It used to not be this way.
Carmen remembered distantly a time when she had been younger, and the temptation had seemed just as remote a memory. But all that had changed over the past decade. Things were no longer as she once longed for them to be. There was so little to involve back then. How she sometimes longed for that simplicity! Once upon a time, other memories had prevailed. A silent figure clad in black and red rested wearily against a dirty concrete wall, the cold feel of brick against her back as she closed her eyes trying hard to remember how this had all began…
August 1984
In the swirling cool mist of an August dawn, the sound of gravel crunching beneath steel radial tires interrupted the chilled silent night air without concern. The building in the endangered proximity was protected by minimum security and the intended interloper knew it's weaknesses.
Yes, behind those few obstacles awaited another piece of the puzzle that haunted his deepest, most daunting of dreams. It's undetermined knowledge held the secret to things the world would long to know. But not yet. They would figure it's secrets out much later and itch beneath thier skin for not seeing the delicious irony. There was a cruel joke to be seen in this venture, and what a glorious thing is was to see the humor! It was a prize to be savored first without the enterprising eyes of what ethnic principle had predetermined. It was revelation and redemption in one triumphant forbidden taste…
They would never understand just as they could never see. What a delightful sensation it was to realize the world was a ruse and that fate had graced you with a knowledge beyond the mundanity of normal sensation.
It was better than showing those who had opposed his methods wrong. How UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) had tried to disgrace his efforts by barring him from his profession and publicly named him a criminal. As if that was going to stop him.
On the contrary, he was reborn.
No more hiding behind ulterior motives and lack of funding for expeditures. Now, he created his own opportunities.
At first, it had been difficult. But after the sale of a few unmentioned items from various underwater archaeological recovery efforts it was financially possible to secure the means to continue in the quest of the ultimate find. Most of his recent activities were conducted in the pursuit of the constant need for further funding.
But tonight was much different.
A stream of static and words interrupted his thoughts."
"No sign that Acme even has a clue that we are here. This is a piece of cake…"
""ACME hasn't invented an agent good enough to capture us yet, Bilge. Keep this channel clear unless I give a signal to vacate. We must get those pages from the logbook to the Californian and leave. Nothing must endanger this mission. Is that clear?"
"Very clear, Boss. And what do we do if an agent does show?"
"Deal with them accordingly…(chuckle). I doubt you'll have any reason for concern. Radio me once the objective has been reached. Over…"
Once again, there was silence. In that brevity of time, he had felt invincible.
Nothing lasts forever.
Once the night watchman had locked the last door and jumped into his car on his usual escape from his paid duties, three shadows moved into action. There was little need to be discreet in thier entrance and Maelstrom could hear the occasional crackle of radio interference and the sound of objects being knocked over. He drummed his fingers impatiently on the dashboard at the obvious idiocy his employees displayed in reaching thier objective, but decided against reprimanding them lest they become any further distracted. Usually he was an active participant in these activities, but he had expected...no, invited company. He had disbatched the last agent ACME had sent after him with little problem but an aura of dissapointment had soon taken root when his last three heists had met with little resistance.
Between the shadows, a group of three men searched for one object in the pitch black. One of the shadows let out a groan of disgust before becoming distressed and kicking over a metal filing cabinet.
" I don't understand! It should be here!"
Then a calm voice projected from across the room in the …feminine, low and calm, yet confident and jeering.
"Looking for this?"
All eyes converged upon the obscure position of the taunting reply. Suddenly, the beams from three flashlights converged against the silhouette of an unwelcome female figure who smiled politely in jest holding a tattered box and calmly stated,
C'mon boys. This is an unfair fight. Three of you against just me? Okay. I'll give you thirty seconds to run and get five more of your friends, but that's as fair as I get...
"Hey little lady, you're in the wrong place at the wrong time."
One of the burly shadows jumped toward her as his flashlight rolled away. There were occasionally beams of random light which did nothing to illuminate startled eyes as to what was going on. After a moment of disturbing squeals and an uncertain male scream there was once again a disturbing silence.
"Tsk, tsk tsk. Thanks for playing but not even close. Try again!"
The second shadow came into view in the faint light from a nearby window and for the first time Bilge caught sight of the unaccountable presence moments before it moved swiftly back into the safety of the darkness. A woman? No, more like a young girl with the grace of a tiger poised to strike. As his cohort gave chase, he began to retreat and hit the switch on his transmitter.
"Dr.! We have an agent in here and Sven is down! She has the logbook!"
There was no reply on the other end as his last companion let out a pained cry and then the uncomfortable silence resumed. Bilge backed up against a wall and tapped his microphone with an unsteady hand and meekly spoke to the silence,
"Maelstrom? Do you read me? Hello?..."
In the absence of light, the muffled sounds of his fallen comrades heavily pained breathing broke the otherwise now intolerable silence. He held his breath, listening for any slight betraying noise, a misplaced shuffle across the dusty tile floor but heard instead nothing. His hand found the handle of a pistol on his belt which now seemed the best way to confront this unexpected situation.
'I wouldn't do that if I were you. Where's your boss, or is he too good to get his hands dirty with the real work?"
Bilge drew the pistol out and pointed it indiscriminately across the room, scanning for any sign of attack. He laughed uneasily as drop of sweat fell from his temple and mocked,
"You'll be sorry you ever crossed paths with Maelstrom, he'll take care of you the way he did your last friend."
A slight growl emerged from her mouth and Bilge pointed in it's direction but not before an unanticipated rumble from a nearby detonation threw the both of them to the ground with a flash of fire and debris. Bilge had partially expected some derisive action on part of his employer and quickly found his feet before the dust began to clear to flee.
The young woman caught her breath and began to cough as she raised her head and caught sight of another approaching, the light of daybreak streaming in from the ruined side wall as a silhouette strode in from the gaping aperture and stopped short of where she struggled to stand and delivered a swift kick knocking her back down.
He knelt down to retrieve a blackened logbook from the floor and spotted another object beside it and picked it up.
Dr. Maelstrom studied the badge with a detached curiosity before throwing it towards her with a tinge of frustration coloring his accented voice as he hissed,
"I offered ACME a chance to send me some real competition and they send me a little girl. Take you badge back to San Francisco and tell them that I have better things to do if they aren't going to take me seriously, Carmen Sandiego..."
Thier eyes met a moment and a controlled rage lingered behind the icy blue stare that met his with unparalleled resistance.
He stood and began to leave as Carmen struggled to her feet and yelled out,
"ACME will stop you and this crime spree of yours will be nothing but an exercise in futility!"
Maelstrom stopped momentarily and looked back at her with a glint of dark appreciation in his piercing emerald eyes and smiled,
"You have no idea how right you are."
Carmen gained her balance and began to pursue them, only to realize that they were gone, not a trace of thier vehicles were in sight as she studied the destruction a grenade could cause to a mere brick wall and rubbed her side subconsciously with a flush of angered sentiment and walked back over to where her ACME badge lay among the debris to retrieve it.
It had just become personal.