Disclaimer: Sly Cooper and the Cooper gang are property of Sucker Punch and I am just using them to entertain the masses with a good story. I only own the character Todd and the other elements of the story I have created my self.

Chapter 3

The plan to save a damsel

Todd was back at the house in thirty minutes flat; a little slow due to the noon hour traffic. He pulled into the garage, and was in the house a few minutes later. He was walking down the hallway, past everyone's bedrooms when he heard a shout coming from the living room. Upon reaching the living room he had seen that Sly had been able to beat Murry at a video game the Murry usually dominated. Murry was already in the process of demanding a rematch when he noticed Todd standing there, looking a little ragged. Murry turned his attention away from Sly to ask, "Hay Todd, what are you doing home so early. Not feeling well."

Todd just nodded as he walked over to a reclining chair and sat down, rubbing his chest area. He then opened the drawer of a near by end table and pulled out his spare pair of glasses. He examined them a second and as he put them on said, "Yeah, I got pegged in the chest by a shock pistol blast. So, I should say I have a really pain in my chest." Todd then began to tell them about how his lunch hour had gone, and about the fight he had with the lion Constable. After he finished Murry had gone to the bathroom to get Todd something to kill the pain while Sly both applauded him for standing up for himself and Carmelita, and grumbling about how that lion had pulled such a cheap shot. By this time Murry returned with the pain relievers and Todd swallowed the pills with a small bit of water. It then occurred to him that Bentley was no where to be seen. When Todd asked about it Sly said, "He had stayed up late last night, trying to find us a job. Me and Murry found him this morning slumped over the computer, fast asleep. He should be up by now."

As if on cue a very tired looking turtle came walking into the living room. With out even noticing the others he plopped down on the couch and let out a very loud yawn. Todd, Sly, and Murray chuckled to them selves slightly, and waited as Bentley finally realized who was in the room with him. When he noticed Todd was sitting there he looked at the clock and asked, "Shouldn't you be at work."

Todd just said, "I'll tell you later why I came home early, but right now I need you get on the computer. I e-mailed a very important file home, and we need to look at it now." Bentley grumbled slightly as he got up and walked over to his computer which was still connected to the Thief Net home page. After a bit of typing and clicking Bentley had gotten to his mail-box and opened the priority document Todd had e-mailed him. He sat their a moment and read the document, and when he was reading the end of Carmelita report his eyes went wide, and quickly motion for Sly and Murry to get over to his computer. Soon, Sly and Murry understood why Bentley's eyes had grown huge, for there eyes were now at a similar size. They turned over to Todd and asked, "How did you get this."

Todd just sighed and said, "The chief had me do some work on his computer while he was out to lunch. I fixed the problem rather quickly and found I had plenty of time before the chief was due back, so I decided to snoop a little. That is not important right now. What is important is how are we going to help Carmelita keep her job?"

Sly, Bentley, and Murry walked over and sat around the coffee table, Sly and Murry on the couch, and Bentley sitting in the reclining chair opposite of Todd. They all sat in silence for a moment or two and then Bentley asked, "Okay, let's think. What can the higher ups at Interpol use against Carmelita in this matter?"

Todd answered, "Well, I though about that on my way home, and I can name a few facts and items that can be used against her. The biggest two are the photo of you two dancing at Rajan's party, and the fact that you escaped from an Interpol helicopter she was the sole guard of. We also have to consider the fact it looks quite suspicious that half the stuff you steal ends up on her desk the next morning. We also have to worry about how it looks that an officer with a 99 arrest and conviction rate can't catch a certain raccoon, even though she has been on the case for several years now."

Bentley nodded and said, "Yep, I think that is all the evidence they would be able to muster up if they were truly doing an investigation into the matter.'

Murry said, "Yeah, the whole investigation part of the comment may be a lie the people at Interpol Central Command feed the chief of the Interpol office. She may all ready be as good as fired."

Sly temper finally got out of control and he began to storm toward the door. Todd realized what Sly was planning on doing and he quickly got up and got head of Sly, blocking the hallway that lead to the bedrooms and the garage. Sly glared at Todd as he said, "Get out of my way. I am going to go show those dang Interpol numb skulls that they should be worrying about my, and not Carmelita's intentions."

Todd shock his head and said, "Sly, unless you have a death wish, you are going to stay here and help me, Bentley, and Murry figure how we can help Carmelita." Sly and Todd stood perfectly still, as each tried to stare down the other.

Finally Sly's senses came back to him and he walked back to the couch as he said, "So, what do you suggest we do. The thing I can think of that would clear Carmelita's name is if she caught me."

Todd returned to his chair and said, "Well, we can't have that so here is what I propose we do. First, we need to destroy the most deadly of all the evidence against Carmelita, the photo of her dancing with Sly."

Sly said, "Do we really have to destroy the picture. I would like to send it to Carmelita."

Todd did a double take and asked, "Why do you want to give her that picture."

Sly smiled as he said, "It will be the anniversary of when we first met. I would like to send it to her as a sort of Anniversary present."

After hearing what Sly had planned for that picture Todd and Murry chuckled and Bentley sighed as he rubbed his eyes out of frustration. Todd then said, "All right Sly, and now back to business. I know where the image is stored in the Interpol mainframe, but I don't know what happened to the negatives and two hard copies of the photo."

"Don't worry, leave that to me. With that link up you gave me into the Interpol main frame, I will be able to find them right quick," said Bentley as he walked over to his computer to get to work.

Todd nodded his thank you to Bentley and then continued by saying, "Okay, second order of business. Sly, you once told me that while you were escaping that Helicopter ride after the Clock-la incident that you had taken the tape from the Helicopters interior security camera system."

Sly eyes widened as he said, "Your right, I still have it in my room somewhere."

Todd smiled and said, "Good, that can be used to prove you escaped from the helicopter underneath Carmelita's nose, not with her help. Now, as we continue down our list of evidence we need to deal with our next item is the simple fact that half the stuff you steal Sly ends up on Carmelita's desk the next morning."

Murry said, "Yeah Sly that is a bit suspicious."

Sly smiled and said, "Don't worry. I think I just figured out a plan. First, Todd will need to install a security camera inside Carmelita's office."

Todd just nodded and Sly continued by saying, "Then, I'll pull off a real quick and easy heist."

Todd tilted his head in wonder and asked, "Such as..."

Sly shrugged his shoulders and said, "I don't know. How about the Demon Sapphire on display at the Paris Natural History Museum. That is difficult enough for my skills, and yet simple enough we could pull it off tomorrow night."

"Okay, quick question. Why haven't you stolen it before if it is such a quick job?" Todd asked, as he began to clean his glasses, a habit he had developed when ever he was thinking over difficult problems.

Bentley piped up from behind computer whet odd asked this, and said, "I have been holding that job off, because the Demon Sapphire is a very valuable jewel, but would also be very easy to sell over Thief Net. Thus making it our form of emergency funding, incase something were to happen."

Todd turned and eyed Bentley over his glasses as he said, "You mean if we were hard up for cash, Sly would steal that and get us out of the hole."

Bentley shrugged his shoulder and said, "Yeah that pretty much hits the nail on the head, but since Carmelita's suspension starts next Monday we have to use it. When could you have a camera set up in her office?"

Todd thought a second and then said, "It wouldn't take to long to actually install it. The hard part would be finding a wireless camera unit in that back storage room. I know there are a few back there, but they were there before I came to Interpol, so they are lost somewhere in the mess."

"Well, I think we should all head in there and find it." Sly said as he got up from the couch and began walking to his bedroom.

It took Todd a second to register what he had said, but once it did he said with worry in his voice, "Are you crazy? Why do you want to go there now? Its barley 1:30 and the place is still swarming with every Interpol officer on the pay role."

Bentley got up from his computer and said, "I'm sorry to admit it, but I agree with Sly. We need to go now because I just found out where the negatives and hard copies of that photo are, and that the chief has it scheduled that he was going to go down to the archives at 4:00 this afternoon to collect those items."

Todd continued to stare in disbelief, the chief was moving much faster then he usually would have, meaning that he wasn't the one that requested Carmelita be put on suspension. It must have been one of his supervisors from the Interpol Central Office. He was so rapped up in his own thoughts he didn't notice the others head off to their rooms. By the time he noticed they were gone Bentley had returned in a very convincing disguise. He had pulled on a formal Business suit, and put in some black sunglasses. Todd looked at him a second and then asked, 'So, what are you supposed to be."

"I'm am a representative from the Central New York Interpol Office, here on request by superiors to pick up some evidence on a criminal that is being tried in the states for crimes all around the world. This evidence is located in the back store room of Todd Element's office."

Todd shook his head. He had to admit that Bentley had sound very convincing just then. If Todd didn't know better he would have been completely fooled. He then heard Sly's door open and close and did a double take when he saw Sly's disguise. Sly was also dressed up in a full black business suit like Bentley's, but when he came in he quickly flashed a very convincing Interpol badge at Todd as he said, "Inspector Edward Stevens. Transfer from the Interpol office in Denver Colorado." Sly then handed Todd a set of official looking transfer papers, and they were perfect forgeries down to the signature of the head of the Interpol office in Denver.

Todd laughed and said, "You look very official Mr. Stevens. I don't think Carmelita would even recognize you, but I wouldn't go pushing your luck. You got that Mr. Stevens."

Sly took the papers back from Todd and said, "I am strictly a professional Mr. Element."

Todd shook his head knowing that Sly wasn't one to keep his word in a matter like not speaking to Carmelita. He then turned back to Bentley and asked, "Okay, so where is Murry, Isn't he coming? As if on cue a loud car horn blast came from the garage and Todd figured out that Murry was going to be the driver and nothing more. Todd stood up and followed Bentley and Sly to the garage, and while Sly and Bentley got into the Cooper van Todd walked up to its side and opened a hidden door to reveal a key pad. He quickly entered in a three number sequence and stepped back as the vans camouflage circuitry kicked in and the paint slowly turned completely black, hiding any evidence that is was the get away van for the infamous Cooper gang. Todd got into his truck and followed Murry, Sly, and Bentley to the Interpol building.