward them on identical Chincoteague ponies, "wait for us!"
Carmen laughed and tugged on the reins of her own mare to slow it down and let the twins catch up. When they did, Carmen once again sped up, and let the others follow her. They soon entered the town, riding in silence.
"So what're we going to do now?" Asked the female twin, her boston accent clear in her voice.
"Don't worry, Ivy, we're going to rest. I'm gonna get a drink," she said, "you two go find a inn and one of you come to get me one you do." she said as she rode over to a saloon and tied her horse to the railing outside of it and entered, tugging the bandana that was tied across her mouth off as she walked over to the bar and ordered something to quench her thirst. She noticed a few men gathered around a pale man. She examined each one, and froze once she saw who one of them was.
"Gray?" she said allowed, before she realized she had even made a noise, the man had stood up, and they were stare at each other.
"Whose she?" asked another voice, and gray shook his head.
"Camila, my ex-wife," he said and Carmen smiled at him and nodded although, she was looking rather annoyed. Everyone went back to what they were doing, but after that carmen quickly downed her drink and got up to leave.
"Wait," said Chase as she was about to leave, "show my your left wrist."
Silence fell, as everyone realized who - and what- he was implying this woman was. After waiting a few moment, she shook her head and turned to leave.
"It's not a choice," Chase said raising his gun to be pointed at her. She growled at he and walked over, folding up the cuff of her jacket, to reveal the brand that he had shown them, "miss Sandiego, you're under arrest."
Chase pulled out handcuffs and grabbed one of carmen's arms, locking the cuffs around it.
"Carmen?" asked a young boy's voice from the doorway of the place, and she looked behind her and froze.
"Jase run as far away as you can, take ivy and zack with you," Carmen said calmly, I'll meet you in New Mexico."
He nodded, but julia blocked his path.
Gray seemed frozen, "who is this?" he asked warily, pointing at the little boy, who looked to be about thirteen or fourteen.
Carmen glared at him, her face showed furious anger, although her eyes showed fear, and even a glimpse of sadness.
"That, Gray, is your son."
The room fell silent, and everyone there seemed to be frozen in time as the two former lovers stared each other down. Carmen did her best to pull back when Gray stepped toward her. But chase handed the cuffs to gray.
"Why don't you do this," he said, "I don't know one man who doesn't want revenge on his ex-wife." and Gray locked Carmen's other hand in the cuffs.
"She's yours, Chase. I may be her ex-husband, but, I'm not taking her somewhere and locking her up as revenge- it's to good for her," gray said, shoving carmen toward Chase. The harsh motion caused her to fall against the bounty hunter's chest. "All I want is my son."
Julia looked and chase who shrugged then nodded, and Julia grabbed the young boy's hand, and brought him over to gray.
While everyone was beginning to return to reality, Carmen slammed her foot back into chase's and he yelped in pain. She pulled away, and made a run for it, leaping onto her horse.
"Well, stardust, this is when it counts, move it!" her horse took off in gallop. Chase dashed out and climbed onto his own horse, giving chase.
"I order you to stop!" he yelled after her.
She did stop, but only for a moment, "didn't say how long."
He growled after her as she took off. He waited a moment and a evil grin spread across his face, "I'd suggest you stop, I'd hate for something to happen to the child, and anyway you can't get the cuffs off."
She tugged on her horse's reins. He laughed as he turned the mare around and trotted toward him.
"You wouldn't hurt an innocent child," she hissed at him.
"I wouldn't hurt him, but I doubt you want to leave your own son behind with your ex-husband, tell me, did he leave you when your were pregnant?" Chase asked, trying to make the thief furious, she nodded.
"This is a story i have to hear. You have until the sun sets." he said and carmen sighed.
As far as I know I was found as an infant by the side of a river in my dead father's arms. They told me he had had been attacked by a cougar. I was brought to a small settlement known as Vile. It was a camp full of thieves, an escape for any criminal, but going there had a price. They Would turn you in if you refused to work for them. The would traffic stolen goods, and sell them for much more then they were worth. I was raised among people like this, mostly by a coach for a small academy that trained people who were new to their lives of crime. There was no right or wrong, stealing was a game, one I wanted to play for real, ever since i could walk or talk.
"Please can you train me?" I would beg coach. Every time she would tell me that I was to young. So to pass the time I took up a hobby, stunt shooting. I was good at it as well, by the time I was thirteen i could shoot a apple balanced on a man's head. When i turned eighteen, i was enrolled in the academy… and i met the five other being trained in the same year as me. When we first took refuge in one of the adobe houses to be spoke to by the different teacher about what we would be learning, i were overjoyed with the idea of finally become of a operative.
"Welcome to VILE training academy for thieves, V-I-L-E, it stands for valuable imports, lavish exports. We traffic stolen goods throughout the wild west, Don't we rattle," coach said, and i blushed at the nickname she had given me. Because i had been found without any identification they was taken to calling me diamondback when i had shot one as a 8-year-old, before that, i wa just 'girl'.
"Rattle, who knew VIle had a mascot," a voice in front of me said, and i realized it had come from a boy my age, in ym angr i grabbed him by the collar of the shirt and pulled him close to my face.
"Only coach calls me rattle, it's diamondback to you!" I snarled and he stuttered a yes. I dropped him, but everyone is already staring. Coach finished her speech and we went to the small rooms where we'd be staying, five to each. Soon the others walked in, first a 18-year-old girl, with pale hair and dark eyeshadow and pink lips.
"Hi, diamond, name's Sheena," she hissed.
"It's diamondback, you know like the rattlesnake." i said in annoyance and sheena just laughed.
"Whatever you say, little jewel," he teased. NExt came in a hispanic boy, who i thought looks a bit like myself.
"Hello, I am antonio, you're diamondback, right" he said.
"Nice name, mi amigo," I said as another boy walked in.
"Jean-PAul, don't talk to me, kid." I already hated this one.
A shadow fell over the door, my final roomate! I hoped it would be a girl so we could outnumber the boys, but in walked…
The annoying kid from the speech, "oh, hi, it's diamondback right? Name's graham," he said and reached for my hand to shake it.
I groaned and shook his hand. I walked over to a bed in the corner off the room, unfortunately next to sheena's she growled at me as i tossed my small satchel of belongs (mostly things i'd stolen from passing thieves) onto the bed. I watched a smile spread over her face.
"So, diamond, is that where you keep your jewels," she said shoving me slide- it has always been a bit runty. She reached for my bag and i walked over fires burning in my eyes.
"Please Don't touch my stuff," I snarled and she just laughed, until gr, who matched her in size.
"Play nice, princess." he growled, "leave the rattlesnake alone."
She scoffed, "probably just some more men's clothes," she said and walked off. I had never seen the point of dresses, and instead chose to dress in parts, a white shirt, often paired with a brown leather jacket. Graham smiled at me and winked. I knew that i couldn't stay mad at him for long in that moment.
Later, when class started, we went first to a shooting class by coach. She nodded at me when i chose a pair of ron pistols, i had trained myself using them. I directed gray to a shotgun that worked well. He took it and we lined up.
"The first rule of shooting, is always have it ready to use, and when you're not using it on safety. we can't have you loading powder while being chased by the cops can we?" she said, "now the target is to hit at least one of these clay pots."
She motioned to a group of claw pots lined up on the wall- this would be to easy.
I took aim and fired, shooting it on my first try. Gray struggled with it and i set my pistol down.
"It helps to hold it like this," I said position the gun correctly for him and he smiled, and after five more tires he hit one of the pots, and by the time we had to go to next class, he had hit another.
I had hit everything i aimed at.
Next class was lead by a native american man known a silvermoon. E was old, and had never like me.
"Welcome to stealth. First things first we will be planting and growing corn to master patience and a delicate touch needed for pickpocketing." Silvermoon said and i almost groaned! Gardening?! I looked over st graham, and from the look on his face he thought the same. They planted the seeds in silence. Silvermoon glared at er as she passed, why did he hate he so much?
The next class was for horse riding. When we walked over to the stable i saw the teacher Bullam, a stunt rider. I noticed gray eyeing a palomino stallion.
"Like her?" i asked
"He's lovely," he said.
"Quiet class, here you're gonna learn to ride like there's no tomorrow!" she said, each of you choose a horse and a partner!" She said and i looked at graham. He nodded and chose the palomino. I picked a pinto hispano. I had never been good with horses, but i managed to stay oh her this time.
After this long day of work we went back to our dorms, where we settled down for the night.
"So your parents must have hated you, nameingyoou graham," I teased.
"You can call me gray," he replied, "and would you like to you know.. Have dinner sometime?"
I was in shock- no one had ever asked my out before! I nodded and he smiled.
"Get a room you two," sheena mumbled and she flopped into her bed. Me and gray both went to bed as well. After that day the year seemed to pass by in a flash. Until one more fateful occurrence. We had just been finishing shooting class, i had again it every target, when gray stumbled, I turned to help him upm, but saw that he had got onto one knee.,
"Diamondback, will you marry me?" He asked and everyone stared. I waited a few moments and screamed my answer.
"YES!" I yelled, tackling him in a hug.
COach seemed like she was going to cry.
"My little filly growing up," she said as me and Gray kissed.
"Happy marriage. Have fun nursing babies, hope they put you through everything you put me though," silvermoon said when he saw the rings on me and gray's fingers. Again why did he hate me so much? I don't know. We graduate the academy all of us and it was only another year before we once again were met with a welcome surprise. I was pregnant! I didn't know how to tel gray, so i wait until we were all back in one place. I smiled at him, and walked over.
"Hey, dad," I said. He looked at me, before his face went blank…
"Is this our way of telling me that-" I cut him off.
"That you're gonna be a father? Yes."
Sheena burst out laughing at the look on gray's face. He couldn't believe any of what was going on.
"Serious?" he said.
"Yes," I unbuttoned my jaket to reveal the curve my stomach had taken on.
He smiled and pulled me into a hug.
"I love our baby already!" he said. Sheena gagged, when we kissed.
"It sounds like everything was perfect, what happened?" Chase asked, he wasn't going to admit it but the thief's story fascinated him.
"Fire. There was a fire," Carmen replied.
I still remember, it was only weeks before my baby was due. Me and Gray had everything figured out. If it was a girl we were going to name her Carrie, if it was a boy, mason. We were asleep in the barracks- well, me, sheena, and antonio. It caught fire. Antonia made it out very quickly, but i was trapped.
"Sheena, help me!" I called out to my rival, but it was no use- if anything, it made things worse.
"Sorry, kid but we don't need you or your kid in the world," She growled and left.
I don't know how i did it, but i dragged myself out of the building an managed to get to a inn- and stayed there. IT was only a week before i found out Gray thought i was dead and was dating sheena. It broke my heart. I swore never to return. In another week i gave birth. A beautiful little boy.
"What's his name?" asked the nurse, laying my baby in my arms.
"It's-" I stopped myself. I didn't want the name gray had chosen, "It's jase."
"And yours?" she asked. I was done with VILE, done with the n
me they gave me. I don't know why i did what i did next.
"My name? It's Carmen. Carmen sandiego," I replied. I left the next morning bought a horse, stardust here, in fact. I rode off, and raised jase in small colonies we never stayed in the same place very long. I eventually thought that i could use my training as a thief for good. I started stealing, but only from VILE.
"Nice story, Carmen." Chase said, "but it's not keeping you out of jail."
"Have fun getting me there," Carmen replied.
"I already have you," Chase said. They rode back to the town, and chase stopped, "Julia, get on your horse."
Carmen kept her eyes wide open, when she saw chase on a black horse, on the ridge above the town. Ivy and zack were behind him. He winked and her and he rolled her eyes. She gave her horse a kick and it took off running. The animal clambered up the ridge and kept running the others followed, jase was on his father's horse.
"You ok carmen?" Gray asked.
"Yes, you with us now?" Carmen asked and Gray nodded.
"Let's go stop VILE!"