Chapter 6
Paris, that very same evening…
On the corner of Rue Joulmont, two shadows emerged from the deeper shadows of a most secluded alleyway in the most seedy part of the outskirts of Paris. Both spectral-looking figures were shrouded in long hooded cloaks that worked to hide their shape, and most likely their faces from view.
Both figures jumped quickly back into the safety of the shadows as a Surete Renault cruised slowly by…it's spotlight winking on to briefly sweep the street to the left, then the right, before it winked off.
The taller of the two figures quickly snatched the smaller one back deeper into the seedy alleyway, then back against the wall of the building they were hidden behind. A house pet screeched and jetted out into the street, giving the French gendarmes a welcome laugh, allowing them to relax, and ease their tenseness. Once the Surete cruiser coasted out of view, the two figures slowly made their way back out of the alley and into the street upon the sidewalks. It was only then that they cast their voluminous hoods back, showing their faces. The smaller figure was of a cruel, yet beautiful mink in her late twenties/early thirties, while the other, the taller figure, showed the trademark mask of a male raccoon…one with the bluest of eyes.
"Spasiba, tovarisch," came the weary voice of Ludmilla Tetrakova. "Oh, but I am so tired…I nearly missed seeing that police car!"
"Da, I noticed," Arkady Rezneykov replied tartly, nodding his head. "You must be more careful, Ludmilla. We are now almost within Paris proper again, and the police patrols will most likely get only tighter," he warned her.
"Do not worry about me, Comrade," Ludmilla replied crisply. "Worry about how we are to find those traitorous sluts, Umanova and Foloreva." Ludmilla hawked and spat at even uttering those hated names.
Arkady smiled at her venomous reaction. Perfect, he thought craftily, but said nothing to the surly Ludmilla. "Da, you are right. Folovera first, I think. She has the cooler head of the two…and is therefore the greater danger. Then, Umanova."
Ludmilla sniffed, and grinned. "Of course. I'm sure the fact that once you were sweet on Umanova plays no part in your decision, Comrade Rezneykov."
Arkady snarled silently at the impetuous mink. "Shut your mouth, Ludmilla!" he growled.
Ludmilla ignored his reaction. "Nyet. We will kill them both, together, Arkady Ivanovitch," she corrected. "Perhaps you have forgotten who for we doing this for, da?"
"You mean, Polarsky…your paramour, nyet?" Arkady replied, chuckling when Ludmilla's face flared with her hatred. "He is a dead man, so that means nothing to me." He then looked haughtily over at Ludmilla. "I am going to kill them so that I may have my revenge upon Svetlana, that bitch! Who does she think she is…dumping me! I will teach her to rue that day, da!" Arkady's hands balled and unballed into fists.
"Do not forget that they also betrayed us all to Interpol," Ludmilla reminded him, her anger seething just below her skin. "Sluts!"
"True, Ludmilla," Arkady allowed, then pointed out. "But, you, on the other hand, wish them dead only because you love Comrade Polarsky, may he rest in peace."
"He is not dead yet, you bastard!" Ludmilla spat at the grinning raccoon, her white teeth showing now in her rage. "Our friends in the Syndicate will make sure my Raikon comes to no harm…just you wait." She held her chin high, though there was most definitely doubt in her bright blue eyes.
Arkady came out and just laughed at her preposterous notions. "Oh, do come now, Ludmilla! The last thing the Syndicate does is reward those who fail them. Face facts, woman…Comrade Polarsky is going to be hanged tomorrow night…period."
Ludmilla's mood swung from seething rage to sudden sorrow, bursting out in quiet sobs. "Aiee! My poor Raiky," she wept…hating the fact that the smug raccoon was undoubtedly right. "We were going to be married," she sniffed, "and I would have given him many fine children." She sniffed pitifully.
Arkady said nothing at first, but rolled his eyes in exasperation. He still hadn't let Ludmilla know that the pretty young admin before her had believed very much the same thing…just before Polarsky dumped her for a younger, more lovely woman…Ludmilla herself! "Ludmilla, enough!" he growled, shaking the mink. "You are making a scene!"
"Shut up, you soulless bastard!" Ludmilla growled, slashing his sleeve with her sharp claws.
"Hey, my clothes!" Arkady protested, jumping back from the madwoman.
"What clothes, Comrade?" she sneered openly. "Our orange jumpsuits will not shield us from prying eyes nor keep us warm very much longer," she pointed out, her tears already gone. "Face it…we need to get some new clothes."
Arkady fingered the slash in his sleeve. "Da…but how, woman?" Arkady demanded, balling his right fist…about two seconds from yielding to his desires to backhand this crazy mink. "Think! Stealing some clothing would only give away our location to the Surete."
"Hmm, da…you do have a point," Ludmilla admitted after a moment, thinking. Her blue eyes shone in the near darkness. "Well…I suppose we could always buy some then…"
"Ha, that is funny, Ludmilla!" Arkady chuckled mirthlessly. "What are we to buy this clothing with, eh? Our good looks? We have no money, woman!"
Ludmilla seethed a moment, then inspiration struck, and she smiled wickedly. "Perhaps we have no money," Ludmilla craftily admitted. "Da, that is true, Arkady. However, I know just the way to acquire what we need, Comrade."
Arkady rolled his eyes at first, frustrated by this crazy woman…but, then saw how confident her expression remained. "Oh? How then, woman?" Arkady then demanded.
Ludmilla smiled, then jerked her thumb up then down the street to a billboard. "Yuri Sing," she answered….pointing to the billboard that advertised C'est Sing and its wares. "C'est Sing may be a world class clothier…but, not many know that she also specializes in producing clothing especially for people just like us."
Arkady snorted. "Perhaps this Sing woman does make clothing for we unscrupulous types, Ludmilla…but, one thing is for certain…she does not make them for free! We still need to get our hands on some money, woman!"
"Leave that to me," Ludmilla purred evilly, reaching out one slender hand to coyly pat Arkady's cheek ruff. "Until then, we two must make our way into town, and find ourselves someplace to rest up until such time that her shop opens for the day."
Arkady didn't like it…but, really couldn't come up with any plan to beat what she suggested, so he gamely shrugged. "Da. I leave it in your most capable hands, pretty lady," he told her with only slightly mocking bow.
Ludmilla was tickled by his gesture, and then took his arm in hers. "Into town, my fine friend…and our first step toward our goal: Death to those sluts!"
Arkady grinned, and with that, both Russian ex-mobsters---arm-in-arm---headed into the heart of Paris proper…with malice aforethought.
Carmelita yawned and stretched beneath her covers as she woke up in her bed. She tossed back her covers, slipped out of her nightgown and got dressed…choosing a loose-fitting black blouse, and a pair of white jeans for today. As she finished tucking her shirt into her jeans, she heard a slight noise from the room next door. She blinked as she remembered that Kitty had taken the room next door, and that sound reminded her of the teasing she had given both Kitty and Ling the day before. It also reminded her of all that had transpired…and how two girls she had come to know and love were now in some serious trouble. But, everything in its due course, she reminded herself, and headed out of her door and down to the door of the room next to her own, Kitty's. She knocked quickly, then opened the door without waiting for an answer. "Up and at 'em, sport!" Carmelita called out. "That's it, I---urk!"
Carmelita was brought up short by noticing not only Kitty in her bed…but Ling in her bed as well! Frowning in thunderous disapproval, Carmelita stalked into the room. "I succinctly remember telling you both to take separate rooms," she said sternly.
Kitty nodded, only mildly embarrassed. "Yeah…yes, you did," Kitty admitted.
"Well?" Carmelita insisted, her lips thin with her displeasure, her hands balled up and upon her hips. "Then, care to explain why I come in here and find the both of you here…in the same bed?"
Ling's face flushed in embarrassment, and he slipped under the covers until only his green eyes showed. "Sure! You see, Montoya buddy…" Kitty began, grinning as she used Carmelita's favorite nickname, "…we did, really…well, at first. But then I heard Ling shouting in his sleep next door." Kitty deployed her secret weapon, batting her big blue eyes at Carmelita in devout innocence. "What was I supposed to do? I mean, you'd go see what was wrong with Sly if you heard him shouting now, wouldn't you?"
Carmelita wasn't buying Kitty's act for a minute, but waved her on. "Probably. Go on," she prompted.
Kitty frowned, realizing that the efficacy of her 'secret weapon' seemed to be sorely lacking this morning. "I asked him what the matter was, and well…he told me he kept having nightmares of me being shot by Arkady."
Carmelita could hardly blame Ling for that now, could she? Nope. "All right. I get that…but that still doesn't explain---" Carmelita pointed out…at least until Kitty cut her off.
"I told him I was safe and sound," Kitty explained. "Really! I did." She then looked over to the timid snow leopard. "But, after I went back to bed…it wasn't but a half-hour later, and Ling was in here checking that I was still alive and okay."
Ling pulled the covers down then so he could speak. "I could not seemingly get the image of Kitty shot, bleeding…" he confessed, then gulped, adding, "dying out of my head. I had to, Carmelita…I just had to be sure it was only a nightmare." His green eyes silently pleaded with the huffy vixen.
"Yep," Kitty continued the story then. "And, he did that again, and again, and again…nearly every fifteen minutes, buddy." Kitty shook her head. "Okay, so I was bushed, and I wasn't getting any sleep at all…so…" She left her story hanging.
"So…you invited him in here so he could be sure you were all right…and that way you could get some sleep, even if Mr. Paranoid over there couldn't. That about it, sport?" Carmelita finished, her expression softening.
"That's about it, all right," Kitty replied. "Hey, at least I got some sleep, right?" She cast clever eyes over at Ling, who grunted.
"Very funny, Kitty," Ling groused, looking over at the grinning vixen. "I cannot help myself…with Arkady Rezneykov loose on the streets, I worry about you, my love." He leaned over to lightly kiss her on her lips.
Kitty grinned at that, and surprised Ling by returning his kiss with a much more passionate one of her own.
Carmelita knew she had to cut that off at the pass! She acted, moving forward to roll first Ling, then Kitty, out of the bed they had been sharing. "Andele! Out! Avec, s'il vous plait!" Carmelita barked in all three of her spoken languages. She didn't give the startled Kitty pause to react, and hustled Ling out of the room and back to his own with naught but a low growl and a very stern look.
"Hey, what was all that about, Montoya buddy, old pal?" Kitty demanded, retaking her seat on the bed, glowering slightly at her friend. "I was just starting to have some fun…and you have to go and ruin it!"
Carmelita turned, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "Kitty Petro," she declared, being sure Kitty realized she was using her full name. "I love you like a sister…but if you think, even for a single minute, that I'm going to condone---" Carmelita was just starting to work herself up into a full blown tirade, when Kitty stood up and put her hands on Carmelita's shoulders.
"Message received, Sis," Kitty told her, smiling. "I love you too." She then removed her hands from Carmelita's shoulders and hugged her for a moment, effectively silencing her. "Now, let me take a shower, and get dressed, okay?"
"Okay," Carmelita agreed, then began to turn to leave, only to turn quickly back to run her hands though Kitty's short blond locks, ruffling her hair soundly, before she dashed out the door, slamming it shut.
"I'll get you for that, buster!" Kitty informed her with a laugh though the shut door.
Carmelita shook her head, and made her way down the hallway and finally downstairs. As she walked toward the kitchen, she passed the living room, where she spied Bentley and Yuri seated before a computer. Well, Carmelita told herself, Yuri was seated before the computer…but Bentley was seated upon Yuri's lap---his favorite place to sit, it seemed. They both sat staring at what was displayed upon the computer screen. "Hmm, I like that name, cher," Yuri observed, nodding. "It is a very good name for a young man. Don't you think?"
Carmelita smiled, shook her head in amusement, then continued on. It was apparent, even to her, that Yuri and Bentley were quite obviously discussing potential names for their upcoming children.
It was only then that she frowned, realizing just how quiet and empty this huge place was going to be when Bentley moved out to live with his Yuri and their kids. Hmm, no more yelling from his room, "NO RUNNING IN THE HALLWAY! I´M TRYING TO READ!" And…no more boring documentary series to be endured each time the turtle won the coin toss as to who controlled the remote control that evening. She grinned, knowing that at least Sly was going to be ecstatic…as Bentley would not be registering any more impossible high scores on the video games they all liked to play. And, finally, as she thought about it even further…no more heists! Carmelita blinked. Even if Bentley never liked being out in the field, he was the one who found new challenges for them all, he was the one who knew just what they had to do to prevent them from being caught, and he was exactly who just gave you the answer to the question you were just about to ask. She moved into the kitchen, her thoughts all jumbled and unsettled.
"A penny for your thoughts, querera," Sly teased, briefly startling poor Carmelita, who had been deep in thought. She smiled, realizing Sly was already there in the kitchen. "Say, Sly?" she ventured. "What's exactly going to happen to us all…you know, once Bentley starts living with Yuri instead of here with us?"
"Well," Sly replied after a moment, "I asked him that very same question just yesterday." Sly then slipped an arm around Carmelita's waist. "Bentley told me that he'd let us know whenever he---or Yuri!---stumbled across a job we just shouldn't pass up."
"So…no more petty theft then? You know, like sneaking inside the Louvre just to prove that you can?" Carmelita teased, smiling as Sly chuckled in response to her teasing.
"Sneaking?" Sly replied, arching an eyebrow primly. "Try 'infiltrate', my Carmelita…sneaking sounds so mundane, don't you think?"
"Pah-leeze!" Carmelita retorted with a grin herself. "Now you're just bandying semantics, Ringtail. You know what I mean…"
"I know," Sly returned a moment later. "But, I'm sure we two can keep ourselves in practice without my buddy's most capable assistance, Carmelita."
"True," Carmelita agreed, nodding her proud head.
"However," Sly then added, pausing to softly nuzzle Carmelita's smooth, graceful neck a moment before proceeding, making Carmelita shudder and close her eyes in happiness. "Any big jobs, you know ones that would require the expertise of two Master Thieves…well, then…he'd told me that he'd be more than willing to participate in those sort of capers. Hey, Yuri said she'd be in too! Is that cool or what?"
"Very cool," Carmelita sighed, opening her eyes again. "You know…I was afraid for a moment that I would miss the chance to see Bentley in action doing one of his slideshow before one of our heists. You know how entertaining those can be, eh sweetheart?"
Sly laughed, pulling Carmelita back against him, encircling her slender waist with his arms. He then reached up one hand to move her wealth of thick, silky hair to one side, then turned her enough so that he could look into her beautiful brown eyes. "I know I found them most entertaining, my love," Sly told her softly and huskily.
"I just bet you did," Carmelita teased, though she was staring to breathe heavy again. "Especially after the lights go down, huh, my dear Sly?" Carmelita's brown eyes shone.
Sly laughed again, then turned her fully around, gazed into her eyes a long moment, then gently pulled her close and kissed her warmly and soundly.
"Mmm," Carmelita moaned, looping her hands behind his neck to return his kiss.
Yep, a new day had begun. One that would prove to be a long and trying one…even if none of them knew that just yet…