Chapter 4

A Little Help

Carmelita stood in her bedroom, looking at her reflection in the mirror that hung off her bathroom door. She still couldn't believe what she was about to do, but if she ever wanted to see Sly again, she had to do it.

Carmelita had gone away from her usual attire, needing something a little less familiar. Her hair was back in its usual ponytail, but she had dark green long sleeve shirt and a pair of black pants. Around her neck hung the medallion of time, which stood out nicely against the green shirt. She had put on a pair of old running shoes in place of her boots, and had left her collar and badge lying on the dresser. She stared at the mirror, taking in her new clothes.

Keith walked in a few minutes later, calling to Carmelita that they needed to go. Carmelita nodded her head, turning as she walked towards her brother. Since he had come to Paris so quickly, they had to go out the day before and buy him a few new sets of clothes. All of them had been a combination of button down shirts, ties, and black pants that went with the single suit jacket they had bought. Keith looked more like a business man then a rancher, but it would do.

Keith and Carmelita walked out of the apartment, and into the cool night air. They moved silently down the stairs, and walked down the street to Carmelita's car. Keith had moved it away from the apartment earlier the previous day so they would not wake up Mrs. Hoot. Carmelita hopped into the driver seat, letting the engine of her red convertible roar to life before she pulled out into the nearly empty Paris streets.

Carmelita still wasn't sure about herself, but what other option did she have. With some searching on the internet, Keith had found the Staff and Dagger of time. The problem was they were on display in the Cairo Natural History Museum, the same museum that had housed the Clockwerk parts. They were apart of the museum's lost civilizations exhibit. The museum had also undergone a recent renovation, installing a new, top of the line, security system.

Carmelita had dealt with the museum's curator before, and knew he would never give up the Staff and Dagger of time willingly. That meant the only way to get them was to steal them. That was only half the problem though. To have any hope of stealing the weapons of time Carmelita and Keith needed help, and Carmelita could only think of one group of people who might even consider helping them.

Still, Keith had made a good point about the entire affair. If everything worked, time would be rewound to a point long before they ever stole anything. That meant it would be like the Staff and Dagger of time were never stolen, and Carmelita would have never asked anyone to help her steal anything. Still, Carmelita wondered, would she be able to forgive herself. She and Keith would be the only ones that remembered what happened originally. Carmelita worried that, after stealing the Staff and Dagger of time, if she would be able to return to a life as an officer of the law, and just forget it ever happened.

Carmelita couldn't think about it much long as the Interpol Impound car lot came into view. Keith jumped out of the car, glancing back at Carmelita as he said, "I meet you at the address as soon as I can."

Carmelita nodded her head, biting her lip a bit as she fought the urge to call the whole thing off. Then, an image of Sly flashed in her head, smiling at her with that crooked, but of so kind smile. Carmelita felt her determination return, as a few words pounded in her heart. She had to tell Sly everything, and to do that they needed help.

Carmelita drove off a few moments later as Keith snuck into the impound lot, the Sword of Time strapped securely to his back. Carmelita cruised the Paris streets, making her way to a residential district. Most of the buildings were run down, but Carmelita's eyes searched the sides of the street like a hawk. She then saw what she needed, a larger house with six bedrooms and each one of them filled with someone she knew.

Carmelita pulled up in front of the house, looking around. She smiled, Interpol had done just as she suggested. In place of wasting man power watching the house, they had used new tracking devices that were attached to a person's ankle. If the person left the grounds, then the trackers would send an alarm to Interpol. It was simple, it was efficient, and it was the easiest thing to get around, at least for her.

Carmelita stepped out of her car, doing one final check around the block before she began to walk up to the house. Carmelita's eyes shifted around nervously, hoping that that she wasn't being watched. Carmelita soon reached the door, gently knocking it a few times. Carmelita waited several minutes, hoping to hear footsteps. Instead, the door opened and Carmelita saw the handicapped Bentley staring up at her.

Bentley was a little surprised, but managed to ask, "What are you doing here Inspector?'

Carmelita glanced over her shoulder, and then looked back at the thoroughly confused Bentley, "I need to talk."

Bentley nodded his head, backing up a bit to let Carmelita in. The vixen inspector stepped in the door, shutting it quickly before she turned to Bentley and asked, "What if I said there is a way to bring Sly back?"

Bentley stared at Carmelita for a few moments, and then replied, "I would call a mental hospital. Sly is dead, and there is no way to bring him back."

Carmelita shook her head, "I am not asking if you think it is possible or not. I am asking that if you could, would you bring Sly back to life."

Bentley stared at Carmelita a few minutes, mulling over the question in his head before he nodded his head, "I would do anything if it brought Sly back."

Carmelita smiled, and quickly told Bentley everything she knew about the sands of time, and how they could rewind time to a point where Sly was still alive. When Carmelita finished, Bentley was in absolute shock. He was having trouble believing anything he had just been told. Still, Carmelita had shown him the medallion, and he had also heard of the legend of the sands of time.

Finally, Bentley sighed and asked, "All right, let's say I believe all this, and that you are actually prepared to steal for Sly's sake. What's your plan?"

Carmelita smiled, digging in the pocket of her pants before she pulled out a small electronic device. She held it in front of Bentley, a smile slowly spreading on the turtles face as Carmelita said, "I have the key to your ankle trackers, and I have someone bringing your team van even as we speak. I get your guys out of here, and you help me steal the Dagger and Staff of time. Then, all of us can go to the home of the Kronosians and if everything goes as planned time will be rewound to the point before I even arrested Sly. Then, it will be like none of this ever happened, and the only two who will know any of this ever did happen will be me and my brother."

Bentley rubbed his chin, his eye reflecting the many thoughts and concerns running through his mind. Finally, Bentley looked up at Carmelita and said, "Do you promise that if we do this, and you do go back in time, you won't arrest us a second time."

Carmelita nodded her head, "I promise."

Bentley nodded his head, and then smiled as he wheeled out of the room, grabbing the electronic key from Carmelita before disappearing into the rest of the house. Carmelita sat and waited for several minutes until she heard footsteps coming down the hall. She turned, and saw what remained of the cooper gang standing in the back of the room. Murray was in his wrestling get up and everybody else was what they would consider their field clothes.

Bentley rolled up to Carmelita, offering her a hand, "Welcome to the Cooper Gang Carmelita."

Carmelita stared at Bentley's hand for several minutes, his words bouncing around in her head. This was her last chance to back out. If she left now, she could forget about the whole thing. Then again, just as Carmelita was questioning her decision Sly's smiling face popped into her mind. He would do the same for her if, even if it meant he had to give his life to save hers. Now, it was her chance to do what Sly would have done in a heartbeat. Carmelita stretched out her hand, shacking Bentley's as they all heard a car horn blare from outside. It was official, there were a pair of Fox's working with the Cooper Gang.

Bentley quickly used the electronic key to release the trackers on gang's ankles. With their trackers removed, the gang crept out of the house. Keith was stepping out of the team van, looking up and down the street as he waved at Carmelita. Carmelita ran forward, motioning towards her convertible while Murray leapt into the driver seat of the Cooper Gang van.

Bentley rolled up to Carmelita's door and said, "Follow us to one of our other hideouts. We should be safe there until I can get us some plane tickets to Egypt. Once were in the land of the Nile, I'll begin planning a way for us to steal the Dagger and Staff of Time."

Carmelita nodded her head, and Bentley was about to role away when he paused, looking up at Carmelita, "By the way, thanks." Carmelita stared, a small smile forming onto her lips as Bentley rolled away. Carmelita then turned to Keith, a frown forming on her face, "This feels so wrong."

Keith nodded his head, "How do you think I feel. I just stole a bloody van. I can just hear father's voice, his face turning that bright radish red like it has only two times before. Still, it's too late to turn back now. Wheels are in motion, and the only way you and I can make it so none of this ever happened is with the weapons and the hourglass of time."

Carmelita nodded her head, "Your right, it is too late. Now, we will just have to see this through to the end." With that, Carmelita started her car and followed Murray as he pulled the van out into the Paris streets. The two car convoy moved silently, taking back streets and alley's as they reached the Paris city limits. The gang drove all night, never stopping until they turned off the highway and onto an old dirt road.

The dirt road led through a thick forest for several hours before it came up on an old abandoned house, lost in the endless sea of trees. Murray pulled around the back of the house, slipping the team van into a metal car port that was behind the dilapidated house. Carmelita and Keith came in behind Murray, parking beside the carport before stepping out. Carmelita looked up at the old house, and began to wonder why Bentley had them come to such an old house. It had to be at least a few hundred years old, and it looked like it would collapse at the slightest touch. Still, Bentley just hopped out the back of the team van and began to wheel towards the side of the house.

Bentley rolled up to an old cellar door, quickly opening the pair of old wooden door. He then used his wheel chair to jump up into the air, small rockets on his wheels kicking into gear as he slowly descended down into the houses basement. Carmelita, Keith, Murray, and the others followed, climbing down the old wooden stairs. It was pitch black under the house, but once everyone was clear of the stairs Bentley flipped on a light switch and revealed what had been hidden in the dark.

The basement looked like a military bunker. The walls were firm, solid concrete with a large number of monitoring equipment and a large computer pushed up against the right hand wall. The rest of the room had some light, homey, furnishings that include stuff for a living room, dinning room, and a kitchen. Against the back wall, hidden in the corner, was a single steel door with several firm locks on it.

The door led to a hallway that connected all the bedrooms for the bunker, which had recently been expanded to include the newest members of the Cooper gang. Each room was unique, reflecting the many different personalities on the team. Bentley's bedroom could be compared to a computer superstore. Penelope's was filled with a large number of RC vehicles and spare parts. Murray's was a mixture of a child's room and a workout studio. Guru's room resembled his old hut back in Australia, without the stink of the unspeakable deed Murray had done. Panda King's room was oriental in style with a futon in place of a bed. Finally, Dimitri's room was the perfect place for the lounge lizard to do his favorite thing, chill and enjoy his own coolness.

Keith and Carmelita were shocked to see such a modern hideout hidden beneath the house. As they stared off in awe, the rest of the gang went about satisfying their hunger or catching up on the sleep they had missed. Murray and Panda King were already making breakfast in the kitchen while Dimitri had disappeared into his room, a soft snore soon echoing through the hideout.

Bentley was already over at his computer, catching up on the happenings on Theifnet. Penelope watched over Bentley's shoulder, her eyes darting across the screen quickly. The only one that seemed to just be doing nothing was Guru, but in truth he had taken a seat on the floor near the steps, meditating.

After a few minutes Carmelita moved over to sit down on the couch, and watch the morning news while Keith went to help Murray and Panda King in the kitchen. The three of them were just starting to get into an argument about what kind of coffee to make when the morning news came on. The three cooks turned to look at the TV while Bentley and Penelope came over from the computer.

A leopardess news reporter in a dark blue business suit and medium length black hair sat in front of the camera, her serious voice echoing inside the hideout, "Now, for our top story. Reports are coming in from Interpol that the Cooper Gang has escaped custody. An Interpol representative said that each member of the gang had been fitted with a radio tracker, and the tracker could have only been removed with an Interpol authorized key. This is leading investigators to believe that someone in Interpol assisted the Cooper Gang with their escape. They have no leads at the moment, but Interpol is confident that the gang will be quickly recaptured. Without their crafty leader Sly Cooper, who died of a gun shot wound a few days ago, the gang poses little threat. Now, here is Bill with the weather."

Carmelita was on the edge of her seat, her tail twitching back and forth as she continued to stare at the screen. Keith looked over at Bentley and said, "I hope you can get us airplane tickets quickly. If we are still in France when Carmelita and I are linked to the escape, it will take every angle in heaven for us to escape our father."

Bentley nodded his head, "Yeah, being the head of the Spanish division of Interpol gives him a lot of power. He could have every inch of Paris swarming with officers in an hour. All right, I'll get back to work. I have a few favors I can call in, and should be able to get us a plane by tomorrow afternoon. Still, everybody make sure you are ready to move out on a moments notice."

The rest of the gang nodded their heads, going back to what they were doing. Keith hung back, looking at Carmelita as he saw her tail continue to twitch uncontrollably. Her determination was waning, and for the first time in years Keith could tell Carmelita was terrified. Her whole career, her whole life rested on the fact the sands of time would work, and would be able to rewind time. Keith breathed a sigh, moving over to Carmelita as he set a hand on his sister's shoulder, "Hey, you going to be okay?"

Carmelita looked back at Keith, the worry reflecting in her eyes, "At this point, it really doesn't matter. It's too late to turn back, too late to change my mind. I have to see this through, not only for Sly's life but for my own."

Keith smiled, "Carmelita, you are the only Interpol officer that has ever been able to keep up with Sly. That both speaks highly of you and poorly of the other Interpol officers. Trust me, it would take a miracle to catch you if you didn't want to get caught."

Carmelita scoffed, "Of yeah, what about you?"

Keith shrugged, turning back towards the kitchen, "I just hope you have room to help me escape as well. Otherwise, just the wrath of heaven rain down because I am as good as dead."

Carmelita chuckled, turning back to the news as the weather kicked out and the sports came on. Soon, Murray called everyone to dinner. The meal was eaten over conversation and laughter as the gang enjoyed their first real meal since they had been placed under house arrest. Interpol had not tried at all to impress the gang with their very small, tasteless meals. Though, the rest of the gang did feel better when Carmelita said that Interpol tried to stuff the same gunk down the throats of its officers.

That night, most of the gang slept peacefully. There was one, however, that did not sleep. Keith stayed up most of the night, looking over several sheets of new information he had been able to verify thanks to the Sword and Medallion of Time. Keith continued to read over the many pieces of paper, filing away every word into his own memory.

For a long time Keith had known of a legend, and he believed it had Kronosians origins. Now, he was sure of it. The legend spoke of a Persian prince that had an extended encounter with the Sands of Time after the fall of the Kronosian culture. There were, however, two pieces of the legend that Keith was particularly interested in. The first was the Mask of Wrath. The mask supposedly was powered by the sands of time. The mask would take someone back in time a large distance, and then they would exist in the time line with their alternate selves. It was only when their past self perished that a person could remove the mask, and pick up where they left of.

The other part of the legend spoke of the Dahaka, and that is what worried Keith the most. The Dahaka was the guardian of the timeline, a manifestation of ancient power. All Kronosian philosophers believed that the Dahaka had existed since time had begun, and would exist until the end of everything. Keith looked over the only sketch ever made of the Dahaka. It was rough and looked like a large man surrounded in shadows. However, the Dahaka had a pair of ghastly ram's horns with long black tentacles flowing from his back.

Keith yawned, rubbing his eyes as he set his notes off to one side. He slipped down into his bed, reaching up to the lamp before he glanced across the room. His eyes rested on the sword of time, and he wondered. What if the Dahaka came, and tried to stop them from altering time. Would they be able to stop it? Keith sighed, turning off his reading lamp before lying on his bed, thoughts of the sands and the Dahaka falling away into shadows.

The gang slept peacefully all night, and awoke bright and early. Everyone had sat down to breakfast when Bentley looked away from his plate, his ears picking an up a strange sound. He rolled away from the table, moving over to his computer as he checked all of his monitoring equipment. The sound came again, and Bentley's eyes narrowed. It was the radar, someone was outside the house.