Sly Cooper: Vida La Carmelita
Vigo, Spain, 3rd April 1999
Suzanna had begun pacing in the front room of her sterile house. The only red that could or would ever be seen around the house was in her eyes. Aaron twitched in his seat; the nervous Aardvark worrying hard about his missing step-niece and her vengeful vendetta: true, his wife too had a vendetta upon Enrico Conte, but it was never a one-man war on the Devil himself – it was more of an organised crusade…and then he's worries intensified as Suzanna Fox picked up the phone and hit the number 9 in a three-beat-rhythm.
"Hey Police. Can I talk to Captain Barkley?"
"Suzanna, what are you doing?" Aaron rose from his seat, fully aware of what was about to happen – Suzanna in her moment of disregard for her niece and family she was going to report Carmelita to police! "Diego and Santana would be rolling in they view you were going to do this! There are other ways to get out of this!"
"I didn't want to. But she chose to take them on herself and she'll get herself killed – we both know it. Then what? Enrico will be completely victorious and then Diego and Santana will be rolling even harder. You know it, you're just too much of a woozy to tell yourself it" A voice came from the other end of the line. It was Barkley – the infamous Interpol commander who was heading up on the Mano del Diablo manhunt since Enrico Conte first came to Spain aged 14 those years ago.
"Suzanna? What is it?"
"It's Enrico Conte. My niece has got involved with him and knows where he is…what's he's currently doing as well!"
"Wha…where is she? We could use her real bad for this"
"She…she went off"
"A Vigilante? Please say she wasn't the one who did Voyra over…or Jame Jones. If we can make a deal with her then maybe…"
A knock came on the door, and the depressed and hurt Aaron went to answer it.
"Barkley, I don't want to 'deal' with her but she should be dealt with once this is done. No exceptions, once we have her statement I want her in ja…"
BANG!
BANG!
Aaron and Suzanna collapsed unconscious to the floor, over them were the two faces they'd least have expected to see…Tusks and Pinky, the two extra guests of Carmelita's childhood they had seen on nowhere near as frequent a basis as Crits…and the amount that had aged since then. The pair of them had gone from bulked and muscular polite looking guys to two bearded and bristling men whose arms were wrinkled with fat and covered with knife cuts and bullet wounds. Whatever had become of them after Carmelita left their lives could only be a guess, but right now they were a pair of thugs for hire. Tusks took Suzanna under her body and tried to pick her up. His heavy breathing would make someone think that she was as overweight as they were, when the exact opposite was the case.
"Damn this woman needs to lose some pounds!" Tusks turned to Pinky "Remember when we were young, then she was a sort. More than Carmelita was that's for sure"
"Hey man, she still got it. We just gotta get us some muscle back on us. I'll give you a hand and we'll pop them in the van and take them to the dock for Enrico, we get our ciggies then we're off"
Barkley was listening to this all on the phone that had fallen to the floor but was still on, relaying this information to Interpol…
Mano del Diablo HQ to Vigo, 3rd April 1999
The boats were jetting across the water. Each boat was equipped with a thick metal hull exterior that would withstand impacting on any other boat without taking any damage, the front windscreen was bomb-proof glass, and both engines on the back of the boat were maximizing speeds of equivocal to a fast car on the open roads. Both Enrico and Carmelita were aware of this fact and the boats were breaking through the water at lightning speeds. Silver picked up Crits from the boats floor, lifting him up like a heavy gym-bag of stuff, and held him over the side of the boat.
"Enrico, if we drop him we could cut down the time to Vigo and put her off the chase!"
"No…I have a better idea for him…plus she has just started shooting at us!" He yelled as a shock pistol bullet flew overhead. Despite the roaring engines and spiting water, he could also just make out the angry war cry of Carmelita over the ocean – "You touch him like that again Conte, and I'll rip your heart out with that sickening white T-Shirt!" – as they continued on their speeding voyage to Vigo, a full 10 seconds ahead of Carmelita pursuing them in the same model vehicle. In her sights, Carmelita could see the boat continuing momentum, but she had an idea to slow the boat down to actually allow her to catch up. The two sets of water behind the boat signalled out the points of an engine, positioned just to the rear of the boat before the propeller joined at the end of the boat. Looking straight ahead, she could see a place to shoot…moving clear of the front boats stream of spitting water, she edged a bit further forwards in her chase of the boat. Pointing out her gun at an estimated place as to where the engine was positioned in the boat…looking closely…BANG! The boat rocketed from side-to-side from the impact. The hull had protected the body from taking any damage, but a cry from one of the guards confirmed Carmelita's true and perfect aim:
"Enrico…boss, I mean…we've lost an engine, I can redirect the power from the remaining engine to both propellers, but we'll only be at 35% capacity speeds!"
"I've got that, thanks" Enrico signalled to the Tiger at the controls "Is the grappling hook on the chain down there…because it's time to take this Fox out of commission for good!"
Enrico searched with his hands on the boat's underside, and pulled out a canon/winch like hook from below. Looking straight ahead he could see the shores of Vigo, Spain forever nearing…at the rate they're moving, it could be less than an half an hour before they arrive on the shores. Carmelita, now in the much faster boat, drove forward and in front of Mano del Diablo's boat to slow it further. Looking back at the boat, she held her gun out to them.
"Here are your choices savage: I shoot you both down in that boat and sink it so no-one will ever find your bodies – a great end to your story – or you can handcuff yourselves to the back of the boat and I drive you back to Vigo where you can go to prison for your crimes. Never be released or even have a window. Either way, your stories will fade away…"
"Either one you do will put you away as well!" Enrico readied the winch "Still going for revenge? What family is left may not appreciate that"
"My problem Pinto, not yours!"
The winch fired ahead and attached itself to the rear of her boat. Carmelita jumped back as the hook just missed her face. The hook tightened against the back of the boat, creating a taught chain like a tightrope between her boat and the boat she was now pulling fast to Vigo. Silver tied the winch on tightly to their own boat, so that hook was certain to not loose a hold on her boat. Enrico, stepping forward onto the chain, seemed to be walking across it with almost a nonchalant ease, knife brandished, teeth clenched in a devilish grin.
"This however Carmelita Montoya Fox…IS YOUR PROBLEM NOW!" He leaped the rest of the length of the chain till now he was on her boat…ready to rumble…
Vigo, Spain, 4th April 1999
Suzanna woke up just before Aaron did too, in the crumbling decrepit rotting building in the dock. The two long lost friends of their niece stood over them, not with weapons but instead fat and flabby arms and bellies from years of fast food and television programmes that were addictive as the other stuff they got for kicks. Looking up, she saw them…and whilst it took a second longer than it may have done a few years ago, she knew both of their names.
"Pinky? Tusks? What is this – some unfunny joke that's just too late for April Fools? Why are we tied up at the docks?"
"Sorry Miss Fox, guy we have a deal wishes to have a meeting with you. We get some rocks for your being here" Tusks said "For what it's worth if it was up to us, we'd have said 'get someone else to do it', or 'we ain't gonna be your slaves chum' but we need some rocks so yeah"
"A lil' kiss and maybe we could let you go and say you escaped" Pinky interjected
"To that Pinky, I say bite me! Pair of self-destructive narcissists serving some meathead punk…"
Pinky and Tusks leaned over her
"The guy is Enrico Benjamin Conte"
"…come again?"
Aaron leaned in "You keep that man away from my wife! After everything Carmelita did for you boys as kids you'll give us to him…let her go, let me stay"
"Sorry Aaron. Nothing you can say would make us spare you both"
"As I said" Suzanna began "BITE ME! Fat wet pair of clueless spineless curds – both of you!"
Looking out the window, both Tusks and Pinky could see two boats incoming: one in-front of the other "Well I'll tell you who isn't a brainless spineless curd. Enrico Conte. He's nearly here and we can't wait to see what'll happen when he gets here!"
Mano del Diablo HQ to Vigo, 4th April 1999
Enrico's forearm swung in at Carmelita's throat. He could see the Vigo port, nearing over Carmelita's shoulder. His forearm made a great and vile contact with her throat, instantly taking her the floor and leaving her stunned and dazed. As Enrico came over her, the serrated knife held intently, she pulled her trigger on the shock pistol. Out burst the plasma pellet, at Enrico's foot. However, the swift moving Iguana avoided it, taking a few lightning steps back from Carmelita. This allowed Carmelita to launch back to her feet with one swift Ninjakick that uprighted her. Both now back standing again, he slashed out with the knife low down aiming for her stomach. Dodging back, she then struck out with her fist using the shock pistol for added weight to injure with and unlike every attempt she'd made at Mexico City, Enrico's face was fully struck with the full weight of the pistol and her strength. Enrico looked back to her, the left side of his face red with the force of the impact leaving a long bruise on his face. Looking up at Carmelita, he brandished the knife again.
"Bueno, Bueno Carmelita!" he snarled through bloodied teeth "I think you're really getting the hang of this gunslinger act"
He struck back at her but again missing, her feet responded by kicking out with a metronomic regularity at him. His successful dodges were few, but the force from these kicks was not enough to cause him to submit. The fact they were impacting however was putting fear into Silver's heart as he watched on, horrified under his metal cowl whereas Crits looked on with hope in his eyes. Enrico slung his knife at Carmelita's face, hoping to put out her eyes, and as he struck, she raised the hard metal pistol to block and both weapons interlocked like a great broadsword battle between two (nearly) equal opponents.
"Yes Enrico: I'm getting the hang of all this" She smiled "Gunslinger though…more like a sheriff"
"Where's your hat…Deputy Fox?" Enrico asked as he pushed against the guns with all his strength…but nothing was budging.
"ENRICO!" Both the Tiger guards called in Unison "We're in the Vigo port…and we're about to hit that dock!" Both Enrico and Carmelita let their grip on each other quit to turn behind them; the facts were right, as they had both entered the port of Vigo but the dock building, crumbling and broken, was nearing them at the speed of a bullet. Realising this, Carmelita turned back on Enrico, now with the room to move her gun and accurately aim for him, pointed the gun at him and opened fire. However, with even faster speed than she was pulling the trigger Enrico was dodging the bullets and making it closer to her…WHACK! Just as he reached her, both of them kicked out their legs viciously and with clinical purpose to harm one another and hit each other hard like two trucks driving fast in opposite directions to one another. The force of that sent both fighters recoiling backwards and sending both of them to the floor, but even when down the bullets kept coming from Carmelita's gun at Enrico, but they were still missing. Silver, sensing his need to join the battle, took the winch and started turning the handle, effortlessly pulling the front running boat closer to them with the ease most people would pick up a heavy bag until both of the boats were nearly touching. By this time, Enrico had once again made it to nearly over Carmelita; knife raised for definite intent, he leapt the rest of the distance, pulling her to the floor of the both by her arms. On top of her he snarled.
"Well Carmelita…you're a handful I'll give you that. However, I'll also give you this knife…in the heart!"
Without thinking, Carmelita winced as she kicked up at his stomach, and the second time at his shins. Enrico gasped for breath as he moved back. The pair were now both upstanding, but the boat soon rocked slightly as Silver stepped over into the boat. Carmelita, suddenly filled with fear, pointed the gun at Silver – the huge metal brutish brawler – and she fired her gun at his face like before…but Silver didn't react this time. A metal laugh came from his speaker. He charged forwards, and delivered one solid punch to Carmelita's temple – the punch expertly coming from the side of the fist to make the impact equivalent to nothing that Carmelita or Enrico could ever have felt before. She fell to the floor straight unconscious. Enrico started laughing like a madman, turning to Silver he kept laughing.
"I would high-five you if that is anything to go by I think I may lose it!"
"I wouldn't that to Mano del Diablo's great leader" He simply said.
"Okay" Enrico began "Let's get her in that boat and we'll leave it to crash. Get him and the two Tiger guards into this boat!"
Silver took the bound Crits by his ties and lifted him into the boat.
"Carmelita!" He screamed "I'll…I'll…" he began, until Silver slammed him onto the floor. Once everyone was on board, Enrico, holding the knife strong and firm, slammed it down on the chain, shattering it and leaving the unconscious Carmelita in the boat behind them.
Opening her eyes, she had enough time to hold her head in the spot where Silver had hit her. The pain quickly left however after the sight of the incoming dock sent adrenaline straight to her head. Without thinking about the fact that she was hurtling through the water at full speed towards a Pier right off to the side of the dock, she grabbed her gun, and launched herself up into the air flying up high over the Pier that fell completely apart once it was hit by the boat. Landing on the roof of the nearby the Pier, she stood atop watching the whole town come running out of their houses to look upon the destruction in the docks. Carmelita adverted her gaze from the dock she destroyed and instead bought her attention and brain to the fact that she had to get to her Guardian's house for safety – both hers and theirs.
Vigo, Spain, 4th April 1999
Carmelita ran into the house that she'd spent 6 years living in, but it didn't look like the clinical dry place she was used to: instead it looked a room that gets destroyed in a typical mindless blockbuster film. Looking around the house in a hurried panic she ran upstairs to check the entire upper floor – especially hers for that was the room that contained all of the material regarding Enrico's plans and her connection to him. She was relieved to find that it was all intact and hadn't been tampered with at all. The fact that downstairs had shown a struggle was worrying for her. What Enrico had done with Aaron and Suzanna she didn't know but she knew that since they were missing from the house, and Enrico was certainly in Vigo, it meant he had them to his wishes. Police sirens wailed outside, looking around the docks and the broken pier. The loud bellowing noise of the sirens made it hard for her to think. Suddenly, the house phone upstairs went off like a piercing warning bell. Hurrying upstairs, she ran to pick it up. She grabbed it from the wall and pulled it to her ear with so much vigour that the phone holder nearly fell from the wall.
"Hello?" She answered.
"DAMMIT!" Came the voice she instantly recognised as Enrico – the Mexican part of this accent starting to take hold, but the strong enunciation of the syllables associated with an English upbringing made it obvious that it was him "You've survived being riddled with bullets, falling 90ft out of a window, being battered to within an inch of your life AND surviving a boat crashing into a pier at 80mph! If I didn't know that you were just a normal person from a normal household, I'd almost say you were some genetic abnormally. Too bad for your Uncle, Aunt and boytoy right here…" He said the word 'Aunt' with particular revilement, most likely due to their past together.
"You're in Spain Enrico! That's the single stupidest thing you could've done! Police are looking at the dock right now when that boat crashed. You can't leave this place now…they'll catch you…"
"Maybe. However, I have three hostages with which to entertain myself with till then…"
"NO!" She cried out.
"OK…here's the deal. I will let one of them go without a fuss, without a beating, without a scar on their flesh. Which one would you absolutely wish to see again…?"
The Docks
Enrico, Silver and his Tiger guards, along with Pinky and Tusks, circled the three hostages tied to strongly built, well-made wooden chairs – indeed the only part of the old docks that was well maintained. Not much use, since it was bleak and now underused except for this. Enrico held the phone to his smiling face, his smile barely able to contain itself.
"Yes Carmelita. You say a name…and they go away scot-free. The other two with have a hell of a time…oh I can't for that. Me, Silver and my knife are ITCHING AWAY to get started here…"
"CRITS! SAVE CRITS!" Came her cry from the other end of the line "You made a promise that one would leave without being hurt or scratched: I want that one to be Crits!"
Looking at his prisoners, Enrico signalled to Crits with his finger. Aaron and Suzanna looked to each other with shocked disbelief. Silver picked up the chair with Crits tied to it and one-handed carried it out to the dock overlooking the water.
"You looking out the window right now Carmelita?" Enrico asked.
Carmelita's House
"Yes I can see…that is certainly Crits: untied him"
"In a second…" He snarled "I think Crits may have something to say to you. Hey, Crits – brave boy…you wanna speak to your lady?"
She watched from the Window as Enrico moved the phone from his ear to Crits', holding it there for him to speak. She could hear Crits get some words together.
"Carmelita…don't do what they tell you to…"
And then, the Carmelita's horror, unspeakable happened; Enrico took the phone back from Crits' ear, visibly cricked his neck from left to right, took a step back, and delivered a powerful kick to the chair, which tipped forward off the edge of the pier and over into the water with Crits strongly tied to it…never to resurface. Looking on in horror, Carmelita clutched her hand to her mouth and fell to her knees, her eyes flooding with sadness and pouring out dramatically.
The Docks
Enrico and Silver walked back into the docks, both walking with glee with their stride, but Aaron, Suzanna, Pinky and Tusks looking on horror at what just happen.
"Well to be fair Carmelita…did you really think I was going to let someone who had seen my operation just…leave…like a bad lodger in your house?"
"YOU SAID YOU'D SPARE HIM!" She cried "He meant everything to me!"
"Carmelita…" His voice had now gone quietly calm "You killed Jame – he meant as much to me as he meant to you. You killed him slowly and viciously, remorselessly and callously. So before you think that you have the right to lecture me on my right to take someone important to you from you…don't! And if you don't do what I next say I'll do the same to Aaron and Suzanna. Or will you just be weeping for your precious brave toyboy who only got what he got because of you getting him involved?" He could hear her tears fading away to be replaced by anger…secretly becoming scared, but like he was ever going to admit that "I'll take that as a yes then…you are in your house. I want you to go to the payphone off of Dogsmutton Rd. and place all of the things you have on me and Mano del Diablo in it: the blueprints to the warship, the map of how to get to our base from here, Voyra's little tape of us 'having fun' with your family. I WANT ALL OF IT – EVERY LAST PART! Once you are at the booth, call the number 0666 1666. If you dillydally too long, or if I see a single Policeman from the Pier over there get even a little inking of what's going on…I will send your Aunt and Uncle out to greet them in pieces! You get that Princess?"
"I'll do it, but this won't be the end of it Enrico. I will find you, and I'll make you beg before you die!"
"Yes yes yes, of course" Enrico smiled "Time is ticking now…"
Carmelita's House
Carmelita held her pistol well. True as she had all of the items Enrico wanted right there in the room with her, it was doubtable that it would be as simple as ring a number and get her Aunt and Uncle back…she remembered what Suzanna had told her about Enrico's arrest those years ago…he rigged his phone to self-destruct and take everything with it. It was almost certain that he had rigged that phone booth to blow as well…Crits' last words were a good hint to this. That was twice now he'd saved her life, and she started to tear up again…if she did what Enrico had told her to, that would be dishonouring his brave move. She had to get to the dock…but how? The police were still watching the pier, and Enrico was definitely cunning to test all of this to a success as he had previously done with all of his crime ventures. Looking from her window, she could see the Police, led by a heavily moustachioed Badger with a heavy huff of smoke emulating from his Cigar-smoking lungs, gathered at the dock. No way existed that she could get near the dock, especially whilst armed with her huge shock pistol, without drawing attention to that mass of cops. In her head, she was improvising the plan as she got nearer…
The Docks
Enrico was walking in circles around the married pair of Fox's in the middle of the dock underneath the rotted building.
"So Silver…tell me how this sounds: we have all of our captives to become the part of our great and glorious nation – the Devil's Eden – but how about we add an extra pair in there to become the Adam and Eve of this place?"
"Sounds like a part perfect for little Miss Perfect and Mr Not-Quite-Right, I agree" Silver slurred.
"YES! You remember when we were having our interviews Suzanna? And you kept punching me over and over and over for something I did I guess?"
"Yes" Suzanna unsteadily answered. She screamed in agony as Enrico's fist forced out at her beautiful face, and severely damaging the aesthetic quality of it to appreciate. Aaron pulled forward on his chair, but his weak body quickly was put back by the ropes.
"You have no idea how long I've waited for that!"
"You monster!" Aaron cried "Whatever you want to do to her, do to me instead – I'm a better subject for your ways"
Enrico looked up at Aaron and walked towards him. Pinky and Tusks from afar kept silent and still, much like they had done when they watched one of their treasured childhood friends get drowned right before their eyes. Aaron gasped as Enrico took his throat in his hand, and applying a tiny bit of pressure each time as he watched Aaron gasped and his eyes turn red. Enrico smiled as the pressure kept on coming…
BANG!
The sound of the explosion reverberated through the town. Enrico loosened his grip on the throat of the horrified Aardvark, looking into his angry face with joyous eyes.
"Well well. Looks like your niece was a bit short on the final straight! Now, once the Police have cleared away from the dock, you and me are going to become the very bestest of friends!" The Iguana's hideous proposition caused Suzanna to shudder. Silver turned his glance to Pinky and Tusks and they too returned it, only there's was more terrified than his was…Enrico too turned on them.
"Now for the matter of what to pay you guys. You wanted three rocks, but I think since you alerted the Police – nonetheless Interpol – I think two will do"
"Enrico seriously, a deal was a deal…"
"AND THE DEAL WAS BOTCHED!" His face was furiously aggressive, and the Warthog recoiled in pure fear from the pure evil expression on the Iguana's face. Both of them noticed Silver too, in his huge mechanised form with pipes and accessories attached to him designed to be the biggest challenge a man could face, stood tall and imposing. The machine walked forward towards the pair, soon speaking at the pair as well "What Enrico Conte wants, Enrico Conte gets. A pair of drunk up flabby Joes don't have a say in this"
"I can't believe you sold us out for some rocks!" Suzanna yelled in the background "She was your best friend and now she's dead because you just wanted some rocks! Enrico, why don't you just kill them?"
"Oh Suzanna we think alike; if these boys want to leave with more than I'm offering, they'll be leaving with one less finger on their hands! Two rocks no more!" His face was serious "Or does my knife have to join this negotiation?"
"Enrico…" One of the Tiger's began.
"What is it – I'm busy. Cut me off again and I'll cut you up"
"The Police…they're coming back this way to the docks!"
Enrico and Silver looked on horrified at the army of Police coming this way. The pair called out the two Tiger guards to attend the front of the dock. The Police kept on approaching the decrepit building, making their way to join the half that was already left behind. The two guards on the dock stood ever vigilant to anything that may be coming. No signs of anything.
"So then, two rocks and no more: agreed or do me and Silver have to spell it out to you with this knife?"
"N-N-No, it's fine" Pinky and Tusks both stuttered. Enrico reached into his back pocket and bought out two bags, each containing a single glowing glittering rock that shot off a golden light and held a smell like petrol "We'll make the most of these"
"Good boys. Silver, get old Adam and Eve over there in the boat. Once the Police have chased us all away, Pinky and Tusks can just walk off into town to get their rocks off. Deal done…and then we take Spain without that little runt of a Fox to stop us!" Silver took the two chairs in one hand each. Suzanna and Aaron looked to each other in horrified panic as they were fully realising of what was destined for them. Suzanna was going to forever be at the mercy of the man she despised more than anything in the world.
"CRITS RUNWELL!" The voice that was instantly known as Carmelita's came through the air, as she came flying down feet-first onto those two 'vigilant' Tiger guards from atop the docks roof. The guards were instantly gone. Enrico saw her, and without speaking came running full on at her, his teeth looking as vicious as his knife, his eyes like red lights of violence. As he came running along at her, Carmelita stood tensed in wait…BANG! She kicked out her leg as he came to her. The force of the kick was so great that it sent the gangland leader flying backwards, straight into Silver who dropped the two chairs down to the ground. Enrico rose up from the strike, but Carmelita's fist hit him once more and he dropped down straight onto Silver, seemingly unconscious. Silver too tried to bring himself up, but Carmelita, using her pistol, shot at his cowl until he too collapsed. Suzanna had a look of anger to see her face here in this way, Aaron looked beyond happy to see her back in his view, but Pinky and Tusks looked truly terrified of the gun-toting Fox who used to be their friend so many years ago. She looked up at them in total horror.
"Pinky? Tusks? What is this – have you been working with them all this time, to build the 'Devil's Eden', or was this for something more pathetic than even that?"
"I'm sorry Carmelita – he had ties to our parents some years ago, so we kind of ending in his pocket after they died. We never had a choice! We swear!" Tusks weepily began
"Yes, we swear" Confirmed Pinky
"I don't wish to hear anything extra from you. I have extra business to take care of for my Aunt and Uncle. You two are going to leave this dock out those doors right now with your rocks, and confirm what's happened here, or this pistol here will give you a different offer to make"
"If we leave now we'll be put in prison!"
"If you stay stood there I'll shoot you like the dogs you've turned into! Now go!"
Pinky and Tusks turned and scarpered out the front door into the mass of uniformed men and women waiting for the main criminals in the room, but choosing to settle for anything they could find here. Looking down, Carmelita took Enrico's knife and took it to the rope holding Aaron and Suzanna were they were.
"Look what they've done to us! Suzanna angrily yelled "Messed up my face, our house, your brain"
"I'm sorry Aunt, I didn't want to mix you up in this. Let's get you two out of here, then we can hand these two to the authorities" Carmelita expressed.
"You now want to give them to the authorities?" Enquired Aaron, now free from the ropes "I think we may have made a law-abiding citizen of you yet" To which Carmelita smiled. The three then walked towards the door, intending to leave Enrico and Silver to the Police.
"I don't think so…Princess!" Enrico yelled as he charged at Carmelita. She turned on him, holding her gun pointed at him, but he still overpowered her defence and slammed her against the wall with such force that the whole building rocked and shook violently. His hands were around her neck, squeezing hard as her eyes turned steadily redder the more pressure was applied. Searching the floor, Aaron found a piece of wood around the floor, picking it up and like a baseball bat, swung the thing over Enrico's head with enough force to snap the thing clean in two.
"You back away from my wife and my niece, or I'll hit you again!" His yell however was a nervous one. Enrico, hurt by the hit, changed his view from attacking Carmelita to him. Enrico didn't seem to look like he was to say anything, instead he just launched at him, pinning the Aardvark to the floor, and taking his hands around his throat simply twisted…breaking Aaron's neck with a violent repulsive crunching noise. Suzanna cried out in horror, as Enrico and Silver – now back standing up again – looked at the two with decisive intention to kill. Silver came running at Suzanna, who sheltered herself away from the running mass of mechanical strength with her hands. As he came near though, she dived away across the floor to make space for her to grab a piece of wood off the floor to use as a weapon. Silver turned to chase her, but Carmelita kicked out at the back of his head, whilst also aiming at Enrico was her gun. However, this multi-tasking was causing more and more damage to the damaged dock building surrounding them, as hole kept appearing in the walls…
Outside the Docks
Barkley stood with a cigar in his left hand and a megaphone in the right. Pinky and Tusks sat in the back of a Police Car looking depressed and disheartened with their fate.
"Listen up! Enrico Conte we know you are in there! This is Detective Barkley, and if you don't surrender immediately we will rain down an ungodly fire upon you!"
The firing inside continued, and it was clear that no-one inside had heard him…
The Docks
Silver approached the beam wielding Suzanna with strong and powerful movements at her. She held the beam out at her with an uncertain intention, Silver cockily standing against her uncertainty with a weapon. Suddenly, he powered himself at her with his mechanical mass as a battering ram. As he powered ahead, Suzanna desperately dodged him by ducking to the left of him. Hitting the side of the dock, the building did nearly seem to be falling down. As he went past her however, Suzanna swung the wooden plank at the back of his legs – the pipework on Silver's metal shell did have a very intricate piping system. She hit at the pipes, and suddenly, Silver started screaming as he fell backwards, oil pouring from the disconnected pipes that almost certainly seemed to power his legs. Fallen backwards on the floor, Silver turned over and started to pull himself into the action with his arms; however he was too slow to be of a threat to Carmelita as she fought Enrico.
Carmelita was now equally matching Enrico in her battle, unlike any point on the boat or back at the HQ of Mano del Diablo. Enrico, was pushing back against her with his knife in hand, but one slick and swift move, she knocked his weight out from under him when he kicked his shin. Falling down, Enrico landed hard on an up-turned nail protruding from the floor. As Enrico landed, the nail went straight into his stomach, immediately reddening his white shirt with his blood. Still, the Iguana seemed eager to keep him fighting however heavily exhausted. Carmelita held the gun to his tired face, but his other hand struck at her face, forcing her away. Suzanna soon joined this battle, as Silver was still failing to get back up and only managing to spread oil across the floor of the building.
"Come on now Enrico, let me here you beg!"
"NEVER! I stick to my promises…like I promised to my parents when I killed Joe Reese. See my point?"
Suzanna roared as she attacked Enrico out of nowhere with en extra wooden plank. The strike to his head caused Enrico to fall to the floor, backwards, his knife falling underneath him as he did…and now, Enrico knew he was destined to die as the knife went straight into his spine nice and deep in. He screamed a short scream, before turning to his side as he watched himself slowly bleed to death. Carmelita, placing her boot on the knife and placing her weight on it to provide the pressure for the wound. Enrico went from screaming to laughing suddenly.
"So this is it: Enrico Benjamin Conte is to be killed by a Princess and her Aunt in a rundown town dock all alone, with a knife in his back?"
"Yes Enrico" Carmelita said as she pressed onto the knife was her foot "Now beg me to save you and we'll give you to the Police…if you don't want to die this way, and I know you don't"
"NO PRINCESS NO! If I beg, I'll have lost the battle for your heart…no, in spite of this knife in my back and nail in my stomach, my plans fallen apart, I've still beaten you…and you know it!" He began maniacally laughing "You'll NEVER forget me! I'll haunt your sleeping dreams, and I'll stalk your waking minutes. I promise you that, runt" And then the life finally slipped from Enrico's eyes. Carmelita looked at his dead expression, and felt instantly empty: 6 years of wanting to see the man beg for forgiveness and mercy for what he did, not feel pride or glory for it. She was empty…and then angry. Looking around the room, she saw Silver, still struggling to get back up and fix his legs. He hadn't killed her family but he was still destined to control Mano del Diablo now that Enrico was dead. Filled with fury, she marched into the struggling Silver, and held her gun out to his head.
"Well he didn't beg. Will you? WILL YOU?" She repeatedly battered his cowl with her gun "You followed in his beliefs and ideas, so you can be the one who weeps and begs on his behalf" Silver was still struggling underneath his cowl to say anything "I'll give you till the count of 5 to start begging. Any later and I'll shoot every part of you till it falls off1"…5…4…3…2…
"Carmelita, please, please stop this insanity!" Suzanna interrupted.
Carmelita looked up at her aunt with an angered look "Insanity – this is righteous!"
"You've got revenge on your brothers and your parents – all the ones who were there and now dead or brain dead in custody. This is too far beyond the law!"
"I know that! But listen, if we let him go, Mano del Diablo will still be working as well as it was before. The organisation who wrecked many families across the world will continue to do this. I won't be satisfied till that happens…"
"Why do you care about your family?" Silver asked from the floor "Did you really think that Santiago was going to be the designer of the next Eiffel Tower? Or Santana be the business she always wanted to be. No chance, you're just crying over broken sticks!"
Carmelita looked in horror at what he just said "Don't talk about my family like that, now come on and beg…wait…" She suddenly shuddered "How'd you know their names – none of the gang who was there 6 years ago did…"
Silver, reaching ahead of him to his cowl, personally undid the screws and seals that kept the cowl attached during battle and operations. He pulled it from his head to reveal to Carmelita's horror what he looked like and who he was. His deep brown eyes that showed the intelligence and patience of a 50 year old – when he was now 49 – gave the clue away immediately. The stern and serious face made Carmelita's heart fall to pieces, and Suzanna's heart burst in shock, as the man who assisted Enrico Conte in everything he had done was that of Diego Fox Senior: Carmelita's father.
Outside the Docks
"Enrico Conte. Give up, and give us Aaron and Suzanna, or we'll be forced to come in and subdue you!" Barkley bellowed into the megaphone, still not too aware of what was going inside of the building.
Inside the Docks
Carmelita pointed the pistol once again at Diego as she looked on with watered up eyes and a shocked disbelief: one of the people she'd been attempting to avenge and had put herself and her future with Crits at risk for had been one of the masterminds behind everything, and that was a massive pill for her to take. Suzanna – his sister-in-law – was completely perplexed with horror and shock.
"B-b-b…Dad, please tell me this is a lie" Carmelita cried "Please tell me this isn't real"
"This isn't real" Diego cruelly and sarcastically interjected. His delivery was the exact opposite of the polite and fatherly tone that she hadn't heard for the last 6 years "Of course this is real! Did you really think it wasn't?"
"No…no! This isn't the way you were!"
"I changed dammit, get that through your small zit sized brain of yours…Princess!" Carmelita was coming close to tears, and Suzanna was also close to it "I changed the moment I came home and found all you shot up! I was never uncovered in my job at Mano del Diablo: I stayed unnoticed the whole time! Then one day we robbed a bank – as part of my work I had to get involved in some of the. All of our men bar me, two others and Enrico got killed because I didn't shoot down the security guy by the front door. He alerted the bank manager and we were gunned down in seconds by the Police who showed up. In order to balance everything out, a squad was dispatched to our house to kill my wife and children for my mistake. I didn't know this at the time, so I got home to find out the news: four dead in the attack, one critically hurt. So I returned to that base with a gun and I shot the place to hell and back! I shot it all up like no boys business! I got to Enrico, put the gun barrel up his nose, so he could smell the shell that blasts him to pieces. I watched him to see if he would beg or apologise for what he did. He never did – not so much as a simple explanation. He told me the story of Joe Reese, of his parents, of his ambition for the operation that would be his defining plan. Suddenly, I began to feel what he felt…and then broke both my legs while I was in the moment and distracted. While on my back, he gave me a deal: die now, or join his organisation in an increase role and involvement, so one day we could get our own wishes"
"What about me though – did the daughter in critical condition in Hospital ever bother you? Why did you make this your new life ahead of me…the Police? All the people you hurt or killed, even Crits!" Carmelita asked.
"Honestly…I enjoyed it!" Diego snarled.
Carmelita couldn't hold it in any longer, as her world had collapsed beneath her into dead nothingness. Her eyes flooded out uncontrollably, culminating in her looking up to the sky and screaming a scream that would deafen the dead in the sight of her aunt and her father, looking up and asking "Why…why me? Why us?" Looking down at Diego, and filled with disgust and anger, she raised her boot and stomped down hard on Diego's leg, letting out a horrible breaking noise.
"That is for your wife Santana!" She yelled, moving onto the next leg, breaking that too "And for Paolo!" Then his right arm "Diego Junior!" Finally his left arm "And that's for Santiago!" Before breaking down in tears once more, as the now in-agony Diego looked at her in desperation and horror "Well done for giving in Carmelita! I knew you could…AH!" Carmelita looked up to see Suzanna leaving the dock, and leaving them both in the oil covered hole that the Dock was. Looking around at the nothingness left, Carmelita too stood to leave. As she opened the door, she heard a voice.
"For family Princess? Hehehehe, or just revenge?" Diego smirked.
"No" Carmelita replied "This is for Justice" She said, at peace with what she had done in this act. Looking at the pool of oil, she aimed her pistol at it, and fired her pistol at it, igniting the oil and letting it follow itself back to the source, which was the now screaming Diego. The last words Carmelita heard him say were "Please, I beg! Give me the Police, not this please! I love you, just let me go!" The words fell hollow as she walked away as the flames engulfed the place…
Outside the Docks
Suzanna ran crying into the arms of Captain James Barkley, in-front of his army of police who wrapped his arms around her to console her crying.
"Hey Suzanna, what happen?"
"Aaron's dead!" She wailed "Enrico broke his neck. My niece is in there, so is Enrico's Lieutenant Silver. One or two Tiger guards who work for him…" She couldn't get anymore out. One of the policemen turned a flashlight to Carmelita walking from the Dock. Suzanna tried to leave Barkley's console to hit her, but the Captain held her back.
"You must be Carmelita" He asked "Is it true? Enrico Conte's dead in there?"
"YES, AND SO IS AARON!" Suzanna bellowed at her "You bought him into our lives, you got your Uncle and your little toyboy killed because you decided to make this your mission! You should've left it to the Police you iron witch! Then I'd still have my Aaron you…YOU…"
BANG!
The police behind exploded into flames, presumably from all of the attachments mixed into the Silver suit. Carmelita stood on, looking empty and complacent at the raging flames. The only comfort she presently had is that the flames signalled the destruction of Mano del Diablo forever…the moment was so absorbent that she didn't hear the repeated accusations and cursed claims that Suzanna put across to her in the shadow of the burning flames.
