My Dog is Chase Devineaux
Chase is transformed into a dog after wishing he understood Carmen Sandiego and why she tried to save him. Carmen finds him and adopts him. Chase becomes a part of the team as a dog and slowly develops feelings for Carmen. Maybe she is not the villain he thought her to be or maybe he's just falling in love. Oh help, he's in trouble now. Julia is worried about her partner and V.I.L.E hates Carmen's new ally. Chase/Carmen
Disclaimer: I don't own anything
This was a tough chapter to write. Carmen may OOC but I hope not too OOC.
WARNING!: Character death ahead but only in nightmares. You have been warned.
Thanks to everyone who reviewed.
Chapter 7: Carmen's Search/Don't dognap her Dog!
Shadowsan sighed, Carmen was not doing well; she was fidgeting and tapping on the armrest of the plane seat she was sitting in. Chase's dognapping had shaken her badly. They were on their way to a nearby V.I.L.E. hideout in South Korea to see if Chase had been taken there. 'What is V.I.L.E. playing at?' he wondered.
Carmen was, as Shadowsan had noticed, fidgeting and tapping. Her head was spinning with questions and worry. The main thought…Chase, her beloved dog. She should have been faster, stronger, and smarter. She should have been able to rescue him, but she would, she wouldn't fail him. She didn't notice anything around her, she only responded when Player informed her that they were there. She stood up, "Thanks, Player. Have you managed to find any V.I.L.E. agents?"
"No Red, not yet, I've been searching though."
"Keep at it, we're going to find him," she said.
"Copy that Red," said Player, who went back to his search.
"Carm, are you ok?" asked Zack.
"I'll be fine once I get Chase back," was all she said and the siblings looked at each other and then at Shadowsan, who looked at them with his normal expression. Carmen started walking and her crew followed. Shadowsan hoping that this would end well.
Xxxxx
A.C.M.E. hideout somewhere in the world
"Chief, we have a Sandiego sighting in South Korea," said a male agent, shuffling through some papers.
"South Korea? Now what could be there for Sandiego to steal?" asked Chief in surprise and with a raised eyebrow.
"Perhaps she's not there to steal anything, this could be something else entirely," said Julia, who was also there with Zari and a few other agents.
"I doubt Sandiego takes vacations," said Zari with no expression as usual.
"None the less, we shouldn't jump to conclusions," Julia said.
"Agent Argent does have a point but we can't overlook the fact that Sandiego could be there to pull off another heist. Agent Zari, you and Argent will be going to South Korea, ASAP."
"Yes Chief," they both said.
Julia mentally sighed, this was going to be a long trip. She missed Devineaux at these points in time. Zari was so stiff and never made conversation unless it had to do with the current mission. Devineaux, despite his obsessive nature with Carmen Sandiego, would at least talk about other things like a book he'd read recently or a movie he'd seen. Yes, despite everything he had culture and had read quite a lot of books she never would have guessed he'd be interested in. She'd been shocked to learn that he knew and had read books like Moby Dick, A Christmas Carol, and Treasure Island, among others. Julia mused on what Devineaux was doing right now, probably some fieldwork for Interpol. How wrong she was.
Xxxxx
Back in South Korea a day later.
Carmen was staking out a V.I.L.E. safe house that Player had found, "Anyone in there Player?" she asked.
"Negative Red, I'm not picking up any heat signatures," he informed her.
"I'm going in then," she said and started to move towards the safe house.
"Uh, Carm?" asked Ivy, who was with her, Zack was in a car and Shadowsan was keeping watch somewhere.
"What?" she asked, still moving silently towards the house.
"If there's no heat signature then isn't safe to assume that Chase isn't there?" Ivy asked.
"There may be a secret room that could be blocking heat signatures, Ivy, I have to search everywhere that V.I.L.E. has been," said Carmen and then ignored Ivy's protests afterwards.
"Ivy, she's worried about Chase, just let her do it, it doesn't hurt to check," advised Player.
"Ok Player, I just wish she wasn't like this. We all loved Chase," she said and Carmen turned and gave her a look that said, 'Shut the hell up!'
"He's not dead Ivy, don't talk about him in the past tense," she warned her in a stern tone and Ivy nodded, a little bit scared.
Shadowsan listened to the interaction and sighed, he hoped they would find Chase soon, he was not happy about this situation at all. That dog was important to Carmen's mental health and happiness. V.I.L.E. had better pray that they found Chase soon, otherwise who knew what Carmen would do. When she had a goal she stuck to it, she was obsessive like that and it wasn't always a good thing.
"Player, I'm in," said Carmen, she'd jimmied open a back window and climbed in.
"Gotcha Red, scanning for any secret doors right now," he said, his fingers flying across the keyboard.
Xxxxx
Meanwhile, Julia and Zari had landed and were making their way to Carmen's coordinates, "What could cause Carmen Sandiego to come to South Korea?" Julia wondered out loud.
"Meeting her friends from V.I.L.E. It's obvious," said Zari, and Julia huffed in annoyance, even Devineaux had better theories, however outlandish they had been. He probably would have said something like,
"Maybe she is shopping or perhaps she is stealing people's souls. Hey, that has potential for a line in a song about Miss Sandiego, 'Steal their souls in South Korea."
Julia had to stifle a laugh at her outlandish thought. That did sound like something he'd say, that or he'd have cracked a bad joke to make her smile. She sighed, he'd been a good partner, despite everything.
Xxxxx
"Anything Player?" asked Carmen, who had turned the safe house upside down, searching for Chase.
"Nothing Red, this just a normal safe house," he said, "Sorry, Chase isn't here."
Carmen was not happy to hear that but she wasn't leaving empty-handed, she'd found some stolen goods that could be returned to their rightful places in the world so it wasn't a total loss. Shadowsan and Ivy arrived to help her move the goods to where Zack was waiting.
"What're you doing?" asked a voice, male, by the sound of it. Carmen turned to see a guy with spiked hair in a skin-tight grey and black suit with spikes on the elbows, knees, and shoulders. "I'm Spiker and I'm one of the toughest in V.I.L.E. You're Carmen Sandiego, if I hand you over to the Faculty I'll be rewarded. You're going down," said Spiker.
"Ivy, get in the car with the goods. Shadowsan, on standby. If things get tough for me, then intervene," said Carmen, adopting a stance. Shadowsan had no time to object as Spiker charged forward. Carmen waited until he was close and gave him a shot to the liver.
Spiker gasped, "Bitch!" Carmen smirked, flipped over his head, and kicked out one knee before grabbing him by the arm and using his momentum to make him crash into a tree. There was also a nasty sounding crack from his arm. He yelled in pain.
"Alright, start talking! Where is Tigress, she has my dog, has she been here and if not where is she?" asked Carmen, holding him up by the back of his shirt.
"I don't know where she is, I only know her by rep, we've never met and I didn't even know you had a dog. Tigress isn't here I swear!" said Spiker.
"Fine then," Carmen frowned at the lack of information and then knocked him out and tied him up. "We're taking him to the nearest station and then we'll drop off the stolen goods at another one."
"Carmen," said Shadowsan with a frown.
"Not now Shadowsan, we need to get going," said Carmen. Ivy didn't want to say anything so she just got in the back. Carmen sat in front with Zack and Shadowsan sighed and got in the back with Ivy and the unconscious Spiker. "Step on it Zack," she said.
"Sure thing Carm," he said, driving off with his usual smile but he was a little nervous, however, he was confident that they would find Chase.
Xxxxx
"We haven't found Miss Sandiego yet, perhaps she already left," said Julia, they were walking around the city at the moment.
"I just got a call from Chief, she was seen heading south in a car," said Zari, walking off. Julia let out an annoyed sigh and walked after her.
"How long ago was she seen? She asked Zari.
"I'm not sure but we can catch her by surprise, she doesn't know we're here," said Zari.
Julia highly doubted that. Before they could do anything else Julia spotted Carmen climbing out of a car and leaving something at the nearby police station. "There she is!" she exclaimed.
Zari ran, pulling out her gas gun. "Miss Sandiego, you are under arrest!" she shouted.
Carmen didn't even look at her, she just grappled up to the top of the building and began to run. The car was there but nobody was in sight. Julia looked inside it, there was nothing there to suggest that anyone had been in there in the first place.
Xxxxx
"Red, the others will meet you at the airport, you're going to Mongolia, Shadowsan said that V.I.L.E. operatives are there at the moment trying to loot the treasures of Genghis Khan," said Player.
"And Shadowsan didn't remember this before because…?" asked Carmen.
"He never looked at the hard drive but knew that the Faculty was talking about it. He does apologise for not remembering before now," Player explained.
"That's fine then. Hopefully, Chase will be there. We'll rescue him and stop V.I.L.E. Two birds with one stone," Carmen said, making it to the airport.
"Sure Red," said Player and he sighed softly, he noticed that Carmen's priorities were switched around at the moment, getting Chase back came first, with V.I.L.E. as the afterthought. 'I hope we find him soon,' he thought.
The flight to Mongolia wasn't too bad but Carmen fell asleep. Shadowsan was relieved but he was worried at the same time. He hoped that she slept well because she hadn't slept the previous night.
Carmen was not sleeping well, she was having a nightmare. "Chase, where are you boy? Chase!" she called, walking through a long, dark tunnel. She heard him barking up ahead and ran. "Chase!" she shouted. He was there at the end of the tunnel. Carmen smiled and continued running. Chase turned and barked happily at her but then he was in a cage! "NO!" she shouted as Chase howled and whimpered, now being held in the jaws of a five-headed hydra, the word V.I.L.E. illuminated above it in a sickly green. One of the heads was in shadow but the other heads were her old teachers, Professor Maelstrom, Countess Cleo, Dr. Bellum, and Coach Brunt. They laughed at her, Chase being shaken around in his cage. She kept on running but she didn't seem to get any closer, no matter how hard or how fast she ran. She watched in horror as Chase was devoured by the Faculty. "NO!" she screamed.
"Carmen, Carmen, wake up!" and she felt someone shaking her.
"NO CHASE!" she shouted upon waking up. She looked around wildly to find Zack and Ivy staring at her and Shadowsan was looking at her in concern but there was no Chase on her lap.
"Carmen, what happened?" asked Player in concern.
"Nothing Player, just a nightmare, that's all," she said, trying to catch her breath.
"Carm…you ok?" asked Ivy.
"What was the nightmare about?" asked Zack.
"Yes, I'm ok and no, I don't want to talk about it. How long until we're there?" Carmen asked, a bit snappily.
"Another thirty-six minutes, considering that you're on a direct flight," said Player.
"Alright, what have we got on Mongolia?"
"Mongolia is a landlocked country in East Asia. In the 16th century, Tibetan Buddhism spread to Mongolia, being further led by the Manchu-founded Qing dynasty, which absorbed the country in the 17th century," said Player.
"Mongolia means land of the Mongols in Latin. In the thirteenth century, the word Mongol grew into an umbrella term for a large group of Mongolic-speaking tribes united under the rule of Genghis Khan," said Carmen with a smile, learning trivia about the country she was visiting was familiar and soothing.
"That's right Red, in the chaos of the late 12th century, a chieftain named Temüjin finally succeeded in uniting the Mongol tribes between Manchuria and the Altai Mountains. In 1206, he took the title Genghis Khan, and waged a series of military campaigns – renowned for their brutality and ferocity – sweeping through much of Asia, and forming the Mongol Empire, the largest contiguous land empire in world history."
"So what would V.I.L.E. be after?" asked Ivy. Carmen tensed and Ivy got a glare from Shadowsan for mentioning the V-word.
"Most likely, Genghis Khan's treasures," said Shadowsan. "They are worth much and are of great historical value. There is a gold bracelet with a phoenix being chased by demons that I believe that Countess Cleo would love to obtain, among other treasures."
"Yeah, that sounds like just like her," said Carmen, she was paying attention but her mind was also focused on finding Chase.
36 minutes later
"Ok, let's scope out the possible site of theft and get ready to intercept," said Carmen, walking briskly out of the airport.
"Carmen, are you going to be ok?" asked Zack.
"Zack, I'll be fine, we have work to do," said Carmen, sounding irritated. Zack stayed silent after that.
Shadowsan sighed and watched her with an eagle eye, it wouldn't do let Carmen out of his sight for long. Not in this state of mind.
It took a while to get there but they finally arrived at the museum where V.I.L.E was planning their heist.
"I'm in position," said Carmen, she was perched on a rooftop, ready for action.
"Ready in the getaway car Carm," reported Zack.
"Me too," said Ivy, who was sitting with her brother.
"I am ready," is all Shadowsan said.
"Red, I've got three agents, tracking their movements with Red Drone now," said Player.
Carmen thanked him and started to move, her movements confident and stealthy. She snuck in and waited for her opportunity.
"Come on Skunk, hurry," said one guy with a ponytail.
"Shut it, Killjoy," said Skunk, who had a white Mohawk and the rest of his hair was black. He was busy opening the case of a mask in the room where Genghis Khan's treasures were.
"Zip it both of you," said the only girl of the group, a young woman with her red hair in a plait and a slight mixed accent. Her codename was Tiki Coco.
"You know, if you guys put as much work into actual work you wouldn't need to steal," said Carmen's voice. They looked around but not up. Carmen dropped onto Killjoy's shoulders and flipped backwards, using her legs to bring him with, leading him to crash onto the ground, he was unconscious before he or anyone else knew it.
"It's Carmen Sandiego!" shouted Skunk.
"Thank you Captain Obvious," said Tiki Coco sarcastically. Carmen took advantage of their inaction and rammed into Tiki Coco.
Tiki fought back but Carmen was fighting seriously and had her knocked out in no time even with Skunk interfering. "Alright," said Carmen, holding him by the collar, "Where is Chase?"
"Who is Chase?" he asked in fright.
"My dog, a German Shepard puppy! Dognapped by Tigress! Do you know where he is?" she interrogated him.
"NO! We didn't even know you had a dog. I swear I don't know!" squealed Skunk.
"Thank you," she said, then she knocked him out, leaving him and his friends on the floor before acquiring the mask and leaving.
Shadowsan was relieved that Carmen wasn't hurt but he was not happy with her actions and he voiced his displeasure. "This is not how you do things. Losing Chase is causing you to act out," he said sternly.
Carmen glared at him, "Does it matter that I knock them out? It stops them from running off and if Bellum has to wipe their minds for getting caught then that's three less V.I.L.E. operatives we and the rest of the world need to worry about and three fewer operatives for V.I.L.E." said Carmen sharply and Shadowsan knew that she had several points but she was also acting out.
"Carmen, do not start walking this path, it is a dangerous one" he warned her, his tone just as sharp. "You are an adult who is a hero and yet you are acting just like a member of V.I.L.E.!" he scolded her.
That shocked Carmen and she stared at him. Carmen wanted to be angry but she knew that she was not acting like herself and that he was right, she sighed, looking ashamed as well, "Sorry Shadowsan, I just…I've let V.I.L.E. take him and I'm scared of what they'll do to him. I made a promise that I'll always be by his side. I let them take him. They have to understand that they can't do that! Not Chase, not him," she said with a tightness in her voice. "He's all alone and scared and…who knows what they're doing to him, I have to rescue him Shadowsan! I have to…" she choked out the last sentence.
Shadowsan said nothing as rare tears fell down her cheeks. He simply stepped closer and pulled her in for an even rarer hug. "We will get him back but you must not lose sight of who you are." All Carmen did was nod and then pulled away, wiping away her tears.
"Let's get these clowns and this mask to the nearest station, then we'll try and pick up the trail again," she said, wiping away her tears.
Shadowsan was relieved to hear her talking and acting normally but he wondered how long it would last. He could sense that she was still angry. 'May the gods help us all,' he thought as they got in the car. They did indeed drop of Skunk and the others alongside the mask at the nearest police station, leaving no trace as usual.
"Hey guys," said Player, appearing on the screen of the laptop.
"Hey Player," said the siblings, and Shadowsan gave him a respectful nod.
"What's up Player?" asked Carmen. She was getting anxious again.
"Another V.I.L.E. agent sighting, again, no one you know but they are on the other side of the country. I don't know if Chase is there but you may as well check it out. Sending the information your way," said Player.
"Let's go, this may be a clue to Chase," said Carmen, looking determined. "I won't stop searching until he's found."
Player, Shadowsan, and the siblings exchanged worried looks. She was becoming very obsessed in a very bad way, it was not a good thing. For them and for Carmen herself.
Xxxxx
Julia sighed for what must have been the millionth time in the last forty-eight hours. She was still in South Korea and there was no sign of Carmen Sandiego and her actions this time were totally random. She wasn't following her status quo and that had Julia puzzled. After all, the man left at a police station was obviously from V.I.L.E. but leaving the stolen artefacts at another puzzled her. Then there was the man's condition to take into account, it wasn't like Carmen to do bodily harm. 'What would Devineaux say?' she wondered.
'Come now Agent Argent, the man was armed with spikes, what do you think?' she could hear in her mind. Julia sighed and thought, probably the man received his injuries in a fight with Miss Sandiego. Miss Sandiego only harming him in self-defense there was no other logical reason for her to harm the man.
"We have an update, Sandiego was seen boarding a plane in Mongolia heading to Pakistan," said Zari, she was annoyed that the police of the country weren't handing the V.I.L.E. operative over.
"I see, very then, shall we depart?" asked Julia.
"Do you need an answer to that question?" asked Zari and Julia sighed once more as she followed her partner.
'I wish Devineaux was here,' she thought.
Xxxxx
Carmen sighed in frustration, they'd found the V.I.L.E. agent who after interrogating him she'd knocked unconscious and had dropped at the nearest police station. "Nothing, no clues at all." She frowned darkly and Shadowsan noticed at once.
"Carmen, do not let your emotions get the better of you. We do not need you to walk V.I.L.E.'s dark path," cautioned Shadowsan, reminding her of his previous words.
"I know Shadowsan, I know," she said, doing some deep breathing to keep calm.
"Good news Red, there's an operation going down in Pakistan. I can get you tickets but not right away, you'll have to wait."
"Do your best Player and please, hurry," she said.
"I will, I promise."
Xxxxx
It took some time, several hours, but Player got four tickets and in the four hours and fifty-two minutes it took to get from Mongolia to Pakistan, Carmen got worse. She outright told Zack and Ivy to 'shut the hell up!' when they mentioned not being able to find Chase.
"Red, can we talk?" asked Player cautiously.
"Sure Player, what's up?" Carmen asked, leaning back and looking tired.
"You're not yourself Red, I know that you miss Chase and that you're super worried about him but don't take it out on Zack and Ivy or anyone else, including V.I.L.E. operatives who had no say in what happened. What would Chase think of his owner, who he adores, acting like this?"
The question caused Carmen's blood to freeze.
"He'd be shocked that the most caring and kind woman in the world is acting like this. He wouldn't know you. Think about it, Carmen, animals respond to changes like how you're changing. What's he gonna think when you get him back and he's seen how you've changed? He'll be wary of you. You won't be the Carmen whom he loves."
"Player….I…"
"Just think about it Red, please, we can't lose you and Chase needs you to just be you," said Player. He cut communications and left Carmen to think. She was tired and emotionally exhausted. By now it had been 3 and a ½ days since Chase had been taken. Carmen's heart felt heavy and sore, she was heartsick and unhappy. She tried to sleep but had another nightmare.
"Chase, where are you?" she was in a desert wasteland with nothing and she noticed that instead of her usual red trench coat she was wearing a black one. "What?" she asked.
"This is you, La Femme Rouge," said Devineaux walking up to her. He looked worse for wear, his clothes were torn and blood was smeared on his handsome face. He had a superficial cut on his shoulder but seemed to be relatively unharmed.
"What do you mean…this is me?" asked Carmen, her heart going cold.
"You did this," he gestured and there were Zack and Ivy's gravestones in front of her. "They died, because of you. Their faces and bodies were mutilated beyond recognition. You said they deserved it for being so annoying," he told her.
"No…I…" she choked out. She gulped and shook her head in denial.
Devineaux shrugged, "It's who you are now, isn't it?" he asked.
"No, it's not!"
"Then what path are you standing on?" he asked and she looked down, noticing the path was as dark as the night!
"Who…what…where is everyone…else…?" she asked fearfully.
"This way," and Devineaux lead her to a burned-down house. Player was gazing up blankly, never to see anything again and Shadowsan in bloodied clothes was looking at her with sorrow in his eyes before dying. "Only because he was your best friend did that prevent you from doing anything to him other than a single nick to the throat. Shadowsan died this way because of your feelings of both loving him as a father and hating the fact that he cheated you out of an honest graduation," Devineaux explained.
Even Julia was there, in the distance, looking as though she'd been tortured as she wandered around in pain and blind. "You do not think that she is worth killing, which is why she suffers as she is now," commented Devineaux.
"No, why, how?" she asked frantically, looking at Devineaux in horror. She idly wondered why he was the only survivor.
He smirked at her unasked question. "I am a natural survivor and I've fought for my life before. You also hesitated in killing me, you ran instead, stating you couldn't do it. V.I.L.E. got you. The loss of Chase drove you mad, you kept on sinking deeper and deeper until you were the perfect V.I.L.E. operative. He died trying to save you from yourself," and Devineaux shook his head.
"Where is he?" she choked out. She watched in astonishment as Devineaux turned into her dog who barked at her furiously.
"Chase…?" she asked, wondering what it meant.
The puppy looked at her and he suddenly looked awful, his fur filthy and matted with blood and a bullet wound in his left ear, slices from what looked like a dagger all across his little body, one leg held up, the paw was cut off. He looked at her with sorrow in his eyes, whining before he sank underground and a tombstone appeared instead. 'CHASE DEVINEAUX' it read. A picture of both a man and a dog was carved on it.
"NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!" Carmen screamed in agony. Everyone she loved and cared about was dead. The V.I.L.E. hydra appeared again, laughing at her.
"This is all your fault Carmen Sandiego, you allowed yourself to become obsessed with his rescue and no one got in your way," was Devineaux's voice in her ear. "Change," was the last thing he whispered before she fell into a flaming hole, screaming while the hydra laughed as she plummeted to her death.
Carmen woke up screaming, causing everyone to either wake up or stare in shock as she reared back and threw up. Shadowsan was there instantly to hold her hair back and told Zack and Ivy to find something to clean up the mess.
"Carmen, can you hear me?" Shadowsan asked. She gave a nod. "Was it a nightmare?" she gave another nod. He held her close once she'd stopped throwing up. Carmen didn't want to talk about it and she refused to say anything. Shadowsan just held her after that. Once in Pakistan she went straight to the bathroom in the airport and stared at herself in the mirror. It wasn't a face she recognised, she had bags under her eyes and there were the remains of tearstains on her cheeks. Her breath stank from throwing up. Her confident and cheeky air was gone, what was left was a shell of a woman. She splashed her face with water, "How could one person in my life being kidnapped have such an effect on me?" she asked herself.
"Perhaps I can help," said a woman coming out from one of the stalls. She had fair skin, long, blazing-red hair, and emerald eyes. "I'm Vixey, Vixey Kitsu, pleasure," she said, holding out her hand.
"Hi, I'm Carmen Sandiego. How could you help me? You don't even know me," said Carmen.
"I'm the type of person who helps those who need help. I also find that having someone, a neutral party, can help you see things from a different perspective. So, care to enlighten me on the situation?" asked Vixey.
"My dog Chase has been kidnapped and I don't know where he's been taken," said Carmen, she didn't know why she was telling a perfect stranger all of this. "I've been having nightmares as well, they get worse each time. My friends say that I'm acting differently. My oldest and best friend and one of my adoptive fathers have both spoken to me about it and I hear them loud and clear but I don't know what to do. All I know is that I want my dog back, I made a promise," she said, hanging her head.
Vixey smiled, "What role does your dog play in your life?" she asked.
"Huh…? Role?"
"Yes, role, is he a friend, a guide dog, a show dog, a rescue dog? What role does he play in your life?"
"I see. Chase is…it's strange, ever since I found him he's…I swear it like he's human at times, he reminds of an old acquaintance, an inspector. His determination, his loyalty, his desire to help others, even his attitude toward me, in the beginning, was very reminiscent of the inspector. I had or I don't know, still have a crush on him. I haven't thought about it that much. I do miss him. I even named my dog after him, Chase. I love my dog, he's fierce, protective, kind towards smaller animals, he's naughty and playful but he can be stubborn and cheeky too. He wakes me up from my nightmares and comforts me when I'm feeling upset. His presence, knowing that he's there, that he doesn't judge me, it's a balm to my soul. The way he understands me, he's like a human in that regard. He's very special and I can't see my life without him. He's…my best friend…" she trailed off, Player was her best friend, wasn't he or was there a difference between a dog and human?
"So he's your protector, emotionally and physically, he's your best friend, like most dogs become to any human and he's your emotional confidant. He also represents your feelings for this inspector. Sounds to me that you need him more than you ever realised. You say that you're having nightmares?" asked Vixey.
Carmen told her about them and Vixey nodded, "I know why," she said.
"Why?"
"One, you don't have Chase with you. Everyone has something in their lives that helps them deal with things emotionally. For you, it's your dog. He is your emotional support, you tell him things you don't tell anyone else, he's your confidant. Your dream represents who you care for and how much you care for them. Horrible deaths for two of your friends who annoyed you to that point, a peaceful and gentle death for the youngest, a more hard-fought and possibly honourable battle for your teacher, the girl you only have a loose acquaintanceship with. The fact that your inspector was there as a guide shows just how much you respect him or how much you want him to be there. Or you just needed someone to explain the cause of the deaths to you and your mind latched onto him because he always tells it to you the way he sees it, correct?" and Carmen nodded.
"Why did Devineaux turn into my dog?" she asked.
"It could be that you're projecting. You've said it yourself, you see a lot of the inspector in your dog and they both have the same name, it's a natural thing. What animal does the inspector remind you of?"
"A lone wolf or ironically, a German Shepard, strong, fast, loyal, protective, kind, everything my Chase is," said Carmen. "I just want my dog back," and a tear slid down her cheek.
"Carmen, you need to decide if going down the dark path is worth it to lose everyone you care about in the end," said Vixey.
"I don't want to but I'm so angry that he was taken from me, that I allowed it to happen," said Carmen. Vixey slapped her, hard, Carmen's cheek turning red.
"You didn't…not on purpose. You didn't know it would happen, did you?" Carmen numbly shook her head. "You can't blame yourself for the choices of others, V.I.L.E. chose to kidnap him, you didn't choose to let it happen and you didn't choose to let V.I.L.E. take him either, you didn't tell them 'Hey V.I.L.E., here's my dog, take him from me,'" said Vixey. She continued, "You need to shape up, listen to your friends, and find him, that's all there is to it. Now go and rescue him as the owner and friend he knows, go on, go," said Vixey and Carmen nodded numbly and walked off, still holding her cheek, the red was rapidly fading from it. Vixey smirked and transformed into her true form, a red fox, she was Carmen's animal spirit guide. Her work here was done, it was time for Carmen's friends to do the rest.
Ivy was waiting for her, the boys having gone on ahead. "Carmen, are you ok? You were in there a long time," said Ivy cautiously.
"I'm…a bit more clear-headed, thanks Ivy, and sorry for snapping at you," apologised Carmen. She didn't want to say anything about Vixey, not wanting to make anyone of her crew feel worse and also talking to a total stranger about her problems instead of them. It was strange but she felt as though she'd known Vixey forever and she could trust her. Carmen mentally shrugged and the event of even meeting Vixey faded from her mind, leaving only a mental talk with herself. Vixey didn't need her telling anyone about her so the memory had to go.
"It's all good," she said, relieved that Carmen was sounding a bit more like her usual self. The girls made their way to the nearby hotel that they'd booked rooms in and saw that Shadowsan was already talking to Player on the laptop.
Zack was making a sandwich when he saw them, "Shadowsan, Player, they're here!" he exclaimed.
"Hey guys," said Carmen, "Give me a little bit, I need a shower and to brush my teeth. I'm also sorry about how I've been acting lately, just not having Chase around leaves a big hole in my heart and it hurts so much. I know I've worried you all and I'm grateful that you, Player, and Shadowsan stepped in and talked to me. It really helped. I'm going to do my best from now on to be me again but I won't stop trying to get him back. I need Chase and he needs me," said Carmen and everyone smiled at her, accepting her apology. Even Shadowsan had a ghost of a smile and a look of relief on his face. He's still keeping an eye on her though.
"Not a problem Red, we're family, we look out for each other and we will find Chase, he's family," said Player.
"Thanks, Player," she said gratefully and went to go and freshen up.
"Thank goodness Carm is getting' back to normal," said Ivy, flopping down onto a chair.
"Yeah, she was gettin' really scary," said Zack, sitting down next to his sister.
"She will not be herself until Chase is found but it is progress," said Shadowsan and Player nodded in agreement.
Xxxxx
Carmen sighed as she showered, she was relieved to have gotten that off her chest. "They didn't deserve the way I treated them. I'm glad I said sorry," she muttered to herself. She tried to imagine what it would be like to have Chase back with her. He'd bark and wag his tail, lick her tears away and he'd make her laugh. He might show off his tricks for a treat or decide to chew on Ivy's shoes. He would probably never leave her side, he'd wake her up from her nightmares and comfort her, and they'd play with his toys, perhaps another chase with his squeaky duck or a game of fetch outside or tug-of-war. He'd curl up at her feet, giving her an adoring gaze with those gentle and loving brown eyes. Carmen started as she felt tears running down her face again…or was it the shower? All she knew was that she was shivering despite the hot shower and the hole in her heart wasn't gone. She let out a sob, got out of the shower, and dressed into her nightwear. She curled up on the bed and sobbed before drifting off to sleep.
When Carmen didn't come back for the meeting Shadowsan went to check on her and found her in a restless sleep. He sighed, he hoped they found the dog soon, this wasn't good for Carmen's health but why would she come to rely on her dog so much? He'd only been on the team for three weeks before this happened. He could only conclude that Chase was as special as Carmen said. Shadowsan sighed, who was he kidding? That dog was sometimes more human than a dog, he was smart, a bit too smart but he could not say he knew the dog very well though. He did like him though.
"Carmen, wake up," when he noticed her tossing and turning. He shook her and Carmen jerked awake.
"Shadowsan..?" she asked with a quiver of fear in her voice. He nodded and she hugged him to his surprise.
"It was just a nightmare. Chase is fine, wherever he is. Get dressed and come to the room afterwards," he said, she needed a distraction.
Carmen nodded and Shadowsan left. She sighed and got ready. Soon she was with the others, "Talk to me Player," she said while eating the dinner Shadowsan had made for her.
"You got it Red, the 411, coming right up. The Capital of Pakistan is Islamabad and its largest city is Karachi," Player informed everyone.
"Pakistan has the sixth-largest standing armed forces in the world; it is a nuclear power and a declared nuclear weapons state," said Carmen.
"The National Museum of Pakistan is where you're headed, it has a variety of treasure, including the belongings of the national heroes of Pakistan, Quaid-e-Azam's pen, cuffs, and sword, Allama Iqbal's personal chair, and pen, and Liaqat Ali Khan's personal itar bottle, watch, and walking stick," said Player.
"Any of those things would be a prize for V.I.L.E. to have or all of them," said Carmen. "But we're not going to let that happen. Get ready everyone, we're looking for clues to Chase's location and taking down V.I.L.E."
Both Shadowsan and Player noted how she still prioritised Chase over V.I.L.E. but neither of them mentioned it, they didn't want Carmen to slide back into her previous state.
Xxxxx
It was about an hour later that Carmen was staking out the museum while the others were in position. Meanwhile, Julia and Zari had finally arrived, the flights had been booked like no one's business.
"Agent Argent you've got be ready to apprehend Sandiego this time. We've got a sighting of her at the National Museum of Pakistan," said Zari.
"I am aware of what my job is Agent Zari, however, I also search for the truth. I believe Miss Sandiego has a deeper story to her."
"Stories are for children at bedtime Argent. Carmen Sandiego is a double-dealing diva with a taste for thievery," said Zari, and Julia blinked, that was a surprisingly good line, coming from Agent Zari that is.
Xxxxx
Carmen snuck into the museum after waiting for a while for everyone to leave. She posed as a statue when she sounds coming from the room that held the national hero's items. Carmen silently walked into the room and saw an old classmate, codename, Bling-Bling, she was a bit shorter than Carmen and had golden hair that was in a French braid, grey eyes and wore very gaudy jewellery, a lot of make-up and wore a yellow and pink jumpsuit, it was an attempt to look sexy. It didn't work.
"Well, well, if it isn't the gaudiest person I have the displeasure of knowing," she said and as Bling-Bling turned she was greeted with a punch to the face, which sent her reeling.
"You bitch Black Sheep!" she shouted, her Southern Belle accent shining through. She charged at her, her gaudy rings flashing in the moonlight.
"At least I'm not known as the sleep-around of the Island," said Carmen, ducking and flipping over her. Bling-Bling turned crimson at that and turned to be met with another punch, this time to the gut. Carmen grabbed her by the hair and then shoved her against the wall. "You're going to tell me where Tigress is and where she's taken my dog. You are going to tell me everything you know."
"I hate animals! I also hate that bitch Tigress, thinks she's so smart and cool. She's the sleep around!" screamed Bling-Bling.
Carmen laughed, "One thing I'll say in her defence is that she wouldn't, Tigress is too good to do such a thing. Unlike you, she has standards. You are simply jealous of her, you always have been. Now, where is she?"
"You can't make me talk!" she yelled.
"I bet Tigress knowing that you called her the sleep-around would get her to take an interest in you at last, if only to claw your eyes out and use your face for a scratching post," said Carmen and gave her another punch. "Let's try this again, where is she?"
"I don't know, those two idiots she hangs out with, the goat and the mole, they're in Turkey, try them," she said, she now had a lovely black eye.
"Thanks for the tip," said Carmen, before letting her go and giving her a roundhouse kick to knock her out. "Let's go, team. We'll leave her to the cops."
So they dropped her off with a note to increase the Museum's security and Player booked them a flight to Turkey.
"Hang on Chase, I'm coming," said Carmen as she sat down on the plane. She felt like she was finally getting somewhere.
Xxxxx
Julia sighed, once again they'd missed Carmen Sandiego, and once again she'd left them puzzled beyond anything. She'd stolen nothing this time, just left a note with the local authorities about stepping up their security and a woman who would neither confirm nor deny that she was with V.I.L.E.
"Sandiego has probably ransacked Pakistan without us realising it. This whole thing has to be a ploy of some kind," said Zari.
"Her recent activities are saying otherwise to me and my instincts. This sudden country-hopping such a short amount of time makes no sense at all, it as if she's searching for something and I doubt it's anything of value that you would keep in a museum," said Julia.
Zari frowned, she hated to admit it but it seemed like a logical explanation. "The Chief isn't going to like this," was all she said. Julia had to agree and they had no idea where Miss Sandiego was heading next.
Xxxxx
Shadowsan was once more keeping an eye on Carmen and he was hopeful this time. She was coping a bit better now, maybe because the end of this search was near. He was still wary, she could have another nightmare or start acting the way she had been acting again but it, didn't seem likely, she was in better spirits, thank goodness. 'I hope this ends soon,' was all he thought.
It took them four hours and thirty-nine minutes to fly from Pakistan to Turkey. For Carmen, it took too long but now she was in a hotel and getting the 411 from Player.
"Turkey, officially, the Republic of Turkey is a transcontinental country straddling South-eastern Europe and Western Asia. Turkey means 'Land of the Turks.' The capital is Ankara and you are currently in its largest city, Istanbul."
"One of the things to see in Turkey is the theatre of Halicarnassus was built in the 4th century BC by Mausolus, the Persian satrap aka governor of Caria. The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, the Tomb of Mausolus was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World," said Carmen with a small smile.
"That's right Red, did you know Cappadocia is a region created by the erosion of soft volcanic stone by the wind and rain for centuries? If you want to do some hot-air ballooning there's the place to go," Player recommended.
"Other things to see in Turkey are Mount Ararat which is Turkey's tallest mountain, and Lake Van, Turkey's largest lake, both are located in the Eastern Anatolia Region," carmen said, her smile a little bit wider.
"Yeah, well, that's it for the tour. I've got a sighting on the goat and the mole thanks to Red Drone. Seems like they're heading for Istanbul Modern, a.k.a. Istanbul Museum of Modern Art," said Player.
"What am I and more importantly, V.I.L.E., looking for there?" asked Carmen.
"Artwork from Hoca Ali Riza, Turkish painter, and art teacher, known primarily for his Impressionist landscapes and architectural paintings. 'The Maiden's Tower' painted in 1894 is what they'll most likely steal."
"What's so special about this painting?" asked Ivy.
"First of all, it's also known as Leander's Tower in reference to the legend of Hero and Leander. The tower itself was destroyed during the earthquake of 1509 and burned in 1721. Since then it was used as a lighthouse, nowadays the interior of the tower has been converted into a café and restaurant, with views of the former Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman capital. Private boats make trips to the tower several times a day," said Carmen.
"Still doesn't explain it," said Zack.
"There are many legends about the construction of the tower and its location. According to one legend, an emperor had a much-beloved daughter, and one day, an oracle prophesied that she would be killed by a venomous snake on her 18th birthday. The emperor, in an effort to thwart his daughter's early demise by placing her away from land so as to keep her away from any snakes, had the tower built in the middle of the Bosphorus to protect his daughter until her 18th birthday. The princess was placed in the tower, where she was frequently visited only by her father," said Player.
"On the 18th birthday of the princess, the emperor brought her a basket of exotic sumptuous fruits as a birthday gift, delighted that he was able to prevent the prophecy. Upon reaching into the basket, however, an asp that had been hiding among the fruit bit the young princess and she died in her father's arms, just as the oracle had predicted, hence the name Maiden's Tower," finished Carmen, "It's about the legend behind the painting and that the tower was captured on canvas. It's been restored so many times it's amazing to think that it's survived so much history," said Carmen, "It's a piece any art collector would find priceless."
"I don't really get it but we're with ya Carm," said Zack.
"Thanks. Let's get ready. El Topo and La Chèvre won't know what hit them and they will tell me what I want to know," said Carmen. She looked serious and Shadowsan hoped that all would go well.
'Who knew that five days without Chase would cause such a change in her,' he thought and looked at Player who gave him the same look, one of concern and hope.
It was about an hour later when Carmen infiltrated the museum. "I see a goat and a mole," she said to Player.
"Be careful Red. Shadowsan has your back though," he said.
"Thanks, Player. Come on Shadowsan," said Carmen, Shadowsan just nodded and moved as silently as a shadow beside her.
"I'm telling you, mi amigo, Carmen's dog was so cute but he looked so sad and alone. I couldn't help but feel bad for him," Carmen heard El Topo talking to La Chèvre. She stopped and listened.
"You said that you pulled a thorn out of his butt and made the dog an omelette, did he eat it?"
"Yes, the plate was empty when I went back. I think that taking him to the island was a bad idea, not only has it brought Carmen's wrath down upon us, her dog is making trouble and chaos on the island, I heard that he somehow ended up in Countess Cleo's bath."
"Lucky dog," said La Chèvre with a grin and El Topo laughed.
"You do not know the half of it mi amigo; that dog has given everyone a headache, I'm glad that I was there for just a few hours."
"Thanks for the info boys," said Carmen, who was elated to finally know where Chase was and wondered why she didn't realise it sooner.
"Carmen!" they both said in shock and they paled upon seeing that Shadowsan was with her.
Shadowsan stepped forward in a fighting position making them gulp.
"Tell what I want to know and I'll let you both walk but without the painting of course," said Carmen. "I know you've heard about my current attitude, do you want to know if it extends to you as well?" she asked.
"You have been warned," said Shadowsan.
The men looked at each other, they had no desire to find out. They slowly put the painting back and Carmen watched carefully. "One question and this is just to confirm it, is Chase on V.I.L.E. Island?" asked Carmen.
"Yes," said El Topo with a nod.
"Get walking, both of you," she said. The two men ran off, grateful to escape with their hides.
Carmen turned to Shadowsan with a grin on her face. "Shadowsan, we've got a rescue to do," she said before contacting Player.
"I heard everything Red, I know you said that you'd never go back there but I know you and you're going to bring Chase home, so I booked you first-class tickets to the Canary Islands. The airport I booked with is in Kayseri and the time from there to the Canary Islands is fifteen hours and ten minutes. You'll soon have Chase in your arms again," said Player.
"Thanks, Player, you're the best," said Carmen in her normal tone with her normal smile. Knowing where Chase was took off a lot of stress. 'I'm coming Chase,' she thought as she and Shadowsan left the museum. Shadowsan was grateful to know that this whole thing would be over in less than a day and Carmen would be back to her old self properly.
Xxxxx
It was a long flight and everyone either slept, watched movies, or both. Carmen was fidgeting again but from excitement rather than anything else. When they landed she was the first one off and into the hired helicopter that Player had organised for them.
The siblings couldn't understand why Carmen was going herself, "Carm, you swore you wouldn't go back there ever!" Ivy reminded her.
"Yeah, what if they catch ya?" asked Zack looking anxious.
"They won't and I'll go anywhere for Chase," said Carmen as she got ready to jump. Shadowsan said nothing, he just hovered near the island.
Carmen jumped, waiting until just the right moment until she got out her glider and glided the rest of the way. She had a smooth landing and looked around. She couldn't see anyone but she could hear screams. "Chase perhaps? The boys did mention he was giving everyone hell." She started her search but she didn't see him, she did knock out a few operatives though.
"Carmen," came a voice and she turned to see Tigress, she growled, Tigress took Chase from her, she was going to pay.
"Tigress, I heard that bringing my dog here wasn't the best idea," said Carmen with a smirk.
"You mutt is a menace to V.I.L.E. I think it'd be better if he was shot instead of trying to catch and brainwash him," Tigress hissed.
Carmen saw nothing but red and soon Tigress saw nothing but red too, thanks to the bloody nose she was sporting because of Carmen's lightning-fast punch. "Gah!" was all Tigress could say as she staggered backwards and Carmen took advantage, aiming kicks and punches to the kidneys, knees, stomach, and liver, and Carmen didn't forget the face either. Before Tigress knew it she was on the ground in a bruised heap.
"That was for Chase," she said before dusting off her hands and walking off to find her dog. She heard more yells and screams and found that she was looking down at chaos from where she was. "Chase, where are you?" she asked, trying to find him in the crowd. Nothing. Her heart sank. Where was he? She heard something behind her and turned slowly to see…
Xxxxx
Yes, another cliffhanger. Sorry.
I hope that you all enjoyed this chapter.
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