Chapter 5
After a few more hours, Kitty and Ling finally polished off the remainder of their paperwork. Kitty smiled blearily over at her Ling, who nodded at her and smiled his approval at her work ethic. They then made copies of both Ludmilla and Arkady´s dossiers, being careful to replace the originals in Kitty's locked file cabinet. As Kitty locked the door to her office, she fished her cell phone out of her pants pocket. "Hang on a sec, Ling," she cautioned. "Let me give Carmelita a call…and let her know that we're coming."
"Sound like the rigth decision, Kitty," Ling approved. "Most people, I have found, dislike being awoken without some very good reason."
"Yeah," Kitty said with a nod. "Besides, from what Carmelita's told me, I'm thinking that Ludmilla might hold a bit of a grudge against both her and Sly as well."
Ling frowned as he thought that through. "Perhaps you are right, Kitty. She has reason enough to dislike them both." Ling nodded, watching Kitty dial.
Carmelita started as the hotel's phone rang shrilly. She grabbed quickly at the handset, then spared a glance at the clock nearby. "Hello," she grumbled, blinking her tired brown eyes. "This better be pretty damn important…whomever you are," Carmelita growled.
"Wotcher, Montoya buddy," came Kitty´s voice over the phone, knowing that particular English phrase would elicit a response from her friend.
"Kitty? It's freakin' six o'clock in the morning, girl!" Carmelita pointed out. "And, just in case you've forgotten, I'm a thief now…and as such, I've moved my sleeping schedule around to…oh, just about now. So…whatever it is you have to say, make it quick."
"I can accommodate you with that, sport," Kitty replied, her voice tired. "Because what I've found out I can't repeat over the phone anyway. Capisch?"
Carmelita was instantly wide-awake, having caught the tenseness in Kitty's usually clever voice. She was using the tone she had used previously when she had confessed that she and Ling had fallen in love. "Okay, kid…when should I expect you here?" Carmelita asked, rubbing her eyes.
"Within the hour, okay?" Kitty replied, knowing she was going to need a shower to wake herself up. "Oh, and get the others out of bed ASAP. Once Ling and I have had a shower and a cup of caffeine, we're going to stop by and drag along Yuri and Naomi…plus Svetlana and Maria. Got all that?"
Carmelita nodded, then grinned, realizing Kitty couldn't possibly see her doing so. "Got it. Now, go on, I'm on the case," Carmelita assured her, and hung up. "No doubt about it," she told herself as she replaced her nightgown with a pair of jeans and a comfortable t-shirt. "This has got to be big."
A moment later, Sly awoke to hear Carmelita pounding on his door with her fist, calling out, "Up and at 'em, Ringtail! Kitty's got news and she's bringing the C'est Sing group with her!" she exclaimed.
Sly blinked, then threw back his covers, running a quick hand through his spiky short hair. "Be with you in a moment, sweetheart!" he called back, jumping about as he tried to slip on his jeans. "You get the others up and I'll start the coffee…"
Meanwhile…on Rue le Mer…
"Mon Dieu! Whoever could be calling at this ungodly hour?" Yuri wondered grumpily as the phone beside her nightstand rang. She rolled over, intending to pick up the call on the second rang, when she heard the ringing stop…undoubtedly because either Svetlana or Maria had answered it. Even as Yuri began to settle back into a peaceful drowse, she heard the door to her bedroom open. She sat up, not even bothering to pull her covers up to hide her nightgown clad torso. "Oui, what is it?" she called out, just a bit alarmed.
"Madame?" came Svetlana's timid voice. "I know it is early and all, but…"
Yuri rotated herself out of bed and put her feet on the floor. She stood up, and stretched, which caused even more of her shapely spotted legs to show. "Svetlana…come in, child," Yuri instructed, beckoning for her to come inside. "Now, who was that on the phone…and what did they want?"
"It was Kitty, Madame," Svetlana replied, stepping cautiously into Yuri's room, her black wavy hair tousled, her eyes blinking owlishly. "She instructed me to tell you that Naomi, you, as well as Maria and myself are to appear at Le Hotel Champlain upon the hour."
"That is odd," Yuri mused, even as she began to quickly make her bed. "Did she explain why, cheri?" Yuri asked, even as she smoothed the surface of her comforter.
"Da, she did. However, Madame, she also told me that it was not safe to say why over the phone," Svetlana replied, pitching in to help.
Yuri and Svetlana finished making the bed, then Yuri groaned, stretching again sinuously. It was then that Maria stepped inside as well. "Very well, cheris…I am up," she observed. "Now, hurry, mon amis…we must all get dressed." The two girls smiled and left Yuri alone so that she could get herself dressed. "Oh, Svetlana?"
"Oui, Madame?" Svetlana managed, smiling when she used the French word instead of her native Russian.
Yuri noticed and smiled appreciatively. "Do make sure Naomi is informed and ready to go too, oui?" she asked sweetly.
"Of course, Madame," Svetlana replied, then joined Maria out in the hallway, shutting Yuri's door behind her to give Madame her privacy.
"I wonder what this is all about, Maria?" Svetlana asked her friend, even as she dressed herself. "I know our Kitty can be a rascal and all…but, this hardly seems like her, don't you think?"
"Da, Svetlana," Maria replied, then nodded stoically. "But, we shall see soon, da?"
Maria and Svetlana shared the mirror in their bathroom briefly to run brushes through their hair, and then assured one another that they were indeed presentable. They quickly headed downstairs, where they met Naomi, who was already dressed and ready to go, her long platinum hair caught at the nape of her neck in a long ponytail.
"Our first stop, cheris, shall be Starbucks," Naomi replied with a yawn. She then reached for the keys to the Lamborghini. "Most definitely."
"Quite right, Naomi," Yuri replied, her blond hair piled up carefully upon her head. "The way I feel just now, I'm quite afraid that I shall need a double espresso this morning."
Naomi looked at Yuri. But Madame your babies... Yuri blushed. True she said. I forgot.
The girls laughed and piled into their respective cars…
At ten minutes of seven o'clock, a bright green motorcycle softly hummed its way into the underground garage at Le Hotel Champlain…soon to be followed by a bright yellow Lamborghini, which rolled the last fifty yards with its engine off.
Naomi was the first out, helpfully levering the seat forward, then reaching down to help Svetlana out of the car's back seat. Yuri did the same for Maria, who had to perform some contortions to extricate herself from the low, sleek sports car. Each of the ladies held nearly full cups of fancy coffee in their hands as they moved over to where Kitty and Ling were pulling off and stowing away their helmets.
"For you, Kitty," Naomi then offered, handing over a cold can of Coca-Cola. "And this is for you, Inspector Chu," she then added, Svetlana handing over a frothy cappuccino to a most grateful Ling.
Ling said something unintelligible to Svetlana, then bowed deeply to her. The petite tigress couldn't help but grin and bow back to the tall handsome Tibetan. Svetlana turned her head to Kitty. "Kitty? What---?" she asked.
Kitty laughed. "Don't ask me…must have been Tibetan, I think," she ventured, popping the tab on her Coke to take a thankful swig.
"I said," Ling then told them all. "Deepest thanks, lovely lady."
Svetlana grinned at his compliment, her brown eyes twinkling. "Spasiba, Comrade," she replied demurely, but with a clever little smile Kitty's way.
Kitty grinned, then swatted Ling in the arm. "Watch it with the flirting, fella," she warned him, knowing full well that there was a better chance of Ling cutting off his right arm than he'd ever stray from her.
"What?" Ling sputtered, a dot of foam from his cappuccino alighting on his nose. "I was only being polite, Kitty…"
"I know," Kitty replied next, reaching over to swipe the foam from his nose, then licked her finger. "Eew…how can you drink that stuff?"
Ling laughed, and pulled Kitty close, which made the girl grin happily.
"Now, shall we, cheris?" Naomi suggested, then hastily amended her statement, "oh, and you too, Ling, of course."
All of them grinning at the strange conversation they'd been having, they headed up to the much utilized steel back door of Le Hotel Champlain, and had Ling knock.
Carmelita met them all at the door, and ushered them all quickly inside. "We're all meeting in the upstairs dining room…which we've converted into a meeting room of sorts," Carmelita explained as she led them all up the sweeping staircase. The procession moved down the familiar blue (exactly the same hue Sly loved, of course!) runner-covered oak hall and down past a number of rooms until they saw an entrance that sported a glass-paned double door. "Inside. Come on, all of you. Hurry up," Carmelita instructed, following herself once they all had moved inside. She then drew the double doors closed and made her way to the seat Sly was saving for her beside the magnificent marble and wood fireplace, in which a nice cheery fire now burned.
After everyone had found a seat in the many chairs and three loveseats that the room sported, Sly got to his feet. He stood before the fire, careful to curl his ringed tail around himself and away from the fire. To his left sat Murray and Naomi, snuggled together on one of the loveseats, next sat Svetlana, then Maria, then Yuri and Bentley on the next loveseat, then Kitty and Ling sharing one of the big overstuffed armchairs, and finally to the absolute right, sat his Carmelita, who even sleep tousled still looked like a million dollars…at least! "Okay, folks," Sly began. "Sorry 'bout the early wake-up call and all. But, hey, time waits for no man…or woman either, apparently. So…now that everyone is all comfy, I'm gonna hand over the floor to Kitty here." Sly moved over and sat down beside Carmelita, who linked arms with him, and leaned her head against his shoulder slightly.
Kitty took a moment to finish off her can of Coke, then she stood to her feet. She moved over before the fire where Sly had stood only moments before. She then looked shyly at them all, then clasped her hands behind her back. "Ahem," she began, trying to clear her throat. "Okay…here goes," she tried again, only to belch thunderously from the excess carbonation of her Coke at a most unexpected moment. "Excuse me!" she exclaimed softly, covering her mouth.
Svetlana tittered, Maria chuckled softly, and their laughter become quite contagious. Kitty's cheeks flushed a moment, then she grinned sheepishly. "Okay, maybe I should try that again…" she said hopefully
Sly wiped at his eyes. "Probably, Kitty…but, that was a perfect way to break the ice, so to speak, girl," he opined with a laugh.
"Well, I'm certainly glad I could provide some entertainment," Kitty began again, a soft smile on her face at the moment. "Because the rest of what I have to have is not going to generate any." Her pretty face turned stern as she continued. "Look, the Chief pulled Ling and I into a meeting last night," she told them, noting that Ling nodded his agreement. "It seems that yesterday evening there was a mass jailbreak from the Cailloux Maximum Security Prison in Alsace-Lorraine. Five wanted felons escaped their cells somehow and then managed to hijack a sanitation truck to make their getaway."
Svetlana frowned, shaking her black-haired head. "That is terrible, da," she argued, adding, "but, Kitty…exactly what has any of that got to do with any of us?"
"Keep your shirt on, Svetlana," Kitty retorted. "I'm getting to that…"
Svetlana, who was not exactly up on slang terms, gasped a moment, then crossed her arms before her ample chest. "I was not about to take it off, Kitty!" she protested, blushing furiously.
That elicited yet another laugh. "It's an expression, sweetie," Carmelita told poor Svetlana warmly, explaining, "it just means 'wait a minute'."
"Then why did she not say that?" Svetlana wanted to know, finally lowering her arms.
"Shh, Svetlana," Maria counseled, patting her friend's hand. "Let Kitty speak, da?" Svetlana brooded a moment, but then she nodded.
"Thanks," Kitty told Maria, giving Svetlana an apologetic look. "The tie-in you all are understandably looking for is forthcoming…really. Perhaps, the best way to do this is to simply read off the list of the felons that escaped custody yesterday. And…they would be:" Kitty continued, pulling out a folded up piece of paper, and unfolded it. "Yuri Vasilovich Antonin, forger. Yevgeny Pavelovich Rozkom, thief. Adrik Basilovich Podrosky, thug. Arkady Ivanovitch Rezneykov, murderer. And, finally, Ludmilla Irina Tetrakova, thief, enforcer, and pimp." Kitty waited a moment for the names to be assimilated by those before her, seeing both Svetlana's and Maria's faces became ghostly pale. "Names ringing any bells, kids?"
"Bozhe moi!" Maria exclaimed softly, her hand finding then squeezing Svetlana's. "It cannot be."
Kitty felt bad for the two Russian girls, and tried to put a more positive spin on her wealth of bad news. "Now, in addition to all this woe, we actually do have some good news," Kitty informed them.
"I do not know about all of you," Svetlana said in a shaky voice. "But, I could certainly use some good news just about now. Da, Kitty?"
"Damn straight," Kitty replied with a nod to the shaken tigress. "Well, a few hours ago, Interpol got news that an alert squad of local gendarmes somehow managed to apprehend three of the five escapees…without having to fire a single shot."
"Who was caught, tovarisch?" Maria wanted to know, her blue eyes worried.
Kitty appeared to ignore Maria, for the moment at least. "Ling and I have been assigned to recapture the two remaining prisoners. The Chief assures us that we can call on the QRF boys and girls if we need them."
"So, sport…who's still on the loose?" Carmelita asked, frowning at this most unwelcome news.
Svetlana piped up hopefully. "Antonin and Rozkom, perhaps, da?" she nearly pleaded, her big brown eyes mere slits just now.
Kitty said nothing, not having the heart to tell the two Russians she had come to call her friends the news. Instead, she simply laid the two copied dossiers down on the two girls' laps, one for Svetlana, the other for Maria.
Maria swallowed hard, then bravely picked up the file and flipped it open, beginning to read. "Bozhe moi!" she gasped, a hand coming up to cover her mouth in shock and worry. "I am so sorry, Svetlana…"
Svetlana sighed, closing her long-lashed eyes wearily. "I feared that might be the case," she then observed, opening her big beautiful eyes, which had a haunted look in them now. "It is Arkady, is it not, Maria?"
"Da, it is," Maria confirmed, her hands now shaking slightly. "That traitorous, soulless bastard."
"This must not stand," Svetlana replied in a soft, yet resolute voice. "Paris does not deserve to have Arkady Ivanovich loose upon her streets."
Maria gave her friend a sympathetic look. "I do not think you need worry about that, Svetlana," she pointed out. "I think that Kitty has brought this to our attention because she fears that this is personal." Maria then paused, remembering. "Hmm, though I seem to recall---though I may be mistaken---that you and Arkady seemed to get along well enough when we worked for Polarsky. Did you not?"
Svetlana looked as if she had just swallowed something very unpleasant. "Da, I suppose," she managed, now blushing. "I am not proud of that time in my life, my friends."
"Yeah, I remember," Carmelita then offered up, grinning. "When I swiped your keycard, Svetlana…I was just a little clumsy I guess and must of tickled you. And, that was when you said, and I quote…" Carmelita then pitched her voice a bit lower, and added a pretty good imitation of Svetlana's charming Ukrainian accent. "'Arkady? Is that you, you naughty boy?'"
There was a titter of laughter, but that fizzled out when everyone saw the stricken look on the poor little tigress face. "I--- I---" Svetlana stammered, then lowered her face into her hands and began to cry.
Maria moved over to softly speak with the weeping Svetlana. Carmelita looked worriedly over to Sly, concerned that her teasing had come across as spiteful. She then turned back, and got up to move over to Svetlana's side. "Svetlana, c'mon, honey…I'm sorry," she murmured soothingly to the girl.
Svetlana looked up, her cheeks stained with her tears, and smiled weakly at the concerned Carmelita. "It is not your fault, Carmelita," Svetlana assured her, taking her hand with her own wet one. "You could not know."
Carmelita looked into Svetlana's tear-streaked yet lovely face. "Know what, Svetlana? What's the matter, sweetie?" she asked, her eyes concerned.
"A-After Arkady and I had fallen out," Svetlana explained, wiping at her still tearing eyes, "and after Polarsky had punished the boys…Arkady visited me."
"You did not tell me of this, tovarisch!" Maria protested, putting her arm around Svetlana's waist. "What did that bastard do?"
"It was just as Interpol was raiding us, my friend," Svetlana continued her story. "Arkady barged into my room, and began to harangue me about taking him back…which, I refused to do."
"Good for you, my love!" Maria said with a most emphatic nod.
"Spasiba," Svetlana replied, her brown eyes thankful, even as she leaned against her friend for support. "It was then when Interpol blew in the first floor entry doors. Arkady turned to me…and, declared me traitor. He slapped my face, and then told me that he would see both me and my Maria dead!" Svetlana broke down again a moment, fresh tears staining her already wet cheeks. After she recomposed herself, she continued. "Luckily, I had my service pistol at hand, so I threatened him if he did not leave. Oh, how he looked at me, Carmelita! Such cold, hateful eyes! And…to think I once had feelings for such a devil as that…" She lowered her face into her hands again in shame.
"Shh, Svetlana," Carmelita soothed. "Don't you worry…you've got friends now, honey. We aren't going to let anything happen to you…or Maria."
"Quite right!" Yuri agreed, moving over to put her hand on Svetlana's head. "Come, cheri, dry your tears…you have nothing to be ashamed of. We have all made bad decisions before…it is part of how we find the right person for us, mon ami."
"Truly?" Svetlana asked, lifting her tear-stained face to Yuri, hope in her deep brown eyes.
"Oui," Yuri assured her, gently stroking her cheek. "Now, cheri, what is past is just that…past!"
"Yuri's right, girl," Carmelita added, reaching out a hand to Svetlana's face. "Chin up, Svetlana…be proud of yourself!" She gently slid a curled index finger beneath Svetlana's chin and raised her lovely face up for all to see. "We all love you…you know that, right?"
Svetlana nodded, her heart swelling with love for them all, and then quite unexpectedly threw her arms around Carmelita's neck and squeezed her fiercely a moment. "Da! It is as you say, Carmelita," she finally declared, drying her tears and holding her head high once more.
"Who's in your folder, Svetlana?" Naomi asked in a kindly, yet hesitantly curious voice.
"Let me see," a much more upbeat Svetlana replied. She opened the folder and her face paled before she softly bit her lip, looking up with huge eyes over at Carmelita. "Bozhe moi! Oh, Carmelita…it is Ludmilla! No! No, no, no!"
"You mean that nasty mink that was Polarsky's admin?" Sly wanted to know.
"Da, Sly Cooper," Svetlana said, gulping in her shock.
"Great. Super," Sly replied, then shrugged. "Hey, don't beat yourself up, you two, okay?" He nodded his head to the two pretty Russian gals. "Me and Carmelita dealt with her before…we can do it again. No problem…eh, my sweet?" He looked over to Carmelita with a proud grin.
"You got that right," Carmelita declared stubbornly. "Don't know what it is, but that damn mink is forever getting in my way. I---for one---am getting sick and tired of it."
Kitty decided to get things back on track. "Okay, here's the plan so far. Now, Ling and I will keep our cell phones on 24/7," Kitty told them all. "I suggest that you all do the same, all right?"
"Can do, Kitty," Sly remarked, his brown eyes seeking each of them, one after another, getting a nod from each. "We're all on board."
"I've made copies of the dossier both on paper as well as CD," Kitty explained, slipping the jacketed CDs out of her backpack and handing them over, one to Yuri, the other to Bentley. "Now," Kitty then turned to the ashen faced Russian girls. "If either of you two can think of anything---and I do mean anything at all!---that can prove useful in either of these cases, you don't hesitate to call. You hear me?"
"Da, we will, Kitty," Svetlana said, looking up, and giving the vixen a small nod. Maria did the same.
"Hey, look…I'm sorry for having to put you both through this, but I thought it best to let you know. After all, I'm pretty certain that Arkady isn't the only one to put two and two together and figure out that you two were the only ones that didn't get arrested that night."
"Da, you did right, Kitty," Maria commented, nodding. "Our former comrades are pretty bright…they will not have missed that telling sort of coincidence, I'm afraid."
"Didn't think so," Kitty had to reluctantly agreed. "Oh, and judging by Ludmilla and Arkady's profiles, they just might hold a grudge against you two. This is the Russian mob we're talking about here, right? Not some of the most forgiving folks I've been led to believe."
"No, they will be out for their revenge," Svetlana replied, her face pale, but her expression full of determination. "Russians do not tolerate traitors…and that is precisely what Maria and I are in their eyes."
"You two take care of yourselves, you hear me?" Kitty cautioned them, not liking the way her heart ached for the two.
"Do not worry," Maria assured her. "We will, tovarisch."
"Oh, hey…almost forgot," Kitty then threw out. "And, this might be some consolation for you all." Kitty smiled wolfishly. "Raikon Polarsky has got himself an appointment with a very stout rope tomorrow night."
"Good riddance to bad rubbish, I say," Carmelita replied, crossing her arms before her chest, shivering, yet defiant.
"Well, that's all I've got," Kitty said, her expression sad. "I hate to be the bearer of sad tidings, but…well…" She shrugged. She then yawned hugely. "Sorry. But, it's been a long night for both Ling and I. Unless any of you have any more questions, I think it best if we crash and get some rest."
Carmelita got to her feet. "We've got some rooms made up upstairs, Kitty," she remarked. "You and Ling are both welcome to stay here."
Kitty's face brightened, as did Ling's. "Gee, thanks, Carmelita," she replied. "That'd be swell." She yawned again.
Ling bowed. "I was somewhat hesitant to drive my motorcycle home in my current condition. I thank you for your hospitality."
"Get!" Carmelita barked, pointing them upstairs. "Separate rooms, you two!" she grinned.
"Carmelita!" Kitty yelped, blushing. "Not in front of everyone, okay? Gee!" She then gazed at the grinning vixen. "Payback for the early phone call, right?"
"You could say that," Carmelita replied cleverly. "Now, c'mon…I'll show you to your rooms…" Carmelita led the two exhausted police officers upstairs.
"Svetlana?" Naomi asked, sitting down beside the still clearly upset tigress. "How are you feeling? Any better, cheri?"
"Da, spasiba," Svetlana replied with a wan smile. She reached out to take Naomi's hand and clutch it tightly. "But, thank you still for your concern. It helps to know I have such wonderful friends."
Yuri, feeling a wave of motherly affection, sat down between Maria and Svetlana, slipping an arm about each of her girl's waists. ""Have faith, cheris," she counseled. "The Cooper Gang, and Interpol---through Kitty and Ling---will see you from harm."
"Da, I know, Yuri," Svetlana replied, for once comfortable in saying her boss' name. "I just wish that we had not dragged all of you wonderful people into this mess along with us…"
"Dragged?" Yuri protested. "I will have you know, Svetlana, that we all leapt in all on our own. You have become dear to us, cheri…as dear as any daughter I may ever have. I would sooner die than see you come to harm, my Svetlana."
Svetlana leaned into Yuri and hugged her, leaning her head against Yuri's soft shoulder, taking comfort from the caring snow leopard woman. "I love you too, Yuri," she said, though a bit sleepily.
Yuri kissed Svetlana's head, then leaned the opposite way to do the same to Maria, who grinned, and hugged Yuri as well. Yuri felt warm and loved with her arms about her girls, a fierce sense of protectiveness surging in her aristocratic veins. "I think we all could use more rest, cheris," Yuri suggested. "Sly?"
Sly looked up from the conversation he was having with Bentley. "Yeah, Yuri?" he asked, for once not showering the lovely woman with flattery.
"Might my girls and myself impose upon your hospitality? We are all very tired after today's troublesome developments," Yuri asked, then yawned.
Bentley answered for Sly. "Absolutely, honey! There's plenty of rooms upstairs. Take anyone you want," he told her.
"Merci, cher," Yuri replied, her voice full of love for her beau…and the father of her children. "Come, cheris…our beds await us!" Yuri had been in Le Hotel Champlain enough to get them all situated, and led the bevy of exhausted women upstairs to their well-deserved rest.
That left only Sly, Bentley, and Murray in the room.
Sly looked over at Bentley and Murray. "Well, we got ourselves one heck of a pickle, fellas," Sly pointed out.
"Sure do," they both agreed, their faces lined with worry.
Sly knew the best cure for worry was activity, and so he set to work! "Yo, Bentley! We're gonna need those brains of yours, pal," Sly pointed out. "And…if I'm not altogether mistaken, those of your pretty fiancée as well."
Bentley looked after where his Yuri had disappeared to. He frowned, realizing that if either of those escaped Russian mobsters ever figured out just who had taken in both Svetlana and Maria, Yuri'd be in trouble…big trouble. He briefly considered the idea of asking the two Russian gals to leave and thus keep his precious Yuri safe. However, Bentley---as much as he feared for and adored his Yuri Sing---could not in good conscience just cast the two courteous and friendly girls to the wolves, so to speak. No, it just wouldn't be right, he decided…then grinned when he realized if he had decided on his cowardly plan, nearly everyone else would of stopped him from doing it anyway. So…after a long pause, all Bentley did say was, "Don't worry, Sly," he said with grim determination. "I'm on it, pal…and when Yuri is more herself, we'll both be on the job…"