Chapter 9: The King Of Crime

Chip woke up from his slumber as soon as he noticed that the airliner was in a descent, and that the engines were running at less than half thrust. He knew what that meant, but he had to make sure that everyone else was aware of it, too. "Get ready, Rescue Rangers," he shouted, "we're landing!"

Gadget's eyes popped open. "I'm awake!" Quickly, she grabbed the bottle cap yoke with one hand and switched on the Rangerwing's motors with the other. "And ready! I'm ready, too!"

LaWahini took waking up way easier. "Hey sister, no need to panic. Shouldn't you be used to this situation?"

"Sorry, LaWahini, but I usually don't fall asleep while riding a human plane."

Chip explained, "You know, Gadget's sleep has become much more sound since last year. She had to be dead tired to catch any sleep most of the time I've known her. Hey Monty, ready to go over there?"

"We were born ready, mate! 'ey Foxy, take care of me li'l pally Zipper again, will ya?"

"Sure, Monty!" Foxglove offered Zipper to hide behind her wing again. He accepted the offer.

With their seat belts fastened and in certain cases their eyes shielded by goggles, the Rangers waited until the hatch opened and the gear started moving. When the wind caught them, the two rodent aircraft were released, and only Gadget's and Monty's piloting experiences kept them from tumbling helplessly behind the human airliner. The two mice in charge steered their craft to where the air was calmer and safer to fly in.

Now the passengers could take a first glance at the city. The morning sun covered the city and the almost uncountable hotels and casinos that stuck out of the skyline with a warm reddish glow. But although the night was over, Las Vegas appeared as something mightily impressive to the visitors from the East Coast.

"Wowie-zowie," Dale exclaimed almost in disbelief, "I'm in Las Vegas! Hey Chipper, what are we gonna do first?"

"First," Chip replied from the other aircraft, "we're gonna set up our Field Headquarters near the Versailles Palace. By the way, does anyone know where that thing is? Monty?"

"It's been a while since I was 'ere the last time, Chip," he pointed towards a not extraordinarily tall, but vastly spread structure not too far away from the airport, "but I recall it's one o' the biggest estates in Vegas ever. They 'ad ta blast three ol' 'otels in a row ta make way fer this monster an' its huge park. Must be o'er there, mates."

Gadget was the next to discover the building. "Golly, that thing does look like the real Versailles. I wanna have a closer look at it."

"We're flying there anywhere, Gadget," Chip said, "and I'm sure we'll see it from inside once the case requires it. For now, I say we've got plenty of time to set up our Field Headquarters..."

Chip was interrupted by Zipper flying past at high speed. He had just leapt off the Rangerplane. The next thing Chip and the other Rangers aboard the Rangerwing saw was a red blur fluttering after him. That blur had Foxglove's voice. "Zipper! Wait! Where are you flying?"

"On the other hand," Chip expressed his spontaneous change of mind, "I'd like to know what Zipper's up to. Gadget, Monty, follow the two."

After a wild flight across the airfield, Zipper landed on the edge of a roof. Seconds later, Foxglove touched down next to him. "Zipper, will you now explain to me what's up?"

The housefly gave the bat an explanation, but his excitement didn't make it easy for her to follow his words. She noticed that he pointed down to the airfield, though.

"Sorry, but when you speak so fast, I can't understand you. So what's it?"

Zipper took a deep breath and explained once more. He told her that he had spotted something that looked like an RV being driven out of a cargo plane.

"Do you think it's him?"

Zipper said that there was only one way to find out, and that she should wait for him, he'd be back soon. With these words, he took off again and flew down to the large vehicle, seconds before the two Ranger aircraft landed behind Foxglove.

Monty was the first to jump off. "Foxy, where's Zipper gone?"

"I believe he thinks the thief has already arrived. Now he's down there to find it out."

The Australian mouse stepped to the edge and took a glance down. "Now that'd be one bonzer coincidence if that ve'icle down there wasn't the one we're after."

Chip joined him. "He has flown here with his RV in a cargo plane? Does he believe he's being followed? I mean, how can he know that we're chasing him again?"

Gadget supposed, "Maybe he had to take into consideration that the human police might have picked up his trail, too..."

This time, it was her who got interrupted, and by Foxglove. "Chip, there's a limousine coming. Apparently, someone in it is an Elvis fan."

"How do you know, Foxy?"

"I'm a bat, Chip. I can hear the music in the car."

Attracted by the action, all Rangers with the exception of Zipper lined up at the edge and watched the scene. A pearl white stretch limousine, unusually long even for Las Vegas standards, approached the RV and came to a halt in front of it. "Whoever that is," Tammy commented on the size of the limo, "I'm sure this car is there to compensate something."

The door on the driver's side of the RV opened, and the driver got out. The original Rangers recognized him immediately. "'ands up who's seen that bald-'eaded blighter before," Monty said. He, Chip, Dale, and Gadget rose their hands. Foxglove asked, "Does having heard his story count?"

"There," LaWahini suddenly exclaimed, "someone's leaving the limo." She and the others watched as a man stepped out of the oversized automobile which previously hid him behind Venetian mirror windows. As long as the door was open, not only Foxglove could hear the music from inside the limousine, performed by someone whom the man tried to resemble but failed miserably. He was short, so short that only his just as ridiculously oversized black wig with attached false sideburns reached up higher than the car roof. He wore a glittering white suit, a belt buckle which not only looked like a vintage, chrome-plated hubcap but actually was one, and the sort of large sunglasses that had gone out of fashion more than 25 years ago. He obviously tried to give the coolest possible impression as he approached the bald man standing next to the RV.

Only Zipper who hid on the roof of the RV and Foxglove who had the best hearing in the team could hear their conversation. "Viva Las Vegas!" the vertically challenged Elvis imitation greeted, his attempt at sounding like the original failing at his incompatible voice. "I'm glad you could come."

"Elton Nimley, I suppose," the thief said.

"Uh-huh, that's me," the guy in white approved and pointed his thumbs at himself. "Now please fetch your... luggage and get into my limousine."

"What's wrong with my RV?"

"Driving through Las Vegas in an RV like yours is like riding through Sturgis on a soft-chopper made in South Korea. That is, if you enjoy the feeling of being laughed at..."

"I understand. Guess it's part of being in Las Vegas."

The thief went and got a suitcase and a small black chest out of his vehicle. The suitcase he put into the limousine's trunk whereas he took the box with him into the passenger compartment where his host was already waiting.

As the limousine turned around to leave the airport, Gadget noticed that even the windscreen was a Venetian mirror. "Golly, I wonder how the driver is supposed to see anything."

"Foxglove," Chip asked, "what did they say? And can you locate Zipper?"

"Zipper's on his way back to us, I can clearly hear his buzz against all the noises around here. And they didn't talk that much. But can you believe that this short guy's name is Elton Nimley?"

"Elton Nimley?" Dale burst out laughing. "This dude's such a lame excuse for an Elton John copy."

Chip's fist came down upon his head. "He's not copying Elton John, he's copying Elvis Presley!"

"Wait, Chip. Elton Nimley..." Gadget's brains began to work. "This name rings a bell. If you take away the parts taken from the King's name... could it be..."

Chip and Gadget turned to each other. "Norton Nimnul?!"

"May well be," Monty said. "At least, 'e's short enough. 'ey folks, Zipper's back. What've ya seen, pally?"

Zipper reported what he had seen and gave a detailed description of the two men. Furthermore, he added that the limousine was certainly going into the direction in which Versailles Palace lay.

"Okay," Chip declared, "this sounds too much like Nimnul teaming up with the former Greatest Spy in the World. And I'm more than certain that the gems are in that black bag. Everyone aboard, we have to get to the Palace quickly!"

The Rangers piled into their two aircraft and took off. Being able to fly and not bound to the city streets with their sometimes dense traffic, they easily made it past the limousine and arrived at the Versailles Palace before the two crooks.

"See, pallies," Monty explained as they flew over the vast estate, "this thing's as 'uge as the original. They've even rebuilt most o' the park."

"Mom said this palace's a maze," Gadget remembered her mother's words, "even for humans, but more so for rodents. It might get hard to find the two men or the bag with the gems in there."

"'ey Gadget," Monty shouted from the Rangerplane, "I could jes' snag the bag with me plungers when that blighter leaves the limo, an' we 'it the road. It's almost too simple."

"And definitely too dangerous, Monty. You can't pry it off the thief's hands, especially not at bright daylight, and much less with Nimnul around."

"No," Chip decided, "we need to track it down wherever it goes. And then take it when it's unguarded."

"Chip," Foxglove suddenly warned, "they're coming! We'd better hide somewhere."

"Foxy, your hearing amazes me again and again. Can you identify the sound of the engine or the tyres on the asphalt?"

"Actually, I can hear the King sing. Again."

Chip smirked about that remark, then spotted a fine place to hide in. "Gadget, Monty, fly to the bushes over there. They're ideal for setting up our Field Headquarters."

"Roger Wilbury!" Gadget confirmed and steered the Rangerwing behind the row of plants and landed it safely, and Monty followed with the Rangerplane. From their hiding, the Rangers watched as the pearl white limousine moved onto the spacey terrace in front of the palace and stopped in front of the main entrance. Nimnul, or Nimley as he called himself, and the thief got out. A hotel clerk heaved the thief's suitcase out of the trunk, and the three entered the building through a big revolving door.

"Did they say anything, Foxy?" Chip asked as the Rangers' hiding was too far away from the entrance.

"Not a word, Chip. Probably because the waiter was within hearing reach. Shall anyone follow them?"

"Yes. Zipper, find out what they're doing in there."

The fly saluted and dashed away. "Well, as long as he's gone," Chip said, "we should install the Field Headquarters. We can't do much on this case until we get any news from Zipper." Helping Monty and Sparky heave the large bag from the Rangerplane's passenger seat, he added, "By the way, LaWahini, see why it's good to be so early?"

"Yes," she answered, "I think I've understood now."