xD. Okay. In the next few chapters, you'll start noticing that I've parodied a few characters from other games, or even things like comic books.
Chapter 5: The next step.
Around the largest table in the Big Ten, the Lynch and Cooper gangs were seated. Eoin was twitchy, still a bit annoyed that the bank had been robbed before they had gotten there.
"What's the plan, then?" Jacob said, running his finger along the edge of his glass.
"We found one clue as to who hit the bank before we did." Bentley said. "The problem was that I'd never heard of them before."
"Well? Out with it, then!" Eoin said.
Bentley slid a card from his pocket. He set it on the table, and pushed it across to the Lynch gang.
Eoin picked it up. It was white, and in leopard stripe print, said only a name. Amelie McLaughlin.
"Who the hell is this, then?" Ronan asked, flicking a pretzle up and catching it on his tongue.
"I don't know if you're going to like this, but Amelie is the daughter of a former Garda. Lieutennant Micheal McClaughlan." Bentley said, pausing. The looks of confusion on Jacob and Ronan's face contrasted with the 'holy-shit' look on Eoin's said everything.
"The hell?" Eoin said. "I didn't know that ol' bugger had a daughter!"
"You know this nacker?" Jacob said.
"Yeah!" Eoin said. "I knew him B'fore I met you two. Back when I was a lil' shite in Highschool. M'mates called me "Tag" then, 'cause I spraypainted everythin' I could." Eoin shook his head. "Fuckin' hell. If I had known that bastard had a daughter..." His voice was filled not only with guilt, but... fear?
"What happened?" Murray asked.
Eoin was silent for a bit. "The reason I dinnah want T'kill anyone ain't 'cause it's the moral thing T'do," Eoin said at last. "It's 'cause O'the look they get on their faces." Eoin sighed. "I didn't mean fer him T'die! I was just a fuckin' kid!"
The Cooper gang shifted silently.
"...An' now he's got a daughter." Eoin mused. "Fuckin' A."
"Calm down." Sly said. "It can't be THAT bad."
Bentley nodded. "I did manage to find out a bit about Amelie on Thiefnet." He said. "She recently contacted a mercenary in America. That's our next move."
"How the hell're we gettin' all the way out there, then!" Ronan said. "No offence T'the rest O'ya, but this is rather sudden, doncha think?"
"Don't worry. We've nabbed spots on planes before." Sly said, tapping his long-lost cane on the ground."
"I got a few contacts in America." Eoin said, narrowing his eyes on nothing in particular. The statement sounded like a partial-thought.
"They might come in handy." Bentley said. Jacob and Ronan stood up.
"Bugger. Looks like we're going on Vacation." Jacob said.
"Ah, well. Might be worth it. I haven't been to America before." Ronan replied, the two started off towards Eoin's warehouse.
Eoin looked at the Cooper gang. "Well. What else D'you know about Amelie?"
"Besides the fact that she's been monitoring us through that Mercenary, not much." Sly said, leaning back in his chair.
"What's the Merc's name?"
"Logan." Sly said. "He's a former Canuck, loads of experience in the military. He's got some nifty tricks, like the ability to track people down based on scent only. He's a tough guy." Sly said, smirking a little. "We lost a couple Interpol boys going after him."
Eoin imagined someone big, someone tough. Someone with... Style.
"What's he look like?"
Bentley flicked a picture across the table. "That's the last photo taken of him."
Eoin picked it up and saw...
Holy fuck, that guy is short.
He couldn't have been above five-three! A tiny, buff, Wolverine.
"Jesus." Eoin said, grinning. "This is the guy that you sound so scared of?"
Bentley nodded, looking at Murray and winking. "Yeah!" Murray said. "I've seen him before. He took ME down!"
Eoin cocked his head. "Christ."
"Yes." Bentley said. "The best way to get to him is through reason. You, Jacob, and Ronan will have that honor. Chances are that he knows were Amelie is."
Eoin shrugged. "Shouldn't be too hard. He's a Merc. They'll listen to reason... Or cash."
Sly grinned. Poor, poor Eoin. I hope he'll be able to forgive us when we get Logan to join...
Eoin stood and headed to the door of the Big Ten. "I better get packin', then. Night, lads."
"G'night." Sly said. They waited for the door, then broke out laughing.
"God, it's good to be back!" Sly said, pushing a tear from the edge of his eyes.
Murray put a hand on his stomach to try and ease the ache from laughing. "Do you think they'll figure it out?"
"Not until Logan throws one or two of them through a wall." Bentley said, laughing. "Hope they won't be too angry at us...!"
Sly grinned again. "They'll get over it."
The three clinked their glasses together, smiling amongst themselves and taking a drink.
Elsewhere, a particularly dejected Carmelita Fox roamed the streets at night. Her hands were thrust into the pockets of her yellow jacket, and her eyes stared at the ground.
She stopped at a street corner, shoulders heaving with a sigh.
"Why'd you leave, Ringtail?" She asked silently. She was going to come clean with him... She was! He just... Dissapeared.
The light turned to walk. She stepped off the corner and across the street. She'd taken her sick day today. She felt too... Empty to take any joy in her work.
What happened to him?
Who knows?
The End