Chapter 13.
In the intensive care unit, there was complete chaos. Doctors ran around with various instruments and two dragged in a defibrillator which they connected to Ash's chest. They were just about to give her an electric shock when the chief doctor screamed.
"Stop! You idiots! Do you not see that the cable to the heart rate monitor has disconnected?! Are you trying to kill her?"
She plugged in the cable again and the frequency went up to a stable level. The situation around Ash calms down and the doctors measure her fever level which has gone down slightly. A white wolf has threatened the medical team with cruel torture if Ash did not survive, and with 75 Asian ninjas in support, the hospital understood that she was serious. Ash mumbled something about murdering someone in her fever.
Outside the hospital room, Elsa had almost broken open the door when she heard all the chaos inside, but she was stopped by Johnny and Maya before she could cause trouble for the doctors and risk Ash's life. Many hours later, a tired doctor came out and announced that Ash fever had gone down and that specialists would arrive from the rest of Europe during the day. The situation was still serious, and the infection was widespread. Hopefully, it had not yet damaged vital organs to a greater extent.
Elsa very tired, worried and vengeful decided that an international call would fit nicely. She got out of the waiting room of her car and sat down on the passenger side. Pressed a button and a door was opened with a secret compartment in the back. She turned around and took out a metal briefcase which she opened and pressed the keys for several codes. The control system for 10 satellites armed with tactical nuclear warheads was activated. She picked up her smartphone and dialled a number for Japan.
An old raccoon was sitting in a room eating a bowl of rice with vegetables when a young panther came into the room and bowed to the floor.
Kashira! A call from Elsa Frost from the UK. She demands to have an immediate conversation with you in person."
"You know very well that I never talk to anyone in person over the phone. The only way to talk to me is to come here, and it must be carefully planned months in advance."
"She said you'd say that! She also said that if you were not on the phone in 5 minutes, she would turn the whole valley to ashes 10 minutes later and that was a promise. She also gave full coordinates to our secret base here in the valley."
The raccoon knew that Elsa never came with empty threats. It was he himself who had taught her more than 30 years ago when she was an orphan. She was his best student but had not fit into the clan and had therefore gone her own way. He did not know how she had ended up with the Porcupine family, but if she had loyalty to them, he had no choice but to talk to her or turn to ashes. he limped out of the room to a satellite phone and soon had a sore ear.
"You promised me in your word of honour that she would be safe after I hired you but now, she is in intensive care and fighting for her life! She was kidnapped the day after your amateur ninjas showed up. I waited for 30 minutes for some of them to show up before Lady Porcupine would travel to London, but no one showed up on time"!
"Had they done their duty, the kidnapping might have failed, but now the only reason I did not kill them all was because I needed them in the search, and they found her a few days later. But then it was too late! She has a life-threatening infection after her captivity, and I hold you personally responsible for this situation. How can I trust you now? Find a way to make sure this never happens again, or I will wipe out your worthless clan"!
"You may not know this, but Lady Porcupine is related to the old Shogun family. In 1875, the British ambassador Lord Porcupine married one of the Shogun's daughters to strengthen relations between the countries. The same ambassador you failed to protect. And now you have failed again. solve this it or die, your choice. I just need to push a button and a 10-kiloton warhead that does not exist according to NATO turns a lonely valley in Japan into ashes. I guess the explanation from the Japanese government would be meteorite impact".
Elsa broke the conversation, happy to scold someone. She toyed with the idea of wiping out a certain family property, but it had been difficult to explain to Ash when she woke up. Elsa drove to the Porcupine Palace to hide the dangerous briefcase in Ash's Jewel Vault until she decided what to do with it. She entered Ash's bedroom and saw that the vault door was open but that the security gate was closed. Someone dressed in blue was sitting against a wall inside the gate with his hands on his knees. Elsa recognized the raccoon from previous meetings a few years ago in Australia when he tried to steal the same briefcase, she now carried with her. Sly Cooper sat in the Ash vault. Elsa pulled out a gun.
A day earlier in a rented warehouse in London.
"Are you sure this is a good idea Sly? We usually only steal from other villains according to your family code".
"Do not be so anxious Bentley. Someone who is so rich must share her fortune. And I know she's been in jail for six months four years ago, so she's almost fit. Right now, she is in hospital and almost all security guards are with her. The famous jewel vault is completely unguarded. You have checked the alarm yourself and it is almost 10 years old. This will be easy, and we can retire after this. I can fit jewels worth several million Euros in my backpack and be out of there in minutes. She has so much according to my contact that she will hardly notice if something is missing."
"I'll have my Van ready in a couple of hours at 11pm tonight and we can be in place an hour later. Sly enters. You hack the alarm and I'm ready to drive like crazy on the run from there as usual".
"Okay! but I have a bad feeling about this. It cannot be as simple as you think to rob a vault which according to information may contain jewels worth over a billion British pounds. Security should be higher."
"It usually is! but the security force has left the palace and is hanging in the hospital. Other staff will not notice me".
The Cooper Gang was preparing for the biggest jewel theft of their lives. At 1 o'clock at night, a figure snuck around the corridors of the Porcupine Palace in an attempt to find Ash's bedroom. Sly had only seen a few guards in the garden and now he saw someone patrolling the corridor on the second floor. The sleepy guard was easy to avoid and soon Sly had found the richly decorated door to Ash's bedroom which was locked. After spending five minutes to pick the lock Sly sneaked into the bedroom of the world's richest person. He saw a painting on the wall that he identified as the Monet painting that had been sold for 75 million pounds a few days ago. Unfortunately, it was too big for him put in his backpack.
Sly saw a metal door with a code lock as he approached. There was no chance he would manage to break open that door without the code. It probably weighed several tons.
"Bentley can you hear me? I've reached the vault, now you have to hack the code lock, or we will not be able to get into the vault. It would take me and Murray at least a year to break open this door and explosives are out of the question."
"I'm trying Sly! the alarm may be old, but the code lock is new. I have tried almost everything but now I think I have managed to find a way to fool the computer. Press the following numbers but do not make a mistake or you risk activating the vault's time lock and then it is impossible to open for 12 hours. Enter these ten digits in the following order. 1,7,9,2,5.3,7,1,0,5. Do it now immediately or the code computer notices something is wrong".
Sly pressed the code and waited for something to happen. After a long minute, the code computer started beeping and the vault door opened. Sly entered through the open door and inside it was like treasury from the book A Thousand and One Nights.
"Hello guys! you would not believe your eyes what treasures are in here. In that glass cabinet in front of me, it's a sapphire as big as my fist. On a red silk pillow a pearl almost as big as my head. I do not know where to start."
"Only take jewels that are easy to wear and that we can sell. The sapphire and the pearl are world famous and we would be arrested immediately if we tried to sell them."
"Here is a box with loose gemstones of various kinds. It will be perfect to start with. And I see a glass cabinet with new jewellery that fits nicely in my backpack. That diamond necklace must be worth at least a few million Euros."
Sly went to the glass cabinet with the necklace and tried to open it. He soon noticed that it was locked, and a computer voice was clearly heard.
"Please enter security code within one minute or vault enters security mode. Security Code 2 applies to this date."
"Fuck! Bentley! Do something!"
I'm trying Sly! Quickly enter the following code on the plate. 5,8,1,3,0,7,6,1.9,1 but fast or you will get stuck there."
Sly pressed the code in panic but he heard a metal door slam shut behind him. He turned around and saw that the jewel vault's inner security door with bars had slammed shut A computer voice was heard.
"Good try thief! But if you were Lady Porcupine, you would have known that security code 2 is her handprint on the scanner by the wall. Have a good time in prison."
"Sly! what happens? The alarm computer has gone into lock mode and I cannot do anything at all."
"Sigh. The interior door with bars has been locked. The metal is Titanium and steel. There is no chance that my cane can break open the door without breaking into pieces. I'm stuck here."
"I'm sorry Sly but there's nothing to do. The door has double time locks, and I cannot hack them. The door will remain closed for 12 hours. Murray is not strong enough to break open such a door and if he were to try, the sound would attract every single guard in the building who is probably armed. Your only chance is to wait and hope no one notices you until the 12 hours have passed and then sneak out in the middle of the day. You may be able to disguise and mix up with the staff of the palace. We will wait nearby. Good luck!"
Present time!
Elsa snuck up to the locked door and kicked it hard with her shoe, Sly jerked.
"Rise and shine! Sly Cooper! This is the second time we meet in three years, but this time you have chosen the wrong target. How do you want to die?"
"Hopefully of old age! Elsa my old friend, how are you this sweet morning? I see that you carry the same briefcase that I tried to steal from you three years ago, but I was never told what was in it by the client."
"And you will never know! Stand with your hands against the wall"!
"Elsa took a special key from her pocket and unlocked the door she went to Sly and started searching through his clothes. Sly did not resist as he knew that the chance to defeat Elsa was zero and that an attempt would end in a lot of pain for him. After searching through him and finding some jewels, she went through his backpack and poured out jewels for about 50-100 million Euros. Elsa Frost turned and walked up to him and gave him a punch in the stomach so that he lost air. Sly fell to the floor gasping for breath. She tore him up and forced his arms on his back as she fastened handcuffs around his wrists.
"You are lucky. Blood would be hard to wash away in here and I know a blue-haired fox who would love to have a conversation with you in an interrogation room. Say goodbye to your freedom for the next decades. If you escape from prison, I promise to track you down personally, and that meeting will be the last you attend. And I do not want to hear a single word from you during our trip to London."
Elsa tore Sly out of the vault and put a briefcase in the vault. Then she closed both doors. What she did not think of was that she only had a key to the inner door. Ash was the only one who knew the code for the vault door, and it took her handprint not to start the alarm sequence. She had just locked a nuclear football in a vault that she could not open herself.
Sly was dragged out to Elsa's car by two angry tigers who were not gentle in their treatment of him. They forced him into the back seat and sat on either side of him while Elsa sat in the driver's seat. A polar bear with an automatic rifle, sat down next to her. A few hundred meters away, Murray stood with binoculars and watched. He saw Sly being dragged in a black car that started and started driving towards London. He jumped behind the wheel of his Van and followed the black car. He drove around it and put the Van across the road to block it. Then he jumped out ready to fight.
Elsa braked when she saw Murray's Van. Before she could grab her weapon, a hand had torn her out of the car and thrown her to the ground. Murray stood over her with his fists ready, but a kick to the groin caused him to collapse and Elsa stood up. The polar bear already had the automatic weapon against Murray's head. Elsa Frost went to the Van and the front seat where Bentley desperately tried to start the engine. He felt he had the barrel of a gun to his head.
"This was probably the worst escape attempts I have ever seen! But thank you so much for letting me catch you so easily. I thought Carmelita Fox had been chasing you for over 10 years. She probably needs to train more. Well! I guess they will be striped suits and ball and chains for all of you for at least 25 years."
A couple of hours later in London. Carmelita Fox was still with the police and leading the investigation into Ash's kidnapping. She was on her way to her hotel when a familiar Van stopped and dumped three familiar figures in front of her nose.
"With greetings from Elsa Frost! a voice was heard saying before the Van drove away. Sly looked up and the last thing he saw before everything went black was the barrel of Carmelita's stun gun.
The same day in Moscow. The Russian president had called a diplomat for an important meeting regarding Ash. He was very clear that the diplomat should not return home without her signature on an agreement.
"I do not care how you do it, but make sure that the agreement for the expansion of the gas pipeline is signed. She owns 50 percent of Gazprom and is the only one who has enough resources for the much-needed expansion. If I go over her head on this issue, she can sue us or exclude Russia from the world market. The country would be ruined almost immediately."
"But sir! She's in the hospital. I cannot reach her there. they would throw me out right away. diplomatic immunity would not help me in a hospital."
"I do not care! Find a way to get her signature or you will become the new ambassador to the South Pole. My stupid predecessor sold half of Gazprom to the Porcupine Empire 15 years ago for $ 100 billion. We cannot afford to buy it back and now millions of Russians are waiting to have gas supplies secured or they will freeze in a few years."
Several days later in the hospital.
Elsa and Maya sat outside the hospital room waiting for today's Report. In the same room sat Johnny, who had barely left the hospital in a week. An amused doctor came out of the room.
"Lady Porcupine is awake today, but she is heavily medicated, she is dizzy. She has repeatedly tried to give away large fortunes to all healthcare professionals and tried to write bank checks on napkins. She claims that her fortune is only a headache to her so anyone can get it from her. I received an invalid check for $ 300 billion."
Johnny wondered if Ash was really dizzy in the hospital bed or if she was more awake than the doctors thought. She had almost died twice during the summer. her fortune had caused her much trouble and he did not doubt that she would be very frustrated when she recovered. Maybe an attempt to propose to her would have to wait a year or two. He was much bigger than her, but she was an expert in martial arts which he noticed once when he happened to eat the last bag of chips in her pantry. her favourite and the store were closed.
"Well! All specialists agree that the infection did not cause any permanent damage even though it was very close. She may return home in a couple of weeks, but she will need continued care for at least a month after that."
"Well, do not let her put her paws on a check book. Her personal assistant Becky Hill would not be happy if she notices unauthorized expenses in the accounts and Lady Porcupine is too ill to make financial decisions."
A few weeks later. Ash was taken on a stretcher to a waiting ambulance. The ambulance was a former armoured truck that Elsa had paid to rebuild for this occasion. No more risks would be taken. A giant escort of armoured vehicles with weapons had gathered at the hospital and 50 ninjas were hidden in the neighbourhood. Ash had been medicated to sleep or she would have protested loudly or risked causing herself harm. She had been fully conscious for a week now and had threatened Elsa and Maya with a lot of pain for their security measures today. She said that with her diplomatic immunity in almost all countries, there was not much she could not do to them or pay anyone else to do to them. But her threat fell on deaf ears. Elsa pretended to believe that it was dizziness caused by fever.
The giant convoy started with the armoured ambulance in the middle. Two police helicopters flew above the convoy on their way east towards Ash estate. Johnny had managed to get into the ambulance in the back with the sleeping Ash when it was thought that he had the best chance of calming her down if she woke up too early. Johnny felt like he was staying with a sleeping dragon. If there was one thing Ash hated, it was being forced into things. Like traveling in an armoured truck.
Several weeks earlier in Japan after Elsa's angry conversation. The raccoon who was the leader of the New Moon's ninja clan had a real headache. He had not understood all of Elsa's conversations, but one thing was clear. Something had gone very wrong and the blame lay with him and the 75 ninjas he sent to the United Kingdom. He had thought that 15 years of hard training was enough to complete the task without problems, but it was apparently wrong. Now the situation was very serious, and the honour of the clan was at stake. He would have to take care of the situation himself, but he would not travel alone. He picked up the satellite phone and made a call to another clan who had also served the Shogun for centuries. But it was not a ninja clan but samurai. They had been looking for a new master to serve for many years now and a descendant of the Shogun family would be well suited for a few hundred modern samurai. The cost would be high, but he had no choice. The rest of his ninjas would not suffice, and many were out on assignments. Ash would get a samurai army.
A few days later at the Porcupine Palace. 75 ninjas knelt before their leader with their heads against the ground. the three leaders were ahead of the rest but were also kneeling. 250 samurai stood in a square around the area with their 5 Hatamoto in front of each group. Everyone held their hand on their katanas.
"Never before has my clan been as disgraced as it is now. Did you think you could keep this failure a secret from me!? I should order these samurai I borrowed from my old friend to execute you all at once for your treachery against your ruler. The only reason I do not do this is because I cannot afford to lose so many ninjas. I have agreed with Elsa Frost on your punishment. and these samurai will remain in the service of her grace permanently. Your punishment will be that you are deprived of your freedom for 10 years and will serve her grace as slaves during this time. To serve her, protect her and do exactly what she wants. For your team leader, the penalty will be 20 years. None of you can leave her service during this time. The penalty for that will be death. I must say that I am very disappointed in all of you. 15 years of hard training was not enough. Every single one of these 250 samurai has the right to give you orders and they will be obeyed or punished. I will also leave my elite warriors here as personal bodyguards and commanders over you slaves."
"If you fail in the security of her grace again, it means the end of our clan. Elsa Frost can wipe us all out with the push of a button. None of you can talk to her grace unless she addresses you first! That's all! I will return to Japan but get reports from my elite warriors every week. The slightest mistake made will not be forgiven anymore. If Lady Porcupine is injured during your care due to an attack on her that you failed to stop, then you are all dead! Get out of my sight!"
The Present! The large convoy drove through the gates to the palace where a large gathering of Japanese warriors gathered. Some were dressed in traditional clothes while most were dressed as modern soldiers. Everyone, however, carried swords. 75 former ninjas were in the middle of the group and got ready to receive their lady who now had full control over their lives without her having any idea about it. Ash was still asleep when the ambulance arrived, or she had become completely furious about everything. A samurai army in 2020. Elsa would have been hanged in the nearest tree in her tail if Ash had been awake. And perhaps hanged by her neck when Ash comprehends the full extent of the security arrangements now underway. The alarm systems had already been replaced and several surveillance cameras had been set up.
Ash was brought up to her bedroom and laid down on the huge bed. At the same time, Elsa began to think of a certain briefcase that was locked in the vault. She went to the door and tried to get it open, but she could not open the combination lock.
"Maya, do you know the code for this door? I left something inside I do not want Ash to find out."
"No, only Ash can open that door and you need her handprint. What is it that is secret enough that you do not want your boss to find out and that you lock in her private vault, Your collection of prom dresses and high heels.?"
"Very funny. No, it's that briefcase I mentioned to you earlier that Ash would murder me if she found out."
"Are you completely crazy! Not the Nuclear Football?! What do you think she will do if she finds out that she has not only financed a top-secret shut down project for NATO but is also the practical owner of 10 satellites with 50 nuclear warheads that no country in NATO would admit exists?!"
"She would have us Hanged, drawn and quartered while she sat in an armchair and watched with a bowl of popcorn and a bottle of coca cola."
"And how did you think she would not notice anything? She will see the briefcase and wonder what it contains. As soon as she opens it and finds the codes, she will understand what it is she is holding."
"Then we can both write our wills. She will not care whose fault it is, but we will be on her list. I'm more afraid of Ash's anger than anyone else. She rarely gets very furious but when she gets totally furious, I want to be on the other side of the world."
"I wonder if it's too late to go back to the state prison and request protective custody from Ash anger."
They were interrupted by a polar bear who announced that a Russian diplomat had arrived and requested an audience with Ash.
"She's asleep, and I want her to keep sleeping for a while longer. Tell him to come back in a month when she's recovered enough."
This answer was not what the Russian diplomat wanted to hear, and he started arguing. During the brawl, he bumped into a Ming vase worth £ 15 million outside Ash's room that went to the floor and in pieces. The sound was loud, and Ash opened her eyes and sat up.
"Where am I? Elsa, what's going on? What's the noise outside?" Ash was drowsy but she quickly became wide awake.
"This is my bedroom. How did I get here? The last thing I remember is drinking a glass of water. ELSA! Not again. You drugged me, right?! Come back! Do not think that you will get away that easily. Your Christmas bonus is withdrawn. Wait a minute, I've already done that. Well! I let someone rip your tail off and hang you with it. No, I keelhaul you, one of my cruise ships are large enough. Maya catch the bad wolf, or you can share her fate. Lock her in the basement overnight at least."
Maya quickly followed the fleeing Elsa while some polar bears dragged in a grey wolf dressed in a suit and threw him on the floor in front of Ash's bed.
"Lady Porcupine! This wolf has disturbed your sleep and destroyed a priceless vase outside your room. He says he is a Russian diplomat sent by the Russian president and his papers admit it. but the vase he destroyed was worth several million pounds."
Ash thought. Hope it was the vase my dad bought for my mom in 2009. it was terribly ugly. Worth several million yes! but it gave me nightmares when I was 10 years old.
"And why was a priceless vase in a place there anyone could destroy it. Nevermind! Who are you and what are you doing here. speak, my patience is over for today."
Lady Porcupine! My name is Victor Krasilnikov. I am a Russian diplomat sent by the Russian President on a very important matter."
"What could be so important, that you break into my home and smash objects worth over 10 million pounds? Who's going to pay for it, you?"
"The Russian government will compensate all the damage, but the important matter I have with you cannot wait any longer. The president will kill me if this takes much more time than it has already taken."
"Really! Let me guess, it's that gas pipeline he's been nagging about since May. Let me find a solution to your problem. I sign the agreement when appropriate compensation has arrived for my destroyed Ming vase. By appropriate compensation I mean one of the Russian Fabergé eggs. They should have about the same value. I will not accept anything else. I have plenty of money, but that vase is impossible to replace and I demand something of the same quality in exchange!"
Victor Krasilnikov swallowed nervously. The president would not be happy with him. a few million pounds in damages was one thing but a Fabergé egg. However, they had no choice. It would be impossible to force her to sign. He had seen the number of security guards. She had a private army.
"Now please leave me and come back when you have with you what I requested. I have other I things to do."
Ash knew she might be too harsh on the poor diplomat, but he had destroyed her property and as a government official it was the responsibility of the Russian government. She had been trying to get hold of a Fabergé egg for months. Ash was annoyed with Russian and American presidents and thought the political scandal of losing an egg would be appropriate. At the same time, she knew that her signature would save the Russian government from collapse. Everyone would benefit from it. Especially herself.
While the poor diplomat walked out of her bedroom, Ash thought that the only great power that had not yet caused her a headache was China. What trouble would they come up with, or would she escape their attempts at influence. If they did nothing to her, she would increase trade with the country by 10 percent.
A month later at Ash's home outside London. Ash and Johnny were sitting on a couch in front of a fire. Elsa and Maya were still alive after Ash discovered 250 samurai on the property. The main reason for this was that she was not healthy enough to strangle them herself and did not want to let anyone else have the pleasure of doing it in her place. She did not know that the 75 ninjas were now her slaves, even though he had noticed a change in their behaviour.
"Johnny I've had enough! Enough of assassins, kidnappers, crazy politicians and all the trouble. I want a vacation. And you're coming with me whether you like it or not. I refuse to let go of your soft fur now that I can finally stand on my feet again."
She thought. I do not care if the royal family wants a meeting. They ignored me 5 years ago, now I repay that service. I have no real family anymore except the theater group. I wonder what Buster is going to do with $ 70 million. I hope he's trying to buy the theater from me.
Johnny wondered if it was a good time to propose to her now, she seemed much calmer than earlier this month. He started fumbling with a ring, but Ash had gotten up and was on her way to her vault for the first time since she got home. She entered the code and put her hand on a scanner. The door opened and Ash was surprised when several jewels lay scattered on the floor and there was a backpack that she did not recognize. But what really caught her eye was a silver-coloured metal briefcase. She picked it up and carried it out of the vault and put it on a table.
"What do we have here? I do not recognize this briefcase. Maybe it contains something I bought in London."
Ash opened the briefcase and became confused. After a thorough examination, her screams could be heard all over the building. She understood what this was and a complete report on the secret project was in the briefcase.
"Elsa and Maya when I get hold of you! I will strangle you with your own tail Elsa and then you get to eat it. A reward for the one who catches the wretched wolf and polar bear and brings them here in chains. A bonus if you drag them here by the tail and ear."
Elsa and Maya were outside and heard everything.
"We should go in advance to her private island in the Pacific Ocean and make some preparations for when she gets there. She should have calmed down by then. I hope. We can take that jet that just came in from the United States. It is refuelled and ready and we are both pilots."
Maya and Elsa ran towards the large transport plane that was currently empty and jumped into it and started the engines. They took off from the ground and were soon on their way across the Atlantic. When Ash heard that they had stolen a jet and fled, she became furious and sent 3 fighter jets out of her escort to force them back.
Johnny thought that the opportunity to propose to Ash had passed again. He did not know what had happened, but Elsa would get a blow to the nose when he saw her next time. Elsa and Maya were locked in the basement for a whole week after their plane theft. Ash planned a trip to her private island on the other side of the earth and all the messages from the royal family ended up in the fire in her bedroom. Maya and Elsa were tied with chains and sprayed with ice-cold water before they were allowed to come out again. Then Elsa had a lot to explain about nuclear weapons in space.